In Flanders Fields

 

Good morning friends!

It's still morning, right?  I'm slow getting started.

Yesterday evening we attended opening ceremonies of the Alabama Poppy Project held in Prattville's historic district.  How about, I simply let these photos tell the story.

The 2020 event began with a plan to make only 500 poppies -- but ended up with 1,001 on display.  This year's exhibit more than doubled the previous year -- an impressive 2,021!

Some fun facts (taken from the creator's page)

In the making of the 2021 poppies ...

Over 2,250 pounds of clay were used

17 gallons of red glaze

3,256 hours of kiln firing

A volunteer helped me affix daddy's ribbon to his poppy

A moment of silence

while a solitary figure on the next hill played Taps

Don't let it be forgot .....

Hugs, Myra

This n' That

Hi there!

It's almost time to wish y'all a great weekend.  Before I do, a recap of our week's blessings.

Monday found us back in the Magic City (aka, Birmingham) where Tom had a great doctor visit.   Being in the neighborhood, I asked, "Can we swing by Cheesecake Factory and get a couple slices to go?"   Well, not only did Tom's eyes light up.  He countered, "Why not just go there for lunch?"  (Whaaat?)  

Never mind that it's been almost 5 years since we'd been to a CF.  It was everything-- and more --I could have asked for!

Herb crusted salmon and asparagus ... so al dente they crunched.

Surprised - and delighted when our server asked Tom how he wanted his hamburger.  "Medium rare?  No problem, sir."  (Whaaat?)  I didn't know anyplaces like that still exist.

Of course, we had to bring a couple cakes home.

My Cinnabon cinnamon cheesecake with vanilla crunch cake, cream cheese frosting and caramel.  (Uh-huh, my fat cells were applauding.)

Oh!, and as we were leaving I noticed a sign: Village Tavern.  "Tom! Do you think it's the same one?"  Yes! Turns out, it's sister to our 2nd favorite restaurant back in Arizona.  

What can I say?  We enjoy our food!  Even before the pandemic we didn't eat out so often.  But when we do, I almost liken it to a religious experience. 

I had to report for my annual mammogram Tuesday.  Those ladies are so kind!  (Suppose that's a prerequsite for employment?)  This is something I give little thought to any other time of year, but come Test time?  I'm reduced to a case of nerves.  She smiled, patted my arm and said, "I'm the same way."

Something interesting.  She asked if I'd had my Covid vaccine, then "Which arm?"   Of course I had to Google that when I got home. Turns out there's been more than a few cases of false positive mammograms following the vaccine.  Go figure!

Thankful!  I met with the orthopedic surgeon yesterday.  She agreed, traditional physical therapy probably wouldn't help. (Woot!)  Also, the arthritis doesn't warrant hip replacement at this time.  I've a script for an anti-inflammatory and feel lots more optimistic. 

What else?  My 'anti-pain' body pillow finally arrived, more than 30 days after the fact.   I didn't recognize the deceptively-small Tyvec packaging -- but when Tom carefully slit open one end hilarity ensued.  Like a mythical monster, it started growing and spreading its 'wings.'   Dressing it was another comedic episode.

Okay, I won't go so far as to call it a 'pig in a poke' - but neither is it all I'd hoped for.   Plus, Tom starts giggling whenever he sees it.  I'm actually thinking of naming it.  (Suggestions, anyone?)

Aside from attending Sunday night's ceremonies for the Alabama Poppy Project, we've no special plans.   Pretty sure we'll tune into the Memorial Day concert.  And I want to watch Saving Private Ryan again.  Yes, it's a difficult watch.  Still.  If I were  'in charge' (*smile*), I'd make it required viewing for every single American teenager.

In closing, I want to share something a veteran posted on her Facebook page yesterday.  So much confusion still exists about the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

"When someone says, 'Thank you' on Memorial Day, realize that they're thanking your uniform and what it represents -- not you personally. 
Accept their thanks on behalf of your fallen brethren."

Please, stay safe out there!

Hugs, Myra

Do you ever?

 

... get to wondering if the Universe is counseling you; warning you?  What's that they call it, a 6th sense?  

Or, has own anxiety taken a hold of your head?  For instance,

We were supposed to be in Demomopolis this morning to hear a dear friend of Tom speak.  A sometimes lay preacher, Nick asked a local quartet to perform.  He'd also invited us to join them for Sunday dinner following services.  

I've no idea why, but I woke a little after 4 with more than a little anxiety about the drive.   Absurd, considering I used to love driving hours on end.  (Somebody cue the theme from Easy Rider!)

Not for the first time came a vision of Grandma Willer:  Sitting alongside me in the back of daddy's '53 Ford, she clutches the leather loop-thing (backside of the front bench seats) for dear life.  (Were I old enough to know what it meant, I'd have done an exaggerated eye-roll.)   But one day my son confided:  As a little boy he, too, used to be terrified going up the long and winding 'Hill Road.'  I paused. Perhaps not so pathetic after all.

Anyway!  This morning I'm getting dressed when Tom says, "Do we really want to do this?"   Whaaaat?  He continued, "My head's not in a good place."  

He's probably stressed about the unfinished patio project (debacle) out back.  Or, is it something else?

  

Neither of us is fond of travelling that beautiful-but-narrow backroad 

Similar, a stock image

... whose log trucks whiz by (or up on our tail lights) like they're headed to Talladega Motor Speedway.

So, Tom called his friend and pulled some steaks out of the freezer.

Because it's never happened to me, I haven't put much stock in ESP or hearing voices, etc.

But neither do I disbelieve that doesn't happen.
Maybe I'm jealous. (Ha)

How about you?  Are you one to heed your intuition?

Grace is singing, "Ain't no mountain high enough!"

Have yourselves a super Sunday!

Hugs, Myra

   

Throwback Thursday

 

It was Summer, 1959 ... 

The pool looks so small here!

As a little girl I thought it was large as the ocean itself!

..... my mother and Mrs. Lamb signed their daughters up for lessons at the high school's pool.  I can still visualize the tired red kickboards, the acrid smell of chlorine.  Four weeks later, in order to graduate, we had to jump off the lower diving board and swim to the side.  Nervous.  I remember looking up to the observation balcony (pictured upper left) to see my mother nodding. "Yes, you can do it."  And I did!

A few summers later, my best friend and I'd walk there for fun swims.  A dime allowed us one hour's pool time!  And if we were really really lucky, a certain upperclassman would be manning the desk.  Handing me a wire basket for my clothes, he'd smile his movie-star smile and I'd feel my knees grow rubbery. 

This is also the place I was sure I'd drown.  Something to do with a Girl Scout merit badge.  Fully clothed -- shoes, too -- we had to jump in the deep end (10 feet!), disrobe and tread water for 30 minutes ... no touching the sides or one another.   No-one was more surprised than me when I did it!

My senior year the pool stopped being fun.  In what can only be described as the Cruelest Twist of Fate in the history of ever, I was assigned "1st period: Swimming."     

Remember, this was 1968.  Swim caps were still a thing.  Hand-held hair dryers hadn't been invented.  The creepy hallway to the girl's locker room seemed to get creepier with every step.   Then, an announcement:  Senior pictures would be taken the following week.  Could it get any worse?

For the life of me, I can't recall if I asked to be excused  ... or simply dog-paddled my way through class, desperate to keep my head above water.   

If today's young people only knew!

We've come a long way, baby!

Do you remember when you first learned to swim?

Hugs, Myra

Q 'n A

 

Thanks to the Queen of Hodgepodge (aka, Joyce) for this week's prompts!

Realist? Idealist? Optimist? Pessimist?  Which one are you?

What's something currently on your wish list?

Maybe, an Experience.  I love my husband, but catch myself daydreaming of a 'girls trip' -- prowling among funky shops, eating al fresco, drinking copious amounts of wine ..... 
..... and I wouldn't say 'no' to a professional massage.

3 things on this week's shopping list.

Baby mozarella, artichoke hearts, Genoa salami.

Antipasto skewers

According to TripAdvisor, here's a list of the top 10 things to do in the US this summer:

Chicago Architecture River Cruise, Skip the Line Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island Tour, N.Y. in a Day guided sightseeing tour, Charleston's Old South Historic Horse and Carriage tour, Grand Canyon heliocopter tour, Full day iconic sights of LA, Beverly Hills, Beaches and more, DC at Desk guided night tour, Beneeath the Street Underground History tour (Seattle), New Orleans Swamp and Bayou Boat tour, Gangster and Ghosts tour in Chicago.

Of the 10 listed, which do you find most appealing?  Have you already experienced anything on this list?

Let's go to Charleston!

I've actually been to each of these cities, but ... 
Aside from a free weekend at the Beverly Hilton and a tour of the 'Stars' homes (2005), I'm not a tour kind of person.  (Hey, we were bored!)

Besides home and work, where do you spend the most time?

Hahaha.  Food Outlet?

Insert your own random thought here:

Hugs, Myra 

🤗

 

Sunday Five

 

Good morning!

FIRST, thank you for your empathetic remarks on my last post.  I didn't want to be a Debbie Downer; and, in fact, thought about deleting it.   No, we still haven't any concrete.  But Josh called yesterday to assure us he's 'all over it.'  Whatever that means. 

Meanwhile, a few thoughts off the top of my head.

I'm thinking of trading in our washer and dryer for one of those stackable models.

Laundry NON-room hidden behind bifold doors in a niche off the kitchen.

I do a bit of laundry almost every day, and we could sure benefit from the extra storage space.

Are any of y'all familiar with those top and bottom appliances?

I'm thankful, remembering strangers' random acts of kindness.

You know, I'm big on sincerity.  My parents, friends and loved ones alike always lavished me with praise.  (Mostly undeserved -ha!)   I'd think, "Sure, they have to say that because they love (like) me."

No. I'm talking about the unexpected.

Like the elderly Indian.  1957: We'd gone to Santa Fe to purchase bus tickets to New York City.   Beside myself with excitement, I asked if I might peek inside the empty bus.

He approached Mother to compliment her about me having said, "May I?" (v. "Can.")

More recently, a stranger approached me at Village Green to say she admired my posture.

Silly, perhaps. But these are things that stick to my very marrow if I get to feeling discouraged.

Speaking of Village Green,

I cheated.

When the pandemic hit, my daily walks held little appeal.  Stop, start, ya-da-da. I quit.

Audio books never interested me.  But realizing I needed to get back in gear, last month I downloaded something suspenseful -- whose author I really enjoy.  The caveat?  I would only listen while exercising.

Fortunately, I'm super enjoying the book!  Unfortunately, my hip has become significantly quarrelsome -- resulting in my almost taking not one, but two falls.

So ya.  I have an appointment next week to see an ortho doc  ..... and am cheerfully listening to my audio book while observing what Anne Lamott calls, "the sacred act of ploppage" in my favorite recliner.  No guilt!

In the kitchen?

I'm about to go start prepping something 'Ma' shared, Pizzaiola Chops.  Here's a link to that post.

Finally, a thought to carry with you --

Ain't that the truth?

I hope you all have a super (rest of your) Sunday!

Hugs, Myra

 

 

Some Gotta Win, Some Gotta Lose

 

... good time Charlie Gracie's got the blues.

Don't you just hate it when someone says they are going do something ... then they don't?

Remember, mid-April we contracted with a fellow to demolish our deck and pour a concrete patio.   Well, the guy and Tom 'had words.' He and his crew walked off the job and haven't been seen or heard from since.

  

I was beginning to think we should take a page from Calistoga's mud baths.  No-one seems interested in giving us a quote, much less doing the job.

Until yesterday.  We felt fortunate to have found someone who (seemingly) walked his talk. 

Until 6:45 this morning.  Josh called to say there's no concrete to be found until next Thursday.  Maybe.   He was supposed to come by this morning to measure and lay screen, but now he isn't even answering his phone.

So far I've dusted everything that's standing still ... even reorganized the spice cabinets.

...with a song in my heart.

I hope somebody will get this

I told Tom we can always plant string beans.

...or lettuce!

LOVE my salad sling, btw!

#4 is me

Hey, things could always be worse.

Gotta keep looking on the bright side, right?

Hugs, Myra

  

Eat Whaaat?

 

 Good morning!

My intentions were strong, but ...
my get-r-done not so much.

Besides, no-one wants to hear my grievances.  I still may need to rant, but today's not the day!

No. I just learned (that) today's National Eat What You Want Day!

How cool is that?

To be fair, Tom and I pretty much do that every day.

In fact, when my son asked where I'd like to go for Mother's Day I chose Mellow Mushroom.

Instead of ordering my usual ("Holy Shitake"), I opted for a Caesar salad ... and seeing Tom's pie, I regretted it the whole while.

Now that we're all grown-ups ...

Do you ever pause to wonder why you prefer certain foods to others?

Back in the 90's, a new book gained popularity.

It's promise ...

"Could eating a diet based on your blood type help you trim down and boost your immune system?"

The author claims that the foods you eat react chemically with your type.  And, if one follows a food plan designed for his/her type, their body will digest food more efficiently.

In spite of this sounding a bit like a Zodiac profile, I ordered the book for mother and I to enjoy.

After all, sometimes I'd wonder how the two of us could possibly be related.  She, who'd rather eat fresh fruit and grains to the exclusion of other foods.  And me, who takes pains to avoid both!

Yes, it's full of generalities.  But I must admit, he pretty much nailed me.  "Type 0 is predisposed to crave meat."

For instance?  Before going to Bible study I wanted a bite of something to tide me over.
Butterfinger? .....No.  A wedge of cheese? ......No.  I wanted -- and enjoyed -- several tablespoons of cold 'loose meat'  (aka, ground beef).

Anyway.  In brief, a Google search turns out that several others -- including Harvard and Dr. Oz -- lend credence to D'Adamo's theory.

Anyone's curious?  Here are some links to thumb-nail sketches.

Type A

Type B

Type AB

Type 0

 Hey, I regard this as fun; not to be taken too seriously.  To quote one of mother's favorite sayings, "This old world would sure be a boring place if we all liked the same things."

How will you honor Eat What You Want Day?

Bon appetit!

Hugs, Myra

  

  

Currently ... after the Storm

So, I'm sitting here with the Theme (from the) Poseiden Adventure) playing 'round and 'round in my head. 

Seriously, I'm mighty grateful our power and internet came back on after last night's storms.  Many in the community are still without, and one of my friends had a tree fall on her house. 

This was the first time we actually took to the safe room (aka, interior bathroom).  Macie and Grace were not happy and kept clammoring to be let out, particularly when the weather radio siren kept going off.

Or, was it mommy's helmet?

Note to self:
Next time you go wishing for a reason not to do yard work, be more specific.  The Universe hears all, and has no filter!

Anyway!  I've got lots to chat about, but will break it down into bite-size pieces over the next few days.  For example,

I'm thinking ...

Once more, how fortunate we are to have landed here -- with compassionate health-care.

How sweet is this!

Tom had his final post-op appointment yesterday.  And while they allowed there's been some improvement, the doctor suggests we go back to Birmingham to revisit that (eye) specialist.

... and thankful for budding friendships!

Because her hubby's gone 6 weeks to 'blind school', our Bible study leader invited some of us to brunch Monday.

Good golly, Miss Molly!  I'm surprised I didn't waddle.  There were sausage/egg casseroles, cheesy grits, home-made biscuits with tomato gravy -- and who was I to be rude and not have some of each?
(Okay, I passed on the jelly donut ... ha!)

Remember what I was talking about, these 'make-over' shows not being everyone's cup of tea?

Sue's home is huge ... and drop-dead gorgeous.  Just not my kind of 'grunge.' Know what I mean?

When we toured the master (think, roughly the size of an average McDonald's) I couldn't help but ask, "Are these windows tinted?

Nope. Not a single window treatment in the place.
Because it sits on 119 largely forested acres with strategically-placed security cameras.  Oh, "and I've two guns."

(Could you? Would you?)

Good to know

Provided there's one near you, Office Depot is laminating vaccine cards, free for nothing!  (I also took (cell phone) pictures of ours 'just because.')

What else?
I know ... I promised 'bite-size.'  But just one more?

We all talk about spam and how to spot it ... but this one had me totally fooled. 

Now I can't UN-see it.

Wishing y'all peaceful rest of your week!

Hugs, Myra

Takeover!

 

Wetumpka!

3 yrs. ago we got car tags and drivers licenses right here.

Happy Saturday, friends!

Some of y'all may remember when, in the Fall of 2017, we embarked on a long-distance house hunt.   Hey, I'll be the first to admit -- internet photography and polished verbiage can sure be deceiving.  If we hadn't taken a few days to fly out and tour the candidates, I hate to think what might have happened.  (Can you say, pig in a poke?)

I well recall feeling devastated when the home we'd chosen in Wetumpka's historical district failed to pass inspection.

Mind you, I feel we're right where we're supposed to be -- in the 3rd runner up -- only 11 miles down the road.  But I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for Wetmpka's small-town charm.

Gosh golly!  When we learned, out of 5,000 submissions that it was chosen for HGTV's new 'Takeover' series, I was soooo excited.

Before it premiers tomorrow night, I (strongly) suggested to Tom, he and I take a drive.   Unfortunately, it was a cool and broody kind of day -- and packed with people, whose attire fairly screamed 'tourist'!

Home featured in the movie Big Fish

Source: HGTV

Reality

🠋

Since our 2nd vaccines, Tom's more open to the idea of eating 'out' and actually suggested we revisit one of our favorite venues, Coaches Corner.  "Hey, you don't have to ask me twice!"

The 'black and bleu' burgers and generous helping of onion rings were still as delicious as we remembered.

Good thing, Tom and I both love garlic and onion!

Honestly, I didn't much care for the renovations.

Before pandemic with Tom's sis and BIL

After

🠋

I want to go back on a nicer day and take more pictures of the historic district.   Imagine, if you will, neat little brick bungalows whose window boxes erupt with blooms .....  side-by-side with homes that totally define the term, shanty.

I was able to find the location of one of Ben and Erin's make-overs.

(I was too embarrassed to get out and take a picture. Ha!)

Totally not my favorite color scheme.

Which made we wonder:

Be it 'Chip and Joanna' or 'Ben and Erin', do you ever wonder:

When they show the Big Reveal, what if the homeowners don't like what's been done, and make a face.

Of course, I'm sure that's all covered by contracts, etc., but I think that would be soooo funny.

Have yourselves a great weekend!

Hugs, Myra