Monday Morning This and That

 Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty.

Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing
in life is to keep your mind young.

Henry Ford

Morning all.  It's a lovely one for sure.  A hint of fall is in the air, but it's only a taste, or better yet, a tease.  Heat and humidity heading back by week's end.  Oh well, won't be long now so I can deal with it.  Today I have no class.  Actually, I have no classes until Friday.  Jewish holidays.  Next week classes will be sparse as well.

I totally love being back in school.  I love being part of the campus.  Sure, most of these kids are young enough to be my grandchildren, and I walk with a cane, but I feel like I am a part of.  Of course, the kids are used to seeing us seniors on campus.  Brooklyn College is one of the few with a special senior citizen program, and I'm pleased to see that a lot of people take advantage of it.

Had my first Tai Chi class on Friday, and I am afraid to say, I've much to learn.  First of all, I have to learn to follow directions better.  When our trainer says 'right', she doesn't mean left.  Not that I don't know the difference, but I have a tendency to look to see what my classmates are doing and become confused because everyone seems to be doing something different.  Have to pay attention to the trainer only.  Secondly, part of my homework assignment, aside from the reading material, is to practice posture and standing straight.  I'd been so afraid of falling that I learned to walk face down and shoulders hunched over.  According to my trainer, this is what makes one lose their balance and causes more falls.

I am so pleased, too, with my classmates.  Even though many are older than me, they are not the same type of people as those I met at the senior centers. They are not content to sit and play cards and bingo all day long.   We all have a common interest.  We're not content to sit back and grow old quietly.  No, we want to stay active and keep our minds from stagnating.  We are eager to learn.  This is exactly what I needed in my life.

Have a good one.  

Thursday Photos

 Education is not the filling of a pail,
but the lighting of a fire.

William Butler Yeats

Started school this week, and I am loving it.  Can't understand why I hated it so much as a youth.  Must have been the rebelliousness of youth.

Here are a few pictures of Brooklyn College.

 A new friend.

 This is the main building for the Lifelong Learning Center.  Of course, not all classes are here.  The campus is huge, but I am learning where everything is.

I arrived at school around noontime one day, that the bells in this wonderful spire was playing what sounded like the school song.  Loved it.

Tuesday Memories

He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.

Immanuel Kant

 I have pets all my life.  Well, since I was five years old, that is.  For some unbeknownst reason, grandma and grandpa never had a pet, and we lived with them for the first five years of my life.  They did keep chickens, however, so they did have animals.  

It wasn't until we moved into our new home that I had a pet.  Susie.  My very special little girl.  My miracle. She was hit by an oil truck when she was barely a year old and lived to a ripe old age of 16 with three legs.  Got along as well as any other pet.  I hated it when the other kids would make fun of her.

I must have been 10 or 11 when we got Tiny, a little fox terrier....who promptly became my dad's dog.  I remember she was smart as a whip.  When retired to his room for the night, Tiny was right at his heels.  So sweet and so much love.

Throughout the years we had many, many cats, but I do not have a picture of them, only the two below.  I remember one winter morning when mom went out to start her car and warm it up, she heard a terrible screech.  An orange cat had been caught in the fan belt.  We rushed her to the vet who saved her life. Although we already had three, we kept her and gave her a home.  She was never quite normal, but she lived a long and happy life. 

This is the first time in 48 years I've not had a pet, but after my beloved Miss Minga's passing, I've decided that I will not  get another one.  I'm older now, in chronic pain, and living on a limited budget.  When I have a pet I want the best for them, and right now I couldn't give them that.

Monday Morning This and That

Sometimes it's important to work for that pot of gold. But other times it's essential to take time off and to make sure that your most important decision in the day simply consists of choosing which color to slide down on the rainbow.

 Douglas Pagels

'These Are the Gifts I'd Like to Give to You'

Good morning everyone, and a very happy Labor Day to those celebrating.  I remember how much I looked forward to these three day weekends while I was working. This is such an exciting week for me.  Tomorrow I have orientation, and my first class starts on Wednesday.  Had a bit of anxiousness yesterday when I started sneezing and had a runny nose, but it seems that was allergies, so  I am all prepared and feeling well for my bit day.  Have all my pens, notebooks, and folders.  Purchased a new bag to carry them in.  Have a new outfit for the first day.  And on Friday I had my haircut.  

On Saturday I had a day of rest.  It was one of those 'do whatever you feel like' days.  I caught up on some pen pal letters, played some FB games, and read.  Finished 'Frankenstein' so I am truly ready for class on Wednesday.  I found another assigned book for free on Kindle, 'Villette' by Charlotte Bronte.  Wow, that one is 746 pages.  I had a hard time with 'Frankenstein', don't know how I am going to read this one.  I'm not good with extra long books.  The only one that truly held my attention from beginning to end was 'The Mists of Avalon'. 

Sunday I went to church and absolutely nothing on my agenda today except to get ready for tomorrow.  Pack my back, polish my nails, lay out clothes.  Going to be a hot one so I am glad I bought a couple outfits, one lighter than the other.  Can you tell that I am excited?  I sure do hope I can sleep tonight.

Was just reading a FB page of one of the scammers I wrote about not too long ago.  If true, the scammer got scammed, but I highly doubt it's true.  This is the one who says she has early stage Alzheimers (probably true)  and claimed, basically, that her internet was the only joy she had and helped her keep in contact with her friends, but it was about to be cut off because she couldn't pay her bill.  Meanwhile, she planned and held her daughter's wedding and went on two vacation trips.  Now she is claiming they donated to some Veteran's program and they stole their ID.  Now she is clammoring to find a way to pay her bills.  That's a hint for everyone.  And when her friends don't volunteer to help her financially,  I see this going on GoFundMe in the near future.  

Well, that's about it this morning.  Gonna go have some breakfast and jump in the shower to take these kinks out of my bones.  Have a wonderful day.

Friday Roundup

One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us
tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden
over the horizon--instead of enjoying the roses
that are blooming outside our windows today.

Dale Carnegie

Good morning.  Been such a busy week for me what with school starting on Tuesday.  Been running about every day. Monday and Wednesday were spent in school shopping.  Got all my supplies and a bag.  Wednesday was grocery shopping, Thursday Weight Watchers, and today I am going to get my hair cut, put some money on my metrocard, and head to Pathmark for my medications.  Later in the afternoon the nurse is coming for my final monthly visit.  I think tomorrow needs to be a stay-in day of rest.

My daughter's surgery went well yesterday.  Thank you for all your prayers. 

Had a real good week with my weight.  Lost 1 pound, finally hitting that illusive 40 I have been struggling to reach for months.  And even better, it's the first time I bought myself anything to wear since I began this journey, and guess what?  I went from a size 3x to XL.  3 sizes down.  Brought tears to my eyes.  Weight Watchers does work.

It's been so darn hot and humid here I don't know how I got anything done.  Believe it or not, I have MOST of my summer clothes packed away.  Did that on Wednesday after the groceries were delivered.  Left out enough to last me until cool weather sets in and started sorting through my fall clothing.  All this and it was 90 degrees outdoors.

Speaking of heat, yesterday I stood out in the sun for 15 minutes waiting for the bus.  When it finally arrived I was so relieved to get on and out of the heat.  All but one of the front seats were empty so I sat and leaned back, enjoying the coolness of the AC...until the next stop.  There were still 4 available seats up front and a multitude in the aisles, but this lady gets on and decides she just HAS to sit in the seat right next to me. If the bus had been packed, and it was the only seat available, I would have understood, but she could have sat anyplace rather than plop her hot sweaty body next to me.  I just don't understand people.

Had a spammer on my blog yesterday.  Glad I filter messages.  One of those born agains who cited a whole bunch of Bible verses as a comment.  I clicked his name and discovered he has a Christian blog.  Now, don't get me wrong.  Everyone has a right to their beliefs however different they may be, but they DO NOT have a right to come to someone else's blog and spout their beliefs.  What they don't know is that although my heading may denote Pagan, I have more spirituality within than they could ever hope to have.  I look for the good in all.  His close-minded self can't say that.

And with that I take my leave and bid you all a magnificent fun-filled weekend.

Thursday Photos

(My daughter is having gallbladder surgery this morning.  So worried, but I know she will be fine.)
  
What a desolate place would be a world without flowers.  It would be a face without a smile, a feast without a welcome.  Are not flowers the stars of the earth?  And are not our stars the flowers of heaven?

Clara Balfour 

On picture day I try to show you a glimpse of my universe, so for today I am sharing some pictures I took on the way to the park.  Brooklyn is really a beautiful place to live.

Tuesday Memories

Then and now.

Sorry the picture isn't so clear.  Mom had it almost glued into the album, and I was hesitant of tearing it by trying to remove for a picture.  It is so old.  About 62 years old, in fact.  This was our first home.  I lived here until I was 18 years old, and my parents bought a new home. So many memories here....camping out in the back yard, huge snowstorms, snow forts, my first pet, Susie, school days, bike riding.  My best friend, Kathleen.  

One day I was in my bedroom playing with my paper dolls when I heard, "Little girl, little girl, can you come out to play?"  We remained best buddies until she moved away after grammar school.  For awhile we kept in contact, but high school happened, and we went our separate ways.

I also got my first kiss while I was living in this house, and it was the first time anyone said I was pretty.  I was sitting in a swing with a boy from down the block.  Wasn't much of a kiss.  Just a peck on the lips.  Heck, I wonder now why he chose me, and if he maybe had some problems.  I was only about 11 years old at the time, still playing with paper dolls and dolls.  I didn't understand.  He was in his late teens. Sounds like he liked little girls.

And this is the way it looks today.