Happy Leap Year Day!

2/29/2016

I know how you all are in awe of my fact finding missions, and today won't be a disappointment. Between 1900 and 2020 there will be 30 Leap Years.  By 2020, I'll be 71 years old-yikes.  This day is added to the calendar in leap years as a corrective measure, because the Earth does not orbit the sun in precisely 365 days. I didn't know that.

The Egyptians were the first to come up with adding an extra day to the calendar and later the Romans added the 29th to their calendar as well.  The creators of our calendar, introduced in 1582 decided to omit leap years three times every four hundred years. This would shorten the calendar every so often and rid it of the annual excess of 11 minutes and 14 seconds. So in addition to the rule that a leap year occurs every four years, a new rule was added: a century year is not a leap year unless  is evenly divisible by 400. This rule manages to eliminate three leap years every few hundred years.
This ingenious correction worked beautifully in bringing the calendar and the solar year in harmony, pretty much eliminating those pesky extra 11 minutes and 14 seconds. Now the calendar year and the solar year are just about a half a minute off. At that rate, it takes 3,300 years for the calendar year and solar year to diverge by a day. 

So there you have it.  Every four years, we have an additional sunrise and sunset as well as an extra 24 hours to do something or nothing - that depends on you.

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Washing Rugs

2/28/2016

A blog devoted to washing rugs?  Really?  Yes to both questions.  I have in the house a number of throw rugs that because of muddy feet or paws or "accidents" need frequent washing.  Should be simple, but it isn't always.

A rug in Jeff's office was one with the rubber/latex backing.  Somebody, probably Mister Sam, thought that it was okay to use the rug as his personal bathroom, rather than going outside.  I took the rug and because my washing machine still has an agitator, threw in a number of rags to balance the load.

Imagine my surprise when the washing was done, and I discovered the remnants of a rug.  And I do mean remnants.  The washing machine had literally torn the rug up into pieces and the washing machine was filled with rug fibers.  The rug, obviously, was taken to the trash and in doing so, I left a trail of rug bits behind me.  

I had to take all of the rags outside and shake them free of the rug bits.  Oh, and I had to wipe the inside of the washing machine, to remove more bits.  I did learn one lesson though - don't buy rugs with rubber or latex backings.  All of the other throw rugs I have in the house are two-sided, so it's the same on both sides.  These are much easier to wash.    

So rug washing or not, is my tip of the week.  And I know each of you are breathless with the knowledge I've just shared!!!

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Oscar Fever

2/27/2016

Tomorrow is all about the movies and those little golden statutes.  Jeff and I are not regular movie goers, so we can only root for the one movie we saw - The Martian.  I don't believe the movie itself will win an Oscar, but Matt Damon was incredible in his role.

I like movies, but they are very expensive now.  Well, they would be cheaper, if yours truly didn't have to have popcorn and a soda!  What can I say?  I love popcorn - correction - buttered popcorn!
Jeff goes generally to only one movie a year, and he's always surprised at how much a two hour event costs.  The movies always make their way to Netflix and the cost of admission is simple: no talking, popcorn and soda.  Then off to our own recliners we go to enjoy the movie with the added benefit of the pause button!

I have set the Tivo to record the Oscars.  What I really like about these award shows is watching what the actresses wear.  I have to continually remind myself that they can afford to have any designer make their dress, someone else to "paint" their face and be dripping in jewels (which are on loan). And even with all that help, sometimes I wonder what these ladies were thinking.  Okay, maybe they weren't thinking.  

I'm not a prude, or at least much of one, but I still have trouble accepting that it is now acceptable to have more of your body hanging out of a gown. than actually in the gown.  The gowns have plunging fronts, which is where duct tape (kidding) comes in handy!  Backs are bare and slits are long. Maybe I'm just jealous, because nobody wants to see that much of me - even I don't like seeing that much of me!  Unlike actresses, my body already has the ever increasing number of old lady spots, which really aren't attractive.  As for the rest of me, I'm not overweight, just under tall!

Here are pictures of an elegant gown, a really baaaaaaaaaaaaaad idea, the requisite slit in the gown and true elegance:
 

It's so much fun to watch the Red Carpet ceremony.  Since I have only seen one Oscar nominated movie, I will be concentrating on seeing who's wearing a gown from which designer.

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Cookbook

2/26/2016

There was a time when it was popular and nearly mandatory for women to have a recipe box.  The 3x5 recipe cards inside, were written out by hand.  My mother's recipe box was made of tin, with a red top and a yellow bottom.  When my mother passed away, my sister and I went through her recipes.  I had, over the years, already copied most of her recipes.  I told my sister that all I wanted was one or two recipes in my mother's handwriting.  She could have the rest.

When Jeff and I were married in 1974 (boy that was a few years ago), my mother-in-law gave me a cookbook "The Joy of Cooking".  This cookbook is filled with plenty of wonderful recipes.  One recipe in particular is for a barbecue sauce.  This sauce is what we use when we cook ribs, and it's delicious.

After my mother-in-law passed away, Jeff and his siblings had to deal with her belongings.  I noticed a very worn copy of "The Joy of Cooking", and knew immediately that I had to have that cookbook.  The copyright date is 1946, with the original copyright date in 1931.  The back of the cookbook is missing and the pages are yellowed with age.  It also has a musty old book smell, which for some strange reason, I like.  

On page 359 of this old cookbook is the recipe for the barbecue sauce.  This particular page is stained with food spills.  Pages 332 and 333 look like she used the recipes on those pages quite a bit too.  My mother-in-law was a good cook and meals at her house were always excellent.

Pressed between the pages of the cookbook are handwritten recipes for tea cookies, another one for oatmeal cookies.  At the back of the book, are two postcards with recipes for fried diamond twists and medallions.  Why do I keep this nearly worn out cookbook?  Memories mostly.  I am too sentimental some of my friends say.  I make no apologies for being this way.  At the end of each day, the one constant you have are memories.  I prefer to keep my memories close by, because for the most part, they are good memories and make me happy.

By the way, you can buy this vintage cookbook on Etsy for $35.00!

Grease Live

2/25/2016

I recorded and watched (more than once) Grease Live.  The show is live, hence the title, and the actors do a wonderful job of singing and dancing.  It's a fun and enjoyable show, but I only watch it when Jeff's not home.  He, unlike myself, does not have a deep sense of affection for the music.

I had a friend over on Saturday and we watched a bit of the show.  At one point, an actress comes out and sings to her friend who is away in the service.  While I watched her performance, I was reminded about being a teenager in the 60's, when the Vietnam War was ongoing.

We had an Air Force base close to the town I lived in.  On Friday and Saturday nights, we girls would dress up (yes, in those days we really did) and go to the USO dance.  Even if you weren't the prettiest girl in the room and/or couldn't dance, these things didn't matter to the men.  The men weren't much older than we girls were, late teens or early 20's and a long way from home.  And lonely.

We girls were in 7th heaven with a room full of young and mostly attractive men.  Who wouldn't be?  At age 66, it's hard for me to exactly remember how young and full of spirit and adventure myself and my friends were.  

Most of the servicemen didn't have cars, so there wasn't much actual dating going on.  If someone had a car, then it would definitely be a double date.  These guys were transient, here today and moved tomorrow.  

The USO was by today's standards, a wholesome place.  Supervised by adults that volunteered to watch over us at dances, my parents had no objection to me going.  It was a unique time and one that I had all but forgotten about, until I watched Grease Live.

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Dinner

2/24/2016

I have ground beef thawed out and ready to be turned into something.  But I'm at a loss as to what that something is.  I can make meatloaf, spaghetti, a casserole or?

Jeff deserves to have dinner cooked for him each night.  After all, he gets up at the crack of dawn, traverses his way around the interstate, and then spends eight hours working at whatever he does.  Since Jeff and the boys are all computer geeks, I have never really understood the lingo they use.  They might be programmers or analysts or some other computer related position.  

A long time ago, Jeff and I, the boys and their friend who we call "Computer Ken" would meet up on Thursday nights at a favorite Mexican restaurant.  When it comes to computer "speak", I have the attention span of a gnat!  Early on, I would try and remain awake while they talked over my head about work stuff.  I eventually smartened up and began taking a book to read or a crossword puzzle to ponder over.  Wrapped in their computer worlds, I brought very little to the table, but did enjoy the night off from cooking and the food served was excellent.

Okay, back to the ground beef.  I can make, and have done so many time, a one pot dish.  The elements of the dish are quite simple.  You cook the beef, and then rummage through the refrigerator and pantry and start throwing ingredients in the pan.  And before you know it, you have something edible, but not note worthy.  It's rainy and cool outside today, so it might be a good day to make chili and cornbread.  

We've eaten enough chicken lately that we're beginning to cluck!  Last night was pork chops with pineapple slices.  We both really love red meat, but the price of a steak, regardless of the cut, is really expensive.  When we go to a restaurant for a meal, we both order steaks, because who doesn't love them?

Generally on Friday nights, I ask Jeff to bring home tacos or taco salads for dinner.  Every now and then the cook wants the night off.

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Paperwork

2/23/2016

Forty-one years ago and counting, Jeff and I decided that I would keep track of all of the papers that have to be dealt with.  Early on, Jeff bought me a light yellow commercial filing cabinet and I made folders.  Fast forward to 2016, I still have folders in that filing cabinet.

My organizational skills far outweigh those of Jeff's, and though he sometimes doesn't understand the rhyme or reason of where I file things, it doesn't matter, because I can find the required document. I have individual folders for the cars we own now as well as for cars we used to own.  Okay, I know that I should take those folders out of the cabinet and shred the contents, but I don't.  I have this fear, which is completely un-rationale, that at the very moment I destroy some documents, there will be a need to have them again.  Why I think this does not make any sense, and I know this, but I save papers anyway.

I used to have individual folders for the household utilities: electric, gas, phone, etc.  Filing paid bills in these folders takes time.  Time I don't want to devote to this ever repeating chore.  Now I have individual boxes in the office closet and I toss the paid bills inside the appropriate box.  

I have a folder for the home improvements we have made to the house.  This folder came in handy just last week when Jeff wanted to know when we had our bathroom remodeled.  I had the folder in my hands in seconds and found the exact information he needed.  I may be "mental", but I can generally find the file and/or document needed quickly.

We used to both use one spare bedroom as our office, and now we don't.  I like everything just so in my work space and I can't abide messiness.  My being OCD meant that it would be better for our marriage and/or sanity, if I moved my part of the office downstairs.  I've done this and my little area in our downstairs sitting room is set up for maximum efficiency.  I still go up to Jeff's office to file paperwork, but once I'm done with that chore, I get the **** out of there.

I have a folder that just contains birth certificates and passports.  You may need to put your hands on this kind of documentation, so it makes sense - to me - to have an individual folder for them.  Perhaps overkill, but you have to put these documents somewhere.

Sometimes a folder gets too big, particularly the insurance company policies for the house and cars.  I then purge out the really old stuff and shred anything that has our name and/or address on it.

Even when I was working as a secretary, my work space was laid out for maximum efficiency.  I abhor stacks of papers or files and believe that everything has a place, and that place is not on my desk.

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Sunny Monday

2/22/2016

It was gloomy yesterday and rained.  Today, however, is beautiful.  The sun is shining and hopefully temperatures will finally be high enough to melt the very last of the snow from the yard.  In theory (my theory actually) is that after the snow arrives, it should leave as quickly as it came.  Now I know that's not going to happen, but would be nice if it did.

Today reminds me that winter isn't going to last forever and that the first day of spring will be March 20th, one week after daylight savings time begins.  It won't be long before the lawn people will be out spreading fertilizer and weed control products to yards everywhere.  

We have a dogwood tree in our yard that is now 29 years old and so beautiful in the spring when the blossoms first appear.  Years ago, a neighbor of ours, heard that dogwood trees had some kind of blight and it would be better to cut down our tree.  We took our chances and let the tree live and it's still standing today.  A good decision on our part.

I tried last spring and summer to put in new plants in the backyard.  This was no easy task for me, but I did manage to get some plants in the ground.  Did they survive winter?  We'll find out in a few weeks.  

At the moment, the yard is mushy and the dogs have to cover their "tracks", so to speak and they wipe (for lack of a better word) their front paws in the grass or mud.  Dogs aren't particular, so they can scratch around in grass or mud and don't worry about dirty paws.  Dirty paws is my job!

I suspect that today was nice enough that Jeff might drive with the top down.  If you own a convertible, having the top down is the best way to travel.

I hope the sun is shining where you are.

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The "New" Car

2/21/2016

It's dark and rainy out today.  This is not good weather for me.  I need sunshine, lots of sunshine, particularly in the winter.  I've turned on my "SAD" light which produces a really bright light, sort of like sunshine.

Since we bought the new car (convertible), I've only been in the car once.  And that day was too cold to have the top down.  I know that spring/summer will eventually show up, and I'm really looking forward to riding in the car with the top down.  When the top is up, it's just like a regular car, and there's nothing too exciting about that.

During sunny weather, when I drive past a convertible, I am green with envy.  On days such as this one, cloudy and rainy, I know all to well that the convertible car owner is missing the joy that a convertible, with the top down brings.

In 2013, there were 465,800 convertibles in the United States, compared to 15.4 million SUV's.  I know that owning a convertible might night be the best use of someone's money, but if you can afford to have one - you should.  Jeff and I don't need to own a convertible, we choose to own one.  Convertibles aren't the best car for winter driving in snow and/or ice, but since we have my car and the truck, there's no reason to take the "new" car out.  My car handles quite well in the snow, as does the truck.  

The "new" car lives inside the garage, and my old car (2011) now sits outside.  We have a two car garage, but like most people in the neighborhood, the reality is that there is only room for one car.  The rest of the garage is filled with stuff.  It's really easy to keep stacking things on top of one another when you don't really use the space.

Although I've only been in the new car once or twice, I'm anxious to enjoy it when warmer weather arrives.

Our car looks something like this, only in white with a black top:

Lunch with a Friend

2/20/2016

The temperature outside is warming up.  I just wished the sky would turn from gray to blue and then everything would be perfect - at least as far as the weather is concerned.

Today, I'm having lunch with an old friend of mine from work.  I haven't seen her since January of 2014 when I had my retirement breakfast.  When I was working, I would stop by her cubicle frequently to chat.  I have missed those chats.

Most of the friends I have are people I used to work with at Marriott.  Hence, they can't come out and play during the week.  Their weekends are probably spent running around doing errands and enjoying their down time.  Literally, the only thing I miss about working is not being around the people that I liked and considered my friends.

My friend is picking me up at noon and we're going to a local restaurant that is pretty much guaranteed to not being crowded at that time of the day.  We have a lot of talking to do.  I want to here about her son who is now married.  How's work going?  That sort of thing.

I'm really looking forward to seeing my friend and chatting like magpies!  

Jeff will be on his own today, but he'll manage.  It's a perfect day for taking the car out with the top down and ruffle his hair, if he had any!

Tomorrow, Scott and his neighbor are coming to the house for breakfast and to borrow the truck.  Breakfast means eggs and bacon, which is Jeff's job.  As much as I like breakfast, I don't cook it.  I'm perfectly happy with a bagel and a cup of coffee.  

I hope that you are going to have a pleasant and hopefully wonderful Saturday.

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Porch Lights

2/19/2016

Jeff and I don't turn our front porch light on unless we're expecting company, or Mister Sam needs to go outside after dark.  Our electric bill is high enough without leaving lights on just because.

We have neighbors who leave either their front or backyard lights on 24/7.  I wonder why they do this.  We don't exactly live in a crime ridden community.  Perhaps their thinking is that if the light is on, then their home would be off limits to a robber.  I don't think having outside lights on, would actually deter anyone from trying to break into your car or home.  It just gives them more light to work with.  

Since we have the two dogs, our alarm system consists of deep barks and growls and one tiny yappy bark.  Mister Sam sleeps at the end of the bed so he can look out the window.  Of course, he has cataracts, and doesn't see well in the dark.  But, if something grabbed his attention, then likely Maggie would also be on alert.  Believe me when the two dogs get started, they can really make a lot of noise.

I am not naive about crime, but I don't stay awake at night worrying about it.  If a bad guy decided to come in through our basement, I have no fears that he'd break a leg in the process of going around everything that is down there.  The only time I get a little freaked out is when Jeff is away overnight.  When he's gone, suddenly every sound I hear sounds ominous.  

I once bought a home sort of in the country, with only a few homes on the street.  When I moved in, I noticed there was a red phone in the house.  I removed the phone, because who would want a red phone.  Apparently, all of the neighbors had a red phone.  In case of an emergency, all you had to do is get the handset off the phone and phones would ring in all of the houses.  This was explained to me after I had removed the phone, causing havoc in the neighborhood!

Unlike Motel 6, I won't always have the light on for you, but I will gladly turn it on, if I know you're coming.

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Women

2/18/2016

Sometimes I think women are on the receiving end of unfairness.  Now I know all of you men will disagree, but the women won't.

• We have that little monthly thing
• Until we become pregnant, deal with morning or sometimes all day sickness, and protruding tummies
•  We are encourage to have a natural (i.e., no drugs) delivery of a baby that weighs about the same as a bowling ball
• We are also encouraged to breast feed (again I'm wondering who the "we" is) until the baby gets teeth!
• We may or may not return to our former body shape
• Until recently, mothers were the ones who most of the time got up in the middle of night for feedings
• We returned to work and juggled childcare, housework and tried to remain upright in our office chair
• Then the children grew up and you were no longer the number one person in their life.  Most of the time girlfriends and wives took over the number one spot.  And, that's okay, it's the way it should be.
• And your hair begins to turn gray.  Some women are lucky to have beautiful gray hair, while others of us have to deal with the odd bits of gray.  Note: gray hair is a tad difficult to curl.  This is the reason why I wear my hair short.
• We enter menopause with mood swings that mirror pregnancy.  We want chocolate, we love you, we hate you, it's too hot, it's too cold
• We begin to get old lady spots (or if you prefer "age spots) on our hands and face
• And the final insult to a woman, who already knows she's old, thank you very much is having to deal with facial hair.  Beards and mustaches look grand on men.  On a woman - not so much.  You can pluck, try different products that are supposed to make your dark hair lighter (ha) and last but not least you can wax off the hair.  I have been waxing parts of my face for over 20 years and you would think that by now my body would realize I don't want chin hairs and just give up.  Unfortunately, that's not happening.  I don't consider myself vain, but even for me, wispy chin hairs is too much to have to deal with.  

Today, I am going to the salon to endure another round of waxing.  Fellas, it ain't easy being a woman!

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Telephone Books and Booths

2/17/2016

Let's go down memory lane and take a moment to reflect on two things that are now pretty much extinct.  If you're younger, phone books and booths may not have been a part of your life.

For a very long time, every house received a new telephone book each year.  This was long before cellphones that included your contact list.  There was also a time when at the back of the phone book, there were pictures of phones, and their colors, available through the phone company.  Yes, there was actually a time when the phone company would come to your house and install a new phone and/or repair an older one.

The Princess phone came out in 1963 and I knew I would die if I didn't have one.  I didn't die obviously, but I can't remember when I had my own Princess phone.  As lovely as they were to look at, they were pretty lightweight and could scoot around on the table while you were dialing. In 1994, AT&T ended production of the Princess telephone.  Due to its removal from production, and its attractive design, the Princess has become a collectible phone. Princess telephones in pink, turquoise, and black are among the rarest colors of the phones and most valuable.  Sad to say, I don't have a Princess phone hiding in the basement!  Darn my luck.

Phone books for large cities were quite thick and heavy.  They also provided a wonderful booster seat for a child at the dinner table.  The first phone book was published on February 21, 1878 and listed 50 businesses in Hartford, Connecticut.   As we move forward, fewer cities as well as people want to have a phone book.  Thanks to modern technology, you can find anyone and any business on line in a matter of minutes.

Growing up there were phone booths.  Little booths in the back of a restaurant or on the street with folding doors and a pay phone inside.  Not only did Superman use phone booths to change into his costume, but regular folks used them as well.  The first phone booth was designed in 1889. In 1902, phone booths were so popular that 81,000 of them were in the United States.

Today, you might be hard pressed to find a pay phone to use when you're out and about.  I think almost everybody has a cellphone.  Even I have a cellphone, which sits on the kitchen counter, uncharged and unused.  I generally don't make phone calls and I certainly don't or didn't use one when I was in my car.  Since nobody knows my cellphone number, including yours truly, it never rings!

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Glass

2/16/2016

I love glass.  Not glass glasses for drinking.  I collect glass pieces that are beautiful.  I can walk into an antique store and the best way to describe it, which is going to sound really strange, is that the glass "talks to me".  

I have a love of Murano glass and have many of the Murano clowns, most of whom are sitting in my bathroom.  That sounds strange but since I have a garden tub, the clowns stand like sentries on the tile.  When we built the house, I loved the thought of a garden tub, but 29 years later, wish I had opted to have no tub, and in it's place an enormous shower.  I have real difficulty getting in and out of the tub, so about the only time it gets used is when Benjamin comes to visit.

There is also a special glass that turns lavender and purple after sitting in the sun.  It's called Sun Purple Glass.  The longer the pieces are put in the sun, the darker the color.  I have many pieces of this kind of glass, but have never been able to get my glass to get much darker than a light lavender.   Lead was used for centuries as a clarifying agent in making glass.  Eventually, it was noticed that glass made without lead but containing manganese was found to turn a very light lavender if exposed to sunshine.  Hence the name "Sun Purple Glass".  The pieces of this kind of glass that I own are beautiful, but they are only good for decoration.  I wouldn't feel comfortable using them as dishes to hold food, etc.

The boys joke about my putting price stickers on the bottom of the pieces of glass that I own.  That would be a daunting task, as I have collected so much glass over the years.  When I was in high school, every time we went on vacation I bought a teacup and saucer.  Over time, I ended up with a large collection of cups and saucers.  I could use these cups if I was having the ladies over for "high tea"!!

Of course, there is the matter of keeping the glass pieces dust free.  Or, in my case, not moving the glass around in the first place!  I have found that all but the most fragile of my pieces can be safely put in the dishwasher for a quick rinse.  The clowns in the bathroom are simply submerged in the tub.  I hate dusting, because basically you are never done.  

Here are some pictures of sun purple glass:

   

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Snowing

2/15/2016

I woke up this morning to gently falling snow.  Snow makes the world a very quiet place and is beautiful.  I love the look of untouched snow - snow that hasn't been walked on.  The county has already been up our street several times this morning.  And tomorrow is supposed to be in the 50's.  Maybe Mother Nature is in menopause, she can't seem to make up her mind.  Is it winter now, with temperatures in the 20's, or spring as tomorrow will be much warmer.  

While the snow today won't be like the blizzard we had last time, but even so, Jeff will go and shovel the driveway.  He'll take the dogs out with him and they can play and tire themselves out.  Although, since both dogs are now seniors, it doesn't take much running around before they are ready to come back in the house.

Since it's a Federal holiday, there won't be as much traffic on the roads, which is good news for the snow plows.

I love to watch snow fall, especially if I don't have to go outside.  My days of frolicking in the snow left years ago.  Now, my biggest fear when I'm outside in the snow and/or ice, is falling.  If I fell on my backside, there would be no damage - I'm well padded in that area!  

I didn't cook dinner last night.  I was taking the night off.  I'll cook today because Jeff needs something for his lunch tomorrow. I'm going to make something with hamburger, just haven't decided on what this early in the morning.

I'll finish up my laundry today, and perhaps when I have my chores done, I'll read.  I believe that the more free time you have, the less you actually accomplish.  There is always the "I can do it tomorrow" theory.  Trouble is, tomorrow never actually seems to arrive.

Hopefully, you have today off and enjoyed sleeping in for the third day in a row!

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Original Valentine Post Edited

When I wrote my blog this morning, I thought that a red font would be just the ticket.  But, I forgot a simple thing - the background was red.  Apologies.  I have reposted and changed the font back to black.

Happy Valentines' Day

Happy Valentine's Day

2/14/2016

 

Today is the most romantic day of the year.  Everything you see to buy is pretty much either red or pink.  Dinner reservations abound and flowers and for some lucky women jewelry is involved.  

There are all types of Valentine cards. There are super mushy ones as well as funny ones.  Here's a shot at a funny card:

Roses are red

Violets are blue

Your body is sagging

But I still love you! 

Jeff and I don't really celebrate this holiday, which happens to be a real earner for both Hallmark and florists.  Here's my ode to Jeff:

• He's been my best friend for 41 years and counting
• He has been a good husband and never let me down
• While I try his patience, particularly with my memory issues, he really tries to understand
• He has taken me to some wonderful places: Hawaii, the Bahamas, vacations at the Outer Banks, road trips, and one camping experience.  He sent my Dad and I to England for a three week vacation, which was the trip of a lifetime for me
•  He knows that I fret over everything and he smooths out life's wrinkles for me
• He is my protector, my warrior, my rock and my world
• He has always, and continues to be, my shoulder to lean on, my safe place to land
• He makes me want to be a better me, a less dependent me, a stronger me
• He knows what kind of ice cream I like
• He knows what my favorite perfume is
• He knows that I'd rather have more television channels over a bigger diamond ring
• I let him down in 2013 and yet he stays

There are not enough words that can really convey how much Jeff means to me. How much he does for me.  How thankful I am to have him by my side, even when I'm crabby!

Happy Valentines' Day Jeff

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Happy Valentine's Day

2/14/2016

 

Today is the most romantic day of the year.  Everything you see to buy is pretty much either red or pink.  Dinner reservations abound and flowers and for some lucky women jewelry is involved.  

There are all types of Valentine cards. There are super mushy ones as well as funny ones.  Here's a shot at a funny card:

Roses are red

Violets are blue

Your body is sagging

But I still love you! 

Jeff and I don't really celebrate this holiday, which happens to be a real earner for both Hallmark and florists.  Here's my ode to Jeff:

• He's been my best friend for 41 years and counting
• He has been a good husband and never let me down
• While I try his patience, particularly with my memory issues, he really tries to understand
• He has taken me to some wonderful places: Hawaii, the Bahamas, vacations at the Outer Banks, road trips, and one camping experience.  He sent my Dad and I to England for a three week vacation, which was the trip of a lifetime for me
•  He knows that I fret over everything and he smooths out life's wrinkles for me
• He is my protector, my warrior, my rock and my world
• He has always, and continues to be, my shoulder to lean on, my safe place to land
• He makes me want to be a better me, a less dependent me, a stronger me
• He knows what kind of ice cream I like
• He knows what my favorite perfume is
• He knows that I'd rather have more television channels over a bigger diamond ring
• I let him down in 2013 and yet he stays

There are not enough words that can really convey how much Jeff means to me. How much he does for me.  How thankful I am to have him by my side, even when I'm crabby!

Happy Valentines' Day Jeff

P

Snow on the Ground

2/13/2016

Today is a mixed bag as far as the outside is concerned.  The sky is brilliantly blue, which is nice, but it could lull you into thinking that it's lovely outside.  And you'd be wrong.  The wind is blowing and there is some snow on the ground.  Not enough snow that it requires shoveling, but enough snow that means I literally have to push Mister Sam out the door to do his business.  And, as an old dog, his potty breaks are frequent!  It's days like this that I wish I had cats.

Today would be, and possibly will be, a soup day.  Jeff makes incredible soups, though he still insists on adding mushrooms (ick) into the pot.  Luckily, I can generally pick around them, but personally don't believe that mushrooms belong in chicken soup, for example.

The crows are back today in large numbers.  Guess they are hungry, but I wish they would do their hunting and pecking someplace else.  Sometimes, we put dried corn cobs out for the squirrels, but won't be doing that today, because it would mean that the crows would hang around longer.  Frankly, they give me the creeps.

It might be an afternoon nap kind of day.  The dogs have never complained about going to bed in the middle of the day!  

We have no plans for Valentine's Day.  I know we're definitely not going out to dinner.  If we had a thought about getting a steak dinner, today would be our best option.  Because nobody celebrates Valentine's Day on the day before - it's just not romantic.  Though this many years in (41), we're no longer googly eyed youngsters.  I take a more practical approach to Valentine's Day - flowers die (and they are expensive); and chocolates are lovely (but fattening).  In years past, when we would walk down the card aisle, we would pick out the cards for each other that we would buy, if we were going to buy one.  Folks looked at us strangely, but we didn't and don't care.  The day of inexpensive cards is almost a thing of the past.  I only buy and send one Valentine card and that's to Benjamin.

Later today, I'll turn on the fireplace.  Have I mentioned before how much I love the gas fireplace?  Probably have, but on days such as this, it's much easier to use than hauling in logs.  Mind you, I never did much hauling, particularly when the boys were at home.

If, you still have to or want to buy a Valentine related anything, today those things will be super discounted.

P

Elvis

2/12/2016

As a teenager, I, like all of my friends, thought Elvis was the best thing since sliced bread.  He was handsome, at least at that time, and his songs were great.  I remember watching him on the Ed Sullivan Show and loved his performance.  My parents were, like most parents, unimpressed with him, but they patiently sat and listened to his songs on television.  We were clearly entering the age of rock 'n roll, although we didn't know it at the time.

When Elvis began making movies, I went and saw all of them.  Were they any good?  Not particularly, but if you went to an Elvis movie, it was more about the singing and less about the story.  These days, you can watch movies on your computer, your television and even your phone.  In the 60's, we went to the movie theater.  Grungy clothing wasn't around when I was a teenager.  If you went out, you dressed up.  Jeans didn't yet have a firm grip on fashion, as they do today. 

I'm always interested in the history of things.  I wanted to know who Elvis was as a person, not the Elvis we saw in movies.  I bought two used books recently.  One was written by Priscilla and the other by Ginger Alden, his fiancee.  I've just started reading the books, but one thing that amazes me is how much they seem to remember.  Are the memories accurate?  Were the conversations these women remembered having with Elvis, accurate?  

I don't know about you, but I can't remember a conversation I had with Jeff two days ago, much less 41 years ago!  Perhaps they kept a diary.  It would be pretty hard to dispute their stories, because these books are about their life with Elvis.  

Eventually, as we all know, Elvis lost his swagger and became heavier.  Years of prescription drugs and alcohol took a toll on him and likely contributed to his death at the age of 42.  

I always wanted to see Elvis perform live.  But, I wanted to see the young, handsome Elvis, not the older, heavier Elvis.  

I look forward to reading these two books, because who doesn't enjoy these "tell all" books about famous people?

P

Baby It's Cold Outside

2/11/2016

The temperature is very low today, in the 20's when I woke up.  It's days like this that I'm glad I really don't have anyplace to go.  Much nicer in the house, except for frequent potty breaks for the dogs.  They don't mind the cold - they have their "coats" on after all.  Nope, I'm the one that's freezing.  Life would be simpler if we had cats instead of dogs!

I did go to Michael's yesterday and the store was blissfully uncrowded.  They were already marking down all the Valentine things, none of which I was interested in.  I had already bought Benjamin a Valentine card and have sent it to him.  The store was filled with St. Patrick's Day and Easter decorations.  Retail doesn't rush the holidays much (not).

I'm glad that Jeff has a new and warm car to drive.  While the "zippy z" was/is a fun car, you don't want to be in it when it's cold outside, or raining or snowing.  Okay, it's a good sunshine day car.  The new car even has warm air that blows on the back of your neck - that's pretty nice.  We have driven with the top down once, but it became too cold, and the top was put back up.  I can't wait for those sunny and warm days - those are definitely convertible days.

As I look out the window, I see a bunch of crows in the yard.  I, for the most part, enjoy wild birds.  But, I definitely don't like crows.  They are dark and remind me of evil - if evil had a look.  I know they're looking for something to eat, and good luck with that.  We do put out dried corn cobs occasionally for the squirrels, but definitely not interested in starting a feeding frenzy in my front yard.  I don't know where they've been, but I wish they'd go back there.  Some of you may remember the movie "The Birds" (I think that's what it was called) and there were a lot of crows in that movie.  

Every day I try and take on one (I don't want to overwork you know) chore.  Perhaps it will be an icky chore (bathrooms come to mind), or mind numbing.  Today, I will start shredding (definitely mind numbing).  We shred almost everything that comes in the mail that isn't a bill that has our name and/or address on it.  Over time, we get a real mountain of paper that needs to be shredded and our shred waste basket is now overflowing.  

Gentle reminder fellas - only a few days left to order flowers, buy chocolates and get a lovely, sentimental card.  Sunday, the 14th, will be a terrible day to go out to dinner, unless you don't mind waiting.  Better to do dinner on the 13th and avoid the crowd.  We have steak in the freezer, so we won't need to go to a restaurant.  

Movie review: we watched Aloha with Bradley Cooper last night.  Really glad that we didn't go see it in a theater, it just wasn't that good.  Every time we watch a movie on Netflix and it's just average, we are grateful that we didn't: (a) buy tickets; and (b) buy popcorn and coke.  It can almost cost as much to go to a movie, as it does to go out for dinner.  We could save money if we didn't buy popcorn, but there is nothing better to eat than popcorn when watching a movie.

Today is: Grandmother Achievement Day; don't cry over spilled milk and eat a peppermint patty. I can certainly get behind the peppermint patty notion.  But for the achievement day, I don't think that paper shredding could really be considered an achievement!

Stay warm.

P

Just Another Day

2/10/2016

It's a regular day here at the homestead for me.  I'm on dog patrol every hour, while the dogs get used to the idea that they don't have access to the basement and/or the doggie door any longer.  Pretty sure they don't like the new plan, especially Mister Sam, but I'm okay with that.  How do I know that Sam doesn't like being monitored while he's outside - because sometimes I have to almost push him out the door!  

Since it's sunny out, and I have my car, I'll probably go out for a bit.  The good news, for Jeff anyway, is that thanks to my body quickly running out of steam when I'm walking, I can't and don't stay in a store(s) very long.  While I know my walking and standing time is a bit limited, I still enjoy going down the aisles of a store.  I haven't been in an actual department store in years, but thanks to the power of Amazon, don't think I've missed out on much.

Today, I think I'll go to Michael's and browse.  It's a wonderful store and since it's a weekday, won't be crowded.  I love looking at all the crafty things available there, even though I'm not a crafty person at all.  I may be able to write, but don't ask me to create something from a bit of this and that.  Nope, it won't end well, I promise you.  My daughter-in-law, Stacey, on the other hand is super creative and makes wonderful things.  I envy her talents.  

I do know how to knit and have managed to make a few scarves.  Even some that can actually be worn outside the house!  But, most of my knitting starts off fine, and then I lose count of the stitches, or I drop a stitch and the holes in whatever I'm knitting become more frequent and bigger!

I hope you have a great day and that it's sunny where you are.

P

Televison Show Review

2/9/2016

Last night I checked out a new reality show "Billion Dollar Wreck", and I loved it.  I really enjoy these shows where money apparently isn't an issue, while the investors dive or dig for treasure.  Treasure that may or may not actually be there.

Billion Dollar Wreck is about finding sunken ships that are sitting on the ocean floor, with - you guessed it - treasure.  In last night's show, the treasure was What treasure did the RMS Republic have on board?  Supposedly, $250,000 worth of raw gold, says one theory–gold which would be worth a minimum of $4,760,000 today, and possibly as much as $133,000,000. This sounds good to me, especially since Jeff and I can't even get more than one number on a lottery ticket!

While it would be scary as heck, I think it would be thrilling to be able to swim and walk around (since the wrecks are on the ocean floor) this much history.  I'd love to see the Titanic up close and personal, but we know that's not going to happen.

I'm in envy of the divers who get to actually touch a piece of history.  A piece of history lost to mankind for many, many years.  

Do I believe for a second that this show, which replaced "The Curse of Oak Island" will unearth anything of real merit or value?  The answer is no, but that won't stop me from watching each exciting episode.  

I know this kind of show is a bit, or more than a bit, on the cheesy side, but I love it just the same.  While watching last night's show, I was silently rooting for the team and hoping that they would be successful in their endeavors.  

I suppose that if treasure was really found on any of these television shows, there would be no need to have more episodes.  Treasure wanted?  Treasure found, end of story.  Nope, the network will keep stringing us along with teases of what might be uncovered.  I'm not too proud to say that I'll keep watching.  Who doesn't want the "little guy" to score big?  I'm pretty sure nobody.  

Here's a picture of the ship and a picture of some of the items found on the wreck - bottles and silver coins.

Post Super Bowl Sunday

2/8/2016

Through the magic of the fast forward button on the Tivo remote, Jeff and I made quick work of watching the game.  About the only thing I know about the Super Bowl is that it's a football game between two teams.  Jeff left in the early afternoon to go to the airport and the store, and I stayed home.  Obviously, there are trust issues concerning my being safe, especially on that particular day.  I could have gone with Jeff, but opted to stay home and watch crappy television.

We stopped when a commercial was on, because normally they are very good, but really didn't see anyone with merit.  I may have fast forwarded and missed the Budweiser commercial, or maybe they didn't advertise this year.  I love those large Clydesdale horses.

Dinner was pizza.  A jalapeno, pineapple, pepperoni one, which was quite good, with a nice little zip at the end of each bite.   For dessert, I had made a raspberry swirl cake.  Since it didn't rise very much, perhaps it was more of a cookie.  Either way, pretty yummy especially with milk.

Snow is predicted for later this afternoon and into the evening. I don't think it's going to be a massive storm, like the one we just had, but even a little bit of snow has to be shoveled.  And getting Old Sam to go outside to do his business when there's snow on the ground is very challenging.  For an old and small dog, he can really dig his heels in when he wants too!  

Jeff took my car to work, because it's a heavier and is all wheel drive.  Jeff's new sporty car will be just the ride we'll need when warmer weather arrives.  Frankly, I can hardly wait to hit the road, the destination doesn't matter, with the top down.  The new car fits beautifully in the garage and doesn't take up as much room as mine does.

Fellas, a gentle reminder that Valentine's Day is on Sunday, which means that the price of roses will rise accordingly.  I love fresh flowers, but they die and they do so quickly.  Chocolate lasts longer (ha), but not by much!

P
 



 

Super Bowl Sunday

2/7/2016

Today is Super Bowl Sunday, and literally millions of people around the country, will be celebrating with wings, chips and beer.

Super Bowl Sunday means something completely different in our house.  It marks the third anniversary, if you will, of my being alive.  My first suicide attempt was on Super Bowl Sunday in 2013.  I was released from the hospital in June of 2013 and attempted suicide again in July.  I was behind locked doors of one kind or another for 9 months in 2013.  

I can't begin to explain what brings a person to the end of their emotional rope.  For me, it wasn't a spur of the moment idea.  I had an entire week to hoard pills and even saw my psychiatrist the Friday before the Super Bowl.  She didn't suspect a thing as I told her about all the wonderful things I had planned for the weekend, knowing that I wasn't going to do anything but swallow pills.

Clearly, I needed help that January and over the course of the next nine months received it.  My "crash and burn" exercise resulted in huge over-the-top medical bills and because of short term memory issues, among other things, cost me my job.  Understandably, it took a long time before anyone really trusted me to be home alone.  But my theory, such as it is, if I wasn't successful with my two suicide attempts, then something or someone wanted me to stay in the game.  

I regret my actions which brought on consequences that I hadn't even thought about. I was hurting in a bad way, and just wanted the madness to stop.  Depression is an ugly disease.  A disease not easily understood and certainly not talked about. While I'm in a much better place today, I'm not positive that the "wet blanket feeling" that is depression won't visit me again in the future.

Do I feel guilty?  You bet I do, but we I can't change the past.  Hopefully, I can learn from my past as well as the mistakes I made.  I hurt my family deeply in 2013 and I wish I could erase that pain for them, but I know I can't.  What's done is done.  For every action there is a reaction.  

I'm on steadier feet now, but emotionally fragile.  Progress is being made.  I only see my psychiatrist once a month now, but continue to take a lot of medicine to keep me mentally healthy.

Am I ashamed about 2013?  I don't know if I would call it ashamed, as much as I am sorry for what I did.  When a person decides it's time to take their leave of the world, you are in the moment insane.  There is a fine line between sanity and insanity.  On both occasions in 2013, I crossed the line.

Super Bowl Sundays will always be "that" day for Jeff and I.  If I live to be 100, it will still be the same, although distance through the years, will make the memory less alive. 

I don't try to hide from my suicide attempts.  It is, after all, what it is or was.  I believe that we should bring mental illness, with all of its ugliness, and per-conceived notions, out in the open.  Being "mental" (my term and certainly not my doctor's) is a part of me.    

Statistics say that 14.8 million people in this country alone, battle with depression.  And, there are approximately 34,000 attempted suicides in a year.  That's a lot of people.  People who need, and hopefully are getting, help.  People who need understanding about a disease that controls them.  And, no pulling yourself up by your boot straps is not a solution to the problem I assure you.

Stay well and I hope whatever team you're rooting for today, wins.

P

I'm Old

2/5/2016

It's official folks - I'm old.  I'm the shopper you see in the grocery store who can't pull out a shopping cart.  I'm the shopper who can't manage to open up the little plastic bags in the produce section.  I'm the shopper who doesn't understand why her favorite mustard isn't, at least at this one store, available in a glass jar.  I hate those squeeze bottles and avoid them whenever I can, because you can never ever completely empty the bottle.  Oh, I stand the squeeze bottle over the top of the glass jar, to see if I can get the last drops of mustard out, but it's always in vain.  If I could manage to cut squeeze bottles in half, think how much mustard, etc., I would have.

I'm also the shopper, who after her groceries are bagged can barely lift the shopping bag, because it's too heavy.  Today, my bag wasn't unusually heavy, but apparently I must have looked like I was struggling to carry it, because a young woman asked me if she could help.  Egads, when did I get old? 

I'm the shopper set in her ways.  When I find a food that I like, I remain loyal.  I don't poke around in the shelves looking for a substitute for let's say butter.  I like the brand that I use, so why switch?  The problem comes when say product "x" is no longer available.  I understand that if product "x" isn't making money for the company, they may pull the product.  This leaves me high and dry and scrambling for a good substitute.  This annoys me.  

My mother used to only wear Daniel Green leather slippers.  I thought, and still do, that they were rather ugly, but she never wore any other kind of slippers.  She was set in her ways.  I was absolutely positive that I would never be like my mother.  But shockingly, in some ways I'm just like her.  I too have a preference for a certain kind of slipper, and bathrobes, just to name a few of my never going to change to another type of item.  

As an adult, I didn't really want to be anything like my mother.  I wanted to be more like my Dad.  I do look like my mother, and there's no fixing that. Unfortunately, it seems as if all good things come to an end eventually.  I have worn Chloe perfume for more years than I can even remember.  The old Chloe, now considered vintage, hasn't been made in a very long time.  Because I refuse to use a different perfume, I went to Ebay and bought numerous bottles of Chloe.  There were no new bottles, some were half-full, and others mostly full.  I bought everyone I could find.  They are lined up in the bathroom, waiting for their turn.  As I read this, it sounds a bit obsessive, but if you love something, do you really need to change just because?

Okay, this old woman is getting off her soap box now and going to sit in my recliner and watch some kind of cheesy television for a bit.

Happy Friday.

P