Cousin

A day ago, family and friends said a ceremonial goodbye to a dear member of our clan.  Some people spoke at her service, and several points were consistent:  her welcoming spirit, her friendliness and concern for the people she met.  I remember her sparkly eyes, slightly mischievous smile, and the fact that she always seemed glad to see me...
Take care,
Sylvia 

Cake Batter

While reading a magazine, I saw a picture of a little girl and her mother. They appeared to be happily baking a cake together. I smiled when I saw that the little girl licked the batter-coated agitator part of the mixer.  What I call the agitator parts are the chrome spinning parts that can be disconnected from the hand mixer.  These parts stir the batter faster than a human hand can. This reminded me of baking cakes with my mother. We ( her children) were so excited to lick the sweet batter from the mixer's agitator parts. We also enjoyed licking the stirring spoon. It was fun to hang out and help out in Mom's kitchen. 
Good thoughts, right?
Smiles,
Sylvia

Mild Weather

Quick thought:
In our area, we've been blessed with atypical mild weather lately. This saves us money on our home heating. Perhaps, we can use these savings to better cope with the current rocketing vehicle gasoline prices!
Hang in there!
Smiles,
Sylvia

Unclaimed

While cleaning out my notes file, I found a Public Notice from a newspaper.  These are often found in the back of newspapers and are possibly not read unless one has a need to look for such information.  I must have cut this section out of the newspaper and  put this in my notes file because the title caught my eye:
                  "Intent to dispose of UNCLAIMED CREMATED HUMAN REMAINS"
The notice, from several funeral homes, goes on to inform those concerned that they have had these remains for more than a year and that unless someone claims them, they'll be placed in a crypt along with other unclaimed remains.  It goes on to explain that the funeral homes have made every attempt to contact the families/agents, but to no avail.
I think it's sad that someone can die and be cremated and no one is there to claim or take care of their remains. So sad.
Take care,
Sylvia

Neighborhood Memories

I did a book reading at a residence for seniors last week. The residents who attended made interesting comments and were quite receptive.  There were two women present who are 93 years old, and they have sharp minds.  Each one  has a  great memory and  a great sense of humor.  An extra treat for me was that one of these woman grew up on the same street I grew up on, only, she was there years before my parents moved to the street. We happened to talk about that because one of the settings in my novel is my old street.  She told me about the  neighbors and buildings that were on the street before my family arrived there.  It was a joy to hear that kind of history from someone who was there.  I plan to meet her again so we can talk more about the old days on a street in a Trenton neighborhood.

More Than You Think

"I don't have any ground coffee.  I want my morning cup of freshly brewed coffee.  Now, I've got to go out and buy some." 
These were my thoughts one  morning last week.  Then, I had another thought which prompted me to search more carefully in my kitchen cupboard.  There it was,  a previously-opened can of dark ground roast with just enough to brew a full carafe of java.  It turns out I had more coffee than I first thought; I didn't have to rush out and buy more.  I simply had to search for and find what I already had. 
This reminded me of a conversation I had with a friend about a jacket she needed to go out and buy.  I suggested she look in her closet first, because I thought she told me before about such a jacket purchase.  She went home, checked her closet, and she did have the jacket hanging in her closet already.  Sometimes, we have more than we at first think we do.
Smiles,
Sylvia

Advice From Mrs. V

While at the grocery store on Tuesday, I saw a senior citizen acquaintance.  I'll call her Mrs. V.  I know her from the gym, and she has a delightful disposition.  She's pleasant and upbeat, and she has a wealth of wisdom from her 81 years of living.  I know her age because she tells us at the gym, and we who are younger are impressed with her drive and positive spirit.  She does the exercise routines that are appropriate for her, and she reminds us that her emphasis is to "keep on moving."
On Tuesday, Mrs. V gave me some advice at the grocery store, "Plum tomatoes are on sale today. They're only 99 cents a pound."  So, I began to pick some out. She said, "No, Honey, you don't want that one.  Look at all the bumps in it.  Hold it up to the light.  I know lots about buying groceries because I raised seven children and cooked for nine people every day for many years."   I put back the less than perfect tomato and followed Mrs. V's expert advice.
Smiles,
Sylvia

ABS Challenge

We are having a February ABS Challenge at the gym I attend.  This is Day #6.  The challenge consists of sit ups, push ups, and planking for increasing time periods.  Each day, more reps are added, and at the end of the month, the person who has lost the most inches in the waist and belly is the winner.  I don't know why I accepted this challenge; maybe it's a last-ditch attempt to get back a version of my college track team and cheerleader midsection.  It's likely my middle-aged folly, and I don't care whether or not I win.  I will be happy to see and feel results.   What I do know after Day 6 is that I feel muscles in my abdomen that I haven't recognized in awhile, and they are becoming stronger.  This is really hard work, but hopefully it'll get easier!
Hanging in there,
Sylvia

2012 Checks

Okay. Fess up.  How many of us have not yet mastered writing 2012 as the  date year on our checks?  I'm told that we get a grace period of one month into the new year to do so.  If this is true, and some of us are still writing 2011 on our checks ( yes, there are some of us out there who have not graduated to online banking), we may have some challenges ahead.  One tip I got was to write the new year's date on the first ten blank checks in my checkbook.  That way, my eyes would get used to seeing the new date and this would make my transition easier. This tip has worked for me in the past.  However, I have the feeling that my creditors will accept my mistakenly 2011-dated checks past February 2012.  Now, I just  have to find out where I put my checkbook...
Smiles,
Sylvia

Telemarketing

Lately, I've been receiving more calls from telemarketers.  Although I registered for the Do Not Call list some years ago, I guess it must be time to re-register.  I've been thinking about how to handle frequent calls from  these people who are just doing their jobs.  Should I hang up on them while they're in mid-speech?  Should I listen to the entire speech, and then decline politely?  Should  I accept most or all of these requests for the good causes?  Well, I know I'm not going to  respond to all the causes; I can't afford to do that.  But, I don't like to  be rude to the telemarketer person.   I often say, "No, thanks", and hang up before a conversation can start.  I do hang up on the computer-generated voice telemarketers, because they're not humans. This week, I'll look for and call the Do Not Call registry again.  How do you  handle these calls?
Smiles,
Sylvia

National Freedom Day

Today, February 1, is National Freedom Day.  In 1865, President Lincoln signed the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which outlawed slavery in the USA.  Later, Major Richard Wright, Sr., a former slave, pushed to have a day in this country when the ideal of  freedom and opportunity for all citizens is honored.  The bill was signed in 1948 by President  Harry Truman. 
It's a good thing. There's been progress and more is being looked forward to and fought for.  Let's all do our part for equality, harmony, and opportunity.  May God continue to bless America. 
Keep the faith,
Sylvia