I love birds. I took this photo while in California many moons ago, either at SeaWorld or the San Diego Zoo. I have no idea what type of bird it is and although there’s nothing ‘striking’ about its features, I found it to be adorable in its own unique way.
May 1, 2021 – The Latest
Alright, Safeway, we need to have a talk. Once again I have fallen for your ruse, hook, line, and sinker. When I heard you brought back the Monopoly Game, my heart nearly skipped a beat. The day the contest kicked off, I made a beeline for the nearest store with the hope that ‘maybe this time’ I’d be one of the lucky big winners. I’ve made several trips, truth be told. The last time I went was yesterday afternoon. The bottom of my receipt indicated that I had won 168 tickets and you’d better believe I made sure I got all 168. The young male cashier tried to hand me a paltry sum that was nowhere near what I won, so I called him out and he did eventually do right by me. He must have known I meant business because he didn’t argue, he just hustled to a special room in the store, grabbed several boxes, returned to the checkout, plucked out a fairly large stack of tickets from one of the boxes, and handed them over.
Continue reading “May 1, 2021 – The Latest”April 30, 2021 – Original Artwork
I call this painting ‘Purple Rose’. It was done with pastels. It’s a sizable piece but I don’t have the measurements at the moment. When was it completed? I have no earthly idea. I’ve tried to sell it numerous times over the years but I’ve never had any takers so it just keeps hanging around. When I die, it’ll probably get donated to the nearest thrift store and end up priced around $5 (along with the rest of my paintings).
April 29, 2021 – Kayak ownership and all that it entails.
Help!! My husband’s got the ‘fever’. I thought that when he purchased this large piece of molded plastic (aka a ‘kayak’), there wouldn’t be much more that we’d have to invest in. Boy, was I wrong! It’s a pedal kayak and it came with an oar/paddle and a special gadget with wheels (to help guide it from the vehicle to the water). It also came with a fish finder (minus the battery) and a rod holder. What more could one possibly need? Plenty, as it turns out! I’m not sure what happened to the good ol’ days when fishing entailed a rod and reel, a hook, a bobber, some worms dug out of the yard, and a good casting arm, but apparently times have changed. I guess if you want to fish, a ‘watercraft’ of some sort or another is required. I’m not sure when the rules to fishing were rewritten, but sometime between when I was a kid and now, fishing from the ‘bank’ fell out of fashion.
Continue reading “April 29, 2021 – Kayak ownership and all that it entails.”April 28, 2021 – Photo
I call this photo ‘Whatever It Takes’. While visiting Victoria BC nearly 16 years ago, I noticed this unusual ‘statue’ with a collection box for donations. Honestly, I had to do a double-take! This lady really went all out to appear like a statue cast in silver. It’s amazing to me what people will do to earn a buck (or several). I’ve got to hand it to her! In order to make a living, that lady wakes up in the morning, coats her skin and/or hair with silver makeup or paint, carefully slips on a silver-coated dress, schleps out to the main square and stands out there all day, completely and utterly still. If I tried something like that, the first time a fly landed on my nose, the jig would be up!
April 27, 2021 – The Space Between
I am sitting in a space that feels rather uncomfortable at the moment. I am uncertain of my health, of my future, of what is yet to be. There is no doubt in my mind that there are countless others sitting in this same space; there are too many unknowns to believe otherwise. I wish to flee and yet I fear what I may encounter or whether fleeing will even solve anything because as you probably know, no matter how far or fast you run, those things that you’re fleeing from will most assuredly follow. I’m not even sure what I’m feeling (aside from disconnected or possibly dread). I received my second dose of the vaccine last week and feel good that I have that out of the way. And I’ve made arrangements to travel (in about three weeks) by plane or car (depending on the outcome of my antibody test) to visit my son as well as my husband’s family who live several states away. But I don’t want to go.
Continue reading “April 27, 2021 – The Space Between”April 26, 2021 – Photo
I took this photo in Pueblo, Colorado. While my daughter was visiting a childhood friend in prison (it’s a long, sad story), I walked around and busied myself taking photos of birds and flowers and whatever I found to be visually interesting. I have no idea what kind of flowers these are but I like how the image turned out, with the flowers in the foreground and the river in the background.
April 25, 2021 – My husband, the hobbyist.
It is interesting what you learn about someone when you decide to marry after only dating for nine months. I’m surprised I don’t have whiplash from all of the times I’ve had to swiftly stomp on the brakes each time he would ‘reveal’ another side of himself. Honestly, I don’t believe I could have been paired with anyone more different (than me). We didn’t agree on any of the important things we were told are key to a successful marriage (religion, finance, family, politics). Our ‘love’ was about the only thing that held us together. Not only did we not agree on pretty significant life matters, we also had very different ideas on what constituted ‘time and/or money well spent’. First and foremost, my husband’s a ‘gamer’. It wasn’t even a term when we were first married but he had all the telltale signs. I remember going to bed and getting up at 2 am in order to pee and much of the time, when I’d glance over at his side of the bed, he wasn’t there. If he wasn’t in bed, I always knew where to find him.
Continue reading “April 25, 2021 – My husband, the hobbyist.”April 24, 2021 – Photo
Squirrels and I go way back. When I was a kid, as a source of amusement, I would place a peanut between my lips and I had the squirrels trained to climb up my body and gently remove it. I know, it sounds nuts! I never considered I might contract rabies in the process. You’ll be relieved to know that (as an adult) I have found other ways to amuse myself that doesn’t involve close encounters with rodents.
April 23, 2021 – Always have a ‘Plan B’.
My husband and I are taking a trip next month. I suspect it’s going to be an annual one. We did it last year and it went so well that we’re going to do it yet again. We’re actually just returning to where we used to reside before we moved to where we currently live. By car, it’s about 18 hours on the road one-way. By plane, it’s about 6 1/2 hours total (2 1/2 driving to the nearest airport, 2 1/2 on the flight, 1 1/2 driving from the airport to our final destination). I’m really not a fan of driving long distances. I did enough of that when I was younger and nowadays I’d really prefer to just get to where I want to go as quickly as possible. If it were possible to teleport, I’d be all over it. Unfortunately, the technology is not yet available. Because I cannot teleport, I’m left with two options. I can either fly or drive. Flying is much quicker but there are a lot more ‘factors’ to consider and it’s also more expensive than driving. Whichever way I choose to travel, at least I have all my ‘ducks in a row’.
Continue reading “April 23, 2021 – Always have a ‘Plan B’.”
