I want to start playing the piano again

 I heard something yesterday that inspired me.  I honestly cannot remember where I heard it but it was while I was at work so there's no telling.  Anyway, the person speaking was talking about passions and said the make sure that you make time for your passions.  I thought that was a great thing and something that I need to incorporate into my life.  I found a similar quote about that and posted it on FB this morning as my morning greeting.  I have not made time in my life for some of my passions, and it is time for me to start doing so. 

Having said that, I want to start playing the piano again.  I don't have a piano anymore and don't really have room for one right now.  And that sucks because there are so many good pianos being offered for free.  I'd only have to pay moving costs.  Still, no room currently for a big piece like that.  So, I need to find a piano to start practicing on.  I'm thinking that I may go to work really early some mornings and play the piano in our life enrichment room.  There are no apartments that butt up against is, so I wouldn't be making noise people could really hear unless they were walking down the halls at that time of morning.  By early morning, I mean like 6 a.m. LOL

I am wondering, though, if it will be like riding a bike.  Will it just come back to me naturally?  Of course, I will be rusty and definitely need practice, but will it be as easy and relaxing as it once was. One of the many ways that I am like Mom is through piano playing.  Whenever Mom was upset or stressed or just needed to think things through by herself, she would sit down at the piano and play.  When I had a piano, that's what I used to do.  It was almost an immediate physical sensation for me. I would just relax as my fingers melted into whatever melody I was playing.  It was good for my soul.  

I don't feel as if my soul is in danger right now, but playing the piano again certainly couldn't hurt!

Being more present

 I often find myself having a love/hate relationship with Facebook.  This is not a new thing to hear, as you know, because I have talked about working hard to keep my personal page very positive and a place where my friends can go and not worry about all of the ills of the world. And I have made considerable effort in what I look at on Facebook so that my algorithm is full of things that are fun and happy.  But the biggest thing that I both appreciate and despise is finding out from a post that someone I know and care about has died.  Whether or not I have seen a person in a long time, it is still very jolting when that news randomly pops up on my feed.

Having gotten that out of the way, I learned earlier this week that my friend Frankie passed away the week before.  I was stunned when I saw that on Facebook.  I literally gasped.  I had a physical and emotional response to that post and had to do some digging around to make sure that it was true.  I met Frankie some 25 years ago.  He became one of my bar buddies.  A group of us would meet up whenever we went out, especially to The Palms.  We would occupy one corner of the bar for the entire evening and drink and laugh.  He had the best laugh.

News like this comes with the inevitable wave of emotions and self-reflection.  Asking myself why I don't do better at keeping up with people.  Why I let opportunities pass me by.  All of these questions come at me at once and it can be overwhelming. This is another reason why I am working on living in the moment and being more present when it comes to life.  While I realize that I cannot keep up with everything and everybody and I cannot do it all, I can definitely do better at being a real presence in people's lives.  I will miss Frankie and am sad that I won't see him again on Earth, but I am using this episode of life to inspire myself to do better.

That is all. 

Grandmother Bivens' Tea Set

 

You will find that many of the things that I have and that I cherish are broken or cracked in some way, but I still love them.  I love the history of them as you well know.  This tea set is no exception.  It belonged to my Great Grandmother Bivens. Both the cream and sugar, which are really big when compared to the size of the teapot, have broken handles but I don't care.  I love the design and shape of the pieces.  I think they are beautiful.

We got this set, like so many other things, when the family home was being dismantled among the family.  I actually chose this, I remember.  Mom was one of the heirs to the family pieces and when they were taking turns dividing up the dishes, she let me choose several times.  This set was not on the dining room table like most of the pieces were but was displayed on the dining room mantle. When it was my turn, I just turned around and took it off the mantle and put it in my box.  I don't think anyone else had really paid attention to the set because of it not being on the table.  

Then it sat in our living room for years until it has come to me.  I display it in my dining room now. My house is wrapped in family history, and this set adds to that feeling.  It gives me comfort and I am very appreciative of that. 

Recipe of the Week - Irish Potato Casserole

 This is a wonderful way to serve mashed potatoes. I made this late last year for one of my Sunday lunches and absolutely loved it.  I have no idea what makes it Irish, but that's the name the recipe came with.  I plan on making this again for Easter this year.  It is one of the best potato dishes I have made in awhile and I look forward to having it again.  I hope you enjoy!

Irish Potato Casserole

10 Med. potatoes, peeled

1 8oz cream cheese, softened

1 8oz sour cream

1/2 c margarine, melted

1/4 cup chopped chives

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tsp. salt

Paprika

Cook potatoes until tender.  Drain and mash.  Beat cream cheese until smooth.  Add other ingredients except paprika. Beat until combined.  Spoon into lightly buttered casserole dish.  Sprinkle with paprika.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  (Not always necessary). remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before baking.  Uncover and bake at 350 degrees of r330 minutes or until thoroughly heated.  Serves 10. 

Buying gifts ahead of time

 

Here we are at the beginning of March, and I am already looking ahead at my gift giving for this year. I do this because it works better for my budget than having to buy many things at one time.  And not just for Christmas.  I keep a list for gift giving.  Things like birthdays and other holidays when giving a gift may be appropriate (Mother's Day, Father's Day, etc.). And, of course, I am always looking out for fun things for Christmas for my friends and family.

This works for me because I do my best to think outside the box when giving gifts.  Because of this, I can buy something months out and it will still work.  And I enjoy the thrill of the hunt when it comes to buying gifts.  Knowing what friends like and finding that unique treasure is very satisfying. In April and May, I have about 5 people I want to get birthday gifts for, so it is really time for me to get going on that. I have already been formulating ideas in my head for a few of my friends.

And, of course, if I don't find anything, then a gift card will do. I don't mind giving gift cards.  I used to absolutely hate it because I felt like I put no effort into it.  But since I have put gift cards on the back burner as a standby, it is much more palatable for me to use that as a gift resource.  And there are times when someone needs a gift card more than a Knick knack or a book.  I remind myself that the gift is about the receiver and not me, so I do not let my gift giving excitement get in the way of that. 

Another reason this works for me is that I can peruse online sales way ahead of gift giving time.  When I am shopping online, I do my best to buy from independent sellers on Etsy and Teepublic, etc.  I will use big box stores online if I really need to, but I do try to buy from independent sellers.  And I keep in mind that some independent sellers use online retailers like Amazon, so I try to buy from them when visiting that site.

So, it really is time to get my gift buying underway.  First, I need to update my list and see who all is on it.  Are you?  We shall see!

Today's Moment of Mindfulness

 

The great benefit of practicing mindfulness...is presence of mind within a storm of emotions.

Phillip Moffitt

A day of rest

Growing up, Sundays really were considered a day of rest in our house.  While our Sundays revolved around church activities, the rest of the day was pretty much devoted to nothing incredibly important.  That is not to say we never did anything.  Sometimes Sundays meant a matinee at the theatre.  Or a trip to an antiques shop.  Or just reading or napping or watching the game on television.  Nothing labor intensive.  All housework was done on Saturdays or during the week.  Sunday was set aside to just exist in whatever form we chose.

I have started to incorporate that mindset into my life again.  I work full time Monday through Friday, so the weekend is my only opportunity to get things done for the most part.  I do try to do things during the week after work, but that is still limited, time wise. Saturday and Sunday are it for me to get things done.  The past few Sundays, I have chosen to relax instead of being productive.  In some ways, though, that is productive because it is self-care. I decided that taking a day to just be and not worry about having to do laundry or dust or organize the closet was more important to me than a day of productivity.  It does both my mind and body good.  

This past Sunday, the most intensive thing I did was cook. That is not a chore to me as most of you well know. I do enjoy my Sunday lunches, so that is something I do for fun for myself. I finished the book I was reading and started a new one.  I watched "For What It's Worth", a fun antiques game show from the UK.  I took a nap.  I spent time with Lois next door. It was a glorious day.  No worrying about anything.  Just taking time for myself.  And because of that, my Monday was fantastic!  Work went very well and I was energetic, for me anyways, and I had a great Monday.  Taking that full day for me has proven to be a good thing and something that I will continue in the future.  That is all.