Anonymous Go Away!

Once again I am getting disturbing comments from someone "Anonymous".

Each time it happens I have gone in to settings and made changes that I thought would help.

In the basic settings the only choices I have is:
Public - which allows anyone to access my blog
Private - only I can see my blog
Private - I chose the readers I want and then they have to log in before seeing my blog.

That's it... the only choices in Basic

In the Posts, Comment settings:

1. Anyone and that includes anonymous comments
2. Users -  only those with a Google account. I feel that this is attempt at Google to control who I can have as users. If I chose this option I shut out others who are not on Google.
3. Only members of this blog - Which seems very limiting to me.

This morning I used the setting to stop search engines from finding my blog.
And, I changed the Moderation to Always. It was on Never.

If, after this attempt, it continues I will have to rethink this blogging thing. I've done everything that is made available to me and that I could think of.

It is sad that people with no life of their own, choses to disrupt other peoples lives, just for the fun of it.

Chalking The Walk

I just got back to my apartment, puffing and panting, from doing a chalk the walk thing here at the Commons. At my age, I wasn't sure I would be able to get 'down' to the level I needed to but I was going to give it a try. Something new to add to my 'done' list.

First I tried bending over. Got too dizzy.

Next I obtained two cushions from the outdoor sofa. Stacked one on top of the other and managed to sit down on the top cushion.... and immediately fell over backward. There I was lying on the sidewalk with two cushions under my butt. No way I could even think about getting up. I wasn't hurt, not even my pride. I was laughing too hard.

So, I yelled for Sarah our life enrichment director who was in charge of this event and she came, laughing as she ran, to grab hold of one hand and pull me back to an upright position. I really wish she had taken a picture of me on the ground. It was just too funny. She was taking pictures of everything else but I think my toppling backward just startled her into rescue mode..

She brought me a folding chair and I completed my chalk art sitting and bending over so that I could draw on the sidewalk. Here is what I did.

More of our residents chalk art work

Living life to the fullest, drawing on sidewalks with chalk... 

Techno Rock-star Gigi

I get this message on my phone. My granddaughter wants me to download Messenger For Kids so that her kiddos can talk with their Gigi. 

                        Oh, my lord. Something else to figure out! 

Even though I wasn't born in this age of technology, it has never scared me... I take that back... It scares me in that just about the time I have it figured out how to do something on one program, they up and change it. But, I keep diving back into the water.

So, I downloaded this app. The little icon said I had two attempts from someone who wants to talk with me. I opened it up but guess what, by the time I found it, the person/persons were long gone. And, I'm left with this weird screen. 

I am not sure I can manage this app or if I even want to. But, when it does work and I hear those sweet little voices speaking to me, I'll be a techno rock-star Gigi again. 

Muskrat, wha makes your head so slick?

                                         Yesterday was an exciting day. 

 It doesn't take much these days to scrounge up some excitement, does it? 

Once again my dau Shirley and her hubby John came down for our weekly 'social-distancing' picnic. It was Whoppers this time. Our seating arrangement is unique but necessary. Shirley's on one end of the picnic table, me on the other and John's on the tailgate of the truck. 

Anyway, it wasn't long until the geese started up the hill and wandered around until they finally were right at the table. They never begged, was busy eating grass but it was fun having them so close. 

Then Shirley sees a V-wave going across the pond - fast, too fast for a duck (and there was no head sticking up) or a turtle, not curvy enough for a snake. What could it be? She got off some shots hoping to be able to identify it once she could get to her computer. We found out it was a muskrat! 

A BIG one. He swam all  the way across the pond and in a little bit, here he comes back again. And, landed right near the geese nest. 

                                   Muskrat, Muskrat, wha makes your head so slick?
                                        I've been a-livin' in the water so long, it's a
                                                      Wonder I ain't sick,

As we were about to say goodbye I saw movement on the far bank. It was a fox. At that distance it was impossible to get a good shot of him, besides he was moving on! 

                              Our lunch turned into a wild life adventure. 

An Apple A Day

I don't eat as much as I used to...

Guess it's old age or something.

But, last night I just wasn't hungry but I knew I'd wake up in the middle of the night to go pee and I would be starving.

Dau. Shirley had brought me three apples. I'd eaten one. The other two had laid there waiting and waiting but I am not much of an apple eater. But, I didn't want them to go to waste, either. There is something about being a Depression Child that makes you want to use EVERYTHING.

I've been trying some new recipes since I'm stuck indoors and one of those recipes would go just right with those apples.

                      There's just one of me so I halved the recipe and ate one apple.

Just in case you want to try it.

This 'ain't' No Game

I thought it was weird that the day the Commons staff closed the doors, told us to stay inside etc, etc, etc, was on Friday the 13th - a month ago. Not a good sign, it being Friday the 13th and all but we residents took it in stride. 

In the beginning it was sort of an adventure. A game "Can We Do This?". It isn't much of a game anymore. I am getting bored, restless. I'd give my eye teeth to go to a restaurant for a really good meal.

So, to catch you up on the last few days....

Easter Sunday we had a very special church service in the courtyard. Thankfully, the weather cooperated. Chairs were spaced over 6 feet apart

    those that didn't want to come down stood at the railings above. 

We sang some hymns, heard a sweet message about 'Jesus's Retirement', pretty appropriate for all these retirees around here. And, we ended the service by singing 'God Bless America'. 

In the afternoon, dau Shirley and her hubby, John, drove down for us to have one of our 'social distancing' picnics out on the grounds. They brought me a chalupa and a Dr. Pepper. I was one happy gal. Just as I was finishing up and thinking to myself, 'I wish I had another chalupa' (I had been hungry and it had been quite awhile since I'd had a chalupa) Shirley pulls the second one out of the bag. That girl knows me like a book. She also brought me some homemade chicken-rice soup, sausage balls, black grapes and a pan of cornbread dressing. I am eating 'high on the hogs' these days. 

Monday we had that wave of rough weather go through. So much damage all along it's path. I am just hoping the rest of the week is smooth sailing. 

Easter Blessings to You All

Good Friday

                                             Today is Good Friday

I should be at daughter Shirley's "helping" out with her Easter Bake Sale but I'm stuck at home. I haven't missed many Good Fridays in the past 25 years being there, working like crazy and as I aged, just hanging out visiting with the customers.

You see, Shirley has a licensed in-home bakery. Used to, in the days of yore, she baked tons of cakes, cookies, hot-cross buns, made baskets filled with goodies and people came in throngs on Good Friday to buy their Easter baked goods.

We'd stay up all night the night before getting the last of the products ready for purchase. Her business grew so big that finally she reduced it to 'order only'. I don't know how she does it!

I remember the 'good ole days' when Elbert and I would drive up from Alabama and spend days helping out. He was great at doing some yard work, keeping dishes washed up, even chopping nuts for the carrot cakes. Once we moved next door, it was easy just walking across the yard to help out... and I could scoot home if I got tired!

So, today I am remembering those fun days, those exhausting days when we all pitched in for the Good Friday Easter Bake Sale.

A Treat

              Yesterday we, here at the Commons, were treated to a concert.

There was plenty of social distancing, some of the residents had on masks but I didn't see any gloves which I truly think is more important than the masks.

Each resident walked out on their floor to the railing surrounding the courtyard. Some brought chairs. I just stood leaning against a post and enjoyed tunes from the '40-'60s. There was some dancing going on, some toe tapping. We were just thrilled to be out of our apartments.

Here's a good friend of mine enjoying the music. 

Rocking Days

I am just hanging out in my nightgown...


Doing nothing...


I could so get used to this. 

Book or Blog? That is the Question!

I couldn't go to sleep last night!

I was just dozing off when this idea hit my brain and I was done for.

I'd posted a couple weeks ago, on facebook, a post about our living on Midway Island and it caught people's attention. There's not a heck of a whole lot of people who can say they have ever been to Midway, much less lived there.

Living there for 18 months certainly was an opportunity of a lifetime. I just wish I had realized it at the time. But, I was young, busy taking care of three youngsters and to me that island was just sand and birds. Most of my photographs are of the children! Grandmother back home in Alabama was missing her little babies. So, I sent pictures. It never occurred to me that some day I'd wish I'd taken a whole lot more and of other things.

But, there were reasons I didn't. First of all, film cost money and we didn't have much to spare. And, colored film had to be for special occassions.

And, then there was the developing. More money. And, if you made a boo-boo taking a picture. Too bad. It still cost you an arm and a leg. When a roll of film was finished I'd take it down to the exchange and they'd send it to Honolulu for processing. When the prints were done, they would lie there until a plane was headed back toward Midway. It was such a trial.

I heard that one of the wives had set up a dark room in their apartment. So, she developed a lot of my pictures.

But, I've gotten off the path here

.

I thought I ought to write about our life on Midway. Not just little short facebook posts but a whole blog, maybe. Or .... even better.... a book.

Of course, I couldn't go to sleep. What to do? What to do? Not like I don't have a kazillion other projects I need to finish. Oh well. I'll figure it all out. 

The Comments Are Back!!!

                                    Have you seen this graphic?

After what just happened to me with my  'comments' being missing, I may just be too old for blogging!

I don't know what fixed it, but with help from my blogging buddies and a bunch of poking around it's fine now. 

So, how are all of you doing?

Beside fighting with Blogger, I've been doing great. I have to admit that I sort of like this staying at home, doing what I please.. 

But, let me tell you, it's scary when you are told that your eldest daughter may possibly have a mild case of Covid. And, the youngest daughter lives in New York, for gosh sakes. Enough to scare the stuffing out of a body. 

To move on to other things. I mean, we can dwell on the fear but life is going on.

I was happy as I could be to have an amaryllis bulb (which I thought was dead) give me the most delightful blossoms to brighten my days. 

I hope this brightens yours as well.

A Shout-Out

I'm sending a shout-out to all my friends from my balcony, 

Hope everyone is doing fine. 

Where Am I?

 Okay, folks... I don't know what's up but I am getting NO traffic on my blog. 

It's been that way since I got those anonymous nasty comments and I changed my setting off public. I got nothing. Changed it back to public... nothing, no comments, no traffic. 

                                               Am I still here?