Memorial Day

They say we are civilized, we have evolved, but.....

And the beat of the drums goes on.

Why?

When will we ever learn that war is not the answer?

I have lived more than six decades, through 4 major wars and countless smaller conflicts.

Bless all who have served and bless their families.

Off and On {and this is not referring to my mental status}

I have been out of town for awhile, and being home now feels comfy and OK.

My daughter and her husband asked me to move into their house and watch my granddaughters and the BIG, constantly shedding dog for 8 days while they vacationed in Mexico.   It was my pleasure to do so as anytime with those girls is a joy for me. However, before unpacking, I had to learn their house as there are things there of which I am not familiar.

My home, which is twelve years old, has fairly new appliances, and although I find the refrigerator door (that has to be closed with precision or else it beeps at you), quite annoying, I get along very well with all the shiny stainless steel things that surround me.  Every year though (or even every week), companies improve (?) and update their models in order to compete in the market.  Sad to say, my abilities have not done the  same.  I have not been improved or updated in over a decade and really get frustrated by the constant changes that technology dictates.  Today, what should be simple appliances, now come with 50 page manuals.  Who reads manuals and why should we?

My daughter had just bought a new washer, dryer, oven, and dishwasher for her house.  They are all  attractive and according to Molly, very efficient. 

The washer has 42 options and very small print.


The drier has 39 and very small print.


The dishwasher has 15, all in very small print and inside the door (who looks there?).



And the oven, that blasted oven, with the timer that constantly beeps even though I continually pushed "cancel" (wrong option), has printing so-o-o small, anyone over 35 would have to use a magnifying glass to see all those choices The display is large enough to spread words out and in bold, but they choose to group them close together, with options that have options.  I had to get my face so close to it that one of the burners could have singed that errant hair that sometimes grows on my chin.


















Then I had to learn the pond.  It worked two days, and for some reason after my granddaughter and I cleaned out the filter, and added water, it flooded the patio and kept tripping the GFI switch. The water feature remained off for the rest of my time there.



On the last day, one of the toilets broke.  I did not take pictures of that.

Yes, I did learn to use all those new and efficient appliances, they all worked well, and the girls got hot meals and clean clothes.  I am not one to look back and say things and times were better long ago, but I have to say, they were a lot easier when it was just an On and Off type world.

Whining

I have been away for awhile, but I am doing OK.





















These past two weeks have been the prettiest of the year.  All the flowering trees bloomed, the azaleas were magnificent, and every tree came alive.  Unfortunately, they clogged up my sinuses and my head feels like it has blown up 10 fold.  My eyes are beyond itchy and red and my headaches can bring me to my knees (OK, I do exaggerate). Basically, everything above my shoulders has had a reaction to this lovely spring. 

Some years are worse than others, and this one seems to be a doozy.  Now I can help myself by staying indoors, but how can I do that after a long winter and with the call of the garden singing to me.  It is something many of us put up with because the things we love are more important to us than our comfort.  I am also very allergic to cats, yet I have two that are indoors and two more who are our (unofficially) adopted outdoor feline friends.  Yes, I am my worst enemy when it comes to my health, but I can't give up what makes me smile and gives me joy.  

I am sorry that I have not been keeping up as I usually do with my blogging friends.  It has been difficult for me to read lately as my eyes hurt and are very strained. I am using eye drops but so far they haven't made a difference. I also have bouts of vertigo caused by something going on with my hearing and I am one dizzy dame.  I keep putting off going to a doctor as I think I will be better tomorrow, and some days that is true.  Besides, he will only tell me what I know and give me advice that I will ignore. He will punish me by sending me a big bill.  Insurance is not what it used to be. 

It is going to rain this week which will be good for my newly planted gardens and will be good for me as the pollen will decrease. I see a reprieve coming.



 

My Winter Love Affair

It is warm and wonderful and I am doing OK.



I am not a collector of anything. Yes, I have plenty of junk, but it is all diversified. As I move along in years, I realize that I have way too much and besides trying to pass my treasures on to my children (who have politely said no), I have tried to curb my desire to buy more. However, during the cold months of winter when I am being couped up in the house too much, I find myself on the computer checking out the latest of the must haves for the gardens.  Now, most of the time I am sensible and just look, but then the days become greyer and greyer and the snow falls and my resolve softens and, and......I give into the charms of Mr. Amazon and Mr. Burpee. 

Now it is time to pay the piper.  Mom told me never to trust anyone who had easy answers to everything.  She warned me not to push any buttons and a cart half empty is better than one half full.  I was weak and so the seeds have been sent, the plants and gardening supplies will follow and the bill for my indiscretions will appear in my mailbox on May 1st. 

Bless me Father for I have sinned..., but the devil made me do it.  It was not my fault at all, it was Mr. Apple, Mr. Dell, Mr. Microsoft and above all, Mr. Internet.  I am just a sucker for the Mr.'s.



 

Dog Days

The Magnolias are in bloom (achoo), and I am doing OK

The arrival of spring with its sunshine and longer days brings with it a renewed energy.  The snowy days are gone and we notice that nature has put the bounce back into our step.  The song birds are chirping, the squirrels are scampering around the trees, and the old groundhog has come out of his hole to check out my gardens for potential food supplies. I also just saw my first bumble bee going from flower to flower on my Azalea bush.  It is time for busy bees to do their thing.

Yes, the pleasant weather is back and all creatures great and small have come out to play.  Well most have, but maybe not my son's four year old lab, Champ.  He is not exactly a bundle of energy. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0Fe2tAMIAg&feature=player_detailpage#t=18s

 

His companion, Brandy, could be a little more enthusiastic also.

 

 

Get those dogs some doggie Red Bull or at least, some Vitamin Water.

 

News Worthy?

I saw a daffodil in bloom yesterday and I am doing OK.



Courtesy of Microsoft.

I have loved reading the newspaper since I was a little girl.  My dad would always bring home The Journal American, one of New York's main newspaper (long defunct) and my sister and I would fight to get to read it first.  My parents always talked about what was going on in the world and even bad news was not filtered.  I was interested in politics, the latest big story, and of course, Dear Abby.  Now, however, EVERYTHING is so sensationalized and it is hard to tell what is important, what is real and what is just BS.  Today, though, newspapers are a dying industry. We get our news from the media outlets that are too numerous, very competitive and on 24 hours a day so that even a chicken crossing a road becomes a "Breaking Story".  I seldom read the paper today or watch the news on TV. It is never on my radio station in the car.  It has to be a major story that will impact my life or my loved ones for me to sit down and listen to the whole gory mess.  There is just so much bad news, which is now gathered from every little corner in the world, and a person's sense of hope and peace can easily be shattered on a daily basis.  I only want to deal with what is happening in my own back yard, on my street, in my town.  I want to live a more positive life and have good will towards the majority of people I meet along the way. I have no need to read about all the horrors that are taking place.  I 

I can't, however, live in a vacuum.  There is always the Internet.  Today's headlines on my cable supplier's site read like this:

- North Korea Vows Restart of Nuclear Reactor
- Cheesteak Store Renamed.  Slur Dropped  
- Georgia City Votes to Require Ownership of Gun
- Pa Inmate Denies Hiding Phone in Prosthetic Leg
- Trump Drops 5 M Lawsuit on Ape Joke

One is so frightening, I can't even think about it.  The others are either about the inane or insane and knowing about any of this does not enhance my life.  Why is an inmate having a phone in his prosthetic leg worth knowing about.  I am not inviting him to dinner.  Actually though, it might be interesting if he did come and his leg started ringing.  I wonder what his ring tone would be.

So I am now living a life of ignorance and bliss.  I am informed enough by filtering out 99.9% of what they tell me I should know.  I did enjoy the story about Donald Trump suggesting that he is related to an ape though.  I am sure that one is not an exaggeration.

Moonglow

Feeling melancholy, but I am doing OK.

The moon was bright and beautiful tonight so I took some pictures from my back porch. 

If you are in the northern hemisphere, you may be looking at  the same thing as I.  It is not as if I haven't witnessed this thousands of times in my life, but each time I see that bright, beautiful golden ball in the sky, I have a feeling of wonder in my heart.  It makes me think about all that surrounds me; it gives me peace.  In the best of times, and in the most difficult of times, I look for the light of the moon to shine on me.

My Mom used to sing, "I See the Moon" to me all the time.  I then sang it to my children and then my grandchildren.  The tune always put them to sleep, a peaceful, restful sleep.  I looked it up on You Tube and there are many variations of this song.  I tried to find the one that I am familiar with, but none quite sounded like the voice of my mother.  (I told you that I am melancholy tonight). 

Well, this did not exactly sound like my mother either (her voice was a wee bit higher), but I need to get out of this mood.  So here is a puppet giraffe singing my favorite lullaby.

They say the moon affects our mood, and they are probably right.  I am sitting here watching a puppet with a not-so-good voice, croon my favorite lullaby and I am  getting choked up as I sing along with him/it.  It must be a combination of my age, the moon, and memories.  What does it matter, I am enjoying the sight of a beautiful night sky and that is a good thing.  Just don't tell my kids; they might be thinking it is time to consider "what to do about Mom."

 

I am not howling - yet.



Birding Around

Seeing some wild skies, but I am doing OK

So I said to hubby, "Hubs, I think you may have gone overboard with all of your bird feeders."





And then the 37 turkey vultures came.



They all know that dinner is served at 6.
 

High on Sugar

Getting close to turning the corner on February, and I am doing OK

Winter forces me to stay inside too often, facing tasks I hate to even think about, no less do, trying to fill the day, moving, moving, going nowhere. Cook, I say to myself, create, fill the house with wonderful smells and the grayness of the day will go away. I open up the fridge and it is filled with food that I made days ago for the same reason. Ignoring this, I continue on my pursuit to accomplish something. Soup, I will make soup. It is hardy, perfect for winter and I have all the ingredients.  I have made so much soup this winter, hubby has been complaining.  He reminded me the other day that he still has his teeth and would love something to chew upon.  So I make cookies, lots of cookies.  I take a few dozen with me to work on Thursdays.  They are all grateful and that makes me feel so good that I go home and make more of them.  The oven is going constantly; butter, flour and sugar must be bought on a weekly basis and if the sun doesn't shine soon and I continue with this obsession, Weight Watchers will cancel my membership and burn my card. 

Today I made the most scrumptious chocolate chip cookies.  Hubby came across this recipe on Yahoo and it was submitted by Alison Roman.  Alison, dear Alison, we could become best friends, because your cookies were Divine.   Here are the ingredients for......... Ta Da............

 Delicious Salty Chocolate Chunk Cookies. 



1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 cup of butter, room temperature
3/4 cup of packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup of  powdered sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 large egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
8 ounces of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chunks
Sea salt

Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat at 375 degrees.  Whisk flour, baking powder, kosher salt, and baking soda in medium bowl and set aside.

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, brown sugar, sugar and powered sugar until light and fluffy - 3 to 4 minutes.  Add egg yolks, egg and vanilla.  Beat, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl, until mixture is pale and fluffy, 4 - 5 minutes.  Reduce mixer speed to low, slowly add dry ingredients, mixing just to blend.  Fold in chocolate.

Spoon rounded tablespoonfuls of dough onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart.  Sprinkle cookies with ground sea salt.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

This is what you get.



Chocolate and salt, a perfect food!

The recipe said you would get two dozen, but I got three dozen.  I made them small because:  1) a smaller cookies gives me less guilt, 2) there are more cookies to love.

They say the cloudy cold days will continue till at least Saturday so there will be more baking going on.  Although I know not to fool around with perfection, next time, when I make these cookies I will use almond extract instead of vanilla and add chopped walnuts.  Hubby will like the walnuts as then he will have something to chew.  Got to satisfy those choppers.



 

Snow dogs.

Punxsutawney Phil, our Pennsylvania groundhog predicted an early spring, so I am doing OK.
 
The winter months can be brutal. Freezing temperatures, grey skies, and snow storms that cause havoc on the roads doesn't  exactly say "fun, fun, fun". A friend sent me this video and it gave me a whole new perspective on making the most of the situation. It has been around for a few years and you possibly have seen it, but it is worth one more look. It is guaranteed to make you smile.

 

 

However, I don't think that me rolling down a hill of snow would look as graceful and it might involve a few major injuries. 

 

A Revival, The Inspector

Repeating myself with an oldie (and hopefully goodie) today, but I am trying to catch up on things that should have been done a few weeks ago.  Other than that,  I am doing OK.

Looking for Perfection

Hubby has worked most of his life in Quality Control. This is perfect for a person with borderline OCD. Was he born this way? Possibly, since he is the oldest and as we have all read in countless articles on the Internet, first borns are the most driven. I was second born and am more in the slower lane, although my family may have something else to say about that. I guess I have my own crazies, but that is another subject.

Hubby looks for mistakes, searches for imperfections and finds satisfaction in any flaw he finds. You say that is a negative trait, no, no, he will tell you. It is necessary and the world and I am better off knowing what is wrong so these things can be corrected and then we will all live a more satisfying life.

The question always arises in our family as what to get as a present for H. Give him a sweater or shirt, he will look for the loose thread. Any item you present to him, he will closely inspect, turning it over a few times and if he has not found any failings, he will smile and everyone will rejoice.

Now that spring has arrived, he has accompanied me on my walk-abouts in the neighborhood. We cannot go past two or three homes without his commenting on the state of someones lawn. Dandelions and flowering weeds are not permissible in his eyes. However, now that most of the offending plants have gone away due to lawnmowers, he is having a more relaxed walk and I, a more pleasant one.

As much as all of this drives me up a wall, I do see some merit in his quest for excellence. Heck, we have lawyers out there raking in millions for mistakes people and companies make. None of us wants to be a victim of errors in judgement or product failure. However, no one and no thing is infallible. Living with inadequacies is a good thing, it helps put things in perspective. Mistakes are made because we are human and we all learn more from these than our accomplishments. It is about realizing not everything is important, letting things go and smiling and laughing at our failings.

I must say though because hubby is hubby, my family has lived a good life. I do like that I can count on him to fix things, to have remedies for problems and because of his peccadilloes, I always have a good story.

Icicles On My Eyelashes

Holy Moley, I must have sleepwalked to Alaska, but with some hot tea, I should be OK.

 

 

The heat is cranked up, the fireplace is on, the space heater in the office is set to high, and I am still cold.  I just might forgo walking outside to the mailbox today  The bills will have to wait. 

 

The temperature is saying 11 degrees F.  I am thinking back now to the days gone by, last winter, as a matter of fact, when the average temperature was 50.  The global warming was so kind to us then.

 

It is less than two months till spring so I will spend today wrapped in two layers of clothes and eating calorie laden foods (I need some comfort) and peruse all the gardening catalogs that I have received in the past few weeks. 

 

In six months, I will complain about the heat.

 

 

 



 

 

 



 

Snap Out of It

Need some bright sun, but I am doing OK.



Do you ever wonder if people who live in all-year-round, warm, sunny areas suffer the winter blues? For us in the colder regions, it may start about two weeks after the holidays, when everything and all its color is put away, and you know that the days ahead will probably be grey and dreary.  Now I don't mind the rain because I know that I will need this for my spring planting.  The snow is beautiful for a day or two and the skiers and children love it.  A winter wonderland adds to the economy and there is fun involved.   What gets me down are the nothing days, the cloudy, cold days, the ones that tell you to go back to bed.  They drain you of energy and leave you empty.  Although they are hard  on the mind, they probably do some good for the body by allowing us to rest.  It is a part of life for many species. Too much rest, though, can get tiring and unless you do something to bring excitement and people into your life,  you can be left on the side of your bed having a pity party with yourself.  I have been through that and once went into the large hole of depression that I did not think I could escape.  It was so deep and so bad that once I was well and whole again, I promised myself I would never go there again.  It was almost 20 years ago and sad times have come, but depression is another animal and if I can help it, that will never be a part of me again.The book has been closed on that episode of my life and I have moved forward to much greener pastures.

Yes, these days in January can get me down but not out.  I fight every day not to give into its gloom. I do not listen to the horrible news of the day and ignore the people who enjoy negativity. Some days will be good, and others not as good, but none will be bad as long as I am still kicking.

I am baking this afternoon.  Sugar always makes me happy.

Cry Me A River

Christmas is packed up and put away and I am doing OK.


I admit it, I love sad chick flicks.  Just thinking about Beaches, Fried Green Tomatoes, Steel Magnolias, and the queen of them all, The Notebook,  makes me misty-eyed.  Yeah, there is nothing like a good cry, especially when you are sharing the moment with women who understand your joy of  pain.  My daughters were wonderful to have around when re-watching one of these movies.  We would get out our boxes of tissues and bawl together.  It was a good bonding experience and wiping our noses in sync were tender moments I will treasure forever.

Yesterday, with my dear friend Barbara, I went to see Les Miserables.  Tears started flowing within five minutes and it got better and better every minute after.  Though the movie was l-o-n-g, I loved and wept through it all.  I have to say I have seen numerous adaptations of this story and have enjoyed them all.  The book speaks to my liberal heart and the injustices I see in this world, but the marvelous, poignant music and exceptional acting in this film stole my heart.  It was worth sitting in a theater seat for 2 hours and 38 minutes with my legs cramping up and my butt getting sore.  It was a beautiful movie and I cried my eyes out.  Oh, happy day!

Stalkers in the Midst

We had a beautiful snowfall this week and I am doing OK.



A few days ago, hubby came running into the bedroom yelling, "Arleen, Arleen, look outside."  Not fully awake but startled by what he said, I stretched over and peered out the window.  There, sitting on a backyard tree were two large turkey vultures and they seemed to be looking into my window. I checked my pulse, and yep, I still had one.  I jumped out of bed, did a little dance and yelled for them to go away.  Heck, there is still plenty of life in this old girl yet.

This was not quite the happy New Year greeting I wanted.  I was hoping for the Bluebird of Happiness.

See You Next Year.

Busy, busy, busy, but I am doing OK.


My daughter and her family will be visiting from California next week and my other children will be popping in and out during the holidays.  It will be about having fun with family and friends, feeding people and keeping everything going in an easy, peasy flow.   Easy, peasy, well, maybe that won't happen, but I am being optimistic.    I am going to take a break from blogging for awhile and will return when the new year comes around.

I am wishing you all a wonderful holiday, no matter what you believe or how you celebrate.  I believe in the power of love and that is the one thing that all cultures have in common.  It is what we all want and what we all need. So I wish you  love and may you all find peace and joy in this season of  hope.

Bless you all, everyone. 

Arleen

Postscript:

I wrote this before the news came out about the tragedy at the Sandy Hook elementary school. My title was Joy to the World.  That title seems so inappropriate now as we are all in deep sorrow. Such madness and unless we change the laws and the culture of guns in the US, this will never end.




 

Mrs. Christmas and the Freaking Tree.

My  tree is up and decorated and I am doing OK.

Eleven years ago my hubby brought home an 11 foot fir tree for me to decorate.  We had just moved into our new home and had a few rooms with 15/20 foot ceilings.  He was so sure that I would love this blankety blank monstrosity.  My family will tell you that I am very fussy about decorating and spend most of the holidays tweaking the tree until I think it is perfect.  Up until then we had always had 6 to 7 foot trees that even though I obsessed about them, I enjoyed trimming.  That year I worked on what seemed to be a giant Sequoia planted in my living room, for two nights, crying and cursing all the way.  Much of the cursing came when I looked in the other room and saw hubby comfortably ensconced in his old man's chair, sipping on fine wine and enjoying some sporting event on the TV.   A line in the sand was drawn then and there.

Next year I took hubby (kicking and screaming) into our local big box store and purchased a 7 foot forever tree that we have had ever since.  We also bought a carousel stand and when the lights are on, the tree will turn.  I just stand there with box of ornaments and let the branches come to me.  Life got better.





This year I have added something new that I thought would entertain the grandchildren.  Yes, it's cheesy and I am sure will become annoying, but right now I am enjoying it.  It is a frame shaped ornament that plays carols and whose workings are hooked into the indoor  tree's lights.  You do, though, have to be polite and say, "Hello Mr. Christmas" and have a conversation with the tree (so what's new about that).  Mr. Christmas will play the songs you request and the lights will blink along.  My only problem is that my tree is constantly spinning and Mr. Christmas, like many men, does not hear really well and when he is facing another direction, he tunes you out.

The first night we connected this acoustic marvel, I saw my husband running around and screaming into the tree, "Mr. Christmas, Mr. Christmas, MISTER CHRISTMAS and no lights went on and no songs were played.  In a spirit of the season, he said to me "This damn thing won't work" (and a few other choice words).

"Of course, I said, he won't respond to you if you talk to him like that.  You have to greet him with a hello, and then he will listen."

When greeted properly Mr. Christmas played Joy to the World, and hubby learned that manners can be fun. Fa, la, la!

Downloading Christmas

I went shopping on Black Friday and despite it, I am doing  OK.



I am not a shopper, but I do love to buy presents.  I pride myself on listening to my loved one's wants and needs.  I try to pick up on any of their hints and then read all the news on the latest and the greatest gifts of the season.  By October, I usually have some good ideas.  This year though, I have nada, nil, zippo, nothing, not even a clue what to get. 

Everybody seems to be obsessed with their latest phone, tablet or laptop.  Their lives appear to revolve around being connected through social media.  I have watched people at social gatherings who look like they are engaged in a conversation, casually glance at their phones (which they always have not far from their fingertips) every few minutes.  Right now three of my grandchildren are sitting in my family room playing on their hand-held devices with the oldest one multitasking on three.  Games they enjoy to play no longer come in a box but are downloaded.  It seems that so much can be acquired instantaneously and people's needs satisfied with a click of an app.  Santa Claus no longer has to travel all that distance on Christmas Eve, Apple and Amazon have taken his place.  The old guy has been outsourced.

This holiday season will be different.  I have always enjoyed wrapping and giving gifts with beautiful paper and ribbons.  It is a way to tell the people I love how special they are to me.  This year though I am perplexed, because how do you wrap an app?

The Fog Comes On

Getting ready for the holidays, and I am doing OK

As I no longer go to work on a daily basis and time has lost its importance, I have, on occasion, woken up and am not sure what day it is. I look for clues and if hubby is not there, it means he went to work (big smile, big smile!). So now I am down to one of five or one of two and that is good enough for me.

Where, oh where, did that mind go that used to figure out complex programs and mathematical equations. I was that person who managed a small company and a large family and now I cringe when my grandchildren want me to play Angry Birds on their iPod. I used to be that person who jumped out of bed and quickly got her day going at 5:30 AM. Now as I slowly slide off the side of the mattress and onto the floor, my main purpose is to look for my glasses. Finding them within three minutes is sort of like getting a hole in one for me.

Monday, Schmonday, what does it matter now. It has taken me a while but I have learned to embrace a less stressful environment. Unless hubby is around, time is mine to do with what I want. I have a volunteer job that I love, love, love and gives me great satisfaction and joy.  I also now have time to spend with my grandchildren that I did not have before and I am making memories. I have replaced the stress and restraints I had by now doing things I choose. My early enthusiasm about doing chores that I had put off for years has waned. Purging the basement of unnecessary collections has not been accomplished although I do make attempts at it every now and then (the emphasis on "then). I have decided to focus on small victories rather than big burdensome tasks. Best of all, what I have found is that in this phase in life I do less complaining and am grateful for so much more.

So when I woke up this week and saw the thick fog, I did not worry about being out on the road trying to see through the mist. What I noticed was how beautiful it looked. There was silence and sweet peace in the scene.


The Fog
by the wonderful Carl Sandburg


The fog comes





















on little cat feet
























It sits looking
Over harbor and city (and suburbia)





















On silent haunches








































And then moves on




And so have I. 







 

Let There Be Light

"Give light, and the darkness will disappear of itself." 
 Desiderius Erasmus

The lights are back on in downtown New York.


"Normal" will not return for a longer time for many who were in the path of Sandy, but meanwhile the media is taking time from their constant annoying political spin to tell the stories of  the selflessness of so many who braved the dangers to help a neighbor, be it a stranger or a friend. 

People from all over have lent a hand in any way they can.  It does the spirit good to know that we truly do live in a wonderful world.  The lights seem to be a little brighter because of the the kindness of the human heart.

And BTW, I am doing OK.

Trying To Keep Up

Dancing as fast as I can, and I am sort of doing OK

Dealing with the torment of Sandy, spending time with my granddaughters ( my pleasure), dealing with my volunteer job, dealing with life, and I have gotten behind.  It has been a difficult week and I am sorry that I could not keep up with everyone, but life interrupted.  I will resume what is normal for me next week.  Maybe!

I am doing my best, just was not prepared for it all. However, we escaped the worst of Sandy and it breaks my heart seeing the the horrors that other people are going through.    It lets you know how small your problems are. They are telling us now that another storm is coming our way.  Not fair, we did not have a chance to breathe.

I have never liked November. 

The Calm Before the Storm

Grim weather reports, but I'm OK (right now)

I looked out my window this morning and the scene was calm.  The leaves on the willow tree, whose branches reach within 10 yards of my bedroom window, were barely moving.  It had rained slightly overnight and the deck was wet.  The sky is very grey and the stillness of everything outside is foreboding.  The birds are quite noisy though and the feral cats that come to my yard everyday are up on my deck now staring into the window. 


We have been inundated with news of this Frankenstorm (as it is called) for a few days now.  Stores are now out of generators, batteries, flashlights, radios and anything else that they think necessary to protect them and their property from the ravages of Hurricane Sandy.  I imagine the grocery stores have sold more bread and milk in this past week than they have since last year's October surprise.

Hubby and I have been working since Friday trying to get ready for what's to come.  What we could not put away, we have tied down.  Fresh batteries have been put in all that need them and we have candles on every table.   We have even made some shelters for those outside cats, because we have learned to care about them and hope no harm comes their way.

The clouds are gathering

Sitting here waiting for the inevitable is not easy.  Most people are frightened and it is hard to imagine what will be the outcome of this hurricane.  Yes, I have been around for many of these in my life, but for the most part, they start further south and subside to a tropical storm before they get here.  This one is different and will plow into the middle Atlantic states with all it's power.  As it moves across our landscape it will meet up with other storms coming from the west to give us a double whammy.   Winds of up to 80 mph are expected to bring down trees and power lines and the predictions are that it will affect 50 million people. 

I haven't given up hope that this storm will turn east and continue out to sea, but that is not being realistic.  However, with all the warnings we have been given and the preparations made, we will come out this, possibly battered down some, but ready to pick up and carry on.  I am just hoping not to wake up tomorrow morning and find that branch from the willow, or perhaps a larger part of the tree, laying in the bed next to me.

I saw some geese flying south earlier today.  How easy it is for them to just pick up and leave. 

Play It Again, Sam

I never even learned to play Chopsticks, but I am doing OK.

Today I saw this on the news.

Alma Deutscher, the new Mozart.

And have you seen Jonathan?

 

 

Remarkable yes, but feast your eyes on Nora.

 



Makes you feel a little inadequate, doesn't it?

Minimalism

Fall came one cold night last weekend, and I am doing OK.

Bird Rock Hotel, San Juan Island, WA

Have you ever gone away, stayed at a nice hotel or resort, and even though the space is limited, thought, "I could live like this"? The closets are empty, save for the clothes you brought along in that one suitcase and carry on, you have flip flops and decent walking shoes, and your toothbrush has been charged to last a week.  What else do you really need? There is no clutter, few choices to make, and little or nothing to dust or clean.  Simplicity, I wish I knew you better.  

Even the word minimalism is too busy and cluttered.  Maybe we could use a few less letters also.

Mayhem at the Cinema

Four days of rain, rain go away, but I am doing OK.

I have mentioned before that I love to go to the cinema. When I was a girl under 12,  my friend Peggy, my brother Fran and I would go to the Saturday afternoon matinee where we would see two movies, three or more cartoons, an adventure serial, and a Newsreel.  For forty-two cents each, my parents got rid of  us for the whole day, something I am sure they thought was well worth the money.   Of course, before we went, mom would check the Legion of Decency to make sure everything was on the "A" list.

After marriage, convincing hubby to take me to the movies was not easy and it took years before he would relent, as sitting in an uncomfortable seat and eating stale and heart-stopping oily popcorn, was not first on his list of entertainment.  However, after years of nagging pleading, he gave in and before long he was a cinema aficionado.  When they recently built a theater near us with double wide seats and rows, a menu of good bistro food and a full bar, along with pleasant waiters, he thought he died and went to heaven.  Going to the movies and being served a salad and sandwich (or such), accompanied by a glass (or bottle) of Pino Noir is an idea whose time has come. 



Today, though,  it is difficult for me to find a movie that I would enjoy seeing.  They all seem to be of one genre, "blow them up, shoot them up, destroy, and kill, kill, kill.   In order to be fair to friends whose choice of movie usually has to do with car chases and shooting automatic weapons, we sometimes have to fold, throw in the towel, acquiesce agree to their choices when they accompany us to the theater. 



Last Saturday, we saw the number one movie in the country, Taken 2  Where do I begin? Liam Nissan plays a CIA operative whose wife has been kidnapped by some eastern fellows.  They are seeking revenge because Liam killed thousands of them (or it seemed like that) in Taken 1 where his daughter was kidnapped and almost sold into slavery.  Liam, who is getting long in the tooth, wipes them out with various weapons, but not before he beats 5 or so up at any one time with his bare hands.  During all this, he only gets a scratch on his left cheek bone and a little blood smeared around his mouth.  To add to this, he and his daughter (who has not passed her driver's license test) race their car through the streets of the crowded city, while being chased and shot at and crashing into other vehicles and stores along the way.  Cars are being tossed in the air and mayhem ensues but there is not a mark on their car.  They head for the US Embassy and as they barrel in, knocking down gates and with bullets from machine guns flying at them, they finally stop and surprise, surprise, they have no apparent injuries.  The car though finally has some damage.  There are some bullet holes on the front hood and a small sideswipe on the side.  I guess they wanted to show that the good people at the embassy could hit a speeding car.  However, they showed quite a few soldiers with these heavy duty weapons shooting at the vehicle but there are only about 8 holes in the front of the car.  Not a good advertisement for the military.  A ten year old kid with less than a week of playing video games could do better.

Not my cup of tea, but the saving grace is that I was drinking something stronger than tea.

For those that like this type of movie, I have good news.  Right before Liam kills the last man standing, we find out that his nemesis has two more sons who will also seek revenge.  And here I thought he had done in the whole country.

If there was a Legion of the Mindless, this one would get five stars.

Snaked

Had a good weekend with family and friends and I am doing OK.

The woods that border my home has a wandering creek flowing through it.  It attracts quite a bit of wildlife which I love.  The open space next to my house is a wetland and in the spring, the songs of the frogs entertain us in the evening.  Now and then I come across a snake in my garden which gives me pause, but if they keep to themselves, I'm cool with them also.   I love living in the country.





















The other night my hubby was organizing the garage and putting away gardening supplies.  As he fiddled around with the tools he noticed something in a dark corner that looked ominous.  Prodding the area with a small stick, he was greeted by a rather long snake.  He quickly  grabbed the nearest armament, a broom that was hanging on the wall, and with the swing and swiftness of Tiger Woods, he gave that reptile the old heave-ho out the door.  Only it was not just one snake, instead they were five large unknown types and they all went flying into the air. Being none too happy at his rude awakening, one of them, after landing down the driveway in one piece, turned and charged his attacker, extending his body upwards and hissing in rage.  Running on adrenalin and not to show any fear, my brave hero stood his ground and whipped that sucker one more time.  Now, surrounded by the rest of the gang of slithering varmints and no one and no creature backing down, it became an all out assault.  With his mighty weapon in hand, and  the chutzpah of a Navy Seal, my man went full force, and drove those snakes off the driveway, into the road and down the gully.  This now proud snake wrangler lifted his broom, swung it in a circle, blew off the dust of battle and hung it up for another day. 

Duel in the Sun

 Clint couldn't have done better.