Train Dominoes

We didn't have enough people for two simultaneous MJ games today so while four people played MJ, the other three played Train Dominoes. When it was time to switch games, I learned how to play Train Dominoes. I must say that it is easier than MJ but is a lot of fun. I won the second game I played. I wasn't as lucky at MJ today.

Another Wonderful Day

Today was my third day at home. I only went outside to get the mail and to put out the garbage this morning. It was a great day. I accomplished a lot that I hadn't planned on doing. The craft room is straightened as is the rest of the house. All the laundry has been done. I even had some time to read today and I didn't take a nap afterall as I thought I might. Hopefully, I'll get a better night's sleep tonight. I've really enjoyed staying home and being productive here. Being by myself had a calming effect on me today. There was no stress from fighting traffic or from anything else. Tomorrow I'll end my solo act. Our Mah Jongg group is scheduled to play at about 11:00am until about 3:00pm. I haven't played in awhile and I know I'll enjoy myself. I'll get in a walk around the neighborhood before I go to play. Then I'll have all day on Friday to do what I want to do, followed by a couple of games of Pinochle with friends on Friday night. There is something to be said about being quiet and experiencing solitude once in awhile. I feel refreshed and ready for the outside world again.

Very Tired, But Wide Awake

My body is ready for sleep, but my mind is on overdrive. I went to bed about two hours ago and got up almost one hour ago because I couldn't fall asleep. They say that that's what you should do when sleep doesn't come quickly. After blogging I'll try reading my book. That may make my eyes tired and hopefully, sleep will follow. Tomorrow when I want to accomplish some things I'll probably be sleepy. I may need a nap in that case. I'd rather sleep at night. In any case, for all you others out there, pleasant dreams. Mr. Sandman, I'm ready for a dream or two myself. Won't you please visit me tonight?

Staying Close To Home

Last week I was "out and about" all week. There was something to do each day. Although I thoroughly enjoyed each day as it was happening, I'm not use to all the activity. This week I'm content to stay close to home and do things here. There's always "straightening up" to be done. I have a million crafts I can do and I have two books from the library. I always enjoy going out with friends, but sometimes it's just as nice to spend a day or two at home by oneself. I'll actually have three total days to be at home. On Thursday, I play Mah Jongg with friends and on Friday night it's Pinochle with friends. This weekend is a holiday weekend and I'll have company. I'll read at church on Sunday and relax that day again. It's great to be able to travel about and do things with friends, but sometimes you can have too much of a good thing and you need to "regroup" so to speak. The first three days of this week are my time to do just that.

A Stroll Through the Craft Store On Sunday

Yesterday afternoon, I visited a craft store when I was at the shore. It is a popular chain craft store. What great fun it was to stroll down the aisles and see what there was on each and every shelf. As I entered the store I saw fall items such as silk fall leaves, Chrysanthamums, scarecrows and of course back to school items. There were scrapbook items and Halloween stamps and fall baking pans and cookie cutters. Everything was so colorful. Another store which is like "candy for the eyes" . I walked up and down every aisle taking in all that was available to purchase, but naturally I couldn't get one of everything. I settled for a bouquet of white and a bouquet of red mums, a bunch of fall leaves, a grapevine wreath which I'll cover with the fall leaves, a box of assorted greeting cards, fall stamps for scrapbooking and some beading items. It was a thrill of go home with those treasures which I got on sale. Since I've returned home, I have placed the mums in a vase on the coffee table. They're standing next to an orange spice candle which I was given for my birthday. Next weekend is Labor Day, the unofficial end of the summer season. Everything will start to look like fall soon, and I'm ready.

An Easier Class

A few days ago I took another beading class. It was an earrings making class for beginning beaders. This class was a "piece of cake" compared to the bracelet weaving class I took earlier in the week. I made 1 pair of drop earrings and 2 single earrings which I have to make the mate for at home. I wanted to experiment with a different design which is why I decided to make only 1 of the pair at the class and to then design a new one which also needs a partner. I showed the earrings to several friends. They loved them. I think that earrings will be my "thing" in beading. At least for awhile. I'd also like to learn how to put a clasp on a beaded necklace because we ladies like to have a necklace to match our earrings at times. I'm glad I decided to try this new hobby. It's proving to be great fun.

Coal Mining

The six coal miners lost when the Utah mine collapsed have not been and probably will never be recovered. The collapse happened about two weeks ago. Even if they have enough air to breathe, it's not possible to survive for two weeks without food and water. I feel so bad for their families. Coal Mining has got to be one of the most dangerous jobs there is. The miners go down into the bowels of the earth every day to get coal. On a good day, they return home when their shift is done. On a bad day, there is a mine collapse and they have to wait hoping to be rescued from the tomb they find themselves in. Unfortunately, this time, three of the rescue workers were killed trying to find the six. I believe it's been decided that it is too dangerous to dig further for the trapped miners. The mine community and the families need a miracle. Not retrieving the trapped miners or not recovering their bodies if they have been killed does not sit well with me. I pray that this situation could have a better ending. God Bless them and their families.

A Completed Bracelet

My second bead class was this morning. I was more successful with making this bracelet than I had been making a necklace at my first class. I actually finished the project and put the clasp on it. The key to being able to do it was being able to see the pattern so that you know which bead to pull the thread through and when. I had a few beads left over so I bought a couple more and now I can practice making the bracelet on my own at home. Since it'll be the same color as the one I made today, I'll give it away as a gift. The cost for making 2 bracelets is only $28. Of course, the class fee has to be added to that. So, if I make several, I'll sell them for $30. each. Maybe I'll be able to go to flea markets to sell them. It could be the start of a new business. It took me 3 hours to finish my first bracelet. Hopefully, I'll be able to make the next one faster. It was a very enjoyable experience and the people in the class were very helpful and friendly. Here's to new adventures! May they all be just as successful!

TV Chefs

Instead of watching the 5 o'clock news today, I decided to watch the food network. I watched Paula Deen, Giada, The Barefoot Contessa and Sandra Lee. Some of the recipes which were made were very appealing. Unfortunately, I'm on a diet. So, I will file the ideas away in my mind and look up the menus perhaps for printing out on the printer. Then I'll have them on hand for the future. My favorite recipes are the ones which don't require a lot of preparation or time to make. I have gotten some of Martha's recipes which are also appealing, but hers usually require more preparation and hard work. The sad thing about that is that after spending so much time making something, it can be eaten in 5 minutes. Seems like a waste of time to me unless you have help in the preparation. I do enjoy good food, however, so I will continue to watch my favorite cooks on the tube.

Tea For Six

Six of us went to a local tearoom today. Five of the six of us went to college together. We try to get together from time to time so we can keep in touch and keep up on each others news. We arrived at the tearoom at 2pm and left at about 5:30pm. The conversation was diversified. First we talked about children and education. Since we are all trained teachers, this topic often pops up. Leaving this conversation for others is always welcomed by me. Not that I don't like children and education, but being a retired educator I prefer other topics. I gave most of my adult life to educating children. It's nice to have moved on. Yes, there is life after teaching.

Inspiration From a Movie

As I mentioned, I saw the movie Becoming Jane today. Learning the story of Jane Austen inspired me to start writing my memories of my early childhood. After I get the narrative of what I remember down on paper, I'll see what I can do with it. It has always been a desire of mine to write a children's story. I never did get that done. Now I'm thinking that because of my advanced age, it would probably by less difficult to just write a story without a particular age of the audience in mind. From a story could come a book. That remains to be seen. They say that everyone has a "book" in them. My wildest dream is to be a published author and to have people actually read my book. I think of Helen Hooven Santmeyer who wrote "...And Ladies Of The Club". She took 50 years to complete that book. I'm sure I don't have 50 years left since I've already wasted at least 50 years by not getting started sooner. However, I've finally made the first step. I turned on my word processor and started to write today. I plan to write a little each day. When I run out of memories I'll attempt to tell the story of "Becoming Joanne".

Becoming Jane

Saw the movie Becoming Jane this afternoon. Needless to say, I loved it. It was my type of movie. It was about Jane Austen and the love of her life. I've always loved her novels. Pride and Prejudice was a favorite of mine. What I especially like about her novels is that although her characters have troubles, the story ends up happily. Not always so in "real" life. As Jane could attest to in the movie version of her life. I've always felt that since life isn't fair and ones experiences don't always end up happily, movies and novels should end up happily. There is enough sadness in life without walking out of a movie depressed, or closing a book at the end and feeling despair. So, here's to Jane, her novels, and happy endings. May we all have them!

Rainy Days and Mondays Never Get Me Down

It rained all day today. It was a steady, drenching, almost like Fall rainy day. The temperature has dropped significantly since yesterday. There were warnings that there may be local flooding. It was a very good day to stay inside and do any number of things. It didn't get me "down" because I welcomed the cooling of the temperature. When I worked, rainy days got me "down" and so did Mondays. The weekend was over and it was time to return to work on Monday. Rainy days were just gloomy. Now, since I'm not working, I welcome Monday as I do any other day of the week. I find rainy days to be a time for "cozy" type activities like curling up with a good book, taking a nap, even cleaning is a good activity for a rainy day. So, although I agreed with the Mommas and the Poppas for a number of years, I can honestly say now that Rainy Days and Mondays never get me down.

Anuna

The next concert on NJN is Anuna. They are an Irish group. Their music is beautiful. There are about 8 men and 8 women in the group who sing and then the musicians playing instruments in the background. They sing in both English and Irish. The music is "old". Some of it sounds like it may be Renaissance, some sounds like Irish folk music. They also sang "Scarborough Fair" and a John Denver song. The music is very soft, melodic, and restful. They will be performing at the State Theater in October. I'd love to hear them in person. Not only are their voices beautiful, but each member of the chorus is beautiful as well. I'm a bit biased I know, but I've always found the Irish to be good looking. The ending song of the concert is calm and restful, not bombastic like so many closing songs at performances. It was a beautiful concert.

Willie

Mom and I are watching a concert on NJN. It's got Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and other assorted musicians playing their well know songs. I do like Country Music although Willie was never someone I was "crazy" about. I do enjoy his music however. Summer time TV is usually reruns and it's often hard to find something worth watching. This concert is very entertaining and enjoyable. "You Were Always On My Mind" is what's being sung at the present moment. Was there ever anyone who was always on your mind? As life goes by, I often think of people I have known and no longer see. They are often on my mind. Some of them I've been told have passed on to their greater reward so there is no chance that we'll ever meet. Others are thousands of miles away and we've lost touch. In any case, I treasure the memories and wish them peace and happiness.

Another Birthday

Today is my birthday. I began my day by going to feed my friend's cat. I took a nice leisurely ride through the countryside and avoided the highway. When I arrived at my friend's home I was surprised to find a birthday card and several food items waiting for me. She had baked ziti for me to take home so I wouldn't have to cook today, along with sourdough bread, a small watermelon, peaches, petite cakes, and a vase full of garden flowers. The ride back home was just as nice since I went through the countryside on the way home also. After lunch, my mother and I drove to the quilt shop in Pennington where I used my 20% off birthday coupon to purchase a book, a magazine, a ruler and 3/8 of a yard of green fabrics. I will use the green fabric in a "practice" paper foundation piece so I can be ready for 2 paper foundation classes I've signed up for. One class is the Mariner's Compass, the other is the Hawaiian Star. On our way home we stopped and had a small ice cream. I managed to stay on my diet most of the day. My birthday splurge was the ziti and the ice cream, but I took a very small portion of each. It was a nice, quiet day. I plan to give myself a facial and use a body scrub in a warm shower followed by a perfumed body lotion before I retire for the day. It's another milestone birthday. I now can get 15% off on Wednesday at a local store. I'll remember that when gift shopping comes along. All and all it was a Happy Birthday!

The Eyes Have It

Took Mom to get a CT scan today. While I was waiting for her to be done, I was talking to a very interesting man who was waiting for his wife. He told me all about a wonderful doctor in Flemington who corrected his sight by removing his cataracts and replacing them with a hinge type device which allows him to see near and far. He said that the operation was experimental but that it was a wonderful success. He doesn't need glasses or even sunglasses any more. Since I now have baby cataracts, I asked if his doctor was a young man. My doctor told me that I might want to get surgery in 20 years for my baby cataracts which he expects to get worse by then. I'll need a good doctor by then. Luckily, his doctor is only in his 40's and could conceivably still be in practice by then. Of course, medicine will improve by then and hopefully there will be other good Opthomologists in practice in our area.

Ready To Go

My sewing machine's back in the table all set up for a day of sewing tomorrow. I took a Stack and Whack class last week at the quilt shop and need to finish sewing my blocks for the wallhanging. The quilt is called "Spin Cycle". It is made up of 16 kaleidoscope blocks. It took us about three hours to cut the fabric to prepare for sewing. Unfortunately my machine wasn't working correctly, so I didn't make much progress in sewing during class time. The problem with the machine has been straightened out and now I'm ready to go for tomorrow. Since each block will be different, I can't wait to see each one finished. As I'm sewing tomorrow, I'll be thinking about who I will give the quilt to. If no one comes to mind I may just have to keep it for a wall in my home.

Laughter Is Good For The Soul

The weekend's not over yet, but so far it's been filled with fun. On Friday my brother, his wife, and I visited with four cousins at the shore. Of course when you get together with relatives you haven't seen in a while, you talk about your childhood and all the relatives and things you remember about the old neighborhood. We laughed and laughed. Some of us found out little tidbits we didn't know before. We had a good time. I enjoyed every ones company.
Tonight, my brother, his wife and I visited with 2 high school friends we've been in touch with over the years. It was another fun filled evening where we laughed and laughed. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Someone once said that a day when you don't laugh is a day wasted. I totally agree with that. Laughter is good for the soul. These past 2 days were very special because we saw people we care about and we shared many good laughs with one another. Here's hoping that you may share laughter with someone every day of your life.

I Looked Like A Guest

Yesterday afternoon, I spent my first day of the summer swimming in an "outside" pool with the sun shining down on me. It was hot and humid as I've already reported. The water was cool and crystal clear. My cousin and I caught up on each other's "news". I really enjoyed myself bobbing around in the water. I got my first "color" of the season on my face, back and shoulders. My driving arm had been my only tan body part since the season changed. I don't ever get a deep tan. My Irish skin freckles and I am "tan" for me, but never as tan as the rest of my friends. When I was in High School, my family belonged to a swim club. We went to the swim club every day of the summer. One day, toward the end of August, a friend named Craig commented to me that I , not having a tan like everyone else, looked more like a guest at the pool instead of a member who soaked up the rays all summer like everyone else. I have siblings who tan more than I do. I've always said that if I got more freckles to fill in the empty spots on my arms etc. I'd be as tan as everyone else. Since that's not going to happen, I'll be content with my freckles and the slight pink I get after being out in the sun.

Boardwalking

Went to a town along the New Jersey shore yesterday with my brother and his wife. It was at the time the sun was setting. We walked the boards together for almost a mile. It was hot and humid that night. When we first arrived we could feel the ocean breeze, but after walking, the air became stuffy and we could not longer feel a cool breeze. Since I'm in need of daily exercise, walking is always a good substitute for water aerobics. It's especially nice to be able to walk with someone else. It's more interesting because you can have a conversation which makes the walk more pleasant than just a form of exercise. My sister-in-law gave me a piece of chewing gum before we left the car and I found out that I CAN chew gum and walk at the same time.