Once again it's Saturday.  Our doorbell rang a while ago, and one of our Venny friends handed the boyfriend a plastic bag with fresh homemade donuts, which were still warm.  OMG, they're so-o-o-o good.  Each ate two.  

It rained a bit this afternoon.  Possibility of severe thunderstorms in the forecast.  Golf is on the telly.  As I type this, the clouds are getting darker and grayer.  

Ordered a new Hamilton Beach toaster, and it was delivered yesterday.  An extra-wide two-slice with retractable cord.  The one we were using made the move with us six years ago, so it's time to send it on to its final resting place.  

Debbie messaged me with a picture of Millie and Maggie napping with the kitties.  The two white fuzzy ones are my heart beats, and when I'm with 'em we cuddle the whole time.    

~Two kitties
and my cuddle bugs~

Am making a point to give my eyes occasional breaks from the screen.  Don't have a book in the works and am waiting to start another.  Go back to the optometrist next week to see progress with my excessively dry eyes.  Continue putting prescription drops in 3xday.

Noted progress on the bedroom project.  All my clothes are freshly washed and re-hung, separated into dressy clothes, casual tops, t-shirts and winter wraps.  Shoes are in drawers now, which is one of my think-outside-the box ideas.  Most of the time I go barefoot, so shoes are not my main concern.  

Nothing newsy on my end.  

T'is the season of glorious garden abundance.  Our kitchen countertop is covered with fresh ripened red tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini and summer squash.  The price of veggies in the grocery store these days is very expensive, so growing one's own food is like printing one's own money.

Today I share a photo sent to me by my friend, Jeanne, another avid gardener, as well as a preserver of her garden delights......

Thank you, Jeanne!

I often think how incredibly blessed we are to live where the earth's soil is rich and black and fertile.  Not everyone is as fortunate.  It's that business of being mindful of one's gifts and being grateful.

Finally kicked through the barrier keeping me from reorganizing the main bedroom closet.  It has been six years since we transitioned to our late-life home and now it's time to do a thorough redo.

Everything's been taken out of the closet, piled on the bed.  True to adage, that first step is the hardest.  The carpet is vacuumed and shelves above the hanging clothes are thoroughly cleaned with Clorox wipes.  Am a proponent of Clorox wipes as our cleaning tool of choice.  Like I said before, the clothes are re-hung on different sides of the closet.    

The "donate" box is overflowing.  A few pieces of clothing were tossed in the circular receptacle.  Stains are a fact of life for all of us.  The older we get, the more we revert to our childhoods......like, maybe we need to wear bibs.  Face it, kids, this girl dribbles on the front of my clothes.  Oh, well, better get used to my frailties, cuz they ain't going away.

Must share the experience that slapped me a few minutes ago.  Was on eBay, found a willow-woven basket to hold spices on the countertop.  The price was $9.99.....with the option of placing a lower offer.  That seemed kinda odd, considering how nice the item was.  Regardless, I typed in an offer of $7 to see if the seller would accept.  Before I pressed the "send offer" button, I noticed the shipping for this item that weighed about 2 pounds was $72.  OMG.  I quickly deleted my proposed order.  Had I pressed it, I'd have been what they poetically call 'screwed.' 

This is where we are now on eBay.  We must be extremely careful that we don't fall bait to these traps set for us innocent buyers.  Am glad this happened, cuz, this puts me on guard.  Somehow our world has changed into a scam swamp, and it's in our best interest to exercise personal caution.  Now I know how the poor animals feel when they saunter through their backyards and get caught in iron traps....where they suffer until they die.  

Tonight's supper is a bone-in ham that's been in the freezer, along with baked potatoes and frozen corn from last year.  Tis toddy time, and we're having our pre-meal sips.  It's a biblical ritual, I believe.

Watched more of the Parkland, Florida, sentencing hearing that will decide the sentence for Nicholas Cruz.  The defense presented quite a picture of the defendant's life and his mother's drug and alcohol addictions nine months prior to his birth.  The testimony was broadcast live, and the judge has adjourned until tomorrow.  

Til' then.....

MARTY'S GARDEN GOODIES

Robin shares with us Marty's blue-ribbon heads of cabbage harvested from their garden.   Just imagine how yummy his homemade sauerkraut will be when piled on top of a juicy grilled bratwurst sandwich.  One's mouth waters just thinking about that first bite!

Trivia:  Babe Ruth used to wear a cold cabbage leaf under his ball cap during baseball games.  

Thanks, Robin and Marty!

WEEPING WILLOW

Boy, talk about brain freeze.  Pondering what on earth I can write about today.  Looking out the window is exactly like yesterday, clouded over.  Light rain earlier.  Even the trees are lazy......leaves are calm and quiet.

Speaking of trees.....the recent high winds took down lots of large old and beautiful trees.  Literally ripped their roots out of the ground.  A stately weeping willow graces Venny's grounds, and the wind ripped off a large section of its limb structure.  Guess it's damaged to where it will be removed.  The thought of that tree leaving us makes me sick.  Trees, to me, might be rooted in one place and never speak to us, but they walk life alongside us.

The weeping willow is one of the most sought-after landscaping trees in the world.  It's a fast-growing shade tree that can grow 10 feet in one year.  They grow in Europe, North America and Asia.

The bark of the weeping willow is used to make aspirin.  Their wood is used to make cricket bats, flutes, furniture, broom handles, whistles and fish traps.  Beautiful baskets are woven with willow stems.  Artists make 3-dimensional sculptures of human and animal figures by weaving willow stems.  

According to legend, the weeping willow once stood erect and strong.  However, the death of two lovers so touched the heart of these trees that their branches drooped in misery and could never rise again. 

Don't know what it is about legends and mythical stories, but I find them interesting and fun to pass on.  A lot of flowers and trees have legends attached to them from the past.  To those of us who live at a different time in history, these tales may sound silly, but it's just kinda neat to know what people long ago were thinking.  

If I was younger, I think it would be fun to weave with willow branches, but a person can't go around cutting branches off trees anymore.  Our world has grown off limits with "no-trespassing" and "keep out" signs posted everywhere.  Mankind has increased in population, with more and more regulations imposed to keep the peace, and we're monitored everywhere we go by cameras.  I personally don't mind the cameras, because I feel they are a protection to me should I ever be at the wrong place at the wrong time.  Privacy is a thing of the past.  

Guess part of getting older is comparing "back then" with "now."  Only we can do that.  The younger generations have nothing to compare "now" to.....it's the only way they know.  This makes it obvious why the generations sometimes battle with one another.  That's where the old-saying "live and learn" was conceived.  

Time to refill the cuppa......     

Major news alert:  the master bedroom closet is empty.  All clothes piled on the bed.  Hesitation leaps at me when I call our bedroom "the master" bedroom.  Gracious sake, that sounds so empirical and lofty.  My preference is to call it our main bedroom.  With everything out of the closet, now comes the fun part....deciding what to put back and where to put it.  The task awaits my ambition.

Just like Venny's main common area downstairs is referred to as the Great Room, which lends to it a flavor of grandiosity.  Somehow, tho, it accurately describes the space with reference to the "grand staircase."  We humans tend to put frills on common things.  Some critics feel that eloquent words tend to deceive. 

Don't have any idea where this chain of thought is heading.  These thoughts flit through my brain and down to my fingertips, where they land on screen.  Think of the human computer that allows for that process to happen.  Life is amazing.

Quite a few young gals briskly walked by this morning.  All of them are skinny as rails, probably in their twenties.  Can't help but wonder what they'll look like when they graduate to my age.  It's a good thing Our Creator put a curtain in front of us so we don't know what's on the other side of that curtain.  No matter where we find ourselves in the whole wide world, not one of us knows what's gonna happen at the next minute.  Doesn't matter how we plan, how we pave and paint our paths, life remains a mere toss of the dice.

A thunderstorm passed over us last night, with lightning, thunder and rain.  The corn crops look outstanding, and our lawns are still lush and green.  Guess farther south in our state the lawns are already brown.  Every time it rains, I whisper a prayer of gratitude.  

That reminds me of the last time the G-clan got together.  It had started to rain, and two of the little great-nieces left shelter and skipped out in the rain.  Omigod, talk about little ones after my own heart. 

Something urged me to go join them in their rain dance, but I resisted and stayed seated in the lawn swing.  For lots of years now, I've not taken an umbrella.  Just one simple way of feeling free with nature....like walking barefoot in water puddles. 

Stayed up again until 3 a.m., brain embroiled in another Canadian criminal interrogation.  Am learning a great deal about human behavior and how incredibly skilled some people are at not telling the truth.  Police spend hours and hours using multiple strategies to trip up the suspect.  That's the part that grips my attention.  One cannot watch these criminal interviews without facing the harsh reality that life truly is a stage of actors and actresses.  Last night's video involved a mother whose 2-year old boy drowned in the bathtub while she was in bed having a fling with her live-in boyfriend of two months.  That mother's ability to lie was mind-boggling.  Kind of makes me understand now why some human relationships fizzle over time, ending in painful betrayal. There's a lot going on with people that we aren't aware of.  Our perceptions can be easily skewed and our thoughts misled and inaccurate.  Many times when we think we're helping someone, we're actually walking in a minefield....only because we don't really know anyone else's business.  Maybe that's why we all have heard the old adage that it's best to mind one's own business. 

Last night's supper of zucchini casserole was delish.  Along with it, I made a Mediterranean salad with cut-up tomatoes, green peppers, onions, black and green olives, salt and pepper, grated cheddar cheese, pickles and a wine vinegar and oil dressing.  

Best get on with my day.  Ta-ta till the morrow.

9-HOUR INTERROGATION

Stayed up till 2:30 this morning watching a 9-hour police interrogation of a 22-year-old male of Asian descent who was arrested for killing two people with an axe.  The interview was so compelling, there was no way I could simply shut down my computer, go to bed, and fall asleep till morning.  Nope, had to stay up to see the end.  After a grueling 9 hours of expert tactical questioning, the accused refused to say one word explaining the motive for his actions.  At the close of the interview, the female police officer said to him one last time, "At least tell me that you're sorry."  His reply to her, "For what?"  At that point, she closed her computer, picked up her file and phone, and looked at him while saying with utter disgust, "You're an animal."

Even though I was sitting in my recliner, gotta say that I was whipped as if I'd been the one interviewing him.  The female officer was a 27-year veteran in the field, about as highly qualified and capable as they come.  Yet, she couldn't get through to him.  All he kept saying for nine hours was, "I have nothing to say."  He was formally charged with two counts of first degree murder.

The boyfriend let me sleep this morning, cuz he'd gone to bed before me and knew my pillow would be empty until the wee hours.  If anyone out there is interested in the legal arena, these interrogations are on You Tube.  

Don't have plans for today, other than fixing one of my zucchini casseroles for supper.  Gonna make a large batch so we can have leftovers.  I got the recipe a long time ago from my neighbor-friend, only I add ground pork to make it a meal.  We've eaten sweetcorn for a few meals, and now we've had enough.  With the garden harvest, it's either feast or famine.  

Another gorgeous day outside.  Sat out on the deck in my chair yesterday afternoon reading poetry.  When happy hour rolled around, I enjoyed a toddy.  My chair has a fold-out cup holder, which holds my drink glass perfectly.  Giggled to myself....how did I ever find a chair so ideally suited to me and my lifestyle.  

More than likely my brain will get entwined in another something or other this afternoon.  It's like having my own private movie theater on my lap.  Let's all be good to ourselves and make the most of Life while we have it.  Ta-ta. 

Donated a couple more of my books to the Venny Library yesterday on my way to the salon to get my ears lowered.  Before going for the chop job, I searched the web for pictures of potential short haircuts.  She's used to me bringing a new picture with each new visit.  Well, the girl aced it this time.  My choice was really short.  Gotta say I'm luvin' it and it feels like me.  

Our intent was to go out for a sandwich supper, but once we sat out on the deck for a bit, both decided on a toddy and burgers on the grill.  Burgers were actually the old-fashioned California burgers with all the trimmings, including fresh garden tomatoes straight from the garden of gods.  Opened a can of Bush's Beans, along with fresh cucumber and onion salad.  There's no restaurant that could've equaled the taste and our enjoyment of the meal.

When my beloved Auntie Evelyn (daddy's sister) passed away, I asked her daughter if I could have one of Evelyn's treasured books of poetry.  She gave me one that I treasure.  Thought this was a perfect time to start on page one and read every poem and save the words that reach my heart and tug at it.  Have always loved reading poetry, and, yes, its quite often difficult to understand.  However, with a little re-reading, a message speaks to the reader.  It may be a totally different message than what the next person may glean from a reading, but that's what's called perception and inspiration.  For me, it's kinda like looking for pretty rocks or seashells on a sandy beach.  When I find words that I love, I pick them up and save them to enjoy again and again.  I treasure words like some women treasure diamonds and rubies and emeralds.  To me, they're life-sustaining.

Another pretty summer day.  Sun's shining and the many shades of earthly greens grace our view of the outdoors.  

Yesterday when I got my hair cut, my stylist shared with me her unfortunate residue from Covid.  She's no longer able to eat most foods, as her taste and smell have changed and not gotten better.  She's gone from a size 14 to a size 10.  As she is learning, this is a global problem, being endured by many after having Covid.  Feel sorry for her, because along with this problem naturally comes depression and anxiety.  I came back home and said a silent prayer thanking high heaven that we have good appetites and can enjoy the taste of foods.  For this gal, the mention of most food nauseates her.  

We hear most every day of people getting Covid, and thus we are cautious about interacting with crowds.  First, we don't like being in crowded places anymore, and, secondly, the main population has gotten lax and carefree about Covid.  It's still all around us, and every person reacts from it in a unique way.  Some, like my hair stylist, suffer every minute of the day, with no guarantee that her senses of taste and smell will ever return.  That's a terrible loss for a young gal in her thirties.

The day awaits.  It's nice not having any appointments.  Will do whatever suits my fancy.......whatever my fancy be.  Till the morrow....

FLOATING FLOWER BEDS

Went to my eye appointment yesterday.  Have been having pesky problems with my vision lately.  After a very thorough exam, the reason is that the back of my eyes are so dry they look like sandpaper, the words of my optometrist.  There's been a change in my vision, but she'd like to wait with new lenses until my eyes are helped with prescription steroid drops for two weeks, and then a follow-up appointment.  

Found a pair of clip-on sunglasses in the drawer and am wearing them now while I'm on the computer.  Seems to ease the strain.  Also can use Systane drops and gel drops between the prescription drops.  

After the eye appointment, we took off for a trolley down to the river.  Stopped for sandwiches and ate our picnic lunch along the river.  Watched them haul dredged-up sand to another location, where they unloaded the sand to a pit.  

Our friend had moved down in that area, so we went to visit him at his new home right along the river.  He and I are kinda like brother and sister and go way back to childhood.  He was busy in his kitchen canning pickles.  Took us for a tour of his home.  We sat at the kitchen table and looked out at the river and the sand bar on the other side.  We didn't see a barge go by, which is what I always enjoy.  Being his home is close to the river, it's built up high for flooding.  His home has an elevator to help people like me with the steps.  

The river never fails to offer photo ops.  Yesterday's glory was the American Lotus flowers on the carpets of lily pads in the quiet backwaters.   

The water reflections were absolutely glorious at the time of day we were driving by.

Floating Flower Beds

This afternoon at 2:15 will walk down the Venny Hall to the salon where my gray locks will get chopped off.  That's the event of today in my world.  The boyfriend might run a couple of errands.  Other than that, all's good.  Just had a telly chat with my "little sissy" and we shared our daily happenings.  Life is generous in finding sisters for those of us who are without biological female siblings.  Nature has a way of filling the empty places.  That's happened to me over the years so many times, and that's one reason I believe in a Divine Plan. 

The new Chromebook is working famously.  It has a few more new tricks for me to learn, but that's the fun of getting a newer model of these techy things.  I call them perks.  Life holds lots of perks for us.  The trick is to realize them, make use of them, and allow them to make our lives easier.  

Golf's on the telly.  Just paired my new wireless earbuds to my new Chromebook.  Trying to get myself situated again for awhile.  This is the first time we've tried wireless ears and think the boyfriend will want some, too.

Chili is on the stove.  As the t.v. professional cooks would say.....the flavors are marrying.  Cuddy will be leaving us sometime tonight.  That's got me selfishly sad.  Tomorrow morning at 9:10 I have an appointment to get my eyes checked. It will be good to get that behind me.  Some days my eyes are dry and some days they burn and itch.  My eyes are perhaps abused by reading overuse, both book and computer.  

It's State Fair time in our state.  We've been watching snippets of it on the telly.  Just a while ago we were talking about the fun we used to have when we took a bus down for the fair.  We'd leave early a.m. and return about 10 p.m.  We'd each go our separate ways, cuz our interests were completely different as was our pace.  Remember one year paying $10 to make a bracelet with some other gals.  Still have and still wear it to this day.  Don't think I could hack a full day there anymore.  One thing I could do, though, is partake in the famous fair food.  Also, the real lemonade served with real lemons.  

Till the morrow.......

NEW CHROMEBOOK

This is the first posting done on my new Chromebook.  Just finished setting it up, and now my mind, body and soul are synced along with Bluetooth and all other gidgets and gadgets that are part of my new companion.  

There's a keyboard change that I didn't realize I ordered, and that's the right-side numerical keypad.  Don't particularly want it there, but I shall get used to the mouse being situated more to the left, as is the alphabetical keyboard.  Will think of a pet name for my new possession, just for fun.  My Chromebook is my drug of choice, perhaps could go so far as to say my narcotic drug of choice.

Love the feel of the keys and their depression.  This one is lighter than the last one, which makes it very light in weight.  

Am sipping a Bloody Mary as a celebratory gesture for my today's boost.  Ta-ta.

SCAM ALERT

Boyfriend's out running errands.  Tis a beautiful hottish summer day.  Just took down the two hummingbird feeders in the hopes that the ants and bees will go somewhere else for their fine dining.  Bugs drive me nuts.

Little by little the bedroom cleaning is in progress.  Baby steps might be an over-exaggeration.  Once a thing is taken out, that's it.  Adios.  Rome wasn't built in a day.  Another century-old adage still pertaining to life in our age.  

Speaking of quotations, it's time for the annual Walmart Notebook Sale.  Got ten for 35 cents apiece.  That should last me the year for my note taking and quotations collection.  

Cuddy's snoozing in his little bed.  He's been out on the deck several times laying in the sun, but soon gets overly warm and asks to come back inside.  

  Want to mention that if anyone receives a phone call from Publisher's Clearing House about winning lots of money and/or new car, with delivery dates and the whole shmeer.......well, it's a scam.  PCH doesn't call their winners.  We know someone personally who received such a call real recently, called PCH and were advised it's a scam.  They were told to contact the local Sheriff's office.  Am passing this along, cuz those scammers are very convincing and very good at what they do.  The best advice is.........if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is a scam. 

Tis time once again for me to think of a subject for my monthly newsletter column.  Best get to it.  Ta-ta.   

LOSING A FEW MARBLES

Bless me Father, for I have screwed up.

Yesterday two boxes were delivered to our door.  Yup, two.  One was a Chromebook laptop, and the other was a Chromebook laptop.  Boyfriend opened the boxes, and at first we thought there was a mistake made by the seller.  Come to find that somehow (and do not ask me how) there were two orders placed.  Two different order numbers.  Same seller from North Carolina.  Delivered same time.  

Think the boyfriend is wondering about my mental stability, whether it might be a bit wobbly.  He kept saying, it's okay, things like that happen.  Well, things like that don't happen for me.  There is a procedure to paying online, and I didn't repeat the process for two laptops.

After a bit of wallowing in my sorrow, realized that perhaps this might be an act of Providence.  Who knows what's ahead.  Now we have a spare which will be tucked away like the extra tire we keep in the car.  Can't help but still have to listen to that nagging voice in the back of my head that's questioning my cranial functioning.  Drat.  Age is haunting me since my birthday.  Gotta get my crap together and move forward with gusto.  There'll be ample time ahead to grapple with physical and mental infirmities.

Just finished a delish salad with lettuce, green onion, garden tomato, cheddar cheese, french fried onions and raspberry dressing.  Will need to replenish the pantry with more lettuce.  For awhile was buying the pre-cut lettuce in the bags.  Lately am buying the iceberg heads and cutting them up when I bring 'em home and putting them in zip lock bags.  More bang for the buck.  

As long as I'm in the confessional, might as well list all my sins.  Probably a couple months ago I was yipping about super cleaning the bedroom closet and the bedroom in general.  Well, you know me, the super procrastinator, am still fussing about having to do it and haven't gone beyond eliminating a couple minor items.  Don't know what has me frozen, unable and unwilling to get my caboose in gear and get 'er done, like Larry the Cable Man would say.  

Perhaps my best bet is to do this daunting task a little at a time.  Today my baby step is to eliminate ten things from the bedroom, putting them in the 'donate' box.  The clothes that don't fit me right are all gonna go.  The stuff that's too tight and uncomfortable, well, that's all gonna go once and for all.  Why keep them hanging on hangers only to haunt me that my shape may have changed.  Not taller, but wider.    

We have bees buzzing around the deck to the point where we can't sit out there.  They're after the hummingbird nectar, as are the ants.  Just as well, cuz it's too warm and humid to be comfortable out there.  Will wait for fall, which isn't that far off.

That's about it from the bell tower.

COMFORTING DREAM

The fuzzy one got us up at 7.  Was weary and went back to bed, with the fuzzy one laying next to me.  Slept for a couple of hours.  During that time, I was blessed with a beautiful dream that was spent with my maternal grampa.  Oh, how I loved him when he was here with us.  In the dream, he and I were going to order hamburgers with cheese, onion and ketchup.  He said we had to have fries, too.  The dream felt so real..... my day feels the positive impact of that visionary visit.  In the dream, he gave me $10 to pay for the food, but the bill came to $29.  Interesting how inflation and the change in years was part of the scenario.

Dreams are one more of life's phenomenons.  There are those who interpret and explain, but, in my opinion, it's merely an effort to say we can see beyond ourselves.  

The fuzzy one is my buddy.  When I wanted to go back to bed, he snuggled next to me and fell asleep, too.  His age and mine make napping a necessity and a pleasure.  Now, I'm wide awake and he's asleep in his comfy and cozy doggie bed.  

Two of our Venny friends brought over a bone-in ham while I was sleeping.  They asked Dale to cut it in half, and they gave us the ham bone half.  The crock pot already has 15-bean soup heating up, and the rest of the ham I'll make another day into the boyfriend's favorite scalloped potatoes with ham.  More Venny Share.

Tracked my new laptop, and it's in town out for delivery.  Yay!  My new wireless earphones arrived yesterday.  Am replacing the Acer Chromebook with a 2022 Acer Chromebook.  Last time I replaced one all the information that was stored in the cloud magically appeared on the new one.  When I use the word 'magic,' that's exactly what I mean.  Where is the 'cloud?'  Cannot fathom the human minds that design and create the techy toys we use every day.  No one can imagine what it's like for a computer junkie to be without her laptop.  I've been able to partially charge this older model with Dale's plug-in.  It's usable for only a short time and then the battery is depleted.

Riding lawn mowers are buzzing around the complex.  Their green mowers turn on a dime and literally fly from one end to the other.  Can go way back and remember using the old self-powered mowers.  Sort of like comparing a Model A to a 2022 vehicle.  People didn't mow as much of an area as today.  Some of the mowed lawns are huge, requiring time and extra work in weed-eating and trimming around trees, fences and next to buildings.  Well-groomed lawns don't just magically happen.

The sun's shining now.  Best grab a bowl of cereal.  It's noon and still haven't had breakfast.  Our big meal of the day is supper.  Probably should be noon, but humans are creatures of habit.  Plus, we always have supper to look forward to later in the day.  Haven't been using my new Adirondack chair cuz of the heat and humidity.  At least I can look out and see it gracing the deck.  

An inch and a half of rain fell last night.  Lots of lightning lit up the sky.  Once I fell asleep, not a sound of thunder reached me.  

Placed another of my eBay book finds for $3.88 postage free, the sayings of Confucius.  We've all heard the "Confucius Says."  Born 551 B.C. in Qufu, China.   Confucianism is an ethic governing human relationships, and its central purpose is to know how to behave in relation to others. 

Found four ears of sweet corn by our door.  Another Venny Share.  This year's sweet corn is delicious, and we're making sure we eat it during peak season.  

Got a text photo from Debbie showing a butterfly in her yard..... 

We see so few butterflies, just like we see so few small animals when we go for our country trolleys.  No gophers running across the road, no bunnies, no squirrels, no chipmunks, no nothing.  Lots of times we return home not having seen one small creature out and about in their world.  To see a pheasant is an event that gets a yelp out of me.  Can remember when we'd see fox running across a field, but no more.  Pretty sure the number of coyotes and eagles are part of the unbalance.  

Sprinkling rain now.  Perfect Sunday to cozy indoors.  

Till the morrow.........       

Weekend's here.  Air is heavy and hazy.  Cuddy wanted to spend time on the deck, but wanted back inside right away.  Too humid for comfort.   

Yesterday's Chinese lunch was yummy, and my first public use of chopsticks went quite well.  The restaurant has a box of plastic gloves available for the buffet line, and this girl used em.  Covid is on a comeback, to the point where tonight's Venny pot-luck supper has been canceled.  A person gets lax in returning to how things were before Covid, but one must admit there's a new normal.  Whether in subtle ways or direct ways.  I liken it to a blight that's descended upon us.  With the additional inflation that can't help but burden our society, there are many who are struggling yet trying to maintain a lifestyle.  More and more we hear people wondering how young families can make it.  From our late-life perspective, it's difficult to look ahead with eyes that have lived the past. 

Went for a short trolley after lunch, part of the way was on gravel roads.  Oh, how we dislike driving our Subee on gravel when meeting cars put us in a cloud of dust.  Stopped to take a photo of this pretty driveway entrance........     

Am half way through Boundary Waters by Krueger.  The print is small and very light, so am using a pair of cheaters that help magnify.  Even my eyes are wearing out, reminding me how hard they work for me.  I don't take eyesight for granted, cuz it's one of our most amazing gifts in life.  As I read Boundary Waters, I imagine us being up there among the tall pine trees, the lakes, listening to the calls of the loons, and all that goes with the Up North feel.  We miss going up there, but the resorts we stayed at are no longer there or have increased their prices to unrealistic rates.  Maybe it's aging, but we're content to be at home reliving the silly and soothing memories of the years already lived.    

Looking more and more like rain.  The boyfriend is in the kitchen fixing us something to eat.  Very quiet outside.  The only thing I see is an ant crawling on the deck railing heading for the hummingbird feeder.  It's kinda funny that I sit here wishing I had the same energy as an ant.  

VISITOR RETURNS

Happy is me.  The little fuzz bucket will be dropped off this afternoon for a week or more.  

Yesterday we met and visited with Cuddy's gramma.  Surely can see why he likes going to his gramma's house.  For us, it was another fun experience.  We love talking with those of the generation ahead of us.  Always fun going back in time and sharing lifestyles that are no more.  Cuddy was there.  He's a very loved little guy, for sure.  His presence brings joy, not matter where he is or who he is with.  Have never ever seen a sweet little fuzzy one who's so content and compatible.  

We're going with friends for Chinese lunch.  Kinda celebrating two birthdays in one, kinda just going out with those we have fun being with.  Am about ready for a Chinese buffet.  Has been awhile.  This will be the first time eating with chop sticks in public.  Have gotten fairly proficient at home.  Truth be told, it's more fun eating with sticks than with a fork.  Just adds another tier of new experience to eating.  Main benefit is to slow a person down so as to eat slower.  

Still pondering the cell phone trade-in.  We like the phones we have, and think maybe it might be smart to wait a year or more.  Am not sure what we'll be gaining in actual service to ourselves.  We use them as phones, cameras and internet search and a few apps.  The thing that bothers me is that there's no identifiable reason to trade, other than the "free phone" ads.  Am a skeptic and pleased to be so.  Am not vulnerable to jump for the first bait dangled in front of me.  The word "free" is the first red flag.  There ain't nothing in the world of consumerism that's free, especially a cell phone.  Just cannot wrap my head around the fine print.  Have started deleting replicated photos. in my10R cell phone.  Don't know why sometimes there's about ten of one photo.  The more I think about it, the less my desire to own a newer model phone.  Ain't gonna take the bait.

Best get going.  A new day awaits.   

NOTHING IS FREE

 'nother day passes by......laptop hanging on by a thread........still able to charge it in bits and pieces.  Just tracked shipment of my new one, and this morning it was processed in North Carolina and tonight it's in Illinois.  Closer and closer.

This afternoon we went to US Cellular to take advantage of the so-called free cell phone offer that's flooding the air waves.  After sitting and listening to the intricate details of the "free" offer, we deduced it's simply a high-caliber corporate con.  The details of the new plan, the new price, the new gimmicks (none of which calibrated with my thinking) left us totally confused, but knowing if we want to own a cell phone we're going to have to play dead and dumb and succumb to the corporate sophisticated swindle. 

However, we were advised to wait until the end of the month to make the new plan official, cuz it'll make the first billing less complicated and less expensive.  Do not ask what that means, but we will wait until the end of the month.  

When we left the phone store, we went for turtle sundaes.  Parked the Subee in the shade and enjoyed a sweet treat.....mostly to sate our souls.  Returned home, kicked off the shoes, and called it a day.

Now our two options are:  do we trade our model 10s for the US Cell model 13 regular or 13 Pro?  do we pay $28 a month for a protection plan to replace a lost or damaged phone?  do we opt for the regular size or the mini 13?  The sales lady explained that if we drop the phone in the toilet, the protection would cover the phone.  I looked at her like.......look at us......do we look like two people who talk on the phone when we're sitting on the toilet?  But, we live in an "ouchy" society and dare not say what we feel, cuz somebody's feelers might get hurt.  (sigh)

Gonna check with our renter's insurance policy to see if cell phones are covered.  $28 a month protection seems pretty steep to my way of thinking, 'specially during a time of inflation.  $28 x 12 = $336 per year.  If we have our phones for three years, that's $1,008 that could be spent elsewhere.  

Something tells me I'd like the mini-13, but we have a couple of weeks to decide.  We ordinary people are smart enough to know that there's no corporation in the world that's going to offer the general public "free" anything.  In order to qualify for the "free" we had to drop our old contractual plan and sign up for the "new" more expensive plan.  But, there's nothing to be done, other than sign up and suck up.  We just want the phones for all kinds of reasons.  

That's the state of the union address from our home tonight.  Supper's about ready and will close.  It's been a day.  

LAPTOP

Woe is me!  My Acer Chromebook is almost worn out.  With mega hours of use every day, am not surprised.  The plug-in ports are worn, cover is partially broken, and battery no longer charges.  Am now down to 21% of battery life.

With that said, I may not be posting for a few days.....until a new 2022 Acer Chromebook arrives.  Placed the order yesterday.  Also ordered wireless earphones.  Kinda like a belated birthday present.

This girl cannot survive without a trusty laptop.  It's like my life support.  We all have our own special areas of interest, and the laptop is mine.  That and books.  Maybe it'll be good for me to take a break, cuz there are times I feel I'm addicted to my computer like some are addicted to drugs or alcohol.  

Perception is everything.  Some could say I'm addicted, but I prefer to say I'm blessed.  Blessed to have something in my life that affords me every-day hours of enjoyment and costs $235 to purchase on Amazon.  Don't have to drive anywhere to get it, just press a couple of buttons and in a few days it'll be delivered to Venny.  Talk about living in a wonderful era of history.  Recognizing our rainfall of blessings each and every day is a great exercise for feeling fulfilled and content.  

Best scoot and save what little life remains in my beloved laptop.  Stay cool, stay safe and stay well.  

Yesterday a message came through on my phone from my sister by marriage, Debbie, with a note saying she meant to send me this photo for my birthday, but she forgot to push 'send.' .........

Stargazer Lily
Symbol of Abundance and Prosperity

 I took a day to search for God,

And found Him not.

But, as I trod

By rocky ledge, through woods untamed,

Just where one scarlet lily flamed,

I saw His foot print in the sod.

~Bliss Carman

PARADE OF FLOWERS

Today I'm presenting a parade of July's flowers.  Let's begin with the flowers growing in Max's gardens.....

Garden Grace and Charm
(Absolutely stunning.) 

 

Blessings Beneath Iowa's Blue Sky

Spiritual Elegance 
(I feel like genuflecting.)

Garden Glories

Hibiscus Makes Its Grand Entrance

Next, I present the lilies growing in Norma's garden.....

Lilies Dressed in Pink.
Daisies Dressed in Gold.

"Flowers are a gift to this earth.  As Gerard De Nerval once said, 'Every flower is a soul blossoming in Nature.'  They paint contrasting colors along the ground and bring joy to many.  Their elegance and delicate touches have us all in awe and exhilaration. "

Thank you, Max and Norma. 

French Romantic writer (1802-1885) Victor Hugo, said, "God will reward you.  You must be an angel since you care for flowers."