 Nostalgia, DVDs, old movies, television, OTR, fandom, good news and bad, picks, pans, cute budgie stories, cute terrier stories, and anything else I can think of. Contact me at theyoungfamily (at) earthlink (dot) net . . . . . . . . . .
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» Saturday, June 17, 2023
 Labels: Simple Woman's Daybook  » Thursday, May 11, 2023
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Labels: Simple Woman's Daybook » Wednesday, May 18, 2022
 Labels: Simple Woman's Daybook » Tuesday, February 22, 2022
"Whenever you are fed up with life, start writing: ink is the great cure for all human ills." C.S. Lewis
One of my favorite things... If you'd like to participate, check out The Simple Woman's Daybook. Labels: Simple Woman's Daybook » Tuesday, June 08, 2021
FOR TODAY, JUNE 8, 2021 Outside my window... ...it is clouded over, very warm (in the 80s), and humid. There's a chance of rain every day this week and the humidity was at 83 percent this morning! I am thinking... ...how long I haven't done one of these entries! There are so many things I can't do when reading: listening to a podcast, chores, etc. I'm listening to a podcast doing this and not sure how much I will get out of it, since you can't thoughtfully write and thoughtfully listen at the same time. I am thankful... ...these days for many things. My husband's left leg was a mess for months due to being treated in the hospital just before New Year's for a bone infection where he could not wear compression stockings and the doctors just took him off his water pills, so he developed big ugly blisters on the leg. He had antibiotics via a PICC line for forty days, and we had a visiting nurse twice a week until we finally got rid of the last blister last month.
In the kitchen... ...James actually cooked today. We had some Jennie-O turkey burgers available and he just made them up. I don't really like burgers, but these with some Meadowcroft Farms sweet onion relish on them are fabulously delicious.
I am wearing... ...a blue flowered white tank top, black shorts, and white socks with scuffs on. Usual summer attire (the other set is pink-flowered with grey).
I am creating... ...I wrote a note to a friend of mine and was going to pop it into the mailbox, and, lo, the postal carrier came before one p.m. I nearly fainted.
I am going... ...still lot a much of anywhere. Husband was saying how dull and depressed he was feeling because all we ever do is go to the supermarket or Walmart, with Barnes & Noble as a "treat." We need to be going other places, even if it's to shop, because it's just very dull and making me sleepy and stupid-feeling, but it's hard, too. We don't like going much of anywhere in the summer due to the heat. All we have to do is be somewhere hot for a few hours—even if it's just somewhere where the air conditioning isn't working well—and we come home with no energy.
I am wondering... ...silly, really, but what happened to the little speaker I used to have in my office at work. I thought I gave it to my husband, but I don't recall taking it out of his work cubicle when we cleaned it out. I wanted to pass it on to someone, and it seems to have done a flit. Been searching all over for it today...oh, wait, there's somewhere I haven't checked...[moves away from desk]...ah, there it is!
I am reading... ...Terry Nation: The Man Who Invented the Daleks, by Alwyn W. Turner, which is nifty because it's nominally a bio of Nation, but is also a history of British radio and television programming during Nation's lifetime. I also have an ARC (advance reader's copy) of Nicholas Meyer's new Sherlock Holmes book.
I am hoping... ...to come out of this lassitude soon. It's hard in the summer. I am not, and have never have been, a summer person. Summer was only fun when you were in school, and then once you passed your sixteenth birthday and had to go to work in the summer, that became bad news, too.
I am looking forward to... ...autumn. Period. (I suppose I should say DragonCon, but it sounds like it's going to be such a mob from not having the con last year that it sounds daunting instead. Maybe Taste of Smyrna. And a Friends of the Library book sale finally.
I am learning... ...just in a holding pattern.
Around the house... ...husband is working from home—this seems to be permanent, and I am glad, because the idea of him driving out to the Glenlake area every day gives me cold terrors—but not on a call right now, Snowy [the budgie] is burbling along to Leo Laporte ("The Tech Guy" podcast). Tucker [the dog] is asleep on one of the chairs under the dining room table. We have a fan on in forlorn hope that it will circulate the air better and keep down the A/C bill.
I am pondering... ...still people. Don't understand people, never will, even if I am one.
A favorite quote for today... I recently discovered Hal Borland. This is a good one from him: "We walked by starlight, and we
remembered a time when we had no daylight leisure to walk. We spoke of how
daylight is worktime, but that the great dreams are dreamed by starlight. There
is warmth and life in the day's sunshine, but it is the stars that lure man's
mind to the endless immensity of the universe."
One of my favorite things... ...last night I pulled out our DVDs and we have started to watch The Big Bang Theory over from the beginning.
A few plans for the rest of the week: The usual shopping on Thursday (we need to go to Costco before the coupons expire). Lunch at Otter's Chicken on Friday. This restaurant was voted to have best chicken wings by "Best of Cobb [County]" magazine.
A peek into my day... The cutest thing to see every morning: Snowy!  If you'd like to participate, check out The Simple Woman's Daybook. Labels: Simple Woman's Daybook » Tuesday, November 10, 2020
Outside my window... ...another warm day. I sure can't wait for it to be real November weather. I'm looking forward to wearing my sweatsuits. I am thinking... ...today is our 30th wedding anniversary! I can't say that it seems like yesterday, because there's a lot of water under the bridge between 1990 and today. But it's all been good (except for the hospital stuff).
I am thankful... ...thinking about that "hospital stuff"—thankful for Dr. Shash, and Dr. Kongara, and Dr. Starr, and all the doctors and nurses and staff (even at Piedmont, the place we hated most of all), and the nice people at the dialysis clinic.
In the kitchen... ...I have been concocting an anniversary feast. We have shrimp and I have made a scampi sauce for it with a combination of ghee, butter, and Smart Balance, lemon zest and lemon juice, and garlic paste. It tastes yummy and we will have it over linguine. We will have this for dinner instead of supper because despite the date, it's still a work day.
I am wearing... ...my Owly t-shirt and blue-silver-and-white pajama pants and white socks.
I am creating... ...well, dinner. Also have made an appointment (next month, so my Medicare will have kicked in) to get my eyes checked. Dying for new glasses; the ones I'm wearing now have had a nosepiece broken off since last December. Now that James has a prescription we will probably being going to Costco to get him some glasses. It seems to be the cheapest place.
I am going... ...to write out my Thanksgiving cards today or tomorrow.
I am wondering... ...what 2021 will bring. I have ordered my 2021 mini-Susan Branch calendar and a new journal. After this year, the future will always be frightening. I know I should be optimistic but something deep inside me is afraid that just around the corner there is something about to bite.
I am reading... ...I just finished Neither Wolf Nor Dog, about a writer who is summoned by a Native American elder to tell his story and who is taken on an odyssey to truly impress upon him the havoc Europeans pressed upon the tribes that lived here before us. Very moving and sad. Am now reading New England Flavor, a New England writer talking about his boyhood living on a small New Hampshire farm in 1908.
I am hoping... ...the vaccines they are talking about on the news will be effective.
I am looking forward to... ...the outdoor gathering at Alice and Ken's house next Sunday. Poor James will need to work, but I've promised to bring him a care package.
I am learning... ...how to make a good scampi sauce! The last time we didn't have lemon and the sauce was overly buttery and had no contrasting flavor. A little bit of juice and zest has seemed to have made all the difference.
Around the house... ...James is tapping away at his computer finishing up some notes. Snowy's taken a break from singing. Tucker, of course, is under the table on a chair, asleep, his body on one chair and his head pillowed on the other, with one leg dangling down. I don't see how he's comfortable that way, but...there it is.
I am pondering... ...how it got to be two weeks till Thanksgiving already. Summer, as always, lumbered by so slowly, but sweet autumn goes swiftly by. Alas, we are having a rather dull season livened only by one or two bright trees per mile. Even the lovely maple tree down the street is rather dowdy.
A favorite quote for today... ...thinking about "all that hospital stuff," a classic: "Happiness hangs by a hair." . . . Mary O'Hara, Wyoming Summer
One of my favorite things... ...cold weather...so please come back!
A few plans for the rest of the week: Thursday we have an appointment to get the power chair lift on the truck serviced. Since we got the new chair earlier this year, I had noticed that the crossbar that keeps the chair secured to the lift did not depress in the seat as far as it did into the old chair. We called to have it looked at, but no one called us back, then they turned around just a few weeks ago saying the lift needed a 6-months' checkup, something they'd never asked us about with the original lift or its successor. We're also talking about going to the Farmer's Market on Saturday.
A peek into my day... 
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Labels: Simple Woman's Daybook » Tuesday, August 11, 2020
 FOR TODAY, AUGUST 11, 2020 Outside my window... ...bright and sunny and 91 disgusting degrees. (With the heat index, 97.) I dream and fantasize about autumn (so long as it's not like last autumn, where it was in the 90s up until October 29), and live knowing that every step of August taken brings us one stride closer to October. I am thinking... ...that I hadn't done a blog entry in so long that I'd do one of these for good measure. This way two things are accomplished at once. It's not like the news seems to have improved. Politics still raging hammer and tongs by people who seem ill-equipped to provide leadership (yes, I'm talking all sides). We've lost an elder statesman (John Lewis), a radio voice who was always interesting (Herman Cain), and an icon (Olivia DeHavilland, at age 104). Children have tried to go back to school, only to see COVID-19 increasing. Several days after New Zealand reopened after 104 days of lockdown, they are already seeing new coronavirus cases. We wash and mask and avoid others, and society seems to get meaner and ruder and crankier each day. Beirut is in mourning. Still can't find isopropyl alcohol, Lysol disinfecting wipes, and Lysol spray. Sometimes all that seems to stand between me and stark raving madness is instrumental Christmas music and books to read. I am thankful... ...things are kind of balancing out. My sister-in-law did indeed need to get her foot amputated; the infection in it was too far gone to trust and she already had gangrene in one toe. She is presently at rehab a long hour's (actually more than an hour) drive from her home (the VA sucks) (and her rehab has been delayed due to a health problem that was at least taken care of quickly), so my mother-in-law is staying with another of my sisters-in-law near Gaffney, South Carolina. Sadly, this is nothing that will "fix" quickly. James, at least, is back to work full time, starting three days ago. Laundry day is now back to Wednesday. Snowy is singing happily "helping" Daddy work on the telephone. Tucker is in his usual catlike position asleep under the dining room table. I have solved the puzzle of mask carrying and Emma's housewarming gift is on its way through an increasingly beleaguered postal system. And, praise God, Kaiser did approve James' request for a new power chair. We're waiting for it to come in. In the kitchen... ...the small slow cooker is running. I went to Lidl and to Kroger this morning (actually had to go to two Krogers because neither Lidl nor the Mableton Kroger had skim milk). Lidl had chicken drumsticks at 69 cents/pound and I wanted to get a second package (bought one last Wednesday). In a corner of the chicken frozen food case I saw these chunks of round roast marked "too good to waste." Their sell-by date was today and they were marked down to...$1.50. Yes, you read that correctly. Of course I bought one, originally priced at $13.55, and once home popped it into the baby crock pot with Trader Joe's Island Soyaki marinade and some sweet soy sauce. Cut it into quarters while browning it first, and realized the smallest quarter would not fit into the crock pot. Since it was round steak, I just sliced it up and finished it cooking for "steaklets" to go in a sandwich tonight. (James is going to make steak and eggs with his portion, I believe.) Anyway, what's in the slow cooker smells delightful. We had the thin pork chops I bought yesterday at Nam Dae Mun for midday dinner, and tomorrow I will cook half the chicken drumsticks for dinner and put the other half away. I am wearing... ...a blue flowered tank top, black shorts, and white socks. (No khakis, since I'm not Jake from State Farm. 😁 ) I am creating... ...well, I've gone back to attempting order out of chaos and gone back to dubbing off items on the DVR to the DVD recorder. Most of the stuff is on there to watch, but I have things I don't want to lose, like Better Late Than Never (still silly but fun the second time around) and some rare Merv Griffin Christmas episodes GetTV showed a few years back. I'm also thinking about making "mask leashes" for sale. I cooked these up for James and I for when we are running errands to multiple stores. They fasten on the elastic bands on the face mask. This way the moment you get out of someplace and safely away from people, you can take them off and they will hang around your neck and you don't have to worry about having to carry it in one hand while manhandling groceries. I am going... ...alas, at this moment, going nowhere in particular. Even Barnes & Noble is no fun any longer. They only seem to promptly stock bestsellers, so the mystery and SF sections are way out of date, and it seems every time I go there are more toys and junk and fewer books. The side of the store building says "Booksellers" not Toys'r'Us. Where are more books? I am wondering... ...what caused a very scary spell of heart palpitations on Sunday night. I was out walking the dog and they suddenly came upon me as I was on the return trip, opposite the next door neighbor's home. I haven't had a spell like this since 2015. We spent nearly an hour wondering if it was bedtime for us, or Urgent Care for me, but my heart pill finally kicked in (this is normal; it takes around an hour to dissolve and get into my bloodstream) and it stopped as suddenly as it began. Once again, I did have very bad indigestion from dinner as happened the very first time I had palpitations, and the doctor did say they was linked to my acid reflux. I am reading... ...A Furious Sky, a history of hurricanes in the U.S. Also a "Reader's Digest" book about the United States. The hurricane book was written by the same author who did Brilliant Beacons (a history of American lighthouses), so I am really enjoying it. I am hoping... ...Candy (my sister-in-law) has no more health setbacks at rehab and can get through the two-week treatment with no more trouble. Having to adjust to the loss of part of her left leg is difficult enough! I am looking forward to... ...actually, nothing. Everything seems to have been cancelled. Stone Mountain Park claims they are still holding the Yellow Daisy Festival. If so, I guess we'll mask up and bring lots of hand sanitizer and go. DragonCon's cancelled, so the next thing up after Yellow Daisy would be the Apple Festival; we'll see if that happens. I am learning... ...I wish I'd learn patience, but I have so little of it sometimes. Things make me angry so quickly these days, and I hate that. Around the house... ...have the ceiling fan on high and am just basking in it. Will be glad to take my glasses off when I finish this, because they are killing me. I am pondering... ...peace...equality...understanding...and not understanding why we can't have it. Sometimes it seems we are going headlong to Blake's 7's corrupt Federation when we have always dreamed of Captain Kirk's ideal one... A favorite quote for today... "I don't care how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. It's enough to know that for some people they exist, and that they dance." Mary Oliver One of my favorite things... Snowy, burbling budgie burbles behind me, chirps and cheeps all mixed up with the words he's learned: "Bad dog!" "I'm not a parrot." "What did you say?" "Bad boy!" "Good bird!" "Mama's boy." And his very favorite word: "HI!" A few plans for the rest of the week: Well, we have Hair Day on Saturday. A peek into my day... How about this? One of my favorite stories out of this year: even goldfish need love. The story of Monstro the sad goldfish. If you'd like to participate, check out The Simple Woman's Daybook. Labels: Simple Woman's Daybook » Tuesday, April 21, 2020
FOR TODAY, APRIL 21, 2020 Outside my window... ...it's midafternoon, the sky has clouded over a bit, and there's a wonderful breeze. You wouldn't believe that it's in the 70s out there; it feels really good instead of being too hot in the sun. And, wait, now the sun is back out. It always does turn up again like a bad penny. I am thinking... ...it's ten days since I did a blog entry. There's really nothing to write about. When we go out, we are either at the pharmacy picking up some meds, or we're at the grocery store. If I hated going to the grocery store before this, I despise it more now: you have to wear masks, go one way up aisles (and I am forever going the wrong way or what I need is at the other end of an aisle I can't go up), and not find what you need (Lysol, disinfecting cleaning or hand wipes, and alcohol. And American cheese! With all the kids out of school, the moms must be stuffing what James calls "plastic cheese" down them every day for lunch! It's a wonder they're not all constipated.) And all those wonderful, optimistic messages from advertisers on TV, promising "it will be okay soon" and "we'll be back"? They depress the hell out of me. I am thankful... ...that we seem to have missed a bullet. James has been told since he was a little boy and suffered an insect sting that he is also allergic to penicillin. When he went into the Navy they performed a test, and gave him a red dog-tag that signified a penicillin allergy. So he's always had to have alternative antibiotic treatment. Well, a week or so ago he presented with symptoms of a mild UTI. We called the doctor and talked to the nurse practitioner, who was automatically going to prescribe ciproflaxin until he found out James was on the generic form of Plaquinel. Cipro and Plaq do not play together properly. So he prescribed two other antibiotics, only one of which the Kaiser pharmacist let us have because one of them also interacted with the Plaquinel. So James took the other antibiotic, and in the meantime the doctor had him take another urine test. Unhappily all those happy little germs were still racketing around in there. The doctor then actually called us, on a Saturday of all things, and said that James needed all the germs gone ASAP, and he could either take the Cipro, which might mess with his heart, or try amoxicillin and risk the allergic reaction. (Jolly nice choice, eh, chaps?) So Saturday morning we went up to Kaiser's TownPark office (where Urgent Care is) to pick up the amoxicillin, and we were "loaded for bear." Instead of taking the truck, I drove, and we brought our tablets, and I even brought one of the phone charge cords. I did not want to have to deal with the truck if James had to go to Urgent Care with an allergic reaction. I remembered that when I used to have allergy shots, Dr. Friedman and then Dr. Sturam would have me stay in the office for twenty minutes in case I had an allergic reaction to the shot. So James got the scrip and took the first pill, and down we sat, and I timed us for a half hour. Of course Kaiser didn't want anyone in the building unless they were picking up scrips or seeing a doctor, so the nurse came up to ask us why we were hanging around, and we gave her this very bad explanation, but I guess we finally got the message across because she sat us down where she too could keep an eye on James. We waited the half hour. Nothing happened. So we left. We appreciate that, God! In the kitchen... ...we had midday dinner, so there are leftovers to put up. I got up for senior shopping this morning—fat lot of good that did me; even after "restocking" they have no Lysol, no disinfecting cleaning or hand wipes, no alcohol (at least I found yogurt!)—and bagged some turkey thighs, so we had that with Rice-a-Roni on the side. I am wearing... ...a cadet-blue "Owly" t-shirt (look up "Owly" and "Andy Runton" and you'll find this delightful little guy) and blue-silver-and-white buffalo check pajama pants. And white Hanes socks. I am creating... ...does this blog entry count? I did a little shopping this morning, washed two loads of clothes, made dinner, shelved a dozen or more books in the library, cleaned off two books I received last Tuesday and had in "quarantine," and started a project. I am going... ...to finish the project this time, or get it to a more manageable state, at least. We have four boxes in the garage with old APAzines in them. Is everyone familiar with APAzines? One of my friends once referred to it as a very slow cocktail party. An APAzine was run by a coordinator. He or she set the date of the next zine, and arranged for collation of the zine, added covers, and kept up with who was contributing and who was not. APAzines usually ran 20 to 25 members. Some APAzines had themes: science fiction, or maybe more specifically Doctor Who or Star Trek, or sports (perhaps basketball or baseball specifically), book reviews, collecting of some sort, auto racing, stamps, etc. The two APAs we belonged to, "Myriad" and "500 Year Diary," were general interest APAs. You wrote about what interested you, others wrote what interested them, and then in every issue, you commented on the other zines in the issue and the other participants commented back to you. Every month, or bimonthly, or whatever the interval was, you went to Kinko's or Office Depot and copied off your zine, usually five more zines than how many members were in the zine, so that "spec copies" could be given to people interested in participating and getting on a waiting list. Then you delivered (if you lived close) or mailed the copies to the editor, who would collate all the zines together, and then send every member a copy of the APA, and it was read, and comments made, and a new zine printed next time. Anyway, I think I'm the only one who still has my copies. They've sat in the garage for fourteen years, and they're taking up the space where the rollator should go. But I find that, although I don't have the time nor the inclination to re-read them, I find myself reluctant to throw them out. It's like throwing away pieces of my friends. But I did start today. I got all the "500 Year Diary" issues in one box, and then cleaned out one of the three boxes of "Myriad," keeping only the volume ("Myriad" used to run to three to four stapled 8 1/2x11 volumes) with our zine, "Flying Dreams," in it. (Ideally then I want to remove our zine from the volume and just keep that, but it involves staple pulling and will take a while.) I quit after the first box because the remaining volumes are so heavy I can only do so many at the time and still be able to lift the garbage bag into the trash can and then wheel the trash can out to the curb. I will only be able to do one box at the time. It's still sad to do. I am wondering... ...if we can ever go back to a normal life again. Even if the COVID-19 mutates into a less infectious or less lethal form, or if they develop a vaccine, aren't we now always going to think "What if another one is waiting around the corner?" Can we ever go into crowds again—science fiction conventions, ARTC performances, Christmas markets, museums—without worrying even the tiniest bit? I'm hoping this at least makes people cleaner. A month ago I was discussing with the waitress at Tin Drum the utter absurdity of having to tell adults to wash their hands. Yet I used to work at CDC and would be aghast at the women who walked out of the bathroom without washing their hands! I am reading... ...Tristan Gooley's The Nature Instinct. I am hoping... ...to go to a bookstore soon. I'm having withdrawal symptoms. And with doctors' appointments, bad weather, changed plans, and health hiccups, we never got up to McKay's in Chattanooga to trade in the books in four full Xerox-paper boxes that are turning into five Xerox-paper boxes. And it would be nice to go down to Warner Robins and see my sister-in-law, who's been laid up with a bum foot, and my mother-in-law. They still don't have their Christmas gifts. I am looking forward to... ...more freedom when it's safe to do so. You know, it's been easier on we introverts during this quarantine than other people. We literally wish sometimes to stay home and be left alone to read, work on art projects and hobbies, have a quiet walk or go on a run, listen to podcasts, binge-watch television, blog...and, again, just read! We aren't suffering like the folks who like to go clubbing, or go to bars, or just hang out in noisy restaurants on weekends (why is why you'll never see us in Chili's). But we still like to venture out to do the quiet things we like: meet with friends, go to bookstores and museums, have lunch out together. And we miss it. I am learning... ...well, trying...to read weather signs from Tristan Gooley. There is so much our instinctive selves have forgotten due to technology. I love technology, but sometimes it's as much as a trap as a help. Around the house... ...James is teleworking. Tucker is on the deck being a wild puppy. Snowy is singing along to Leo Laporte "The Tech Guy." Occasionally the curtains billow as the breeze. And I need to go fetch the clothes out of the dryer. I am pondering... ...if I should order Madeleine L'Engle's new book. These are short stories her granddaughter found in her files after she died, ones that she considered good enough to publish (most of the others were not good, or only fragments). I miss getting a new Madeleine L'Engle, and the reviews say that although the stories aren't anything special, they do show her growth as an author. A favorite quote for today... ...not a favorite, but I found this for my journal (it seems appropriate): “Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.” . . . Anonymous One of my favorite things... ...chocolate. Alas, I've had mine for the day. A few plans for the rest of the week: Well, since every single one of both our doctors cancelled all our appointments, but apparently James' nurse visit with the podiatrist was too important to cancel without the dang nurse reading us the riot act, we have to drive all the way to Glenlake tomorrow and go in a building full of potentially sick people to get his toenails examined! But he arranged to pick up a prescription there, and I guess we can go by Tin Drum, since it's two weeks and time for my extra protein again. A peek into my day... Here's a pic of me from last week reading a bound version of the old "St. Nicholas" magazine.  If you'd like to participate, check out The Simple Woman's Daybook. Labels: Simple Woman's Daybook » Wednesday, March 25, 2020
FOR TODAY, MARCH 25, 2020 Outside my window... ...it is dark now, but, watching the news, it's been dark for the past few days, even when the sun was out. I am thinking... ...or trying not to think, while being mindful of our health, and washing hands. Since we really must go out to the grocery store, the paranoia is kind of hard to hold off. I went to Lidl today and sprayed the handle of the cart with alcohol, and the checkout screen, and used wipes. You hardly want to pick anything up. I am thankful... ...for family and friends who are well. In the kitchen... ...dirty dishes again. We had roast chicken and air-fried onion rings for dinner this afternoon. The latter was quite good! We think it needs nine minutes to cook instead of ten, but they were still luscious, and the onions used were very sweet. We were surprised because this was the cheap Publix brand. I am wearing... ...an Andy Runton "Owly" blue t-shirt, blue-grey-and-white buffalo check pajama bottoms, and white socks. I am creating... ...nothing right now. I did cook chicken this afternoon. Not feeling like creating much now, although I should be. I am going... ...right now, no one's going anywhere, unless they're six feet apart! But remember, folks, you don't have to stay inside! Fresh air is the best thing for you to beat off illness. Just don't be close to other people! I am wondering... ...how long all this can keep up. Small businesses are already suffering. Today Georgia government shut down hair salons and nail shops. I don't use either, but I know many paychecks are acquired through them. Restaurants? Hotels? Indie bookstores? What will happen? I am reading... ..."dead tree": the second volume of the letters of Dorothy L. Sayers. Magazine: "Reminisce." E-book: The Journals of Beatrix Potter (but my loan ends on that today). I am hoping... ...like everyone else, that they find something to treat COVID-19. The stories of people's deaths are so heartbreaking: the 47-year-old, the 17-year-old boy, the elderly priest in Italy who gave up his ventilator to a younger patient... I am looking forward to... ...freedom (and toilet paper not being a rare commodity!) I am learning... ...impatience with stupid or callous people, like the jerk who spit on someone. Unmannerly brutes! Around the house... ...James is gaming, Tucker is trying to find food (we had to put him on a diet; the vet says he's two pounds overweight), Snowy's been singing but is quiet now except for an occasional kiss, and the television is chattering with more closedown messages. I am pondering... ...peace. A favorite quote for today... "It is good to be solitary, for solitude is difficult; that something is difficult must be a reason the more for us to do it." . . . Rainer Maria Rilke One of my favorite things... ...having a mandarin orange at night. James and I started doing this over a year ago, and it's such a homely [in the British sense] little habit that makes us feel as if everything is okay. A few plans for the rest of the week: Picking up my prescription refills, a trip to Publix, and then it's back to social distancing for us. A peek into my day... How about a peek into quite a few days ago? This is my friend Juanita with her new Sheltie puppy Riley! Yes, he's as adorable as he looks!  If you'd like to participate, check out The Simple Woman's Daybook. Labels: Simple Woman's Daybook » Sunday, January 19, 2020
FOR TODAY, Sunday, January 19 Outside my window... ...it's dark. No time to do it during daylight, I have been quite busy all day, doing my regular Sunday chores (washing the towels, charging the flosser and the motion sensor light in the bathroom, and sorting medications for the week) and my Monday chores (cleaning the bathrooms and washing the kitchen floor), plus cooking Sunday dinner and washing the comforter for the bed and taking my usual mile-plus walk. I am thinking... ...how fast the Christmas holidays went by! Seems like it was just December 1 and I was starting to put up the candoliers and the outside lights. I just got the last bit of the decorations (the big tree in the living room) down last Sunday. But what happened between those two times buzzed by at the speed of light! I know we did things: went to the Apple Annie craft show, watched this year's performance of "An Atlanta Christmas," had several gift exchanges, went to the Butlers' house for Christmas, and I took my annual Christmas walk in downtown Marietta. Plus we went out to celebrate "my Beatles' birthday," as Alice put it. But those swept by like the click of a finger. I am thankful... ...for a quiet January so far. In the kitchen... ...all is cleaned up from the dinner I cooked today: pork chops. I sauteed them in sesame oil with ginger, onion flakes, and some herbs, then finished up by poaching them in a little beef broth. Had mine with leftover rice pilaf and James had leftover spaetzle. I am wearing... ...dark green sweatshirt, grey sweatpants, and white socks. Tomorrow I will have to put boot socks on; the low is going to be 22°F. I am creating... ...nothing, really, since it was a work day. Well, I did create some warmth for tonight by washing the comforter. I washed it before I put it away, but we haven't used it in three or four years, and it smelled stale, and I worried that some of those stupid carpet beetles might have gotten in the bag. So I spent the afternoon washing the comforter and then running up and down the stairs restarting the dryer because a king-size comforter may be dry in one place, triggering the dryer sensor to stop, but may still be wet in other places. Had to keep pulling it out and putting it back in wet parts first so they hit the sensors. I am going... ...to relax for the rest of the evening, I hope! I never plan on anything anymore. I am wondering... ...if there's anything more I can do to save money. It seems to disappear so quickly, and all on things we need. I thought my spending was over for the month and here comes the bimonthly bill for the garbage collection. Sigh. I am reading... ...in print media: Philip Pullman's Daemon Voices, about the craft of writing; in e-book format: Candid Christmas, a history of the holiday; in e-magazine format: still on the December "Good Old Days"; in magazine format: the last of the Christmas magazines, saved for last to be savored: "Early American Life Christmas." I am hoping... ...to be okay enough tomorrow to go to the Atlanta History Center and that I can find a parking space. Tomorrow it is free for Martin Luther King Day and they have a new exhibit on Jim Crow, as well as an exhibit that is ending this month about women's suffrage. Plus they now have the Cyclorama there and I have never seen it—it used to be at Grant Park, near the zoo. I am looking forward to... ...Anachrocon on Valentine's Day weekend. Sadly, this is the last one. I will miss my yearly dose of history panels! I am learning... ...since I've been listening to the Colonial Williamsburg podcasts all afternoon, lots about colonial and Revolutionary War history! Around the house... ...I've had this and that for an evening meal, and James is eating soup. There's nothing new good on television, so I have put on The Waltons on the Hallmark Channel. I am pondering... ...the rest of the week. Not sure what to do if tomorrow doesn't work out. A favorite quote for today... "Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home." Edith Sitwell One of my favorite things... "Early American Life" magazine. I must renew the subscription this year. A few plans for the rest of the week: Well, tomorrow, I hope. Shopping on Wednesday because James has a doctor's appointment then and is working Thursday instead. A peek into my day...
[Coda: Well, never did get to the History Center. About 4:10 a.m. James was having chest pains so I had to take him to the emergency room; chest pains disappeared about a half hour after he arrived. He is staying overnight so they can monitor his blood enzymes, and decide if they are going to take him for another catherization. The dye will do bad things to his kidneys, so his cardiologist has been avoiding doing this. We were told this morning that the blood enzymes did not indicate he had a heart attack, or at least that was the verdict this morning.] If you'd like to participate, check out The Simple Woman's Daybook. Labels: Simple Woman's Daybook » Wednesday, November 13, 2019
FOR TODAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2019 Outside my window... ...I am looking directly at the bird feeders and a big mockingbird is landing on the hanging suet cake and chasing off all the little birds. What a big bruiser he is compared to the usual crowd of titmice, chickadees, brown-headed and white-breasted nuthatches, house finches, sparrows, and downy woodpeckers. He's just a little smaller than the red-breasted woodpecker that comes by sometimes. I am thinking... ...how nice it is for it to have gotten cold, but it's almost too cold for my poor toes. Even in boot socks they are icy. It's such good walking weather, though; you don't perspire, or feel like you want to pass out from the heat. I would have walked longer this morning but was aware how cold the pavement must have been for Tucker's little paws. His feet were cold when we arrived home and I rubbed them all before letting him upstairs. I am thankful... ...for our Thanks Jar! It is sitting on the dining room table collecting squares of paper with things we're thankful for on them. No thanks is too small...I know I popped one that says "milk" in there. In the kitchen... ...we did an easy dinner today: we had leftovers from the Thai place last Thursday. Mine was yummy pad thai with (non-spicy) peanut sauce and James had leftover beef-flavored noodles with ground turkey and green beans. For dessert: three dark chocolate Oreos apiece. Now we need more. I am wearing... ...a burgundy sweatshirt, dark blue sweatpants, and red and navy blue striped grey boot socks. It was in the 20s this morning, so the socks were needed for Tucker's and my long walk. I am creating... ...at least one Thanksgiving card; I thought I had a bunch and I only have three. I need to make at least one other or flush one up from somewhere. I am going... ...a bit annoyed with this month. First the starter on James' truck gave up the ghost, and now one of the nose pieces on my glasses has broken off! It can't be soldered even if you could find one to do it, and I simply do not have the money for new glasses right now and don't need new lenses anyway. Is it possible they still have this frame at America's Best and I could just buy a frame? I am wondering... ...if I should go to the Mistletoe Market at the Civic Center this weekend. I used to enjoy going in the past, and they haven't had one in a while. On the other hand I blew off the last one they did have because it's run by the Junior League and all the items for the past few years have been decidedly upscale and very expensive as compared to the simpler crafts and products they had when I first began going. I do want to stop at the Smyrna Library book sale if I can. I am reading... ...depends on which medium! Physical book: E.B. White: Writings from the "New Yorker", 1920s-70s, which I'm glad I got from a book sale for $1 because while I'm still adoring White's "turn of phrase," these are just excerpts from his columns, not complete essays as in One Man's Meat and Essays of E.B. White, so it's intensely disappointing. E-book: Merry Midwinter, which I'm loving; a look at all midwinter celebrations by a woman who describes herself as "a Quaker, a Theophist, and a practicing Druid." (I would have thought Quakers and Druids would be diametrically opposed, but I guess not in her case!) Magazine: Just finished "Country Sampler"'s Autumn Decorating edition. E-magazine: the October issue of "Country Living UK." I love the UK edition much more than the American magazine, as there are actually stories about living and making a living in the country in it. Imagine that. I am hoping... ...James stays well. That's all I ever hope anymore. I don't even dream about going on vacation any longer. I am looking forward to... ...book sale maybe, this week's lunch (at O'Charley's), Thanksgiving coming up. Must enjoy this time with friends as James has (so far) neither Christmas nor New Year's off. This means no Christmas dinner at the Butlers and no going to Bill and Caran's party, and if he doesn't work, he doesn't get paid. I am learning... ...or I need to learn not to look back at bad things so much. I still cry to myself about last year's car accident. Around the house... ...James is clicking away, teleworking since the truck was broken (we could only pick it up at lunchtime today, since the mechanic closes before James gets off). Tucker is asleep on one of the dining room chairs. Snowy is chirbling to the Christmas music I have on. I am pondering... ...these days I'm always pondering taking a nap! A favorite quote for today... "The maples perhaps undergo the most complete transformation of all the forest trees [in the autumn]. Their leaves fairly become luminous, as if they glowed with inward light. In October a maple-tree before your window lights up your room like a great lamp. Even on cloudy days its presence helps to dispel the gloom." . . . John Burroughs One of my favorite things... ...Christmas music done in brass! Listening to the Canadian Brass right now. A few plans for the rest of the week: James goes to the nephrologist tomorrow. Hoping no surprises as creatitine is holding steady at 2.4. Maybe book sale. Lunch on Friday. Winging the rest. A peek into my day... How about last Saturday instead? This wonderful orange tree in the JoAnn Fabrics & Craft parking lot at Kennesaw.  If you'd like to participate, check out The Simple Woman's Daybook. Labels: Simple Woman's Daybook » Wednesday, October 30, 2019
FOR TODAY, OCTOBER 30, 2019 Outside my window... ...it's grey, damp, and raining. After a horrible summer and 90°F plus temps that lasted until the second of October, it's finally down to a more manageable 60s and 70s, with blessedly cooler temps to come—the forecast for Thursday night is 38°! (Supposedly with cooler days to follow, but you never can tell with Georgia weather; we were in a drought and now we have a flood watch.) I am thinking... ...how I need to get out of the funk I am in lately. It's left over from when it was so broilingly hot. Maybe when it gets nicely cool instead of this off-and-on warm humidity. (On the other hand, one actual good thing about summer is that the laundry basket is lighter.) I am thankful... ...that last week the rain held off long enough for us to go to the Fall Jonquil Festival. We really needed that barbecue sauce! Too bad Meadowcroft Farms wasn't there, but they were participating in a big craft festival in Gatlinburg. In the kitchen... ...alas, all is dark for you foodies. Since we can stay up a little later tonight since today is James' Friday, we are eating supper tonight and not dinner today. James said with the dark and the rain it is a good soup and sandwich day. Apparently it is going to rain all through the night and all the way through tomorrow, making for a very soggy Hallowe'en. I am wearing... ...a dark blue Owly t-shirt and blue/grey/silver/white buffalo check lounging pants, white socks under brown scuffs. I am creating... ...or currently arranging "the lunch bunch" for the next few weeks. We've just been going out on Fridays with friends, but James has doctors' appointments the next three Fridays in a row, so we're having to work around it. I am going... ...to need to get working on repairing those Christmas tree lights soon! It's just that I have to spend some time downstairs doing it and it's kind of lonely, and I worry about Snowy getting lonely upstairs. Of course he manages fine with the television on when we go out, so part of this is all in my head. I always imagined myself going into the library to read when we moved into this house, a quiet time, but I feel lonely without Snowy and Tucker. I am wondering... ...when it will get cold and stay cold. (Not really cold! Aaron Lawson is attending university in Wyoming and it was -14°F there this morning. That's a bit much.) 50s and cloudy is what I want. Jacket weather. No headaches from the sun and I don't have to wear my hat. I am reading... ...Suburban Safari by Hannah Holmes, about a woman who is studying nature through what she can find in her back yard. She has a very small acreage with woods behind, and she isn't just observing trees, plants, insects, and animals like I do, she actually collects samples and looks at them under a microscope and talks to scientists about her little microcosm. And she has made friends with a chipmunk! It's pretty nifty. I am hoping... ...the holidays are nice. We don't have much money, but am looking forward to little things like the craft fairs and gatherings with friends. Because we missed going to the Apple Festival this year—::sniffle:: stupid rain—we think we may try going to Christmas at Lithia again. We haven't gone to their Christmas bazaar for years; indeed we didn't even know it was still running. I am looking forward to... ...Saturday! It's Free Electronics Recycling Day and I am looking forward to emptying all those boxes in the garage. Been going wholesale through gadgets that don't work anymore, things we no longer want, and even that big box of cables and computer parts in the garage, which has been sitting there accumulating for the last 13 years and we've never used a blessed thing in it. We'll keep some duplicate cables, a couple extra keyboards and wired mice, and toss the rest; the water heater closet can use the room. I am learning... ...bought a magazine that came with a beginner quilling kit. Maybe will learn that. Around the house... ...most of the windows are open, and the fans going; it's still moist and stuffy inside. James is teleworking due to the rain and industriously typing up his last call. Snowy is singing accompaniment to the instrumental Christmas cassette (Windham Hill's "The Carols of Christmas") I popped in awhile ago. I discovered that the old radio/cassette unit I used to use at work until 2013 is in perfect working order, and a good thing, because I still have 64 Christmas cassettes that have never appeared on CD or streaming (including three recorded in England) and a whole bunch of filk music tapes, and Hagood Hardy's Anne of Green Gables score all on cassette. And I can hear the gentle rattling of the laundry circling in the dryer through the baby monitor. I am pondering... ...people. I am not looking forward to next year's election year. So much conflict already. Everyone fighting. A favorite quote for today... "And the sun took a step back, the leaves lulled themselves to sleep, and Autumn was awakened." Raquel Franco One of my favorite things... ...these days, that baby monitor! We bought it when my mother was ill, in her final days, so I could monitor her when she slept. After that we had no more need of it, but lately even with the door to the laundry room open downstairs and the sound echoed in the foyer, I often miss the ding of the washer and/or the dryer as they finish their cycle. I had the baby monitor pegged to do this job and searched for it for literally several years before it turned up under the towels in the hall closet. Until I cleaned in there I never realized that's where I had stored them. A good cleaning is not only good for souls, it's good for finding things! A few plans for the rest of the week: Grocery shopping (booooooring), lunch at Shane's barbecue, maybe a visit to Barnes & Noble, and, alas, another doctor's appointment for James. A peek into my day... Since I haven't done one of these in a while, I'll give you two: It looks terribly scrawny now, but you didn't see how much these bushes out front had overgrown. You couldn't even see St. Francis and his funny cap for all the nandina fronds. Now the nandina has crew cuts, and the firecracker bush is nicely cropped to drape the net lights over.  And three cross stitch projects I did:  If you'd like to participate, check out The Simple Woman's Daybook. Labels: Simple Woman's Daybook » Monday, August 19, 2019
FOR TODAY, AUGUST 19, 2019 Outside my window... ...ugh, the sun has come out. The sky was covered with mackerel clouds this morning, and high clouds earlier, but now the nasty thing is out again. I like the sun in winter, when it makes things warm. I hate it in summer, when it makes things sizzle. I am thinking... ...still thinking about the insect that scurried out of the sofa at me last night. I don't think I caught him; the upholstery "gives" too much. It was on the coffee table last night and I missed killing it. I hope it's not pregnant! Another reason to hate summer: no matter how clean you keep things down here and how often the exterminator comes, crawly things come through the doors. I had to stomp on a palmetto bug in the kitchen last night. I am thankful... ...I'm done cleaning out the sofa. I vacuumed the crumbs out, sprayed it down with Lysol, and washed all the throws and the flannel fitted sheet I have as a cushion cover. That's about all I can do. In the kitchen... ...we had the teriyaki chicken legs I cooked last week for Monday dinner, with some of all that bread we bought for Hair Day as a starch side. I just seasoned the chicken with onion and garlic powder, Litehouse salad bits, and sweet soy sauce. It came out pretty well. I am wearing... ...blue and white flowered top, black shorts, and white socks. I am creating... ...a watercolor head portrait of a collie on a black watercolor paper card. I'm sending it as a thank you note to someone. I am going... ...to have to go to the post office to mail the card because it's going to Canada. I am wondering... ...if I'll ever get rid of these awful dreams about having to get up again and go to work! I am reading... ...dead tree or electronic? 😀 Magazine: the June "Early American Life." Real book: um, Off the Map (about the history of maps and about whomever draws them then making the rules and the names) and About Time: The Unauthorized Guide to Doctor Who, volume nine. Oh, and I've started Bonzo's War about pets in Great Britain during World War II. E-magazine: the August issue of the British edition of "Country Living." E-book: the second horseshoer mystery, Dead Blow. I am hoping... ...not to get stressed over upcoming things. Like DragonCon. I want to go, but looking forward to it always stresses me out. I wish we could afford a pet-friendly hotel downtown! I am looking forward to... ...DragonCon, but really looking forward to AUTUMN!!!!!!! Summer sucks so much. The sun gives me migraines and rashes, the heat makes me ill, the flowers make me sneeze. I am learning... ...LOL, judging by the card I made, watercolor painting still...and very slowly. Around the house... ...behind me James is teleworking and he's on the phone right now. I'm listening to Saturday's "The Tech Guy" podcast at a very low volume. Most interesting question: a guy hopes to work his Mom's TV (she's in California, he's in Washington) remote, because she had a stroke and can't use the remote. I wonder if something like an Echo Dot or Google Home could do that. We're supposed to be able to give the Dot instructions and it will give commands to the TV. I am pondering... ...why people enjoy summer when all it is is swelter and sweat and sun. A favorite quote for today... I found this looking for quotes about hating summer: “It was one of those sweltering summer days in which the air itself seems to decline as a haze suffocates the outside world. It is painfully bright whether you are looking up at that ball of burning hydrogen or down at its vivid reflection on sheer pavement.” Moonshine Noire One of my favorite things... ...I'm sitting watching it: the "Tech Guy" podcast. Snowy loves listening to Leo! A few plans for the rest of the week: Work for James. Hoping there are good BOGOs on Wednesday. Chilling out before the chaos that is DragonCon. A peek into my day... Snowy, as if he's chirbling to Leo LaPorte.  If you'd like to participate, check out The Simple Woman's Daybook. Labels: Simple Woman's Daybook » Thursday, May 30, 2019
FOR TODAY, THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2019 Outside my window... ...the sun is going in and out of the high clouds, and occasionally the trees toss, but there is no sign of rain on the horizon. After a rainy winter, it is suddenly extremely hot, especially the last few days when it has been up in the 90s. Even though I stay out of the sun as much as possible, I have not felt well the past couple of weeks, with digestive and other ailments. At least I am not as bad as last week, where, in turn, I had a stiff, painful neck, followed by a toothache and a fever, and then just general tiredness after the pain went away. Summer always messes my physiology up. I am thinking... ...that it is still strange to be on James' new schedule. As I had mentioned, he is now working 10-hour days Sunday through Wednesday. This is the first time he's had to work a weekend day in quite some years. The worst part of the schedule is eating supper so late. The food comes back up on me despite a daily dose of pantoprazole. When James teleworks we do eat dinner in the afternoon and just have a light meal when he gets off, but we can't do that the other three days. (He could eat a big hot lunch at the lunch counter at work, but that would be expensive, and restaurant food is usually too salty for him.) This is actually the first week he has had a "normal" new schedule: the first week he had a mole removed on Thursday, and last week he had the stitches out from that surgery. We are planning to use Thursday mornings for grocery shopping; this will keep us out of supermarkets and shopping clubs on busy Saturdays and Friday nights. I am thankful... ...it was a "normal" Thursday instead of a surgical one! It just would have been better if it were cooler! In the kitchen... ...the rest of a rotisserie chicken is ready to be put away. We ate the wings, legs, and thighs for dinner. We'll use the breast meat with some mixed greens, orange cups, sliced almonds, and chow mein noodles on Sunday for a dinner salad. I am wearing... ...blue and purple and white tiny flowered print tank top and aqua shorts, and white socks. It's the only costume for weather this hot, even under air conditioning. I am creating... ...cleanliness! Tucker got a much-needed bath today; I have been brushing him since the last one, but his fur was just getting too greasy and he was always rolling over on the carpet to rub himself against it. All I did was run my fingers through his coat to rub the soap against his skin, and then again to help rinse it off, and hair just came off tangled within them, a big chunk that glommed together into a shape bigger than Snowy. (After I walked Tucker, I brushed him as well and got two big wads of fur off with the slicker brush. All winter coat! No wonder he was so itchy!) Now I am washing the towels and his bedding. Tonight he will go to bed in a nice tidy crate. I am going... ...to have to stiffen my resolve about two unfinished projects: checking all the lights on the Christmas tree (a bunch of them are out, so I have bought a big bag of replacements) and tidying up the garage. What's left to do in the garage are the shelves of tools, nails, screws, etc.—in other words, the hardest part to keep tidy! Some stuff needs to go, and the rest has to be sorted. I am wondering... ...pessimistically about the results of these later suppers. It is going to play hob with our weights, because who wants to exercise after eating dinner at practically eight o'clock (James doesn't get home until 7:40 now)? If we could both walk, it would be different, but he can't, and during the summer it's still over 80 degrees outside even after dark. Who wants to exercise in that muck? I am reading... ...The Farmer's Son by John Connell, about a college-educated Irishman who comes home to help run the family farm (cows and sheep). It's very James Herriott-like and I love the narrative. I am hoping... ...the weatherman is correct and it will at least go down into the 80s. 90s in May is appalling. I am looking forward to... ...Hair Day, which has been changed to the 15th, so that James can actually go to his meeting, too, this month, and a book sale at Half-Priced Books. I am learning... ...how to properly give Tucker a bath in the tub. The price on the "dog wash" went up, and I have knee pads now, so I am trying it. I learned from last time and had the bathroom better prepped; I still ended up sopping wet. But Tucker is clean, and seemed very happy about it afterward, although he sits there and looks pathetic during the process. Around the house... ...alas, James has dozed off again. Tucker is in his cave under the dining room table, and Snowy tweedles to his "girlfriend" toy occasionally. The news is on. I am pondering... ...how to stay awake in the afternoons after I finish chores. I'm having to get up early to take Tucker on his long walk in the mornings and it really starts to show by afternoon. Yesterday I only dozed on the sofa, but I think it's what's hurting my neck. On Tuesday, when I actually sacked out on the bed, my neck felt okay, but I had horrendous dreams. A favorite quote for today... This has been a favorite since I heard it on All Creatures Great and Small so long ago: "Heat, ma am! It was so dreadful here that I found there was nothing left for it but to take off my flesh and sit in my bones." . . . . . Sydney Smith One of my favorite things... I was watching it this afternoon: a syndicated courtroom show called Caught in Providence which is mostly traffic court. The judge, Frank Caprio, is what my mother would have termed "a hot sketch" and loves to invite kids up at the bench with him, and runs a relaxed, amusing courtroom. A few plans for the rest of the week: Maybe a trip to Ikea. A peek into my day... A wet dog from a previous bathing session. Poor baby thinks he's been drowned.  If you'd like to participate, check out The Simple Woman's Daybook. Labels: Simple Woman's Daybook |
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