Celebrations and Cat Scans

 What a week so far (and it ain't over yet!)

Monday... oh how I wish I could have attended this event but couldn't make it. Youngest daughter Susan was honored at the Autism Speaks 'Women Who Lead' luncheon at Winged Foot Golf Course in Maromoneck, New York. That's 2 of the 3 sons who were there to cheer her on (and her future daughter-in-law)

She and her husband started the organization Autism Coalition which eventually grew into Autism Speaks. They have put forth such an effort to educate, teach, lead, make things happen for the families dealing with autism. I couldn't be prouder of her. This was the 25th anniversary of the Golf Tournament which Susan and her husband started and led for about 24 of those 25 years. Susan has stepped down. Kevin, however, is the only original board member with Autism Speaks still on the board. 

Yep, I would have loved to have been there. 

But, the next day Shirley took me over to the hospital for tests... Echocardiogram, Full body CT scan, and bone density scan. Man, I was pooped when that was over. Came home, put my loungy pjs on and crawled up in bed to stream some shows. I'll have to tell you later about some that I have liked.

Then Wednesday... it was Shirley's birthday. She picked me up and we met her daughter and the two granddaughters for lunch at Decoy's to celebrate. It was a 4 generational thing! Shirley's been run ragged living her own life and also taking on the task of all my doctors visits, tests and the upcoming chemo. Couldn't do it without her. 

Today... I tried out a new hair dresser. I walked into that salon and I swear, every single hair dresser looked like they just graduated from high school. I wondered how someone that young would understand my 'old' hair. The 'do' is not perfect but we'll work on it, she and I.

So, I'll hang around to see what happens the rest of the week. I do hope I can slow down some. This chick is not as young as she used to be.  

Where There's a Will, There's a Way

 I want to brag on my granddaughter, Brittany, this morning.

A single mom with a 7 year-old son, she married a man with two daughters, similar in ages as her son. 

She became a mother of three overnight. Had to give up her job due to the logistics of transporting all those kiddies back and forth to school, to their other parents etc, etc. 

So, she opened up her own business at home. She had access to plenty of figs so she started out making little jars of fig preserves. (by the way, her last name is Bice... nice take on the sugar and spice thing, right?)

Then, she did jars of pepper jelly from the hottest of hot to the mildest. 

Next she added cheesecake in a jar. 

Her clientele was growing so she branched out to some shops who now carry her products. 

She has planted more fig trees,

grows her own jalepeno peppers for the pepper jelly plus other veggies for the family. 

As the saying goes, 'Where there is a will, there's a way.' and she has found a way to make that happen. 

Drizzles in Cape Charles, eastern shore Virginia, carries her products. And, on one trip to the shop to  resupply her merchandise she bought me a gift... a bottle of butter-flavored olive oil. I love it. 

Favorite Fruits

                          I love fruit...

Well, some of it. I'm picky about which ones are my favorites. Do you have favorites in the fruit kingdom? 

I like some apples... gala especially. Not so much the tart ones. I remember eating green apples off the tree in our front yard back in the day!! Years and years later I became allergic to apples. What the heck! 

I love oranges, the thin-skinned, not the thick ones. And, the little clementines... oh yum

I like bananas.. but I soon tire of them. Take a break, then buy them again. Yes, I know they are good for you.... but....

Lemons make that good lemonade and it sparks up so many dishes so that's a fav. I love/hate the videos on social media that show people feeding lemons to babies to get a reaction. The expressions are so cute but how awful it is for the tiny one ingesting that sour juice. 

Strawberries...any way, any time. 

I eat a lot of blueberries. Nice to combine those with strawberries, or cereal, or pancakes.

Kiwi... sort of

Plums, yes, yes and cherries, too. 

In my head, I am seeing pies, and drinks, and salads... 

Now, I've made myself hungry. So, off to the kitchen I go...

On another note... I went to the oncologist yesterday. Next up are a bunch of tests to see if this old body is ready for chemo. 

Our Geese Are About Ready to Fly The Nest!

 It's Sunday....

and I don't do Sundays well for some reason. I was getting down in the dumps so I decided I'd visit with you folks to lift my spirits. 

I've mentioned the little goslings (some weeks back) that are on the pond and it's time for an update. Those little buggars have grown with leaps and bounds. It's hard to tell the youngsters from the parents... except, of course, the adults have black on their heads. 

I sat out yesterday and watched as they all swam across the pond in single file. Hadn't seen them do that before. There were 20 of them. 

Today the youngsters were flapping their wings maybe preparing a flight in the near future. And, then they formed this pattern on the water. They looked like a bunch of airplanes skimming across there. 

Just look at how big the little ones are now! 

I know they'll be gone soon. I'll miss them for sure. 

I am afraid that I got spoiled after my surgery with all the beautiful bouquets that arrived at my door. They are all gone now. So, while I was in the grocery store (Aldi's) I bought me a bunch. Placed them in a little blue pitcher that I've had since childhood. 

Aren't they pretty!

I guess I'll go get into something else! 

Have a nice Sunday

and a better week! 

Y'all Come Back Now!

Watermelon Time... and the living is easy

 I am really falling behind with my posting... Sorry about that. 

I've been busy, sort of, well, when I wanted to be. I am finding that my brain is a bit foggy since my surgery. Hope it clears up soon. It's been two weeks already or more. it's not that I am not sharp, I just can't seem to stay focused. Oh, enough of that! 

I just have to brag on my son-in-law. I know, most of us have those in-laws that are wonderful. I have both. haha. But, John knows I love watermelon. Everytime he buys one he chops up a ziplock bag full for me. Now, isn't that the sweetest!! 

You know it's summertime when the melons get ripe. 

Here's a page I did for my scrapbook journal last year.

Do you like summer? I am not a huge fan if I have to be out in the hot sun... 

Just give me some air-conditioning and I am good! 

I hope your summer is everything you think it will be. 

A quote from me:

"Life as an older person can be wonderful. Or it can be awful. It sure is different than what I expected. 

I failed to get the instruction book!!"

Fire, Food and Flowers

 I really feel for everyone affected by the wildfires in Canada.  It must be awful. 

Here in Virginia, over 800 miles from the fires, we have had severe alerts regarding air quality and everyone with any breathing problems have been urged to stay indoors or wear masks. 

The air is filled with smoke, but it's not nearly as bad as it is further north. 

The only other time I have been in such toxic- filled air was way back in 1965. The family was driving from California to Alabama and of course, a sand storm hit us. It was pretty interesting, the car being engulfed with sand. Thank goodness it did not last long.

After my doctor visit yesterday, Shirley and I went to one of our favorite restaurants and had some yummy food. Terrible picture of me.... I don't care who is taking the picture, but they always catch me with food in my mouth.. (grin) You can tell I am trying to act like I am not eating. 

Instead look at the Chicken Cali sandwich (chicken,  bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and avocado. And those fries. sprinkled with sea salt. Yummm

As we left out of the parking lot I saw this yellow rose on a fence so she got out to make some pictures. 

Y'all Come Back Now!  

(in case you aren't aware... that's a southern saying)

Typewriters or Computers?

 Yesterday my favorite humorist/hillbilly/terribly talented social media phemon posted on Facebook about talking to 4th graders about typewriters. Sean of the South is what he goes by. His name is Sean Dietrich. I hope you'll look him up. You may like his style of humor. 

So, it got me to thinking about typewriters. Kids nowadays have no clue what they are. I've done my fair share of typing on a typewriter. It all started when I took typing class in high school. Oh, I learned how to type alright but my mind was on boys... well, actually one boy who was far away in the Navy. So, I got caught typing a letter to him during class. Whoops. 

I went through a couple of typewriters through the years and then about 1990 I walked into a Radio Shack and bought something I'd never seen before... a computer. It had a keyboard just like my typewriters did so I threw out the White-Out. I could use a backspace key to correct my mistakes.

I've been friends with computers ever since. And, just like friends... we have our arguments! Oh, there have been times I have wanted to open a window and throw that thing into the great beyond. But, we make up and all is well.

What is your connection to your computer? Since you have a blog I bet you two are pretty friendly. Any wild tales to tell that you'd share about your computer usage! I would love to hear them! 

My Wednesday quote:

"Life becomes so much simpler when we realize we don't have to hurry anymore."

They Grow Up and Leave the Nest!

 We've always had geese on the pond. A couple of years, there was a nest built and Mama sat on the eggs but we never had any goslings. 

This year was different. Before my surgery I saw a pair of geese swimming across the pond followed by 5 little ones. I was so excited. 

Back home again there were two families sharing the pond.

Now there are three!  Sorry, no pics of all three at one time. 

Wow... What a joy to watch them grow. Soon they will be big enough to leave and then I'll have to find another distraction!! Oh Well.