Today's blog will contain updates related to some of my older blogs. Not that you've actually clamored for updates, but maybe you've been somewhat curious.
October is my "back to school" month; that's when classes start up again at the Senior Center. (See "Shake Your Booty" written 11/19/12.) Zumba whipped my butt today. That's probably because it got so hot this summer that I stopped leaving the air conditioned house for classes. About the most energetic I got was to drive in the air conditioned car to float blissfully at the pool. Class is back in session, and some of my favorite characters are back. There's the athlete. This squat older lady is always in the front row flinging her arms and her weights. She wears a towel twisted around her bra strap and draping down the front of her shirt. It always makes me laugh since the rest of us just wipe off on our t-shirts. But, she got through class a lot easier than I did today. My knees were in agony after a summer of no stretching them. (Remember "The Bees Knees" from 5/21/13?) The dancer is back, only now I think she fantasizes she's on Dancing With the Stars. She raises her arms to dance with her imaginary partner and smiles over her shoulder at the judges (aka the back row). The newest class member is the prancer. Have you seen the You Tube video of the woman who loves horses and has developed an exercise program called Prancercise? Well, prancing woman has turned up in our class! She's fun to watch. I'm just waiting for her to rear up and whinny. Gotta love her. She also did much better than I at class. This session I'm taking an intriguing class - cane fu. Yep, you read that right - kung fu for the cane wielding set. Can't wait to learn to flip a cane like Bruce Lee would have had he lived long enough.
Remember "Psychics" from 8/13/13? I had my session with her, and it was pretty much what I expected...nothing special. She told me I have arthritis. Well, the doctor told me that news a while ago and at least his consultation was covered by insurance. She kept harping about a man who had betrayed me, and how he had caused me a lot of harm that has lingered with me for far too long. I didn't know what she was talking about, and then long after she could answer any questions for me, I realized to what she had been referring. In my blog called "Faith/Religion: Something I've Been Told Never to Discuss" from 11/4/12, I touched briefly on the lunatic rector that resulted in my leaving my church home of thirty years. Now that was a betrayal!!! That was a terrible life experience caused by a crazy man. But, since I couldn't recall it at the time of the reading, I never did get any advice from her concerning the matter. She told me that my mother is always with me. Well, that's nice, but I know that both of my parents send signs all the time that they're with me. See "Dimes" from 1/19/13. Am I going to meet a wonderful man? No. Gee, I didn't see that coming, insert sarcasm. (Refer to "matchsingleseniorsfishinthesea.com" from 3/18/13. ) But her biggest "prediction" was that I'd have a huge and unexpected expense in the near future. I own a home; how hard is it to make such a prediction? The expense, though, did occur. And it wasn't what I was watching out for.
Do you recall "So if cats have 9 lives, how many do dogs get?" from 3/21/13? Trixie struck again. This past week I nearly lost her. She ate a glob of dental floss. I figured she'd pass it. Thank goodness she ate a half cup of chocolate frosting the next day. At least that worried me because chocolate is so bad for dogs. The morning after, when I awoke to Trixie vomit all over the house, I thought the chocolate had poisoned her. The next few days were a nightmare as she got worse and nobody knew what was wrong. When the emergency vet alerted me at 1:00 am that she was going to do exploratory surgery because she suspected the dental floss was twisted inside of her, I thought I'd be sick. Sure enough, the surgery revealed floss stuck in her stomach and twisted around her intestines. Had we waited much longer, the intestines could have ruptured and filled her body with fatal toxins. She's alive, almost $3000 later. Seriously, couldn't the psychic have told me to watch out for dental floss instead of telling me to expect a big expense in the near future??
My Godgirl's wedding went off without a hitch. And without cicadas! (See "My Godgirl's Getting Married" from 5/8/13.) She was breathtakingly beautiful. John was Prince Charmingly handsome. They exchanged vows that made us laugh and cry. Being that they are animal lovers, a few special touches made the wedding extra special. When John extended a leather-gloved hand, a hawk holding a little bag with their rings in it landed on his arm. The couple set off two doves at the end of the ceremony, doves that joined a flock of white birds circling overhead. The wine flowed, the music played, and we all danced in the moonlight.
I'm still working on my "Random Acts of Kindness" from 3/29/13. When I won $500 at the casino, it gave me the chance to donate a little more than 10% for the classroom of a friend who teaches in a troubled Philadelphia school. When I learned a former student was suffering cancer and in danger of losing the home she was working to provide for her three children, I was able to donate to her and share the information for her fundraising page. Sharing that information led others to donate, too. She needed $700, but over $3000 was raised! Those two I can tell you about, as those donations were publicly made. My other RAKs are my secret. I still have more to complete, though, before this year is over.
So there you go, updates on some of my blogs. Is there anything else you might like to know? Send me your questions!
Monday, September 30, 2013
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Litter
What is happening in America? Specifically, I am referring to trash. Litter. Everywhere.
The hill leading up to my street is a prime target for litterers. I have been appalled by the things discarded on this road. Why dump your tinsel covered Christmas tree when the town gladly picks them up outside of your house? You really can't hold on to your fast food bags until you get home? The worst was the mattress that sat there for months. Why? There are ways to get rid of trash that don't involve polluting the neighboring streets.
I'd like to blame young people, simply because I'm old and I want to blame young people for everything. (I have my prejudices, I must admit.) Having been a middle school teacher I was witness to countless acts of mindless littering. Kids constantly threw their trash on the floor or in the halls, and if you tried to get them to pick it up, they always said it wasn't theirs. Argghh!! So, I picked it up. Constantly. I thought I was being a good role model when in reality I was probably teaching them it was ok to trash the floors because the teachers or custodians would pick it up. We teachers tried to rectify the situation by taking the kids out on beautiful days to pick up the trash on the school grounds to keep it from polluting the Chesapeake Bay. They really got into it and felt satisfied about doing something to help the Bay. This was one part of their Service Learning Project. I like to think it made a direct impact on those kids.
I pick up a lot of trash in front of my house, snack food paper dumped by the kids walking home from the bus. It annoys the hell out of me, but I don't say anything just to keep the peace. The other day, my lawn mower guy and I were chatting on my front steps when a van with two young women drove by and tossed their trash out of the window and on to my driveway. I jumped up yelling, "Yo bitch" while simultaneously shocking the heck out of the lawn guy who always thought I was a mild-mannered retired schoolmarm. What did she rip up and throw out of the window? A picture lovingly drawn by a child as a gift for one of them. That made both of us even angrier. I remember when my friend Dottie got married. One of her chores the morning of the wedding was to go to the church and scoop up the litter on the church grounds. Once I asked a young man why he threw his fast food bags out of the cab of his truck. He replied that he took great pride in his truck and didn't want to mess it up.
Oy vay.
I know there are other people as disturbed as I am by this trash trend. When he was in better health, my neighbor Herb would walk the streets and pick up trash along the way. Some group actually bagged the trash on the hill leading to my street. I don't know when the bags will ever get collected, and now people driving up the hill are throwing their trash on top of the bags, but they tried. There is a group of volunteers who meet regularly in Havre de Grace to collect and properly dispose of litter. And the more prisoners on work detail detrashing our streets the better! (Well, I don't know if the prisoner example actually counts as people caring about our environment, but they work really hard and do a good job.)
The big question is how to get people to care. I grew up with the single tear sliding down the weathered old face of an Indian mourning the pollution of his land. (Yeah, yeah. I know he wasn't a real Native American, but he was a good actor). No way could I throw a piece of paper on the ground without being haunted by his tear-stained countenance. What has changed? Why do people trash their environments so easily? Where's the remorse? Where's the responsibility? Where's the common sense?
The hill leading up to my street is a prime target for litterers. I have been appalled by the things discarded on this road. Why dump your tinsel covered Christmas tree when the town gladly picks them up outside of your house? You really can't hold on to your fast food bags until you get home? The worst was the mattress that sat there for months. Why? There are ways to get rid of trash that don't involve polluting the neighboring streets.
I'd like to blame young people, simply because I'm old and I want to blame young people for everything. (I have my prejudices, I must admit.) Having been a middle school teacher I was witness to countless acts of mindless littering. Kids constantly threw their trash on the floor or in the halls, and if you tried to get them to pick it up, they always said it wasn't theirs. Argghh!! So, I picked it up. Constantly. I thought I was being a good role model when in reality I was probably teaching them it was ok to trash the floors because the teachers or custodians would pick it up. We teachers tried to rectify the situation by taking the kids out on beautiful days to pick up the trash on the school grounds to keep it from polluting the Chesapeake Bay. They really got into it and felt satisfied about doing something to help the Bay. This was one part of their Service Learning Project. I like to think it made a direct impact on those kids.
I pick up a lot of trash in front of my house, snack food paper dumped by the kids walking home from the bus. It annoys the hell out of me, but I don't say anything just to keep the peace. The other day, my lawn mower guy and I were chatting on my front steps when a van with two young women drove by and tossed their trash out of the window and on to my driveway. I jumped up yelling, "Yo bitch" while simultaneously shocking the heck out of the lawn guy who always thought I was a mild-mannered retired schoolmarm. What did she rip up and throw out of the window? A picture lovingly drawn by a child as a gift for one of them. That made both of us even angrier. I remember when my friend Dottie got married. One of her chores the morning of the wedding was to go to the church and scoop up the litter on the church grounds. Once I asked a young man why he threw his fast food bags out of the cab of his truck. He replied that he took great pride in his truck and didn't want to mess it up.
Oy vay.
I know there are other people as disturbed as I am by this trash trend. When he was in better health, my neighbor Herb would walk the streets and pick up trash along the way. Some group actually bagged the trash on the hill leading to my street. I don't know when the bags will ever get collected, and now people driving up the hill are throwing their trash on top of the bags, but they tried. There is a group of volunteers who meet regularly in Havre de Grace to collect and properly dispose of litter. And the more prisoners on work detail detrashing our streets the better! (Well, I don't know if the prisoner example actually counts as people caring about our environment, but they work really hard and do a good job.)
The big question is how to get people to care. I grew up with the single tear sliding down the weathered old face of an Indian mourning the pollution of his land. (Yeah, yeah. I know he wasn't a real Native American, but he was a good actor). No way could I throw a piece of paper on the ground without being haunted by his tear-stained countenance. What has changed? Why do people trash their environments so easily? Where's the remorse? Where's the responsibility? Where's the common sense?
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Typical Tuesday
There was nothing spectacular about this day. Nothing special or memorable to rave about. Yet, as I am about to go to bed, I realize I feel happy and content. This was a good day.
I had a long chat with my friend Karen Green. If you know Karen, you're a lucky person. If you don't know her, trust me when I tell you she's amazing. She's an optimist. An inspiration. A hoot. A survivor. A fighter. And she's funny. I chuckled to myself the rest of the day after my visit with her. It's a blessing to have a friend who makes you laugh.
I had a long list of errands to do today. Do you enjoy crossing things off the list? I do. I'm feeling very satisfied that today's list is done and tomorrow's list seems doable.
Met with my book club and discussed a book I loved (And the Mountains Echoed). I missed my book buddies over the summer break and I was so happy to see them. The shrimp salad wrap at McGregor's was a delicious treat. What a great few hours!
Brenda, Ronnie, and I then went to the casino. No, I didn't win another $500, but who cares? We had fun. We played trivia. I drank a delicious frozen margarita. Win win.
Since I've been retired, people frequently ask me what I do all day. When I try to answer that question, I'm usually stumped. I know I'm always busy and the days turn into weeks, turn into months, and turn into years. But if I had to tell you exactly what I did with my time, I'd be at a loss for words . Just what do I do all day??? Well, I figured out the best answer to that question tonight - Whatever I want!
I hope you had a good day today. Here's hoping for a good tomorrow.
Brenda, me, and Ronnie
I had a long chat with my friend Karen Green. If you know Karen, you're a lucky person. If you don't know her, trust me when I tell you she's amazing. She's an optimist. An inspiration. A hoot. A survivor. A fighter. And she's funny. I chuckled to myself the rest of the day after my visit with her. It's a blessing to have a friend who makes you laugh.
I had a long list of errands to do today. Do you enjoy crossing things off the list? I do. I'm feeling very satisfied that today's list is done and tomorrow's list seems doable.
Met with my book club and discussed a book I loved (And the Mountains Echoed). I missed my book buddies over the summer break and I was so happy to see them. The shrimp salad wrap at McGregor's was a delicious treat. What a great few hours!
Brenda, Ronnie, and I then went to the casino. No, I didn't win another $500, but who cares? We had fun. We played trivia. I drank a delicious frozen margarita. Win win.
Since I've been retired, people frequently ask me what I do all day. When I try to answer that question, I'm usually stumped. I know I'm always busy and the days turn into weeks, turn into months, and turn into years. But if I had to tell you exactly what I did with my time, I'd be at a loss for words . Just what do I do all day??? Well, I figured out the best answer to that question tonight - Whatever I want!
I hope you had a good day today. Here's hoping for a good tomorrow.
Brenda, me, and Ronnie
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Church???
It's Sunday, and once again I'm not in church. In fact, I'm watching a cheesy movie called Return to Peyton Place. I'm feeling guilty, but not quite sure what to do about that guilt.
I've written before about my experience with my church of thirty years. It soured me on churches. Not God, churches. I've visited other churches, but none have called my name. None have felt like home. For a long while, I was attending the church across the street from my old church. It's a beautiful building with a wonderful pastor, but I don't feel any connection to its community. I visited the latest flavor in mega churches and while the pastor is motivating and the people kind, it wasn't for me either.
What's a gal to do? I don't think that attending church in order to have a tax write-off in January is a very good idea. But right now, I can't think of any other reason to go.
Pretty sad, huh?
Why do you go to your church? Habit? Tradition? Or are you truly motivated because each visit makes your faith stronger, your life better?
I'm lost.
I've written before about my experience with my church of thirty years. It soured me on churches. Not God, churches. I've visited other churches, but none have called my name. None have felt like home. For a long while, I was attending the church across the street from my old church. It's a beautiful building with a wonderful pastor, but I don't feel any connection to its community. I visited the latest flavor in mega churches and while the pastor is motivating and the people kind, it wasn't for me either.
What's a gal to do? I don't think that attending church in order to have a tax write-off in January is a very good idea. But right now, I can't think of any other reason to go.
Pretty sad, huh?
Why do you go to your church? Habit? Tradition? Or are you truly motivated because each visit makes your faith stronger, your life better?
I'm lost.
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