Of weight and words

Loosing weight in unexpected places...
In recent weeks I've discovered several areas that I hadn't thought of as far as weight-loss was concerned. One day recently the weather was warm enough to wear a pair of sandals. I slipped on my favorite pair and found they were so loose that walking in them was a hazard. I refuse to give them up so now wear them with socks (not white ones).

I hadn't thought of having fat on my head, although I've lost my chubby cheeks and my neck waves in the breeze. Now every time I look in the mirror my ears seem to be getting bigger and sticking out further. I can move them up and down. If I could just learn to flap them I might not have to worry about the price of gas.

It was really time to get a new bra. I obviously needed a different size. It's been awhile since I went bra shopping and tried on several, trying to find one that didn't require stuffing with socks. I finally got one that fit... at a price that almost made me swallow my tongue. Trust me... these babies haven't been this high since I first grew them.


A book I can't handle...
I checked out Elizabeth George's new book, Believing the Lie. It's a long book, at least 2-1/2 inches thick and, to me, weighs more than a 5-pound bag of sugar. The library had added a clear plastic cover to the jacket, making it even harder for me to pick up. After dropping it several times while trying to pick it up, the last time just barely missing my foot, I decided I needed to return it... I didn't want to break its spine or my foot.


Sometimes there just aren't any words...
Back during one of our February spring days, I was in a group of cars waiting at a stop. My eyes finally settled on the van in front of me. I was behind a plumbing company van. Its bright white color un-smudged and un-dinged. The logo with company info was tastefully done in black ink and smart font. The light changed and as the van pulled away from me I was able to see their slogan, printed above the bumper: "We herd your turds so you don't have to."

New season, new experiences

Realized it has been over a month since my last post... life and time flying by. The biggest change for me has been in my mobility. Muscle weakness has effected my ability to stand for more than short periods at a time; walking is now a short-distance-only exercise... no more roaming the malls for me. All of which has led to my obtaining a cane to help prevent crumpling to the floor. I was given a Rollator (the walker with a seat) by a dear lady. It is solidly built and unfortunately I'm too weak to heave it into and out of my car... thus I use the cane for excursions outside my building. I've also made use of the wheelchairs that some stores provide for customers. In the past when I was tired, I had sometimes looked longingly at the electric carts available in some stores. I now have a legitimate reason to use them. (Be careful what you wish for.) I'm thinking of getting an Oooga horn to move people out of my way.

Mini-rant alert...
I have gotten so I hate most grocery stores. The one I had shopped at most has become an irritant as they don't place items where I think they should be located. That's assuming, of course, that they haven't stopped carrying the items I'm looking for. Then there's that matter of shrinking portions. I purchased two small portions of my favorite side item... 'small' being the operative word. While I was eating one of them I realized that the container was very shallow. The portion is at least one-quarter to one-third smaller than it was a little over a month ago. Of course the price is the same. Grrrr. Went shopping the other day at another grocery store and every item on my list except for two were on the top shelf. Double-Grrrr.


A pretty good, very nice day...
The weather today was pleasant. I felt a little stronger. I had stopped by a grocery store to make a last-minute purchase before heading to visit a friend. When I returned to my car, a younger woman said, "Excuse me. I'm parked in that car (indicating the car past the one next to me... uphill of mine on the inclined lot)." At this point I thought she was going to ask for money. Instead, she told me that while she was loading her groceries into her car, the cart had gotten away from her and had hit the front of my car... would I please check it for damage. It took me a moment but I finally noticed that the license plate had a raised crease in the side. I told her not to worry about it... easily fixable. It took her a moment or so to realize that I wasn't going to throw a hissy fit and she wasn't going to have to make a claim against her insurance. She apologized again a couple of times then returned to her car with an obvious sense of relief. I spent the rest of the day with a warm glow... glad that I could relieve her concern and pleasantly surprised that she had waited for me to return to my car so she could tell me about it. My warm feeling went splat later in the evening when I realized I had forgotten to thank her for telling me. (Sigh.) Lord knows I try, I really do.

My day continued with my visit to my friend's home. We sat in her backyard garden, chatted, drank tea and coffee, and munched on goodies. She and her husband had been trimming some of their small trees and I told her husband that if he found a nice sturdy cutting, he could make a walking stick for me. I am now the proud possessor of a sassafras limb cut to my size and already tried and proved. My friend's garden is lovely. I have told her that I'm going to haunt her garden. If sometime in the future she sees a bluish-white specter floating amidst her flora during the night, not to worry, it'll just be me.


Gee, my family is getting old...
My youngest granddaughter will be celebrating her 8th birthday this coming Monday. Her oldest sister (also my oldest granddaughter) is working, taking college classes, and planning her wedding.

I'm still getting a giggle out of this one...
I attended the Maundy Thursday service at my friend's church. They were having a short service including dinner and Communion. This is a denomination that uses real wine for Communion and serves it with their meals. When they started to open the wine, they realized that they had no corkscrew. My friend was preparing to go to her home two blocks away to get one when I remembered that I had a Swiss-type knife, with corkscrew included, in the console of my car... it's been in there for years. I'm surprised I remembered it. She retrieved it from my car and the service and dinner progressed as planned.

I was raised in a denomination that uses grape juice for 'The Lord's Supper.' When I was young, I was convinced that the ladies who purchased the juice did their best to get the sourest juice they could find. You know the kind... makes your throat clench when you take your sip. And I was the one who saved the day.
 
My friend told me today that one of the men at the service said, "She has a corkscrew in her car?" Tee-hee.

Short and sweet

The snowstorm this past weekend was short-lived but produced lovey vistas out my window. There are still patches of leftover snow (seed snow?) and piles of snow in areas that were scraped, but a very soft storm for us.

One evening last week, I fell asleep in my lounger with an open box of assorted chocolates in my lap. I woke up in the wee hours the next morning with the box flipped up against my chest and two large pieces melting in my lap. I looked at those pieces in my lap for a moment then scooped up one melting, gooey piece and ate it. Don't judge me. It was one of my favorite pieces. And no dog hair attached.

Can't make a comment?

Several gracious readers of Just Jane have let me know that they've had problems trying to 'comment' to the blog. Try an easier way.... send your comments to me by my email address:

www.serendipityb@verizon.net

That should make it easier to get your comment to me. And it will let me know if someone/anyone is paying attention and cares. I promise to be more diligent in checking my email.
Thanks,
Just Jane

Good just gets gooder

The family post-holiday holiday get-together was better than I had even anticipated. The ham was as even better than last year's... just enough fat and lots of meat, cooked to perfection. I discovered that only two of my grandchildren are still shorter than I am... hadn't realized that I'd shrunk that much... I'm beginning to feel like an elf. Got to see my oldest granddaughter's beautiful engagement ring, which she received on New Year's Eve in New York. Her fiance chose it himself. Good job! Also got to meet her future in-laws... wonderful people... warm and witty. I can see why their son is such a special young man. The girl cousins spent an hour or two checking out the wedding frou-frou available for view on a laptop. And of course, the kids enjoyed the gift swap (the adults enjoyed it too)... tho it was not really a swap as we had drawn names last year. It was cold but sunny... good winter weather.

For the December 25th Christmas, my son-in-law received a Kindle Fire and my daughter got a Nook. She was so busy that she didn't get a chance to demonstrate it for me. My son-in-law, however, was eager to show us all his new toy... very nice. I am content with my first-generation Kindle but he is convinced I have secret pangs of Kindle envy.

I've often said I'm 'a day late and a dollar short.' It has happened again. I've always loved to dance but never had many chances to indulge. (I've been embarrassed a few times getting caught in a store aisle moving to the music.) I also wanted to find an exercise program that I'd enjoy enough to stick with, but never could... even Tai Chi, my favorite, was not one I could make myself stick to on my own. Now that I'm too weak to indulge, they have finally come up with Zumba. I definitely would stick with that if I could. Oh, well... I'm still dancing in the aisles... even if only in my mind.

New year... new experiences

"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ' I've lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along' You must do the thing you think you cannot do." 

- Eleanor Roosevelt

My new year has already given me marvelous memories. On December 31, last year, I was part of a New Year's party with the talented, giving women of From the Heart. (More about them in future posts.) I realized that I really consider that the beginning of my new year. We knew we'd all probably be in bed by 10pm that night, so we celebrated from 10am until 2pm. The food was tasty and the communion of friends wonderful... a great way to start this year.

I'm preparing to gather with my family to celebrate our post-holiday 'holiday.' I think I've mentioned before how all the adults are great cooks. I'm looking forward to more good food and fellowship with most of my favorite relatives.

Last week, my doctor looked me in the eye and said something I never thought I'd ever hear someone say to me. He told me that I am losing too much weight; I need to eat more. I have a witness. I'm trying to be grown up about this, but I am, after all, only human... Neener Neener!