Thank you, Mother Nature

The weather the past two days have been pure heaven for me; the kind I hope and pray for... temps in the high-70s-low-80s and low humidity. Today is supposed to be the same. The weather man just called it a bonus day. Change on the way tomorrow. This kind of weather elates me... makes me want, need, to be outside. Some family members are headed to King's Dominion today and I'm thrilled they'll have this day to enjoy. This weather is good for Bailey, too, as he hasn't had his Summer hair cut yet.. (His appointment is in a couple of weeks... harder to get one for him than for me.)  He used to enjoy being outside... doing his business, rolling in the grass, checking out the p-notes left by other dogs, known and unknown. Nowadays, he hardly takes time for anything except leaving p-notes himself... he's so anxious to get back inside to the ladies (and some men) who make so much over him. I should have such a fan club.

My brother is home this week, recuperating from a medical procedure. Thanks to his wife, Mom Nature and the medical staff he is spending time getting back to 'normal.' He broke, albeit unintentionally, one of the rules... baby brothers aren't supposed to need stents.

So little time, so much to enjoy (with apology attached)

Decided to try a new font size... Nope, too big.
Unh-uh, too small.
 Looks like Normal is just right. A new experience for me... I'm not used to being 'normal.' 

Spring has sprung! 
  The grass is riz! I love Springtime in Virginia. The Garden is coming alive and new plantings are being put in. It's always a joy for me to be in the Garden but so wonderful to have the sun shining on new shoots and blossoms.
  The weather man says that a region north of my area may get snow this weekend. Winter's still trying. The past year has been interesting weather-wise. Looks like that may continue.

Dicing maraschino cherries at 2a.m.
   I did it again... fell asleep in the lounge chair and woke up at 12:15a.m. Went to bed and tried to fall asleep but it didn't take. So... I'd planned to do some baking when I got up anyway, so figured I might as well use the time productively. Got busy dicing cherries for the cake and bars I'm going to bake later this morning. Even remembered to take out the butter so it could soften. Aren't I just the organized one. I won't ask what you'd do at 2.m. I've learned not to ask a question unless I reeeely want to know the answer.

My friends and family continue to comfort, surprise and delight me.
   Friends and family members continue to come forward to support me with just the things I need when I need them. Hugs, chuckles, and more. I am so blessed.
  Had all of my children and grans together last weekend for a delayed Holiday gift exchange and to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries for the months January-March. Such fun! All of the grans except for the two youngest have surpassed me in height. It's not that much of an accomplishment as I am vertically-challenged... but such a ping to my system to see how they are growing and getting older. AND I've told them that I'm not old enough to have children and grans their age... they'll just have to tell everyone that they adopted me.

Learned yesterday that Elizabeth Taylor had died.
  Early in my marriage to her son, my mother-in-law told that I looked like Elizabeth Taylor. (Well, in a way I did.) I couldn't decide whether she was complimenting or mocking me. We won't go there. Ms. Taylor lived an interesting life. She helped many people and certainly confounded just as many. She'll be missed by all... except, of course, the ones (longevity-challenged, most of them) who say, "Liz who?"


Oh, the apology...
  When I logged on to do this post, there was a note that a Spam blocker had been put on the Comments and I should periodically check the Spam section. They waited this long to let me know? Couldn't be that I didn't notice the notice, right?  I hadn't thought anyone had made comments and I find ones posted as far back as January 2010! Thus... my apologies to all who are reading my posts. I wasn't ignoring you... I didn't know you existed. I'll try to remember in the future to check more often for comments. I have only 3 'followers' and didn't think anyone else was reading me. I'm so excited! Thank you for taking the time to read my bits.

Conquering a fear and waiting for Spring

I don't remember being afraid of an inanimate object. Sure, I feared a monster in the closet but I wasn't afraid of the closet door. I went through a season of keeping my feet from hanging over the edge of the mattress because there was something under my bed that would grab them at the first chance. That was more a fear of the space under my bed after dark. I had purchased a Multi-slicer for slicing and match-sticking vegetables and decided to use it for the first time a couple of days ago. I had heard and heeded, I thought, the warnings about the extreme sharpness of the blade. I used the guard to hold the potato and keep my fingers away from the danger. On the third pass, over the blade, something jammed and my finger hit the blade. Pain. Blood. More blood. Taking a blood thinner everyday didn't help. Finally staunched the flow, applied antiseptic and a bandage. I felt fear. I was afraid to touch the slicer, sure that it would get me again somehow. I didn't really think it would jump up and attack me if I got near it again, but I didn't go near it that day. What to do? Didn't want to throw it away and definitely didn't want to pass it along to attack someone else. Next day, I decided I was being silly, carefully washed it and replaced it in the box. I was not going to let this thing get the best of me, although I admit it will be awhile before I use it again. But I've been thinking... what if it wasn't the Slicer? What if it was the potato?

We've been having cold weather and I admit I'm ready for it to be over. Thank heaven it hasn't been as bad as they have endured in the northern states. But, I'm in my usual Post-Holiday funk... the lovely lights are no longer lit and the remaining decorations look tired and unappealing. I am so ready for Spring. The first day the temperature rises above 50 degrees, I'm going to open my windows and air out my apartment. The forecast says it may happen tomorrow! The air will be colder at my 7th floor level, but I don't care. Time to get some fresh pollution in here!

The snow is mostly gone from the Garden and elsewhere; just the remnants in shadowed areas and the huge piles of snow that were pushed aside to allow access to roads, parking and buildings. Winter is a good time to see all the things that are hard to see from a distance when the leaves are on the trees and bushes. Also the reason I enjoy driving in Winter... I can see the buildings, fields, lakes and streams that have been hidden from view during the green months.

It is already the middle of January! I'm struck again by the question of how the days can seem long and but the weeks pass so fast.

Matters of weather and taste

The parade started on time at 10 a.m. this morning in miserable weather... cold rain and wind. The grandstand was across the street from my place so I was able to enjoy watching it in dry comfort. My heart went out to all the participants. I've been part of marches in bad weather. The worst part is the standing around, waiting to get on the move. As soon as the whistle blows and the drum beat starts, the adrenaline kicks in. The weather is still miserable but more bearable. And the end is, at last, in sight.

Sometime this past November, supermodel Kate Moss stated that her motto is: "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." Some people have been upset by this as it is a slogan posted on Web sites encouraging girls not to eat. However skinny Miss Moss and others want to feel, I beg to differ. Nothing tastes as good as sharing a meal with family and friends.

To oink or not to oink... that is the question.

Days and days of beautiful weather lately, interspersed with needed mist and rain. Spent several days in the mountains last week highlighted by perfect weather the whole trip. Hot and muggy yesterday during the day; then walked out the door in the early evening and the humidity had disappeared.

Received a call Thursday informing me that I might have been exposed to the Swine... oops!... H1N1 flu. When my doctor's office returned my call, I was told that I should not have a problem... just one question: how was it determined to be H1N1? When the cases of flu created headlines this past Spring, we were told that, given the number of confirmed cases and the cost & time needed to verify, all new cases of flu at that time would be assumed to be H1N1. Does this mean that the pandemic we have been warned to expect will be backed up by the number of real (test verified) as well as the assumed cases? An assumed pandemic?

As for me, I'm fit as a fiddle, fine as frog fur, snug as a bug in a rug, comfortably well off, high as a kite (on life!, on life!), doing great, and all is well with the world. Assuming, that is, that facts don't prove me otherwise.