Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder (I hope)

 I so apologize for being absent but it was a must, not a want to.

This entire month has seen me in pain... a tooth abcess, a root canal. Yes, I've had root canals before but nothing like this one. I don't recall having an abcess involved in the other root canals so maybe that was what made the difference. it was not fun! 

I have sat in my recliner for days upon days holding my jaw, popping tylenol and mindlessly binge-watching 'Farmer Wants a Wife.'  That's a new find for me in my new streaming world. I have to say I am enjoying it. Having lived a life with a Navy man and then having him upon retirement from the Navy to deposit me on a farm. Boy, can I relate!! 

With the short time between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year and with the tooth thing going on, I am so not into Christmas. Oh, I did do my functionary gift purchasing (money for the grands, mostly) but I didn't send out one card. I did not bake one cookie. I am probably not going down to our Christmas party here at the Commons tomorrow. I just don't want to. I just want December to be over!!

I hope all of you are in a better frame of mind than I am. Please have a wonderful Christmas. It's such an important time of year for many reasons. 

Oh, bummer!

 When it rains it pours!

Last Friday I started having some pain in the left side of my face. It would be a tooth hurting, then it would be the sinus area right under my eye. I wasn't sure what was going on! 

I couldn't decide if it was the tooth, the sinus or both and with the weekend coming on, I just popped tylenol and toughed it out. 

I had a cleaning scheduled on Tuesday so I decided that I'd find out about the tooth first... if it wasn't that, then I'd have the sinus problem checked out.

Well, it was the tooth. An abcess that was pushing against my sinus... Go Friday for a root canal.

Like I said, when it rains it pours. 

Hope everyone in blogland is doing well, getting their Christmas chores completed and just enjoying life. 

Knottinghill Church

 Today is Sunday, a cold but peaceful day here in Virginia. 

I thought I'd share this photo of one of my Department 56 collection. It's the Knottinghill Church. I have other pieces which I have enjoyed in the past. But, didn't put them on display this year. 

Do you have any Christmas collections that you enjoy? I'd love to learn about them. 

Blogmas #8

Put a Jingle In Your Jangle

 Blogmas #7

Just a bit of fun to put jingle in your jangle this morning. Featured dancers: daughter Shirley, son Michael and Shirley's son Christopher.  Video made 2020

Oh, the smell of gingerbread!

 Yesterday was fun.....

18 of us gathered in the community room and decorated gingerbread houses. Daughter Shirley headed up the event, made all the houses, bought candies for us to use, made the royal icing for decorating and then was our instructor and cheerleader. 

The new staff is doing an outstanding job making sure we are having a good time. Here they are with Shirley. 

I had decorated a gingerbread house once, probably 30 years ago and I was a bunch younger then! 

Here is the one I decorated yesterday.

We all had the best time. Every house was different and all of them were very well done. 

And, we were treated to some light refreshments! 

It certainly put me in the Christmas mood.

day # 6 of Blogmas

Taking Down The Christmas Tree

 You can't say that my family is 'normal'. Anytime Shirley collabrated with her Dad there was something funny, weird, outrageous going on. 

Take 1997. It's time to take down the Christmas tree so John (that's my son-in-law) opens up the window and he and my hubby, Elbert, cut the lower limbs off and toss them out the window.  

But.... I see a sparkle in Shirley's eye.... something's about to happen. And, this is what transpired. 

It was so funny and remains a favorite Christmas memory of mine to this day. 

A Special Christmas Gift.

I've been participating in Blogmas. Never heard of it before but it looked like a fun thing to do. I really didn't know what it was so I googled it!! Don't we google everything these days! 

Blogmas is a seasonal blogging challenge. It occurs every December and bloggers use this time to commit to publishing new blog posts.

Some bloggers will try to publish one new blog post a day for the entire month of December, while other bloggers may commit to a smaller number of blog posts, like one every other day or one a week during December.

My Blogmas post for today concerns a tradition from my childhood. My aunt Lena was a teacher and she always saw to it that I got something 'educational' under the Christmas tree. When I was five, I got this large book. It was "Raggedy Ann in the golden Meadow". Beautiful, colorful pictures to look at. Later, when I learned to read it was a favorite of mine.

Guess what! I still have that book today, 85 years later! Think I'll drag it out and read it. Then I'll display it for the holidays. Sort of a Trip Down Memory Lane for me and a 'shout out' to the aunt who first taught me the importance of reading. 

Angels We Have Heard on High

 I'm sure we all have our favorite things that we drag out year after year before Christmas. I fell in love with my first paper mache angel and started to collect them. Everyone thought they'd help and I got a ton of angels of all sorts, shapes and sizes. Not really what I had in mind but I loved their thoughtfulness and effort. 

My first angel was bought at the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina. She had on a regal gown of purple and a wreath of holly in her hair. I wrote the date inside her gown and where I bought her. 

I soon added one with a lovely pink gown all draped paper-mache. She seemed to be in prayer. 

Then I got a very elegant one, she wore a dark green top with flowing white skirts. 

I got rid of most of the 'extra' angels (no place to store them in this apartment) but I did hang on to a few.

One I had crocheted, years and years ago. I have no idea how old she is. 

I couldn't get rid of my musical angel, either. She's a favorite. I often turn her on to play a sweet Christmas tune as she turns around and around. 

and then there was a fad going around where everyone was making little angel ornaments out of ribbon. I was pretty 'crafty' minded for several years so of course, I joined in. Here are a couple I still have. 

What's your favorite Christmas collection? 

Day #2 of Blogmas 

December - a special time in my life!

 I read a friend's blog this morning. Now I had never heard of blogmas (something bloggers did in years past) but as I understand it, you post something every day of December (I think you use old posts or you can do new ones about Christmas) Anyway, go to  https://eatingwellonasmallbudget.blogspot.com/ to check it out. 

I thought I'd try it. Something new to do (not that I don't have a lot going on) hehe. 

So here goes:

I met my husband on a Christmas Eve, the year 1947. He was a clerk at a store where my folks were buying last minute Christmas gifts. There was an instant connection. In Feb 1948 he entered the Navy and we spent most of our courting time writing letters to each other. He even proposed to me in a letter. I have it to this very day, 74 years later! 

                    In 1950 on Dec. 10th we married 

              so December is a very special month for me. 

Disaster In The Kitchen!

                   Let me tell you about yesterday!

Big emergency but I know it's something that will be talked and laughed about for years to come.

The staff here at the apartment complex wanted to treat us all to Thanksgiving dinner at noon on Tuesday. We were so excited. 55 residents signed up to attend. The staff had ordered the entire meal for us. 

Shirley had popped in the community room to check on 'the girls' (the staff) and found out that the food which had been ordered from a local grocery store was delivered frozen! At noon when we were due to eat ! 

Talk about scrambling around. The side dishes were all in those heat and eat trays for say 4 people. Only you can't feed 55 people frozen food. 

Michael took over the microwave in the community room trying to thaw out cornbread dressing 3 trays at a time. 

Deb and Jan took the sweet potato casserole in all those small trays to Deb's apartment and used her microwave to began thawing all that out. I joined Carolyn in her apartment to take care of the green bean casserole. It took over 2 1/2 hours. 

Once thawed, all the individual sidedishes were scooped into large aluminum pans and shoved into the ovens to heat so we could 'heat and eat' them, like they were supposed to be to begin with. As soon as Michael was finished with the dressing, he started carving 4 turkeys. 

The ham was already sliced but not cut away from the bone so that had to be done, as well. 

Shirley had thawed out all the mashed potatoes and gravy. 

Three and 1/2 hours later all 55 of us sat down to eat. I have to say it was great food. I had kept licking my fingers when I was thawing out that green bean casserole so I at least knew that would be outstanding and it turned out, it all was. 

I am not sure what the staff would have done, had not my two kids, myself, Carolyn, Deb and Jan helped out. We still probably would be waiting on that food... 24 hours later. hehe. 

Age is Wisdom

 I am finding that slowly but surely, the way the 'older' generation is perceived is changing. There was such a stigma attached to being OLD. If you had aquired some age on you, you were thought of as being frail, sickly, a burden, useless. You pretty much became invisible. As Mary Pipher says in her book, 'Women Rowing North' .... "I'm invisible now. I could take off all my clothes and walk through the courthouse and I'm not sure anyone would notice."  If they did notice, they'd probably think we were crazy as loons. 

However, the tide is turning. Old people are making their lives and their wisdom known. And, they aren't afraid of admitting their age. In fact they are proud of it. Take William Shatner who took to space at the ripe old age of  90. I can't imagine myself at 90 taking off into space but I really respect Shatner for doing it. What about Gladys Burrel who completed a marathon at age 92. And, Jamie Lee Curtis, bless her heart for being her true self. She knows who she is and she flaunts it. She's 65. 

I know that I am proud of every single moment of the entire 90 years I have lived. I wouldn't have missed it for the world. And, I am proud that I still am learning and growing and I will continue to do so until my last breath. As our bodies grow old, we must both care for our aging bodies and teach people to care about us. 

All These New Gadgets!

 We have become so adjusted to the new gadgets in our lives! Keeping up with the times, we forget the old ways.

Case in point....

My car fob died and I couldn't lock my car. I was lamenting to my son, Michael, that I was afraid someone would steal something out of my car since I couldn't lock it. 

He said, 'Mom, you have a key. Just insert it into the door and lock your car manually'.

                                           DUH!

Time For Persimmons!

 It's that time of the year!

We are awaiting our first frost. That brings to mind my childhood when we would wait for the first frost to sweeten the lucious orange-colored persimmons hanging heavy on the tree down in the pasture.

You didn't dare eat one until that frost came, though. Turn your mouth inside out!!

The persimmon tree used to grow abundantly in this country (mainly in the south) but like so many other things, it's getting scarce. 

After Elbert retired from the Navy and we lived on our farm in Alabama, there was a persimmon tree in our pasture. 

One day he loaded me and my mom up in his truck and drove us over the grazing land, parked under the tree and we gathered ripe persimmons. 

Here's a photo of my Mom biting into one. That's just one of the sweet memories I have of the times we spent together. 

Have you ever eaten a persimmon? a native one or a hybrid one? 

She's Old, She is Cranky, But I Love Her

                                       I well remember the day I bought her! 

First car I ever shopped for, picked out and then purchased all by myself. I did ask my SIL to go along when I paid for it. Wasn't sure if the salesman would take advantage of this 'little ole lady' or not. 

I have loved this car from day one. Not many Ford 500s were made but it was perfect for me. The chasis was taller so with these long legs of mine I could pop right into the drivers seat. No problem. Lots of leg room in case I had passengers and a huge trunk (which came in handy when I moved). '

But, just like her 'mama' (ME) she is getting old. Next May she will be 20 years old. Oh, she looks almost as good as when I bought her (inside and out). And, she runs great. But, the battery won't stay charged! 

Bought a new battery. Same problem. Took it to the dealer, it was put on that fancy diagnostic machine. They couldn't come up with the problem. 

My son bought me a solar panel which sits in my back window, it's supposed to charge my battery. Still having problems.

Something is draining the power supply. When I turn the key off, something is not going off and it drains my power. But, what!!!! 

Son Michael is coming for a visit. He promised to figure it out for me. Keep your fingers crossed, toes, too if you can! 

This growing old is not for sissies!

 

This growing old is not for sissies! 

Or so they say. Usually I am pretty much in charge of my direction and destination in this journey through my 90s. But, last weekend I dug a hole and crawled into it.

I do not like cold weather. I'm miserable enough here in Virginia but I told Susan I'd come up to their place in New York for Christmas. Then, I started thinking about all the chances I would be taking...

1. Traveling through crowded airports exposing myself to god only knows what kind of germs

2. Sitting in a plane with recycled air with those germs flying around and around. I'd be sure to snag more than one and end up sick.

3. Slipping on ice and breaking my hip

4. Having tummy issues with all the different kinds of foods I'd be eating.

5. And no telling how bad the traveling crowds will be during the holidays, or how often a flight will be delayed or cancelled. I don't think I could handle that. 

I mean, the more I thought, the more depressed I got. If I was younger, there would be no doubt that I'd be there in a heartbeat. I wanted to be there, Susan wanted me there and that was our hearts talking. In the other ear, my head was saying 'Girl, are you stupid or what?' 

A chat with Susan on Tuesday lifted me outta that hole, and hey, I am fine now. Maybe i'll go up to see them in the spring. 

I think as we age, we let fears rule us more than when we were younger. What's your take on that? I guess I am talking to the older ones of my blogfriends. You younger girls.. hang around, if you are lucky, old age will hit you one of these days. 

To lighten the mood

Blogging Buddies

I guess I am feeling nostalgic today

but

I just wanted you all to know how much your friendship

means

to me!

Thank you for being my blog buddy. For being there when I need a shoulder to cry on, giving me laughter when I need a good one,  dancing with me with joy be it in sunshine or rain

and sharing my life with me.

Just don't know what I'd do without you all!

 

Veteran's Day

 

                        God bless our veterans. 

My veteran. Lt. Elbert Barton, U.S. Navy

over 22 years of service

in both Korea and Vietnam

1930-1911

Monkeys Jail Break

 

Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle...

Ever heard that saying?

I wouldn't want to be anyone's uncle or aunt, for that matter, in Beaufort County, South Carolina right now. 

Seems that 40 rhesus monkeys escaped from the research lab there and are roaming the countryside. Can you imagine driving down a road and a monkey jumps out of a tree right in front of your car!! You'd think you were in a tarzan movie or something.

But, a least only 40 got out... there are 4,000 monkeys on that island. All used for research. 40 of them pulled a cell break... 

Yes, this is a true story. I fact checked it myself. 

Ponies For The Kids

 

We'd finally moved into a permanent home, out in the country, after years of chasing my husband around all over the place with his Navy career.

The kids had never asked for ponies but here comes a horse trailer with shetland ponies in it. What the dickens! But, they were unloaded, the kids chose their favorite and we became a horse farm, so to speak.

Now, my husband (after 22+ years in the Navy) had been in Korea... the battle of Inchon for one scary time and there were others. Not a scratch!  Then he was aboard a ship that hauled nuclear warheads to Vietnam. Again not a scratch! No purple heart for this guy. Thank God. 

So, one of the ponies kept getting out of the fenced in place we had for them. A neighbor said he'd house the pony until Elbert could come up with a plan to keep that thing at home. He walked the pony up to the neighbors, then he calls me, 'Come take me to the dr. I think I broke my arm.' 

Yep, that silly man had decided he'd ride that pony (not far, just to see if he could) after all he was over 6 ft tall. And, the pony had bucked him off, down on the ground he went and he ended up with a broken arm! Two wars, not a scratch... and a dad gum Shetland pony injures him. It was funny. 

Of course, we didn't laugh where he could see us but just think about this. His legs were long enough that if he had just of put his feet on the ground that pony could have walked right out from under him. 

The Commons Halloween Party

 And.....

one more post about Halloween and I will close that chapter til next Oct. 

The office staff hosted a Halloween party for us , inviting us for lunch and to appear in our costumes. 

We've never done anything like that for Halloween and a bunch of us jumped on the idea like a cat on a junebug. 

I had intended to go as a pregnant lady, with a baby in my arms, hair wrapped up in a scarf, a dirty apron on, 'barefoot and pregnant' as the old saying goes. But, that never happened. Shirley bought me a pumpkin poncho and so that was my costume. 

I guess she thought my pregnant lady wasn't Halloweeny enough!

Here are some of the costumes. Some were very inventive!

Such as 

This Serial/Cereal Killer

and this one...

considering the comment Biden made about Trump supporters being garbage... 

We had Indianna Jones

A Couple heading out for Mardi Gras

We had a nice lunch of ham and cheese sandwiches, chips, fruit, chicken nuggets and cake. 

The winner of the contest will be announced Monday. 

Halloween at Nags Head

 I promised more beach goings on.... 

We found a haunted house that was not open but we had fun taking pictures outside. It was in what we assumed was the old Mama Kwan's Tiki Bar and Grill. The new one was next door. Nah, we didn't imbibe... just had fun. 

Take a look at the size of that skelton! 

This was funny. A Ghoul Bus.... haha

Everything was outrageously large.