HAPPY NEW YEAR

To all my blog buddies, friends and family

I wish you a
HAPPY NEW YEAR.

may 2020 be a year of hope,  peace of mind and good fortune.

CHRISTMAS IS HERE

Christmas is a wonderful time to celebrate life and the things that are important. I have been plagued with bad health and am tired of the blood tests, MRI’s, hospital visits and doctor appointments, etc.  I was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease. Living with pain is something I’m now used to. So I’m putting better health on the top of my list to Santa.  And on a whim... I’m also telling him to note that… I dream of living in a coastal town, one day… where I can eat seafood to my hearts content. Where I can start my life over. Perhaps own a little secondhand clothing store where I sell my wares and jewelry. I know it’s kind of farfetched, to think this will happen in my lifetime, ‘cause I’m getting too old to make life changing decisions. But it's up to Santa. It's on my list. I've been GOOD, not BAD. However, I know the reality of the situation. But at this time of year… I get nostalgic and have the wonderment of that small child, I used to be. "Anything is possible”, I tell myself. Anything at all. To my friends, family and blog buddies. I wish you love, peace of mind and a glorious holiday filled with special moments. Take care. I’ll see you in the new year.

KINDNESS DURING THE HOLIDAYS

I was at a Verizon store waiting, when a woman came in to pay her mother’s bill. It was about 186 dollars. The clerk told her she needed three more dollars, because they charged a fee to process the order. The woman told her she had no extra money and couldn't pay it. Then she called her mother. Though the conversation was one-sided on this end, it appeared they were both afraid to let the bill go, to the next month, because the mother would then owe double. And at this time of year, she would likely need the money for something else. The clerk was adamant that unless that extra three bucks was paid, she couldn’t do the transaction.  I had been sitting there, patiently waiting my turn, listening to the conversation… and decided to help. I reached into my change purse and removed three ones. I got up, went to the counter and laid the three singles... there in front of both of them.The clerk’s jaw dropped.The woman who needed the money was shocked… her eyes flew open wide, and she told her mom on the cell phone, that a stranger had just paid the fee.   When she hung up, she gave me a big hug with tears in her eyes and told me to have a wonderful holiday. I wished her the same and went back to my chair waiting for the clerk to finish. As she was leaving, the woman thanked me again and I said, “you’re welcome.” When she left the store… the Verizon clerk came over to wait on me, and said ,”You know you didn’t have to do that.” I told her that I believe in kindness and paying it forward. And while three dollars isn’t a big deal, to the woman who needed it,… it made a difference. And she supposed I was right. The clerk then dealt with my phone problem and told me she had to go in the back to finish up our business.  When she returned,  she gave me… one of those cordless chargers for my phone. I told her I didn’t have enough to pay for it and she said, ”I’m paying it forward. You did something nice, now I am. It’s yours... free of charge.” I was speechless. Thanking her,  I too left the building. Though I must admit, while driving home in my car,  I wondered why the clerk just hadn’t waived the fee to begin with? Then she wouldn’t have felt obligated to give me the cordless charger which was over fifty dollars. Or... maybe I was being too cynical. Perhaps there was a lesson learned by all of us that day. That a kind gesture is the glue that binds us all together. And none of us should take it for granted.

(CLICK ON ON PHOTO)

TO MAKE LARGER

THE LITTLE CHRISTMAS TREE

Back in October or November… I was looking at Christmas decorations in Menards via my scooter…  and I saw the most charming Christmas Tree I had ever seen in my entire life. It was a 3ft flocked tree with multi-colored lights that shimmered. I instantly fell in love. The best part was it’s price. It was $24.99. But for a limited time only… it was on sale for $19.99. I snapped it up right away… knowing I had the perfect spot to put it.  I couldn’t wait to get home.  When I did… I ripped open the box, rustling the branches into shape and setting it up on my long dresser top. It was beautiful. Made my day. And it was going to make the holidays sweeter. I just adored this tree. It conjured up good thoughts and great feelings. Over the next couple months… I would turn off the lights, light the tree and turn on the old fashioned radio, I had in the bedroom… blasting Christmas music. It was wonderful. I would lay there thinking about Christmas past and the ones to come in the future. We have been through some difficult times this year and though things haven’t improved and instead have seemingly gotten worse… this little tree, gave me a spark of hope. It brought sheer JOY to me and I felt lucky to be alive. I realize giving all these kudos to an inanimate object probably sounds crazy, but the truth is… it really did make a significant difference in my daily life. Unfortunately the feelings didn’t last. The little tree suddenly stopped lighting. It was dead in the water. I was devastated. My hubby checked the fuses. And checked the wires.  Took out each individual light (which was a tiresome chore) to make sure they were making the proper connection. And further to assess if a bulb might be burned out. They were firmly in the sockets and no burnouts. The outlet it was plugged into was working… so the problem seemed to be coming from the tree. So what to do? I called the store where I bought it… asking if I could return the tree and exchange it for a new one. They said I needed a receipt… which had long since been tossed away. So I wouldn’t be able to get credit back to replace the tree… but I could still buy a new one, out the cash I originally paid. Well, that sounded ok in theory, but the trouble was that particular tree was sold out. They offered to sell me the floor model… but the truth is… those trees on display… are on 24/7 and I was worried it too would fail. So I was left with no 3ft flocked multi-colored Christmas Tree for the upcoming holiday. It hit me hard. I frantically searched online for another one, from any source.  They were all cost prohibitive, and mostly had clear lights. I had to accept my idyllic Christmas dream was now shattered. In the big scheme of things I knew I needed to let it go. Things happen. But the truth is... little things mean a lot, and this little tree meant the world to me. Especially in light of all the problems that have been compounding my life, health wise. So… I now have to move forward… wrapping the last gifts to be boxed and shipped… without the same enthusiasm I had. Christmas will still come and go. And I’ll get through the holidays one way or another. But things won’t be the same without that little flocked tree. I’m afraid my disappointment will overshadow the main event and make this Christmas… one I will remember for the WRONG reason. Have you ever had something ruin your holiday?

PS) We'll be driving 40 to 60 miles away today... to try to find the same liittle tree, in stock at another Menards. Wish me luck. The computer says they're there. Fingers crossed they are and I can bring one home.

THE UGLY SWEATER

It’s that time of the year. The time when boys and girls, men and women... go deep into their closets, to find the most coveted article of clothing... for the season. The UGLY SWEATER. We tenderly remove it from it’s hidden home and bring it out into the light.  And... an old familiar feeling stirs inside us, bringing a smile to our lips. We wonder… does it still fit? Pulling the sweater over our heads, we’re relieved to know it does. We model the ugly sweater in front of the mirror, turning side to side... looking at all the chotchkes on it... admiring it's reflection. The TRADITION will continue. And now the countdown to Christmas begins. If you don’t have an UGLY SWEATER... you can pick one up in stores or thrifts, all across the country. Get yours before it's too late. You don't want to head into the Christmas season... without one, do you? 

TURKEY DAY is UPON US

HAPPY THANKSGIVING 

to all my friends, blogger buddies, and family.

ENJOY!

NO END IN SIGHT

When one thing happens, another follows. A couple weeks ago my phone stopped working. I had all my calls forwarded to my husband’s phone. Got by like that for a week, but it was frustrating. I liked my phone and didn’t want to get something new because you have to go through that learning curve all over again. Well push came to shove and I had no choice. I had to get a new phone. I felt uncomfortable without one. There was insurance on it so we made a call to see what they would give us as a replacement. I had a Samsung Note 4 and they said they would replace it with a Note 5. The only problem was they couldn’t back up my text messages on the new phone. And my 4,000 photos were a problem too. These two things were non-negotiable. I had messages from my dad (who died in April) I wanted to keep. Plus I had my daughter’s and grandchildren’s messages dating back 4 or 5 years. So I declined the replacement because they would confiscate the old phone. I wanted to keep it. Besides the Note 5 wasn’t the newest model and that bothered my husband. He said it was time to upgrade. So I began looking at other options. Smart phones are not cheap. Most are in the 700 dollar range. That was a bit costly. But, they were running a special half price event, on one or two models, and I decided to take a look-see. Neither was a Samsung, so that made me leery because that was the brand I always worked with. But one of them had an Android system, which is what I’m accustomed too, so that’s the one I decided to devote my attention too. It was a Google Pixel 3.The lady at the store gave me a quick tutorial and that’s the phone I picked. I told her I needed the text messages and photos from my Note 4 and she said she’d see what she could do. She backed up my photos to the cloud as well as my phone but it took overnight to do it. Then when we came back the next day, she did the same thing to my text messages. But again it wasn’t straightforward. She tried all kinds of different apps until she got one that worked. I was relieved.  Finally I had a phone. And all of my texts and photographs too. But when I got the new phone home, away from the store, I had a terrible time figuring out how to do anything. I couldn’t remember what the sales associate told me. It was not intuitive. And there was no instruction book to help me. That meant going online to try to find help. I was devastated. Here I had a new phone but I couldn’t use it. It was worthless. I cried, ranted and felt just miserable. I hated it. I wanted my old phone back. My husband said to give it time. I didn’t want to. I wanted it to work now. After a day or two ignoring it, I picked it up again and started experimenting until I got the hang of it. Eventually everything fell into place. And now I’m a happy camper. I still have missteps where I forget how to do something. But there are less and less of those moments as time wears on.  Have you ever been so frustrated you thought there was no end in sight?

I'M BACK FOR NOW

I am sorry I stopped blogging. I have had a tumultuous year thus far. Shortly after my father died, my oldest daughter’s boyfriend also died. He had needed a liver transplant and simply couldn’t hold out any longer. He was 45 years old. My daughter was devastated. A month or so later my younger daughter told me and my hubby she was going to undergo surgery for a lump in her breast and a spot on her ovary. Fortunately neither was cancer. But she has another large spot on her lungs that still needs to be investigated. And it will be at the end of this month. Just as things were starting to get back to normal we got a call from the hospital asking us to get there right away. When I arrived I was met by two hospital chaplains who took me into a room with about 10 doctors and nurses as my older daughter was seizing in the bed. She asked for a priest though she’s not Catholic. The doctor in charge told me he wasn’t going to let her die. She had suffered a heart attack a couple days before and had not told us and was now hanging by a thread. She survived but the stress of the whole thing was taxing. There were many tests and things she had to go through before she got the all clear. My hubby and I stayed by her side and took care of our grandchildren while she recovered. During that time my husband got sick, his back and stomach pain increased and he had to go to the doctor. He has five blown discs in his back and needs surgery. He has COPD so that may be a problem having surgery. And they told him because he’s 80 it might take up to a year to recover and that the surgery could make the pain worse and he might become paralyzed. For the time being he’s opted not to have the surgery. Meanwhile, I got a pain in my lower buttocks making walking and climbing stairs near impossible. The MRI shows I have degenerative arthritis in my lower spine particularly at the s1 joint. The pain is excruciating. It feels like someone stabbed me with a knife and is rooting around in there. As a result I have spent most of the past four months in bed. I go to the doctor this week to see where we go from here. Unfortunately the following week on October 28^th I’ve been summoned for jury duty. Because of my health at the moment I’m trying to get out of it. I won’t be able to climb the stairs at the courthouse and may not be able to walk around to the ramp which is quite the distance away. I have been saying my prayers everyday that this bad streak hitting me and my family goes away. It’s been weighing on our emotional and physical well being since my dad died back in April. There was no summer vacation or spring break, only one thing after another piling up. I have been reluctant to write about all my problems figuring you don’t need to hear them. But truth be told I miss you guys and really could use some extra prayers sent my way. Thanks for listening. I appreciate it.

GOODBYE DADDY

 I am deeply saddened. It is with a heavy heart, I tell you, my father passed away this week. 

 I am grateful I had a nice phone conversation with him the night before he passed. I will always treasure that. My dad was one of a kind. He was a veteran. A Navy man. He was witty and wise, highly opinionated. He loved his family with all his heart. He kept up with technology navigating a smart phone and the internet.  He never missed a New Years Eve or birthday without calling.  He would call at exactly 2pm (the time I was born) for my birthday every year and at midnight for New Years Eve.  He worked in the television business for over 40 years. He saw a lot of changes in this old world.  I will miss skyping and text messaging with him. I love you daddy. Rest in peace.

KINDNESS OF STRANGERS

I like to eat out, but my husband doesn’t. He prefers to stay home and throw something together from the fridge.  The other night he opted to make soup. Not in the mood for soup I told him I was going out. I debated where to go. We don’t have a big selection of restaurants in our town to choose from. So I narrowed it down to Olive Garden and Red Lobster. Both are pretty pricey places but I had gift cards and decided to splurge. It has been a difficult three or four months here on the home front due to health issues for me, my husband and younger daughter. So I thought going out to eat would benefit me emotionally.  I decided seafood was calling to me and picked Red Lobster as my go to place. That meant driving across town. I got there around 7:30pm. It was relatively full. People were out celebrating birthdays and anniversaries. And I suddenly missed my husband. What was I doing here alone? They seated me in a booth, instead of at a table... which was more intimate and private. I slowly looked at the menu cover to cover to see what I wanted. And being a gal from the east coast I opted for the crabcake dinner. It came with a salad and cost $20.45 plus an additional  $3.79 for a Dr. Pepper. My gift card would cover the bill and I would leave cash for the tip. So I settled into my surroundings and began to text my best friend. She is the one who gave me the gift card at Christmas. After 15 minutes or so the salad arrived and I heartily began to eat. I enjoyed the boisterous conversation from the tables around me. One woman was there celebrating her 96^th birthday. That was impressive indeed. When my crabcakes arrived I was ready for them. I took my time savoring each and every bite.  It reminded me of being back home where I grew up, which is so very far away. And for a moment or two... I was homesick for the ocean. But, I quickly gathered my emotions, so I didn’t burst out crying. It will be a long time before I get back there due to health concerns with my husband.  By now most everyone in the restaurant had left. It was my turn to leave too. I reached for the gift card but it wasn’t there in my wallet. I apparently left it back at the house on my way out the door. I knew my husband would be mad if I paid for that kind of meal with the debit card. Especially since I was dining alone.  But what choice did I have? Just then the waiter came over and told me the most unexpected thing. He said I could leave anytime I wanted to... because the gentleman and woman sitting behind me, had paid my bill before they left, and had taken care of his tip. I was flabbergasted. He said they thought I looked like a nice lady. Imagine that? I owed nothing due to the kindness of strangers. They were my angels in disguise. Paying it forward, I left the waiter a few more dollars. Sometimes you’re in the right place... at the right time... to be reminded about the goodness of people .  I won’t soon forget these kind folks. They made my day. 

LONG FORGOTTEN

When my daughters were little girls I sent them to knitting classes so they could learn to knit. They did it for about a year, then lost interest. It saddened me. But I understood their reluctance to continue and let any feelings I harbored about it, GO. Four decades have passed since that time and I thought knitting was a hobby now behind my daughters. So imagine my delight, when my youngest daughter, (who is now in her middle forties) gave me a gorgeous hat for Christmas. It was my favorite color too. What made it extra special was the fact she knitted it especially for me. Here I thought she forgot how to knit. But was pleasantly surprised to find out she had recently picked up the hobby again. She travels a lot so it helps fill in the gaps. Do you have a hobby you left behind and rediscovered?