Making Resolutions Sorta.

 Here comes the New Year.  The last time that happened I managed to accomplish the one , no  two goals I had.  However, setbacks occurred and indeed set me back three times.  I picked up again except this last time.  But a new opportunity is here.  I think I may go for it.  Again.  The popular phrase "life happens" is certainly true around here.  

I wanted one of my smoothies yesterday for lunch and found my milk had gone off.  It was a week and a half old.  While B. was here, we didn't have smoothies for lunch that is for certain.  We had "real food" so no milk was used at all.  Half a gallon goes to waste, but..it happens. 

So, off into the occasional flurry we are having here to get milk again and it will be used  I have to stock up on a little fruit too.  I never punish my smoothie of fruits with kale, spinach, turnip greens,  potato eyes (kidding) or all the other seems-to-be-necessary greens.  Ew.  I'd rather eat those at dinner, not in my smoothie.   

Found some clothes from when I was thirteen up in the attic. (crawl space really.)  I've been carrying them around for years.  One is a sheath dress, aqua in color, with a bolero to go over the sleeveless dress top. Mid knee. I dressed up to meet my soon-to-be husband.  With my hair and fair complexion, it was a  nice combination for me.  I was only just over a mid-teen when I bought that one. .  White high heels.  Still have it all.  Does not fit in the least!  There is a Mexican style (supposedly) skirt and top as well.  The waist on the full skirt would fit a wasp's waist!   It was meant for dancing really. Swirly and whirly. No way on this earth could I ever wear it again.  A few other dresses.  I think now the fairies could wear them.  I will have to make the decision to let them go.  

Did I tell you?  One thing I got from my youngest was a pair of aquamarine earrings.  Stones are rectangular, a perfect aquamarine color.  Probably a carat and a half each stone.  Binge-wearing them. Not my birthstone..that's sapphire.  But I have always wanted an aquamarine.  They are pale and elegant looking.  

My best best friend,  The one I call Daughter Dear and she in turn has always called me Mother Dear because I am 12 years older than she.    I firmly took her in hand when she became a colleague; and in my opinion, she desperately needed some guidance!!  (she did!!) She took it very well (it fell on deaf ears) and started calling me Mother Dear.  The first time was in response to my advice "Yes, Mother Dear!" She called me that to all her friends, mine too.  Before a very short time, EVERYONE was calling me that to this day.  I gained two more 'daughters' who wanted to be in that family we had formed.  But as their supervisor, neither they nor I allowed our family relationship to intrude at work.  They all three are still my daughters and there IS love between all of us. to today.  They call on me when needed for my thoughts.   

See what just came in?  

Coming Ever so Close

 Well, I have wrapped the last three gifts and that means I'm finished. My DIL said she and my grandson will be here tomorrow for half an hour or so and she'll take the bagged up gifts with her.  They have a large home.  I have a postage stamp here that I live in and my room is getting crowded. Katie's other favorite brother will be here Thursday afternoon.  

I used a lot of gift bags,  Usually I hate to spend money on that type of thing when wrapping paper is less expensive.  However, I dislike cutting paper, wrapping and all the rest so much that the money is worth it.  I don't dislike wrapping birthday gifts as much but if I can squeeze it into a bag, I will.  

I had cat help with the last thing that I had to actually wrap as it is too large for the bags I have.  I thought to use twine as a "ribbon" though nothing else had any real ribbon or tie-ups of any sort.  Pain in the neck.  She saw her chance to help and jumped up to the table and subdued the twine very well.  No trouble from it any longer.  It is afraid of her even glancing in its direction.  I got a requested lens cover for N's telescope.  The cover is as large as a dinner plate. as is the lens of course.   They charge a zillion dollars for those things.  His hobby is astral photography.  Of course, the telescope is motorized so he doesn't have to stay with it for hours as it moves with the earth.  After he spends the hours with settings and calculations and gets it moving, it can track and do what it was told to do. 

Oh! If you ever wondered how much help you get from protective covering for the cell phone you have, those coverings do their job.  I got a Zagg ($$$$$$$) and it's cracked across and up. Several lines of cracks radiate across the face of the iPhone's protective cover.  The iPhone fell out of my purse when I got out of my vehicle and hit face down of course on the asphalt.  I'm chicken to take the old face off so waiting till I can get one of the family to do it. 

I just had a spam sandwich,. Those things are good.   

Let's go do this.  I'm sleepy! 

Hoo RAY

 My eyes seem totally OK.  Can't beat that with a stick!  I have my face all decorated up (allowed to wear mascara now) and I've been out cruising the aisleways and fluttering my eyelashes at the fellers.  And smiling. 

Katie posted a couple pictures of herself in her new place to enjoy the earlier morning sunpuddles.  I couldn't find her for several weeks during that part of the day, and thought I'd accidentally shut a door on her and so I  spun about all over the house calling and looking untilllllll I finally saw her. 

I had a big lunch of chili.  Not much, I called it 'big' because I don't eat "heavy" foods in the day as a rule.  

I did have a pineapple smoothie too.  I'm fuller than a tick as I always am when I eat that much.  

Speaking of food, I am going to soak some pinto beans, and put in some salt pork with them as they cook. (Dad always called it "fat meat" and he's the one who taught me to cook.)   For the last 30 or so minutes the beans cook, I will add maybe 5 small potatoes to the pot to cook with the beans.  How totally delicious potatoes are cooked in pinto juice...and this is a Southern female speaking to you.) Some cornbread (no, not sweet) and some coleslaw on the side.  Nirvana. Oh, and diced white onion to add to the pintoes and potatoes on your plate.  Don't forget the coarsely ground black pepper over it all.  Have yerself a spoon of cold coleslaw over there on the side.  Some folks like to add it to their pintoes on the plate.  

Is anyone up for a meal?  You'll bust wide open eating if you do come over. 

Every 3,4 years or so I post a picture of me for an hour or so and take it back down.  You may recall that.  Here's someone taking a nap.  Much nicer. 

It All Comes Out on the Other Side

 Well, it all comes out on the other side, as the saying goes.  

After a month of travail with my eyes, the Dr. said I seem to be over it all now.  I remain with three tiny knots in my both eyelids.  One on the left upper lid and two on the right lower and upper lids.  They will resolve in time and are not noticeable to the casual observer.  They are brought about by the oil ducts that are in the eyelids stopping up. They became unable to drain and caused great trouble to me.  After my last visit with the eye Dr., he prescribed antibiotics for thirty days going forward because I had five bad infections going on.  He is trying to tamp this completely down.  I wore my sunglasses in the stores as I was embarrassed.  

After taking everything out of the silverware tray numerous times..all of it..washing it as well as the tray, washing each individual piece of cutlery...here is the complete truth..and bear in mind I have no reason to lie.  I was mindlessly standing at the silverware drawer again yesterday.  I just pulled the drawer open again, took out the spoons again, and fanned through them.  Erich's spoon was the second one down from the top.  I had washed all the cutlery while searching, washed the tray, washed the drawer, and I went through it probably 10 times, yet...there it was.  Second spoon down.  I was deeply grateful to have it again.  

It looks big here, but it only holds a little in the bowl and it may be 4 inches long in the handle.  It may be a demitasse spoon.  When I found out I was expecting, we looked everywhere and couldn't find a standard baby spoon so we bought this one.  Stainless steel.  Bought in Bremerhaven  Deutschland.  That is where Erich was born I will add.  He had to travel as an infant with us all over Europe.  We gave up and returned to the States. His passport shows him at 18 inches in height. His picture is adorable.  We got it stamped for him in various Countries. 

I got all my wrapping down yesterday.  WHEW! My cards are mailed. There will be electronic ones as well.  

Going to go bake a potato.  

You Know What They Say...

 They say, "if this is the worst that can happen to you, you have it made".

True.  But:

You go buy some nutmeg and while it is THE brand name of spices, the top will not open so as to remove their seal.  I will call the 800 # because I hate the drive going back...finding another container, standing in line again, and all that!  Then, when I got home, I was going to have a smoothie for lunch.  I got the new half-gallon of milk out and the lid would not budge.  The containers for water and milk are manufactured so thin as to be almost as squeezy as a plastic bag, for pity's sake.  So, here I am with a rubber thingy to give me a grip on the edges of the milk cap. using all my might to get THAT lid off.   But holding the milk container forced milk up and onto the counter and floor when the lid finally came off.  Had to clean that up.  Then, I opened a can of Dole pineapple chunks.  Son of a gun if the pull tab on the lid didn't come off the lid into my hand!  All you can do is find a bowl..turn the can upside down in it to let whatever juices "eeped" out, to go into the bowl....and try to use the can opener on the other end.  Finally got that done.  Then, started measuring milk and chocolate syrup.  The lid like to NEVER have come off the Hershey's syrup!  

What in the name of common sense is going on today?

Somehow I lost a baby spoon from Germany that I used to feed Erich.  When he was finished with it, I have always used it.  Wherever we moved to, that spoon came along.  I used it faithfully because it fit my hand and my mouth perfectly.  I ate ice cream etc with it.  I have had it all this time and as of yesterday, it disappeared.  I even went through the trash trying to  find it.  I have opened drawers, taken everything out and cleaned too -since I had done that.  No luck.  It does make me very sad.  I had just given thought to putting it up for always.  Now I have lost it and it is hard to bear. 

Bad 24 hours is what I am trying to say.  But as the title expresses...if that's the worst thing... etc. 

Gotta get into the tub  to clean it as it's far easier that way with my short arms and short self...and clean the tub.  I'll be in my skivvies- so you can't supervise.  

Sweetest thing.