Bits and Pieces

 I've been piddling with writing since I was in high school. I knew it was there, deep inside me, and I think it is still there but sometimes it forgets it way. The reason I think that... 

I started writing a book about a girl named Ruthie who lives in a mining camp. I have several chapters written, nearly 200 pages but then there was a brick wall between me and that book. I am not sure why. Do any of you  write? Do you ever have 'writer's block?' If so, how the heck did you get out of it. Maybe I need to check with ChatGPT to see what they suggest! I know how the book goes, just can't make my fingers hit the keyboard!!

The snow is gone! Mostly.... There is one strip of pine trees between the pond and the main road and that strip is still covered in snow. 

I got out Sunday. Knew that car needed cranking up so I drove it up the highway a ways, turned around and came back. Of course, on the way there happened to be a Bojangles and it just happened to be lunch  time!! haha. 

I noticed a bruise on my arm the other day. No recollection of how it got there. My skin is getting/has gotten so thin that any little bump can leave a mark. So, I am checking my arms for other bruises. There's a bunch of brown spots but those are old age spots. 

That was the only bruise I had. 

I just finished reading 'The Year of Magical Thinking'.

Written about Didion's attempt to sort out the meaning of her daughter's illness which was following by her husband's sudden death. I could relate to so much of that book, having lost my husband and also living through the death of a baby son and years later, an accident my daugher had that changed our lives. I recommend it if you have lost someone you love or if you haven't. It's about life as we live it. 

I'm always reading books that explain life, the complexities of living, how we all fit into that scheme of things and how I can learn and become a better person for having read those. 

Right how I am meeting with a life coach once a month. (I don't aim to go out of this life with regrets of not living it to the fullest). My 'homework' is to write a list of all my accomplishments and also write a list of gratitudes?

Do any of you keep a gratitude journal? I think it's a good thing. 

Well, I've rambled on and on... today the temps are going up into the 60s so I need to get out and enjoy. I hope you enjoy your day, as well. 

It Snowed!

 Wow!

And, the white stuff came down! Boy, did it! 

Not sure about the inches of snow we got but it was enough and so pretty. 

Here's what I am enjoying this morning:

Did you get any snow? I think it covered most of the Eastern part of the U. S. 

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.