Aging Gracefully-ish - Chapter 26

Whitey Sandwich

So here we are again, the last day of another year. Where does the time go?

On the first day of 2010 tiny, broken Gracie came to stay at the Swamp so I could take care of her while she healed and so I could find her a Forever Home. We all know how poorly I did in my role as a Foster Momma, now don't we? But Gracie's broken bones healed and she fooled that Vet... she got to keep her Special Leg, didn't she? Yes, she did. And just look at her up there... one of the slices of bread in that Whitey Sandwich.

You may not grasp the significance of that seemingly simple vignette pictured above, but that is only the second time I've seen Grayson allow Whitey to touch him without whapping him silly! The first time was the day before yesterday. I credit iVana iPad... they all four get on the bed with me in the morning while I'm using my iPad. (Gandalf is also on the bed, but out of camera range on the right.)

Another big change for me in 2010 came in February when I moved from the Pecan Orchard to the Swamp. At this time last year I was in full "Paint Mode".

And what's ahead for 2011? You may have noticed that I changed my background to a ladder and paint cans... or not :D... But painting is once again in my future. My oldest and dearest friends have just bought another house and it needs painting, inside and out. The whole enchilada! You may recall that my office still needs painting, too. That's been moved to the back burner yet again so I can help them with their new home overhaul. But my office is still on the list!

One of the things I am most looking forward to in 2011 is our BC4 Cruise at the end of February! It's starting to feel like it will be here before I can pack! I am planning for one (and hoping for two) trips to visit with the SisterDears, too! Hopefully, one trip will be for Fall Foliage! That's the working plan anyway.

I won't be awake when John Heald tosses the Carnival Confetti and the Times Square Ball is dropped at midnight, but you can be sure that my parents and I will pop the cork on that bottle of champagne and toast to your good health and happiness! I wish you all a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year, my friends!

Put some YAY in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Aging Gracefully-ish - Chapter 25

I had a really lousy morning yesterday. First my mother got a call telling her that her cousin Lainey had died quite unexpectedly from pneumonia. My sisters and cousins and I had all reconnected with her in the last year, thanks to Facebook. Lainey had recently retired her position as bank president for a bank in Boston. She was thoroughly enjoying life in retirement. Her death was quite a shock to say the least. My mother's side of the family usually enjoys long lives well into their nineties. In fact, Lainey had lost her 90-something year old mother (my Nana Jo's sister Mabel) just last year. I understand that Lainey is to be buried alongside her mother. She'd like that. I'm sad that I didn't get to see her more often. Lainey was quite a hoot, always joking and laughing... she will be missed by many.

Then just a few moments after getting that news I was told that my 5 year old Trane heat pump's compressor at the Yellow House has unceremoniously up and died. Nope, wait a minute! It turns out it's just a hole in the air handler that wouldn't allow the compressor to run.

Apparently you can stop a Trane. The bright side... yes, there is one... is that the compressor air handler has a 10 5 year warranty, but the labor is not covered under warranty. I'll take what I can get!

So. I called the local company who sold and installed the unit for me (just 4 months after I bought the Yellow house) and was told that the manager of their service department will have to call me back as he was attending... a funeral.

Then the air conditioner repair dude that Al called out to fix it called the company that actually handles the warranty for Trane and he ordered the parts after giving them my model number and serial number and confirming that it was indeed under warranty. The parts will arrive in about a week. Good thing the emergency heat strips are working. I bet that'll be expensive heat. Ya think?

Now I don't consider that my compressor air handler woes compare to the loss of a loved one, of course... it was just a crappy day all the way around.

And finally, just for some fun, a paragraph of fun factoids:

It takes 7 seconds for food to pass from mouth to stomach. A human hair can hold 3kg. The length of a penis is 3 times the length of the thumb. The femur is as hard as concrete. A woman's heart beats faster then a man's. Women blink 2x as much as men. We use 300 muscles just to keep our balance when we stand. The woman has read this entire text. The man is still looking at his thumb.

=:-o

Put some YAY in your day! I'm sure gonna try! Big Hugs ♥xo

Aging Gracefully-ish - Chapter 24

I've began re-vamping my business web site yesterday. It will likely take me at least a month, probably more, to complete. That means that yesterday my brain was feeling fried before noon.

   Lots of boring tables full of technical crap
 + Tons of repetitive tasks
 = No Fun!

But my web site is how I make my living so it's got to be done which means my brain must. be. fried.

I really shouldn't complain about it being so cold with the blizzard so many people got, but jeez Louise, 24 degrees in the deep south is just to dang cold! My cats are none too pleased either. They'll push open the cat flap, realize how cold it is out there on the patio and then they back themselves right back inside the house!

All three boys braved the cold once it reached 40 and were all laying on a chair with their feet tucked under them, looking a lot like kitty burritos!

Meanwhile Gracie was curled up in my office on top of my printer, basking in the heat. Smart Girl! Can you see her hairs all standing straight up? The heat makes the cat's furs all static-y. Needless to say, whenever I scritch them I am getting lots of shocks! :D

In other Aging Gracefully-ish news... I ordered my new glasses from Sam's Club Monday afternoon. They'll be ready on January 10th. So much for me and glasses made "in about an hour". My new prescription in now greater than +5 diopters and apparently no on-site lab stocks a prescription greater than +/-5 so they have to be sent out to be made.

As you might imagine, with my grossly farsighted vision I am unable to see what my new frames even look like on my face until I get them back with prescription lenses in place. I literally have to rely on poor unsuspecting passersby and the technicians to voice an opinion on my frames.

Really. If you wear glasses, think about that... You won't even know if they look half-way decent on you or if they make you look like your Great-Grandma Gertrude.

At least Sam's guaranteed me that should I hate how they look once I get them they will re-make them for me in different pair of frames... until I get a pair I DO like.

Getting old is a real pain. Just saying.

Put some YAY in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Aging Gracefully-ish - Chapter 23

Yesterday Miss Bee commented that it looked as though Gracie was worried about losing some scritches to iVana iPad. You couldn't be more right, Miss Bee!

When I watch TV in bed I'm usually sitting Indian-style, with Gracie curled up in my lap. Well, since I've gotten my iVana iPad I now have that in my lap. Gracie is constantly trying to nudge her way back into her rightful place in my lap and whenever I gently push her away she resists by digging in... and she GROWLS!

Gracie is giving Whitey the Stink Eye

Before iVana iPad came into her life, the only thing little Miss Gracie had to worry about being in her Momma's lap was one of her brothers... more often than not, Whitey.

There is one characteristic you will never see listed under CATS: "Shares well with others". srsly.

Put some YAY in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Aging Gracefully-ish - Chapter 22

Swamp Sweet Swamp.

I got home about 9:30 last night... not quite before o'dark thirty, but not too bad. We were having such a wonderful time visiting that we just kept gabbing and gabbing and before we knew it we were many hours past when we'd intended to get on the road to home!

We stopped at a wonderful family owned and operated Italian restaurant for lunch yesterday. Papa Joe's is located in Brooksville, FL. If you're ever traveling through that area, I highly recommend Papa Joe's!

I had the Chicken Parm and the Pasta Fagioli, which comes with their homemade daily bread which was nice and crusty and served nicely toasted and warm!

As the blogger Formerly Known As WillThink4Wine you can be certain that any time a restaurant offers Chianti as one of their House Reds, I will always choose the Chianti! And they did and I did and it was wonderful, especially being the blustery day that it was! Speaking of which, would you believe that it was MUCH WARMER at 5:30 in the morning than it was at 1:30 in the afternoon? It just kept getting windier and colder as the day progressed. brrrrr...

I wish I had brought in my camera, as the restaurant was very nicely decorated. In fact, I took practically NO pictures all weekend. Can you believe it? Me and no pictures?!

Gracie and iVana iPad

Put some YAY in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Aging Gracefully-ish - Chapter 21

Good Morning from balmy Florida!

I had a wonderful time yesterday with extended family and friends. I hope you did, too! We stopped in 2 towns along the way to visit with dear friends I don't see near as often since moving to GA.

In just a few moments I'll be heading down to the lobby to meet everybody for breakfast. After breakfast we will hug everyone goodbye as we head out on the next leg of our whirlwind journey today. Once more we'll be stopping in yet 2 other towns to visit 2 other sets of dear friends as we make our way home. The plan is to be home before dark to sleep in my own bed...

But I've got to tell you something... The suites ROCK for cheap at La Quinta! We started using La Quinta because they're Pet Friendly but they really do give you a fabulous room for not many pennies, and the bed is so comfortable that I may email them to find out if I can order one. Absolutely love how it sleeps! I slept like a rock and not a sore bone or muscle this morning, and believe me, that's saying a lot for me.

And it's pretty, too!





Put some YAY in your day... I know I will!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad, iVana

Aging Gracefully-ish - Chapter 20 - Christmas

"for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." -Luke 2:11-14 (NASB)

Merry Christmas, my friends. Be blessed. Big Hugs ♥xo

Aging Gracefully-ish - Chapter 19

Merry Christmas Eve!

While visiting Sandy the Birthday Queen yesterday I made a comment about how I truly can not recall very many gifts over the years - given or received. What I do remember and treasure is the time spent with family and friends. The laughter, the joy and the love.

I just returned from a SisterDear long weekend and tomorrow, in the wee hours of Christmas morning, I'll be heading out for an impromptu trip to central Florida to visit with some of my extended family and some very dear old friends. There will be no giving of gifts, at least none that can be wrapped or unwrapped, but the gift of fellowship and love will be priceless! I am blessed.

I wish you all a joyful Christmas Eve and a very Merry Christmas!

Put some Christmas Joy in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo