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 |  Day to day stuff....a memoir without order. |
 Imagination is described by Webster as...The act or power of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses in reality. Albert Einstein said "Logic will get you from A to B, but imagination will take you everywhere."  I never realized it until I read it somewhere but there are ways to boost one's imagination: Create a visual journal Draw whatever you see for 15 minutes a day. You don't need to be an artist. Think like an artist Cut out pictures from magazines & piece them together to create an original image. Listen to Bach Close your eyes while playing your favorite music. Or listen to the sounds of nature on a CD or in the great outdoors. Play word games Try thinking of as many words as you can that begin with MAR...or you pick. Daydream Let your mind wander, or focus on a single object & study its characteristics.     Everyone has a story....here's mine.....c   |
| We've had about 14 different rain showers today and now, after the most recent one, I am looking out the window by my computer at the sun shining as brightly as ever. The most interesting thing is the roof of my neighbor across the street. Steam is rising from his shingles about four feet into the air, then slowly drifting to the west and disappearing. I wonder if mine is doing the same? Our county hired an independent contractor to pick up the yard debris from Hermine. He...they...it finally came last Tuesday, a huge dump truck type thing with that arm and big metal scissor-type "grasper" on top. He had my tiny little four-week old plus trashpile removed in about one minute. Thank heavens. I was so tired of looking at it everyday. Now, I discover that Hurricane Matthew may be on the way. My book club is meeting tomorrow at a local museum for a tour of Frida Kahlo's portraits, a photography exhibit, something different for us to do. We have a member who is a docent at the art museum and she will be our guide...looking forward to it. I think I mentioned our book for the next meeting (Oct. 4th) is A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, a super interesting read - 2 times for me. But I am reading a book now that I have barely been able to put down, A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley. It's about one of those big family-owned farms, this one in Iowa, where the mother dies when the three daughters are young, leaving them to be raised by their father. You will either love it or hate it...not going to say anymore. until next time...c |
| I went on a bus trip last Monday to Wakulla Springs (near Tallahassee, Florida). It was farther than I ever want to go on a bus again, six hours of travel time. If I hadn't had an interesting seatmate, it would have been boring indeed. Advertised through our local AARP and Senior Center, the phrase "boat ride" parted me and my $81. Except for the long bus ride, it was very enjoyable. I am not a sit still person and must be jumping up and down often. We pulled out of Gainesville around 8:30 and arrived at the Springs, which is a State-owned park, just in time for lunch, mine to be a luscious and tasty vegetable fettuccine with garlic bread, a tossed salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing, and key lime pie for dessert. The Lodge where we ate was a sort of hotel, restaurant, and gift shop combination with beautiful old-style Spanish architecture, lots of marble, mosaics, arches, and a red-tiled roofline. As we ate we could see the springs where several people were swimming. There were two huge decks in the water for sunning or jumping off and another two tier deck for diving. We were told the springs were a consistent 68-70 degrees. The Wakulla River which originated at the springs and where we would have our 45 minute boat ride was the best part of the trip. Forty-three of us split up into two flat-bottomed slow-moving tour boats and leisurely made our way a few miles downstream as our pilot, actually a park ranger, pointed out all kinds of wildlife. We saw anhingas, egrets, ibis, all kinds of ducks, herons, bitterns, limpkins, and so many others I can't remember them all. Florida alligators rested or slept on every little sandbar sticking above the waterline and a rather rowdy one swam directly across the path of our boat. The literature boasted 182 different seasonal birds and I believe them. It was truly a nature-lovers paradise. As our ride neared its end, we circled the springs and were surprised to see a gator gliding along the edge of the marked-off swimming area. Our ranger got behind him and successfully "herded" him back out into the river as we and the divers watching from the deck breathed a sigh of relief, I think, or maybe it was "old hat" to them. I don't think I'd want to go swimming there, but what a beautiful place. A thunderstorm came up as we docked and the second boat's ride was cut short. The swimming area was closed and the lightning drove all of us inside just as the rain began...on to the gift shop where there was an old-fashioned soda fountain. We spent the rest of our trip there parting with a few more dollars and enjoying homemade scoops of ice cream. It continued to rain as our bus pulled out and we didn't see sunshine again until we got back to Gainesville around 6:30, everyone eager to get up and out and stretch. At home Mopsy wondered where I had been all day...or maybe not. I think she had just woke up from a long nap. until next time...c |
| I'm up early this morning. It's not even light yet. My window is open and I hear an owl with just that one forlorn note...whoooo, whoooo...high to low, and a cricket deep down in the bush underneath the window...chirp, chirp. Traffic is already whizzing past out front and the motorcycle across the street is put, put, putting as it waits for its master to guide it wherever it's going this morning. Mopsy got me up around 5:30 and I tried to go back to sleep but that didn't work out so I got up for good around 6:15. I can usually go out on the porch, lay down in the swing and conk out but not this morning. I have a board meeting this evening of my writers' group. I'm treasurer and my brain is ticking off everything I need to do today to prepare my report. That's the problem. Unbelievably, my yard debris from Hermine continues to lie out near the curb still waiting for pickup. There was so much in our county that they haven't gotten to our development yet and tomorrow is pickup day...again. Maybe they'll come today. My grass needs cutting and it's in the way...and probably dead underneath. until next time...c |
I picked up a couple books at the library yesterday, ones I had on hold, My Name Is Lucy Barton and The Sympathizer. I do love Elizabeth Strout among many others  . I started and finished Lucy last night. What a thought-provoking book. Lucy's childhood was...shall we say "austere?" Poverty, loveless, even hinting at abuse. The story revolves around Lucy's nine-week stint in the hospital with complications from an appendectomy. Her mom stays with her for five days, the mom she has been estranged from since she married many years ago.The thing I got from the book, and it sort of felt like a weight on me, was that love-deprived children tend to love everyone who is kind to them. I can't quit thinking about that. I believe it may be true. until next time...c |
| I'm like a fish out of water this morning, trying to find a reason not to go back to bed. I get like this once in awhile. I made the mistake of googling our old address in Dover and that got me started on the memory journey. I guess I never thought Jim would leave me, even in death. I never expected to be alone especially here so far from where I grew up. Sometimes I have the urge to sell out and move back home. Yes, I guess I still consider Delaware my home. My inlaw relatives down here are not really my family, and yet I have hardly any family in Delaware, all dead now except for a cousin. Why do we want to live in the past when we know it is useless. My family is here in Florida, my daughter, my grandchildren. I have to focus on them now. This thinking is pointless. It's a lovely foggy morning here, very quiet except for the buzzing of hummy outside my window. The humidity is heavy yet coolish for what it has been. I picked up and drug out most of my fallen pine limbs yesterday so they can be picked up on Tuesday but I still have a thousand little twigs and branches scattered about the back yard. I did clean off the driveway so it is spotless...for awhile. It was littered with pinecones and twigs thanks to Hermine. I wonder who comes up with these hurricane names. Where did Hermine come from? The Gators won last night. Of course, they were expected to...first game of the season. Steve Spurrier Field in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium was officially named before the coin toss. We all love Steve and are happy to have him back here in Gainesville. My neighbors are away for the holiday and a young girl is dog-sitting for them. We chatted while I was clearing the driveway yesterday. The dog is teeny. I'm not sure what kind, white with curly fur and named Sada and with boundless energy. The young girl left on her bike with leashed Sada running ahead. I tried a Morningstar Buffalo Chik Patty for lunch yesterday (recommended by one of my granddaughters) and it was yummy, just the right amount of seasoning and heat. She's the same granddaughter who told me about overnight oatmeal, another winner. I hope everyone is having a nice Labor Day Weekend even though Hermine is doing her best to mess things up. Be safe and be happy... until next time...c |
| Hermine is coming although she has veered to the north a little. It's early morning and raining now, very gently, from a front ahead of her. I cut my back yard grass yesterday in case we get some wind so dropping pine boughs will be easier to pick up and take out front for the debris man next Tuesday. It's very quiet with only the noise of singing birds. And it is cooler this morning. Yesterday evening at dusk as I sat here "computing" I looked out the window and saw Mr. Snake getting a drink from my birdies' bath. It hangs over my front porch railing. i grabbed Jim's cane, went out and "encouraged" him to wriggle back down into the nearby shrub. He was slow but very compliant. I wonder why he was out at dusk and getting a drink when water is everywhere from all the rain we've been having? I guess the birds are an enticement. I have reconciled myself to snakes...as you can see. And the birds are snake-smart, staying away when he is around. We had a beautiful sunset yesterday, blues and pinks and yellows, making up for this overcast dreary morning with an unwelcome visitor on her way. until next time...c |
| Awhile back I mentioned that I had sent for a ukulele. It came a week ago today and so far I have learned how to hold it, how to strum it, how to tune it, and 2 chords, C & G7. The chords are the hard part. My fingers do not naturally want to bend like little U's. But they have to or they "mash" other strings, messing up the chord sound. And the instructions say to practice these chords until you can change them "seamlessly." I need lots of practice. "Over the Rainbow" is a long way off (my goal). But it is a cute little thing (the uke) and it sounds great when I'm strumming and Mopsy is a very attentive audience...my only audience. She sits close by when I play, ears perked up, and she doesn't complain about the sour notes when I'm tuning. I guess you could call her the perfect audience. There are about a zillion places on the web giving uke instructions and guess what, everyone is different, different ways to strum, different ways to hold, different ways to learn, so I'm sticking with the booklet I ordered with it which includes a website too. Anyway, here's my goal, my idol and Jim's fav... until next time...c |
| I think I may have overdone it yesterday, mowed all my grass, trimmed everywhere, and edged the sidewalk and driveway. It was 95 degrees. Have you ever heard the expression "bear caught." Me neither until I met Jim. I think it relates to sunstroke or heat exhaustion. Anyway, I was almost bear caught and had to quit without blowing off the driveway...bad headache and extremely hot. My inner thermostat does not seem to work as well as it once did. It was 7:30 before I felt like getting into the shower, but after that I revived and this morning I feel pretty good, just really tired. One of my granddaughters called me last evening and may go to the poetry reading with me on Sunday. She has a funeral to attend later in the week and hopes to be back in time. My writing group is helping with the poetry thing, providing refreshments, etc. (which I am helping with). The readings are mostly by young folks, some older, not me though, a poet I'm not. But I am looking forward to it...hope she can go with me. There's always something interesting going on here in Gainesville, especially in the arts. I mark many things on my calendar lying in front of my computer screen (just one of the dollar specials from Dollar Tree). Tonight I see the Klezmer Katz will be playing at Lightning Salvage, the music part of Satchel's Pizza. Have you ever heard Klezmer? If not, you should. It is one of a kind. One of my writer friends is in the group. I think I'll call Sue and see if she wants to go. until next time...c |
| I'm inside in the a/c resting a few moments after a short stint of yard work...getting ready to mow. It is sooo hot, but I know that no one wants to hear that. I must be on a cooking/making/baking binge. I saw this recipe on Facebook for peach sherbet and tried it yesterday...10 oz frozen peaches, 1 can condensed milk (I used no fat), and 1/2 tsp cinnamon, processed in my mixer and placed into the freezer. Well, it tastes pretty good, more like ice cream than sherbet, and next time (if there is a next time) I would leave out the cinnamon and maybe put in some vanilla. It definitely will not go to waste in this "hot" weather...licking good in an ice cream cone. until next time...c |
| A little poetry today...or not...you judge. My Aunt Sadie Aunt Sadie reminded me of this bull my pop-pop had on his farm. When I got near old Red, he charged the fence to make me disappear. My pleas to Aunt Sadie to play games and partake of teatime were greeted with snorts, downward glances, and hunching shoulders, just like old Red. I steered clear of both of them. |
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