Month: September 2012

COFFEE TALK

It’s almost October.

It’ll be a funny October for me, with Mom not being around.

My brothers birthdays are in October. My Dad’s birthday was in October. I always, as Mom got older, picked out the cards at her request, and it was bittersweet toward the end, to have her scribble Mom on the card, When it came to Daddy’s birthday, we always remembered him and both would be quiet with our respective memories, and once in a while, I would tell her a story I remembered about Dad, and she would smile.

So here I sit, typing away.Coffee cup at a safe distance away from my Mac, and I find myself remembering the past.

It’s good when your memories are, on the most part, pleasant.

 

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Life lessons

A friend and I were talking about something that transpired that we both knew about.

“Does that surprise you?” she had asked?

Hell no.

I can honestly say nothing surprises me, er, the fall on the driftwood did , but here are a few current gems for me:

I like people, but my genuine friends I can count on 1 1/2 hands…really. I have come to trust my judgement on things: that is, impressions are made when people aren’t trying to make them. That is when their true self comes through. I have made my way through too many cancers to waste my time. I only spend time with people who I care about and matter to me. Life is too short to do otherwise. My Mom always said,” when people praise you, it gets back to me.” Funny, that you hear things after the fact, and most of it is surprisingly good.
I was granted my current age by the Creator, and I was put here with a purpose only He knows and I might have a faint glimmer about….anything else is the business of no one but me.

It’s good to achieve age: I am truly blessed.

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Life lessons

A friend and I were talking about something that transpired that we both knew about.

“Does that surprise you?” she had asked?

Hell no.

I can honestly say nothing surprises me, er, the fall on the driftwood did , but here are a few current gems for me:

I like people, but my genuine friends I can count on 1 1/2 hands…really. I have come to trust my judgement on things: that is, impressions are made when people aren’t trying to make them. That is when their true self comes through. I have made my way through too many cancers to waste my time. I only spend time with people who I care about and matter to me. Life is too short to do otherwise. My Mom always said,” when people praise you, it gets back to me.” Funny, that you hear things after the fact, and most of it is surprisingly good.
I was granted my current age by the Creator, and I was put here with a purpose only He knows and I might have a faint glimmer about….anything else is the business of no one but me.

It’s good to achieve age: I am truly blessed.

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A change of view

Things are a little busier for me right now at the office.

We have a lot going on, with notices and phone calls coming out the wazoo. We are all busy, and it’s interesting about what Mom and Dad always said: more work you have, busier you are, day goes quicker. How true!

I come home over the past few weeks and my eyes are so tired. It’s good to be worn out tired. It only shows me one thing~ I need a vacation….lol

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Ugh

The morning after….

My belly is black & blue, or as Shingleman says, it looks like I got hit in the gut with a ball.

I tried no to bend today too much, and things are healing, but it goes without saying, I am sore. I’ll air it out later, and hopefully, by keeping it clean, we’ll be out of the woods.

I’ll keep you posted….

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Driftwood

We celebrated the first day of autumn with a trip…

By me..,

Landing on a blunt stick of driftwood, thanking God I didn’t land on the sharp part: I wouldn’t be writing this now. I have also thanked God for my belly, since I landed on it, I didn’t puncture the skin deep, but punctured it deep enough to scare me to pieces. All of this was due to me trying to be a polite dog mom and give a teacup terrier freedom from Kas.

Glad today is almost done.
**Whew**

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Friday Five

This week….

I am thankful for my entertainment as I am working on this post-The Phillies vs. Mets game, where the Phillies are currently shellacking the Mets 16-1…enough said!I am grateful the Phils are on, making me want to stay up and listen-hopefully I’ll get a good night sleep.

I am thankful I have the opportunity to work and entire Friday and, as much as I’d like to leave early for Undisclosed, know that it’ll be worth my time.

I am thankful for the foresight to make a crock pot of chili this week, thus giving me something for lunch tomorrow.

Although I’ll work all tomorrow, I thank God Jim and the girls are picking me up to head for Undisclosed!

Have a wonderful Friday!

 

Pork Chops and Applesauce

Whenever i hear these two words together, I think of Peter Brady in the Brady Bunch badly lisping it when he was try to be a detective a la Sam Spade in an episode.

I stopped at the Terminal Market and bought some pork chops for dinner. I coated them( of course in flour first) in a combination of panko breadcrumbs, a little Parmesian cheese, and dried onion…hopefully this will come out ok, but be forewarned.

If you see Shingleman or me reaching for Tums tomorrow, you’ll know it wasn’t that good…lol

Really?

The rain has arrived: no break for my sinuses.

It was difficult keeping my head up today, I mean, I’d like to know why the eyes are aching and I hate to put it on the rain, but barometric pressure gets me every time.

We needed this rain; I am thankful . I just wish rain came alone- no sinus chaser!

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Damned if you do…..

It’s due to rain tomorrow , and I haven’t seen the weather channel. How do I know? …..

Sinuses.

I am typing this with a bear of a sinus headache. I always claimed to have Philadephian sinuses. Prone to winter infections and pollen the other nine months of the year.
t
The headache isn’t do bad in the scheme of things, as it reflects a change in barometric pressure,

Translated?
We need the rain!

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Working weekend

It was rough being” at home” instead of being down at Undisclosed.

One of my BFF’s,Kath, threw a surprise party for her husband, so we were up here. Trying to get ahead of the situation, we threw a lot of stuff out, a lot into recyclables, and donated a lot of clothes. After all, this house has got to sell before we can go full time to Undisclosed. I am glad we are doing things a little at a time, because leaving things until time to show/sell, well, it’d be a fiasco.

The hard part is having football on in the background : you want to sit and watch the game- not listening while you clean….There’s got to be a better way!

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Stand and Deliver

It is with a tip o’the cap to my friend “B”,that my resilience is bolstered today. She is going through trying times, and made a journal-like entry as to current conclusions she had made on life as we know it.

I am able to join “B” at these conclusions, thanks to considerate friends, and join in her pronouncement ….”I’ve got this.”

Thanks “B”, for spelling it out for me!
Sometimes a friend is best on leading the way!

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Deepest of holes

They are still digging up my street.

Now, only, to add insult to injury, they are at the intersection by my house and leaving their big monster machines in front of my gate. It has to go somewhere, but the fact that some people in the area think it’s fun to go speeding around the detour and kick up dust for anyone who is walking.

Meaning me.

As I type this, I am still hacking because a jerk had a good time running by the street with his car not once but twice. Think Oklahoma in the 1930’s. Yup-dust bowl!

I can only keep hoping that karma is a bitch for some people, because, well…just because. I know, I know-not the most Christian of attitudes but…..

‘Nuff said.

Eleven

Tomorrow is the eleventh anniversary of 9/11/2001.

It is truly a date that changed history, Once I got home, Mom and I met with our friend and neighbor, KJ, and we comforted each other and offered some prayers.

Before the day got terrible associations, two of my BFF’s , Juls and Kath, got married to their husbands, thirty and nineteen years ago respectively.

It is terrible to have to balance terrible historical events with happy times.

I love both Juls and Kath-they are the best! May they have many more happy years together with their spouses, and
wonderful memories to brighten their future. Both Shingleman and I , along with Kasia and Zush, send tons of love and hugs!

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This is a shot of me and one of my BFF’s Juls. … Need a current shot of Kath

Laying low before the storm

Today is a nice day. There’s a nice breeze going when you are by the bay. We put the air back on because the humidity is back.

The weather forecast is calling for a bad storm later, with winds and hail. We are going out now so the girls won’t go stir crazy later.

Just a good day to kick back and take it all in.

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Friday gratitude 5

How grateful am I to have had a chunk of time off. It gave me the chance to relax, spend quality time with Zush, bond tighter with Kasia, ….in short, a chance to kick back.

The weather cooperated enough to get us dog walking daily and savor the peace and quiet .Thankful, I think, all three of us are.

I was so grateful to step away from the office and kind of experience a taste of retirement. I am ready for it!

Shingleman is coming down today-always nice and grateful for having him in my life.

My final gratitude moment is for hydrocortisone cream/ rubbing alcohol/witch hazel… Mosquito bites are almost tolerable!

Have a good weekend!

Fulfilled day

For the first time in a long time, I sat this morning and made out a list of what I wanted/needed to do.

For the first time in a long time, I was able to tick everything off of the list-a wonderful feeling of accomplishment, even though I am beat**not that the daiquiri I had with dinner had a stimulant in it…lol**.

I am going to push my luck and make an attempt to repeat my success tomorrow, but we’ll see how that goes. It’ll go fine**I can hear my Mom saying in my ear**if I just don’t get a sprained arm from patting myself on the back…lol.

I have got to admit there is something to being able to operate at your own pace, and not having to meet a daily deadline. Less stress as an end result and accomplishment ~a win-win situation!

 

Work A Little, Play a little…

So, trying to take advantage of the down time, I have Evita on in the background as I try to multitask, trying to keep the girls happy, get some chores done, and not make myself nuttier**insert your witty take on nuttier here____*** than normal.

Bowing to off time, the girls and I had a nice walk this morning, especially since Labor day has come and gone! We freely wandered the streets on our walk, but due to the humidity, I always keep on top of Zush to make sure I am not pushing her too much. Kasia was playing with me and the mosquitoes**scratch,scratch** as I tried to consolidate the recycles for the trash tomorrow. I have a little wash to hang, and in honor of the saint of multi-tasking, I have a baggie with lime away secured with a rubber band on my shower head, trying to clean that up.

Complaining?

Hell, no.

Even the chores of life are more palatable down here…nice!

 

Rain or humidity is a zillion times better

The rain everyone has been experiencing is everywhere but here. Mind you, the humidity is absurd and grey sky fights the sun, but anyday here is better than being in the city!

The girls are each chomping a dog bone as the three of us try to veg. We have had some good walks today, but I am always mindful of Zush in this weather.

Early to bed for us…we can hardly wait to see what tomorrow brings!

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Best thing I ever made…

..is now on the Food Network, and I am watching the burger and dog episode. Once again, the marketers at Food Network figures, let’s have all America try these for their Labor Day picnic.

Hah!

I laugh because how many people are going to run to their kitchens to make a cherry sauce to put on top? Not me. Granted, if you watch the recipes, you may be able to tweak what you want and get rid of what you don’t. For instance, the next recipe is for a Reuben hot dog,by Adam Gertler, which might be a little more palatable than the hamburger gigantico that was just presented.

So I am going to kick back this week and maybe tweak some of these recipes. It is nice to be able to anticipate having time to do things I have wanted a chance to do.

Bring it on!

Thankful for…

Ten years with my Shingleman…I can’t remember life without him.

Above mentioned anniversary, which pushed me to take my first 9 day vacation in ten years…I don’t know hot to behave.

Two crazy fur girls who love the water as much as I do, even though I am going to have to give them a bath tomorrow.

The coming of fall and good-bye to mosquitoes.

One of my BFF, Juls, has successful surgery on her shoulder today-thanks for your prayers, folks.

 

Have a wonderful weekend !!!!