Time MARCHes On!

The neighborhood is getting greener, more colorful, with longer days that seem brighter and clearer. It is stimulating to finally feel the freshness of Spring, and everyone is outside enjoying it. Of course, as with all good things, there are the drags. In our case, it is the pollen. It covers everything - outside furniture, cars, sidewalks, etc. There are even spots that look like someone has taken a handful and splashed it on the driveway. This has been going on for several weeks and I can tell by the pine trees in my backyard that it is not over yet.

(3/16/21) It was in the middle of this month that I realized I had done nothing about my taxes. So, the better part of the last two days was spent with that. This seems like something I should be able to do for myself, but I fear tackling it in the event I might do something terribly wrong! I can’t imagine that my taxes are that complicated! In any case, I have everything ready and this afternoon will deliver them to the CPA, mail my passport renewal, and stop by my bank to find out if they have notary services. This is one of those pet peeves: There are two phone numbers listed for my bank and both appear to be local numbers. One can’t be connected and the other connects you to what appears to be a central answering location, not my local bank. So, there is no real way to just quickly call the bank! You can hold forever or leave a call back number, which did not happen. That really doesn’t seem like good business practice to me.

Some good news from my friend Pamela, whom I mentioned a few posts ago. She is now in San Pancho, Mexico, which looks lovely (I Googled it!). She plans to be here at the end of August and it’s wonderful to have something to look forward to. I’m very eager to learn all about her adventure and how it developed. It sounds like a 5-year plan with about 8 months spent in Mexico and then traveling around the States or other parts of the Americas in her RV. I admit to being more than a little envious. There is nothing as energizing as a new adventure. Melodee, who also plans to visit in the fall, mentioned that a friend of hers is moving to La Paz, Mexico, so there much be a trend. 

Tippy came out on Monday (3/22/21) and we went to Ruan for lunch – we Thai-ed one on! They have set up their porch to accommodate several tables. We were the only ones there for most of our meal. When someone else came in, they were seated at the other end, away from us. It was a lovely day and a comfortable setting. Then, on Tuesday I went to Drinking Liberally for the first time in a long time in a restaurant (Chow Daddy’s). It, too, was at an outside area, but it was a long table with about 10-12 people. The person I sat beside said, “Come on. Sit down.  We’ve all been vaccinated!” That didn’t make me feel any better. Tom was kind enough to help me add another table and extend the distance a bit. I think it will take us a while to feel comfortable with close encounters with others.

With the change of season, it looks like Rosie is changing our morning routine. Beginning winter before last winter, I developed the slothful habit of getting up around 7:30 AM, grabbing a cup of coffee and then returning to bed to listen to Morning Joe while checking emails and FB. That often lasted much longer than it should because Rosie made no effort to get up either! This morning she hopped out of bed right after the alarm went off and while I was still contemplating the possibility. So, I got up, gave Rosie her medicine, had a cup of coffee, and Rosie appeared for her walk. So, we were out the door for an earlier than usual walk. It was a perfectly cool morning and Rosie actually walked briskly. Maybe the weather was her reason for wanting to get out so early. She doesn’t like warm/hot weather at all and summer is a struggle for us both. We’ll try to take advantage of these spring mornings while we can. They will fade all too soon.

My friend David, who sometimes comes over for some Rosie time, sent me this cartoon. Needless to say, I loved it and it's too close to the truth. Many people in the neighborhood know me via Rosie or as the lady who walks the little dog. She welcomes everyone and I'm just her loyal attendant!

Spring is in the Air!

 After entering my last post, Rosie and I joined Tippy for a beach walk at Dolphin Head. When we arrived, we were surprised that the parking lot – and the beach – were empty, especially on such a beautiful day. We made the most of it and were able to let Rosie off-leash a bit (against the rules, but no one around). She loved it and literally ran circles around us! It was a joy to behold. As we turned around and headed back, more people were arriving and Rosie was working her charm and greeting everyone. By the time we got to the car, the parking lot was full as people can out to enjoy the day. Tippy invited us for a glass of wine and we sat on their comfy front porch and ‘chewed the fat” as they say. I left Rosie off-lease, which was fine right up until she spotted a squirrel! She headed off at a trot but did respond when I called her back. I really want her to have time off-leash whenever possible, but there are a lot of considerations and I do have to keep an eye on her!

My term as newsletter editor for Liberal Ladies has ended and I was savoring the freedom. Then, Lowcountry Coalition Against Hate decided they wanted to use an email/contact management system. So now I am learning how to use MailChimp to format a newsletter and send it to all of our followers. I use Mailchimp to notify you that I’ve updated the blog but, as you know, it is a very simple template. So now I have to learn how to format a newsletter so that it can be sent to several hundred folks and not wind up in the spam folder. I’m not actually complaining because I VOLUNTEERED (silly me) to be secretary, something I have never done before; and, I do love learning new things on the computer…..but now I’m under pressure to figure it out. Local folks: if you’d like to be on our mailing list, let me know and I will add you.

I’ve also been asked to serve on a small committee for World Affairs Council to help evaluate various aspects of their member services – their website, new member services, etc. They were looking for someone who was not a member and Jean Vahey, a voice from the past, suggested me. It only meets once a month in the afternoon, and the chair keeps it to a one-hour meeting. I can handle that. World Affairs Councils are throughout the US but ours is the second-largest, which is surprising for a town our size.

More on Food: I’ve added a few more things to the recipe section. Pilar didn’t send me the Mushroom and Black Bean Tortilla Soup recipe but she did post it on Facebook. The minute I read it, I knew it was a keeper, especially being topped with cheese, avocado, and corn tortilla strips. It is really tasty and tangy. Thanks, Pilar. I also included Tian Provencal with Polenta that I pictured some time ago and plan to make tomorrow. I had to buy a deep dish for it, but it was worth it. As planned, I made Jan’s Walnut and Mushroom Bolognese and it, too, was scrumptious!  I also went to my “Favorites” folder and added 5 or 6 recipes that had not been included previously. There are quite a few vegetarians who follow this blog so don’t forget to send your favorites…I’d love to try them and include them in the recipe file. Non-vegetarians are welcome to check out the recipes and experiment.

Not all have been successful in the kitchen. I had a major fail when entertaining the Pan Pals. I made samosas, which I’d made before and found to be very tasty. In reading the comments for the recipe, someone mentioned using empanada pastry, which I did use originally and it turned out great. So, when having my pals over, I did what you are never supposed to do, I tried something different and used egg roll sheets. I checked Google and was led to believe I could make them early and keep them in the fridge before baking. WRONG! The minute I unwrapped them, I knew I was in trouble. The Pals were very gracious and the filling was tasty, but the pastry was tough and looked awful. Lesson learned!

 

George should definitely have gotten your attention!! I include this only because I'm in the process of getting my passport renewed and had to have the required photo taken. Everything will be mailed this coming week and Reyna said hers was processed quickly, not that it matters at this point.

It is a relief to be fully vaccinated. Things went as I have hoped. Many people received an email confirmation of their scheduled time. I didn’t and was wondering if the drive-thru event would be happening. Once I turned the corner and saw the set-up, I knew I was in good shape. Rosie doesn’t like to ride in cars and I thought this a good outing to expand her confidence level. She had a little shivery spell but once she realized we were not on the way to the vet that subsided. She did give me a few pointed side glances, but once we arrived, I let her window down a bit and she enticed a few national guard people to come over and pet her! On the way home, she almost fell asleep, so I consider that a success. I would love to get her comfortable with riding distances so we could do some road trips.

And yes, spring is in the air. The days are sunnier, warmer, and longer.- or flip-flop weather, as I call it. The grass is greening and things are beginning to bloom. Even the birds seem to be singing more! My hope is that spring will linger a while. Some years it seems that it lasts only two weeks and then one morning you wake up and it's 95 degrees. It's been a drab winter, a year of pandemic sheltering, and we're hoping for a spring of rebirth and rejuvenation!