Today's progress

It was a good day. I'm enjoying what I'm doing to these pieces.

Having dinner at my house will be fun in the future. When there is an overflow from the dining table or when eating on the deck is in order. I've done three of six TV trays. Lookee here!

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And I finished one of the porch swings. This was not what I had in mind, but it what came out, and I really like it.

And while I was doing this Jazmyn found a new place to snooze. Now that the plants are inside, the shelves are empty, and the lowest one is now hers!

Life is good.

.... Life is beautiful !!!!

Well

Yeah.  Well.

I just spent around three hours in a tedious task.

I have an old AOL account that I haven't used in a long time, and I only check it occasionally. I realized it had been a while, and I clicked over there to clean out the in box, and .... I gulped. There were 1400+ "new" messages!!! OMG!

I began a systematic reading and purging of the account, updating my email addy in the ones I wish to continue receiving, marking spam, linking with people from loooooong ago who had sent me messages to be friends on FB, unsubscribing from those I no longer want to receive from, etc. Well, indeed! A pot of coffee and a lot of frustration later, I think I have it all updated and cleared out.

Why do I keep that email? Well, it is a short name (back in the early '90s when short names were available!), quick and easy one to write down or spell for those occasions when I'm asked but I'm not sure I want to actually receive email. The plan is that after I see what is being sent from that person/company, I decide to keep it or not. The trouble is .... I forget to go read it! Oh, well! Hopefully, I'll be better about this now.

I've also been thinking of getting a new email addy, because my present yahoo account that I use most has a glitch in it, and I can't use the most current version of the software because it doesn't allow graphics, photos, etc. to be viewed. But going through the process of changing it again .... bah. so much trouble, as referenced today! I'll ponder on it a little longer, and if I find a nice, short email addy, perhaps I'll attempt it. For now .... no, I've done enough for one day!!!

I just counted my email accounts. I have a total of 11 accounts!! Six on yahoo, of which I use 2; five on aol, all of which are inactive, but still available to me!! Lawdy! How many accounts do you have? Am I the only one who has thousands of accounts??

If you read yesterday's post, you're probably chuckling at me right now. Yeah, you're right, I DID NOT get out early to do yard work. Meh. Tomorrow is going to be 6-8 degrees cooler than today. And I do live in "The Land of Mañana." So mañana it will be! or the mañana after that or after that!

I think I need food. So much coffee, so little sustenance! Hoooongry. Later!

Course adjustment

Earlier I started out to work in the yard. I was planning to use the weed eater to get rid of some scrub oak. I walked out the door and immediately began to reconsider my plan. I stepped back inside and looked at the thermometer. Inside was a nice 69°. Outside, however was 82°!! Well! I didn't relish being in the sun with that much heat.

I sat for a few minutes, wondering what would be a better choice for the afternoon. I settled on doing some painting on the furniture and trunks on the deck. I put a first coat on several pieces, and I hope to put the second coat tomorrow, them decorate them by the weekend.  What I'm going to show you here are some pieces that I did the basic coats a few weeks ago, and today I worked on the decorations.

The first one is the big table that I had plants on all summer. The colors of flowers and patterns are different on each side, I don't much like "symmetry."

This trunk was plain blue before. I'm still not completely happy with it, so I'm sure I'll be back to this to change it up. I have already changed it a couple times. I might be just as well off to walk away! It's just a storage trunk!

This is the top of the storage cabinet. I really like this one, and I'll probably be able to leave this one alone.

It was a productive afternoon! I think tomorrow I will work in the yard early, then do more painting in the shade later. It's what I should have done today, but I am SO not a morning person! Oh, well!

As I was finishing up the elk were bugling very close to the house. I think they were just across the road, and might have been in my yard if not for the fence around that other property. The dogs didn't know what to make of it. They didn't bark, but every time they heard the calls, heads were rocking back and forth in the direction of the sounds! They were just puzzled as heck! A little earlier a rabbit ran across the driveway, and they went nutz with the barking! I guess they don't bark at things unless they see them, but that doesn't make sense, because they bark at deer that are out of sight. Perhaps it is just that they know the deer sounds are connected with the bodies they've seen. I donno. Anyway, they are goofy little pups!

This morning I got on the scale, and to my dismay, I've gained 3-4 pounds. Dang. I guess I partied too hearty in Tucson! So I've eaten very sensibly today, NO TORTILLA CHIPS! It'll come back off, but after my recent elation over weight loss, it is just disappointing. Ah well. You play, you pay!

OK, gonna veg out for a while. Y'all take care!  Hasta mañana!

Signs of Fall

I'm really a bit sad this morning. I mentioned yesterday that the hummingbirds were not as numerous since my return. This morning I've seen just a few of them, perhaps as many as four. Compared to the dozens that have been hanging out at Chéz Lynilu this summer, it is saddening for me. I will miss the little buggers.

That said, there are two clear signs that Fall is upon us, regardless of temperatures or turning leaves or anything else that hails the change of seasons .... hummingbirds have begun migration and the elk are in rut (more on that in a moment). I'll leave the hummingbird feeders out for another month or so to accommodate any stragglers passing through. BTW, did you know hummingbirds do not migrate in groups/flocks as other birds do? Nope, they are loners, each finding his/her own way back and forth.  Soon it will be time for me to put out the other bird feeders for the winter. I don't feed the general bird population in the summer. Birds, like all God's creatures, become lazy and dependent if they are fed when they should be foraging for themselves. So I put seed out just when there is snow on the ground or the ground is frozen. Anyway, I'd better buy my winter supply of wild bird seed.

Now, about the elk .... My gosh, they are noisy this year! Every evening around sunset, the bulls begin bugling, calling out for their honeys! Last night I got a little footage with the sound. As you listen to this, you have to listen to other things, too .... me, the dogs, the wind chimes. The elk had been much closer and bugling more often a few minutes earlier, and seemed to be moving away at this point, but it is a good audio recording. It is such an eerie sound, but I love hearing it.

A second video, only 11 seconds long, but a good audio of the elk bugle.

Those sounds make the hair on my neck stand up .... in a good way!


A few minutes ago, Lolita jumped up beside me on the couch. She comes to me several times a day to snuggle for a minute (well, actually for as long as I will continue to pet her!!), most often rolling to her back so I can rub/pet her tummy (she is SUCH a tummy-rub HO!!). After she got a few snuggles, she rolled over and tucked her nose in a recess of the couch. She almost always hides her muzzle and eyes when she wants to sleep, even if the lights are off in the room. Look at this ....

 And right now, she is napping right in front of the dog door.

Mom, I tried, but I just couldn't walk any farther.

What a silly baby she is!

I guess I should do something productive. I've been sitting here all morning! Ain't retirement grand????   :D

I'm back. I'm tired!

I had a great time!

Thursday morning, I woke very early, something around 4:00 with a horrendous headache. I was really groggy, but I managed to get up and took some Tylenol, and tried to go back to sleep, but I couldn’t. Then after a while, I realized I was terribly congested, too. I took some allergy medication, and after about 30 more minutes, I could breathe well, and the headache was subsiding, but now I couldn’t go to sleep.

I had stayed up till about midnight finishing up laundry and some other things, and by waking early like this, I was a zombie. What a way to start the trip. So I made coffee and began packing. There was very little to do. Everything was ready to go in the bag, and it only took a few minutes. I showered, and it helped a little, then coffee helped some more, but I was just not running on all cylinders. I didn’t want to get on the road in that condition, so I just laid around for a while, slurping more coffee, and trying very hard to get my ducks in order.

I finally got out the door at about 10:30. Yeah, 10:30! Sheesh. But I felt good enough by this time, and was ready to drive. Doesn’t sound like much of a great time, does it? Buuuuuut .......

Jim had said that we weren’t going to be doing much, so we planned to cook. Strange plans? Maybe, but Jim had run across some recipes he wanted to try, so it sounded like fun.

Thursday evening we took it easy, dinner and stayed in with a couple glasses of wine. We both read and just relaxed. It was just what I needed.

Friday morning, we just kinda putzed around in the morning until it was time to make a run to the airport to pick up Jim’s nephew at the airport. I like this young man. He is a real sweetheart, so it wasn’t a chore. We talked in the car, then visited a while at home, too. Afterward, Jim and I went to retrieve his pickup which was in the shop.

Next we were off to his grandson’s flag football game. I always enjoy watching kids play ball. They have such a fierce attitude about their games! Unfortunately his team lost. While we were there, however, I met a ton of extended family members. Jim’s son-in-law’s family was all in town to celebrate his father’s 70th birthday, so I met brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews galore. Lots of people to talk to, and it was fun. It got pretty hot, though, and you know I don’t do heat well. It wasn’t awful, but I was glad to get out of it after the game (which was fortunately not long. We went to the house and cooled off for a while.

We went out to dinner. Jim chose a Mexican restaurant and I enjoyed the food a lot. I suggested we go home and look at the recipes to see if we needed anything from the store, but Jim wanted to go to a movie. We saw “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.” Good movie!

As we were leaving the theater, we walked past a restaurant where a band was playing and the music sounded good. Jim suggested we have a drink and listen to the music for a while. I haven’t been out to listen to a live band in a long time, and it sounded fun. We had a lot of fun! The band was really good, playing music from the ‘60s through the ‘80s with a few ‘50s and a few more current, too. Interesting band, too. An Asian, an African-American, a Mexican, and a Caucasian. Great musicians! It was fun that on their breaks, they mixed with the crowd, going around to tables and chatting. Not only that, but during one break, while canned music was played, some people started doing a line dance. The band joined in and then our waitress did, too! It was fun watching them. I don’t do line dancing. Nuh-uh.

Jim noticed the ethnic mix in the place. Most couples were biracial of every combination you can imagine. I noticed that there were just a handful of “kids,” people under 40; the great majority of the patrons were 50s, 60s and 70s, and almost everyone danced, at least occasionally. One couple was so much fun to watch, because they had fun with every single dance. They were very good, used mostly simply steps, but added something (a skip, a turn, a dip) often, and both just laughed and enjoyed every moment of it! We also enjoyed that people just got up and danced, partners or not. It was a very relaxed, fun attitude. Jim and I even danced! Yes, we did! And we didn’t do half bad for people who had not danced together before. And we closed the place down! Yep, we stayed there for at least three hours!

While we were at dinner my friend from Hawaii called, and I told him I’d call him back. When we got home, it was around 1:30, but I called Dell anyway, since it was early enough in HI, as he stays up late also. We chatted a little while, as he was a bit frustrated about some health issues. I think it helped him to be able to talk about it.

Saturday we got a slow start. No kidding! We were both tired! We just lazed around the house, having coffee and reading. Then we set off for a Little League tackle football game for Jim’s other grandson. I enjoyed it again, and met a few more family members who had arrived. Unfortunately, this game was lost as well. The boys just weren’t having a good weekend! And it was hot again, of course! Gah, Upper 90s just suck!

Back home again to cool off. I was so hot I almost took a shower, but I didn’t want to go through the whole make up and hair thing, so I took a “sponge bath,” changed clothes, and I felt much better. Jim had bought me an A of U t-shirt, and I wore it for the evening game at the stadium. Can you tell that family likes sports? Uh, yeah!

Now, for this part of the weekend, Jim just had to get out the Corvette. I mean, you don’t go to a U of A game in anything less than the best! Or so I’m told!  ;D  We drove to a house near the stadium that a group of them fixed up specifically for a “tailgate party house.” OMG. You can’t believe the O of A/Wildcats stuff in the house! We had hotdogs provided by a special hotdog place, and they were really good. Beer was abundant, and since we walked just a couple blocks to the stadium, it was OK to enjoy it.

The game was exasperating. Arizona won, but both teams played badly, IMO. But “our” team pulled it out in the last moments of play, so everyone could leave pretty happy. Back to the party house for dessert and to wait for the crowds around the stadium to clear out. At home again, Jim and I were both exhausted and went directly to bed. Well, sorta. Jim was sleeping on the couch, so he watched the delayed broadcast of the game! I, the smart one, went to bed and went to sleep!

Sunday found us both very, very tired. Jim because he watch the entire game before he finally went to sleep, me because it was just all catching up with me. I showered, which helped a little, but when I looked in the mirror, I couldn’t believe how tired I looked!  I let Jim sleep until the last minute and woke him to get ready. We were at a birthday brunch by 9:15, had a superb meal, and visited with yet MORE of the extended family! I’ll never remember all the new names I met this weekend! Fortunately, only a few of them live in AZ, and even fewer do I expect to encounter again. Nevertheless, it was fun to meet all these folks, visit with them, and commune in the best way .... over yummy food.

By about noon, the group was beginning to disperse. Jim and I told everyone goodbye and headed home. BTW, I noticed his daughter looked as tired as we did, and she said she was. It was a heck of a few days for us all!

As I was packing to come home, I realized I took no pictures. No, seriously, zero! Can you believe it? I had so much fun I didn’t even think of taking pictures! But I’ll placate you with these:

Every time I go to Tucson, I pass this sign and it surprises me every single one. When you think of "Continental Divide," are you like me and think of 10,000 or 14,000 fee in elevation? There is actually one other place that is lower. A place names Columbus, New Mexico is a few miles south of this and the CD elevation there is 3900. 

 The other part of this is that this spot is in a high mesa, no mountains nearby, so it is incongruous that this is the Continental Divide.  Look at the following pictures, shots in various directions at this location:

Straight ahead, east. See those little peaks up there? Waaaaay off!

To the south.

This angle is to the north. You can barely see mountains off in the distance.

 So I drove on toward home and I found a huge surprise. As I neared Alamogordo, at this point, perhaps 75 miles from home, I found ......

IT HAD SNOWED! Yes, in September, in the desert!

Can you believe it????   Significant amounts!!! the ground is covered!

OK, OK. I lied. That is white sand at the road passing White Sands National Monument and White Sands Missile Range.

A few miles down the road I pulled into the Border Patrol check point, and the young officer there gave me the third degree! Let me explain first that on the way over, when I stopped at a different one, the one for the west bound traffic. When I pulled in there, two young guard stepped up to the truck and one said something I didn't get, but assumed it was a greeting of some sort, and I said "Hi." Both of them kinda grinned, and he waved me on through without even a word. As I pulled away, I realized he had asked "How are you today, Ma'am?" And I replied "Hi(gh)." Mercy, mercy!

Anyway, this stop on the return trip I expected to be brief. Usually all they ask is "US citizen?" and after a brief glance inside the cab, wave me on. This guy continued with: Where was I traveling to? Where have I been? How long was I gone? Business or pleasure? What was under my hanging clothes in the back (my small suitcase)? At this point I asked if he would like me to open the door and the suitcase for him, and he said no and waved me on.Wow! I was beginning to doubt myself!

As I left Alamogordo a half hour later, I saw the beautiful colors in the west sky. And you know, I had to stop for a few shots of this ....

And this was just a random and solitary mount I passed on the way. It is obviously a volcano core, and it stands alone in the middle of many square miles of flatland, and I thought it was interesting.

I'm home. It's good to be home. I had a wonderful time, and I'm looking forward to another visit, but it's always good to be home again, snuggling with the pups!

Dark on dark is .... really dark!

Coming home from the dinner, I was driving across a five mile long dirt road, a short cut between two highways, doing just about 20. I was taking it very easy, because it was really a dark night and the roads were slippery. It had been raining off and on all evening, and the sky was completely overcast, no moon, no stars, just dark. I'm glad I was going so slow, because suddenly, there was a cow in front of my truck! Right there in the middle of the road, only about 15-20 feet ahead of me and not budging was a huge Black Angus! Actually there were several of them, about 18 or 20, I'd say.

Here's the deal. When it is that dark out, a black cow on a dark road on a dark night doesn't show up, even in headlights! Dang! She just stood there without moving a muscle, so I pulled to the right and went around her, but there were about ten more of them in the road or right beside it, so close that when I eased past them, one of them moved a little and bumped the truck! I could not believe how complacent they were. But it is their home, and the road is a courtesy. Open range means you need to be careful, and I usually am, but that was just spooky.

And now, I gotta get busy packing and ready to leave in the morning. I'll be back with you in a few days. I'm not planning to take the laptop, so I'll check in occasionally if there is time. Otherwise, I'll talk to ya Sunday night or Monday.  Hasta la vista!

One down, two to go

I picked up the first of three things I took to the framer today. I'm very happy with it!

I had a heck of a time with a photo. You know how the glass reflects everything. This one isn't bad. I LOVE the colors in the frame and matting. They really show off the picture.

A close up so you can see the colors.

And on the wall!

While I was in town this morning, it rain really hard. It started with slow rain, but the drops were HUGE! When they hit the windshield, they made a spot as big as the palm of my hand! Then it started raining really hard, and before I got out of town, the streets were half filled with water. I drove the a5 miles home, hoping Jazi wasn't a mess, and .... it hadn't rained here at all! It has been humid this afternoon, but no rain. Tonight and tomorrow are supposed to have rain, maybe lots of it. We'll see what happens. I got a little bit of rain last night, just a decent shower for 20-30 minutes.

OK, that's the extent of my exciting news for the day. See ya!

Belly up to the bar!

The bar was busy this morning. I stepped to the deck to take some photos of the sunrise (does that surprise you??) and decided to take a video of the hummers. Here is one. I love how they swarm around! The nectar bar is a popular place, for sure!

And in this one, if you pay attention at three seconds into it, you can hear an elk bugling in the distance. You'll have to listen carefully, but it's clearly there. You may have to play it twice, because you'll want to hear the elk, but you will probably miss it the first time due to the background colors and the hummingbirds swirling around! Very distracting!

I am really going to miss those little birds when they go to Miami for the winter. OK, these aren't the "birds" that winter in Miami. I was just kidding. These little guys go to Mexico and Central America. Just think, if I take a trip to Costa Rica I might get to see these same little flitters!

The sunrise? Oh, yeah, it was awesome!

Really pretty, molten metal look to the clouds in the east.

Holy-schmoly, Batman! Fire in the skies!

I just had to show you this one. Just as I snapped, one of the little mutts bounced off my leg!

And I gotta get busy. Got some errands to run, and back to the house for some things here this afternoon. My house sitter is coming over to be updated on the dogs and their routines. Gonna take a couple days away, and he is gonna stay with The Kids. I think he is a bit nervous, since the last time here did, Max went on his own vacation. But it will be OK. Everything is much better secured now.

I'll check in with ya later!

I'm winterizing

I've begun the process of winterizing. I know, it's early. But here's the deal .... I see temperatures in the mid to lower 40s in the forecast over the next ten days. So I began bringing plants in from the deck. Most of them are in their "homes" for the next few months, clustered around windows for optimal sunlight.

When I finished that task, I continued with several other things. The biggest one is that I took about a dozen plants from the deck to the garden, getting them in the ground so they can be ready for winter. They were perrenials, and there should be enough good weather left for them to be ready. I hope so. When I put them in pots on the deck, I didn't really plan to do that, but I knew they were unlikely to last through the winter in the house. I figured I might as well give them a chance in the garden. That number includes potted irises that I bought back in May.  I found some really good spots with enough digging room (meaning without too many rocks) to get them deep enough, mounded a lot of soil around each one, and watered them well.

I still have several hanging baskets with geraniums that I'm trying to decide about bringing in. I'd love to help them make it through and have them ready in the spring, but I'm not sure it's worth the trouble. I'll probably give it a try, but it will mean repotting them, as they are all in open baskets with coconut fiber, definitely not appropriate for indoors, as the water runs right through. I can wait a while on that, since geraniums are hardy.

I've begun my list, so I don't forget things. "Empty hoses" is for later on; "cover a/c" can come later, too; etc. Gotta be focused. Last year I wasn't. For one thing, I often use hoses, etc. until much later in the season, but snow came early and didn't melt till spring, so I had some hoses still out and covered with snow all winter. They don't seem to be damaged, as I had drained them. I just want to be a step ahead of the weather this year.

Have any of you had similar thoughts? I know it is still warm, even hot in some areas, but I don't think it is very far away. In fact, I think the numbers of hummingbirds is down, so I'm guessing they are beginning the long trek south. It is much earlier than usual. I have had them into October before, but I think we might be in for another early, perhaps hard, winter. sigh. I like cooler weather, but really hate to see summer, hummingbirds, and longer days ending. 

A prayer for peace.

I borrowed this from Freda at What's the Story in Dalamory.

~~~~

Universal Prayer for Peace
Iona Community

Lead me from death to life, from falsehood to truth.
Lead me from despair to hope, from fear to trust.
Lead me from hate to love, from war to peace.
Let peace fill our lives, our world, our universe.
Peace, peace, peace.

~~~~

May you have a beautiful, peaceful Sunday that grows into a week, a year, a lifetime.

Kids!

I’m thinking about teen relationships. But first ... what the hell are “teen relationships”? In my opinion, and it’s a not so humble one, when the word “relationship” is used to indicate “dating,” anyone under about 18 simply can’t be in one!

A “relationship” to me means something farm more complex than what two you adolescents or, even worse, two pre-teens might have. I looked up a few definitions:

re·la·tion·ship  (r-lshn-shp)   n.
1. The condition or fact of being related; connection or association.
2. Connection by blood or marriage; kinship.
3. A particular type of connection existing between people related to or having dealings with each other: has a close relationship with his siblings.
4. A romantic or sexual involvement.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

relationship [rɪˈleɪʃənʃɪp]   n
1. the state of being connected or related
2. association by blood or marriage; kinship
3. the mutual dealings, connections, or feelings that exist between two parties, countries, people, etc. a business relationship
4. an emotional or sexual affair or liaison
5. (Mathematics) Logic Maths another name for relation [10]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003

• a relation between people; (`relationship' is often used where `relation' would serve, as in `the relationship between inflation and unemployment', but the preferred usage of `relationship' is for human relations or states of relatedness); "the relationship between mothers and their children"
• a state of connectedness between people (especially an emotional connection); "he didn't want his wife to know of the relationship"
• a state involving mutual dealings between people or parties or countries
• kinship: (anthropology) relatedness or connection by blood or marriage or adoption

OK, now any/all of these indicate to me something that is beyond the emotional capability of young teens. Although scientists and anthropologists are saying that our children are maturing faster than ever, I’m here to say it is not emotionally possible for children so young to develop the ties that form that kind of relationship. Perhaps some older, more mature ones might reach this, but not teeny-boppers. And a “relationship” doesn’t start and end in 3 days or even three weeks! IT AIN’T A ....  R.E.L.A.T.I.O.N.S.H.I.P, PEOPLE!!!

So why am I writing about this? Well, because there are several youngsters I know on FB that are between about 11 and 17 whose “relationship status” keep changing from “in a relationship” to “single” and back again. Yes, I know they are supposed to be 14 to be on FB, but all they have to do is put in a phony age, and they are in! And I wonder whether their parents are even monitoring their accounts. A couple of them I’m pretty sure, aren’t.

These kids use the term “relationship” to mean “dating” or “going out.”  And let’s be honest .... at least some of them aren’t even dating! They haven’t been on dates! I know this, because I know their parents, and there is no way they are dating at 11 or 12 or 13.

In the past I’ve let the parents know about some other concerns I had (language used, personal details being given out, comments from older people that I suspect they don’t actually know or their parents don’t), and while the parents expressed concerns about the things I mentioned, I’m pretty sure they aren’t monitoring on a regular basis. Do they know their immature teens are in “relationships”?

I realize, of course, that those “relationships” are probably just flirtations, but I remain concerned about how the kids come to use these terms so casually and how it tweaks their understanding of what a relationship really is. As easily as marriage is broken these days, how does this flippant use of the term “relationship” change how these tender, still formative young people assess the way they bond with people in the future?

I donno. Maybe I’m old and crotchety. But I worry. I worry about these children who seem to already have a warped idea about relationships. I worry about all the children who are not fortunate enough to have the kind of parents who actually are involved enough to irritate the kids.

Yeah, I’m a cranky old gal, but I love the kids and hate to see them so exposed. Please protect children. Help the become mature enough to enjoy a real relationship.

Oh, I forgot!

When I got up this morning, a little before 6:00, the sun was not quite peeking out, but I noticed the very heavy layer of fog in the valley. (Don't forget to click them to see them at a larger size and see the detail.)

It looked almost solid!

When the sun eased up a little, it turned the clouds the most gorgeous colors.

I had to stop a minute to click the hummingbirds that were absolutely swarming! In fact, several sunrise pix have blurs in them, hummers that darted through the line of vision!

If you look at all the blurs, there are at least eight birds around that feeder.

And back to the sunrise, which was becoming amazing!

And then an hour later, not long before I was to leave the house, I looked out and saw that the fog was lifting, and obviously it was crawling up the mountains! Or was it that another cloud had slid down this mountain. Obviously I can't see if the other is still there! But a cloud was here, regardless of where it came from!

I left about 30 minutes later, and this was not quite so thick. Quite a heavy bunch of floating water!

Miscellany

As I said in the previous post, the truck in fixed, and I think it really is now. It didn't take long, less than an hour this morning, and I was on my way home. I love the dealership because they really take care of me and seem genuinely concerned about me having a good set of wheels under me. As a single woman on a very tight budget, I really appreciate it.

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As most of you know, I'm not a fan of "reality" show. I love music, but I don't watch American Idol. I love to dance and to watch good dancing, but I don't watch Dancing with the Stars (less than 10 minutes of actual dancing in an hour just does not cut it with me). That being said ....

I love Lee DeWyse, the kid that just won AI. No, I didn't watch the show. But I've heard enough clips of him singing to know that he has a voice that I could listen to for several hours. The little girl he was un against in the finals, Crystal something, is amazing, too! But Lee's voice just soothes my soul. I can hardly wait till he releases an album, 'cause I'm gonna jump on it! He was on Ellen's show today and he sang the old Ray Charles song., "You Don't Know Me," and I almost cried. Smooth voice. So if you hear about his album being released, let me know, OK? Just in case I haven't heard, ya know?

~~~~

When I was 35 and younger, I weighed under 125. Goodness, as a teenager, I was doing well to reach 115, and I've been 5'7" since I was 13 or 14. Skinny minnie! In my late 30s I gained a little, and I liked it. I was only about 130-135, but I felt better, and I think I looked better. I stayed near that for another 15 years or so. Then a lot of things changed in my life. Not all at once, but many things shifted, and most were not in the preferred direction. I'm not going to hash over those long ago wah-wahs, but just know that I began oozing into depression and it had a strong hold on me. Without even realizing it, as my depression held on, my weight went up and up and up. And up. I don't even want to say where I ended up. In fact, I'm not sure I know the actual top weight, but I know it was up there around or over double my high school weight. Yep, double.

I lost some weight back in 1999 (before my top weight number was reached), using the low carb diet, and I felt really good about it. But when the special event for which I lost it was over (a cruise) I slipped back into old bad habits and my weight ballooned even more. By the time my husband died, I was pulling myself out of the haze I'd lived in. I had to. And I was working my butt off (literally!!) packing, storing the house in KC, caring for my hub, then moving after he passed away. I lost a considerable amount, probably around 30 pounds in that process.

Since then, I've continued to lose weight, but very, very slowly. I've avoided "dieting," because most weight loss diets cause physical problems that are terrible. I've just tried to eat sensibly and stay active. I've been losing 5-6 pounds a year, nothing to write home about, but it was in the right direction. Before that, my weight has gone up and down, not drastically, but enough that I essentially wasn't losing.

A couple or three weeks ago I got on the scale, and my jaw dropped. I hadn't weighed in several months, probably about May. Of course, I don't remember the exact weight at that time, so I can only estimate, but I've lost approximately 10 pounds since May!!! It dawned on me that my clothes have been fitting differently, but I hadn't given it a lot of thought. If you've never experienced being overweight, let me tell you, that's what people do .... we avoid thinking about it because it is so uncomfortable. But that's a lot in that period of time, and I'm thrilled!!

About the same time, I was beginning to go through my wardrobe and culling it out. I was trying on everything to be sure about the fit, to reconsider how much I really liked it, and to think about how long it has been since I've worn each thing. While doing this, I realized I had clothes from size 14 to 2X in my closets. Seeing how badly the bigger sizes fit was thrilling! Those have all left my house. They will not, NOT, be back. The thrift shop has benefited greatly, and my closets are like normal closets now, no longer packed so tightly that everything has to be ironed or tossed in the dryer before I can wear them!! Whoo hoooo!

This morning, I weighed again, and I'm one pound away from the smallest weight I've sported in about 20 years! I'm very happy about this, and I know I can keep up this wise method of losing weight. I still have a long way to go. I want to lose another 30 pounds. It may take another 5 years, who knows. But I'll keep doing what I'm doing, and I'm betting I'll make it.

I'm wearing clothes that I haven't been able to get into for over 10 years. I had/have a lot of classically styled, well-made, quality things that really don't go out of style, and I'm loving wearing them. People are complimenting my wardrobe and my general appearance, and it feels great! I'm already feeling better, and knowing I'm 50 lbs+ lighter than I was .... well, as the saying goes, Priceless!

Of course, after that I have to say ....

.... Life is beautiful!!!!

Because it IS!!!

Back!

Think it'll rain?  (Be sure your volume is up)

I'm on the couch with a cup of hot chai latte. It's a good day!


I'm home and I'm betting the truck is fixed now. Just a gut feeling. No charge!! I think they really feel bad that it has taken so long to find and fix it, and they know I have a significant drive to make each time. Whatever, I am SO glad!


I took Jaz. Didn't need to, because the rain started about an hour and a half after we were home. But she had fun. She charmed everyone in the place, as she is wont to do wherever I take her. She also got her private time with mom, and she looooooves that!

I'm going to catch a nap. Getting up so early bums me out. Well, I wasn't up earlier than usual, but I didn't have time to wake up slowly as usual, over a couple cups of coffee. It makes a difference when I have to be out the door before 8:00. So, ni-night! Catch up with y'all later!

Discombobulated kinda day

Went into work today, and on the way in, I saw these beside the road. Such pretty flowers!

I love the purple and yellow together.

And a little farther up the road, I was looking at the thunder clouds. These had already passed over my house.

And about this time I realized that I had left my bedroom window open at home! Damn! Just before I left, I went to the bedroom to close the window and do a couple other things, but I didn't remember closing the window. I was hoping that I did and had just forgotten. I was too far from home to turn around without being late. So I kept going and was hoping. And hoping.

While I was at the shop, it poured! I just inwardly rolled my eyes, still hoping I had closed the window or that the rain was coming from the other direction! Then I realized I'd forgotten to get the umbrella from the car when I went in, so before I left, I bought a waterproof windbreaker with a hood (for a buck!!) and slipped it on to get to the truck.

Would you say it wasn't my best day? Uh .... YEAH!

Back, home .... the window was open, but only a few inches. The carpet was damp, but not really wet. Whew!

And now, unrelated, I took this shot a few minutes ago. Isn't this picture of Jazmyn precious? I love it when they sleep upside down with paws in the air!

I'm going back to Alamogordo tomorrow to have the part put in the truck and hopefully keep the "check engine" light off for a while. No, for EVER. It is supposed to rain here again tomorrow, and I'm debating about taking Jaz with me. Part of me wants to rescue her; the other part thinks that she will get through it and be stronger if she weathers some of these storms without me to hide behind. I donno. I'll see how the forecast looks in the AM.

Sooooo. How was your day?

Proper English Tea

An English tea is a freakin' feast!!

First of all, I learned today what the difference is between "tea" and  "high tea."  A tea is what you have in the afternoon (3:00-4:00) and consists of tea and food. The amount of food varies according to the serving time, and the choice of the hostess, mostly what we would call "finger foods" or snacks. "High tea" occurs later, and includes something cooked, a meal, something that we would call "dinner" or "supper," depending on the community where we live. It is the final meal of the day.

Pearl had a spread that was un-freakin'-believable!! There were little sandwiches with marinated cucumbers, cream cheese and other yummies; scones with raisins or blueberries; prosciutto e melone, or cantaloupe with ham; fresh raspberries (cream or whipped cream, if desired); chocolate dipped strawberries; banana bread; a couple cheeses with crackers; condiments such as strawberry preserves and lemon curd; almond meringue cookies; a selection of teas (we tried several, a pot at a time). I know I've forgotten some things, but you get the idea. It was fabulous!! I did not need dinner when I came home!

We had such a wonderful time. Two Brits and four Yankees for two hours of chatter, laughter and so much fun. Pearl's husband came out of hiding toward the end, poked his head in the dining room, and quickly exited, in fear of his life, I'm sure! He didn't stand a chance with that much estrogen in one room.

 At the end, we even read our tea leaves! Yeah, I'm coming into some prosperity! Woo Hoooo!

We've talked about doing this again, perhaps once a month. If we do, we will all bring goodies so Pearl isn't stuck with all the preparation herself. She thought that was a smashing idea!

Now the bad part .... I have no pictures. Seriously! As I flew out the door (1) I forgot to pick up my hat (who goes to an English tea without a hat???) and (2) I grabbed the camera case, which was empty! duh.

One last thing. DO NOT confuse my recent penchant for English tea parties for anything vaguely related to being akin to the (cough, cough) Tea Party. Every attendee to this are somewhere between moderate with liberal leanings to L.I.B.E.R.A.L. Jes' sayin'.

LOL!  What could possibly be better than good food, good drink, fine China and linens, a beautiful lace table cloth, good friends, and actually "getting dressed" for the fun of it all?? Nuttin' that I can think of!

Can we say .L.A.Z.Y. ??

I've been incredibly lazy recently. Monday and Tuesday, I did absolutely nothing. Honest! I sat on my caboose and read, played on the computer, watched a few movies and some mindless TV, and .... well, nothing! I was being a big blob! My body has been mildly achy, probably some fibromyalgia flaring up a little with the change of weather. I simply didn't feel like doing anything. And I didn't!!

I really need to straighten the house. It's not awful, but while I was doing nothing I allowed a clutter to arise. isn't it funny how clutter propagates on its own? LOL! I had absolutely nothing to do with it!! Anyway, I want to put the house back in order, because I always feel better when it is "company ready."

This afternoon is the rescheduled tea. I'm looking forward to it. I think it is going to be fun. Pearl has invited another of her friends whom I've not met, another Brit like herself. I'll let ya know how it goes later or tomorrow.

Late yesterday three of the dogs were on the deck, just hanging out. A long, low rumble of thunder moved across the sky, taking several seconds to get from one horizon to the other. It wasn't the kind of thunder that usually startles, sharp and loud, but for whatever reason, Joey and Sam seemed to be taken by surprise. They scurried in the house and came close to me. Lola, however, stayed on the deck and looked through the storm door at the boys as if to say "You guys are wimps." I'm not sure if she is really brave and thunder doesn't scare her, or if she is just too dingy to get it! She is such a funny pup!

When I was filling the hummingbird feeders this morning, the little birds were out in full force. They were happy to see me filling the feeders, and were flitting all around me, chattering loudly as I was filling. When I was filling the second one, several of them came very, very close to me, one of them between my face and the feeder in my hands! Another actually landed on my hand and sat there for about three seconds! I could not believe how up close and personal they are getting to be! A couple days ago one of them kept getting sips at the feeder, then flying to the storm door and hovering while watching me and the pups through the glass! He went back and forth several times, and I thought maybe he was wanting me to fill the feeder, but it has nectar in it. I love the little hummers, and I will hate to see them go. I figure I have about another month with them, unless winter comes unseasonably early.

Well, if I'm getting any de-cluttering done, I'd better get off my tush! have a fantastically fabulously fine day, everyone!

Thoughts for Tuesday

I found two quotes that say the same thing in different ways:

Everything that surrounds us,
Everything that we brush past unknowing,
Everything that we touch which is not felt,
Everything that we meet unnoticing
Has on us swift, surprising, and inexplicable effects.
~DE MAUPASSANT

and ....

When one tugs at a single thing in nature,
he finds it attached to the rest of the world.
~John Muir

I like both. I love what they say to us. And the applications to us and our world are wide spread.

First, look at the nature or environmental aspects. I think of walking through a wilderness and how I feel when I'm there. I feel respectful of nature, more so, I think, because of the near lack of evidence of humankind. I'm careful where I step, because I don't want to spoil the beauty of the ecosystem. I've seen tiny flowers, blooms so small that they would almost fit on the head of a pin, and I've tried to avoid stepping on those minuscule plants. These sit at the bases of enormous Ponderosa pines which soar high into the sky in contrast.

In the wilderness area near my house, my favorite path follows a very small stream. As I walk this path, I'm aware of the precious quality of water. My home is surrounded by desert, so water is something always on our minds, but this particular place actually has water. The size of the stream is a reminder that there is limited water to nourish this place and all the places farther down the mountain, where this and other minute waterways come together to form creeks and rivers. But they are not rivers with profuse amounts of water, and I'm reminded, too, that the number of animals, plants and people dependent on this water are greater than it can actually provide.

Then I see a candy bar wrapper or potato chip bag or a plastic or aluminum drink container discarded in the stream or atop the tiny plant. I can't help but have a wave of anger at the person or persons who are thoughtless enough to toss these things on the ground in such a beautiful and pristine place! I usually try to remember to carry a plastic bag to gather up such items, but I wonder why it is up to me to pick up what several others have scattered without a second thought.

My point is that I feel we each have to be responsible for ourselves. What someone tosses aside becomes an eyesore and an imbalance which someone else will have to pick up. Or else wait a couple hundred years for it to break down! We all see litter alongside the highway, and while I don't like that, either, it isn't as noticeable as the occasional litter in those more secluded areas. Have you ever been driving down the road and unwrapped, say, a piece of gum, and thought, "It's just a very small piece of paper; it won't hurt to toss it out"? I have. Fortunately, that has been followed by the idea that if every person driving this road did the same thing, there would be a pile of hundreds of gum wrappers to mess up the roadside. So I didn't. The thing is .... not everyone gets it. Or there is such a sense of entitlement that they don't care who has to pick up after them. Sad, sad, sad.

Second example: Things we do have impact on our surroundings. By that, I mean our actions (thoughtless tossing of waste), our behaviors (have you ever been irritated by someone's loud radio?), our words (spoken without forethought or consideration of surroundings). Once something is done or said, it usually can't be undone. Oh, sometimes, the action can be reversed or apologies made, but it doesn't undo the impact.

Every move we make has a ripple effect. Or a sledge hammer effect, in some cases. Every thing we do bounces off the rest of the world. We cannot do something, anything, without it doing so! Whether I am thoughtful or unkind will affect the people with whom I have contact. Even my smallest actions are likely to be noticed and responded to in return. I've found that a flat-affect in a clerk or waitperson can often be changed by my smiling and simply asking "How are you today?" Not always, but usually. Conversely, when I'm distracted and unsmiling, those around me tend to offer back the same.

It changes things when I act. Even if I'm alone, what I do ripples out in one way or another. What I allow myself to do effects how I will feel, act, speak in subsequent moments. I've noticed a few times when I've been home grousing aloud or silently about something or someone, when I go among other people, my mood is carried with me. Now, I'm not saying we can't grump around or feel sorry for ourselves or have a good cry. I think it is healthy to do that alone or with a limited audience (limited to someone who understands and can help you through the process without taking on your nasty mood). But before we walk into the world outside those walls, we need to adjust that attitude, acknowledge that it is what it is, then put on a more positive face.

Have you ever worked with or been friends with someone who comes around and you say, "How are you?", and they begin the sighing and moaning about [fill in the blank]? Did you notice that you begin to not enjoy being around that person? I have, and I don't want to be that person! Even the best of friends can only carry so much of your baggage or mine. Eventually they will begin to distance themselves.

So .... when  tree falls in the forest, I may not hear it, but it will still impact on my world. And when I squash a bug in the forest, no one may notice, but I've changed the ecosystem. I'm not saying you should let the rattlesnake in the forest bite you. That's ludicrous! But watch where your stepping so you don't put your foot on his tail.

My weekend

More progress. Still a lot to do, but it's coming along.

I started this last year, using what was left in brushes or rollers to paint different parts. I hadn't finished it, however, and parts of it were still unpainted. This weekend I finished covering all parts and doing some of the decoration. I'm going to paint some designs on the sides and perhaps the top.

There is a little bit of gold paint trimming some areas and although it doesn't look gold, the sun on the drawer is gold. It's really pretty when the real sun hits it.

The trim looks a little gold here. I'll do more pix when I finish the decoration.

This trunk is looking good, but I have a lot to do on it, also. The dark color is metallic grey/blue, and like the gold on the cabinet above, it looks really pretty in the sun. I'm not sure what else I'm going to do to it, but there will be flowers or crests or something like that on the top. This is where Jazi usually has a little dog cushion and she spends many mornings year round. It right under my front window, and she likes to look in and watch me while she soaks up the fresh air.

Tomorrow I will go back to the other trunk I started on the other day. I had to stop and do some repairs on it, so it had to sit to let glue dry, etc. I'm not sure which one will be my next project after that .... two porch swings, the other bench, the metal storage cabinet, or two other trunks.

Other than that, I've had a very lazy weekend. I've watched some good movies and read and laid around as if I had time. Oh, come to think of it, I do have time!!!! All the time in the world!

.... Life is beautiful!!!!