Think today I'll start out silly.......

Oh, there are those who fortunately don't suffer from the cruelties of arthritis, but those of us who unwillingly inherited it....well, this is ever so true!  It doesn't help either if one has had a hip replacement, a knee replacement and a shoulder replacement.  

My tendency is to look on the positive side of everything......everything.  It may take me time to figure out how to do that, and it seems I spend a great deal of my time doing exactly that.  I'm super-duper thankful to have had the replacements.  At this age, I don't have any business sitting on the floor to begin with.  That's why they make these couches and chairs into recliners.  

The time I slipped in the bathroom and ruined my left shoulder, I wasn't able to get up off the floor.  If the boyfriend hadn't been home, I'd have had to stay there until he returned.  So, I know the experience first-hand.  

The internet swarms with quotations that are exactly on point.  That's because all of us have to stumble and fall on the rocks strewn in our path.  Once in awhile there's a boulder that falls off a mountain and lands right in our way.  Those are the times that suck, and those are the times we have to work our brains to figure out how to make it to the other side of the boulder.  We can't physically remove them, so we're left with our mental capabilities.  That's when humor and wisdom hold hands and get us through.  Somehow.

I'm nurturing my pine cone seeds.  Will any of them sprout?  I'm thinking that if only one manages to grow, that will be a good omen.  I'm one who believes in messages from the universe, sent to us through nature and love.  We never know how these messages will arrive, but we must be acutely observant to recognize them.  I believe good things happen to many people, and they fail to realize or recognize.  Life has taught me to be on the lookout at all times.  There's no university on earth that can teach a person how to do this.  It's a power of the universe given to those who believe in the good and the positive and the assistance from a force beyond our understanding.  There is no diploma either......because it's a gift.

A ground-moving machine crawls across the field from us.  I told my boyfriend this morning that most people have to leave their homes to go to a rest home.  For us, they're bringing the rest home to us.  I try to find humor in even that by referring to a rest home as the parking lot to the cemetery.  None of us wants to go there, but when we lose our abilities and our strengths.....we'll be thankful to have a place to go.  If just one person there mistreats me, well, I have a plan in place.  I'm gonna take off my diaper and pee in bed every night.  So there.

As I look out the sliding doors, a tractor is plowing up the field across the street from Venny.  This most likely is the first step for the new rest home that will be built here, making this a campus for over-55 independent living, 8 double-condo independent senior living, and the rest home.  It's difficult to imagine ourselves in the age group that this complex aims to serve.  How blessed that we are situated for whatever our late years lay in our laps.  

There's a lot of "letting go" that goes along with growing older.  Lord knows, we've let go of our home, most of our accumulated possessions, and the result has been a huge sigh of relief.  Could not imagine having to go through all that a second time.

There are other factors that come with celebrating more birthdays.  For whatever reason, some of us become less necessary in the lives of those who once depended on us.  That's a tough "letting go," but it is what it is.  

As an update on the ceramic dog to be painted, the boyfriend put him in a low 175 degree oven this morning to dry out after it's overnight soak.  After I finish this post, I shall put the first coat of paint on the little thing.  My ability to procrastinate some days serves me in the negative.  Maybe it's another kind of "letting go" that I do.  I can easily "let go" of my personal expectations or to-do-today lists.  I'm pretty sure that every stage of life was planned out by Our Creator.  We always get what we need at the point where we're at.  The nicest part of being my age is not taking the daily routine too seriously.  I think it might be the gypsy spirit inside of me that makes me kind of a rebel rouser with social norms.  Life is more fun if we bounce outside the lines once in awhile.  

We're down to, I think, 26 days till Christmas.  The boyfriend bought a string of white lights and a string of red lights for the deck railing.  Think that'll be so pretty, especially when it snows.  

The sun is shining.  43 degrees now.  

The crock pot is busy making our supper.  Already the aroma of ham and bean soup is making me hungry.  The boyfriend enjoys a bowl of homemade soup, 'specially for the evening meal.  It's a comfort food this time of year.

Once in a while a person just knows when one has screwed up.  Such was the case with yesterday's ceramic dog-painting adventure.  I bravely painted brown over the white, thinking I'd create a masterpiece.  Need I say, that was not the case.  

Before going to bed last night, I decided to immerse the ceramic screw-up in a bowl of hot water.  I tossed in a prayer that the paint would come off, and sure enough, it did.  The crazy part is that I bought the acrylic paint because it was advertised as waterproof.  So much for believing anything these days.

My intent was to continue painting today, but the water must've seeped through, and it's too wet for paint to adhere.  Or, so I think.  Maybe by tomorrow it'll be ready.  I just need to finish the project so I can move on to some other nonsensical attempt.

Guess that's been the high point of my day.  Spaghetti supper awaits.  This afternoon I spent time in Iran, following what one might call YT nomadic soap operas.  Gotta say I'm as hooked as my mom used to be with The Young and The Restless.  

We were gifted with a beautiful Christmas wreath for our deck.  Dale's cousin/sister makes them, and every year she delivers one for us to decorate with.  Neither of us has a sister, yet we're blessed with her loving kindness that fills that void.

I've waited until darkness set in to write today's post.  The boyfriend ran errands, while I stayed home.  Recently I was given a small ceramic dog and asked to repaint it.  The piece is only about 5" tall.  After agreeing, I wasn't quite sure what the gal had in mind.  So, I texted and asked.  The reply said she didn't care and said I should go wild with it.  OMG.  When someone tells me that, I throw the cards in the air and think miles and miles outside the box.  Before starting, the boyfriend insisted he take a picture of me and the ceramic puppy.....

This shows a bath towel on our kitchen island, with my paint brushes.  I'm afraid to say what I did to this poor little dog, but it's no longer white trimmed with black.  It's now brown and will be adding hints of red and black, like a real dog might look.  Sometimes I get too brave.

Also started making a little gnome out of yarn.  Found the pattern on YT.  Didn't finish it, cuz I just didn't feel like it.  Maybe tomorrow.  Think it'll be cute as a bug, but it's a lot of piddly work.  

The boyfriend brought me five pomegranates, so I'm happy as a lark.  Just love to treat myself to one after supper during the evening hours.  I did a quick google, and found that pomegranates can have up to three times more antioxidants than green tea or red wine.  Antioxidants protect our cells from damage caused by free radicals and reduce inflammation.  Studies suggest that pomegranates can help protect your heart in many ways, such as lowering blood pressure as well as blood sugar levels.  Eating pomegranates on a daily basis can be an excellent aid for your immunity and fight Type-2 diabetes.  Pomegranates are categorized as a superfood.

We're having a rotisserie chicken for supper.  

That's about all there is from my corner of the world.  And, it's only 28 days until Christmas!

 Tis looking a lot like Christmas where we live.  White rooftops, white sidewalks, white lawns, and our new deck flooring is feeling its first real snowfall.  For those of us winter lovers, this is what we need to lift our hearts and bow to a new season.  Mother Nature affords us a variety of scenes to look at through our windows.  

Seems the last few days we've not been able to remember what day it is.  Yesterday we had something unexpected come up out of the blue, something we needed to deal with, so we had to send regrets to the G-clan.  I had all the fixings for a veggie pizza, and I texted them saying the veggies will probably end up in a kettle of soup.  With my eating disorder, if there was a veggie pizza in the house.....well, I'd be a bit plumper.  I call it a disorder, because labels are popular these days.  Acronyms describe them, so I say I suffer from an ED because I OE.

Three geese flew above us a second ago.  Yesterday Dale spotted a buck with a very large rack out in the field to the east of us.  The rut is about over now, so we were lucky to see the buck.

We're going to decorate minimally for Christmas.  Truth be told, we just don't feel the need to invest a lot of our time lugging up boxes of ornaments from storage, putting a tree up, decorating it, and then in a few weeks go through the miserable task of dismantling it and putting it back into darkness.  Our two-foot ceramic tree will suffice.  It will sit in the patio window.  The boyfriend will string lights on the deck railing, tho.  That's something we enjoy as we look outside.  

I'd like to make something for our unit door...something made out of a recyclable something.  Have been looking online for ideas and found a couple.  Oh, I have beautiful stuff in storage, but the creative spirit in me wants to stay inspired.  I'll let you know what I decide.  The Venny unit owners decorate their alcoves, and it's just fun to see how we all have different decorations.  The entire Venny complex will be dolled up for the season.  It's very pretty here all seasons.

 We didn't have a meal planned for yesterday, cuz our plans were to go to our nephew's for dinner.  So, later in the afternoon Dale requested his favorite scalloped potatoes.  We didn't have ham, so we thawed out a package of weiners and cut those up instead.  I remember mom doing that when we were kids, and they're just as good.  He loves the way I make them with the real bechamel sauce with flour, butter and milk, salt and pepper.  

Today is expected to be a record-breaking travel day.  Cannot imagine the roadways crawling with cars, the airports packed with people waiting to board.  Waiting is something that no longer fits into my agenda.  Neither is being tucked in between crowds of people.  Our society has grown far less tolerant, and the most obnoxious are even being labeled with names.  Guess the bottom line is:  the hectic lifestyle is for the young.  We oldsters are best off out of their way.  Maybe it's more difficult for us who have lived the longest because we remember a time when manners and kindness were part of the social scene.  Nowadays, rudeness is part of the norm.  No thank you.  This, for sure, is the calmest and quietest and most content part of our years of living.  We each have our individual likes and dislikes, and some make it sound dysfunctional to stay at home.  Bah humbug to that noise.  Home is our shelter from all sorts of storms.....and I'm not talking about the weather!

Today is known as Black Friday.  I personally don't care for a day that puts so much focus on materialism.  Call me old-fashioned, that's okay.  

Tackled two projects.  I was given a box of junk jewelry for my crafting projects.  Sorted through all the pieces, tossed some and saved the rest.  Right now the saved beads are soaking in Dawn soap.  They'll stay soaking until tomorrow so they will be as clean as can be.  The next step is to lay them out on a towel to dry before putting them in with the rest of the beads.  My beads are divided then into different groupings, depending on color and whether they're wooden or plastic, silver or gold, and size.  I've definitely got more beads than sense!

The second project was something I've been wanting to try.  The boyfriend picked a few pine cones from the Venny lawn.  Inside the cones are the seeds, which I removed and planted in potting soil.  We'll see in about thirty days if any of the seeds sprout.  

The next thing I want to try is to plant a lemon seed.  Think it would be so cool to grow a lemon tree.  

Time of day now is dusk.  Our battery candles come on automatically this time of day.  They look so very real as the flame flickers.  

Tomorrow we're heading north to our nephew's home for noon Thanksgiving dinner.  We're taking a veggie pizza as our contribution to the celebration.  It's something I know they all like.  The plan was to cut up the veggies today, but think we'll wait until morning.  More and more I find myself crossing things off my do-today list and putting them on my do-tomorrow list.  

Temperature is 26 degrees outside now.   Brrrrrr.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

 A few minutes ago, my boyfriend handed me a Bloody Mary along with the words, "Let the party begin!"  He is the chef, making us a Thanksgiving supper that no doubt will be fit for the gods.  

Today I send out to my faithful followers a warm and loving wish for a blessed Thanksgiving holiday.  Like I've said many times, being thankful for what we have is paramount to our happiness.  Not a day goes by that both of us don't thank heaven for the uncountable blessings we've enjoyed over the years.  Oh, that's not to say that all of life has been a giggle, but we choose to focus on that which truly matters.

Thank you to those who reached out to me about my plea for prayers yesterday.  In regard to Sheila, I'm proud to share one of the photos she took on the way home from her heart MRI.  It didn't matter how serious her day was, she took the time to see the beautiful sky and the beautiful sunset that she saw on her way home.  That shows me that Nature inspires her and provides a joy that goes above and beyond her daily struggles....

I asked Sheila if I could share this photo on today's blog, and naturally she said yes.  

Yesterday I finished the comfort crosses for the rest home.  Can check another task off my to-do list.  From now until Christmas, time has wings.  Our holidays are not like those with large family celebrations.  At this time of life, ours is calm and quiet, just the two of us.  We reflect, remember and realize that life must be lived 24 hours at a time, not months or years.  From morning to night, none of us knows what might happen to change our existence forever.  That's how fragile life is.  Sometimes a person gets so twisted in our thoughts and assumptions, we forget that no matter how much we think and fret, it matters not.  

They say that if 'thank you' was the only prayer we ever said, that would be enough.  Just think how powerful that makes the act of giving thanks.  And, may I say how thankful I am for every one who reads my blogs.  Each of you means the world to me.  Please know that.

Ta-ta.

Today I'm asking for prayers for my great niece, Sheila, (age 35) who is having a heart MRI this afternoon.  Sheila has had four open heart surgeries.  She has worn a heart monitor for the last month, and today it will be removed.  There has been a change in the heart valve, and today she will find out her current heart health.  She has also been experiencing symptoms that make it difficult for her to do her daily physical activities.  Sheila and I are connected by heart strings, and I was with her through all her surgeries.  Dale and I were invited to spend yesterday at her home, we had pizza, she baked chocolate chip muffins for us, and naturally she's nervous about today.  I would appreciate all the prayers we can offer up for her.  Thank you.

 A text message received last evening brought me an unexpected surprise.....

Millie and Maggie
My fur nieces

Is this adorable?  OMG, they are two of the sweetest little souls on planet Earth.  Seeing the little dumplings cuddled under a blanket kicks this photo over the top.  Thanks, Debbie.

Tis a slightly sprinkly day.  I see the news is predicting a cross-country storm this week.  That's bad timing, with the holiday travel plans that are already planned.  Our travel day will be Saturday after Thanksgiving, and hopefully by then the stormy weather should be out of our area.  This time of year any plans must include the uncertainty of bad weather.  I can remember when we were young.....weather meant nothing to us.  However, times are different now, our society isn't maybe as tolerable as it was then.  Can't ever remember anything remotely close to "road rage."

The world received the announcement that former First Lady Rosalynn Carter passed away at age 96.  She and former President Jimmy Carter were married 77 years.  They had four children, but during his term of presidency, I remember only their daughter, Amy.  The death of Mrs. Carter is a reminder that no matter how far up the ladder we may climb, the ultimate end is the same.  Those who never reach their way to the first rung of the ladder will come to the end of life.....just as the one sitting on top of the ladder.  

Best get going.  This week I'm trying to focus on all the positive parts of life.  I read a meme yesterday that talked about the black and white piano keys.  The black keys are our bad days.  The white keys are our good days.  We need both the black and the white keys to make the most beautiful music.

 

The legend goes as follows:

The first winter the Pilgrims spent in their new home was very cold and bitter.  Food was in short supply.  Some days they only had enough for each person to have five kernels of corn for the day.  When spring came they planted seeds, and they grew and grew.  The harvest was good the following year, and they celebrated Thanksgiving with their Indian friends.

From then on, when they celebrated Thanksgiving, the Pilgrims laid out five kernels of corn on each plate to remind themselves of their blessings.

• The 1st kernel reminds us that God loves us.
• The 2nd kernel reminds us that God provides for our needs.
• The 3rd kernel reminds us of the family and friends who love us.
• The 4th kernel reminds us that God hears and answers our prayers.
• The 5th kernel reminds us of the blessed freedoms we enjoy. 

The boyfriend and I are taking time today to ponder the unfolding of life.  We both are convinced that a loving hand hovers over us and tends to our most vulnerable times.

It cannot be a coincidence that this weekend, of all weekends, we were asked to watch little girl Buffy Boo (my pet name for her).  In one day, she has bonded with us.  Oh, and let me stand corrected.  Buffy weighs 4 pounds, not 5 as I wrote yesterday.  At five months old, when I throw a toy across the room, she's quick to fetch and bring it back to me.  I tease that she may be a little fox or a little wolf.  She looks at me, tilts her head to one side and then the other, like she's understanding every word I say.

  

The aroma of beef stew is floating through the house.  It's a crock pot kinda day.  Buffy Boo will be going home at 4:30, and after that we'll have a toddy or two and then a bowl of stew.  

I've been watching snippets of the Darrell Brooks trial on YT.  He's the individual who drove his vehicle through crowds of people at a parade in Wisconsin.  He asked to represent himself and purposefully acted like a deranged fool through the entire trial.  At times he had to be removed from the courtroom into another courtroom.  Never could I have envisioned such a display of dishonor in an American courtroom.   Throughout the trial, the prosecuting attorneys and Judge Jennifer Dorow handled themselves with unimaginable finesse.  It's sickening how the judge and prosecution had to tolerate and tip-toe around such behavior, because they didn't want to give the defendant a shred of opportunity for a successful appeal.    The jury returned a verdict of guilty after two hours of deliberation, and thank Heaven he was sentenced to consecutive terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole.  Watching Judge Dorow and the prosecuting attorneys wipe away their tears with Kleenex indicates the level of sorrowful emotion during the victim impact statements.  

The Iowa-Illinois football game is on the telly.  Score is 2-0.  

Until the morrow, ta-ta.

First, I thank those of you who reached out to me after yesterday's post.  It is all of you who shine light on what matters in life and what doesn't.  

The boyfriend and I watched the farm sale bidding via computer.  I took a photo of the closing bids and tracts sold so I could put it in my archives, let's say...

Total sale amount: 
One million, two hundred eleven thousand, two hundred fifty dollars

As of now, I don't know the names of the purchasers, only numbers.  I'm sure the human hot line will circulate it in my direction at some point.  

In a few minutes, a little Yorkie will be delivered to us to puppy sit today and then again tomorrow.  The timing reaches the skies of serendipity.  

The weather outdoors is November nice.  Our patio door is open just a titch to let fresh air inside.  The cool air feels divine.

Well, the 5-pound Buffy is here.  She definitely has puppy energy, is wiry and inquisitive.  Her daddy brought her in a carrier, along with a small backpack with toys, food and even water.  Right now she's more interested in our place than she is with us.  I'm going to keep a close eye on her as she noses around.  

Buffy

SALE OF FAMILY FARM

Am up earlier than usual.  Today is a fairly significant day in my life, so it's important that my feelings are put in my memory jar.  My memory jar is my blog that's printed at the end of each year.

To the rest of the world, the importance of today means nothing.  That's usually the way it is for all of us.  This is the day that my childhood farm is being auctioned off for sale.  It must be noted that most of my family doesn't recognize my existence.  

Regardless of all the sewage, my mind still lives the life when there were only four of us.  My little bare feet touched uncountable parts of our family farm.  They went from the clover fields to the chicken coop, to the granary to the barn, to the spring house to the timbers.  I'd cup the fresh spring water in my little hands and drink it like champagne.  I played with the dogs, the pigs, the calves, the cows, fed lambs with a bottle and nipple, and was scared to death of the hissing geese that chased me around the yard.  I walked the pastures with my daddy as he cut the tall bull thistles off with a long scythe.  Mom and I took lunches up to the fields for the men during threshing season.  I remember putting the chocolate cake in a picnic basket and packing the sandwiches in a bread sack.  Mom made freshly squeezed lemonade for my Daddy.  That was his favorite.  I remember riding my bike on the hills and up and down our long driveway.  I remember my brother letting me drive his 1956 Ford around the oats shocks in an effort to teach me to drive.  I remember sitting by myself up on a hill behind the granary when I was sad and needed to cry by myself.  There were tiny purple flowers in the grass, and I'd pick them and look at how they were made.

My mind is as clear as a crystal about everything that took place on our family farm.  In my 16th year, our family life changed forever.  My parents and I had to move off the farm.  Today I mourn those 16 years of my life.  Close friends of mine understand all that is not being written in this blog.  Over the years I've shared bits and pieces of the unbelievable occurrences that I call the cancer of my life.  My breast cancer and double mastectomy pales in comparison to the emotional cancer that became a permanent part of my soul at age 16.  

Oh, I could write volumes that a lot of people would find difficult to understand.  My heart and my head hold memories that I wish I could set fire to and burn out of my brain.  I can't do that.  What I am able to do, and have done, is to cut the strings that connect me to those who show the world one demeanor, but hide another.  It took me years to realize that I'd have to either disconnect or suffer consequences.  One thing life has taught me is that what the world sees is many times a comedy.  Life has taught me that trust isn't something one does on a whim.  There are those who share blood who use us, abuse us, and throw us away like used toilet paper.  When I leave this world, I will be able to say that I stayed true to myself.  

Life allows certain individuals to enter our lives, and those individuals are skilled at seeking to destroy us.  Life has taught me that there definitely is evil in this world, but goodness holds the ultimate power.  It may take years for karma to play out, but patience attains all it strives for.  That has been my life experience.

One does not have to comment on the treatment of females in other parts of the world.  We here in America have our own ways of mistreatment.  I grew up in a culture that favored the first-born son.  The daughter was on her own in this world.  Today the family farm will be auctioned, and I would assume the price will be quite substantial.  It pains me to watch others inherit big money when I was given a check for $75 after my daddy died.  That way I could never say that I didn't get anything.  

They say that we are the sum and substance of our thoughts.  Our mind controls what we think about and how we feel.  That is true.  But, it's also true that we can change how and what we think about.  We can refashion our thoughts into that which will sustain contentment rather than stir the fires of resentment.  And, that's where I am now.  It's up to me to flush away the past and look ahead to all the good that's yet to come into my life.  I am blessed with good lasting friendships.  Friends are those in life we choose to love and spend time with.  Relatives are put on us like frosting on a cake, easily scraped off if we don't like 'em.  That is the beauty of friends, and I cherish loyalty and integrity more than all the money in the world.  

My greatest contentment comes from knowing that my boyfriend and I made it to where we are through a lifetime of hard, dedicated work.  Inheritance is something I only hear about, but never experienced.  Oh, except for the $75.  It's comical that I bought a small roll-top desk with that $75.  Right before we moved to Venny, our basement was flooded after a heavy rain.  The roll-top desk was in the basement and the bottom was ruined.  The devil that lives inside of me giggled when the desk was carried to the curb for the garbage truck.  

So it is that today isn't one of my banner days.  Yet, maybe it's going to be the best day of my life.  Maybe once and for all I can disconnect from what may be a basket of make-believe sugar-coated memories.  Instead, I'll remind myself of the snakes and the rats that lived there, too.  That way I'm not going to feel bad, but instead be relieved from the shackles of my little-girl mind. 

Where has the day gone!

Have been crocheting comfort crosses all day, until my head hurts.  Just popped 3 Advil, my OTC medication of choice.  Seems the only thing that relieves my aches.

While my hands were crocheting, my head was following the Eye Drops Murder Trial on YT.  Honestly, I've never seen such buffoons as the two defense attorneys.  I'd elaborate, but feel it in my best interests to zip it. 

Nothing newsworthy from my cell.

Our day trip yesterday with friends goes in our memory album of fun times.  We stopped at one of our favorite Amish Bakeries.  Gracious sake, what a difference in their prices since we were there last time.  The different kinds of bread were the same price, so we bought a loaf of homemade wheat and one loaf of banana bread.

Must share a phone call we got last evening.  A couple who had just bought a little Yorkie puppy asked if we'd be willing to puppy sit her a couple of days next weekend.  OMG.  Tomorrow evening they're bringing her over here so she can meet us.  We've asked them to join us for supper.  Think I'll fix a kettle of potato chowder and serve the banana bread.  Their schedule allows for them to arrive around 7 o'clock in the evening, so we will serve a light meal.  Yorkies are small and adorable.  My heart pounds just thinking about this blessing.  

It's another nice day out.  The boyfriend plans on watching football on the telly, and I intend to do something but don't know what.  On the road yesterday, I started crocheting comfort crosses to give to the rest home.  My intention is to make about a dozen for Christmas.  Actually, while the other four went into Sam's Club yesterday, I opted to stay in the car and crochet.  There were SO many shoppers, and I had nothing that I wanted to purchase.  Sometimes I rather not put myself in crowds.  Especially now that there's a new strain of Covid ratcheting up its force.  The pandemic perhaps changed me into an overly cautious person, but that's fine.  My parents had a saying.....always rather be safe than sorry.

Think I have pretty much all the ingredients for the potato chowder, except for the milk and half-and-half.  The boyfriend said he'll get whatever I need in the morning.  I really enjoy making my chowder.  Very nutritious and hearty, perfect for this time of the year.  

Was disappointed that the Amish Bakery didn't have any of their homemade noodles for sale.  They're just like the ones my mom used to make.  Homemade chicken noodle soup is another cold weather favorite, with hot chicken sandwiches on the side.  

Just thinking about food makes me hungry.  Gonna fix one of my classic lettuce salads for lunch.  Oh, forgot to say that I bought three pomegranates yesterday in Aldi's.  Cut into the first one, and it was all black inside, spoiled.  That kinda ticked me off, cuz they were $1.69 each.  The second one was fine and super delicious.  Fingers crossed on the third one.  

Yummy Pomegranate

Best scoot.  My cup needs refilling.  Ta-ta till the morrow.   

My boyfriend celebrated his birthday on Thursday.  We first sat out on the deck in the sunshine, reminiscing about his 40th birthday when 12" of snow fell.  Yup, and I had a party planned with heaps of food prepared.  That was the last big party I ever planned or wanted in my lifetime.  From then on, our celebrations have been just the two of us....as we like it.  The weather be darned.

Then we drove to the river.  Combines and semis were crawling the cornfields, as farmers worked to get the corn harvested.  We who live in the Midwest understand the caution needed on the roadways this season.  I think we're all pretty much respectful of those who feed the world.  

Stopped in a thrift store and a couple others.  The boyfriend wanted to walk around Cabela's, and I chose to stay in the car with my book.  I'm simply not a girl who enjoys sporting stores or home improvement stores.  Just give me a book, and I don't mind how long I will wait.  This makes it easier for both of us.  The boyfriend didn't have to hurry, and I didn't have to fret.

While sitting in the car, I couldn't resist taking photos of the tree in front of our car.   

For the 9th of November, it was a glorious late autumn day.  On our way back home, we stopped for dinner in a small town restaurant.  Then back home.  It's always so good to collapse in our recliners after having a safe day trip.  

In a half hour we're leaving again.  Five of us from Venny are going to Rochester for lunch at Star Ocean Buffet.  Celebrating two birthdays.  Every piece of clothing on me is stretchy, so it's gonna be a zippety-doo-dah-day for me.  There are those in the world who eat like sparrows, but none of us are of that group.  

So we file more memories away and forge forward making new ones.  As a joke, I texted the driver this morning and asked him if I had to shower or if they had one of those little pine tree thingies to hang in the car.  He replied that they're planning to put me on top of the car.  That indicates what kind of a day this will be.

Till the morrow....ta-ta.  

The boyfriend is off to a meeting.  I'm staying home, my choice.  

Sun is shining, a beautiful November morning.  Am kinda in one of my turtle modes, where I rather stay inside my shell.  It's my safe place.  Me and my laptop and my recliner.......it's where I take myself to all corners of the globe.  I'm still fascinated with the Iranian nomadic lifestyle.  I'm not one to quickly judge other cultures until I know something about them.  One thing for sure, the Iranian men are mostly tall, dark and dreadfully handsome.  

The box of junk jewelry left by the door has fun stuff inside.  Went through each piece, and next will give it an overnight soak in Dawn soap and hot water.  There are some gorgeous beads for bracelets.  One of these days I'll go on a rampage making bracelets so I have them available to give as gifts, or just give them away.  I don't charge for stuff I make.  My joy is in the giving.  I like giving to others, if they appreciate what I give them.  

Last night I was on YT looking for Christmas decorations to make.  There are some sweet things that I might try.  Especially like using the supplies from my stash, rather than buying new and adding more to the unused stash.  It's that business of making do with what one has.

There was a little yarn left from the throw I just finished.  Just enough to crochet myself a bracelet.  Might do that today to use it up.  In winter, it feels good to wear a nice cozy bracelet made from yarn.  

Quiet Saturday and Sunday.  Pondered and worked on my November Newsletter article.  Started one, started a second, and now on my third.  None of the three are complete, nor am I satisfied with them.  This is not unusual for me.  I'm sure the final inspiration will come to me perhaps in a dream or pop into my head when least expected.  Always does.

Received a G-clan invitation to a family Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday, the 25th.  The two major holidays of the year will be celebrated with the G-clan.  We are blessed to be included.  One thing about us, we value those who value us.  

A little elf visited us today.  Found a box of old jewelry outside our door.  Received a text message revealing the elf.  She knows I love working with discarded things.  I'm saving it until tomorrow as a special thing to do then.  It's one of my most favorite things in the whole wide universe to look at old stuff and wonder what new I can create out of the old.  

We're dining on chili for supper.  Actually, leftover chili from last night, only more ingredients added to make enough for the two of us.  The boyfriend threw me one of his offers yesterday.  If I gave him a haircut, he'd make me a batch of chili.  

So, here we are in November.  The month is special, mainly because on the 9th day of this month my boyfriend made his appearance on planet Earth.  We will celebrate just us somehow, but on the 11th Venny friends invited us to go for a buffet brunch to North Country, one of our faves.  On the 10th, Venny is having one of its pot-luck suppers, so that'll be another celebration.  Birthdays just don't have the same excitement as they once did.  The numbers are reaching higher and getting scarier.  

For me, personally, November is all about being thankful for every single thing we have.  I'm a die-hard proponent of gratitude, something that I fear is lacking in many avenues of human existence.  I was raised from little on to be grateful for what I have and not wish for that which is outside my reach.  If I'd have had kids of my own, I'd have passed on that same value.  There are millions who have so much less, millions that have so much more, but I know I have more than I could have dreamed of having as a little girl.  

Every day is a blessing.  I remember when my Mom was in her 90s, she would tell me that she was grateful to have one more day.  Each of us will have the time when there will be no more one day.  So, now, I totally understand what she was telling me.  She knew my time would come, and she wanted me to know what it was like.  

Till the morrow.....

My days have been spent crocheting.  The six initial skeins of yarn have magically increased to eight, and today I shall begin the final eighth skein.  My reasoning for wanting to finish the project is simple.  I don't want the Big Bus to stop and pick me up and leave behind an unfinished task. 

At 6:30 p.m. this date the crochet throw is complete.  All that's left is weaving in the ends of yarn from where one skein connected with another.  Then I will fold it up, tie it with a ribbon, place the finished throw back into the tote bag, and wait to give it to the one who is so deserving of my time. 

Gave the boyfriend a haircut this afternoon.  We made a deal.  He'd make chili for supper if I gave him a haircut.  The boyfriend got a haircut, and I'm about to fill my bowl with his delicious chili.  Maybe even have second helpings.  Truth be told, I'm one who does indulge in seconds, only because my taste buds are so absolutely high functioning....they recognize delicious when they taste it!!!!!!!

Guess I'm being pretty lax in my writing these days.  Let's see, who or what shall I blame?????

Yesterday we woke up to a wonderful world of white.  This morning most of the white is gone, but remnants remain.  

Saturday evening we were invited out for drinks and dinner.  Minutes before knocking on their door, I took a couple pictures.

~Left to right~
Colors of leaves...
Brown,  bright orange, burnt orange, gold

Ash Tree Berries

This is the first day of November.  Was in the Dollar Tree the other day, and Christmas decorations were being put out on the shelves.  Quite a bit of stuff was already on display.  From now until January, there'll be a flurry of craziness.  I get such a kick out of everybody buying more stuff, when people rent storage spaces to store stuff.  My personal suggestion is that we simply give each other the respect we each deserve and cut the drama.  Even if it was for just one day.