CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES, COME ON

I hope my joy is contagious. Break out the good china. Better yet, forget cooking.  Make a reservation at the best restaurant in town. Order some expensive bubbly. Then have them POP the cork off that bottle of champagne. And raise your glass in a toast. I'm in a celebratory mood. And I wanted to share it with you. My youngest daughter just had a birthday last week. My oldest daughter is about to turn 40 before this week's end. And next week my husband turns 75. And if all that isn't enough... On a rainy August 28th afternoon, FIVE years ago, I posted my very first blog post for TaryTerre. Imagine that? This blog you're reading, is now, half a decade old. I don't know what I would do without it? Or without all the wonderful people I've met because of it. Thank you for letting me "share my life experiences" with you. Each and every one of you is special to me and I appreciate you listening to what I have to say. I hope you'll continue to stop by in the days, weeks and months ahead. And that we'll be blog buddies for a very long time.

ALS ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE & ME

I TOOK THE 

ALS ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE

AND AM CHALLENGING
all my BLOG BUDDIES

 TO DO IT TOO

and make a donation.

This is to raise 

awareness and funds 

for ALS.

http://www.alsa.org/fight-als/ice-bucket-challenge.html

THE SWIMMING POOL

With summer winding down, I think fondly of past summers... especially those as a small child. I envision myself sunbathing on a cloudless day, drinking water from a warm garden hose, gently blowing dandelions in the breeze, counting clovers, looking for that lucky one, catching fireflies in my hand, and of course going swimming. These were just a few of my summer pastimes. We used to go to the beach by the Atlantic Ocean for vacations too. But, I also remember trips to visit my aunt, uncle and cousin. I was mesmerized by the fact their entire back yard was a giant, above ground swimming pool. It was really cool. I LOVED it. So... when my mom and dad told me I was going to take swimming lessons... I got excited. But only, briefly. You see... the instructor's way of teaching, was to throw you in the deep end of the pool... and then pray... you'd quickly find your sea legs. I was traumatized by this, and for a time, was scared of the water. But once I gained confidence doing the doggie paddle... I was like a fish, diving right in. My parents put up a neat, rectangular kiddie pool, at home... for my brother and I to play in. Shallow as it was... I used to love being in it. Lots of splashing and daydreaming about Olympic medals. From that moment on...  I swore I would someday have a swimming pool, built in or not, in my backyard when I became an adult. But sadly, it was not meant to be. Try as I might to convince my husband throughout the years that this would be a practical idea... he politely told me a million reasons why it wasn't. And that was that. No swimming pools of any kind, at my house, period. When our children were little, we went to the beaches at local lakes, instead. Because I am a plus size lady, now, in my old age... I am not interested in the fat shaming I would endure... wearing a bathing suit... to go there, or to a public pool, or a private swimming club. So I have taken 'swimming' off my list of things to do, at this stage of my life. And have given up my dream of ever owning a backyard pool. And I must say, it makes me a little sad. But it is what it is. I had my days in the sun, once upon a time. Do you still swim? Have you ever had a pool in your backyard? 

THE HUNDRED FOOT JOURNEY

Years ago, I used to go to the movies all the time. I also reviewed them for a Women's Center newsletter. But in all honesty... I haven't been to a movie in the past two years. There has been nothing I have deemed worthwhile seeing. That is until this weekend. A movie opened that I adore. To understand why, you have to know, a while back... I started reading a book that captured my imagination called THE HUNDRED FOOT JOURNEY by RICHARD C. MORAIS. It was made into this movie by Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey starring actress Helen Mirren. It is about a family from India opening a restaurant in the mountains of France, after tragedy strikes them. They are not dissuaded by the fact that across the street, a mere hundred feet opposite their restaurant, stands a renowned French eatery. BUT after a few run-ins with it's proprietress, Madame Mallory, the family realize they may be in over their heads, with their latest venture. It's a story that shows how cultures clash, and highlights a young cook's journey to becoming a celebrated chef. It was delightful, charming and a must see for Foodies. If you haven't been to the movies in a while, this one is worth the price of admission.

FILL THE BUS, STUFF IT WITH SCHOOL SUPPLIES

When my daughters were growing up... I had a closet designated for new school supplies. Every year I'd go shopping, sometime in the summer and I'd fill it up. Book-bags, folders, notebooks, paper, scissors, crayons, markers, binders, and the like... were all inside this special place, in my house. My little girls were thrilled with the chance to shop at home for what they needed... any time, night or day. When they grew up, and left home, I still kept a few things around the house, like notebooks. But... otherwise, that closet is now being used for something else. However, my love of new school supplies hasn't waned, so I've found a healthy way to indulge this interest.  For the past three or four years I have donated bagfuls of supplies to the Stuff the Bus/Fill up the Bus campaign either with United Way or Walmart. It gives you a good feeling to know these less fortunate children will have what they need to start the school year. It puts them on a level playing field with their peers. And makes learning more fun. If there is a program in your community to buy school supplies for kids, please join in. Every little bit helps. So go ahead, make somebody's day and put a smile on a child's face... for this up and coming school year. You'll be glad you did. And so will they.

OH MY ACHING BACK

You know you have a problem when you reach into the washing machine, to pick up clothes, and you feel a pop in your shoulder, followed by excruciating pain. I muffled a scream. Then whatever it was popped back. It was on the eve of a trip out of town and I really didn't think I should go. There is nothing worse than being holed up in a hotel room being physically spent. But I was afraid of being alone with this kind of pain. So... if I had to go to the hospital at least my hubby would be with me, if I went with him, out of town. So... off we went on our trip. But believe me, when I tell you... I felt every bump in the road. For three solid hours. It was awful. I then spent four days in a hotel room nursing this injury. However, at some point I realized my shoulder and upper back were getting  progressively worse because of the heating pad I was using. What I  needed was an ice pack . I also made up a wall of pillows that would cradle my back. And I literally just stayed in bed all day, lying there.  My hubby brought meals to me at lunch but I had to force myself to leave the room for dinner.  Then it was back to bed. Doing this finally took the edge off and I was able to function once again, as we headed homeward bound. All the aches and pains of getting older can be quite frustrating, can't they? Especially when the least little thing sets them off. Have you ever had upper back pain? How did you cope?