Good Genes

After fueling up with a bowl of oatmeal with walnuts, flax seed, raisins and apple, I took a bike ride to Hernando to round out my week while Michael ran eleven miles preparing for his next half marathon in Tallahassee.  Along the way I stopped at the Hernando Farmers' Market for some tomatoes and bananas.

How can you beat locally grown organic tomatoes grown in January? The bananas were nothing to shout about, though, so only picked up a few. There was a humongous bunch of kale I was eyeing, along with another shopper.  It was the last one, but too big for either of us since this was a first try for us both.  She was telling me about how to make kale chips, which sounded intriguing. With my bent for trying most anything healthy, we happily agreed to split the bunch and I took my half home to try.

You see, I was blessed with great genes, which I don't plan to throw away any time soon.  In fact I plan to do right by them for the duration of my life.  It only seems right since, I didn't do anything to acquire them.  Just the luck of the draw of good parents. I hate to say, but my brother had the same great genes, but he chose to throw his away.  I've always been sad for his choice, since he is missing out on so much.

So I will try my half bunch of kale, sans the garlic and salt I was told that makes the chips so delicious.  Well, maybe a trace of salt and a hint of garlic. But, don't tell Michael.  However, I'm sure he sweated out enough salt on his run this morning that it will do him good.  And the garlic, too.

You Gotta Laugh

This picture is here because it makes me laugh, but sure didn't at the time.  We had just left the Vatican where I found out I had lost all of my pictures in my camera from the first three weeks of our Italy trip a few years ago. I was sooo upset and poor Michael was trying to make me feel better by taking a bunch of pictures to make up for them.  There was no way he was going to convince me that that would help.  I had lost three weeks that were gone forever!  Yet, today I can laugh at myself when I see how dour I looked.

I spent the afternoon with six of my girlfriends.  We met a Nancy's place to watch a movie that her daughter gave her for Christmas.  They were all recovering from one thing or another, so it was the first time we had spent any time together in weeks.

Anyway, the movie was Bridesmaids.  Well, we got through about the first half hour of it and decided that it just had way too much potty humor going for us. I mean really now.  I thought a good writer gives a hint of that type of scenes.  Saying too much just ruins it.  We all agreed that they got pretty carried away in the area of gross.

So we watched It's Complicated instead. Much less complicated for our blood. That made it a long afternoon with floors unmopped and no idea for dinner. Quick recovery, though.  I should have expected that Michael would cover for me in the floors department.  And I have a fritatta on the stove as we speak. Now that Michael's movie is over, it is back to life as we know it.

Life Is Complicated

Life is not supposed to be this complicated.We finally figured out that it is my computer on Explorer that doesn't allow me to down load pictures to my blog.  So after going to Michael's computer and using FireFox, I was able to insert a picture. But while he was figuring that out, I down loaded from his computer, then went back to mine to finish. Hopefully, we have this worked out for the future.  The picture is my something whimsical for today: a picture from our trip to Italy at a pumpkin festival we went to. I found it on Michael's computer and it brought back some fond memories of our last trip.

Finally, after eight months I got back to my painting. First, I got my green tea and muffin heated and out to the lanai.  Then, I laid out my paints, brushes and flower painting books, courtesy of  daughter Kathy from presents gone by.

Then, while I drank my tea and ate my, by the way, wonderful oatmeal muffin, I began reading the first book again from the beginning. I had forgotten so much that it was a good place to start. So today was just mainly getting my brushes wet and dabbling in the paint. Nothing worth keeping, but oh how the feeling of trying to create something again came flooding back to me!

The only thing that turned out half way was my lemon. It actually looked like a lemon. I like to paint fruits and vegetables, it seems. And flowers, too.  I think I'll focus on those and see if, with diligent practice, I can begin to produce something good enough to display. Sure I have a couple of pictures on the wall now, but they are just to fill the frames and motivate me to get to work.

I can say one thing, when you are sitting out on your lanai on a warm winter day totally immersed in creating something, life just doesn't seem very complicated anymore.

Who Am I?

I tried again. Went to Picasa web, put my pictures into it and it still doesn't show those pictures there. Woe is me, but I plug along anyway.

So, I know that Rene Descartes solved the question of "do I exist?" "I am, therefore I am" or something like that. But he didn't solve the question of "who am I?"

When I look in the mirror, with all honesty towards myself, I see who I am from my perspective: a seventy, almost two, year old woman, who enjoys being busy and productive the best, loves having friends, but at the same time enjoys having my space without big obligations to hold to.

I am pretty fit, for my age and, when cleaned up, I shouldn't scare anyone who meets me for the first time. I love to learn new things and read about ideas I have never thought much about before. I consider myself to be pretty independent, not only in my thinking, but in my space. I like to make up my own mind about what I think and where I go, even though I have to admit that being married has clipped my wings as much as it has Michael's.

Now, if you were to ask Michael who I am he would say I am an enigma, probably, but that is just a female thing, typical of my gender. He never knows which way the wind is going to blow next.  My kids would probably say that, in addition to being a bit of a minimalist, I tend to be somewhat rigid about raising kids. I'm not above telling my grandkids to mind their manners and plan financial goals. But that sounds like the thinking of many grammas I've heard. My kids think I'm pretty adventurous, I think.  I hope I set a good model for them to follow.

My Italian friend would say that I need to spice up my life a bit, even if it is just to add some garlic to my cooking. She doesn't know that I am a closet garlic user, with a jar in the fridge, anyway. I think my other friends find me to be somewhat athletic and entertaining with a bent to being faithful to my religious beliefs and a hardcore recycler. I think a couple of my friends find me to be somewhat literary and respect my points of view in what we read.

Of course maybe what others see in me is only what I allow them to see or what I want them to think they see. And I expect that is probably true of most of us. Whether the perceptions are accurate or not we tend to help paint our own portrait.

See, I told you I tend to the waxing of the philosophical.  To each her own. I am who I am.

Squirrels cont.

When I passed the spot on the way to the trail where I had encountered a squirrel experience a few years ago, it brought back a memory that made me laugh once more. (Still can't get my pictures on here).

I probably recounted this story before, but it never hurts to share some humor at your own expense.  That is always the best humor, as far as I'm concerned. I have always enjoyed getting a smile out of others, even when I was a kid, and it was most often directed at myself. Some things never change.

Anyway, it was the time I saw the hawk flying over head with the squirrel in its talons. When it landed on the light post over my head and I saw the poor little squirrel squirming, trying to get lose, I had to do what I could to come to its rescue.  I can still just see myself banging on that post, yelling at the hawk to drop the squirrel.

Now there are several things that could have resulted from my lack of forethought.  One, I could have be hauled away in a paddy wagon to the loony bin, or two the SPCA could have hauled me in for cruelty to animals. First, the squirrel, if it had been dropped it wouldn't have survive the fall and second for depriving the poor hawk of his dinner.  Of course he would have had to find another squirrel so that would have meant two dead squirrels instead of one.

Sometimes, at my age, it takes a little longer to think things through to the consequences. Sounds like the problems teenagers have, too.  Anyway, all that I accomplished was to show my own foolishness to who ever happened to be driving by at the time. Well, at least if I laugh at myself first I'm ahead of anyone else.

Pictures

I'm bummed.  I've been trying for the past half hour to down load a picture, using the methods I have always found that worked.  Now it looks like Blog spot has changed things for some unapparent reason and I can't down load my pictures anymore.  If anyone can help me, I would appreciate it very much. Usually, I either click the picture icon and go to my picture file or click on the actual picture and copy and paste. Not working.

You see, I have made a New Year's resolution that I think is important. I vowed to always include some item of amusement or whimsy every time I post. I know that sometimes I get too philosophical in my writing, since that is where my mind seems to naturally gravitate.

But, I realize that with all the negativism from the news media, we need to have something to smile about every day. We need something to lighten us up as well as lighten our heart along the way.

So that means I'm going to have to be ever diligent about finding something that makes me smile every day to pass along.  That has to be a good thing for me, at least. And I don't intend to use social media to find something that tickles my funny bone either.  I want to find things from my own observations around me.  Sometimes that in itself can be a challenge, but a good one for me.

So, since I can't share the picture of the cute squirrel that was joining us at our table for lunch on our camping trip, then I will have to try to paint a visual picture for you. Well, they were pretty healthy, fat looking squirrels who had obviously not missed a meal. However, they weren't as big and fat as the raccoons that were lurking around, thinking we didn't see them and waiting for us to slip up and leave something unattended for them to steal. The squirrels were cute probably because they didn't have the reputation that the raccoons had acquired from the past.

Okay, maybe I'll try again tomorrow to include my pictures. I know, a picture is worth a thousand words. 

Out and In



Sometimes you find just the right thing to wear for that special occasion. How many women, and probably men too since we were in Key West at the time, have "worn" this same dress over the years?

The old year went out in grand style for our friends' set, anyway. Had a fun time at Georgia and Mike's eating and toasting the new year, then home by 10pm. We did wake up to wish each other a happy new year, anyway.

I am so blessed to have sure wonderful friends.  One for every season and reason.  Georgia has joined our group of local ladies, bringing her little more "edgy" side with her. I mean she has read 50 Shades of Gray even, which I know none of the rest of us has the nerve to read. She helps us loosen up a bit, I think.

It was great to see the amazing dancing that Janet and Nancy had going. Now these are my friends, one of which is having knee surgery next week and the other is in her 80's.  Along with Georgia, they were really in great form. That was never anything I ever felt confident about myself and gave up trying decades ago. Amazingly enough, though, Georgia even got Michael out there for a spin, of which I cut in of course.  Wasn't going to miss my one chance.

So, today was a day for taking down all the decorations and packing them away for another year. It always feels like time is moving along faster when you end the season and move on, never to return to that time again. Where will we be?  What will we be doing a year from now? What will happen through out the year unforeseen? We always hope that if it is unforeseen, it will be a welcomed surprise and not one that blindsides us.

The year will have to speak for itself.