So...how do you know when oranges are good?  I think it's Sooo disappointing when you get a big ol' navel orange thinking it's going to be really sweet aaaand..nope

If I was in marketing, I would have sampling of the oranges. If I was sure I'd get a sweet one, I'd buy a bag full. But if I don't know...I'm probably not going to buy one, take it home and if it's good, go back...no. I won't. And you? What do you do??  Have I I mentioned that I loooove sweet oranges?

So much to say..so much has happened..from very good to very bad...

2015 was a pretty rough year and I couldn't be happier to say good bye it on January 1st...

We lost our beautiful daughter-in-law, Rachael,in November. Depression + pain pills + alcohol = death at a young age. She and our son Jeff had been married a little over 8 years. They found they couldn't have children which only added to her PTSD from a sexual assault a few years prior to her meeting Jeff. She had demons none of us could help her with.  I ever in the world imagined having to comfort my son in loosing his wife. We weren't entirely sure he'd made it to the other side. But, with love and support, and sheer strength we didn't know he possessed, he has and has found his "new normal"

We lost Braxton, our sweet old man of 15, after many arduous months of him loosing the use of his back legs and us trying acupuncture, doggie wheel chairs, a stroller and pain meds to no avail. We knew we had to let him go..and we miss him each and every day..Lulu is still calling all the shots around here and because she is not "other dog friendly", we have decided to let her live out the rest of her senior years alone with us all to herself. She is a sweetheart you know...

Our  great grandson, Oliver celebrated his first birthday.. MrB and I fulfilled our dream of going to Ireland,,, it was the trip I never expected but always wished for. And, it was everything we had hoped for with the exception of it being only a week and not a month!

We took a few great camping trips in Gracie, our home made trailer. I've started painting again. Got 2 knees replaced..well that was silly..I only have 2..guess I should have said BOTH knees ...

Fell into the trap of FaceBook, Instagram, Pinerest, YouTube and all sorts of time stealers.

And that in a nutshell is why I've been gone ...but I did miss blogging. So, here I am again. I look forward to catching up with all of you ..

Oh, I'll still enjoy FB, Instagram and YouTube...but I will be here, my first "social media" love
-me

I don't even know if this works anymore, but...

..I wanted to go back, reminisce, look at what was my passion for so long. Blogging. Before FaceBook....before Instagram... chat, messenger..

And I realized I miss blogging. Using more than just a few words to convey my day, my feelings, my life.

So..what have I been up to? Getting older, which is " a privilege denied to many" so that's not really so bad.  What is bad is what I can do in my head but cannot do with my body.

Like Zumba, Walking long distances. Kneeling. Being able to make a fist..or ...

Complain, complain, complain! That's another thing..I complain. Geesh..as they say, getting older is not for sissies..

Well, I'm no sissy, so, bring it on..my sciatica and I are ready for you..

Hi there.....

Guess what?? 

Go ahead and take a guess....I'll wait...


I'm retired!  Yep..I did it !  And I am a happy camper for sure..and speaking about campers..

Guess what??

Come on..guess again...

Gracie's finished!

Well, almost.  But enough to take her out to the woods with Braxton & Lulu !

See?

 

Hope you enjoyed the "tour"...

"Say goodnight Gracie..."

-me {and George Burns !}



Just a sittin' & a singin'...

They say "timing is everything..."

OK. so you all probably know I work as a "Paternity DNA Consultant" which sounds all smart & professional, right?  Well..truth be known, it's a call center with 18 other "Paternity DNA Consultants" with varying ages, genders and customer service experience. All informing, in true "Maury" style..."you are NOT the father".

Getting paid for telling women what they already know..

But one thing we all have in common is the need to...um...pee.  And being in a call center, "stats" are very important. So important they can cause you loose your job or be promoted..if one would want to be promoted to "Chief Caller-Person"..

anyway..I digress..

We are allowed 5 minutes of "personal" time per day to do ..well..anything one can do in 5 minutes..like, let's say..pee.

Now, that 5 minutes is on top of the 30 minute unpaid lunch and the 2 - 15-minute paid breaks.

However, I have never been know to "go on command" if you know what I mean.  Random drug tests take me well over a hour to finally give them enough to "randomly"  test me..sometimes even more..

So to tell my pea-sized bladder { note the play on words here? }  that I can go at 10am then at 12pm then at 2:45pm is about as useless as the letter "L" in the word "yeah" ...

Now, I can understand rules are made because some bimbo before me used her  "Personal time "  to run /drive to the the 7-11 for a taco... or 6..

..but I am an old-"er" woman who actually takes medication to rid myself of liquids..and have explained this to the young-perky-supervisor..aka "Chief Caller-Person" ..

So, to benefit the others here who do not have "medical" reason for peeing..I timed myself - walking  at a brisk pace through the LONG hall..into the unoccupied stall.. (if I'm lucky to find one) ...do my whatever..quickly..then wash hands to the tune of "Happy Birthday" as recommended by the US Dept of Health..walk briskly back to my seat..plug in and take my next call..

.. 3:38...for 1 trip..

so.... if the need is for 2 trips..I'm already in the negative..3.38 + 3.38 =  6.76

...remembering the limit is 5.0 per day...see where this is going? {yet another clever pun..}

Also, remembering I have a dislike of  all things mathematical..think of things like weight..age..credit score..mortgage payments...alarm clocks..all have to do with math..

I find this all too much.  Do I need to depend on Depends ? {there I go again!  Ah.. I crack me up..} do I take the chance of being accused of excessive-personal-time-infringements?

Can you  imagine if I got fired for that?

Unemployment person: "So, why were you fired?"

Me: " Excessive Urination?" .."Not running a 4-min mile to the restroom?"... "I'm bladdely impaired?"

Ahh..only 142 work days until retirement...

I DO NOT think I can hold it that long....

Good news for when you're feeling..old.

So, lately I have been looking & feeling old-er than I  have in a while.  Well, actually, I have never been this old before..so..um..

Well anyway. There are times when I look in the mirror and think I don't really look my age and am really surprised when I tell people I'm going to be a great-grandmother

I expect an audible gasp..rarely do I get one anymore.

Yet, when I think of people and how they looked when I was young-er ..I think about 65 year old women looking like, well Aunt Bea from Mayberry..

Or Aunt Jemima from... pancakes..

{actually, she does look pretty good}

Well..certainly not like these...

 {Me 64, Gerri, 70, Kathy, 71, Ella 8 }

{Kathy 71, Me 64, Emily 13, and April (who's going to be a GRANDmother in July, 45}

 Thing is...Aunt Bea was 61 when she lived in Mayberry.   SIXTY-ONE!

I have no idea how old Aunt Jemima was....

So..look in that mirror and smile..head's up, and know we are getting better and better....as well as older and older.

And even at that..remember...that is a privilege denied to many.

XOXO