A New Year and a New Life

 Thought for the day: It is utterly false and cruelly arbitrary to put all the play and learning into childhood, all the work into middle age, and all the regrets into old age. [Margaret Mead]

Hi, guys. Remember me? I sure remember you.

Mea culpa.

I know. I've been the world's absolute worst at keeping in touch, but in my defense, Margaret Mead was absolutely right...

I may be o-l-d, but there is zero room in my life for regret, because I'm too darned busy squeezing every drop of joy from each day, and that means lots and lots of playing and learning.

And it's been A-W-E-S-O-M-E! I'm pretty sure I even smile in my sleep.

But alas ...writing is one of those things that, at least for now, has fallen by the wayside.And that includes blogging. But I haven't forgotten you guys, and I hope you haven't forgotten me yet.

image courtesy of Bored Panda

So here I am... just peeking in to ask you

HOW THE HECK ARE YOU DOING??? 

It seems like there's been one after another after another Covid outbreak... maybe in your country, your state, your city... and it makes me think about you guys and worry about your welfare. Australia, in particular, has been sweltering under unbearably high temperatures, and I can't help but wonder how the lovelies Sue and Elsie are doing. So I'm here to check on you. And to fill you in on what's happening with me.

image courtesy of Bored Panda

Me?

I'm cooooool.

Ridiculously laid-back.

Unbelievably happy.

See? Don't I look happy? (And hey! Short hair now!)

That's 'cause I AM happy.

Last summer, Larry took me to visit some of the important people in my life. This is my niece/goddaughter, who lives in Maryland. We also spent a few days with my cousin at her beach house in Delaware. Wow, if THAT wasn't something! She and I went swimming at the very same place we used to swim as kids. (I must confess: I ACTED like a kid, too. Got swamped in the waves so many times, the lifeguards kept me under special surveillance, I'm sure.) It was SOOOOO much fun! 

Check out these pics of my cousin and me:

 

This was taken in about 1953 or so.

 

the summer of '65

last summer

 

This is the same cousin who was gonna travel to Italy with me. Alas, Covid said otherwise. Not sure if or when we'll get to take that trip, but it was beyond awesome to spend time together at the beach again. We may be old, but we haven't changed in the ways that matter. It was as though no time had passed...

We've already been to AL several times to visit my older son and his family and to FL to visit Larry's daughter and my younger son and his crew.  We've also visited with my brother and his sister. Wherever I wanta go, whatever I wanta do... somehow, Larry makes it happen. Even the things I don't say out loud. It's as though he sees inside my heart. As my cousin told me, "Everybody needs a Larry." And I thank my lucky stars I've got mine.

When we're home, we spend a few hours every day enjoying this...

Yes, the felt IS blue!

We even learned how to play a (smaller-sized) version of snooker, which is a lot of fun, albeit a tad annoying at the beginning of each rack, when you have to play with finesse and strategy. (I just wanta make balls! HA)  Right now, we're hooked on shooting straight pool. 

We've also been playing every kind of game imaginable. Even have a tabletop ice hockey game, which is a whole lot more fun that I expected. 

We've been learning a lot of stuff, too. But you don't wanta hear all that. Besides, there's something ELSE I want to tell you. 

Something reeeeeeally cool. And unbelievable.

Ohmigod, I'm getting married!!!

Really! This sassy old broad, who thought my world ended when my husband died, is so happy, it's a wonder my heart doesn't explode and send a shower of sheer sparkling joy all over the world. The youthful bloom of first love is fabulous, but I abso-doggone-lutely guarantee that love at my age is even better. I promise you.

Get this... we're gonna take the plunge on 2/22/22... at 2:22, of course. How cool is THAT? Oh yeah... that date happens to fall on a TWOS-day. HA! Dontcha love it? As my daughter Sunshine said, "That's TWO-bular!" Hmmm, the jury's out as to whether or  not I should wear a tutu... 

image courtesy of Bored Panda

No promises, but I'm gonna try not to be such a stinker about keeping in touch. To those of you who've contacted me in one way or another over the past six months, I thank you. Even though I was a major butthead about responding, your efforts were truly appreciated. 

I've said it before, but I'll say it again: 

You guys rock!

 

 

 

 

                                Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

   

                                                                

image courtesy of Bored Panda

That last picture has absolutely nothing to do with this post whatsoever. I just thought it was funny. Gives a whole new meaning to "bubble butt."

Out of Sight, But Not Out of Mind

 Hey, guys.

Yeah, I know it's been a long time... nearly three months. Sorry about that, but I've been.... shall we say... occupied.

In a good way. 

Believe it or not, there's a wonderful new man in my life, and I'm so happy, I feel like a giddy teenager. We're acting like teenagers, too. We're so happy, it's nuts. I had no idea something like this was even possible. Not for me. When Mike died, I thought I was done. Kaput. Done for. I figured my raison d'etre was simply  to clean out my house and get things in such good order, it'd be easier for my kids to handle things when I kick the bucket. A personal life for me? Forget it... I expected only to live for my family and friends. I was just gonna be spinning my wheels and coping as best as I could until I stopped breathing.

Screw that.

Turns out, the universe wasn't done with me, and I'm not done living yet. Forget that whole stupid notion of merely biding time until I shuffle off from this mortal coil. No way. Thanks to Larry, I'm more alive than I've ever been, and I feel like ME again. Our plan is to squeeze as much pleasure from each day, each moment, as we possibly can... together. For the past few weeks, we've been splitting our time between our two houses, but I'm gonna be moving in with him in a month or so. My daughter Sunshine and her hubby are gonna move into my house. WooHOO! Yeah, I know... it's a lot, isn't it?

But it's absolutely right, and I'm so freaking excited about the future, it's ridiculous. (And not just because of Larry. In October, my cousin and I are going on a trip... to ITALY!) I honestly didn't know it was possible to be this happy. Please don't interpret any of this to mean I didn't love Mike. I did. But quite honestly,  between you and me, it wasn't always easy. Being a grunt in Nam changed him in ways from which he never fully recovered. I know he loved me as much as Nam would allow, but Larry loves me unconditionally and accepts everything about me. We are so much alike, loving him almost feels like loving myself. 

So THAT'S what I've been doing. Just to show ya what kind of guy Larry is, he's the one who suggested I write some kind of a post to let you guys know how I'm doing. And here I am. (He's VERY smart...)

Update on the house: last weekend, we finished taking down the last of the antennas and towers. WooHOO! The local club has removed a ton of stuff to sell at upcoming hamfests and whatever. They should make a pretty penny on all of that gear, and it'll be going to the club's education and scholarship funds... which is doubly cool, because I helped established those things when I was the club's president.

 When the weather turned warm, I jumped into gardening with both feet. Felt good to be outside, and for some reason, I didn't feel as alone outside as I did when I was within the confines of the house. One of the gardens I created is for dahlias. A couple are just now starting to bloom. Can't wait to see them in their full glory... even if it's as a visitor to my daughter's place... 

Life is good. It is truly good, people. I hope it's been treating you as well. Really. What's new with you? Dunno if I'll ever get back to blogging as I used to do it. Maybe, but who knows? I've got lots of trips to make... lots of hiking to do... lots of new things to discover. Being an old broad ain't half bad. I feel blessed beyond belief.

Love you guys. Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

I May Be Going Bananas

Hi, guys. I know. It's been too long, so I figured I'd pop in to say hi and give y'all a brief update before another month slips through my fingers. My daughter has been working reeeeeeeally hard, both with a physical therapist and on her own at home, and her progress is absolutely astounding. I'm so proud of her determination and good attitude. She was even able to shoot some pool a couple days ago!

And me? I'm doing well. Better some days than others, but mostly, I can't complain. Thanks to some wonderful ham friends, all the antennas and towers that were at the side of the house got dismantled last weekend. Woo HOOOOOOOO!!! Still more antennas and towers to go, but this is a huge step. (I haven't seen the naked side of my house in years!) Hams are the BEST. Really. I've gotten lots of other stuff done, too, but no need to bore you with the details. One kinda neat thing... my neighbor mentioned that he was going to buy a riding lawn mower, and I told him he could just use mine... and asked him to give me a brief tutorial so I can operate it, too. Get this. He's gonna use my mower, but he's also gonna maintain it... and cut my grass! Win-win for both of us! Life is good.

I started writing the following post one year ago today. I got about half of it done, but then Mike got sicker, and I wasn't in the mood to finish. Now is its time. Might as well... I'd already done the research and taken notes. HA. No promises, but I'll try to get back to the blogosphere a little sooner next time. Y'all take care. I love you guys.

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Thought for the day: The older you get, the better you get. Unless you're a banana. [Rose Nyland]

Some of you may remember this cute little guy, because I've shared his picture with y'all before. Mike (AKA Smarticus) gave him to me for Valentine's Day about a thousand years ago. Give or take. 

Anyhow, when you squeeze the monkey's belly, he gives a wolf whistle and says in a raspy dirty old man kinda voice, "I go bananas over you!"( If he had eyebrows, they would've wiggled, I'm sure.)

The monkey's voice is fading and is growing more and more muffled, but he still looks good as new. Even his banana looks pristine. Which is a lot more than I can say for the bananas I bought at the grocery store a couple days ago. I swear, if I ever get a speeding ticket on the way home from the grocery store, it'll only be because I was trying to get home before the darned bananas turned brown.

A ham radio friend emailed me the picture on the right, which he described as a giant elephant made out of bananas. 

First thing that came to my mind was that a heckuva lot of people must've worked on THAT project. I mean, just think about what it'd be like if anyone ever tried to pull off a feat like that single-handedly. Before the poor slob even made it to the halfway point, the first bananas he'd put in place would've already mutated into smelly oozing gobs of brown mush that he'd have to replace. Impossible, I tell ya!  It'd be like trying to fill a bottomless bucket with water. Oh, and don't forget the fruit flies. The smell of overripe and rotting bananas would attract fruit flies like... um, flies. Yeah, exactly like flies. Those annoying little boogers would magically materialize out of nowhere, and they'd establish a brand new thriving community faster than a hungry gorilla can inhale a banana . 

So, um no. Not gonna try that. I'll happily bake some banana bread or a decadent banana cream pie, but ix-nay on the banana-building with a bunch of rapidly rotting bananas... while being swarmed by fruit flies. 

But what would be fun is... a banana CAR. You know, like the famous Oscar Meyer weinermobile... only instead of a rolling hot dog, it'd be a rolling... banana. I find that idea rather... a-peel-ing. 

Evidently, a guy named Steve Braithwaite liked the idea, too. 

This self-proclaimed goofy fella decided about a decade ago to up his eccentricity credentials by creating a unique vehicle to tour around the U.S. and spread joy. He wanted something totally ridiculous and fun. Looks like he got just what he wanted, dontcha think? Built on the chassis of a 1993 Ford pick-up truck, this impressive never-rot banana mobile measures twenty-three feet long and is 9.8 feet tall. Like everything else, the pandemic has changed things for this adventurous gent, but no doubt, as conditions improve, I reckon he'll be able to resume his appearances at fairs and festivals all over the country. His license tag? SPLIT. 

Hmmm, which reminds me... do you know why the banana split? 

He had artistic differences with the rest of the bunch. 

And how about the banana smoothie?

He's the one who gets all the girls. 

Ever hear of shoes made out of bananas? 

Yep, they're called slippers... (Totally nonfriction!)

Okay, how about some fun facts about bananas?

• The inner skin of a banana peel works well to polish leather. (I wonder what inspired someone to try this for the first time...?)
• Bananas can float on water, because they're less dense. (Does that mean they're smart? )
• Bananas grow on plants considered herbs, but the banana itself is classified as a... berry. ("Berry" is a botanical term, indicating the presence of seeds, pulp, and three separate layers: the exocarp is the outer skin, the mesocarp is the part we eat, and the endocarp is the part closest to the seeds... which are on the inside. Ironically, blackberries, mulberries, strawberries and raspberries aren't actually berries at all... but bananas, pumpkins, avocados, and cucumbers ARE.)
• Bananas are low in salt and high in potassium, generously providing a natural way to help lower blood pressure. Most of you probably already knew that, but did you know banana potassium is slightly radioactive? (K-40) Not dangerous... just interesting. (If someone eats too many bananas, do you think he could go into banana-phalactic shock...?)
• Bananas may serve as a mood enhancer. That's because they contain tryptophan and B-6, which help the body produce seratonin. (All they do for me is give me gas... which makes me giggle. So yeah... mood enhancer... never mind.)
• In addition to polishing your leather shoes with a banana peel, you can also rub that inner peeling on your skin to alleviate itching and inflammation. (And the fruit flies will just LOVE you!)
• Would you believe humans share about 50% of the same DNA that's in a banana??? 
• A cluster of bananas is known as a hand, and each banana is a finger.
• In China, it's illegal to stream videos of anyone eating a banana.
• Despite the banana's phallic shape, alas, its sex life stinks. Cavendish, the kind of banana most of us eat, is sterile. In the wild, most bananas have very large seeds and are mostly inedible, and what we eat is a mutation, in which the seeds are underdeveloped and incapable of sexual reproduction. Farmers use cuttings to start new plants and replant cuttings to clone.

There. Now you know far more about bananas than you ever cared to know. You're welcome. 

   

                                    Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

P.S. The picture of the giant elephant made out of bananas that my friend sent me is actually a depiction of the Hindu god Ganish, made of green bananas. It was created in Odisha, India, in 2017, and at the conclusion of a 10-day festival, the ripened bananas were then distributed to the poor.