There wasn’t a lot of hype this year for Christmas. I do admit, it came sooner than last year and now it is over.
I took the big Christmas tree down yesterday. I rearranged the living room and swept real good. I keep one small tree up all year and I have a medium size still up because my daughter is to come here in January, based on the Covid and weather.
I spent a pretty calm and nice day with my son on Christmas. He is married to a beautiful and wonderful woman, and they have three boys who I am sad to say, one is now grown and getting ready to leave for the military in a couple of months. Where does the time go? The two other boys are eleven and six. They are both so cute with those big eyes and smiles.
We had my deceased mothers traditional dinner. Lasagna and garlice bread with a pudding dessert and pumpkin pie. My daughter-in-law is a great cook and I had no trouble eating that day. Oh no, I don’t want to look at my scales for a week at least.
Speaking of weight, the day after New Years, our TV will be bombarded with weight loss commercials, just making you feel bad enough about yourself and ready to lure you in to their weight loss places.
I personally like when the farmer commercials come on TV. It is a sure sign of Spring is getting close.
Do you want to share something you received for Christmas with me? I received a new burner to place waxed cube scents in. I have three of them and I use each one. Cinnamon is my favorite and I got some variety of wax tarts, each smelling so good, including cinnamon. I got a nice set of flannel sheets and a fuzzy, warm blanket. I will stay warm for sure in frigid Indiana.
I wrote yesterday about my chaotic week. Full of hurt and loss from loved ones. After repeating to myself over and over, See through your eyes Lord, Hear through your ears, Love through your heart; I am more calm this morning.
I can not control how I am feeling in my heart from people’s actions but I can control how I let it affect me. There is nothing worse than being un-friended by a loved one or knowing there is an issue but the other person won’t allow you to know what it is.
What can I do about it? Pray, give it to God, let him deal with it. He knows how to fix things. The other thing I do when I get to bombarded by the “stuff” in this world is look for something that makes just me happy, and this is what I did.
I went to my favorite second-hand store. I looked at everything, knowing I had a budget I had to stick to. I saw this piece that I had been wanting for about a month. Every time I went inside this store, there it sat.
Yesterday, I decided; this would make me smile. This would make me feel good every time I went into my bathroom, which is where I placed my new piece. Here is a photo of it and yes, I am still smiling over it.
It is about four foot tall. It is slender which fits my bathroom perfect. I filled it with toilet paper and soaps. I love it. Of course I love old things. What do you think? Do you like it? Do you ever buy yourself treats when life gets you down? Does it help when you do?
Tis the Christmas season. Time to be stressed, underpaid, overworked and the biggest, pretend smile ever right? Nah, some really do enjoy that push and shove time of year. The time the gift you are holding and thinking to yourself, “Will they like this?”, and the lady behind you yanks it right out of your hand.
The time of year that you definitely have that grocery list of the most needed items and you find that the prices have doubled since last week. Makes you want to let the cart remain right there in the middle of the aisle and let people go around it if they want to shop. You are definitely leaving without the filled list and going to the neighborhood bar.
Remember that Christmas a few years back when you worked the hardest ever on that special candy recipe. You only had a few more degrees to raise the candy thermometer to when suddenly the front doorbell rang? You looked at the boiling candy. You thought how rude it would be to not answer the door, especially when every, stinking light was on in the house. You decide to answer it and gently and politely tell the person that you can’t chat; to come back at another time. You aren’t interested in any sales pitch.
You hurry to the door, brushing the hairs away from your face. You open it and to your surprise it is the members from your church that you have attended for over twenty years. They start singing Christmas carols. Oh my gosh! My candy! My friends. You put on that fake smile and you prop one leg on the other as if you have to pee real bad. When they are finished; you return to that black boiled, stuck on pan of candy.
Hey! Wait a darn, picking minute! It’s your life too, right? You can make decisions at this time of year also, right? Just do what I do. Don’t open the door. Turn the lights on low. Only cook after everyone is in bed. Turn your favorite Christmas music on. Grab a cup of hot chocolate. Prop your feet up. Breathe deep and smile. Hug the night.
The fern, a common plant here in my part of the country. A plant that sits on many porches during summer months.
Rabbit’s-Foot Fern
This slow-growing fern offers dark green, fine textured fronds and fuzzy stems that creep down over the pot or along the soil. These stems are what gives the fern its delightful common name.
Name:Humata tyermanii Growing Conditions: Medium to bright light and high humidity Size: To 2 feet tall and wide
I have owned these before. They thrive for me in the summer months, but once winter arrives, I have no luck. I have heard that they can live well inside your home. I have heard they like to be misted. I do something wrong, because the tips turn brown and they shed terribly, and I end up getting rid of them.
I love them though, and for the reasons above, I admire them and want to be around many. I took the photo below yesterday, so I can have it in my house year round.
A VALENTINE GIFT FROM ME TO YOU FOR YOUR READING PLEASURE
Carol was in a wheelchair. She was living in one of the nicer nursing homes in her hometown. Her children lived less than an hour away, and it was alright with her. She wanted to be close to where she grew up. This old town held so much for her.
Memories of her growing up on the big house on the hill, just outside of town. The big oak tree on the circle, where her husband Bud had proposed to her. The boarded up church where she had said her wedding vows. The quiet cemetery where her beloved rested; waiting for her.
She had always been a housewife. The two of them were poor and because she knew the good Lord would bless her for being kind, she was always searching for someone in need. It may not have been much she did, but it gave her great joy.
She had been living at Golden Oaks for nearly three years. She knew everyone of her neighbors, and kept up with the changes of nurses and staff. She volunteered to help set tables for mealtimes. She poured the water for each person, until her hands became so shaky, she ended up getting more water on herself than in the glass.
She was involved with all the Bingo games and she could be heard singing every Sunday when the different churches came to visit and preach. She had nice people that helped care for her. Each night the CNA would help her pick out her clothes, and each morning a gal would help her get dressed and fix her hair.
Carol knew her time was coming to an end. She noticed the little things like being a little weaker, not being able to stand as well. It was alright with her. She had a good life and God had blessed her so many times.
It was the day after Christmas and she had been looking at the new year calendar. Valentine’s Day was coming. She smiled as she remembered the years her Bud had given her an extra rose for each year they were together.
She went to the social director and asked if they could speak for a minute. Ever since that little meeting Carol had been busy collecting ribbons, and feathers, construction paper, and whatever she could get her hands on. The director brought some of her own things in from home and handed them to Carol to help her fulfill her wish.
The day had arrived. It was Valentine’s Day. Carol got up real early. It wasn’t even showing a bit of daylight yet. Arrangements had been made by the staff to help her get dressed in red, and to put red lipstick on.
When she was all set, she wheeled herself out to the little room off of the dining room. There in a big, rectangle box, laid all of her items. She laid the box on her lap and wheeled herself to each place setting.
There she placed a red, foiled paper on the table. On top of that, she sat a clear, small vase with a red, curled ribbon attached at the neck. Inside each vase was a red flower she had constructed out of crepe paper and red feathers. On each plate, she laid a card, where inside she had inscribed a Valentine note individualized for each neighbor.
When she had finished each table she went over and turned the dimmer light down just a bit. She wheeled herself over to the record player and turned on the song, My Funny Valentine, by Ella Fitzgerald.
When her neighbors started coming in for breakfast, she could hear clapping and words of joy. Some of the residents who could still walk fairly well, grabbed a partner and began dancing to the music.
As she sat watching the happy faces, she wished her Bud a Happy Valentine’s Day and began the journey of going to see what she could do to help get breakfast on the tables.
Hi my friends. I am moved, not settled in but moved in. It was a busy day Saturday. Almost 7 hours of keeping that foot on the gas or brake pedal. I was nervous, but I always am. I never have enjoyed driving; but there are times you do what needs to be done.
I pulled into Warsaw, Indiana around 6pm. I sat as the two gentlemen unloaded the truck that carried my life story in. After they completed the job, I looked around and thought, ugg, look at this mess.
Each morning I awoke bright and early. I had my energy drink which is my coffee with cream and some breakfast; then started opening each box. By today, Thursday, I am down to one room left, the spare bedroom.
In that room are those items you really don’t know what to do with. You begin to start placing them in empty places, hoping that when all is done, everything looks balanced. The one thing I have had to deal with is the internet company. After 2 separate visits from them and the still remaining slow internet, I called this morning and told them, ” Come today, fix it right, or refund me and I will take my business elsewhere”. They were here by 3:30 this afternoon and the internet is up to the speed it should have been the first day they activated it.
I haven’t been on-line much because I could take a shower and do the dishes while a simple game on Facebook was opening. I could see my emails and sometimes respond, but WordPress was out of the question. It wouldn’t open for me.
I have a clear and open kitchen today so I was able to fix a real supper for myself. I can actually see the floor in the living room and I know without a doubt where the toilet paper is in the bathroom. Isn’t moving and unpacking just a hoot? lol.
I was finished with supper and decided to take advantage of my front steps since the sun had moved to the back of the house. I heard a noise and looked up and saw this plane flying overhead. I wondered if he saw me waving at him, as I didn’t see him wave back. lol. So anyways, I am back. Are you still out there?
Who I am 