Quote of the Week

 

This one just speaks to me this week.  Not to be a downer, but I have spent most of my life believing I was not worth the effort....my own or other people's.  That all stops now.  First with myself, then hopefully others will follow.  That is all. 

Things I would like to incorporate into my daily routine

 In alignment with my daily challenge entries, I am really looking to incorporate some things that are good for me into my daily routine.  Beit physical or mental, anything I can do to better myself and take good care of myself will be of value.  Here are a few things I am thinking of.

1. Letter writing

I would love to write a letter/note/birthday card every day.  I am definitely old fashioned that way and love to get mail that isn't junk or bills.  I know most people appreciate it.  It's much more personal for me and makes me feel a lot more connected with someone than sending an email or a text or a dm.  But that's just me!

2. Exercise

Here's that broken record.  I really need to incorporate some kind of exercise every day.  It will definitely help with my physical goals but it will make me feel better mentally.  I always feel better inside after I've exercised.  It clears my mind and helps me focus.  So, there's that.

3. Get outside

Whether it be exercise or sitting out on the porch or doing yardwork, I need to get outside more.  In my gerontology studies, I have learned the importance of green spaces and being in nature is to the aging process.  That will help me to age gracefully!

4. Go to bed with a clean kitchen

I don't mean mop my kitchen floor every night or anything that intense but I absolutely hate to get up in the morning and seeing my kitchen in disarray.  Making sure the dishes are put away, making the counters are wiped down, etc.  Just making sure that the kitchen is in order before turning out the lights. 

5. Devotion and meditation

While these are technically two separate things, I would like to combine them into something I do every day.  For me, a devotion is something that I read that is inspirational and makes me think in a positive way.  Meditation is something that comes from within me and can be sitting in silence, just being still, etc.  I think they go hand in hand so I want more of that.  It calms me and helps me to focus.

What are some things you have recently incorporated into your daily life?  I'm always open to suggestions!

Sacrifice - Sinead O'Connor

 I was listening to an album of Sinead O'Connor's the other day and was reminded how beautiful her voice is. I have several of her albums that I enjoy.  This particular track is from a tribute album called "Two Rooms".  It's the music of Elton John and Bernie Taupin.  The entire album is fantastic, but this is my favorite track.  It's probably my favorite cover version of any song.  I hope you enjoy!

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.