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 |   Nadanother blog...sheesh, I guess I DO blog. Completed. |
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I've had a rich past, yet am making a new one with plenty of life's experiences to draw from! I invite you to come along and see what trouble I get into. I'll blog about my life, present, past... whatever comes to mind at the time. I'll try not to be too serious most of the time, heck we get enough of that just living. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Happy New Year! For the mirroring blog series we do on Saturdays:
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** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** 1960~"Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini...." Sung by Brian Hyland Please follow the link to find this entry:
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| No, I'm not referring to Unicorns and such, although.... Today I read an article carried on the AP by Lindsey Tanner, reporting that according to "eye-opening research" it was found that the happiest Americans happen to be the oldest among us. It also revealed that "older adults" are more socially active than the stereotypical lonely senior that has been so often portrayed. Actually, in a study by a University of Chicago sociologist, Yang Yang, nope not making this name up, he says "The good news is that with age comes happiness." Along with aches and pains, death/loss of loved ones and friends, there are certain inevitable "distresses". But, by and large it seems the older among us have learned to be more content with what we have than younger Americans. Well, perhaps it is because it is too dang late to do anything about much of it anyway. The telling thing for me was this statement; "Life gets better in one's perception as one ages." Okay, that's more like it. According to an aging expert from Duke University, Linda George, I do wonder how old this expert is....ok, she's past 50 at least, "It is partly because older people have learned to lower their expectations and accept their achievements. They think it is okay that they were just a schoolteacher and not a *Nobel Prize Winner." She also says the general population continues to think, "late life is far from being the best stage of life and they don't look forward to it." Gee, is it any wonder? In our culture we seem to value youth over experience. If you doubt it, take a good look at magazine ads for just about everything except Depends! Heck, even cosmetic companies use young women in their ads targeting cosmetics for Baby Boomers...we whose oldest are now turning 65. There is no way in heck without surgery, botox, injected fillers and so forth we will ever achieve the heights of beauty the models extol by virtue of being young. Anyway, I digress. The findings of the study was based on face-to-face interviews of a nationally representative sample of 28,000 people, aged 18 to 88. It was reported that yes, there were ups and downs, generally connected with good and bad economic times, but at every stage, the older ones were happier. Now here's something I found very interesting, "While younger blacks and poor people tended to be less happy than whites and wealthier people, those differences faded as people aged." It must be that perception thing again. Now hear this: "In general, the odds of being happy increased 5 percent with every 10 years of age." One of the study participants, an 84 year-old woman says, ""Contentment as far as I'm concerned comes with old age ... because you accept things the way they are," she said. "You know that nothing is perfect." Another fascinating fact: "Only about 4 percent of Americans aged 75 to 84 are in nursing homes." Now for the part that pertains to we Boomers: "It's all good news for the aging population." But.... Yang's study also found that baby boomers were the least happy. Gee, I can hardly believe it. "They could end up living the unfortunate old-age stereotype if they can't let go of their achievement-driven mind-set" said George, the Duke aging expert. It seems we baby boomers aren't lowering our aspirations at the same rate earlier generations did. "They still seem to believe that they should have it all," George said. "They're still thinking about having a retirement that's going to let them do everything they haven't done yet." HAH...just as I suspected. Research from the past has shown that mid-life tends to be the most stressful time, said Cornell University sociologist Elaine Wethington. "Everyone's asking you to do things and you have a lot to do. You're less happy because you feel hassled." The new studies show "if you can make it through that...." there's light at the end of the tunnel. Okay, I give up. I'm not going to get it all, but when I get old, I'm going to enjoy it. I mean what's the point of not enjoying it? It's not like we'll get another chance. *Nada is in the process of accepting she may never win the Pulitzer Prize....but first, she has to begin trying.  PS....Today is my son's 41st birthday....gawd where has the time gone? Happy Birthday Mikey!  ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| SO THAR I WAS kind feeling all bad and stuffage.... ya know... about not comin around so much since I was FEELIN OLD!!!!! (WHAT you say....when was DAT????) Jest hang on and DA DEFENDER OF LIGHTNESS be spillifying my guts....JUST LIKE DAT SICK WHACKO ....YEAH I MEAN DA ORIGINAL OLD AS DIRT, PANK DRESS WEARIN GOAT WUBBIN .....UMMMMMM...I MEAN DAT SORRY EXCUSAGE FOR A HUMANOID...... TOR!!!! THE SICK OLD SORRY EXCUSE WHO WAS OFFENDING MY OLDFACTORY GLANDULAR THINGYS IN HIS SNOT-RIDDEN WHINEY BLOGGY THANG TODAY. LMAO!!!! Sorry, but I got carried away....I'm missing certain people. Let me begin again. Ahem..... This morning when I awoke feeling less than human, at first I thought I had said something in my sleep, something like, "Get those big wazoos outta CC's face, it's MY turn". But no, the headache I felt wasn't from Mel's special whomping stick....it was just the residual "I don't want to go to work" kind of day. All I really wanted to do was stay in my jammies and read the blogs of the fine folks I have come to call my friends....to reminisce about the good old days when I lived in Texas, cuddle up with Sherman, and remember the days of blog jumping. Dang, I really miss those days. Gawd, hanging out with Tor is contagious. Okay, so who else is feeling neglected? I'd love to tell you all that my vacation is fabulous, full of fine Spanish men food, men sunshine, men shopping, men fabulous beaches and the like, but you didn't hear that from me. Though Hubby had printed out the driving instructions to the airport, he did not take into consideration exactly the airport from which we were leaving. Need I say more? The flight was just as lovely as any he has booked in the past five years, full of screaming children who apparently travel with no parents. Of course Hubby never notices this, because he managed to fall asleep once his arse hits his seat. That man's snoring can make a jet engine seem quiet. Thank goodness he has a sense of humour.  The food on the plane was, as usual, non-existant, unless you were to count the bag of nuts I had to share with my three seatmates. I must say that the wine was plentiful, if not top notch. When I think of the wrinklies and sis back in cold, windy, and rainy England I almost get misty eyed. Oh, I do hope Scarlett is having a wonderful holiday, don't you just miss her? Well, I suppose I should go to work on my own blog, but hey, how much fun would that be? Actually I had a lovely day. How could I not, what with Hubby taking his first shower without me in six weeks! He stayed home from work today, hey... this playing hooky thing he's been doing is getting old, but in all fairness I know it was the nicest day of the week. A man like him needs his warm sunny days to keep his tan in optimal condition. This weekend is dropping twenty degrees. OMG...what will I do?! Hope I helped put a smile on your faces, it did mine!  |
| So Hubby and his idea of coming home early is 5:30 pm. I was sitting in bed working on a story, but took the time to glance over at him. As I did so, I noticed something was missing. "Hi." "What?" He says to me. "Oh, I was looking for the rhinoceros." I went back to my typing. "How do you miss a rhinoceros in your bed?" I had to laugh. "Denial?" he asks. He looks down, "I think I see one." Gawd. Explaining the fact that I had gotten a little stuffed rhinoceros for Niles seemed stupid at this point. Even more ridiculous was to explain why I had gotten him yet another toy...but I know you want to hear why. Because he only likes brown toys. Really. Okay, so he is a tad weird, but like all my boys, I try to cater to them. Having a sense of humor in your relationships is of extreme value. Oh sure, I know we are all first attracted to someone by something physical, but what if you had no vision? What about a person would attract you if you couldn't see them? Would you find them nearly as attractive if you only could go by what you heard, smelled, felt or tasted? A person changes over the years, physically especially. The attraction you had at first is easily lost to time. Sure, if you care you will take the time to keep yourself as attractive to your mate, but let's face it, there is only so much one can to do fight the aging process. The best thing we can do, is try to make those other qualities even more appealing. Those are the things that begin on the inside of us, like laughter, intelligence, common sense, acceptance, forgiveness...and yes, happiness. I know the things that seem to make us happy change over time, they move from the (sometimes) superficial to the internal, seemingly overnight. Things that seem charming may, after years go by, become irritations. That cologne they wore may finally start to affect your allergies, those little love handles may have grown, and a kiss can sometimes be a nuisance. However, a sense of humor though....can get you through unbelievably bad times. It can be the bridge to intimacy. When you can laugh at yourself, and each other then somehow life doesn't take on near the ominous proportions that it could. If a sense of humor is important, so is the intellectual ability to grow. There are going to be times when you need to grow just to be able to keep up. It's one thing to spend your time with your kids, raising them to be the best you know how, or you are working to feed and clothe your family...but what happens when finally, your work with them means gasp.... you need to let them go? You darn well better have something to say to each other. Those retirement years mean staying active, and I don't mean just physically. Having a sense of humor and the ability to apply it to any situation is a lifesaver. I think the key to a good relationship has to be listening and laughing. So often we will tune one and other out, nodding in agreement or "uh-huh-ing" when actually we could care less. I don't purport that isn't a valid thing to do sometimes, but we sure could save a lot of time and effort if we listened the first time. I can't tell you how many times I have heard, "Huh? You are mumbling." That is because someone I know wasn't really interested in what I had to say. Heck, I wasn't even that sure I wanted to be heard. But the past few months has made us both realize, we both need to listen. He's been forced to depend on me to do so much, so it is in his interest to hear me, so he does. I also have come to appreciate that if I say it, I need to own it. No muttering something under my breath anymore. Get whatever it is out in the open, resentments do nobody any good, they make you feel bad, and the person you resent feel even worse. It is a viscous cycle. So, here we are, at the point in life we have to find some humor, or it's going to be a really bumpy ride. I hope you all can find some humor everyday too. Okay class, my lecture for today is over. Gawd. See what happens when I start thinking! P. S. By the way, Scarlett made it to Majorca yesterday, and today was cloudy and cool...I can only hope that doesn't mean Murphy has decided to tag along.  But then, it would make for some interesting blogs when she returns! |
| I remember when I used to blog daily. It seems as though blogging on a daily basis has become more of a chore for me than the pleasurable experience it has been for the past few years. I keep reading of writers that I admire who are leaving the site for one reason or another, and it saddens me. You can't have been blogging as long as I have and not made some fine relationships. One by one, over this past year, the names of those writers I have come to love reading have been disappearing from the blog pages. I understand the reasons: 1. It takes too much time.  2. Can't afford the membership.  3. Have nothing to say. 4. Am not being read. 5. Want to devote more time to serious writing. All of these are good reasons. I can't argue with people who think it is time to move on from this site. Just because I enjoy them doesn't mean they'll stick around. Maybe my longing "for the good old days" of WDC has tainted how I feel about blogging now. I don't know. I used to do my best to entertain, but it has gotten harder and harder to write a blog that isn't...gulp boring. If I think my blog is boring, it probably is! Predictable and boring. However, if you think I'm leaving just because I'm getting boring...you would be wrong! I've just been taking it easy, resting up for my big comeback. Gawd...I'm full of it aren't I! Maybe I need another vacation. Okay, enough of that, so I miss people who aren't around, I suppose I'll get over it. Hubby is doing really well, considering it has been exactly five weeks since his surgery. I know, feels like a year. He's wondering why I haven't been blogging lately...at least not like I was. So, in an effort to please him I'm back here struggling away to find something blog-worthy. I think I should get a gold star for trying. So....he can consider his healing in privacy days over! Yep, I'm going to be blogging about his every, heretofore, unknown idiosyncrasies! Yep his OCD showers...okay, well maybe ya'll don't want to hear that every day. I'm sure you'd love to hear how I get to shower two times a day now, because somehow he thinks he can get dirty running around in his cart or laying in bed watching sports. Who knew the sweat those athletes worked up would mysteriously morph through time and space and make Hubby foul? Huh...why would Nada have to shower twice a day then? Is she watching too? Well, I'd tell you now, but then what reason would you have to tune into tomorrow? Didn't ya'll miss me? Even a teeny bit? Well, I missed you guys! |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** "Lipstick On Your Collar" 1959 Sung by Connie Francis Please follow the link to find this entry:
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| though he is 85, he's still saddled with a kid, albeit a 56 year old "kid". We'll call him...errrr....Jerry, because frankly the guy scares me. He's my...stepbrother I suppose. A total fruitcake. My dad called me today to bring me up to date with his life. OMG, it makes me cringe when I hear what he has to put up with. The latest thing is Jerry, whose car has been in the shop for....a decade, or maybe it just seems that way, borrowed my father's car to come to our town to buy some food on Saturday evening. He lives forty-five minutes away, but because he is a PSYCHO he will only eat organic fruit from the health food store here. And when I say "only" fruit, I mean only fruit. No veggies, no meat, no fish, no poultry, no nuts, no bread, no dairy, no nothing, unless it is oranges, strawberries, apples or bananas...period. Okay, so you have the picture...sort of. He's also anti-social and is a certifiable schizophrenic. No, he doesn't take his meds, because he is in denial that there is anything wrong with him. But I digress. So he's on his way to buy some food, when his car goes off the road (my street too...groan) and down an embankment, rolling over multiple times and finally crashing into a tree, just short of landing in the creek. Of course he is not injured, and calls my father, who in turn calls the Highway Patrol, who takes several hours to locate him. Then they took him to the hospital, where he was checked out and released with just a bruised knee. Of course now my father had to drive here to pick him up sometime after midnight. Daddy now has one totaled car, and now has to drive Jerry around. Jerry meanwhile is suing the shrink who says he is certifiable...and he is doing the lawsuit just shy of the time they allow him to take action. Hubby refused to handle it, because the doctor is right. He gave Jerry instructions on filing etc. and now my dad has to drive to the post office just under the deadlines to get stuff filed for him. My father used to get along with Jerry, and Jerry worshipped my father, but the relationship has degenerated to the point my father refuses to speak to him. This scares me because Jerry collects guns and knives. I fear one day I'll hear something horrible on the news...a neighbor being interviewed saying, "Jerry was such a nice man..." Gawd. Oh yeah, and my niece has hit daddy up for some money. My dad is such a softy...is it any wonder I married a man just like him? Oh, daddy was able to salvage his golf clubs from his wrecked car the following day. Sooooo, wasn't all bad news! As for me, I redid my mammograms and all is fine. WAHOOOO! Not been blogging as much lately, feeling a bit burned out, but Nada will get her groove back, no doubt! I'll be here Saturday with "I Second That Emotion". |
| All right, I was a whiny-butt last night, but I am over it today. It’s amazing what 8 hours of sleep, supportive comments, a poem and good friends who express themselves can do! Thank you! As for the mammogram recall, lol...I go in Thursday for that, and just so you know, I’m not worried about it. This is probably the tenth time I’ve had to do more, or had a biopsy done...so I don’t get all worked up about it. Besides that, no sense in worrying ahead of time about something I CAN’T CHANGE THE OUTCOME OF. I didn’t mean to yell, but I am too lazy to erase it and retype it. I already lost the entry once. I had an amusing day today. I’m pretty sure it was more amusing to me but what the heck, I’ll tell you about it. I started off going to the bank to visit my ATM...yes I said my ATM, because at the crappy rate they pay for me anyone saving parking their money there, I figure I must own one of those machines by now. Anyway, I park in the ten minute parking zone and hop out, card in hand...only to be greeted by and ATM window saying, “OUT OF SERVICE”. So, being the patient person I am, I step over to the second window and before I can feed my machine the plastic I see one of those weird things you people who have Windows have....a square saying something to the effect of, “Hey....Windows has detected a new a) program b) device and blah...blah...if you wish to continue click NEXT”. So, I do as instructed and touch the part that says “next” on the screen. Hey, don’t have a mouse at the ATM you know. Nothing happens. I try again...and again...and find myself having horrible flashbacks of the days when I had to use a PC and Windows. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. It is apparent I’m going to have to go inside to get some money. Is it any wonder people get to the point of.....nevermind, that was a dumb correlation. So I go inside, fumble around for my checkbook and write out a check to me for cash. I also found my check from the shop...made out to me for the whole sum of $10—yes, that was my entire take, minus the 15% commission, for the entire month of March. I now have three months in a row where I have not sold a piece of jewelry....you cannot tell me we are not in a recession. I may as well cash it while I’m there. Well, by the time I got to where I was second in line...the man ahead of me turns around and says, “The computers went down, we can’t get any money.” HUH? Then he says, “I just wanted some lunch money.” He did laugh though, what else can you do? We were fortunate though, they are able to give us up to $500 when this happens, and since I wanted so much less than that...well wanted is a relative word here, all I wanted at the moment is all I could get, legally. That adventure behind me I headed to the hardware store in search of a replacement heater for the kitchen/dining room. It seems my son took the portable one we use to the office, leaving us entirely without heat to have dinner by...except a fireplace and lately the smoke particles are making it difficult for me to breathe. Gawd. I found one easily, so next stop was the Hallmark™ store. My son’s birthday is the 18th and wanted to have some cards in reserve. Besides, I love spending time reading funny cards. Today I found some doozies, you know the kind that make you laugh out loud. I really should remember that, about going to the card store, it’s such a simple to thing really, and the smiles it gives me last all day, plus I get to give others some. |
| Okay, I feel like crap. Oh I know, "And?" Having the strangest couple of days mood-wise. Yeah, a rant to follow. You are welcome to leave, I probably would. It's quite possible it is the constant company I find myself immersed in. I love Hubby, and yet there can be days I just want to hop in my car and drive as far away as possible. As I reach the bottom of my driveway I reconsider. I've had a sore throat, been tired to the bone and been forced to entertain my mother-in-law and good OLD Mr. Can Hardly. Give me a break. The last time I spent with her she ended up in the emergency room across the street from her son. I survived it, but not without a two-minute tantrum cry in the bathroom... before her limo arrived. Not only was she intruding on the one dang day I'd planned and hoped to do absolutely the bare minimum, just what Hubby needed help with...but I woke up sick. There is a reason we women are tough, but danged if I can think of why. Sometimes you just feel like being stuck in a pocket and taken care of for a few days. I want to shrink, to be almost invisible...just for a few hours. Ok, I'm over that. Hubby is feeling particularly discouraged tonight and need me to "cheerlead"...it will be one month tomorrow since the surgery, but seven and a half months of having this hanging over our heads. It takes a toll. Today I had a manicure and pedicure scheduled at 4:30 pm. Normally I do it in the morning, but for me now, mornings means doing for others...anyway, just as I was about to leave the phone rang. "Hello, is this Sheila?" "Yes it is." "This is Dr. so and so's office and we would like you to go have some additional views of your mammograms done. We've put in the order, you need to call and schedule it." Gulp. Silence. "Okay, thanks." That was my day. Hope yours was better. |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** "Purple People Eater"- 1958 Sung by Sheb Wooley Please follow the link to find this entry:
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I just reminded myself of the time you did jury duty!