Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Eva Cassidy - Over the Rainbow
Thought for the day - Food Lion
Today, i read in the paper an article about Ralph Ketner, one of the founders of the Food Lion grocery store chain, who passed away at age 95. It made me think about how this grocery store has been a part of my life longer than any other. i still shop there. i shopped there today, actually. i love to go grocery shopping and Food Lion is one of my first choices.
My earliest memory of Food Lion was back when it was known as Food Town. Ours was on Sunset Drive in Monroe, NC. It was across the street from the Methodist Church and diagonally across from the scout hut. Food Town was almost half way between our house and Grandmother's. i remember she shopped there a lot, especially the older she got because it was close and a fairly easy parking lot to get in and out of.
i remember going there as a small child, before i started school, with Mom during the week. i would sit on the bottom of the cart after i got to be too big to ride in the child seat. It was always fun to be pushed around by Mom and see all of the items that were closer to the ground. One particular thing i remember is going there to buy supplies for our annual beach trip to Kure Beach each year. When we were small, we were not given many sodas. i don't know if this was because they weren't good for us or because we could not afford them on a regular basis. Anyway, when we went to beach, we always got sodas to take with us. Specifically, Chek Soda. They came in many different flavors. The can was always white and whatever color "matched" the flavor of the soda. Mom would be 4 or 5 flats of them. Of course, then i had to get out from below the cart so she could put them there. But, i will always associate Food Town with going to the beach.
i also remember the glories of having shopping carts with license plates on them. After your groceries were bagged by people who were actually trained on how to bag groceries, not just put 2 items in each plastic bag, you were given the option to push the cart out yourself or drive around for pickup. If you drove around, the cashier would write your cart's license plate number on the back of your receipt. You drove up to the front of the store and a clerk would put your bags in the car for you. Shoppers today don't know what they're missing!
i remember one time, after Food Town became Food Lion, it went through a period where ours was not the best or cleanest grocery store in town. Harris Teeter, Winn-Dixie and Kroger and all opened up and Food Lion got left in the dust. Even though their prices were considerably better, people did not shop there as they used to. A friend of Mom's who was a home economics teacher at a high school, i don't remember which one, was shopping for chocolate chips there for a class project. She found the chips easily enough, but the first bag she grabbed was open. There were teeth marks on it...and not human teeth either. She went through several bags and all had been chewed and gnawed open. And underneath where the bags were there were mouse droppings. Needless to say, she did not buy the chips and was not happy either. So, she took each bag of chocolate chips that was damaged by mice, opened them up and let the chips spread all over the aisle. She told the manager what she had done and why and then she left the store. Then she called the office of Tom Smith, who was the president of Food Lion at the time, and relayed the story to him. He listened to her intently and thanked her for her actions. He promised to check into the matter and see that the store was properly cleaned so that this kind of thing would not happen. And, happy to say, it was a promise he kept.
Another memory of i have of the store is with Grandmother. i spent many weekend nights with Grandmother and she usually had some kind of sweet for me to enjoy. One night she realized she didn't have anything and loaded me into the car and off we went to Food Lion. She was going to get ice cream. Or ice milk as the inexpensive house brand was called then. It was late, at least to an 8 year old. In those days, Food Lion closed at 9 as did most everything else. We got there just at 9 as they were closing. Even though she explained to them she was just getting ice cream and knew exactly where it was, they would not let her in the store. So, we left empty handed. i do understand why we weren't allowed in from the employee's perspective, but it was rather disappointing to a young boy and his Grandmother.
From that episode, i took away that it's ok to bend the rules every now and then if it helps someone out and makes their day better. When i worked at a video store in the 90's, if someone showed up as we were closing or right after we'd closed, i would let them in because i knew the disappointment of being just a few minutes late.
The Food Lion i shop at these days is not too far from our house. If you look at Greensboro's demographics, it is not located in the best part of town like all of the high end grocery stores are. But, i shop there because the prices are very good. And i also shop there because, at least in my experience grocery shopping, they have one of the nicest, most genuine staffs around. Every person i encounter there is pleasant and usually smiling. They are easy to talk to and always answer my questions. i can tell from the banter between employees that they have created a good work environment for themselves and it shows. They make my grocery shopping experience an enjoyable one and that's why i keep going back.
Chek Soda. Carts with license plates. Ice Milk. Good memories. Thanks for that, Ralph Ketner!
My earliest memory of Food Lion was back when it was known as Food Town. Ours was on Sunset Drive in Monroe, NC. It was across the street from the Methodist Church and diagonally across from the scout hut. Food Town was almost half way between our house and Grandmother's. i remember she shopped there a lot, especially the older she got because it was close and a fairly easy parking lot to get in and out of.
i remember going there as a small child, before i started school, with Mom during the week. i would sit on the bottom of the cart after i got to be too big to ride in the child seat. It was always fun to be pushed around by Mom and see all of the items that were closer to the ground. One particular thing i remember is going there to buy supplies for our annual beach trip to Kure Beach each year. When we were small, we were not given many sodas. i don't know if this was because they weren't good for us or because we could not afford them on a regular basis. Anyway, when we went to beach, we always got sodas to take with us. Specifically, Chek Soda. They came in many different flavors. The can was always white and whatever color "matched" the flavor of the soda. Mom would be 4 or 5 flats of them. Of course, then i had to get out from below the cart so she could put them there. But, i will always associate Food Town with going to the beach.
i also remember the glories of having shopping carts with license plates on them. After your groceries were bagged by people who were actually trained on how to bag groceries, not just put 2 items in each plastic bag, you were given the option to push the cart out yourself or drive around for pickup. If you drove around, the cashier would write your cart's license plate number on the back of your receipt. You drove up to the front of the store and a clerk would put your bags in the car for you. Shoppers today don't know what they're missing!
i remember one time, after Food Town became Food Lion, it went through a period where ours was not the best or cleanest grocery store in town. Harris Teeter, Winn-Dixie and Kroger and all opened up and Food Lion got left in the dust. Even though their prices were considerably better, people did not shop there as they used to. A friend of Mom's who was a home economics teacher at a high school, i don't remember which one, was shopping for chocolate chips there for a class project. She found the chips easily enough, but the first bag she grabbed was open. There were teeth marks on it...and not human teeth either. She went through several bags and all had been chewed and gnawed open. And underneath where the bags were there were mouse droppings. Needless to say, she did not buy the chips and was not happy either. So, she took each bag of chocolate chips that was damaged by mice, opened them up and let the chips spread all over the aisle. She told the manager what she had done and why and then she left the store. Then she called the office of Tom Smith, who was the president of Food Lion at the time, and relayed the story to him. He listened to her intently and thanked her for her actions. He promised to check into the matter and see that the store was properly cleaned so that this kind of thing would not happen. And, happy to say, it was a promise he kept.
Another memory of i have of the store is with Grandmother. i spent many weekend nights with Grandmother and she usually had some kind of sweet for me to enjoy. One night she realized she didn't have anything and loaded me into the car and off we went to Food Lion. She was going to get ice cream. Or ice milk as the inexpensive house brand was called then. It was late, at least to an 8 year old. In those days, Food Lion closed at 9 as did most everything else. We got there just at 9 as they were closing. Even though she explained to them she was just getting ice cream and knew exactly where it was, they would not let her in the store. So, we left empty handed. i do understand why we weren't allowed in from the employee's perspective, but it was rather disappointing to a young boy and his Grandmother.
From that episode, i took away that it's ok to bend the rules every now and then if it helps someone out and makes their day better. When i worked at a video store in the 90's, if someone showed up as we were closing or right after we'd closed, i would let them in because i knew the disappointment of being just a few minutes late.
The Food Lion i shop at these days is not too far from our house. If you look at Greensboro's demographics, it is not located in the best part of town like all of the high end grocery stores are. But, i shop there because the prices are very good. And i also shop there because, at least in my experience grocery shopping, they have one of the nicest, most genuine staffs around. Every person i encounter there is pleasant and usually smiling. They are easy to talk to and always answer my questions. i can tell from the banter between employees that they have created a good work environment for themselves and it shows. They make my grocery shopping experience an enjoyable one and that's why i keep going back.
Chek Soda. Carts with license plates. Ice Milk. Good memories. Thanks for that, Ralph Ketner!
Recipe of the week - baked scallops
This was the first time that i ever cooked scallops. i love scallops but have always been apprehensive about cooking seafood. i think it's because i tend to over cook my meats and seafood is especially not good when it's over cooked. i conquered my fear of cooking shrimp, so it was time to move on to scallops!
This recipe was actually on the bag of scallops. i thought i'd try it out and ended up really liking it! i forgot to take a picture but it turned out like a very nice looking casserole. Oh well :)
1 lb. scallops
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt
pepper
1 cup of cracker crumbs, divided
dash of nutmeg
2 Tbsp melted butter
Preheat oven to 350. Rinse scallops in cold water and pat dry. Mix scallops with 1/2 cup heavy cream. Add salt, pepper, 3/4 cup of cracker crumbs and a dash of nutmeg. Place in a pan and cover with 1/4 cup of cracker crumbs. Sprinkle with melted butter. Bake for approximately 20 minutes.
Enjoy!
This recipe was actually on the bag of scallops. i thought i'd try it out and ended up really liking it! i forgot to take a picture but it turned out like a very nice looking casserole. Oh well :)
1 lb. scallops
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt
pepper
1 cup of cracker crumbs, divided
dash of nutmeg
2 Tbsp melted butter
Preheat oven to 350. Rinse scallops in cold water and pat dry. Mix scallops with 1/2 cup heavy cream. Add salt, pepper, 3/4 cup of cracker crumbs and a dash of nutmeg. Place in a pan and cover with 1/4 cup of cracker crumbs. Sprinkle with melted butter. Bake for approximately 20 minutes.
Enjoy!
Monday, May 30, 2016
Thought for the day
Letter writing is a dying art. i am trying to bring it back...one letter at a time. As convenient as emails are, it is so nice to get something in the mail that isn't either a bill or an advertisement or just plain junk. i know, in my heart of hearts, that it won't catch on again, but that is not going to keep me from doing it. In the past week, i have written 4 letters. i am trying to write one at least every other day. Whether or not they get answered is still to be seen.
In the midst of letter writing is thank you notes, also a dying art. i think it is important to let people know one's gratitude towards them. Today, i wrote 2 thank you notes for kindnesses that have been done to me. Of course, a thank you note never has to go acknowledged but the writer does get a great sense of accomplishment at having done it. And, if it brightens the recipient's day, all the better.
Anyway, it is my goal to write more letters. i love the time that it takes to just sit down and put pen to paper. i usually put on some records as i write...any excuse to listen to my music. And even if the news is old news by the time the letter is delivered, it still means a great deal at having done it.
i used to write letters to my Great Aunt Billie. The last one i wrote to her was about a week before she died. She never actually got the letter because she went into the hospital. When we were in Wilmington at her house for the funeral, i found the letter among her mail and i kept it. And even though she never got to read it, i was glad that i had written it. It's just a nice way to keep in touch.
Cheers
In the midst of letter writing is thank you notes, also a dying art. i think it is important to let people know one's gratitude towards them. Today, i wrote 2 thank you notes for kindnesses that have been done to me. Of course, a thank you note never has to go acknowledged but the writer does get a great sense of accomplishment at having done it. And, if it brightens the recipient's day, all the better.
Anyway, it is my goal to write more letters. i love the time that it takes to just sit down and put pen to paper. i usually put on some records as i write...any excuse to listen to my music. And even if the news is old news by the time the letter is delivered, it still means a great deal at having done it.
i used to write letters to my Great Aunt Billie. The last one i wrote to her was about a week before she died. She never actually got the letter because she went into the hospital. When we were in Wilmington at her house for the funeral, i found the letter among her mail and i kept it. And even though she never got to read it, i was glad that i had written it. It's just a nice way to keep in touch.
Cheers
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Sunday's moment of faith and reflection - The Lord Bless You and Keep You
Now that i am getting back into the swing of going to church on a regular basis, i find that i am really enjoying it. It is a great way to connect with people and to reconnect with my spirituality. So, i figured that my blog would be a good place to reflect upon that. i simply plan on sharing things, mostly music, that made an impact on me through my life in church. i am not here to preach to anyone or to try to change anyone's religious views. i just want to share those things that are important to me.
This arrangement of "The Lord Bless You and Keep You" is by John Rutter. It is beautiful. Many Sundays at church growing up, this was the benediction sung by the adult choir. i enjoy most everything that Rutter does, but this is one of my favorites.
Peace
This arrangement of "The Lord Bless You and Keep You" is by John Rutter. It is beautiful. Many Sundays at church growing up, this was the benediction sung by the adult choir. i enjoy most everything that Rutter does, but this is one of my favorites.
Peace
Thought for the day - car taxes
My car taxes and tag renewal are due at the end of next month. This morning, before i went to church, i was going over some of the paper work the Guilford County Tax Office had sent me. i try to keep like papers together...i don't always succeed, but i do try. Anyway, i also found the same papers they had sent me in 2014 when i purchased the car from my previous employer. At that time, the car was valued at just under $10,000, which is what i paid for it. i noticed today on my 2016 form that my car is now valued at almost $16,000!!! WTF? How can a used car appreciate almost $6,000 in two years? i always thought that the older a car got, the less its value. Hell, i've always heard that a car automatically loses half its value the day you drive it off of the lot. So, how is it possible that the car is now valued over 1.5 times what it was 2 years ago?
i just do not understand. And, of course, my tax bill is much higher than it was 2 years ago. i think that i will be taking a trip to the Guilford County Tax Office this week to see how this works. If they can give me legitimate reasons as to why my car appreciated so much in value, i will be satisfied. If it is some sort of clerical error, then screw that. They will have to fix it. The Kelly Blue Book value is only just above $10,000. i just want to know how they reached this conclusion. i ain't got time for mediocrity right now LOL Mistakes happen and this better be one. We shall see. GRRRRRRRR
If you have any answers or helpful info...i welcome it!
Cheers
i just do not understand. And, of course, my tax bill is much higher than it was 2 years ago. i think that i will be taking a trip to the Guilford County Tax Office this week to see how this works. If they can give me legitimate reasons as to why my car appreciated so much in value, i will be satisfied. If it is some sort of clerical error, then screw that. They will have to fix it. The Kelly Blue Book value is only just above $10,000. i just want to know how they reached this conclusion. i ain't got time for mediocrity right now LOL Mistakes happen and this better be one. We shall see. GRRRRRRRR
If you have any answers or helpful info...i welcome it!
Cheers
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Friday, May 27, 2016
Thought for the day - my new list app
i am very much a list kind of person. i love making lists. Don't know why...it's just a fact of my life. i have been searching for an list app for awhile. i have tried several of them out but had not found one that i felt was useful and easy to manage. While we were at the beach a few weeks ago, Michael's brother Stephen told us about the Google Keep app. It lets you make lists of all kinds and you can also share them with other Google users. He was using it that night to go to the grocery store. Well, after we got back from our mini vacation, i downloaded the app to try it out. So far so good. i am really enjoying it. Of course, i only know the basics of it right now, but i can see definite potential as i learn more about it.
Of course, making lists has it's pros and cons. One of pros is being able to cross things off of the list. That gives me a great sense of accomplishment. And, btw, list making is a great goal setting tool in my future career as a social work....score! i just feel better when i see the list actually get shorter and shorter because i am getting off of my ass and getting things done. And i try to make my lists with very specific tasks and not general things that i need to do every day around the house.
However, the flip side of that is when i don't get as many things done on the list. Having the lack of accomplishment staring me in the face can make me feel depressed or useless. i feel as if i have wasted my day and not gotten the things done that i want to. Usually, that's because i have wasted my day....oh well. It usually takes me at least 24 hours to shake that feeling off and then i go back to my lists.
Still, all in all, i enjoy my lists more than i don't so i will keep doing them until the day i die. The Google Keep is really working for me so far. Normally, i am one of those old fashioned people who have to actually write everything down. But, i figured i might as well start to embrace technology. At least some of it. And, at least this way i am saving a tree LOL
Cheers
However, the flip side of that is when i don't get as many things done on the list. Having the lack of accomplishment staring me in the face can make me feel depressed or useless. i feel as if i have wasted my day and not gotten the things done that i want to. Usually, that's because i have wasted my day....oh well. It usually takes me at least 24 hours to shake that feeling off and then i go back to my lists.
Still, all in all, i enjoy my lists more than i don't so i will keep doing them until the day i die. The Google Keep is really working for me so far. Normally, i am one of those old fashioned people who have to actually write everything down. But, i figured i might as well start to embrace technology. At least some of it. And, at least this way i am saving a tree LOL
Cheers
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Antique of the week
This lamp is another one of my favorite pieces. It sat on a maple shaker table that was beside Grandmother's chair in her living room. i remember her sitting in this chair a lot when i was a child...specifically in the afternoons when she would enjoy a glass of iced coffee (back before iced coffee was cool lol). So, in essence, every time i look at this lamp, i think about Grandmother sitting in her winged back chair.
Originally, this lamp started out as an oil lamp. The pattern of the lamp i have always been told is a turkey foot pattern. You can google it and see the lamp in other colors, but Grandmother's was blue. Grandmother had the oil lamp electrified once and then remade. When Mom was a child, this lamp sat on a table beside the sofa in the living room. They also had a collie named Lady. One day, Lady found herself wedged behind the sofa. In her effort to get out from behind, she managed to get caught up in the lamp's cord and knocked it off of the table, breaking it. The lamp's oil bowl remained intact so Grandmother, being crafty, decided to save it and have it made into another lamp. i think it turned out pretty well.
When she passed, the lamp came to me. i have had it rewired for safety reasons but it's still just as beautiful as ever. It is brass with a marble base. i don't know exactly how old the shade is, but i'm pretty sure it's older than me! It sits in our living room at the front window. Love it!
Thought for the day
Today i worked as i will for the rest of the week. Yesterday was my day off and i feel like i got very little accomplished. i realize that yes, it's my day off and if i want to be lazy i should be. And sometimes i enjoy that but for some reason yesterday i did not. i think that it started early in the morning. i was walking back from the grocery store when a woman in her car stopped me. It seems that the night before her dog had gotten lost and she was frantically searching for him. i had not seen him but took one of her flyers.
Now, animals have a growing part of my heart and anytime i see a lost pet poster, it really gets to me. Yesterday, since she did not live too far from me, i took a walk to the area where she lived just to look around in hopes that i might see Bagel the beagle. i did not see him, but i'm glad i went and at least looked. It still weighed heavy on my heart that he was out there somewhere and not at home. i would be devastated if anything like that happened with Squirt so i'm not even going to think about it.
And, on my way home, i came across a black cat that was carrying a baby squirrel in its mouth. i did nothing, even though the squirrel was screaming for its life. i did nothing. i should've at least tried but didn't and by the time i got home i was really upset about it. So, i said a prayer that the squirrel would try and forgive my lack of humanity in that moment. Yes, i know it's the circle of life. But, you know, sometimes the circle of life really sucks! Oh well.
So, today when i got home from work, i decided to do something for myself. i sat down at my piano and played. i hadn't done that in a while and it felt good. And it made me determine 2 things. 1 is that i need to try and play every day. After all, it relaxes me and i enjoy it. And 2, i need to teach myself how to fix this piano. There are keys that do not work and some notes are definitely out of tune. i'm hoping that with Youtube's help, i may be able to find some instruction on the matter. It'd be great if i could do it myself, especially since i am not in a place to pay someone else to do it LOL
i've played the piano for years and some of my most precious memories involve being at the piano. Today, i chose to play pieces by David Lanz. He's one of my favorite contemporary pianists. Tanya introduced me to his music in high school and i've loved it ever since! This is one of the pieces that i played to...or at least tried to:
i'm not nearly up to speed on my technique, so i definitely need some practice!!
Cheers
Now, animals have a growing part of my heart and anytime i see a lost pet poster, it really gets to me. Yesterday, since she did not live too far from me, i took a walk to the area where she lived just to look around in hopes that i might see Bagel the beagle. i did not see him, but i'm glad i went and at least looked. It still weighed heavy on my heart that he was out there somewhere and not at home. i would be devastated if anything like that happened with Squirt so i'm not even going to think about it.
And, on my way home, i came across a black cat that was carrying a baby squirrel in its mouth. i did nothing, even though the squirrel was screaming for its life. i did nothing. i should've at least tried but didn't and by the time i got home i was really upset about it. So, i said a prayer that the squirrel would try and forgive my lack of humanity in that moment. Yes, i know it's the circle of life. But, you know, sometimes the circle of life really sucks! Oh well.
So, today when i got home from work, i decided to do something for myself. i sat down at my piano and played. i hadn't done that in a while and it felt good. And it made me determine 2 things. 1 is that i need to try and play every day. After all, it relaxes me and i enjoy it. And 2, i need to teach myself how to fix this piano. There are keys that do not work and some notes are definitely out of tune. i'm hoping that with Youtube's help, i may be able to find some instruction on the matter. It'd be great if i could do it myself, especially since i am not in a place to pay someone else to do it LOL
i've played the piano for years and some of my most precious memories involve being at the piano. Today, i chose to play pieces by David Lanz. He's one of my favorite contemporary pianists. Tanya introduced me to his music in high school and i've loved it ever since! This is one of the pieces that i played to...or at least tried to:
Cheers
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Recipe of the week - Parmesan Crusted Tilapia
i tried this last week for the first time and really enjoyed it. Hope you will too!
12 oz Tilapia fillets, thawed
1/3 cup dry, unseasoned bread crumbs
2 tsp parsley flakes
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp spicy brown mustard
4 tsp grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350. Stir together bread crumbs, parsley, paprika and salt. Brush both sides of each fillet with mustard. Place fillets in crumbs; coat with crumbs. Place fillets in large shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 14-16 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
Enjoy!
12 oz Tilapia fillets, thawed
1/3 cup dry, unseasoned bread crumbs
2 tsp parsley flakes
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp spicy brown mustard
4 tsp grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350. Stir together bread crumbs, parsley, paprika and salt. Brush both sides of each fillet with mustard. Place fillets in crumbs; coat with crumbs. Place fillets in large shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 14-16 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
Enjoy!
Monday, May 23, 2016
10 Things That Make Me Happy
1.Animal Rescues
2. Smurf glasses
3. Coffee in a cup and saucer
4. Music boxes
5. A good oboist
6. Moon River
7. CornFlakes
8. The Lonely Goatherd
9. White Kitty and Black Kitty
10. Bacon frying
2. Smurf glasses
3. Coffee in a cup and saucer
4. Music boxes
5. A good oboist
6. Moon River
7. CornFlakes
8. The Lonely Goatherd
9. White Kitty and Black Kitty
10. Bacon frying
Thought for the day - music in my head
It's not unusual for me to wake up with some random song playing in my head. i don't know exactly why specific songs are in my head, but that's the way life is sometimes. i am one of those people who constantly has music going inside. Sometimes someone will say something that i know is a line from a song and will start singing that in my head. Sometimes it's just the name of an artist that is suggested and that will cause a song to play. First thing in the morning, though, i suppose it stems from something that i dreamed of or someone. i normally do not remember my dreams but that is the only explanation that i know of.
Anyway, when i woke up this morning, this was the song in my head. A very old fashioned song that i love dearly. Mom and i used to sit at the piano and play this. We'd sing harmony just like in this version. We spend so many hours at the piano doing this kind of thing. i still find it relaxing to this day, even though i do not really have anyone to sing with these days LOL But, then again, with the way my singing is that could be a blessing in disguise :)
Still, it's a lovely song and it was a beautiful memory to wake up. i need to go find that sheet music and relearn it. Who knows, maybe one day i'll find someone to sing it with again :)
Cheers!
Anyway, when i woke up this morning, this was the song in my head. A very old fashioned song that i love dearly. Mom and i used to sit at the piano and play this. We'd sing harmony just like in this version. We spend so many hours at the piano doing this kind of thing. i still find it relaxing to this day, even though i do not really have anyone to sing with these days LOL But, then again, with the way my singing is that could be a blessing in disguise :)
Still, it's a lovely song and it was a beautiful memory to wake up. i need to go find that sheet music and relearn it. Who knows, maybe one day i'll find someone to sing it with again :)
Cheers!
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Thought for the day - cassettes
i am so happy that my new stereo that Michael got me for our anniversary has a tape player on it. i still have so many cassettes that i just cannot throw away yet....yes, i know...pack rat, hoarder, whatever. But i really do enjoy them and some are just simply irreplaceable. Kids today, or hell, even people in their 20's and 30's, just do not understand the beauty of the cassette tape. They will never know the joys of making a mixed tape for yourself or a friend or a romantic interest. They will never know the anguish of having to wait for the radio to play a certain song and you have to hold the recorder up to the speaker to get it on the cassette. It is definitely a lost art.
When i was in college, my friends and i made a lot and i mean A LOT of mixed tapes for each other. I guess now maybe people do it with cd's or playlists or something. But having to look for the music and record it onto a tape was time consuming. And then, you had to actually estimate how long each song was because tape sides were either 30 or 45 minutes only. If you went over and the tape ran out, then you had to do it all over again and that was very frustrating! i've kept every mixed tape that was made for me in college. i sometimes wonder if the people i made them for kept them as well. And now that i have a tape player again, i can go back and listening to them anew!
Today, while i was doing some cleaning, i found a tape from 1986 that i made. That year, we took a road trip to Washington, DC to see our Uncle Bernie. It was a wonderful trip full of great memories. In those days, though, one had to make one's own fun on a long car trip. We didn't have the convenience of ipads and laptops and such. Usually, fun involved reading a book or doing mad libs or putting a tape in your Sony Walkman. For that specific trip, i spent weeks making tapes of tv shows. i would put the tape recorder up to the television set and record the audio of different sitcom episodes. i figured that would take up a great deal of the car ride for me.
This particular tape has an episode of "Newhart" on Side A and "Designing Women" on Side B. This was easy to do because they played back to back on Monday nights. i remember recording them from tv....hitting the pause button to skip over the commercials. i recorded some other shows like "The Cosby Show", "The Jeffersons", and "The Golden Girls". i don't know whatever happened to those other tapes because this is the only one i can find. And, of course, the DW episode is the beauty pageant one with the infamous Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia speech....still an amazing moment in sitcom history.
So, as i find more cassette tapes...and i know that i have more in the garage...i am going to really enjoy going to back and listening to them and reliving many wonderful memories. The mixed tapes in particular. Someone took the time to pick out these songs just for me. Someone cared enough to to that. i love it!
Cheers
When i was in college, my friends and i made a lot and i mean A LOT of mixed tapes for each other. I guess now maybe people do it with cd's or playlists or something. But having to look for the music and record it onto a tape was time consuming. And then, you had to actually estimate how long each song was because tape sides were either 30 or 45 minutes only. If you went over and the tape ran out, then you had to do it all over again and that was very frustrating! i've kept every mixed tape that was made for me in college. i sometimes wonder if the people i made them for kept them as well. And now that i have a tape player again, i can go back and listening to them anew!
Today, while i was doing some cleaning, i found a tape from 1986 that i made. That year, we took a road trip to Washington, DC to see our Uncle Bernie. It was a wonderful trip full of great memories. In those days, though, one had to make one's own fun on a long car trip. We didn't have the convenience of ipads and laptops and such. Usually, fun involved reading a book or doing mad libs or putting a tape in your Sony Walkman. For that specific trip, i spent weeks making tapes of tv shows. i would put the tape recorder up to the television set and record the audio of different sitcom episodes. i figured that would take up a great deal of the car ride for me.
This particular tape has an episode of "Newhart" on Side A and "Designing Women" on Side B. This was easy to do because they played back to back on Monday nights. i remember recording them from tv....hitting the pause button to skip over the commercials. i recorded some other shows like "The Cosby Show", "The Jeffersons", and "The Golden Girls". i don't know whatever happened to those other tapes because this is the only one i can find. And, of course, the DW episode is the beauty pageant one with the infamous Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia speech....still an amazing moment in sitcom history.
So, as i find more cassette tapes...and i know that i have more in the garage...i am going to really enjoy going to back and listening to them and reliving many wonderful memories. The mixed tapes in particular. Someone took the time to pick out these songs just for me. Someone cared enough to to that. i love it!
Cheers
Friday, May 20, 2016
Quote
"There is a fragrance in the air, a certain passage of a song, an old photograph falling out from the pages of a book, the sound of somebody's voice in the hall that makes your heart leap and fills your eyes with tears. Who can say when or how it will be that something easters up out of the dimness to remind us of a time before we were born and after we will die?"
Frederick Buechner, Telling the Truth
Frederick Buechner, Telling the Truth
Thought for the day - when friendships change
There's a restaurant around the corner from where we live called Fishbones. i walk by it all the time on my way to the neighborhood grocery store. It's a great place to eat and i really do enjoy their food and atmosphere. i walked by it the other day and it got me to thinking of all of the people that i have eaten with there. Bethann, Jennifer, Sean, Michael, Adam, Shelby....to name a few.
For some reason, i focused on eating there with Jennifer. When we ate there, it was the first night that she and Michael met. Jennifer was my best friend from college. We met and we clicked immediately. We even were roommates her last year of graduate school. As life goes on, our times together have become less frequent. And being able to get together that night with her was magical because it had been years since we had seen each other.
Anyway, having my best friend from college meet my husband was a big deal. Everything went smoothly. We had a blast. Even when Dusty "She doesn't drink red wine" showed up. i knew that was going to happen, but we sat through it patiently! It was a great meal and Jen was spending the night so that meant we'd be drinking and talking til all hours. We got plenty of alcohol to go and headed back to the house. Luckily, Squirt took an instant liking to her.....otherwise there could've been an issue LOL
That was the first of several nights that we got to hang out over the last few years. Each time was wonderful...like no time had passed at all...only much time had. Things evolved and she began a new relationship. That was great... but, selfishly, the phone calls and texts came less and less. And that bothered me because we had just really reconnected and now she was going away again. Long story short, she got married this year. i was not there for the wedding. At one point, i was suppose to be but that all went down the tubes and i am not exactly sure why.
She invited us to visit over Labor Day this past fall. That trip, even though it was great to revisit Wilmington, was a disaster. Jen had so many social obligations that weekend that she had no business inviting us when she could not spend time with us. We were there 3 days and 2 nights and i think that i saw her 4, maybe 5 hours the entire time. If you have that many things to do you have no place inviting your best friend to come visit....it's simple etiquette.
After barely seeing her and Sam Saturday, they did cook us breakfast Sunday and promised a fabulous dinner at 6 that evening. They had to go to a party of a friend who was leaving town during the afternoon...understandable. 6 came and went, so did 7, so did 8. i'd bought a bottle of wine for the evening it was gone by 8 totally. They showed up after 9 to cook us dinner....apologizing profusely again...a weekend motif. But, by the time they got home, Jen was so drunk that she passed out in her bathroom after barely half an hour with us. i was so angry i went to bed without dinner. Sam and Michael stayed up for the special dinner we'd been promised....and apparently it was salty.
Needless to say, we left the next day as scheduled. i tried to leave quietly, without seeing them, but they woke up and caught us as we were packing the truck. That was September. The wedding was in November and i never heard one word between our visit and the wedding. i suppose that if my presence had been important, truly, i would have heard something. Hell, they even came to Burlington...about 20 minutes away from me....to see a show in October and never called to say they were close by. So, no wedding for me.
What i don't really understand is why? Honestly, i think it's either one of 2 things. Either 1, her new husband does not like me and wants to limit her communications with me. Or 2, she's so afraid that i will tell her exactly what i think of her behavior that her need to be married is worth my silence. i really don't know. i hope that it isn't either of those things and that one day we'll pick up where we left off. i just don't know. Only time will tell.
Cheers
For some reason, i focused on eating there with Jennifer. When we ate there, it was the first night that she and Michael met. Jennifer was my best friend from college. We met and we clicked immediately. We even were roommates her last year of graduate school. As life goes on, our times together have become less frequent. And being able to get together that night with her was magical because it had been years since we had seen each other.
Anyway, having my best friend from college meet my husband was a big deal. Everything went smoothly. We had a blast. Even when Dusty "She doesn't drink red wine" showed up. i knew that was going to happen, but we sat through it patiently! It was a great meal and Jen was spending the night so that meant we'd be drinking and talking til all hours. We got plenty of alcohol to go and headed back to the house. Luckily, Squirt took an instant liking to her.....otherwise there could've been an issue LOL
That was the first of several nights that we got to hang out over the last few years. Each time was wonderful...like no time had passed at all...only much time had. Things evolved and she began a new relationship. That was great... but, selfishly, the phone calls and texts came less and less. And that bothered me because we had just really reconnected and now she was going away again. Long story short, she got married this year. i was not there for the wedding. At one point, i was suppose to be but that all went down the tubes and i am not exactly sure why.
She invited us to visit over Labor Day this past fall. That trip, even though it was great to revisit Wilmington, was a disaster. Jen had so many social obligations that weekend that she had no business inviting us when she could not spend time with us. We were there 3 days and 2 nights and i think that i saw her 4, maybe 5 hours the entire time. If you have that many things to do you have no place inviting your best friend to come visit....it's simple etiquette.
After barely seeing her and Sam Saturday, they did cook us breakfast Sunday and promised a fabulous dinner at 6 that evening. They had to go to a party of a friend who was leaving town during the afternoon...understandable. 6 came and went, so did 7, so did 8. i'd bought a bottle of wine for the evening it was gone by 8 totally. They showed up after 9 to cook us dinner....apologizing profusely again...a weekend motif. But, by the time they got home, Jen was so drunk that she passed out in her bathroom after barely half an hour with us. i was so angry i went to bed without dinner. Sam and Michael stayed up for the special dinner we'd been promised....and apparently it was salty.
Needless to say, we left the next day as scheduled. i tried to leave quietly, without seeing them, but they woke up and caught us as we were packing the truck. That was September. The wedding was in November and i never heard one word between our visit and the wedding. i suppose that if my presence had been important, truly, i would have heard something. Hell, they even came to Burlington...about 20 minutes away from me....to see a show in October and never called to say they were close by. So, no wedding for me.
What i don't really understand is why? Honestly, i think it's either one of 2 things. Either 1, her new husband does not like me and wants to limit her communications with me. Or 2, she's so afraid that i will tell her exactly what i think of her behavior that her need to be married is worth my silence. i really don't know. i hope that it isn't either of those things and that one day we'll pick up where we left off. i just don't know. Only time will tell.
Cheers
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Thought for the day - a sense of community
Some things that seem to go in waves throughout my life are the different communities that i find myself a part of. Growing up, i had the kids in the neighborhood and my friends at church. In college, i had my BFA class and the girls in the graduate class of 1998. After college, i had several different circles of friends. And, of course, when you work for a company for 16 years, there's a definite community there. In my part time job now, we are definitely an eclectic bunch who always have each other's backs. Each time, i made friendships that will last me for the rest of my life. And it is always such a pleasure when someone from one of those communities pops back into life. True friendships are few and far between and when i really look at my friendships, i realize that i am blessed with a great many of them. Friendships to different degrees, of course, but true friendships none the less.
This past year in college i began building a new community....my social work peeps. The longer that the year went on, the better our connections have become. i made a very good friend in Hannah. We were partnered in 2 different classes and, at least in my opinion, became good friends. i told her on the last day of one of our classes that she was stuck with my for life now! My friend Tatiana and i had 2 classes together last semester and we have the same sense of humor. We can share a glance and know what the other is thinking. These are people i will know for a long, long time.
And this week i had 2 different people from my swk class come into the bakery. It was great to see people outside of class. But, it was also great to feel like i had an ally there. And you learn about each other. Both girls who came in were with their significant others and it was nice to finally put faces with their names. We all talked about our classes and how we'd done. Today, Paradise and i were talking about us walking together next spring and it brought such a sense of satisfaction to me. We've all worked so hard for this and it is going to be an amazing time when we graduate. And even though, with both women, we talked about class, it was nice to know that i was talking to a friend. That is the best ever.
This song has been in my head a lot. Yes, it is on the sentimental side and if you were a Baptist youth in the 80's you could not get away from this song LOL But, i sing it a lot in my head these days thinking about all of the friends from my past, the ones in my present and the ones yet to be made.
Cheers
This past year in college i began building a new community....my social work peeps. The longer that the year went on, the better our connections have become. i made a very good friend in Hannah. We were partnered in 2 different classes and, at least in my opinion, became good friends. i told her on the last day of one of our classes that she was stuck with my for life now! My friend Tatiana and i had 2 classes together last semester and we have the same sense of humor. We can share a glance and know what the other is thinking. These are people i will know for a long, long time.
And this week i had 2 different people from my swk class come into the bakery. It was great to see people outside of class. But, it was also great to feel like i had an ally there. And you learn about each other. Both girls who came in were with their significant others and it was nice to finally put faces with their names. We all talked about our classes and how we'd done. Today, Paradise and i were talking about us walking together next spring and it brought such a sense of satisfaction to me. We've all worked so hard for this and it is going to be an amazing time when we graduate. And even though, with both women, we talked about class, it was nice to know that i was talking to a friend. That is the best ever.
This song has been in my head a lot. Yes, it is on the sentimental side and if you were a Baptist youth in the 80's you could not get away from this song LOL But, i sing it a lot in my head these days thinking about all of the friends from my past, the ones in my present and the ones yet to be made.
Cheers
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Antique of the week
This is just something i have decided i am going to write about each week. i love writing and i love antiques, so why not combine those two loves. And since i want to work on my writing and do more of it, this will be a great exercise for me :) Also, since i am not in a financial place to go and do a great deal of antiques shopping, i will enjoy the things that i do have and enjoy talking about them. i will go ahead and say, though, that technically many things will not be antiques as they are not yet at least 100 years old. Close, but not yet. Thanks!
This is my needlepoint chair. It belonged to Grandmother and i came into possession of it after her passing. i have always loved this chair....as long as i remember. It did not always have the needlepoint on it, but more about that later. My grandparents bought this chair to begin housekeeping with when they got married in 1933, so as of today it's at least 83 years old...holding up pretty well i'd say, but of course furniture used to be made to last unlike today. It always had some kind of ivory upholstery on it. The arms and legs are solid mahogany. The legs specifically are the claw and ball style.
When you entered Grandmother's house, this was the first chair you encountered in her living room. It was just to the left when you walked in. Almost any time i sat in the living room, this was my go to chair. i felt so classy sitting in it...and i still do. Now, if company was over, chances were that i wouldn't get to sit there as company always had preference :) Still, i always knew that was my chair. Once, Grandmother asked me to tell her some of the things of hers that i might one day want. Two things immediately came to mind: the needlepoint chair and the Gov. Winthrop secretary (i ended up with both, btw) It's just a special piece for me and i love it.
Some time in the early 90's, someone gave Grandmother a bunch of unfinished needlepoint pieces. i believe that they had belonged to a friend of hers who had passed on and their children asked Grandmother if she wanted them. One of the sets of needlepoint were these matching chair back and seat. Not much work had been done on them yet. Grandmother finished them and had the chair redone with the new pieces. We were all amazed how great it turned out.
This chair is now in my living room. Sitting in it brings back so many fond memories. i will cherish it for the rest of my life.
This is my needlepoint chair. It belonged to Grandmother and i came into possession of it after her passing. i have always loved this chair....as long as i remember. It did not always have the needlepoint on it, but more about that later. My grandparents bought this chair to begin housekeeping with when they got married in 1933, so as of today it's at least 83 years old...holding up pretty well i'd say, but of course furniture used to be made to last unlike today. It always had some kind of ivory upholstery on it. The arms and legs are solid mahogany. The legs specifically are the claw and ball style.
When you entered Grandmother's house, this was the first chair you encountered in her living room. It was just to the left when you walked in. Almost any time i sat in the living room, this was my go to chair. i felt so classy sitting in it...and i still do. Now, if company was over, chances were that i wouldn't get to sit there as company always had preference :) Still, i always knew that was my chair. Once, Grandmother asked me to tell her some of the things of hers that i might one day want. Two things immediately came to mind: the needlepoint chair and the Gov. Winthrop secretary (i ended up with both, btw) It's just a special piece for me and i love it.
Some time in the early 90's, someone gave Grandmother a bunch of unfinished needlepoint pieces. i believe that they had belonged to a friend of hers who had passed on and their children asked Grandmother if she wanted them. One of the sets of needlepoint were these matching chair back and seat. Not much work had been done on them yet. Grandmother finished them and had the chair redone with the new pieces. We were all amazed how great it turned out.
This chair is now in my living room. Sitting in it brings back so many fond memories. i will cherish it for the rest of my life.
Thought for the day
Ah, it is the middle of the week already. Seems to be going by quickly. Today, i am trying to worry and not worry about money. It sucks not having any LOL It's just this time of year. My financial aid gets me through the semester and then it runs out. i love my part time job and that does help and during the summer i should get more hours in because we have some people away working for the summer. But, it's just these few weeks after school is out that are on the rough side. The same thing happened last year at this time. You'd think i would have prepared better this year, but, alas i did not. Oops LOL
But, i am determined not to get depressed about it. There really isn't any need to and it does not change anything. i don't qualify for a credit card and i really don't want another one...been there, done that. i know that we will be fine, it's just the meantime that is frustrating. It makes me very hopeful for the future though. i really am going to love when i graduate and get a paycheck for doing something i am passionate about. That is helping to keep me focused.
Oh well, that is really about it for now. i wish i had something more interesting to say, but no such luck!
Cheers!
But, i am determined not to get depressed about it. There really isn't any need to and it does not change anything. i don't qualify for a credit card and i really don't want another one...been there, done that. i know that we will be fine, it's just the meantime that is frustrating. It makes me very hopeful for the future though. i really am going to love when i graduate and get a paycheck for doing something i am passionate about. That is helping to keep me focused.
Oh well, that is really about it for now. i wish i had something more interesting to say, but no such luck!
Cheers!
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Recipe of the week - pork stroganoff
i made this the other evening for dinner. it's quick, simple and quite delicious. It was in a Taste of Home cookbook. Definitely a keeper!
1.5 lbs pork stew meat, cut into 1.5 inch cubes
1.5 cups water, divided
1 tsp instant chicken bouillon
2 tsp paprika
1 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp cornstarch
3/4 cup sour cream
2 tbsps fresh parsley
1 12oz package egg noodles
Brown pork in a saucepan, drain. Remove meat and set aside. In the same pan, bring 1.25 cups water, bouillon and paprika to a boil. Add pork, onion and garlic. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 45 min or until meat is tender. Combine cornstarch and remaining water; gradually add to apn, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 min or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream and parsley. Serve over noodles.
* I used boneless pork chops instead of stew meat.
** i substituted the 1.25 cups of water and bouillon for chicken stock, turned out great!
ENJOY!
1.5 lbs pork stew meat, cut into 1.5 inch cubes
1.5 cups water, divided
1 tsp instant chicken bouillon
2 tsp paprika
1 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp cornstarch
3/4 cup sour cream
2 tbsps fresh parsley
1 12oz package egg noodles
Brown pork in a saucepan, drain. Remove meat and set aside. In the same pan, bring 1.25 cups water, bouillon and paprika to a boil. Add pork, onion and garlic. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 45 min or until meat is tender. Combine cornstarch and remaining water; gradually add to apn, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 min or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream and parsley. Serve over noodles.
* I used boneless pork chops instead of stew meat.
** i substituted the 1.25 cups of water and bouillon for chicken stock, turned out great!
ENJOY!
Thought for the day - silver
It's a gentle spring rainy day here. So i am staying inside for the most part, getting things done around the house. Some things that i need to get done such as laundry and some things that i am choosing to do. i have just spent the last hour polishing some of my silver. i am sure that most people might think i am crazy, but i enjoy polishing silver. It relaxes me.
For one, it brings back a lot of memories. Whenever i use my silver, including polishing it, it reminds of my Grandmother and her sisters. Today, i polished a bunch of silver plate flatware from a chest that belonged to Granny B. (my Great Aunt Billie). In this day and age, it is not worth a great deal as far as money goes, but it is worth a great deal to me. When we were cleaning out Billie's house, no one really wanted to plate, so of course my grabby self snatched it up. i haven't used any of it yet, but that will change. One of my goals from now on is to actually use the stuff i have. Anyway, i enjoy taking the time to clean each piece and shine it up. It's a form of instant gratification to see the tarnish wiped away, literally.
And as i am polishing, i am thinking of all of the occasions that i might use it. We have started to entertain more and i am all about bringing out my stuff for those occasions. Setting a table is something i did hundreds of times with Grandmother and it holds special memories for me. And it makes me sad that the generations behind me don't really want silver. It's not the prized possession that it once was. i don't know if either of my nieces have any interest in such things. i hope they do. They love history, after all.
Oh, well. i will keep on polishing and counting and inventorying my silver. i enjoy it, so why not? And i will use it...that's part of the fun of owning things like silver. Or anything. Why have it if you do not use it? A philosophy i am slowly adhering to. But, as i looked out my kitchen window at the cool rain falling....it was the perfect time to turn on my music and polish my silver.
Cheers
For one, it brings back a lot of memories. Whenever i use my silver, including polishing it, it reminds of my Grandmother and her sisters. Today, i polished a bunch of silver plate flatware from a chest that belonged to Granny B. (my Great Aunt Billie). In this day and age, it is not worth a great deal as far as money goes, but it is worth a great deal to me. When we were cleaning out Billie's house, no one really wanted to plate, so of course my grabby self snatched it up. i haven't used any of it yet, but that will change. One of my goals from now on is to actually use the stuff i have. Anyway, i enjoy taking the time to clean each piece and shine it up. It's a form of instant gratification to see the tarnish wiped away, literally.
And as i am polishing, i am thinking of all of the occasions that i might use it. We have started to entertain more and i am all about bringing out my stuff for those occasions. Setting a table is something i did hundreds of times with Grandmother and it holds special memories for me. And it makes me sad that the generations behind me don't really want silver. It's not the prized possession that it once was. i don't know if either of my nieces have any interest in such things. i hope they do. They love history, after all.
Oh, well. i will keep on polishing and counting and inventorying my silver. i enjoy it, so why not? And i will use it...that's part of the fun of owning things like silver. Or anything. Why have it if you do not use it? A philosophy i am slowly adhering to. But, as i looked out my kitchen window at the cool rain falling....it was the perfect time to turn on my music and polish my silver.
Cheers
Monday, May 16, 2016
10 Things That Make Me Happy
1. My In-laws
2. Care packages
3. Hershey Bar Cake
4. Going Antiquing
5. Long walks on cool spring evenings
6. Eva Cassidy singing Over The Rainbow
7. Road Trips
8. Feeling needed
9. Sitting on my porch listening to music
10. Punching the heavy bag in the garage
2. Care packages
3. Hershey Bar Cake
4. Going Antiquing
5. Long walks on cool spring evenings
6. Eva Cassidy singing Over The Rainbow
7. Road Trips
8. Feeling needed
9. Sitting on my porch listening to music
10. Punching the heavy bag in the garage
thought for the day
It has been a long month full of ups and downs. Mostly ups, but some downs. School is done for the semester. I finished the semester with a 4.0...all A+'s this time and i am very proud of that! That definitely helped my GPA. i had my interview with the Greensboro Housing Authority for my field internship next year. It went very well and i am very excited about working with them. i still have some hoops to jump through over the next few weeks as far as financial aid and the registrar's office are concerned. We shall see how that goes.
i had a melt down a few weeks ago. Dad went into the hospital and it upset me immensely. Through a set of unfortunate circumstances, i thought i had been the last to find out about this. But, Dad did try to call me earlier that day, but my phone never rang (i had it on all day) and he said that my phone told him it was no taking any voicemails. Ah, technology. Anyway, i got really upset and angry over this and jumped to some conclusions. i realized, after the fact, that even though the conclusion to which i came is not incorrect, how i got there was. So, i did take my FB post down about it because it put people that i care about in an awkward position.
Speaking of FB, i have deactivated my account for the summer. i did not delete it, just deactivated it. i thought long and hard about it and came to the realization that it simply is not something that i need right now in my life. The overwhelming need to document everything i do and everything i feel (even the bad, crazy stuff) was really eroding my soul. It, FB, was replacing real human contact and that is what i truly crave. As a result, i am now 2 weeks sans FB and am really enjoying it. i spend a lot less time on the internet, either via computer or phone, and i am starting to make some actual contact with people again and that feels really good.
Now, as for my summer plans....not much as far as vacation goes. i am going to focus on self care this summer and do things that i need to and want to do. This will be good for me mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. It's time i started forming some good habits. Here's hoping that i'm successful at that. Only time will tell
Cheers
i had a melt down a few weeks ago. Dad went into the hospital and it upset me immensely. Through a set of unfortunate circumstances, i thought i had been the last to find out about this. But, Dad did try to call me earlier that day, but my phone never rang (i had it on all day) and he said that my phone told him it was no taking any voicemails. Ah, technology. Anyway, i got really upset and angry over this and jumped to some conclusions. i realized, after the fact, that even though the conclusion to which i came is not incorrect, how i got there was. So, i did take my FB post down about it because it put people that i care about in an awkward position.
Speaking of FB, i have deactivated my account for the summer. i did not delete it, just deactivated it. i thought long and hard about it and came to the realization that it simply is not something that i need right now in my life. The overwhelming need to document everything i do and everything i feel (even the bad, crazy stuff) was really eroding my soul. It, FB, was replacing real human contact and that is what i truly crave. As a result, i am now 2 weeks sans FB and am really enjoying it. i spend a lot less time on the internet, either via computer or phone, and i am starting to make some actual contact with people again and that feels really good.
Now, as for my summer plans....not much as far as vacation goes. i am going to focus on self care this summer and do things that i need to and want to do. This will be good for me mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. It's time i started forming some good habits. Here's hoping that i'm successful at that. Only time will tell
Cheers
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