Super Sunday

Yesterday, I went to an art exhibit to see the works of Liz Boutin. She is a new friend and artist I’ve just met, and she has her works at the VFW Post 2503 for Veterans Day Week. It was nice to see her nature paintings. She does some beautiful work. I purchased a Dragonfly painting. It’s in three parts, and she cautioned me it’s a real job to get all three parts equal when hanging. The Babe will have fun with that! A photo of the painting is in my header photo today. I love the colors. Since we have a Wetlands behind us, we have a bunch of Dragonflies in the yard. I love them! So beautiful. Thanks, Liz!

Today will be spent gearing up again for writing. It takes more than having an outline and a half of an idea of where I want the characters to go. It takes having the house clean – dusted, vacuumed, decluttered, and how it should be all the time. It takes having some meals planned so we don’t have to eat out. I’ve fallen deepy in love with carbs and ice cream again, so I need to get back on the Keto bandwagon. I will not backslide after losing 45 pounds. I’ve given away my big girl jeans.

It also takes plotting the play time with Goldie. She requires a lot of activity. Last winter, I got smarter and threw her toy down the basement stairs. She would run up and down, get her energy out, and stop when I tell her, “It’s time for a drink.” She laps up her water and goes to take a nap. Perfect! It’s that time of year again. If it’s 30 degrees outside and windy, forget about it!

I’m glad to be able to get back to writing. That first week, it was easy, then life got in the way. It’s ok though. Having 30 days is somewhat forgiving in case you have situations that need attention crop up. And the more you want to get done, the more interruptions you get. Murphy’s Law, you know?

The sunny morning yesterday gave way to clouds which stuck around today. The house is clean, and I’m done working for today. The culinary challenge of the day is figuring out which containers in the freezer contain meatloaf, and is it still edible? We have too many things leftover and frozen to buy new stuff. I’d like to clean out the freezer before adding more to the tundra. It’s interesting how I usually think I’ll be able to do so much every day. The days I get stuff done, it’s not unusual to crash in the afternoon, like I did today. I need to remind myself I did a lot of work, got the house amazingly clean, and moved furniture and decorative items and put out some new ones.

Cozying up with some new decorations.

I’m going to plot some points tomorrow morning for the story, book, and check how they will fit with what I have so far. It’s going to be a session in planning and time management, since I’m meeting our artist friend Liz Boutin, at the Post tomorrow. She will dismantle the exhibit she showed last week about PTSD. I’m a little sad it’s all over, but the holidays will soon be upon us, and people will be busier than ever. I hope the days are good and the nights short.

Thanks for being here today. I we’ll see each other tomorrow, and it will be another great November day. See you then.

It’s a Great Friday!

It’s a celebration today, the Babe went to the cardiologist and was one of only two patients in the past year who didn’t gain weight. What an elite group to be part of! I’m proud of him for sticking to the Keto diet and being strong enough to skip Christmas cookies and candies. We have two dozen homemade chocolate chip cookies leftover from our giveaway to the neighbors, and they’re going to go in the freezer. Way to go, Babe!

Since we would only be gone a couple hours, I left Goldie out of her kennel. I think she and Lexie played the music too loud while we were away. Nothing was eaten up, tipped over, or scattered about, so I believe they were good. She is certainly old enough to be left out of the kennel, but I hope she and Lexie don’t get into a tussle while we’re away. Baby steps, for sure. Goldie kind of hangs her head when we close her kennel door at night. I might try leaving her kennel open, so she doesn’t feel bad. I know. We pet owners can be ridiculous.

Bernie Sanders is certainly a character for the ages. The Internet is full of new Bernie Memes, complete with his chair and mittens. Guys got to dress for the elements! No time to be fashionable! How funny! I have to say on another Inaugural topic, the “fashions.” We finally have a woman holding one of the two top offices, and we still have a huge fashion report. Kind of strange, and I doubt it will ever change. I truly don’t think there is any more elegant woman than Laura Bush. She has a beautiful manner, and her demeanor is kind, in my opinion.

I’m currently reading a book called, “All Things in Time,” by Sue Buyer. Sue Buyer is well over 90 years old, and after being a professional writer her whole life, she has written her first novella. She was a Vassar College and Columbia Journalism School graduate. She writes about her observations at a large-circulation metropolitan newspaper.

Of course I was drawn to the story once I heard this was her first book, at 92, I believe. She worked in an era when women didn’t work away from the home. She was ahead of her time with her thinking and lifestyle. It is only 114 pages long, I’m sure I’ll finish it today. I’m enjoying her writing and storytelling.

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com

It’s a chilly 27 degrees outside this afternoon. I’m feeling like having a nice, hot cup of tea to enjoy while reading a little while. It will be a great way to spend the rest of the afternoon. I hope you have an enjoyable rest of your day. Thank you for reading today, be kind, and see you tomorrow!

Saturday Summary

Lots of busy stuff today. My illustrator and I will meet next week which is better anyway. I’ll have more prepared for her. Life always works itself out, doesn’t it? I used the time freed up to try and organize my project better. As I see this:

Email is Great When You Keep It Current!

I realize there are some of these emails need reading, some just need to go. That was my first order of business when I got home. There is a useful week long free class (one hour a day) on Picture Book Challenge Week. I think there will be something to glean from it, so that’s going to be high on the daily to do lists.

I do like knowing when people follow my blog. I receive an email when someone follows it, and I can respond in kind if I think the topics interest me. It’s nice when people like your work and follow it. The number is now over 200, which is just from plugging away at it. It’s posted every day on Facebook, both to my Author page and my personal page, and on Twitter. I need to tweak it to go to Instagram too. I usually forget to do that.

No matter how you spend your time, there comes time to re-vamp. I love writing this blog every day, and I do wonder some times if I wrote two at a time, I could schedule one to be uploaded and work just on the book every other day of so. That could be a plan for the future, freeing up some time for other things. Still trying to tweak time and get the most accomplished.

Up until today, we have always kenneled Goldie when we have left the house. It’s not that we don’t trust her, it’s we think it’s safer for her. Being a crazy kid, if she plays too hard or too long, Lexie often puts her in her place. Lexie is older and the alpha. I did leave them today for about fifteen minutes while I went to the Post Office. Luckily, there was no line. Both girls crowded into the crack of the door from the garage to greet me, and promptly walked away when I patted them on the head. No one hurt each other, no one ate the couch, no one was naughty. What a relief! I suppose I’ll start doing that more often, but not for extended periods of time. The puppy is growing up!

These are stock photos, but the dog really resembles Goldie. As a child did you ever hear about the “Inch Worms?” This one looks more like a tomato worm to me, but I could be wrong. Kinda scary. What a creature!

I don’t know if Lexie would let Goldie sleep on the bed or not. I’m thinking no, and we do need room for both of us. Lexie is territorial, and until we lost Roxie, they both slept in their kennels. When Roxie died, we let Lexie sleep with us. She cried and looked everywhere for Roxie. They were from the same litter and never were away from each other. She mourned for a long time, and sometimes, I think she still does.

I feel a nap coming on, followed by finishing watching some training videos for publishing. It will be a good rest of the day, hope yours is too. Thank you for reading, I’ll see you again tomorrow. Rest. Relax. Renew.

Snowy Sunday

We’ve been out for a little today. The Babe has me copy spreadsheets over to use for subsequent months. I know Excel better than he does, so it’s maybe 1/2 hour at the most. I like to help him out so he doesn’t have to be away from home long. It may be a selfish motive, but I hate to see him struggle with something that wouldn’t take me too long. We’ve done a lot of those days together. One of our old friends from the VFW Post mentioned one time the Quartermaster job “takes a lot of time, and it helps that your wife is helping with other things, instead of complaining you’re gone all the time.” Bless your heart, Bob Fenton, you were a man among men, and I miss you terribly.

Photo by Simon Matzinger on Pexels.com

The Kansas City – Denver football game today is sort of fun to watch. It’s snowing in Denver. They allowed seven and a half percent of capacity for a crowd today. Will the cold kill the virus? Not sure, but it looks cold. Hoping they enjoy themselves. And drinking beer in a snowstorm? Never tried it, but at least there shouldn’t be a terribly long line for the ladies’ room. What a plus!

Our deck is looking shiny, and the wrought-iron fence has ice on it. I don’t think it will be too long before it is snowing flakes. We are snuggly with the fireplace ablaze. How I love a gas fireplace! Whatever the weather does, it’ll get warm again anyhow. Not too big of a deal. Complaining won’t change it. This (below) is nice for a stock photo.

Photo by Taryn Elliott on Pexels.com

Tomorrow, it’s back to working in the mornings, and reading/relaxing in the afternoon. I don’t care for working so late in my day. I have another deadline one week from today. I’m rapidly approaching the end of my time with Sam, my book coach, for this year. Only two or three more sessions, then we take December off. It’s been money well spent. I need to branch out and see how I can do fewer sessions and hope to remember what I’ve learned.

Yes, that’s a plan for 2021. If we plan for it, it means we still have spirit and determination to face whatever happens next in this soap opera of a life we’ve had this year. As I review what I believed what I would do with my writing career this year, I see by now I thought I’d have a novel published and two or three children’s books printed. Lots of things occurred this year that were unforeseen. I like my novel more, since it’s a distinct part of the story of Katie Fitzgibbons. It’s backstory to what comes in “These Walls Do Talk.” Backstory can be too heavy to share while a different story is going on. Yes, it’s nice to know the who, what, when, where, and why characters are as they are while a plot thickens. Sometimes, it has nothing at all to do with the story being told. That’s when it needs to go. And mine needed to go. I’m glad it did, I’m doing much better work than before.

I hope you have a nice evening, at least what we have left of it. It’s been very restful. How nice! Hope yours was, too. Thank you for reading, and I’ll see you again tomorrow. Be Safe out there. Be Kind. Be Courteous. Be Understanding of others. We’re all living a very different life than we thought would be a year ago. Wear your mask, stay well.

Saturday, August 1, 2020

I saw this guy on the deck last week. It was pretty cool, watching him move ever so slowly. He seemed to move one segmented joint at a time. It was fascinating to watch. I love seeing the creatures of the world from a safe distance. One bug I hope to never see again is the Japanese Beetle. They are so beautiful yet so destructive. The dragonflies, and butterflies are welcome!

August is month with a lot happening. School again (we think), and I don’t envy parents at all. I think our children will be behind where they should be if remote learning would continue for an extended period of time. I don’t think our grandkids are finding enough challenge in the work assigned and I’d hate them to lose out on some critical learning as Addison is in eighth grade and Gavin is in third. They are both very bright and need to be challenged.

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Goldie has a blast with butterflies. She could have stood there watching this one for hours. I love showing puppies and babies to watch butterflies. Dragonflies are a lot harder, they move very quickly.

Another August event I’m looking forward to is working with a company to set up a new website for the VFW Post 2503. I’m involved in maintenance on the old one (probably twenty years old), and it is in serious need of an update. It needs to be done, and I’m glad for what I’ll get to learn about WordPress. I can use the knowledge to add pages to my website, and the blog will continue to be one page of many. As I get closer to finishing my book, I’ll add pages to my website.

The Babe and I couldn’t find anything to watch on TV last night, so we watched an Amazon Prime movie, “Fathers and Daughters.” It was quite sad. The daughter was very young when her mother died in a car accident. The father was a writer (go figure!), and mentally ill/struck with seizures after the accident, loss, and having a child to help. He went to a mental hospital for seven months, had ECT (Electric Current Therapy) and other therapy, and returned to raise his daughter. It paralleled his life with hers. She had little understanding how to have a personal relationship with anyone else. She was a social worker, helped a little girl who lost her mom, yet couldn’t commit to her boyfriend. It was a weird story to track. At the end, there was this beautiful song: “Fathers and Daughters Never Say Goodbye.” Yes, it’s a tear jerker. It makes me miss my dad.

Sometimes, it seems as if it’s silly to still miss him after all these years. I have already lived longer than he did. He was cheated out of enjoying his retirement by that tyrant, cancer. I miss his support. Not a “good job,” kind of guy. More of a, “keep doing what you’re doing, and you’ll get there,” kind of guy. He’s still with me. And that is all I need to know.

I have a lot of work to ready and send to my book coach for this week’s conference (Thursday morning). For some reason, it seems to just jump at me from nowhere. Lots to do, so cutting this a little short. Have a beautiful day. It’s cloudy, but you can make it sunny in your heart. Be Kind. Be Courteous. Be Safe. Help someone. Hold the door open. Small things add up. You’ll feel better, too. I appreciate you reading today. I’ll see you tomorrow, and we’ll catch up. Be careful out there.

Fun Friday!

No matter what, we always have some beautiful sights around us, and some outright gifts from God if we keep an eye open for them. Last night, the Babe had the monthly meeting at the VFW, and I stayed home with the dogs. I let them out for the last time later than usual, it was after dark. They’re usually done by 8:15 p.m. or so.

I’m so glad I went out with them. The lightening bugs were out like I haven’t seen in a long time. At first, the both just looked, trying to figure out what those strange things were. Finally, I coaxed Goldie to go down the steps and go potty. She just stood in a corner of the yard, looking up and around her at the wondrous sight. She opened her mouth and tried to catch a few, but missed. She kept tilting her head from side to side and frolicked, it made me smile down into my soul.

No, have no photos of it. It would have been way too dark, and besides, if we’re clicking away all the time, we miss half of life. That will be a memory for the old folks home someday. Goldie is such an addition to our home, I hope we have her for a long, long time.

It’s Never Too Late; Not Until They Throw Dirt Over You

I believe that sight was God telling me to get back with it. Today, I’m drafting a new Chapter 1 for “The Freeing of Katie Fitzgibbons.” I need some story about Katie’s world before the inciting event, it will be pretty much plain living up until then. So much about crafting and planning to learn. There is no “recipe” for a novel. You could follow convention and write according to someone else’s formula, but then it wouldn’t be my story, it would be theirs.

I’m going to start and see where it takes me. Hopefully, right where I want to go. There are surprises, though. Sometimes the characters take you places you didn’t know existed. I’m thinking this may happen with Katie’s story. I’ll let you know.

This morning, I went to Dulce Salon and Spa in Gretna and had a pedicure. Basic stuff, but it was so nice. The people are super nice, and I’ll definitely go back, that’s for sure. I rarely pamper myself, so it was a treat. They had a shop in Lincoln but closed it. They have been in Gretna for about eight years. And after the buffing, shaping, priming, painting, and massaging, I came home. As soon as Goldie was out of her kennel, she kept licking my toes. Dang, dog! It tickles! She makes me laugh all the time. I’m sure there were all sorts of scents for her to investigate. I just need to watch out so she doesn’t trip me up. Silly puppy.

October, 2019 Seems Like Such A Long Time Ago!

It sounds as if the weekend could be beastly hot. At one point through this week, I heard it could reach 100 degrees. That’s hot. The humidity is what’s oppressive when the temperature is up there. Thank goodness for Mr. Carrier, the inventor of air conditioning. I do not know how my dad slept during the day without A/C. Of course, eventually his workplace was air conditioned, but still. Wow.

With the changes to the name and logo of the Washington Redskins, there are some other businesses who are re-thinking their logos. Mutual of Omaha is one of them. I worked for them for ten years, and grew up knowing about Wild Kingdom, Marlin Perkins, Jim Fowler and the like. I thought it was named after Omaha, which is named for the Omaha Indians. Not a big deal.

Fast forward to 2020, and they are removing their Indian Chief logo. What in the hell?? What will you call the company now? It has called Omaha home for a very long time. I’m pretty disappointed with this move. Just curious, did they do away with the “Big Chief” writing tablet with the red cover on it? What about the FSU Seminoles? Have they made a move yet? The Atlanta Braves with the “chop, chop” motion while chanting? Kansas City Chiefs? Just won a Super Bowl and their name might be changed forever?

My opinion is changing all these names will not erase any bigotry people carry inside them. To me, it’s like putting a band aid on cancer. Looks good, but ineffective. Until the bigotry is erased from both non-white people AND white people;s hearts, we’ll never have peace.

Stay cool this weekend. Check on anyone you know who may not have a fan or A/C. Be Kind. Be Thoughtful. Be Courteous. Wash your hands, sanitize, wear your mask. I’m wearing one more now than ever before. It’s not a big deal, really. Thanks for reading today! I’ll see you right here again tomorrow. Be careful out there.

Thinking About Thursday

This Plant Needs Prayers!

Our beautiful pure-bred hunting dog must be a vegetarian or something. She mangled about four plants this week. I suppose it’s my fault for trusting her too much. She’s a puppy, still. And now, she’s sleeping peacefully on the floor by me while I write and it rains outside. All is right with the world.

She’s Sleeping Near the Bag of Coloring Supplies.

It started out a beautiful day, right now, the clouds are rolling in. It’s still a beautiful day and when the rain comes in, I’ll be grateful to not have to water. Even the plant Goldie tried to eat. Well, I guess she DID eat it.

I am so happy to have these two dogs for companionship. They are great company and comfort, even if they just nap in the room I occupy at any given moment. They are powerful creatures. They sense everything about us. Earlier this week, Lexie didn’t like Goldie tugging at a toy Gavin was going to throw for fetch. Lexie walked over in between them and gave a low, throaty growl, ever so quietly. Goldie let go. Gavin threw the toy, Goldie fetched, Lexie walked away and laid down again. She watches her people, and I love that about her.

I had a great conversation with my book coach Sam this morning. We have developed a plan for July and August. I’m taking a slightly different path in as much as I’m writing a different story over these two months, and will check in regularly to discuss the progress or lack thereof. If you’d like to read about Sam, here is a link to her website. You’ll hear a lot more about Sam and our work later in the summer.

Today is a day filled with significant birthdays! In addition to being Sir Paul McCartney’s birthday, it’s my older brother’s birthday and Dan’s younger sister’s birthday. Tom Jewell and Linda Ulmer, Happy Birthdays! Hope you both have a great day. Don’t need to wish Sir Paul one, after all, he’s Paul McCartney!

It seems the food industry is rebranding several products we have used for decades and probably not realized their packaging was racist. Aunt Jemima is having a makeover. I suppose it must be done. For years, I haven’t given it a thought using these products. I thought the updating done last was just like the Betty Crocker image on packaging, cook books, and other items. Were women offended by an old fashioned representation on the cook books? I don’t remember.

Uncle Ben and the cook on Cream of Wheat simply told me they were pictures on a package. No different than any other picture. And now, things will change. Will it change the violence in the streets? Most likely not. But those offensive photos will no longer be staring out from shelves in the stores. So be it.

Sometimes I can’t help but think there needs to come a point where we stop being offended. Where we stop pointing fingers and placing blame, and sit down and formulate a plan to just stop all of this. Both sides. Just stop it! Start respecting each other, just because God created all of us. Then work on being better humans. As you work together, and have frank discussions, you will grow in respect of each other. And yourselves. Do something that’s never been done. Admit there is fault on both sides. Quit being the stereotypes we all hate. The bad cop. The bad punk. The gangster. The professional rioter. Talk to each other. Talk with each other. Listen to each other. Listen to hear. Hear and act. Act in a rational manner. Make the change you want for everyone. Teach your children how to respect and behave, not show attitude and bad behavior.

We have plans to watch Gavin play ball over the weekend. Being a tournament, there are quite a few games to get in. And of course, the forecast is calling for a whole bunch of rain. It wouldn’t be a ball tournament without it!

I also have a lot of writing things to accomplish in the next three weeks. It will be a great way to spend time, and a great way to move forward with my projects. A plan and a partner work well together. I’m looking forward to it.

Thank you for reading today. I appreciate your time. It rained quite nicely here, and now appears to be dreary for the rest of the day. Perhaps dreary and rain is what my Goldie – relocated plants needs to come back to life. I’ll see you tomorrow! Stay safe. Wash your mask before you wear it again! Wash your hands. Be a good example. Teach your children well.

Marveling It’s Monday!

So this is the view from the office today. You can see the streak from an airplane above the trees and there is enough shade yet for the pups to take a nap in. They love being outside! I do too.

Can’t See This Too Much. Fresh Air is the Best Therapy for Your Soul.

The Finch Family Was Rude Last NIght!

However, the neighbor up above on the beam over the table isn’t too nice. While arranging my stuff to work, I discovered we needed a clean up on – well, Table 5? The Finch Family left some gifts for me. Ack! Note to self: Move the table away from the nest to avoid incoming. There, now where were we?

This is such a perfect time of day. It’s just warm enough to be comfortable, especially in the shade. In some ways, I was flashing back to summer mornings when I was a kid in South Omaha. Of course, when I was in 6 – 8 grades, the girls had to go to Mass and sing every morning. Yes, every morning. There was no sleeping in ever at our house. Not weekends, not summer. If we were out too late from the night before, Mom woke us up earlier.

We had no air conditioning the whole time any kids lived at home. Don’t know how Dad, a night worker, slept during the day in that oven of a house. With maybe just a window fan. Anyway, the days were pretty much all alike, kind of like now. Get up, Church, breakfast, change clothes, play. Or read, or whatever you were going to do. Riding bikes was a lot of fun with my friend Peggy. We imagined we had cars, or were part of the Cartwright family on the Ponderosa. It didn’t matter. We used our imaginations and had fun. It’s funny now to think of it. Oh, or be Ricky Nelson’s girlfriend. That was a good one. Swoon!

Goldie, the Office Manager

My productivity took a nose dive yesterday after lunch. When that happens, I need to sit in the recliner with the heating pad on my back. Hate when that happens. Had a nice short nap, and just did some reading the rest of the day. I have four quilts to quilt, three need layering right now. Poppies, Psychedelic Flower, Hibiscus Blocks, and a Wintery Cardinals Quilt I bought last fall. Those are all about the same size, and I’ll only need one King Sized Batting cut in fourths for them all. That makes it so much easier. Hope to get those all layered and pinned this week.

The Babe brought up a good subject. If one of us becomes sick, we probably should have the room ready for the patient. We have a full little apartment downstairs, minus a kitchen, but have a refrigerator, bathroom with a huge shower, and a queen sized futon couch in the craft room. Now, that means I’d need to straighten up the craft room. It is disorganized, and I’ve never finished moving into it. A day or two (depending on how my back holds up) will accomplish the task. I’m hoping to start that this week.

I don’t know that the bed needs sheets on it as of yet, but maybe that’s what he’s going for. I suppose either way, I need to get the bed ready for the Babe, since he’s probably the one who will vacate the upstairs, regardless of who gets sick. Meals on wheels? Room service? I’m not sure. We’ll have to see how he works out that little detail.

Our dog Lexie is worse than a kid. When she decides to be naughty, she’ll drink out of the big bowl she shares with Goldie. Then she sticks her paw in it to spill it. That’s OK outside, but I frown on that in the kitchen. She knows we love her, she just has to be ornery once in awhile. That’s the Raabe in her. Come bedtime, though, she snuggles right up next to my side, and I’ll often wake to find her head laying on my stomach. I’d like to think it’s because she loves me, not because I’m extra fluffy as a result of quarantine weight gain/ Maybe a little of both?

Lexie is in charge of Security!

I’m off to do some research on Alcoholics Anonymous. I purchased their 75th Anniversary Edition of their Big Book. It reminds me of the Missals we carried in the 60s to Mass in the Catholic Church. It has a ribbon page marker like they had, it’s a plain black cover, and the edges are gilded in red metallic. It’s beautiful. There is a companion book called “Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions that I hope to learn a lot from. It is research to figure out how to deal with the family created to write about.

There will be some work on Chapter 10 of the book, too. And embroidery on the little hedge hog picture for baby Cody’s room. Looking forward to the rest of the day. Thank you for spending this time with me, I hope you have some goals for the day, even if it’s to work on your Quarantine Tan. Sunscreen, please! We all should use it. Hope to see you tomorrow, and we’ll see if this day went according to plan! Enjoy!

Hump Daaaaay!

A pessimist would say, “Why bother? Hump Day? Every day is the same as another when you’re stuck at home.” An optimist would say, “Wednesday is just a great as any other day! You woke up today, the sun is shining AGAIN!” And aren’t we lucky we have some place, whatever it is, to self-distance/quarantine ourselves? Yes, we are. When you look at countries like China, India, the Middle East, Africa, they don’t even have basic sanitation and clean water to drink. How on earth would we survive that? We need to count our blessings and be grateful.

Even if you are diagnosed with Corona Virus (COVID-19) chances are, you will survive with little damage to your lungs. People like myself, who have asthma or any other underlying health issue, will have a harder time if they have the lung damage associated with the virus. This IS different than the flu. The mucous is extra thick once it settles into your lungs. It causes permanent damage to the lungs where it sets up house, so to speak. I’d hate like hell to have my lungs compromised because some person decided they were bored and gathered with a crowd, playing a game of soccer, went shopping to Target to get their Starbuck’s and just browse the racks, or sent their kids to visit Grandma and Grandpa because they needed a break from home-schooling. Please, don’t do it!

Even though we need to be vigilant, we can still keep occupied and not go stir crazy. If you are a person who is still working, maybe enjoy how your home (apartment or house) looks all day long. You’re usually at work and don’t often get to enjoy it during the day. It makes you have a different perspective of your abode. You may (safely) have a little talk over the fence with the neighbor. The Babe is out doing that all the time. He knows everyone by first name. I love that about him. Everyone loves him. I’m lucky. And so is he!

A cousin’s daughter scheduled her wedding for April 4, 2020. They have had to cancel the reception. They will still have the ceremony, reduced to 7 people, them, the officiant, and have rescheduled the reception for later this year. Her younger sister is set to marry in August, along with another cousin’s son, also in August. Hoping these young people get started on their lives together and all brides and grooms get to have their time. I can imagine how devastated they all feel, and at the same time, they’re all very responsible people who know they must follow these new rules for living. They’re temporary restrictions, not permanent ones. God Bless all of you!

As a fund-raiser for their tip wage staff, Union Pizzaria and Sports Bar in Omaha, NE, printed some t-shirts with their various businesses on it and is donating all the proceeds to a fund for their impacted workers. What a great employer in the food and beverage business! My son works at Union, along with his room-mate. When they lost everything in an apartment fire last fall, these guys were right there, making sure they were getting what they needed, time off, whatever needed to be done. So grateful my son is associated with people like this. God Bless you guys! Go to their Facebook post for more info!

A great way to feel better? Help someone else. There are many, many restaurants who have gone to pick-up food to keep their doors open. Try ordering out! I don’t know about you, I’m a bit tired of cooking, but I do like it’s healthier than what we eat out. I just need to get back to salads and the like. It just all takes time. I’ve probably had quite enough comfort food for awhile. I truthfully don’t even like french fries that aren’t done to a certain degree of crispness. Nothing soggy, thank you very much.

Thank you for reading, I appreciate it. Union’s tip wage staff would appreciate it greatly if you’d stop by 156 & Maple for a t-shirt or two. Order their daily special before you go and you can solve the dinner problem. They appreciate it greatly. I’ll be here tomorrow, and hope you come back. Have a happy, safe day.

Thriving Thursday

I swear, this formatting page area for WordPress has changed in the time we’ve been using it. Did you know I’ve posted over 200 Blog Posts?? I’m pretty excited about that. I’m even more excited to be picking up more readers, and folks that like the blog. Some are fellow bloggers, some are selling their services, some are spammy ones, but hey, we can pick and choose, you know? I love that we’re going somewhere with this.

In your social distancing, have you completed your 2020 Census yet? I haven’t. It’s on the list. And so is Mom’s. I have to laugh with her. The first notice comes and tells you to log in blah, blah, blah. She will tell you in no uncertain terms that she does not have internet, computer, cell phone, and furthermore does not wish to be bothered with one! SO THERE! I told her I’d do it online for her. “No, I’ll mail it in.” OK Mom, do it your way. A week later, “Have you done your census yet?” “No, I’m doing it online, so I’ll get it done.” She said, “Why don’t they let us fill them out like we used to.” I’m not even going into it yet. I was sent home with both of her notices to complete it online. In the last two times I took her to therapy she asked, “Did you do my census yet?” “No.” I’m doing it this afternoon, in case she asks you.

One thing we were told that must be done online is renew your license plates for your vehicles. We did. It’s kind of crummy you have to pay an online fee to a third party, the state does not get directly paid by YOU. The third party pays them the correct amount, but it’s about a twelve dollar plus fee on each renewal. We had an extra $25 charged. WHAT? That’s pretty crummy. They force you to go online, then they force you to pay extra. That stinks. What about people who can’t afford that? It’s something they should probably refund under these circumstances.

So many teachers locally are doing parades through neighborhoods their students live in. I think it’s such a neat idea, the kids are lost without their daily school routine and their dear teachers, and the everyday stuff of school. Some kids may say they hate school and like being off, but I’ll be at least they miss their friends. The news stories are cute, some families made poster board signs and had balloons.

If you take your toddler to the park, do not use the playground equipment. I am surprised it would even be a question someone would ask, but I suppose they are being thorough. If you have little ones, I can see how you wouldn’t have been able to see the stories. There is so much to this virus and all that goes with it, I really believe there is no way we can be back to business by April 12, 2020. Maybe May 12, but definitely not April.

Without the wonderful invention of the Internet, what would we be doing at this point? I’d get more done on my book, maybe. Probably get more accomplished on my other hobbies, but who knows? Rush hour video of one of our most busy and dangerous intersections looks like early Sunday morning. I was talking to someone today and told them I just feel so weird driving. Things just feel off kilter and I don’t know why. She said she feels the same way. It amazes me how something we cannot see can impact our lives so greatly. It’s making us afraid, angry, and full of angst. Whatever it is, we just can’t seem to put our finger on exactly what it is, but it’s there.

If you can at all, please support your local restaurants. Not the national chains, the locals who are needing your support right now. I don’t know about you, but I’m kind of tired of even thinking what to make for two or three meals a day. It’d be easier if the Babe wasn’t kind of “picky”. He dislikes fish and isn’t fond of chicken. I could live on the stuff he dislikes. One thing we do agree on is dessert! Ha! tonight, it’s going to be a brownie sundae. Why not? Kind of takes the edge off.

I’ve started a bag of things to give to homeless female veterans when the centers open up again. I decided to stop keeping several pairs of jeans, pants, and other clothing that just doesn’t fit anymore. It’s time to accept the reality. Losing that much weight is highly unlikely at this point in life. I would say twenty five pounds of it is from cancer medication. Glad I’m alive, just wish it was like it used to be. Not complaining, it is what it is.

Thanks for reading today. I appreciate it so much, and hope you’ll return tomorrow. I’ll be here!