Losing-Winning

I'm not a list maker, it is safe to say I hate lists.

I do make one when company is coming, and I have tons of food prepared, and don't want to forget a huge bowl of potato salad in the garage refrigerator that I will have to 'munch on' for a week, until I can't stand the sight of what's left.

I digress.

The second time I make is list is for grocery shopping, it is never complete and I always end up not buying at least one very important item for everyday life.

But, I digress yet again.  Ahem!

A writer always, ALWAYS, gets inspiration at the most un-inspirational times.  As in yesterday when I was standing in the shower yesterday morning. (Picture a flabby, sagging, old person naked...no, don't, it's disgusting).  LOL.

Shoot, I digressed again.

So, there I was naked as a jay-bird mentally composing a list of all the things I've lost. (You ready?)

1. My youth
2. My teeth
3. My mind
4. My desire to clean house
5. My idea I will ever, EVER be thin
6. My plan to be on a good healthy diet
7. My dream of winning the lottery
8. My lovely blond hair
9. My exercise program.

I could go on...but, what's the  point…

Then, some time later it occurred to me there are some things I've found as well, and here is that list.  (You ready?)

   1.  More love from my family than one person deserves.

   2.  Love from friends and neighbors, for which I am most grateful.

   3.  Peace of mind.

   4.  Contentment.

   5.  Happiness in being the age I am.

   6.  Joy in nature.

   7.  Brown cows, made with flavored coffee creamers instead of ice cream.

   8.  Frankie.  (No, she is not twisting my arm or using "ancient Chinese water torment" to make me say this.)  I really do adore her.

   9.  Thankfulness I am still alive and able to wake to each new day.

Which list do you think is more important?  ME, TOO.

Giggle, giggle

This has been a week from you know where....I cleaned up my computer (I think I posted that before) and really made a LOT of changes I didn't expect.  Now, I have to confess, when I got messages to up-grade to new versions, for e-mail, google, etc, etc.  I didn't do that.  So when all the things I eliminated were simply marked "informational" I figured, what the heck, I'm always getting 'information' on my computer, goodbye information.  What the heck some of this information was dated all the way back to when I bought this computer so I assumed (...something a teacher in high school told me to NEVER do) it certainly couldn't matter any more and spent a whole evening deleting, deleting, deleting.  I had a ball.

Well.

Next morning, I happily turned on my computer, sooo full of myself that I had cleaned garbage off my computer, I was NOT prepared for the new look of some of my web pages, and that I could NOT communicate under my old system...

OMG!

I had lost touch with the outside world...I was close to hysteria...eventually, Frankie gave me a good. solid, smack upside my head.  Stomped her foot, told me to "get a grip" and left the room.

That helped.

I am now in the process of making sense of all this nonsense, and, God willing, I will over come.  I actually think I am making headway.

Now...all I have to do is figure out how to post this.

Bye.

Well, I'm trying to make sense of One Note through Microsoft, and it is quite a puzzlement.  I think once I get the have of this I WILL like it, either that or I have finally met my match and the computer and I will part company when it comes to the 'net'.  I think that would delight Frankie, she says I spend waaay to much time here at my desk.

Pudding Cakes

I love pudding cakes, all flavors; they’re moist, pretty, and delicious.  When I first started buying them they were huge, and the fruit fillings sometimes sank almost to the bottom of them in some spots.  Oh, they were so yummy.  Then…a couple of years ago I noticed they were not as big around, and they did not raise as tall as they did in the beginning; I was very disappointed.  However, the fruit fillings were still in great abundance and that was something I could live with.  After all, times are hard, and everyone has to become more frugal.  (Although, I was still paying the same amount, and I was getting less for my money…oh, well.) 

Last week the store I shop with had my mouth watering favorite on sale and I decided to buy two, lemon and marionberry, 2.99 each.  Great excitement.  (It does not take a lot to please me.)  Anyway, they arrived on Friday.  Great disappointment…not only did they appear even smaller in size, to see the fruit filling I almost needed a magnifying glass.  What the heck?  I could have cried.

Woe, woe, woe, sadness overwhelms me.  Pitiful little cake, small, nearly tasteless, naked of fruit filling…I guess the only thing left to do is drown it in ice cream.  Yeah, that’s the ticket.

Always something new

I have to say, I am about to scream.  I did a thorough cleaning of my computer last night and I think I must have screwed up royal...I keep getting a message in order to send any message I have to go through something called "One Note".  Which seems to be something invented by Microsoft, and is part of my Office Program.  I had no idea One Note was even on my computer until this morning, when I discovered I could not send messages on facebook, or my e-mail without going through One Note first.  If my dilemma had not been so funny I would probably be bald now from pulling my hair out.  Of course, Frankie thinks this is more hysterical than I do, and has been puffed up like a peacock all morning.  SHE does not have to figure this all out, so no wonder she is amused.  I will persevere.

Diamonds, Sapphires, Emeralds and Rubies

(Please know, I do spell check on my entries, and proof read them at least twice, however I know mistakes will appear in my blog, sorry...bear with this old woman's ramblings.  Thanks.)

Our brains are the best computers ever, and the only one not made by man.  It is able to take pictures of moments in our life, and immediately record them in our memory photo album.  I have been thinking lately of one such moment and picture, that I see as clearly today as on the night my brain recorded it.

I had recently moved to California, and although I knew I was there to stay, everything at the time was new, fresh, delightful, and exciting.  So it was with my first trip to Las Vegas, but this particular moment happened on the way home on Sunday night.  At the time there were few towns between the edge of the LA basin, and Vegas, so there were miles and miles of freeway, tons of vehicles, and darkness…lots, and lots, and lots of darkness.  There were times it seemed endless, then in one spectacular moment, you crest Kellogg Hill and there….spread out before you is the San Gabriel Valley.

It took my breath away, and I audibly gasped.  I had never in my life seen such beauty.  The whole valley sparkled, twinkled and glistened in millions of jewels.  Dressed in Diamonds, Sapphires, Emeralds and Rubies, town after town, joined together at the hip, made the valley the envy of those of the greatest wealth, because this scene could not be bought by the richest of the rich.  It was free, everyone rich or poor could enjoy the splendor and everyone who came over Kellogg Hill at night got to capture the scene in their memory camera. 

Frankly, I sometimes wish I had a physical picture of that moment in time; although I’m sure I would never drag out a physical album to look at it…much less even remember what album it is in.  So I am content with the picture in my mind, it will be with me until I leave this earth…when I will be able to crest the hill any time I please, and see the gleaming valley below.

It's a new day.

It's a new day, and I've a story to tell.  Last week the power went out just as I was going to bed and apparently it was out for several hours.  As a result, come the dawn there were clocks to set all over the house.  Resetting them was my first order of business.  Time moves on (excuse the pun).  Anyway, that night Frankie noticed a strange tiny, yellow light blinking on the TV in the bedroom and inquired what it was.  I told her I needed to reset the clock embedded in it, turned off the light and went to bed.  I heard her moving off in a 'huff', muttering unkind words under her breath.  She hates any and all tiny blinking lights.

Anyway, this tiny, yellow light has now become a battle of wills.  She (not mechanical when it comes to anything) has been in a twit ever since.  (Picture me giggling.)  So that now I have simply 'forgotten' that clock needs to be reset.  Every night Frankie is there to remind me to do it, I...turn out the light and go to sleep.  (Picture her storming off mumbling under her breath.) 

Hey, when she tells me what she did with my missing coffee mug...I will reset the clock.  Bring it on Baby.

Just a little housekeeping

As you can see, I've done a little housekeeping, and designed my blog in pink...nice color and pleasing to the eye, at least for now.  I suppose I should now let everybody on facebook I have a blog, and hope some of them will come to visit my 'home away from home', which is what I want my blog to be.  A place where everyone who comes to visit will feel at home.  So, put your feet up, have a cup of coffee, tea or whatever your poison might be, feel welcome anytime.

The Beginning of a beautiful friendship...I hope

So, okay, here I go.  I was talking with my daughter, Karen yesterday and I told her I was interested in starting a blog.  Had no idea how to go about it, but decided this evening to jump off the cliff, I hope my free fall does not end in disaster.  At the moment, this blog is looking pretty dull, no pictures, no thoughts, nuttin', really, really, HTG (honest to God) I'm a little worried, there is not one person I know who would come to check this out.  Obviously I've a lot to learn.  Anyhoo, I'm going to end here and try to post this, I hope this will become a fun place to visit as time goes on.