No Changes

Join me in a prayer or two for Jock who is going into surgery this morning.   

A tea party....plan one today.

Age has a way of creeping up on us!

Another day to celebrate life.   Weather is weather and there is not much you can do about it but enjoy it.    November is ending and the excitement of the coming of Christmas is showing its 'head', whether or not it is a good sign remains to be seen as you get out the pencil and paper and make that special list of folks you want to treat.   The stores are up to full tilt in advertising all of their expensive wares but you can be smart, choosy, wise and stay way ahead of them by thinking of each individual on your list and choosing the perfect gift .  How long has it been since you made some home made fudge?   How long has it been since you made those delicious wine cakes and the fruit cakes, hey, don't raise your eyebrows, I love fruit cake.   If you have not been to your local church bazaar or to the local art gallery, it is time to visit them as they have gift selections that make shopping easy.    It is not the expensive gift that will get you that hug, it is the gift of knowing the person and loving that person , you are wise enough to choose the perfect gift of realizing what they like .  That tells them how well you know and love them.    Christmas is coming, can't you feel the excitement in the air?

How is the decorating coming along?   I have added a few tiny items to my hall table.   I have a special candy dish filled and ready for those who come in to help them selves to a treat.    My very old Santa candle is at the ready and a tiny tree makes it look festive.   I have my angel sitting on my desk and a  creche sitting on my counter top.  I'm all decorated!!  Yesterday, I was invited to join Ruth, one of my favorite ladies here at Ridgemont, for a cup of coffee in her apartment.   She has it all decorated and it is lovely.   So the Christmas spirit has arrived and it should be a fun month...take a deep breath, a smile on your face and get in the Christmas mood.....smile!!!!

I am off to get a refill of my coffee.  I am getting hungry but it is only four a.m. , woke up at three and couldn't go back to sleep, so YOU get to have my company and you are in a deep snooze and don't even know it.    So sleep on, I'm  heading for the kitchen and will fix myself something to eat.  I wake up hungry, don't you?    I'll catch up with you later, for now I am thinking a nap wouldn't be bad. . . after breakfast is a good time...

Be good, be kind, be gentle and treat everyone you meet today like a long lot cousin.    Drop a coin or two in the little buckets at the store fronts.    Do your 'bit'. . . some folks need a little help . . . count your blessings you have the ability and desire to be one of Santa's elves or a Christmas angel in disguise and not one who is in need.....well wanting hugs is not needy ...just a desire to be loved and we all want that...so hug away....be that bright light today.  Hugs to all.

Skies!

Early morning

Linticular clouds

Away in a Manager!!!

A new week beginning, an old month ending, excitement, shopping, sending greetings, a myriad of things to do and places to go as the spirit of Christmas dominates the air.    So much to do, can't think of a thing anyone wants or needs.  The time of year that makes you crazy but you wouldn't change it for the world.    But, and there is always the proverbial but. . . the reality of some lives are sad and it behooves you, as the old timers would say, to pay attention to what is going on around you.  The demand for contributions to all kinds of needs is on going.  Be wise, be careful and choose the charity that is closest to your heart.     

I would like to be writing tales of wonderment but all I did was visit with a friend and talk about the old days and the things we used to do way back when we were young and foolish and full of life.  Oh don't get me wrong, we still are, a might slower, a bit older, not to wise but wise enough to remember some tales that would set your funny bone in the right direction.    Growing up on a farm certainly was a lot different than growing up in a city...one of those never the twain shall meet....memories have a way of sparking the imagination.   The tea was hot, the cookies were delicious and the tales were fun as we wandered down memory lane.
I did get out to shop at the drug store and buy some of the necessary items that one cannot live without, little cotton puff balls to smooth on the dab of cream that will make the wrinkles seem less but they don't disappear.   I think finger tips work just as well but there is something about that little cotton ball that makes one think magic can happen.   I managed to find the Christmas candy area and , of course, didn't leave without a bag or two.    I have been collecting some beautiful little leaf dishes to fill for my table mates.    I forgot some ribbon..well, next shopping trip....there is always some one thing we forget in our buying spree.   I know, a list, but who remembers to take it with you...not me.

I am off to have my seconds on coffee and wake up.   I am hoping today is going to be a good one with a little less rain but I think that is wishful thinking.  I miss my walks to the corner and back but the exercise room is right next to me and I can work out there...but who works out....not me if I can help it.    So I will love you and leave you and wish you a day to remember.   Go....make someone happy. Hugs to all.

Birds of a Feather!

No, no, that is not the Christmas tree I want...!!!!

There is one in every crowd.

Restful

A restful weekend, a little visit to the Gallery and a bit of Christmas shopping.   Lunch out at the little Mexican restaurant near the water and the Sunday quiet of main street here in Port Orchard.  It was raining, sort of a drizzle but enough to get you wet.   The Gallery was quiet after the big doings of the night before when the place was crowded with happy folks enjoying the Christmas party.    I did find a few small items to share with my table mates here in Ridgemont.    I am trying to think of gifts for family members and it does not get easier each year.    I think my problem is I need to go to the mall and look around and see what is new and different out for this Christmas season.   Everybody has everything...smile.....if they don't they are keeping quiet.    So it is time to put our thinking cap, and our shoes on, and go forth into the stores and see what is out there that is new and different and needed and wanted and shop til we drop.  Don't forget the wrapping paper, then choose a day to get out there and find what you want to fill that list..

Monday is the start of a new week and I have started by stripping my bed.   I have work to do, so must be off.   I have a little decorating to do and a list to make for my next shopping trip out.   Christmas is coming.....like you didn't know that!!!   Make your today a good one.   Think of a lonely soul and pick up the telephone or ipad or ipod or whatever that gadget is called.    If you have time, and you certainly know how to make some, stop in with a bit of a treat and spend fifteen minutes cheering up someone who thinks they are a nobody loves me on account of I am a me!   The holiday season is not always a happy time for some folks.   Be the spirit of Christmas all month long.   Chalk up your Santa list and be one of those elves sharing and caring to those who have so little, while you have so much.    Be Christ-like!!!  BE YOU!!!   and...go gently into your day!  Hugs to all.

Party Time!

Flowers 

Folks

A bit of the bubbly
and
a
good
time
was
had
by
all!!!

Another winner, a night out at the Gallery here in Port Orchard.   The rains continued but that did not deter the folks from coming out for the first Christmas gathering of this year that is ending on a high note.  Folks came, they enjoyed the hard work of the team that puts these affairs together.  The same crew, all seasoned veterans now and the work is not work but a labor of love.   The table was pulled out and an extra tier was added so all of the incoming treats were displayed and oohed over.  The cakes, the pies, the treats of all kinds, all or most all home baked.   There was a few treats from the local bakery, not really a bakery, a one man operation in downtown Port Orchard and pastries that are different and more than delicious.  The bar was set up and the ice bucket filled.  The deserts were featured on the highest tier of the table while the stick to your ribs delicacies were within grasp.   Plenty to go around, all delightful, delicious and delectable, so, if you went home hungry it would have been your own fault.    Setting up is fun and the 'team' are experts now.   I am getting very good with the knife and spacing out generous pieces of all sorts of goodies from large sheet cakes to fancy ones that are almost to nice to cut.   The chips, the dips, the bowls of treats line up like they know just where to be.    The doors opened, the rain rained down but the crowds came and enjoyed the final Gallery meeting of this year and talked about plans for the next year.  Yes, that time of year all over again...endings and beginnings.   Life goes on....and how much we enjoy plotting and planning for a new year at the Gallery.    Our King Louis made a delicious soup and it was just right for the wet and wintry night.    There were so many delicacies ,  to many to name, all delicious and tasty.   I can tell you there were not much in the line of leftovers.    So as the old saying goes..."the party was a huge success" . . . 

I take up space in the kitchen where I have had a little experience in my day...smile.....I enjoy the kitchen and feel right at home there.   It is amazing how many of the folks stop in there to say hello and stay awhile.   There is always a conversation on going and not a word is lost as one comes in and one goes out laden with goodies for the main table.   Everyone wants to help and one family comes with family members from little tiny ones to teens and they all want to help celebrate no matter what the occasion.   One of our ladies is leaving us for the wilds of Oregon, the eastern part, I believe.   She has her heart set on a move and is all excited about seeing new places and faces.  She has picked out the spot she wants to live in and it will be very interesting to hear how she likes it.  It seems there is a very tiny town that has attracted her attention.  I hope she finds happiness and contentment there.  

So once again, a successful evening at the Gallery.    There was a lot Christmas shopping and that will put a smile on the artists faces.   The art work is 'tops' and the smaller items made by the artisans are well done and useful.   They take pride in their work and it shows.    So, once again I remind you that when and if you come to Port Orchard, stop in at the Gallery and meet some wonderful folks and enjoy the expert talent of our local artists.  

Today is a day of rest.  The feet will go up on the hassock, the television series of "Downtown Abbey" continues so you know what and where I will be today...unless, of course, I get a better offer.

Go be good, be a 'smile' on someone persons face;  share YOU with those you like and love.  Take time to be a friend.   Take time to share.  Take time to plot and plan a special treat  be it a lunch or dinner invitation and join up with those you like and love.    Have a FUN day filled with smiles and laughter.   Hug a lot....someone is in need of one or two...or???  whatever you choose to share.   So share and smile while you do it for it makes your soul grow in the love you share.   Hugs to all.

Getting Ready!!!

I am coming!!!  I am coming!!   

A favorite road

Make your list....a Christmas tree.....check the ornaments....buy a new one......cards....stamps....list...gifts....shopping....decisions, decisions, decisions!!!

The big feast is over and we bulge a bit more after all the good foods and the full plates over the Thanksgiving Day holiday with friends and family and some TV time with parades and games.   It takes a week or two to adjust to all that good food and fun, just in time for Christmas....a favorite holiday and a busy one leading up to it.   Get out the paper, a pen and make your list today, it is not to soon as time has a way of flying by.    First find your mailing list and get those greeting cards addressed and mailed.  Once that job is over you can concentrate on gift buying and that is the toughest part of all...what to get for each one on your list.    It is a good thing you know each one and their likes and dislikes as they cuts the shopping time in half.  It is not knowing that is the big problem and the what to get is not easy.    But. . . you have plenty of  time to look around and see what is out there.  Make your list, tuck it in your pocket and take time to shop for that perfect gift for someone you love and like.    

I want you to know that I am all decorated....my angel is out of the box and sitting here on my desk looking bright and beautiful.   She has held up for many a year and she will keep me company .  I am not sure if I will have a little tree or not.  Maybe if I find a tiny one...we'll see!!!   I have a few old favorite decorations I saved and my little Santa candles are out.  Having a studio apartment makes it easy to decorate.

So, I am off to have a refill on my coffee.   I fixed a bacon and egg breakfast and am sorry now...I know better but got carried away.    I would rather have a sweet role but there was nothing even close in my cupboard this morning.    Off to get dressed, hopefully have a shopping trip out for some wrapping paper and a few Christmas trinkets to brighten up the door way.    So it is time to work on your 'merry and bright' and get in the holiday spirit.    It really is THAT time of year.   

Be good, be kind, be gentle and share YOU with those you like and love.    A good deed,  a hug or two, a smile, a compliment or two and you will have the best day of your life.  Go....be an angel of light and love today.  Hugs to all.

AFTER!!!

Do not put this book away ...Christmas is coming up very soon and there are so many good cookie recipes to follow to fill those gift trays you have in mind.   Plot and Plan and you will be celebrating Christmas in style.   

Yeah,  I Iook just like this....need to go for a refill and get the brain working.

and we had our fill.  Here in Port Orchard it was quiet as everyone found a place to be and found their way to a table filled with all kids of good things.    We didn't have turkey this year as we had attended several turkey dinners before hand.   We had 'olepchi, not sure of the spelling, but it is the rolled cabbage dish filled with hamburger and very delicious.  The wine was delicious, the sides excellent and the desert..aah!!!  A good day and I watched the Macy parade which was excellent.  The bands were great and the 'kids' are to be given a special cheer for the hard work of marching in the annual parade and enjoying it.  The floats were amazing.  Both Patricia and Christine put on a very special dinner and all I got to do was sit and enjoy it.   I miss my time in the kitchen though, I shouldn't but I do.    I spent so many years cooking, baking, sharing and caring that it is hard to just sit the holidays out.    This nonagenarian stage of life means sitting inside the 'box' , yetch....that's no fun....as a consolation prize, Christine is going to let me bake a mince pie for Christmas at her house.    Son John called to wish us a happy holiday and he was cooking up a storm.  Jo has been down with a bad back but healing slowly.    They were having a quiet holiday and we sure missed seeing them.   Mike was out and about so we will catch up with him later today.   Maybe they will come for Easter in the spring when the weather is good.   I would hate to have been in the holiday crowds trying to get in or out of an airport for the holiday.   So onward we go....Christmas shopping....making a list, checking it twice, going to find out who is naughty and nice...Santa Clause is coming to town....now you have heard the words so you will sing them all day...smile.....

Be good, be kind, be gentle. . . . be YOU . . .  be wise, be smart, be clever and shop smart.   They have a special day here in Port Orchard for smart shoppers.   The girls are off to a holiday bazaar today, yep, that time of year.   Go...find some little trinket and help make it a success.   A lot of folks give of themselves and make lovely things to sell for a good church cause;   be a partner in helping to make the affair a success.   A lot of love and patience goes into the making of a small stocking 'stuffers' for your Christmas list.  While there, be sure to light a candle for those who have gone on to their heavenly home.    It is a fun time of year but it is also the holiest time of year and that we should remember.   So today, be YOU, and give of yourself.   Be the one person who finds good in everyone....there is some , honest, in each and everyone of us.    Don't forget it is HUGS that make your world go around.    Be sure you pass out at least a dozen today and bask in the warmth of the ones you receive.   Hugs to all.

Happy Thanksgiving Day!!!

Here is a bouquet for you to admire, wish I could have sent you a centerpiece for your table.  Thanksgiving Day and we have so much to be thankful for.   Your friendship, your love, your caring top the list.  May your Thanksgiving Day be as wonderful as YOU.

So glad I am not a turkey!!

We cannot always be together but the thought that we stay in each others heart is a gift all its own.  I hope that you make the best of today and enjoy those who could join you.  Don't forget to call someone who cannot be with you today as they feel the distance just as you do.    There is an old saying abut distance makes the heart grow fonder...there is also an addition  to it that says b.s. makes the grass grow longer.    Know that you have to pick up that phone and meet and greet those who cannot be with you today.  Holidays are hell for some folks.   I miss my boys...far away today, but close in heart and I will talk with them on the telephone but not until later as it is still the wee hours of the morning.   My two daughters are teaming up to make a delicious dinner today, something far away from turkey as we have had two special turkey dinner affairs recently.  We opted for cabbage rolls and a luscious desert.   I hope your Thanksgiving Day dinner is plentiful and bountiful with guests you like and love.   I hope that your Thanksgiving Day is special, just like you.  Go, greet your guests, open up those arms and get in a few bear hugs.    Put a smile on your face, be gracious, be kind, be gentle and celebrate in style.   If you opened that special bottle of wine, toast a few folks who cannot be with you today.   Raise the glass high and smile knowing they will be smiling at the thought of being toasted and not roasted.   Count your blessings for most of us have many;  be aware that a short prayer is necessary for those who are in need today.   Some where folks are working to feed those who have no one and that is a special blessing.   We are always thankful for 'good' folks....and I know quite a few of them. YOU are included...smile.  Enjoy your Thanksgiving feast and be sure to turn on the Macy's parade.   It would not be Thanksgiving without it.   Be all you can be today and make sure you open up those arms and include everyone you love and like...like is important....Happy Thanksgiving, I like you and I love you and I am very thankful to have you in my life.  Happy Thanksgiving!! Hugs to all.

Birthday Girl!

Erin Michelle is having a birthday....wonder if that expression is telling us it is okay, see no wrinkles yet, 

and our Erin is a prime example of love and smiles for everyone she meets and greets.    A happy soul so willing to share and care;  a special young woman with a heart full of love.

Her mother, her aunt, her grandmother sing Happy Birthday to YOU!!!!  Happy Birthday to YOU!  Happy Birthday dear Erin, Happy Birthday to YOU!!!

One day is done you will be a year older, it's only numbers, and a year smarter, brighter, and more loving as only you can be.    May your days be filled with love and laughter.     

Here it is another day, hopefully one a bit drier than yesterday.  Rainy days are good, but more confining when you do not have the proper weather wear to get out and walk in it.   I enjoyed the lunch ladies and their tales.  I had an invitation to visit one of the ladies and see her apartment.  She had just hung a shelf and put up her collection of cups and saucers.  They were beautiful, delicate and each one a special color and design.    My neighbor, Evelyn, has been giving me sets of cups and saucers for Christine and the Gallery teas.  She has donated them and when I walked through one of the Antique shops the other day and saw the price they are asking for such sets, I don't think I had better tell her or she might want them back.
I want to take time out to wish each and every one of you a very Happy Thanksgiving.  I no longer have the card program on the computer and miss it.  The company refused to take checks;  must have had some problems along the way and I do not use credit cards so I lost out on sending computer cards.   Hopefully you are tuning in to the blog and know I wish you tender turkey and lots of special pies.  I am bemoaning the fact no one is making a mince pie ; maybe i'll make one after the holidays and invite some one who likes it to come and help me eat it.   I haven't used the oven here yet;  not sure if it would blow up or not...tiny stove and one I am not used to.  The top burners work fine, smile....

I made the mistake of giving all of my wrapping paper away so now have to go and buy some as I have birthday presents to wrap .  Christine will be having a birthday early December.    Hard to believe she is a senior citizen and that makes me..????...well, lets not go there...smile.

I am off to finish my coffee and turn on the television to see what has happened overnight.   Some good news would be welcome.    Take good care of you today, do some one thing that will make you proud.    Be good, be kind, be gentle and bend the knee in thanksgiving for all the blessings you do have.    Remember to be magnanimous and share a fruit cake or two. . . what do you mean you do not like fruit cake....it is delicious and so good for you...smile....it is okay , if you don't like it there is more for me.    Go...have a fun day.   Be all you can be...be YOU!!! hugs to all.

Good Morning!

I hope today is one of those wonderful days and you start off with your tea, coffee or latte with a smile on your face, a lot of energy and a plan for a very good day.

In case you are finding fault with your weather;  you could be in the midst of a snow storm...count your blessings.

There is no law or rule that says you cannot treat yourself to a bouquet.....Stop at Freddys and pick up a colorful bouquet and brighten up your table.  The whole room will light up and you will find reasons to smile all day.  

It is Tuesday, all day, and it is going to be a blustery one here in Port Orchard.    A good day for closet cleaning.  A good day to throw out that blouse you have not worn in ten years.  A good day to make room for something new.   If I threw out my ten year wardrobe I would really have to shop.  It is hard to give up the comfort of old things but they do wear thin and they do look seedy after awhile.   I never gave much thought to clothing and memories, but if you think about it there are a few events that stand and stay.    I think we are all romantics at heart.  But hanging on to something you will not wear again is foolish, besides it is time to go on a trip to the store for a new sweater or blouse for the upcoming holidays...you deserve a treat.

What did I do yesterday? ... really nothing special.   Well, I did get to the big antique store on Bay Street where there are so many very old and beautiful things.  I was looking for a gift for Christine who will be having a birthday in early December and being one to have everything she wants or needs is a hard task.   I thought of a special cruet, something in cut glass, something beautiful and colorful but didn't find anything close.   The ones that I did find were so over priced they stayed right where they are.   Forty five dollars for a 'jug' to hold some liqueur;  I don't think so. Well if it were a Royal Dalton that might be a different story.    Anyway that is not what she is getting. I am much too frugal and practical so new soxs and a few surprises will make her day.

Meanwhile we have a holiday to celebrate this week.    Thanksgiving....and we have much to be thankful for.    We are not going to have turkey..thank goodness...as we have already had several turkey dinners in early celebrations.    We are going to have a surprise and I have no idea what...I'd rather be surprised.    Christine is our hostess.   Pat and I get to be guests but we will offer to help...drink a glass of wine and put our feet up until called to the table...smile...nah...we will help and of course bring a hostess gift or two.    There is a bakery here that makes up some lemon tarts to die for...wonder if they will have pumpkin ones for the holiday.   I will miss my mince meat pie though.   So, off I go to closet clean and dream of the upcoming feast.   There are some things that make us happy and content....sharing and caring with friends and family, nothing is better than that.  Go, start preparing and sharing and make your life worthwhile.    Hugs to all.

New Star

Christine is a great cook and makes an apple pancake that is more than delicious.   When you come for a visit we will talk her into making you one.    

Here is that turkey you have been looking for.  All dressed up, hiding in a Christmas hat hoping you will forget all about Thanksgiving turkey for your dinner.    Here at Ridgemont we had our turkey dinner already and it was delicious.   The left overs made a great turkey soup.  Turkey sandwiches.  Turkey tender and tasty, now for a big steak!!!! Guess I'll have to wait for the holidays to be over for that.    

Here it is the start of a new week.   I opened the blinds to pure blackness; can't tell what kind of a day is in store for us.    A few cars are coming in for the hospital wing , workers starting their day.   It is very quiet here as folks are content sleeping in.   I wake up in the wee hours and start my day but revert to a nap in my chair a bit later.    The body clock is set for an early rise, always has been and I think I blame my children for that.    Well, I have to blame someone.   

Sunday proved to be a drop in day for me.   Vinnie came for a short visit and tried to find a few puzzle pieces.    He gave up as he had no luck.   He is not what you would call a patient person and that is not an understatement.   He is first to admit he has a fault or two..smile....I could name a few more but I'll be kind.   We have not been reading for some time now and he seems content with that.    Since he had his eyes worked on reading is easier for him and he is enjoying a few new magazines he has ordered.    Ron stopped in and stayed awhile.  He was seated in front of the puzzle and tried to find a piece or two but gave up.  He has a smart phone and it has puzzles which he does every day.  I think he said he has finished about a hundred of them in the last few months.    That little phone deal he has is quite interesting.   Not sure what it is called but he would be lost without it.  

So you see there is little or no new news for you today.   Patricia stopped by with some delicious meat she cooked up and shared it with me for my dinner.  It was very tasty and saved me from having to cook up a dinner.    Our main meal is upstairs in the dining room and it seems a long time from eleven a.m. to our real dinner time.   I usually wind up with a sandwich and a cup of left over coffee; and a little desert if I have some.   Christine went to Costco and the holiday cookie are out..the big round ones with chocolate ; the no calorie ones...smile.....the ones you can't have one or two kind of cookies.

That is my take for today...not much but something as you wake up and get going on your tasks for today.   I do have to dust...neglected it over the weekend.   I wish you a 'happy' day; be content;  be wise;   be joyful;  be a smile maker;  be a joker, be a listener and give out a hug or two along the way.    Make a list, check it twice and go get the 'goodies' for the Thanksgiving Day feast.    May you have the best one ever. Hugs to all.

Truisms

Truism

Something to remember

Good morning.  It is Sunday and it is a rainy day or so the weatherman predicted.  I haven't opened my blinds yet been busy visiting Facebook and sending off a note or two.    Time to blog and I have no special words this morning.    I spent yesterday afternoon with Patricia watching Netflick movies and munching 'good stuff'.   It was cold and dark when I got back to the apartment, turned on the television, sat in my easy chair and promptly fell sound asleep.    I guess that is what nonagenarians do best and I have it down to a science..smile.

I had an interesting telephone call from an old neighbor.  She delights in telling me all the gossip of the neighborhood.  I am sure I told you all about her last call and the news was about the same. One neighbor needs some one family member to tune in and see that she needs attention as she is beginning to show signs of Alzheimer.   It has been coming on for some years now and she really should not be alone.  She has a cat she wont leave.   Her brother offered to take her and the cat nearer to where he lives, but I think she just doesn't want to leave her home.   It is sad to get OLD;  it is sad to have to face the changes that develop.   I don't think we know how to prepare for those inevitable changes.   So, take a look around your neighborhood and keep an eye open.  Maybe you will be a good neighbor to someone who could use a helping hand.     Just keep in mind 'what goes around, comes around' ...be one of the good guys.   We talked about some of the cooking we shared during the holiday seasons.   She is one who loves to bake and goes really all out during the holidays.  I will miss the fruit cakes which she used to make for me.    I like fruit cake.  Her favorite was mince pie so I shared.   Good neighbors are special and make our lives  a little bit nicer.  I hope you have good neighbors to share with.  

Here at Ridgemont we had our first celebration of the holidays which I told you about.    I am not sure how many will join their families for Christmas .    I think I'll decorate my door this year.   Not sure what I'll do yet but I am going to think about it.    I have candy put away to do something with; maybe I will think up something to hang on the neighbors doors.   I wonder how many will be here;  some have families nearby.   I'd better check and see what kind of decorations I have from last year and go out and shop for a few more to add to the pile.    Not even Thanksgiving day and I am concerned about Christmas decorations.....yep, we are all nuts.....well I know you are thinking about Christmas too...it comes with the territory....smile!

Enjoy today,  don't worry about Christmas as you have to enjoy your feast for Thanksgiving first.   Enjoy your seconds TODAY, no sense rushing the season.  It is something we do naturally and that is just the way it is.  Take one day as it comes, enjoy the seconds as they tick by.   As the old timers used to say, 'take one step at a time' and that was good advice.    Enjoy today as the seconds tick off, plot and plan so you are not rushed . . . just put one foot before the other and everything has a way of falling into place.  Do not let the holiday season scare you....be wise, be frugal, be loving and take the time to include someone who has no one. . . be YOU.  Hugs to all.

Dinner!!!

Good Morning!   The sun comes up, the wind blows and the flowers grow . . . Ah!  Life is Good.

The weekend is here for us to enjoy.   The weather is what it is and all we have to do is make our plans for today and enjoy it.    I am regrouping from dinner last night.  The annual affair that our manager and family put on for us.   They brought up every table and chair set they could find and filled the upstairs dining area to the brim.   The family worked very hard to make a successful dinner for all of us.    We had our table number, our table set with a lovely centerpiece, a glass of bubbly waiting for us and the aroma of a turkey dinner filled the air.   The food was delicious, plenty of it and seconds if you wanted them.   The family outdid themselves this year and each one deserves a thank you for treating us like Kings and Queens.    Delicious, delightful and memorable.

Christine and Patricia came and enjoyed it all.   Rosemary was our table mate and we enjoyed having her with us.   All in all it was a grand affair, the food excellent and plenty of it.  Turkey an the trimmings and ham if you preferred.   A good time was had by all.  It is going to take at least a month and a half to downsize the love handles.

I woke up at three a.m. and am blogging after spending time looking for a picture or two to post.  I go back into the files and pull up one of the picture albums and then get caught up in looking the pictures over and restoring a memory or two as I look for a picture to post.  Do you think I could find a turkey picture today...not on your life...where are they when you need them?   After last nights banquet, I swore I wouldn't eat again forever but here I am waiting for the coffee to be done and I have a special muffin waiting.    A new day, a new breakfast and I am hungry enough to eat it.  I'd share if you were here.

So, I'm off to have my coffee.  I hope your day is going to be one of those sunshine days, you know the one that brings out the best in YOU....be good, be kind, be gentle and cook up a special dinner tonight and invite a friend or two.    It is Saturday all day and that means beans and hot dogs...well it did in my day and apple pie out of the oven for desert...sounds good to me.  And...I swore I wouldn't eat for a month...well that was last night...this is now and I am hungry.  Wish you could join me; seems forever since I got a look at you....sigh!!!!   Maybe you will win a lottery and come for a visit. . . well dreaming never hurt.   Enjoy today!! Hugs to all.

Tea Cup.   I have been given some lovely tea sets just like this, some beautiful floral patterns by my neighbor Evelyn who had a collection and has a box filled with them.  She has decided to give them up and is donating them to the Gallery for the High Teas.    They are really beautiful and Christine is going to make her a guest of honor at the December tea.   Evelyn will love it.  

A good cook....a pinch of this and a dob of that!!!

A Granddaughter is one of life's blessings and my granddaughter Erin was , and is, the love of our lives.  She makes the world bright and beautiful, just like her.   We knew, from the beginning, as you can see from her baby picture, that we had a crown jewel to love.    Happy Birthday love, may you be blessed with many more.  

 

Another day, another dollar....old saying.....wish it were true...I could use some 'other dollar' to go shopping for the up coming holiday feast.  I am not cooking, daughter Christine wants to.  I offered to take the ladies out for a treat but they seem to want to hunker down by the kitchen stove and play with all those wonderful fruits and vegetables , and ,  yeah a turkey.   Christine is a wonderful cook , as is Patricia, so I get time away from the kitchen ...finally....smile.....but, I don't like that. I like being in the kitchen as it is familiar, fun and what will I do with me????   Watch some of the Hallmark movies;  um....I can do that.   A glass of wine, feet up ...nah, I'd rather be out in the kitchen peeling, paring, beating ....I must be nuts.....think I'll try the seat in front  of the TV and let the girls do their magic.  Retirement from life's activities is pure hell...or is it???  um...maybe I'll get used to it.  I am about to give it a try.   Banned from the kitchen...humph!!!!  But then what's not to like?   

We are going to have our first holiday feast tonight in the dining room as our manager puts on a feast for us.  She enlists the aid of her family and they all gather in the kitchen and cook up a wonderful dinner.   We are allowed two guests so my girls are coming.    Karen, our manager, has a great family and her grandchildren do an excellent job of waiting on all of us.    I don't know about you, but I find it hard to believe that it is holiday time already.    This year has been a fast one.  As a nonagenarian I find the years fly bye faster than the wink of an eye.    It reminds me, to remind you, that if you have not been taking good care of YOU, then it is a good time to start..today....check your habits. . . they do get you into trouble.....check your diet.....vegetables will not kill you, no matter who said so.....know your mind is the most important part of your whole being....use it....make good decisions for YOU.....let everyone else take care of their own.....be wise, be smart, be loving and for heaven sake know that hugs are the best gift in our world.    Share YOU with those you like and love.    Today is a great day to start!!  Hugs to all.

Special...Nah!!

John sent a picture of his house in Delaware.  He is busy trying to get it fixed up but has a long way to go.    There was a big porch like attachment tot he front which he had removed.   He has plenty to keep him busy.   It looks like he will have to buy shutters to keep up with the neighbors.  Wonder if they ever use them.

I thought it was somekind of a birds nest but it is the bird itself....peek a boo!!!

A good shot of the super moon.   We didn't get a chance to see it here as there was to much cloud cover.    It seems it is what we use to call a Harvest Moon....beautiful anyway you look at it.

I have my refill and wish I had a lot of wonderful tales to tell but I do not...I helped get the newsletter for the Gallery out yesterday, a job I enjoy.   Pat and I made a good team and had it done and over with in short order.    Pat had made a chili that was delicious.  A real outdoors man chili with elk and deer meat and spices I never heard of.   She is an excellent cook.    We had some corn bread too, a favorite of mine.   No crumbs left as you can well imagine.   Delicious!!  We missed having Jock with us as he is the great hunter that comes up with the 'makings' of some very delicious dinners.     He probably made a pot of hunter stew on his own as he is a great cook too.  The table talk was of a little town called Manchester;  a ferry landing there but not much of anything else.   Pat and I run away there every now and then and have lunch at the only restaurant there.    The food is good and there is a small library there but nothing else.   A commuters haven.  It is a good retirement community if you do not mind driving out for all needs.    Not a walking community as it is hilly.   A good place to visit but I don't think it is for the old folks, more like a haven for the young and they want city living.   A far cry from the good old days when you had roots in one place for a lifetime.   We moved so many times to so many different places that we have no roots and that is not a bad thing, but, at this time of life it is really a chore to even think about change.    The spirit is willing but the body has ideas of its own.    As I have often told my children ..home is where the heart is.....you make your home where ever you settle be it for a short period of time or a long one.   There are no guarantees as life brings on a myriad of changes.  So you go with the flow and make each day , every day, the best it can be.   

So today, get up, get out of bed and make up your mind to appreciate just where you are.   Look around your home and see that it is neat and clean and lined with pictures and books.    Spruce it up if it needs it and then make a point of planning an open door for some neighbors and friends to drop in.   If you do not have cookies in the cookie tin, then get out in the kitchen and make some.    Just don't sit on your laurels doing a lot of nothing....seconds count and once gone you cannot get them back so do not waste them...they are very precious....just like you.  Go.....be a sharer and a carer today...as only YOU can.  Hugs to all.

Quiet of the Morning!

Silence

Beauty

Remembrance

World War II picture of Cornelius and his brother Jimmy who met overseas.  One standing in line for 'chow' when the other arrived in time to meet up....

I believe it is 'hump' day, if it isn't it should be.    The weather is playing games with us as it goes from spring to winter and back again.   Can't make up its mind so one doesn't know whether to get out a sweater, an overcoat or a bathing suit or whether to keep the door open or closed.   Iffy weather.    Pneumonia weather.   But weather is weather and there is little or nothing we can do about it but enjoy it for what it is.    Pat and I went out in her car and visited a thrift store yesterday to see what they had in the line of a treasure.  There were lots of Christmas  decorations and a lot of folks out and about trying to find some treasures.   You know that saying about one mans junk is another mans treasures.    I have been on the look out for small leaf dishes.  I am going to gift my table mates and fill them with candy.  I haven't made up my mind what kind yet but then I had better not buy any early or I'll wind up eating it all.    Do you ever do that?  Buy candy to share and the longer it stays right there in the cupboard the closer you are to finishing it off before you know it.  I know, the store has plenty more.   I am just not to be trusted with 'sweets'.   I bet you are not either.

Here at Ridgemont the loss of our Samantha shows.  We miss her.   Our manager stepped in yesterday to give Gina a break.    We haven't heard of any new hire;  um...if you are looking for a job I know where there is one...smile.

I am off to get a refill of coffee and heat a Doris muffin.   I hope your day is going to be a fun one;  it is up to you to make it so.    Think of what you can do to put a little sunshine into someones life today.    An invitation to lunch out;   a stop for a visit to a shut in;   a trip to church and light a candle or two;   a kind word, a big hug, a soft kiss on the cheek....um....you can stay busy all day.  Be a person who loves to love and get on with your day.   Be YOU....that wonderful YOU...Hugs to all.

More of the Same!

A truism. . . and a prayer for a 'gentle day'.

The musicians played for hours without stopping and the folks who came to the reception really enjoyed them.   Soft Western music, some I knew some I didn't but humming is always good.   Note the Sea-hawk (favorite team here) on the manikin head.   

The BIG moon. . . beautiful!!

Tuesday all day, Pat and I are going to go junking for a little while.  It is a rainy day and we are looking for treasures with a Christmas theme.  The outside doorway needs a little Holiday  Spirit, maybe  I'll find an elf or two.    

Yesterday proved to be visiting day for me.   Vinnie came with grapes to thank me for the treat I brought him.  He brings me magazines and treats all the time so I thought it would be nice to give him a special treat so chose four different pieces of fudge at the candy store.   He was surprised and stopped bye for a visit and a thank you.   He said if I was a lot younger (the nerve of that man) he would let me be his girl friend....smile....being his friend is hard enough.    Pat came over with Emma and visited but didn't stay as Ron came in to visit.   He didn't stay long as he was heading out to shop.   Then Lois came in and tried to find a puzzle piece.  She didn't have her glasses so that was a lost cause.    She stayed on for a cup of tea and some chatter.    So it was open door day for me and that is always fun.    I must remember to have the girls pick up one of those big packages of tea bags on their next Costco trip and some more cookies.  The cookie jar is empty again.   As it should be.  I hope your cookie jar is empty and needs refilling.

It is going to be a rainy day today.    I didn't get to see the big moon last evening.  I had high hopes but the clouds moved in and that was the end of sky watching.     The parking area and the hospital windows are directly across from my window, so I get to see what is going on out there.   Many times the ambulance or the fire trucks, or both, come wheeling in.  Not good, as it means another person for hospital care.   They should have designed the hospital wing entrance on the other side of the building away from the apartment windows.   The sirens and the fire trucks are alarming sometimes.   At least if I have hospital needs I don't have far to walk.    With my luck they would probably whisk me off ten miles away to some other hospital.   This whole area of Port Orchard is filled with medical buildings of all kinds.    Hopefully, I will not have to visit any soon.    I think I have an appointment coming up for the yearly check up before the year ends. 

As you can see, I have little or nothing new to report.   I am off to check on Facebook and find out what all of you are up to.   I am happy when I see what you are writing about and that  you are all feeling good and getting out and about.    Stay healthy and happy and get out and about today.  You may not be doing the cooking this year but you do need to keep in mind that a  little token of appreciation for the cook is always a good idea.    If you are low on ideas some of the church folks are opening their holiday bazaars, so you can find something new and different.    New pot holders and tea towels are always needed.  We are prone to use our towels and pot holders until they are almost rags.   Have fun;  bend the knee and remember your family and friends as you light a candle.  Remember it doesn't have to be Sunday to light a candle...those church doors are open weekdays as well.   Light one and think of me;  I light one and think of you.    So here is to good health, a bit of wealth and a lot of smile today.   Be good, be kind, be gentle and share a hug with hose you like and love.  Hugs to all.

  

   

Sign

I bet you didn't know that....see, it is okay to talk to yourself....you are not crazy, just smart...but if you get caught talking to yourself folks think you really are crazy.   Can't win!!

a truism.   Time to change the thoughts to positive.

A truism.    worrying solves nothing.    Stop and think about what steps you can take to end the worries....listen to your heart and change the negatives to positives.

A new week is starting and we have a huge moon to check out tonight.   The weather is changing and it feels a bit colder, jacket weather, no more sweater weather.    The rains want to come but seem to threaten but not fall.   A good storm would probably clear the air and let the sunshine back in.   There was a reception at the Gallery yesterday afternoon and it was well attended. I helped set up the table and filled the plates with all kinds of good foods.    The only thing missing this time was the chips...I love chips...have to enter a complaint.  The table looked very nice when we got it all finished.   A good crowd and a hungry one.   We have one man who comes to all the receptions and he comes hungry.   He parks himself at one end of the table and fills his plate several times.   This time he purchased a few trinkets so he paid his dues.   It is hard not to notice him as he attends every reception and comes hungry.    Probably a bachelor and hates to cook for himself.   Maybe he is one who loves to snack and knows that our snacks are the best in town and free.    The little ones are the ones that are fun to watch.  They look over the plates of goodies and have a tough time trying to make up their minds as to what they want first.   Usually they go with the attitude of one for each hand and one in the mouth!! All in all, it was a really good crowd and they came out in spite of the rain.   Our King Louis has done a great job in  remodeling the Gallery.  He has taken down part of a wall and moved some of the larger items around so it has a bit of 'class' and I'd say a bit more open.    There were three guitar players who have been playing together since high school.  They play and sing well together and played constantly throughout the show.   Folks liked them and stayed to listen.    I recognized a couple of the tunes but most of the music I was not familiar with.  No kids at home to keep me up on the latest version of western songs.  I am still humming the old ones...smile.

I am off for my coffee and wake up....I"m hungry so I think I"ll fix a breakfast this morning.  . . or not. . . I still have a muffin or two that needs to be used up.   Come join me. . . I wish!!   Have yourself a good day all day.  Do something wonderful today.    Think of a good deed or two and exercise your right to share with someone you like and love . . . well you do have to like someone in order to love them...smile.    Motivate . . . get started early and do three good deeds today;  a step up and a needed one.    Put some change in your pocket for those little pails that will be around town soon.   The needy are always with us and all those pennies go to make the holidays worth while.    

Be good, be kind, be gentle and above all, be loving.   What is that old adage about do unto others as you would have them do unto you....wise words ....go be that special wonderful person you really are.    Be a lover today, all day....Hugs to all.