On the road

While traveling I-64 a couple of weeks ago I came upon a model of car I hadn't seen before. At first it looked like a large egg; then I realized it looked more like a very large canned ham on wheels. It was a pretty sparkle-ly blue with (imitation) chrome accents. I soon got close enough to see the name on it... Snort. Snort? Surly they didn't name a car Snort. Finally got my eyes coordinated and saw that it was actually a Smart car. I've heard of those... ecologically good and cute besides, and small. I do have one problem with it. These cars are made of plastic (weight reduction for gas savings). BUT semis and dump trucks are still made of metal. Heavy metal. No contest in a close encounter. When they start making the big guys out of plastic too, I'll think about getting a Smart car.

Further down the road, something hit my car. I looked to see if the windshield was cracked... nope. And no cars or trucks anywhere near me... nothing to have flung a missile at my car. Then I saw some things fly into the road in front of me. It was a blustery, gusty day and the trees were lobbing pine cones at the highway! Mother Nature's way of saying we can pave all we want to but she'll have the last word?

I imagine it's this way in most large city/urban areas... travel a street far enough and the name has changed a few times. My personal road became 'Rt. C' almost five years ago. It started out rough, rutted and unpaved, but with the grace of wonderful care-givers, family, friends and newly available medications, it became a much smoother ride. Some large new potholes have appeared but I'm confident that they'll be filled as before.

I've gotten a new back-seat rider to travel with me... a 7-1/2lb, 5-month-old bundle of cuteness who I've named Bailey. He is a Shitz Tzu and a wonderful traveler. He does get a workout at home. He feels he has to keep me in sight at all times, so every time I move between rooms, he follows. If I am doing anything that doesn't involve giving him food or treats, he sits, patiently waiting for me to wander again.

I was talking with my daughter last week and she began to apologize for not calling more often. She said she hoped good intentions counted. I told her I understood and appreciated the thoughts. All my life I've heard that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. At this point, I have constructed a six-lane freeway. But I'm not alone. I mentioned to my brother that I have been meaning to call our Uncle Marvin in Missouri since January 1st! He said it has been a while since he'd spoken with him too... let him know what Uncle Marvin had to say.

I've signed up on a couple of sites that offer price reductions for various things... food, lodging, services, etc. Got an email the other day from one of them offering a half-price deal on a Brazilian Wax. Not a road I'll be taking.

Seeing myself as others see me

Saw two photos of myself on another blog this morning. They were taken by a professional photographer... a very good photographer. The photos are un-posed and un-retouched. They show my sagging cheeks and jowls... the folds in my face and neck. I blame it on the fact that I've lost weight and fat no longer provides filler (obviously no Botox or filler injections for me). I didn't realize I had so many folds and crinkles in my skin. They certainly don't show up in my bathroom mirror. Just goes to prove what I've always said.... "I'm much more attractive than I appear."

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.

The gods were cutting it close this time

Nowadays, I operate on an 'only get it if I really want/need it' philosophy. I'm trying to downsize my belongings, so I've stopped going into stores that have pretty things that I'd like to get but definitely don't need. For the rest, if I see something and I'm not 100% sure it's a 'must have,' I wait until the next time... if I've thought about it and it's still there, then I get it. This past week I had visual proof that I wasn't supposed to have it.

I had been in one of my favorite thrift stores a couple weeks ago (Thrift For Life, proceeds to the Massey Cancer Center) and had seen a handbag I considered getting. I was only 90% sure so I didn't get it that day. I had occasion to go to the store again this past Wednesday and decided I'd get the bag if it was still there. I followed a woman into the store. She walked straight to the bag display, picked up the bag, looked inside, and went to the counter to pay for it. In my mind I could hear her gods telling her "Hurry! She's right behind you! Get it!" My gods were saying "Nah nanny boo boo."

Tidbits

I don't know why I'm still amazed at the pace at which time is passing. It's hard for me to realize that the second month of 2011 is almost gone. I know it's cliche' but the days seemed so much longer when I was a child. Then again, I didn't have all the electronic devices available today. I've noticed that having my face buried in an electronic screen can eat up my time in large chunks without my being aware of it's passing. Oh, well... everything has at least two dimensions...  pretty/ugly, up/down, good/bad... you get my drift.


I finished the last of Peggy (see previous posting) last evening... made a small, great-tasting pot of navy beans for my dinner. I was hungry and needed to have food in my stomach to take my medication. Enjoyed the beans; forgot to take the med.

I ran into one of my favorite acquaintances last month. I hadn't seen her in a while. When I teased her about not inviting me to her church, she told me she would be singing a solo, she thought, on February 20th. I went to her church yesterday morning. The reason I hadn't been seeing her in the lobby?  She had moved out. In October last year. Enjoyed the church service. She didn't sing.

I have to keep my calendar updated so as not to miss any of my 'To-Dos and Go-Tos.' Missed a doctor appointment a couple of weeks ago. It was on my calendar; forgot to look at it for that day.

My car is still going. Just. Have an appointment to take it in this morning for diagnostics and repairs. I suspect and dread a dire diagnosis. I trust the auto service personnel to know what they are doing and to not over-charge me when they do it.

My family is still going strong... adults, grandchildren, nieces and nephews... all going, growing, learning, doing. All have busy, and I hope, fulfilling lives. I just don't see them as often as I would like.

Some people have friends that they have known and loved for years. I don't. But over the past few years, I have made friends (and still have them) who are intelligent, artistically talented, witty, caring, and giving. I know that any or all of these friends will be there for me if/when I need them. I hope they know the same about me. Eat your heart out, Blanche Dubois.

A ham named Peggy and a dearth of crap

My family 'holiday' get-together was last weekend and I had purchased the ham. When buying a real Smithfield ham, you are truly buying a pig in a poke. All you can do is heft and squeeze and try to guess if it will be a good one. I bought one weighing 15.27 pounds... hey, I wanted to be sure there would be enough for everyone. My daughter helped me heft it into the soaking water and later put it into the oven. Let me tell you about this ham. It had one narrow bone running through it. There was very little fat on or in the ham. I have never seen so much meat on a ham. When it came out of the oven and I had trimmed it, I told my daughter that we should name it 'Peggy' because "eeese so preeety." It sat on the kitchen counter and we sliced and picked at it all afternoon and evening until we finally put it away for the night. Even though soaking had reduced the amount of salt in the ham, we ate so much that I had visions of all of us waking the next morning swelled up like blimps. We sure enjoyed that ham.

Later, while telling some friends about Peggy, I was reminded of a story that had tickled my brother and me years ago...

Seems a city man was taking a drive in the country, enjoying the sights of the countryside. As he passed a farm, he noticed a three-legged pig leaning against the fence next to the road. As he drove on, he kept thinking about that pig. He finally turned around and drove back to the farm where he had seen the pig. Finding the farmer, he asked how the pig had ended up with just three legs.

"Let me tell you about that pig," the farmer said. "One night while we were all asleep, that pig started squealing and kicking at our bedroom door. When I got up, I discovered the house was on fire. That pig saved me and my family."

When the farmer didn't continue his explanation, the city man asked, "But, what about the pig?"
"Let me tell you about that pig," said the farmer. " I was out in a back field plowing and the tractor rolled over and trapped me under it. That pig ran back to the house and squealed until my wife followed it to where I was and she got help to get me out from under that tractor."

Again the city man asked, "But, what about the pig?"
"Let me tell you about that pig," said the farmer. "One day my son was swimming in the cow pond and started sinking. That pig ran up to house and squealed until we followed him down to the pond and got my son out of the water. That pig saved my son's life."

"But what about the pig?!"
"Well, Son," said the farmer. "A pig that good ya don't eat all at once."

Back in November, my daughter and I had gone to Target and were looking at the games while my grand-daughters perused the toy aisles. We found a new trivia game called "Fact or Crap." I immediately fell in love with the name. I didn't get the game that day but was determined to buy it soon. This past Sunday, I took the grand-daughters shopping (a touch of boredom and gift cards burning holes in purses). We went to Target. I had told my oldest grand-daughter about the game and thought I'd buy it for us to play when we returned home. We searched the game shelves and didn't see it. I noticed an empty space on the top shelf and I told her I bet that was were the game had been. I was right. When I looked at the label identifying the empty space, it said "CRAP." When I could stop laughing, I told my grand-daughter that, apparently "It's official... Target has sold all their crap."

Looking forward to good eats in 2011

The Cooking Channel and Food Network have nothing on the chefs in my family. Virtually all my family members have mastered must-have dishes for our get-together meals. And I have advanced to status Master Eater. I have been thrilled to discover that even with my taste buds altered by medication, I can savor all of my families' delights... YUMM!

My oldest daughter often prepares Shrimp Fettuccine or Chef's Salad with Chicken when I visit. Almost forgot to mention her BLT Salad.
...her son has mastered Mini Burgers.
...just thinking about her husband's grilled or smoker eats makes me salivate. And he is bar-tending wizard.

My son operates a mean grill.
... his wife is a Master Cake Baker and Decorator. Give her a picture of anything and she can duplicate it in batter and icing.
... their girls are chefs-in-training

My youngest daughter delights with Venison Roast and Stew and Oven-BBQ Ribs.
...her youngest daughter makes a Chocolate Chess Pie to die for.
...her oldest daughter whips up From-Scratch Brownies that make all boxed brands taste like chocolate-flavored cardboard.
...her oldest son bakes Mexican Wedding Cookies.
...her youngest son makes a mean Lasagna.

My baby brother puts just the right char on hamburgers and hot dogs whenever the weather allows firing up his grill. (Hmmm... I'm sensing a theme here... males with grills). He also makes the best Boy Scout Stew (also called Hobo Packets).
...his wife has always had to prepare BBQ beans whenever we eat together, and her dressing is a must at Thanksgiving. (She graciously gave me her recipe but, good as it is, it must be prepared by her hand to taste the best.) This year she has added the best biscuits to her menu. Not to mention that we will require her Coconut Pound Cake at all holiday gatherings in the future.
...his sister-in-law makes Pumpkin Pie and Deviled Eggs that barely make it into the house before they disappear.

Serendipity has continued to be active in my life this year, bringing me chance meetings and connections to people about whose whereabouts and conditions I have been wondering... not to mention parking spaces in front of or near to the entrances of places I've gone for various reasons.

My 2011 New Year's Hopes list remains the same as for this year. One of these days, I will learn to para diddle.

My favorite nephew and his wife celebrated their wedding anniversary this past week. When they got married nineteen years ago, my niece-to-be asked me to provide the music for the wedding. I was so honored. I asked if she had anything special she would like me to play and she requested a song by an artist that I enjoyed too. I had already learned one of his piano solos and confidently practiced memorizing the one she had asked for. Did I mention that I still get stage-fright, even after 60 years(!) of performing in public? This may be a factor in her answer when I asked if she had enjoyed her song... she told me, "Yes," but that I had played the wrong one. If they decide to renew their vows sometime in the future, I'm not counting on being the musician of choice.

Happy New Year!