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 |  Day to day stuff....a memoir without order. |
 Imagination is described by Webster as...The act or power of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses in reality. Albert Einstein said "Logic will get you from A to B, but imagination will take you everywhere."  I never realized it until I read it somewhere but there are ways to boost one's imagination: Create a visual journal Draw whatever you see for 15 minutes a day. You don't need to be an artist. Think like an artist Cut out pictures from magazines & piece them together to create an original image. Listen to Bach Close your eyes while playing your favorite music. Or listen to the sounds of nature on a CD or in the great outdoors. Play word games Try thinking of as many words as you can that begin with MAR...or you pick. Daydream Let your mind wander, or focus on a single object & study its characteristics.     Everyone has a story....here's mine.....c   |
| I sit here contemplating Hurricane Milton, barreling toward us with winds at 150 mph. It was only a week and a half ago that we dealt with Hurricane Helene. The debris she left remains on the curb waiting for pickup. Today at around 72 hours before Milton's target time, rain is drizzling and the sky is overcast. Thankfully, the temperature is in the 70s and will remain there most of the week so when the power goes off, ac will not be that much of a problem. I have several pines in my backyard, all the required 20 feet from the house but they are 100 feet tall so that is not very comforting. I could have them all cut down and probably should, but I think of all the wildlife who depend on them. I rant and rave when forests are razed for unneeded apartment buildings and hate to be a hypocrite. And so I worry about the wind and the pines instead. Birds (and squirrels) are ravenously eating from my feeders. They know. |
| I am appalled that it has been so long since I added to this blog. Impossible, I say. Something must have been deleted. No, all is correct so please let me rectify that. I have been painting...a lot, writing...not so much. No reason, just not much happening I guess or not much happening that is interesting to write about. I joined Snail Mail a while back and have received several lovely cards and notes from members who are kind and caring. I love mailbox mail, such a treat from the normal advertising cards and flyers that have become the standard daily deluge. Amy Jo's note arrived yesterday and made my trip to the mailbox more than worthwhile! The weather here in Gainesville, Florida, is perfect at this time of year, lows in the 60s and highs in the 80s, great for an old arthritic person like me. Great for taking walks and from my window where I am now perched typing this post, I can see neighbors doing that very thing. Also saw one lone ibis food-hunting on the front lawn...how did it get separated, usually they are in 2s, 3s or 4s. Crows and chickadees and cardinals and wrens, etc, are busy at the feeder which I can also see from here, actually within 10 feet of my window. Well, my coffee cup is drained and other things are calling so I will end for now but promise to be back soon. |
| I went to a celebration of life last Saturday for a nephew of my late husband's. They have a huge family and I struggled to remember names. Of course, many of them I had never seen. It was held in a little town named Chiefland about 40 some miles west of me, around a 45 minute drive mostly on country back roads. And it rained...all day. But my daughter drove so not so bad for me and she is an excellent driver. The event was held in a Baptist Church and there were numerous re-tellings of childhood or poppy tall tales. Three of his sisters came from Oregon and Indiana and all of them started their talk with "I was the favorite child." And then commenced to tell tales on all the others including the dearly departed brother. It was the funniest celebration of life I've ever been to. I did not go to the book launch...too tired from Saturday...but I heard it was great. It was a collaborative effort between husband and wife, both of them artists, and involved special food dishes they had shared throughout their marriage. I've never seen a book like this before. Held at the Thomas Center, round tables with white cloths were provided for guests who were tempted with culinary delights. Wish I had felt like going. And my friend who had the fall in January let me know she would be in a rehab hospital for a couple of weeks, trying to get back to the way she was before. I plan to visit soon. It's not too far from me but in a high traffic area so I will need to plan my timing. The little doggie I was painting (Snowball) went out in today's mail. Hope my friend likes it. You can see it here  . |
| Like many others on Medicare, the first part of the new year means numerous doctors' appointments. In January and February I have been to see my primary, my rheumatologist, and my ophthamologist. And now I am all finished for a few months. My eye pressure was up some so a change in eye drops means a check up visit in May...same with rheumatologist, a May visit. Some (younger) people are under the mistaken impression that Medicare is free...not so. The monthly premium this year is $164.90 and the annual deductible is $226 and then there are always copays. Drugs are not covered at all in regular Medicare. So be prepared. And today I found out that the pharmacy connected with 2 of my doctors has closed because they cannot compete with the big boys like CVS so shopping around is on my list and extra trips to pick up prescriptions...unless I go back with Walmart, who is the only one I know of that sends through the mail. I dumped them long ago when I had a bad experience. On the bright side my friend who fell in January is doing much better. I took her lunch yesterday and included a freshly baked banana walnut bread. I was very happy to see that she is improving. Afterwards, I attended a beginning calligraphy class at my local library branch that was astonishingly well-attended. I had no idea so many people were interested in calligraphy but I guess with card-making, it has become popular. I can't wait until the next class but they are saying it won't be until the summertime....sad. I have a celebration of life to attend Saturday when my daughter will visit and drive us. And on Sunday I'm planning to attend a book launch for a writer friend. Currently, I'm working on a watercolor portrait of a relative's dog, a cute little miniature poodle named Snowball. So there is lots to do and I am happy to stay busy. Happy Valentine's Day to eveyone and may love and joy come to stay in your lives! |
| My daughter visited last Saturday and accompanied me to my local writing group's Sunshine State Book Festival and it was awesome! 150 authors from all over the place but many from right here in Gainesville, Florida! I did a stint at the information table in the morning and met many interesting people. We had a huge crowd. Check it out here, https://www.facebook.com/WritersAllianceofGainesville, and scroll down a little. After, we went to a popular local pizza joint (Satchel's), and then we visited a Thrift store (Outreach)...which is one of my fav places to go. Found a great jacket vest that fit perfectly. Can't wait to go back again. I'm so happy the Eagles won and are on their way to the Super Bowl! Go Philadelphia! The book (Horse by Geraldine Brooks) that I'm reading for my book club is fantastic, and I highly recommend it, well-written, informative, great plot, and if you like horses, you can't go wrong. My Zoom critique group met last Wednesday and with Ann out, we were only three, but we took up all our time getting caught up on each other's life journeys, a wedding and a surgery just two of the things in the works. Hope Ann is well enough to join us next time. This Wednesday I have a Life Story Group Meeting that I am looking forward to. And thank heavens for warm weather....80 degrees today!! |
| I just heard from a good friend this morning that she had fallen and was in the hospital for a few days. She is a very private person and never asks for help. Thankfully, she had her phone and called her neighbor who immediately came to her rescue. She is in a critique group with me and feels like she won't be able to attend this time even though it is on Zoom. Her speech was slower and I felt like she was really concentrating on her words. She will be 85 in April. She cracked some bones in her sacrum but is getting around with a walker, very painful. Although the doctor did not seem to be worried about it (her words), she has a crack in her skull with a small amount of blood showing up behind one eye (nothing to do about that, he says, except allow time for it to reabsorb. I am very worried about her. |
| It's been very cold the last few days, cold enough that I had to bring in my outside potted plants. Good for me but not too good for them. The air inside is very dry from the heat being on. I should be able to put them back out tomorrow as the "warm-up" nears. Even though it's to be in the 60s F today, tonight will continue in the 30s. I noticed a large frost on my lawn yesterday morning. My Christmas (actually Thanksgiving) cactus had only one little bloom this year but my hoya plant now has 3 heart-shaped leaves! I have an aloe planted in the ground outside so out it must stay and so far it is doing well without covering, fingers crossed. While I was trying to figure out what to paint next, yesterday I cleaned up my emails...over 500 of them. I made some new labels for those I felt I needed to keep and deleted all the rest. When I see a FB photo I like, I save the image and then put it into an email to myself so now I have an email label of "photos to paint", easy to look at and decide...maybe. On Thursday I have my wellness visit scheduled with my primary care doctor, and thankfully, it is supposed to be warm in the 70sF that day. And since I now have the key to the WAG P O Box, I will check their mail while I am out. I've had a meltdown on my Kindle Vella story, can't seem to get going on another episode...will try again today. I have 28 chapters posted. And I need to write something for my next critique group meeting on the 25th. Cold weather puts me in hibernation mood! |
| Not a lot going on this quiet week after the holidays. I purposely ventured out a few times to keep the battery charged in my truck, needed gas and a quick trip to Wallyworld for a few things. My daughter has been sick with a sinus infection/cold but is beginning to feel better. Although my grass has turned brown from the "cold" weather a week ago, my lawn guy came on Thursday and did a beautiful job of sprucing things up. I so appreciate him. My local writing group met yesterday with a program on writing children's books, well-attended and interesting. We always have a board meeting just before the program and since I couldn't help myself from volunteering, I am back to picking up the group's (WAG) mail and depositing any checks received. I was their treasurer for five years (2014-2019) and had promised myself never again but...that's me. I think it will be okay, not that much to do and maybe it will lighten the new treasurer's load. And I finished a watercolor painting for a friend of a relative down south, putting it in the mail tomorrow. You can see Chappie here . And that's all I have for this week. Have a good one, and stay safe and healthy. |
| I think my daughter and I have started a new tradition. Chinese on Christmas Day at Mr. Han's was great! We had salt and pepper shrimp and crispy orange eggplant and gobs of tea! Lots of people there but the noise was not a problem, no wait since we had a reservation, and the decor and atmosphere was lovely. It was so nice to be waited on for Christmas dinner. My daughter stayed the night and we "tried" to work a puzzle, only got the outside edges finished, a thousand pieces! What were we thinking? The week between Christmas and New Year's vanished without being memorable as usual. Since it was extraordinarily cold here, the only trip out I made was to the library to return a book and renew my library card. They make you come to the library for that...had to "show" my driver's license. It warmed up near the end of 2022 and I watched and listened as neighbors shot off fireworks on New Year's Eve. It made me think of Mopsy (my loved kitty who died on January 24, 2020). She always hid somewhere at the first boom never getting used to the loud noise. Fireworks are for kids. I made a very tasty soup of veggies, black-eyed peas and collards on New Year's Day but never got around to taking down my Christmas tree. I looked at it a few times with intent but have enjoyed the twinkly lights so much this year, it has warranted a reprieve...soon though. I will not be one of those people who keep up their Christmas decorations. Some soup is left over for today, it was so good. January 1st is the only day I cook black-eyed peas and collards, not usually my favorite veggies. I ordered a calendar from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (Defend the Flock) way back in October and since it never came, I emailed them last week. Apparently, I checked the 2022 box (ugh). Happily it was been amended and they say it is "on the way". I'm keeping track with a little pocket calendar to be transcribed as soon as the real one comes. |
| Merry Christmas, everyone! It's very cold here this morning, 25F and the birds' water is frozen...again. Two squirrels are scavenging one of the feeders but I say have at it. It's cold and they are welcome to it. My daughter will be here around noon and we plan to eat out this year...Chinese, a first. Will report later how it goes. In the meantime, hope everyone has an especially nice holiday. I can't help thinking though about all the homeless and people without power today. May they find help and warmth. God Bless. |
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