Changes

We got some major rain most of today.  Then the sun came out, and now we're in a tornado warning area. Welcome to Tennessee. 

I went to the optometrist this morning and got several retests (visual fields, picture taking, bright lights, etc.)  Fortunately, everything seems to be okay - no detached retina.  I do have to go back in six weeks for another round.  I'm just glad he's so thorough.  And I know what to watch for and when to call his cell as an emergency.

 The Terrace has new owners as of 1 April.  I'm sure there will be changes made.  It's going to be interesting to see what happens and how folks react.

This and That on Wednesday

For me, today was swimming, coffee, and my mani/pedi.  Would you believe a gel polish from (of all things) "Little Kitty"?  Makes me cringe, but I love the  polish - almost completely clear, but with sparkles.  Going crazy! 

Tomorrow I have to go back to the optometrist.  I had my six-month checkup last week, and was told to call them right away if I had any flashes or floaters.  Well, I've had one floater since Monday, and decided I'd better call.  They want me to come in tomorrow - so it's back to the eye doctor I go.  Fingers crossed here. 

 The space station was visible in our area today.  That's always fun to watch. It was a very long fly-over this time. It would be visible for several more days here, but we're due to have bad weather tomorrow. 

I turned on USA to watch NCIS reruns, and watched a relatively new episode I'd not seen before.  I didn't know there were any of those left.

Miscellany

• I met with the lawyer this morning.  We filled out some forms to get started on finishing up the estate legalities.  There's still another month or so to go.
• When I left there, I drove out the site of the Sculpture Fields and Memorial Forest.  It's pretty bare looking now, but when the trees and plantings get to growing, it's going to be gorgeous.  I'm glad we're going to be an early part of it.
• Next, I met Carol at Red Ginger for lunch.  We hadn't gotten together for quite a while, so that was fun.
• Not much going on until after supper, when I discovered that Comcast was acting up again.  This time, the TV would work, but I couldn't change channels - so if I didn't want to watch what was on NBC, I was out of luck.  And the telephone was out.  I did have internet ... didn't make sense to me either.  So another hour on the phone with a Comcast tech, and no solution. So there's an appointment set up tomorrow after for a tech to come by to see if it can be fixed.  I hope we get it changed soon.
• And during that, the fire alarm went off.
• Another fun day in Chattanooga.

Usual Mondays

Pretty much the usual Monday.  I did have some medium-to-good cards and some new folks to play with.  We had six full tables (our usual is four).  I got two movies from the library - Foxcatcher (the one about the crazy DuPont heir) and And So It Goes (with Michael Douglas, Robert deNiro, Diane Keaton).

Lawyer meeting tomorrow morning, then lunch with Carol.

Sunday Stealing

Five Things I have A Passion For: family, knitting, word puzzles, travel, art 

Five Things I'd like to Learn Before I Die: Nothing specific at this point, just to be able to keep learning 

Five Things I say A Lot: It is what it is! Shit! Oh, well. Hugs.  Love you! 

Five Books and/or magazines I have Read Lately: Oh, I wish I could say that I had read five things lately.

Five Favorite Movies: In no particular order, Singing in the Rain, The King and I, My Fair Lady, The Wizard of Oz, can't think of another one right now 

Five Places I would like to Travel To: I've been fortunate enough to travel to so many places  - at this point, I'd just like to keep travelling. The only two that were still on the list that we didn't get to were Spain and Africa

Saturday haiku

What a lovely day

To sleep late, take a nap, and

Sit out in sunshine.

Five on Friday

1. Some of the folks from swimming came over after class to see the new apartment.  It was nice to have company and show off my place.
2. I called an insurance company that had been dragging its feet about paying the benefits.  They fold me it was "in the process" and I should get a check next week.  Sometime the wheel needs to squeak.
3. John's tree in the Memorial Forest was to be planted this week, and we were looking at going this weekend to finish it and put some of his ashes with the tree.  Due to yesterday's heavy rain, the arborist wasn't able to get the tree planted, so that will be postponed until next weekend.
4. Our CPA finished the taxes and came by to bring the papers to me. She's wonderful!
5. It was a beautiful spring day - redwoods and dogwoods are in bloom. Judy S. brought me a lovely yellow tulip.  I'll enjoy it until the blooms fade, then give it to my neighbor to plant in the yard.

Rainy day

The rain started after lunch.  It rained off and on the rest of the day - and finally wound up with some thunder and really hard rain in the last hour. It was nice and made my new hanging baskets happy.

I've been talking with the CPA (about the income tax) and the lawyer (about finalizing the estate).  After some phone calls yesterday, the taxes are almost ready for filing.  And after picking up some papers from the realtor and the financial counselor, I have an appointment with the lawyer next week.  It surely would be nice to finish all the paperwork and legalities.

Decisions

I was thinking about my life and realized what a good decision I made to move here.  John and I had talked about moving out of the house for a number of years, and I think he was finally coming around.  But when he died, things moved so quickly, and  I moved out of our house five weeks later.  I was lucky enough to find the perfect place, which made the decision easier.  But when you've heard forever to put off major decisions for at least a year following the death of a spouse, it was a tough decision to make.  Conversations lately have confirmed my decision.  I think if I hadn't moved when I did, it would have gotten increasingly difficult to make any move.  In the event, I took with me what I really wanted and what would fit into the new apartment, the daughters and grandchildren took what they wanted, and we gave away, donated, or threw away the rest.  It was down and dirty and fast.  And, so far, I haven't missed a thing.

I know my solution certainly wouldn't fit everybody (or maybe even anybody), but it certainly was right for me.

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Tonight's menu choices for the "Under the Sea Dinner":

Maryland Crab Cakes - Jumbo lump crab meat blended with mayonnaise, herbs, and spices, rolled in Panko bread crumbs, pan seared until golden brown, served with remoulade sauce.

Baked Schrod - Baby cod filet lightly battered in Ritz cracker crumbs and baked in our oven, served with dill caper sauce.

Grilled Salmon - Salmon filet, grilled, seasoned with lemon pepper and topped with pico de gallo

Flounder Imperial - Lightly cajun seasoned flounder, baked and topped with house made imperial sauce (sauteed crab meat & shrimp in a rich and creamy hollandaise)

Sides - Garlic & herbed wild rice, cabbage & brussels creamy slaw, sweet hush puppy corn fritter

My choice - the flounder - which was delicious! (another good decision)

Being bad was good

I was really bad this morning - skipped Silver Sneakers, and just sat here in my pjs reading the paper and doing computer stuff all morning.  This afternoon I substituted in a two-table bridge club at a local church.  The gal who invited me is the 92-year-old I play with here.  It's a nice group of women, and I was pleased that they asked me to be a sub, maybe on a regular basis.  I had pretty good cards, so a nice afternoon.

Supper this evening was steak night.  They do beef quite well here - I had Filet Oscar, a 2-3 oz filet, topped with crab meat, Hollandaise, and asparagus - cooked to perfection.  Yum!  All in all, a pretty good day.

Monday musing

Beautiful almost-full moon tonight.  I looked it up and the moon is to be full Wednesday night.  And, the site mentioned a partial lunar eclipse.  I wonder where it will be visible - our weather guys haven't mentioned anything about it.

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On yesterday's entry, Kate asked what I'd read lately.  I've been in a reading slump for several years now.  It has taken me weeks to read a series police procedural/mystery.  I've done a little better with nonfiction.  But lately, I've not been able to read at all.  Like NOT AT ALL.  I can get maybe a page or two every once in a while - maybe more if I'm waiting in a doctor's office.  Damn, but I wish this would work itself out. Any suggestions are welcome.

Love, Books, and Bridge

It's much cooler today here, but mostly sunny.  I got my laundry done.  And I got invited to play some more bridge.  One of the regular players has been in the hospital and rehab (broken ribs in a fall), and she's now back.  This is a fun group, and I'm glad to be included.  I'm the baby - the gal just out of rehab is 88, another is 92, and I'm not sure about the fourth.  They're all good players.  The 88-year-old told me some of her story - she was in an orphanage until she was 7, and got adopted.  She was told there were three important things in life - love, books, and bridge.  Sounds like a plan to me!  And I got asked to substitute in a group at one of the local churches - so I guess I'm getting into some bridge circles.  Made for a good Sunday afternoon.
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Note to Jan:  It's nice to know you're checking up on me.  I got your birthday card - a good one.  I seem to have lost your e-mail address.  I hope all is well with you and your family.  Hugs!

Slug Saturday

It was cooler and breezy today, but the sun was shining.  I slept until nearly 8 this morning (amazing for me). And have done nothing today except read the paper, knit, and watch episodes of Northern Exposure (on a DVD from the library).  After supper, I continued to finish Season One of Northern Exposure, and watched The Monuments Men.  That was pretty much my plan for the day, and I did it well!

Five things Friday

Beautiful sunshine.

Getting a much-needed car wash - outside and in.

Sitting on the deck, reading the paper, enjoying the morning.

Lady Mocs lose in the first round to Mississippi State.  Tough.

Watched three more episodes of Northern Exposure.

The beginning of my 9th decade!

Today was another lovely day as a St. Patrick's Day/birthday followup.

Renna took me to an exhibit at the Booth Museum of Western Art in Cartersville, GA.  The featured exhibit was one of photograph, those who came before him and influenced him, and those who came after him and who were influenced by him. It's a great exhibit .  Sorry, folks, but there are only three more days in the show.

After the museum, we went to lunch at a nice little eatery nearby.  Then to Renna's daughter's office (she's a chiropracter) for Renna to get an adjustment.  And then we headed for home.  As yesterday, the weather was lovely, and all the travel was uneventful.

Again, thanks to everybody for giving me such a great 80th birthday (or as my dear, departed sister would be quick to tell me "the beginning of my 9th decade").

It's the big 8-0 !!

Happy Birthday to ME!

Thanks for all the birthday wishes!  It's been a long, lovely day.  I left home about 6:30 to go to swimming, and got home about 9:30 tonight.  Margaret met me at coffee, then we went to a meeting with my financial gal. 

This was our first session laying out a look at my fixed expenses, expenses I'd likely want to incur, and where the income is coming from.  The best news is that I've got enough money to keep me going.  It's a nice feeling for an 80th birthday present. 

But there was more to come.  Margaret and I headed to Gibbs Gardens in NE Georgia (about 1.5 hours from here). This is a privately owned estate owned by a retired landscaper (who still lives on the property).  He designed and had the gardens planted.  At this time of year, there are acres and acres of daffodils.  It is a lovely place to visit, with the featured blooms changing throughout the season. 

We headed to Matt & Claire's when we left, and took them out to dinner.  They had gotten some fancy cupcakes for dessert to celebrate my birthday. And then we headed home. And there were cards, phone messages, flowers , and computer messages  waiting for me.  Thanks to everybody !  A long lovely birthday.

Treasures

Yesterday, I went to the library between coffee and bridge to read the paper and generally kill some time.  The shelves of DVDs were near where I was sitting, so I did some browsing.  And brought home a treasure.

This afternoon, I watched the pilot of Northern Exposure, the quirky TV show about the new Columbia med school doctor from Queens who moves to Cicely, Alaska, to pay off his med school debt.  The show ran from 1990-1995, and was one of our favorites. I laughed out loud several during the pilot, and I'm going to love the rest of Season 1.

Give yourselves a treat and watch it again (or for the first time).

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And while mentioning favorite shows, NCIS showed its 300th episode tonight.  Who'd believe, after all this time, that Gibbs and Crew could still make me cry.

Happy Birthday (again)

On 15 March, the youngest of our wonderful grandchildren was born.

Happy Birthday, Sarah!

Happy Birthday!

On this date, in 1983, the first of our wonderful grandchildren was born.

Happy Birthday, Alison!

My new favorite word

Thanks to Yorkshire Pudding and his wonderful blog, I have a new favorite word…

ACCEPTANCE

Sunday Stealing

Healthy Meme

Stolen from: Love me some surveys

When was the last time you got a nose bleed?

I don't think I've ever had one.

Do you keep magazines by your toilet?

No

If you were a waiter/waitress, would you make good tips?

Probably not.

Have you ever stolen a road sign or traffic barrier?

No

What are the best kind of Girl Scout cookies?

I haven't bought GS cookies in probably 40 years, when there were only about 4-6 kinds.Thin mints were my favorites.

When was the last time you purchased alcohol?

I can't remember the last time.

Do you find it attractive when a guy actually shows his feelings?

Of course

Are you a fussy eater?

Unfortunately, no - I'm pretty much an omnivore

List everything you ate and drank today:

Oatmeal, coffee, tomato juice, water, soup, egg salad sandwich, chips, supper

How are you sitting?

On my butt.  How else would I sit?

Waiting for something?

No

Do you like pretzels?

Yes

Do you wait until you’ve completely finished a certain makeup product before you buy a new one?

I don't use "makeup" specifically

Did you wake up before 8:00 a.m. this morning?

Yes - about 7:15

Have you ever told anyone you were okay when you really weren’t?

Of course

Do you have reason to cry right now?

Not really

How many sodas a week do you have?

None - I don't drink sodas

Do you shop at Victoria’s Secret?

Definitely not

Are you into sports?

HaHaHaHa  (although I do occasionally watch women's basketball)

Can you easily touch your toes?

Actually I can still touch my toes - just not as easily as I used to

What did the last shoes you wore look like?

Like sneakers - because they WERE sneakers

What do you currently hear?

Local news

Have you ever done yoga?

I did take a short class many years ago

Do you text a lot?

I text, but I don't know that I'd say "a lot".

Do you have a fax machine at home?

I think that's one of the features on my wireless printer, but I've never used it

Do you know anyone who has diabetes?

Yes

Have you ever had to block anyone online?

No

Are you afraid of thunder and lightning?

No, but a healthy respect for severe weather

Are you a shop-a-holic?

And here's another round of hysterical laughter

Are you healthy?

About medium - probably pretty good for an 80-year-old

Phooey

I just had a not-too-exciting blog post written on OneNote, and it sudden just disappeared.  Sorry - just not going to try to recreate it.  Maybe tomorrow.

Getting ready to "spring forward" tomorrow night - going onto daylight saving time.

Nice and quiet

We had a high of 78 today - not a record, but close.  The rain has come in tonight, but nothing severe around here. It's been really tough in parts of the country.  Nothing much going on around here.  I went to Silver Sneakers this morning, and played bridge after supper.  That was about it. 

Sunshine

Beautiful sunshine!

Breeze makes wind chimes sing their songs.

Beautiful sunshine!

Wonderful sunshine

The weather here has been so lovely. My neighbor has been out working in his garden, and I walked outside on the walkway (for the first time) to see what all he was doing.  Unbeknownst to me, Mrs. Neighbor took a short video, including me, and posted it on FB.  I hate looking at myself, but at least it's proof that I actually did go outside.  LOL.

For the first time in a long time, I picked up a paintbrush this afternoon.  A lady comes here to do a watercolor class once a month.  I went today.  She had a vase of daffodils on the table, and each person got a paper, some brushes, and a small palette of watercolor colors.  First time I've done anything with watercolor in maybe 7-10 years.  It was definitely nothing spectacular, but not too bad.  One of my dinner companions offered to buy it from me, so of course, I gave it to her.  At least I did put paint on paper.  Maybe I will do something again before too long.

Monday observations

We've had a gorgeous couple of days, with another one due tomorrow. Highs have been around 70, sunshine, light breeze - makes you think spring might really be out there.  I went to swimming and to coffee, then to get my annual mammogram.  Remember gals, to get that done! Cards at bridge today were so-so, but I was high last week.  Amazing.

I've found a good idea for a memorial for John.  They've just started an "Urban Memorial Forest" here.  People will be able to buy a new tree to be planted, with a memorial plaque placed.  And I asked, and people will be able to put ashes in the ground when the tree is planted.  I've already sent in my request and money for a tree.  The next planting is scheduled for early April.

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Re Pat Conroy's death last week:  He was such a great story teller.  On one of his interviews, he said something to the effect that he wanted to write great Southern novels, and he certainly did that.  There were always passages in his books that begged to be read aloud and shared.  The one I remember most was from, I think, "Lords of Discipline".  The mother of one of the Charleston boys says, "Yankees have no word for 'tacky', and they need one so badly." (Probably not an exact quote, but close.)

Sunday Stealing

Garage Sale Meme

Stolen from: Love me some surveys

Is your phone right next to you, or at least close by?

yes

What windows or tabs are open on your computer right now?

Solitaire, note pad, blog posting page

Is your phone a touch screen?

yes

Who is the last person to call you?

Carol

What was the last movie you watched?

I can't remember

What are you doing tomorrow?

Laundry, not much else

Are you in a good mood?

Yes

Do you think exes can remain friends?

Yes, anything's possible

Are you starting to realize anything?

Getting old ain't for sissies, but this is not a new realization

Do you follow rules or break them?

It depends, but generally, I follow them

Are you currently looking forward to anything?

Going to the beach, two weddings, more travel

Could you go a day without eating?

Sure, but it doesn't mean I would like it

How many bracelets do you have on your wrists right now?

None, I don't really like bracelets - don't even wear a wristwatch.

Do you scream stuff out the car window?

Not out the window, but definitely inside the car

Do you have reason to smile right now?

Only because you asked the question

What do you do when you need to relax?

Mostly, just relax - nothing special

What are you listening to right now?

Nothing particular, just the tinnitus in my ears, local news

What’s your greatest fear?

Being totally incapacitate and unaware and still alive

Do you have a best friend?

I'm lucky enough to have more than one

Are you afraid of death?

Not really, but I'm not ready to go quite yet

Do you open up to people easily?

I think so, but I'm not usually flagrant about it

Has anyone upset you in the last week?

Only the Republican presidential candidates

What’s your favorite drink?

Water and coffee

What are you craving?

Nothing

How did you sleep last night?

Quite well

Would you ever consider turning your house into a B&B?

Never!  That would require cleanliness and neatness

What was the first thing you ate today?

Oatmeal

Do you have anything more important you should be doing right now?

Well, I could be knitting

Have you ever eaten tofu, and if so, did you enjoy it?

Only in some Asian dishes.  It's okay, I guess

What was the last type of meat you ate?

Hamburger "steak" at lunch today.

What color is your toothpaste?

White

Have you taken any medication today?

Of course!

Have you ever inhaled helium?

I'm sure I did, a zillion years ago

Have you set an alarm today?

Nope - that happens only on swimming days

Do you keep up-to-date with current news and events?

Yes, I read a daily newspaper, look at the computer, and watch TV

Have you asked someone for advice today?

Not yet

What color is your shampoo?

Gold (baby shampoo)

Have you watched more than an hour of TV today?

Yes

Ever wake up early on Saturdays to go Garage Sale shopping?

Never!  I've never been to a garage sale anytime.

Four on Friday

Friday Four 

1. Good swim class.
2. The Lady Mocs beat Samford to advance to the finals of the SoCon Tournament.
3. Went to dinner at La Altena with Carol and Stephen.
4. The Lady Vols beat Texas A&M to advance to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament. 

A good day!

Windy Wednesday

Quiet day here, but chilly.  After swimming and coffee, I had an ENT appointment - just a followup to be sure the vertigo hadn't returned - which it hasn't.  Then home for the afternoon.  I'll probably be doing even less tomorrow.

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Did you see on the new that Astronaut Scott Kelly is back on earth after 340 days in space?  It's an incredible individual feat, and a great experiment in the lead-up to space travel.  The researchers will be comparing the changes in his body to those of his identical twin brother who remained here on earth. There was a great program on PBS tonight called "A Year in Space" based on Kelly's past year.  It's excellent - catch it, if you can.  Also, Kelly took wonderful photographs while he was on the space station.  I'm going to be looking for them online or perhaps in a real book.

Catching up

I'm recuperating from the weekend.  Yesterday was my all-day thing - with two extras.  In the morning, I modeled (with clothes on) for a small life-drawing group - earning $40 (!) for just sitting for two hours (with several breaks).  And my friend, Missy, was in town for the day, so we got together with Renna for an early supper.  It made for a long day, though.  I didn't even get to the news before I was headed for the bed.

 I mostly loafed around today.  I went to the rheumatologist, and all was pretty much okay.  I'll get a bone scan in six months.  After some current news about drugs, I've been working to wean myself off omeprazole, which I've been taking for years.  I told the doc this, and he said that, current news notwithstanding, it has also been shown that taking omeprazole or something similar can help prevent stomach problems when also taking anti-inflammatories. And I'm not planning to give up on the NSAIDs. So we decided the plan would be for me to take the omeprazole every other day.  Sounds like a good plan to me!

That plus a nap and meals and catching up on the newspapers, etc., was all I did today.