Tuesday Ramble

 
Don't dig your grave with your own knife and fork. 

English Proverb

 A photo I took of the super moon last night.  It's not much, but  a normal moon would just be a wee dot on the picture.  

 

Good thing I got it when I did because this is what happened to it a few minutes later.

The house next door looks terrible.  They really should paint the outside, especially since they are selling it for 2 million dollars.  The inside is gorgeous.

Happy Tuesday everyone.  Had a great day off yesterday.  Got my meds and had a wonderful time  ploughing through the 99 cent store.  Good morning, everyone.  Well,  I boycotted the center yesterday as I said I would.  I am aware that I accomplished nothing by my absence which meant nothing to staff, but it made me feel like I was doing something.  And I did accomplish something.  I picked up my prescriptions, bought a window and shower curtain and rug in fall colors for my bathroom, and picked up the ingredients needed for my chicken stew.

My chicken stew last night was fantastic.  Ingredients included chicken legs, carrots, one tomato, potatoes, turnips, parsnips, string beans, onions, garlic, celery, Mrs. Dash's extra spicy to give it an extra kick, and sodium free chicken broth thickened with corn starch.  Topped it off with a slice of avocado.  Great dinner for Harvest Moon Night.  Dessert was blueberries with a dollop of light Cool Whip.

According to numerology, September is a 7/7 month.

September, 2014 = 9 + 2 + 0 + 1 + 4 = 16 = 7

2014 is a 7 Universal year

This mean September should be all about bringing balance into your life.  It is a time to create healthy new habits and to let go of those that no longer serve you.  Seems appropriate.  After last night's 'letting go' ritual I am looking forward to moving on to a healthier new lifestyle beginning with a new workshop I will be starting this Wednesday. 'Better Choices, Better Health Arthritis' is a 6 week workshop that will focus on diet, exercise, and stress reduction.  By the time I have completed I will have an action plan in place.  It's time that I take an active stance on my health before it spirals completely out of control.

I've also taken the intiative to set up my first session at Weight Watchers. I'm obese.  There, I've said it.  When I walk past a mirror or a store window, I don't like the reflection of the woman I have become.  How did this happen?  Better yet, how did I let this happen?  I remember a friend telling me that she was so jealous of me because I had a perfect figure.  That was 20 years ago, and I kept myself in shape up until about 6 years ago, then started allowing myself to go to pot.  My downward spiral actually began when I stopped smoking and started eating instead.  I didn't know how to stop. 

When I was working, I was actually doing much better than I am in retirement.  Although my day focused on computer work, I was constantly up and down walking to the front desk, copy machine, or just looking for an office to meet with a client.  I was always on the move.  I try my darnedest to get out and about every day, but when you don't HAVE to go to work, it's easy to find excuses to stay home.  And then it becomes a vicious cycle.  The more you sit and do nothing, the more you begin to hurt when you try to walk.  And the more your hurt, the less you want to walk. That is all going to end now. This is a promise I have made to myself.

Monday This and That

 As long as the world shall last there will be wrongs, and if no man objected and no man rebelled, those wrongs would last forever. 

Clarence Darrow

Good morning everyone.  Hard to believe it's Monday again.  Seems time is moving faster now that I retired.  I had a quiet weekend.  Did my food shopping on Friday and went to Church on Sunday.  On Saturday I started out, but the humidity got to me before I reached the corner, so I turned around and headed right back indoors. It's nice out today and the humidity is low so I plan to get out and do something.  First, I do have to go to Pathmark for my prescriptions and then I think I'll shop for some new fall decorations.  I love buying something new to add to my collection each year.

Not going to the Center today.  To be honest, if it weren't for the friends I made there and the little responsibilities I have there, I think I would find somewhere else to go. I see quite a bit of unfairness and favoritism there, and that doesn't sit well with me.  When I see unfairness, I get frustrated.

However, the reason behind today's boycott is not the fault of staff at the Center...or perhaps it may be.

Each year the Brooklyn assemblyman throws a senior picnic at the Army base in Brooklyn.  It's a beautiful area with picnic benches, trees, and a wonderful view of the bay. I really wanted to go.  However, only a certain amount of tickets is allotted to each Center so not everyone gets to go, which I understand.  Our Center chooses to raffle them off.  We all sign our names on a slip of paper and they are place in a huge jar. Whoever's name is drawn gets to go.  Which is fair, and I have no disagreement with that practice, and if I lose, then I lose.  I accept that. 

What happens, though, is that people who NEVER attend the Center show up just to be a part of the raffle, and once the names are drawn, they disappear until the next raffle is held.  In fact, I overheard two ladies talking about how many Centers they have their name in and what they were going to do with the extra tickets if they should win in more than one place...and it didn't include refusing them.  They were going to make sure that ALL their friends got to go.  Unfortunately, all these extra names in the raffle make it harder and pretty much impossible for many of us regulars  to win. 

So, once again the names were drawn, and many people who we had never seen before won the coveted tickets. We are NOT happy campers. There must be something the Center can do to make it a little more fair their loyal clients. Perhaps it would take a bit more time, but look on the sign in sheets to see who does attend before allowing them to sign.   This makes two years in a row that I cannot go because a non-attendee has taken a spot.  I don't mind losing if it is a fair loss, if I saw my peers win, but they don't win either...and there was a lot of grumbling going on on Thursday. So, today is the picnic, and I guess you could say  staying home is my little way of protesting.  I know it means nothing to them, but it makes me feel as if I am doing something.

   

This weekend I used up the last of my floral scented candles. It's time now for the autumn scents of cloves, cinnamon, spiced apples, vanilla, blueberry cobbler, and pumpkin pie. Always brings me back to the time of innocence of youth. Grandma loved making her pies.  She didn't bake cookies or cakes, but she sure made some delicious pies.  

Tonight is the Harvest Moon. The Harvest Moon is the first full moon closest to the autumnal equinox, and is sometimes known as the Hunter's Moon,  Corn Moon, and the Barley Moon.  The menu I have planned for tonight includes a hearty chicken stew with  carrots, turnips, onions and potatoes, salad and seasoned rice on the  and a slice of apple pie.  Maybe I will even live dangerously and add a dollop of ice cream.

I found the following little ritual for letting go to share with you.  I posted it last year, but thought it was worth a repeat.  It has appeared on a few sites, and I have no idea of it's origin.  It calls for some Autumn leaves, but that doesn't seem too promising here.  Our leaves or mostly still green.  Maybe I will find something in the park. 

Find some autumn leaves, and mark on each one a symbol to represent what has been weighing on you.(for example a dollar sign for money issues). Meditate and focus on the issue, then burn or bury the leave to symbolize the release of all it represents. This ritual can be very liberating!" 

Friday Roundup

Good morning and a very happy Friday to everyone.  It's been a strange week weatherwise.  Just when I am preparing for fall, illusive summer appears.  It's been absolutely dreadful out there, but at least the end is in sight.  Monday is supposed to be a cool down day. Let's hope they are right. 

I did some exploring on Facebook and discovered there's more to it than I once realized.  It's a haven for genealogists, and I have joined several groups.  I was especially glad to find some groups related to Irish and German genealogy, and through and the Irish genealogy group I stumbled across Keating Genealogy and joined.  My great grandmother came from Ireland, and I have really been at a loss in finding any information on her prior to her coming to the US.  She'd become one of my 'brick walls', and I'd come to terms with the fact that I may never know about her. 

On both Irish genealogy groups I met some wonderful people who steered me in the right direction.  This week I managed to trace my great grandmother to Clogheen, Tipperay, Ireland.  I now  know the names of her parents, Alice and William, as well as her siblings, Ellen, Mary, Daniel, and Bridget.  I also had quite a shock waiting for me. Something I never expect.  My GG grandfather listed his occupation as 'Traveller', basically another word for 'gypsy'. I'd always questioned why my year old great  grandmother would venture to America, alone.  She had the wanderlust of her family.  And perhaps this is where my independent spirit comes from.

I also joined a group totally dedicated to Christmas--arts and crafts, decorating, recipes. Already have save some fabulous recipes.  I absolutely love it, but in joining its sister Christmas card group I think I bit off more than I can chew. In the age of computers and high price of stamps, the Christmas cards we receive each year have dwindled down to almost nothing.  I miss the old days and the thrill of receiving cards in the mail so I thought it would be fun to join a group where we sent Christmas cards to each other. Little did I know that almost 200 people were going to sign up for it.  Guess I'd better get started now.

Well, I guess that's about it for this week.  I lead such an exciting life, don't I?  Here's hoping that you all have a wonderful weekend.  See you on Monday.

You Can Bring a Horse to Water but you can't Make him Drink

The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing. 

John Powell

I am fit to be tied right about now. You all know the story of my god daughter and the abusive man she had living with her.   Well, at the present time he's sitting in jail, and hopefully he will be there for a good long while.  Turns out that not only was he physically and emotionally abusing my niece, but he was also sexually molesting her 9 year old daughter.  A real sicko he was. Hope he rots in prison.  And one could only hope that after a string of bad relationships, with this one being the worst, my niece would learn her lesson.

So, in the past two months since she turned him into the police, I've spent a lot of time talking to her and trying to help her build her self-esteem.  One thing I have stressed over and over again was the importance of spending some time alone, without a man, that she needed  time to heal before jumping back in the game. The healing process should never be rushed.  She should take all the time she needs.  Having been raised by a cold, unloving mother, and no father in the picture,  she attracts the same type of brutal, abusive men over and over again.  I suggested that it might be a good idea for her to seek out some professional  counseling for herself and especially for her daughter.   To jump into a new romantic relations right away means that she is not working through the things that have happened. 

Well, she 'yessed' me to death.  " Don't worry. I'm taking time," she says.

"So why do I see this budding relationship on Facebook?" I ask.  

"Oh, I am not in a relationship with him.  I know better. He knows I need time to heal.  He is just a friend."   

"Where did you meet him?" I ask.   

Her response, "on Facebook."  ON FACEBOOK.  She met her last man on Facebook. Has she learned nothing?

Obviously she hasn't, because despite all her denials, I checked out her  Facebook page last night and  the first thing I see is this man posing with all her children.  Her comment.  "I love this man.  He opens doors for me, he's good with my kids, and he goes to Church every Sunday. Never been happier in my life."  My gosh, it hasn't even been two months yet.  Doesn't she realize that it is only natural that a man is on his  best behavior in the beginning?   I'm not saying that there aren't good men out there, but given her track record, I'd be willing to bet this isn't the one. 

I can't quite put my finger on it, but there  is something about this man that is not kosher. He gives me the shivers when I look at him.   For several weeks now, I have checked out his homepage, and he has been professing his love for her.  Now suddenly, his home page has become ultra private.  Of course, that is not reason enough to dislike him, but my intuition is telling me that I'd best keep close watch on things.  I don't want that little girl getting hurt again.

So for now I remain silent and watch.  Fortunately, my niece is very open and not shy about telling all on Facebook so if anything should happen, I'll know.  And this is a promise I make right now.  If I get any inkling that that child, or any of her other children, are being hurt, I will be the first one to turn her in. 

Thanks for listening.

The Autumn of Her Years

Every now and then a book comes along that I just cannot put down.  'The Autumn of Her Years' by Kathleen Kubik  is such a book.  I guess maybe it was because I saw a lot of myself in the heroine, Martha Scanlon.  The book deals with the pain of the loss of a first love (something we can all identify with), an unhappy marriage, the overwhelming love one feels when they finally find their soul mate, coming to terms with the loss of your love, and eventually moving back to where your life began and starting over.  One thing I would like to say.   I love the way the book ties everything together. One finds closure at the end.  No loose ends.

This is one book I didn't want to end. I know it would be awhile before I found anything to even come close to how this book was.  It's such a beautiful book.  I highly recommend it.

Synopsis

Never forget your dreams. Sometimes they get lost in the shuffle of everyday life. Don't let that happen to you. Love, heartbreak, and hope find a home in Kathleen Kubik's decades-spanning novel, The Autumn of Her Years. 

As a naive seventeen-year-old in 1959, Martha Scanlon's summer romance with an older boy brings her the joy and heartache of first love. 

Five years later, twenty-two-year -old Martha unearths family secrets that make her determined to live without regrets.

But by 1972, Martha finds herself trapped in her biggest regret of all: an unhappy marriage. Her decision to divorce threatens to tear her family apart, but Martha tries to find consolation in her new life in California. 

As 1981 dawns, thirty-nine-year-old Martha meets a man who may finally offer the love she thought was beyond her reach.  
 
Returning to New York in 2006, Martha finds comfort in the security of her reconciled family as she struggles to come to terms with the new life she must create for herself.
 
But when a special person makes an unexpected entrance back into her life, Martha slowly begins to realize that a woman may come of age at any age. 

Tuesday This and That

Learn all you can from the mistakes of others. You won't have time to make them all yourself. 

Alfred Sheinwold

Good morning, everyone and a happy Tuesday to all.  Hope you all enjoyed the long weekend.  I didn't do much of anything. I read for awhile, then dozed for awhile, woke up and read some more, etc. A very quiet day. It was really too hot to do much of anything.  Even a walk to the park was out of the question. In a way, I do miss the old days when Labor Day always meant a cookout, but I had a backyard back then.  My George Foreman is not the same and a pain in the butt to clean. So, I just made some pork chops, rice and beans, and sliced up a tomato.  

Speaking of food, I wanted to share the Saturday's Tip of the Day from MyPlate.gov:

'Make treats “treats,” not everyday foods. Treats are great once in a while. Just don’t make treat foods an everyday choice. Limit sweet treats to special occasions and something to look forward to.'

Fortunately I don't like candy and am so-so with cookies. It's my huge meals that put my weight on. But as far as sweets go,  ice cream and cake are my downfall. And forget about birthday cake.  That's something I cannot resist. (Thanks hubby for the huge piece you brought me on Saturday). I always keep donuts or a pound cake the house for hubby because he has really lost a lot of weight.  (We seen to be going in different directions, he and I).  I won't deny that there are times I have been tempted, but I haven't given in.  Always keep fruit in the house for times like that.

I've been itching to get to get at my fall decorating and almost dug everything out this weekend. Actually, we've had some pretty cool fall-like weather here lately which really put me in the mood. Heck, I almost packed away my summer clothes.  But now summer has returned with a a vengeance that just killed the mood.  It just didn't seem right decorating for fall when it feels like summer when I step outdoors.  I did purchase a new fall tablecloth and t two pumpkin heads to sit on my shelf. 

Alas, they make me yearn for Autumn even more. I also purchased two candles....

The candles were leftovers from last year, and these were the last two.  I do hope they get more this year.  They smell so good.

With the fall season upon us, memories of childhood are beginning to abound. 

This was the Church I was baptized and confirmed in. It  was so long ago, but the Church still looks the same. Located in Dover, New Jersey it is  the first permanent church building erected in the town of Dover.  I went to Sunday school in the back. I am sad that many of my memories of this Church has faded, but I do have a few.  In one, it was a very hot Sunday morning, and the minister was giving his sermon.  I looked down at my lap and there was the biggest bumble bee I had ever seen. My breath stopped.  I wanted to scream out, but I was in Church, so I held back my tears and watched the creature as it nonchalantly crawled around on my lap. As hot as I was, I didn't move an inch. After what seemed like an eternity, it flew off, and I could breathe a sigh of relief.  

And then there is  another fond memory of a Halloween party.  I and my Sunday school class spent days decorating the basement for the big day  and invited all our friends. I only had one friend to invite, Kathleen. When our guests  arrived, most of the lights out were turned out, and the mayhem began.  It was really spooky.  I played a ghost that wandered around and jumped out at unsuspecting visitors.  I was so proud of the little part I had.  Later, we ducked for apples and handed out candy.  What a fun night it was.  The best Halloween I can remember.

And with that being said, I am going to sign off for now.  It's really hot and humid out there, and I want to take it slow going to the Center.  This extra weight I carry around makes it hard to breathe...another reason I should heed the advice of my nutritionist.

Have a good one.

Happy Labor Day

Each morning sees some task begin,
Each evening sees it close;
Something attempted, some done,
Has earned a night’s repose.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Not sure what year this was, but it was way back when.  My great grandfather was a fireman in the late 1800's and early 1900's.  I wonder if he was there.

Celebrated on the first Monday in September, Labor Day is dedicated to the American worker and, for most of us, marks the unofficial end of summer. Today the beaches and city pools are set to close.  Doesn't matter if it is hot as heck. Summer waited until September to arrive.  They are predicting at least two weeks of this hot and humid weather.  When I was working, it always meant a three-day weekend to look forward to.  Funny, how old habits die hard.  I said to hubby on Friday, "Hooray for three-day weekends." He pointed out that every day is a weekend day for me.  I guess for him that may be true, but I've got classes and groups I attend.  Granted, they are not mandatory, but they are part of my weekly schedule, and I take them very seriously.

This time of the year always stirs up some childhood memories, especially those days that fall right after Labor Day.  The first day of school was always one of the highlights of my year, despite how the other children treated me.  I guess I always hoped that this year would be different. When I see the 'back to school' sales I am reminded of those carefree days of youth when choosing an outfit for the first day of school was my biggest issue. Always first on the agenda were the  stories about what we did on our summer vacation.  Not that I had anything much to say.  Basically, each summer was pretty much the same for me. My family NEVER went on a trip, so mostly  I spent a lot of time at my grandparent's home. It never quite hit me until now that I never went anyplace with my parents.  So sad. 

I don't plan on doing much of anything today.  It is far too hot and humid to go out anyplace, so it is just going to be a day to put up my feet and find some marathon to get lost in on television. For many, this is a time to squeeze in a last minute summer vacation, have a picnic, or a barbecue. And others will be busy at the malls seeing what goodies that can pick up at the Labor Day sales.  Those crowded stores are not for me.  How times have changed.

When I was growing up, we would never think of shopping on Labor Day.  Actually we couldn't even if we wanted to shop. Stores were always closed on holidays and Sundays back then.  Then again, we had different lifestyles back then.  Most of our time was spent outdoors. Beside,  who would want to spend their day in a store when they could be out there watching the parade and spending a last day of swimming at the lake?  

But, with time, everything changes, and the world moves on  But our memories are with us forever.  Have a good one.

Wishing you all a very happy Labor Day.