🌹🌹 2022 June FROM MY PERSPECTIVE

     

                🌹🌹 June 2022 FROM MY PERSPECTIVE

Brenduh came over all excited.  She'd been to a town in the deep South to visit some relatives.  She started to talk, but it wasn't her regular way of talking.  I asked, "Brenduh, you sound like you had a great time; however, your way of talking is different.  Did you pick up the Southern drawl and accent while you were visiting your relatives?"  "I guess I did, Trudy, and I can't seem to go back to the way I used to talk.  Do you have any suggestions?"  I thought for a moment and said, "Well, keep listening to others around here and it will return.  Try real hard because you have so much twang in your words you sound like a banjo."  The scene from DELIVERANCE of the guitar and banjo challenge came to mind.  Some things just trigger a visual and auditory memory.

I have a friend who does not enjoy cooking.  She has three sons who enjoy eating.  She told this:  "Mom, I smelled this really good smell outside, and knew it wasn't coming from our house...but it was! Are you cooking something that doesn't smell bad?" My kids are jerks.”  Talk about a backhand compliment.  She was making Mississippi pot roast in the slow cooker.

I got a bit irritated at a gal the other day.  I was taught to always try to be a lady when you want to tell someone off.  So, I turned Southern on her with my words.  In my nicest Southern accent I said, "Oh bless your heart.  It seems someone shortened your chain and didn't fill your bowl."  Then, I walked away giving her something to think about.  She came at me saying, "You called me a bit**!"  I told her in my continuing Southern accent, "No, sugah, I wouldn't say that.  I just said it seemed your chain had been shortened and your food bowl was empty.  The interpretation is in your thoughts."

Aint Daisy invited me for lunch with her and to bring my own.  As I approached the porch, I saw she had some lemonade all ready and had cut some pieces of cherry pie (my favorite).  “Well, hello to you, Chile.  Come set a spell and have lunch with me.  I sat down in the usual white wicker chair with the fat, floral cushion; she was sitting in her rocker.  “I brought my lunch as you mentioned, Aint Daisy.  This is nice to have lunch together.”  She nodded and picked up half of her sandwich.  I noticed another plate sitting next to hers.  It had a half sandwich on it, and a bite taken out.  Of course my curiosity was raised, and I asked her about it.  "Clifford and I were married almost 51 years, and I made his lunch every working day since day 1. On occasion I would join him on the job site and have lunch with him. He made the comment once that lunch tasted better when you share it with someone you love.  Soon after that, while fixing his sandwich one night, I took a bite out of it before putting it away in his lunch box. When he got home, he commented that someone took a bite out of his sandwich. I told him that since I couldn't join him for lunch, I took a bite so he knew I was joining him. I continued to do this frequently (unless it was tuna). He always said after that, ‘Saw you joined me for lunch today, and it sure was good.’ So, since he’s been gone to Heaven, I always make an extra half a sandwich and take a bite out of it.  I share my lunch with someone I love.  It’s important.”  ‘More wisdom from The Lady of the Holler.

Here are some interesting, but questionable, messages on product boxes:

Pizza box:  open box before eating pizza  Curling iron box:  use appliance only on hair and no other part of the body Soap pods in a box:  Keep away from children, teenagers, and college fraternity members Child's shirt:  to launder, remove shirt from child. Put shirt to washer in cool water and soap Dish washing liquid soap: bottle may contain slippery, bubbly liquid compound  Package of b-b pellets:  Do NOT eat!!  Non-edible.  Do not swallow or taste.  Label on a shirt:  Wash this when dirty Pet shampoo label:  Remember to close all escape routes well in advance before pet is wet and soapy.   They suddenly get smarter and faster than you. Label on towels:  Can be washed by both men and women On a fold-away bed:  Before folding bed to put away, make sure no one is on the bed. On super glue stick:  Do NOT use as a lip balm.  Shaving cream in a tube:  This is NOT toothpaste.  I repeat---THIS IS NOT TOOTHPASTE  Label on a Southern pecan pie:  Instructions are printed in English.  If you can’t read English, don’t read the instructions. Actual label on a pill bottle:  EVERY NIGHT BEFORE FOOD ONCE DAILY TO BE TAKEN FOUR TIMES A DAY THREE TIMES A DAY EVERY THREE TIMES DAILY TAKE ONE TAKE TWO TAKE THREE ONE OR TWO.  Warning:  follow the printed instructions you have been given with this medicine.

Now, here comes the touching part to this label:  My wonderful daughter had worked in the pharmacy of a facility.  I sent her a message note stating:  “Since you worked in pharmaceuticals” with me thinking she’d see the humor in it.  I got a message in return of, “You need to call your pharmacy and ask for those directions again. VERY CONFUSING!!  I’m thinking it’s---take 1 tab 4 times a day for 1 day...three times a day for 1 day... like that, but call the pharmacy asap!!!!!!!”  Then, she calls me and with great concern says, “Mom, are you all right?  Where did you get this medicine and, oh gods, you haven’t taken any, yet, have you?”  I told her I was writing in my June column and the topic was ‘Actual product labels’, and this was one of them.  I’m so sorry I gave you so much concern.”  Talk about being blessed by a child, she truly does bless me.  

An angel was showing a new angel around the farming sector of Heaven.  There was a barn, a pond, and an outhouse.  He told the new angel, as he pointed to the barn, "We keep the holy cow in here."  Then, he pointed to the pond and said, "We keep the holy mackerel in there."  Then, he pointed to the outhouse and said, "I don't suppose I need to tell you what we keep in there."

I’ve reached an age where my mind says, “Oh, I can do that.”  Then, my body says, “Really?  Try it and you’ll be sorry, and I won’t hold your beer, either.”

While you’re reading this, did you realize this is the oldest you’ve been and the youngest you’ll ever be again?  And did you know that every day you think about history?  Such as:  “I remember when I was a teen and……”, “Just yesterday I was thinking about making a pie.”  “The weather was so unpredictable in March.”  See, each thought about a time before right now is considered HISTORY.  You’re welcome.

Children do not always believe our warnings as parents, especially when shopping.  I have always told my children, “Stay with me, do not stray, tell me if you want to go look at something because I will keep on walking and perhaps leave without you.”  Sure enough, someone didn’t believe me.  As I was exiting the doors, over the loud speaker came, “If Trudy R. is still in the store, please come to the service desk and get your charming child who has eaten ½ a chocolate cake and is very messy.  Please hurry.”  I strolled to the service desk.  My look was ominous, so was the customer service representative’s.

PAREIDOLIA:  Seeing images in objects, such as clouds, cut wood, random tile, etc.  It is a sign of a very imaginative and creative mind.  There are books with pictures of this.  

                                          Peace, comfort, and hugs.  Trudy J

🎕 2022 May FROM MY PERSPECTIVE

 

              🎕⚘🎕        2022 May FROM MY PERSPECTIVE

She was sitting in a chair writing letters in a pile of sand I noticed as I approached her.  I thought it was rather odd for her to be doing that, but I knew there’d be a very good reason for it.  “Hi, Aint Daisy!  You seem to be busy.  Are you thinking of when you were a little girl playing in your sandbox?” I gently questioned.  She just smiled and continued to write words in the sand.  Every now and then she’d look over to some irregular stepping stones placed around the yard.  They, too, had some words written on them.  I waited for her to raise her eyes and smile at me.  I knew she was in deep thought.  “Hello, chile.  I got a little lost in my thoughts.  I hope I didn’t offend you none.”  “Oh no, Aint Daisy.  I doubt you could do that.  May I ask what you were doing?”  She put the stick down, got up….with a little bit of my help…and walked to the porch.  She sat down in her favorite chair and poured some fresh sweet tea into two glasses.  She always had at least two glasses on the tray with the pitcher just in case someone stopped by to chat.  “You asked me what I was doin’.  Well, I’m fixin’ to tell you.  I got a phone call from an angry friend.  Seems I had said something which she didn’t take to.  Even though I apologized---I really don’t remember what I said that upset her---she still said some hurtful things to me, so I started writing in the sand.  I learned a long time ago it helps.”  “I saw you looking at the stepping stones all around the yard, too.  What is written on them?” I quietly asked.  “Oh honey, those are my smiling stones reminding me of kind things.   A long time ago my grandmother told me, ‘Write your hurts in sand; write your blessings in stone.’  So, that’s what I try to do when I need to.”  I had some profound words to think about.  Ahh, more wisdom from the Lady of the Holler.

It had been a very windy day when I went to the library.  This was back in March where the old saying, “In like a lion; out like a lamb” was true.  I was hoping it would be reversed since February had been blustery, but the lion won.  I struggled to open the library door.  Finally inside, I told the desk girls, “It’s times like these that I’m glad I’m fat.  I’m missing my ruby slippers, though.”  And then in April, my area had very strong winds---up to 60 miles per hour.  I had an appointment which I could not cancel.  I had to hold the steering wheel very firmly so the van wouldn’t be pushed here and there by the wind.  I got out and started walking toward the doctor’s office.  Gods, what a chore to try to remain upright with the force of wind against me.  I got in the office safely and greeted the intake gal at the desk.  “I’m so glad I’m fat.  That wind is fierce, and if I were a skinny thing, I’d be greeting an airplane or the woman riding a bicycle with Toto in the basket.  Since the house fell on my sister and the ruby slippers were ruined, I’d be a mess.”  The gal at the desk lost it and started to laugh out loud.  “Girl, you have just made my day with what you said.  Thank you so much for the laugh.”  Little did she know I was sort of serious.

It seems a teacher in Mississippi got fired for choosing the book I NEED A NEW BUTT to read to his class.  I'm sure it would have been compounded had he, also, chosen THE DAY MY FART FOLLOWED ME TO HOCKEY.  I guess whoever decided to fire this teacher has cranial rectal inversion, has let their importance (and other matter) go to their head, and probably has never had flatulence.  Toby Price, who has been teaching for 20 years, said the district superintendent, Delesicia Martin, called him into her office and told him he was being placed on leave. Two days later, Price said, he was accused of breaking the Mississippi Educator Code of Ethics, and fired.  In a letter to Price, the superintendent reportedly called the book “inappropriate”, pointing to references to flatulence and noting that it “described butts in various colors, shapes and sizes (example: fireproof, bullet proof, bomb proof)”.  The Guardian publication March 12, 2022

While eating many slices of round, compressed lunch meat, Albert Einstien was talking about his theory of relativity.  His colleague got bored with Albert’s going on and on.  He said, “You are very smart and full of bologna, Albert.”

Watermelons are called watermelons because they’re planted in the spring.  Think about it.

People who will not admit they’ve been wrong, love themselves more than they love the truth.  Which, in my opinion, goes along with, “Truth is hate to those who hate the truth”.

Brenduh came over with a sandwich.  She sat down at the table with me.  “Hi kiddo.  Would you like some sweet tea to go with your sandwich?”  I asked.  “Yes, I would.  You make the best sweet tea around, Trudy,” she cooed.  I thanked her and poured a large mugs of the nectar from the South.  As she bit into her sandwich, I noticed a lot of bacon.  “I thought you were a vegetarian, Brenduh.  Now you’re eating bacon, which is a meat.”  Brenduh didn’t miss a bite and said, “Well, I still am.  I’m from the South where bacon is a vegetable.”  “But, you won’t eat ham,” I mentioned.  “Nope, that’s meat.”  “Sweetie, bacon and ham are from the same animal,” I mentioned.  “Not in the South and my mind,” she announced.  I then understood the thinking.  She was quiet for a moment then said, “Hey Trudy, you know that saying about ‘April showers bring May flowers’?  Well, it’s raining and it’s not April.” I’d just taken from the oven some biscuits.  So, I offered her some with honey and butter to go along with our tea.  I had trouble controlling my eyes from rolling.

Those of us who have to visit the “petroleum one-arm bandit” cringe just about every time, I’m sure.  I have a friend who has a vehicle which alerts her to various issues with the car.  She was driving when the “voice” said, “Attention!! Fuel is low.  Get some soon.”  She wished she could reply, “Fuel is expensive; please activate the ‘will fill with air’ option.”

I was talking to a friend on a rainy day.  She was complaining about the rain.  I told her, “Well, rain makes the flowers grow, ya know.”  She frowned and said, “It makes the weeds grow, too.”  I told her, “Weeds are unrecognized flowers.  What is a weed to one may be a flower to another.  Think of dandelions in the hand of a child giving them to a favorite person.”

A dear friend messaged me on my phone with indications of wanting to talk at that time.  I had to tell her, “I have to go.  I’m in the middle of being a domestic goddess (o.k., I’m cleaning).  Thank you for the break.  A goddess gets tired at times.”  She said, “You needed that break.  Now go back to being a domestic goddess.”  I thanked her and told her, “The crown is being put back on.”

☂ 2022 April FROM MY PERSPECTIVE

 

         😉 🌞☂🌷 2022 April FROM MY PERSPECTIVE

 

 I walked up the steps of her porch and took a seat.  I knew she’d invite me to “set a spell and chat”; I, also, knew she’d be aware of a “trouble” I was carrying.  “Good afternoon, Chile.  I’m so glad you came for a visit.  It looks like ya got a trouble you’re carryin’ around.  Wanna talk about it?”  “Aint Daisy, I know you know Theresa Marie and all she’s been through.  I, also, know you know she’s a friend of mine.  She was sharing her troubles with me the other day and denying what a good person she is even when I kept telling her.  It pained me to hear her say she didn’t think she was worthy of the good things which have finally come her way and even questioned her level of friendship with others.  I listened, but had a heavy heart when she finished talking.  I told her of the kindnesses she’d shown to others, the wonderful mothering skills she has and used with the many foster children she’s loved unconditionally, cared for, and given security to.  I told her of the solid, true friendship she’s given me, where we just seem to pick up where we left off after not seeing each other for a while, and share some dark secrets knowing they are safe not to be told to another.  I told her, ‘A friend is a gift you give yourself.  It is, also, a reflection of your standards and principles.’  What I said to her surprised her, especially when I gave her examples of her support and kindness to others and me.”  Aint Daisy listened intently, took a breath and spoke.  “Chile, I’ve heard you deny good things said about you and told to you.  You see, sweet girl, there are many times a person cain’t see themselves clearly until they are seen and told through the eyes of others.”  More wisdom from the Lady of the Holler.

Have you ever had a piece of music or sound stuck in your head?  Well, let’s try getting these out of our musical memory:  the shower scene from the original PSYCHO; the nasty old woman riding her bicycle in THE WIZARD OF OZ; BABY SHARK.  Then, Post Malone’s CIRCLES starts to play on the radio.  Gods!!!!  It’s a mental symphony.  You’re welcome.

I was washing my van when Brenduhh came over.  "Hi Trudy.  What are you doing?" she asked.  If she only knew how much I am not a big fan to answering obvious questions.  "Well, the van was dirty, so I decided to wash it," I said trying not to sound annoyed at the obvious.  She walked around the van as thought she was an inspector.  "Well, it looks pretty clean.  Hey, what's that at the windshield?" she asked seeing the silvery sun shield I had spread across it.  "It's a sun shield to keep the sun out of the van," I answered.  "Well, it probably does the job, but how do you see and you drive when it's across the windshield?"  I couldn't answer her question because it was the second obvious results one in less than 10 minutes, and I was still recovering from the first. So, I mentioned, "I have some cold, sweet tea and honey biscuits in the house. Would you like to join me?"

The musician Leo Kottke once said, “The Germans have done for the consonants what the Hawaiians have done for the vowels.”  What does that mean?  Well, you may have seen German words such as kartoffelkuchen (potato cake), tchotchkes/chotskies (insignificant knick knack), zweibach (twice baked), and my favorite---wortspielmacher (word player).  Then there’s Hawaiian with words such aa (a sharp jagged lava rock), aloha, mahalo, humuhumunukunukuāpua‘a (the state fish) and, well, just look at the spelling of the word Hawaii.  The Hawaiian language has five vowels in an alphabet of 13 letters. German? The same as English (more or less).

I came across some interesting trivia via a day-to-day calendar my daughter gave me.  It’s about the Presidents and the nicknames they were given by others.  Here are some:  George Washington: “Mutton Head” by John Adams and “His Pomposity” by Thomas Jefferson.  Little did Adams know he had earned “His Rotundity” due to his ample size.  James Madison was “Short Stack” because he was so short (he was the shortest President at 5’4” and weighed 100 lbs.).  Abraham Lincoln was the tallest President at 6’4”.  Andrew Jackson was called “Caesar of the White House” because he was so dictatorial.  Ulysses S. Grant was called “Useless” S. Grant which reflected his ineptness.  William Taft was “Jumbo Bill” due to his 335 pounds.  Harry Truman was “Dammit Harry” because he said “dammit” so often.  At age 97, Jimmy Carter is also the oldest living president as well as the nation's longest-lived president.  Joe Biden’s presidential campaign spent $10,000 on ice cream; he loves ice cream!!  Franklin D. Roosevelt served 4,422 days as President; William Henry Harrison served 31 days as President.  Both died in office.  Grover Cleveland held the job as hangman at one time.  He was, also, the only President to serve 2 non-consecutive terms.

The phone rang and I tried to get to it forgetting I only had on socks and the floor had just been washed and dried.  My feet when in directions I wasn’t going.  It was like part of me was doing a dance and the other part was pointed toward the phone.  I think the dance was from the 60s or 70s-----known as “The Slide”.  I thought about “The Mashed Potatoes”, but that’s for supper.

Brenduhh came over, again, within a day of the last visit.  She brought the newspaper with her.  “Hi Trudy, I brought the paper over so you could help me with this question which I’ll get a prize if I answer it correctly.  The question is, ‘What’s the past tense of “THINK”?’  I thought and thought and thought and decided the answer is ‘THINKED’.”  “How about a cup of mint tea and a fresh muffin, sweetie?  We have some discussion of verb tenses ahead of us,” I instructed.

Peace, smiles, and good thoughts to you.  Trudy 😀

 

 

 

             🎂🪁 2022 March FROM MY PERSPECTIVE

I stopped by Aint Daisy's to check on her.  She's getting up in years and lives alone.  I'm of the belief that the older generation needs a peek or two throughout the week to make sure they are doing all right.  "Hi, Aint' Daisy!  I just stopped by to see how you are."  She was glad to see me and invited me into her kitchen.  Oh glorious timing on my part; she'd just taken a peach pie out of the oven.  It was cooling on a rack on the table.  "Set yourself down, chile, and I'll cut us some pie.  How're ya doing today?" she chattered.  "Oh just fine.  I do have something to talk over with you and need some wisdom to share with a friend of mine, if you don't mind," I said.  "Okay, tell me what you need to say," she encouraged as she cut two generous pieces of pie and placed on some flowered antique plates.  "Well, one of my friends came to me and said, 'Sometimes I need someone to come to me, hug me, and tell me I'm not as worthless as I think I am.'  That bothered me, Aint Daisy, because I don't think she's worthless at all.  She has so many good qualities.  What can I say to her that might help her?"  Aint Daisy listened intently and squinted her right eye.  That was a signal she was going to say something profound.  "You tell your friend, feeling worthy starts with her believing in herself. No matter what others say to make her feel good, she has to believe her importance and worth, first.  I've felt what she's feeling," was her response.  "Thank you.  I'll be certain to tell her your wise words."  Aint Daisy smiled as she put a dollop of ice cream on the warm pieces of pie.  I took a bite.  Ahhh, sweetness rested on the pallet, but not as sweet as the words of wisdom resting on my ears from the Lady of the Holler.

I’ve lived a long time, come 77 years at the end of this month.  I’ve had to deal with some pretty difficult problems/times during my life.  Later on when they’d subsided, I found those difficult problems/times were disguised as opportunities; opportunities which gave me wisdom and moments to share with another who was “walking” the same path.  Smooth paths do not teach as much as rocky ones.

February 2, 2022, a day which will be remembered for the amount of snow had in the Peoria, IL area.  At my house it was over 12”.  I didn’t take the van out of the garage from Tuesday February 1 until Monday February 7.  My daughter who lives with me and works stayed at my other daughter’s house where there was access to a four-wheel drive SUV and excellent driving skills.  Not many people ventured the highways, and those who did drove slower than a caterpillar moves.  Then along came February 16-17 where another huge amount of snow was presented to us from Mother Nature, who obviously was off her meds.  There was a 50+ pile up of mostly tractor trailers on I-39 at El Paso, IL.  Thank God, no one was hurt, but what a mess.  My daughter had to sleep at work.  Thankfully, she works at a retirement home and there was a spare room.  I have one word for Feb. 2022---Phffft!!

No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it for anyone else. -Charles Dickens, novelist (7 Feb 1812-1870)

One week-end my Beloved went to the hospital to visit someone.  He came home telling me it was so easy to find a parking place, and that there weren’t many employees there on Saturdays and Sundays.  I told him, “Yes, I know. The morgue is even worse---it just has a skeleton crew.”  He groaned and told me to go away.  I was concerned about the salt supply in our water softening unit; the yellow light was blinking indicating the salt level was low.  I told Beloved we needed some more bags of salt to fill the unit.  He was pretty tired, but dragged himself out to the garage to go to the store to get some.  He came roaring into the house and yelled, “Dang it, Trute, there are 3 bags of salt out in the garage.  Why are you so worried about the little light blinking?  In fact, I don’t’ think YOUR light is even on!”

Unlike other 4-legged mammals, a kangaroo can’t walk backwards.  “DREAMT” is the only English word that ends in the letters “mt”.  Why is dyslexic so hard to spell?

Now hear this!!!  It is National Peanut Month.  Botanically classified as legumes, peanuts contain properties of both the bean/lentil and tree nuts.  I love honey roasted ones, dry roasted ones, and lightly salted ones.  My sister introduced me to boiled peanuts when I went to visit her in Florida.  That was an interesting eating, but I prefer the dry kind.  When my 3 kids were little, I’d buy roasted-in-the shell by the pound.  They’d sit on our 10’ couch and watch Saturday morning cartoons and eat peanuts.  They seldom took their eyes off the television to shell another morsel; and, it was amusing to see their expressions when they’d finished the 2 pound bag I’d bought.  They were amazed.  Betcha can’t eat just one!  I never could.

Brenduhh came over after going to church.  She knew fresh cinnamon rolls and tea would be waiting.  "Hi Trudy!  Today in church the minister told about Lot and his wife needing to leave a town.  The minister said, ‘God said, “Take your wife and flee.”’  It was an interesting sermon.  I have a question, though.  What happened to the flea, and why would someone want a flea for a pet?"  I heard the whistle of the tea kettle as a signal for me to leave the table before my eyes stuck in the top of my sockets.

Have you ever wondered where NIKE got the idea to name their running shoes “Nike”?  It seems that records of outlawed magic spells for runners were found on fragments of papyrus, such as “Hermes’s wondrous victory charm,” which attempted to invoke the help of this god of speed, Nike, the goddess of victory.  There were tiny sheets of gold with her name written on them inside the sandals.  There is still the Nike logo on athletic shoes and clothing nearly 2,800 years later.  Now you know.

“Jeoparty-trot a word which means:  A quick motion, between running and walking when one, on account of fear or weakness, is not able to run at full-speed.  The term seems to have had its origin from the flights of those who were often obliged to escape from their enemies.”  John Jamieson’s Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language, 1808.  I found this on a daily calendar I have.

Did you know there is actually a phobia for the number 13?  It is called---triskaidekaphobia.  It seems that a long time ago, about the early 1700s, thirteen people were seated at a table.  One got up to leave, became very ill, and died.  So, the fear of having 13 seated at a table is a bad omen and created a fear of the number 13.

Please observe March 14 with a piece (or the entire) of pie.  This is because it is official----3.14 is pi (pie) day.  I will be celebrating with cherry and probably lemon meringue.  OHHHH, it will be a Monday, so Perkins Family Restaurant has a free piece of pie with your order.  Lunch will be delicious!!!!

Some things to think about:  Easter Island:  “Why the long face?”  San Juan, Puerto Rico’s gambling boat:  “Come enjoy our pair of dice and a vacation too.”  Psychology department:  “Find out about Pavlov---the name that rings a bell.”  Archeology department:  “Take your career to ruins.”  Geography department:  “Learn where in the world you are before someone tells you where to go.”

I saw where there is a retirement community comprised mostly of arrogant college professors.  It is in Whys, AZ.  There is an Anaconda, Montana, but it’s no where near the Snake River.  Shit Creek, AK is south of Snafu Lake, Yukon.  I can hear the travel plans now, “Well, I think I’ll go up Shit Creek, without my paddles, to Snafu Lake and do a little fishing from the docks.  Don’t think I’ll tell the wife.”  I found Hornytown, NC.  ‘Don’t think I’ll even go there with this.

Hofstadter's Law: It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's Law. -Douglas Hofstadter, professor of cognitive science (b. 15 Feb 1945) Murphy’s First Law: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Murphy's Second Law: Nothing is as easy as it looks. Murphy's Third Law: Everything takes longer than you think it will.  Murphy’s Fourth Law:  If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong.  Murphy's Fifth Law: If anything simply cannot go wrong, it will anyway.

 

Peace and smiles--------------Trudy

 

           💕💖💗💝 2022  February FROM MY PERSPECTIVE

Aint Daisy was shaking some rugs off her porch as I walked up the side walk to her house.  “Well, looky here!  There you are coming to visit.  Let me put these back in the house, and we’ll have some time to talk.  Come on in the house.  It’s chilly out here; I’ll fix some tea.  Oh, do you want a piece of cherry pie to go with it, chile?” she asked chuckling to herself.  I thought, “What a silly question.  I could be full to my gills and still have room for a piece of her pie, especially my favorite cherry,” but I didn’t say it out loud.  “Yes, thank you.  You make the best pie in the county,” I said trying not to choke on my droll of expectation.  The kitchen was bright and cheery as we sat at the table covered with a flowered tablecloth.  “What brings you here, chile?” she questioned.  “Oh not much.  ‘Just wanted to stop by, chat, and make sure you’re all right.  I have a question for you, though,” I slowly said.  “I know a fella who told me recently, ‘I want to break down so badly, but I keep repeating to myself, “you got this”, when I know I really don’t.’  I feel so badly for him, Aint Daisy.  What can I say to him which may help him?”  She listened, took a bite of her pie and a sip of her tea.  There was a longer bit of silence, and then she spoke, “If you have just a small amount of “I got this/that”, then you will eventually have all you need of the situation.  Believe it, because if you doubt it, you will fail and you won’t “have this”.”  More words of wisdom to think about, not only for him, but for me from the Lady of the Holler. 

What greeting do Italians say to a fluffy, Chinese breed of dog’s lunch meal?  “Ciao, Chow-chow chow.”

I always tried to fix a hot breakfast in the winter for my kids when they were going to school.  I overheard one talking to a friend.  The friend asked, "What is your favorite breakfast your mom fixes?"  My child replied, "Oh, she fixes hot lava with butter and two blind lookers."  "What is THAT?" inquired the friend.  "Well, the hot lava is hot grits with lots of butter, and the two blind lookers are cooked eggs with the yolks runny and turned over.  It's delicious!!!" my child said proudly.  There was:  “monkey meal” which is oatmeal with bananas; “jungle meal” which is oatmeal with bananas and peanut butter; and “trees” which is broccoli.  Beets were “blood balls/slices”;  “red hair Hawaiian salad” which is finely shredded carrots with pineapple; and the famous “stink cheese” for Parmesan cheese.  We had names for things which the kids made up.  Not many knew what they meant, but the names were totally logical to us.

Brenduhh came over for a chat with cinnamon rolls and tea I’d just made.  I decided I’d “play” with her.  I asked her, “Kiddo, you’re standing in a barnyard.  There are 2 cows, 2 horses, 3 chickens, and a worm.  How many legs do you have?”  She looked quizzical at me and replied, “Trudy, you know worms don’t have legs!”  I told her, “Good; now how many legs do you have?”  “Give me a piece of paper so I can write down how many legs I have,” she grumbled.  She did her math and came up with 22.  I told her, “That’s the wrong answer.  The correct answer is 2.”  “I don’t know how that can be since two cows have a total of 8, two horses have a total of 8, and three chickens have a total of 6 and all that equals 22,” she announced with some frustration.  “Sweetie, I asked you, how many legs do YOU have?  The answer is 2.  YOU have 2 legs,” I gently said.  She still was a bit confused, so I told her to think about it, and let’s have some tea and cinnamon rolls. 

I saw this and agreed with it.  Now I’m sharing it with you.  When I was a kid I fell from the monkey bars, brushed myself off saying, “I’m o.k.”  Now, I tried to scoop some very frozen ice cream and dislocated my shoulder.  Turned in place to get a towel to dry my hands-----wrenched my back!!! Blew my nose-----farted on the cat and wet my pants! Stretched my arms out-----got a cramp in my solar plexus.  Getting old is NOT for sissies, y’all!!!

For the record, I can run with the best of the winded.; I don’t run with scissors (eliminate the last two words).;  It snowed a lot here in February.  I decided to make some snow angels.  I only got one made; the rest were massacres of the areas around the ONE I made as I tried to get up.;  I wrote a grocery list for my young daughter.  She couldn’t figure out what I’d written.  Ahhhh, script is now a mystery to the young of today.;  Another word for THESAURUS…..book.

ELEPHANTS:  The country with the most: Zaire, 195,000; the country with the fewest:  Vatican City.  (Stop laughing, it’s true!)  Vatican City has .16 (that’s POINT one six) square miles, which is about 108.8 acres.  100 strides (they only shuffle real fast; they don’t run; their stride is 6.6’ apart) and the animal is out of the country.  I researched this, folks!

April will mark the 162^th anniversary of the pony express.  It was started April 3, 1860 lasting only 1½ years.  The Pony Express began traveling between Sacramento, California, and St. Joseph, Missouri.  An unprofitable postal enterprise, the Pony Express helped to win federal support in funding a more economical way to carry mail over land. On October 24, 1861, the Pony Express was officially discontinued.  HA!!!  Thinking about some of the delayed mail I’ve gotten, it never stopped.

“Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life.” -Immanuel Kant, philosopher (1724-1804)

Have you ever or do you remember the laboratories you were in either in high school, college, or a job?  I do. Daddy was chemistry major at VPI taking all that knowledge to DuPont, before WWII, and to ALCOA when he returned in 1946.  He had a typical scientific mind and way of doing things---everything had a place and there was a logical sequence of doing something.  I, on the other hand, being an impulsive teenager, did things out of sequence and had places for some of my things.  Of course, we somewhat clashed due to our way of thinking.  In fact, he couldn’t bear to look into my room; it was “too unorganized,” he said.  I remember one time after I was an adult, that he needed something from the basement.  He had an old, solid oak classroom shelving unit that had doors on it. It was filled with all sorts of tools and hardware.  He told me what he needed and exactly where it was.  Then, when I went to get it, he said, “And don’t disturb anything else around it.”  There was that “everything has a place” thought process---the scientific, organized knowledge.  I found it, but lingered looking at as much as I could before he called out, “Did you find it?”  Returning to his side with the said tool, I asked, “Daddy, why do you have so much “stuff”?  Some of that is still in the unopened package.”  He said, “Well, if I need it, I’ll have it and won’t have to stop to go to the hardware store to get it.  If I don’t need it, I may in the future.”  There is the wisdom and the organized life.  Daddy didn’t say much, but when he did, you listened and thought---sort of like E.F. Hutton.

Kangaroos can’t walk, elephants can’t jump, cheetahs can’t retract their claws, lions can’t purr, and some people can’t rub their tummy and pat their head simultaneously.  Monkeys can’t recognize themselves in a mirror, but chimpanzees can.  Owls can’t move their eyeballs; they are tubular in shape.

Peace, hugs, and kind thoughts to you.  Trudy

 

                           🎉🎈 2022 January FROM MY PERSPECTIVE 🎈🎉

Oh my!!!  A brand new year has come!  The year of 2021 was eventful, some painful moments, but blessed.  I’m sure most of you can identify with all that.  I’ve found that moments of discomfort/tribulation provide me with more moments of strength---some even producing wisdom and insight.  It’s difficult to appreciate the tough moments---some would think one was nutz when they do.  I hope, for all of you, you have more moments of smiles and warm feelings than you do the tribulations this year.

“Hi Aint Daisy!!!  It’s me with some freshly made bread and apple butter.”  “Well, well, well, what a nice surprise.  Come on in and set yourself down.  I’ll be with you shortly,” she called out.  I sat down and looked at a needle work picture hung in her living room across from the overstuffed, floral couch we usually sat on. It said, "On this road called LIFE…You have to take the good with the bad, smile when you’re sad, love what you’ve got, and remember what you had.  Always forgive, but never forget, learn from your mistakes.  People change.  Things go wrong.  But, just remember, the ride goes on."  I asked her where she got it. She told me she'd made it when she was a young girl; her mother had often said the words to all her children. So, she put them in a needle work piece to always have. More wisdom from two ladies of the holler.

Brenduhh called me about 8:45 a.m. on a very nice sunny morning.  She was trying to turn on her computer, but it would not turn on.  I asked her if the computer and monitor were plugged-in.  She said they were.  I asked her if all the connections in the back of the tower were plugged-in.  She asked me to wait while she got a flashlight.  “Why do you need a flashlight to check the back?” I questioned.  “Well, I NEED one because I got a message on my cell phone from the electric company that the electricity would be off at my house until 10:30 a.m. today.  I’m glad I’d had 2 cups of strong coffee before she called.

I come from an era where, "Keep talking" meant you'd better hush.  Well, that was o.k. with me until Mother would tell me to "Keep talking," and mean it.  I got confused at times.  Then, there was, "You have another think coming."  O.K. so I would think some more, express my thought, and get reprimanded.  When I told her, "You told me I had another think coming, so I thought again and told you.  Why are you mad at me?"---more confusion.  I think the best confusion was when she'd say, "Oh, do what you want to," so I would and get in trouble because I obeyed what she told me to do.

At Christmas I had a few festive cards with pictures of the sender’s tree and all the decorations they’d taken the time to place on it.  I sat there looking at the tree IKEA sent me (a box of pine needles) complete with decorations printed on heavy paper to cut out, color, and glue together.

When my 28 year old son was little, we would sometimes go over a very high bridge to get home.  We were at the top of the bridge one day when he said, “Mom!!!  I think I can see God.”  I told him, “Well, talk to Him.”  A monologue started and ended with, “Amen.”  Thank you, God for listening to that young man.  He’s on his way to being terrific, and this mom is so proud.

I went to a meeting one day.  I felt something was off with my dressing.  I looked down at my feet and saw I’d not put on shoes; I was wearing my house slippers.  I felt I should have been at Walmart.

A person who plans to do you harm in your vehicle can not if you put a few big dogs who like to smile at people in your back seat.

If you plan to serve a veggie your children do not like, make sure you puree it and put it in a sauce mixed in with macaroni and lots of cheese.  Or, smother it into the bottom of the garbage in the kitchen.  If the dog won't eat it, neither will the kids.

If you're inundated with calls about your car warranty/computer/windows/phone service, tell the caller you don't have what they're trying to sell you.  So far, I don't have a computer nor know how to operate one, live in a cave, ride a horse for transportation, or send smoke signals for communication.

I have a friend who is so obsessed with exercising that she will run or ride her bike in the cruelest of weather---rain or snow, hot or freezing.  She also has exercising equipment at home.  The other day she called me all proud of herself telling me, “Trudy, I just did a 7 a.m. yoga television class, 8 a.m. television zumba class, and worked out for a half hour on my Peloton.  I feel so good!!!”  I listened carefully as I stirred my coffee with a peppermint candy cane, buttered and ate a 5 inch wide, home- made cinnamon-pecan roll.  I felt so good, too.

I have a girlfriend who has just about the same reasoning for things her husband does, as I do.  She told me he, all too frequently, would empty a carton of eggs and not tell her or replace it; eat the last piece of cheese and not replace it; use all the toothpaste and not replace it; use all the toilet paper and not replace it, or eat the last amount of peanut butter---you know, the “glue” that holds kids together?—and not replace it or tell her.  Her children require pure, nothing added, peanut butter. When she opens a jar, she puts in honey and kosher salt to make it palatable for all of them; this takes a bit of time to blend to the right consistency.  It was a harried school morning and she had to fix some lunches.  She reached for the container of  peanut butter, but found it to be empty.  She asked her hubby if he’d eaten it.  He told her he’d had a peanut butter sandwich the night before.  She was rather angry with him, so she made her plan to teach him a lesson.  The next day she asked him if she may borrow his car.  She drove everywhere she could think of until the tank was just a few gallons until empty (they have an indicator that tells how many gallons are left and how many more miles to go).  She came home and didn’t say a thing.  That evening he was running late to an important meeting quite a distance away; got in his car, and then came into the house roaring, “Why didn’t you fill up the gas tank when you emptied all the gasoline out of it?”  She crossed her arms and returned the question, “Why didn’t you replace the EMPTY tube of toothpaste, the EMPTY package of cheese, the EMPTY carton of eggs, the EMPTY roll of toilet paper, the EMPTY juice carton, the EMPTY jar of peanut butter, or all the other things you EMPTY and don’t replace with a full one? Now you know how I feel, so learn from it!”  She tells me things are usually full which he has used since that day of reckoning.

Hendecagon: an eleven-sided polygon.  Another name for hendecagon is undecagon. A solid having eleven faces is called a hendecahedron or an undecahedron.  The Canadian dollar coin, nicknamed “Loonie”, is a hendecagon.  If you’re able to put holes in it, blow through the holes and make music that is known as a Loonie tune.  Oh I know!!  I just couldn’t resist.

Some thoughts for a new year:  "Never underestimate the power you have to take your life in a new direction." "Life's not about expecting, hoping and wishing, it's about doing, being and becoming." "I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past."  “Every moment is a fresh beginning.”  “Every day is an invitation to something good will happen to you.  A smile is good.”

Peace, smiles, and kindness to you for all year.   Always, Trudy

 

     🎄🎄🎄   2021 December FROM MY PERSPECTIVE

For anyone feeling lonely and wishing someone would call: Just go to any page advertising Medicare information; it doesn't matter your age. If you give them your phone number, you will get more calls than you can imagine! There are, also, car warranties people who will track you to the most remote island in the middle of nowhere in unnamed waters.  You might want to turn off your phone!

Here are some words of wisdom.  Most of you probably don’t need to read them, since you’re already wise.  1.  Opportunities always look bigger going than coming.   2.  Whatever hits the fan will not be evenly distributed.  3.  Never be too open-minded; your brains may fall out.  4.  Just going to church doesn’t make you any more a Christian than standing in a garage makes you a car.  5.  Learn from the mistakes of others.  You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself, and besides, being greedy is one of the 7 deadly sins.  6.  Some days the statue, some days the bird.

"The body consists of three parts - the brainium, the borax and the abominable cavity. The brainium contains the brain, the borax contains the heart and lungs, and the abominable cavity contains the bowels, of which there are five - a, e, i, o and u."  Child of much knowledge age 10.

I asked our Tara, age 9 at the time, what a rainbow was.  She thought and said, “When God is happy he sends all these colors in the sky to us, but leaves out the grey and black.  When He is unhappy, He sends just the grey and black and slams his door a lot; just like you do, Mom, when you’re real angry with Stephen.”  I asked her, “What?  God has a door to slam?”  She replied, “The thunder is the sound of the door slamming, Mom.  Don’t you know that?”  I guess I’d better go tell the meteorologists they’re wrong about air molecules being split and slamming back together.  Tara’s answer makes more sense.

The kids were hungry and could hardly wait for supper.  I worked quickly to put together mac ‘n cheese, hot dogs, peas and carrots, and warm applesauce.  I left the extra food on the stove for Guy and me to eat later.  They took their plates, piled high with all the goodies, and went to the 4-seasons room to eat and watch television.  Guy was in his chair talking to me as I sat on the couch with my back to the kitchen.  I heard some noise.  Before I could question what it was, Guy said, “It’s the herd; they’ve come to graze on the range.”  Farm boys never forget.

It was quite chilly the day I stopped by Aint Daisy’s.  I opened the front door and called, “Aint Daisy, are you here?  I’m coming in.”  There was no sound, which concerned me.  I walked around the house checking the rooms to make sure she was not on a floor or sick.  Nothing, but the back door was ajar.  I saw her rushing up the back walk wearing just her shawl.  “Well, hello, chile.  What are you doing here?” she said muffled as her face was buried in her shawl.  “Oh, I just thought I’d stop and check on you.  Are you all right, Aint Daisy?”  I inquired.  “Oh yes, just a bit chilly.  Silly me, I should have put on more than my shawl to scoot out the back door and go check on Miss Agnes.  You know she’s close to her nineties and doesn’t get many visitors.  I took her some chicken and noodles, pumpkin bread and an apple pie.”  “Aint Daisy, you are such a caring friend.  I know she’ll enjoy it all.”  As we talked in the warm kitchen, I noticed she was sitting under a cross-stitched piece she’d had put in an oval frame and hung on the wall.  It said, “A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart.”  How interesting Aint Daisy would be sitting under it, and it would look like a halo above her head.   More wisdom from the Lady of the Holler.

I usually try not to drive after dark.  It’s not that I’m afraid; it’s just that the LED headlights of the newer vehicles really bother my eyes, and God help anyone when the fool has turned them on HIGH beam.  They were so bright I think he could see my thoughts!!!  I showed one to him.

Some fella is suing SMART WATER for not making him smarter.  I am now announcing my actions of suing the Girl Scouts for lying about THIN MINTS, and Nabisco for advertising about REDUCED FAT in their cookies.  I’ve not gotten any thinner or any fat on my body reduced.  Liars!!!

Recently I was taking with an employee of a recycling company asking her the procedure for her company to receive my “dead” television.  She told me, “Come to the front door of the building and enter.  You will see me, and it is there I’ll tell you where to go to dispose of your “dead” television.”  I couldn’t help but laugh out loud.  I told her, “I’m a retired high school teacher.  I’ve had some brave kids tell me where to go.  In one class, a boy was really upset with me, and told me, “Go to Hell!!”  I told him, “Oh child, I’ll be there before you; I’ll meet you there.  My broom will travel faster than your legs.”  The class exploded with laughter after he left; so did the secretary with whom I was reminiscing.

MEMORIES:  I remember the 2 Dodges Daddy had.  One was a 1950 brown Dodge sedan; the other was a 1953 red Dodge sedan.  That was the only red car Daddy ever had.  Each of them had a hood ornament; a silver ram; one in the striking pose and the other was just the head.  After the red one needed to be replaced due to high milage, he got Oldsmobiles.  I think the Olds had a rocket.  He, also, had a ’46 Studebaker, but I can’t remember the hood ornament on it.  Guy and I bought a 1993 Buick Roadmaster in ’93.  It had the Buick emblem in a circle on the hood.  It was attached with a spring wire.  Little did we know they were considered “trophies” to certain gang members.  We lost it to a “trophy hunter”.  When Guy talked to the parts department manager, he was told it would cost $90 plus labor to have another one put on.  We left the space unadorned.  Guy traded for a ’93 Chevy Classic with very low miles.  It had an ornament, but never got taken.  ‘Guess it wasn’t a “trophy”, for which we were glad.  Hood ornaments are not as predominant as they used to be.  Guess it’s tough getting bug guts out of all the little crevices. But, my oh my, weren’t those ornaments attractive things?

On July 25th, I ordered a new microwave, via phone, from a local reputable store.  Many weeks later it still had not arrived.  I called the store and asked why it was taking so long.  The manager told me it was difficult to get drivers for the truck to deliver it from Kentucky to the Peoria store.  I told him I could drive down there, get it, and be home in one day.  He said it doesn’t work that way.  So, I waited longer---September 25 it arrived and was delivered.  By October 4, I had used it two times.  It had a very loud vibrating sound causing me to be very leery of it.  I called the store and asked for a technician to come out and find out what was wrong.  One arrived and found that the fan and magnetron were bad in this brand new microwave.  He said he’d order new parts and would get back to me when they arrived.  Three weeks later I called the store and talked with the manager.  He said they couldn’t get the parts or they were “on a ship in a harbor waiting to dock to be unloaded.”  I told him, “That sounds like lyrics to a sad song!”  I ordered a different one, received money back, and will not be charged for delivery and set up.  I’m not doing business with that store again.  So, if you need a new small appliance, make sure you GO to the store and get it right there; or, you could be listening to the lyrics of a sad song.

I hope your holidays are filled with warm memories, love, laughter, and so much you enjoy.  Blessings, smiles, and best wishes.  Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa from me to you.

Always,  Trudy

 

    🦃🦃🦃🦃  2021 November FROM MY PERSPECTIVE

“Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge.  It requires no accountability, no understanding.  The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world.  It requires profound purpose larger than the self kind of understanding.”  Plato  Everyone has an opinion, but not everyone has empathy, in my experiences with people.

A while ago, I saw a bumper sticker that said, “I’m a veterinarian, therefore, I can drive like an animal.”  All of a sudden I realized how many proctologists are on the roads.  This is a segue to an encounter I had with a nasty person.  I’ve always tried to tell a person off politely and remain a lady.  This person was being most irritating and their actions and words were becoming hurtful.  I told them they needed to go see a proctologist.  They snarled, “Why?”  I told them, “Your words and actions are hemorrhoid-like, and you know where that’s a pain.”

Seeing a picture of a daughter wrapped in a snuggle blanket sitting on a comfy chair.  The picture of this gal said, “I’m going to Mom’s and let her take care of the kids while I totally relax like I can’t at home.” It reminded me of one of my own.  I have one who will come over and we'll be talking.   I'll look over and they will be asleep. They've told me, "It's so peaceful and quiet here, Mom."   I've told them I have some empty beds they can go to and sleep. They reply, "No, I’m staying here because if I go to one of the beds, you're not next to me." My heart is full.

GREIGE PRONUNCIATION:  (grayzh)  MEANING:  noun:  1. A color between gray and beige. (In my definition, it is dull dinge; little hand/finger prints on the clean walls greige)  ETYMOLOGY:  For noun, adj. 1: A blend of gray + beige. Earliest documented use:1927. (Ha!!!  When children put their dirty hands on the walls is the earliest use of that word.)

From time to time, I read the philosophy of Nietzsche just to think about his perspective of “To do is to be.”  Then, along comes Kant whose philosophy is “To be is to do.”  Finally, while listening to Frank Sinatra singing, he breaks out with, “Do be do be do.” 

Don’t worry about the hater.  They are just angry because the truth you speak contradicts the lie they live.  Truth is hate to those who hate the truth.

“Ohh, I can smell the pies cooking,” I thought to myself as I approached Aint Daisy’s front screen door.   I knocked, and she called out, “Y’all come on in.  I’m in the kitchen, so come set a spell and chat.”  I pulled out the old, wooden chair and sat behind the multiple pies which were cooling on the racks on the table.  “I know you love cherry pie, so grab a plate and cut yerself a piece.  ‘Got some fresh lemonade, too.”  I obeyed her words and could hardly wait to eat the pie and sip the lemonade.  The few bites of pie were wonderful, slightly warm, crispy crust, and sweet, sweet cherries and filling.  I took a drink of the lemonade and shuddered.  “Oh, Aint Daisy, the pie and lemonade do not taste good together,” I exclaimed.  She chuckled telling me, “Chile, that’s sort of the way it is with some people---they’re sweet alone, but sometimes when you put another sweet one with them, the combination gets sour.  So, be careful who and what you put together for your enjoyment.”  Another lesson from the Lady of the Holler.

More than ½ of the bones in your body are in your hands and feet.  The strongest muscle in the human body is the tongue---it can build, or it can tear down in a few quick movements.

Recent gasoline prices at a station:  UNLEADED: LOL 9/10;  PLUS: OMG 9/10;  PREMIUM:  WTF 9/10.  I couldn’t stop laughing.  For those of you who don’t know the “computer slang”, here is a translation:  LOL=laughing out loud; OMG=oh my god; WTF=what the f**k.  Appropriate pricing, huh?

Have you ever skipped rocks on the surface of a lake or deep creek?  I have and found it fun and required a skill of:  finding just the right flat rock, how you hold a rock, and how you throw it.  The goal is to have the rock skip more than twice and then sink.  Did you know pumice is the only rock which floats?

"One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest." (Maya Angelou) Those of you who have practiced the virtues of kind, true, merciful, generous, or honesty now know from where they truly came.  Kindness, truthfulness, mercifulness, generosity, and honesty all have an opposite.  It takes courage to continue any of these in the face of the opposite.

Grief, I've learned, is really just love. It's all the love you want to give, but cannot. All of that unspent love gathers in the corners of your eyes and run down your cheeks; the lump in your throat that keeps you from talking; and in the hollow part of your chest that has your name on it. Grief is just love with no place to go.  ILY/143 Forever.

“Success has many fathers/mothers; failure is an orphan.”  Alsair

News flash:  Queen Elizabeth of England doesn’t like the smell of hamburgers cooking.  Well!  Right there tells me she could never be an American.

Clichés: little phrases that help one understand or appreciate a situation they are experiencing.  Here are some to think about and my thoughts about each one.

1.  There is harmony in disharmony---right, and a good fight clears the air!  2.  Feeling bad is just a new sensation---so, maybe I don’t like new so well.  Remember how new shoes feel?  3.  Tomorrow is another day---of course it is, Einstein!!  4. There is a light at the end of the tunnel---and it happens to    be the train, for crying out loud!  5.  After the rain comes the rainbow---not really, what about all that mud?  6. Midnight is where the day begins---unless you live in Northern Alaska.  Then, it’s 6 months of daylight at midnight.  7. Life’s not so bad when you consider the alternative---ohreally?  The alternative has silence, no decisions, no telemarketers, no dirty dishes, no toilets to clean, no lines of waiting, no road rage, no stress.  8. When in doubt, consult your inner child---I did and we played hide and seek all day, colored (I stayed in the lines), took a nap, and had cookies and milk.  9. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder---and I’ve seen some blind-struck beholders, too.  10.  When life gives you lemons, make lemonade---I make lemon pie.  Where is Soupy Sales? Actually, a little vodka in it isn’t so bad, either.

Brenduhh and I went looking for a pumpkin to make desserts with.  We arrived at the farmer’s field, looked it over, and started to walk.  Me:  “Well, there surely are a lot of them.  Which one do you think looks good?”  Breduhh:  “That one over there…as she points in a direction.  Me:  “Which one?”  Brenduhh:  “The orange one.”  Me thinking:  “Great!  That narrows is down a bit.”

                                Peace, smiles, and good thoughts------------Trudy