'Tis Apple Picking Time

 Recently I was bemoaning the fact that I felt a need to perk my blog up a bit. So, I have decided to make Favorite Friday Fotos. Today happens to be Friday so I am off and running with my new idea. I wonder how long this one will last. I do tend to try new things way too much. At least, that's what my daughter says. 

                      This is my favorite photo of that day!

In October 2011, after my husband had passed away in January of that year me, Shirley, her hubby John, her daughter Brittany and Brittany's little one, Dylan drove over to the Charlottesville area of Virginia to explore Carter's Mountain. 

It was a great trip but I was so sad at the number of apples that had fallen off the trees and were just lying there rotting. I wanted to pick them up (bees and all) and bring them home to save what I could.

 They have yummy apple cider doughnuts!! 

and tons of apples to buy

And, the wee one had fun discovering his first patch of pumpkins. 

Basil's Taking Over

 My granddaughter-in-law gave me a flat of small basil plants about a month ago. I love basil. Not that I use that much in cooking but because I love the smell. I'll just break off a piece and walk around with it sniffing it. Well, it's better than sniffing pot, don't you think!! 😊

Anyway, you gotta look at these plants now. And, they are blooming and I am trying to snip them down so they'll keep growing. I must be doing something right. My little pot of mint isn't doing too badly, either. There's a lot of things I can't grow but I don't think it's basil. Right!!

As I told you yesterday I started doing the Photo-a-day thingy and today's pick is 'an ordinary moment'. 

Here's my ordinary moment

Just me taking a break with some iced tea and a bit of lunch. That's pretty ordinary!

A Green Thumb? Nah....

 It's growing season. Now, I am not a gardening person and I certainly don't have the place for one here at the apartment but I manage to dabble a bit in the dirt. 

A friend gave me an antherium that has done well regardless of my lack of taking care of growing things. It just continues to bloom and bloom and bloom. Reminds me of our time in Hawaii. 

a couple years ago, when I was visiting my son, I came home with one of his plants. Why, don't even ask me but it has survived... and now it has a bloom. I didn't know the thing bloomed ever. 

Sunday when we ate lunch with my grandson and his family, his wife Bethany, gave me a tray of basil. That I can grow! 

too many plants. 

Michael planted what I need

 and now I have posted here at the apartment my willing for the remainder of the plants to find a new home. 

What are you planting at your homes? Or do you? I love plants, don't get me wrong, but just let someone else take over their care!!

Grounding Makes Sense

                             I am really nervous about this post!! 

I told you I would give more about my newfound energy and so here it is. But, you may laugh, you may think I am nuts or you'll just shake your head and walk away. I can only tell you it is working for me so I am a huge believer. 

I have been grounding for 5 weeks now and I am just blown away by the changes in my life. 

So, you are asking 'what's grounding'. We've been told all our lives we needed to be outdoors, breathe fresh air, get our feet dirty. Grounding is connecting our bodies to Mother Earth. It all has to do with the electrical charges that are in the earth and in our bodies and interacting. Most diseases are caused by inflamation in our bodies and grounding helps get rid of that inflamation plus other things. 

I watched a video about grounding, had never heard of it in my life! But, I was bored, couldn't find anything to watch and when I started I could not stop. That day I walked outside, sat down on a bench by the pond, took my shoes off and planted my bare feet on the ground. Of course, I was immediately joined.... by the geese looking for food. 

I discovered that you could buy grounding pads so I ordered one. I am not an outdoors person and knew summertime would chase me inside so pads seemed to be the answer.

I placed my new pad in front of my chair in the living room, plugged it into the grounding outlet on a nearby electrical plug and every time I watch tv I sit with my bare feet on that pad. You should get at least 30 minutes a day and it doesn't not matter how much you do. No harm done. 

Within a couple days I began to feel different.

 I have not changed one single thing about my life (my habits, my eating, my activities etc) 

Here is what I have gained through grounding. I am still on the 'wait and see' path but like I say I have changed nothing else. So, it must be the pad.

1. SLEEP ... before I had trouble falling asleep and often would wake up and stay awake 2 or more hours during the night.

        Now I go to sleep almost immediately and I sleep very soundly all night (except for bathroom visits)

2. MOOD.... Before, I suffer from some depression and have for several years taken a low dosage of Zoloft. Even then I would still  have bouts of sadness, lack of motivation.

Now.... I have been in the best mood for 5 weeks, not one down minute 

 3. MOTIVATION... before I would awake and just dread getting out of bed, lie there until I just had to get up and then I'd wander aimlessly around

Now.. I hop out of bed, fresh and excited. I ask myself 'what can I get into today?'

4. DIZZINESS    ... before I had periods of dizziness, especially at bedtime. Had to sleep on two pillows, could not turn my head except very slowly or the room would spin, etc.

Now... I am on one pillow and I toss and turn like normal with no dizziness at all.

5. ACID REFLUX    ... Before, I have taken prescription meds for acid reflux for years. If I missed 1 dose by the next day I was hurting. 

Now... I am on my 5th day without that medication and not one sign of heart burn. So far!! 

6. ENERGY... before, by 2 or 3 in the afternoon I was spent... just over for the day. I'd collapse into a chair. Got nothing done after that time except the absolute necessary

        Now.. I am still going strong all day... I might slow a bit mid afternoon but I perk back up and not be exhausted 'til bedtime. 

Remember, I am 92 and I thought my lack of motivation,  energy level, sleeplessness etc. was all due to age. 

I am very hopeful that I continue to feel this good, 10 years younger and ready to take on the world. I know people are skeptical about grounding. If you want, there are tons of videos on YouTube to watch. I would recommend any of them that featured Clint Ober or Dr. Laura Koniver. 

Gee, I wonder how many of you are running for the hills right now. Ha ha. 

Sankaty Lighthouse and More Fun

 In 2004 Susan took me, Elbert, Brittany and Owen on an adventure. We went to Maine, Rhode Island and of course, we traveled through Conn. And, we spent several days on Nantucket. It was such fun.

We ate a picnic on the beach. It was a bit chilly but we enjoyed the food and companionship so much.

We visited Sankaty Lighthouse

explored some really rough terrain... it was a blast

So, the last couple of days I have been doing a watercolor of Sankaty Lighthouse using our photograph from there as a guide.

Sea Island, Georgia

 What a dad-gum tooting fun-loving week!! Oh my.. such fun, such love, such tiredness! This old body protested greatly but I just kept going 'til it was all done and I was home again. Here I am... dragging luggage and myself into my front door yesterday late in the day, ready for some quiet time!

I arrived at the house where the wedding would take place last Monday a week and a half ago and enjoyed days with the bride and groom as well as my daughter (the groom's mom). This post is about the house (a summer home of a friend of the groom's parents) in Sea Island, Georgia. Just had to share some of the beauty of the place with you all before I get more into the wedding. 

The front entrance staircase

Looking down on the fountain at the front entrance

The terrace outside the kitchen

Me enjoying my lunch on that terrace

The pool. I did not go in the pool but I did relax poolside reading a good book. 

My reflection in the mirror of one of the downstairs bathrooms.

I love a terracotta roof. This on is tiled with Palm Beach Mission tile. 

the view from my bed where I lay for hours watching that big ole moon shine on the ocean. 

Yes, it was quite an exciting week... and I have lots more to share with you in a day or two. 

A Drive in the Country

 There's nothing like a drive in the country, especially those not planned, that just happen.  

I left my car in a nearby town one day last week so that Shirley could drive me to a further town for lunch. When we finished she automatically got on the road to take me back to my apartment. Whoops, mistake there. 

So, she started taking little side roads trying to find the one she should have been on in the first place. Hence the drive in the country. 

The winter's been long and cold so this was a welcomed treat, even if it was a mistake. 

I love dead trees and saw lots... Here is a favorite.  Just so many branches reaching in every direction. 

We came to a pasture filled with goats. Loved the one stopping his munching to check us out. 

Some of them had escaped the fence and was wandering about in another field. 

There were geese, too. We have lots of geese around the area. They are everywhere.

Finally we got on the correct road, I retrieved my car and came on home. A nice drive. Glad we got lost! 

I Escaped The Apartment

 Shirley had a doctor appt. so she swung by and picked me up. it was so nice to get out and be with people again. 

We'd been wanting to go to a new restaurant that opened nearby. First Watch... ever heard of it? The place has been packed since opening but with this snow around, it's easier to get a table and that's what we did. 

I got the Farmers Breakfast (eggs, bacon, cheese all piled on top of country potatoes). 

That was good but my favorite is the breakfast with turkey sausage gravy over a biscuit with an egg. 

She took some pictures while we were out so I will share those with you. It's interesting how the terrain changes at different times, constantly being different. Makes looking at this world exciting every time you take time to do that. These are from around my apartment building. 

It's gonna be 40 degrees today, folks!! Wow. But. later today we have a dusting of snow coming back in. It's a bad winter that's for sure. 

I just finished a painting. What's a gal to do when she's stuck indoors? Right?

My Elf In The Snow

                                                                We Got Snow!!

The first of the year here at the Commons at Centerbrooke. It was beginning to stick late in the afternoon and by the time I went to bed we had a couple inches. 

While I lay slumbering in my bed, all cozy and warm.... my Elf On A Shelf got off his shelf and sneaked outside. He had a fabulous time in the snow! 

I'm gonna have to keep my eye on that fellow!! No telling what he'll get into next! 

Beautiful Sunday Drive

 A Beautiful Sunday...

Too nice to stay inside so I headed up to my daughters, 35 miles away, for a visit. I don't drive much anymore so I got in that right lane and I stayed there. No switching lanes for me!! 

We had a lovely visit. Shirley and I went  for Italian food for lunch leaving the guys to fend for themselves. The salad I could eat a ton of... 

We then drove around searching out all the signs of Fall that we could find. 

I came home, happy, content and tired. Crawled up in my recliner and turned on the tv. But.

What a beautiful Sunday it was! 

Hanging On For Dear Life.

 No picture, sorry. I was too busy driving to be distracted with a camera. 

But, I was distracted by something that kept me entertained for 3 or so miles as I journeyed down the road. You see, a spider was in the process of spinning a thin line of webbing from the corner of my car door to the edge of my side mirror. He was sitting there right in the middle of this tiny strand of silk.

And, I crank up the engine and take  off. Poor thing... He must have thought the biggest tornado in the world had hit him. I snuck a peek and he had his legs wrapped around that tiny thread for dear life. Once I stopped for a red light, he set out again, spinning away. Light changed and we took off again. He still clung on.

Finally he made it all the way over to the side mirror and quickly disappeared between the mirror and it's frame. Safe at last!! 

You know, I am glad he made it to safety so that I would not be held accountable for the murder of a spider!! 

Happy Spring

I guess you can tell that I am one happy girl that today is the first day of Spring!!

I am realistic enough, though, to know that it won't  all be sunshine and daffodils. Chilly weather isn't gone yet. 

Wishing each of you a wonderful season of joy and color.