Warm and Windy

Without these gale force winds today, it would be the perfect day to do yard work but I've learned that fighting winds like this while trying to clean up or plant in my garden isn't worth the effort. I like to be at peace while planning and planting and not chasing things blowing around the yard.

I did give in and plant 2 pots of yellow marigolds and 1 pot of lilac pansies, though, just to start out a few of my mixed planters. Most of the tulips are still looking good because I planted early, mid, and late ones so that, by the time the early ones have dropped their petals, the late ones are fresh and perky.

Yesterday I got out the leaf blower and cleared the patio and deck so it will look nice until the cherry pits start to fall. I never realized until my husband passed away and I had to do all the work what a bonus a leaf blower is. I take mine back and forth with me to Florida and use it often both here and there.

It's important to have good, comfortable tools and I'm thinking of splurging on a heavy plastic wheel barrow that's easier for me to handle. The problem is that I'll only be in this house for a few more years so is it worth the investment? Right now I've got a huge bag of soil (1500 pounds worth!) sitting in the driveway waiting to be dispersed and I'm not sure I have the strength to do much of it. My grandson is going to lend me his muscles on Friday to move some huge, heavy rocks around my front garden and to top up soil there, too, but it will take quite a bit of work to empty that big yellow bag! I know I don't need all of this soil this year but it will be handy to have it for next year, too.

I'm still in the planning stages of my 2010 garden. The most important part is the 13 deck planters that need careful consideration. They all get at least half full sun so I need to make sure they don't dry out when I'm off on a trip. Impatiens is my mainstay in those pots because of the many color choices and the way they spill over the sides. Then I learned that lamium (ground cover) mixes in nicely and trails for as long a length as I let it. It also doesn't cost me anything because I have tons of it in the back garden.

But it's spring days like this, sunny, warm, and even windy, that my hands itch to get into the garden and bring it to life with color. Every year I promise myself I won't rush it and plant too early but every year my car heads to the nurseries in early May. Today it was marigolds and pansies but even I have more restraint than to plant impatiens before the last week in May. Of course, there are lots of hardier plants that I can think about for my many planters and bedding spots so I won't have to wait too long!

The Destroyers

There are people in this world who wake up each morning and wonder what kind of destruction they can perform that day. They are not the builders of the world and not the ones who spend their lives making the world a better place to live in. They are the ones who have no soul and live only to destroy.

The man who placed a car loaded with explosives in New York city is such a person. His wish was to kill or maim as many people as possible in some sort of sick quest to enhance himself. He was playing God and I'm sure his religion would frown on that.

He's a naturalized American citizen who made a choice only a year ago to live in the land of opportunity but then also chose to cause destruction and death in the country which opened it's arms in welcome to him. How can we understand a human being like this?

How can we understand anyone who has been indoctrinated to destroy? I don't think the average person can ever understand someone like that but we can thank our police and military for protecting us against them. In this case, a watchful citizen and a well informed police force kept this monster from completing his mission of hatred.

Remember when religion meant love for all mankind?

My Health Care in Canada

Two and a half years ago, in Florida, I damaged my knee doing high kicks at our New Year's party to "New York, New York". I was in terrible pain for over a month but, by the time I came back home to Canada, it had subsided to just a slight tenderness so I didn't see my doctor.

Diagnosing myself with the help of the internet, I believe I've probably torn or stretched the ligaments which run along the inside of my knee because the knee cap doesn't seem to be involved.

Ever since injuring it, my knee hurts whenever I twist it and that's what happened last week. I dug up a very heavy Hosta and twisted my knee as I was dumping it in it's new spot in the garden. This time the pain reached further down the inside of my knee to about mid calf which made me think I might have torn the ligament further. It was time to see my family doctor and go through all the darned tests I knew he'd subject me to.

I had already phoned last Thursday to ask for an appointment for something else, not an emergency, so was given an appointment for this morning. In any emergency I am seen the same day I call. My appointment this morning was for 10:30 and I showed up at his office at 10:15, was immediately taken in and gave my list of symptoms that needed looking after. By 11:00, I had been diagnosed, given a prescription for a minor problem, had an exray, been given appointments for an MRI and to see a specialist. I will never see a bill for any of this.

Because my knee problem isn't exactly a serious one, the specialist and MRI appointments are for some time in August. Granted, it's a bit of a wait but I still only have a bit of a problem with this stupid knee and I just don't want it to get worse.

My family doctor sort of agrees with my diagnosis that it could be a stretched or torn ligament but he also thinks it could be torn cartilege. I asked what might be done if that's the case and he intimated that minor surgery such as scoping to clean it out might rectify it. If it's the ligament I'm betting on minor surgery to reconnect it but we'll see in August.

Before I left his office, I asked for a requisition form to get my yearly bloodwork done. No sooner asked for than received and this, too, will be done without me ever seeing a bill.

My personal health care in Canada has always been excellent and I really don't know anyone who hasn't received excellent care. One western Canadian lady had such a bad experience with our health care system that she joined forces with American insurance companies to try to stop Obama from bringing in their new government health care plan. I believe she was misdiagnosed and received delayed catscans or petscans so she'd like Americans to believe all health care in Canada is inadequate but that just isn't the case. Mistakes can and will be made no matter what kind of health care plan you have. We're all human.

Oh yes, I took the prescription over to my local drug store and the only cost was the $6.11 dispensing fee. Health care in Canada...I KNOW where we'd be without it!

Centipedes Will Be Gone!!

Last night I woke up about 3 A.M. to go to the bathroom and as I reached to turn my bedside lamp off I saw a humungous centipede on the wall right next to the bed. I grabbed the Raid and sprayed it till it croaked but was so disgusted by the little critter's presence that I decided it was time to call pest control.

First thing this morning, after a sleepless night with lights on, I called a couple of pest control companies to get a price on spraying my whole house and asked about guarantees. The first company charged $250 with a 6 month guarantee and the second company charged $175 with a 6 month guarantee. I chose company #2 which also gave me a tiny senior dicount. These companies have no idea that I would have mortgaged the house to pay for pest control that would rid me of these horrible bugs.

When I got home from Florida I noticed a huge increase in dead bugs around the house and attributed that to the powder I'd sprinkled around when I'd left in October. Little did I know that the huge increase in dead bugs meant that there was also a huge increase in live ones being born. These horrible creatures are not small, either, but damn big!

At 3:30 A.M., I laid in bed wondering how quickly I should sell this house and move on to a bug free apartment but then I thought it was worth paying a bit of money to have it sprayed. I'm hoping and praying that this will work because I'm totally fed up with always looking around fearfully as I walk through the house.

The pest control people are coming today at 3:30 P.M. and I have to be out of the house for 3 hours after they spray. Please let this work!!!

Arizona Profiling Law

I've been wondering about this new law in Arizona where police officers are allowed to stop and interrogate anyone they think might be in the country illegally. Now, maybe I'm terribly naive, but I've always thought that the police already have the right to question anyone they chose.

I don't think I'd be insulted if the police saw me tootling around in my Ontario licenced car and decided to see if I was legally in the U.S.A. Although, if they stopped and questioned me repeatedly, it would make me mad. And maybe that's the danger of this new law, that it can easily lead to harassment.

My heart goes out to Mexicans who, out of desperation for a better life, enter the U.S. illegally. They most often become victims of unscrupulous business people who use them as slave laborers and they never really integrate successfully. But enough of them do succeed and that's what draws them there.

I don't know what the answer is to this problem. It would be interesting to know just how much illegal aliens are actually costing American taxpayers and how much they are benefiting them. It's impossible to have a completely open border because that would cause chaos in the country so something has to be done that is fair to both sides.

I've recently found out that elderly relatives brought to Canada by their legal families can receive our old age pension after living here only 10 years and I think that's robbery to citizens who have paid taxes all their lives. How and why did this law get passed? I'll bet there are laws in both Canada and the U.S. that could be changed to prevent unfair draining of resources so maybe that's the answer.

The new profiling law in Arizona leaves a bad taste in the mouth, imagining how some people's hearts would always be racing in fear every time they saw a police officer. But maybe that happens for illegals anyway, everywhere. It definitely isn't an easy choice to make, entering any country illegally, but sometimes you just "gotta do what you gotta do" for yourself and your family.

No matter which way you look at it, there's no fair answer to this problem.

Gay Bashing..Hate Crime

A young man in British Columbia just received a 17 month jail sentence for severely injuring a gay man just because he was gay. In my opinion, this criminal should have been given a 5 year sentence for breaking the poor man's jaw but that's not why I'm writing this blog.

My issue is with the term "hate crime". Any violent crime, whether it be against man, woman, gay, or even a child, is a crime of hatred. It shouldn't be an issue that the victim of such a crime is gay because it doesn't really matter. Some fool who believes he or she has the right to lash out at anything or anyone who offends them in some way should go to jail for a long, long time. Let the marijuana users out to make room for all these violent people.

Is it any less a hate crime if a man beats his wife into unconsciousness just because he's a loser? Is it any less a hate crime if a person breaks another person's jaw just because they looked at them? All violent crimes are hate crimes and giving special status to gay victims just makes them more separate from the rest of us.

We're all offended by different things but none of us has the right to hit and hurt. A 17 month jail sentence might teach that young man a lesson his parents failed to teach him.

Sisters/Friends

A friend of mine from Florida referred to her lady friends as "sisters" and that's actually how you come to feel about women you become close to. There is a bond among close women friends that exists because of mutual understanding of our life's struggles. I think women become friends easier than men because we learn quickly who we can trust.

I think all of my male friends are sort of on the periphery of friendship. They're mainly there because I'm friends with their wives or girlfriends otherwise I'd probably not pay too much attention to them. This isn't a mean thing, it's just that males and females don't have a whole heck of a lot in common and I'd rather spend time with someone I can identify with.

Today I'm going for an overnight at the casino with Faye (sister-in-law) and Mary (ex-sister-in-law) who are more than friends, they are sisters to me. I care as much about them as I do for my blood sister. We're going to have a super fun time gambling and eating, and then retire to our room for a couple of drinks and happy conversation. We're three very different personalities but we have one very important thing in common...we're sisters/friends.

Closet Purging

I don't smoke and I don't often drink so that's my excuse for buying way too many clothes. Because I spend half the year in the States and their clothing prices are about half what we pay here, I can't seem to control myself when in the ladies wear department of any store there. Hence, a too full closet and too full drawers (dresser drawers, my friend).

Every year I bring a nice new allotment of clothes home with me and then I have to purge my wardrobe of things I don't like anymore or don't fit. This year the pile is high and I'm a little embarrassed...note the pants with the price tag still still on!

Now I didn't really replace all this stuff with new clothes but many of these things either have shrunk or they don't feel good on me. I can't stand a polyester blouse in the heat and a lot of my tank tops have gotten too short from washing in hot water. A lot of other things have been around for years but I kept them but didn't wear them so they have to go.

It feels good to purge. I don't throw anything away but first offer them to my daughters and then take the rest to a women's shelter. It's all for a good cause and that's what calms my guilt.

I'll try to do better next year, I promise.

There's Still Hope For Us

Making the news the other day was the story of people walking past a bleeding, dying man and not offering help. Some young men were even cold enough to film his death on their cell phones. Horrible!

Then today I read about 2 men who, upon witnessing a woman being beaton on her front lawn, racing to her rescue and taking measures to capture her assailant. This is what humanity is supposed to be about...people helping those in need. And this is what happens the vast majority of the time. Instances like those where a dying person is ignored are far and few between so we shouldn't think of them as the new norm.

Our world is full of good samaritans, good people who do their best to make this a better world. I don't think our society could function without the masses of volunteers who give of their time and abilities to aid those in need. Maybe instead of schools force feeding explicit sexual education on our youngsters, they should be teaching them how gratifying volunteering can be in their lives.

The kindness of strangers...far more powerful than any cruel and uncaring act committed by an imbecile.

Published

My "letter to the editor" was published in the local newspaper today and I'm expecting it will offend a few people. I pointed out that gay activists who prefer our children be taught about gay sex in kindergarten have no right to make any suggestions concerning school curriculum. Some people are not going to like that because it will be frowned on as "homophobic".

I don't think I'm homophobic because I do believe some gay people were born sexually ambiguous. Unfortunately, I'm also one of those people who honestly believe that most gay people are there by choice. That's my humble opinion but it's my right to have that opinion just as it's a gay person's right to live their life as they wish.

I know and respect a few gay people but none of them are the flagrant, flaming kind. I wouldn't want to be around flagrant, flaming heterosexuals, either, because I'd also think them annoying. It's not what you do in bed, it's how you conduct yourself in public that makes you socially acceptable in my eyes.

Back to "letters to the editor"...I need to change tactics for my next letter. It seems that these letters usually erupt from an incident that made me angry enough to complain about it and I don't like being angry. Next time I get the urge to write a letter to the editor it's going to be when I find something pleasant to comment on. That means I'd better stop listening to or reading about anything our idiot politicians are doing.

Eating Chicken Makes You Gay???

Well, Evo Morales, president of Bolivia, has shown his ignorance once again. Now he's stating that eating chicken, laced with hormones to promote faster growth, can make a heterosexual gay. This is a man who takes a tiny seed of suspicion without scientific merit and speaks it as the truth.

As with all rumor and innuendo, there is an atom of possible truth in what he says. All of the chemicals in food that we are consuming can't be doing us any good but, changing our sexual orientation??? From all reports, Evo must not eat much chicken because he apparently prefers very, very young girls as sexual partners. What's worse, a gay or a pedophile?

I eat a lot of chicken but have been an active and inactive heterosexual all of my life. Come to think about it, I've begun to notice humungous silicone boobs lately. My goodness, could this be the start of Evo's predictions????

Free Day

No, that isn't snow. It's cherry blossom petals from the tree next door. They're the reason I have only a 2 day window to stain my deck in the spring because they open quickly as soon as it's warm and then almost immediately begin to fall. Within a few weeks the cherries will begin to form and then the birds eat them, knocking many onto the deck. Then the stems form a carpet on the deck soon after. Mind you, I'm not really complaining because I love the tree and the beautiful blossoms while they last.

I took my car over to "Reg's", a local car painter, this morning to fix up the clearcoat on my car. A few awful looking spots of clearcoat have disintegrated and it makes my cute little car look terrible. He's only charging me $100 to make my cute car pretty again and it should be ready tomorrow.

Today, I'm housebound and can play on the computer for as long as I please. I could also do some housework but I don't have to if I don't want to...one of the perks of being retired and living alone!

Don, the handyman, will be dropping by to pick up his money for all the work he did outside the house last week. It was money well spent because homeowners have to keep up the appearance of their house if they don't want it to fall beyond repair. My husband used to do all these little chores when he was alive but they're mainly beyond my ability. I can't climb a ladder, for one thing. So Don, the handyman, is a blessing in my life.

My house was built in 1953 when milkmen and breadmen made the rounds, going from house to house early each morning. That's why I have a milkbox with doors opening outside and inside. The men would just slip their wares inside the box each day and collect their money probably once a week. I hate this milkbox because I have no use for it and now I want Don to take it out and replace it with glass block. This would add light to the basement stairway and look pretty besides.

I have no intention of spending too much money on modernizing my house at this late date but the odd improvement increases it's value and warms my soul. I'm really considering replacing the kitchen counter, sink, and taps if I get the income tax refund I'm hoping for this year. We'll see.

Well, I have a whole free day ahead of me. Wonder where my inquiring mind will take me?

Strange Follower

It's always nice to know a stranger has fallen upon my blog and likes it. Recently, I noticed the odd comment left but all in Chinese so, being the kind and polite person I am, I re-commented and asked them if they could please respond in English so we could communicate better. Still, the comments continued to be sent in Chinese with the odd (strange) English words interspersed.

I mentioned this to my daughter who is much more computer literate than I am (like, who isn't??) and she traced my reader back to, of all places, a porn site. Now, this is very confusing to me. What in any of my blogs would attract anyone from a porn site? I'm a little old lady who lives a pristine life!

This is a message to the porn site reader. You're welcome here anytime but don't leave icky comments.

Letters To The Editor

Now that I'm back home in Canada and most of my return cleaning has been done, I have the time to write regular blogs and even to send an irate letter to the editor of my local newspaper. My issue is Ontario's recent decision to teach graphic sex education to children beginning in grade 3. The government has since decided their decision was ill advised because of massive parental backlash.

My letter to the editor was fairly simple. Why would an 8 year old child in grade 3 need to be taught about gay relationships? Why would a 10 year old child in grade 5 need to be taught about masturbation? Why would an 11 year old child in grade 6 need to be taught about oral and anal intercourse? And who is pushing for this radical change in the way sex education is being taught in our schools now?

One of the people pressing for these changes is a gay activist who claims she would prefer children should be taught about gay relationships in kindergarten. This woman, who is a lesbian, could never naturally produce a child within her gay relationships so why does she have any say in how heterosexuals teach their children about sex? To be honest, I do believe that children should be given accurate answers as soon as they are able to ask the questions, though, so they would sooner or later learn all they needed to know about sexual conduct of all kind. Saying this, there is no need to push such delicate information on young minds before they're ready.

Children today are exposed to way too much adult information simply because of what they see on T.V. and advertisements, not to mention song lyrics! We treasure the pure innocence of a child and it's human nature to protect them for as long as possible. My wish is that we don't fill their heads with images and information they are too young to fully understand. Let them be children for a while yet.

Wanna Be A Favorite

My sister-in-law, Marilee, showed me a website called "Etsy" where I could sell my Swedish weaving so I quickly registered and placed my first listing the other day. Today I listed another one and noticed on the bottom of the page that I could look at who "hearts" me...that means keeps me as a favorite seller.

I clicked on the link and read, "No-one calls Patsyrose a favorite yet". My feelings were hurt. I WANT to be someone's favorite.

Seriously, it's always such a warm and fuzzy feeling to know you're someone's favorite sweetheart, friend, or whatever and that little message made me feel left out. I think they should reword to say, "Patsyrose just hasn't been discovered yet". And, when I am, they're in for a treat.

Note: Today, April 23rd, I became someone's favorite. I am truly thrilled!

Work Makes You Sore

Every year when I return from Florida I face the same chores. First, I unpack a full (always crammed full) car and tote everything upstairs and downstairs, storing it in it's proper place. Then I drag the vacuum cleaner upstairs and downstairs, cleaning up 6 months of dust. Dusting the furniture is always put on hold for a few days, though.

Then I shop for groceries, make soups and a few frozen meals. Next comes the yard where I usually have to plow the lawn mower through the densest grass of the season but this year my sweet neighbors had it done for me before I got home. Bless them!

Yesterday I cleaned up the few remaining leaves on the patio and deck, dragged out the patio furniture and did a bit of cleaning but that can also wait till later. I put the empty deck planters in place, already worrying about carting shovels full of soil to fill them but that, too, will be done soon.

I've only been home for 3 days and I've gotten a ton of work done. My legs and butt are sore so I know I've overdone it but this year I notice a little less strength...must be because I'm another year older. If I lived in an apartment I think my homecoming would be a lot easier. Soon.

I also arranged for the gas company to come and straighten out the gas meter which was slightly damaged by the waterproofing people last fall. Then I called my good handyman, Don, and requested eavestrough cleaning, soil grading (where the soil settled after the waterproofing), and foundation painting. Don got to work right away, bless him.

Another job was to arrange to have the clearcoat on my car fixed. My cute little car's clearcoat has eroded in a few spots and it looks like hell. I don't like this so my neighborhood car painter is going to look after that next Monday.

Now, I've decided to take a few days rest and just play on the computer, dust the furniture, and maybe write a story. This period of rest will take over a week because the car will be kept overnight next Monday and then Mary, Faye, and I are going for an overnight stay at Fallsview Casino next Thursday.

Life is good!

Culture Clash

My two good neighbors, Anna and Lisa, came over for a visit last night and told me about their trip to Viet Nam this past winter. Their parents are Chinese but had lived in Viet Nam and have a lot of family there..I'm not sure if that's where they were born but Anna was. Lisa was born in Canada.

When I heard about their planned trip my first thought was that Lisa wouldn't manage it well. She's used to all the good amenities in life and doesn't adapt well to discomfort. Anna is older and, as a nurse, can handle anything that arises.

I laughed as Lisa said she wanted only to come home...on the first day there. Anna appreciated the new experience slightly better but said she'd probably never go back...I'm sure Lisa won't. The weather was horribly hot and humid, the streets were crammed, and bed was either a sleeping bag on the floor or a hard tabletop. Mosquitoes ate them alive every night. They did have one weekend at a beautiful resort but it cost $600 per day!

Their Vietnamese families are not poor but substantially well off to have servants but their living conditions are not up to Canadian standards. The girl's parents visit Viet Nam regularly but they know and understand the culture. Lisa and Anna were fish out of water there. They're Canadianized!

We know our lifestyle is much better than in most other countries and it's spoiled us because we don't appreciate how good we have it. I often wonder how well we'd manage if services like welfare, pensions, and high paying jobs were suddenly taken away. I believe there'd be more chaos than A&L saw in Viet Nam. We Canadians are spoiled by the relative luxuries we've come to expect as our due.

My sweet neighbors brought me a piece of Anna's birthday cake and a lovely jade buddha pendant from Viet Nam. We're also making plans to go back to their favorite Chinese restaurant soon. I am blessed to have these lovely ladies in my life and I'm so glad they're home safe and sound.

What It Means To Be Old

I've received this in an e-mail a few times and always nodded my head in agreement to it's message. It fits perfectly into my blog even if I'm not the original writer.

*I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie (well, maybe), or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need but looks so avante garde on my patio (or a t-shirt that says, "Mess with me, mess with the whole trailer park"). I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon, before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 A.M. and sleep till noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 40's and 50's and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love...I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body and will dive into the waves with abandom if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set. They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful but, then again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even someone's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what gives us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turn gray and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn to silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've earned the right to be wrong.

So, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever but, while I'm here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every day if I feel like it.*

As I wrote these words I once again nodded in agreement to the truth they speak. I'll be 70 years old in August and I am thankful for the wisdom I've gained over every single one of those years. In this 70th year of my life, I am happy and contented.

Taking a Break

I got home yesterday about 5 P.M. and began unloading the car and, believe me, it was a daunting task. I always hate coming home to a nice neat house and filling it up with bag after bag after bag of stuff I've brough home from Florida. Every single thing I brought home was an absolute necessity...maybe.

I phoned Kim to let her know I was home and she insisted I come over and see Nolan. It didn't take much pressure because I've been so anxious to see him again. A very important part of my precious family met me at the door...Nick, Natasha, Matt, and Kim holding little Nolan. It seemed as though the whole world disappeared from view and all I could see was this beautiful little boy who had grown from a 3 1/2 month old baby last October to a 9 1/4 month old gorgeous child beaming with a happy personality. He had on a t-shirt that blared "BIG BROTHER" and I turned to Natasha and asked, "Are you pregnant?". Yes, she was, and will deliver another little babe about mid December.

What a blessing it is to be part of this family and I'm so happy to still be around to see yet another child join us. Family is everything and I have it in abundance with blood relatives and in-laws. This new little baby will be joining a huge extended family. Lucky baby!

I slept like a baby last night, tired from driving, lugging bags into the house, and also the excitement of seeing Nolan and finding out a new baby is on the way. I got up at 6:30 and started sorting and putting away stuff and then I emptied the trunk of the car, too. Nice to have trunk space after so long...I'd begun filling the trunk in November as I bought things to bring home.

Various phone calls had to be made..the people who waterproofed the side of the house last fall damaged the gas meter; my car insurance went up too much so I arranged to lower it by lowering the mileage used; something got screwed up on my cable bill. Nothing earth shattering but there are always things to straighten out.

I also went through 6 months of mail and got all my income tax info together. I'm hoping for a refund this year!

Another phone call I'll need to make is to find out and thank which one of my neighbors cut my grass. Lisa and Anna came right over yesterday as I drove into the driveway and they helped me carry a lot of stuff into the house so I think it might be one of them. Steve had been in and lit the gas water heater, setting off the alarm system once again. Poor Isabel. I really do have the best neighbors in the world.

I still have a ton of monks cloth to cart down to the sewing room and I also have quite a bit of jewelry to sort out and price. Laundry needs to be started, too. Dusting can wait till tomorrow!

Now I think I'll start a fire in the firepot and burn all that junk mail...then I might drive on over to Wendy's for lunch. This afternoon will be for re-organizing.

Feeling a Little Guilty

This is how the story went.

Millie, Sylvia, and I went to the jewelry warehouse that has such great stuff at such great prices. It was my last trip of the season.

Millie was returning a pendant she'd bought on an earlier trip because it was flawed. She'd paid $1 for it and just wanted a replacement. She also had $100 in her purse to purchase a lot more,

As we walked into the store I spotted some terrific bracelets, price 50 cents each!!! I scooped up 15 of them and continued with my shopping. This was Sylvia's first trip to the store and she needed to spend time looking around so I figured we were there for a while.

From Millie's direction came the sounds of an argument. I was shocked to hear the sales people squawking that Millie's pendant had not been purchased there, that they'd never carried such a pendant. Now that was a pure lie because I was with Millie when she bought it and the only place she'd purchased any jewelry was right there in that store. I'd taken her there to help her get started selling jewelry like I'm doing.

I walked over and explained this to the sales people but they were adamant. No, no, no....and this over a $1 pendant that only needed replacement! Customers in the immediate area were also surprised that the store would make such a fuss over such a small thing so I'm sure everyone would think twice about shopping there again. And, because of the staff's ignorance, they'd lost the $100 sale that Millie would have made!

Millie, short and fiery, shouted, "I'll never shop here again and I'll tell all my friends not to shop here either!". And then she stomped out.

But I had these neat bracelets and they only cost 50 cents each. And it was Sylvia's first trip there. I made a quick decision to pay for the bracelets and then stomp out in support of my friend.

Millie stood by the car, not quite as angry as I'd expected. We were both mad at the clerks but agreed we'd both shop at the store next year, after they'd forgotten who we were. After all, the merchandise is so good and so darned cheap.

But I do feel a little guilty for not immediately following Millie out of the store. Just a little.

Getting Old

One of my main reasons for writing this blog was to show that getting old wasn't a catastrophe. Now I read on Facebook that my middle daughter thinks that getting old "sucks".

Ain't necessarily so, my darlin'!

Life has always been what you make of it. If your attitude is that your life "sucks", then it's time to make a concerted effort to change your attitude. There are so many sides to any situation and we can choose to dwell on the negative or we can choose to look at the positive and then move on.

I recall thinking that my favorite age was 15 and I held that opinion until I became a senior. There is no doubt in my mind that I've experienced the most satisfying part of my life in the past 10 years...but that's just me.

You have a choice to make every day you crawl out of bed. My advice to the young is to enjoy whatever stage you are at and know that your senior years just might be the most liberating, fun time of your life.

Choose to be happy and you will be happy.

The Old Lady Blood Donor

Carol may be a senior but she's one of the younger version...you know, she has the years but not the look.

Well, Carol donated a pint of her blood yesterday but didn't rest up long enough because she and some friends were going to the flea market. While at the flea market she was sitting up on a stool trying out a new nail technique when she began to feel woozy.

From all accounts, she went down like a rock, taking out the flea market booths as she fell. Her companions could only think to hold her head up but none of them thought to use their cell phones to call 911. One did say she corrected a vender who was yelling for someone to call 119, though.

Carol remembers slightly coming to and wondering why she was laying on the ground and looking up at the lights. She then heard a man on his cell phone telling 911 that the victim was an "elderly woman" and she had the strength to protest, "No, I'm not!". She must have hit her head in the fall.

An ambulance arrived and the paramedics took her blood pressure which was pretty low. Since she was woozy enough to not be able to stand on her own, they convinced her she needed to go to the hospital.

Off she went in the ambulance while her buddies finished off their shopping! And one of them, also a blood donor that morning, was also becoming a little woozy. They all managed to get home okay, though.

Back to Carol. As she was laying on the gurney, she realized that change was falling out of her pockets so she retrieved it and stuck it in her bra. Strange place but maybe not. When she found out they were taking her for exrays, she dug out as many coins as she could find but she did miss a few. One slipped out from under her boob after the exrays were taken. Upon further exploration, she found 2 more stuck under there. I wonder what all that looked like on the exrays??

The good thing is that she is fine, her blood pressure is fine, and she's back at the park where we played cards tonight, laughing ourselves silly over the story.

Another funny note is that her husband was heard to say, "I knew all that shopping would get her one day". She's now thinking of getting a t-shirt that says, "I Shopped Till I Dropped".

Life is funny as hell.

Lost Child

My experience with lost children is minimal but the few times my own children were momentarily "lost" are indelibly printed on my mind. It is terrifying to the nth degree. Your mind can barely function and you are almost unable to bring your thoughts together to search. That feeling is never forgotten.

We've all watched T.V. reports where the parents of a missing child are paraded in front of the cameras desperately begging the fates to return their beloved child. It is so easy to identify with them and their terror.

Our Florida park is almost deserted now compared to how populated it was just a few weeks ago and some families have chosen this quieter time to visit relatives. Marilyn, the lady whose trailer is behind mine has daughters and grandchildren visiting her and her three year old granddaughter went missing this morning.

The first indication that something was wrong was Marilyn's frantic voice calling the child's name, and then a large group of her family racing in different directions from her trailer. In moments the word had spread that a child couldn't be found and, seconds later, the streets were full of people walking, in golf carts, and in cars streaming around the park searching.

The loudest and most frightened voice calling "Ashlyn" was her grandmother's as she raced away in the distance. Everyone was spurred on by that voice.

It seemed like ages but it probably was only minutes later when little Ashlyn was found safe and sound. Most of the searchers congregated around Marilyn, so happy that a good ending had resulted from the drama, but it will be a while yet before Marilyn calms down. Deep down fear doesn't dissipate that easily. She'll feel a stab every time she remembers the incident and thinks how easily the child could have slipped into one of the ponds in the park.

It can happen so suddenly and unexpectedly. But this time the outcome was a good one, thank heavens.

Eating Sensibly...-10 (possibly 10 1/4)

I'm not a good dieter...too lazy and eat out too much...but I've been successful enough since the end of January to pretty well keep off 10 pounds of blubber.

The small group who weigh in each Friday morning met again this morning for the last time until next fall. Four of us lost a bit and two gained a bit. Together, with our group support, we will all ultimately be successful to some extent with our weight issues.

Candy, our leader, asked if anyone wanted to make a pledge to lose weight over the summer. Most chose to pledge 10 pounds but some pledged 15. I chose 10 because I know how little will power I have and didn't want to feel too pressured. Losing 10 pounds over 6 months is a realistic goal for someone like me and it's one I am determined to reach.

We exchanged e-mail addresses and promised to weigh ourselves every Friday morning and relay the loss or gain to each other. It's a way to continue supporting and encouraging each other. I really believe it will keep us healthier.

Our group have had some wonderful losses over the past 2 1/2 months and the ones who did the best are walkers. I'm just too lazy and undisciplined to perform any kind of exercise regimen so it's my own fault if I don't lose faster.

In any case, our group has been a terrific help to all of us who probably would have continued that upward spiral if not for having to face each other and weigh in every week. I'm not expecting to eventually wear a size 10 but a 12 or 14 would be nice and comfortable.

Now I need to work on those next 10 pounds.

Some More Swedish Weaving

We're having our last Swedish weaving class of the season today and it's spurred me on to finish the runners I'm making for Shelley. She doesn't like a lot of color and gaudiness so I've used white fabric and done the design in a lovely golden beige yarn that I use a lot.

I have 2 night table doilies finished, 1 runner almost finished and 1 runner started so there's still lots of work to do. It should be finished soon, though.

Dixie and Thomasina

Monday coffee time was lovely this morning. It was sunny and quite warm so I made 2 small pots of coffee, expecting only half a dozen ladies to show up but we had a patio full. I really think that more people are staying a bit longer this year and that's why the park doesn't feel so empty.

I cleaned chairs and set out about 8 of them but had to keep pulling out more as more ladies showed up. It was so nice! Just as I thought the last lady had arrived, 2 more arrived carrying their coffee mugs. They looked a little unfamiliar at first but Dixie and Thomasina made us all laugh so we were glad they came.

I'm afraid Thomasina (who is tweeking her nipple) needs either a new bra or a boob job!

I love these people!!!

A Trip To The Beach

Last year Faye, Mary, and I went to the beach and got lost. We reached the beach around 3 P.M. and absolutely enjoyed the couple of hours we had there.

Yesterday Faye, Marilee, and I set out for the beach at about 9:30 A.M. because, by gosh, we were going to have a full day there if it killed us. We got 20 feet away from my trailer when we spotted Bob packing up his car and boat. Bob is taking stuff back to Canada for Faye and I so we thought it a good idea to see if he wanted our stuff right then. Yes, he did. So back I went to my place to gather up stuff and back Faye went to her place to gather up stuff.

After loading it all on Bob and thanking him profusely, we finally left the park around 10:30 A.M. But we had to get gas so we got about 15 minutes up the road and drove into a gas station. Faye, unfamiliar with her own car, couldn't figure out how to open the gas tank. I have no pride so I went into the gas station and asked one of the employees if he could help us out. Blank stare at first but he did follow me out to the car where we discovered that Marilee had already managed to open the tank. The two women had almost used the deisel hose but couldn't get it to fit into the tank...Marilee told Faye not to worry because the gasoline would just flow downward anyway. Everything was okay once they realized their error. We figure we might be featured on someone's cell phone camera that's on it's way to *World's Funniest Video*.

Off we went for about another 10 minutes where a merging car nearly ran us off the road and then honked angrily at us because we were in their way. Damn!

Faye drove while Marilee and I struggled with her stupid GPS. Either it or we were doing something wrong. I knew which highway we should be on so we just kept on our way, though.

At about noon, we found a nice seafood restaurant and fed ourselves royally. Marilee was kind enough to pay the bill and we emerged some time around 1 P.M. Darned if we didn't spot a Macy's and gave ourselves 15 minutes to shop. Marilee took 45.

On the road again, we had to stop at a drug store because Faye had been bitten by ants and the spots were driving her crazy. We got Benadril ( and shoes) which made her dozy so I took over the driving.

We reached the beach at 3 P.M., dragged all our stuff...beach bags, chairs, umbrellas, etc. and settled in. It was lovely for 2 hours and then we headed home.

We got on the right highway but F & M had a hankering for an ice cream cone so we got out the GPS and wandered around until we found an ice cream parlor. Now, I'd been weighed that morning and was happy as pig in poo to discover I'd lost 3 lbs. during the past week. That didn't stop me from ordering the first banana split I'd had in 7 years. Bad company!

Back on the road, we used the GPS again to get back to our highway and got totally lost. Never trust your GPS. We finally found our way and got home around 8 P.M.

I drank 2 vodkas and orange juice and slept like a baby all night.

From the Mouth of a Babe

There used to be a T.V. program called "Kids Say the Darndest Things" and it's so true. My grandniece is just 2 years old and this is one of her latest.

Her parents took her to a restaurant and, as she was seated, she asked "Where's the racist?". Her parents were shocked and asked her to repeat the question. "Where's the racist?", Avry asked again.

She meant, "where's the waitress?". Funny!

When my youngest daughter was about 4 years old she tried to say "goody, goody gumdrops" but it came out "giddy, giddy dwumgops". We laughed until we cried and she angrily stomped away only to return moments later.

Again she determinedly said, "giddy, giddy, dwumgops" and we fell off our chairs laughing. She was furious and stomped away once more.

Back she came and made another futile attempt before she gave up. I've often thought of that day and it still makes me smile. It was a precious moment...for everyone but Shelley, of course.

Things You Don't Expect To See

I know when I cross the border into the States that I'm now in a country where there are millions of guns in the hands of possibly unstable people, some legal but some illegal. I never expected to see a bullet ridden car casually parked at Publix, though.

Faye and I went shopping last Friday and made Publix our last stop because we didn't want our groceries to get too warm. We pulled into a parking spot and, as I was exiting the car, I came face to face with a bullet ridden car parked right beside us.

At first I thought it was imitation bullet holes that a few dimwits like to stick onto their vehicles but then I realized I could see through the holes! It was an ordinary looking car in pretty good condition other than the right rear fender with the bullet holes (maybe 20 of varying sizes) and some collision damage. I wanted so much to wait and see who was driving it but we didn't have time.

It's like living in the wild west!

Eating Sensibly...-8

Okay, so I've gained back 2 of the 10 lbs. I lost over the last 2 months. It's not perfect but it's the equivalent of an 8 pound bag of potatoes that I haven't had hung from my frame so that's a good thing.

I believe that the accountability in facing my little weight loss group every Friday morning is the only thing that has kept me from "gaining" 8 pounds in the last 2 months. I mentioned today how it's been years since I stepped on my home scale because I just couldn't face what I was doing to my body. It was always a traumatic experience when I was forced to be publicly weighed at the doctor's office and had to acknowledge my weight.

It's still difficult to face the truth but I'm determined to keep at it all summer when I'm home. What I'd like to do is have one morning a week when friends or family come over and weigh in on my scale. They can keep their own records so no-one, not even me, knows their weight. Our meeting purpose will be the weigh in and group encouragement. I'll keep my own records of everyone's loss or gain only.

If anyone reading this blog would like to join but do it from a distance, they have only to weigh themselves at their home and report their loss or gain to me. I don't think we need to remind any overweight person how to eat more sensibly because we all know exactly what we should or shouldn't eat. Being accountable on a weekly basis can only help us make better choices throughout the week.

I'm not happy that I gained back those darned 2 pounds but I'm able to feel happy about the 8 pounds that are gone. I'll keep on trying.

Basic Human Rights

I'm presently at odds with my daughter, Shelley, about the new health care plan proposed in the United States. I believe strongly that the only way each and every citizen can receive equal health care is if their country adopts socialized medicine. Shelley believes that the existing plans through insurance companies need only to be overhauled...but that doesn't take care of the uninsured or underinsured in the United States.

On her Facebook page, she asks the question, "is health insurance a basic human right" and the obvious answer is that, yes, every single person on this earth should have access to equal health care. Logically, not every country is wealthy enough to supply decent health care to all of it's citizens but the leading countries on this planet (the United States is one of them) should be bound by decency to insure that every one of it's citizens have EQUAL access to health care, education, food, and shelter.

Welfare was created to make sure no-one need starve or live out in the open so why are some Americans so afraid of socialized medicine? Education is another socialized plan created to make sure all children, regardless of financial ability, receive a basic education. Right now, an indigent person can't go to a family doctor but has to cram the hospital emergency rooms to access basic health care. Either that or they just ignore their poor health until it's too late.

Part of every working person's taxes goes to support the welfare of those less fortunate. Should it stop at providing full health care for the needy? Should rich and greedy insurance companies have the power to gouge their clients and then dump them when their health care reaches a certain limit? Should a working person making minimum wage be unable to afford health care?

Socialized medicine will insure that all citizens have the basic human right to health care. Everyone will have the right to see a doctor when necessary and no-one will have to choose between feeding their family or tending to their health.

Then there is the question of illegal aliens and whether or not they should receive the same care as legal citizens. Emergency care should be available to everyone because that is the decent, human thing to do. Anything beyond emergency care should be the responsibility of the patient's home country.

This blog is about health care but I do wonder at how the United States (and probably Canada, for all I know) allows illegal aliens to attend their schools. Somehow this must be allowed so that unscrupulous businesses can employ the parents at slave wages.

This can be a cruel, cold world but Obama has been a strong enough president to make it a little kinder and that gives us all hope for a better world.

Health Care for the Masses..At Last!

President Obama is a man to be admired. He spearheaded the movement to bring socialized health care to the United States and he began his quest almost from the day he was elected president. After this, I doubt he'll ever do anything much to make me lose faith in him.

What's sad is that many Americans don't realize the blessing they've been given. I'm not sure how this health care plan will mimic the Canadian one but it has to be better than what most Americans presently have. A citizen shouldn't have to put off health care because they either have no insurance or can't afford the co-pay. I'm expecting that the new plan will better protect the average person.

This day has been a long time coming, mainly because insurance companies stand to lose a lot of money. It's too bad that common decency usually comes second to outrageous profits. The insurance companies have powerful lobbyists who did their best to frighten citizens into believing a government plan was bad for them. I remember all too clearly how insurance lobbyists tried the same thing in Canada before our own government health care plan came into being. Government health care is simply better for the populace, cheaper in the long run, and something every progressive country should be able to provide for their citizens.

I've been told that many Americans pay $500-$700 per month for health care insurance. A minor increase in taxes to pay for government insurance can't possibly be that costly and that's how Americans should look at it. Even those out of work or on low incomes won't have to worry if they need to see a doctor or require surgery. Like I said, this change will be a blessing.

President Obama and all the politicians who were honest and instrumental in making health care available to all Americans, I applaud you.

Winding Down Florida

I still have 4 weeks left of my Florida winter but the signs of it all ending are here. Most of my buddies leave for their northern homes at the end of the month and the sounds of "when do you leave?" are heard every day.

I usually hate this time of the year when the good friends I've spent my winter with pack up and leave but this year I have my baby Nolan to go home to so heading home will almost be welcome.

This has been a brutally cold winter in Florida, one of the coldest in history. But spending every day and most evenings with fun and interesting friends still made it one I wouldn't have missed. The Florida senior trailer park experience has been one of the greatest pleasures of my life.

My sister-in-law, Marilee, will arrive on March 31st for a week or so and I'm really looking forward to her visit. My other sister-in-law, Faye, doesn't leave here until about April 10th so there's still lots to look forward to this winter. The park will seem almost empty after the end of the month but activities still go on.

My friend, Marilyn, is driving back to Canada with me so that's another nice experience to look forward to. My life seems to be filled with good times and the anticipation of more to come so I'm very lucky.

A relative (who doesn't know me well) once commented on how lonely I must be since my husband passed away but that just isn't so. My days are always busy with mostly activities that I enjoy and I'm never bored or lonely because I've designed my life to suit me. Widowhood doesn't have to mean spending the rest of your life alone. For me it's meant opening up my heart to new friends who've helped make my life a happier one.

I don't know how many winters I have left to spend in Florida and no-one knows how many of the people I've grown to care deeply for will return next year. I wish so much it would continue forever but it won't. I'm just thankful for today.

Speaking of today...this morning I'll go out for breakfast with Sheila, Millie, and Donnie. Possibly Frank, Agnes, and Amy will join us, too. We do this every Sunday morning and enjoy a lovely breakfast, laughing and joking as we eat. Tonight is our annual Strawberry Social in the clubhouse so that's another park tradition I can't miss. Life is just so darned good!

2010 Turd Toss

The crowds were large and noisy, lining both sides of the road and 3 or 4 deep. Most had brought their lawn chairs and refreshments to watch the great annual Turd Toss in our Florida park.

Two (scrubbed clean) porcelain toilets stood in the middle of the road having been placed a precise distance (?) apart. Four turd replicas awaited the contest.

Mark, the Head Turd, had his table set up in front of his trailer. He looked glorious wearing his huge Head Turd hat, made by Linda last year, I think. Those of us wishing to compete for the title of Turd King or Turd Queen lined up at the table waiting patiently to sign in, all of us hopeful of earning the grand title.

Candy's karaoke machine was set up so that Mark would have a microphone to carry his voice to all the audience who waited in eager anticipation of seeing their favorite become park royalty. Some did have their favorites but all cheered wildly for every contestant and even dragged reluctant ones out of the audience and forced them to compete. Mark's first pronouncement was to introduce last year's king and queen, Dick and Sheila. They dutifully posed for pictures in front of and on top of the toilets. We take this very seriously but giggles could be heard.

Then the contest began. Four people at a time, two on each end, took turns tossing their turds. It was really surprising what horrible aim most of them had because turds flew everywhere. When one managed to land in a toilet there were roars of laughter and cheers from the audience and looks of amazement on the tosser's faces.

I wanted to win this year so badly. My plans were to buy a tiara and put a little sign on it saying Turd Queen that I could wear whenever I felt like it. The official Turd Queen hat can only be worn on the day of the contest and in our park parade. But it was not to be this year because I failed to dunk both my turds so I wasn't even in the turd toss off. Crap!

King Dick dunked both his turds on the first try but for some dumb reason they made him join in the turd toss off with all the men who had only dunked one. He still won and is Turd King for another year. What an honor!

I think more ladies than men managed to dunk one turd so there was a huge women's toss off with Molly winning in the end.

My heart was sore as I watched the 2010 King and Queen Turds posing for their pictures. They looked so happy wearing their huge turd hats and smiling for photos.

Maybe next year.

Talented Senior

Above is a picture of Audrey and the gorgeous afghan and cushion cover she expertly crocheted for a gift. The picture truly doesn't do justice to the skill she displays in her work. Granted, this is the same Audrey I wrote about a while ago because she'd crocheted a really dumb looking hat but we all have skeletons in our craft bags.

I come across so many people who have amazing skills but who don't realize just how good they are. They practice their craft quietly and usually think of it as a hobby. We need only to visit a country fair and take a look at the handcraft exhibits to see that there are many humble artisans among us.

I wish I'd taken a picture of Candy's quilt at our coffee morning last week. She is another meticulous artisan who strives for and reaches perfection in her crafts. I, on the other hand, am satisfied with less than perfection...but that's okay, too. My stuff is still pretty!

To My Oriental Reader

I would love to read your comments but is it possible for you to translate them into English? It would be so nice if we could communicate. This is one of the things I find interesting about blogging.

We're Popular

Last fall a very nice couple of ladies brought their motor home to our park for a week because they'd heard how many activities are carried on here. They both are permanent residents of Florida but on the gulf coast.

Marilyn and Maryanne are very pleasant ladies who fit in well and we enjoyed their company as much as they seemed to enjoy ours. They said they'd be back for another week this spring and they arrived on Wednesday, parking their huge motor home right acrosss the street from my trailer.

Again we've enjoyed them and, again, they've enjoyed their stay here. You just never know when or where a new friend will come into your life and it's been nice for all of us to have gathered these two ladies into our group. M&M, as they are referred to, asked tonight how many of the people at our card table were Canadians and we had to think about it for a moment. There happened to be 4 Canadians and 4 Americans but we never think of this when we're in a group. We're just a bunch of people with similar interests who get along well and it doesn't matter what our citizenship is.

Wouldn't it be nice if every neighboring country got along as well as Canada and the United States?

If It's Wednesday (or Friday), It Must Be Bingo

Today is Wednesday and the first thing that comes to mind is that we have Bingo tonight. This is the only place I play Bingo because I know most of the winners and I know that all of the money taken in, after supplies, goes to the winners.

When I first came here in 1998, I thought that bingo chips were still in use and had never heard of dabbers. I also made the stupid suggestion that everyone at our table should share in whatever wins came our way. I'll never forget the cold and unbelieving stares that I got. Today I'd give the same reaction to a newbie who made such a dumb suggestion.

Our table is always full and usually with the same people but occasionally with someone new to the park. We can always make room. Presently, everyone at our table is a Canadian but it was never planned that way...it just evolved. For the most part, the ones at oir table are the ones we chum around with the most. We all have good American friends, too, and they occasionally join us but table acquisition is set very early in the year and most people sit with their best friends.

We cheer each other on and root for the one needing only 1 more number to win a game. We all have lucky charms to insure our success, too. Mine are a budha and an Eyore. The Eyore belonged to Lucy who passed away almost 4 years ago and I think of her fondly every Bingo night.

We're getting one of our rare sunny and warm winter days today and I'm going to the pool to soak up some sun. It's been an odd winter for Florida, full of cool or rainy days, but today it's perfect. And then tonight it's Bingo!

Facing Down the Bully

Remember the bullies in public school? Well, guess what they become when they get old...old bullies! They are easily recognizable because they push their weight around anywhere they can get away with it. They are as unpopular with the senior crowd as they they were with the children. They never change because there is something lacking in their personality.

I won't mention the incidents that led up to this showdown but they weren't aimed at me personally. I'm just mad as hell and thought the bully needed to have a few things pointed out to him. And I did it with tact but brutal honesty.

It's my firm belief that no-one should back down from a bully except when physical harm is a possibility. He wasn't about to harm me but I expected rudeness. It didn't happen, just a whiny complaint that everyone thinks he's an asshole even when he's in the right. What can I say...that's his reputation!

He's holding his ground on the poor decisions he's made and my aim was not to change his decision but just to make him realize it's only damaged his reputation more. This very stupid man makes more enemies because of his antagonistic behaviour every single year and can't understand why.

Well, today I told him why but I doubt very much it will make any difference. He left feeling sorry for himself but still determined to be the asshole he is.

Monday Morning Coffee

These are pictures of today's Monday morning coffee guests. We have a lot of fun at these get-togethers and, even though it was cool enough to wear jackets, everyone was happy to be able to sit outside.

The last picture is of Candy who brought the quilt she had just made to show us. We are a talented, happy, and very nice bunch of people if I do say so myself.

I promised them Bailey's Irish Cream for their coffee on the last Monday of this month. Most of the people here leave April 1st and it will be another sad time for me to see them head back to their northern homes.