Award and nominations….

Big thank you to Brizzy Mays Books and Bruschetta for nominating me for this award and for a sterling tribute: a lass who is most up to anything presented. I accept challenges well! Thank you for those kind words!

Brizzy introduces me to the land Down Under and to her interests, many of which we share including a love of old books, movies, and a keen sense of humor.

Award Rules:

1 Thanks the blogger who nominated you (as above )

2 Answer the questions you are asked ( if you’re comfortable doing so!)

3 Create 10 questions for the bloggers you’ve nominated.

4 Nominate at least 3 bloggers for the Special Blogger Award.

5 Comment on your nominees most recent blog post to let them know you’ve nominated.

6 Have fun!

Answers to questions follow:

My Questions:

1. The last theatrical production or musical performance you attended? Les Miserables.

2. Your next holiday destination? Most likely, the interior of Florida, a small fishing village or a town on the edge of the ocean.

3. Do you set yourself goals? Yes, sometimes. Finish 1 a day, even if it is small like take out the pug for a walk.

4 So many books are made into a movie. Do you have a favourite? I like the Jack Reacher series but the movie never made the mark for me.

5 If you could invite any three people – dead or alive- to a dinner party who would they be? Truman Capote; John F. Kennedy; and Robert Redford.

6 You wish your Super Power was? Invisibility to spy upon situations I have no business hearing.

7 If you could do one thing to change the world what would you do? Write more crime stories with true life good endings.

8 Please share a secret about your childhood. I would play dress up with my paper dolls as they were my invisible friends.

9 Name two things that are on your MUST DO LIST

1. a safari in Kenya with my husband.  2. Publish a book of fiction.

10 Do you have a song, movie or book that you return to when in need of comfort?

Cold Play: Viva La Vida.

My Nominations (with zero pressure attached!):

Kuched-I recently started following this blogger and like his postings.

Murisopsis: A Different Perspective-Yes, I get her “perspective.”

Sinharishika, How can I be so normal? I like her normalcy.

My questions:

1. If you were a cat with another life, where would you be sitting right now?
2. What is your favorite song in times of challenge?
3. In one sentence, tell us about a time you enjoyed being proven wrong.
4. What is your favorite mode of transportation?
5. What is your comfort food?
6. Which is your favorite social media app to use?
7. If you could name yourself, what name would you chose and why?
8. What news did you hear recently that surprised you?
9. How often do you walk in your neighborhood?
10. Are there any writers who influence the writing of your blog?

Thank you for your graciousness and kindness with this endeavor! Cheers…

If I could rule the world….

 

 

 

 

Grateful

1. The alligators in Florida are staying off the nearby golf course.

2. No new reported sightings of coyotes either on the course.

3. I can have a “She Shed” she said if I want it in the house.

4. The only other man I am thinking about author, Gregg Hurwitz.

5. I made it through a busy week.
6. I slept well and have time to myself to catch up on things.
7. Extended email chains allowing me without leaving the classroom to connect and solve problems while “in class time.”
8. Learning a new function of Conference time and remembering.
9. When I get lost, I can google even on my inexpensive TracFone.
10. My ability to remember names, faces, and random facts.
11. And my ability to continue laughing as the weather became colder.

How about your week? What can you contribute to number 12 and on?

Your food to go…

You go to the store and what is your number 1 food item to pick up? I saw this recently on a show and realized how much we change through time.

My go to food this year is yogurt. Greek Fage yogurt: total carbs, 5g: 6 servings per container. I sprinkle some stevia, fresh berries, maybe a tablespoon of coconut cream or milk depending on what is available.

Cheese, and is there coffee? Do we have enough meats?
We still follow keto but more of dirty keto. It is a change from the past when I picked up ingredients for cupcakes: sugar, butter, flour, cake mixes, jellies, caramels, and all that noise.

Cream cheese, also. Many keto recipes have cream cheese and we eat avocado, so I always check the prices of avocados at Aldi’s. Is it a good buy this week? Lettuce, large leaf lettuce.

What is my weakness? Peanut butter, a tablespoon on a slice of apple is the treat. I used to crave peanut butter with a dab of jelly and still indulge from time to time. I don’t crave sugar or frosting eating like a crazed human beater. Sometimes in the past I craved potato chips but this desire is satiated by pork rinds dipped in sour cream or salsa.

Protein bars, lots are nearby from good sales at a discount store with carefully analyzed view of carbs minus fiber. Last week, I had a relapse. Neighbor gifted us with some good chocolates and husband bought some caramel kisses for my conferences with some of my students. I ended up eating a little bit of this and a little bit of that…so much for good intentions.

Good intentions fly out the window with the least provocation. The good thing is knowing that I can get on the track again. A lunch out with a friend and having half of a Cuban was more of an excuse to see one of the oldest Cuban establishments in town. And it was worth it. Speaking with my friend about a possible book to publish, with my ideas melting with her ideas of math problems, fantasy characters sounded surreal almost like the huge plates of Cuban fare passing by.

I liked what my friend told me that day, “The portions are big. They see everyone here as needing more food. To them you are thin.”

There are those days, weeks, months that you need to hear that.

What is your to go item or items at the food store? How have you changed through the years?

Taking the Plunge

I have to confess that I have felt hot, bothered, and incredibly busy these past few weeks. I am hostage to my computer and if I don’t take a break I am lost with correcting student’s papers, lesson planning, setting up live conferences, etc.

It is never ending until the end of the semester and then I leave for my in person classes.

Yesterday, the husband got me away from the computer and we visited Schiller’s Salvage which is a huge salvage type of place.He found something for a lamp cord he was looking for and it was $1. That was the best buy of the place! There were all sorts of historical counters with history from closed hotels, libraries, etc. It was an interesting place and then we ate lunch in downtown Tampa which was interesting. A holiday but there were still workers about and we found a cute mom and pop cafe.

I didn’t take pictures as I am trying to be more in the moment and at that moment I just needed a break. Today is back to the workday. I find that unless I make a schedule to take some me time that I get lost with the needs of my students and the administrators. In between, I have doctor’s appointments and Michael has doctor’s appointments.

Spring time. I look forward to the summer. I am sitting at my desk and the beautiful rose bouquet from my husband on February 14th is still alive with a few wilted leafs. The pocketbook is hanging next to the desk ready to leave shortly attached to me. Husband is contemplating his next house project.

Life continues until Spring Break and then all heck breaks loose, at least for the students. And as for me, I look forward to getting my hair cut, a pedicure, and lunch with my friend, Ms. D. She will be on break also. I wanted to be interesting and write about she-sheds, the benefits of the new age, etc. but in the end it is always the day to day and how we handle it that paves the way for our future. Then I can think about the she-shed.

Thanks for listening. Have a great week!

Photo by Dimitry Anikin on Pexels.com

Photo by Aleksandar Pasaric on Pexels.com

There Was A Time…

This was one of my followers from awhile ago who wished my husband and I good thoughts! I found this the other day surfing the internet blogs and it brought back some great memories. Thank you.

How many of these do you remember?

Party lines, landlines, what a great memory. I can remember listening in on conversations. Do you still have a photo album or albums? I do and wonder if I should pass it down one day…who will keep it?

Carrying cash, I get that!

The Off Key Of Life

I read an article recently about the changes that have occurred in our lives over the past couple of decades. The obvious ones are a result of technology and how we communicate and gather information in our daily lives. But technology has also eliminated other, less obvious items, things that seemed to fade away over a period of time. Things we no longer do.

Like….

Memorize a phone number.

I still have phones numbers memorized but that’s because I’m ancient. It used to be something I always did. Now it’s not necessary. Everything is on your phone or in the cloud.

Use a phone book to book up a business or name

I’m sure there is a generation of young people who don’t know what the “yellow pages” are and have never seen something called a phone book. But for many years, this was the way we looked up  phone…

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Grateful

This morning I awoke and felt infinitely better after going to sleep with cold meds, a warm blanket, and a heavy head. Somewhere my e-reader was propped up nearby my bed. Next to me was the husband and the pug who did not keep me awake with his snoring.

I felt grateful.

I woke up hungry and wrapped up two pieces of cheese and ham and buttered a piece of whole wheat keto bread. Do I give too many details? I recently received an email back from one of my Department heads, “Thank you for the details” after I commented on the job of my online student, his personality, his willingness to go the extra mile. The details…I was not sure if she was trying to tell me something and two days later I remember this.

I tell stories with details. My husband waits for me to get to the punch line. I prolong the assignments and sometimes repeat myself to my students if they sit there knowing I cannot make them begin work. I over explain and give them time to pause. Husband reminded me that sometimes being nice or showing too much compassion can open you up to a can of worms. The type which makes your stomach hurt and renders you useless to the best interests of yourself.

Do I care about the opinions of others more than me? Do I care that they think of me as a warm and compassionate being? Yes, I do and did and struggle with this because you can’t please everyone at the end of the day. Sometimes you have to turn off the compassionate factor and move forward. Sometimes some people take advantage as you involve yourself in things you do not need to. I needed the pragmatic nature of my husband to remind me.I am not the social worker although at one time, I did reflect upon becoming one. However, I do not detach myself easily. I am trying as someone encroaches upon my space, I imagine myself fishing and trying to hook a shark.

It works for me. I muttered fishing the other day working with some at-risk teenagers.

He said, “Huh, what do you say?”

I repeated, “Fishing. I was talking about it with my husband.”

He nodded wisely and smirked before sidling off. As they have their own lingo, I am not sure what he thought I was talking about but he thought it was cool I had my own secret language.

I am grateful the tornado that touched down this past week only deposited branches on our house unlike several homes nearby with trees uprooted and fences down.

I am grateful for finally meeting another adjunct just like me with part time jobs, and sometimes worry on her plate, and similar feelings about anxiety and keeping classes straight in her schedule. I feel good I handled the week well and didn’t flip out when some people pitched some left fielders, out of bounds to me.

I am learning to go with the flow again which seems more challenging the older you get but somehow I feel I am growing wiser. And I have to keep pinching myself, remembering my priorities which is my husband and my immediate surroundings. I can’t always control the details but sometimes just telling the right ones by knowing at heart “the small town girl” is still there and then knowing when to let go of the niceties will do me good.

And for the record, I am glad I didn’t get that tattoo years ago when we had the store near the tattoo artist. What if I changed my mind and the butterfly finally faded slowly away?

Would I really need that butterfly to remind me of the person I am? I look in the mirror every day and although I don’t take selfies and I am a little old fashioned I understand who I am.

Thanks for listening. Have a great weekend!

Disco times-my old journal

I go outside to update our board and I hear some old disco music or is it rap…or I am behind the times and this woman gets out of this car with steely rims and gives me a look of disdain with sunglasses like Blondie get out of my way…Honey, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Am I in a disco revival. Life near the hood which is next to our store.
LOL>
(My Comment) and then a wonderful family comes in from the nearby amusement park. And it is rap, not disco by the way….lol…such is life in the city.
My comment… and then a Med doctor, students from a local university..diverse crowd.
a lady from New York City who mentions a favorite cupcake place on 42nd street.

We love the rent but we are in an interesting area but doesn’t stop our best customers from coming.

I seem to notice a pattern. I am obsessed with getting a reaction on social media but sometimes it does not happen. The best interaction and most real is in person.

I guess because the relationships between people is all about ebb and flow and some things you just can’t do on social media. By the way, I had one like on this post and all of these were my comments trying to get a reaction from my cousin which did not happen. Update: Most if not all of the plaza is now closed. The rebuilding and revival has not made it this far. Although the church in the mall lasted awhile.If you want more gossip, visit in person for coffee and this time, you can chose Starbucks if we order ahead for pick up.

Hello, again….

Bonjour,

It has been awhile, since I last dabbled in letters. I thought I would be old fashioned and write a letter. It is raining outside, so the garden is getting soaked which is lovely especially for the newly planted cactus which will drain in the pots and appears to be flourishing.

The pug went for a short walk and has no desire to contend with the bull dog we met walking and the random rains. The garden is getting a bath which is much needed.

I review one of the poems recommended to review for a re-certification exam for English which I need to take this Spring.  What is your take on this poem? It seems we have to analyze it and the test is no longer on the masters but on some of the newer poets. I rather find this one interesting. I like Pavarotti but this made me pause. I like this poem. I always say a poet’s job is done if they make us look them up in wonder as to who they are, and how they be……

Michael Danaghy

Local 32B (US National Union of Building Service Workers)

The rich are different. Where we have doorknobs.

they have doormen-like me, a cigar store Indian

on the Upper East Side, in polyester, in August.

As the tenants tanned in Tenerife and Monaco

I stood guard beneath Manhattan’s leader light

watching poodle turds bake grey in half an hour.

Another hot one, Mr Rockfeller! 

An Irish doorman forsees his death,

waves, and runs to help it with its packages.

Once I got a cab for Pavarotti. No kidding.

No tip either. I stared after him down Fifth

and caught him looking after me, then through me,

like Samson, eyeless, at the Philistine chorus-

Yessir, I put the tenor in the vehicle.

And a mighty tight squeeze it was.

Well, if I made you think today, my job is done. Thanks for reading! Have a great weekend!