These are some of the things that I find frightful these days: 1. ignorance 2. misinformation 3. sheep mentality 4. bitterness 5. stupidity 6. greed 7. anonymous threats 8. mean spiritedness 9. “alternative facts” 10. complacency 11. narcissism  12. evangelism 13. fascism Our primary election in California is in March, less than two months away!  It astounds and disgusts me that a lot of people believe the current top GOP presidential candidate represents who they are. Shudder.  May humanity prevail. Being Thursday, I’m linking up with Thursday 13 . Come check out other bloggers with me. 

On this fourth day of the new year:   1. No resolutions did I make to break by today. 2. I figured out what the “auto sense” feature is all about on our new washing machine. The machine is sousing the clothes with water before filling up the basket. That is as high tech as this non-smart washer gets. Thank goodness. 3. Health Benefits, which is reported to be a fake insurance company, has been calling our landline at least once a day for the past couple of weeks or so. I can’t decide if the caller is a machine or a real person. Today I responded by saying nothing after the initial hello. When the voice asked, “Are you there?” I responded, “Are you there?”    Click went the other end. I did not hang up until I heard another click and a dial tone. Next time, I’ll ask the voice to verify herself. 4. I took my first dose of medicine this morning to deal with isolated systolic hypertension, which is when the top number is high while the bottom number is normal. Dr. B has been ...

“World peace.” Has any pageant contestant who answered that ever won a title, particularly a national or world one? Could that be why it hasn’t ever been achieved?  Cutting out hearts from paper and fabric helps me find zen, I discovered today. No questions asked, not by me. Wow, am I really not going to analyze why this is?  Ha, I finally understand my friend who said to me, “You make a federal case out of everything.” I was 10 or 11 at the time, I thought that was a bad thing. I’m still impressed that KT knew the term. Perhaps it came with the territory of having lived in another state and having a fire chief for a dad.   I don’t know. I could use that incident to spin a make-believe story about a first generation American kid growing up with two cultures, if I had the ambition. Who knows, maybe cutting hearts may help me find a steady spark of passion to wake up the ambition. Unlike last time, I’m letting you dear readers know that I’m meandering away from the blo...

I shall make a list, to check twice, sometime today. Any tasks undone by the end of the week makes me not naughty or nice.   The weather experts say our area is in for four days, more or less, of rain. Whoot, whoot! That means doing indoor stuff. I need to bring the outdoor carpets inside or drape them in such a way, the rain washes them. Methinks the latter. This morning we treated ourselves to a trip to the cafe for cups of mocha and artisanal pastries. What’s an artisanal pastry you ask? A flaky, robust almond croissant, for example, coated with toasted almonds and tasting of quality ingredients worthwhile of it being six dollars. I’m getting better at not flinching at the cost of treats.  “Baby, it’s cold outside,” the ants are singing as they single-file prance their way into the house. I caught them twice invading the tropical plants by the sliding door window.    So far the ants have laughed at the lavender and rosemary sprigs, the vinegar wash, the spray...

1) Four glorious days and nights of rain, off and on, enough to soak the ground, but not to get it ookey-muddy that I sink. Wish it did though. 2) We've been in a drought since 2011, not including the one year that the governor and experts said it was over. Really, though, we ought to go back to 2007. The experts said it was over in 2010. Ha!  Poor plants. 3) The experts predict that our part of the world should experience another exceptionally dry winter. I hope not. 4) From four days of collecting rain water and a couple of buckets of grey water from the kitchen, we have filled up a 30-gallon garbage can and a vintage metal milk churn (also called a milk can). Hurrah! 5) Yesterday, I got in a panic that the insurance company hadn't approved my upcoming knee surgery. Usually, it sends me a copy of any authorization it makes for me. Not seeing anything in my online account, I called the orthopedic center. The gatekeeper put me on hold to ask the nurse, returning to say the nurs...

Meet Sweater Bear. And, his friends Pumpkie Bear and Pinky Bear. They’re all in their 40s and continue to give me comfort and joy.  The duct tape hat I entered into the county fair has been claimed by Sweater Bear who no longer feels naked. He has been without his white knit pullover sweater for a few years. It was taken off to be washed some time back, and well, no more, no more. Sweater Bear belonged to Mama. I bought him from a thrift shop and gave it to Mama. I figured, she like me, didn’t have a stuffed animal when she was a child. If she had, I’m sure I would’ve had one, too. Mama kept Sweater Bear on her prized bed that she rarely slept on.  I was in my late 20s when stuffed animals began finding their way into my home. Some I bought for myself. Others were gifted, and others had been  “trades” with with my nieces. Pinky Bear once belonged to the youngest niece. Oh, and I can’t forget those won in carnival games. Pumpkie Bear was a prize from the Circus Circus casi...

(1) Let’s see, today, for our main meal the Husband and I ate a melange of five left over dishes from the last two days, or three. Or, four. Garbanzo butternut soup, couscous with chimichurri sauce, sauteed onion and squash, ground turkey   burgers, and roasted red and green peppers. The flavors blended quite well together, surprisingly and with great relief. We ate our portions all up. No leftovers, hurrah! (2) To go along with our meal I concocted an ooh-la-la drink. Passion fruit juice with a jigger of rum. Ooh la la! (3) The Husband and I toasted to the last day of our 25th year of marriage. Tomorrow: Hello 26th!  Clink, clink.   (4) Maybe next year we will be dancing with our friends and family to celebrate our 27th anniversary. I also would like us to throw a party for the septuagenarians among us. We shall see. (5) The last two weeks I’ve been working on my entries for the county fair. That’s some of the craft entries in the photo above.  (6) Yep, that’s a jui...

(1) How hot is it? Well, the Husband is wearing a tank shirt and shorts and walking around the house barefoot. I pretty much do that every day, but not him. (2) It has been seven days of temperatures in the high 90s and triple digits! The iPad won’t charge any further than 80 percent when it’s this hot. If the weather guys are to believed, we’ll feel the last of 100+ degrees today. Knock on wood, cross my fingers. This excessive heat is uncommon for our area. I’m thankful it’s unaccompanied with oppressive humidity. (3) We’ve managed to get by without the the air conditioner or heading to a cooling center. Doing the old-fashioned practice of closing and opening curtains to the sun and staying inside have made it bearable. It also helps that we have a big shady tree in front and a bunch of fruit trees in the back.  (4) We’re one of the few homes that have mature trees on our street. I wouldn’t be surprised if some neighbors wished we’d remove our trees. Earlier this year, a neighbor...

I like taking part in   Sunday Stealing every so often. This week, hostess Bev gives us questions that she found at Upstream Life.  1. Your favorite sport. To watch, none. To participate, bicycling and swimming. 2. A quote to live by. “Patience comes to those who wait,” quoteth Su-siee! Mac. I told the Husband that’s what I want on my gravestone.  3. A city in the U.S. you would like to move to. San Juan Bautista or Tres Pinos, two nearby towns. 4. 3 beautiful things in my life. The Husband’s love, my friendships, and our home. 5. What made you laugh today? The deer grazing in our backyard. It’s a  life-size (kinda) metal deer that I bought for 50 cents at a yard sale yesterday. Score! 6. A good deed you did today. The good deed I do everyday: Don’t take over the world. 7. Activities you like to do when you are bored. The usual—reading, painting, gardening, cleaning house, sewing, crafting, watching TV.  8. Are you a procrastinator?   I’m a big-time p...

1. I saw an ad this morning stating “Stay hydrated with custom drinkware!” Your name, a motto, or catch phrase in cutesy, swirly letters will get you to drink sufficient water everyday to keep from being horribly dehydrated.  2. Only 12 to 25 dollars, depending on the kind of drinkware. It reminded me of Mama saying “Those business people know what they are doing.” Followed by “They do not fool me.”  3. The Husband just read a headline aloud about the Texas legislature voting on secession. Go ahead, Texas. Be your own country. See how far you get on your own.  4.   Should Texas manage to separate itself from the Union, which is illegal and considered treason, with what countries would Texas align? Russia?  I read that Texas has the 10th largest economy in the world, even more than Russia.   5. Would there be an exodus of radical right to Texas?   Would an independent Texas go back to condoning slavery?  What would happen to Austen? 6. Yesterd...

Here's how it once was: When all I wanted to see was a blurry world, I took off my eyeglasses.  Here's how it is now: I put on my eyeglasses.  That's all I got today. For more photo collages by some cool bloggers, check out Mosaic Monday . 

1. It's a gorgeous day. What mischief can I do today? 2. The lower end of the front yard is looking like a meadow. The first poppy showed itself yesterday.   3. The tree is an ornamental pear. About 20 years old, more or less, it is. It sheds leaves like crazy throughout the year. The last two weeks it has been snowing white blossoms. 4. I'm 10 days into a detox diet for eczema. The regiment is not so bad. No dairy, no gluten, no sugar, no caffeine, no no Nanette. I look forward to adding foods back.  5. A few days ago I decided to stop using the immunosuppressant ointment a dermatologist prescribed couple years ago. I had used it sparingly so hopefully the withdrawal symptoms won't be terrible. You should've seen how horrible my face looked when I stopped topical steroids.  6. Molly the pinky-nosed (wilde) Cat came home to live with us nine years ago.  The girl loves to stop and smell the flowers. 7. A load of laundry is in the dryer.  The Husband just cam...

1. I hear rain beneath the jazz channel playing on the TV downstairs.  2. The ornamental pear tree is dancing with white flowers.  3. I had to give in this afternoon and change from shorts to long pants.   4. Jamie Raskin!  5. I'm verily impressed with the House Impeachment Managers. They delivered their points, facts, and proof succinctly, comprehensively, and in easy to understand terms. How well will Trump's lawyers convince us Trump's alternative facts are true?  6. Our doctor's office, a provider of the COVID-19 vaccine in our county, called an hour ago to say our age group is now up for the shots. The Husband and I have an appointment for next week.  7.  This morning, I drove around town with four huge bags of potting soil sitting in Eliza Does-a-lot's back seat. There used to be five, but the other day I asked the Husband to pull out a bag so I could plant the potatoes. We bought the soil on Monday.  8. I made broccoli and pine nuts ma...

  The other day a friend asked me what was healing like after the hysterectomy I had a few years back. I was surprised that I couldn't recall anything other than what the doctors and the Husband told me. The Husband said that Dr. Gyn-Oncologist & Dr. Gynecologist marched into the waiting room with big smiles and triumph on their faces when all was said and done.  I do remember how anxious I got the next day of the surgery; if I didn't pee a certain amount by mid-afternoon, I was stuck in the hospital for another night. (Fortunately I met the deadline.) I also remember the day after I got home, a good friend brought me delicious homemade brownies, and a few days later I told another friend to leave because his negative beliefs about the world was bringing me down.  I recall now that the Husband and I slept downstairs in L Studio for about two months. I had to laugh that I couldn't remember my recovery period. Details may pop up later. Or not. Does it even matte...

I was wondering why I like answering questions about myself and my thoughts and opinions. The analytical self answered that the questionnaires (fun or serious) help me clarify my beliefs, as well as reinforce my sense of being and my history. And, I sometimes remember cool, and the not so neat, things I'd forgotten. That said, here's a bunch of random questions from today's Sunday Stealing . 1. Can you eat with chopsticks? Yes. Sometimes when I want to slow my eating pace, I use chopsticks. Most times it works.  2. Could you tell real money from counterfeit? I can definitely tell the difference between real money and play money. 3. What do you think about school uniforms? I may have liked them when I was a kid because I wouldn't have to think about what to wear to school. Today, no opinion. 4. What ancient civilization would you most like to visit? I'd like to check out the ancient civilization of the Philippines, where most of my ancestors lived. 5. What would m...