Waiting for an email

I joined a dating service. My membership is almost up. I was matched with someone and have been emailing back and forth. My email was the last one sent and I'm waiting for a response. How long should you wait for an answer to an email in a situation like this? If you're trying to get to know someone I'd think that the emails would be more frequent. If they're not, I'd suspect lack of interest. Close me out if that's the situation!! Time's a wasting!

Solid Gold Oldies

When I can't find anything interesting to watch on tv, I listen to the music channels. My mood determines which type of music I'll listen to. Tonight I'm listening to the Solid Gold Oldies. These are songs from my youth and young adulthood. Listening to them brings back many happy and nostalgic memories. I think of Danny B and Nelson when a song is played that I danced to with them. Some of the faster songs remind me of the girls in the dorm, Heritage Hall. We often listened to music and danced all the new dances. We had mixers at our dorm and invited guys from other colleges to attend. I remember one dance when I was a sophmore. A very nice guy from Stevens asked me to dance. He told me that his name was Olie. He belonged to a fraternity that some of the girls on the 2nd floor had visited. When I asked about him days later they asked their boyfriends about him. Turns out that there was no one named Olie in their fraternity. Being young and inexperienced I couldn't understand why someone would give a false name. Nancy told me that he probably had a girlfriend and didn't want it getting back to her that he was at our mixer. Olie from Chi Psi or as Patty called him Olie Chipsy. The following September I met Nelson and dated him for 3 years. Danny B was a high school boyfriend. I think of a song that Mike Douglas sang called "The Men in My Little Girl's Life". There were a few after college. Some worth mentioning others not so. My little girl crush when I was 8 for my next door neighbor, and Mark T who would tell me that he had a secret to tell me and then he'd kiss me on the cheek. I know what has happened to some of the "Men in my life." Others lives remain a mystery. The memories I choose to remember are happy ones. There were only 2 losers in the bunch. I dated them later in my life when the pickins were slim. To all the boys I've loved before, I hope you're all having a good life. I am happy and hope that you all are also.

The Beauty of Spring

The flowering trees are in bloom in my neighborhood. One is prettier than the next. The grass has gotten very green with all the rain we had this past week. The temperature today was in the 60's. Tomorrow promises to be in the 70's. It's such a beautiful time of year! Today I took my fur coat to be stored during the warm months. I ran around all morning doing errands. I ended up at a Piano store to see if my favorite piano had been sold yet. Yes, it had. The salesman told me that he can get another piano of the same style I liked. It is French Provencial style in a brown cherry wood. I'm saving up for it!!! My piano which is 40 years old needs to be repaired. Instead of spending the money that way I've decided that I'll save up to purchase a new one. There are other things which I need to do first, like replace my rug in the LR/DR/Hall area. When I got home from the Piano store I did my usual Saturday cleaning and also did some laundry. I can't believe how quickly the day flew by. Tomorrow I go down to Mom's to see what I can do for her. Maybe we'll go sit by the ocean. It's beautiful during every season.

The Beauty of Spring

The flowering trees are in bloom in my neighborhood. One is prettier than the next. The grass has gotten very green with all the rain we had this past week. The temperature today was in the 60's. Tomorrow promises to be in the 70's. It's such a beautiful time of year! Today I took my fur coat to be stored during the warm months. I ran around all morning doing errands. I ended up at a Piano store to see if my favorite piano had been sold yet. Yes, it had. The salesman told me that he can get another piano of the same style I liked. It is French Provencial style in a brown cherry wood. I'm saving up for it!!! My piano which is 40 years old needs to be repaired. Instead of spending the money that way I've decided that I'll save up to purchase a new one. There are other things which I need to do first, like replace my rug in the LR/DR/Hall area. When I got home from the Piano store I did my usual Saturday cleaning and also did some laundry. I can't believe how quickly the day flew by. Tomorrow I go down to Mom's to see what I can do for her. Maybe we'll go sit by the ocean. It's beautiful during every season.

Where Did The Blogs Go?

Have been trying to pull up my blogs tonight. I haven't been able to do so. Where did the blogs go? Is it my server's fault? Is it my fault? Blogs, blogs, come out wherever you are!!
I haven't written in awhile because I didn't have anything to say. Sort of like this blog. One can ramble on about nothing but that's not easy to read. Wish I hadn't missed the Democratic debates from So. Carolina last night. I'd have something to say if I'd seen and heard them. But then I'll have a chance this weekend to catch the replay. I've heard good things about the democratic candidates performance last night. Maybe one of them will be worthy to be President of the USA. Next week it's the Republican candidates turn to debate. Don't want to miss that. It should be interesting. In the meantime I'll just continue to ramble on about nothing in particular and everything in general.

The Art of Applique

Took a class in Applique. It was quite a challenge. The pieces of material which had to be applied to the background material were very tiny. I was all thumbs. The teacher does an excellent job of doing applique herself but she's not a TEACHER. Nothing personal, but some people just aren't!!! Patience and 1 on 1 instruction are a "must" if you dare to teach. She only had 4 people in class and was easily frustrated by our lack of knowledge. She was a nice person, but not a TEACHER. She invited me to attend her applique class which meets once a month. Everyone works on what they want and she gives help as needed when asked. It's $6 for a 2 hour session. I may take her up on that offer if I have trouble finishing my wall hanging. Applique is a beautiful art. It requires patience. I have patience. I need nimble fingers.

A Great Class

Yesterday, I took a Maching Quilting class at the quilt shop which I frequent. It was the best class I ever had about quilting and sewing. The teacher, Elizabeth, was very helpful. Besides being knowledgeable about the subject matter, she also taught me many features about my sewing machine which I wasn't familiar with. I left after 2 hours feeling inspired and exhilarated about quilting. In a few weeks I'm going back to the shop to have a class where Elizabeth shares some of her quilts and her quilting secrets. She is an excellent quilter. I have a newspaper article about her and her prize winning quilt from about a year ago. On May 5th I have the good fortune to have another class with her where I'm going to learn how to make quilt blocks with curves. The quilt is called Sedona Suns. I chose colors that my sister would like because I'm giving the quilt to her when it's done. I never did make her a quilt. I chose purples, turquoise, pinks, yellows, burgandy, and greens. There are so many quilts to make and so little time.

A Productive Day

The news was very depressing today so I decided to turn off the TV and do something more constructive. One thing I did was to watch a DVD which teaches you how to quilt using the paper piecing method. The video lasted about an hour and refreshed my memory about this technique. Now I'm able to finish the Mariner's Compass quilt I started.. I also watched a DVD which teaches you to play the quitar. That was an interesting hour. Right now, it is a bit awkward to do, but I have hope that playing the guitar will get easier with time. I think that I will like the new instrument I've decided to learn. The teacher mentioned that you have to build up caluses on your fingers and then you will no longer have any pain when playing for long periods of time. When I was a young woman, the thought of caluses on my fingers was unappealing. Now that the rest of my body is aging, caluses on the fingers is the least of my physical worries. I wonder how long it will take to feel comfortable playing this new instrument? Maybe I'll try a banjo after the guitar.

The Nor'Easter

What a rain storm we had yesterday into this morning!! There was a statewide emergency called to keep people off the roads. MJ was cancelled today because my friends couldn't navigate around the over flowing streams and flooded roads. We lost power for about an hour and a half. I had started a crockpot meal on low but when the power came on at 11am I turned it up to high so it'd be ready for dinner time. My sister is staying for a couple of days. She is having work done at her place. It's nice to have company for a change when there is an emergency. What I'd like to know is where is spring weather? I hope we get spring before it turns hot and humid. I'm not ready for that yet. Think Spring!!

Beginning Pilates

Tonight I took my first Pilates class. It was a terrific experience. I will go again. It was a beginner's class so it wasn't too bad. I intend to do the pilates strength and length class on Wed. which is with the pilates ball. I need exercise. I need exercise that's fun and since I'm not in good shape it can't be strenuous or I won't stick with it. One thing good about the beginners class is that it was only for a half hour. Just enough for a first class. Tomorrow I have a chance to take a yoga class at 7am. Yes, I'll be up at that time, so I plan to go to the health club. I always make a good start at the exercise thing. Seeing results, having my body thin out will keep me going to the exercise classes. I wish it weren't so hard in the beginning. Fruits and vegetables, yogurt and no sweets, pasta once in awhile is my plan. Think thin!!

Hurtful Words

The Rutgers women's basketball team was on the news last night. I was impressed by their serious demeanor and their maturity. Listening to comments they made at the microphone brought tears to my eyes. What a fine group of women they seem to be. The racist remark by Don Imus was uncalled for and the sexist comment, calling them ho's ,was a disgrace. I'm not the target of racist comments, but have noticed sexist comments over the years in my adult life. They were always offensive to me. People should watch what they say and not always just say what comes to mind for the humor they perceive to be in it. Words are can be hurtful and the hurt lasts a long time. Let's be a little more sensitive about what we say to each other and about what we say about people we don't know. While we're at it, let's have a little more decorum in our every day behavior. Bring back manners not just for people we know, but for our interactions with complete strangers. I always appreciate a door held for me, for example. Let's be more considerate of others.

My Sister-in-Law

She's a "doll". My sister-in-law was a big help to me this past weekend. I wish that we lived closer to each other so that we could get together more often. S. helped me hang the curtains and drapes on my bedroom windows on Saturday. She helped me cook dinner on Saturday and helped prepare the food for our Easter dinner. She also helped cleanup. Since I hurt my back I can't stand for long periods of time. I never would have gotten everything done on time without her help. God Bless her.

The Shiny New Guitar

Last fall, I purchased a guitar with the intention of teaching myself to play. I've kept that a secret from my family. I put the guitar out in the "library" for Easter when my guests visited. Each of my siblings had the same reaction. "Who's guitar is that?" I kept silent but felt like saying, "Who's guitar do you think it is?" or "Vince Gill left it the last time he stopped by." My brother, who plays the guitar, picked it up and started to strum. "You'll have a lot of fun with this", he said. I'm not ready to play for an audience yet, but who knows, maybe my brother and I can play a duet some day. All I have left to do is to learn how to play and no, I won't sing as I play.

Easter With The Family

This year our family will be all together for Easter for the first time in many years. I'm looking forward to our gathering. My brother and his wife, my sister and her husband, my youngest brother, our Mother and I will gather around 1pm and have dinner shortly thereafter. A friend suggested that I take many pictures because we may not be able to get the whole group together again. I wish that my nephews and their families could be here. They live 7 hours away so that is not possible. I've always wished that my brother and his children lived in NJ because we only get to see them a couple of times a year since they live such a distance from here. I feel a bit of sadness inspite of the anticipate joy I know I will experience when Easter comes and we're all together. As the years go by our extended family dwindles. I miss all who have gone on to the "greater reward". Having my nephews and great nephews and great niece so far away doesn't fill the void left by the family members who have passed on. There continues to be a bit of emptiness there for family. I'm not lonely, however. I have many activities and people to do things with, I just miss the sense of "family" which was so strong just a few years ago. Bless all the relatives who have gone on to better things. I pray for all of you and hope that you're all looking down on me with your blessings. I love you and miss you all.

The Passion

There is a concert on EWTN right now. They're performing Bach's Passion according to Matthew. It's being performed in the original German and is quite beautiful. Earlier there was a discussion of songs written for the church. Some of the ones mentioned I recognized from my 5 years singing in the Sacred Heart School choir. I have many favorite hymns from those days. Some of them I never hear performed in church any more. One in particular which I always loved as a child was "Oh Lord I Am Not Worthy". We sang it often. I remember singing it for the service when my younger brother Danny received his First Holy Communion. I miss some of the old services and old music. The first Friday of every month every class in Sacred Heart attended mass and benediction at the end of the day. As a member of the choir I sang at mass on Holy Saturday. I loved the Gregorian Chants and would love to hear all that again. I don't want to go back to the mass in Latin, but the music we sang then was often beautiful and left you with a very spiritual feeling. There are a few hymns we sing now which I've come to love, but many of them I do not know. The words and the music which "move" me or should I say touch my heart are the ones I love.

Sprucing Up The Place

Today was a great day. My new blinds are hung on the bedroom windows and the new hardware for the new drapes has been hung as well. I spent all day doing "spring " cleaning in the master bedroom. I moved furniture, vacuumed, dusted and then rearranged the furniture. I plan on hanging the new window treatments tomorrow after my holiday food shopping is done. Hopefully, I'll have a house guest who will assist me in hanging the new drapes. That'll make it easy. Then I'll change the bed linens so my house guest has a fresh place to lie her head when it's time to go to bed. Cleaning and moving furniture is not as easy now. I work for awhile and then I rest for awhile and work again. Aging causes one to "slow down". As long as I can still get things done, I won't complain about the increased time it takes to do things. I even washed the windows today so they'd be ready for the new blinds and drapes. What a good feeling it is now that the room is done. One's bedroom is suppose to be an Oasis, a retreat from the "cruel" world. It's welcoming and is calling me to retire early this evening. So, I'll say, Good Night and Pleasant dreams.

They Got Him

The elusive robber has been caught. He was in someone's backyard this morning, and she managed to call the police who came and apprehended him. Thank you, Dear Jesus. No one else was hurt and he is now in jail. There were many people praying for his capture, I'm sure. God does answer our prayers.

On The Loose

There is a bank robber on the loose in our area. It's very frightening. We have been warned to take extra care and to be aware of any unusual activity in our neighborhoods. The robber is armed with a semi-automatic weapon. Last night I heard helicopters flying overhead. My cat didn't like the noise as he meowed his complaints to me. The law enforcement officers are looking for this individual and I pray that they find him today. It has been suggested that he may be hiding in a local golf course area. Actually, the club my father use to belong to and where I have friends in the area. I know that there have been bank robbers in society for as long as there have been banks, but in today's world I can't help but wonder where things have gone wrong. There seems to be so much more crime today than there was when I was a kid. When we were young in the 50's we'd even leave our homes with the door unlocked secure in the notion that no one would enter while we were gone. Some homes had skeleton keys for doors which would open with anyone else's skeleton key. Still we were safe. Is it the absence of religious education in today's world? Are we teaching our kids the difference between "right and wrong". So called "good " families even have kids who get in trouble today. We have to set a better foundation for our young people so that they don't grow up to commit crimes.

A Day With Old Friends

Today was a "girls" day out. What did we do? We went shopping, and we went for tea. Three of us who have known each other for about 40 years or more had a good day and a nice visit. Tomorrow is another day with the "girls". I look forward to having lunch with two friends I have also known for about 40 years. Where would we be without our "girlfriends"? They mean more to me now than girlfriends did when I was very young. Old friends are more valuable than gold. My friends have been there for me when I needed them most. I will always appreciate the care and help they have given me. If they are ever in need I will be there for them also and hope that they will feel that they can call on me for help. I think of the song "Side by Side". " We don't have a barrel of money, maybe we're ragged and funny, but we're traveling on, singing a song, side by side...."

April Fool's Day

This is the first April Fool's Day which went by unnoticed by everyone I spoke to today. What a pleasant , quiet Sunday. No school today! If there had been, there would have been lots of April Fool's jokes and children's pranks. I remember how I enjoyed going to school as a child on this day. It was fun to see which of my classmates could put one over on our teacher. The one which stands out most in my mind is the one pulled on our Third Grade teacher by a girl who lived across the street from me. We were quietly doing our "seat work" and Miss A. was writing on the blackboard. K. raised her hand as the teacher turned around. When she was recognized she simply told the teacher that she had a run in her stocking. When the teacher looked down, K. said "April Fool" much to the delight of the entire class. The nuns I had in later years weren't as easy to fool. They came to school prepared for the day's pranks. When I was a teacher I was very aware of this day also. It was a day for the kids to have fun, but I always liked to be one step ahead of them.

Easter

Today is April 1st, April Fool's Day. It was a rainy, very cool day and also, more importantly, Palm Sunday. Although the weather isn't cooperating, I know that we will soon have spring weather. When I left church today, I purchased a St. Joseph's Lily. My brother and I presented it to out mother as an early Easter gift. I've been smelling the beautiful fragrance of the 5 lilies on this one plant all day. It reminds me of many past Easter seasons. The church will be filled with them next weekend for Easter Sunday. Easter is the holiest time of the year for us. The St. Joseph's Lily, also called the Easter Lily, has been a traditional flower for one of my siblings and I to give to Mom or Grandma to celebrate Easter. It's fragrance brings back many memories of Easter's gone by. All my memories of Easter are pleasant. There was a new Easter outfit and bonnet every year until hats were no longer fashionable and required attire for attending church. As children we looked forward to finding the Easter candy in our baskets that Sunday morning. We have our traditional Easter meal which has always been a smoked ham with potato salad, cole slaw , shrimp salad and baked beans. A lamb cake mold would present us with our traditional dessert. I will by cooking our Easter dinner this year and am happy to say that all of my siblings will be coming for dinner along with Mom. I'll attend church services on Saturday night and hope to go on Holy Thursday and Good Friday as well. I hope that all my friends and family and anyone else who may read this, have a Happy Easter.