If I Were a Bell - Josie De Guzman

 When I came home from work today and turned on the television, Guys and Dolls was playing on one of my movie channels.  I had forgotten how utterly charming and fun this score is along with some beautiful melodies.  This is one of my favorites from the 1992 Broadway Revival, Josie De Guzman singing the role of Sarah Brown. 

Finding ways to incorporate spirit into my life more

 I do not define myself as overly religious, but I do consider myself spiritual. I was talking to someone about that the other day. I have my own relationship with God that has nothing to do with the church or any form of organized religion. That works for me and I hope that works for God as well. But I also know that there are things in my life that are spiritual that do not have to do directly with God and I need to incorporate those into my life more.  I find them very rejuvenating.  They are calming and grounding, which I know I definitely need more of!

I find being in nature very spiritual.  Being surrounded by things that are green is so soothing.  Being out in nature is not something that I do often but when I do, I very much enjoy it.  There are plenty of places around Greensboro where I can experience nature that I do not take advantage of.  So many beautiful parks to explore.  And we have several greenways for walking here in Greensboro.  And I think even just getting out into my own yard and doing some work out there would be good for my soul.  

Music is also something that is very spiritual to me.  I need to take more time to sit down and listen to music.  I mean focus on the music and not just have it playing in the background.  It relaxes me and takes me to a place where I feel peaceful.  I don't do that often enough. Basically, I want to find more things in my life that ground me and give me peace.  And I want to incorporate those things into more of my daily existence. Spirituality comes in all forms, and I want to explore as many as I can.  

Getting out of the house

 I actually got out of the house this week and had dinner with a new friend.  Actually, I'll go ahead and say it, I got out of the house this week because I had a date.  Yes, I had a date.  I haven't been on a date in 2 years, so I did not know what to expect of this. But I had an absolutely wonderful time.  We had dinner at Saffron, a local Indian restaurant.  One of my favorites.  The food was great as always.  And the conversation was so refreshing.  We have many, many things in common so that made the conversation very easy.  Which is always a good thing when you're on a date.  There's almost nothing as painful as that awkward silence when you realize that you have little in common with the person you're dining with.  We did not suffer from that.  I will refrain from naming names at this point in anticipation of a second date which I am pretty sure will happen.  At the very least, I have made a new friend that I know I will enjoy spending time with.  I have no expectations and that's one of the reasons the evening was so relaxed.

I also spent time this week getting my garage organized.  Well, let's say I worked on getting it more organized.  And I enjoy things like that.  You could hardly see the floor in my garage anywhere and now there is a lot more room.  The reason being is that Michael needed to return a chest of drawers to me that he had been using for the past few years and I needed to make room for that.  I have three different sets of stuff out in my garage:  Mine, Michael's and Jason & Marc's.  So, I organized the room so that everyone's stuff is in the same area.  I think I did a pretty good job and it's amazing what I can do when I set my mind to it.  In getting my own stuff corralled, I found several boxes of things to get rid of.  And I am soon going to post these things online and offer them up to people.  This is a way to get my antiques selling off of the ground.  Well, antiques and other stuff.  I am excited about that.  

So, there has been some fun in my life this week.  It's nice to do things that I enjoy.  Especially in these dark times of our world.  Every bit of light in life helps!

Is my house dying? LOL

 Lately, I have stopped and asked myself if my house is dying. Or is it just like the human body in that one day everything is absolutely fine and the next day everything completely falls apart? It certainly feels that way lately, especially over the past week.  Now, first of all, I must say that I love my house.  I have been here for 16 years.  I have a great (or at least in my mind) relationship with my landlords and my neighbors.  I do not see myself leaving this house anytime soon.  But things lately have just been falling apart. 

First there's the refrigerator.  Several months ago, I noticed that my freezer was getting more and more condensation in it.  Things were almost automatically being covered in ice crystals once they were put in the freezer. For a while I could not figure it out. I adjusted the temperature in the freezer.  I moved things around, but nothing helped.  Then one day when I went to open it, I could feel cold air coming out through the top of the door.  I realized then that the seal had come loose and needed to be fixed. My landlord gave me the name and number of someone.  I contacted them and he said that my landlord needed to be the one to place the repair order since she would be paying for it.  I totally get that.  But then he said, after I described what was going on, that it was most likely not the seal.  He was very condescending about it even over text.  I wanted to ask how the air was escaping if it wasn't the seal, but I bit my tongue. My landlord contacted him and gave the go ahead, but he never called.  One month later and he never called.  Now my freezer is pretty much a block of ice.  

Not my freezer but you get the idea!

Second, there's the stove.  About six weeks ago, I was cooking something in the oven for Sunday lunch and poof!  It just stopped working all together.  All of the lights went out. Nothing.  Nada. Zilch.  But before I could do anything it popped right back on.  Ok.  Hmmmmmm.  The next Sunday, the same thing happened.  I started to feel as if my house has something against my Sunday lunches!! Then on Easter Sunday, as I was cooking our ham, it happened again.  Only this time it did not just pop right back on.  About five minutes went by which may not seem like a long time but when you have something in the oven and your entire meal cooking is timed out, five minutes is an eternity.  Even though nothing else was not working, I flipped all of the breakers.  That seemed to work as it came back on and I continued with my cooking. Thursday before last I was cooking some muffins for breakfast at the lake and it went out again.  This time, nothing seemed to work.  Flipping the breakers made no difference.  It was off about 4 hours this time and only came back on after Jason jostled it and turned the knobs.  That's not very reassuring.  So, there was definitely a short there somewhere.  Unplug the stove.  Yippee!

Third, Jason called me on Thursday morning to say that something strange had happened at the house.  As he was having his morning coffee he heard a very loud crashing sound. Looking around the house he could not find anything out of place. However, when he went to open the front door, he found that the glass in the screen door had shattered.  Our yard man, Rene, was there earlier mowing and it would have made sense that something hit the glass and shattered it.  But that did not happen because the glass the shattered was the pane inside the door not outside.  So now there's still glass everywhere and it keeps multiplying.  GRRRRRRRR And back to the refrigerator, the refrigerator part of it this week stopped keeping things cold.  They are slowly coming to room temperature.  WTH?!

This actually is the screen door at home!

Repairman is coming Monday to service the fridge.  I still need to clear it out this weekend.  New stove is coming the next Monday.  The broken door I can live with.  I have far more pressing needs.  I am thankful for landlords that are so helpful. But I need a break from things breaking down.  Please?  Just a few months for my psyche to recover and then have at it!  Another fun escapade in adulting!

Handbells - a lottery dream

 As many of you know, I have loved handbells for all of my life.  It is definitely something that I want to incorporate back into my life as I do miss being a part of a bell choir.  Mom rang bells at FBC in Monroe and that was my first introduction to handbells.  In my prekindergarten days, the adult handbell choir rehearsals were during the day on a weekday.  Back then, it was mostly all housewives so they could do that. Mom would take me with her to rehearsal, and I would sit and listen to them play.  She never had to worry about my misbehaving because I was so enthralled with the shiny brass bells and the music that was being made.  Anytime they would play during service while I was still young, I would get to stay in the adult service until after they rang then Dad would take me to be with the other children for the remainder of the time.

You had to be in third grade to ring in the children's bell choir.  I was so nervous auditioning for it.  For those of you who knew Jim Reich, he could be quite intimidating when it came to music.  I realize now that he knew (because everybody knew) how badly I wanted to ring bells that there would have been no question of allowing me into the choir.  Still, I remember being nervous and not knowing how I did once the audition was over.  The day after the audition, he called Mom to tell her that I was in.  I was beyond thrilled.  And that started my handbell ringing.  I rang bells until I was a senior.  I began subbing in the adult choir when I was in 7th grade and became a permanent member when I was in 8th grade.  I just loved it and I felt accepted by the ladies in the choir.  

So, I know we all have those lists of things we will buy when we win the lottery.  I am no different.  Splurging on things just for the fun of it would be part of the fun of having that kind of money.  If I ever win the lottery, one of the first things I am going to buy is a set of English handbells.  Of course, if that were to happen, I would need to have a house with a room big enough to practice the bells.  That should be easy enough.  I think it would be fun to start a community bell choir.  I feel there are probably enough people interested to do it just for fun.  If not, I have done solo ringing as well LOL Anyway, that is definitely on my list of must haves if Power Ball ever comes through.  In the meantime, my search for a choir continues.  I will keep you posted!

Changing a few things for my mental health

 I am just back this afternoon from a weekend at Lake Royale, NC for Jason's birthday.  It was a wonderful weekend and I really enjoyed myself.  Peaceful, relaxing and still full of celebration.  What this past weekend has made me realize is that getting out of my routine from time to time is good for my mental health. It was great to be in nature.  To be around friends.  And it was great to be disconnected.  I spent little time on my phone and even less time on my computer.  No television at all. Not that it was not available, I just chose not to watch.  I would go to sleep each night listening to music.  It was easy for my brain to shut down each night and that is a good thing.

I have also been slowly moving away from most of the social media sites that I am on.  That has done wonders for me.  While I understand the purpose they serve, I was on way too many of them.  It was causing me to become mentally and emotionally drained because of relying on the computer for any kind of social life. And yes, FOMO played a huge part in that.  Constantly being reminded of what I cannot do financially does wear a person down.  It really started to get to me so I have left many of those sites behind.  It's as if a huge weight has been lifted from my brain!

I am going to incorporate that and not relying on routine as ways to spend my days.  I feel so much better about myself even in the short time I have been away from Greensboro.  Change is a good thing!

Eating at my dining room table

 

There is no question that I have a lot of things, and I enjoy my things very much. One of the things that I try to do is use my things.  My home is filled with both family pieces and pieces that I have acquired over the years.  While most people are minimalists these days, I am on the other side of that spectrum, and I have absolutely no issue with that.  That is one of the reasons that you will often see me post my table settings and my Sunday meals online.  I enjoy using what I have and I enjoy sharing that with other people.

It reminds me of meals when I was growing up.  Almost all of the meals we ate were at the table.  We did not sit on the couch and eat very often.  Now, if someone was sick, they could eat somewhere other than the dinner table but that was about the only excuse for not eating at the table.  As most of you know, I was very close to Grandmother and spent much of my time with her.  Oh, what I would not give to go back and do that again.  But when I sit at my dining room table, I am almost immediately transported back to my childhood.  

First of all, my dining room table and chairs belonged to Grandmother and hold a special place in my heart.  So many holiday meals and Sunday lunches were eaten at this table during my formative years.  But I got to thinking the other day that I don't remember not eating at this table any time I was having a meal at her house.  When it was just the two of us, be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner, we would sit at the table and eat.  She sat in her place at the end of the table, and I sat to her left.  I always sat to her left no matter the occasion.  When I would spend the night, we would have dinner at the table and breakfast there the next morning.  It was never in her breakfast room but in the dining room. If we had a snack like ice cream or some of her homemade cookies, then we would have that in front of the television in the den.  But meals were always at the table.

So as I sit at my table and have my meals, even when I am alone, I think of her and those glorious times we had when I was a child.  I try to eat at my table several times a week.  Of course, I do enjoy having others over for the holidays but it's the everyday usage that is special to me. I find comfort in that.  Now it is time to share that comfort with others.  So, let's share a meal together at Grandmother's table.  Shall we?

Too many plastic containers

 

I admit that I have been slightly on the lax side of my "one drawer at a time" purging of the house as I am still working in the kitchen.  One on hand, I am disappointed at my progress but on the other hand, I have had other things to fill my time and so I needn't feel badly about where I am. So, my next cabinet to work on is where I keep all of my plastic food containers.  You just don't know the joy I am experiencing in my anticipation of working on this LOL

Mind you, there are other things in this cabinet.  I keep all of my mixing bowls here and most of my every day serving bowls.  I keep kitchen gadgets like my mandolin, my sifter and my cookie press.  But somehow, the plastic containers have just taken over.  While they were once well stocked on one shelf, now they are on all three shelves in the cabinet.  How does that happen?  It's like they multiply when I'm not paying attention.  

Not mine but you get the idea!

I am partly to blame because I will look at something like the container that my sandwich meat came in or the container that the soup came in, and I will be like "this is a great size, and I can definitely use it." And then it becomes like doing a puzzle or playing a game of Tetris trying to find room in the cabinet for yet one more plastic container. I almost always manage to wedge it in somewhere but then it becomes a very dangerous adventure when I try to pull something else out to use.  One false move and everything falls out of the cabinet. 

So, with this cabinet, it really is time to purge.  Thank goodness for recycling.  I can always get rid of some that way. There is just too much, and I do not enjoy getting stressed out simply by opening a cabinet door.  Of course, I could always just leave it and let whoever is in charge of my estate sale (years down the road) deal with it.  But that would be unkind LOL  I'll let you know how this goes!

Going to the lake

 One of the things that I want to do this year and that I wanted to do last year but never quite did is go out of town on weekend trips.  An entire weeks' vacation is financially not going to happen right now, but I have accepted that. So, I am looking to do more day trips and weekend trips. A lot of that will depend on money, of course, but also who I know that will invite me into their home for a few days.  The thing about that is I hate to ask because I don't feel that comfortable.  It is not that I do not think that my friends would not enjoy my company, I just do not feel like I can say to anyone right now "Hey, let me stay with on your couch for a few days" Ah, well. That just shows me that I need to be more involved in life outside of my own house.  

Having said that, this coming weekend I will be going out of town for a few days, and I am looking forward to it.  Jason, my roommate, and his husband Marc have their home at Lake Royale, NC.  It's near the Raleigh/Wake Forest area.  I have not been there since their wedding several years ago and I am quite looking forward to it.  We will be celebrating Jason's birthday. And this will be one of those trips where I just relax.  We have little on the agenda besides eating and that is fine with me.  I will take a book to read and just relax.  I know we could all use a little more relaxation in our lives.

My goal is to try and do this at least once a month.  Not go to their lake house but get out of town for at least one day.  Even though I have lofty travel goals of places like Charleston, Savannah, NYC, etc., there are many places here in NC that are just a few hours' drive away.  I think I can do that, but time will tell.  And budget.  That budget is always ever present, but it is what it is. We shall see how that goes. Want to join me?  Just let me know. 

Recipe of the week - Cucumber Salad

This cucumber salad is one of those dishes that I grew up with but did not enjoy as a child.  This is a congealed salad and in my kid's mind, Jello should be sweet not savory.  Mom really loved it and made it quite often. As an adult I have grown to love this.  I have made it for several get-togethers, and it always goes over well. While I recognize that this kind of dish is not to everyone's liking, it is still a good side dish.  This past Easter, I decided to make this salad and this time I tried it in a Jello mold.  I have never used a Jello mold before, but I was very proud of how it turned out. This is a great dish for warmer weather so I hope you enjoy it!

Cucumber Salad

1 medium cucumber

1 3oz package lime gelatin

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup boiling water

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup 4% cottage cheese

1 small onion, finely chopped*

Peel and seed cucumber.  Shred and pat it dry then set it aside. Combine salt, gelatin and boiling water in a bowl.  Stir until dissolved. Add mayonnaise and cottage cheese and mix until well blended.  Stir in onion and cucumber. Pour into your mold or Pyrex or whatever dish you are using.  Refrigerate until set. 

*the original recipe called for 1 small onion, grated.  I find that to be too messy, and I never do it correctly, so I basically just mince mine and it works just fine. 

Open a New Window - Angela Lansbury

 I have had an interesting introspective 24 hours, and this song just feels right today.  

Fun things update - mostly food LOL

 Going back and reviewing my list of things to do for fun, I have not been able to cross anything off since last I updated.  That is not to say I have not enjoyed the past month, it has just been on the quiet side.  I have been cooking a lot, which is always fun for me.  I came up with a salmon dip recipe that I really enjoyed and so did Lois, who I like to share my cooking with.  I had found a recipe on the back of a box of crackers that sounded really good. But, not paying attention, I forgot to cut the recipe out before I recycled the box.  So, what I did was look up recipes for salmon dip and pulled from different ones to create one that I thought sounded good.   This is not my normal way of approaching a recipe, but I was determined to trust my instincts.  The dip turned out really well and I will share with you all at a later date.  I also tried a new green bean recipe.  It's actually a casserole, which I always enjoy, but it's simply called creamy green beans.  This is another keeper that I will share with you soon.

I hosted our traditional Easter dinner last Sunday.  We had a great meal and a great time.  I do love setting my table and getting everything ready.  I love using my things, which you know.  My goal is to create a table that is both inviting and comfortable.  I believe I achieve that. It was me, Lois, her sister Ruth, our friend Kathy and my roommate Jason.  The food was good and we had a great conversation throughout the meal.  I loved the company and it's always good to see my friends. And no one was sitting at the table staring down at their phone which was even better.  The only time a phone came out was after dinner when Jason was showing pics of his home renovation.  It was a good time.

I went to see Dad and June back in March.  We always have a good visit, and I hope to go back soon. I try to take them some food each time I go.  Some for the fridge and some for the freezer.  June does not cook like she used to, which is just fine.  They have groceries and get Meals on Wheels several times a week.  While they appreciate that, those meals are pretty devoid of flavor.  Working with many people on special diets, I totally get why that is.  So, I want them to have some good homemade meals ready whenever they want some.  I know they appreciate it and it makes me feel good to contribute somehow to their lives.  They are very special people.

This will be a weekend of domestic bliss.  Grocery shopping is done.  Laundry is going.  It's my version of fun LOL 

Recipe of the Week - Ina Garten's Meatloaf

 I have only watched a handful of Ina Garten's cooking shows.  I don't know why I haven't watched more because I did enjoy them.  Maybe one day.  Anyway, I was watching a cooking video on YouTube where they made Ina's meatloaf recipe.  I wanted to try it because it did not seem to be too complicated like some meatloaf recipes.  And I have never had much luck with meatloaf.  I have tried several different recipes, but none really hit the spot.  This one, however, did. It was magnificent.  Absolutely delicious and not hard at all. I am definitely going to make this one again.  If you like meatloaf and have not tried this before, I highly recommend it!

Ina Garten's Meatloaf

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 cups chopped yellow onions

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme*

2 tsps kosher salt

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

3 Tbsp Worcestershire

1/3 cup canned chicken stock

1 Tbsp tomato paste

2.5 lbs ground beef**

1/2 cup plain bread crumbs

2 XL eggs, beaten

1/2 cup ketchup.

Preheat oven to 325.  Heat olive oil in a sauté pan.  Add onions, thyme, salt and pepper.  Cook until onions are translucent but not brown.  Remove from heat.  Add Worcestershire, chicken stock and tomato paste.  Allow to cool slightly.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except ketchup.  Shape into a loaf on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper.  Spread ketchup evenly over top.  Bake for 1  hour and 15 minutes until meat thermometer reads 165.  Place a pan of hot water under meatloaf while cooking. 

* I could not find fresh thyme at my grocery store so I used 1/2 tsp dried instead

** I used 70/30 ground beef and it was fantastic

Paying Bills

 As I am working on building some savings, the bills are not helping at all.  I wrote a few days ago about how some days I feel like I am playing house.  Well, one thing that never was included when I played house as a child was paying bills.  It never crossed my mind back then.  I have no idea if my parents ever struggled to pay bills.  If they did, they sure did not make it known to me and Bill.  While they did not spend frivolously, we never went without, so I really have no clue about such things. 

Now this is not to say that I cannot pay my bills.  The purse strings are just a little tighter these days.  Hell, they are a lot tighter.  But I do pay them.  I pay them on time, usually before they are due.  And I try to make more than the minimum payments on things like credit cards.  Several of my utilities are on an equal payment plan. While this is good for the monthly budget, it can come back to bite you in the ass at the end of the year.  With those, I pay way more than I need to each month so that I do not have to worry about that.

Still, bills are just a part of life.  It is part of being an adult.  It is a vicious monthly cycle that rears its head every four weeks.  But if I am able to pay the bills, it means that I am alive, I am working, and I have the resources to do it.  There is something to be said about that.  Now, if only my salary raised at the same rate as the bills do.  Our energy provider, Duke Power, is proposing raising our rates here by 18%.  That is a might ridiculous to me.  If that does happen, I will be decreasing my power usage out of necessity.  It will be time to put all of those oil lamps to work LOL

In retrospect, it is a part of adulthood that I am glad I didn't really know about as a child.  I remember when I learned how to write a check when I was young.  That was so exciting.  I had no idea at the time how unexciting that would become later on.  Another exciting escapade in adulting LOL Ah, well. 

Getting started writing

 I have started keeping a notebook of ideas for stories to write.  I have these ideas at very different times so I like to have my notebook with me as much as possible so that I can jot them down before I forget them.  This is especially helpful at work. That will come in handy because I think that the first thing I want to write about is my experiences working in a retirement community.  Now, I don't know the format yet.  I don't want to write something autobiographical.  At least I think I don't.  But I would like to write about some of the things I've witnessed and the people that I know. 

I cannot decide if a throughline works best for this kind of thing or just a simple set of stories that all take place in the same location. I'm thinking that one main story throughout might be the way to go.  I have been developing a character to base the writing on.  I have also been working on other stories set in a similar location that have nothing to do with that character.  I am wondering if I can somehow combine the two.  I'm pretty sure that I can do that. 

I just need to really start putting pen to paper....or fingers to keyboard....and see what happens.  I know it will not be something immediate that will happen, but I am looking forward to trying.  Whether or not anyone would ever read it does not matter to me.  It will be a nice escape into a world that I already love. I have a friend on FB that is writing a book, and he has given himself a definite time limit. He's locked himself away in a hotel room until he completes his last 10 chapters.  That might be a little extreme for me but whatever works for you!

Getting started is always the hardest part.  Staring at the blank page, waiting for those first words to appear.  But I've got to start somewhere I suppose.  Otherwise, it will all just stay in my imagination.  That's not a bad thing necessarily but that is not the purpose of this exercise.  I used to love creative writing, and I miss it not being a part of my life.  We shall see how that goes. 

 Yesterday I was watching a Nancy Wilson concert on YouTube.  She was such a great performer and watching the concert reiterated my love for her as an amazing song stylist. "You Can Have Him" is from the 1949 Irving Berlin musical Miss Liberty.  I do not know anything about that show except that I love this song.  I need to seek that out and listen to cast album.  Still, this is a great version and I hope you enjoy it!

Were you there - an Easter hymn

 

Dyeing Easter eggs

 One of the things about Easter when I was growing up that I love to think about is dyeing Easter eggs.  It was something I looked forward to every year. It was always so exciting when I knew that Mom had bought home a Paas Easter Egg Coloring packet.  We would set aside a night to dye our eggs.  The pack had somewhere around 8 different colors in it.  They were tablets that we would put into separate bowls and add hot water and vinegar.  Watching the tablets dissolve was always so much fun because the tablets were not too revealing as to their true colors but once they dissolved, a rainbow of bright colors would evolve.

Lowering the hard-boiled eggs into the bowls and watching the dye take over and do its job.  How vibrant the egg would be depended on how long you left it in the dye. Once you were satisfied, then the egg had to be placed on a towel to dry. It always felt like it took forever for them to dry.  We always wanted to hide them immediately but no, we had to wait.  That felt like agony LOL But once they would dry, they would get hidden around the house and then Bill and I would search all over for them.  One year, Mom hid one in her hand.  We could not find that one, the last Easter egg, to save our lives.  But when she revealed that she had it in her palm I guess the egg had not dried as much as she thought because her hand was bright blue.  I remember it was a Wednesday night, and she then had to go to choir practice with a blue hand!

It was always a time of fun during the Easter season.  Our dyeing was basic. In those days there were not swirls or tie dyes or decals for the eggs.  If you wanted something two toned, you had to hold half of the egg in the dye with half of it out for what seemed like hours.  Then you had to put the hold the bare half down in another color.  It almost never worked well but it was fun to try.  Still, it was always fun.  And anytime I smell vinegar, it does not matter if I'm cooking with it or cleaning something with it, I always think of dyeing eggs.  It's one of those Easter memories that I cherish. 

Getting my weight down

 Now that warmer weather is upon us, I know that many of us are working on our diets and exercise.  Wearing shorts and t-shirts is becoming the norm this time of year and we all want to look good.  I will never have a beach body, unless you count a beached whale LOL  Just kidding.  But I am looking forward to taking this time of year and really concentrating on my physical goals. 

Getting my weight down and maintaining that is my priority right now.  One, it will be much better for my overall health.  I am classified by my doctor as morbidly obese.  Honestly, I'd much rather they just call me fat.  Morbidly obese is so clinical and yet terrifying at the same time.  Maybe that's the point? Maybe it's supposed to scare me into losing weight?  I don't do well with scare tactics LOL

Anyway, I am working on changing my eating habits.  I won't say that I am going to change my diet because let's be real, I love comfort food.  What I need to do is change the way that I eat.  I have been telling myself to not go back for seconds. I don't really need seconds even though I may want them.  Well, my brain thinks I want them but my body is actually ok without the seconds.  I am incorporating more things like salads and fish into my weekly diet.  I have learned the olive oil is my flavorful friend. And when I remind myself to actually chew my food, I am less likely to eat as much.  I know that may sound a might ridiculous, but I will often just inhale my food. 

About six months ago, I topped out at 265.  And that's not the heaviest I've ever been in my life either.  Still, I do not like that number.  I carry most of the extra weight in my belly.  Big shock.  So many of the t-shirts that I have worn for years have now become belly shirts.  I won't dare wear them out in public but around the house is ok....if my roommate isn't home LOL  Well, I have been incorporating some life changes and am starting to see some improvements.

I am trying to walk as much as I can.  i am not successful in making that an everyday thing yet but I will get there. As I eat less and move more, I am hoping to get myself into better shape. I have been able to stay under 250 lbs for a month now and I don't want that trend to change.  Keep your fingers crossed for me!

The expensive phone call

Be wary when you're having any kind of medical procedure done and the office says to expect a call the day prior to tell you what you need to do and what to expect.  That happened to me recently when I had a lung cancer screening.  My doctor felt that due to my age, 51, and my history of smoking that I should have one. Thankfully, everything came out fine.  Whew!!

Anyway, they set up a time to call me the morning before the screening to tell me everything I needed to prepare for it.  The time was set up before work at 9 a.m.  The call took less than five minutes.  Great.  Easy. Nothing much to do other than show up 15 minutes early to the appointment.  I can do that.  And I did that.  I was in and out of the office in less than half an hour. Holding my arms over my head during the screening was the hardest part of it all.  And, yes, I am out of shape, and my arms were sore the next day LOL

A few weeks pass and I receive a bill from Cone Health for about $95.  The total charges were for $175 but my portion was only $95 after insurance. I promptly paid this bill and did not think anything more of it.  Oops. At the end of last week, I received another bill from imaging services for $390.  Honestly, I was like WTF?  I just paid this.  WRONG!!  I looked at the dates of service for both bills.  Lo and behold, the $390 bill was for the actual screening.  The $175 bill was for the five-minute phone call.  I'm like, seriously?!  You're charging me $175 to tell me to come 15 minutes early to my scheduled appointment?  

Now I know that these calls are not a courtesy.  They are not included with the procedure.  I feel like this was a major rip off by Cone Health.  So, the next time they tell me they are going to call before a procedure, I am simply going to refuse the call and google whatever it is I need to know.  I am happy that I have good doctors and that I have insurance, but that is beyond ridiculous to me.  I have never felt scammed by healthcare before.  That is not a good feeling.  And, honestly, if I am to be charged $175 for five-minutes of anything, there'd better be a damn happy ending!

Recipe of the Week - Picante Peach Pork

 We all love a good crock pot recipe, don't we? I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and really enjoyed it.  I tend to buy a lot of pork at the grocery store because it's normally on sale and I get good deals on it.  So I am always on the lookout for new pork recipes.  This one is definitely a keeper. I'm not sure why it is called peach picante pork when the recipe uses salsa.  I suppose you could substitute picante sauce for the salsa.  Whatever you have in your pantry will work! I hope you enjoy!

Peach Picante Pork with a side of potatoes and onions

Peach Picante Pork Chops

4 thick boneless pork chops

1 cup salsa

1/2 cup peach preserves

Taco seasoning

Layer pork on bottom of crock pot.  Pour taco seasoning over pork.  Spread peach preserves on pork then top with salsa.  Cook on low for 3 hours.  

April and May by Tom Wolfe

 Since it is getting close to Easter, I wanted to talk about one of my Easter pieces.  This is "April and May" by Tom Wolfe from the Cairn Studios.  As you know, I have been collecting gnomes since I was in the 4th grade.  Those were made by Tom Clark in his Cairn Studios.  Tom Wolfe was an artist that worked in the studio that often collaborated with Clark on pieces.  Wolfe's specialty was animals so whenever you see a Cairn piece that has both gnomes and animals, chances are it was a collaboration between the two artists.  This, however, is solely a Wolfe piece.

Mom gave me this sometime in the early 90's. Every year I got several Cairn Studio pieces, and I had never received any of the animals before.  I absolutely love it. I use it every year to decorate for Easter.  Sometimes it is my centerpiece.  Sometimes I use it around the house somewhere.  But they are always out to help me celebrate the holidays. I hope it get them out this weekend as I prepare for Easter.  I'm not sure where I will use them, but rest assured that they will be displayed!

Prayer for change

 

Today's Moment of Mindfulness

 

Set your intention to spend your day with your mind inclined to see the good everywhere. 

Quote of the Week

 

Using my exercise equipment in the garage

 One of the things that I need to work on is losing weight.  I've gained a good deal of weight over the past year and it's starting to affect my health.  My back is constantly hurting, and I know that a big part of that is because of my weight gain.  My back is not used to carrying all of this extra weight.  And, frankly, neither am I.  I don't like it and I need to fix this before it gets too out of control. It's time to start working out.  

I have some good exercise equipment in my garage and so I am working on getting the garage in order so that I can actually use the equipment in there.  I've got some free weights and there's an exercise bike in there.  Everything else is really boxing related.  I have a heavy bag, a speed bag and a double end bag.  I love using all three of them and need to use them.  It's great exercise, good cardio. And it's also a good way to release stress.  

Most people don't know that I have been a boxing fan for most of my life.  I never talked about it growing up because it did not fit into people's perceptions of who I was, so I just kept it to myself. Once I got into my 30s, I decided I wanted to explore it more.  I joined a boxing gym and trained there weekly. It was pretty awesome.  When I lost my catering job in 2017, I had to stop going because of finances.  So, I started doing things at home and using training vids on YouTube to enhance my workouts.

I just let things slide by the wayside for too long and it is time to reverse that.  I have all of this equipment that I enjoy, so get that garage cleaned and get my ass out there and shed a few pounds.  I can do it.  Will you be in my corner?  

Playing House

 I went through a period of my life when I was ashamed of the child that I was.  I hate that.  I hate that I felt that way, but it is what it is. I have worked through that and now really happily remember that child.  If you did not know me back in those days, I was a big girl.  Plain and simple.  Now, having said that, I never wanted to be a woman and I do not want to be a woman.  I was simply a very effeminate child and was drawn to things that were stereotypically for girls.  That is all. 

The reason that I am bringing this up today is because there is a part of me that is revisiting some of those childhood things that I did.  It was a time when I was very free and I was completely authentic to myself.  I thank God every day that I grew up in a time before social media.  I really doubt I would be here today if it had existed back then.  But I digress. One of the things that I loved to do was to play house. This was something that I did by myself.  It was mostly pre-kindergarten days.  Mom stayed at home in those days and while we did things together, a lot of time was also spent by myself, and I would find fun ways to occupy my time. 

I would pretend that I had a big house and all of these rooms and all of these things.  I would take care of the house.  Sweep the floors, wash the dishes, vacuum the rugs, etc. And I loved it. Mom would eventually use that to her advantage to get me to help with things around the house.  To me, it was a game.  It was something fun.  And now, as an adult, I am learning to love playing house again.  If you follow me on Facebook, you will now that I love to cook and set my table.  People have asked me why I do that if it's only for myself.  And I tell them that this is what I enjoy.  This makes me happy.  As much as I love to use the heirlooms that have been passed down to me and connecting with that history, doing this also puts me in touch with my inner child.  That child that was, in his own way, very fearless.  That brings such a sense of peace and balance to my life.

Playing house as an adult makes me happy.  Even though I don't have a partner or children, I do have family and friends.  And getting in touch with my inner child through the things I do in my house is giving me the confidence to include my family and friends in my life more. That is all. 

One Moment in Time

 Last night while I was going down my YouTube music rabbit hole, this was one of the songs that played.  Whitney Houston put out so many great songs that I often forget about this one.  It's very inspirational and wanted to start my week out with it.  Enjoy!

My Christmas covered vegetable dish

 In my collecting journey, I find myself automatically drawn to certain kinds of pieces.  I love a nice cream and sugar set though no one uses them anymore really.  I also love that pieces that are on stands/pedestals like cake stands and compotes.  One of the other things that I am drawn to is covered dishes.  Like so many things I am passionate about collecting, this began with the house at Wingate.  My Great Grandmother Bivens had a covered dish that I fell in love with.  It went to my Aunt Billie and eventually was passed down to me, and I love to use it.  Anyway, I am always on the lookout for a new covered dish. 

In combination with the covered dish, I am always looking for vintage Christmas pieces for my table.  I lucked out on this one.  This one I found on eBay. I think that I just snuck under the radar with this one because no one else bid on it.  And going by all of the vintage Christmas groups that I belong to, I was totally surprised by that.  Still, luck was on my side, and I won the auction at a great price.

This is an English piece.  I forget the maker, but it is stamped on the bottom.  It's packed away right now in a box of Christmas dishes or otherwise I would find the name for you.  It's decorated with holly and dates from the turn of the 19th century.  I absolutely love it and use it every Christmas.  Like most of my items, I actually do use this on my Christmas table as a serving dish.  It still holds up well and I love how it looks.  

My collection is ever growing, and I probably have around 12 covered vegetable dishes so far. All different styles...Victorian, MCM, aluminum hammer ware, etc. and I am sure that this will keep growing as I can usually find very interesting pieces at cheap prices.  Still, this is my Christmas covered vegetable dish and I love it.  Looking forward to using it again in 9 months!

Quote of the Week

 As someone who loves being a doer and a caregiver, this speaks volumes to me

Things To Do for Fun 2026

 

Everyone has a different idea of what is fun.  That makes sense because what may be considered fun to one person may not necessarily be fun to another.  I have been making the effort this year to do more things that are fun to me.  It might be boring as hell to you, but it's fun to me.  Since I last updated you on this, I have been to the theatre, finished a book, eaten locally, tried a new recipe, visited my hometown and spent time with some wonderful people. 

Last month, Stephanie and I went to see UNCG's production of Frankenstein.  That was just a fun evening.  We started with dinner at Don Japanese on Tate Street with Steph's ex-husband, their son and several others.  If you live in Greensboro and haven't been to Don Japanese yet, I highly recommend it.  Stephanie and I had been there before when we went to see Side Show and it did not disappoint.  The company and conversation at dinner was delightful.  Then we met up with a few more people and almost filled up a row of seats at the show.  The show itself was interesting.  Jim Wren directed the show.  Jim was one of my acting teachers way back when and I was in his productions of The Coconuts and As You Like It. This show definitely had Jim's stamp on it.  It was edgy but in a very intellectual way and not just for the sake of being edgy.  However, the script was very imbalanced.  Obviously, the Creature was the main focus but almost every other character was left undeveloped, and I don't feel like some of the actors were up to that challenge. But it's educational theatre so that is to be expected.  The young man that played the Creature was phenomenal.  I have never in my life seen a performance like that. He was completely mesmerizing and will definitely make a name for himself one day. 

I finished reading Tim Curry's autobiography, Vagabond.  If you are a fan of his work, then this is a great book to read.  It focuses mainly on his career, and he gives great insight into his process.  I have tried several new recipes this year and one that I particularly enjoyed was a tater tot casserole.  It's basically like your average hashbrown casserole only with tater tots.  Still, very filling.  Not the healthiest thing I've ever eaten but delicious none the less. 

On Valentine's Day, I took a day trip back home to Monroe.  It was the anniversary of Mom's passing, the 30th anniversary, and I just felt like visiting the cemetery.  I met up with Larry and Brenda Robinson for breakfast at a place called The Village Grille.  The food was absolutely wonderful and if you're in that area and are looking for a good breakfast, go there.  The staff was super nice and did not pressure us to leave even though they were super crowded.  We'd finished our breakfast but spent a long time visiting and catching up. It was great to see them and I hope to see them again soon.  When Mom died, we had visitation at our house.  Mom's philosophy was that she didn't live in the funeral home and she didn't want people to come see us there.  We listened to her wishes.  Anyway, Larry was one of the first people I remember seeing that day at the house and so it was very appropriate to spend quality time with he and Brenda while I was in town to see Mom.  It was a good day.

These are the kinds of things I do for fun and I am happy to be getting more of that in these days.  I'm not getting any younger so grab the brass ring while I can!

Thought of the day

 I have mentioned on here before about taking time away from social media from time to time. Every few days, I simply do not go there.  I avoid it on the computer at home, the computer at work and my phone.  I find it very refreshing to not get myself mired down in staring at the screen for hours on end.  And the older I get, which is happening every day, I am discovering that I do not need to explain my actions or defend them simply because I choose to do this.  It is my life and I can do what I want without question.  Part of this is because I am old fashioned and I am getting better at finding other ways to occupy my time. 

However, even though I do not feel the need to explain myself, it does get frustrating because many people just do not understand how I can or why I would want to walk away from that world from time to time.  The people that actually know me have a much better grasp on it but people who only know me through social media don't always understand. Taking a break every few days has also lessened my time on social media on days when I do get on those websites.  I spend my entire day at work sitting in front of a computer answering a phone.  The last thing I want to do when I get home is spend hours sitting in front of my computer and looking at my phone.  That is not to say I do not do that, but I definitely do it less than I used to.  I think I am finally waking up from the pandemic quarentine in that sense.

I rarely answer messages on Facebook.  People often get frustrated about that, but I do not apologize for that. I actually get frustrated with it because it shows me that whoever is continually messaging me and getting more passive/aggressive about my lack of response have clearly not even looked at my profile where it states my lack of desire to get right back to you.  Ah, well.  In the end I find it comical.  I also refuse to answer messages that ask questions that are clearly answered on my profile page.  When someone's first question is "Where do you live?" or "Are you single?", those questions go unanswered.  You're either a bot or lazy.  Or both. 

Even though I have done a little explaining here, it's a good feeling to not feel that need to do that anymore.  Take me or leave me, that's your choice.  But if you take me, just know what all comes with the package.  That is all. 

Cristofori's Dream - David Lanz

 Wanted to start out my morning with a beautiful piano piece by David Lanz.  This was always one of my favorite pieces to play.  Maybe one day I'll pick it back up!

Today's Moment of Mindfulness

 

Practice breath awareness whenever you do something like brush your teeth or put on your socks.  When we interrupt automatic behavior, we give ourselves the chance of being in the present moment and remembering that we have choices. 

One drawer at a time - pots and pans

 

Sometimes it can get overwhelming to go through each and every drawer and cabinet, but I am going to keep at it and go forward.  In the long run, I know it's good for me to have things better organized and to give a proper home to as much as I can without overcrowding my spaces.  And I do enjoy it, truly.  It's just that sometimes it can be hard to motivate myself into action LOL

I am about halfway through the kitchen.  My next cabinet will be where all of my pots and pans are.  Well, at least that is where more than half of them are haha!  There really is not a great way, at least in my experience, to organize pots when you have limited space.  A hanging pot rack is not an option based on how my kitchen is laid out and I'm ok with that.  I would probably just walk into the pots and hit my head anyway.  I do have one of those pot racks in a cabinet where I can hang them, but the cabinet is so narrow only two small pots and pans fit in there.  Ah, well.

One thing that is nice is that I don't have more lids than pots.  Every lid has a base to it.  Whew! But there are a few pots that I need to find a new home for.  One is an old stock pot.  This was Mom's.  It's just old and worn and I have since gotten new pots that suit my needs better.  I will probably put this out in the garage and hopefully find a fun use for later.  I want to repurpose it for something.  I'll have to do research on that!  The other pot is a cast iron Dutch oven. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this piece, I simply do not use it.  It's heavy and bulky and just takes up space.  Luckily, this was a Christmas present to Michael and me from his brother. So, this will get boxed up and put into the Michael space of the garage. Now, I just need to get off my butt and do it!

The process works for me and it does make an improvement in things.  That makes me feel better.  It's the little things, people!

Recipe of the Week - Garlic Shrimp

 

Shrimp is one of the staples of my cooking canon.  I absolutely love it and am always on the lookout for new shrimp recipes.  This one did not disappoint.  I hope you enjoy it as well!

Garlic Shrimp

2 lbs jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 Tbsp olive oil, divided

1 1/2 tsp creole seasoning

1 tsp paprika

1/4 cup unsalted butter, divided

5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

1 tsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp fresh black pepper

1/2 cup white wine

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

kosher salt

3 Tbsp lemon juice

Toss shrimp with 1 Tbsp olive oil, creole seasoning and paprika.  Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a pan and cook shrimp until pink and curled.  Remove from pan and wipe the pan clean.  Add 2 Tbsp butter to the pan and melt over medium heat.  Stir in garlic, lemon zest and pepper, cooking til fragrant.  Pour in the wine and let simmer 2 minutes.  Stir in lemon juice, shrimp and remaining butter.  Cook until butter is melted and shrimp heated through.  Salt to taste and top with fresh parsley.

I served this over vegetable rice and it was delicious!

Christmas music

 

When I was growing up, Christmas music was never played in our house until after Thanksgiving.  Of course, that was back in the day when stores waited until the Christmas season to begin blaring the music everywhere.  It's just how things were back in the day. In my personal life as an adult, I do not follow that philosophy LOL  I listen to Christmas music all the time. It makes me happy and it relaxes me.  I have a huge collection of Christmas vinyl that I have amassed over the years and I'm always looking to add to it. They have become a part of my listening canon, and I enjoy them all through the year.  Now, I only do that in private because I would not want to subject anyone else to Christmas music outside of the season.  That is unless they were a Christmas music junkie like me.

 I also enjoy Christmas podcasts all year round as well. I have probably 15 different ones that I listen to.  Some are focused on music, others on Christmas literature.  Some are about holiday foods.  Some are just overall Christmas joy.  I love each one of them.  Christmas is such a special time of year that I want to carry a part of that feeling with me all year long. It's not for everybody but it works for me. And that is what counts.  So, if you want to hear some Christmas tunes or listen to a fun holiday podcast, come on over!