I'll Celebrate in the Pool - Good or Bad, It's All Going to Work Out

Just a quick post today because I'm running really late for the swimming pool. First - great news from my Orthodontist. My teeth are doing wonderfully, and my next appointment will be at the end of June. He's thinking my final appointment will be closer to the end of Summer - end of August maybe, so I might ... MIGHT ... be able to do the State Fair without braces! That would be absolutely fantastic. It's been a long and sometimes hard journey, but worth every bit of ARGH I could give. 

I've had a full set of braces for quite a while now. It's 
nice to be looking at the end game. I can hardly wait to 
get the metal banding off my teeth! 

On the other side of the coin, I got notification that a charge for less than $40 is being challenged. I have to FAX in paperwork to support my claim that it is a valid charge no later than the end of the week. OY! Well, I spent most of Saturday gathering the paperwork necessary to support my claim, and I think I have sufficient evidence to support it. But fax? My store's fax machine hasn't worked in decades. I have everything collected in a folder, and will take them to the Fed-Ex store tomorrow morning. They have fax capability there, and will submit it for me. For a fee, I'm sure - LOL. It's an annoyance, but certainly not the end of the world. I could fax it from our new printer, but I didn't hook it up to our phone lines. So, no. I'll pay for the fax instead. 

We have an old fax machine similar to this at the shop, but 
it hadn't worked well for a long time, and I don't trust the 
resolution. So I'd rather have our fax done by the FedEx 
store. Their equipment will be quite a bit more up-to-date 
than our old machine. 

So, I'm off to the pool. I think I have a lot of celebration and frustration to work out in the water today - LOL. It's cold(er) and I think today will be rainy which will frustrate DH who would like nothing better than to be outdoors puttering in his garden for the day. We'll have to see how the day goes, but he might find the garden to be more difficult than he would wish. I hope all of you have a marvelous Tuesday, I'm off to the pool. Have an excellent Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל. 

The Adventures of Chickie and Chickie Mama Continue...

Chickie's buyer's inspection was made yesterday afternoon and both she and Chickie Mama are thrilled with the results. They took lots of photos that will be passed along to me (probably waiting in my phone just now) and if there are any good ones, I'll share. Essentially, for an old house, practically nothing was wrong. There is an issue with each of the two furnaces (duplex, remember?) that the current owner will need to have corrected, but it's minor, and the water heaters are old and will need to be replaced soon which is totally on Chickie and Chickie Mama to get done since they are functional and not a danger. 

Water heaters come in all different sizes and shapes, and most are
usually good for 10-15 years. Chickie's water heater is 13 years old,
but Chickie Mama's water heater is twice that - 26 years old. Time
to replace them! 

While they were dealing with fun things like taking an in-depth final look at their new place (at least until they've signed all the documents and passed over a large check to get the keys and ownership documents), I was dealing with financial forms for Chickie - namely, a verification of employment and salary form that I'm sending back to the bank today. That one was an ICK, but pretty straightforward. 

Oh joy - we had another form to fill out. This wasn't for the
government, it was to verify Chickie's employment and
her wages. Still ... another damned form! 

So now everyone waits. Chickie Mama's house sale is final toward the end of this month, and they settle on the duplex on January 7th. Then it will be moving boxes and getting things set up in their new place. It's going to be a serious adjustment factor for everyone - Chickie won't be walking to work any more, her new place isn't a block away from the shop. She'll have to learn new traffic patterns and her gas use and car wear-and-tear will be affected. In fact, both of them will be driving more since Chickie Mama's friends and standard activities will take her back to her old neighborhood on a regular basis. 

There's nothing that compares to the adventure of buying a new
house. No - this isn't the new house, but aren't these
complementary doorways lovely? 

It's a great adventure, when you buy a house. You write one of the largest checks you've ever written, and have high hopes for what the future will bring. You envision rooms with your things in them, looking pristine and welcoming (no clutter in your daydreams), and you hope for a glowing future of happiness within the new four-walls. This can happen, but usually real life tones down the warm sunshine and rainbows a bit. Moving is hard work, getting to know new traffic patterns and routes can be frustrating, and old haunts can drop off the radar as too difficult to get to, especially in poor weather. It will be a period of adjustment for everyone, but I think it will be well worth it. 

There's nothing like moving from renting to owning a home. It's an
adventure and I'm sure Chickie will love the end result. 

On that optimistic note, I'm punching out for the day. The pool awaits and I'm enjoying the fact that our skies aren't sending down snow. It can keep the snow away for as long as it wants, at least until January (I'm allowed to hope for clear roads for the last two weeks of December). Have a wonderful Friday and I'll be back tomorrow. 

Looking Back and Looking Ahead - Planning

Yesterday turned out to be super busy, but very productive. It was topped out by a wonderful hour-long conversation with Aearwen - something we haven't been able to do for the past few weeks because of scheduling conflicts. It was wonderful to catch up and veer off in the many directions that our weekly conversations tend to do. Our conflicts will be back in place next week, so this chat will have to last me for a while. 

Aearwen and I have had a weekly phone chat
on Wednesday afternoons for years now. It's
one of the best things about my "day off". 

I'm taking my next pair of eyeglasses frames to the shop with me today. My goal is to have them in the mail for new up-to-date lenses by the time I leave for home tonight. This pair will be another all-around pair, but I'll have a "Transitions" coating put onto them for help with sunny days. The final pair I'll want to get done will be a second pair of computer glasses so that I can leave one set at work and one set at home without having to carry them back and forth every day. I'll be able to get those ordered within a month or two. 

I really like Transitions automatic light-adjusting eyeglass
lenses, but there are times when the shading messes
with my feel for graduations of color. I need both
non-adjusting as well as adjusting lenses, so I'll have
one set for each purpose. 

Of course, I wouldn't be able to afford any of the new eyeglasses at all if it wasn't for our Health Savings Account (HSA). Our health insurance doesn't cover eyes or teeth or prescriptions or ... or ... and or. In other words, our health insurance doesn't cover much of anything. Years ago, when HSA's were first offered, we started an account for each of us. It was one of the best decisions we've ever made. The contributions come off our income taxes, they pay for anything that is directly health related including prescriptions, my custom orthotic inserts, any dental work and eyeglasses and exams. When we turn 65 and retire, the HSA accounts will flip over to standard IRA accounts so it will still be a win/win. 

We have always saved as much as possible so that we could
have a retirement without stress. For a lot of years that
meant living on my salary while saving everything DH
made for his. It wasn't easy, but it's turning out to be a
very wise decision. 

It's a good thing I married a man who understands money and how best to use it for our future. I'd be looking at a bleak future of hand-to-mouth existence and possibly working for the rest of my life if I didn't have his financial wisdom. We've scrimped and saved through the years, and we don't live above our means, but we will be as set for a reasonable future as we can possibly be, thanks to DH. 

On that note, have a glorious Thursday. I'll be working hard to continue checking in the shipment that arrived on Monday. Lots of product to tag and get put away. 

Good Solstice To All

Today is Yule and the Winter Solstice is upon us. It's time to gather friends and family and settle down for the cold months ahead. Traditionally, the months of cold were used for crafts and repairs, making new garments and mending old, embellishing that special pair of moccasins or taking the shorn fleece that had been washed, carded and spun into yarn earlier in the year, settling down with needles or hooks, and making warm outerwear for those who would be going out into the bitter winter chills to hunt or gather. 

Winter Solstice arrives today. Celebrate the shortest day of
the year and the knowledge that from this point on, we'll be
getting a small amount of additional sunlight every day. 

Even though the season can be harsh with killing cold, numerous snows and frozen lakes and streams, there's something incredibly beautiful about this time of the year when Mother Nature settles back and sleeps for a while. It's a season of renewal. While the people are gathered together for protection (and heat) in the bitter cold days ahead, relationships and supplies will be renewed. 

Five hours ago, the sun rose over the Salisbury Plain
and appeared through the stones of Stonehenge. 

It's the season for storytelling. The hunters are out less frequently and roam closer to home. At night, they often will gather around one of the hearth fires and tell tales of the marvelous things they have seen while wandering in the wild. The children listen, eyes wide, while they hide in the shadows of the tipi, longhouse, or hut. Teaching tales were passed down through generations in this manner. 

Be mindful as we move into the next season. Don't forget others
around you who are suffering or who have lost loved ones over
the past year. Honor them, help them,, and prove that even through
the evil in the world, love will prevail. 

For those in the cities and towns, winter was sloppy and messy, with mud beginning to build up for the spring thaw of stuck wagon wheels and turned ankles. Winter pulled down the risks of disease because the miasma of scents and germs that were the open cesspools of the streets and pathways was frozen for the season. Head colds always managed to find their way into lives at any season, but the uncomfortable parts of living in close contact with many others year-round was lessened in the winter months. Still cruel, however, winter still claimed lives and the cold still whistled through inadequately chinked walls and down poorly drafted hearths. 

A look up from the Osage Forest of Peace on this Solstice morn. 

So, it's Yule. Winter officially begins and it's up to you. Will you make it a season of nurturing, learning, and creativity? Or will you make it a season of huddling in corners, skulking about with reluctance, and shivering curses and prayers for a fast and warm spring. All are legitimate possibilities. The season has turned and what you'll make of it is your own, personal choice. Choose wisely. 

It's a new turn of the sun and a new turn of the year. What will you make
of it? Be respectful, spread joy, speak no harsh words, tell no untruths.
That can be so little, yet mean so much. 

I'm certainly not missing my swims for the rest of the week. Today I pick up the ham and the pie (Candy Cane Pie - so yummy!) before heading to the shop. Yesterday I ate too much Chex Mix (it's SOOOOO good), so I ate way too much salt. Although I'll try to be better, I also know better. I'll still be a bad girl. It's Yule - I have to celebrate. Be good, I'll be back tomorrow. 

Late Today - Memories and Changes

Yesterday afternoon I got hit with a sudden sore throat so I decided to take things easy. I went to bed early and slept in until 6:00 am today to try and knock this cold out of me before it really took hold. Of course, that means today's blog is late, but I'm still here and here we go ...

The photo is dated October 23, 2016. We were almost finished here, but
as I recall, he did work another week or so on it. Still, not too bad
for a summer's work project and I'm so very impressed with all of the
work he did! 

4.     What is your best memory of last year?

Wow, so much happened last year, it's hard. But I think I'd have to say watching DH make "the castle" in our back yard was pretty amazing. I never thought he would do something so extensive and so wonderful. It large, all-encompassing, and not finished yet, but so close. This year will begin stage two of the project. I'm not sure how many stages actually exist, but it's going to be absolutely amazing!

There is always hope. I believe that much evil is caused by
circumstance and environment. In a place of no hope, it is easy to
give up and hard to push through to see possibility.
Spread love today and start those ripples moving in a
positive direction. 

5.    Can people change?

Of course people can change, we see evidence of that every day. Good people can become horrid, bad people can become saintly. I think it is this possibility of change that makes me have hope because even the worst person usually has the change of altering their behavior or demonstrating compassion and love. Of course, there are always sociopaths to show that my optimism is totally misplaced!

Here's hoping you have a wonderful Wednesday. It's my "day off" and I'll be running all around from the bank to the store. I'm also planning to get the 17 boxes of paperback books out of my front entryway and over to Half Priced Books. Someone else will be delighted to own them, and I'll be delighted to have them out of my house. The small amount of cash will also be welcome. I'll be back tomorrow, hopefully feeling much better, and back on my normal schedule.

Civic Fountains - A Photo Blog

It's been an up and down week and my mood swings haven't been pretty. I need a post where I'm not thinking about anything except beauty and fun, so while people are waiting out the storms on Hawaii and others are anticipating amazing waves for surfing coming to the Cortes Bank from the storm, I want to examine some controlled waterworks - fountains. Architectural and civic fountains can often instill hope and bring smiles to the populace even as they make the air cooler and decorate the area. Here's a photo blog for your Saturday enjoyment.

I love these playful children in a public fountain located
in Kansas City. Doesn't it make you want to join them? 

Although there are many fountains featuring Samson and the Lion, this
one in Prague has a rather unusual focus.  Is it the angle of the
photo? Is it the water pressure? I'll let you come to your own conclusions. 

This lovely and well-used civic fountain is the Keller Fountain located
in Portland, Oregon, USA. I've been to Portland several times and have
always enjoyed the city and the general area. It's a beautiful place to live. 

The public square in Pilsen, Czech Republic, has three fountains
designed to reflect the city's coat of arms. Each features a golden
delivery system.  I thought these were so unique and
attractive that I have the other two pictured below. 

Here is the second of these lovely fountains. 

And here is the third fountain. Architectural fountains are often
very boring and almost cookie-cutter in design. These are unique and
bring a bit of color to a rather uniform environment. 

This fountain called the "Nine Floating Fountains" in Osaka is a great
picture to end this post on unusual civic fountains. I had no idea what
fountains would end up in my blog today, but I'm very pleased with
what I ended up choosing. 

I hope each of you have a wonderful Saturday and Sunday. I'll be cleaning house and working hard to get things more in shape before Renaissance Festival begins next weekend. My open time is closing down quickly. Be safe, be happy.

Hope

Never give up hope. It's a word that's easy to say but hard to live when your life has crashed around you. But the rescue of three kidnapped women from a Cleveland, Ohio home late yesterday has brought hope back to three families who had been clinging to gossamer threads for more than ten years. A set of situations coalesced to allow Amanda Berry and two other women along with a six-year-old child to be rescued from a run down house in Cleveland. They had been kidnapped and held for ten years or more by three brothers. Their rescue was nothing short of miraculous - a neighbor hearing a woman calling out for help forced the front door open, allowing the women to leave and phone 911. A neighborhood and a city are celebrating today.

Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus were two of the women rescued yesterday.

My latest novel centers around never losing hope. Although I'm only a few chapters into it, that seems to be the thread that will hold it all together. As always, when I start writing something outside of the Tolkien universe I needed to break away from the writing to do some research. Fortunately, research can be fun, especially in this age of the internet, Google and You Tube, so all is good. I'm dreaming of the story so I feel comfortable with how it is progressing. I also have two short stories in the Tolkien universe in the works and they are turning into a lot of fun, so I'm back into a writing groove again.

So many things to do, so many things to look at.
Bead & Button Show is the largest bead show in the
nation. I've attended every year since the mid-1990's.

Good experiences can create hope and for me, my annual experience is the Bead & Button Show. I always look at this week of classes, social engagements and friends with hope that it will be an amazing week and that everyone I meet will be happy to have shared this time with me. I received my badges and tickets in the mail yesterday. Nothing ever seems real until I'm holding these in my hand. But in less than a month, I'll be in Milwaukee enjoying the experience of being surrounded by creative people, learning new ways to play with metal and fire, and trying to not spend money that I don't have. I'll be paying this vacation off until late this year but it's worth it. I finally got the classes paid off in March, then I paid for my trip to Chicago when I paid down my credit card bill yesterday, and now I'll have a hotel bill to pay off until the end of the summer. Attending the show usually gives me nine months of paying my credit card down, but seeing good friends and the high of being with people who are creative and artistic - well, as the commercial says, "Priceless".

Hope is a small flame, but it must never be extinguished.

Hope is such a human emotion. It buoys us up in rough waters, gives us strength to forge on when everything looks dire, and pushes us to do our absolute best. It is hope that keeps someone diagnosed with a serious  disease to keep fighting, it is hope that keeps a parent in difficult circumstances focus on raising a child to do have a better life, and it is hope that allows me to think that someday, in an unforeseeable future, there will be peace on this planet. I refuse to give up my hope.