Currently.....December

Outside my window...

Outside my window it is nighttime. There is the 'first-quarter' moon shining brightly along with beau-coup stars. It is clear and 39* here. We haven't really had much in the way of winter weather yet. Hope I am not jinxing us by saying that. How's the weather where you are?


Pondering..

Sometimes I just do too much pondering. I have been pondering blog posts for much of the fall. Just never found my way to the computer to type them out. Cannot believe that it was really August the last time I blogged. Although I was getting frequent reminders from one of my biggest supporters via telephone calls. He said it is how he knows I am doing okay. LOL! Calling works too!! Anyway, I hope to be back into the blogging mood. I still have lots to say.



Watching...

Right this very moment I am watching You Tube videos of people decorating for Christmas. I am not in the mood to decorate and I am hoping this will help. I have also watched my favorite fall shows: This Is Us, New Amsterdam, A Million Little Things, Grey's Anatomy, How To Get Away with Murder. And throw in some reality TV: Dancing With the Stars, 90-Day Fiance, Unexpected, and Pillow Talk. Sounds like all I do is watch TV. I am a political junkie as well so I watched the Impeachment Inquiry hearings and yelled at the TV. Just impeach the crook and get it over with. LOL!



Reading...

My reading has really become more listening than reading. I love my Audible app. And most of what I listen to are freebies. I am currently listening to the final book in the Morgan Dane series by Melinda Leigh, Save Your Breath. I'm ready to dive into something new. My online book club will be reading The Testaments, by Margaret Atwood, which is the sequel to The Handmaid's Tale. I haven't read the Handmaid's Tale so I will use my credit to listen to it first. Have any of you read it? Is it any good? Sounds like it might be a bit out of my comfort zone. But I will see how it goes.  

 Creating...

I have done very little in the way of creating anything. So I have nothing to say here. 



Learning...

One thing I keep learning over and over and over is that grief never ends. You never stop missing someone who has left you behind. Not a day goes by that I don't think about Richard (it has been over 5 years now) and not a week goes by that I don't cry about him. He was the center of my life for so many years and the life I have now will NEVER be the same. This time of the year was a favorite for him so I am sure there will be lots of memories and tears in his honor. 


Planning....

We are planning a wedding. Harley and Isaiah are getting married in June. She has chosen a beautiful outdoor venue. Here is a sneak peek at the wedding dress. Lots of planning yet to do. They bought a house this summer and are paying for the wedding themselves so we will see how that goes. I can tell you there have already been a few 'mom-daughter' disagreements on how we think things should be. LOL! But it's her day, so she will have her way. As it should In the be. 


 Drinking....

I am really not trying much new in the drinking area of my life. LOL! Two cups of coffee with French Vanilla cream everyday. And the rest of the day is water. Occasionally I will have a cup of hot apple cider or hot cocoa with Bailey's Irish cream and a marshmallow. 



What's in the kitchen...

In the kitchen right now is lots of leftovers. I had 6 for Thanksgiving. A small group. But I cooked a 24 pound turkey. Here is why. I order my groceries from Clicklist. (Love it still) I ordered a 12 pound Butterball turkey. They sent me a text saying they were out and would a Kroger turkey be okay. I said sure. A turkey is a turkey is a turkey. Right? Anyway when I got there to pick up my groceries they were out of that size. So they gave me FREE OF CHARGE a 24 pound turkey. How could I say 'no'. I made everyone take home leftovers. (I ordered prep containers from Amazon and they were the perfect 'take home' dishes). But I still have turkey left. So I've eaten turkey leftovers everyday. Tomorrow I am making some turkey soup and that should be the end of that free turkey. Did you all have a nice Thanksgiving??


A quote to share...

Photographing..

Here is little Charlie Jaxson, the love of my life. He is about the only thing I photograph anymore. I never thought I would become one of 'those' people but I have. I am madly in love with him. I worry about him all the time. He is doing well and has certainly developed a little personality. It took a few months for him to get comfortable with me and show me who he really is. He likes for everything to be according to his schedule and of course, I oblige him. I cook chicken and beef for him to add to his kibble. I buy clothes for him so he will be warm when we wander out. He doesn't really like to walk that much but I make him get out at least once a day. He likes to sit in my bay window and bark at the world. He likes to play with his little doggies....I throw them he hides them and then barks for me to come find him and do it all again. Yep, I am definitely a crazy dog mom.

A final thought...

I've missed you all so much. I am going to start making the rounds of all of your blogs and try to catch up with what you have been up to. So until the next time..............

Checking In and Wishing you all a Happy Turkey Day

Thanks to all of you who have been writing and calling to ask about me. I am doing great. Have just lost a bit of my blogging mojo. But it will come back. I have some posts planned for after Thanksgiving. Charlie and I are hosting a small family gathering  tomorrow. Our weather here is still beautiful today but I hear that will be changing. Happy Thanksgiving everyone (especially to the one who has called me the most. You know who you are.) 

Currently....It is still Summer

Outside my window...

It's summer still in Kansas but I know that fall is coming. All you have to do is walk into any store and see all the fall decorations. Or all the school supplies. And some even are starting to think about Christmas. Yikes. I am not ready for that. Are you? It is currently 86*. There isn't much of a breeze today, but in the shade it is nice. The skies are clear but I'm hearing the winds will pick up later. 


Pondering..

While I am sure there is lots to ponder I just haven't been pondering much lately. Nothing seems to change. The world is still messed up. People are still shooting each other. People are still fighting about politics and religion. I am just trying to lie low for now. Because it is all just too much. 



Watching...

Because there is too much of Trump on TV I have been watching You-Tube videos. I have some favorites that I subscribe to and watch whenever they post. One of my favorites is 

RyMingTahn is a stay-at-home military mommy. Her husband, she refers to him as Papa Bear, is in the Army. They have just left their 3-year home in California and will be stationed in Virginia. RyMingTahn is from the Washington D.C. area and she, too, used to be military but was medically discharged. They have the smartest, sweetest, cutest little 3 year old, Zari. Her channel is very positive and uplifting and it is all about her life. I enjoy watching them so much. 


Reading...

Right now I am reading/listening to Bodily Harm by Robert Dugoni. The author resides in the Seattle, Washington area so this is where most of his books take place. This book is the third in this series about the main character David Sloane. David is a lawyer. The author is a writer turned lawyer turned writer according to something I read about him recently. I have enjoyed all of his books. 

 



Listening to....

Right now I am listening to a tiny little doggie who does NOT like the fact I am on the computer. So, he is sitting here barking at me. His little personality is really starting to come through. 



Learning...

I am continuing to learn to live alone. And like it. Well, maybe not all the time. But, for the most part it is okay. I will say that having little Prince Charlie here with me has helped the loneliness a lot. And he keeps me busy. I also have learned a lot recently about dogs, Yorkies, and how to take care of them. Bailey was such a different little dog. 



Planning....

Nothing really going on with the planning life. I haven't gotten back into my Bullet Journal. And I am thinking about a couple of day trips. But I need to make sure I can take Prince Charlie with me. Or find a day when I can get Harley to come check on him. Oh my, it is like having a baby again. Hahaha!


What's in the kitchen...

I am back to meal planning. I am really, really trying to eat more healthy. And summer is the perfect time for that, isn't it. So much fresh fruit and veggies. And I am loving sandwich season too. Charlie is somewhat of a picky eater (might be spoiled) so I am finding clever ways to get him to eat healthy too. 

A quote to share...

Photographing...


I'll admit I am one of THOSE dog moms:

Likes to lay in the window

Likes to nap with me

Sleeps with his little doggie
(maybe a bit staged)

A final thought...

Time is moving so fast. I can't believe we are already in the 8th month of the year. I feel like we just had Christmas. Do you guys feels like time is moving fast??

Favorites for July

It has been awhile since a 'favorites post' so here we go. Some of my favorites this month:

Of course my most favorite thing of the month has been Charlie:

This little guy (and he is little, only weighs 6 pounds and stands about 7 inches from floor to top of his back) He is such a sweet and good doggie. He likes to sleep with me but isn't really much of a lap sitter.

My favorite pet products for the month is this little car seat. I got it off Amazon at Devoted Doggy. Bailey was able to sit on my lap and see out the window, but Charlie is just too little. And this, not only lifts him up, but keeps him safe with a strap that keeps him safely in place. The lining can be taken out and washed too. Another plus. So far we have only gone on a couple of rides but he seems to like it. 

When I lost Bailey at the beginning of the month Paige made me my very own Build-A-Bear to snuggle. I have loved it. I can press it's little paw and get this message in her voice:
"I love you granny. Have a nice day"

There is nothing like a cool, blue drink to freshen up your summer, is there? This brings back memories of a favorite club Richard and I used to hang out in back in the 80's called The Islander Club. The drink is a Blue Hawaiian and here are the ingredients:

• 1 ounce Blue Curacao
• 1 ounce white rum
• 3 ounces pineapple juice
• 1 ounce sweetened coconut cream

You can add ice and blend it in the blender for a frozen delight! 

A new breakfast favorite this month has been sauteed zucchini and cherry tomatoes. I have this several times a week with toast. Wish I was still growing my own zucchini! 

What is your favorite summer foods?

My most used essential oil this month has been Frankincense. I had gout starting in my big toe again and I really, really wanted to head that off. So I studied up and found that if Frank is rubbed topically on the toe and you drink plenty of cherry juice you would help. I tried it and 'viola' it helped. A little soreness still there but nothing like I have had in the past. Frankincense oil comes from the resin of the Boswellia Tree.

Bet you didn't know that, did you? It is known to relieve inflammation and can also be used for minor skin ailments like wrinkles, acne and dry skin. It once was burned during  funeral preparations (long, long ago)to decrease the odors of decay. We have probably all heard of Frankincense and Myrrh from the Bible, haven't we? I am a new 'oiler' so this is part of my education. Ha! Ha! Cherry juice is known to help reduce uric acid which is what causes gout when it builds up in your body. 

My favorite body scrub and loofah this summer comes from Grove Collaborative. I order from them about every three months so I can replace my loofah that often. And since it is only me here my body wash will last that long too. They have several kinds but this has been my favorite for summer. The fragrance is citrus and ginger. Nice!! And the loofah is made from recycled plastic if you are into that. I love Grove Collaborative. 

I think that is about it for the month. What have been some of your favorites for July! Care to Share. 

Currently.....

Outside my window...

We are getting a break from the heat. Today is currently 86* with little humidity. We are supposed to be only in the upper 80's the rest of this week. And even though we had so much rain in the spring, we are really needing some rain now. My grass is starting to get brown in spots. We've been a bit on the windy side. They have scheduled spraying for mosquitoes from a low-flying airplane and have had to cancel the last 4 nights because of wind speeds being too high. The mosquitoes here are bad because of the all the rain. How are they in your neck of the woods?


Good News...

Look at my new roomie. His name is Charlie Jaxon. I got him from a rescue and he came to live with me yesterday. We are still getting acquainted but I will admit he has already stolen my heart. Here is a bit of his story....he was found about 6 weeks ago, in a carrier, left on the side of the road. He wasn't in the best of health when found. They thought he might have testicular cancer because of the size of his testicles. And he had elevated liver enzymes. He is on medication for the liver problem and we do not yet know if that will continue for the rest of his life. He takes it really well. He was neutered last Monday and a tumor was found but the vet thinks he is cancer-free. They think he is somewhere between 7-8 years old. I wrestled with the desire to adopt him or not because of his health problems and the fact I had just lost Bailey and was a bit devastated by that. But once I heard his story, how could I say no. He is here to stay. And to be treated like a Prince!!


Watching...

I haven't really been watching anything special this summer. The news has not been great. Donald Trump continues to act like an ass. I am sure he is wanting to deflect as much attention away from something that makes him look bad. Which is how he looks every time he opens his mouth. In my opinion. 


Reading...

I just finished a really good book. I read/listened to it. It was free from my Kindle Unlimited app. The book is Winter Loon by Susan Bernhard. It is her first book. The writing is amazing. So much imagery. The story is about a young boy who lives with his mom and dad and they sound like a very dysfunctional family. Then he watches as his mother falls through the ice of a lake and dies. His father leaves him with his maternal grandparents. He learns much about her life he did not know. When his dad never returns to get him he sets out to find him. Very hauntingly beautiful book. I hope she will write many more. 


Learning...

All of my learning has been centered around Charlie and his needs. 


Planning....

I am planning to purchase some doggie steps so this little guy can get up on the couch. He is smaller in height than Bailey was and just cannot jump up that far. Do any of you who have little doggies have any suggestions for me? He weighs about 6.5 pounds. Very small. 


Drinking....

Have you ever tried a Henry's? It is a HARD sparkling water. Zero sugar. Comes in flavors like Blueberry Lemon, Strawberry Kiwi, Lemon-Lime. I find it refreshing. Tastes beer-like to me. 





A quote to share...

A final thought...

I don't have much to say this week but I am trying to keep my writing alive. Be kind to each other. Kindness is free. Give it away!!

Richard's Refrigerator Pickles

Summertime always brought out the refrigerator pickles. Richard made a gallon of these every summer. We kept them until the next summer when a fresh batch took up residence. One of the main reasons he grew cucumbers in our garden was to make these pickles. I will share his recipe:

Refrigerator Pickles

3 cups sugar

3 cups white vinegar

1/3 cup salt
1 T. mustard seed 

1 T. celery seed

1 t. turmeric

1 gallon sliced cucumbers

1 large onion

Place cucumbers and onions in layers in large gallon jug. Mix remainder of ingredients together and pour over the cucumbers. Place in refrigerator, turning jar frequently, for at least 48 hours before eating. These are so good. 

I Am Still Dreaming at 68!

When I was a younger person I used to dream about my future life. Don't we all do that? My mom used to tell me to quit wishing my life away and it turns out she was right. Aren't moms always right?? Anyhow when I was young this is what I dreamed.

I dreamed there would be that handsome prince who whisked me away on that big, striking horse. The horse was always white with the longest and fluffiest of tales. And the prince always resembled Elvis in some manner. That is just how I rolled back then. A handsome man with the darkest and slickest of hair. One who was gentle and loving and could sing to me. Ha! Ha! Sounds somewhat silly now, doesn't it? As I grew older I began to realize, as most of us do, that beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. My first husband was tall and handsome. But now if you saw him you would think: What was she thinking?? I think that too. He did not age well. And he didn't turn out to be much of a prince either. But my second (and last) husband was shorter than me. He had a belly and was mostly bald. But he was the kindest and most gentle man I ever met. Truly, he was my prince. 

Now back to my dreaming....I dreamed of the perfect little family. Two kids and a dog. There would be a boy and girl. Boy first. Because boys always protect their little sisters. Right? And the perfect little house. More like a cottage really. With the white picket fence. OF COURSE. 

Now back to reality...I never really had that cottage with the picket fence. I would still like to have one. As I go about down-sizing I am keeping my eye open for the perfect cottage. I want it to be SMALL. Like maybe less than 1000 square feet. There is only me after all. But it has to have a yard. Not a big yard mind you. I can happily sell the lawn tractor. A little flower/herb garden is a must. Although, I don't have either right now.

I did have my two kids. They are both boys. There was a baby girl in between who was stillborn. They are not perfect kids. Nothing like in my dreams. Is there any such thing as perfect kids? No where in my dreams did I even seen grand kids. Just not something a young girl dreams about.

What I have noticed about young people today (some, not all) is their dreams are much richer. They want everything NOW that took their parents all their life to achieve. They want that big house, all new furniture, the nicest cars. But they don't want to work 9-5, 5 days a week. And horrors if that work week  includes weekends or holidays. Are you crazy? I need time off to spend with my friends!! 

Now, for what I have learned. It's okay to dream. But I have learned to love imperfection. You will fail if you expect perfection. Right? I am learning to not beat myself up for mistakes, failure, or fatigue. I am still planning for my future. But I am going to remember the Yiddish saying:

Currently.....

Outside my window...

Blue skies and a bright, hot sun. We are having summer in Kansas. It is hot and humid. Today will be in the upper 90's. The A/C is running and so is the electric meter. If you know what I mean. 


Pondering..

I've been pondering getting another dog companion. My little Yorkie, Beetle Bailey died a week ago. My heart is broken. I am one of those people who never really understood how people could become so attached to a dog. Ha! Ha! That little guy stole my heart and he took a big chunk with him when he left me. He was only sick a couple of days and I really thought he would get better. But, alas, he did not. He was 13 1/2 years old and I guess just ready to go see if he could find my brother Fred (his first owner) and romp with him in the clouds. Enjoy a few pics of him.

Watching...

I have been watching a lot of You Tube videos and some of my favorites on TV like: Naked and Afraid, 90 Day Fiance and the news. The news is so depressing to know there is so much evidence against Trump and no one seems to care. What the hell happened to America??

Reading...

 I have been reading/listening to a new 2-book series by Gregg Olsen. The first book is The Sound of Rain and the one I am currently on is called The Weight of Evidence. The books are about a female police detective who has a gambling addiction. Very good, suspense-filled books. Both free to read/listen on my Kindle Unlimited membership.  

 
Planning....

Nothing really in the planning area. I haven't used my Bullet Journal since January, so I need to get back into that. I miss it but I just don't have the desire to pick it up right now. You ever feel that way. 


Loving...

It is salad season and that is my favorite thing to eat. Right now I am very much enjoying this Tex-Mex Chopped Chicken Salad from Life In The Lofthouse. I love everything she makes.

 

Drinking....

I'm also loving iced coffee this summer. I make it from this: It is a concentrate. So I use a cup of the concentrate, a cup of 2% milk and a 1/4 cup of French Vanilla Cream. Tastes so good!! 








A quote to share...

A final thought...

I have really missed all of you. Maybe I will be better about writing here and catching up with everything that is going on in your lives. I have had to moderate my comments because I have had some very ugly comments left by people who do not like my speaking out about Trump. I won't change how I feel about him. If you feel like it is directed towards you when I type my feeling then that says more about you than it does about me. We can support different candidates and still be friends, but if you sink to Trump's level when you comment then your comment won't be allowed on my blog. Hope everyone is having a great summer. 

A Sad Day for America

To all of my Republican family and friends: How long can you continue to do this??

Currently

Currently...

Outside my window...

It's spring. And spring in Kansas can mean any kind of weather. We are currently under a tornado watch with large hail and high winds possible. But that is most days at this time of the year. It is 73* with 48% humidity. Very cloudy and the winds are calm. We will keep a watch out for when to shut things down. 

Pondering..

Oh so much to ponder. One week ago today the youngest girl of the family I dog sat for, while they went to England, broke her leg. She was riding bikes with her older brother and they collided and wrecked. She ended with a fracture to her femur. They took her by ambulance to Wichita (about 50 miles from here) where she had two rods placed. After a short stay in the hospital she was released to continue her recovery at home. Meadow is 9 and very tiny. This is a terrifying experience for her and for her mom. Mom is a nurse who used to work in the OR so she knows all the risks. I've been helping some with her care. The first few days were learning to transfer and mainly offering emotional support. Life with kids is fun! 

Her dog CoCo resting at her feet

The xray

Watching...

I haven't watched much since our last visit. The news is depressing. We will soon see the Mueller report. I imagine it is going to be so heavily redacted that nothing will be learned. For an administration that keeps screaming they have done nothing wrong they sure don't want anyone to see this report. Kind of like his tax returns!! I wonder what he's hiding. Because I am sure he is hiding something. 


Reading...

I just finished A Crime of Passion, the 7th book in the series, written by Scott Pratt. Another good crime drama. I like his books. I think there is one left in this series. I am currently reading/listening to I Am Watching You by Teresa Driscoll. It's a story about the disappearance of a teenage girl. I am just on chapter four so haven't an opinion yet. 


Eating...

It's salad and sandwich time of the year. My favorite. I have been eating sliced turkey with cheese rolled into a leaf of lettuce. YUMMY. And for dinner tonight I had a chopped kale salad with dried cranberries and black beans served with poppyseed dressing. If I keep eating like this I might lose some weight. (Not likely as Justin's lady friend made me a cheese cake for my birthday and I have eaten a lot of it. I sliced up what was left and froze individual pieces to enjoy later).  

Planning....

I am planning to get my mower serviced. I mowed with it this past week and it needs some things done to it. And I have some "weed-eating" to do. Hopefully will not be as humid tomorrow and I'll get back out there. I also have some leaves that need raked and put into the polycart. 

Growing...

I'm thinking of going down the road to the nursery and pick out some flowers to plant in a few pots. Doesn't look like I will be leaving this house right away so I might as well have some flowers to enjoy. Are you planting any flowers at your house?


Favorite things...

Bissell Pet Stain Eraser

On my shopping trip in Wichita last week, I purchased a Bissell Pet Stain Eraser. Little Bailey occasionally has an accident inside. This is the niftiest little gadget. Works like a steam cleaner but it is small like a hand held vacuum. I've used it for all kinds of spots on the carpet. (not just pet stains) and I am looking forward to cleaning my sofa and love seat. Might even do the carpets in the car. Check it out. 

A quote to share...

Here's wishing everyone a Happy Easter! I cannot believe it is already this time of the year. 

Currently....It's April

Outside my window...

Spring has definitely arrived in Kansas. The temperatures are much warmer. It was pretty dreary and cloudy most of today. Then we had a short thunderstorm and it poured. Now the sun is out and it is 60* Things are getting green and a few flowers are blooming.

Pondering..

I've been pondering the need to get the mower ready for mowing. So far I have mostly weeds. But one must keep the weeds cut to fit in with the neighborhood. It looks like a couple of my neighbors are going to be taking out some big trees. Both cottonwoods so they won't be missed by me!


Watching...

While I was doing my "zoo-keeping" this past 12 days, I watched quite a bit of Netflix. They don't have cable at their house so if I wanted to watch anything it had to be on Netflix. I did watch Seven Seconds Season One. This show is about a 15 year old black bicyclist who was killed in a hit and run by a white police officer.There were 8 episodes which take us through the cover-up and then the trial. Sad show which is reflective of some of the current state of affairs in this country. Sadly, I read there will not be a second season. It was a good crime drama. I also watched The Highwaymen which is a 2 hour drama starring Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson. This show was about the capture of Bonnie and Clyde. I enjoyed it as well. Then I also partook of The Ted Bundy Files. Wow! Amazing how this guy got by with what he did and the way he acted in court. If you like crime and documentaries this is another good one. What have you been watching? 


Reading...

Two books I have recently finished are: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides and Before We Were Yours, by Lisa Wingate. Both of these books were recomended by blog friends. I listened to The Silent Patient. I tried throughout the book to figure out the end story. I almost always do this. I was pretty surprised at who the "crook" was. Now I am thinking about listening to it again to see if I could have picked up some clues. Before We Were Yours is a novel based on a real life true story of an adoption home in Tennessee. I had never heard of this scandal and this was a pretty horrendous story. Both really good books. 

 
Creating...

I am creating SPACE. Today I got rid of a bunch of stuff from an outdoor shed. Some of my 'adopted' grandchildren came over and took bicycles, badminton supplies, pool toys, some Adirondack chairs I didn't want anymore. Now I have a lot more room to move stuff out of my garage. Like lawnmowers and etc.


Learning...

Why is it so hard to let go of things you know you will never use again?? That is what I am learning to do!

Planning....

I'm planning a bit of a shopping trip over to Wichita and dinner out with Justin. One day this week. Haven't yet decided which day. 



 A quote to share...

A final thought...

I want to get to the place where that is all I have to worry about. And I want a beach just like that to spend my days on. Who's with me?