Rusty Skills But At Least I Still Have Them

I received a quick note yesterday afternoon that a fellow Tolkien-based fiction author and good friend had passed. Dreamflower was a friend of many years, a talented author, and a fellow enthusiast who was an active member in the Tolkien fan-fiction community. She read other's writings avidly, commented when she felt moved, always was positive, and she'll be missed. Travel safely to the West, my friend. I hope to meet you again someday on that far shore. 

Another friend is sailing into the unknown - heading to the 
Western seas. Travel safely, my dear. You'll be missed. 

Yesterday was also a very busy day in the kitchen, and I even got an hour to spend cutting mats for two pictures I need to get into their frames. I wish I had gotten a bit more completed, but it was a good start and I'll try to get some more work done on them on Sunday. My workspace for framing at home isn't the greatest space. It's small, it's crowded, and it doesn't work super well for the larger cuts. It's fine for the finer detail work, but the big stuff is a bit of a PITA. But, it's what I have available, so I'll just have to make do. No choices. 

My Fletcher glass cutting equipment takes quite a bit 
of space. And the sheets of glass are often quite large 
too. Tiny shards of glass also accumulate beneath it, 
so if I bring this home, I'll have to be very careful about 
where I mount it. 

I will have to take interior measurements for these also - I need to get glass cut for them, and my glass cutter is on the wall at the shop. I've been running through possibilities of where I could get it set up here at home, and I haven't come up with a decent location for the cutter yet. I'm running out of time - I'll have to get it pulled and mounted somewhere here ... but where??? 

My framing skills are a bit rusty, and the space I have available 
for my equipment isn't the best. Nonetheless, as the saying 
goes ... I'll persevere. No real choices here - LOL. 

But, at least it was a day when I did get something accomplished for framing. I didn't get nearly as far as I had wanted, but anything is an improvement over nothing. Part of the problem is I simply haven't done a lot of framing over the past few years, and my skills are rusty. They are still there, but everything takes a bit longer - it's less intuitive. On that note, I'm going to the swimming pool to work out some of my basic frustration. Have an excellent day and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

You Brighten My Days

I finally had a good night's sleep, and after a week of no virtual reality on my treadmill, I'm back up and running on that as well. It was pure delight to be on the treadmill for my 45 minutes looking at scenery I've seen many times before, but that doesn't matter to me. What's important to me is that I have something other than a computer screen of nothingness to look at while I'm using the treadmill. I'm back up and running for another year now, and I'm VERY happy. 

There are actually a lot of virtual scenery runs out there on 
the internet, and I have internet connectivity with my treadmill. 
So one of these days I'll explore accessing new runs on my screen. 
But for now, my Treo Wellness videos are pretty extensive and 
I enjoy them. It's just to keep my mine occupied while fast walking, 
because "running" is a rather boring activity. 

I've always been a fairly active person - not much for sitting in a chair for 8+ hours a day, day after day, week after week. I'm not a fitness guru, and not a fitness junky, I'm just someone who enjoys being active because I'm stuck in front of a computer screen and keyboard for far too many hours every day. So when I turned 60 and could get an inexpensive membership to the YMCA, I joined and started swimming again after decades away from the pool. It was a re-learning experience but I loved it. I also used their gym where I used the bicycles and the treadmills most often. 

There's a lot of great equipment that I can use at the 
YMCA, bur I prefer to exercise at home except for the 
swimming pool. I really don't have room for a pool 
at my house - LOL. 

Being there often and meeting the same group of people led to friendships that I cherish, experiences shared, and stories exchanged in front of the doors as we wait for them to be unlocked every morning. I've seen Gate Gargoyles come and go over the years, and I'm still friends with several of them. I still swim, but I use my home treadmill because it's mine, it's a really good one, and I love it. But I learned what I wanted in a treadmill because of the treadmills I used at the YMCA. 

I enjoy keeping in touch with my virtual friends, many 
of whom I've had for decades now. You're JUST as important 
to me as any physical friendships, maybe (in some ways) 
even more important to my grounding and general wellbeing. 
*hugs* to all of you! 

I give myself Sundays off - I allow myself a bit of extra sleep and a longer than usual meditation time. It's a Sunday - I'm only in a rush on that day when we're heading out to the Renaissance Festival. Otherwise, I try my best to be lazy before jumping back into the rat race of commerce once again. But the other thing that I do regularly - six days a week - is post in this blog, which I copy over to Dreamwidth and LiveJournal. It's one of the ways that I keep in touch with friends whom I've never had the joy of meeting in person. When I don't post, people get a bit worried. It's comforting to have friends - in person or cyber - who actually care about me, and it's also flattering. I hope you have friends in your lives who brighten them as much as many of you, my readers, brighten mine. Have an excellent weekend and I'll be back on Monday. Slava Ukraini. 

The Pool, Friends and Video Chats

It's cool outdoors, and yesterday was also. That makes for pleasant gardening, but cold runs in and out of the outdoor pool. We'll all be complaining about the run back and forth today again, because we'll all be shivering a bit - especially on our way out of the pool and back into the building. That hot shower after the swim will be wonderfully welcome today. 

We have quite a crowd of people waiting for the YMCA doors 
to be unlocked at 5:00 am daily. The majority of those people 
are here for the outdoor swimming pool. It gets super crowded 
later on in the day, but the 5:00 am groups are pretty structured 
and I usually only share my lane with one other person. 

I awakened early (my alarm was set for 3:00 am), and decided to just stay up. It's a laundry and cooking day and it's going to be a VERY busy one, so settling into my morning meditation earlier wasn't a problem. If I'm super exhausted and time allows (and I'm in the mood), I can maybe grab a quick nap this afternoon. But I doubt I'll be inclined. I'll be dragging by the end of the week, but there's nothing unusual in that. 

I'm sleepy, and I'll regret having awakened 
before 3:00 am later today. But, I have a 
ton of stuff to do today, so I won't have any 
time to complain. 

I think Aearwen and I are back on schedule for our weekly chat and catch-up this afternoon. We went for several years with very few interruptions, but the past six months with my cancer and various health things for her and her family in California ... well, our schedule has been interrupted more often than usual. It's not like we chat about anything earthshaking. We just see where the flow takes us and talk about this and that - daily life and mundane things. But she's another of the friends I hold dear whom I've never actually met in person. It's one of the marvelous things about the internet and the various communities that it has fostered over time. You can make friends that you hold dear, interact with them regularly, but never actually meet them face-to-face. Quite remarkable. 

I have quite a few online friends whom I've never 
met in person, and quite a few other online friends 
whom I've only met in person a few times. I cherish 
all of my friends, they enrich my life and pull me out 
of my daily rut. Whether I'm interacting in an actual 
conversation or just passing notes back and forth 
online, they are cherished. 

I'm sure you also have online friends with whom you communicate regularly, but who you've never met in person. That would have been impossible in my youth. The closest you could come to something like this would have been a pen pal. I had a pen pal who lived in Alaska for about six months or so, but I really dislike writing - I'm a keyboard kind of person. And it's really not the same, is it? The internet gives us almost immediate feedback, and if we want something more immediate, there's always the phone or a face-to-face on the screen. I don't face time often, preferring to chat over the phone or in text, but I have done so in the past and I'm sure I will be on-screen again in the future. It's a fact of our current life styles in the USA. We can face-time with dear friends from around the world quite easily. 

I got used to doing weekly video chats while I was 
starting my WildFit food program. I prefer to use 
the laptop for video chats - the phone is just too small 
of a screen. But I have had video chats on my phone 
with my dear friend Shruti who lives in India. It's always 
a joy to hear from her. 

So, have an excellent Wednesday, I'll be cooking like crazy - my side of the refrigerator needs some serious love. I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

A Huge "Thank You" to All My Cyber Friends

It's a busy, busy day today, and my time is minimal, but before I leave to swim outdoors in the pool, just a few words to all of you. 

Just ... Yeah. This. 

It's a privilege to share my thoughts on screen with all of you, my friends of many years and in many lands. It's odd - my blog is almost a personal diary, and when we were kids and tried keeping diaries, the last thing we wanted was people to read the darned things. We poured our hearts out onto paper and locked them with very inadequate, cheap locks. They NEVER worked for me at all. A daily diary would be used for less than a week, then it would be set aside and rarely, if ever, taken up again. 

I tried physical diaries several times in my 
life, but I really HATE handwriting. If I 
could have typed a diary, I would have had 
no problem at all. I'm a keyboard kind of gal. 

But then I started this daily blog with all of you - my cyber friends - and this I could and can do. Six days a week I sit here at the keyboard and start my day out by reaching out to each one of you sending you positive thoughts, and sometimes sharing the things that really irk me. And you're there for me - you respond by reading, by commenting or by simply being there - the silent audience. But over the years, I've gained friends through writing this daily blog, and I've also had the opportunity to reach across the miles and share bits and pieces of your lives as well. 

I'm extending a HUGE "Thank You" out to all 
of you who read my blog and who comment 
(not required by always appreciated). You're 
important to me. 

I don't know if you've ever considered how wonderful and how valuable those outstretched cyber-hands are to me and to others across this vast world. You're a link to sanity, an outlet for frustration, and a stage for celebration. You take all of these events and reflect them back with soothing words, or clapping hands, or comments that usually are right to the point. I've allowed you into my life, and you, in turn, have sometimes allowed me into yours as well. It's a gift that I treasure. So, I just wanted to take today to say "Thank You" to each one of you who read my daily posts, and special "Thanks" to those who comment. You always make my day. Slava Ukraini. 

Remembering Two Dear Friends and My Own Update is a Bit Less Optimistic

I'm going to start out today remembering two dear on-line friends who are no longer with us - Fiondil (Arthur) and Helen. I knew Helen from the old beading boards on AOL, then later on other general chat services. She had some serious health issues with her heart, but embraced everything about life that she could. I remember her pure joy when she was able to swim with dolphins on a rare vacation with her husband. It was one of the highlights of her life. 

Helen had a serious heart issue and surgery was no longer 
an option for her. Her husband tried to ensure that her 
life was filled with memories of joy, and when she had 
an opportunity to swim with dolphins, she was totally 
over the moon! She died a few months afterward. 

Fiondil was a fellow author within the Tolkien universe. He was prolific. He lived in a group housing structure, and when he came home from his daily job, he grabbed a quick dinner and then settled down in front of his computer, writing. His world-building was fabulous, his attention to detail was minute. For many years he had taught in China, and every once in a while he would share some of that experience in photos or memories, but most of all, I remember his epic writings. I think he understood Namo and the entire concept of death as it is segregated within the Tolkien universe, better than anyone else. I'm honored that he allowed me to play in his playground every now and again, and I wept bitterly when he died, hunched over his computer keyboard, doing what he loved best. 

The first time I ever saw the Armilary Sphere in Beijing was 
in one of Arthur's photos. He taught school in Beijing for several 
years. When he had to return to the USA, he moved into a 
religious community and even though I don't think he was 
ordained, lived within their walls until he died. Most of his 
epic stories can be found on "Stories of Arda". He's never a 
super easy read, but he'll always make you think. I wept for 
days when he passed, and I miss him to this day. 

So if you have a spare minute or two today, think about those people you've known who have had an influence on your own life, and if they are no longer on this earth, send a prayer out into the vastness of space - that their spirits are whole, that they lived the lives they chose and left the world a better place, and that, if the wheel comes around for them once again, they will enrich all of us by being on this or another world once again. 

The amount of cancer visible through the MRI is kicking 
me up to the next level - not exactly what I wanted to 
hear. It's quite a bit more widespread than we had hoped, 
and the lymph glands are involved as well. Time for 
some serious thought and discussions with my doctor. 

Now ... back to my crazy reality. The MRI results came in, and I've got more of a problem than we had originally thought. *sigh* There's more involvement in my breast, and there is involvement in the lympth nodes of the armpit as well. I'm due back at the clinic for another round of biopsies on Friday the 31st. We're barely catching all of this before the actual surgery takes place on the 5th of February. I'll be talking with DH about options later today or tomorrow. I'm of the opinion that if it's much more widespread, I might be much better advised to do a full mastectomy instead of just a lumpectomy. I don't think DH will have any objection, but I do think he should at least be allowed to offer an opinion. In any case, We're catching things now that would not have been possible 20, or maybe even 10 years ago, so in that way, I'm totally blessed. Continued positive thoughts are, of course, very appreciated. 

Have an excellent weekend and I'll be back on Monday morning. Slava Ukraini. 

A Robin's Nest, a Time Crunch and an Old Friend

I actually slept until my alarm went off at 3:00 am. That's both good and bad. I needed the sleep, obviously, but I'm also under a time deadline which will make for a short post today. Oh well, I needed the sleep - LOL. And really, you, my dear friends and readers, don't need a novel every day. 

Although my blogs in the aggregate are more like a 
novel, I do try to keep the length down to a very 
short story every day. Today is a short story once 
again - LOL. 

It's Wednesday, my first load of laundry is already in the washing machine, I've done my morning meditation, I'm dressed for the swimming pool, and I have 15 minutes to get this blog up before leaving the house and putting the garbage and recycling bins at the curb. Yeah! I suspect today will be a very busy day. 

I totally rely on my waterproof headphones while I'm 
swimming. I'd much rather lose myself in a book, than 
think about laps, cadence, and pushing my limits. I find 
that I don't clock watch when I'm listening to a novel. 

I'm grateful that I remembered to load my next book onto my waterproof headphones last night. Although I can swim with nothing, it's not my preference. I don't consciously count my laps - after these many swims, it's rather subconscious. I do find that my swims go faster when I'm listening to an audio book, however, so loading the next one when I've finished one of a series, is important for me. When I look at my desk full of things that have to get accomplished today, and think about my errands ahead, I don't want to be thinking about those things while swimming. I can lose myself in a book instead, and follow the trials and tribulations of the characters instead of my own life - LOL. 

I don't think I've ever had a successful brood from a robin 
building their nest on our front door exterior light. We always 
find those beautiful turquoise eggs smashed on the sidewalk, 
because the squirrels always manage to get to the nesting 
location. Maybe this year will be different ... but probably 
not. It's a poor place to build a nest, although quite 
convenient for the parents. 

A robin has built her nest on top of the light fixture by our front door. That's both good and bad. We often will have a bird claim that platform, and we love seeing the birds there. But, it's also squirrel fodder - the squirrels get into whatever nest is there most years. Last year, when we had a flicker claim that spot, was the only year the squirrels were unsuccessful. Those flickers with their sharp beaks, kept the next safe and the brood grew up and flew away. But, robins ... not so much. I expect I'll be seeing their lovely turquoise shells broken on my sidewalk within a few short weeks. 

There's nothing much better than catching up with an old 
friend on our weekly conversation. Aearwen and I have 
been chatting weekly for years now, and I always look 
forward to it. We never seem to run out of things to talk 
about, and always are surprised when our hour is up. 

So, I'm going to wrap this up and head to the pool. It's going to be a very busy day today, and that's all to the good. Busy is a positive thing ... isn't it? And since it's Wednesday, I'll have the chance to catch up with Aearwen on our weekly chat this afternoon. Always a VERY good thing indeed. Have an excellent day and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל. 

It's Going to be a Busy "Day Off" and the Eclipse, of Course!

I'm always grateful to hear from my online friends, and yesterday, one of my friends was posting photos they took when they experienced the eclipse at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway - one of the largest venues in the stripe of darkest totality. It was absolutely magical for her and her wife, an experience of a lifetime. She said they were even able to lie down on the speedway track to watch the moon eat the sun, and during totality they were able to pull off their protective eyewear and see the sun in its' glory. Thanks for sharing, Liz! Much appreciated! 

There are some things to look for in a full solar 
eclipse - Bailey's Beads are one of those, and you 
can barely see those around the sun in this photo 
from CNN. Stunning, isn't it? 

How did you spend the eclipse? I'm afraid we were totally overcast here - nothing to be seen at all. Friends watched on television - I caught bits and pieces. It was quite remarkable. I remember other eclipses from younger days as being equally amazing, and I have never yet been in a totality. I rather doubt I'll actually be able to experience that darkest strip in my lifetime since I had to miss this opportunity, but I'm so happy for those of you who were able to view it in person, instead of on a television screen. 

Another thing that people specifically looked for 
during the solar eclipse was the "Diamond Ring". There 
is one on the ascent of darkness, and one on the retreat. 
Did you all see the guy in Vermont who proposed to his 
girlfriend just as the diamond ring was appearing for 
the second time on their viewing of the eclipse? It was 
truly magical for everyone, and they were a very 
happy couple. What a story to tell their children. 

Today will be a busy one. I'll be cooking, paying bills, doing laundry (load number one is washing right now), and of course will start the day out at the gym. Yard waste pickup starts today for us, and DH worked in the yard for most of yesterday, cleaning things up and marking areas off where he has bulbs coming up. The crocuses are getting eaten - deer, we suspect - but the rest of the bulbs seem to be coming up pretty well. He had a bucket full of yard waste ready for the weekly pickup, and another wheelbarrow filled for next week's pickup already. 

Except for the colors (all of our buckets are blue), this 
could be our curbside today. Trash, recycling and yard 
waste will all be collected today. I'll need to get the 
trash and recycling buckets out to the curb in about 
ten minutes here, so it's time to wrap this up. 

Today is my "day off" and I'll be filling it with cooking and housecleaning, laundry and maybe a serious dust. I also have a stack of things at my computer that need to be taken care of. *sigh* no rest for the wicked, I guess. I'll head out to the gym shortly and hit the pool. I really need a good swim today, and I'll be sharing the lane with Meg - my neighbor from down the street. She does spin on Tuesdays, but I share the lane with her on Wednesdays and Thursdays. We've managed it for quite a while now - she's a much better/faster swimming than I am, but we rarely get in each other's way. It's a dance that we all do with other people we interact with - in the water or on the ground. Life is a series of almost-accidents that don't happen because we all dance that intricate dance of "Keep Away" well. When we don't do it well, we bump into people. Oops! Sorry! LOL Have an excellent day and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

Starting "The Wave" of Smiles Today and a Big "Thank You"

Hello one and all, I hope you had an excellent weekend. Mine was filled with a lot of food, some conversation, excellent ice hockey and beautiful weather. It was above 60 F yesterday! In MARCH! Our weather this year is absolutely insane. The Winter Weather Gods decided we needed a break after last year's record-setting and extra long winter, and we've got it this year. I don't think we've even seen a total of six inches of snow TOTAL all winter here in the Twin Cities. CRAZY! But I like it! LOL We'll have to keep a very close eye on our trees and plants this year - we'll have to make sure they get enough water since they haven't had much from any snow melt. 

It turned out quite nicely, and was a fun project to do. 
I used EXACTLY the number of brown beads available - 
in fact, was two brown beads short. It was the brown 
beads that dictated the end size of the piece, since 
I had more of all other colors remaining. I hope she 
likes what I did, and that she uses it for many more years. 

To bring those of you who are contributing towards the beaded trivet up to date, I hadn't heart from her, although I had left her several messages, so I settled down on Saturday afternoon and phoned her instead of emailing her. It turns out she's been down with COVID, and is starting to recover. I told her what my on-line friends have done for her - THANKS AGAIN, TO THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE CONTRIBUTING TO HER REPAIR COSTS - and by the time I was finished telling her, she was in tears of joy. She said that in her long life, no-one has ever done something so nice for her before! I was a bit shocked, but delighted that my online friends have contributed to her absolute happiness. I told her to relax and get better, that it will be waiting for her when she gets well. 

I like this - "Doing a Good Deed Brightens a Dark 
World". I sincerely believe in that, and today's world 
is becoming darker by the day. I don't like where the 
world is going right now, and I'm grateful that I'm an 
old lady and won't have to deal with where the world 
is headed for more than a few more decades. 

So, you'all have done a good deed for an old lady, and she's extremely grateful. Chickie deemed it "excellent", but DH said I should just have given it to her. That I had plenty of money. I tried to explain that the money wasn't the issue as much as the payment for a skillset honed over decades of practice, but he just didn't understand. Of course, there's not a charitable bone in his body. I have far less funds than he does, but all of our charitable donations come from me. I donate a lot to a number of charities every year - monthly donations that I examine and either continue the next year, or I find a different charity that I feel helps more people to donate to instead. I truly believe in extending a helping hand - not giving everything carte blanche, but putting out assistance to help people (and animals) get back onto their feet with dignity. DH just doesn't get that. 

There are a lot of different ways to donate - not 
just financially. I choose to donate money because 
I don't have the time to actually help physically. But 
I'm hoping that after I retire, I can help out at the 
Humane Society or maybe at a care center 
near me. It doesn't take much to brighten the life 
of another living being. Just being there is 
sometimes all that's needed. 

I wanted to share that small victory with all of you, though. Sure, the total cost for the repair wasn't a huge amount, and it's not going to stock her cupboards with goods to get her through the next few months. But it will brighten her heart every time she sees and uses her beaded trivet, and isn't that what money is supposed to do? To make life just a little easier and filled with a bit more sunshine? Maybe that's not what the stock market things money should do, but in my personal book, that's EXACTLY what money should do. Spread joy and happiness, help out a little here and there, and more than anything, do things that will improve the lives of individuals - people. 

Spread some joy today. It doesn't take much - a smile, a 
listening ear, a friendly hug, a pat on the head and scritch 
behind the ears (for a dog, it's heaven - LOL). It takes such 
a minimum amount of time and effort, it amazes me how 
rarely people actually try to do it. 

So go out and spread a bit of sunshine today among people. You don't have to give money, just give a smile, and a wave, and a cheerful "Good Morning" or "Good Afternoon". Smiles are contagious, so let's see how many we can spread through our circles today. Let's start "The Wave" of smiles today, one smile at a time. I'll be back tomorrow, Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

Thoughts Of An Old Friend Brings Back Many Memories

Have you ever "run into" an old friend in dreams? I "ran into" one last night, and I'm so very pleased that I did. My friend Marilee was an old friend, probably from the late 1990's to early 2000's. We shared a love of beads, and were on a chat board of similarly-minded people from across the nation. I don't think we had any international people with us at that time - it was the early days of the internet. 

Do you remember the days of dial-up modems 
and the sounds that accompanied getting connected 
to your internet provider of choice? I can still 
hear that electronic sound today when I think of 
those days. 

When I first learned to bead in the very early 1960's, it was with the old "Indian" Bead Loom that I still sell in the store today, and a small booklet that my Mother bought for me that had some patterns in it. I'm quite sure my first attempt was horrid - poor bead choices and lots of tension problems, but that's to be expected, I was somewhere between 6-8 years old and not known for my patience. My mother knew beading, but only as an adjunct to her sewing - as an embellishment on fabric, not self-supporting ornamentation. 

This is more the style of beading that 
Mom would do - a lot of embellishment 
on clothing of various types. Of course 
I wanted to do what she did, so she taught 
me some basics and bought me my first 
bead loom. 

I beaded on and off for many years - it wasn't an obsession, but I enjoyed the process. I made my own looms from 2 x 4 or 2 x 6 boards, and I learned beading as applique, which is how my Mom used beads. Many years later, when we had opened Stormcloud as a store for Native American art and items, we kept being asked about beads, whether we carried them mostly, and my interest was piqued once again. 

I was happy with AOL, we had a strong beading community 
on there and we interacted daily, sharing patterns and just 
getting to know each other. I'm still in touch with some of 
those people today, more than 20 years afterward. 

Then the internet hit. It was the early days - there were three main carriers or chatting areas, and after trying a couple, I settled on AOL (which I still use to this day, quite happily). This was also the early days of chat boards, laptop computers, and the heated war between Apple and IBM. There were chatboards for beading, and I joined those. I clearly recall Emily's List - she would put a new pattern up once a week,  (in words, there weren't photos or were minimal diagrams at that time), and the rest of us would exchange questions/answers and try out the pattern if it interested us. I still have reams of papers from that era - patterns and discussions. I even ran a short-lived beading chat board of my own for a while. 

In the early days of Bead & Button Magazine, 
self-published by Alice, we kept developing 
a community. When she sold the magazine to 
Kalmbach publications, it exploded on the 
crafting world, and they started holding 
annual get-togethers of classes and vendors. 
Those early days were heady - so much fun! 

Then things exploded - the internet hit with full force. Suddenly there were web sites, competitions, exhibitions and challenges - our little group of AOL beaders expanded, then exploded into the greater internet. My greatest joy was meeting some of the people from these boards in person, exchanging information, showing projects off back and forth. These were the very beginning days of the Bead & Button Show, and the magazine of the same title was just getting started too. 

I knew Marilee had passed, but hadn't thought 
of her for years. We were quite close, and I 
was shocked when I heard she had died. I looked 
up her obituary and memorial today. She was 
a year younger than I am, but she had some 
serious health issues, so it wasn't unexpected. 
Still, I'm finding that I'm missing her today, and 
I have marked her death date into my calendar 
so that her memory won't be forgotten. 

So why go through all of this ancient history? Because I met an old internet friend in my dreams last night. Marilee Layman was a good friend who lived out East, but she came to the Twin Cities several times to attend a particular "Con" that was held annually. She would sing at the Con, and she had an amazing voice. We would try to get together for a meal when she was in town. She passed, many years ago, but I had a chance to see her in my dreams last night and give her a good hug. Sometimes dreams can be a very good thing. Have a great Monday - enjoy your day. 

Happy New Year - Now It's Time to Start the Year Out Right!

Happy New Year to my friends, near and far. My holiday cards have taken a beating for my overseas friends. My friend Hans in the Netherlands got half a card, but colored what he had beautifully (which makes sense, because he's such a talented artist). He sent that to me at the same time as my mailbox holding the card that he sent to me. My mantle is resplendent with holiday cards from SO many friends. My family stopped sending cards when their kids grew older, so it's really all friends, and many from overseas. I love each and every one of you for your kindness. It's really made my holiday season special. 

I don't know where I'd be or through what darkness 
I would be swimming without all of you to help 
me out of the dark and into the light. Thank You 
is inadequate, but it's all I have. My friends, 
near and far, are my lifelines. 

Today I hit the ground running, so to speak. I need to get to the gym and swim - I'm about two pounds over where I want to be. I also have an 8:00 am appointment at my orthodontist, then I have to go shopping at my co-op (although I might push that off a week because next week's "wellness" sale is a must-do), and a few groceries that I forgot yesterday need to be purchased. Then I'll make a set of eight stuffed peppers for dinners for the next week+, and do laundry, laundry, laundry. 

I'm making a batch of eight stuffed peppers for my 
dinners today. It's one of my favorite winter recipes, 
and even though we've barely gotten any snow (I'm 
VERY happy about that), it's still cold, so they're a 
perfect meal. 

Still, it was delightful to get a few days off. DH finally opened his birthday gifts more than a week after his birthday, and he was generally pretty happy with what he got. So, SCORE! For a change, I was pretty on-point with my gifts. That's a relief. 

I really needed these days off for a reset. Today I'm 
headed back to the swimming pool, and at 8:00 am 
today, I see my orthodontist. I'm hoping I'm still on 
track for getting my braces off for my birthday, but 
I'll have to wait and see what he has to say. 

What I really needed, though, was rest, relaxation and catching up on some sleep. I did go to the shop yesterday (even though we were closed) so that I could pull all of the holiday ornamentation off, and bring the shop back to "normal". I'll text Chickie to remind her to pull the holiday hours signs from the door and windows, but the rest of the store no longer looks like a tinsel explosion hit the factory - LOL. Instead, it looks ready for business. 

So, I put all of the holiday decorations away at the shop 
yesterday. I knew I didn't have any time to do it today, 
and I didn't want to leave it until Thursday. So I went over 
on my "day off" and took care of it. "Dusted and Done". 

I, however, still have to get a load of laundry started before I leave for the gym, so I'll wish all of you a wonderful 3rd of January. It's great to have all of you out there, reading. Your friendship - near and far - really help me through the bad days and into the good. I'm grateful for all of you every day, and send my love and wishes for an exceptional and joy-filled day your direction. Enjoy your Wednesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

A Heartfelt "Thank You" and "I Love You" to Each of my Internet Friends

Here we are at the end of another year. Since I don't post on Sundays (and we'll be celebrating the New Year with family), this will be my final post for 2023. What a roller-coaster ride this year has been. I'm not sure I could have made it without chatting with you several days every week and interacting with you virtually. As friends, you're my lifeline - people I can reach out to and get a response from. I value each of you far more than you may ever know, and the fact that we've never met in person is completely irrelevant. You're friends of mine, and I embrace each one of you. 

Embracing a friend - I can't do it in person for all of 
you, so I'm doing it virtually in today's post. 

My refrigerator is filled to bursting, my living room table is covered with containers of DH's cookies of the season. (Since I don't eat cookies, it will take a while for the piles of sugared goodness to disappear). My mantle is filled with the cards of friends both near and far, and my heart is filled with the knowledge that I have friends around the world who care about me . That means a lot. 

I'm sending out *hugs* to each one of my readers, many 
of whom I've known for more than 10 years now. You've 
been my lifeline over the years, and I value you more than 
you'll ever know. 

So, *hugs* to every one of you. My life would be poorer without having "met" you, and if the Fates are kind, we might even meet in person one of these days to share a cup of tea and a nice chat. But, even if you and I never meet, we have met. We've interacted, we've supported each other, we've shared our joys and our sorrows, our accomplishments and our failures, and highs and our lows. We've enriched each others' lives throughout this year and prior years. What a gift you've given to each other! We've got a community here. Our boundaries don't encompass everyone together - I have people on my "friends" list who might not be on yours, and you have those who are not on mine. But we interact, we communicate, and we support each other. That's what communities do. I won't be popping over to your house with a platter of food, but I'll be here, six days a week, communicating with all of you. I'll read and comment on your posts, and if I'm ever in your area, I'll try my best to actually meet you for a few hours, face-to-face. 

It's all of those little things that build into a 
big thing called friendship. You're my friends, 
my companions and my fellow walkers along 
life's pathways. I'm grateful we're walking the 
same path right now because I love walking 
next to you. 

So, as we move into a new year with renewed hopes and dreams and the world on the edge of yet another world war, I beg all of you to remember that it's the little things that pull us together. I may not remember exactly when we met - what conversation brought us together, or what internet topic merged us into a unit of common thought. But I'll always remember that I did, and have, and do meet you - every day. So, THANK YOU. Have a blessed New Year, a year of fulfillment and happiness. I'll be back in 2024. *Hugs* to all. 

Approaching the Finish Line - Friends Near and Far

I'm almost at the Finish Line of Hell Week. Chickie returns to work on Wednesday, and I'll finally have a "day off" again. I'll be happy to strip the bed linens and get them into the wash. I was able to do a washload of my clothes, and one of DH's, but was never able to do the linens. Add in the fact that it's been really hot, and we've got linens that I could probably describe as "skanky". Ick! Wednesday's laundry day can't get here soon enough. 

I was looking through birthday cakes, and came 
across this one, that I simply LOVE. I would 
adore a cake like this - lots of fruit, and bright 
colors. So, I'm gifting you this cake, Sharon! 

Yesterday was my BFF Sharon's birthday, and we did exchange tests. I send her a card, and because I just hadn't found the perfect gift for her, I broke down and gave her something more mundane - a gift card for Amazon. It might not be exciting, but it at least will be functional. Sharon is two months younger than I am. She was part of my High School gang - a group of about 8-10 of us who hung together. Of course, in those days, there was safety in numbers. I suspect it's not really too different now. With others around you, you're less apt to be called out or pounced on. Although my group fell apart shortly after graduation, Sharon and I have remained fast friends - sisters from different mothers - for decades now. I simply can't imagine my life without her in my corner. I hope all of you have one friend like that - the ones who are always there for you. 

There's nothing like a life-long Best Friend. Sharon and I 
have been best friends since around 1970 - that's a LONG 
time in anyone's eyes. We've grown older (and better) 
together, and I love that she comes up every year for a 
few days to share the State Fair with me. 

I've been fortunate in my friends. I don't have a lot of them, but those I do have are fabulous. On-line, I have a few that I also consider dear friends, although we've never met. I have Shirebound on the East Coast, Aearwen on the West Coast, and Curious Wombat on the Isle of Man.  There's Kaishin in Idaho, and Tinnean in her new state, but previously from Florida. This list is NOT inclusive - I know I have other dear friends from around the world on-line with me here, but I'm running out of space and time. 

I have Chickie in my home area, and ChickieMama. I'm very fortunate with those two  and consider them close and dear friends. Although I've tried several times to strike up friendships with on-line people in my own area, those have never seemed to stick for long. I do have other dear, long-time internet friends and acquaintances, who are also some of my my Best Buddies - the ones I could call upon in an emergency and who, I hope, would call on me if they needed help or support. 

A friend is always there for you, just as you're always there 
for them. Physical nearness isn't as important these days as 
being able to reach out blindly, knowing you'll be caught 
and held virtually, if not in person. I've been fortunate and 
have on-line friends I've had for decades now. I'm lucky 
in friends. 

It's different these days - in a good way. We don't need to physically bump into one another at school or the grocery store or the local place of worship. We expand our reach over broad spaces and link up with people around the world. People who share common interests, friends of friends who then become friends in their own right, and people who are uniquely themselves - exactly what I love about them. I feel completely blessed by all of my friends - near or far, old or young, casual or heart-bound. You're all very special to me - enriching my life and my years on this earth. I hope you know how much you mean to me, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to tell you, and to thank you. Thank you for being my friend. 

Thank you, each of you, for being my friend. I'm a stronger 
and (hopefully) kinder person because of your friendship. 

On that note, I'm out of here. I still have two days at the shop before Chickie returns, so it will be two more days of trying to stay out of DH's way. *sigh* Have a wonderful Monday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini.