Monday Morning This and That

 Our birthdays are feathers in the broad wing of time.

Jean Paul Richter

Good morning everyone.  How about that snow on Friday?  Winter just isn't going lightly this year.  The news said there is a possibility of another storm come Friday, but hopefully that won't be snow.  Nonetheless, I started my spring cleaning on Saturday.  Worked my butt off.  Started packing away some winter I know I won't be using again this year and dug out some spring.  Cleaned out closets and drawers.  Washed all my knickknacks, dusted, put new doilies on, swept and mopped, etc.  There was no resting for the weary.  

Today is my birthday. Time is flying far too fast for me.  Can't keep up with it. Can't believe I am 68 years old today, or I will be at 12:06 pm, and guess what?  I've got an appointment with the endocrinologist in the morning.  Now I wish I had changed it when I had a chance. Thank goodness it's not an every week thing.  It's quite a long journey to get there. Takes about an hour and two buses.  So that will be two hours of traveling today.  What a way to spend one's birthday.

I've been practicing working with watercolor and my first attempt at real art is a portrait of my sweet baby girl, Miss Minga.  I swear, I miss her more and more each day.  Little memories come up, and before I know it, the tears are flowing.  This portrait was one of my ways to honor my little angel.  Once I get into acrylics, I'll do another painting.  I see here where I made my mistakes and won't make them again.

Well, that's about it for this weekend.  Aside from all my housework, it was a quiet one.  Have a wonderful Monday. 

Friday Roundup

 And the Spring arose on the garden fair;
Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;
And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast
Rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.

Percy Bysshe Shelley

Good morning, everyone.  Spring arrives at 6:45 pm EDT, and it is coming in style with a total solar eclipse and a supermoon, but  because the moon is new rather than full,  it won’t be seen. However, it will be passubg us closer than ever, and its shadow WILL be visible as it blocks out the sun on Friday morning.  But with today's forecast of clouds and snow, I wonder if we will even see that. Winter is not letting go easily. 

Went to Weight Watchers yesterday and lost another 1.6 pounds.  Felt good about that one.  I'd reached a plateau where I stayed the same for two weeks, then last week lost .2 pounds.  I was tempted to write 'only' .2 pounds but they tell us that any loss is something to be proud of, and we should never say 'only'.  

Got two new plants yesterday.  

This is my Dwarf Laurentii Snake Plant (Sanseveria).  They say it is impossible to kill.  I sure do hope they are right.  I have been known to kill a cactus.  

This is my Peace Lily Plant, another hard to kill plant.  Can't wait to see it flower.

I have to share this one with you.  The other day I went to the old center.  They were having meatball and ziti for lunch, and I can never turn Italian food down.  Well, I ran into an old friend there who I hadn't seen in a few months.  A cat lover, she was well aware that I had an elderly cat and spent a lot of time talking about how much she had adored her cats before they passed.  So, one expects this person to be understanding.

So, when I shared that my Miss Minga had passed, I began to fight back the tears.  She put her arm around me in comfort, telling me how sorry she was for my loss.  But then, out of the blue, she comes out with the following, "I know you are hurting, but just think about all the money you are going to save now.  No more cat food, no more litter, no more vet bills.  And now, you don't have to run home after lunch anymore.  You can stay out any time you want."  I have to believe she meant well, but it sure came out as cruel, and personally, I don't think I want to talk to her anymore. 

Well, that's about it for this week.  Planning a quiet weekend.  Not sure if I am going out at all today, but I definitely am staying in tomorrow.  Saturday is my day of rest.  Have a wonderful weekend, and I'll see you all on Monday.

Wednesday Quote

Whether you know it or not, one of the most important relationships in
your life is with your Soul. Will you be kind and loving to your Soul,
or will you be harsh and difficult? Many of us unknowingly damage
our Souls with our negative attitudes and actions or by simple neglect.
By making the relationship with your Soul an important part of your
life, however, by honoring it in your daily routine, you give your life
greater meaning and substance. Use your experiences--all of
them--as opportunities to nourish your Soul!

Elisabeth Kuebler-Ross

Happy St. Patty's Day

St. Patrick's Day is an enchanted time - a day to begin transforming winter's dreams into summer's magic. 

Adrienne Cook

Good morning, everyone.  It's a rainy day out there, warm and wet.  Too bad for the parade. At least for this morning it is.  Going to art class anyway.  I'm hoping the instructor is there.  Lately he has been missing a lot.  Very disappointing, especially when I was really starting to learn. Was searching my closet last night and can't believe I have nothing in green.  Oh well.  At least I know enough not to wear orange.  Did that on my job years ago, and I thought they were going to run me out of the place.  LOL!!!

Yesterday I went to the old center.  Wouldn't you know it?  I chose the wrong day.  None of my friends were there.  Played a few games of bingo, had lunch, and then came home.  The nurse was scheduled for her monthly visit at 3pm, and I wanted to have dinner done by then so I wasn't in the middle of cooking.  But I got home to find her card in my door.  Seems they bumped up my appointment time to sometime in the morning....and no one told me.  

In fact, this is the second time they've done this to me, and I am a bit annoyed.  Last month they called me at 7 pm and informed me that the nurse was coming at 9 am the next morning.  I told them they couldn't do that.  I already had plans.  I didn't like the man who called hinting that my refusal could interfere with my insurance coverage, ..."You must understand", he kept repeating, "this is about your insurance."  I already knew from my original nurse that I totally had the right to refuse.  And now this.  I've been seeing the nurse once a month for almost a year now.  My appointment has always been in the afternoon because of my morning activities.  Now it seems that someone else in my building has the same health plan, and they want morning visits, so I get moved up for convenience?  I don't think so.  Aren't I the one with seniority?

Speaking of the old center.  Yesterday the director came in and got on the microphone raving about all they have planned for St. Patrick's Day.  I thought, maybe since the instructor has been taking off so much, maybe I should attend.  And then I heard the menu.  Pork chops and cabbage.  Sorry, I love both, but not as a St. Patty's Day meal.   I want the real thing.  I won't be cooking it.  Hubby doesn't like cabbage, and I priced the corned beef over the weekend.  Forget about it. 

A few weeks back I was invited to participate in a survey about my medical insurance.  I was to receive a $20 gift card for doing so.  Guess what?  I got the card yesterday.  Couldn't have come at a better time.  I am so totally broke. Where did all the money go this month?

Well, that's about it.  Have a good one.  I'll leave you with some of my favorite Irish quotes.

For each petal on the shamrock 

This brings a wish your way -

Good health, good luck, and happiness 

For today and every day. 

Author Unknown 

 For 'tis green, green, green, where the ruined towers are gray, 

And it's green, green, green, all the happy night and day; 

Green of leaf and green of sod, green of ivy on the wall, 

And the blessed Irish shamrock with the fairest green of all. 

Mary Elizabeth Blake 

May luck be our companion 

May friends stand by our side 

May history remind us all 

Of Ireland's faith and pride. 

May God bless us with happiness 

May love and faith abide.

Irish Blessing

Monday Morning This and That

Good morning, everyone.  Another Monday, another day closer to Spring.  Saturday was a complete washout, and I stayed in.  Caught up on my letters to penpals and did some sorting through Spring clothes. Afterwards spent time catching up on my reading.  Hubby went to visit his sister.  She is not doing so well, and I know it is time for me to let go of past irritations, but I fear putting myself into a position where I am shunned once again.  They all speak English very well, but speak Spanish to show me that I am excluded from the family.  Never did a thing to them; in fact, I'd bent over backwards to make them like me, but it didn't matter.  I am friends with one of his sisters they don't like, so that means they don't like me.

Do you believe in the Afterlife?  That the spirits of our loved ones and beloved pets remain with us after they pass on?  Take a look at the following photo. My friends from church were in awe.

My phone eats memory like crazy.  I had a little LG Motion and traded it in for an Optimus because the print was too small on the Motion.  I had asked the girl which was the better phone and she told me the Motion.  I didn't want to hear that.  No, I wanted something bigger, more modern, and nicer looking. Needless to say, I have very little memory in my new phone.  I do not have any games on it and have downloaded nothing but Facebook and Messenger. I do know they eat up memory, but not as bad as on this phone.  So, when I take pictures I have to upload them to my computer and delete on the phone right away.  I also have a sweeper on my phone that cleans it out and use it several times a day.

When I got to cleaning out my photo album I was surprised to see two strange photos that I hadn't taken. I deleted one of them, but just as I started to delete this one, I saw it.  Look to the right side.  There is the figure of a cat, and on closer look, I saw the black ears and half black, half red face.  At first I thought it was just wishful thinking on my part, but my son,  a few friends on Facebook, and even the cynic, my hubby saw it.  It brings tears of joy.  My baby has let me know that she is okay and still with me in another form.  They say they find ways to let us know and leave us signs.  (The original picture is much clearer.  Would not post here on Blogger.  Turned upside down every time so I had to post on FB and copy to here)

On Sunday morning I went to church and later made Salsa Segreta for dinner.  I am so in love with that sauce. Here is the recipe again...

One large can of plum tomatoes
2 cloves minced garlic
1 small onion, minced
1/8 tsp of crushed red pepper
olive oil
Italian seasonings*
Basil

Saute onions  in olive oil for about 3 minutes, then add garlic and saute another 3-4 minutes.  Add tomatoes, bring to boil, stirring until it starts to bubble, then turn down flame and simmer, stirring frequently.  I crush the tomatoes as I stir.  Add seasonings  and simmer about 30 more minutes. 

Have a good one.

Thursday Ramble

The air and the earth interpenetrated in the warm gusts of spring;
the soil was full of sunlight, and the sunlight full of red dust.
The air one breathed was saturated with earthy smells,
and the grass under foot had a reflection of blue sky in it.

Willa Cather  

Good morning, everyone.  Spring fever has hit.  The temperature is warm and comfortable. Ordered my spring candles, and now I cannot wait to light them.  They smell so good.

I tried to order them from Yankee Candles, but for some reason they kept giving me a problem with my Pay Pal account, Yankee Candle that is.  For two days I tried and couldn't get it to work so I called them and informed them if an order should come through, cancel it.   Then, something told me to look on EBay.  I have never shopped there....and lo and behold, I found the above set of spring scented candles, two more than I was getting directly from Yankee Candle and $8 cheaper.  See?  Everything happens for a reason.

This is the little fairy garden I ordered in honor of Miss Minga.  It's actually quite small.  The little plant is an air plant.  Never had one of these, but it looks fairly easy to care for. 

Why is it that it is so easy for people to vehemently deny that they made a mistake before they even before they hear you out?  Last Wednesday I went to Pathmark to pick up my prescription and while there I went to the service desk to purchase a $50 Amazon gift card.  (I always keep some money in my Amazon account for gifts and books I might want to purchase.)

Well, the $50 gift cards were up high and just below them were the $25 cards.  The woman working behind the counter was short so I told her to give me two $25's so she didn't have to struggle to reach them.  

So, to make a long store short she grabbed three cards instead of two.  She validates two of the cards before she realizes she has three,  so she puts one aside.  I get home and try to add them onto my account and discover one doesn't work.  Sure enough, I check my receipt and find she has given me the unvalidated card.  I immediately called the store and spoke to the manager, who found the card I should have received, explaining that I couldn't get back there until Monday.  He assured me that was okay.  He would hang the card off to the side for me.

Monday comes around, and I return to Pathmark.  Before I can even get the words out she grabs the card and says "I wouldn't do something like that.  This isn't the card I gave you."  In my book, she is calling me dishonest. I kept trying to explain what had happened but she just kept repeating herself and then said, "I have to talk to my boss" (not the manager I spoke to) and walked off into the back room, closing the door behind her.  

It was then that I saw it, one Amazon card hanging off to the side, and I knew that was the one the manager had put there.  So, when she came out of the room and went to hand me that bad card, "I'm sorry.  We can't do anything about this.  This wasn't the card I gave you," I pointed and said, "Yes, this IS the card you gave me.  The one you were SUPPOSED to give me is hanging right over there."  She took the card down, and with my receipt in hand, took it back to her boss.

Not even two minutes later they both came out all apologies and handed me the correct card.  I accepted their apology but it was really too little, too late.  Will not utilize their store for gift cards again.

Thanks for listening.

Wednesday Quote

Dear God, we give thanks for places of simplicity and peace. Let us find such a place within ourselves. We give thanks for places of refuge and beauty. Let us find such a place within ourselves. We give thanks for places of nature's truth and freedom, of joy, inspiration and renewal, places where all creatures may find acceptance and belonging. Let us search for these places: in the world, in ourselves and in others. Let us restore them. Let us strengthen and protect them and let us create them.

May we mend this outer world according to the truth of our inner life and may our souls be shaped and nourished by nature's eternal wisdom. Amen.


Leunig