Coat of Many Colors - Dolly Parton

 Over the past few weeks, I have been seeking music that brings me comfort.  This is my favorite Dolly Parton song.  And with her catalog of incredible music, that's saying something!  I love the story in this song and the lessons it teaches.  Enjoy!

Today's Moment of Mindfulness

 

Take a walk in a woodland or other green area and bring all your senses to the process.  Be aware of your movements, the continually changing sky overhead, the mud squelching beneath your boots and the myriad smells as they fill your nostrils.  Be present with all these sensations and with the feelings that arise, as you walk in your corner of nature. 

Putting my money where my conscience is

 With the worries over money right now like the prices of gas and groceries, the stock market, bills, unexpected expenditures, I need to be more deliberate with my spending.  I do not mean that I intend to not spend money on myself and things I enjoy in addition to my bills and household expenses, but I am going to put more thought into where my money is going.  With so many companies right now rolling back their DEI programs, I definitely do not want my hard-earned money going to them unless it is an absolute necessity. And I am discovering that there are few things in my life that are an absolute necessity. A good thing about that decision is that it will hopefully get me to do more shopping locally.  Invest in my community more.  However, that does not come without caution.  You need to do your homework before spending your money so that the businesses you support match your ideologies. There are restaurants and shops that, ten years ago, I would go to once a month.  But they support people who do not have my interests at heart, so no more eating or shopping there.

I say this because it is time for me to really start putting my money where my conscience is. Yesterday, I cancelled a subscription to a streaming and delivery service.  While I have enjoyed some of their programs and benefitted from their deliveries during the pandemic and the holidays, I cannot in good conscience give my money to that company any longer.  I have chosen to take that designated part of my budget and support PBS.  I grew up on and it is a threat now to the new government because it teaches people and makes them think.  That is where my money is going now.  I feel good about my decision and look forward to figuring out how to shop outside of the internet.

That is all. 

Daily Challenge Update

 

It's amazing how many boxes can pile up out in the garage.  It seems like everywhere I turn, there they are. Some are still in box shape, and some have been deconstructed and are flat. Yet, there they are in every nook and cranny of the garage.  So, each time I go out there, I make it my mission to get rid of several of them.  And because of that my recycling fills up pretty quickly.  I am almost to the point of using Lois's recycling bin in addition to mine, with her permission of course!

That is one thing that I am working on each day out there.  I am also trying to get things back onto the shelves to create more floor space.  When I got all of my Christmas decorations out, everything went onto the floor first and the boxes tended to stay there during the holiday season.  Now, I am getting them back into place, chocked full of holiday goodness!  It may not seem like much, but it is a start.  And yes, I can see more of the floor than I could a week ago. And now that I have the Christmas decorations down, I can start going through other boxes out there and see what I can let go of.  I have to start somewhere, and I am pleased with how this is going so far.

That is all. 

Song of the Week - The Nearness of You performed by Nancy Wilson

 I wanted to start my week with the great vocalist, Nancy Wilson.  There is no doubt that she is one of my all-time favorite singers and I wish I had been able to see her perform in this lifetime.  Still, her many recordings give me hours upon hours of listening pleasure.  This is her version of the great love song "The Nearness of You" which was on several of her albums. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

My capstone idea is germinating LOL

 

I have an idea for my capstone project that I am very interested in.  Well, it is at least the seedling of an idea so we shall go from there.  One of the things we have to think about when approaching service learning is finding a gap to fill.  I cannot remember if I have explained service learning here or not.  Basically, it is working on a project where I am employed that meets a need that has not really been explored yet. That is not easy when you work for a company like Kisco.  They cover all of the bases very well.  And the gap does not have to necessarily be something that is missing, but it could be something that is there but simply needs further development.

I came across my idea when I was doing some of my online training for work.  We have training we have to do each month.  I also often like to take extracurricular training courses that are offered because they are pretty informative and, best of all, free!  Doing this training got my mind to turning and so I did some research into our training modules and could not find what I was looking for.  Bingo! So, that will give a good slant on this as I can start from the ground up.  I discussed this idea with my assistant executive director, and she was very on board with it. In the next day or two, I will present my idea to my professor and see what she thinks.  Hopefully it will go as I want it to, but if not, I will find something else.

I am being vague here, I know that.  But once I get the green light, I will talk more specifics.  I just wanted to let you know that the idea is there!

Recipe of the week - Tortellini Salad

 

While pasta salads tend to be something you make more in the summer months, I enjoy them all year round.  I am always on the lookout for new pasta salad recipes.  I wanted to find a recipe for tortellini salad because I remember having one when I worked in catering, and it was so good.  They really are not hard to find as I discovered.  There were tons of recipes out there and this is one I found on the internet back in the summer. I have made it several times since and it is always delicious.  I hope you enjoy it!

Tortellini Salad

24 oz cheese tortellini

1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cucumber, seeded and chopped

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 Tbsp green onion, sliced

3-5 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp sugar

2 Tbsp Dijon or whole grain mustard

1 cup canola oil

Make your dressing first.  Put lemon juice, vinegar, green onion, garlic, salt, pepper, sugar and mustard into a blender.  Blend on high.  While blending, slowly add the oil in a steady stream.  Refrigerate.

Cook pasta according to directions.  Combine onions, tomatoes and cucumber in a large bowl.  Once pasta is cooked and cooled, toss with vegetables. Add the dressing and toss to coat.  Chill for at least one hour prior to serving.

Enjoy!

Music Week at Caswell

 This morning as I was in the car heading to the grocery store, I had the radio on and was listening to one of the religious stations.  I don't always agree with their ideologies, but I do enjoy their music most of the time.  Their Saturday morning programs are geared towards children. And today was no different.  They were singing a song about giving based on 2 Corinthians 9:6. It was a cute song, almost annoyingly so, but the more I listened to it, it reminded me of a lot of the songs we would sing at the children's music week at Caswell.  

Fort Caswell is located on the coast of North Carolina.  It was purchased by the NC Baptist State Convention in 1949 for use as a retreat.  When I was growing up, they had different weeks of camps all during the summer.  Our church always participated in the music weeks, both children's and youth. The first time I went there was the summer of 1984. At first, I did not want to go as I had never been away from home on my own before, not even to spend the night with someone.  Oh well.  But once I got there, I loved it.  The days were filled with choir practice, going to the pool and the beach, playing games, exploring the old forts.  I'm not sure if you can still do that today, or if the old forts are even there, but we had a ball doing it. The house we stayed in the first few years that I went there was by the canal.  Mr. Reich warned us never to go into the canal because there was a huge drop because of the barges that came through and we would get pulled under.  That was enough to keep me away, even if I didn't swim at all LOL

Mr. Reich would take us out to dinner one night to a seafood place.  I remember that was the first time I had fried clam strips.  Otherwise, our meals were at the cottage prepared by the chaperones. At the end of the week, we would put on a concert of the music we had learned.  Then we'd head out for ice cream.  On Saturday morning, we'd pack up and head back to Monroe.  I was always glad I went.  When I went as a youth, they had handbells and I did that every summer.  We seem to get into more mischief as youth, but that is to be expected.  For several years, Grandmother and Frances Vaughan were the youth chaperones.  They had been going for years as chaperones, so that was an added bonus for me.

Anyway, that is where my mind went this morning as I drove to the grocery store. Back to a week filled with sun, sand, music and friends.  Those were good times.  A nice stroll down memory lane, indeed.

Daily Challenge Update

 

Well, it has not been a successful week with my daily challenge of working in the garage. With several days over the past week of temperatures not going above freezing, I did not make it out there as often as I had hoped.  I have no desire to get frostbite because I'm cleaning my garage LOL Still, I did manage to get out there a few times for several minutes each.  It is amazing how much you can get done in a short amount of time when you're very cold!

The first thing that I am working on out there right now is the trash.  There is a lot of trash out there that can be disposed of.  Now I do not mean trash like from the kitchen trash can.  These are things like old boxes that are empty and are not in good shape.  Most of them are past their prime, so into the recycling they go. I also, probably to no one's surprise, have loads of plastic grocery bags out there.  They do tend to pile up after years of grocery shopping.  I like to keep them because they are good for packing.  When I am packing up a box of stuff and have blank areas that need to be filled, plastic bags are a perfect filler because you can twist them into about any shape you need!  Most of my boxes are packed already, though, so I do not need them quite as much.  Time for them to go!

While it may not seem like much to you, every little bit helps in this process.  And if I can get out there for ten minutes and get in ten minutes of quality work, I am happy with that.  When things begin to warm up, then I will stay out there longer.  Until then, ten minutes it is!

50 at 50 - the upcoming weekend

 

One of my goals is to eat at a "new to me" local restaurant each month.  Well, time is starting to run out, so it is time for me to make my choice!  We have so many good places to eat in Greensboro.  I need to start making a list of places so that I don't forget some of them.  For my first place to treat myself to, though, I am going to a restaurant not too far from me called Bagner and Alexa.  They do breakfast and lunch.  And I do love a good breakfast.  It's one of the meals that I do not eat like I should so going out for breakfast is a fun thing for me.  I have only heard good things about this place, so I am excited about it.  I will let you know my impressions once I've been there.

I am also planning on going to see Dad and June this weekend, weather permitting.  I know that they got much more winter precipitation than we did in Greensboro, so it will all depend on the conditions of their roads and, also, how they are feeling.  If I am able to go, then I'll stop by the store on my way home from work tomorrow to make some food to take.  It will be good to see them, no doubt.  I think I am also going to start looking into getting my passport.  This is just coincidental with the things going on right now.  It has been on my list to do for a long time and why not go ahead and cross that one off of my list. Not that I will ever be able to use it because travel can get expensive.  But I do have a few places on my bucket list that I would like to visit and having a passport will be a necessity.

So, that's my 50 at 50 update.  I will let you know how it goes!

Today's Moment of Mindfulness

 

"I am peaceful and strong."

When you recite such a 

phrase to yourself, you

reaffirm your own self-belief

and strengthen the resolve

in your mind.

Throwing Out Old Underwear? I Don't Think So!

 I'm the kind of person who will wear something until I simply can't anymore.  That is one of the reasons that I almost never buy any piece of clothing that is trendy.  I always buy traditional, classic style clothes because they really never go out of fashion.  I think that part of this comes from being the second child and wearing Bill's hand me downs a lot of the time.  The clothes still had plenty of wear left in them and there was no need to discard them if they were still useful.  How much would we save if we did that with most of the things in our lives, eh?  Ah, well.  It never bothered me that they weren't brand new, I was always excited to have new to me clothes.  And that still rings true today.  I tend to buy secondhand clothes in good shape because they're good clothes and it's easier on the budge. 

But, back to my point, I will wear something until I simply can't anymore.  I still have t-shirts from high school that I wear.  And it is not because of sentimental value, mostly.  It is because they're still in great shape and look like I bought them just last week. I began noticing last week that some of my underwear has holes in it.  Well, that's not good.  And it's one specific set of underwear that is developing the holes. They aren't exactly the most expensive underwear out there, but they are name brand. But as I was doing laundry last weekend, I noticed several times that this brand had holes in the under seams. Well, I got a few years wear out of them so I cannot complain.  Still, I'm not going to wear holey underwear because that really defeats the purpose of underwear.  

However, after washing and drying them, I did not throw them out.  Anytime I have clothes with damage like rips or holes that cannot be fixed, into the rag box they go.  I realized that the fabric itself is still in good shape, so why throw it out?  That's what we did growing up.  I can't tell you how many times I polished furniture when I was a kid with a can of Pledge in one and an old pair of Dad's underwear in the other.  Why not?  It works.  It reduces waste.  And it saves me from buying paper towels which I only do now at Jason's request, really.  I use dish towels and rags for most everything these days.  The older I get the more I hate to be wasteful, and a sturdy pair of cotton boxer briefs does just as well as two sheets of Bounty for me!

So now it's time to add underwear to my shopping list.  Yes, I still have good underwear available so no worries there.  But my rag box is getting full and that's just the way it is!

That is all. 

50 at 50 - Goals for January

 

I have decided to not put myself under a great deal of pressure with this list.  It's supposed to be something fun to me to do throughout the year, not a list of "must do's" so if I do not finish, I will be ok.  But I still want to finish it by December 5, 2025. Having gotten that out of the way, I will admit that my list, so far, is incomplete.  I've only got 27 things on it at the moment.  That's more than halfway done, though, so there you have it. And I realized that I do not need to come up with 50 things right off the bat.  I can add to (or take away if needed) as the year progresses.  That takes a huge amount of stress off me.  Whew!

January is over halfway done now, and I need to get going on my list.  Some of these things are time specific. Usually, the time is spread out over the entire year, but there are some that need to be done each month. So, I have been reading over the list to see what I need to get done during this 2nd half of the month. One of the things I need to do is finish the book I'm reading and start another one.  I read slowly, so this is definitely a challenge for me. I need to go see Dad and June next weekend. As long as they're home and well, that can happen.  I have given myself some leeway on this one because it really depends on how they are.  I need to treat myself to a meal at a local restaurant. During these times, it's important to give back to the local economy, so I have made one of my goals over this year to do that.  

I've got 11 days left to get this done and hopefully one or two more things.  We will see how it goes.  Here's to 50 at 50!!

Daily Challenge - The Garage

 I've decided to start my daily challenges this year with a big one....at least for me.  My garage looks like hell and it's driving me crazy.  It's got stuff in it that belongs to about 4 different people.  Yes, that is intentional for several reasons.  But it is so unorganized that I just cannot stand it. I am partly to blame for this because one, it's my garage after all, and two, when Jason moved in, I was not around to supervise the storage of things going into the garage.  They had to be put close to the front simply because that was the only space available at the time. It is all my fault for not making room.  I also did not realize exactly how much stuff that was going to be, but I welcomed Jason and Marc to put whatever they needed to in there and I do not regret that decision. Their move out of their home was fairly quick so I was happy to provide space.

But right now, I am in the process of getting my Christmas decorations put away. I realize that we're more than halfway through January, but with the winter weather we had last weekend, I didn't feel like skating across the patio on a sheet of ice to get the boxes for the decorations.  Well, when I went in this week to get them, it was a complete mess.  When I pulled the boxes out, I put other boxes in other places.  And it just went downhill from there. Again, I don't regret those actions because my holidays were wonderful, and my beautiful house was a big part of that.  

So, my challenge for this month, or what's left of it and going forward, is to get out into the garage each day and sort.  Even if it's only for 15 minutes, each little session will help in the long run.  Now, this is going to be challenging because of the time of year.  It's cold right now and, of course, the garage is not heated.  Also, with daylight savings time, it gets dark early still and by the time I get home from work, the sun is setting.  But yes, there is a light out there. It's just a matter of making myself do it after a long day's work.  There are always the dark mornings too that I can get in there for a few minutes.  

If I can get to work on this, I know I will feel better.  I always feel better when things are in order.  And it's also fun for me to go through boxes, as you know, and take trips down memory lane.  We shall see how this goes.  Today will be my first challenge and, as I am off today, I think I can make it happen.

That is all. 

One Drawer at a Time - Back in the Kitchen

 

Working on this project each year has been beneficial to me.  Of course, it's truly only my 2nd full year doing it, but I am enjoying it.  Last year worked out perfectly because I was able to spread out the entire house over the course of the year. So, now with the new year underway, I am back in the kitchen.

This week I have been focusing on the cabinets that I keep food in.  First, I started with my spice cabinet.  I moved some things around so that all of the spices were on the same level, which will be more convenient to me for cooking purposes.  They are a little more spread out and so I can find things easier.  I ended up throwing out about 10 spices that were old.  Oh, well.  I made a list so that I can restock them as needed. And of course, when I was planning on making shrimp salad today, I had thrown out my old bay seasoning.  I did pick some up at the store this morning, so it worked out just fine.

This evening, I organized the food cabinets.  I like putting similar items together.  Of course, it won't stay looking this neat for long, but for the moment I'm very happy with it.  I only had to toss a few things, which I was pretty surprised at.  But my losses are the squirrels' gains.  Except for the self-rising flower. I didn't think they would enjoy that too much.  Maybe they would but I didn't want to risk it just in case the self-rising flour caused a strange reaction, and they ballooned up or something.  And it was almost 3 years old.  I don't use it very much and can't remember why I had it. Anyway, it's all gone now!

So, I am enjoying this process yet again.  As you can tell, I love my domestic chores!  It's the little things in life.

That is all. 

A Very Good Year - Frank Sinatra

 This is hands down my favorite Sinatra song.  I find it very nostalgic, which you know I love, but it's also very haunting.  There is something beautiful yet sad about the melody that lingers with me long after the song is over. The song was written in 1961 by Evan Drake and first performed by the Kingston Trio.  Sinatra's version, released on his 1965 album, September of My Years, was Sinatra's first number one Adult Contemporary Single. Enjoy!

Today's Moment of Mindfulness

 

Mindfulness is seeing things

with fresh eyes, with a

beginner's mind rather than a

jaded, world-weary sigh.

Making a Doctor Appointment - Escapades in Adulting

 

Trying to make a doctor appointment can often be a long, drawn-out process.  As a child, I never had to do that because Mom always scheduled our appointments. But now that it is one my own personal responsibilities, it seems to be either incredibly easy or incredibly difficult.  Actually, the problem seems to be when I'm a new patient and not when I'm established already.  Whenever I need to see my PCP, I just hope onto a website and make the appointment.  Easy peasy!  It is when I am a referred patient that it becomes a monumental task.

When I was referred to cardiology, it was a long game of phone tag. I don't answer calls from numbers I do not know and even when I saved their number into my phone, it was messages back and forth. Once we were able to connect in real time, the appointment was several months out.  While not the preferred outcome at the time, I accepted it because I knew they were busy with many patients. I did subsequently get an earlier appointment, which was a blessing.  But the thing is, when you're a new patient, you don't get access through the website to make appointments.  You have to be an existing patient of that practice. Frustrating, but it is what it is.

So, now I am trying to schedule an appointment with the pulmonary department. They reached out to me last week and I was unable to take the call.  That was a mistake, but again, I'm not answering if I don't know the number.  But here is the problem.  Since I can't make an appointment online, the hours that I can call them are while I am at work.  And while my work is ok with doing this sort of thing during business hours, I feel bad for trying to do that.  Yet, I have tried several times this week to no avail.  Being on hold is frustrating, I get that.  But after 15, 20 minutes, I can no longer stay on the call.  I hate that I have wasted that time, but I can only take so much time away from my own job to do this.

Ah, the endless cycle of fun that this is.  I will try again today to schedule the appointment.  Wish me luck because I'm going to need it!

Capstone application is in!

 

Well, I got my capstone class application submitted, and it was approved.  I did not doubt that it was approved because I have everything in place I need to be enrolled in the class.  Well, almost everything.  I have taken all of my prerequisite classes that I must have to be in the capstone class.  Now all I need is an idea.  I will start formulating that this week.  My advisor and my professor are both available for help with that.  I will need to do several rough drafts of that project idea before April 1st.  First, I need to reread the capstone handbook and then rewatch the presentation Dr. Caro did on the capstone project.  I can do that soon. 

I know that I have said this before, but while there are several different kinds of projects I can do, I will need to find something to do within the borders of my workplace.  As much as I would like to do an internship somewhere, considering that this is our only chance for hands on experience in this program, I cannot afford to take seven weeks away from work.  They would be unpaid, and I am not prepared for that. However, that does not mean that I will not make the most of this opportunity.  We have three different communities where I work:  independent living, assisted living and memory care.  Since I have worked most in independent living, I am going to begin thinking about something to do in assisted living or memory care.  I will also work on something for IL, but I would rather it be something in one of the other communities.  Thinking ahead, I feel that will make me more marketable if I get a job somewhere outside of Kisco.  

We will see how it goes. I am looking forward to this challenge and am ready for it!

Each antique needs a place

 Now that the holidays are over, it's truly time for me to put the decorations away.  I usually wait until right after epiphany to do that, but this year it has been delayed.  Mostly because of the weather.  Now, you may think that being cooped up inside the house would be the perfect opportunity to take down the decorations, but it's really not for me. Why?  All of my containers are out in the garage, and I didn't feel like stomping through the ice and snow to get to the garage to bring the containers inside.  Lazy, I know, but there you have it.

Anyway, as I prepare to take down Christmas this week, I am thinking about restocking the house with my antiques and collectibles. I know that I have too many of them, but I love them, and I love having them in my home. On a side note, this will be a good opportunity for me to cull my collections and find loving homes for things I no longer need or use.  But besides that, I have been thinking a lot about where to put things.  In many ways, I want my things to have a home.  Not as in be in my home, but to have a place inside my house where they belong. 

I think a lot about the houses of my past:  the home I grew up in, Grandmother's house, Aunt Billie's house, Aunt Sara's house, and I can tell you where things belonged in that house.  Most of what they had belonged in specific places in their homes.  In some ways, that is the comfort of those houses.  You went into them and you knew where things were.  I remember one time going to Billie's house and not seeing her cobalt beverage set in her curio cabinet, where it had always been.  When I asked her about it, she said she'd decided to take it out and wash it because it had been a long time. Then she offered it to me.  Of course, I said yes and now it sits in my dining room in the same curio cabinet I later inherited. 

But I can remember and tell you things about how the houses were decorated that, while they are of no consequence to others, bring back comforting memories for me.  Like I know that Aunt Sara's chocolate set sat on the chest of drawers in her living room.  Grandmother kept her mother's potato salad bowl in a pine cabinet in the breakfast room. Mom kept her printer's tray display hanging on the wall in the kitchen by the back door.  All of these things had specific homes with homes.  That's what I want.  As fun as it is to move things around, I like the routine of putting my antiques in their place.

So that is what I'm going to work on when I put my house back in order. I want to create a nostalgic home that people want to come and spend time in. I love it when people look around and ask questions. It's the little things that make my life happy right now.

That is all. 

Today's Moment of Mindfulness

 

Look at a tree,

a flower, a plant...

Allow nature to

Teach you stillness

Eckhart Tolle

50 at 50

 

This year, after just turning 50 years old, I have decided to attempt to do 50 different things throughout the year to celebrate my birthday.  In some ways, I see that as being totally possible.  In other ways, I find it very daunting.  I started compiling my list last month right after my 50th birthday party. Let me tell you, it is not that easy to come up with 50 different things that I want to do. As of today, I have just over 20 items on the list.  Maybe one of my 50 things should be to come up with 50 things LOL

So far, my list is comprised of several travel goals.  Just places that I would like to visit over the next year.  While some are doable like the NC mountains and Wilmington, some will take a little more strategic planning like NYC and Canada.  I'll need a passport for Canada, so that's on my list as well.  I have several practical goals like saving a certain amount of money and getting my credit card paid down. Then there are hobby goals like reading 25 books over the next year.  If you know me, even though I love reading, I'm a slow reader so this one is going to push me and I look forward to it!

There are some cultural goals like listening to live jazz and seeing shows.  In fact, my first goal is to the The Nutcracker on stage. I'd thought about going ahead and getting that one checked off over the holidays but even the cheapest seats were well over $100 and that just wasn't going to happen. This will help me to plan better during the year!

So, if you have any advice or any ideas on things I might want to consider adding to my list, just let me know.  By the way, I have a pretty good fear of heights, so anything like bungee jumping or skydiving will not be considered LOL  But I would really love some input and ideas from people who have either done something similar when they turned 50 or plan to when the time comes.  Thanks!

John 15:12

 Too many cherry pickers have forgotten this verse and what it means. Take His commandment to heart and life others up.  It's really not that difficult and can make a world of difference to someone.

Dream of the Forgotten Child - David Lanz

 One of the things I love about David Lanz's music is that is always brings scenes of nature to my mind.  After looking at many videos people have put together using his music, I know that I am not alone in that thinking. Looking out my front door this morning at the blanket of snow on the ground and the stillness of it all, this haunting melody creeped into my mind.  It's a beautiful piece of piano music.  I was never able to play this one well, but it's on my bucket list to conquer!  Thanks again to Tanya for introducing David Lanz to me decades ago!!

Remembering snow days

 As we await today's winter weather, I would be remiss if I didn't remember the snow days we had growing up on Brookgreen Drive.  Ah, those were the days.  If the snow was happening on a weekday, we would wake up and have to watch the local tv channel to see if school was going to be closed.  And that was agonizing to a kid.  There was absolutely no guarantee that we wouldn't be in school.  Our eyes were glued to the bottom of the screen.  We would be reciting the alphabet in our heads as the names of schools scrolled by, holding our breath, waiting to see Walter Bickett or Monroe Middle School or Monroe High School.  If ours wasn't there, then we would have to sit and keep watching all of the other categories before it got back round to the schools. It was very intense!

Once it was determined that there would be no school, it just became a matter of picking the right time to go out sledding.  There was a pretty big hill in our neighborhood.  From where the Griffin's tennis court was and running down to the creek behind the Derrick's and the Davis's house.  Somehow all of us kids of all ages managed to get there around the same time.  Most of us had the cheap plastic sleds but they worked.  Sometimes people would bring boxes to slide down the hill on. One time, I remember that I actually slid into the creek.  I had to go home after that because I was all wet and frostbite could have been an issue.  I also remember a time when Amy Arnold got stung by a bee when we were sledding.  She sat down in one of the boxes and a bee that had died was in the bottom of the box was stinger side up.  Oops!!

Another fun thing I remember about snow days is that Grandmother almost always came over to stay with us.  Either Mom would get her the night before or Dad would go that morning and pick her up.  She used to love to make snow cream.  I haven't had that in years!  And there would always be a fire in the fireplace.  That came in handy if the power went out.  If you've never had the pleasure of experiencing a real fire in a fireplace, you are missing out!  After the obligatory snow sledding, the afternoon became filled with puzzles, playing cards, coloring. I'm so glad that I was a kid before personal computers became a thing.  I feel sorry for kids who have to spend snow days in online classes instead getting to just be a kid all day and enjoy the snow.  Of course, that was back in the old days when we were taught to learn and not just taught how to take a test.  

And then, just like that, it would be over.  Normal life would resume but we would have those memories of the snow days to last a lifetime. Since it didn't snow every year in Monroe, these snow days were very precious.  How I would love to get out into the snow again one more time with the gang of kids from Brookgreen Drive.  We didn't really know how good we had it at the time.  Ah, sweet memories. 

Quote of the Week

 As we are expecting snow tomorrow, my anxiety is pretty high right now.  On the one hand, I love snow and winter weather when I can stay and home and enjoy it.  But when I might have to be out driving in it, it honestly petrifies me. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the snow does not start until after I'm home from work but the chances of that are pretty slim.  So, I need to do my best to remain calm. Wish me luck!

The first step of my capstone class/project

 I have a lot of preparing to do for my last class/capstone project.  While I still don't know what I'm going to do, I still have a few months to figure that out.  I've had a lot going on the past several months, so I'm not worried that I have not figured that out yet. This gives me something to focus on.  Luckily, my professor for the capstone, Dr. Caro, has already sent out the capstone handbook and the syllabus for the class.  That is going to give me a good foundation for the class and help me to pick my project.

The first thing that I have to do is get my application in for the class. Exactly why I need to apply for it, I'm not sure.  I think it is to make sure I have all of the other classes in place that I need to have taken before taking this one.  My plan of study has been updated and submitted to my advisor, so I am good to go on that end.  I just need to print off a copy of the application, fill it out and submit it.  I can do that!  It's going to be a good class and experience I have no doubt.  I will update more as I make my choices on what I would like to do.  I am looking forward to this challenge!

Daily Challenges for 2025

 

I enjoyed doing my daily challenges over the past two years and I feel that I was somewhat successful with what I achieved.  I will admit that not every challenge has maintained a place in my everyday life, but they are all definitely still in the back of my head. So now I am looking forward into this new year to see what kinds of challenges I want to pursue. With all of the things going on in the world, especially this country, right now I feel like my first challenge is to not go crazy every day.  LOL I will definitely modify that by looking at challenges such as not spending as much time on social media and finding ways to be calm every day.  

I also want to look at my physical self during these challenges.  Of course, exercise is always important so there will be an element of that in my challenges coming up. I'm not sure how extreme they will be because last year's challenge did result in some physical problems.  Honestly, I went too hard to fast and probably did some damage.  Damage that can hopefully be repaired! But I do know from that experience that I did feel better after exercising, even when I hurt myself.  I felt better mentally, most of all, which is quite important. 

I am sure that I will come up with some fun challenges and some challenges I feel are necessary.  Now that I am 50, I am to the point that I have a "now or never" attitude.  I can't keep putting these things off if I truly want to achieve them. We will see how that goes. And, as always, I am open to suggestions so if you have any ideas, please let them in the comments!

That is all.

The Cell Phone Account - Escapades in Adulting

 

This week, I had to take over the cell phone account that I was once an additional line on.  I was filled the trepidation because I have heard such horror stories of dealing with cell phone companies.  But as an adult, I have never had to do this before.  For over a decade, I had a cell phone through my work.  Up until then, I had only had land lines.  Which I do miss, by the way.  Well, after work ended, Michael put me on his plan.  That was 2014 and I have had the same number ever since.

Michael changed his phone carrier several months ago and it was time for me to take over this account.  However, the charge was way too much for me to afford. There had been some miscommunication when Michael left the account.  I was supposed to be charged only what I had been paying to be the additional line, but it did not look like that was happening.  I know Michael spent several hours on the phone with them trying to get this fixed but to no avail.  And, I'm pretty sure that it was not a very friendly exchange.  Ah, well.

So, I had been looking at changing carriers because I could get a better deal with someone else.  I did my research and settled on Spectrum.  I have them for internet and I have been pleased with the service I have had for the past two years.  And I could bundle the services, get a new phone, and still come under budget.  Sounds pretty great. 

I called T-mobile to cancel the service.  I was quite nervous because, as I said earlier, I have never done this before.  But, I'd had a difficult day at work so I was prepared for battle. The gentleman I spoke with from customer service couldn't have been nicer. On a side note, I work in customer service so I know what it's like to be on the other end of it.  And from that point of view, if you're nice to me I will be nice to you and go above and beyond to help you out.  So that is what I went into this conversation with.

I explained my situation about why I needed to cancel the account.  He listened and looked back at the records for my phone line.  While I did not ask for any deal, he admitted error on their part and that the cost should only reflect the one line.  Everything got verified and my plan is what I have been paying all along.  That was almost too easy.

So, I will have my same number and my same phone. My coverage is the same at the same price. I feel now that I can mark this one off of my "I adulted" checklist! I just hope I don't have to do it again any time soon.  But if I do, I will at least have this experience to fall back on.  And the bottom line is if you're nice to customer service representatives, they'll be nice to you!

O Little Town of Bethlehem - Tabernacle Choir

 I am wrapping up the Christmas season with another of my favorite carols.  O Little Town of Bethlehem is a sweet, simple carol about the birth of Christ. There are two melodies associated with this carol and here the Tabernacle Choir performs the Lewis Redner version, more popular in the US than the "Forest Green" melody often heard in the UK.  It is a beautiful carol, and I hope you enjoy.  Merry Christmas!

The First Noel - Josh Groban and Faith Hill

 This is simply a beautiful version of The First Noel.  Josh is here singing with Faith Hill, another favorite of mine. This is from his first Christmas album, and I just love it.  Enjoy!

The Holly and The Ivy - Natalie Cole

 On the 10th day of Christmas, I have chosen the traditional carol, The Holly and The Ivy.  There are many beautiful versions of the carol out there and I have opted for this version by Natalie Cole. Like her father before her, Natalie has a strong, yet relaxing singing voice.  And, thank goodness, she knows that all she has to do is sing the song and she's golden.  I hope you enjoy!

I Wonder as I Wander - Vanessa Williams

 On the 9th day of Christmas, I have chosen Vanessa Williams's version of I Wonder as I Wander.  I was listening to her 1996 holiday album Star Bright.  I have always thought this was a hauntingly beautiful song and Ms. Williams does it justice.  The entire album is worth a listen if you haven't heard it before.  Enjoy!

Silver Bells - Doris Day

 Another holiday classic that makes the rounds on various albums of the period is this version of Silver Bells by Doris Day.  While it's on her own Christmas album, you can find it several places.  She does a very nice job singing this classic tune.  enjoy!