Football - Saturday Autumn in America

It has been a rather lazy afternoon here as are most afternoons these days.  And I am not complaining.  So now we are watching football teams we know little about, but we have our favs which are almost always in direct correlation to their rankings.  We are rooting for the underdog except for Alabama and when they play, no matter their ranking, we are always rooting for their opponent.

So that sets up my post.  We just finished watching Tennessee beat Alabama. Tennessee had just scored 3 points with a field goal.  They were ahead now by 7 points.  Alabama received the kickoff and had 1 minute 40 seconds left...........plenty of time for a touchdown to tie if not win by trying for 2 points.

And then on the very first quarterback throw, it was intercepted by Tennessee.  The game was over.  TENNESSEE WINS!  

The young Tennessee player who intercepted that ball was ecstatic!  I bet he will go to sleep tonight with a smile plastered to his face.  Then I saw the young man who threw the interception, and he was devastated.  Tonight, all night long he will be replaying that play over and over.  Over and over!  Over and over!  Over and over!

The winning team's players are going to bed with a smile on their faces especially the ones who were instrumental in the win. But losing team's players, aren't going to sleep well tonight.  For us, we will sleep well tonight not giving any of these games another thought, win or lose. But right at this very moment, I am feeling pain for the Alabama player who threw that ball.  

Now we are watching the Texas and Georgia game.  We would like to see Texas win this game even though they are ranked number 1.  Are you wondering why?  It is because the SEC didn't like it when Texas and Oklahoma joined the SEC.  It would be nice to see Texas take them ALL on, but right now Texas better get on the ball!!!  Go Texas.  You might not hear me say that ever again.  Maybe next year Oklahoma will take them all!

I love you.

I Want to do it Myself

My hubby….In the garage..one more time.  He’s changing the struts on the 20 year-old Jaguar….I can’t believe our cute little car is 20 years old.  So here we are, me on the computer watching my favorite person in the whole world work on the car.  

It’s only 96 degrees….not that bad.  Since we have gotten older, heat isn’t nearly as daunting as it was when we were in our 40s.  So if you come to our house and the temperature control is set at 80, please understand……and turn down the air.  Don’t you worry, we will turn it back after you leave.  Forgive us please!  One of these days you might be cold when the temp reaches 80….you will understand around age 75.

 

“Why are you working on the car when we could take it to a repair shop?”, I asked.  With a strong voice and a sense of pride he told me he wanted to “just do it myself”.  I understood immediately.  Sometimes I just want to do it myself, too.

Don’t you worry, I will be right here beside him just like the old days.  If that photo looks a little scary to you, believe you me, he puts safety first.  Nonetheless, I checked it out myself. Just did it himself.  

I love you. 

Just Another Saturday Night

Have you been outside tonight?

I am going to suggest you get outside, right now, right this minute.  This minute will never come again.  Okay, I know if you read this sometime in the future this minute has done and gone.  (My English teacher wouldn't like that grammar.). See how fast time slips away?  Gosh, even now, that minute has passed for me and another one is almost gone.  

Well that was a bit of a downer, wasn't it?  Let's lighten things up and remember our blessings.  

1.  It is a beautiful night.  The frogs and cricket noises are so loud tonight, but after a while they are just background noise. It is funny that ever once in a while they will ALL totally shut up.  Then the silence is almost as loud as the frogs.  All that noise brings back camping memories.

2.  The air is so cool that I can feel fall in the air.  Despite the heat of the summer day, in July and August Oklahoma nights begin to cool, not ever night but some:  The humidity has something to do with this.  While I type, the back of my arms are cool and a light wrap might feel nice.  

3.  Bouncing basketballs, children laughing. something that sound like sparklers sizzling, and now and again a crying two year old is also what I hear.  A new young couple with two younger children have moved across the street.  They are putting new life into our retirement age neighborhood.  It is nice to know that our quiet neighborhood will continue to be a beautiful place to read a family.  Dad...keep bouncing the basketball.  It brings happiness to this woman who lives across the street.

4.  When we built here 45 years ago, everyone on our street was about the same age with growing families.  Some of the neighbors moved on, some have passed away, but some are still here......you can only imagine how old we are now!!!!!!  As Cher would say, "and the beat goes on...and on...and on.  

5.  My heart is happy.  I have been in contact with most of my family in one way or another this week.  My brother-in-law had a health scare this week, but seems to be doing better.  That is a blessing and an answered prayer.

6.  Yesterday, we laid a lot of sod with a lot of help from our grandsons and our daughter and son.  Today, the grass looks a little yellow at this point.  We will keep watering and fertilizing and maybe we will have green grass all the way to the street.  

7.  Tonight my daughter and son-in-law are at an outdoor concert.  I hope they have a lot of fun.  I have wonderful memories of doing the same thing some 40 years ago.  We need to make that happen again.

8.  Our son sent a picture of a chicken enchilada casserole he made just a bit ago.  I cannot explain how much the little blond-haired boy has changed. Where was this chef in 1993?  He loves to cook....this...the boy who only microwaved bologna...oh wait....he could make the best macaroni according to his sister.  By the way, microwaved bologna stinks to high heaven.

9.  My man is sitting across from me scrolling through his tablet;  living his best life.  Therefore, I am living my best life.  Well, that's about all I have to write tonight.  Getting back to writing is much harder than I thought.  When I went to get the laptop I had wonderful things to tell you and a wonderful way of putting them down on the blog, but when I started typing words did not come.  I have read things about writers block for published authors.  That would be so frustrating knowing one had a deadline to complete a book.  

10.  I am grateful that I don't have a deadline.  I am grateful for that apricot fried pie that I am about to split with Johnny and grateful to top it with ice cream.

Everyone, have a wonderful night.  I love you.  Just to let you know, he doesn't want pie and ice cream.  Back in the freezer it goes.......insert sad face......

Nostalgia for an Ordinary Life

Many, many evenings have I sat in a lawn chair working on a small project, reading a book, or just chatting away in this very garage just to keep Johnny company.  He often would work into the night fixing up his Corvette, repairing the lawn mower that I somehow always managed to break every time I used it,  changing the oil in one of the vehicles, fixing a small appliance for me......the list could go on forever.  

All of a sudden tonight it hit me that these little times we had and are continuing to have together are more precious than those memories made on a vacation for they are the heart of our marriage.  Sounds strange?  When I look back, of course our vacations were wonderful, but these everyday ordinary days......the days spent in the garage, the days spent in the kitchen, the days of him being on the computer, the nights that I hear him giggle at a silly British comedy, the times he is engrossed in a black and white movie grimacing every time a fight scene would break out (I think he was actually fighting himself), even the hot, long nights in the building....THESE ARE THE MEMORIES I cherish.    

Ordinary pleasant memories.  Vacations come and go, but life is NOW in the ordinary things.  Don't wait.  LIVE a pleasant life and make those ordinary memories.  Find the good in the ordinary day to day life.

I love you.

By the way, the Corvette is still there in the same spot.  The chaos is still there, too, and the garage smell is the same.............love the memories.  Love the NOW.

New Elvis Movie

I can't speak!  Well, I guess I can now.  It has been a little over two hours since I returned from going to the theater to see the new Elvis movie....ALONE.

Have you ever gone to a movie that left you speechless?  Since I was alone, there was no reason for me to chat away, but this affected me to the point of not even wanting to smile.  I never turned on the radio because I was not ready to have my internal, emotional, mental psyche interrupted.  

Johnny asked me about the movie and I muttered something, but headed out to the hot porch to unwind from my thoughts.  After a little bit, the heat drove me in and I popped a can of Sprite.  I told Johnny that if I was a drinking woman, I would have had something stronger.

Then I proceeded to describe to him the feelings I had after seeing this flick, but I was having trouble speaking about it.  The words weren't coming that would adequately describe how much I was affected by an Elvis movie.    Of course all movies are a work of fiction in one way or another.  Let's face it, the bottom line of a movie is money.  So is this movie factual, probably not in all cases, but it left me with a  sad impression that Elvis was highly used and exploited by his manager, and he needed the adoration of all his fans which was a lethal combination.  

Although I have always loved his voice and music, I was never a big fan of Elvis, but something about this movie left me feeling sorry for him.  I wish he didn't have to live that drug filled life to perform on stage and then to live life.

I remember the day he died.  It was the week before Shawna was born and I was setting in the car at a lumber company on I35.  Stunned!  Even though I knew he was not performing well on stage anymore and most of us knew or thought it was because of drugs.  I think most of us assumed that Elvis would live forever.  He was a life force, after all.  But it happened and it stunned the world.  

If there aren't awards in every category for this movie, I will be stunned.  Oh Nancy, I wish you had been alive to see this movie because you would be the first one I would have called.  I could speak to you my friend.

I love you.

When we were in high school, Nancy, Joyce, and I would have Friday night sleepovers and almost every time, there would be an Elvis movie on TV.  In our pjs we pile up to watch his movie and have Fritos and bean dip!!!!  Good times!!!!

Ironing

Guess what, I have gone Marie Kondo on my closet.  That is right, everything out!  I haven't discarded much so far, but I have gotten all my summer clothes in the closet and ironed.

Friday, I ironed all day.  All those white blouses are now pressed ready to be worn; however, I cannot bring myself to wear them right now.  I think they must hang in the closet for a while, maybe all summer, just so I can admire my work.  I can look back at those shirts to remind myself that on April Fool's Day I actually worked.  

I love to iron.  I bring the iron and board into the living room and turn the TV on to a classic movie.  I am all set with a tall ice cold glass of tea.  I just love the process of ironing.  I love the monotony, I love the steam in my face, and I love getting the immediate gratification of watching those wrinkles disappear.  

Wrinkles:  That brings me to linen.  I love linen and I have been shopping online for a few things to update my wardrobe.  They will require ironing.  But I have come to the conclusion that I am not a person who could actually pull off wrinkled clothes.  I think it takes a certain person with a level of income to have the right accessories; very expensive jewelry, purses, scarves, and sandals to pull off the "I don't care about wrinkles."  I am not one of those people.  I just don't have the look.  

Fun fact:  I once did some ironing for a lady.  I got $1 a shirt and that was in 1984.  I like ironing, but I won't be ironing for hire anytime soon.

I love you, linen.  Maybe someday................

I Guess my Life is PERFECT

Do you ever have something that just makes your life seem better than what it actually is?  Something simple?  Well, I do.  It is the white miniature string lights that are around the ceiling in my sunroom.  (We sit out here almost every evening just to catch a glimpse of the wildlife.  Most often it is the fox and deer and we were not disappointed tonight.)  When it gets too dark, we turn on the tiny ceiling lights and immediately my spirits are lifted. Dare I say the magic of Christmas?  There's something about these lights reflecting off the seven double glass doors that is mesmerizing. They look like airport runway lights and go on forever and ever and ever.  

Didn't we have a beautiful Sunday?  Such a beautiful night after a beautiful day.  We have had several of those this year.  I suppose that will make up for 2020 ice storm which left our trees in tatters.  Nonetheless, our 2021 fall is beautiful.  Each year we wait and wonder what fall will bring to our little area.  This year isn't as brilliant in color as other years (I keep hoping we are not at the peak), but each time when I meander through our tiny woods, I see autumn and nature at its finest.  You will find beauty everywhere.

Another thing that makes my life seem so good is mowing the yard.  When I was mowing yesterday--perhaps for the last time this year--I was reminded of all the autumns of the last 73 years.  Those 73 autumn memories melded together to make me, ME.  To make ME remember the good times.  To make ME enjoy the smell of a bonfire.  To make ME love the changing colors.  To make me look forward to more autumns.  To make ME want to share my joy of autumn with those I love.  To make ME cherish the life as I live it. 

I follow a lot of Instagram home decor accounts and while they do have beautiful homes, I feel no jealously.  There is something about our humble abode that that keeps me grounded.  Travel here and there, but this is where I want to be!  

Here are some photos of our yard, Autumn 2021.  I guess my life is PERFECT.  

I love you!

Road Trip Talk

Last week we took a road trip.  We drove for about 1500 miles and only had the radio on for no more than 5 minutes one time!  Did that mean rode in silence??????  Oh no!  We talked and talked and talked as if we had just met and were falling in love.  

And  we observed.  We observed all wind turbines along our route, discussed them, counted them (by the way, there are too many to count).  We always look forward to a Route 66 icon, Lucille's.  Sure enough people were stopped to take pictures.  We wondered who they were and about where they were going.  (By the way, we often make up scenarios of people we see on a trip.  Are they married?  Have kids?  Grandkids?  How they make their living.....we make up our on fun.)

We discussed the lack of restrooms along I40 in Texas and New Mexico.  We pointed out every interesting thing in both those states because, well...........there are relatively few interesting things in some areas.  Cows, now and then.  A few antelope.  A few cars...a very few.  We had long conversations about how the residents make a living in those remote areas and how far their children have to ride the bus to school.  What are those kids doing on a Friday night, who they date, and how are they going to meet someone to marry?  And the all important question:  Where is the Amazon based and how many miles do they drive in a day.  

We discussed and resolved ALL the world issues.  That took some time, but we figured out.  You can rest easy tonight.  

We talked about you.  YOU!!!  Yes, if you are reading this, your name came up along the way.  It is easy to become a psychologist when you have time to think things through.  So if your ears were burning last week we were probably wondering and talking about you.  

Kids, we talked about you, too.  Grandchildren, too.  We went down memory lane the whole trip and what a lane.  What a life!

So many things to talk about.  It feels so good to know that after 49 years together, we still find things to talk about.  On the way home, I looked over at Johnny and my heart overflowed with sappy, sentimental love.  We've had such a blessed life and the fact that we can just chat comfortably for hours at a time is icing on the cake.  We still have a lot in common (we discussed this).  

So rest easy my pretties!  Johnny and I have everything figured out.  Turn off the radio and talk.  What a life!

I love you.

Get on the Plane or Don't Get on the Plane?

Get on the plane or don't get on the plane?  That is the question.

It is totally dark in Oklahoma City at 8:55.  The weekend is almost to a close although a weekend means little to me.  Retirement does that to one.  Days run together and that's just the way I like it.  

Lots going on with the Delta Variant of Covid 19...ramping up affecting those much younger than us retirees since we have had the vaccine.  We have been asked to fly to Las Vegas to join another couple to have a few days just running around, shopping, and enjoying some great restaurants.  Neither couple gamble so that would be pretty much our agenda.  No pressure, just some quiet fun with a fun couple, laughing and eating.  

I would really love to go and so would Johnny.  We even used our points for plane tickets.  Then we slept! And thoughts ran rampant through my night-time brain.  I thought about our risk and all the what ifs.  Will we be safe?  Will we survive a bout with Covid?  And then there is the cooped up plane ride.  Will a mask be enough?  Probably not.  But.............I STILL WANNA GO.

Tomorrow perhaps we will turn our tickets back in.........and then that door will close.  Oh Covid!  I despise you and how you have changed our lives, our world.  Get on the plane or don't get on the plane?  That is the question.

It has been a long time since I have written here.  I have said this many times on this blog, but I will say it once again.  I love you and hope to have another conversation and blog post tomorrow......maybe.

I love you.

Snow January 1, 2021

SNOW JANUARY 1, 2021

Look what happened while you were sleeping!

Happy 2021.  So sometime after the clock struck 12 when Guy Lombardo played his haunting and nostalgic and most memorable version of Auld Lang Syne on our Alexa, but before our 7:30 wakeup, this happened.  

Some might look at this snow as another taxing issue left over from 2020, but I am going to look at it as a beautiful landscape painting.  Our whole vista is covered in deep billowy clouds of whipped cream frosting; a feast for the eyes.

We don’t know what this year will bring just as we didn’t know what 2020 had in store.  Living through last year makes me realize how quickly things can change.  With that in mind, I can going to try to live each day as if I have received a blessing, because, frankly, I have.

I love you.  Happy New Year.

The Dented Funnel

You know when you reach in the drawer and pull out something as beat up as this funnel, perhaps you are older than you think.....maybe?  I tend to think of myself as a spry young chick.....and then I see this.  What a slap in the face realize I have been using the same funnel for the last 48 years.  Am I that old.......to have a 48 year old funnel?  How old am I?

Just look at the stains and scratches and dents and more dents.  No, not me, silly, the funnel!  Am I going to throw that thing out just cause it’s dented?  Oh no!  That hot jelly still slides right through it.  It still works.

I love you, but don’t throw me out just because I have a few dents.  I still make good jalapeño jelly.

P.S.  I wish I had Grandma’s old whisk, repaired with wire and  I would pay premium to have the old flat bottomed metal spoon Mom used to stir gravy.  Priceless memories.  Now, let’s have some jelly.

What Happened to the Night

“What happened to the night?” Johnny asked.

We have been enjoying the night lately. Because our normal has changed, we have been looking for new ideas to keep us entertained. We have discovered that we have a nightly nature show right outside our backdoor.  Tonight after we finished our nightly wildlife session, we weren’t quite ready to go inside so we decided to take a walk in the dark.  “What happened to the night?”, Johnny asked.  It’s true, the night had disappeared. There were outside lights everywhere; lights that come on at dusk, some coming on automatically, some on timers.  It was as bright as a runway. The night had actually disappeared.  Gone was the night!

 I wish you kids could experience the night on the farm back in the 60s. When my dad turned out the lights, it was dark!  All one could see were the twinkling stars above. It was magical, not scary. It was a time when I felt at peace. I felt safe. There wasn’t a need to have a light that came on automatically at dusk; we had daddy.  The night was night!

I love you.  Turn out the lights.

Yes, we did have an outside light but it was a flood light that was turned on only when we needed to go outside. Imagine five children playing under that light in the summertime. Imagine turning on that light to get a glimpse of the glittering snowflakes of the winter.  But when we turned out the light it was night. It was peace. We were safe.  Night was night.

The Telephone Recipe Book

Look at this....  What a hilarious menagerie of old recipes!  Or so I thought the moment I flipped through the pages, recipes pasted over every square inch.  All of a sudden it came to me........sort of an epiphany that it wasn't about the recipes at all; it was about the collection.  She really had no intention of making these dishes.  She was just collecting them..as a little HOBBY.  She didn't have a scrapbook at hand, but that did NOT stop her.   

In these quarantined times, we are all looking for things to entertain us, looking for a new hobby or dusting off our old projects. but we whine around, one excuse after another to do nothing.  Grandma wasn't quarantined as we are today, but she had her own limitations.  She couldn't drive so she walked a couple blocks for bread and milk, and only occasionally went into town for essentials.  Maybe she was, indeed, quarantined.  She didn't let the fact that she didn't have a scrapbook stop her from completing her project.  She thought outside her box and she made do.

So when you find this old telephone book filled with recipes, (and I am definitely going to keep this) you will know why I kept it...not for the recipes, but for the reminder that a hobby can be anything you wish; besides it makes me smile.  It humbles me.

Grandma, what a woman!!

I love you.

I love you.

  



Flipping Pages Back to Front

Good Sunday afternoon.


The weather is somewhat odd today.  At this very moment in time, the sun is beaming in my sunroom.  Soon the sun will be blotted out by the clouds and rain drops will be hitting the tin roof....and then the sun will peak through once again.  Such weather is so comforting to me because while the temperature is not what one would call warm, it somehow evokes spring.


I'm setting here flipping through one of my favorite catalogs...........from back to front..............as my mom would do her magazines.  She always told me it was because she could look forward to the best pages still to come as they were at the front of the magazine.  If she flipped pages from the front to the back, she'd be left with only the continuing pages of stories or uninteresting ads.  Does anyone out there remember all the military and boarding school ads at the back of magazines?  I always felt sorry for the kids that might be sent there.


Anyway.........I am looking at my Sundance Catalog founded by Robert Redford in 1969.  It's a beautiful catalog filled with page after page of all things southwest.....from sheets to shoes, beautiful oversize embroidered tops, a lot of things that are somewhat hippie in style with a hefty price tag.  Sure enough as I flipped from back to front, I finished on the best...........$2500 jewelry..............and that's not going to happen...........  I wonder who buys such expensive things from catalogs?  If I were to spend  that kind of money on jewelry, I'd certainly like to see and touch and try on in person.


The interesting thing I have come to realize looking at this catalog is I am no longer a hippie...not that I ever was....but I wanted to be one.  And that's too bad because I can now afford such beautiful clothes and I do love these cute tops, but...........they no longer fit my image.  I am no longer the svelte thin creature I once was.  The hippie style just passed me by while I was flipping my life from back to front.  I was all to conservative in my dress.  I missed all the "pretties" of the styles of my youth and now I am left with the ads and the continuing pages.  I say all this tongue in cheek, but there is a bit of irony in it.  We go about our business day by day while thinking we will live our best life "one day".  Life is still very good to me, but I realize that I no longer fit the image of southwest hippie as much as I love the clothing. 


So start living your best life YESTERDAY.  If we could turn back time, I sure would.  Instead, I am going to live my best life TODAY....FOREVER...I might even be tempted to buy something with embroidery with that hippie flare.......somewhat tasteful.


I love you.

It Was All so Magical

It was all so magical.


The grandchildren came tonight and I was sucked right back to 1986.  They have gone home now and the feelings I had a few hours ago are beginning to wane.  Before the feeling disappears altogether, I wanted to write about them.  You almost had to have been here with me tonight and experienced 1986 with me first hand to understand, but trust me, it was all so magical. 


The grandkids came about 4:15 p.m. which was the perfect time to catch an hour or so outside.  In the house no more than an minute and the boys were off to finish up their fort that they'd started last Saturday.  Little Audrey was perfectly content to stay inside and work on a craft project at the kitchen table while I fixed dinner.  I looked out and the sky was just forming its pink glow into twilight and I was immediately transported back in time...it was magical; my own kids playing outside on a cool November evening as the sky turns pink, Johnny watching the news, and me in the warm kitchen fixing dinner.


Night falls, and the grandchildren come in asking what's for dinner?  (Pleasant words for a grandmother.)  With dinner over Blaine jumped right on his homework.  Okay, this was NOT a memory I remember regarding my own children.  It was usually a knock down drag out.  Logan began practicing on "Moonlight Sonata".  Okay, maybe the 1986 memory was a little different, too, because somebody would be complaining about having to practice and the other child would be screaming for them to stop.


It was all so magical tonight......for a minute, my own little boy was playing and my little daughter was the one working on a craft project....................


I love you...........It is all so magical. 


Twilight is always a magical time for me.  Sometimes I forget to look up for twilight and my day slips into night without me noticing the magic.  Many, many, many pleasant memories occurred at twilight for me.....bringing in the cows.......dates........football games.........kids playing outside until we call them in.....listening to "Prairie Home Companion"..........going to visit mom and dad....the list could go on and on..............It is all so magical.



Don't you wish we could harness these fleeting magical moments to pull out now and again when we began to feel sad or lonely? Oh, I guess I do.....my memories are my magic, too.

I Need Christmas

Good evening.


I was going to type about the wonderful weekend I have had and I will, but when I turned on the computer, Pandora on my iPad was playing "Country Roads" sung by non other than John Denver.  Nobody will ever sing this lovely, poignant song like him.  NoBODY!  The clarity of his voice was made for this song.  So many wonderful singers have left us and their unique voices will never be replaced.......his near the top of my list. 


Back to my day..............  We drove around town looking for Christmas lights for the outside of our home.  Is it just me, or does it seem this year, particularly, there is less selection and the lights are not displayed in a way that is pleasing to the eyes?  We left without any lights..............Maybe ...........Maybe North Pole City, but after today's outing, Target is currently in first place. 


(Okay, I might not ever get back  my day.)  Now "Homeward Bound" by Simon and Garfunkel is playing.  I just want to close my eyes and be transported back in time.  Nothing like listening to music with earphones listening to the beautiful harmony of these two gents.  Greats of my generation.


As we were looking for lights, I told my husband that this year I'm especially excited about Christmas.  I'd like to decorate tomorrow.  We discussed the sad state of our world/country situation.  I just don't want to hear about it another minute.  I told him that, sometimes, I'd like to live in the middle of New Mexico, miles away from the nearest paved road....and he agreed totally with me.  We understand each other.  I would try to describe that feeling to you, but I can't......it's just too hard.  So rather than describing something that only we feel, I will just share my Christmas light quest and décor with you.............maybe tomorrow."


 "Danny's Song" Loggins and Messina
"Annie's Song" John Denver of course!


I love you.................................Good night!!!


Right now, I am going to close my eyes, listen to this transporting music.  Nothing better than "Margaritaville" by Jimmy Buffett......until the next song comes on. 

The Perfect Little Dress........

Have you ever found the perfect dress and then realized............well............it wasn't the perfect dress for you?




I found my perfect dress.  The dress, my perfect dress, has a tribal vibe (okay that's the catalog's words) maxi, which is perfect for me.  I love a maxi for summer; something to wear instead of shorts which I quit wearing in public in 1981.   Is this the dress for the summer 2019 vacation of/in my dreams?  The dress I might wear to the little ocean side restaurant in the vacation in my dreams???? The print is not my usual flowery look so the hummingbirds won't  mistake me for a tropical drink of sugar water so I'm all good.  I think it's a GO!  Put it in the cart................


Then............REALITY.  It's a little too low cut.  March on by boys; nothing attractive to see here these days.  It is sleeveless........and need I mention I haven't worn sleeveless since 1981 either?  I could get a shawl though.  I'd definitely would need to have a tan to wear this little maxi............but I could get a tan on my imaginary vacation.......the one in my dreams.  And I'd need the jewelry which the catalog model is wearing with it, but it is over half the cost of the dress.  And the sandals........I'd need those sandals which are twice the cost of the dress.............  Of course, I would spend the cash since I am going on the imaginary vacation of my dreams....money no object!  And I'd need to loose 20 pounds to look cute in the dress...........but, of course, I'd loose the 20 pounds because I'd be going on the imaginary vacation in my dreams.  I think it's still a GO!  I'm going to hit that send button....................


But still............what is it that prevents me from hitting the send button????......OH!  I remember............I am not 30 years old!!!  Shut the computer up...........not gonna get it!   


I love you.

Brain Drain Part 5

51.  Can you believe tomorrow is Halloween?  No need to buy candy for the goblins.  They don't come down our street anymore.  Sadly, I miss those days of neighborhood kids arriving at our door with giggles and outstretched bags as they say in unison "Trick or Treat". 


52.  Today, today, today...........was a beautiful day in Oklahoma although the wind came up.


53.  Yes, today was beautiful, but we spent a great deal of time in the medical waiting rooms.  But aren't we blessed to have such medical tests?


54.  Don't eat ham if your tongue is sensitive.  Just saying.......salt!


55.  Fall, no doubt to me, is the prettiest time of the year.  Everything turns is golden.


56.  Marc Jacobs Daisy perfume smells lovely.  I got a bottle from Angie.  My daughter gave me a lovely tie/scarf which I adore, and some cute earrings.  My hubby gave me some Mrs. Sees candy and a beautiful emerald locket. 


57.  My brother and his wife gave me a lovely dinner party with family on my 70th birthday.  I think I had the best time I've ever had.  Birthdays are not a big deal to my family so having someone make over me with extra special. 


58.  Wear good shoes!  If you have feet problems, don't buy shoes that will end up making your feet hurt.  That means heels may not be your best friend despite the celebrities who wear them.


59.  And please don't let celebrities sway your own personal opinion about an issue.  You have a mind, use it.  Read...........investigate............and realize not everyone, especially celebrities, have your best interest at heart.


60.  I want wood or fake wood floors.  I am probably not going to invest in them, but I love the look in magazines of lovely homes with wood floors.  Guess I will stick to tried and true.........and comfortable.............carpets.


61.  It's almost time to start decorating for Christmas..........well......another month.  I would love to turn on the lights Thanksgiving night.....maybe we can light some.


62.  Pink.  Have you noticed the pink tones this year?  Rose gold, rose, soft pink hues.  I just love them and I find that tops in a pink color make me feel pretty.  I look in the mirror and feel feminine, soft, and I am just going to say it, pretty. 


63.  Listening to music in the evening, hubby on one of the couch, me on the other......perfection.  Soon we will be replacing music with black and white Christmas movies.  "It Happened on Fifth Avenue" is our lead off movie.  I just love that sweet movie.  Give it a try.


64.  Linda Ronstadt is singing "I've Got a Crush on You".  Remember how popular and current she was.  1975--time marches on.


65.  If you are feeling the least bit cold, down, sick, or otherwise miserable, take a hot bath.  If you don't have a hot tub, this is the next best thing.  Always makes me feel better. 


66.  My feet are cold.  I feel the need for a hot bath.


67.  Mom and Dad.  This time of the year is the time I miss my parents most.  Those peanut harvests, the smell of the earth, the clean crisp air, the golden leaves, and the thought of upcoming holidays to celebrate the harvest..........it becomes to much for me and my memories fall with teardrops from my eyes.  So much love.


68.  My grandchildren mean the most to me.  Three lovely kids, two boys and a girl.  I am so blessed with the love from them.


69.  I couldn't come to the end the list of 70 things without talking about my son and my daughter.  They are my LIFE.  I think back over their years living under my roof and realize those were the best years of my life.  Having them at our feet as they watch TV with us, the dinner table conversations, the school activities; it all makes for a perfect life.


70.  My hubby will end my list of 70 things.  When I think about how much he has done for me personally, it is overwhelming.  His sense of humor was what drew me to him in the first place and it still does.  He makes me laugh.  My love for him grows stronger with each passing day.


Well, that is all I have.  My mind is drained, but tomorrow, Lord willing, I am going to fill it up again.  I am going to make the rest of my 70th year as good as I can.  I am going to find things to be thankful for rather than counting sorrows.  I am going to fill my life with things that make me happy.  I am going to try to be a blessing to someone every day. 


I love you all.

Brain Drain Part 4

31.  "We should have brought a change of clothes and then we could have gone back through the line," he said.  I almost choked on my sample.  I laughed and laughed.  He loves teasing me because I love to try samples at Sam's Club.  His humor is one of his greatest lovable assets.


32.  Don't tell Blaine, but we are not going to watch the World Series.


33.  I want to see my sisters.  One is across town, one is in Branson at the moment, and one is in Mississippi, and honorary sister is in Coweta.  Probably could count on NOT seeing them any time soon.


34.  Do you make candy at Christmas time?  I used to make a lot of different recipes each year, but for the last five years not so much.  One batch of fudge and some caramel popcorn.


35.  I hate watching Mecum car auction so why do we have it on tonight?  Perhaps it is because dear hubby brought me a dish of ice cream topped with whipped cream and pecans...........yeah, he can watch whatever he wants.


36.  I threw my back out this morning and all I was doing was getting out of the chair to get myself another cup of coffee.  Two Aleve and one muscle relaxer later, and I was ready to shop again.


37.   I found the cutest simple little Christmas décor at Walmart today.  Isn't it cute?  Just a little plastic 7" animated piano that plays three tunes and it was less than $10.  Surprisingly, it really sounds like a recorded piano.  I'm going to have fun just pressing the play button throughout the holidays.  I will have my own little pianist.  The link will open when you click on Christmas décor above.


38.  Brown beans--do you like them?  I love them especially the way I make them.  I do NOT soak.  I sort and wash them, add them to the pot and cover with a couple inches of water.  As the beans cook they will swell and the longer they cook the water will be absorbed and the bean broth will get thicker and thicker.  You will need to add water as they cook.  But remember the longer they cook, the darker the broth will become.  Add any flavorings you like; ham, sausages, onions, jalapenos, etc.


39.  I follow several decorators on Instagram.  One thing I have noticed is how clean their houses are............I don't think I can ever achieve that cleanliness.  I am quite comfortable with the lived in look.


40.  Don't be afraid to open the door for someone including men.  I call that just being nice.


41.  Today at Walmart I had 10 things in my cart which I thought were cute.  I had these things in my cart long enough to realize that I was, indeed, impulse buying.  I took the time to take those things back to their rightful shelf and left feeling like I did the right thing.


42.  My daughter..........she came after me to do a little shopping around noon.........after I was feeling better from my back incident.  I love our time together and she makes me happy.  Bringing along her daughter just fills me with pride.


43.  Clowns--don't like them.  Don't like a happy clown.  Don't like a sad clown.  Don't like a scary clown.  NO CLOWNS FOR ME.  In fact, they might be in the running with snakes and my scariest things.


44.  Do you read books on your tablets?  I have, but I much prefer turning the pages of a real book.


45.  I find that the older I get, the more I love going to bed early.  I think I am turning into my parents.  Hubby, however, still stays up till 12:30 or 1:00 every night so I guess it really isn't an age thing.  I'm getting sleepy.......Oh, I guess it's okay to go to bed now...........10:04 p.m.


46.  My 14 year-old grandson is growing up!  He has muscles of a man!  I am not a fan of that look, but oh my............stop...........  I still haven't given up on my image of him as a baby.


47.  I subscribe to several magazines.  That's not so bad, but what is bad is I don't read them. 


48.  Coming up with 70 brain drains is harder than I thought.


49.  I ordered flameless candles yesterday.  I feel like the glow of a candle warms the house so I look forward to decorating with these. 


50.  One of my pet peeves is when my family members washes their hands in my kitchen sink before coming to the table.  Yep, a pet peeve that I try to divert by sending them to the bathroom.


Night night all.


I love you all.   

Part Three of Brain Drain

21.  A friend took me to lunch today and it just made my week.  Such a kind person. 


22.  "I just want the d... thing to work," just said my hubby.  Technology may or may not be involved.


23.  My little Stormy has been gone for two years, but there are times when it seems like yesterday when that little storm cloud came running as hard as he could across the yard just to check in with his master.


24.  Just go with your heart.................


25.  Have you ever looked around at the amount of stuff we have in the world.  Stuff that we may or may not need, but it's out there.  Somewhere along the way of civilization, we went way beyond our needs.  Result = stuff.


26.  You don't always have to be right.  You don't always have to express an opinion.  There are times when I am in conversation when I realize that what I am about to say will have little relevance in the long run, but in the short run might cause friction............so why try to explain my point.  After all, we are not in a debate class.


27.  I am looking forward to Thanksgiving this year.  I usually dread baking the turkey, but this year I have a new outlook on life.  I want to make my meal extra special and I'm looking forward to exploring recipes.  To tell you the truth, my family would prefer the plainer side of sides..........get it side of sides?


28.  Confession:  I skipped school one time in my life; my senior year--one day.  My girlfriend and I went to the state fair with our boyfriends.  We even talked my friend's sister-in-law into writing an excuse letter to our principal.  That is about the extent of my rebel period.


29.  I just want you to know that my life is better when I do NOT watch the news.  I also want you to know that my life is better when I don't tap into Facebook. 


30.  I got an Alexia, and I think I like it.  She's a pretty smart old gal.  She keeps my TO DO list and keeps me on track.  I think she's my personal assistant.............isn't it amazing how technology has evolved since 1988 when I first use a Deck Mate?


That's all I got today...............


I love you ALL.