Spending, Thanksgiving, Christmas thoughts

For the most part, I am a sane, responsible, thoughtful individual. Except after I make that first purchase at the Mall. Then I know, it could be downhill from there. At this point, one might think, walking out of the mall, putting the one package in the car trunk, and driving home would be the better part of valor. Somehow, this never occurs to me.(Does it occur to any woman? Most women? Some women?) After this first time, credit cards seem to fly out of my wallet.

My eyes see so many things I think will make life better. Creativity spills out of me, decorating rooms, clothes outfits fall into place, and beautiful shoes grace my feet. But, alas and alack, I don't not go into high-end spending. $800 Jimmy Choo shoes never touch my toes. No, not even from the sale rack. I have my limits and Jimmy's lovely, no make that gorgeous,shoes never see the inside of my closet let alone walk up the street with me. Jimmy's shoes don't make it into my shopping bag. (I love shopping bags!) Oh, but Jimmy's shoes make one salivate for wanting the beautiful, strappy shoes, shoes with all the sturdiness and use forced out of them. The straps entice the eye in with beautiful feathers floating down the center of the shoe, letting your feet enjoy the slight tickle. Other Jimmy's dazzle the eye with the glimmer and shimmer of glittering stones, twinkling in the artfully placed lighting of the store, further enhancing their brilliance, pulling us ever closing to opening up our wallet. This is where the sane part of me steps in, finally, to say, "Oh Ho No! This is not the shoe for you!"

And sure enough, it is not. One reaches the age where wearing shoes such as Jimmy's is a long ago remembered thrill. Nowadays, it the flat Geoxx shoe for me. Much more reasonable. Or perhaps the new MBT Mary Janes (waiting until this latest bill is paid off) Yes, walking without pain is number one of my list these days. I'm fortunate to have good feet that can still wear pretty shoes in a more reasonable design, even with a little kitten heel at times. Then, I feel, ever so glamorous and sophisticate, just like my mind felt looking at the Jimmy Choo's. Hip pain, not feet pain, is my big concern now. The style of the shoe doesn't make a difference, so with careful selection, pretty shoes line cover my shoe rack. Aquacize, twice weekly, and a special five minute floor exercise, twice daily take care of the hip pain, making the pain bearable.

This is the Silly Spending Season"that promises to get worse with the coming of Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. I think this year, I'll check into the internet and just see what goes on. I have to admit I haven't clue on how to do this, but I'll give it a go. Hey, it's a learning experience, eh? I've managed to avoid the stores and the internet on Black Friday so far. Not this year. I'll be online.

The DH and I are by ourselves this Thanksgiving. We have a dinner reservation at lovely, old restaurant nearby. Christmas will be spent with family at Susan's summer/fall/winter abode in Melbourne Florida, along with Don, her SO, a singular great guy (most of the time ) All of Ed's daughters will be together on Christmas Eve & Christmas. Jane, the oldest of the three, is flying down with us on 12/20. We will arrive in Orlando and pick up the car Jane has rented and drive to Sue's in Melbourne, FL.

The DH & I are staying at the Pineapple Inn, a B&B a bit down the street from Sue's. Jane will be staying at Sue's place, middle daughter. Barb, the baby,;-) & Jay will be down Christmas Eve and will be flying back on 226 or 27th. They are in a hotel a bit away from us.

I love this season. It's a time to reflect and realize all that we have to be thankful for and how blessed we are by God to live in this great country, the USA. Outside, on a cold, crisp dark evening with the stars shining bright and the moon rising anywhere it wants to rise, I can't help but feel the power of God. His power and his love spills out from the heavens, there for our taking. God sets no limits on His love and how much we can ask for or what we can ask him. No limits, no questions, just his love. All you have to do is ask. So simple.

God Bless you all. And if I don't make it back here before Christmas, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Sore throats; knitting woes; clutter slaying and general malaise

Tuesday last, the Prayer Shawl Ministry shared celebrating with a member’s family, their bereavement of the death of husband and father. The church setting was simply stunning. Found in the early 1800’s, St. John’s Calvary Episcopalian Church was set high on a hill, as churches usually were in those days, surrounded by an orchard probably began at the same time. Time, wind, rain, and snow, those tough elements, oblierated the information on many of the graves. The grounds were hilly and uneven, making walking upright a personal best for some (like me!). 

The Church building, original to its beginnings, is limited in facilities. The minister periodically gave instructions to the people gathered in the nave on how to find the necessary facilities. “You exit the pew, turn around, and exit the church. Then turn left and then left again to go down the hillside on that side of the church. A door under the church proper on the left will lead you to your destination.”  Or words to that effect.

It was a classic autumn day. Bright sun and vivid blue skies. No clouds. Wind was calm. Our friend’s casket was placed on the hilltop, overlooking the valley, east towards the Atlantic and down to his beloved Cape May.

Afterwards, we continued to celebrate at one of the oldest, original taverns in the United States. I forget now the original name of the tavern and for that matter, it’s present name. That was one powerful Perfect Manhattan I had before lunch.  Gotta watch that, eh?

That evening I was high with a fever and woke the next morning with a classic sore throat. Finally saw the MD/PA on Friday. Armed with a cache of cortisone, antibiotics, and Mucinex, I crawled home and pulled up the covers. 

It is now a week later. I’m still under the malaise of the sore throat; tired, sleepy, and achey. Don’t want to do a thing but have to.  Gotta get rid of books so my DH [dear husband] will be happy for a few days with less clutter staring him in the face. As I sat here, doing my best  procrastinating , I realized that I can’t do my knitting, which I love doing more than most things, because the work isn’t done. That is, I have not cleaned up my desk and all the other junk trails I’ve following me around. “You can’t play until your work is done” haunts me from my childhood (when do these memories stop bugging you?  thought that happened when you grew up?  which begs the question:  when do you grow up?) Knitting isn’t exactly play, now is it?  But it’s fun and something I like to do. Ergo…it’s play. At least in my mind. Which means unless I clean up this mess, I can’t knit. So around I go.

It’s another beautiful Fall day here in the Middle Atlantic States. From the weather forecast, we will have the same for the balance of the week. I look forward to sitting on the patio perhaps for the last time this year. But then, I’ll have the sun in Melbourne, FL in December.  If the gods, that is, don’t bring rain on me per usual during winter months in the sunny state.  And I’m on the way to the patio right now to call my dearest, oldest friend back in Whitney, PA. 

Happy Halloween!

Seems I get the urge to blog on holidays. Well, holidays are for fun and goofing around. Goofing Around?? That's why I never finished a book. I looked at writing as "goofing around", nothing to take seriously. Can't finish a book that way, can you? Nothing I do is important enough to seriously it seems. I find excuses or say, "It's nothing. Anyone can do that." Well,no that's not true. Not everyone can do what I do. Some people can but not every one.

Halloween has come and gone now. It is November 5, 2010 and I am down and out with a severe sore throat. Finally called the doctor after 3 days suffering. I can barely talk. The DH responds with "I can't understand you. Talk louder!" Why does he not understand I can't talk louder. It hurts! Do y our husbands respond this way when you're down with a sore throat or any other type of illness? I'd enjoy comments.

Maybe if I'd stayed in bed,I'd be taken seriously. But since I'm up and about, taking nourishment, I'm fair game for household stuff. No, no, not me. I'll just go back to bed.

My computer tech is coming today with MS Office 2010 so I can have Outlook for my appointments, etc. MS2007 (version I bought cause it cost the least), doesn't have Outlook on it. So for another $200+ I'll have Outlook.

Computer has been acting up and he and I worked on it last week. I want to change to MS Windows 7 but he talked me out of it. Said no need to. Guess it's just as well....several hundred dollars saved.

Knitting...have much on the needles. Finished some. OTN: Lickety-Split shawl in cream Simply Soft for the Prayer Shawl Ministry; 4th Flounce scarves; top down sweater in Plymouth Colorspun red tweed for me, along with other projects I can't remember. Oh yeah! The Wrap Me Up Shawl started May 2009. I have 3 more blocks plus the lace edging then it will be finished. To tell the truth, I just simply forget about this project.

On the Top Down Sweater, I think I got the sleeve increases out of line. Will be going up to see Anita at Garden Of Yarn for her analysis. If I did mess up, that's about 10 rows to frog. Anita doesn't put up with mistakes and/or sloppy work.

I finished the Summer Umbrella shawl for myself out of Noro

Labor Day 2010

Labor Day...sounds so un-American to me. It sounds like a holiday in the old USSR. Why do we celebrate labor? I know it's to honor honest work of our citizens, but it still seems so Socialist to me. Why not a name like American Celebration or Honor Americans? After all, that is what this day is about, isn't it? Honoring all of us who work honestly and hard all year long, not only to make a living and survive, but to make this country even greater than it is....

So much for my rant of the day. There is so much more to rant about but I will avoid those controversial subjects. This is not the place for them. This blog is about what I like most of all.

Most of all, I love, love family, especially mine. God blessed me with a wonderful husband and along came the Broge family. Not only his three daughters, but a boatload of family members who opened their arms and took me in. Immediately, my family had grown fourfold. Now not only did I have my sister and brother's super-duper folks, I was now part of a huge family that accepted me and took me in without exception.

From the first, I felt as one of them. Their easy going ways and family stories enchanted me from the first. My husband's two brothers and sister, not to mention his mother, who welcomed me with "You're nice even though you're a Catholic" opened up a new chapter in my life.

October 16, 2010

I guess this proves I'm one of the great procrastinators of our time. I'm finally back here to update my blog. Not much has changed in my life. Except for the addition of aqua therapy sessions from which I graduated to Aqua Water Aerobics at the same pool. The dates at the therapy pool fit my days better. Tuesdays and Thursdays. I could go Monday & Wednesday as the fee covers 4 days. Heavens forbid I should do 4 days of water aerobics. Not because I couldn't do it, but Mondays & Wednesdays are occupied with the Prayer Shawl Ministry group. However, the ministry meeting alternate each week, so it's conceivable I could go three days a week to aerobics. I'll take this under consideration.

Fussing with my computer. I keep getting a message from ASUS about fan speed. Searching the ASUS support site, I learned that this is a glitch in my computer series. There is a download to correct this from popping up,however, when I try to use it, extracting it via WinZip, I'm told I need administrator permissions. I am the administrator of the computer and also noted this on WinZip. Checked out WinZip s

upport forums.

Ever notice how difficult it is to navigate computer software support forums? I could cry! I know these forums are using English, but why do they use such formal talk? Why not put the answers in easy to read forms? You know, like they would if they were talking to us face-to-face. But the talk in cryptic language only they can understand and react as if we're the crazy ones.

However, I found a nice tech support man. And not only does he knows what he's doing, he talks in English, not tech speak.


The glitch is still occurring....fan speed bad! Oooooooooooo! Horror! Doesn't seem to affect the computer. It's working just fine, relatively speaking, that is.

August 28, 2010

So...I'm the least visible blogger on the planet. Really, I forget all about my blog. And I still haven't mastered uploading pictures.

Knitting is my pastime as the name of my bloG indicates. I change the appearance and background to show my other passion...books. Avid reader. Right now it's Dear and Glorious Physician by Taylor Caldwell. The book was published in the 1960s and Caldwell said it took her 46 years to write this book! I can believe it. She writes in the forward of the book "The first version was written when I was twelve years old , the second when I was twenty-two, the third when I was twenty-six, and through those years work did not cease on this book." Wow!


Caldwell was a prolific writer, publishing 35 books in her lifetime. She was born in Manchester, England in 1900 and died in 1985 in Greenwich, Connecticut. Caldwell had four husbands.

It's my second reading since the '60's. What a difference to read a book 50 years later with all the knowledge one thinks they have in their twenties. I've learned so much more in this second reading. Caldwell has always been one of my favorite authors. I think I'll be re-reading her books for a while.

As for knitting, I finished a number of projects since my last post, but have yet to finish the Wrap Me Up Shawl. I have 3 small sections to go plus the edging and finishing touches. Other projects have interfered with the complete of this shawl. Shawls for friends,and for the Prayer Shawl Ministry, Christening blankets and lap robes. I'm a slow knitter but seem to make quick progress when I sit down to do it.

At my age, my attention wanders and I make silly mistakes which means tinking back (for non-knitters that means taking out the stitches backwards one-by-one) or else just ripping rows to the error. This happens quite a lot. Know it is said that only God is perfect and that we must leave a mistake in all our creations. Well, believe me I leave more than one. But I can't help trying to do just one project perfect. Reminds me of my days in my twenties when I wished to type just one page without an error. Never made that goal. Now the computer makes this possible.

Speaking of spelling (Wasn't I?), I read many posts where the spelling is atrocious. (Note, after I published this post, I noticed all my spelling errors ::blushing:: I came back and edited it. Talk about red faces!) I wonder if they ever read over what they have typed. So many errors in both spelling and grammar. Makes one wonder what they learn in school. One they don't learn is penmanship. And I won't start on my feelings about what history is being taught in our schools. Just believing in history, we continue to make the same mistakes over and over again. Our Congress proves that every 4 to 6 years. Re-elections and new faces don't seem to change anything.

A congressman being interviewed recently (I've forgotten his name and the program...it's my age, sorry) said when asked if he read the bill just passed, replied, and I'm paraphrasing here,
"Of course I didn't read it. We never read these things. We just pass them and then send back to 'experts" to write the law." Reassuring, eh?

Time's wasting. See you all in a few days, weeks, months, years.

joaniecomelately

Happy July Fourth Everyone!

Dramatic changes in the way the DH and I celebrate this holiday. Seven years ago, before downsizing to this apartment, we lived on a wooded acre, in a large house, 3600 square feet. Three outdoor decks surrounded the house, one at the bottom of the hill in the back yard, with a small deck (or landing) leading down to the lower deck.

Attached to the house, a large deck was situated outside the sliding door from the kitchen. Two steps down from the kitchen, we had put in a stone patio, with several small garden beds. The main deck was a step up from the patio. A large deck, under a canopy of beechwood trees. At one time a large, triple trunk dogwood tree covered one corner of the deck. We set up our table and chairs under the dogwood.

Many pleasant days and evenings were spent on this deck, many times with a large gathering of friends and relatives. July 4th was our big holiday gathering. I planned this party for months, gathering all sorts of patriotic paraphernalia, storing lists of patriotic facts in MSWord for use in the annual puzzle game for the guests. Other games, very simple, were included, most of them gone from memory now. The prizes were simple, little things like, pencils, stickers, or whatever I found in the dollar stores or similar places.

Everyone enjoyed the games, win or loose. But one couple took the game seriously. So much so, that to our shock and surprise, they would cheat to win the game. Cheat for a red, white, and blue pencil??? Why were surprised when this was the same couple who cheated on the golf course. Eventually, we dropped them as guests at our home.

Now, I miss planning this party and celebrating the Fourth of July. Sometimes, though, I drag the DH to fireworks that are launched at a small farm just down the road from us. If we get there early enough, we can nab a parking spot right along the field where they stage the entire production.

This farm is surrounded by all sorts of single home, most of them more than 50 years old. It an old community The residents near the farm all seem to have gatherings of their own and baby versions of fireworks on their lawns. So getting there early means you can enjoy their fireworks, too. But they all stop when the farm begins to load their pyrotechnics. People are parked along the street on the two sides of the field that have road access. Others are parked on the opposite side of the road, or along the community's side roads. No one in the community seems upset at outsiders invading their little village.

The traffic is horrendous after the firework spectacle. But everyone is polite and patient in this jam of cars. No way can we turn around and go back the way we come. We have not choice but to got straight ahead with the traffic flow. There is no two way traffic on this road after the show. So straight ahead we go, knowing we will eventually get to a road where, if we turn left, we will eventually find out way back home. For some unknown reason, we've never turned right. Perhaps this year, I'll take this road. (I'm the one driving at night...all the time) I'll have to bear with the objections of the DH and all his expletives directed my way. "Why the #%^ are we going this way?" Etc., etc., etc.

This year, with no plans to do anything and no invitations, I emailed several friends and asked then if they wished to join us for dinner at some lively place, give me a call. Two of them answered, so for two nights in a row, we will go out with friends, to down a bottle or two of wine and toast our freedom.

Freedom??? Will we be losing this soon? It appears that our Congress might be leading us this way. So far now, they are running the automotive business, they've taken over financial companies, and are attempting to absorb the insurance and medical institutions in our country. Why? They want to be like Canada and Europe. WHAT? In Canada, one has to get in line for serious medical concerns such as breast cancer operations, heart bypasses, etc. It's so bad, Canadian citizens come to the USA for treatment. They know they will get treatment immediately on all serious health problems and fast help for other medical concerns. And Europe? Heck, if it wasn't for the USA, they would all be speaking German, including Great Britain.

So why do our reps think we want their systems. Two hundred years plus, our ancestors proved to England and the rest of the world that they had a better idea on how to live in and run a country. Sure, we're a young country compared to Europe, and our Republic's democratic system is still evolving. It's a work in progress and always will be. So why change to Socialism or, Lord forbid, Communism? I learned in college that any system or belief that ended in "ism" is to be questioned and avoided.

I'm afraid for this country. I know there are folks out there who are actively working to keep this from happening. But is that enough? Should I get involved in local groups of the TCUnation? At my age, adding another event to my schedule will only result in anxiety attacks. So what should I do?

Well, I'm here, telling the world how I feel, what I believe. I'm a practicing Roman Catholic and proud of it. I believe in God and know that He is always with me. I pray for our Congress to be circumspect and consider the consequences of their actions. Seems like they don't understand the law of unintended consequences.

I won't get into Global warming today. Much to much to think about. I'd rather be knitting. Plus I have friends to get in touch with. I've neglected them recently.

I know this post comes on the heels of my last one...but I'm full of surprises. Seems I don't' always procrastinate. Well, that's not true...I procrastinate on my knitting time. Seems it's fun to do and I was taught that all the hard work was to be done before you had fun. Interesting, how this stuff stays in your psychic forever. And it's hard to fight. So I procrastinate.

Finally...another post...just where I've been

Finally...another post



When I said I procrastinate, I wasn't lying, was I? I do excel at this!

We're in the midst of summer and the humid, sticky weather is upon us. Sitting on the patio is out of the question on most days. It's sticky. It's hot. Even with the new umbrella in place, it can be too warm. Sometimes, however, we do have a neat breeze flowing down between the buildings here. That makes it pleasant.

I've continued on my Wrap Me Shawl...to block 14 out of 21. Block 14 almost undid me. It's been a stumbling block. It's a close knitted pattern called cross stitch by the designer. Only a two row pattern but somehow I manage to make errors even when I'm being extra attentive. I'm about 1/3 of the way through and I can't wait to finish it. So why don't I forge ahead with it?

Thank you notes are holding me up. Had a one of big O birthday's on June 23rd. My husband hosted a family party at a local restaurant. My brother and his wife, from Cleveland, Ohio, and sister and husband, from Reading, PA came in for the event. Also, the DH's daugthers and significant others came to the party, too. They traveled from Hartford, CT, Denville, NJ, and Hockessin, DE.

It was a wonderful party. The DH gave a spectacular speech, all about me and my activities and how proud he is of me. He also praised the women in the Prayer Shawl Ministry. He thinks this is a wonderful thing I did...starting up the ministry at my church.

Then his daughter stood up and thanked me for being so nice to her mother and that she was so happy I married her father. Can't ask for more than this.

The DH's daughters are highly creative and super intelligent...along with being attractive women. The gift they had prepared didn't come in on time, so the graphic artist in the group hurriedly put together another. She did an ad campaign, using ad campaign posters from yesteryear, substituting my face for the original face in the ad. When I saw the first one, I was taken aback. Where on earth did she get my HS graduation picture? Even I can't find that! It was really spooky, seeing me at 18 again. Turns out the original face in the ad had her hair fixed as I wore mine back in the day. Later on, this same daughter brought the original project she and her sisters dreamt up for me. It is a booklet, about 12 x 15, a memory lane trip. Pictures from the beginning of our relationships 40 years a go to the present. What a wonderful gift! On the back cover, there is a picture of the three of them with me and the caption reads "A Three Wicked Stepdaughters Production." Only these three...I can imagine them dreaming this up and the myriad phone calls back and forth.

Today is Prayer Shawl Meeting day at the local B&N. Got a gift certificate, a dollar for every year, from my sister and brother. It's burning a hole in my pocket. I want to make sure I make the best use of it. Now what books do I want that will amuse and entertain and educate me forever? My cat just shook her head and said, "Don't ask me. I can never understand you." Smart cat.

We are happy in this house lately. Our favorite team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, won the Stanley Cup. Pittsburgh,m, PA, where, alas and alack, we no longer live, is once again the City of Champions. Three Stanly Cups and Five Super Bowl trophies! What a town. I could move back there in a New York minute!

Off to do some more thank you notes. Next time...the Wrap Me Up shawl will be done. Meanwhile, I've posted some pictures of the work in progress.