Pat's Birthday

Saturday Morning and daughter Patricia is having a birthday.    Yes, we will take her out and wine and dine her.    She has not told us where she would like to go.   The fanciest restaurant in town is a bit too rich for her so she has yet to make a choice.     She has been busy planting seeds in her new garden boxes so we are all looking forward to a bumper crop.

I am sitting here thinking of how to describe this daughter of mine.    words like generous, loving, beautiful inside and out, brave and courageous  and I would be just skirting the edges.    She is all of those things and more.    To have Patricia as a friend is awesome, to have her as a daughter is a blessing.  

So all together now...Happy Birthday to YOU,  Happy birthday to YOU.

Yesterday, Patricia set up the big table in the gallery for Ladies Night Out and did a great job.    The crew passed out little shopping bags  and over a hundred and forty folks came up the hill to the gallery and enjoyed the table filled with goodies.    There was a table of painted rocks that disappeared.    Some folks came into the gallery for the very first time and were amazed at the art work.  There were few painted rocks left and you can be sure the goodies disappeared quickly.    It was nice to hear the compliments and the words that they would return.   So many took time to look at the walls of art.   Some of the true natives to this town had never set foot in the gallery and were surprised to find out that the artists not only painted beautiful pictures but made some interesting and fun 'things' to buy.   There are beautiful scarfs;  all kinds of jewelry;   and an array of cards for every occasion, and best of all was the welcome by Sally and Christine who seem to be the leaders and volunteer for anything and everything.    They do work hard for the community.

It is not the amount of space you live in, but the amount of time and love you give the place you are in.    Participate . . . now there is a nice word.    Participate is another word for volunteering a bit of you and your time into community activities either by helping to run an affair or by attending one;  be a presence.   Be a leader and encourage family and friends to follow your lead.    Be kind, be good, be gentle and folks will want to spend quality time with YOU.   Hugs to all.

TGIF

A Hollywood star who has a few chosen words about what is going on today.    I think that once you accept the power seat in any job, especially a Government one, the brain does a flip flop and ceases to work anymore.   It goes into hibernation and the empty light head runs amuck.   

Make a copy and put it on your bumper . . . good advice.   

I am having fun with my children, can hardly wait for son Michael to join us.    And, granddaughter Erin would be a great addition to all the fun and delicious offerings we are enjoying.   Yesterday was a walk through Port Orchard going in and out of the antique stores.    John met Bobbie, the owner of the largest store in town and a member of the Gallery.    Then the owner of one of the smaller shops visited with us and came over to the next shop to talk about the old time knobs they used to carry.  I  gather glass was in at one time and had uncontested beauty.   They are not around any more.   We invited Pat and Christine to join us at the Market for their delicious fish chowder.  Chris got a conference call so had to stay put but Pat joined us and the chowder was delicious.  We got some for Chris and Pat brought it home to her.    All in all we saw some beautiful old 'things' some of which we either gave away or threw away and now find we should have hung on to them.   There is a lot of good value in having something old, too bad it doesn't work with age.  John delighted in telling I was going to have a birthday , if there had been a roving reporter around I'd be headlines on the front of the newspaper.

Happiness is family.   I hope you make a date with your family members and make your corner of the world a happy place.     If fences need mending, get busy.    If you are too busy, relax and smell the roses;   reach out....stretch those arms in a welcome hug and find some true happiness .   Some folks have no idea what a family is. . . so adopt ....get on the road to wonderment.     You only get out of life what you put into it, no more, no less.     So be a building block and get busy today.    A phone call, a note, a word, a hug, um....I want all of that in my life, how about you?   Hugs to all.

May Days

spoken like a true bully;   just cannot be jealous without showing it.

one of my door signs.   This is the front

this is the back of the door sign.   

 

Good morning.   A short note to say hello and wish you well today   Son John has arrived, was at my door and oh those hugs felt so good.   We had some catch up time, took a little ride around and joined Patricia and Christine for a pulled pork sandwich dinner with salad.   Talk about good....if you haven't had one in a while, try it, you will love it.   The conversations never stopped.  Catching up is such fun.   And I get to do it all over again today.

Be good, be kind, be gentle and plan a reunion with those you love as soon as you can. . . there is nothing like it. . . love does make your world go round. I've got my shoes on and am heading out the door...I'll be back.    Hugs to all.

More or Less

Here is a picture to keep in mind when you are thinking of eating....all of these kinds of food are cholesterol making. 
Salami is so tasty but has so much fat in it.  Cheese of all kinds are so delicious but we have to keep the size down to a minimum;  and put it all together in a pizza and you are courting troubles.    It is a bit late for me as I have eaten pizza forever and the damage is done and I think now that son John has arrived we may order in a pizza before the week is over. We will worry about cholesterol tomorrow....

                           

A memory picture...Pat's old back yard in Brookings.   We had many a good time here and we miss the little house and the big yard especially when friends came by and shared a bit of sunshine.

A bit of politics.    Baggage is right....we all have some but these two make a career out of it.  I often wondered what 'gall' looked like, well here is a good picture of it.

John has arrived and I will see him a bit later this morning.    I am glad to know he is here safe and sound and hope his trip was a good one.   I will see him later this morning and can hardly wait.   A year is a long time and his last visit was to settle me here and leave quickly so we really didn't have much time to share.    There is never enough time to share with our children.    I really enjoy the time I do share with them.   How lucky I am that I get the time with them.  

A down day yesterday, nothing special going on.  I had lunch or dinner as it is called with the table mates, each day I never know who is going to fill the chairs....could be the same ones, or all different.   We have one man who does like to sit with us and he is a joy as he loves to talk and is very interested in genealogy .   He has been working on tracing his ancestors for a good year or so now and has come along way.   He seems interested in where they started their journey from and where they settled here in the U.S.   most of his clan seem to stay on the east coast around Virginia.    He found a few up in the New England states and one as far away as Ohio.    Most were farmers, but  he  smiles when he talks of a renegade or two.   He carries a small phone type gadget in his pocket and can look information up immediately.   I am not familiar with the I-pads or I-pods so am not sure what it is called.    He can look up a name and find information or find out what the weather is wherever your interest lies.    A clever gadget and I bet expensive.   My mind is way to lazy to catch up with all the modern conveniences.     I am still back in the Princess Phone stage. 

 

Once again, Vinnie was a no show.   He has been having cold problems which he claims he does not have.   He has one, believe me and a spring cold can hang on all summer.    Several of our ladies have spring allergies, including me, runny eyes and a direct contact with a Kleenex box.   I wish I had bought stock in the Kleenex company.  I  would be a billionaire today.

I visited my neighbor, Evelyn, yesterday afternoon.  She does go up for dinner now and then but prefers to stay in her apartment and does her own shopping for  the special foods she likes to eat.  The problem is she has little or no appetite.  Some of the older women here have no appetite at all and are bone thin.   It seems to go with some of the smaller builds, not sure why, but how they exist is beyond me.   She spends a lot of time alone but I found yesterday she considers me one of her angels...she has a dozen lovely angels that light up, candle like, on her table, all beautiful and I now possess one.   she has decided to collect elephants;  my what a change. Her son is very good to her and watches over her.  He calls every day and comes over once a week to take her out to shop.   She can't see well and cannot walk far but she likes to sit on a bench and watch the people.  Her son does the shopping and takes very good care of her.  She seems to like to shop and she loves to buy things.   Her newest fetish is elephants and she already has two big ones.   A lovely lady, a lonely lady, lost without her mate of some seventy years and more than willing to join him although her time has not come.    Old age has its quirks, some we have no idea why or how they work.    She has no space for her newest collection so it will be interesting to see how she moves things around.    There is a big difference between elephants and angels.

 

So today, if you have a special collection, add to it, go and find a special piece that will make you happy.   I still laugh over saving 'Colonial' people for Christine only to find out she collected dragons....so much I do not know....Patricia collects, but not one special thing but many beautiful and different things.    Me. it's books and pictures.   Everyone needs to collect 'things' as they do bring a bit of light and laughter into your lives.    So be a collector today and go and find something you will treasure.   Be good, be kind, be gentle and don't forget a good deed and share lots of hugs today....make it a 'hug' day. Hugs to all.

 

 

Beauty

Granddaughter Erin early morning exercise.   That is quite a back ground, looks a bit stormy.   She looks very peaceful and serene.  We will miss having her here while her uncles are about.   She is going to miss out on  some of the fun.    Maybe we will be lucky and get to see her before the year is over.

A very unusual picture of a street in Venice with a shored up doorway and steps underwater.   I did see a little of Venice and the Bridge of Sighs and St. Mark's Cathedral.   I wish I could have seen much more.    Time ran out after our visit to the shops. Here is a little poem I wrote when I returned home.
 
Venice
"We caught a little ferry boat/sailed in murky seas/to visit the Doges Palace/and St. Mark's in the square. to find the storm had left behind/two feet of water there.
Iron horses holding planks, made a path for us, we inched along, to the church and saw the walls of gold, but it was kind of scary as the floors felt very spongy, and the carpets very old.
It was disappointing, not to have a gondola ride, and be serenaded by a smiling Venetian guide, but the seas were turbulent and high.
Visiting the little shops made everything all right as we found some treasures to take home on our flight."
 

Son John should get a big laugh out of this cartoon.   He used the word enter when teaching me how to use the computer but it was not on the screen where he told me to keep my eyes glued....well he never said keyboard.

A picture to make your heart swell.     The miracle of life ....You can see she is going to be a daddy's girl.

A quiet day at Ridgemont yesterday all day and evening.    Vinnie had places to go so waved as he went by.  He bums a ride to the shopping area once a week and it is one of the highlights of his week.    He is trying to cut calories and is doing really good but I bet you that he had ice cream in his bags.   He lights up like a Christmas tree when ice cream is around.   I did go for my walk to the corner and back.   I had hoped the young school boys were practicing baseball in the field but no luck.  It was quiet and empty.    There is a parking lot above the field so I could park right there in my walker and watch a game.  I'll have to find out when they practice and take a peek.  The rest of the folks were quiet and went to their apartments to rest.  Some are not feeling up to par and sleep seems to be their only recourse.    I wish they would think of a walk, at least around the building, but some are just not walkers.    Sleep is good for the body, but too much of anything is not good for anything...so the old adage goes.

 

Did you know that Costco sells Chinese Pot-stickers in a big bag ....The girls shared some with me and I fixed some for my dinner last evening.    They were easy to cook up.   And, I might add, tasty.    Not as much fun as having them out in a Chinese restaurant but nevertheless made up a good little dish.    Not the same as with the rest of the dinner of course.  They were okay but I would rather have the Chan's Special;  never satisfied.!!  So when I shop today, I wont put them on my list..smile.

 

Son John is due in very late tonight   We will give him a day or two to catch up with himself and then he and I are going to take a few days of a day trip or two and may go down to Oregon.  Not sure what the plans are yet.  So there will not be a daily blog, but when I do blog you will hear all about our fun in the sun...and hopefully a walk on an Oregon beach.  I'm ready.

 

So today, put on your shoes and go for a walk even if it is only around the block.    You just never know who you will bump into and if your lucky it may be someone with a yen for a big hug just for you.    Meet and greet your neighbors.  Make the flow of words meaningful when you admire the work they put into their yards.    Some may be planning a nice be vegetable garden and you may get a treat or two.    You could offer to weed and earn your keep.   But. sharing friendship tops the list and makes your world a much better place.    Make it a top of your list idea today and see what happens before the day is over and done with.    Pass on a smile, a hug and spread a bit of cheer in your corner of the world.    Be good, be kind, be gentle and extend those arms in a warm embrace of friendship and love.   Hugs to all.

 

 

 

 

News

Friend Marge has found a good use for a lovely little entrance cart for displaying her flowers.  

Grandma Jennifer with her grandson.   What a cute.

Here is the new mom, Brianna.   That is some fancy meal for a new mom.   How proud she is of her new son; such happiness a new baby brings to our world.    And to think  used to baby sit this young lady; where has all that time gone?  Congratulations to the new parents and grandparents.

A truism,  age is a number, who ever thought one could count so high?  Just be sure to exercise and keep your balance strong so you can get up if you fall.  Nice try, know if you fall you have to have a lot of help getting back up.  Some folks talk about a spring to your step;  know you need that spring is needed elsewhere too.

 

The ladies spent a day at the Gallery yesterday signing up the amateur artists for the weekend show.  About seventy signed up and brought in their work to display   I am looking forward to seeing all of the art work and find out who wins an award.     There is a lot of talent here in Port Orchard.  

 

The weather is beautiful, great walking weather.    I made it up to the corner and back, then opened the apartment up when I got back to let some fresh air circulate.    I put my feet up and watched an old Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn movie which brought back a memory or two of the fun movies of yesteryear.    It was good to laugh out loud.

 

   We went out for a salad dinner at the Lighthouse  along with the plate of nachos.  It was fun to  sit by the water and relax.   Buying produce for a salad is quite expensive.  Some dishes are cheaper out rather than in.   Or maybe we are all getting lazy and spend less time in the kitchen.     After seventy years of cooking one deserves a break. Prices are outrageous whether you eat in or out.    Cooking is fun for the  most part, it is the planning of what to have that creates the biggest problem.   Soon, if you have not already started, the outside grill gets to do the work and we enjoy all kinds of delicious offerings.   Even hot dogs taste good from the grill.    Paper plates, paper cups, no mess, no work, and good eating;  yep, summer fare, it is always a season to be enjoyed.    So start planning now and invite some folks over to share as you play host and relax in the warmth of the sunshine days of the summer that is just beginning.    The best part is in the sharing of friendship and love , so plan your menus and your guest list and enjoy each weekend until you get a vacation break and get to do it every day.  Summer fun, who could ask for anything more!

 

So today be a lover of fine art and food;  a combination that is a winner.    Relax and Refresh . . . a bit of R&R . . . it is the plotting and planning that begets a successful summer and it is just beginning.   I see that smile from here.  Remember to be kind, gentle, loving and embrace your family and friends like there is no tomorrow.    Hugs to all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MAY

Levi and his two daughters admiring the big fish that didn't get away.

What I do not understand is why our so called representatives do not follow through with impeaching a president who has thumbed his nose at them and us for the last seven and a half years. 

An interesting old tree stump has the makings of an eagle.

A felted owl, clever and cute.

 

Happy May Day.  I'd like to hang a tiny basket of goodies on your door knob and make you smile;  know  I am sending loving thoughts and verbal hugs your way.    The fifth month, the month of flowers blooming and warmth stealing in to earth to make way for the planting and all of the Spring chores before the Summer heat and lazy days.   May is special to us as both daughter Patricia and I have birthdays.   We intend to celebrate, wouldn't miss a chance to 'kick up our heels' and ignore the numbers . 

 

Christine surprised me with a visit last evening and I got to hear all about her trip to Houston.  It sounds like they have hot and humid weather and think walking is a chore.  She loves her morning latte and walked a block and a half to get one every morning.  She tells me no one walks in Houston.  She had plenty of work to do while there and was proud of all she accomplished.   It all sounded interesting and familiar and reinforced my love of retirement.   She looked very tired so hopefully she will take a day or two off and do a lot of nothing.    I found out her title is "Chief of Operations"  sounds complicated and busy work and she enjoys every minute of it.   I have been Chief of No Operations for some time now and wouldn't have it any other way.  She got to renew acquaintances and met a few of the newer members.    She did go out to a restaurant or two but had nothing good to say about the menus.   She did say they don't seem to know what salad makings are.   She laughed telling me how the cats were happy to see her and brought her up a big piece of paper to prove it. 

 

It was a quiet day here at Ridgemont yesterday.   I walked out and went up to the corner and back.  It is probably four long city blocks, cars rushing by on the highway with a divider break in between.    The young boys were over at the ball field getting ready to practice.    I picked up a buttercup and admired its beauty.   There are some dandelions   in full bloom in the grassy area in front of one of the huge 'in care' homes.    I checked my mail box and found a clothing catalog so sat on the bench in front of  our building and took a peek at it.  It was much to nice to go upstairs to the apartment.  When I did decide to go back upstairs I took time to check out the puzzle which has gotten to that tough stage where all the pieces look alike n color and shape and defy you from finding the right piece...all dark of course.   

 

Here it is Sunday and it looks like it is going to be a very nice day.     I hope you find your weather to be bright and sunny, and you invite some family members and friends over for a treat today.    Take time to share YOU with those you love and like.    Remember to do at least one good deed today.    Treat someone to a special root beer float and some conversation.  "Share" has a nice ring to it.   So SHARE YOU TODAY.   Hugs to all.