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| Art for Fun Friday |
(1) Thursday came and went before I finished my post for Thursday 13. So many things by which to be distracted—painting, housekeeping, weeding, reading, gardening, wandering on the Web, watching movies, talking with the Husband, cooking, and so forth and so on. I love my life as an old lady.
(4) So, what did I find? Nothing about planting the two flowers in the ground, but some references to the cannas and geraniums look and grow nicely together in containers. My conclusion: yes, canna lilies and geraniums can coexist shoulder to shoulder. Vine geraniums? I’ll find out.
(5) I went through a brief phase of whitewater rafting when I was younger. I loved the challenge and excitement of paddling the raft through rough tumble rocky patches. Splash, splash! We don’t want to wrap the boat against that rock! I think of my life at the moment as coasting and paddling through mild waves, but up ahead, in sight, are crazy rapids. Yi haw!
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| Art for Fun Friday |
(6) Earlier this week, we drove Eliza Does-a-lot on our final adventure with her. Rattling, burping, and lurching, she got us safely to and from the county fairgrounds to pick up my fair entries. It wasn’t far, seven miles or so with a side trip down a slightly steep happy dusty country driveway to visit friends. I always wanted to drive a car into the ground, and so I have. With the help of the Husband, most indubitably. (One million points if you remember, even vaguely what Looney Tune characters liked to say that word.)
(7) Eliza was a perfectly wonderful old lady car with great visibility all around. She was Mama’s last car. She bought the white Mercury Tracer new in 1993 and drove her for four years. Mama fractured her hip, but that wasn’t what kept Mama from driving; it was her inability to pass the DMV eye test. Thank goodness Mama respected the laws to not drive without a license.
(8) She went 150,000 miles on her original parts. Eliza, that is. Poor girl can’t pass her smog check. The mechanic did his best. He’s an honest man. He told us it would cost too much to get her back in shape. I finally let her go when the figures were getting towards the price of a used car.
(9) So, here we are, the Husband and I, old farts without a car in a city that has a very limited bus system. Fortunately, our doctors are down the street and the supermarkets and shopping center is an easy walk away. And, thank goodness, some businesses have delivery service.
(10) The Husband’s shoulder, which he wrenched horribly a couple of weeks ago, is slowly mending. He feels bad that I’ve had to take up the slack. I tell him it’ll be his turn to be caretaker when I have my first knee surgery, which is scheduled for December. Besides, my body is getting stronger and I need a stronger body and mind come operation time.
(11) Slowly, surely, and quite determined, we walked to the supermarket today. We knew we could do it, getting there. We were unsure that our bodies would get us back up the slight climb with a couple bags of groceries. Success!
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| Art for Fun Friday |
(12) My crafts did quite well in the county fair. I have a handful of white, red, and blue ribbons, thank you very much. The robot, formerly a juicer, has found a home in the front yard. Poor girl, her hat came unglued.
(13) I’m also happy to say that I received second place for this acrylic painting.Yippie!
Sharing with Thursday 13, Art for Fun Friday, and Friday Writings.
Age may be a little challenging, but what I hear all through this is much enjoyment of life even so. Maybe this is why, reading your posts, I aways imagined until now that you were a young thing. Bravo, you and husband! (And three cheers, and RIP, for the redoubtable Eliza.)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rosemary. Yep, we are all young things underneath our old facades. The Husband says I sparkle, sparkle even when I’m not. lol
DeleteSu-sieee, you are still young. I am sorry that you don't have a car anymore. We still have three, one is like "She was Mama’s last car," a 1974 Mustang II Ghia and was my Mom's last car. She didn't drive much her last years, but not too much at all. This car has 67K miles, never been wrecked, and all is original except for a water pump. Our 'family car' is a 2011 Cadillac with 150+K miles. Then it's my retirement present car to me from me, a 1998 Ford Mustang Convertible with 105K miles that I don't drive much now. It had 49K when I bought it in 2002.
ReplyDeleteThursday Thirteen sounds like a good blog write but is too ambitious for me.
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Hmmm, where oh where did my reply go? Oh where oh where has it gone? This is the second vehicle I’ve driven that went past the 100K mark. Whoot, whooot! May the next car we get also go beyond that milestone.
DeleteI agree with you about the distractions. I never understood why retired people said they had no time, but it is true. And so much fun. I'm loving your plant box and the big heart. Happy weekend! hugs-Erika
ReplyDeleteThanks, Erika. Hahaha, yeah, I had to get old and retired to get it. In some ways this period reminds me of bouts of unemployment when I could get so many things done.
DeleteWow a happy old lady with a happy husband. Fantastic. Wishing you many more happy years.
ReplyDeleteLuv the the combination of art and gardening
Much❤love
Thanks, Gillena! ❤️
DeleteMy mother painted and gardened, too, and also baked.
ReplyDeleteMama was a gardener to the end. My brother’s wife thought Mama had a boring, lonely life because all she seemed to do was play in the garden and cook food for her family. Far from it.
DeleteCongrats -christine cmlk79.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteThanks, Christine!
DeleteWhat a delightful way to merge your favorite hobbies! It also gives a little joy to people who see it when they pass by.
ReplyDeleteThat’s how I feel, too. I hope the results of my craziness bring a smile to folks.
DeleteHow absolutely delightful you shared this journey with us!
ReplyDeleteYou’re very welcome, Helen! and merci beaucoup!
DeleteAre you planning to buy another car? It sounds like you're going to need one. I still drive my 1993 Honda that I bought new. I'll need to replace it sooner or later.
ReplyDeleteEventually, but we aren’t in a panic or hurry like we were when we knew it was the end. 1993 seemed to be a good year for cars. We keep going back and forth about whether to buy a used electric car. The ten-year old models are about $12K with not a great range per charge.
DeleteI love that, notwithstanding car woes which I hope will be sorted and comfortable, you keep your life filled with all the things you love. I think that reflects in your spirt and in your poems!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rajani. It would be easy for me to wallow in resentment and bitterness if I allow myself. I don’t believe I’d like living with myself if I did. The Husband definitely would not.
DeleteI love the result of your combined hobby. I can't paint to save my life, but if I did... oh, I would totally go for painting planters. The bit about Google made me laugh, since I tend to do the same. I hope your husband's shoulder gets better soon. I acquired several tears around my left rotator cuff many months ago, and I still haven't recover full use of my shoulder--sigh. I also hope your upcoming surgery goes well.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Thank you for introducing me to your New Thursday 13. The format would probably dance well with my Not Quite Journaling. So, I will probably join a couple of times a month.
DeleteMagaly, I thought the same thing about painting. I was one of those people who freezed up and ran away skeered when it came to drawing, painting, and all that fun artsy fartsy craftsy stuff. What had happened? I believe it was because my words froze up and I needed to find another outlet. It began with making concrete steps a few years ago.
DeleteCongrats on the acrylic painting!
ReplyDeleteI loved reading about your adventures. There's so much fun in a week! :)
Thanks, dsnake1! :-)
DeleteI love the planter box! When I didn’t have a car, I would walk to the grocery store and take a taxi home. It felt like a luxury, but it was cheaper than owning a car.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda! That’s a great idea, the taxi service. Another option to delivery service from the supermarket for those big shopping days.
Deletenice to see your art :) It is both fun and beautiful :) Love the planting box and the "face" in the last image :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Monica!
DeleteI love your art, especially the planter box. You have a sunshine for an aura.
ReplyDeleteThank you purple pen in portland! Shimmer, shimmer.
DeleteCongratulations on your fair ribbons! Every year I say I will enter several somethings, and I have yet to do it ... You inspire me! Sorry to hear that Eliza gave up the ghost. That might soon be happening to my son's Rav4, which was my Rav4 back in 2006 - brand new it was then ...
ReplyDeleteThanks, Angie! There’s always next year.
Delete