Cleanliness Is Next to Godliness Or So I've Been Told

 I've spent the last three days doing a project well overdue to be done. My office was a mess. I'm not completely finished but I am nearly there. It makes me feel good, so proud that I got off my lazy behind and did it. Life should be so much more simple and fun. 

this was the closet before I dragged everything out....

and how it looks now. 

There's even room for my walker which I seldom use. It still looks sort of messy but I know where EVERYTHING is and can pull it out on a moment's notice. 

I didn't take a picture of my bookcase but here it is after I organized it and got rid of some books and other things. 

Ready for my next quote?

It's by Marcus Aurelious

"No one has the right to tell you that you need to do something you don't want to do."

No one told me I  had to clean that closet and when I decided to do it 'cause I wanted to.... it felt good. 

I'm Back in the Saddle Again

 Okay...

I am ready to roll... but I don't know which direction to go in. It's been so long since I've posted anything of substance.. maybe my brain is still on pause. Who knows. Let's see where this is going!! 

First of all, I wanted to spend time with my kiddos far away but I really didn't mean to do the trips back to back. Lordy, that was a journey. But, I did fine. Proved to myself, that at 91, I don't have to sit at home, I can get out and go... nearly everywhere I want. 

I usually spend time away from home, reassessing my 'status', making new plans, getting rejuvinated. This time was no different. 

I decided that I wanted to try making one new recipe a week and sharing it with my friends. I don't cook much anymore so it won't be fancy stuff, just stuff that I thought might be good. So... here's my first weeks endeavour: 

Frozen Yogurt-Honey Blueberries 

This picture came from the internet

Ingredients:

1 pint blueberries, washed and drained

1/2-3/4 cup Greek Yogurt ( I use Chobain sugar free)

2-3 tsp honey

Mix honey and yogurt. Pour over blueberries, stir to coat. Lift individual berries out with a fork and place them on a parchment lined pan that will fit in your freezer. Keeping them separate makes it easy to lift out a couple, three for a snack anytime you want them.

Freeze then place individual berries in a ziplock bag and put back in the freezer. Yum

I also decided to rearrange the closet in my office but haven't felt up to that yet. Will keep you posted when I get the urge to tackle that chore.

I didn't feel like my balcony was very inviting so I gave that some thought and soon as I got home, I started redecorating it... Well, actually I can't say re-decorating it 'cause it wasn't decorated in the first place. 

Here's what the space looked like. Don't you agree it's not some place just calling you to come sit awhile? 

So far I have gotten this look going. Still working on it. Any suggestions out there? 

I also started reading a book 'The Good Life' 

I have been on a soul-searching path to find myself, improve myself for sometime now but more about that later. 

Have a wonderful Sunday! I've missed you all and hope to get back on a better posting schedule soon. 

Welcome Home!

I'm Home!

Got home late afternoon on Tuesday.... however just before we arrived back within shouting distance of my home, I had an attack of what I think is diverticitus. Had it before but this one was very painful and remained so for over 24 hours. and in the meantime, I began having brief periods of vertigo! Then the following day my hitial heria started acting up. Talk about a welcome home!! 

So, soon as I begin feeling up to it I will be back on here in full force! 
 

Memories of a Move

                                                   Was it 24 years ago? Seems like yesterday! 

Our children had grown up and moved away, leaving me and Elbert alone on that 60 acre farm. We were getting older (Elbert was 69, I was 65), time to think about all the work of taking care of such a place, of missing out on so much of our grandchildren's lives. So, we packed up and moved closer to family. 

I can't say Elbert was too happy about the move. He thought he would be able to tend to all that acreage, the dozen cows, the dozens of fox hounds, make a garden, mow the grass ...

 he just couldn't see that his body and mind would fail him. Me... I was so ready to downsize, be closer to family. So, it was a tug-'o-war. 

The move was emotional, especially for the children who had grown up there. But, that move proved to be the best thing that could have happened. 

Within one years time Elbert was diagnosed with prostrate cancer (radiation for that). Then in another year I discovered I had colon cancer (surgery, chemo for that), then followed two total knee replacements for me and a diagnosis of Alzheimers for Elbert. That illness entailed 10 more years of constant care for him. We lost him in Jan 2011. 

Now, don't you tell me that God did not have a plan in place about our move. We never would have made it living so far away from our children during all that. I am so grateful for God's guidance when we needed it the most.  

"In Those Old Cotton Fields Back Home"

There's nothing like a field of white cotton to drag me back to my childhood, living in Alabama, 'helping' the grownups pick cotton. I even had my own little sack  that I slung over my shoulder that dragged along behind me while I picked.... maybe a handful of bolls. I was all of four or five years old. 

Monday Shirley drove me out to a cotton field near her home. It looked like there was snow on the ground it was so white. I loved seeing it. Cotton has a very distinctive woodsy odor.. warm, comforting. I remember playing on big piles of picked cotton that had been stored on the front porch until the folks could go to the gin. 

                         Oh, those were the best of times! 

Here's Creedence Clearwater Revival to put you in the right mood. Play a little of it and sing along, I bet you know the words! 

Winter Is Coming

 Man, it got cold last night. It seems to have jumped from summer right into winter! We do still have beautiful leaves, pumpkins in the patch, warm cocoa in the mornings. But, too soon it will snow, the wind will howl... 

One of the things I love about cold weather is fires in the fireplace but heck, they won't let us build fires in this apartment building. Guess they think we'll burn the place down!

I love to snuggle in bed with a handmade quilt pulled up under my chin. I was a quilter in my earlier days... when the hands didn't give out on me and my eyesight was better. I enjoyed piecing the tops but my favorite thing to do was do the hand quilting. I prefer a quilt any day over blankets. 

I love steaming hot tea. I prefer the orange spicey ones with sugar, no cream. And, don't forget hot chocolate. The doc put me on a lactose free diet but I suppose I could make my own cocoa mix and use almond milk. 

Yes, the cold winter days will be here before we know it... brrrr.

Autumn is Here! Hurrah!

 

Autumn rolled in yesterday and I wasn't even aware. But, I really enjoyed the cooler weather.

There was a nice breeze blowing so I got my stuff and headed to the balcony.

Isn't it funny that we can't function without stuff. 

I had my journal to write in, a crossword book to do, some sweet tea and my phone of course!! 

My kids think they have to know that I am alright and if they call and I don't answer you'd think that I'd been kidnapped! 

So, I settled down in my chair, my tea at my elbow and started writing in my journal. 

Drop, drip, drop, drip.

Dang, if it isn't raining.

Well, so much for my fun in the sun. So, I picked my stuff back up and went back inside but I really did enjoy those few minutes in that cool breeze, 

a hint of autumn in the air. 

UFOs, Tooth Extractions and Storms... oh MY!!!

 I don't know where to begin. So much going on....

My 4th of July was quiet until it got dark. Then the fireworks started in Downtown Suffolk. I can see from my balcony the really tall ones popping over the tree tops. But, something else caught my eye!

There was this light... was it a plane? No, too slow for a plane and I'd never seen the flashing light pattern this one displayed. All of a sudden it came to a complete halt... and just sat there suspended in the air for about a minute and a half. What the ... well, you know! 

All of a sudden it started a downward fall and I am thinking.. if that's a plane it's gonna crash. It was way up in the sky, just this tiny light. Then, it took off in another direction, stopped again.. 

I was so convinced that it was a UFO... 

But, a call to my daughter quickly shot that theory down. She says it was a drone. Well, ok. But, I still think it was a UFO... it's more exciting that way.

On last Friday I had a tooth extraction.

Now, that's more excitement than I bargained for!!

But, it's healing nicely, still hurts but I'll be good as new soon. 

I got an itch this morning I just had to scratch.

No, not that kind of itch. I decided to clean and organize my closet. 

You won't believe how great it looks now. Lucky for me, my daughter Shirley came by and boy, did I put her to work!

She reached places I could not, like that top shelf in my closet. She pinned up pants legs for me to hem. She arranged some dried heather in a vase for me and 're-did' another vase I had in my living room. She brought us lunch. 

By this time I had collected a huge pile of 'give aways' and by the time she dragged all that out of my apartment door I was pooped. 

So grateful always for love and help from my kiddos.

Tomorrow we are supposed to get the effects of this latest storm... what's it's name!! It's going right up the east coast and that's where I am so more rain, wind and watch out for tornadoes. 

I Love Paris..... in the Springtime.

 I knew that I needed to get rid of some of my 'old fashioned stuff' and get more up to date. Shirley said to me, 'Mom, I know you miss Paris and you can't go so why don't you bring a little bit of Paris into your living room?'

Well, that did it!! I have begun making some changes. Still have more to do. 

                Before                                                 After

 

I've always wanted something sitting on the floor by my tv console. The sliding glass doors are there and it just needed something....                                                    Here's what I chose. 

I used to have a heavy, dark color fruit painting over my couch. Then I brought in a Kinkade painting that just didn't do anything. Too blue/gray, cold, wintery look. 

This, when it is framed, is gonna brighten up that spot.

It reminds me of what I love about Paris. The sidewalk cafes, the flower vendors along the sidewalk, Now if I could just add a musican to play some French music.

Hey. All I gotta do is say 'Alexa' play some French music and I've got it. 

Perfect!

A Clean Face!

 Wow ...

Things are looking great around here. The power-washers came and it looks like a new place. You gotta love it! 

My balcony had mildew on the railings, and a bunch of dirty surfaces. This ought to take care of that. 

I had to bring the things in off the balcony and stow them in my living room. That's okay. It's worth it. 

Sometimes it is just the little things that matter so much. Right?

Hula Girls and Shaved Ice

The 'Life Enrichment Director' here at The Commons comes up with fun things for us to do all the time. We have been banned from the Community and Activity rooms due to this blasted Virus so everything now is done in the courtyard. 

You see... we were fortunate enough to have a hula troupe from the Hawaiian Islands perform for us today. It was really nice... and hot. By the time I got back to my apartment the sweat was just pouring off my head! 

There was a breeze frequently stirring the air, though. And, I had my little neck fans going!! A gift from Susan. 

By the curb out front was a shaved ice/snowcone truck and that helped to keep us cool. I got the watermelon flavored one. 

After nearly an hour of entertainment, it was time to say 'aloha' to the dance team. Sure put you in the mood to find a nice, quiet island somewhere with the tropical breezes blowing and a handsome Hawaiian lad bringing you cool drinks!! 

Evening Musing

I have been having some wildlife to watch as I sit on my balcony late in the evening. Often I eat my supper out there and keep my eye pealed for any creatures. 

First there was the doe I spied at the edge of the woods. Then, came two fawns galloping along to find their mother. That was fun to watch.

The next night, I saw some movement about the same place. It was two gray fox. A neighbor said that she and her husband saw one early in the morning, on the sidewalk just across the driveway from their apartment. Those little buggers are not scared of humans, evidently. 

I also have water birds that come to keep me entertained.

The Great Blue Heron likes our pond and is there often.

The Green Heron comes but not often. 

My balcony, late in the evening, is a real source of joy and peace for me. 

I tried to download a video I made to this blog post and it said it was too big... 2 minutes. that's not big. See YouTube videos on here all the time much longer.

I had a page on YouTube with nothing on it. so, I put that video on there, and I am going to see if it will download from there. Just messing around with my new camera.

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...