Goodbye Dear Friend

It has been my privilege to know and have known some very special people during my earthly sojourn. I feel particularly blessed for having rubbed shoulders with a dear lady who passed from this earthly existence to the other side of the veil on Saturday. She and I shared many interests one of which was our mutual love of the organ as an instrument of choice for church services. Another was our love of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This lovely lady always had a loving hug, a smile, and a lively conversation to share. I learned to know her best when she visited my home regularly each month as a visiting teacher some years ago. During this time her devoted husband had passed away and she came to live with her daughter who lived near by. She had a lovely relationship with her daughter and son-in law. I am certain that her departure leaves a tremendous void in their home and lives. I also have a deep conviction that my friend looked forward to "going home" to dwell with those she loved who waited for her just beyond the veil.

Rest in peace, dear friend. I love you and will miss you. Till me meet again.

Ms Fix-It

It is very sad to me to know people whose hearts are aching and not to be able to fix it. I always seem to want to fix it or make it better when really I am just an ordinary human being with no power to intervene I know individuals who have recently lost a spouse. How well I know that pain. I really believe it is impossible to have any understanding of that grief until you experience it. One individual has just buried her husband about a week ago and it is quite heartbreaking to read what she writes of the pain she is experiencing and her calls for prayer and help. It reminds me of pain of my own and I avoid going there -- so I understand. In other cases individuals have aching hearts after learning a spouse has been unapologetically unfaithful. Trust has been lost. Mates are bewildered wondering where to turn, what to do, and who(m) to believe. Families are broken and children are hurt.

Grief is the hardest work you will ever do in this life, I believe. When faced with grief we all must struggle through its many stages whether it comes as the result of the loss of a loved one through death or infidelity. The stages of grief do not come in a set order. We all deal with it in our own way and through its stages in our own order. Some people experience anger before hurt. Some on the other hand may not deal with anger until the final stage. But however it comes it is most difficult.

It goes without saying that we should always be kind to one another-- so that we can be in a position to lift one another up. At best we all have difficult days and we do not know what burdens our friends may be carrying or what unspoken needs they may have.

Domesticating Me

So I have decided to again become domesticated! Huh?? Yes, if I can get my act together I am going to act like Holly Homemaker for at least a minute. For many years, too many to count, I have been involved in a profession that owned me--meaning it consumed all of my spare time.

While I am not divorcing that profession I am being tempted to dabble back into one of my former hobbies, activities, whatever you might call it.

At one stage of my life I made most of the clothes I wore to work, church and wherever. I grew up in a home where my Mom made everything whether it was clothing for us and herself or other items she used. Therefore, one of the first things I did as a young married was acquire a sewing machine and do likewise. As the years moved along I often found myself with not enough time at home to complete clothing for which I had purchased patterns and fabric -- sometimes getting as far as cutting them out and sewing parts together. I also was losing interest as I was cramped for time and had to move on. So sewing went by the way side. I gave up.

I continued to mend and do some tailoring as needed to purchased clothing. I also purchased a Bernina serger. It helps with finishing edges.

After Ken died I purchased a new Bernina machine and thought I would get back into sewing. But I didn't. Instead when I built a new home I misplaced or packed away essential parts of that machine and have never been able to locate them. There have been times when I needed to use the machine to mend or for other tasks and I have learned to make-do with what I can do with hand needlework. So.....I had read reviews of the machine used on Project Runway garbs! I kept seeing one of the machines, refurbished-- and all-- on Overstock.com.

When they ran it at a fair discount right before Christmas I decided to take the chance and purchase one. So now I have that little machine looking at me everyday. Time will tell if I can get the bug again and decide to give it a try!! I continue to have some mending to do....hhmmm.

Or would I rather open a tutoring service?? Big decisions.

Jumpin' Jehosophat

Now, here I am back today with some adventures of the old gypsy woman and her two canine gypsies. Today we have just realized that we have fifty-four more days until DST again. Can you yell a big "hal-leh-luh!" Well, let her rip, sister! Can't wait to hear yours! Mine was oh so good!

What a miserable cold winter. Can I complain any more and any louder? I am really gettin' tired of myself!! So right now I am committing to stoppin complaining and start doing my "sprang cleaning" right away so as I don't have to miss watching for" sprang". Now ain't that a plumb splendid idea or idear as the natives sometimes say in the ole north state.

It must be time for the resolutions because I think it is time for me to start being more productive as well -- so I better get started on that, too. I have to get my backfield in motion which means I may have to wait for the dang thang to thaw being as it has been frozen ever since December came along. (Uh, I forgot I wasn't supposed to mention.....)

You know I get to go out in the garage this week and move everything four feet off of the wall. I am sure you are thinking what is she talking about now. Well, when the termite inspectors came to do their annual inspection the little critters had reared their heads behind the freezer in the garage. So now I get to move everything into the middle of the garage so that it can be re-treated for those little pests. My home is ten years old and this is the second time the critters have broken through the barrier. Something smells about that story. Oh well, Not fun. Gotta go get to work!

Just Juicy January

Oh heck, people, January is just rolling along in spite of my distaste for it! I have nearly frozen my booty off and January just didn't seem to care. Now on the news today they are telling me that today, January 17th, is the most depressing day of the year!. What have I been trying to say folks! Not just about today but all of January. Isn't anyone listening!! Then they had the audacity to say that I have to wait until June 17th for the most "undepressing day." Will wonders never cease?

Just so you know the news says that one of the reasons today is so depressing is thinking about those bills we/ folks ran up during Christmas. Well, shame on them! Whatzamatta, no self control?? Jes' don't run up them bills is all I gotta say.

Hey, I gotta a really good idea. Why not take back one of those gifts they gave you and credit it back to their account so they don't owe so much money and have to be depressed. Think that will work?

I am signing off for now cause I think there may be some more cold weather coming in before January runs out of days and I gotta start shivering early.

Private or Secrets

Quite often when I write stuff on this blog it is done quite tongue-in-cheek. What I write is often my way of looking at the world. Lately I have been really wondering about an issue that I probably do not understand at all.

I think the majority of us understand when we put anything on the internet that the world is going to "have at it." I would hope that we also understand that there may be / and are things about us on the internet that we did not put there nor would we necessarily want them there by choice. Try googling yourself.

With that said I am perplexed as to why folks make their blogs "private." Now, how private does one think the blog is going to be. The other thing that often puzzles me is why folks would care who looks at their info on Facebook. I see this little bit about checking on who is looking at your info. Well, you put it on Facebook for people to look at -- so why would one care who is looking or "stalking" as it is called.

Perhaps I am missing something in all of this . Can't figure what!

My Clowns and Me

I love my girls. I am just an old lady who lives with two schnauzers so what else is there to love. Nothing more than the two living things that you spend the most time with. My Piper is six years old, not too far away from her seventh birthday. At the moment she is hiding away in her sister's pet taxi sleeping and snoring occasionally. She snores when she goes into a deep sleep and sometimes makes some really unusual noises. Stretched out beside me is schnauzer number three sleeping lightly. If I make one move other than typing here she will be ready and awake. This girl is a true piece of work, just full of puppy! She can be sooo funny while being sooo pesty at the same time. One hundred percent puppy.

Now up on the mantle is girl number one. We lost her on November 10th to cancer. This girl had my heart and took part of it with her. When I look at her picture on the top of this blog I can hardly believe that I had to let her go. I can reflect on the hours I spent over twelve years rubbing, stroking that little schnauzer body and spoiling her. I miss her and think about her everyday. I will see her again some day and we will run among the flowers and play.

More on Music and Me

Well, here I am on post two about music, vocalists, and my preferences after having edited the last post. I know I will get an earful from some mortal on how weird I am. That will not be new, though.

Now about string music. I really love string instruments but do not have the mentality to play one. I can plunk away on a ukelele but that is about as far as it goes. I love a good fiddle -- nothing better than a solid one in an orchestra whether symphony or at a spirited hoedown. Strings can be rich. (Some can be stringy, too!) I love the voices of a good bass fiddle and a cello. Those blended with a nice french horn are a real treat. I love banjo and mandolin. But.....I do not like country and western music -- as in vocal. Especially, female vocalists. I can tolerate some male voices somewhat. Strange but there are some selections done by male vocalists that sit on a fence between these genres that I like. I will think about those and update this post. In the meantime do not favor me with any bluegrass sangers, or c and w female sangers, puulleeze.

Vocals and Me

Why do I write posts only to delete them shortly? I think I know but I am not positive.

So here goes again. I may delete this one as well.

I have noticed that the Tabernacle Choir has recently released a new CD with only the male voices of the choir. I can't wait to hear it. I took note of how the selections were chosen and balanced for the release and the words of the director that this just might turn out to be the only time as well as the first time only males voices are used. I love male voices. From the time I was a little child I have had a difficult time appreciating female voices. So many of them are so, so, well just awful. I can remember as I grew up taking piano lessons, learning in junior high orchestra and band, and developing such a strong appreciation of instrumental music. However, I also developed a dislike of vocal music as a whole. But I did develop a preference for male voices. That is not to say that I did not participate in some vocal music. I did but....

I can remember the day when my own mother told me I should stick with instrumental music because I surely couldn't sing. So for the most part I have. I can read music and I can make the appropriate sound to equal what I read but I wouldn't say it sounds "listen worthy." HaHa! New word! So where does that put me with vocal music??? I just do not know. There are some female vocalists whose voices I like and appreciate as an adult but they are few and far between. My taste(s) would not please many of you who read this. One example of my distastes of female vocalists is Celine Dion. Just can't tolerate it, whew. Oh, and I forgot to mention every one's favorite, Miss Taylor Swift. Do you really call that singing?? Far too much of what I hear sounds like screaming, or in danger of dying, call 911, and some of it can not really be music, can it???

So where does that put me??? Just do not know.

Now to further complicate this issue I need to emphasize that I do appreciate choir and group music. Why? I like the blended voices. I enjoy the intricacies of choral music. I am not certain but I think it is because to produce a well balanced, polished sound it takes such effort to blend all aspects of the musical sound --voices, lyrics, accompaniment ( as a background). It is so technical and takes such an ear to coax and train human beings to produce a smooth lyrical sound. It takes work!! Now I am sure female solo vocalists can put up an outstanding argument with me about all of this. But this is my blog and I am doing "the talking."

More to follow.....

Are We There Yet...or ..Is It Over Yet???

Wowwee!! I think it is over! The season of frazzled feelings, busted budgets, terrible tears, and expanding waists..umm wastes, too! For us in the old North State it was a season of really cold temperatures concluding with a White Christmas, Irving Berlin's dream of a picturesque holiday.

At least for those who spent Christmas in Raleigh and the surrounding area it was a white. For those of us who escaped this place it wasn't very white. At the southern coast we saw snowflakes blowing in the wind but without accumulation. To me that is the bestest kind!

The kiddies were all excited and sometimes it is as much fun watching their parents create excitement for them. We have lots of little babies in our family -- the oldest turned six on December tenth. The youngest turned six months on Christmas Day. Another is expected in June.

They have to be the cutest ever, of course. By next year it will really be a wild affair with them having a better understanding of this whole gifting thing. I imagine the most popular gift among the older adults will be ear muffs or ear plugs!

Secretly I am really happy that it only comes once a year. But I think I will keep that to myself lest I be declared Hyper-Scrooge. It used to be that the mad rush happened from Thanksgiving through New Years. Now it seems a blur from Halloween through New Years. What happens next?