Guess What I Got for My Birthday!

 Well, you all know the answer – a much-needed, new President!  When I turned on the TV in the morning, they were waiting for the orange one to board Marine 1 for his departure. I would have been happy not to have seen him at all but it didn’t take long. When I could coax Rosie to walk, I used my ear pods to keep listening to the coverage. We’re minding our business when we see Bill and Festus (doggie) walking toward us as Greg passes on his bike. Greg yells, “Today’s the big day!” and I return, “Yes! Today’s the big day!” Bill yells, “Bullshit!”  And we’re off! Our conversation went something like this….

Him:  I’m not watching the Inauguration because it would make me puke.

Me: I am listening to it now to be sure trump leaves.

Him: I like trump and would fight for him (which I immediately pictured him among the insurgents who invaded the Capitol).

Me: I think he is morally bankrupt. I would not want him in my house and if I had children, I would not want him near them.

Him: But he’s done a lot of good things.

Me: Such as?

Him: The economy.

Me: Yeah, look at the economy!

Him: But you know why – the China virus!

Me: You mean Covid-19?

Him: No, the China virus. It came from China.

Me: It doesn’t matter where it came from, it’s everywhere now and he has done nothing about it. When is the last time you heard those words (Covid 19) come out of his mouth?

Him: But he got the vaccine!

Me: You mean the vaccine no one can get?

Him: It’s not his fault, It’s up to the states.

Me: Yeah, 50 different states doing 50 different things. A situation like this is when the Federal government needs to take charge and coordinate the approach.

Him: No, it’s up to the states!

Me: Pass on the responsibility to someone else. Blame others. He’s a master of that.

Him: Well, just wait until gas is $2+ a gallon and your taxes go up.

Me: Well, you know I don't mind paying taxes to help people in need, improve schools, update infrastructure.

Him: We’ll just have to agree to disagree.

Me: We will.

My knees were literally shaking but I was determined to not let him get away with that crap unchallenged. It will be interesting to see how he responds to me the next time we run into each other. He and his wife always seemed to like me and would often stop the car for a quick chat when Rosie and I are out.  I’m sure I’ll be labeled a “Radical Liberal” around the neighborhood, but I really could not care less. They have all known me as a nice lady and if this colors their behavior, then so be it.

So, that was how my birthday started off! I would have been happy to stay glued to the TV and savor every moment of the Inauguration, but my sweet friends had other ideas.  Lynn and Tom invited Rosie and me over for coffee in the morning, which started my birthday off perfectly. They are such good neighbors and friends, and sometimes Rosie invites herself over and they are always very gracious. It was nice of them to think of me on my birthday and I enjoyed seeing the swearing-in with them. 

I came home and plugged in until having to take Rosie out for a walk before going out again. I was home just long enough to get a phone message from Jan, a call from Cheryl and Rabbi Covitz, whom I would with at the synagogue long ago. After all these years, he still calls me on my birthday which is very sweet and means a lot. In the course of the day, I received lots of messages by email, text, and FB, as well as some real cards. It was great to hear from everyone. It really did make my day and it’s so nice we can be in touch instantly. Thank you all for your thoughtful messages, even the one who referred to me as an old broad!! LOL

Other Democratic neighbors, Debby and Dave stopped over one day on their walk and invited me over for a celebratory glass of wine on my birthday. That, too, was very sweet and totally unexpected. I joined their social bubble which included their neighbors across the street, who are RATs – Republicans Against Trump. They were totally delightful. Debby and Dave had champagne and we made our first toast to the new President and then discussed the events of the day. It was very nice.

From there I went to Reyna’s where her girls made vegetarian pizza for me. Reyna wanted to do her fabulous Chili Rellenos again for my buds, but I was concerned about bringing so many people from various groups together. Little did I know that she had invited her cousin and family, which made me a little uneasy, Covid-wise. The pizzas were delicious and we even ended the day with a cake, which I hadn’t expected. They were very sweet. Needless to say, this is the most social I have been in a year. Once home, I then watched the Inaugural concert and, for some reason, I was not the least bit sleepy. I stayed up until almost midnight!!  I think it was a combination of relief and excitement. It is so good to have competent, decent people at the helm, and I wish President Biden all the best. I do not envy his job but I think he has proven that he is the man for the moment.

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It was a great birthday and years from now, when I look back, I will remember the kindness of friends, and I hope I can say that it was the year our country moved in a decisively positive direction.

Speaking of Reyna, she has gone through a very difficult time over the last few months. Mr. Welzant, who lives with her and whom she looks after, has been in and out of the hospital over the last few months and he passed away on Monday (1/18). She has been very up and down, and I think part of it is that Alex (her son) is at Johns Hopkins and not here to help talk her through things. She really seemed to rely on him for so much. I have tried to be as supportive as I can and hope I have been a help to her.

I know that when one is given lemons, you make lemonade, but what do you do when you are given turnips? Even growing up in the South, I don't ever remember eating turnips! It must be that my mother didn't like them and never served them. In any case, I wanted to give them a fair chance so I began searching for recipes. I wound up making turnip and leek gratin with a blue cheese sauce. It really was nice but I'm not sure I would go to that effort again for turnips. I have one left and am going to make turnip and sweet potato fries. That's more my speed and I thought the flavors would be good together. 

There is some unsettling news to share. While I was out galavanting around on my birthday, my Resista Sista, a partner in crime, and dear friend Tippy was going from one doctor to another - literally. She had been having a sharp pain in her back. Her physical therapist wasn’t sure it was muscular and recommended she have a pulmonary exam, which she did. It turns out that she has a blood clot in each lung!! She went directly to a specialist and is on medication. She is scheduled for more tests to make sure there are no clots elsewhere. I am keeping her in my thoughts and sending healing vibes her way and I hope you will do the same. In any case, we did not touch bases on Wednesday and I didn’t find out until yesterday. (1/21). I felt terrible not to be there for her, but our friend David took care of her (Kieran was out of town). In her ever-optimistic outlook, she wanted me to tell you that she is now a member of the Clot Club! I'm going to have to find that girl some healthier clubs!! We plan to get together tomorrow and I'll learn more. 

To end on a more upbeat note, you know we had to pick up on the Bernie in mittens craze! This is actually from Chris's sister. The same sister that sent our RBG masks. I asked Chris to tell her that if she keeps this up, we are going to make her an honorary member of our (Democrats)Pandemic Pals! I think there is a Democrat in there screaming to get out!!

The Holidays Are Over!

 The holidays felt like a month of Sundays! It’s nice to get back to some routine that will help me remember what day of the week it is. The New Year has started with wonderfully mild weather, which I hope is a positive omen for the whole year. I could do with less drama! It has now turned cold though sunny and bright.

I have to give a shout out to my neighborhood again. Rosie and I just got back from our afternoon walk (01/04). We stopped and chatted with 4 neighbors along the way and two others stopped their cars for a brief chat – mostly to say hello to Rosie and wish me a Happy New Year. When we got home, someone else had left a bag of turnips and daikon radishes. Several weeks ago, another neighbor left a little bag of oranges from their tree. All of these are little things but, as I’ve said before, it is always nice to be remembered and all of those little interactions have kept me from feeling isolated.

The Insurrection (1/6/2021): Well, what can I say? Very early on, I said that before it (the trump admin) was over, we would be in the streets. Not even then did I think it would be people trying to overthrow the government! I thought it would be us defending it! You can imagine how disappointing, frightening, and downright sad it was to see the hoodlum hoard (with horns even!) barging into government buildings…and easily. It really was not a large crowd and when I first saw it, I felt no concern that anything like that would happen. I’m sure much more will be revealed over the coming weeks and months.

The morning after the attack on our Capitol, my wrist gadget told me that I got only 42 minutes of deep sleep that night. I don’t doubt that for a second. That is what the last 4 years have been like – almost daily, except on not as large a scale! Most of us who care about what is happening to our country are shelled shocked.

I awakened today (1/8) to a video of trump denouncing the insurrection and throwing his minions under the bus. Naturally, the network folks had also spliced it with his incitement video the day before! The man-child has no shame. So, like many mornings of the past 4 years, I spent some time contacting GOP officials encouraging them to impose the 25^th Amendment, even though I have no faith that they would do the right thing. Then I made stuffed peppers!!

Our Pandemic Pals had full attendance once again at Chris’s house. It was the first time we were all together in several weeks – and, boy, did we have a lot to discuss! It was great to see Chris again after her negative Covid test. As we were leaving, Chris gave us a gift sent to us by her sister, who is a trump supporter. It was an RBG mask!! It has one of her famous collars along the top and her initials on one side (which you can’t really see clearly). That was such a nice surprise and a very sweet gesture.

The past weekend (01/09) was chilly and good for staying inside and putting away Christmas decorations. It takes about two days to do it all and there was no reason to rush. We’ve been having late mornings, waiting for things to warm up enough for Rosie to tell me she’s ready for her walk.

Recently, I’ve had a burst of productivity and have gotten a few things done around the house. Listening to audiobooks via ear pods really helps as they keep me occupied and I can move around. Today I discovered that I can access C-Span on my phone and tablet (I don’t get it with streaming. It’s the only thing I missed about cable.). So, as we go from one crisis to another, I can stay on top of things. I’m pathetic, I know!!

Well, I thought I was close to getting the Covid vaccine; but, alas, South Carolina performed to its usual standard. We were told that those 70 and older could begin signing up for the vaccine on the 13^th. That sounds easy but it was difficult to find out where to sign up online and once I did, websites began to crash. Two days later, I was able to sign up. I should have received a follow-up email that would allow me to select my date and location to receive the shot. But, before that email arrived, I received an automated phone message that my application had been canceled due to a shortage of supply of vaccine! So, from the 13th – 15^th, the entire allotment had been allocated. I would love to know how much the state received, how much they thought they were getting, etc. And of course, the reserve the trump admin touted was non-existent!!  I guess it is just part of the trump/GOP smoke and mirrors to the very end. Only three more days of this nightmare!

Welcome 2021!

On Monday the 28^th both Chris and I had a Covid test. We each went separately to a location nearest us and had slightly different experiences – nothing bad, just different processes. Unfortunately, the response time is 3-5 days, which makes it virtually useless, but it is just a moment in time. My thought was that I had not taken the test and possibly being exposed was a good enough reason to take it. If they come back negative, which is our hope, then we must be doing the right things.

There are two exciting things to report from friends. From my friend Melodee in St. Louis, I received a copy of her new book as a Christmas gift! I immediately recognized the photo on the cover. I knew she was working on a book, but I didn’t know she had completed and published it. She has obviously used her quarantine time better than I! Congratulations, Melodee, and thank you so much. I can’t wait to get into it.

From my friend Pamela in CA, I received a small Christmas card with a lot of news. She is taking a 5-year sabbatical from retirement! She will be living in Mexico for 7 – 9 months and then returning to the US to travel the country in her new RV (with her 2 kitties). All of that sounds so exciting and she plans to be in my area in August or September of 2021 I don’t know all of the details but I hope to hear more about her adventures soon. How exciting!

 

New Year’s Eve: Well, I was so excited to see 2020 out the door that I didn’t sleep well last night and was up a 6 AM!!  I made a mad dash to the grocery store and spent most of the day cooking collards (with garlic & vinegar), black-eyed pea CURRY (thought I may as well spice it up and they are delicious over rice), as well as a French lentil stew to alternate with my traditional New Year’s Day meal. All that is left for New Year’s Day is the cornbread!

I don’t know what 2021 will bring, but from here I think there is only one direction and that it UP! I really feel like I am saying goodbye to four soul-destroying years that I will never get back (the end of an error!) – but I am so happy to put them behind me. I hope 2021 ushers in an era of kindness, compassion, understanding, and peace that we have never before known.

New Year’s Day: I almost made it until midnight, but not quite. Before going to bed, I decided to turn off all alarms. When I finally crawled out of bed, it was 9 AM. As I was checking my emails, I had one from Lynn, who invited me and Rosie to stop by for coffee and coffee cake. That was a great way to start off the New Year, though I told Lynn she made me feel bad because she had been up long enough to bake a coffee cake!! New Year’s Day and today (1/2/2021) have been very mild. By the time I got Rosie out, it was almost 70 degrees and balmy. As we walked over to Lynn and Tom’s, we watched the golden leaves falling and

It all tastes much better than it looks!

swirling. It really has been delightful.

I had just gotten home and settled in to binge-watch Nothing Trivial, which I’d started the previous weekend and found to be light and very entertaining. It’s about the lives of a group who get together regularly for quiz night at the Beagle Pub. In any case, poor Rayna stopped by in a state of total distress. Mr. Welzant, who lives with her whom she cares for, has been in and out of the hospital with pneumonia for the last month or so. He had been home only 2 days before having to go back into hospital again. To top that, she had been badly treated by an ER nurse. I touched base with her this morning and she finally talked to a caring doctor who explained what is going on with him. Mr. Welzant also has lung cancer, which I didn’t know, but that means he will continue to periodically/frequently have pneumonia. The doctor promised to treat him as best he could but it sounds like there will be no cure or long-term relief. If nothing else, he helped Reyna understand what is going on and understand the situation better, and have a better idea of what to expect.

Then, shortly after Reyna left, Lynn set up a Zoom meeting with our Pandemic Pals. Chris was going to have us all over for a NY brunch, but neither of us had gotten our Covid test results. So, we remained quarantined. As we were Zooming, my phone rang so I muted my sound and took the call. It was my Covid results – negative! I thought that would be the case, but it felt good to be sure. It came at a great time to let the others in our group know. Now we’re waiting for Chris to get her results.

So, today I’m back to watching Nothing Trivial (Acorn from New Zealand)!  Before this series, I watched The Coroner (PBS from BBC). It, too, was very good. I also just finished the audiobook of Hidden Valley Road, a true story about a family with 12 children, most of whom were schizophrenic. It was spell-binding and informative.  I’d be interested in anything you’ve watched or read recently that you enjoyed.

Sending everyone love and best wishes for 2021.

via GIPHY

Happy New Year 2021!

Today (12/18) is very cold. It got down into the low 30s last night as it will tonight. As I mentioned before, my house isn’t built to handle such low temps and I hate to hear the air handler labor all day knowing that it can only do so much. So, I’m bundled up and Rosie is still in bed here at 10:30 AM. I’ll leave her there until it’s warm enough to get out. Night before last I put the duvet on the bed so through the night we are warm and toasty. It’s only when we have to face the cold light of day that we shiver a bit.

Last night (12/17) I had Tippy and Kieran over to share the Christmas spirit. Another motive was that I wanted to try an appetizer and I knew if I made it, I would eat it all, so I was looking for guinea pigs!! Being true friends, they offered to help me out. As always, we had a fun evening enhanced by an evolving event. Before they came over, they had been visited by a stray/feral kitty. They had left it some food and milk but were concerned about it being outside through the cold night. Kieran texted their neighbors who have 6 cats and as we were chatting, they set up a box with towels, more food, etc. Kieran doesn’t want an indoor pet but I mentioned to Tippy that she could have an outside feral cat. Having worked with them and shown Tippy our feral cat village, I think the seed was planted. Over time, the feral cats grow to know and love you, while you learn to respect their freedom. One side effect of feeding feral cats is that the raccoons will find the food and show up to be fed also. I recommended that Tippy not mention that to Kieran!!

Can you guess who this is?

This has been a quiet Christmas but I feel very good about it. I have savored my few gatherings with friends and hearing from friends near and far.- even from Santa & Mrs. Claus!! As each week passes, I’ve valued our little pandemic bubble (Chris, Lynn, and Tom) that gets together weekly and brings normalcy to this surreal year. This week (12/18) we all donated to our local charity, Bluffton Self Help, in hopes of helping those in need in our community. I will also be donating to some of my longtime, favorite charities. I did not do cards this year but I’ve done an ecard for everyone (actually 3 eCards for three different groups of family and friends). If you didn’t receive one, please check your spam folder and let me know. I always feel that sending many at one time increases the odds of it being considered spam.

Yesterday (12/22) our little social bubble had a shock. Chris had an antibodies test, just out of curiosity, and it showed that she had been exposed to Covid-19. Luckily, she has no symptoms and we hope that continues. She let us know right away and was advised to quarantine for 7 days. She asked about her pandemic pals and was told that we were okay unless we experience symptoms. Of course, the three of us are wondering what we should do – nothing!? Get the test?  Could it even be that one of us infected Chris?? At the moment, we are touching base each day and hoping it is nothing. In the meantime, we all have been invited to gatherings in the neighborhood and decided to decline just to be on the safe side. It’s my turn to host everyone on Saturday. Chris will still be in quarantine, but Lynn, Tom, and Bogey plan to attend at this point.

For the first few days of Christmas week, we had magnificent weather, but on Christmas day it was cold and to be colder the day after. Today (12/27) I’m in my snuggly robe and plan to be in it all day as I know Rosie is not interested in going out. In fact, she got up once only long enough to decide to get back under the covers! Now that she is out of bed, she is following a spot of sunshine around the room. It is my job to keep her bed in the sunlight! I have to keep her happy because I credit my walks with her for preventing me from feeling isolated. We have a great neighborhood of dog owners and dog lovers, and we never know how who we will run into or how long our walk may take.

I did get it together to host Lynn & Tom.

Well, 2020 just keeps on giving. Yesterday when I went to the freezer for English muffins for breakfast, I picked them up and they were soft, not frozen! Then I opened the fridge and it, too, was warm. I was to have Lynn and Tom over in the afternoon and had also placed a pick-up order for groceries. Luckily, I have a very old, somewhat reliable fridge in the garage and a small box freezer, so it isn't as bad as it could be though it was a shock to go into a very cold garage this morning for milk for my coffee - definitely a waker-upper! The repairman is scheduled for Wednesday. Keep your fingers crossed.

In the meantime......

Happy New Year!

As someone said, I'm going to stay up until midnight this New Year. Not so much to see 2021 in but to make sure 2020 leaves!!

Merry Christmas 2020

I’ve been meaning to thank those who respond to my posts – some email, some reply to the notice that I’ve updated. Others text or leave a comment on the post. It’s always great to hear from you (in whatever form) and to keep up with your doings, too! It’s hard to believe that I’ve been doing this blog since 2006 in one form or another and I’m happy to share it with friends, whether or not you respond immediately. Some of you have been with me from the start and I’ve added new friends as time passed. The best part of doing it is knowing that those who read it know me and care enough to put up with my drivel! Thank you all.

I had to include this after my
episode with the Christmas tree!

Something really strange happened Sunday morning (12/6) when I reached for my phone to turn off the alarm. The phone started talking to me and identifying everything I touched, and it seemed that I had to tap everything twice. It also altered the capability to scroll and I never even figured out how to do that. I have no idea how it got that way which means I didn’t know how to turn it off. It was only through the use of Google on my tablet that I figured out how to do it, but even then, navigating to the setting was not easy. If I inadvertently caused it, I’d like to know what I did so as not to do it again! Pretty much the whole day was devoted to tech stuff after that. I spent several hours deleting emails, both folders, and individual emails. This is something I’ve been meaning to do since my last Liberal Ladies’ newsletter. There were hundreds if not thousands just related to that. If only it were that easy and fast to get rid of the clutter in my house!!

The microwave issue has turned into a saga. On Monday (12/7) I called American Home Shield first thing and had to wait so long (58 minutes) to speak to a representation that I literally made a soup in my instant pot!! The repairman came a week after I placed the initial repair request (11/23). The microwave is discontinued and parts are not available, so he suggested a replacement and told me I would hear from AHS within 48 hours. Well, I didn’t and when I checked online it only said: “under evaluation.” When I finally got to a person, I was told that an email had been sent to me offering various options for replacing my unit. Well, I never received it or it got lost in the numerous emails I receive, or whatever. So, the rep sent it to me again and I spent the morning trying to figure out what to order (I really thought they should find the closest replacement and just do it!). Anyway, they sent a selection of about 10 or 12 microwaves that they would provide and install at no cost to me. There was one recommended…..but it was not available in white! So, now I’m on my own….and if I order something that doesn’t work, I pay for shipping back and restocking. So, I called GE appliances and got a delightful, sweet young lady who compared the microwave I have to the one I was considering. I had pretty much determined that the dimensions were compatible, but I was concerned about the venting. The unit I had selected could be vented in three different ways, so that should work. Needless to say, this took me most of the day but I submitted my order that same day. On Monday, December 14 the new microwave was installed.Whew!

Who knew pecans were so complicated? After we gathered them, Tippy went about finding someone to crack hers and he turned out to be an expert. He checked the moisture content of ours and they were a 7. He said they should not be over 5 and we should store them in the fridge or freezer, or we could bake them in the oven to dry them out. After cleaning them, I put them in a sunny spot in the sunroom until I could dry them out in the oven. It seemed easy enough and hope I haven’t ruined them! 

I continue to enjoy my ear pods and subscription to Fairfax County Library. My first book was Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love by Dani Shapiro, which I’ve been chasing for a while. It’s autobiographical and the title alone piqued my curiosity. I was not disappointed!  She’s an excellent writer and narrates the audiobook which made it even more enjoyable. After that, I read Untamed as recommended by Mary B. It, too, was compelling and read by the author, Glennon Doyle. It is recommended reading for every woman! I have about 6 books on hold, all of which will not get to me for a while, so please let me know what you’ve enjoyed reading recently. The Thursday Murder Club has been recommended on both sides of the Atlantic but I couldn't find it on audiobook, so Chris has kindly loaned me the book. And, yes, the Libby App is so much easier to navigate than Overdrive and the customer service at the library is fantastic!. 

On Sunday, Tippy invited Sally, Rosie, and me for a walk on the beach. It was a gorgeous day (low 70s and sunny) and she picked up falafel wraps from a new restaurant (Casablanca) in town (very tasty!) and we had them at the park at Dolphin Head. It was a bit chilly in the shade under the trees, but as soon as we got in the sun on the beach, it was perfect! When we got to a secluded section, Rosie was let off the leash and she ran like crazy. It’s wonderful to see her run like that and I wish she could do it more often. Something funny did happen as we were walking back. As Rosie was sniffing around, I noticed a medicine bottle. It looked like a fresh prescription with the name and all of the info clearly written. My first thought was that I should turn it in at the front gate and let them set about contacting the person. But, when I looked inside, there were two joints!! Initially, The more we thought about it, we decided to just flush them down the toilet. It seemed like that would cause less trouble all the way around. Anyway, that’s our story and we’re sticking to it! 

I hadn’t planned to show my Christmas decorations again as you “old-timers” have seen enough of it. It’s just the same items recycled in one form or another. However, there are new friends on-board and even the oldie-goldies may not know the history of some of my doodads. So, I’m showing them again with more information. Hopefully, you will know why I decorate even when I may not be filled with the Christmas spirit; however, once I do it, it does feel more festive! I always enjoy seeing the decorations and remembering the people and events attached to them.

Merry Christmas

One and All!

The Holidays are Upon Us!

The Sunday after Thanksgiving, I only had the Christmas tree in the sunroom to complete. The day before I had put out all of the easy stuff hoping to work my way into the holiday spirit. Putting the pre-lit tree up sounded easy but it was very difficult to get all of the lights to work – almost as bad as putting up stringed lights! I fiddled with it for about an hour before giving up. I was determined not to become frustrated, so I stopped!

As aggravating as it was, it was made somewhat more enjoyable by my new ear-pods! They feel comfortable and music sounds fantastic on them. I wasn’t enough in the spirit for Christmas songs, but I did like the relaxing holiday instrumental music on Spotify. I also think the mobility will make it easier to listen to podcasts and audiobooks. When my phone is left on the kitchen bar, I can move all around the house with them, so I can do whatever I want to as I listen.

Tippy’s Nutty Idea! On Sunday (11/29) Tippy called to ask if I wanted to go pecan picking with her on Monday at a secret, not-to-be-named, location. This is something that she and her mother enjoyed doing together as she was growing up. She had found this wonderful place where pecans were abundant. She was absolutely right. I’ve never seen so many pecans! You could pick up 2 handfuls, move a few steps, and do the same again, as well as feel them being crushed under your feet as you walked. We were able to fill two large bags in no time flat. All of the stooping was rough of the back so we decided to meet up and relax over lunch at Olive and Fig – for the F-word (Falafel). We discussed earlier to check it out before considering whether we would eat there or order to go. We were happily surprised to see there were three tables outside. Though it was a very blustery day (as you can see from our hair!), the building shielded us from the wind and the sun was warm. It gave us a chance to catch up and was a fun morning.

I came home (from picking pecans) and tackled the Christmas tree again!  When I left it yesterday, there were two female plugs not plugged into anything, and not all lights were on. So, I took the three tiers apart and tried to figure out where the plugs were and correct them before going to the next level. It was a miserable failure! I’m sure there is a simple solution, but I don’t know what it is. If anyone has the secret, let me know. In years past, I have not had this problem! There has to be an easier way (like one plug connecting all lights in those of the next tiers!!). In any case, I’m going with what I have and decorated the tree the next day.

A week later and the microwave man finally came. This week has shown me how dependent on the microwave I am. I was opening the door to pop popcorn before I remembered it didn’t work. No warming up that second cup of coffee or leftovers. In any case, the repairman wasn’t here long and I think he helped my cause as much as possible, so American Home Shield is replacing my microwave – which means it will still be days before I’m functional again, BUT I will be happy and appreciative when it is replaced.

Winter has arrived with a vengeance. We’ve had temps dipping down into the low 30s at night for about three nights and only getting up to the high 40s or 50s during the day. My house doesn’t accommodate those temperatures and it takes a long time to warm up. So, I’ve learned to alter my routine to conform to Rosie’s schedule. She is NOT interested in going out in the cold or rain! One day she wasn’t willing until about 11:15 AM!! We did have one delightful morning when it was raining and we both slept in, listening to the gentle rain, until about 8:15! Now that my light sleep is more peaceful, I thorough;y enjoyed it.

In the meantime, I’m listening to The Nantucket Inn (a summer read kind of thing that I don't recommend!) with my new ear-pods, mostly as an experiment. I’m listening to it via “hoopla,” available through our local library. It’s a great service; however, it doesn’t offer some of the things I’d like to read/listen to via audiobook. Now that I’m familiar with the ear-pods, I’m going to rejoin the Fairfax (VA) County Library, which has a much broader selection of audiobooks of interest to me, and I’ve already searched for specific books I’d like to read. They offer a non-resident library card for something like $25 that allows you to use their digital library. I’ve joined in the past using the Overdrive app and found it difficult to manage, so I contacted the library and they suggested I check out Libby, Overdrive’s newest app, as it is easier to maneuver. I have done so and am going to rejoin using Libby. Thanks to Rhonda T for turning me on to all of this!

Enjoy the holidays!