A Mystery On My Hands

 Of all the things to happen! 

I have a mystery on my hands and I know I will never have the answers but it has kept me and others trying to fit the pieces of this puzzle together.

Daughter Susan texted me that I had a box at my front door. She'd gotten the notification that it had been delivered. Oh goody... my Valentine's gift one day late but that was Fed Ex's fault. 

screenshot of the notification Susan got. 

I walk to the door, open it, there is no box there. The picture Susan recieved definately showed that box sitting at my door. Not 10 minutes has passed so where did that box go? 

Susan started making calls, I walk down past other apartments knowing full well that it was NOT put at someone else's door.

Did someone walk by in those 10 minutes and grab themselves a valentine gift? Did the deliverer take the picture to prove he'd delivered it but then left with it? Maybe he had a sweetheart that he'd forgotten to buy a gift for. No one knew. 

I live in the last apartment on the 3rd floor. Not much foot traffic goes by my place. It just didn't make sense. 

Fast forward to Sunday morning. I get up late. it's windy so I open my front door to check to see if the wind has blown my door wreath off and so help me hannah... there is my box of Sheri's Berries propped up against the wall. 

I pick it up. It's not been opened but the entire box feels damp. It was raining outside but my door is several feet from the rain. Where has this box been? Why is it damp? Did someone's conscience get the better of them and they returned it? I'll never know! Dang, I wish I had a ring doorbell camera!! 

The berries inside the box had evidently been shaken around a bit... but man, are they good!! 

But, it will always haunt me... this mystery of mine! 

Valentine's Day Party

 First of all, I was so delighted to find that I am not in the minority about loving my alone time! The comments you left on my last post just made me feel all 'warm and cozy'. I found out that I am not alone but have an army of women out there that think like I do! Wow, that's powerful.

Today is Valentine's Day! We had a party scheduled downstairs and when I got there I was welcomed by daughter Shirley with a beautiful bouquet. She said that her Dad told her to buy them as a gift from him to me. Of course, that never happened as he has been gone 14 years. But, whenever she passes the turn-off road to the cemetery where he lies, she talks to him. And, she swears that he told her to buy me flowers. Hey, I'm not arguing with that.  He would if he was here and I know that in my heart! 

Our party was lots of fun. We had lunch (chicken wings, sliders, fruit and cake). We played bingo, guessed how many kisses were in a jar, exchanged valentines, just a good time all around. 

Shirley obtained gift cards from Chic-fil-a for our bingo prizes. That was such a treat for us and really kind of them to provide those. I won two games so I guess I will be treating Shirley to lunch at Chic-fil-a in the near future!! My treat!! ha ha. 

Here are the winners! Instead of having us say 'cheese' Shirley told us to say 'bingo' and some of us was still in the process of getting that word out of our mouth when the shutter clicked! 

We guessed how many Hershey's kisses there were in a jar. Guess who won? 

Yep.

Me.

I said 237 and I was the closest in number. I donated all my kisses to the 'community room' candy jar. I surely didn't need that stuff in my apartment tempting me! 

Some of our 'lovely' Party goers!

I certainly hope that all of you had something special today from someone who loves you. And, that you gave it right back. 

Love you all! 

The Difference Between Solitude and Loneliness!

My daughter Shirley is a people person!

She has to have daily contact, lots of chatting, going places, doing things. She wears me out! haha

Me.... I tend to be a loner!

I can spend days all by myself just having a grand ole time. 

So, of course, she's always encouraging me to get out, go to lunch with friends etc. And, I butt heads with her telling her I am fine! 

So, I wrote down my thoughts of the difference in our personalities, our needs, the way we see our lives. Here it is. 

 "There's a difference between loneliness and solitude. Loneliness is a part of you that needs people around you, somewhere to go, noise, activity. When you don't have that, you feel deserted. Solitude is being ok to be alone. It's being comfortable in your own skin, being your own best friend, knowing that you are good enough - all by yourself." (WLBarton)

Time for a 'smell good' change!

When it's wintertime we often get 'down in the dumps'. So, what would get us outta this funk?

Buying something new.... just for us! RIGHT!

I got online and ordered me some new perfume. It's actually cologne (a bit cheaper that way).

It came yesterday and I ripped open that box, opened the containers and started spraying myself. 

Charlie went on one arm!

Elizabeth Taylor's Gardenia on the other! 

I immediately felt fancy, feminine, free. UH? Where did that funk go? 

Chased away by the delicious aromas surrounding me, that's where. 

I was getting low on my 'smell good' fragrances. One was Estee Lauder's Beautiful and the other was La Roche's Femme. 

My sweet husband brought a bottle of Femme to me on his return from a Navy cruise in the Carribean years ago. It always brought back such sweet memories for me. But, time for a change, I am thinking. 

The reason for me getting the Gardenia? I am Southern through and through and if there is a southern flower that everyone loves it's gardenias. Just thought I'd play a bit on my southern roots there, play the southern damsel dabbling cologne behind her ears. A gentleman two doors down from me has a potted gardenia bush outside his door and when it's blooming I will stop and sniff the  blossoms every time I pass by. 

A Love Affair With Paris

 I'd gotten pretty discouraged and down-in-the-dumps over all this dental work and was in a pretty low place the other day. As she always does, Shirley was attempting to pull me up outta that hole.

She says 'now, you can't say you're too old, you can't or you aren't able.' Okay I answer.

'Where would you love to go if you want to?' 

Well, that's a no-brainer!

I  said. 

You see, my love affair with Paris started back in 1985 when Susan (who had started modeling in New York) needed to go to Paris to get work for her portfolio. It's the dead of winter, there's one way air tickets to Brussels for $99. Remember those days!!! So, we took off. We'd never been to Europe before so this was quite an adventure.

We land at the Brussels airport after having flown what seemed like all night. People milling about the plane cabin, no sleep ... besides we were filled with excitement and anticipation. Had a couple hours wait 'til the train took off for Paris. 

It's nearly nightime by the time we got to our hotel (by their time zone). We walked into the door, no reservations (boy, were we naive) but he did have a room. We lugged our baggage up a black wrought iron staircase, down a long, dark hall and was shown into a room which I would describe as a cabin in the woods kind of establishment. Wooden single beds covered in those old scratchy woolen like blankets, (sort of like what you'd throw over a horse), We had a large wardrobe, a chair, a phone on the wall and that was about it.

I'd been so proud of myself for having bought a Frommer book 'See Europe on $5 a day' or some such thing. Picked a hotel out of it's pages 'cause it advertised that the staff spoke English (a definate requirement). And, here we are stuck in a place that is like a hostel. The one bathroom for the entire floor was down the hall. 

We are so exhausted we didn't care! We lay down on the hard beds, pulled that scratchy blanket over us and realize that these French people don't heat these places very well. So, I pile our coats and anything else I could find over us and we fell asleep.

Well, nature called in the middle of the night so I get up and head down that long hallway to find the bathroom. I feel around for the light switch.... it's a knob that you turn but it gave me a bit of light. I'm sitting there taking care of business shivering... the dang window is up near the ceiling and it's open. Did I say it was January? About that time the room turns pitch-dark. That 'knob' was a timer for the lights. The French are cheapskates, too. I do make it back to the room safely.

And, Susan is sitting up in her bed so I said 'Susan?'. No answer. I call her again. Nothing. I shake her shoulder, no response. She is sound asleep. So, I just pushed her back on the pillow and she slept right on. 

I guess you are scratching your head about now... how was this part of a love affair with Paris. Doesn't sound like it to me, does it you? But, it was.... We had just gotten there and there was so much more to come. 

By then I was busy thinking about Paris and what I'd do if I could go back. Yes, I am too old! At least I think I am. But, it pulled me partway outta that hole i'd dug for myself. 

Snowflakes and Ground Hogs.

 Feb. 2nd... Groundhog Day, they say. Don't know where that tradition started or why. I just know that I don't believe that an animal who is too stupid to get out of the middle of the highway when a car is gonna crush it, is smart enough to predict the weather! 

So, P. Phil (can't spell the name of that town in Pennsylvania where this groundhog lives) says there's going to be more winter. Well, heck, I could have told you that and I'm not a groundhog!

So, prepare yourselves if you are living in wintertime right now, don't pack up your coats and mittens just yet. 

                                                                

                    Speaking of snowflakes!

Shirley led a snowflake decorating class here at the Commons for about a dozen of us eager beavers!

We decorated snakeflake and frosty the snowman cookies. Every one had a great time. One participant ate all of his cookies after he decorated them! He left no evidence behind! 

For those of you following my dental disasters!

I go Tuesday to have my bridge reglued, again! 

UGH!