Tuesday, January 19, 2021

TODAY, SOME RANDOM THOUGHTS...







Chrysanthemum:  Truth
Calla Lily:  Modesty
Orchid:  Refined Beauty

I really don't have much news this week.
  Just thought I would string along
 a few random things
 that have been happening
 over the last few months or days. 
 Also, for lack of photos
 to go along with it all,
 here are some of my go-to subjects, 
flowers and their language... 





Alstroemeria:  Devotion


 ...these are being used to signify
 our better selves in better times. 
 Bright spots of color 
that are so
 badly needed now.



Larkspur:  Lightness
Canterbury Bells:  Constancy
Calendula:  Sunshine, fire, passion
Statice:  Fond memories, sympathy, success


Over the holidays,
 we received multiple phone calls
 that are a waste of time and energy and, frankly, offensive. 
 We get a lot of 
these types of calls most days
 but there is something about receiving them at Christmas 
that just seems to make them so much worse...



Sunflower:  False Riches
  
...calls from Medicare, 
calls about selling back braces,
  calls about orders placed on Amazon 
  wanting to deliver some piece of technology equipment 
that costs $7000, 
please give them the OK to deliver.
All of these calls 
are made in order to
 gain access to your personal info and
 it is so sad 
that a lot of them do succeed.




Iris:  Message


  The best (or worst) one 
was a young man calling me Grandma and 
saying (crying) that he 
was in dire trouble and 
evidently needed my help
 in the way of some money.  
I knew it wasn't my grandson,
 so I admit,
 that I strung him along
 just to hear what he wanted. 
 I called him Bobby and 
told him I missed him
 which he didn't object to and 
after a long babbling of how
 he had an accident while on vacation 
and had to go to the hospital
 because of his injuries 
I told him that his real grandma
 must be so proud of him
 and he hung up.
  The very next day 
I received the same call
 from the same person,
 this time I called him Jack and
 he didn't object to this either.  
I then told him that if he wanted 
to make some money
 he better keep track of 
who he was calling
 and told him
 I didn't think he was any too smart. 
 Well, he hung up again and
 that was the last call I got.
 
 Merry Christmas!




Camellia:  My Destiny is in Your Hands



Before Christmas 
we saw an ad from Omaha Steaks 
which money wise was a pretty good deal.  
We decided to order the package and
 its expected delivery date 
was December 18.
  That date came and went and
 I called to see where it was,
 the auto voice said it had been delivered,
 I said no it had not.
  So they tracked it and said 
it would be here on the 20th. 
 That date came and went and
 I called them and cancelled.  
It is frozen and packed in dry ice
 but how long will that last?  
They said no problem,
 how sorry they were and
 they would remove 
the charge off of my card... 




Pink Roses:  Grace


 ...on Christmas Eve,
 our next door neighbor called..  
there was a box 
on their front porch 
addressed to us.  
We picked it up and 
sure enough,
 it was the box of meat. 
 I expected it to be
 all thawed out and stinking, 
but even though the dry ice was gone 
all of the meat was frozen hard,
 so I put it in our freezer. 
 That night I got an e-mail 
saying the meat had been delivered so
 I called them and 
told them the meat was in good shape
 and they could put the charge back
on our card.
They replied absolutely not,
 that for what we had gone through,
 keep the meat free of charge. 
 Now this wasn't a $20 charge
 by any means,
 and we thought that
 was pretty good business. 
 BTW,
 we have eaten almost all of it and 
it is very good meat.
 
 As of this writing, 
we have ordered another package, 
promised delivery on January 18,
 and in was on our front porch
 on that date.
 They included a cheesecake medley, 
and we had one for dessert last night.
 Oh, so, good!




Yellow Tulips:  Declaration of Love

I got all of my Christmas packed up 
but not put away. 
 The trees are still standing, 
but undecorated.
 I can't wait to get it all put away and
 dig into some deep cleaning.





Remember this old Sequoia Redwood tree 
right by our driveway and back door? 
 The one that the city
 (or someone hired by them) butchered? 
 Well, the Captain was noticing
 that our foundation at the back of the Cottage was lifting out of place. 
 He surmised that 
the tree roots were the culprit. 
 We had heard rumors that whoever owns the adjacent lot where the tree is 
was planning on selling and
 we needed to address this problem
 before they did.
  We got hold of the property manager and she said he would call us.  
We didn't hear anything right away 
so we contacted
 the property manager again and
 just a little while after that call,
 a man showed up
 from a tree company and
 said as soon as the permits come through
 they will take down the tree. 
 He said in his estimation
 the trunk is about eleven feet in diameter.
  I am sorry. 
I know the tree has been here 
a very long time and 
one neighbor has already 
raised objections, but
 I am so excited 
to get this monstrosity out of here...




 Now, we will be able to have a clean car,
  no stickery branches in the carpets,
 none hanging from poor Kai's tail
 or climbing up our pants legs. 
 I guess we will address 
the foundation after 
the tree is gone.



Asters:  Patience
Feverfew:  Warmth

Regarding the above photo:  I think the little white bloom is feverfew, but am not sure. If anyone knows the right name, please tell me.


The very last piece of random news 
and the best one yet.  
Tami was exposed to Covid_19 
from someone she works with. 
 She went to get tested right away
 and she is negative.



Pale Peach Roses:  Modesty
Periwinkle:  Tender Recollections
Lily of the Valley:  Return of Happiness
 
 So that's all the randomness
 I can come up with for now.  
The inauguration is
 scheduled for tomorrow.
  Please let there be
 nothing horrible happen. 
 So many toxic circumstances 
have been unleashed into our country 
and it will take a long time to clean up. 
 What has happened
 in the United States 
since the election (and before) 
has been a disgrace and 
the time has come 
for it to stop!




Parsley:  Festivity

 
 Close down the playground, 
lock up the bullies,
 their leader and his enablers
 and let the adults and, 
what the United States has
 always stood for,
 take charge!


Rosemary:  Remembrance
Sweet William:  Gallantry 
Carnation:  I Will Never Forget You
Nandina berries:  Protector of household

Stay Smart

Stay Well

Stay Home

and 

Wear Your Mask


On Thursday, January 21, 
it will be exactly one year
 since the first known Covid case was found in Washington.
 As of today, Tuesday, January 19,
 the United States has had
 400,000 + deaths.
 If the vaccine is available where you are 
please take it. 
 It is not available yet 
in my town in California.

...Judy...




Daffodil:  New Beginnings


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Tuesday, January 12, 2021

MY TOP TEN POSTS OF 2020...

 




 
As in years passed,
 I will show you how you responded 
to how it was back then. 
 2020 was a longer year than usual,
 it seems. 
 Now that it finally has come to an end, 
we are hoping we can move
 down the road to,
 if not bigger and better times,
 at the very least a little more of what
 we were used to
 before it all came crashing down 
around our lives.
  We do have a lot to look forward to
 but it is going to take a lot of 
time and effort 
to put our world back to rights.

  Make no mistake, 
a lot of real damage has been done
 in more ways than one, and
 it will not be an overnight job.
 
 The best I can say is 
that this is my fervent prayer as
 I know it is all of yours also.


#10:  THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD

May 12, 2020  




A little family of wrens
 was raised here earlier and 
now they have come back
 (unfortunately, not to stay)
 to cause a little havoc
 in the Cottage.



#9:  THE WAY WE WERE
January 28, 2020




While waiting to catch up 
on some projects
 I took you back to when 
we first bought the Cottage.




#8:  COMFORTABLE AND COZY IN THE COTTAGE
October 13, 2020




Having to stay warm and cozy 
very soon after a hot summer,
 60th wedding anniversary, fall colors and voting.




#7:  USING UP THE SUNSHINE
June 2, 2020




How Covid-19
 and everything around it
 is making a 
dark and dismal place to be.




#6:  READ ALL ABOUT IT!
February 4, 2020






How a little red stove 
came to belong
 to the kitchen.




#5:  THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS
August 18, 2020





Photos of flowers 
do the talking for
 an unforeseen event.




#4:  YOU WILL NEVER SEE THIS AGAIN
July 28, 2020




Venting about what I think is 
the horrible injustice that we faced over the last four years
 and some of the consequences 
that we are living through now.




#3:  YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW
August 25, 2020




Looking back one year
 through smoke filled skies
 to see how life was different then.




#2:  GREEN WITHOUT ENVY
August 11, 2020




How the color green 
plays more of a part in my life
 than I realized.




And the most viewed post of  2020:


#1:  EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN
September 7, 2020




How being secluded in our homes 
doesn't leave much chance
 for new decorations.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




I hope you enjoyed 
a small look back over the year 
and I sincerely hope that we 
can have all new and joyous conditions
 to look forward to
 this year.




Stay Smart
Stay Well
Stay Home
and
Wear the Mask

Remember, deaths are up to 4,000 + daily.

This is only one of the consequences we are facing.


...Judy...


In going over all that I have written 
to make sure I've got it right,
 I find it very interesting that
 there were some statements,
 written over the past year,
 that seem to have
 a ring of truth and
  a foreshadow of reality
 that came after the fact.
 It is a lot to read but
 it may be of interest
 to some of you.





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Tuesday, January 5, 2021

WELCOME TO WINTER...

 






Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas

 filled with comfort and joy. 

 We have all been looking forward to

 a better new year than the last one. 

 It won't take much to make it better,

 but it will take much, much more, on our parts, 

to make that "better" happen. 

 No matter what we think

 we want 2021 to look like, 

without all of us pulling together, 

it could just possibly look like

 more of the same,

 or worse.





The cold weather is definitely here. 

 We have not been fortunate enough 

to have that first snowfall 

but it is knocking 

at the door...





...and that means that

 the cold weather folks 

come out of the woodwork...




...and as I am not entirely ready

 to let go of Christmas...




 ...I only had to remove some extra filler

 from the parlor mantel garland and 

some shiny bits and pieces and 

change up the Christmas candles,
 then it was easy for them, 

and their little snowflakes,

 to infiltrate the landscape.





I painted a small little soul

 to bestow his blessings 

on this winter season.

  He sits around with

 a few of his 

winter inspired friends and

 a garland full of snowballs

 that, hopefully,

 will bring some smiles to our faces

 while we are facing the long 

winter ahead.




Hopefully, 

we can spot some bright bouquets around the Cottage

  during the visits from the Snow Folks

 and that will be enough 

to keep us looking forward

 to brighter times to come. 

 Until then,

 a pitcher of pretty white faux poppies

 will suffice.





Until next time,

 I will hopefully respect

 that Old Man Winter will be kind to all of us and

 that while two worlds collide within our comfy Cottage,

 the spirit of Christmas will still remain 

the view that is

 in our hearts.


"Christmas is forever, 
not for just one day,
for loving, sharing, giving,
 are not to put away
like bells and lights and tinsel, 
in some box upon a shelf. 
 The good you do for others
 is good you do yourself."

Norman Wesley Brooks





I have to show you 
what Tami and Tim gave us for Christmas. 
 Now, I know that most of you 
roll your eyes when you hear 
that I am just enthralled with new technology, 
especially since the "new" object we are talking about 
has been out for probably at least a few years!  
If it weren't for our kids 
we would still be living in the Dark Ages! 
 
They gifted the Captain with Alexa and
 wow, is she quite the invention. 
We are having such fun
 asking questions of her. 
She is a great and thoughtful gift and 
we couldn't think of 
a better choice...






...and my gifts were 
these beautiful books.
 They know me so well.
 The hard cover tells of the 
meanings of flowers in the Victorian times,
 and the non-fiction
 is the story of a young girl 
who spent her life 
in and out of foster homes and 
how the language of flowers
 helped her through
 a very difficult time.
 I love them both.





Jake and Jacenda 
gave us President Obama's new book 
which we are reading aloud 
to each other and 
the darling coffee mugs
 with our names on them.
 Another thoughtful and special gift and 
just the right choice for us also.

We are so thankful for our kids.




One more thing I have to tell you about. 
 Are you aware that Discovery Plus 
started streaming yesterday?
(Are you not impressed when I use, or even know,  the word, "streaming"?)
 If you are not,
 you really need to check it out.
 It costs $4.99 with commercials and $6.99 without.
 I figured you could fast forward through the commercials 
so we signed up for $4.99.  
You can't, 
but the commercials are much shorter and not a constant like on regular TV
 so I think the $4.99 price is just right.
  The reason I wanted to sign up for it
 was that Magnolia Network (Chip and Joanna Gaines) is there.  It will show a variety of different shows,
 all done with beautiful photography and fascinating characters. 
 So far, we have watched a couple of them and it is fantastic.
 The regular broadcasts will start in a while
 but for now there is plenty to see.
 It is so well produced
 just like you would expect from the Gaines.
 The coming shows look spectacular and
 I think it is well worth the price.
 You can get it for 7 days free trial now.
 Check it out and 
see if you don't think it is a good deal and
a worthwhile enjoyment 
for the times now 
when we have to stay in. 
 Discovery is a great channel anyway and 
now with the streaming 
you can watch favorite shows 
all the time instead of only
 once a week.



Stay Smart

Stay Well

And

Wear Your Masks.

You don't want to be the one that a hospital won't have room for.
 
Start listening to the medical professionals and stay home! 
Now that we have a vaccine,
 give everyone and yourself, 
a chance to have it work for them, and
 if someone says that 
the numbers for this virus
 is all an exaggeration
 (I asked Alexa how to spell that) 
don't believe them! 
 It is hard to imagine but, 
that is just one of many untruths 
that seem to suck in so many people.





I would like to express
 my continuing thanks to all of you
 for your friendship and love throughout this past year. 
There have been some highs
 (and frankly, for me, that
 means being alive)
 and a lot of lows.
 May this next year be a better one in all respects.

 Thanks to all of you and blogging,
 I probably can say 
with a great amount of certainty,
 if it wasn't for the fact that 
I feel the need to impress all of you
 (as you do me) 
I would be living in a messy house and
 most likely would be in my pajamas
 all seven days of the week. 
Whenever the dogs see me dressed
 they do a happy dance
 because that could only mean
 we are going for a ride
 in the car!

 Raise a glass to 2021, 
may it be kind to us all.


...Judy...




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and

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