Angry Birds, Aging, Recipes, and More!

 Angry Birds: Birds in the front of me. Birds in back of me…..all charging! I guess it’s the result of nesting season. I checked my birdbox because I had not seen birds around for a while. I was surprised to see the mama bluebird was nesting inside! I was so surprised and pleased; however, now when I sit outside or take Rosie out back, we get zoomed by one of the couple. The bird in the front of the house is larger than a bluebird and even more aggressive. Their nest is in the bush surrounding my mailbox and he keeps careful guard of it. He has a curt chirp and Rosie has been grazed by him twice and me once… and that goes on all up the driveway!

Aging Quirks:

This is my avatar, which has also conveniently
filled in the creases and glammed up the photo.

Well, I showered Saturday   (6/19) night and as I was putting on face cream, I noticed that the left side of my face felt different. When I looked in the mirror, sure enough, it was swollen! It looked and felt different from the right side but there was no pain or discomfort. Happening on the left side of my face, it immediately rang an alarm. So what did I do? I Googled it! Everything indicating a stroke or bells palsy mentioned sagging skin/muscle rather than swollen. Tippy and I got met for brunch on Sunday morning and I asked her if my face looked funny – funnier than usual! She asked me to smile, etc. and everything seemed normal except the swelling. So, we had a nice meal and went our separate ways. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted a professional opinion, so l looked online for Doctor’s Care, a drop-in facility very near me. To my surprise, they offered a virtual visit, which is what I did. It took longer to fill in all of the required information than to meet the doctor. There was no wait time and he was professional. and knowledgeable. He felt it was not an indicator of anything more serious and more likely an infected tooth, which I had considered but felt no pain or bleeding. He said that if the tooth had a root canal, there would be no pain! He prescribed an antibiotic, which I picked up that day and began taking. Everything is fine now but I do miss that botox effect of the swelling filling in the crease by my mouth! It was a good look!!

Poor Rosie had a bad day, too. On Monday (6/21) morning, we were up and out at the crack of dawn – literally, and you know that isn't like us! We were just waiting for it to be light enough to see where we were going. She was up and down all night and I could hear her tummy rumbling from the bottom of the bed!! She ate a load of grass, which I always hate because I don’t know what chemicals are on it, but I couldn’t stop her. Promptly after entering the house, she threw it all up encased in lots of white foam. I immediately headed to the grocery store for yogurt, pumpkin, and banana and spent the rest of the morning making healthy doggie treats, which we shared with The Adorable Felix across the street. Rosie was not particularly impressed but Felix seemed to like them.

Chris, Lynn, and I went to our first in-person Liberal Ladies' gathering at the Port Royal clubhouse. It accommodated about 50 ladies, all of whom seemed very happy to be together again. Our speaker was the archaeologist from the Mitchellville Project, who was very informative and entertaining. The plan at this time is to resume general meetings in September if all continues to go well. 

Our Drinking Liberally group continues to grow and we are fortunate to still be able to eat outside due to the mild weather. It is hard to believe our mornings are still nice as we move into July!

Recipes: I’ve added new recipes to the Meatless Recipes page. They include –

Roasted Poblano Corn Chowder in process.
I used fresh corn rather than frozen and
it was delicious!

• ·        Roasted Poblano Corn Chowder – this was so tasty that I made another pot as soon as I had finished the first. There’s a lot of prep but it’s worth it.
• ·        Sweet Potato, Black Bean, and Kale Quesadilla – I wind up adding everything but the kitchen sink!
• ·        Red Thai Curry with Tofu – close to when I order at Thai restaurants.
• ·        Sweet n’ Sour Chickpea Stew and Mexican Rice Bake from Sandi. I haven’t made the rice dish yet but it looks tasty, with all the good Mexican flavors.
• ·        Black-Eyed Peas Curry and Savory Vegan Collards. This is an instant pot recipe but easily adaptable to the stovetop.
• ·        Vegan Lentil Quinoa Loaf – a stand-by!
• ·        Stacked Roasted Enchiladas - my preference of the 2 enchilada recipes shown.
• ·        Spicy Vegetarian Lentil Samosas

Thanks, Sandi, for sharing your meatless recipes and I hope everyone will feel free to do so....and if you try any of those shown, let me know.

I’m reading/listening to Cicely Tyson’s autobiography, Just as I Am, which I highly recommend. She is a wonderful writer with a memory for detail. The reader of an audiobook makes all the difference and this one sounds like Ms. Tyson is telling her own story. Really enjoying it.

I hope everyone is well and able to enjoy the summer (or winter!) safely. Take care and let me know what you're doing.

Rosie and Other Things

I’m writing this the day after my last post (5/31) only because our weather continues to be fantastic! We had about 4-5 days in the 90s, but again the temperatures have dropped a bit at night and this morning when I walked Rosie it was about 70 with a gentle breeze. It is only getting into the 80s most of this week, which is just about perfect.  And thus far, the humidity hasn’t kicked in! It feels like we have had a nice, long spring. Sometimes we have about 2 weeks of spring and then one morning we wake up and it’s 95 degrees and 95 % humidity. It’s nice to avoid that as long as possible.

Rosie & her bed for burrowers. There is no
longer a lot of cover on the bed for her to
scoot under.

I don’t remember whether I told you, but there is a little wooden bridge before my house and Rosie and I have walked over it for years as part of our daily walk. About a month or so ago, Rosie just stopped going over. It was like she wanted to – she would look at it and size it up, and even begin the walk over, but a little way in she would stop and slowly turn around. This morning I carried her across in hopes she would walk over coming back.  She was very happy to have all of the fresh scents on the other side as well as the people we ran into around the pool area. As we walked back, she approached it very slowly and was down low and tentative, but she made it across. Her buddy Buster and Dave were behind us and encouraged her along. Even though she did it once, she still remains reticent.

You can see that my little Rosie's
muzzle is turning white!

Well, Rosie and I had a traumatic incident during our afternoon walk (6/1). Tuesday is my day
to take my garbage to the dump/recycle center and the weather was so mild that I decided to do it in the afternoon and take Rosie to the park afterward.  On this day, I changed it up a bit and stopped at the public, sports field that is closer. It’s in an open area and at that time it was vacant (except for two cars, probably with people checking their phones!), so I decided to take our walk there. I knew it would be a whole new sniffing experience for Rosie. We had just started our walk when we were charged by a dog four times Rosie’s size! He didn’t bark or growl and was on us before either of us knew It. I screamed twice and yanked Rosie away. By the second time I screamed, I looked around and he was already across the street running for home. I really don’t think he was hostile because he could have had Rosie by the neck before I knew he was there, and he fled with my screaming. Even so, it scared the hell out of both of us!! Needless to say, we packed up and finished our walk at the park! While it was a public area. I will certainly stick with the park we know!

While I’m not taking a trip this year, I do have some fun things to anticipate. Pamela has booked her visit from August 26 thru September 8. She will be dividing her time between me and another friend on the island. Melodee’s trip is still on though no dates decided yet. She was thinking of coming in the fall which would mean nicer weather. Just last week, Sandi (from Atlanta and a friend from our last Africa trip) expressed an interest in visiting sometime this year, which delights both Tippy and me! And, of course, Eileen had planned a visit in April of last year which had to be canceled due to Covid. Once things have opened up a bit, I hope she will reschedule. It will be wonderful to see friends and catch up, so book your dates at Casa Rosie early!!

Well, I recently went on a spending spree. Those who know me are aware that I’m not into shopping, updating for the sake of having something new, etc. You do know that I got a new computer, which I really like (unlike the Dell I had). So, it only seemed natural to also update my phone as my old one was not even holding a charge through the day. I traded mine in (online) for a Samsung S7. Like the computer, setting it up kept me out of trouble for a few days, and I am happy with it. Both of those should last me for years. The spree seemed over until one morning when I decided to have a fruit smoothie for breakfast. I went for my blender and it wasn’t there. Then I remembered that I had loaned it to Reyna when hers died in the middle of cooking. The thought crossed my mind to call her but suddenly I decided to check out newer ones online. Well, I wound up with a new blended and food processor! I’m not feeling guilty because both of my old ones came with me from Saudi in 1997! Both were 25-30 years old so I’d certainly made good use of them. Reyna just stopped by and I had the food processor on the table along with a carton belonging to her. I asked her if she wanted it if she didn’t already have one – that I had gotten a new one.....AND, that I was blaming it all of her because of the blender!

Not a lot else to report, but I am thinking of friends:

• Sandi, who is having knee surgery this week. I hope all goes well and painlessly. Keep me posted.
• Still thinking of Rhonda and Brian. I know how much they miss Olivia and hope they are doing well.
• Here's hoping everyone is healthy, happy, and beginning to come out of the pandemic.

Summer is Right Around the Corner!

Rosie and I had a very pleasant morning after sleeping in a bit. It was a cooler morning 69-70ish) and I decided to take Rosie to the park for her morning walk. The park was quiet and it was a great way to start the day. Rosie loved sniffing around and it was pleasant enough that she walked along briskly. I then came home and make collard greens and curried black-eyed peas. That’s something I usually have only once a year for New Year's Day, but this combination is so tasty that it’s become a regular.

Last week I received a letter saying that I was elected in 2020 to serve as a delegate to the 2021 SC Democratic Convention! I didn’t know I ran and am not sure how I got elected! I was an alternate last year so maybe that had something to do with it. The whole process is done online and I will be interested to see how it goes.  This happened just as Lynn and I were trying to cut back on our political involvement, which is almost a hopeless goal with our political situation as it is. The 2022 election will be here before we know it, and we have to hold our position and gain as much as possible. Joe Cunningham, whom we managed to elect to the Senate for one term, has declared his run for SC Governor. Lord knows we need a progressive, forward-looking governor! So, that sets us up to get involved again! For the first time since the election, we have contacted our Crescent liberals to get the ball rolling again. Both Lynn and I have been trying to encourage some help or even people who will take over from us, but there has been no response. So, we shall see how things progress. No sooner than we contacted our local Dems and promised we would not bombard their email inbox than we learned that Joe Cunningham would be coming to Bluffton. So, we let everyone know and we hope there will be a good turnout for him. So, whether we are ready or not, it looks like the 2022 election has started! All of the usual suspects showed up and we had a nice gathering. We have watched as Joe became a better campaigner, as well as worked across the aisle when he was in office. Tippy and I lined up to have our photo taken with him--- we have photos with him through his entire political life. In fact, check out THIS. Tippy’s hat will inform you of how far back we go with him.

The guy sitting in front of us kept rubbing
Rosie's tummy. She was in her element!

Though the heat of summer is just around the corner, we have been having a wonderful spring. The temperatures have been dropping at night, so the mornings are cool with temperatures rising through the day. On Saturday (5/15), Tippy and Kieran were coming out my way and I joined them for an OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) event at USCB. It was a beautiful afternoon and I took Rosie, both to get her more comfortable riding in the car and being in crowds. I’d taken her to the farmer’s market one afternoon, but it was too hot and she didn’t like it. In any case, this was her thing! She found her people!  It was an older, calmer group and the music was not too loud. People were sitting in the shade and she went from person to person and just soaked up the attention. Everyone was very welcoming of her and she loved it.

With the mask restrictions lifted, my hope is that some of the Zoom opportunities will remain.

• Last week, The 19^th News had a great program with Cabinet members Marcia Fudge, Jennifer Granholm, and Gina Raimondo. It was wonderful to see their enthusiasm and hear their knowledgeable plans for moving forward. 

• Then on 5/16, I watched an inspiring program with Dr. Jane Goodall and Peter Wohlleben (The Hidden Life of Trees)! I am in awe of their connection to the universe/nature and their ability to share their passion. I try to catch Dr. Goodall whenever and wherever I can. She has led such an amazing life and contributes so much positive energy to this planet.

• Through SC Humanities, I was able to join a community screening of the documentary Meltdown in Dixie, which took place in Orangeburg, SC. My first thought was that it would be about the students who were shot there some years ago, but this was a totally different incident. It was available on Vimeo and we were provided a link for a day before the discussion, which was also very informative. If you can find it, it is well worth seeing to get a glimpse of the hatred and divisiveness that plagues our country.

• The other documentary I'm looking for is After the Storm: America's Enemy Within. It was made by Robert Moore, a journalist with ITV,  who was actually among all of the insurrectionists on January 6. He actually followed up with some of the people he met there to determine their motivation. So, UK folks may see this before it's available here. You can see a bit of it HERE. It's just another example of the state of our nation at the moment.

Speaking of the mask restriction being lifted, I’m not totally okay with that. I’m good with being around people whom I know are vaccinated. I’m not good with going into a shop where you can’t identify who has been vaccinated and who has not (except for possibly those NOT wearing a mask). Fortunately, most people have continued to wear masks wherever I’ve been…..which is very few places! My guess is that it will lessen over time and I will have to decide what I’m comfortable doing.
 

This is part of our neighborhood walk,
which means we have to alter our route
when this guy is out!

On Wednesday (5/19), I had an early morning doctor’s appointment (regular physical) and early doesn’t work well for us. So, I took Rosie with me and we arrived in time for me to give her a walk before going in for my appointment. The temperature was perfect and she loved sniffing around a new place. I left her in the car while I went in for my appointment, which took longer than expected. I went to the passenger side of the car and my heart sank when she was not on her bed!! She had moved over and was lying on my seat! Whew! I took her for another walk and she was panting a bit, which made me think she might have gotten stressed being in the car alone. Anyway, she settled down as we walked. As for my physical, all went well and I was surprised to learn that I’ve lost a few pounds since last time! I’ve got plenty more I can lose!

My condolences to Rhonda and Bryan who had to have their sweet kitty Olivia put to sleep this past week. She had a good and long life (17 years old), but that doesn't lessen the sadness of losing her. I know she will be missed.

Beautiful Weather and Fun Things to Do!

Thanks to Rhonda T who responded to the question in my last post. I received the message but it was “anonymous”. So, I narrowed it down to three likely suspects. After checking with Rhonda, my suspicions were confirmed! So, check out the comment from my last post for some great reading recommendations. And, by all means, please comment on a post whenever the mood strikes. but be sure to sign your comment in case it comes through as anonymous. I love hearing from you.

Pam also recognized my malaise in my last post and sent via email an article from the NY Times on There’s a Name for the Blah You’re Feeling: It’s Called Languishing. I saw the article but didn’t read it until Pam sent it. As she mentioned, the comments (hundreds!) were as informative as the article and I could identify with so many of them. Also, many friends and neighbors talk about their difficulty in focusing on anything for very long or accomplishing as much as we wanted with all of the time we have had at home. Since then, the writer has been interviewed and the article referenced on many programs, websites, etc. My view is that between the trump abuse, the pandemic, the attack on January 6, we have seen the underbelly of our nation and once you have seen it, you can’t unsee it!! It is a major shock to all we hold dear and will take a while to process it all. For me, that creates a lot of sadness for our country. I now realize that I grew up believing the best ideals of our country; so now, in my old age, it’s sad to see the direction we have taken. I liked us better when we knew right from wrong and when we made an effort to do the right thing. I am impressed and heartened by everything President Biden is doing but it will take a while to undo the damage if it is even possible. Perhaps I’d be more positive if I were younger, but I hate the thought of leaving this planet and knowing the hostility and hatred that exists in a country I love. Stepping off the soapbox!

 

Even though most people here are continuing to observe appropriate health protocols, there is the feeling that things are beginning to slowly return to normal. Rhonda C came over one Saturday night and we had dinner and a good catch-up. We were together at the Hilton Head Drinking Liberally gathering but didn’t have a chance to really chat. It was good to see her and I really enjoyed it.

 

It really began to feel like old times when Chris and I carpooled on two consecutive days. For the first time in a year, we met at our old meet-up spot and traveled to an event of interest. In the first case, it was a tour of Mitchellville Freedom Park, which was the first black self-governed town in the country. I’d been to many activities and programs there but did not know the history. In addition to the director, there was a young archaeologist on site who gave us a great rundown of the findings and plans for the future. The tour was sponsored by Liberal Ladies and it took place on a beautiful day. It was good to be with the group (outside and masked) and feel that things were getting back to normal.

The next day (4/30/2021), our Pan Pal group met at the Marriot on the island. Lynn and Tom had booked their timeshare for the week in hopes their son and his family would be able to come down and use it. When that was not viable, they decided to have a stay-cation themselves. So, on Friday they hosted us, and we went early enough to have a nice walk on the beach. It, too, was a lovely change of pace.

 

Then, on Sunday, Rosie and I took a walk on Dolphin Head with Tippy. It was a lovely morning and not many people around, so Rosie got to run free on the beach. It is always a sight to behold! She loves it. After our walk, we picked up a sandwich and had lunch in Farmer Tippy’s backyard and garden. I totally lost track of the time and didn’t get home until 2 PM! It was a totally relaxing day and Tippy sent us home with lettuce, kale, chard, etc.

 

 

Somewhere in the midst of all that, Drinking Liberally has resumed meeting in restaurants again. In this case, we met a Tio's for Taco Tuesday. Juan, the former owner of our old haunt Las Palmas, and his wife and daughter joined us. It was great to see them and have our old gang back together again.

Other than that, it's just been a matter of enjoying the beautiful spring weather. The last two nights have been chilly but I think of it as a  moderating factor that is keeping the weather mile and fending off summer. I hope it lasts a long time!

I have a new question for you! As we return to "normal" again, what have you done differently through the pandemic that you plan to continue? 

In my case, I plan to be more selective in how I spend my time and avoid getting on a treadmill of busyness. Secondly, I've done less and less with my hair. I've always hated dealing with it and being less social has given me a chance to get used to the shaggy look. 

What about you?

Friends, Flowers, and Birds

Okay, so, I’m starting a walking program…for the second time. Don’t laugh! I need to do something about my Covid-19+ pounds; but those who know me, know that exercise is alien to me. It isn’t that there are not things to enjoy about it, but the hard part is getting out the door. It is also boring to walk the same route all the time, although you do notice much more while walking than driving. In any case, it is a four-week program increasing the walking time to 40 minutes. I scheduled it on my calendar and wound up walking ONE time (20 minutes) before being distracted by something else. So far on this second attempt, I have walked once. If I get out tomorrow, I will have broken my previous record!!

So today (4/10), I have a list of things to do, but I sit down at the computer to do a monotonous chore (updating the clergy list for Lowcountry Coalition Against Hate) and I’m still there around 12:30 when Tippy calls. She was on her way to the mountains but by the time she got to I-95, it was backed up with about 3 accidents ahead. So, she calls me and says, “Put that fork down and join me for lunch”. Only friends and food could nudge me from my spot on the sofa. We met at First Watch and had a leisurely lunch on a nice but very windy day. I had already thought about going to Best Buy the next day to buy a new laptop but since First Watch is so close, I decided to do it then and there. My current computer is low on storage space and though I have deleted a lot, it performs slowly and says there is not enough space to finish procedures. It was also important to me to be a good citizen and put my Covid relief check back into the economy!  Tippy joined me for the adventure and it was relatively painless. The only disappointment was that the one I wanted had to be ordered so I won’t get it until Tuesday. From that time on for about a week, I will be useless to everyone until I get it set up.

Tuesday arrived, as did my laptop right on schedule. I went from a Dell, which I was not particularly impressed with, to an HP, which I’ve had before and liked. Current technology has also advanced since my previous laptop. When I opened this one, a voice told me how to set it up! I learned that USB ports are on their way out and are being replaced by USB – Type C ports, and everything is so fast! I am even able to receive phone calls and write texts on my laptop! What will they think of next? Needless to say, I’m loving it.

I could not bring myself to watch the Chauvin trial, but I fear once again he may be set free because there are those who think the police are justified regardless of what they do. If that is the case, we can expect (justifiably) disruption in the streets. Between blatant racism (thank you, trump 😠) and guns, we are in a bad way and don’t seem to have the moral capacity to save ourselves. As I write this, the jury is in deliberation and I pray they do the right thing.

Lynn and Tom of our Pan Pals had planned their first trip in a year to visit her sister in Buffalo, NY, who is not doing well. I ran into Lynn and Bogey the day before and they were packed and ready to go. The next morning I was surprised to receive an email from her saying Tom was in the hospital with A-fib and would be undergoing a procedure later that day. Needless to say, they were sorry to miss the trip but it could have been devastating if it happened en route or even after arriving. He came home the day of the procedure (4/16) called a “conversion” which we all joked about later! Anyway, knowing that they were going to be away, Chris and I had planned to do a pick-up from a new Mexican place, Underground Burrito. We shared a cauliflower burrito and a sweet potato burrito. Both were absolutely delicious. We were not sure how Tom would be feeling but we decided to surprise them with a dessert from the Farmer’s Market since we know he has a sweet tooth. We didn’t stay long but were pleased to find Tom looking and feeling well, and I think they liked our little surprise appearance.

Today (4/17), my project has been to put up a birdhouse in my back yard. The birdbox has been in my garage for years. Tippy gave me a sturdy hanger but it didn’t work. Even so, it did motivate me to look online for something that might. Well, I found the perfect thing that I could do myself - with the help of my handy, dandy drill! It was an easy solution which, if I had known about years earlier, the birdbox would have been up long ago. Now I’m just waiting for tenants....who began to arrive the following day!

Look at this beautiful flower! I think it's an amaryllis but I could be wrong. Gardners feel free to correct me. Reyna's yard literally has dozens of them and they are spectacular. She gave me two last year and this one is perfect (the other is too close to a sprinkler and needs to be moved). As you can see, a second one is coming up with it, so I can separate it and plant someplace else in the yard. This year she has given me three more and I expect more to come. I'm hoping they do as well as this one.

Speaking of good neighbors, the day before yesterday Ellie (one of Rosie's favorite people) asked if I ate vegetables and I told her I was vegetarian so vegetables were my thing. Then, yesterday she brought me some lettuce and a bouquet of herbs (basil, sage, rosemary, thyme, mint) that smelled good enough to eat on the spot. She will have eggplant, peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, etc, and I'm so lucky she wants to share with me. 

In the meantime, it's a time for good TV viewing and reading (audiobooks). If you haven't seen them yet, my recommendations are....

PBS – Hemingway and Atlantic Crossing. Both were excellent, though Hemingway was sad and depressing.

Acorn – 19-2  This is a very realistic police drama out of Montreal.

Audiobooks – Road Back to You about enneagrams. I read this just out of curiosity.

The Other Wes Moore - a true story about two guys named Wes Moore who lived within blocks of each other and were a years difference in age. One became a Rhodes scholar, the other a victim of the system.

Before We Were Yours - based on a true story of the 1920s and 30s of an adoption society that trafficked in stolen children or took advantage of families in need.

What have you seen or read recently that you would recommend?

 

Easter 2021

 

On Tuesday of this week (3/30) Chris and I ventured out for the F-word (falafel!) at our favorite spot, Olive and Fig. It has been a long time since we dined there, and even now we planned to eat outside. It was not a day for eating outside – gray, rainy, cool – but, to the hostess’s surprise, we asked to do so. As luck would have it, it did not rain on us and we enjoyed the food and camaraderie. It was almost like old times! Chris was so pleased to be out that she even had two glasses of wine! As you can see, I was a good girl and only had a glass of water. LOL!!

The next day I had a Zoom call with Ann and Eileen. It’s amazing how quickly 40 minutes can pass! We catch up on each other and mutual friends…..and always have laughs along the way. They even tolerate my politics! Later that day, I invited Lynn, Tom, and Bogey over for a play date for Rosie and Bogey and a glass of wine for the adults. Bogey found a bone that I had gotten for Rosie years ago and forgotten I had. It’s about the size of Rosie’s head, so I don’t know what I was thinking when I bought it. In any case, he got a whiff of it and dug down into the toy basket to claim it. He chewed on that bone the rest of the time!

I had been thinking of my friend Carolyn who lives in France, so I texted her one day only to find that she was in the doctor’s office at the moment! She called a few days later and had been suffering from Covid-19 for 7 weeks. Both she and Yaakin were 3 weeks away from getting their vaccine when they both came down with it. Yaakin recovered more quickly but Carolyn was still dealing with it after all that time. I told her about my neighbor who was in the hospital with it for 5 days and he said that for 3 of those days he didn’t know whether he was dead or alive. He lost 15 pounds and was a weak as water when he came home. It isn’t anything to mess with and I hope Carolyn is feeling much better by now.

Easter weekend was busier than expected. It started with our Pan Pals gathering at Chris’s house on Friday night. We shared our usual great conversation, good food, and a few laughs. I’m so fortunate to have friends who like to laugh! On Saturday night (way past my bedtime!) I went over to Reyna’s for pizzas by Valeria and Joann. The girls have really stepped up their game since I was last there. They have expanded their repertoire of vegetables, and while I usually would not have pineapple on my pizza, they had it perfectly balanced with jalapenos! They really were delicious and filling. I took my usual chopped salad and much to my surprise, they liked it. Joann said she didn’t like salad (referring to the leafy kind), but when she tried my sturdy, crunchy salad, she liked it. It’s great to see young people learn to like veggies! Sunday evening I had dinner with my new neighbors across the street, Maria and Mark, along with their friends from NY, Robin and Peter. It was a very comfortable group and a delightful evening. They have a lovely screened-in porch where we had appetizers and enjoyed a nice breeze. Their yard is fenced so Felix and Rosie had some time outside without a leash and eventually Rosie went into her crazy run. She was doing figure-eights as fast as she could, much to everyone’s delight. Needless to say, Rosie had a good time, too, and Felix was okay with her being in his space. The food was abundant and scrumptious. Maria and Mark really outdid themselves. It was a totally enjoyable evening. I had no real plans for Monday until Tippy called and suggested we get together for lunch. SO, we met at a restaurant, picked up food, and went back to Tippy’s so we could have a glass of wine with it. It was more comfortable eating in their back year, and Tippy wanted to show me her plantings. Farmer Tippy has built a bed and planted lettuce, kale, eggplant, cukes, strawberries, and more. She calls it her dirt therapy and I could tell she enjoyed it. I was impressed, so much so that the following day I pruned (or butchered, too early to tell!) my rose bushes outback. I also discovered that the 2 amaryllises Reyna gave me last year are alive and well. That is my kind of plant – one that can withstand the weather and find a way to thrive on its own! This is the most social I have been since my birthday in January. I may now have to lie in a darkened room for about three days to re-group and re-charge!!

On Saturday of Easter weekend, Rosie was in for a surprise. I had ordered a trial sample of dog food from The Farmer’s Dog and it arrived. It isn’t that Rosie is a picky eater, it’s almost like it’s an afterthought. Sometimes I wonder if it is the rubbery-looking food she gets or if she just isn’t interested. Since I’m vegetarian, she also doesn’t get tasty table scraps that many dogs might. In any case, I have never dealt with such a consumer-oriented, helpful company! Before ordering, they know everything about your dog, even that Rosie is a Chiweenie, her weight, eating habits, health issues, etc. Before the food arrives, they educate you about the food itself, how to transition your pet to the food, portion size, etc. Then, when the food arrived, it was completely frozen, had Rosie’s name on each packet, portion sizes indicated, etc. They have thought of everything! To top it off, the box is recyclable, as one would expect, but the insulation dissolves in water! I was amazed by that! And finally, which may be more than you want/need to know, once Rosie has fully transitioned to the food, I can send them a photo of her poop and they will tell me whether it is as it should be!! Humorously, they do request that only photos of doggie-do be sent!! So, they even have a sense of humor! Thus far, Rosie really likes it and as I opened the first package, she rounded the corner to check it out, which is something she usually does only when I open cheese. Since ordering it, I’ve run into two people who get it for their dogs and they swear by it. It’s a bit expensive, but if Rosie likes it, what can I do?

This is just a little quirky thing in our neighborhood on one of Rosie's walking routes. I'm not sure when it started but it's been going on for a while. At first, there were a few painted shards by kids placed on the stump; then, I saw a few painted pine cones scattered around and added one to the collection. Then, a rubber duck showed up, and when I added the Easter egg to the stump, some Disney princesses had appeared. it's just a fun thing to keep an eye on and maybe add to a kid's day.