What happens 9 months later?

Today is March 25th.  What happens 9 month later?  You have to think about this.  3 + 9 = 12.
Yes - Christmas is 9 months from today!
It is the Annunciation of the Lord.  St. Gabriel came to Mary and asked her if she would carried the Son of God.  A woman no older than 13 or 14 years old was asked to be the Mother of God.  What would you say if asked the same question?
Have you started to shop for Christmas?

Cape Cod is waiting for a Blizzard.  It is Spring, but a blizzard will hit the Cape.  My region of Massachusetts will not get much snow. This is typical for New England.  It is sunny and warm one day, then snowing the next day.  I need my Grandma's feather blanket for my previous post.  It is very cold.

An update on the remodeling of the Kitchen and Living Room.  There is a functioning TV in the living room now.  It is wonderful to sit on the couch and watch TV.  Some of the under cabinet lighting has been completed in the kitchen.  It is not completely done.  The electrician will be gone until next week, so no more electrical stuff will be done.  When will the entire thing be done?
Max had connected all of the components to the TV.  It worked so well.  I am enjoying my time sitting here.  The TV does cover the bay window which I don't like.  I will have to adjust.


There is not much else tonight.  Time for bed!

Grandma's canned peaches and chocolate chip cookies

It is Sunday, 23 March.  The temperature outside dropped 20 degrees from yesterday.  There was sunshine and blue skies yesterday.  Now the skies are grayish white and it is 30F/0C.   There is a chance of snow by Wednesday.  We are waiting to see if the weather pattern changes.  With all the technology the weather people cannot predict the weather most of the time. 

I have been told that my grandmother has had Shingles for the past month.  I was not aware since I was in Mumbai, India.  She is 95 years old.  Shingles is hard enough for a younger person, but the elderly it is worse.  I am praying for a speedy recovery.  

My childhood was spending weekends and summers on my grandparent's farm outside of Columbus, Nebraska.  The farmhouse was very old.  There was no air conditioning in the summer and the only rooms with heat in the winter was the kitchen and living room.  The upstairs had no heat.  It was the best.  My grandma made feather blankets from the geese.  It was the warmest blankets anyone could sleep under.  The air was so cold because there was very insulation and the windows let the cold air into the room.  It did not matter.  My grandma's thick feather blankets were so warm.  I still remember the flannel sheets on the bed were cold when we would crawl underneath the feather blanket.  We would move are feet and legs to create heat and warm the cold flannel sheets.  The thickest of the feather blanket was perfect.  It would sink around you and cradle you.  It was amazing.  There has been no other feather blankets like my grandma's.

In the mornings we would keep our clothes under the blanket to keep them warm.  We would dress under the feather blanket and run downstairs to the heat of the kitchen.

The crazy things is the grandchildren would play upstairs during the winter months.  We never noticed the cold.  

In the heat of the summer, we would be canning all different types of vegetables and fruits with the temperature outside would be over 100F/38C.  Inside the kitchen the temperature would be even hotter.  I remember peeling dozens of apples to make applesauce. We would have contests who can have the longest continuous apple peel.  There was no pressure cookers at the farmhouse.  It had to boil for hours to seal the jar.  It was worth the heat, sweat and hard work in the autumn and winter with fresh canned fruits and vegetables.  My favorite morning snack at Grandma's was fresh canned peaches and homemade chocolate chip cookies.  The cookies were so crispy and buttery.  The canned peaches tasting like eating a fresh peach picked from the peach tree.  It was so juicy and sweet.  No one argued with Grandma about cookies and peaches in the morning.  Whatever Grandma says goes.

My mom does the same thing with her 4 grandchildren.  She spoils them.  This is the right of Grandparents.  They could not spoil their children, but grandchildren are fair game.  Children need to be spoiled by others.  More to come about Grandparents.

Please keep my Grandma in your prayers.

ISU and another child going

Today is my little sister's (Patty) birthday.  Her gift was mailed today.  She will get it by Tuesday.  I am not best about getting gifts out on time.  I will have Amanda's birthday and Confirmation gifts out on Tuesday.  Erika is Amanda's Sponsor for Confirmation.  Erika is very excited.  She will be flying to Milwaukee, Wisconsin from Des Moines, Iowa early Saturday morning.

More good news...

Max has been accepted into Iowa State University Agromony Department.  It is renewable resources.  We are so happy.  It would be convenient for Manny and I since Erika will be a Senior this coming September.  He is waiting for word from Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA and Chatham University in Pittsburgh, PA.  A decision will have to be made soon.  At Adoration last week I prayed for guidance with Max.  I felt a sense of peace.  I knew everything was going to come together for him.

Manny and I went to "Man of God" today.  It was a movie everyone knows the ending.  I was a little disappointed because many of the scenes were taken from the mini-series last year called the "Bible".  It was very inspiring.  When Mary was crying seeing her son being beaten and eventually killed always causes me to cry.  A mother wants to protect her children.  I want to see the movie "Noah" next.

Tomorrow Manny and I are going to visit Radhika.  I am very happy about this.

Bluejays attacking in Overland Park, KS

My allergies are still bothering me, but not as bad as the past 2 days.  I love Spring, but my allergies flare at the beginning when everything starts blooming.  It is worth the little inconvenience for flowers and leaves on the trees.

Well. I am sitting my living room.  Not much has changed.  There is a couch and chair, 2 ottomans, speakers and TV stand, but no TV.  Manny is at Zumba class and Max is working at Panera's.  I started a fire in the fireplace (of course) with 1 match.  It was a great feeling.  I was a Boy Scout leader for 10 years.  I should know how to do it.  The Scouts have to start a fire with only 1 match as one of the tasks to earn their rank.  Well I did it. It is going strong.  I am nice a toasty.  The silence of my home is nice.  Only the radio on my laptop keeping me company.  I am able to reflect.

I have noticed I am attempting to cook more since the new kitchen.  It is a challenge to learn all the new appliances.  It scary when the appliances are smarter than me.  The stove can detect the pot or pan because of the magnets to heat the burners. If the pot or pan is not iron or other metal which attracts magnets the stove tells you it cannot detect a pot.  I removed the pan I was heating pasta and sauce this evening while the burner was still on the stove started peeping at me.  It wanted to know where the pan was. Amazing.  The oven has a built in cookbook.  For meat all you have to do is tell the oven the doneness of the meat plug it into the oven and meat, press start and wait.  The oven knows when it is done.  I do not have to set temperature or timer.  The refrigerator has a water dispenser.  It has been set when filling a cup/glass with water to fill it 8 ounces and stop.  It is great.

It is exciting to learn new things.  For better or worse.  You do not want to look foolish, so it can be tough.  It will get easier though.  I have been doing Zumba Chair for 3 weeks and it is getting easier.  I feel the burn in my leg muscles. I enjoy it.  There are 3 weeks left.  I will sign up again if it is offered.  I am no worse than most of the people in the class.  It tough to do the exercise and move the arms and legs and listen to the music.

Erika is on a bus trip with the Iowa State University Food Science group.  She was in Arkansas touring a Tyson chicken plant.  She wrote that she will not eat chicken for a while.  The smell of the place was really bad.  It is good to go and new places.  She will be back at school on Sunday.  This past week was her Spring Break.  She did not come home because the price of plane tickets were more expensive than my roundtrip tickets to Mumbai.  Isn't that sad!  To fly from Des Moines, IA to Boston, MA was over $1200 for a roundtrip ticket.

Today is Johann Sebastian Bach's birthday.  Bach music

Tomorrow is my little sister's birthday.  I will be calling her to tell her I mailed the gift I bought today (meaning Saturday).  I know she will understand.  My life is still disorganized.  The house is not completely done.  There is a few more things in the kitchen to be done.
I hope the outfit I bought her in India fits her.  I thought it would be perfect for her.  My little sister and I shared a bedroom for many years.  I remember telling her stories.  I remember fun we had. The simpler days of childhood.  Your only worry was playing and eating.  What a great time.  We would ride our bicycles all of the neighbors for hours.  It did not matter the temperature during the summer.  It was fun.  I remember living in Overland Park, Kansas, and taking our bicycles out.  We would be gone for hours.  Parents did not have to worry about their children being taken.  We had so much fun exploring.  I miss the days.  Now I worry about everything.  I am trying to relax more.

The house in Overland Park, Kansas, had a great backyard.  There was an old tree with a wood platform added in the branches.  I would climb the tree (yes - I used to climb trees!) and sit there. It was a peaceful place to sit and hide.  I would bring a book up there and read.  The bluejays were not fun.  They would attack you when the baby bluejays were born.  Bluejays are very protective of their young.  They would attack our dog, Judy.  She would run to the backdoor yelping.  The birds would dive bomb you and peck your head with their beaks.  I miss the yard.  It was wonderful.  All the neighborhood children would walk the 3 blocks to Pawnee Elementary School.  There were no school buses.  Everyone walked to school  When we moved to Hillcrest Junior High School there was a school bus, but my Mom would drive us to school.  It was on her way to work.  She was a cafeteria lady at a school in the next city.

For years I hated Overland Park because it took me away from Omaha, Nebraska, and Westgate Elementary School.  I loved the neighborhood we lived in.  We lived on Ontario Street.  It was the best place.  All of the kids in the neighborhood were so much fun.  My cousins - Debbie, Donnie, David, Dale - live 4 blocks from us.  We had family within a 2 hour driving radius.  We would go to my grandparents in Columbus, Nebraska at least once a month.  They live on a farm.  It was the best place to have a childhood. Once we moved to Kansas the drive one way to my grandparents' farm was 6 hours.  We did not go as often as we did.

Like everything...You always find the good in a new situation.  I have great memories of Overland Park, KS.

Raw eggs and Spring

Today is St. Joseph's day.  It is 19 March.  Joseph was the step father of Jesus.  This day is considered Father's Day in many countries.

Tomorrow is the first day of Spring.  The flowers will be starting to pop out of the ground soon.  The pollen levels are going to be going crazy.  My allergies are already acting up.  I feel like I am floating.  My head is very heavy.  I will be going to Zumba Chair tonight.  I hope I can make it for the hour.  I will need to have hot tea before I go.  I enjoy going to this class.  It is something different than Planet Fitness.

Back to Spring.  Equinox means the day has equal number of hours of day and night.  Spring comes in the Northern Hemisphere while the Southern Hemisphere goes into Winter.  There will be more sunlight for the Northern Hemisphere.  This is wonderful until the heat and humidity



For the 24 to 48 hours you can balance a RAW egg on its tip.  The sun is on the equator so there is equal pull of gravity.  This is always a great experiment with kids.

The winter coat is being removed, while the light spring jacket is coming on.  The Earth is starting to wake up.  The plants are getting signals from the longer sunlight that it is time to start coming out.  I can't wake for the daffodils and tulips.  The season is short but the beauty is worth it.  The peonies are starting to sprout.  I have seen robins (birds).  This is a sure sign that warmer weather is coming.  The robin does not eat from a bird feeder.  There is still a nest in the bush next to my bedroom window.  I am waiting to see if any bird moves into it.  I love watching the baby birds.

There is less snow.  The weather is warming enough to melt the snow.  The large piles will take so time to melt.  I hope the dirty snow continues to melt.  I have so flowers under the blanket of snow.

Manny has moved in the speakers and the table long table into the living room.  It is slowly being pieced together.  Maybe the TV will come in soon.  He will need to have Max help.  The pictures needs to be hung again.  My elephants were stored in the attic.  They will brought down this weekend to set up.

Happy Spring!

My wonderful couch

I am sitting here thinking how cold I am right now.  The cold is making me hungry.  I want to eat anything. Why is this?  Why when I am cold and tired (I forgot about being sleepy) I want to eat?  I used to eat when I was upset or nervous.  I have been able to control the urge by cleaning.  Manny knows when rooms in the house are cleaner than normal I am upset about something.  Maybe not always upset there is the "worry" factor.  There is a lot of worrying.  Money, children, husband, weight!  Always about weight.  I go to Planet Fitness to alleviate the weight worry.

Tonight is Adoration and Benediction.  I love spending a few minutes in church.  I sit and clear my mind of the outside world.  It allows me pray with an open heart and mind.   It is not always quiet because people are coming and going during this time.  The world stops for a few minutes while I am sitting and praying.  Everyone needs a few minutes of "me" time.  This should be a goal.

I have returned from the gym.  I am sitting on my couch in front of the fireplace in my living room.  Yes!  The couch is back in the living room.  This is the first time I sat on it since 29 Jan.  I left for Mumbai, India on 30 Jan and the couch was moved out onto the porch while the destruction of the living room and kitchen were being done.  The renovations are almost finished.  There are small things that need to be done.

Back to my wonderful leather couch.  It was a nice tan leather that is firm to sit on watching TV or reading, but perfect to take a nap.  This is the perfect couch.  It is facing the bay window with the back to the kitchen.  The fireplace is to the left.  There is a nice fire roaring.  It is heating up the house instead of using the oil heat. The couch is so comfortable.  I missed sitting and relaxing on it.  I need to get the throw pillows and the throw blanket to finish it.  I love stacking the pillows on one end and reclining on them.  I love my couch.  Some people may call it a sofa, but I know it is a couch.

The matching chair will be returning soon.  It is oversized slightly.  It is made of soft leather as well.  I do not know where Manny wants to put it.  The long black table the was against the wall will go behind the couch.  I will have my elephants on display.  Max is not happy about this, but I don't care.  I want my collection to be on display.  The table has cubby holes for the extra blankets/throws and pillows.  The TV has not returned to the living room yet.  I hope by the weekend it will make its appearance.  I hate watching TV in the bedroom..

You do not know how much a simple couch means until it is gone.  I am so happy for this one piece of furniture back in the living room.

Today there are a few singers birthdays... 18 March

Wilson Pickett was a singer from 1960s and 1970s.
Wait until the Midnight Hour
Get Back Engine number 9

It is Adam Levine's birthday.  All songs are Maroon 5.
Lucky Strike
Payphone
Sunday Morning - This is my favorite

I see the time is slipping away from me.  I wanted to get to bed early, but I did not accomplish this goal.  It is almost Spring.  Get the raw egg ready for 20 March.

Kitchen Table

As I was leaving Planet Fitness I realized there was still sunlight.  The temperature was not as frigid as it was this morning.  Spring is in 2 days.  It is nice to leave the gym without darkness.

Today is St.Patrick saint day.  Boston was the first city to celebrate this day.  In Ireland this is not drinking holiday.  For Americans it is a day of green beer and corned beef and cabbage.  What is "corned" beef?  I do not see corn.  People love eating boiled corned beef.  I just cannot see it.  It is a beef brisket cured with salt and other stuff to brine the meat.  I had an Indian chicken dish Manny made for me, but it needed more heat.  It was very good.

Out kitchen has been remodeled.  The entire kitchen was gutted and rebuilt.  The wall between the kitchen and living room has been removed.  It is an opened area.  The "Last Supper" and the original wall clock has been hang on the wall.  The kitchen table is set up.  It looks so small now.  There is not a lot room for it.  We will make due.  I cannot get rid of the family table.  There are too many memories.  Max will tell you each mark, gash and scrape on the table.  The chairs were chewed by Dolly (our dog).  I need curtains on the window.  I need to have something on the window.  Next is to have the couch and 2 chairs back in the living room.  The TV will be after the furniture.

The kitchen table is an amazing place.  It is not only used for eating.  The amount of times the table was used to play games and cards.  It was a homework table.  A place to have great discussions.  This table was used preparing food for family gatherings.  It has so many memories.  This table was purchased when we moved into our home.  It is 19 years old.  It will be continued to gain more memories.  A simple kitchen table is filled with wonderful times.

March 17 is John Sebastian's birthday.  Who is this man?  He sang at Woodstock.  He also sang the "Welcome Kotter" song.  Welcome Back
He was the founder of the Lovin Spoonfuls in the 1960s. He is in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.  This was a big hit Day Dream Believer

Looking at myself

Today was Sunday.  We begin by going to Mass.  This is the 2nd Sunday in Lent.  There are 4 more Lenten Sundays before Easter.  The readings were done by young people today.  They were wonderful.  It takes a lot of courage.  Msgr. Mike homily discussed Pope Francis' New Year Resolutions.  The most best resolutions was "To Be Happy".  In our busy lives we sometimes forget to take time to be happy.  

When our children were young we were so focused trying to survive each day.  Both of us were working full time.  The children needed to brought to preschool and other activities.  Then school began and homework every night. There were times I realized at the end of the day I did not take the time to enjoy the time with my children and husband.  I lost the moment to enjoy my time with my family.  Remember to take a step back and be happy.  It may not be the best moment but being happy will make it better.  I have many happy memories.  I have asked my children who are 21 and 18 if they had a good childhood.  It worries me if not all parents if their children were happy.  

Another resolution was "Don't Gossip".  We are all guilty of this. This is very hard to stop.  I have to make a very conscience effort to stop the gossip.  There have been times I do not realize I am gossiping.  I need to stop and think before I speak.  Would I say it to the person I am talking about?  Would this hurt the person?

Americans are the most wasteful of all nations.  We throw away so much food away.  I need to learn to take only what I can eat.  I try to leave something on the plate.  I need to stop and think before I take food.  When I am grocery shopping I need to buy only what can be used.  There are some many things I buy and it is thrown away.  There are so many people wanting to eat anything.  I have to take a step back and create list to shop with only.  Msgr. Mike suggested to always buy at least 1 item for the food banks or less fortunate.

Just like trying to remember to be happy we need to make time for others.  With the hectic schedules of today do we make time for others.  I am very guilty of this.  While I was in Mumbai, India, everyone was making time for me.  I realized the people were giving their precious time to spend with me.  I realized that need to spend time with others outside of my family.  Today Darshana invited Manny and I to her home.  We had a wonderful time with her husband, Sameer, and her little girls Sia and Samira.  She cooked great India food.  It was a nice time to relax and be with friends.  I will be doing more of this with my coworkers and friends.

In today's world many choose the best even though it is not needed.  Why does a small child need to wear UGGs?  They will not be worn after the 1 season since children grow so quickly.  I am guilty of materialism.  I have tried to not over purchase.  I will ask "Do I need this?".  There are times when materialism wins over what is really needed.  I will be purchasing a vehicle I need to keep this in mind.  Do I want a higher car payment for the extras or keep it simple?  This will have to be in the forethought.  Brand names does not mean you are better than others.  Our children attended Catholic schools.  They had uniforms for the entire time.  This was great.  There was no comparing.  There has been studies concerning schools with uniforms and other school with none.  The schools with uniforms have better school attendance, grades and retention of students.  

There are items I will discuss at a later date.  There is a lot to think of now.  My biggest goal to to spend time with others and be happy.  I am only human.  I will try to keep all of these things in my heart.  

300 miles in a day and never left the Boston area

Today was a very busy Saturday.  I slept until 830am EDT.  I really enjoyed the extra sleep.  It was a beautiful sunny day.  Manny and I headed to H Mart (The Happy Asian Store) in Burlington.  We went to bought Pomfret and Red Snapper.  I had both of these fish in India.  I hope Manny can cook them as well as the restaurants in Mumbai.  H Mart is a great place to buy fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and fish.  It was not too crowded, so I was happy.


Manny had bought sushi grade tuna so we had to head home to get the raw items in the refrigerator.  We were heading to Sharon High School in Sharon, MA to see the Marian High Drama Team Play called "Anatomy of Gray".  They did a great job.  Max did the lighting.  It was a great job.
During the play a person in the audience fainted.  The kids on the stage did a great job with the distractions in the audience.  We have not heard it they made it to the next round.  This was the semi-finals.

Burlington to Sharon is in the opposite direction.  Burlington is North of Boston.  While Sharon is South of Boston.  I drove over 300 miles today.  Manny and I stopped at Wrentham Outlet Mall, but bought nothing.  I was so hungry for spicy India food.  Manny was looking for a restaurant with protein.  We ended up at Mayuri in Westborough, MA.  I showed the waiter my cindyinmumbai.blogspot.com and asked if anything could be made.

Well, the Masala Papod was a disappointment.  It was not the same as Mumbai.  They do not have Butter Chicken.  The waiter told me Chicken Tikka Masala is the same.  I asked for medium spice.  It was too mild.  He took it back and spiced it up.  The chicken biryani and Chicken 65 was perfect spice.  I was warned that Indian food in America cannot be compared to Indian food in Mumbai.  I agree!  It was good, but I have had better.

Today is Yo Yo Honey Singh's birthday.  He is an Indian Rapper.  His big hit is "Blue Eyes".Blue Eyes

It is Will I. Am's birthday as well.  The only semi-clean song is Bang Bang

Max has returned home.  The Marian Drama team did not win.  I cannot believe it.  Max said everyone was so sad.  The 2 Academies won.  I did not see their plays, but real.  A person fainted during Marian's performance.  I don't understand.  He is still smiling.  They did their best.  This is Max's Senior year, so it was the last time for him to attend the competition.

It was a busy day, but I enjoyed it.  Tomorrow is almost here in 1 minute.

Einstein to my minivan

It is a very cold Friday, 14 March, in Massachusetts.  Spring is only 6 days away.  Will the Spring temperature come with the season?  Only time will tell.  The weekend is only a few hours away.

Today is Albert Einstein's date of birth.  The man was a brilliant scientist.  If he did not get out of Europe he may have been a static instead of the man who coined "E=mc2".   The hair cracks me up though.  Who thought that was a great look?  Now, when I think of a scientist I picture the crazy hair of Albert Einstein.



Today is Billy Crystals birthday as well.  I remember him on Saturday Night Live and other movies.  He is a very funny man.  I have found a quote I liked of his.

“Nothing can take the sting off the world's economic problems like watching millionaires present each other golden statues.” 
― Billy Crystal - On the Oscars
(This is for Noor.)

I am sitting quietly in my home.  Max is at the Drama Festival and Manny is at Zumba.  It made grilled cheese sandwiches and Campbell's Vegetarian Vegetable soup.  A meal made for a Lenten Friday.  I am trying to start a fire in the fireplace.  It is taking a lot of attention but it is finally catching.  There is nothing in the living room.  I am sitting on a kitchen chair using a portable table.  It is cold outside.  The sun has began to set at 7pm EDT.  There is a full moon shining down on the Earth tonight.  It is a wondrous sight to behold.  To see the full moon shining so brightly and the man's face smiling down upon us.
I see the trees in the front yard swaying with the cold wind blowing.  The sky is lit by the moonlight.  There is a peaceful mood surrounding the night.  Tomorrow is a new day.  Everything starts fresh.  The past is done.  You start with a new look.  Are you ready to thank God for giving you another chance to experience life?  I have thought about this lately.  I have had so many wonderful things in my life.

My husband, Manny, has stood by me for almost 27 years.  Next month is our 23rd wedding anniversary.  I am not the easiest person to be with.  He understands me.  I am thankful everyday I have him in my life.  The first time I saw him I knew I was going to marry him.  He was in his Class A Army uniform.  (All men look great in a uniform.)  After a week we were dating and 4 years later we were married.  I am the luckiest person in the world.

Sometimes luck comes in a different way...

This week as I was driving my 8 year old Honda Odyssey minivan the "engine light" switched on.  I am thinking why!  I had filled the tank with gas and the next day the light goes on.  Usually this means the gas cap is not tight.  I re-tightened the gas cap and the light was still on.  This evening the light finally shut off after 3 days.  I am so happy.  I need this van to last until August.  There is over 190,000 miles and climbing. My next vehicle will a burnt orange colored SUV.  I need to find the vehicle now.  My van has gone to many adventures with Boy Scouts and family vacations.  It is a very faithful vehicle.  Many great memories have been part of this van.

There is one more celebrity's birthday I want to mention and those who know me will no why.
Quincy Jones is a composer and his birthday is today as well.  He wrote the following composition.
Baby Elephant Walk
Remember this one...Soul Bossa Nova
This is with Bill Cosby Hikky Bur

I never heard of this song, but it has elephants.  I had to share this with everyone.  I love elephants.  I have been collecting elephants for more than 35 years.

\More on my elephants on another day.

College Memories

The snow is blowing sideways.  What happened to the Spring-like weather on Tuesday?  the doors on my minivan were frozen today.  I could not open the side door when I pressed the button.  For the 20 minute commute to work the buzzer in the van told me the side door was open.  It was so iced I had to wait for the van to heat up to close the door correctly.  All I am thinking is Spring begins on 20 March.  Only 1 week from today.  SPRING!

Today is the 1st anniversary of Pope Francis' election to the Papacy.  It has been an amazing year.  He has refocus the Roman Catholic views back to the basics.  All humans should be working with all people in need. It does not matter the people's beliefs.  People are People.  We should take the time to help someone in need.  It could be you in a blink of the eye.  We should not judge.  To have a person realize that someone cares for them is the best medicine.
Pope Francis is a man with simple needs.  People have sent him letters and he has called some of the people back.  Wouldn't that be the most awesome thing!  To have Pope Francis call you and ask how are you doing!

This week my daughter who is a junior (3rd year) at Iowa State University decided that she wants to stay the summer at the university.  She wants to get a job/internship in the Food Science field.  I knew this day would come when she was not going to come home from summer vacation.  She is ready to take the next step in her life.  She will always be my "Baby Girl".  I love talking to her about her life.  It brings me back to my college days.

My college days were 1981 to 1984.  It was a completely different   I attended St. Mary's College, Orchard Lake, Michigan.  It was a small campus.  I lived in an old Army Barracks built in the 1880s with a convent on the first floor in a different wing.  The building had great character.  My Freshman dorm room had orange walls with ugly blue carpet and we bought a cheap navy blue shower curtain for the window.  My roommate, Pam, and I had the best room on the floor.  It was next to the back exit.  There were no men allowed during the week, but the weekends the opposite sex were allowed in the rooms during a set time.  The rooms location allowed guys to come to the room easily to watch TV (black and white).  The ceilings were high, the windows leaked cold air in the winter and there was no air conditioning in the hot months.  It is the best time. I completed my undergraduate studies in 3 years.  My last 2 years dorm room overlooked the Grotto.  The Grotto had a statue of St. Mary and candles.  There were benches for people to reflect.
Orchard Lake was across the street.  We would swim in it in the warm months and cross on the ice to the island in the cold months.  It was a beautiful area to sit and relax.  My friends and I would collect cans and bottles to be redeemed for extra money.  Great memories

Today is Neil Sedaka's birthday.  These are some of his songs.  The first one I have never heard before but is beautiful.

"You" - This is a wonderful song.
Calendar Girl
Laughter in the Rain

One of my favorite movies is "No Reservations" with Catherine Zeta-Jones.  It is a beautiful movie.  If you have not watched it, I recommend you do so.

Organized or disorganized

Yesterday was 55F/13C in Grafton, MA.  Today we are preparing for rain to change to sleet/ice then to snow.  There should only be a few inches of snow compared to the predictions last week.  I am happy.  I would rather have snow than ice.  Ice is so dangerous.  You do not always see it, so driving or walking becomes hazardous.  The dirty snow will continue to melt.  Spring is next week.  Next week is Spring.  Either way it is nice.  I was checking for the first flowers but I have not seen anything yet.  I will post a picture when they decide to pop out of the ground.

Today, 12 March, is James Taylor's birthday.  James Taylor is a great singer.  He has been singing since the 1970s.  Below are some of my favorite songs.

Fire and Rain - James Taylor
You've Got a Friend - James Taylor
Mockingbird - James Taylor & Carly Simon

Compliments.  Compliments are so important.  A simple "Thank You" is wonderful.  Always graciously accept the compliment given to you.  I was told many years ago that it may be your last compliment given to you.  It is very hard for me to accept compliments, but I have learned through the years.  Remember to compliment at least one person each day.  Make that person smile.

As I was driving home from work today, I was thinking about my grandmother.  She is 95 years old and living happily in her own home.  She has been labeling all of her items with the person's name who gave it to her.  She has items labeled with my name.  I was 8 years old and gave her a bracelet.  She showed this to me in the box labeled with my name.  She wants everyone to get the stuff she gave back to them.  To have the foresight to organize everything.  I like this idea.  I was thinking this is a great idea.

To be organized is a good.  One's organization could be another person's disorganization.  My desk at work is very organized to me.  I have a lot of STUFF on it.  I have a pile of papers on my desk.  I can find exactly what I need with no problems.  My life at home is different.  We are still living in boxes.  The kitchen is almost finished. We are waiting for one cupboard to come.  The original one disappeared between the warehouse and our home.  So, the disorganization is driving me crazy at home.
My bedroom still has the kitchen table and blue chair.

I went from compliments to organized to disorganized.  Re-reading this post seems to be disorganized. I will be more organized tomorrow.

Listen to the James Taylor songs.  Mockingbird is one of my favorites.

The ice and snow are coming.  Watch out!

Tuedays are the BEST day of the week

It is Tuesday.  The skies are overcast, but the temperature was 55F/13C.  This is a heat wave for Massachusetts.  The dirty snow will continue to melt leaving piles of sand on the sides of the street.  The sand is spread when the snow and icy are on the roads to reduce slipping while driving.  There are vehicles which pick up the extra sand on the road once the snow is gone.  I believe they recycle it.  Tomorrow another snow storm is supposed to hit here.  I missed all the others in February because I was in the warm weather of Mumbai, India.  There will be more sand spread on the streets this week with the next storm.  Maybe the temperature will remain above freezing and it will be only rain.  At the end of April through June the Street sweeping vehicles will be out cleaning the sand.  This is a sure sign of Spring into Summer.

Back to being Tuesday.  Tuesday is the BEST day of the week.  Why do you ask?
Monday is done.  You know how you feel on Mondays getting ready to take on the week.
It is only 1 day before Wednesday.  Wednesdays are in the middle of the week so the weekend is right around the corner.
Thursdays are only a day before Friday.  You know the weekend starts after 6pm on Fridays.  You have to prepare plans for the weekend.
Fridays are busy finishing everything not done during the week so you can enjoy the weekend.
Saturday - Oh Saturdays!  It is the weekend!  Now you worry that the weekend is going too fast.  Tomorrow is Sunday.  Poof! The weekend has ended.  Sunday is the day you prepare for the next week.
It is the cycle of life!

Tuesdays are the best day because Monday is behind you and the weekend is ahead of you.  There is no worrying about getting everything done before the weekend because it is the beginning of the week.

If you were born on Tuesday, you are full of grace.  Are you really full of grace?  Do you know what day you were born on?  Here is the poem with explanation for each day.

Monday's child is fair of face,

Tuesday's child is full of grace,

Wednesday's child is full of woe,

Thursday's child has far to go,

Friday's child is loving and giving,

Saturday's child works hard for a living,

But the child who is born on the Sabbath Day

Is bonny and blithe and good and gay. 

Author - Unknown

I love Tuesdays because it is Adoration and Benediction at St. Luke's Church.  It is a time for me to sit quietly in church reflecting.  It is amazing because there are no outside distractions.  No calls, no one demanding time.  It is about spending a few minutes with God.  Benediction is wonderful.  The songs and prayers sung always bring joy.  I have missed this for the month of February.  What is Adoration?

Back to Daylight Savings Time...It is really causing problems with my sleep.  I just got used to the time after coming back from Mumbai, then the jumping 1 hour ahead.  I am not tired until midnight or later.  I am living on 5 hours or less of sleep.  I have to force myself to sleep early.  There is no daylight in the morning.  I am up between 530am to 630am EDT and I have not seen sunlight.  It is still dark.  Is this the way daylight is being saved?  The daylight is out until 630pm EDT.

Shout out to Bob Marley.  He is 61 years old today.  Remember the song "Don't Worry Be Happy".  If not or if you are too young, here is the link to the song.Don't Worry Be Happy  It will make you smile!

On 11 March 1997, Paul McCartney was knighted by Queen Elizabeth.

I am learning more and more about links and pictures.  Next will be videos.  

Learning

A thought for today...
"Personally I'm always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught." - Winston Churchill

With the new kitchen I have to learn how to use all of the new appliances. (I bet most of you thought I was going to write "learn how to cook".  I know how to cook and bake.  I do not enjoy it.  It is not fun.  Doing the laundry is more relaxing and enjoyable than cooking.)  Back to my lessons with new appliances.  I have very little patience with new technology.  Shouldn't you be able to turn a knob or press a button and it work? Not our new JennAir appliances.  They are smarter than the person using it.  ME!

I get home tonight after going to Planet Fitness and getting my hair cut. (I am back to going to the gym since I returned from Mumbai.)  I wanted to heat up my leftovers and some noodles.  Manny gave me a quick lesson yesterday on how to use the stove, but today I could not turn the power on.  The stove was locked.  What was I going to do?  I did not want to heat the food in the microwave.  Manny just got out of his Zumba class so I called him.  I had to press the "Lock Control" and hold until it unlocked.  Really!  There needs to be a "cheat sheet".  I need to go to remedial classes to learn how to work this stove.

The new pot Manny bought is for the magnetic induction stove.  The temperature of the burner can only be low to medium heat.  You cannot use metal in the pot.  When the cookware comes with instructions with so many dos and don'ts maybe it is not worth purchasing.  It is a nice pot though.  The new stove is magnetic induction but very few pots and pans that work on it.  I do not know if this was completely thought through when the decision to purchase it was done.

The oven has a built in cookbook.  It is "dummy proof" for people like me.  It tells you how to place the racks in the oven for the item to cook.  It is amazing the logic.  You cannot simply turn on the oven any longer.  There are so many prompts.  I just want to have the oven heat up so I can cook something.  Again, there will have to be remedial course for me.

Patience is a virtue!

There is a downhill slope on the floor between the island and refrigerator.  With my fused ankle I feel the slightest change on any surface.  I am still learning the irregularities of the floor.  I need to know this.  It is a good work out with the slight incline or decline depending which way you are walking.  I am still trying to get used to all the changes.

Change is Good!  Really?

The kitchen is a good change.  I cannot wait for it to be completely finished.  The rooms (living room and kitchen) echo because there is no furniture.  I hope this weekend we can set up the living room.

Learning is good, but have the patience to be taught is hard.  I am living proof of this.  Being stubborn does not help me.  I like status quo.  Learning new things are scary at the beginning.  It gets easier.

I will get used to the new appliances in the kitchen.  I would rather do all the laundry than cook though.

How do you save Daylight when Daylight Saving Time begins?

In the United States Daylight Savings Time (DST) began.  Benjamin Franklin was the first to discuss the idea of DST in 1784.  It took until March 1918 for the USA to institute this crazy idea.  Massachusetts Congressman decided to move the date to the second Sunday in March from the first Sunday in April.  The one reason the congressman stated to move the day to early March so the criminal activity would be less since there is more daylight. WHAT!  Also, the idea was to extend the day.  It was so supposed to save daylight.

How does one save daylight?  When saving money there is a bank or piggy bank or safe.  When saving your sanity you avoid the thing or things that will drive you insane.  How can you save daylight to use it again?  Now the environmentalist would advocate the use of solar panels to store sunlight for use in heating buildings and water.  For everyone who do not have solar panels what is being saved during daylight saving time?  The daylight is longer as the Summer comes.  Arizona does not want to have more daylight during the hottest season, so the clocks in Arizona never change.  There is no adjusting to time.  Life is simpler in Arizona concerning DST.

This is a positive for Daylight Savings Time.

It is 7pm EDT (Eastern Daylight Time) and I am freezing.  The daylight has moved to night.  The temperature is dropping to below 32F/0C.  I do not feel the warmer with more daylight.  Before I went to sleep last night I moved the clock ahead 1 hour.  I lost 1 hour of sleep.  There are so many studies stating adults do not get enough sleep.  I just lost another hour.  How do I find that 1 hour?  Where did it hide?  Is it with the saved daylight?  So many unanswered questions.

Did you know sunflowers follow the sun for sunrise to sunset.  The sunflower actually moves its head towards the sun all day long.

Sunflowers finding the daylight.

There is one answered question at home right now.  Who made Butter Chicken?  Manny made me Butter Chicken.  Why do I want to continue to eat India food after eating this food the whole month of February while working in Mumbai?  I love the spice.  I am used to eating food with flavor and spice.  The food I was eating before my trip is so BLAND!  I mean flavorless!  I need the spice.  I have bought chili sauce to add flavor.  Manny is very happy about this turn in events.

Butter Chicken on the new stove top in the new pot.

We finished eating the Butter Chicken and Roti.  We are still standing and eating at the new kitchen island. The kitchen table is in our bedroom.  I hope soon the kitchen table and living room furniture will be back in the correct rooms.

We are relaxing watching Food TV.  Thank goodness I am not hungry any longer.
I am really not relaxing.  I am trying to move pictures from Mumbai from my camera to Facebook.  I have no idea what is wrong.  I am consulting the Home IT department.  He is not really working on it at this time. Will the pictures ever escape the confines of the camera?  Only time will tell.

Back to saving daylight...Let's see what tomorrow will bring.  Will there be more daylight tomorrow?  Will some be saved for a later day?  There is supposed to be another SNOWSTORM on Wednesday into Thursday.  More to come.

Is it SPRING yet?

As I was sitting at work yesterday, my little elephant's ears were happily moving up and down because of the light shining down on it.  Its ears were moving lazily all day.  I would turn to look at it and smile.  Such a small thing to make a person smile.

Since I have been home from Mumbai, India, as I leave work around 5pm ET there is still daylight.  It is amazing to see daylight with the added bonus of a beautiful blue sky.  The blue sky had wispy clouds hanging among the blue background.  Imagine the blue of the ocean or the blue eyes that hypnotize.  (See Yo Yo Honey Singh music video)  As I was driving home, the sun began setting in the West.  The sky began turning from blue to red and orange.  The daylight was coming to an end.  The chill in the air became more intense because the sun's heat was moving below the horizon.  My little elephant's ears slows down when the light is not shining.  The same thing happens to me.  I love when I walk out of work and there is sunlight.  I forgot the beauty of the sunlight.  Winter brings simple beauty of Spring.  In this case pre-Spring.

The trees and other plants are still waiting for the first sign of Spring.  The sun is slowly moving towards the equator.  I cannot wait for the first signs of warmer weather.  The flowers will be coming up soon.  There is over 9 inches of snow on the ground.  The flowers cannot see the sunlight under the cold blanket of snow.  Anticipation!  Spring is a time for the anticipation of Summer.  Spring brings flowers, trees budding new leaves and birds returning.  The snow is melting today.  The temperature is 53F/13C.  This is great!

Spring begins on March 20th this year.  There is only 12 days left.  I am so happy.  I missed the worst part of winter while I was in Mumbai.  I remember in 2nd grade I had to write a poem.  Remember this is a 2nd grade writing this poem!

Spring is such a funny thing.

It always sets me wondering.

With little bunnies hopping outside

And butterflies fluttering by.

Don't laugh.  I received an A for this poem.  I loved writing poetry after my teacher praised me.  A little kindness boosted my self-esteem.

Time to heat up the house since it is still winter outside.