Wind Down In The Evening

Wind down time, not rev up time. That's why evenings were made.

No heavy discussions in the evening. No mail to read either. If I haven't gotten the mail earlier in the day then the mail can wait till the next day. I won't read mail in the evening.

Insomnia was a frequent robber of sleep most of my life. Various reasons for the variety of life situations. Noise is a contributing factor as well as unhappiness and depression. I started sleeping better when I was with hubby, at least able to sleep several hours at one time. These days I sleep through the night most of the time with a couple quick trips in a half awake state to the bathroom.

Mornings are my favorite part of the day. And things go downhill from there. Afternoon is okay and then evening is for getting ready mentally for night. Night is only for going to bed and getting sleep so I can welcome another morning.

Thank goodness not everyone wants to be be up at the same time and thank goodness everyone doesn't want to live in the same place. Think how crowded that would be.

Library In A Small Town

Our first trip to the library in our new little town was a great exerience. Checking out books and devouring them in two weeks time has been our pattern. I admit to having expectations of the small town library as being less than adequate to meet my reading needs.

We arrived at the library at nine in the morning only to read the sign on the door that it opens at one. Oh.

The library is currently housed in a two story brick building. It is the smallest library I have ever visited but it is so full of books they are practically spilling out the windows. It was more like visiting a thrift store that specializes in used books than a library.

Not only did I find ten books I checked out, there were many authors on my to-read list so I know I have lots more books to check out there.

We spent lots of time searching through the double layers of books lined up all around the room and enjoyed every minute. I mentioned to hubby as we were looking that I thought they wouldn't have any Walter Mosley books out here in this little town but he found one for me while he was across the room rummaging through the books there. Yay. And I found Marcia Muller and Greg Isles and plenty to interest me.

As I was checking out, the librarian told me about the downstairs area. I will check that out next time. She said they have different things to check out that can be found downstairs. They have 35 cake pans of different shapes with the directions on how to make the specialty cakes. I think I will find a cake pan to make a Christmas cake.

I was not disappointed in what I found at the library in our new little town and I was pleasantly surprised. There was a dedication at the site of a new library last week and construction begins now. They raised one and a half million dollars to build a new library, so that too gives me hope that one of the most important components of my life is important to others in this town. Another proof that we have come home.

Give Thanks

FOR:

Another day waking up, still breathing

Knowing right from wrong and trying to do right

Family traditions like Thanksgiving Day

Seeking truth

Attitude adjustments

Limber joints

An open mind

Music

French roast coffee beans

Bloggers with talent, humor, big hearts


For many families Thanksgiving Day is about long hours of cooking, a few minutes of eating, lots of talking, watching football, and eating leftovers.

For James and me Thanksgiving is another day of our forever honeymoon. Enjoying being together and thankful for every day we have been blessed since we found each other.

Whatever your Thanksgiving is like, we send love and hugs out in the blogosphere. May it reach you and help enrich your Thanksgiving Day.

Letting It All Hang Out

She was in the eighth grade in a Catholic school. The graduation party was at a private residence with a pool. The graduates had opted for a pool party instead of an evening dance party. This was a great concession for the principal to agree to a swim party. That meant (nervous drumroll) gasp! Bathing suits.

Only one piece bathing suits were allowed for the girls. None of those two piece things that showed a girl's belly. Outrageous, revealing skin.

This was the only year at this school. She had moved from another town and had attended a different Catholic school for seven years. So she had not grown up with the students in the eighth grade class.

This was a coed school, so there were boys in the class. The home with the pool was the home of one of the students. She had never seen such a large and expensive house from the inside before. The students were ushered to the back yard with no stops along the way, but her eyes were saucers as she saw the plush sofas and beautiful artwork on the walls and shiny wood floors. There was no envy, just amazement and wonder at how some people lived.

She followed the example of some of the other girls, swim a little bit, get out, lay on towels and work on the tan. The rest of the girls untied their straps from around their necks to keep from getting the annoying tan line, so she untied hers too. She was not used to swimming in pools or in "working on the tan". She and her brother and friends swam in the irrigation ditches and at the river bottom.

As she laid on her stomach, enjoying the camaraderie, the girls jumped up for another dip in the pool. Following their lead, she braced her arms and stood up. Oops. Her hand had been on the string that tied the top of her bathing suit. When she pushed up, the top of the bathing suit came down. So there she was for a few seconds with her top down, in front of the whole class.

It was interesting to see the faces changing from shock to kindness. Both boys and girls let the incident go. If they talked amongst themselves about it, she didn't hear it and they pretended it did not happen. That was what impressed her the most about the incident. Kindness was a new experience.

Some Things I Avoid

Aspartame (see previous post here)

Statins (see this article)

Sugar substitutes

White bread

Books with extremely small print

Dishonest people

Deep fried food (Exception: French Fries) Ha

Caffeine after two o'clock in the afternoon

Unkind people

Television

Crowds

Wasting food

Shopping

Debt

A Great Fit

When my three children were young my time for myself was often when I had a bath. Having an evening bath has always been relaxing for me.

Last night I had Calgon time. Pouring extra Calgon into the bathtub, I told hubby I would be awhile. No rubber duckies for me; the toy stuffed dog is our only "pet".

Stepping into the tub in the new place was welcoming. The temperature was just right. Very warm. I scooted around in the tub and then I realized something. This is a righteous bathtub for a little rental cottage. The back of the tub is made for someone like me. It slants upward with a slight curve for the back. No need to roll a towel for under my head or use a bath pillow. This tub is made for laying back and relaxing. Can you see the indentation for my head? But the best part is it comes equipped with arm rests. Have you ever had arm rests molded into the bath tub? This is amazing. I was so comfortable I was snoozing when I heard from somewhere far away my sweet hubby asking if I had fallen asleep in there.

"Wazzat?" was all I could say.

He laughed.

Finally I knew I was home in our new little hippie house. The bath tub was made for me. It is a perfect fit. I think I will email the owner and tell him thank you from his newest tenant.

Appliance Obits

The week we were moving the washing machine died. We were able to get a really nice newer used washer delivered and the old washer hauled away the day before we moved.

We have used the new washer with much satisfaction which has pointed out how costly the old dryer is now. It is a 3/4 size dryer and doesn't dry thoroughly with one cycle. We have to run the dryer two times to get clothes dry. Hmmm. So this week we will look for a better dryer.

The picture of the 1955 refrigerator was found on Google. The refrigerator supplied to us in the new little hippie house was cute to look at, made me want to get out the old jello recipes, but not very efficient at all. One door and a teensy little freezer compartment inside that was so full of ice we had half of the space to use because the ice took up the other half. And the tray beneath the little teensy freezer was so packed solid with ice that the ice cube trays the previous tenant had there would not budge. So I used a wooden spoon to try to get the ice cube trays out and threw them in the trash. The refrigerator must be as old as I am. Never in my adult life have I had a frig with only one door; the freezer was either on top or bottom but always had its own door. A whole frozen pizza wouldn't even fit into this little teensy freezer compartment.

While I was working away with the long wooden spoon, hubby decided I must have been enjoying my noise making way too much as he appeared by my side with a small hammer. He lightly tapped some of the solid ice inside the teensy freezer and wow, it did break up the ice so much faster. So then I used hammer and he got a screwdriver and then we were both having a great time chunking and clinking and making trips to the sink with huge chunks of ice. But all of a sudden there was huge hisssssss and stuff was blowing out of the bottom of the little teensy freezer. OMG we ruined the freezer.
The little cute only one door refrigerator was hissing all the freon out and we looked at each other and decided we had to get a different frig as soon as possible. We each got on our computers and looked around online. Being a Sunday the used appliance places were not open. Of course nothing was open in our new little town and we were not sure the appliance store listed in this little town was even still active. So we hopped in the car and drove to the next town which in comparison is big city. We found a Sears store open and bought a new refrigerator, an energy efficient one. Lucky for us they were willing to work us into their delivery schedule and will bring the new frig and set it up tonight. A brand new refrigerator with a top freezer with its own door. I am blessed I tell you, blessed. Next time the large pizzas with thin crust are on sale I will get several. Now I have plenty of room. Amen.

Taking Matters Into My Own Hands

I can see the benefit to me to make up my own words and also to correct the spelling in the dictionary we all use. Who says the dictionary people get to decide spelling and then force their opinions on the rest of us?

Some people in the news lately have been showing their mentality quotient by doing just this. Like the people out in Arizona who are fighting the city council for deciding to have only one trash pickup company allowed in their gorgeous and expensive neighborhood. It was getting pretty hairy for five different disposal trucks to maneuver around on trash day, not to mention the destruction of the roads. But, noooooo, some people want their say. They resent having their "choice" taken away. So we will be hearing about the so-called injustice of that trash for awhile.

For me, I will continue making up my own words even if no one else wants to learn my new language. Heck, I can talk to myself, I already do that occasionally anyway. Even more fun if I talk and answer and no one could understand.

Regarding the spelling being forced on us in the dictionary. A good example is the word asinine. That is spelled so wrong. It is just wrong. It should be assinine. Don't you agree?

It's is okay if you agree with the bird in the graphic found on Google.

Tired Pussy

This is how I feel after the move. Now I have a cold too. Not whining. Much.

Good thing hubby and I both were in good physical shape for the work of the move.

I have to be truthful. I was crabby and hurt all over and didn't do as well and I wanted to do during the move. It wasn't moving hell though. On a scale of one to ten, ten being a horrible move, this was probably a four most of the time except for the few times I cranked it up to nine. Poor hubby. He could hardly stand up with the sore legs, arms, back, neck. He kept moving one step in front of another just to get it done. I on the other hand, wanted to stand in the street, throw myself onto the top of the moving van, and demand we call 911 for help in unloading the stupid truck. Did I mention we are OLD?

So I stood in the back of the truck and threw some things out of the truck onto the lawn and front porch of the new house. JUST GOTTA GET THE STUFF OUT OF THE TRUCK. We really thought that since we had eliminated about half of our household possessions we would be able to do this move by ourselves. Yeah, we are old but we are strong, we can do this we told each other. Ha. The good thing is how we hung in there together. Nothing was so bad that we forgot the important core of the relationship.

As I read comments on the last posts on the move, I realized I didn't speak about the crabby me and the extreme tired state I got to. The original plan was to get the truck and load most of it the first day and get rest and then finish putting last couple items into the truck in the morning and final clean and head out. The plan changed just before we picked up the truck. So everything was packed into the truck and final cleaning done and then we each drove a vehicle to the new place. I had packed so much into the car I could barely shift into reverse or into fifth gear. The first part of drive was through town, so that meant slowing, stopping at lights, and for me that meant shifting over and over which I usually like. But I was getting leg cramps and my leg was shaking and I was rubbing it until we got out on the highway. Then we got to the new house and started unloading the truck. You see, I was done by that point. I didn't want to do any more. But I also didn't want hubby to do it by himself. So we unloaded enough to get things set up so we could be comfortable and finished unloading early the next morning. Whew. Okay, enough talk about the move. Done.

Now I am not moving again. No way. Not ever.

How Well Do You Get Along

You know you are truly blessed when the two of you get through a move to a new house and the experience is a good one.

In the past, major changes were not so smooth for me. And then I married James. Life changed drastically. To have someone who works with me as a partner and how much we accomplish astounds me.

The day we drove to the new place to meet the owner for the second time I packed the car with small things to leave there. I filled every available space in the trunk and also the back seat. Boxes across the back seat and smaller items on the floor and finally all my jackets and coats across the top of the boxes.

After concluding our business with the landlord, hubby and I opened the trunk and back doors of the car and began carrying loads, some into the garage and some into the house.

In a few minutes we were done. Finished. I was amazed at how much got done so quickly. I realized that it was because I am married to a man who works well with me. He has the capacity to put forth effort to get a job done. While I hung our tennis racquets in the garage, hubby refilled a box and had the trunk emptied. He works quickly and efficiently.

Like I said, how well we get along during a major change to a new house says so much.

Graphic found on Google.

Adjusting To A New House

Hubby and I made it through the move. We didn't break anything and we weren't injured and we didn't fight (much). Wow. What an awesome move. Well, the friggin' washing machine died the week before the move but we replaced it.

We moved from a mid size town of about 50,000 people to a town of 1200 people. Well, I guess the population zoomed to 1202 now.

It will be fun to write some updates in this little hippie blog as we find our away around the 14 blocks in the new town and learn where things are. There is a bowling alley there with eight lanes. We ate lunch at the bowling alley, their daily special which was bacon/mushroom/swiss cheese hamburger on dark rye bread with tater tots and a homemade spice cupcake. It was too much food to eat. And it was excellent.

The reason we ate at the bowling alley was we watched the owner put out a sign at the sidewalk about the special as we pulled in to park at the post office across the street. Most people pick up their mail at the post office but we wanted to have it delivered so we bought a mail box and put it up on the opposite corner from where we live. That is where we were instructed to put a mail box. And the lady at the post office already had some mail for us that she was saving till we moved in.

Check your Readers, folks, I know you won't want to miss the exciting updates.