Yesterday's trolley turned out to be one fun-filled day for us.

Ate lunch at a Chinese restaurant.  Not the buffet kind that we're used to, but rather a plate with whatever dish you order, plus fried rice and either a crab rangoon or an egg roll, and choice of soup.  My boyfriend ordered the Mongolian Beef and I the  Almond Chicken.  It was a very nice experience, the restaurant is super clean and the atmosphere very welcoming.  Reasonable prices, fast service, good food.....another go-to place for us.  While sitting in the booth, I took this photo of the playful Panda picture on the wall.....

After lunch, we drove to another town to a furniture store.  Ended up buying three Lazy-Boy recliners to replace our 3-section couch and my retirement recliner.  The color is Granite.  It's difficult to tell the actual color under the store's fluorescent lighting.  We're excited for the change, which is all part of what I'm calling the seven-year-spiff-up!

In our storage we have a tied vibrantly colored quilt that my mother made.  Am hopefully going to donate it to the Indian Missions in South Dakota.  My heart simply cannot dispose of it.  When I think of the hours she invested in making the quilt, well, there just has to be a way for someone to benefit from its warmth.  My friend is checking with the local Catholic Church for my instructions on how to get it to the person in charge of collecting donated items for the mission.

Awhile back I became the owner of a rosemaled clock in green and orange.  Being I'm not a lover of the color orange, my intention is to repaint it to go in the main bedroom.  (I have a problem with calling it a Master Bedroom, just cuz it sounds too poshy for us!)  Am not sure the boyfriend is fond of the clock, but it was I who could not let it again "be disposed of."  If I bring something home, it's gotta be something that will serve a purpose.  Plus, I've been wanting to get my acrylics out and do some painting.  This would be a perfect opportunity.  The first step is deciding what color will replace the orange flowers.  I've never liked the color orange, but I love eating oranges.  Go figure!

Yesterday's visit from my two nieces helped my heart heal from years of separation from one of them.  Sometimes it takes decades for life to play itself out, and, trust me, those decades can feel like centuries.  The answer to it all is perseverance.  And, yes, good wins over that which presents itself to us as evil.  

When the girls were here, I passed on to them my beloved little rocker.....my childhood throne.  My intention is to give it to who I want to have it, rather than someone else who I wouldn't want to have.  Does that make sense?   Before giving it to them, I asked that they take a picture of me with my rocker.  I want to share that photo here.

I must've been three years old when my Momma painted the chair white and applied nursery rhyme decals.  The rocker was old when she painted it, so its age has to be over 100 years old.  The left arm is loose, but I'll leave the repairing to the new owners.  Giving away what little is left of one's childhood rips at the heart.  My saving grace is having two nieces, who are like my daughters, to pass it on to.  If nothing else, they know how much I love them and how much they mean to me.  Maybe that's the part of giving that's sometimes overlooked.  We don't give our stuff away to those who don't live in our hearts.  

Today we have a plan.  We're going to go to another city for Chinese lunch and then on to our favorite furniture store to look for recliners to replace our couch and my beloved retirement recliner.  It's part of the seven-year spring spiff-up.  

There's a winter storm in tomorrow's forecast, so we figure today is best to be on the road for a day trip.  Yesterday I finished cleaning and re-organizing my roll-top desk.  Tossed outdated paperwork and things that no longer matter.  Now I know in which drawer or which compartment individual items can be found.  Taoism needs balance in life, so that's what I'm trying to do.  If things are in order, life feels better than when things are out of order.  Nothing drives me crazier than when we can't find something.  When two people live together all their lives, once in a while it does happen where one puts something where the other wouldn't dream of putting it.  Covid's stay-at-home restrictions helped me become lax in keeping things up.  Now, it's time to get back on track.

Clouds have covered over the sun, actually looks quite gloomy right now.  My Christmas Cactus got a trim yesterday and a good dose of onion skin tea.  Five new buds can be seen from where I'm sitting.  Guess it has decided to bloom for Easter, in addition to Christmas.  I have three baby cacti growing by simply putting three separate sections in the ground.  That's how easy it is to start new plants.  

If I'm going out for Chinese lunch, I'd best get myself put together.  We go out so seldom anymore, that this is going to be lotsa fun.  We love our trolleys, cuz never know what we'll find along the way.    

Spent most of last evening watching Asian chefs working in small restaurant kitchens, as well as the masters of sushi cuisine in the elite restaurants.  That's my latest kick and am amazed how the chefs work tirelessly making stir-fried rice, shaking the wok while skillfully stirring the rice and eggs.  Also watched a street vendor stir frying and cooking soup on the side of the street.  An entirely different culture than ours, with thousands of years of intriguing history.  

Two of our nieces are stopping by later this afternoon,  They're from out of town, but will venture over this way for a dental appointment.  

Am still plugging away with the spring spiff-up.  My roll-top desk is getting a do-over.  Took everything out and put it out on the bed.  The business of organizing is my main goal.  Hopefully will be able to toss an item or two in the process.  We're offering our living room couch and matching recliner to our two nieces, so we can buy new recliners and eliminate having a couch.  The one we have is a 3-section, and the middle section rarely gets used.  The two end sections are recliners.  We're just in the mood for a new look.

The season of spring is healthy, in that it fires up our desires to renew.  All things winter suddenly feel out of place.  The outdoors beg us to be in the fresh air and watch as all things in nature wake up from their long naps.  Easter is the holiday that celebrates this renewal, this fresh approach to our daily living.  Families will gather for dinners.  I often ponder life without holidays that literally force families to reunite a couple times each year.  It would be a hoot to watch the airport bustle from above, thousands of people with luggage fighting their way to board a plane so they can go back home to be with their biological people, eat a couple of meals together, sip some toddies, get into political and religious arguments, which have great potential of erupting into a full-blown fighting match.  Ahhh, yes, it's all such a state of social anxiety, and one can't help but wonder just how long this homing tradition will last.  

Oh, there are some families who maintain social courtesies and manage to pull off a get-together in fine shape.  Hats off to them.  Perhaps they all pop extra doses of anti-anxiety pills so they can brace themselves for threatening words or actions aimed in their direction.  One might liken this self-medicating to an invisible suit of armor, where the arrows merely bounce off and cannot penetrate the physical person.  

Age is changing me by leaps and bounds.  More and more, I'm detaching myself from the tethers that have kept me reined in.  Twenty years ago I didn't experience the peace of mind and heart that I feel now.  It's kinda like a person invests all one's energy into helping others, and now it's wiser to simply not give a rat's rear.    My energy is exhausted.  I feel like an old cracked and chipped cup that's put back in the cupboard and not used anymore.  

It's becoming obvious to me why there is such a thing as a life span.  Just yesterday my friend told me about the cats that are going to school here, and those cats demand litter boxes.  Wanna know what's the saddest part of this from my humble point of view????  These cats are being given litter boxes to appease their rights and wants.  Awwww.....isn't that special!  If I would have told my parents that I wanted to be a cat and demanded a litter box, do you wanna know what my dad would've said to me?  He'd have assured me that he had no problem with my wanting to be a cat.....I was more than welcome to go live out in the barn and when I got hungry I could lick the foamy milk from the discarded separator pads.  He would have told me to go do my bathroom business in the gutter where the other animals do their business.  

All I can say is, OMG, take a deep breath, and thank My Creator for incorporating a span of life which guarantees our eventual departure from this unbelievably insane sphere that's floating around in the middle of nowhere.  

This, my friends, is why I cherish Bloody Marys!

Ahhhhh, how can I thank my Tao devotional for helping me understand one of the most recent life bewilderments......the business of the younger generations not wanting our stuff.

Yup, the words I needed to feed my brain were these:

The panorama of the objective world (that which is not influenced by personal opinion) is meaningless until we interact with it.  For example, if there is a rock that we pass day after day but we do not notice, then that rock has no significance for us.  If we decide to make that rock a votive object and pray to it for decades, then that rock becomes quite important.  To an outsider who does not subscribe to the rock's assigned meaning, it will continue to be just a rock.  In all cases, the rock was just a rock.  It was only human interaction that created its meaning.  It is a mistake to assume that the meaning we give to something is as concrete and tangible as the object itself.  We should not confuse the two.  For example, our house may be precious to us, but our sense of preciousness has nothing to do with the building--it comes from the values and memories we associate with it.  If we lose our house, we must remember that it is the feeling we have for it, not just the building itself, that determines our loss. 

WOW, those words helped me understand my Christmas Santa collection.  I've placed such memories on them, that I think everyone else should do the same.  Well, how silly of me.  That's not how life works.  We make life real by the thoughts we project.

 Not a day goes by that a lesson isn't learned, or some teensy bit of understanding comes to me.  It's gotta be the stage of life, kinda like connecting the dots and all of a sudden we see what the big picture is supposed to look like.  After reading that one paragraph, my perspective has changed.  I no longer expect anyone else to love each one of my Santas.  No one besides me knows where I bought 'em, what I paid for 'em, how I felt when I found 'em, the whole bit.  I think all of us project our own personal feelings on others, and that's where a lot of the drama starts.  

I'm still unsure what to do with my tote filled with jolly old guys.  Maybe I'll just keep em for myself, give them shelter and love, and when I kick the bucket, well, then let someone else heartlessly destroy them.  That way I don't have to feel bad about parting with them.  All 100+ of them are stored in one tote.  Think I just made up my mind.  There ain't no one gonna get my collection while I'm still blinking.  A good decision made, and one less thing for me to swirl around inside my tired brain.  It took me a few weeks to figure it out, but it was my Tao devotional that led me to my best decision.  

We were thinking of going to a furniture store out of town today, but are unsure whether we'll go or stay home and piddle with stuff here.  We both slept in, now that we aren't yanked out of bed by the fuzzy one.  Our Mr. Coffee passed away, and we're using up boxes of Folger's coffee bags that I bought during the slice of time when I thought the world was about to end.  Expiration dates are accurate, cuz the coffee from these bags just doesn't have the punch anymore.  It's like drinking fairy pee, even with two bags in the cup.  Oh, well, we shall use them up and then bring out our new Mr. Coffee.  We're even purging our food that's in the cupboards and pantry.  

Tis a sunny day.  It would be an ideal day to go for a trolley.  Will see how we decide to spend the day.

Cuddy's stay with us was extended one more day.  Whew!  His daddy is picking him up later this afternoon.  Spoke with his daddy, and they have more getaways on the calendar, so our little man will be returning toward the end of April.  

Don't know if I've written about this before or not, but we lost our 1099 forms for income tax prep.  Another bump in the road, don'tcha know.  So, I set up online accounts with Social Security, and activated a LOGIN.gov sign-in option for government sites.  Printed off the replacement 1099 and tomorrow will get our tax papers in the mail.  

Am always relieved to check another task off my list.  Now that we're in the process of spring cleaning here and doing a 7-year spiff-up, I need a list to follow so we tackle one thing each day.  

Must get my hair chopped off, hopefully before Easter.  Will get hold of the gal who comes to the Venny Salon so she can schedule me in.  We're invited up to our nephew's home for dinner on the 8th of April.  Oh, how I remember what a big deal a new outfit for Easter used to be.  As a little girl, Mom would get me a new hat with a wide ribbon streamer down the back, a new dress, pair of shiny patent leather shoes  and white anklets.  Easter was the only time I remember getting a whole new outfit.

The holidays have changed, and we have changed.  Society has changed, life has changed.  About the only thing that remains is the family gathering on the G-clan side.  Sadly, I don't have a side.  

I put together a spring bouquet for outside our Unit door.  Down in storage I resurrected the blue and white vase that one might say is our most special one.  Also had these spring flowers tucked away in a tote.  Seems like a blink ago that our large Father Christmas adorned our doorway.  Some people put bunnies outside their doors, but I'm not an Easter Bunny person.  Actually, the Easter decorations are my least favorite of any holiday.  Maybe because pastel colors rule, and I'm not a pastel person. 

At one time I had a large stash of fabric flowers, but now these and my orchids are the only ones left.  Everything else has been donated or tossed.  

Best comb my hair and look presentable for when Cuddy's daddy arrives.  He's the nicest guy.  His sweetheart wife is down at her other home in the southern part of the state.  She'll be returning in a week or so.  I'm sure Cuddy will enjoy being with his Daddy again.  

Ta-ta till tomorrow.  Stay well, be happy and find something to laugh about. 

Worked our butts off yesterday downsizing to a yet smaller storage unit.  This included a trolley to the local thrift store to unload a car full of things that are still good and useful, rather than throwing them away.  

Well, surprise surprise surprise.  The thrift store is getting very fussy about the things they will accept for resale.  They turned away half of our load and told us to take it to the Recycling Center for disposal.  Un-frickin-believable.  Some of the things that went into the dumpster bin broke my heart, but, hey, it's either we do the tossing or someone else will at a later time.  And, personally, I want to be the one doing that....not someone else who cares little for my possessions.  It's a matter of principle, I reckon.

Came back and were already exhausted, so we swept out our old storage unit so it's neat and tidy for its next occupant.  Then we put our stuff in our new storage unit so we could go upstairs and call it a day.  First thing I did was pop open a can of lime margarita, sink into my beloved recliner, and praise the heavens that the move was made.  Next week we'll take another day to go back down, rearrange and organize our stuff, and the project will be totally completed.  Small steps make a journey tolerable.  

Well, at 5 o'clock Cuddy's daddy is arriving to make the exchange of Cuddy's custody.  After three months plus of having him as our own, this ain't gonna be no easy deal.  But, I'm gonna put my big girl pants on and deal with it.  I've gotta remember that we don't own the little gentleman, we're only his keepers while his parents are gone.  

Today I have stuff to put away from the stuff we're keeping from the tote purge of a few days ago.  A few more baby steps today, and that's gonna be it.  Hopefully tomorrow Sunday we can adhere to the original idea of the Sabbath and do nothing.  

Today's Tao message reminds us that all things man-made do not last.  No matter how good something is, we may as well plan ahead for when it be taken from us.  

We took Cuddy along with us for a ride yesterday, and he loved putting his little nose out in the fresh air as we drove around town.  Don't think he ever gets to do that otherwise, so we showed him a bit of fun in our final hours of ownership.  I'm hoping his parents are planning their next trip so we can reclaim him.

Gonna make a tater tot casserole and ramen noodle cabbage slaw.  The fixin's are in the fridge, so that's an easy-peasy meal to throw together.  I've gotta say that my old body hurts in a million places after yesterday's workout.  Just gotta keep reminding myself that it's perfectly okay to be an inch worm after a lifetime of acting like a cheetah.  

Looks halfway sunny, if that makes any sense.  Wouldn't surprise me if we'd get some rain, but don't have a clue what's in the forecast.  We'll take what comes and be good with it.  Ta-ta till the morrow.

I WONDER IF YOU KNOW

I wonder if you know,

the work your body has done today.

And every day.

How much disease it has fought off.

How many times it could have failed but battled on,

how many ways it could have broken but did not.

I wonder if you know,

the work your body has done today.

And every day.

And each day it has done this amazing job,

without your help,

without your approval,

your acceptance,

your kindness.

Each day it has soldiered on,

regardless of the constant stream of negativity,

pulsing its way from your brain to your cells.

Not good enough.

Not attractive enough.

Not the right shape.

Perhaps it’s time to see your body for what is truly is,

An amazing and mind-blowingly competent machine.

To get your soul to where it needs to be in this life.

To let you live.

I wonder if you know,

how much better you would be as a team.

I wonder.

Donna Ashworth

Dismal day, clouds dark and dreary.  Parking lot is wet, and water droplets cling to the deck railing.  It's our kinda day.  We're gearing up to go to the lower floor and sequester ourselves in the storage area, cleaning our stuff out and moving to another storage area.  We're throwing, donating and keeping.  It's that simple.  And, boy am I in a mood to fling!

Yesterday Cuddy went to the spa and now looks a whole lot different.  He's adorable with fluffiness, yet uncomfortably warm along with the outside temperature.  After his spa visit, we took him for a ride to our old stomping grounds.  We stopped to visit our dear friends just a few houses down from where we lived all the years.  It's so wonderful to feel so close to friends that a person can walk in their door and tell 'em you need one of their bartender drinks.  Along with the yummy drinks, we shared a few hours of reminiscing and some pretty hefty sharing of this, that, and the other thing.  Life blesses us through friendships.  The friends that walk alongside us the whole journey, well, those are the keepers.  Yup, I needed yesterday's visit as much as I need air to breathe.

My efforts revising the Venny guide book was a total success.  It's soon to be presented to the administration for approval.  Makes me feel good to have done something beneficial for my beloved late-life home.  

Yesterday when we drove by our home of 50+ years, we felt no different than if we were driving down any small-town street.  Now, the house looks small, different somehow.  Who'd have guessed that could happen.  We know only a few people in that town anymore, because, like everything else, it changes.  New, younger people move in and take over where we left off.  New beginnings, new people, the long line of humanity keeps marching forward.  One by one, we fall off the cliff, while others keep marking time behind us until it's their turn to fall off the cliff.  

Gotta tell about the crazy experience we had here yesterday before leaving for Cuddy's spa appointment.  The boyfriend asked if I wanted to wear my hearing aids.  My response was hesitant, but I said yes.  Here's where the fun starts.

Last time I wore them, I laid them on the stand beside my recliner.  That is no-no #1.  We always put our hearing aids in separate containers in one of the kitchen drawers so we always know where they are.  Well, I violated that rule because of my laziness and left 'em on the stand along with pens, my cup, papers, cell phone, one of my rings and a bottle of water.  The boyfriend opened the container in the drawer, and my aids were not where they were supposed to be.  He asked where they were.  I said, oh, right here by me on the stand.  When I reached over for them, I could see only one.  This is where things get pretty serious.  Each hearing aid cost $2,000.  

We tipped the chairs upside down to look underneath 'em.  Nothing.  We reached down beside the cushions of the chairs.  Nothing.  Last week I'd been working on updating all our paperwork and had thrown away a kitchen garbage bag full of unwanted paper that comes in the mail plus old stuff filed away from during the year.  I told the boyfriend, the hearing aid probably got thrown away.

The boyfriend hadn't taken that bag of stuff to the garbage room, so he brought it out, took it out on the deck and started going through it, piece by piece.  After he got about half way through, he stood up holding something in his hand.  Yup, my hearing aid would've been thrown away due to my unforgivable negligence.  

Now, I'm big enough to admit that if the boyfriend had done what I did, I'd have chewed his butt till hell wouldn't have had it.  What did he do?  He politely said we're lucky to have found it, went to the kitchen and put new batteries in my hearing aids.  Talk about learning a lesson.  This morning my hearing aids have a special place in my heart.....and in the drawer.

Always learning.  There ain't a day that goes by that I don't learn something new.  Yesterday I also learned how sweet people are.  The last time we took Cuddy to be groomed, the gal gave us a jar of Amish homemade pickles.  I had called to tell her how delicious they were.  Guess what?  Yesterday she had another jar of the same kind of Amish pickles waiting for us.  Those are the random acts of kindness that keep goodness flowing through the veins of humanity.  

While the boyfriend and Cuddy were with the groomer, I stayed in the car and started coloring in my new Zen color book with colored pencils.  The pictures are pretty intense and require concentration.  Also requires a sense of creativity.  What color should I use for this?  for that?  There's a lesson for me even on a color book page.  At first glance, it looks daunting, almost impossible.  But, if a person starts with one part of the page and keeps coloring one piece at a time, the big picture starts coming together without as much effort as first anticipated.  It's that business of taking life a step at a time.  Eventually our picture will be finished and we'll have accomplished what was set before us.  

Can't wait until tomorrow morning when I can write about our new storage unit.  I keep writing about it like it's some big deal, but, to us, it is.  Soon we'll have condensed our lifetime possessions down to a cardboard box.  A person spends a whole lifetime accumulating stuff, and then it's a tremendous relief to finally get rid of all the stuff.  Does it make any sense?  Not to me.  Letting go is the hard part.  When a person thinks about it......we face "letting go" every day in one way or another.  Seems there's always something we have to let go of in order for life to maintain its golden mean.  

Sure looks like it's gonna rain more.  The clouds appear to be lowering themselves nearer and nearer to the ground.  Better go and get myself put together for the task that awaits.  Ta-ta. 

 Today is Cuddy's spa day.  Yuppers, we're taking the little man to the groomer for a complete spring spiff up.  Pedicure, the works!

Our 3+ month guardianship is drawing to a close.  Last word, his owners are returning to the state later this week after an extended winter get-away to a gentler climate.  

Sun's shining this morning.  There was mention of rain maybe later in the day.  Can't wait for the sound of thunder....not severe storms, only those that bring the moisture for the vegetation.  

Today's Tao reading is about flexibility for not only the body, but for the mind, too.  The more we stretch ourselves in opposite directions, the less we hurt physically and mentally.  Life gifted me with natural flexibility.  At one time, I was known to put my foot behind my head.  Wouldn't want to try that now.  Wouldn't it be a hoot if I stuck in that position and had to have the paramedics straighten me out?  I'm not kidding, I think about falling in compromising places, like the shower, where a person would lay twisted on a pile naked as a baby.  Lord, deliver me.

Can imagine the situations that our EMT's find themselves called to assist.  Sure hope they have to take an oath not to pass on the stories of utter embarrassment suffered by the patient.  It's one of those things a person can't prepare for.  If something happens to me, I can hope they wrap me in a bed sheet, roll me and load me in the getaway vehicle and drop me off at the undertaker.  Migod, what a dumb thing to be writing about.........

Our Mr. Coffee is on his deathbed.  We have a spare one that's waiting to assume his duties when he expires.  It's in a constant gurgle right now.  

Will be nice to go for a drive to Cuddy's spa appointment.  I've not been out of the house for awhile.  

Tomorrow we have set aside the day to move our stuff from one storage unit to another.  Dread the thought.  Our backup puppy sitters are on a trip to New Mexico and Texas, so we'll put Cuddy in our little red wagon and have him with us during the purge.  He's such a good little guy, think he'll do just fine laying on a soft fluffy pillow.  

Another day awaits.  Lots of stuff wrangling around inside my head, some of which I must work at putting the kibosh to for my own sake.  

Have registered for Minutes in Motion, a 6-week individual challenge to devote 30 minutes each day to doing something that requires putting one's body in motion.  It can be anything from gardening, walking, to more strenuous activities like golfing and playing soccer.  My personal slot will be keyed to simply getting out of my recliner and moving my body from one place to another. (giggle) Shooting a game of pool would count.   I have trouble walking up and down stairs, so think I might incorporate walking up and down some stairs in the stairwell close to our unit.  I want to get myself back to where I can go for a walk (with my Nordic poles just cuz I like using them), and breathing fresh air and soaking up much needed sunshine.  I'd lay on the deck like I used to do, but don't think I could get myself back up without screwing up one joint or another.  With all my titanium joints (hip, knee, shoulder), things don't work like they used to.  That's fine with me, cuz at least I suffer no pain.  

Well, shouldn't maybe say that.  My left knee still screams when I use it, but I'll work on strengthening the muscles.  Do not want to endure another knee replacement.  That just might be the surgery that takes me down for the count.

Well, this is a bleak sounding post.  Actually, it's wrapped and tied with humor.  I'm able to laugh at my decrepit self.  A person has to learn to laugh at oneself, because as we age, the mirrors become our worst enemies.  Think the Amish have the right idea by not using mirrors.  Who knows.  And, in the grand scheme of things, who cares.  There ain't one person on earth that cares how others look.  Every person is concerned with how they themselves look.  It's such a make-believe world, but it takes a person to reach old age to realize just how screwed up humanity truly is.  

Ta-ta for today.  

The last couple of evenings I've been watching YT videos of Vietnamese cuisine.  In other words, the street vendors and the unique foods they offer.  My generation of young soldiers fought in Vietnam, so I feel guilty having anything to do with the word Vietnam itself.  

Our world is amazingly diverse.  I'd have no desire to travel to faraway places anymore.  Am a bona fide homebody, who calls herself an armchair tourist.  This way I stay safe, don't put myself in harm's way, and I can pick and choose the foods that I think I'd enjoy and disregard those that have no earthly appeal.

One such food is the Vietnamese duck blood cakes that congeal into a jello-like substance.  It's brown in color and literally enough to make me upchuck.  I'm not one who ever ate blood sausage either.  There's something very unappealing to me when I think of eating blood.  Don't know why I'm posting a picture of the stuff, but it helps convey what it's like.  

The citizens of the Eastern Hemisphere are fantastic artists when it comes to decorating their plates of food with vegetables.  The way they slice and serve their presentations.  We in America don't do that, other than in the elite restaurant settings.  It's all what one grows accustomed to.  

While I watch these videos, I can't help but think that it's only by biological chance that I wasn't born in another part of the world.  It's easy for me to put myself in their shoes and try to imagine living in another type of terrain.  

All my life I so enjoyed traveling, but the way the world is now....well, that desire has died.  Also, my age plays a big factor.  Getting sick in another country, falling and needing to be hospitalized, a whole bunch of possible scenarios make me very apprehensive.  That's just little old stay-at-home me.  What I do enjoy is listening to others tell me of their experiences.  Not in a bragging kind of way, but rather sharing what they saw, how they interacted with other cultures, the food, the weather and the photos they bring back.  That's how I extend my life by seeing the world through someone else's eyes.  

TODAY'S TAO READING

Today's Tao reading resonates with me.  May I share bits of it....

When one walks in the woods, there is a wonderful unity of body, mind and spirit.  ...... Away from the madness of society, one is freed to observe nature's lessons.

Erosion.  Gnarled roots. A flight of swallows.  Reflection of rushing waters.  Budding bare branches.  Gray rock, cracked, shattered and worn.  A fallen tree.  A lone cloud.  Even a little circle of rocks beside the trail--who put them there, or did any hand arrange them, and no matter which, what are the secrets of that circle?

There are a thousand meanings in every view, if only we open ourselves to see the scripture of the landscape. 

This brings back memories of me going for lone walks in the woods by our beloved restored log cabin.  To the woods would I go any time life hit me with a flying rock and cracked my heart wide open.  It was with the trees, the squirrels, the flying hawks, the sparrows, the quiet, the river, the wildflowers......where my healing took place.  I remember the times I sat on the porch and cried with myself and a glass of my beverage-of-the-moment.  Maybe this is the reason the above words mean so much to me.  

It was being alone with Nature where I found comfort, peace, and where my heart felt an invisible Source gently rub a salve on it so I could walk back home and not fall apart.  

When I think there are millions of inner-city individuals who will never be blessed with the blessings I've received in my life, well, I am doubly grateful.  I'm also thankful that my upbringing taught me to "see the scripture of the landscape."  Trees and wildflowers didn't talk behind my back, berate me to others, nor did they ever make me feel unwanted or not quite good enough for them.  When the squirrels ran from tree to tree through the dry leaves, they made me feel welcome in their world.  Oh, and when the birds landed and sat on the porch beside me, well, I knew I was never really by myself.  Yes, to the woods I went to sort out all the litter that had been strewn on my path by those who sought to hurt me for whatever reason.  

How fortunate I was to have had a sacred space to go.  I wasn't running away from life, but rather running toward a source of comfort.  When my time on earth is over, I will be able to say that Nature never failed me, and my respect for the natural world is heartbroken by the cruelty shown to our forests and natural resources.   

So it is that even now after I'm settled in my late-life home, I cannot wait to take the drive that will allow me to see the tiny trillium that announces the arrival of Spring.  I remember bringing home itty-bitty bouquets of purple violets and putting them in a shot glass of water on the kitchen table.  I did that to remind myself that Nature was close by, ready and willing to take care of me, my soul, and my heart.  

In today's Tao reading, I like the words....."what are the secrets of that circle?" 

NOBODY WANTS OUR STUFF

 If anyone read the blog I posted earlier today, well, it's been deleted by yours truly.  In said post, I spoke about my Santa collection as being one of my collections that needs a new home.  My preference was that it be "handed down as a gift from my heart," but I have since been reading about the actuality that nobody who's following in our footsteps "wants our stuff."  To them, our "passing down something we've cherished" is merely "a bunch of crap they wouldn't ever have bought in the first place and suddenly it's theirs to deal with."

Guess I've learned something the hard way today.  I'm done offering my stuff to anyone.  Knowing the different perspectives, far be it from me to burden anyone with anything.  

In my earlier blog I stated that I didn't know what to do with my sweet little Santas, each bought at a garage sale or a thrift store.  Yup, little unwanted Santas that I gave a home to, and each one became a memory of a certain part of my life journey.  I should've known better than to expect more.  Kinda makes me look silly as I guard the beautiful dish that was one of my gramma's wedding gifts.  

I'm still not sure what I'll do.  I'm sad on one hand, yet awakened to reality on the other.  We are so skilled at putting our own preferences onto others, that we expect them to see and feel as we do.  How wrong we are to do that.  Each person has his/her own views, desires and dislikes.  Goes to show that we keep right on a learning right to the end.  

The thought I need to concentrate on, as we continue to downsize, is:  nobody wants our stuff.

This morning's sun is making up for yesterday's zero sunshine.  We had both rain and snow at different times of the day.  My lazy genes took over, and I accomplished zilch.  Got my brain entangled in YT videos about how restaurants are run in Japan.  One lady has owned/worked in the same restaurant for over 60 years.  She still makes the Tempura, which is deep-fried seafood and vegetables coated in a light crispy batter.  Another restaurant in Japan had posted a video of them making their own udon noodles, the thick noodles made with flour, water and salt.   

Tempura and Udon Noodle Soup

I'm a lover of Japanese and Chinese cuisine, although I put the bar up when it comes to eating raw fish or raw meats.  That custom is simply one that I'm not willing to even try.  Some of the YT mukbang (eating) videos show people eating raw meats and fish, and there's just something about it that is unsettling to me.

Some of our most fun dining experiences have been in restaurants where the food is prepared and served directly from grill to plate.  Jenpachi's hibachi was my absolute favorite, and their lobster sauce over rice is literally to die for.  The G-clan used that as our special place to gather.  Lots of laughs, especially when the staff poured sake` directly in Auntie's mouth.  OMG, the fun times we've had and will always remember.

These videos made me very hungry, and thank heaven the boyfriend decided to make a kettle of his famous chili for supper.  My will power completely abandoned me, and, like always, a second helping was consumed.  When food is delicious, I say eat.  I'd rather die chubby and happy than skinny and unhappy.  That's what you call rationalizing!

ROUND OF ROBINS IN A TREE

Yesterday's meeting went exceptionally well, lasting almost 3 hours.  Later, our next door neighbor gal stopped over.  Her visit was perfectly timed for happy hour.  The boyfriend presented us with a glass of Chardonnay, and by that time I was ready for a few sips of serenity.  

A dismal looking day where we live.  Overcast, no sign of the sun.  Haven't checked the weather forecast, not that I put much stock in it.    My task today is putting together the paperwork to send to our CPA to do our income tax returns.  Simplifying life has simplified the living of life.  

This morning when the boys were out for Cuddy's necessaries, Dale captured a round of robins in a tree on the Venny lawn. 

Last couple evenings I've been watching YT videos of what life is like for those living in 2000-year-old caves in Afghanistan.  For me, it's a wonderful insight into just how fortunate we are and how grateful we should be.  My perception of Afghanistan has been skewed by the media.  It's that business of looking for, and finding, the reality of life anywhere on the planet.  The most wonderful people may live in obscurity within the walls of tyranny.

Cuddy now has a scheduled appointment for another spa day next Tuesday.  We've asked for a total grooming before his parents return from their winter vacation.  We want him looking mighty spiffy when they first lay their eyes on him.

 Am exhausted from a day of wrestling with my printer and internet connection.  I'm working directly with the company who installed our new system that has a tiny glitch somewhere.  My role is to inform the times of internet disconnects so as to develop a timeline to present to the manufacturers of the individual components.  A change was made yesterday, and today my printer wouldn't work.  To say the least, my blood pressure soared, and my level of angst rose in tandem.  About ten minutes ago, shortly before 8 p.m., I was able to solve my end of the problem.  Had to uninstall my printer, reinstall it so it connects to the network.  Finally got it to work.  Somewhere in between the boyfriend fixed me two of his vodka-grapefruit juice whammers.  Guess that's what it took!

The boyfriend also fixed our supper of spaghetti-shrimp Alfredo with garlic toast.  Goodness, how yummy was that.  Now, I'm done for the day, only to spend the remaining evening hours on You Tube watching whatever sounds interesting.  Like always, I ate too much for supper and now feel like Orca.  Nothing changes.  My life battle continues.  

Tomorrow at 11 I meet with the business manager to present my initial revised draft of the guide book.  I'm ready for my presentation.  Has been a few years since I have done something like this, and gotta say it's kinda fun.  However, I do realize that everything takes more effort than it used to, and my tolerance level is far less than it used to be.  

Nothing earth-shaking happening in our corner of the planet.  Today's weather was cold, but sunny.  Cuddy's parents are on their way from Florida heading to Oklahoma.  My little boy will be leaving us in a couple of weeks after having been our pride and joy since December.  We're going to schedule him in for a hair cut so he's nice and freshly groomed when they return home.  That will eliminate them having to take him in to the groomer.  I'm contemplating my emotions when I see them put his leash on and lead him out of our Venny unit.  I'm such a mush, it will be a wet parting for sure.

Lots of craziness in the news every day, but I shall refrain from commenting.  I try with all my might to avoid the news media, sort of like a prescription for sanity.  Ta-ta till I return.  

Another fizzled weather warning.  Predictions far outweighed actual snowfall.  Oh, well.

Have been away from the keys for a couple of days.  As I've volunteered to help update and type a new version of the Venny Guide Book, my time's been devoted to that.  One thing about living at Venny, we bring our individual abilities along and can share with the community.  

The boyfriend spotted the first robin of the season a couple of days ago on the lawn.  Spotting the first robin has always been a quest for us.  Sort of a stamp of authenticity for the season of new beginnings.  Robins are the messengers that bring us the news of green grass, trees leafing out again, wildflowers wrigging their way out of the ground, and the return of our beloved winged friends.  

Watching birds and listening to their chatter and singing brings a good feeling.  This weekend we turn our clocks ahead, as we spring forward.  That is a man-made bi-annual adjustment to daily life for humans.  The other kingdoms don't abide by our attempts to dominate nature.

I can see a light snowfall beneath the Venny yard lights.  Time for another day to close.  

Winter Storm Thu/Thu Night: Heavy Snow, Travel Impacts

A winter storm will impact the region Thursday through Thursday night, bringing several inches of snow to the region. Travel will be impacted, potentially severely for some locations. Read More >

 Looks like a winter storm is heading our way.  We're settled in, and hopefully won't need to leave home for a few days.

Tonight we're invited for supper with Venny friends.  Tomorrow night we're invited for supper with Venny friends.  Both places have extended special invitations to Cuddy.  He's our little house mascot.

It was Dale's suggestion that he make chocolate-covered strawberries to take tonight.  One of the local stores had strawberries on sale, and he knows how I love them drenched in chocolate.  

I've started revamping and retyping the Venny Handbook.  This is a volunteer offer on my part.  It's something the council wants done, and it's easy to see our office manager's workload is beyond maxed.  I've got the word to tackle it however I want, and it's gonna be one of those tasks where one throws all 52 cards in the air and let them land where they may.  This gives me a chance to transition narrative into a bullet points, categorize and simplify.  

The sun's shining now.  As I look over at the Christmas Cactus, I see a couple new buds of pink.  The sun-catchers are glittering in the patio door.  

Today's Tao topic is Scars.  "It is often easier to give up a bad habit than to recover from the incisions of others' hurtfulness."  We must persevere through our days and try to acquire as few new problems as possible.  That's a whole lot easier said than done in 2023 following a global pandemic, an era of random mass shootings, social media intimidation, and a division among us like we've not before experienced.  A person can walk out the door and be faced with another new problem that we had no part in creating.  I think of it like my plate is already full, and I refuse to pile food on top of food.  Rather would scrape off and dispose.  

Best get moving.  Ta-ta and be good to yourself.

PROJECT COMPLETE

Got up to visit the necessary room early this morning.  Guess what the microwave clock read?.........yup, 4:44.  The numbers phenomenon continues every single day, numerous times each day.  

Comfort Crosses

Great news.....16 comfort crosses are complete, ready to hand-deliver to the rest home.  I worked diligently the last four days to finish the project, and, boy, does it ever feel like a heavy brick has been lifted off my shoulders.  Projects are fun to start, but it takes perseverance to cross that finish line.  Here's my TA-DA photo.....

Today at 11 a.m. will meet with the gal in the Venny office.  I've volunteered to help her out by retyping the revised Venny Handbook for all current, and new, people who are a part of the family here.  Typing is something I do in my sleep, so it's a good way to utilize my abilities and make a difference at the same time.  I know what it's like to have multiple layers of work, and things like retyping a handbook simply must be put on the back burner.  

Want to share a picture that I clicked this morning.  Precious Cuddy was laying beside my laptop when he laid his head on top of it.  Talk about a sweet little soul.  This morning when I woke up, his little head was beside mine on the pillow.  OMG, my heart about flew through the ceiling.  What on this earth could be more endearing.  These little creatures are genuine, have no ulterior motives and are totally trustworthy.  When they show their affection, they mean it hook, line and sinker.  We humans have so much to learn from the animal kingdom.  There are times when I'm pretty sure that plants are more compassionate than we are.

My boys were going outside for their morning trudge when I snapped this picture of em.  The boyfriend is so wonderful about taking our winter house guest outside potty.  Three times a day, like clock work, Cuddy fusses to say he needs to go out.  His timing is the same every day to the point where it gets spooky.  The two of us sit here and shake our heads as to say.....how in the world does he know it's five minutes to five in the afternoon?  How does he know that it's 10 o'clock in the evening? 

My boys

THREE TYPES OF FRIENDSHIPS

Ten crosses completed.....six to go.  Feels like I'm running a marathon, counting down the miles.  Patience does attain all it strives for.

Sun is shining today.  Chicken is in the crock pot, and we'll await a steamy hot bowl of chicken noodle soup and chicken sandwich for supper.  Perfect for a Sunday of car racing, golf and sewing.  

I've mentioned one of the books I'm reading, Resilience by Eric Greitens.  The current chapter is about Friends.  In my notebook I've written about the three types:....

1.  Friendships of Utility - people brought together who are useful to one another. This includes co-workers, business partners, and teammates.  These friendships are prone to disappear as soon as you stop being mutually useful.   

2.  Friendships of Pleasure - people we like being around.  These friendships can reach a point when you no longer find each other amusing, and the relationship may die.

3.  Friendships of Excellence - With our closest friends, it's enough to just be together.  Our best friends support us, challenge us, inspire us.  And, we do the same for them.  This type of friend is best defined:  when two people are looking in the same direction.  These friendships are rare.  Something you can't replace, buy or borrow.  This kind of friendship is precious, worth protecting.

I find this chapter useful in identifying the friends in my life.  There are those who were friends of utility, friends of pleasure, and there are those friends who mean everything to me, they are lasting, true and genuine.  Categorizing friends is a valuable exercise in realizing how much others mean to us.  It's good to face the thought of what life would be like for us if they were no longer here.  

Any relationship that ends is painful, but, after reading this, it's easier for me to understand why some friendships have ended.  Friends can be temporary blessings who are in our lives at certain stages of our journey.  Real friends feel kinda like comfy casual clothes, they fit without feeling tight and allow us to be our genuine selves.  

After reading this chapter, I am blessed to say that I have a filled basket of excellent friends.  Those who didn't make it into my beloved basket must've had early expiration dates, and that's okay.  They served their purpose, and their heart-prints will stay etched in my heart.

STITCH AND STUFF...STUFF AND STITCH

Late afternoon yesterday I cut the final yarn on the 32nd comfort cross half, calling it quits for this donation.  Sixteen crosses will hopefully be completed and each put in a zip lock baggie ready for delivery.  This means that today and tomorrow my hands will be stitching and stitching, stuffing and stuffing and stitching some more.   The brand of yarn I use for the crosses is  Crafter's Secret, and the color is Pearl Fleck.  Years back I used all colors of yarn for them, but the last couple of years the crosses are all the same color.  I buy it online now, but I first found Crafter's Secret at Hobby Lobby.  We now seldom go out of town shopping anymore, so online shopping is such a convenience for me.  Sewing by hand gives me a pleasant anticipation on a dismal-looking days.  

Has been quite a while since I've crocheted.  The kicker is having something to crochet.  That's why my comfort cross project is ideal, because it provides a worthwhile outlet.

The boyfriend left to replenish necessities.  Seems there's always an ongoing list on the refrigerator of things we need.  We each add to the list as we use up the last of an item.  

Have started reading the introduction to Spinoza's Ethics.  Baruch (Benedict) Spinoza was a lens grinder in the 17th century who lived a simple life.  He died at age 44 from a lung disease probably caused by the inhaling of glass dust from the lenses that he ground.  

While surfing You Tube for something interesting to watch, I got into past episodes of 90-Day Fiance.  Twin sisters, Darcey and Stacey, are featured on this one episode, one who is going to marry a guy from Albania.  He's about as interested in marrying her as I'd be to spend time with a cheetah.  I think to myself, how dense is she to not see what she's getting herself into.  Guess that's what makes the show intriguing (don't think that's the right word to use).  I'll confess to being sucked into it, cuz that's what I shall be watching while my hands are stitching today.  

Before the boyfriend left, he said he was buying ground beef and would make either meat loaf or meat balls for supper tonight.  Yippee skippee.  

Ta-ta till the morrow.  

The creative juices finally woke up, and I spent yesterday working as a hooker.  Yup, I crocheted from morning til nighttime making comfort crosses.  To make one cross, two need to be made so I can stuff and stitch them together.  Boy, when the juices dry up, or refuse to budge, that makes it doubly difficult to complete obligations.  Regardless, this has officially been declared CC Weekend.  Today, tomorrow and the day after will be spent hooking and stitching.  Have to admit that I've been stuck in, and sucked up by, emotional quick sand.

I crocheted all the way to our friend's doctor appointment and all the way back home.  Car crocheting is very relaxing and makes for quick travel.  Time flies when my hands and head are busy.  Am not a person who exercises my body, yet I can't just sit still without doing something......read....sew....crochet....work puzzles....study....anything that exercises the brain.  

Another eBay buy arrived in the mail, Spinoza's book of Ethics.  This will be another branch of philosophical writing to add to my classical reads.  The print is small and light and will require my cheaters to magnify the words.  My dry eyes have been driving me crazy the last few days.  Perhaps it's my fault for not using the Systane ointment before bed for three nights.  Just enough to set me back.  Don't know why a person gets careless like that.  

 Went to Sam's Club and walked the entire store, pushing a cart.  When I'm in that store I search for unusual items that we'd enjoy eating.  This time I found a bag of Havarti and Gouda cheese bars that are wrapped individually like the mini hershey bars.  Also bought a container of organic Aussie Bites.  They're made with rolled oats, dried apricots, raisins, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, honey, shredded coconut and other stuff.  Nutritionally, they contain 130 calories each, 7 grams fat, 2 grams  protein, 2 grams fiber and 8 grams sugar.  Figure they are nutritious and I can attest to them being quite tasty.  Just enough to make my sweet tooth a happy tooth.  The cheese bars are perfect treats, as well.  Also bought two loaves of hard crust grain breads that are over-the-top delish.  Those were my latest Sam's purchases.

We don't have a Sam's membership, but our friends do.  They scanned their card and we paid for our own with our credit card.  Otherwise, we'd not be able to shop there.

Best get back to crocheting.  Think I'll keep making crosses today and devote Saturday and Sunday to stuffing and sewing them together by hand.  It's good to have a plan.  Guess I work best with a blueprint cuz it keeps me on task.

Ta-ta.

PHOTO OP

My iPhone siren went off at 6, as programmed.  Today the boyfriend is driving our friends' car to attend a doctor's appointment some 60-70 miles from home.  After the 10:30 appointment, they're taking us out for a buffet lunch.  We all know what that means.....yup, gotta wear the stretchiest pants in the drawer!

Yesterday we experienced a first.....the boyfriend was the first to notice two horses gently walking out front of our unit.  Didn't know I could move as fast as I did to get my phone, go out on the deck and click this pic.  

Kinda gives a person a taste of spring fever.