Ephesians 4:32

 Something this world has forgotten and needs to relearn.

Creative Writing

 

I really want to start some creative writing again.  It's been years since I have done any.  And by years, I mean decades LOL I know that I have mentioned it before, but my journey in creative writing really began in 4th grade when I wrote a weekly soap opera for a class that had all of my classmates in it.  That was fun and I continued it for two years.  After that, I would periodically write stories throughout the remainder of my school years.  I enjoyed it and it was a good escape for me.

I really did not do much creative writing after that.  I never took any kind of creative writing classes in college.  I don't know why, but I didn't.  I think, at least the first time around, I was focused so much on my theatre classes and dealing with who I was, that it never occurred to me to take a writing class.  And in the times I've been in school since then, I just have had to take other classes that were more important.  Of course, I am sure there are some independent classes and/or groups of beginning creative writers out there that I could participate in.  

The difficult thing about creative writing, in my opinion, is that you really cannot force it.  I have tried to just sit down and make myself write something and nothing ever happens.  And that gets frustrating.  I do, however, keep a list (I know right LOL), of ideas of things to write.  I have learned that it is best to write when I feel passionate about something.  Some of the ideas I have jotted down have not been fleshed out yet, but they are ever present in my creative brain.  My work experience alone is enough to fill several books LOL  Maybe I will create something out of that.  Or I do have some family stories that I could dramatize, change the names to protect the innocent haha.  

It all starts with the blank page.  And that's a good place for me right now because that is parallel to my life.  I can start my creative writing journey as I make my way down this new path in my life.  It will be a good release for me.  It will give me control, to a degree, over something.  I know from past experience that sometimes the writing controls the writer LOL  Once you get a rhythm going, sometimes you just have to sit back and let the pen do its thing.  It is the one time I can make characters do exactly what I want them to and that can be fun.  I always enjoyed writing my elementary school serial, so I may go back to that format and see where it leads me.

Either way, I am ready to put pen to paper and just have fun. Not that anyone would ever read it besides me, but it will still be fun!  

That is all.

Morning routine update

 Overall, I will say that I am being successful in my attempts to change my morning routine.  While I will always check in some way on the computer in the morning, I am working at starting my day with something else.  And so far it seems to be working.  And these are just little things such as going through the mail or fixing breakfast or watching a program on tv.  Now, while these activities are not the most significant things in the world, it has been nice to try something different.  It puts a new perspective on my morning and often I get more things done.  One of those reasons is that I'm not letting myself get sucked into sitting at the computer for longer than I need to.  We all know what those rabbit holes are like!

While I may start off with something else, I still check my emails and find that I am quicker about it and don't feel rushed when I start to get ready for work.  This morning, I got my coffee started, made the bed and then sat and watched an episode of Reba, which is a great show by the way!  Once that finished, I found I still had plenty of time to get things done before work.  It's a good feeling and I look forward to finding some more interesting ways to start my day.

That is all.

Music on PBS

 One of the last things that Dad said to me when I talked to him on the phone the other day was to make sure that I watched the Memorial Day Concert on PBS this coming week.  He loves that concert and watches it every year.  I have seen it before and it's overall a pretty good concert.  It's very traditional and, honestly, if you've seen it once you have pretty much seen everything they'll do.  Years ago, Charles Durning and Ossie Davis were on there every year and gave the same speeches.  Good speeches, but after awhile you could repeat them word for word.  Now, it's Gary Sinise who does the same speech every year.  That's not really the point of this concert though and it should be enjoyed for what it is.

Growing up, I loved these kinds of concerts.  I still do, actually.  But for me, it was a time spent with family.  It seems like every holiday out there, PBS had some kind of musical special to go along side of it.  Memorial Day, Christmas, New Year's, Veteran's Day, 4th of July....there was always some kind of special music program on to enjoy.  Sometimes it was the whole family, sometimes it was only me and Grandmother watching.  But it was always family in one sense or another.

And every month, for a long time while it aired, Mom and I would watch Evening at Pops.  How I miss that show.  Thanks to Youtube, you can find those again online.  I have and really enjoyed them.  Performances you won't see anywhere else.  I wonder if they're still airing it up in Boston?  hmmmmm.

  I have PBS streaming right now, not in real time, so it seems like I enjoy the current concerts after they have aired, which is fine.  It works for me.  But I miss having someone to share those concerts with.  They were never Michael's kind of thing, so I never asked him to join me in watching them.  So it would be nice to have friends that love this kind of thing.  Sit back and enjoy the music for no other reason than it's a holiday and a good concert.  That would be lovely!

That is all.

Hobbies

 

I read an interesting article in Time magazine earlier this evening about hobbies and how to start them.  Now, I have a few hobbies, things I enjoy doing and I'm sure you do as well.  Of course, cooking is right up there at the top of my list.  Some people may not consider that a hobby because we all have to eat.  But for me, it's also a hobby.  I get lots of pleasure out of cooking.  It relaxes me and reduces my stress level...normally.  I mean, there are times when recipes do not turn out well and that can be stressful LOL  But that is one of my main hobbies.  I also enjoy reading and classic tv shows.  I read slowly, so it takes me awhile to get through a book, but I enjoy it nonetheless.

As I am working on rebuilding my life, I think it is time to add some more hobbies into it.  One of the things that really stuck out to me in this article was about picking new hobbies.  The author advised to look at what is lacking in your life that you want to be there.  Immediately three things came to mind:  physical activity, creativity and spirituality.  These are three things that I feel I do not have enough of in my life and if I can fill that void in the form of a hobby, even better!

I'm not exactly sure how I can find a hobby in spirituality, but I'm sure it's possible.  I do miss the weekly church events that I grew up with and would like to find something similar in my adult life.  I've been to several churches over the past few years and even though I liked both of them, I need something in between.  Maybe I will start exploring different churches and different denominations to see what fits for me.  And I do realize that spirituality does not necessarily mean religion, but for me it's going to be a good place to start.  

Physically, I need to find a hobby that keeps me moving.  I used to train at a boxing gym and have thought about going back to that at some point, if I can find the funds.  I did it because I loved it and it was good exercise.  I have no interest in serious competition but just having fun.  I have also seriously thought about looking for an adult dance class.  I loved dance classes in college and had pretty good rhythm.  I've always wanted to do ballroom dancing as well, so I may look at that.  Would be fun.  I could get out and go to the different parks in the area.  I'm not one for hiking, per say, but I would enjoy walking in actual parks.

Creativity is something that I have been missing as well.  I can think of several things to do as far as that goes.  I need to find a piano to practice on.  Talk about lowering my stress levels, piano playing does that for sure.  I think I may also look into auditioning for a play. It's been decades since I have set foot on stage and I would like to return to that...cue Norma Desmond!  I might also get back into needlework.  I did that a lot as a child and loved it.  I am not a good drawer or painter, but working with thread gives me the opportunity to create some thing of beauty.  Anyone have any other suggestioins?  I'm open!

I think that adding some things like this to my life will not only help me to be more well rounded, but it will bring me a sense of satisfaction and peace that I haven't had in a long time.  That is the hope, anyway.  Time will tell!  That is all. 

Pacing Myself At Work

 I have started making an effort at work to pace myself during the day.  I realize that part of my frustrations at work is that I am able to get through my list, most days, fairly early on and that leaves me with nothing to do for the rest of the day.  Now, when I say nothing to do, I mean the things that are specific to me at work.  I will always have CSR things to do, but my duties go beyond that.  Actually, almost all of the regular weekly CSRs have duties specific to them on top of our regular assignments.  But some days that phone doesn't ring that much or we don't have packages to deliver.  We just go with the flow.  

I do have a list of my own things to get done every day.  And, as always with me, I find a list useful.  One, I feel a sense of achievement checking things off of the list and, two, I am less likely to forget to do something if I write it down.  I use a weekly spreadsheet for my list and that is perfect for me.  The spreadsheet is helpful because I can plan ahead and also go back and revisit things left undone earlier in the week.

Anyway, I have begun taking my time working on my list.  I am not rushing to get it all done in one sitting and try to make it last throughout the day.  That way I can take time in between list items to focus on CSR duties.  And so far it seems to be working.  I am less frustrated by sitting here with not much to do because I am spreading the things out more.  It's making me feel far more useful than I did, even though I'm doing the same amount of things.  And I have learned that the day is going by quicker than it used to.  I'm happy with the results so far.  

Taking my time and making sure that I have the time to do what I need to has been most helpful and revitalizing for me.  And hopefully that will wash over into my home life as well.  Thus ends today's episode of The Continuing Adventures of Just a Waiter.  That is all.

No Vacation This Year....Probably

 

I am going to miss going on a vacation this year.  It's been a long time since I haven't really had a vacation during the summer but this year it probably isn't in the cards for me.  It's simply not in the budget.  That's one of the side effects of being single.  That one income does not always allow for such luxuries.  I will survive not having a vacation but it is still sad none the less.  I will try to take a few long weekends, maybe just some day trips here and there, but it's definitely not the same thing.  I love the planning of a week away.  The past few years, vacation was spent at Ocean Isle Beach and it was great fun.  I enjoy figuring out meals, snacks, activities, etc.  Hell, I'm still paying for our week at the beach two years ago LOL  But, in the end, it was worth the memories.

Sometimes I wonder how my parents were able to plan such wonderful vacations when we were growing up.  We had some great times on vacation.  Some were costly, such as going to Disney World several times.  But, I'm sure other times were not quite as expensive, though I never would have known.  It was all an escape for me and I was glad to get away.  Maybe I will call in some favors and find a place to go for awhile. Actually, I don't have favors to call in so I might just be begging LOL  I don't know.  All I do know is that I will miss the anticipation of spending an entire week away from the reality of my life, which is not bad, it's just reality lol

I'll probably start working on a list of the small trips I can afford to make and set about pursuing them.  It's better than nothing, right?  I'm grateful for what I have, I would just like to leave it all behind for a week and live carefree in a place other than Greensboro.  We shall see.

That is all.

The Green Glass Candlesticks

 

Sometimes items come full circle.  Often the circumstances are less than desirable, but can still be comforting.  These are candlesticks that I once gave to a friend for his birthday.  And, after he passed, they were given back to me.  I know that he enjoyed them and I love them as well and was more than happy to have them.  The candlesticks combine two of my favorite things:  the color and the pattern.  I am going to call the pattern Westmoreland English Hobnail.  I will honestly say that I'm not sure if that is correct simply because many companies produced patterns similar to this.  Grandmother had clear goblets in this pattern and she always called it sawtooth.  When I went to find goblets like hers on my own, it always came up as Westmoreland English Hobnail, so that's what I'm going with!  I love the pattern because it's not only pretty but the glass is thick and sturdy, which I prefer.  And green is my favorite color, so I couldn't go wrong with these!

I love the shape of the candlesticks.  I also have one in clear glass.  They just provide the right pop of color for the dining room table.  And, being green, they can pretty much be used with any holiday display.  They are about 8 inches tall and look divine with taper candles.  I have used them often on my table and when they are not there, they sit on top of my china cabinet.  When I use them, they make me think of Frankie, my friend that I gifted them too, and of Grandmother, who introduced me to the pattern in the first place.  That's one of the beauties of using things that evoke memories.  There's comfort in that.  

So ends today's episode of Around the House.  Now, onto discovering other treasures hidden in the house!  

That is all

Top 10 Favorite Rides at Disney

I'm hoping to go back for my 50th birthday.  We shall see!  In the meantime, here are my top 10 favorite rides...in no particular order:  

1.  It's a Small World

2.  Pirates of the Caribbean

3.  The Haunted Mansion

4.  The Little Mermaid

5.  Spaceship Earth

6.  Thunder Moutain Railroad

7.  Peter Pan

8.  Teacups

9.  7 Dwarfs Mine Train

10.  Dumbo

Always on the hunt for the perfect gift

 If you know me, you know that there is almost nothing I enjoy more than giving someone a special gift.  I love the art of gift giving.  And in this day and age of gift cards and online mega stores, gift giving is a dying art.  I pride myself on my ability to give good gifts.  And it usually gives me a lot more pleasure than it does the person receiving the gift.  Not always, most but mostly haha

It's often when I'm not really looking when I find something fun.  I mean, I'm always looking but I don't always go out shopping with the purpose of buying gifts.  It can be a very happy accident!  And I buy well in advance.  At least, I try to.  After Christmas, I was at a shop and found a lovely blue opalescent glass bunny rabbit for someone's birthday that was another four months down the road.  I found a lovely bowl for some specific friends for Christmas.  Yes, I have already started my Christmas shopping!

Now, don't get me wrong, there are times when online shopping is great for special gifts.  But it's like, for me, supporting local businesses.  I go to the independent websites or to websites that have mulitple artists and sellers, not simply major retail outlets, although they can provide some good gifts as well, but it's different.  And there are times when my gift shopping is in reverse.  Sometimes I buy things that are unique with no one attached to them.  I figure that the right recipient will come along and there I will already have the fun gift!  One of the websites I've shopped at for years has, unfortunately, gone out of business.  And they had a going out of business sale!  I started my Christmas shopping right then.  Everything is stored away, waiting for the right opportunity to come along!

Gift giving is part of who I am.  I have always loved it and always will.  So, if you've got a birthday coming up, chances are I'm looking for just the right gift for you!

That is all.

Letting People Know When It's a Bad Day

 As I begin this part of the journey in my life, some days can be quite overwhelming and I find it hard to get through the day.  This hasn't happened a lot lately, but it has happened.  The difference is that now I am there with my emotions.  I am present in my feelings and accept the fact that it is ok to have a bad day.  I used to just suck it up and pretend like everything is fine so that I did not inconvenience anyone else.  My goal was to make their day go as smoothly as possible and my emotions would only get in the way.  That was my reasoning, anyhow.  Well, as it is fine to want to make other people's days go smoothly, it is no longer something that I will risk my mental health for.  I have started letting people in on when I'm not doing well and telling them what is going on.  In the end, it has made a difference and I feel better.  I also find that these episodes of frustration do not last as long as they once did.  I think it's because I am allowing myself to be in the moment.  I am processing the feelings and letting them go and moving forward.  It may not feel like it in the moment, but in the end it's a very good thing for me.  New, but good.  And I will continue in this direction.  It is the best for me. 

Antiques Shopping

 The other week, I treated myself to a trip to a local thrift store called Reconsidered Goods.  I had heard about that store for a long time from a former neighbor and decided that it would be a good way to spend a Sunday afternoon.  And it was.  They had all kinds of things to look at along with antiques:  crafts, records, movies, office supplies, etc.  There really was a wide variety of things to choose from.  And, of course, I did find a few treasures.  I did add a few records to my collection and found a lovely small footed crystal bowl.  I spent less than $10 and had a wonderful time.

I love going to antiques stores and thrift shops.  I intend on going more places like that each month.  And I would love to get some people to go with me on these shopping trips.  Any other antiques lovers out there?  Mine started years ago, decades actually, when I went to the antiques shop in Wingate.  That's where I bought my first antique.  And then Grandmother and I would go to Waxhaw several times a year to go to all of the shops there.  Pretty much anywhere we went, we would seek out the shops and have a great time.

Another reason I want to go to more of these places is to support local businesses.  That's a goal overall, but these shops are locally owned and I want to do what I can to help keep them running.  There's simply something about the atmosphere of an antiques store that is like no other.  There's a friendliness, a familiarity that would won't find in most other stores.  And the thrill of the hunt is always  fun.  So, it's time for me to plan my next antiques shopping adventure.  Want to come along?

That is all.

You Needed Me - Anne Murray

 Today is Mother's Day.  As I sat at the dining room table having my lunch, I put the Anne Murray's Greatest Hits record on the stereo.  This brough back so many wonderful memories of my Mom.  We trulyl bonded over this album and sang it together many times over the years on various road trips.  Listening to the lyrics of this song, though, I realized that it pretty much describes who I am.  I will admittedly say that I like to feel needed.  There have been times in my life when I definitely felt needed by people.  And that gives me a sense of purpose.  While I won't ignore my own needs right now, I still strive to be that person that people turn to when they need something.  I cherish that feeling.  Enjoy!

The Continuing Adventures of Just a Waiter

 We walk a fine line in the building that I work in and it can get frustrating at times.  That is especially true for those of us in resident relations who work the front desk because we see pretty much everything that goes on in the building.  There are several things that make our work frustrating.  While, yes, we are there to be helpful and make our residents' lives are relaxing and stress free as possible, it gets difficult at times to get people to understand that we are not a hotel nor are we a nursing home.  In independent living, we don't have medical services.  Those services are engaged with outside providers.  While we do work with the providers, that does not mean we have anything to do with their whereabouts or their schedules.  Finding them is not our job.  That's between the resident and the care provider.  Yes, we will do what we can to locate them when needed, but it's not always a priority for the front desk when we have a million other things that we need to get done.  If they need medical attention, I can call EMS for them but that's about it.  9 times out of 10, people feel better very quickly when I mention EMS.  It's not that we don't care, but that's the setting residents and their families have chosen for them to live in.

Another thing that gets frustrating is that we can't tell a resident not to do something unless, of course, it is illegal.  This is really hard at dusk, when sun downers will kick in.  If a resident wants to walk out the front door on their own and go somewhere, there is really nothing we can do to stop that.  Yes, we do our best to divert the resident's attention to something else and discourage them from leaving, but in the end, we cannot stop them.  As callous as that may sound, that is one of the dangers of independent living.  We've had residents walk out of the building and some have walked miles away through heavy traffic with nothing but their walker.  We do our best to go out and catch them before they get too far away, but we cannot legally stop them.  They are independent.  And that gets very frustrating.

The reason these things are so frustrating is because we love our residents.  We don't want anything bad to happen to them.  But, being independent living, sometimes there is little we can do to curb situations.  They have rights and we cannot infringe on them.  We try and keep them as safe as possible, but our powers only go so far.  Luckily, disaster hasn't really happened yet (knock on wood) and I pray that continues.

That is all.  

Treating myself to Sunday lunch

 I feel like I have a lot to get done today.  Well, because I do and it seems like the timing of some of it is very inconvenient.  Truth be told, it's not inconvenient because I don't have any plans, it just feels like that.  Michael is coming by this morning to pick up some things for his parents out of the garage.  There's no set time, which is absolutely fine but makes it a waiting game for me.  Then, I take Squirt to the vet this afternoon at 3, right in the middle of the afternoon.  But, as I said, it's not like I have anything going on today specifically, so it really isn't an issue.  My main goal is to get my kitchen cleaned.  Squirt stays in the kitchen these days and so his territory has been very marked LOL  He can't help it, really, but I need to clean before the smell becomes permanent.  Overall, he's doing pretty well these days for an old man, so I'm not going to complain.  I would rather have the smell and have him here than not!

Anyway, tomorrow is Mother's Day and I have no plans for it.  I will spend some time thinking about Mom, which I do every day anyway.  But I think I'm going to treat myself to making Sunday lunch. Now you may say that I cook all the time so how is this different?  Well, Sunday lunch was always a big deal growing up and it's one of those traditions that I've talked about before that I want to pick back up.  I can't afford to do it every week, but I can definitely do it more often.  But I want this to be an event for me.  I plan on setting my table, nicely, and using my buffet, presenting my food rather than leaving it on the kitchen counter.  Even if it is only me, I want that something special to enhance my meal.  Get out some of the good china and silver.  Treat myself.  A meal that would make Mary B. proud.  

As for now, I need to get going on my Saturday list of chores....kitchen cleaning included...and get myself ready for the weekend.  And I'll think about Mom and Grandmother, as always, and I will smile.

That is all.

The Cracked Egg Vase

 Several months ago I discovered a new to me antiques mall in High Point called Twin Deer.  I decided to go and check it out and spent several hours walking around looking at all of the booths and fun treasures they had.  Any time I go to an antiques mall, I have to do one complete walk around the entire store before I decide to purchase anything.  I do that because I never know what's going to be around the corner that may be something I want more than what I saw before.  Plus, if what I want is still there when I return the 2nd time, then it's meant to be.  

On my first trip out there, and I have been several times since, I did find a few treasures including this cracked egg vase.  I had one once and got rid of it during a downsizing phase.  And when I saw this one, I had to have it.  It looked almost exactly like the one I used to have.  I always regretted getting rid of mine but that was life at the time.  It had belonged to Aunt Billie and sat on a display shelf in her living room.  I always thought it an interesting piece and I am glad to have replaced it.

Now, I have never used it as a vase and I have never seen one used as a vase LOL  It would interesting to put a small arrangement in there, but considering the dimensions of the vase, it would need to be a bouquet of short stems that's rather full.  Maybe one day!  Until, then I will just enjoy looking at it and may find a different use for it one day. 

That is all.

 Mother's day is just around the corner, this upcoming Sunday as a matter of fact.  It is a time to celebrate those women that gave us life, raised us, guided us and helped to mold us into the people we have become.  Not everyone was blessed with a good mother for one reason or another and that's really a shame.  I think that everyone deserves to know what that special bond between a mother and her child feels like.  I truly believe that if everyone had that, the world would be a much better place.

Like most of the people that I know, I can say that my Mom was the best!  I was so lucky to have had her for the 21 years that I did here on earth.  Technically I still have her, just in a different fashion these days.  Having the best Mom, I have come to realize, isn't a competition between friends.  It's simply a statement of adoration for your relationship with your Mom.  Mary B. was the best mom for me but maybe not for someone else.  Growing up on Brookgreen Drive, our street was full of the best moms in the world:  Ann Arnold Richardson, Kay Parker, Judy Davis, Gail Derrick and B. Fornes.  There were others on the street but these were my generation's moms and I cherish the memories I have of each of them.  

I have been blessed with other mother figures in my life as well that I am very thankful for.  There's something about having the person or persons to help guide you, give you advice, listen to you when you have a problem, that's incredibly comforting.  They create a safe space in the heart.  So, this Sunday, celebrate your mother in the best way that you can.  That will be different for each of us.  If your mom is still living, call her, take her out to lunch, send her a card, give her a gift.  Do something to reach out and be grateful that you still have her.  If your mom is gone, do something to remember her.  Look through an old picture album, cook a meal in her honor, visit the cemetary.  Just let them know you are thinking of them.  It will mean the world to them, here on earth or in heaven.

So, to all of my friends out there, Happy Mother's Day!  No matter what your feelings about your mothers are, I am grateful for them because without them you would not be here and I'm very thankful that you're here!

Update on the morning routine...so far

 I have been thinking of ways to change up my morning routine.  And, as usual, I made a list of potential things to do each day to switch up my routine.  There are only a few items on the list and I anticipate adding more.  Now I have been thinking about this for the past few days and am asking myself why am I calling it a routine?  Do I even have to have a morning routine?  And I honestly don't think I do.  I'm going to just start referring to this as my morning list.

I like the idea of the list better because I feel it opens things up more.  Not having things set in stone is something that I am working on and I find it very liberating.  Naturally there are things that I will do every morning like take a shower and make coffee.  But everything else needs to be a choice and not a must.  I want to vary my mornings to keep things fresh and interesting.  

So far, and I'm only a few days into this process, but I already feel better.  And it's fun to change things up from time to time.  Now, to add a few more things to that list.  That is all.

The Continuing Adventures of Just a Waiter

 One of the things that I try very hard to do at work is remember names.  Now, this may sound silly to some people, but believe me, it makes a difference.  People remember when you remember who they are.  Especially when you've only just met them, when there's been no specific or dramatic or, for that matter, necessary reason for their name to be remembered.  The fact that someone takes the time to learn what their name is simply to make their day better does just that.  

For our residents, particularly our new residents, it makes them feel like we care.  Which, we do care, by the way.  Some of them have a hard time transitioning into a community residence setting and when we are able to call them by name early in the process, it helps to take some of that burden off of their shoulders because they feel better about moving in.  The same goes for our residents families.  Learning their names as well shows them that not only do we care about our residents, but we care about their families.  Getting to know the families is important and starting with learning names is a great way.  People are truly impressed when you remember who they are and which resident they belong to.  And I have made some wonderful friends in our residents' family members over the years.

Learning the names of other associates is important too.  One reason for that is that, in some ways, we are separated in several ways.  Being in different departments sometimes means that we don't interact with other associates on a regular basis.  And having three separate buildings, not interacting with the associates in other buildings is almost a definite.  Taking the time to learn names shows team building, which is a vital component of our company.  Today, I talked to several associates that were on their first day of training and called them by their names without having to look at their name tags.  I hope it made them feel welcomed into our community.  I believe that it is a great way to start associates off and with the work atmosphere that we work hard at maintaining, the community management team should not be the only ones who know everyone's name.  That must trickle down through all of us.  And when it does, it creates comradery, which is a blessing.

While it may seem like such a minor thing, knowing names of residents, family members and associates is just one way we make a difference every day.  That is all.  

My Morning Routine

 

One thing that I want to work on is my morning routine.  While my current daily routine is fine, it's very stationary and nonproductive.  Not that I have to be extremely productive first thing in the morning, but it wouldn't hurt to try!  Currently, I get up around 5:30, get my coffee going, then do my computer stuff for an hour or so before it's time to get ready for work.  Often, the computer time gets elongated as I get caught up in some kind of internet nonsense.

So, I was thinking that, while that is not an unhealthy morning routine, I should start looking at other things to do in the morning.  I could cook breakfast for myself.  I could get out and exercise.  I could work on my list of things to do around the house.  There's a whole manner of ways I could occupy my time besides the computer.

So, now I need to look at what I might actually do as opposed to what I hope I will do.  As always, a list will be involved because I do better with lists....it's just my thing!  I am going to come up with several options of ways of starting my day and get myself started on that.  I hope that this will be a positive change for me.  While I find comfort in a routine, I do believe that varying it will improve my morning outlook.  We shall see how it goes.

That is all. 

Quote of the Week

 I thought this was a good quote to end my week on!

Being Selfish

 Yesterday I was reading a letter that one of my lifelong friends sent to me.  It arrived earlier in the week, but I waited until a day when I had nothing going on to really sit down and do my correspondence.  Ah, Saturdays!  Anyway, I had written to her and talked about some of the things going on in my life right now.  She has always been supportive of me (and I of her).  We known each other for over 40 years.  And other than the kids that lived on Brookgreen Drive, she's probably been my friend the longest.  

In her letter she gave me some advice, which her mother had given to her. And I have no doubt that her mother, another good friend of mine, would give me this advice if we sat down and talked about my life.  She, my friend, went through a divorce years ago.  While I don't call the end of my relationship a divorce, it does come with some of the same feelings so she can relate.  Anyway, she told me that this is a time in my life to be selfish.  I need to put myself first.  I need to do things for myself and myself only.  I need to not do anything I don't want to do just to make someone else happy.  This was the perfect thing for me to hear.

And, yes, I have talked about this kind of mentality with my therapist so this is not a new concept to me.  However it has a lot more power coming from a friend and not someone I pay to listen to me.  Not that there's ANYTHING wrong with that....I like my therapist and will continue.  It's just that hearing this from someone who has been through a similar experience and taken this advice to heart is pretty powerful.  And it just felt different hearing it this way.

So, for awhile, I'm going to be selfish.  I won't shirk my duties and responsibilities to my work, my family and my friends.  But I'm going to be selfish and treat myself like I deserve to treat myself.

That is all.

Around the House - The Yellow Pitcher

 

This is my vintage yellow pitcher and I love it!  Yellow is one of my favorite colors, especially yellow flowers so I am drawn to anything that has yellow flowers on it.  I got this picture from Grandmother's estate.  She used it both to put flowers in and to serve iced tea from.  Naturally, I do the same haha!  The pitcher was actually a wedding gift to my parents in 1968.  Somehow, it never left Grandmother's house....sneaky!  I keep this out all year round and love to use it.  It is bright and fun and makes me smile when I look at it!  

That is all

The Library

 This morning, while I was sitting in the living room having my coffee, I was listening to a record (surprise, surprise!) called "Walt Disney's Merriest Songs".  It's a fun album and reminds me of my childhood.  Today, it took me back to the Union County Public Library.  We used to go there all of the time when I was growing up, especially during the elementary school and younger years.  

One of the things I got to check out was a record.  I loved perusing through the albums and finding something to listen to.  As I recall, they had a pretty good selection of children's albums.  Lots of times, I would get something that told a story, often with an accompanying book to look at while being read to.  Sometimes it was just music.  I know that I checked out the Mary Poppins soundtrack many times!  It was on HBO all the time in the early 80's and I was obsessed with it. 

I also checked out every version of Cinderella that they had.  Another fairy tale that I was obssessed with.  Looking back on it now, I think some of the versions I read were beyond my age but I still read them and loved them.  I love that because that was a story that I read first before ever seeing a movie version of it.  I didn't see the Disney version until years later when we got a VCR.  Remember those?  I actually think the first film version I saw was called "The Slipper and the Rose".  Haven't seen that in years.  Anyway, my love for the story started at that library.

Getting my own library card was a big deal as well.  I remember, in those days, the cards were blue paper with a little metal insert that had your library number on it.  Knowing me, I still have that card somewhere LOL  But as a child, having your own library card meant they trusted you with the responsibility of having a book.  A huge stepping stone for a child.  The card below is from a different library system but the exact same style of card!

As I am looking at ways to fill my life with free things, I realized while listening to this record that it's time I explored my public library.  I need to take advantage of it while it still exists.  So many wonderful experiences are lost to children these days because of technology and instant gratification.  I don't want our library system to get put on the endangered species list, so I must do what I can to support that institution.  Hmmmmm maybe something to add to my list this weekend. I want to be filled with that sense of wonder that only a library can bring.

That is all.  

Cooking for one

Despite recent changes in my life, I still take great pleasure in cooking.  However, cooking for one is something I am not used to and it's an adjustment, that's for sure!  But it's a challenge that I am totally up for and will master!  One of the challenges that I am facing right now is using the food that I already have that's in the cupboard and the freezer.  And by challenge, I mean that most of what is in the freezer are things that I bought to cook for more than one person.  So, when I take something out to thaw meat you can be assured that there will be more than one or two pieces in the package.  It's amazing what good deals I have found when shopping for meat and I'm blessed to have a good amount of it in my freezer.  Anyway, I don't want to refreeze things, so I end up cooking all of it.  On the plus side, I end up making several good sized meals out of the first cooking and I am much less wasteful of leftovers than I used to be.  It can get tiring eating the same thing over and over, but it's saving on my budget!

In order to not have to eat the same thing over and over, I am trying to have at least two kinds of entrees available to me during the week.  Sometimes it's going to be something as simple as making a sandwich instead of having the pork loin, but it works and breaks up the monotony.  Another plus of cooking for one is shopping for one.  I have done a pretty good job of sticking to my grocery list and not straying.  Of course, there was that one time last week when packages of ground angus beef were on sale at a third of their normal price and I had to put a couple packs into my grocery cart.  And luckily, Food Lion has amazingly good house brand products that are a fraction of the cost of their competitors, so that is quite helpful.  And most times, because I'm shopping for just myself, I normally have enough items in my cart to justify the express lane!

Even though this cookbook is about cooking for two, I've found it pretty helpful in preparing meals for myself. I know that I will continue this trend of better meal planning and shopping.  I can already see a change in my bank account.  And I'm also not eating as much, which is good.  But I would like to cook for people again soon because I love it.  Life has changed but my passion for cooking has not.  Thank goodness!

Finding Traditions

 Growing up, there were things that were tradition.  Of course, there are the obvious traditions like holidays...especially Thanksgiving and Christmas.  There were yearly traditions like shopping for new school clothes.  There were weekly traditions like going to church every Sunday or stopping everything to watch The Golden Girls at 9pm on Saturday night.  I miss those traditions.  They hold such dear memories for me that I take great comfort in.

So, I talk about this because I need to start some new traditions, if for no other reason than to feed my own soul.  It would be nice to have something to look forward to every year or every month or every week.  While spending time with family on the holidays has continued to be a tradition, mine will change this year.  That's ok.  Change is good.  And it will be the first time that I am truly in control of my own holidays, I'm kind of looking forward to that!  

But I want to find some things to do, to look forward to.  While I must stay within my budget, I know that I can create some traditions of my own.  Maybe revisit and/or reinvent some of the traditions of my past.  I tried a church for awhile, but that did not pan out exactly how I'd hoped.  Finding a new house of worship may be an option. 

Now with everything streaming on tv, setting aside a specific night to catch a program no longer exists.  And even when I had cable, I didn't do that really.  There wasn't much out there that I was simply craving to watch every week.  

I'm thinking about using my weekends to do some free tourist things around the area.  I think that this coming Saturday I'm going to peruse some antiques stores and thrift shops in the area.  It's not about buying anything really, just to get out and explore.  Since I love antiques, it seems like a natural fit.  We'll see.

Anyway, I'm just ready to start some traditions.  It's important for me, I believe.  I will keep you posted on what I discover in my adventures.

That is all.