MY NEW OLD CAMERA & ONLINE SHOPPING

I have two cameras. Both Nikons. Both Coolpix. One has a 22x zoom and one has a 7x zoom. I use both, but I favor the latter more. It is my ‘go to’ equipment. It has a touch screen that can’t be beat. Unfortunately the camera broke. To repair it would cost the same amount to replace it altogether. I bulked at the thought of a new model and wanted to keep the old one. My husband thought that was ridiculous. I disagreed. I LOVE this camera. Local stores wouldn’t have it in stock, it was old merchandise. So I searched Amazon and Ebay. There, I found some reconditioned ones, just like mine, at a fraction of the cost. It was tempting, but I passed, since I have already replaced the camera once via this method and it didn’t last. So I opted against it, this time around. Instead I bought the same model, NEW and factory sealed. I believe it’ll be worth every dime. It arrived yesterday. I plopped the battery in it, attached the strap, put in a memory card  and I’m back in business. I like the comfort of it’s familiarity. It makes me happy. Life is good. How did we ever shop before the internet?

I'M SICK AND TIRED

I’ve been sick, on and off... for the better part of the last ten days. This malady has no name. It started with my left ear hurting. After a few days it cleared. Then extreme nausea and dizziness set in. I literally was hugging the toilet. I thought if I could just vomit I would feel better. I couldn’t, so I crawled into bed trying to keep the room from spinning, instead. Eventually it did and I fell asleep. Next morning I felt better but had developed a fever. Alternating between feeling too hot or too cold, I stayed cuddled under a comforter, eating soup. What’s that old adage, “Starve a cold, feed a fever.” So I did. Then unfortunately the diarrhea came. Which had me take up residence in the bathroom again. This time for the next day and a half. Not a pretty picture at all. But I survived. The fever broke. My bowels tightened up. I thought I was healed. But a sore throat then sidelined me. It was horrible. I was convinced it was strep. But it too went away in twenty-four hours. Just when I thought it was all clear…. the fever once again reared it’s ugly head. And I began sneezing. Then the sneezing stopped. So far... no nasal congestion or coughing. But now I have swollen glands. This is getting ridiculous. I’m ready for some feel good time after the antibiotics kick in.  

SLEEP SLEEP PERCHANCE TO DREAM

Last night I couldn’t go to sleep at all. We can’t shut the door to our bedroom, so pets have free reign in there. And one of my kitty cats… the big one, Dara… decided it was party time, the minute the lights went out. She started to annoy me when she began walking back and forth across the bed, from top to bottom, pacing like a pregnant cat. I’d kick her off the bed, she’d find a way back on. It became a game of cat and mouse. Drove me crazy. Bored, she then decided to do something else to get my attention. She walked on top of my pillow trying to sit on my head. To say this aggravated me is an understatement. I’d pick her up, put her on the floor and she ‘d jump up and do it again. I  tried to ignore her. That’s when things went from bad to worse. She decided that she wanted to lay down on top of my Kindle which was sitting on the nightstand, next to the bed. Knowing she is too heavy and might break the screen I did my best to thwart her efforts. Just when I thought I had  succeeded, the cat switched gears. She cleverly plotted a way to steal my eyeglasses… knocking them from the dresser and then dragging them across the floor… making enough noise to raise the dead. At this point, I was not a happy camper. My language became colorful and I screamed at the top of my lungs. I chastised the troublemaker for disturbing my sleep. It was enough to make her scram. Only problem was... the other cat, Mira, scared by my uncharacteristic behavior, at this ungodly hour in the morning, decided to firmly anchor herself to my feet. I realized there was no rest for the weary in this house.  So  I surrendered... got up, went online and kept myself busy for awhile. Both felines followed me out to my desk. I waited for them to fall asleep, then I went back to bed and dreamed about having a dog. 

OH DEAR NATURE'S GIFT

I was sitting on my sofa, sipping some lemon water, when just barely out of my field of vision, I saw something run past the picture window. My first thought was that somebody was in my backyard. This alarmed me. Nobody should be there. So I jumped up, ran to the window and looked to see who it was, fully expecting to call the police. At first I didn’t see anything and then I did, once my eyes adapted to the landscape. It was no intruder.  Imagine my delight when what I saw were FOUR deer congregating nearby. I was in awe. Two of them, with racks on their heads, decided to take leave of the property, when they saw me and ran from view. But the other two, a momma and her little one, stayed put.  They wandered close to the window looking quizzically at me, as if to ask, ‘who are you?’ Mesmerized, my feet now glued to the tile floor, in the dining room, I watched their every move. Mother Nature had given me a New Years gift and I wasn’t about to squander it, to go grab a camera, and try to capture a picture. Instead, I blinked this scene into permanence, in my mind and promised to store it away there, forever. What a treat, to see these creatures up close and personal. After about ten minutes or so, they too got antsy,  and headed towards the side of my house, that was out of view. But I was not ready to say goodbye to them. So, I ran out front to my porch, and watched these dear, sweet animals prance away, through the boulevard and into the woods that bordered my neighbor’s yard, at the end of the street.  I wished them all well and hoped no harm would come to any of them.  And prayed I would get to see them again sometime soon. This was the perfect…  ‘pick me up’…  to end the holiday season and start the new year.