Quote of the Week

 

I like this quote because it gives me hope.  Here I am at 50 years old and trying to figure myself out.  I think of who I am and who I want to be, and it is time to combine those things. In many ways, I feel like I'm at a new starting point in my life and it is time to become the person that I want to be.  Only I have control over that, so no more excuses.

People Need the Lord - piano arrangement

 I haven't heard this song in a long time, but it popped into my mind when thinking about a dear friend I grew up with, Suzanne Jewell.  I cannot for the life of me remember her married name now.  That's what time and distance does to a person.  Anyway, we went to church together.  Suzanne was several years ahead of me but we bonded over music.  Piano, specifically, as we both had the same piano instructor for several years.  Suzanne played the offertory in church many Sundays and I was her official page turner.  We did not have much contemporary music in our church but this is one she played and people really loved it.  I miss those times. 

Autumn Leaves - Roger Williams

 Now that autumn is well underway, this seemed like an appropriate choice to listen to.  One of the bestselling piano pieces of all time!  Enjoy!

One Drawer at a Time - Back in the Kitchen

 

One of the things about my "one drawer at a time" process is that it is ongoing.  And that is not a bad thing for me.  Each time I explore a drawer or a shelf, it really gives me the chance to think to myself "do I need this?  do I use this?  why am I keeping this?"  This does not mean that I automatically chuck it, but I am definitely more thoughtful when I put it back in its place, if I put it back.  It is getting easier for me to say "no, I am never going to use this, and it has no sentimental value for me so I can let that go." This may sound like a no-brainer to some, but it is not that easy for me. That is not how I think.  I love my stuff.  Always have. But now, I want my stuff to have purpose which it mostly does. 

I am back around to the kitchen again.  I love this because this is the room that I spend the most time in besides my bedroom (and that is because I sleep in there). I definitely use it more than my other rooms.  And there's such a sense of accomplishment when my kitchen is better organized.  I do not enjoy having to look for things in the kitchen when I'm cooking. I want to remember exactly where it is.  It does not always work out that way, but in a perfect world it would.  My first job in the kitchen is going to be the set of shelves where I keep my glasses and the plates I use every day.  I know that there are things tucked back in there that never get used.  Some of them will get packed away, some donated or given away. It gets easier the more I do it. 

For me, it's a cleansing process.  I am making my house fit my needs.  My house is an extension of who I am.  And while I definitely have moments in my life when I am crazy and disorganized, my house does not have to be that way!

The Old and the Restless - setting stories in senior living

 I'm thinking about writing a series of stories about senior living.  After all, it is what I do and it is something that I love, so why not?  I already have a few ideas for stories in my head.  Now I just need to put the words down and start shaping them up.  I do not know yet if it will be anything cohesive or just a collection of stories set in the same community. I do not think I will know that until I start writing. 

One of the beautiful things about it is that I have so much material to pull from.  Our communities are stocked full of all kinds of characters and experiences.  I know that some of the people that I work with will be used as models.  Not necessarily completely based on them, but it gives me an idea of what to use with certain characters.  And the residents.....so many choices.  I think that if I end up having a central character, I definitely know who I am going to base that on. But we definitely have certain types of people that group together that could be combined into one person.  We have some of the stereotypes as well...the crotchety old man, the pious Bible thumper, etc.

Some of the goings on at work are just amazing.  You cannot make this stuff up. Before I got into senior living, I had read several times on good authority that std's tend to be prevalent in senior living communities. Now I know why LOL That's why I thought it may be funny to refer to this as "The Old and the Restless"!  But we shall see.  One of the obstacles with this is that in no way do I want to be disrespectful to the people that I love.  Poke fun, yes, but not disrespect. Words can be very cruel and that is not my intention with this project.  We shall see.  It's just a thought, but I think it's a good one. 

The Bivens rocking chair

 

I love this rocking chair.  I have loved it since the first time I remember laying eyes on it.  This belonged to my great grandparents and, like so many things I cherish, I first noticed when the estate was divided in the mid 80s. At that time, this rocking chair was upstairs in the homeplace in one of the front bedrooms. This was the main guest bedroom. It had a marble top three-piece bedroom set along with several other pieces including this rocking chair. Back in its day, this was the bedroom that my Aunt Mary Lee and Uncle Bunyan spent their summers in when they came to visit the homeplace. Anyway, when the furnishings were divided up, this piece went to live in Wilmington with Aunt Billie.  She, too, kept it in an upstairs bedroom.  That was the bedroom that Grandmother and I would stay in when we visited. I loved just sitting in this rocking chair and feeling like I was enveloped in my family history. After Aunt Billie passed, the rocking chair came to me and was in my childhood bedroom for years.  Finally, it had a home with me.  And, for many years, its home was out in the garage.  Once I was living on my own, I took it out of the garage and cleaned it up and now it sits in my living room. Again, I love to sit in this and just let my memories take me to good places.  It's actually pretty comfortable though it may not look like it.  It presently has a vinyl seat.  I don't know if it is original or not to the chair.  It could have one time been a caned bottom, but I love it none the less.  I love knowing the history of my pieces, especially when it's family history. 

5 Things I am thankful for

 During this month of Thanksgiving, I want to focus on the things in my life that I am thankful for.  They may be current things or things from my past.  Possibly things from my future but we shall see.  These are the things that have shaped me and help me to focus my life.  I realize that often my life is very unfocused, but these things that I am thankful for ground me.  Despite all that is going on in our world, I am blessed every day. I hope you are as well.

1. Grandmother

Dorothy Louise Bivens Laney, my Grandmother.  I am so thankful that I had a deep, close relationship with her.  While she loved all of her grandchildren, there was something extra special about our relationship.  And I treasure every memory, every lesson learned. When I was a toddler, I called her Dottu because I could not say Grandmother and that name stuck for several years.  Almost everyone in Monroe knew my Grandmother and I can see why.  She was a loving, giving person.  She was the kind of person that you wanted to know, that you wanted in your life and I sure am thankful for having had that.

2. A roof over my head

I often talk about my dream of owning a big old house one day.  Even if that never comes true, I love that dream.  Still, I am thankful for the house I'm in right now.  I have been here for 15 years and I absolutely love.  I am so grateful that I have a place to call home, and I am surrounded with wonderful neighbors. It does not get much luckier than that!

3. Music

I am thankful that music is a part of my life every day.  All kinds of music.  I cannot imagine what life would be like without it.  An artform that brings so much joy to not only me but to so many people in this world. Records, CDs, radio, streaming.  It's all there even though records are my favorite. I hope that I never have to find out what a day without music would be like, even if it is just being on hold listening to elevator music. I'm good with that.

4. Love to cook

I am so thankful that I enjoy cooking.  And I like to think that I am good at it. Even if I was not, the fact that I love doing it would make up the difference.  Being single and on a budget, I rarely eat out so cooking at home is my go-to. How miserable it would be if I hated doing it and was forcing it on myself. Or always eating prepackaged food (which I do eat as well just not all the time because I love to cook.) It relaxes me.  It makes me feel creative.  For me, there is nothing like the adventure of trying out a new recipe.  It's the little things!

5. Giving Back

I am thankful that I have had opportunities to give back to my community.  While I hope to have more of those chances in my life, when they do arise, I am grateful.  This morning when I went grocery shopping, there was a food bank out front seeking donations.  I picked up their list and since I had a little extra, I was able to buy some items. It made me feel good to be able to help and I am happy that I had the chance to do that.

What are some things you are thankful for?