Expectations...

We all have some expectations on a daily basis of how things will go for the day, right?
And most notably, we as adults are able to deal with any possible minor disappointments that the day may give us from not meeting our beliefs of just how things should have gone for that day, correct?
Sure, barring anything major like extreme illness accident or death, true?
Absolutely!
That is why today’s choice of entertainment was not that big a deal on the expectation odometer.

To be kind would be to call it a dud.
The problem is when I hear of anything of entertainment value occurring within a decent road trip’s distance for us to go to, to enjoy I have this unrelenting tendency or need to spread the word so others too can have fun!
And then I silently go into my embarrassment mode when I realize that perhaps the excitement I stirred had gone flat, and when I don’t hear from my list of contacts who I anointed with my enthusiasm I reevaluate the reasoning for me to want to be somewhat of a town crier.

Today was one of those days…sorry folks!
The arts and crafts show seems to have been same old same old, not anything new under the sun, not even that much art or crafts to be honest, and that sun I mentioned which happened to be blocked by clouds and also a nasty wind that kept us in the high fifties today instead of the mid-seventies as we should have been!

The best things that happened for this day is that I accomplished the completion of my first epic novel early this morning before we left for lunch, which was not too bad at Bob Evans that now serves a few low cal healthy dishes. I had a spinach salad with cranberries, pecans, apples, and chicken with fruited vinaigrette, 380 calories so it said! (At least I hope so). Skinny Hubby had a ‘rise and shine’ a big late breakfast that he enjoyed too!

Hubby called his Mom and was recognized by her!
All is well, when that occurs, right?
And so all in all it was not too bad of a day after all folks.
We all must make the most of those little things in life that brighten our days, correct friends? Correct.

And so on that positive note I will wish you all a good night and ask you to count those blessings that you do have when you look hard enough and we will count ours too!

On the verge...

Have you ever wondered why contact with anyone would be from afar? By notes or emails, snail mail or phone calls, but never in person.
Mysterious and intriguing are thoughts that do come to mind.

I, a person with a love for novels of those genres question why someone living in the real world would be able to captivate an almost impossibility of retrieval of those images of the desire to parallel a character in such a possible story line, do you get what I am trying to say?
Theories of why this might occur are due to many potential anomalies in the way the earth may justify us to begin with on its own terms, what did I say? LOL

We are human beings with flaws, plain and simple.
And why we do what we do is still as baffling to some of us as if we were from another planet, not just men understanding women, but same sexes understanding one another too.
Sometimes people feel the need to tread carefully while communicating with others realizing the sensitivity of that person’s shell, which may not be that hardened. In other words, in English speaking… too sensitive and unable to handle blunt truths!

Go with me here…a dear old friend contacted me by email weeks ago but since has stepped back, has she taken a turn for the worse health wise, and doesn’t want to discuss it? I hope not. But I already know about her laundry list of ills is as equal to mine if not longer, and we used to be there for each other to talk. Well, time passes and things change.
I suppose I have been also walking on eggshells with not asking her specifics while I in my true to my usual form and ability blurted out all of my problems to her within one short email back to her. I think I have my answer and it’s the same as always… that’s why, what I just wrote, I scared her off!

This is a very good hearted person that hasn’t the heart to be impolite and tell me her problems but is careful not to say anything that is going to set me off on a writing tangent of complaining, which is what I do almost nightly here.
But that’s what this is for, not in my real world!
I must separate the two!
A Blog is vent therapy.
I will muddle over what I just attuned to my brain, and perhaps my lessons of my own flaws will start to register.

On that realization I will bid you all a good night and suggest that you count your blessings while we count ours!

Have you ever attempted to paint in oils?

The reason I am asking is because I think that many have tried, but how many have actually succeeded?
What I am speaking about is gallery showing quality. Where a stranger of “the arts” ability noticed how terrific your interpretation of the light or shadows or object of art is.

Nah, neither have I, but the story that I am reading has a bit to do with that.
The artist, who doesn’t realize that he has talent, is deluged with accolades from new friends and his old family and the art world at large.
I will only allow another snippet from the novel, since I don’t want to ruin it for any who may have not yet read it.

I sort of lied before about not trying to paint in oils since I really had tried during my teen years, and without any classes or anything. I got an easel, and paints from who or where I don’t recall, and I began trying to accomplish what others study years to do, and I chose not a still life of fruit or flowers but what many considered the extremely most difficult thing to paint, a human hand, just a hand, my own darn hand, please don’t laugh.

Yes, if you recall I did say I was in my teens at that time, and challenges were exciting and meant to be tried with gusto.
Not like today when we as the older we get we just find ourselves trying a new way to do things that we once took for granted that now they can be confrontational in our daily grind, and we want to continue on this life’s journey for as long as we so choose. In those younger days I would like to think that I was fearless in trying new and different things, legal things, that is, for I was a good girl. LOL, yes I was!

I was quite fortunate in my growing up years that Mom and Dad encouraged that trying everything behavior and I did take advantage of it by taking all types of classes such as dance at the age four to my teens, and voice lessons, tennis anyone, figure skating, piano and clarinet, skiing, water skiing, and on and on. And so when our sons were small we did the same with them, and it is nice to know that trying is just that to see if you have an aptitude for it or enjoy it and want to continue.

Getting back to my artist rendition of my hand that was my downfall I set my sights perhaps way too high for a first timer and so I also set myself up to fail. And I painted over the canvas that displayed my right hand never ever to be seen by anyone, and so I shut my own door into any possibilities of learning more of if it was any good or just crap as I believe to this day. But that is not to say I don’t appreciate art, because I do, and even studied history of art in college, and did quite well.
That’s the way it goes in some cases you know, some love to create and some love to look, and I suppose I am the latter. But without the lookers the creators would of course have no one to show them to!


On that pondering of a very slight epiphany we will wish you all a good night and advise you to count those blessings and we will too!

Have you ever felt a simpatico relationship with a character in a novel?

You all have heard me speak frequently of enjoying reading and missing it when my cataracts made it too difficult to do.
Well, I’m back and very happy to report my first return trip to a voracious ferocious appetite for reading has been satiated to the degree that I feel the pull from my new novel calling to me to continue to read it as I write this, and yes it is that good!
Are you interested in what the title is, I must admit that it is not a brand new one, its apparently one I missed I’m embarrassed to say since I do read this particular author, in fact ever since the early nineteen seventies, since he began his amazing journey into becoming one of the most well respected authors of this century and the previous one writing in the genre of the macabre, and I believe I think I was one of the first to notice his resemblance to Edgar Allan Poe’s style. Have you guessed; I am sure you all know who I am speaking about? I bet you already know…Stephen King, who else? And the novel that I missed but are making up for it now with reading it, “Duma Key”, written in 2008.

To me it is quite an undertaking since I have returned, for the first time in ages back into the realm of reading; this novel could be considered an epic in its proportions at six hundred and eleven pages, a challenge, which I always enjoy.

I chose it as the first of the several books we borrowed from our county library and it is the longest. The return schedule is long for not brand new ones, and all the ones I chose are not new, but Hubby chose one that was and that has only two weeks until it must be returned. It’s so nice to be able to turn off the TV and have some other form of entertainment and escapism to absorb my active mind in.
And the adage goes; good readers make good writers, right?
That is why I do understand the necessity to continue with this past-time that I have loved since a child.

This particular story also drew me in very quickly since it is Stephen King’s first time using Florida as his backdrop and locations not far from where I live. Most of the mentioned places are real accept for the titled key, Duma it is an imaginary locale.
The main character is also likeable and relatable since he becomes injured through no fault of his own and how he deals with it is interesting to say the least, and knowing King’s joy of never the ordinary straight and narrow way of telling anything this has so many twists and turns of the unexpected supernatural type moments, but it is as usual a true King methodology of expressing a tale. I like it and I haven’t even gotten to page two hundred!

He lives here too part of the year; not here by me, but in Florida, he has for years.

PS Stephen King will be visiting our Cultural Center in March, and four hundred tickets will be given out for free through a lottery starting in February, one can only hope for one, can't one?

Good night to all and to count those blessings and we will too!

Today would have been my Father's 103 rd birthday!

And so a few years ago I decided instead of feeling sad on the anniversary on this marvelous occurrence, since I am sure that his Mom was overjoyed not sad at all, but perhaps in normal labor pain, I felt that the day should be celebrated!
He lived a good life, and was joyous most of all of it.
My Mom’s birthday is next month on the 22nd, and she would have been ninety-nine, and I think we shall go and have another celebration too of her day that she entered the world.

Remembering loved ones that have left the planet is a very special individual thing.
So many religions mourn the day they die, which rightfully seems to be the most unified way to handle death. But when time passes we all should try to remember that loved one in our own unique fond way in my opinion. Some believe that lighting a candle is enough, or visiting a grave and bestowing flowers there, but for you to enjoy happy fun things to do are probably more than likely what that person would absolutely wish for you to do to go on. For as they say they are in a better place, right?

So many anniversaries, so many dates to remember; today is also Holocaust Remembrance Day, and that is a horrendous time to remember, but we should never ever forget what happened either: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_HaShoah

We celebrated today by going to the library and getting several books, since I can see now! Our branch is connected to our cultural society, and so we went inside to look around to see what was going on, and it was teaming with activity. People were getting their taxes done, and finding less expensive prices on insurances, games were being played, classes were being taught and on and on and on, and outside was a farmer’s market. And so we chose wisely some farm fresh produce, a pint of grape tomatoes for only a $1.25, and four bananas for 55 cents a pound, and a beautiful Mango for just a dollar, which I am now drying the seed of so we can have ourselves a tree that will fruit in about eight years!

On that pleasant thought I will leave you for the evening and wish you all a good night and to all count those blessings and we will too!

Taxes, laundry, and taking apart this keyboard full of yuck!

The one thing that we accomplished easily today was our taxes online and we’re done again for the year!

There is something to be said for simplifying your life, and financially we did that about four years ago. We are getting a whopping two digit amount back for the very last time more than likely, since we stopped the powers that be from continuing that practice of taking out for taxes because we were getting it all back at the end of the year anyway.

Being retired we don’t need to have it sit in their pockets when we could use it for whatever we have to, and we were getting much more than double digits back then. We were receiving high triple digits! What we told them though last year after the first of the year that we would prefer to receive the whole amount since we only get it back anyway got it; thus the small amount returned.

I awoke in the wee hours again; I appear to be in a very bad sleep mode, getting up every two hours during the night, spasms mostly, and just uncomfortable in finding a decent sleep position.
And so by five A.M., I got up., and I did a white load in the washing machine, of course! All laundry was dried and put away well before Hubby got up.
Tuesdays have become my water the houseplants day and so I took care of that too, all accept the one I cannot reach, but Hubby did that one atop this computer breakfront when he arose.

While doing the taxes and even writing this Blog the last few weeks I have noticed how often the keys were sticking, spacers, and the rest.
So I shut down this computer today for several hours and we Hubby and I took this keyboard apart and commenced to making it sparkle and shine and work like new!
It was literally encrusted with yuck, not to be too technical.
Due to me more than him I must admit, since I am a snacker, and have been known to spill a beverage or two at times.
Fortunately it was redeemable, and I am using it as my nimble fingers dance over these smoothly moving keys once again!
Once these little suckers are turned off, actually the whole computer shut down it is easy to remove the electronics by turn a few screws, and popping the keys off. But first if you do it, remember to photograph the keyboard and print it out so you don’t have to try to remember where each key belongs. Then warm water and dish soap do a fantastic job on the letters etc., but make sure all components are well dried off before putting it all back together. I found paper towels do a great job of rolling the keys in and when the paper stays dry you know they are dry too.
You should recycle the paper towels though. They are great for wiping the counter since the keys were clean by then and only wet, and so the paper towels can serve double duty, as well as for napkins for dinner for just family, not for company of course!

Good night to all and count those blessings and we will too!

Quiet times should be relished, right?

How many times in your lives have you complained that life was boring?
Most would probably answer too many to count, don’t you think?
Just during those teen years alone would account for millions of times of saying, “I’m bored”, that probably would have been said by me and my many friends over those harsh years of adolescence.

I once heard, most likely in my early childhood development psychology class that a child who can entertain them self was more than likely an intelligent child.
Who writes these things?
As we all know those text books were written by well educated knowledgeable people in their particular field, most likely a psychologist or physiatrist familiar with the topic of early childhood development, correct?
Now for the hard part, how do they study the children that enable them to come to that conclusion?
Do they put children in a cage or a two-way mirrored room to watch them to see how each individual child reacts in each individual situation?
Or do they just assume that when a questionnaire is filled out by loving or not so loving parents that they have the exact ability to comment on what is asked of them in respect of specific questions?
This has baffled laymen for as long as the professionals in their respected fields have stated that they are the last word of how this all comes about and that what they profess to teach is true and concise information from reliable sources.

But is it?
Before these professions of the mind were accepted professions, experience was considered the best teacher, or trial and error.
I can remember a time when many said that their first born was their experimental child, and that what they learned from that one right or wrong would enable them to parent much better with each successive birth of a new being, practice makes perfect, right?

It has been this layman’s/woman’s observation that many never ever get it right, or may even do great with their first and then goof up the rest of the siblings.
And I also believe that as difficult as being a parent can be at times it is well worth the effort, and many times there are no tangible rewards; only the fact that speaks well of them when you have personal knowledge that you have raised an independent loving capable human being, then that is definitely a tremendous award winner!

Characteristically children on the whole are enigmas unto their own unique personas.
Which is why I question with respect the one size fits all reasoning of child rearing and why a child behaves the way that they do at times.
It is tremendously fascinating to me that we as humans really know so little about ourselves or the ones we care about and their behaviors and motivation of why we may do what we do at any given time.
Does it interest you as well?
Have you ever people watched?
The least intrusive place to do this sort of observing is sitting in the middle of an enclosed mall; it can be quite enlightening. Try to watch, but don’t stare too long or you may creep someone out; utilize the time to examine what that person is doing and how, and perhaps where they may be heading in to what type of store. Try guessing their age and background or family origins. It may seem weird to some but examining people is a great way to understand characterizations for writing purposes; or just have some fun with imagining nothing real but a character to make come to life in your imagination or in a story that you have created.
Human behavior is very interesting and should be something that is never assumed to be alike at any given time for any two people.

That’s your tonight’s assignment, try observing someone without them knowing but in a public place, challenging, huh?

Good night to all and to all count those blessings and we will too!