Who, me?

Thanks to Annie, our 'Tuesday 4' hostess with the most-ess!

How are you unique or different from your friends or family?  How typical are you?

Gosh, I don't think I'm particularly unique - or typical.   I'd love to have been more like my mother -- hardwired for kindness.  Oftentimes I stop to think, "What would mother do?"   No, I'm more like my father -- a hard worker, overly fond of good food and drink.  (LOL)

I think we each bring something unique to the table.  I'm finally comfortable in my own skin, and enjoy the company of a few like-minded people -- in small doses.  Have to admit, however, the last few years I've become more introspective; (and think) I feel things more acutely than most people.     

How do you spend your spare time?  Books, hobbies, visiting, tv, etc?

I waste entirely too much time in front of the television ..... but I don't regret a moment spent on-line!  I can't wait to schedule an eye exam of my own, so reading won't feel so tiresome.  Cross fingers!

What was high school like for you?

Ugh.  All I wanted was to fit in, but had no idea how.

Awkward and self-conscious, I moved about the school like an apparition -- observing, judging, rarely participating.  Not until I joined the choir, Olions (little theater) and found a mentor in my Journalism teacher did I begin to enjoy school.

This question has multiple parts:

Designer style or will any do?

I don't give a whit about designer bags - or even faux designer.  Just give me something with compartments, large enough for all my 'stuff.' 

Pajamas or nightgown?

Jammies

Shoes: Sturdy or pretty?

I left 'pretty' behind 3 years ago when I retired.

Home decor:  Classic, modern, farm-house style, traditional?

Eclectic traditional.   Comfortable and cozy.

Movies:  Feel good, drama, romance, action?

Given my druthers, I'd pick drama first, feel-good second (that includes comedy, right?).  Action, every once in a while.   Afraid I'm too old and cynical to sit through another season of Hallmark happily-ever-afters.

PS - More about drama.  Several of my all-time favorites include Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, Castaway, Bridges of Madison County.   I think because they make me hurt, to feel.  In a positive way, that is.  (Does that make any sense?)

🎬

Thanks for visiting ... please come back!

Hugs, Myra

Anxious much?

Some days I get to thinking how nice it must feel to be Chill.  Laid back.  Don't worry, be happy.

But no.  Like my mother before me, I'm a fretter.  Thankfully, I've learned to keep my anxieties under wraps.  Think, that serene little duck gliding across the water -- all the while paddling furiously under the surface.

I thought it might be fun to detail some of my anxieties.  Maybe seeing them in black and white, I'll realize how silly they are.

I'm not talking about Covid ... being asked to sing a solo ...  a job interview .... lab results.  That stuff goes without saying.   And don't get me started on airports!  Who remembers those strategically-placed vending machines where you could purchase a Life Insurance policy right before boarding your flight?

So, a few weeks ago, Tom was unpacking his 'smart' TV and asked me to help with the setup.  My stomach made an unpleasant noise.

Yep, instruction manuals are right up there.

Here's some more of my shiver-triggers ...

😟 Calling Customer Service

😟 Travelling through a car wash, blind behind the wheel.

😟 Driving next to an 18-wheeler

😟 Staring at the oversize pill in my hand right before I put it on my tongue.

😟 Asking for a favor.

😟 Turning left onto two-way traffic.  (Yes, I'm still that someone who makes 3 right hand turns to avoid one left.)

😟 Saying 'no'

😟 Waiting for eBay feedback.  I always make sure to point out any imperfections, tears, etc.  So far, it's been all thumbs up.   Still, I keep waiting for one disappointing rating from a Karen. 

😟 Will the pest-control guy think we're pigs when he sees I haven't dusted behind the refrigerator?

😟 Wondering if I left too many exclamation points on a comment.  Again.  

😟 Leaving a store without having purchased anything.  To self: "Act natural."

Now, don't you feel better about yourself?  😀

Hugs, Myra

Hodgepodge goes to School

Thanks, Joyce!

Is school back in session where you live?  Is everyone in person or does your system still offer a virtual option?  Are kids wearing masks?

Sorry, I've no idea.  Yes, I believe Elmore County recently mandated masks for all students and teachers.

Something you still do 'old school'?

I write cursive.  Gregg Shorthand, too.  Oh, and I still put two spaces after a period.  (Not sure what I'm talking about?  Click here.)

One lesson you've learned in the 'school of life'?

Only one?

Something told me to re-visit Rick's blog for inspiration:

"When your life flashes before your eyes, make sure you've got plenty to watch."

(Anon.)

I'm also moved by something he posted back in October 2019:

"I squandered a lot of time in my youth.  Had I understood at 20-years-old that time was my most precious asset, I like to think that I would have done a better job of managing my time.  But that's time that has ticked.

These days I can almost hear my biological clock ticking.  I'm thinking about changing the name of my to-do list to the "Things I Really Want to Do" list.

What seemed important when I was 40 seems frivolous at 68.

It's past time to stop letting time and energy vampires suck the essence out of my day.  I'm past the point of fretting over things that mean less than diddly squat.

The memorial on my fridge reminds me that time is a treasure.  I don't want the end to come with me lamenting that I thought I would have more time."

Rick passed unexpectedly only 9 months later.

I still miss his daily posts.

When you were in school did you pack a lunch or buy a lunch?  Your favorite thing to see on the lunch menu or inside your lunchbox back in the day?

Most days I'd bring a sack lunch my mother prepared: Bologna on white bread with a shmear of butter oleo.  Fritos for the win!

I don't know when microwave ovens became popular, but in 1968 one appeared in the high school cafeteria, alongside a vending machine containing wrapped sandwiches.  The burgers were dreadful -- but that didn't stop me from buying them, if only to watch in awe as the shrink-wrap would swell up.  Better than anything in Science class!

August is National Family Fun Month.  Tell me something fun you've done this month.

Mine's a solo endeavor, but I'm having fun decluttering and selling out on eBay.  When our home in Arizona sold faster than we thought, there was no time to purge.  Tom recently commented, "You know, we spent a lot of money to move this stuff."

True, but I don't want my son to have to face this someday.

Insert your own random thought here.

More about e-sales.  SMH at what's popular ... what's not.  I didn't think the pig-in-a-pole (aka, Italian pottery plate) that one of Tom's clients gave us would garner much interest.  Because neither of us liked it, it sat in a drawer the last 9 years.  I listed it last week and not 24 hours later it sold for more than $100!

Who'd want my 1960-something Girl Scout sash?  But they did. 

Mostly, I've listed study guides and historic newspapers.  Sure, all that news coverage can be found on line, but I think it's a hoot to look at the advertisements, the fashions.

I'm not getting rich, that's for sure.  But given last month's car repairs and vet bills, it all helps!

Have you done business on eBay?

🤗

Thank you for visiting .... 

I hope you'll come again!

Hugs, Myra

 

Sunday letters (Episode 4)

Dear FedEx

Really?

Dear friends,

'Just curious...

Do your family members read your blog?  If so, do they ever comment on what we, your readers, may say?

When I first began this blogging adventure, I was a little disappointed that Tom wasn't right there, looking over my shoulder.  Sure, if I ask him to look at something in particular he'll do so, but he's largely uninterested.

Come to think of it, like I am about his RC Aircraft.

 

Dear Mother,

So many things I regret not having asked!

For example.  How did you feel about having to move 1,200 miles away from family and friends to what must have felt like the middle of no-where?

Judging from your expression in this picture, I'm guessing you weren't thrilled.

Dear August,

I'm sorry to say, but if the calendar was a body?  I think you'd be the arm pit.

So far, this year has flown by.

Until we got to Month #8.   I wake up each morning thinking, surely it must be September.  Nope, still August.

Like Groundhog Day x 31.

Dear Jeanne Robertson,

Now, it's the angels who are laughing.

Thank you for your gentle humor that never failed to lift our spirits.  May you and 'Left Brain' RIP.

Have a great new week, dear friends ...

keep safe!

Hugs, Myra

Foodie Friday

 

Hey there!

I'm sorry for the Hodgepodge disappearing act Wednesday night.  After seeing it 'out-loud' I thought it sounded too self-serving and needed to come down.

However, one of the questions triggered a fun memory:  "What's your favorite treat to eat at the fair?"

Who remembers Frito-Pies?

Frito pie is simply Fritos with chili ladled on top; in Texas, it is typically garnished with shredded cheddar cheese and chopped raw onion. Other accoutrement, while entirely optional, could include chile con queso in place of the shredded cheese, jalapeno slices, and/or a dollop of sour cream.

Have to admit, if I wanted to cheat on my Keto regime, this might be my first choice.

😋

How about? .....

I don't think it's suited for walking the midway, but I used to delight when my father -- a New England native -- would buy a can of what he called, 'black bread.'  

He'd shmear a slice with a thick layer of sour cream and sprinkle with sugar.  Someone, anyone?

😋

Thanks for your kind comments on my skewers!

Despite my forgetting to buy fresh basil, nothing was left over.   If anyone's interested in making their own, here's the cheat-sheet.

The suggested prep time always cracks me up, tho.  I set my alarm early ... lay everything out in order ... donned plastic gloves.  And still barely made it to study in time.

Antipasto Skewers

prep 20 mins

cook 10 mins

total 30 mins 

yield 20 skewers

Ingredients

·         20 long wooden skewers

·         (1) 9 ounce package cheese tortellini

·         1/2 cup zesty Italian salad dressing

·         1/2 teaspoon tabasco sauce (optional, but it adds a nice kick)

·         40 olives (I used Kalamata but any kind you enjoy will work)

·         40 grape tomatoes

·         40 thin slices Genoa salami

·         20 baby mozzarella balls

·         40 pieces basil, torn

·         20 pieces chopped artichoke hearts

Instructions

1.   Cook tortellini according to package directions; drain and quickly rinse in cold water. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the tortellini with salad dressing and hot sauce, seal the bag, and turn it around a few times to coat; refrigerate for at least 15 minutes and up to 4 hours.

2.   When ready to assemble, drain and discard any remaining marinade.

3.   For each skewer, I threaded an olive, tomato, basil, tortellini, basil, folded salami slice, mozzarella ball, tortellini, basil, folded salami piece, artichoke heart, tomato, olive. You can switch up the arrangement if you like, but I find this order is visually appealing and delicious.

At times I still feel like a foreign exchange student in the kitchen. If you had seen me trying to tame those slippery tortellini. Oh vey!  I don't care what the directions say, next time the tortellini's going on those sticks nekked.

😋

A new find!  Unlike Adkins, I'm happy keto's getting the attention it deserves.

Two thumb's up!

😋

Before saying g'night, I want to show you what Tom fashioned along the fence for his squirrels' dining enjoyment.  (LOL)

Held in place with a long screw

I'd say they enjoyed it!

Hopefully, this will distract the greedy acrobats from stealing all the birds' seed.

Happy Friday ...

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Hugs, Myra

  

Time for Tuesday 4

 

 

As ever, thanks to Annie for continuing to facilitate this exercise in Toni Taddeo's memory!   This week's theme is Engagements and Marriage.

If you are married, would you share how your husband proposed to you?  How long were you engaged before you got married?

Christmas Eve 2012 was a somber time.  At the assisted living facility down the road, my mother lay dying.  An uncle had arrived from Minnesota to say goodbye.

I don't recall any decorations or gift-giving.  Except!

Tom remembered something I'd once told him about a silly family tradition:  Throughout the year my mother would look for sales and buy me pantyhose -- usually L'eggs eggs -- to be put in a big box and wrapped all pretty-like.

That was the last thing I expected when he handed me a box, but it made me laugh out loud.  "This is so great!" I said.  Something to that effect. I set it aside.  

But, no.  He told me to take another look.  Closer.

There among the grey Silken Mist cubes, sat a little gray jewelers box!  

Did you receive an engagement ring?  Would you show us or describe it for us?

Yes (see above).

To be honest, I'm not especially fond of jewelry.

It's small, but perfect.

What kind of wedding did you have?  Was it big or small, formal, informal, religious or justice of the peace.  Inquiring minds want to know!

We were married in September of 2004 at the Unity Church chapel.  My son and family flew out, as did Tom's sis and BIL.

(l-r) Teke and Nanette (Tom's daughter and SIL), Tom, me (holding Tom's youngest grandson), Troy, Lois, Tommy.

Flower girls -- then and now

My boss and a few coworkers were also invited.  An obligatory thing, really.  Unfortunate, but when they learned we were hosting a dinner reception afterwards, all but one skipped the ceremony and came for free food and drinks.

Slip-sliding down to the dining room.

The next day, Tom's daughter had everyone over for a pool party and BBQ.

  

Was there a honeymoon?  Where did you go, how long did you stay?

Remember me saying, 'obligatory'?  That's on account my workplace gave us a week's stay in Cancun.  (I think it was Cancun.  One of those resort cities -- I truly don't remember.)

See, although I worked for the hospitality (hotel) side of things, the organization was first and foremost a timeshare.  In our case, no-one was out any money -- but it seemed a big deal at the time.

Rain visited almost every day -- as did the calls to come listen to a sales pitch.  Ugh.  In the end, we packed our bags and flew home early.  No photographs, no regrets.

Thanks for stopping by ... I appreciate it!

Hugs, Myra 

Sunday scramble

 

G'evening friends,

What a week it's been!  Tonight I'm --

Thankful

... for a good visit with my cardiologist.  I was a bit surprised when his nurse asked if I'd been vaxxed and then asked to see my card.  Anyway! He said I should only come back in the event I feel it's necessary. 

Thankful, too, for a sharp-eyed scheduler at Russell Medical.  Tom and I had plans to drive over to Alex City tomorrow morning to see a new pulmonologist.

It never crossed my mind why they were asking us for the names of the hospital and the doctor who performed Tom's biopsy back in 2013... just chalked it up to everybody wanting to know every little thing. 2021.

Then, all of a sudden, Friday morning she called.  "Um, I see here the VA referral says Pulmonology - but we're Oncology."

I hate having to wade through the Veteran's Community Care network, but lo and behold!  Friday at 4:55PM we were connected to live person!  She soon discovered the error and promised to call us tomorrow with a new authorization. 

I missed National Leftie Day, but --

I discovered a new favorite thing!

Since the time I learned to hold a pen, it's been a struggle not to smear my letters; to keep the side of my hand free of ink.

Then along came Zebra!

See where I circled above?  

"Leftie friendly"

Might be a great stocking stuffer for the southpaw in your life!

(Is anyone else starting to think of Christmas?)

I'm curious...

If anyone has a novel idea what to do with my unused contact lens?

It's illegal to resell them on eBay, but neither do I want to throw them away.

A wee jacuzzi spa for a wee doll's house?

Okay, bad idea.  But how about this?!

I don't plan to paint anymore, but thought this was genius.

Looking forward to --

Our ladies Bible group won't be starting a new study until next week.  So, tomorrow we're watching a movie and enjoying brunch.

I signed up to bring these antipasto skewers.

So while y'all are enjoying your first cup of coffee, please cross your fingers I don't mess it up!

Sweet dreams ... stay safe!

Hugs, Myra

 

TBT: Cars I've known

..... and sometimes liked.

Has anyone else noticed lately, how many vehicles on the road look alike? 

Aside from say, a Mercedes or a Mini Cooper, I have to search for an ancestral logo.

My love affair with the horseless carriage started at an early age.

1953

 Gloom, despair and agony on me!

In 1966 my parents went to Albuquerque and brought me this - complete with child safety locks.

My nerd-ness was cemented.

(Stock image)

All unforgettable for one reason or another.

 For instance, the 60-something Plymouth (right) -- whose back wheel fell off in the middle of traffic.

Mortified, party of one!

A year later Troy's father bought this early Toyota.  Looking back, I'm shocked he was able to secure a car loan.  Poor as a couple of field mice we were.

In 1977 I spotted this Fiat X-19 at Abilene's new car show .... and fell head-over-teakettle.  For days, that's all I talked about -- as if my new husband had a money tree hidden in the back yard.

Finally, while on a weekend trip to San Antonio Ron had had enough:  "Okay, I bought the car for you.  It was supposed to be a surprise.  Now, will you please shut up and let me go to sleep."

Even without air conditioning, I loved that little car.

.....Until in '82 I grew a little big for my britches and thought I needed this.

Serves me right.

This gas-guzzler totally defined the term "Lemon." 

Fast forward.

I don't love my Camry, but it's been good to me.

Could it be a faded rose from days gone by?

Want a laugh?

After Carvana offered my son almost $7,000 more than what he paid for his new truck, son suggested I see what mine's worth.

So, I went to the website and keyed in the VIN, answered a few questions, and waited.   A few minutes later, a firm offer:  Two hundred dollars.  Two HUNDRED dollars?   I nearly spit out my coffee.

Given there's still no money tree out back, I'm mighty glad my priorities have shifted.

Okay, there may have been a moment when I spotted a '67 'Vette in the body shop, but no.   Dependability's most important in our decision-making right now.

Vroom, vroom!

Hugs, Myra