Texting & Talking

Have you had a good old-fashioned conversation with someone today?  You know, the kind where you look at another human and the two of you take turns speaking and listening to one another.  A recent news story predicts that we are losing the art of verbal communication because we text  and email each other more than we speak with each other.  Verbal conversation provides cues that text does not. Even when we speak over the phone, the message is more clear than in tech print. I was kind of late to the texting party, but I do use it, especially when I send info to one of my wonderful sister friends.  If I'm in a hurry, I text instead of call her because she never wants to get off the phone.  
Smiles,
Sylvia

Mom's Cakes

My mother is a great cook.  She also makes delicious, down-home cakes and pies from scratch.  Her popular cakes are German Chocolate Cake, Coconut Cake-with or without pineapple filling between the layers, and Chocolate Cake.  She also makes a mean Banana Pudding and Sweet Potato Pie. Over the years, she has scaled down her dessert repertoire, because we no longer eat as many sweets.  However, when there's a special family event, Mom whips up one or two of our favorites.  Most family members will have a slice/serving, and we get any leftover dessert out of the house so we won't be tempted.  Well, I let her Coconut/Pineapple Cake get me in trouble this week because I took some long ago promised cake to a fellow church member.  The problem: some people in the church lobby heard me tell the church member that I had the cake in my car.  Several other people lobbied me for cake slices, and there were some looks of disappointment when I couldn't satisfy their requests. Maybe next time.
My Mom's cakes rule!
Smiles,
Sylvia

Good Job

I'm often impressed with the creativity and endurance of  some mothers.  I saw one at Aldi's the other day.  This woman held an adorable, chunky, and sleeping toddler with her left arm.  His round head rested on her left shoulder. She held her child all the while she picked her groceries off the shelves and placed them into her shopping cart. When it was time to put the groceries on the conveyor belt, she did so without putting the child down.  When it came time to pay, she got the money out of her purse and still held onto the sleeping child.  She wheeled the groceries to the area where customers bag their purchased food items and began the bagging process.  She did all this with one arm.  Before I left the store, she shifted the toddler to her right arm and he stirred a little.  She spoke softly to him in Spanish, and he went back to slumber land.  She didn't appear stressed at all.  It seemed she knew she had a task to complete and wanted him to get his nap in while she did so.  She did a good job.
Take care,
Sylvia

Play Date

I returned this morning from a one day/overnight getaway.  I'm so glad I broke my routine.  My husband and I went to a different city, saw different sights, ate dinner at a restaurant, and took a long energetic walk near the ocean.  Now, I'm refreshed and ready to tackle my tasks for the next few days. 
Sometimes, it's good for grownups to have a play date.
Smiles,
Sylvia

Popping Gum

Every now and then I see something  that reminds me of  stuff that was important to me long ago.  Today, it was Gum Popping.  I was in a store today when I heard the sharp, fast, and rhythmic sound of someone popping their chewing gum.  It took me back to my preteen and early teen years, when it was cool to be able to make your chewing gum pop. The louder and faster the pops were, the better.  Back then, girls were the ones who did most of the gum popping.  As I grew older and got more fillings in my molar teeth, I lost the ability to pop gum without first blowing a small bubble. The thrill was mostly gone then, and  I was also told by someone that popping gum was not considered polite or sophisticated.  However, every now and then, when I'm alone, I still make small gum bubbles and pop them.
Smiles,
Sylvia

Little Things

Two things that are irritants, even though I don't let them send me into a tailspin.
When I attempt to insert a pierced earring in my earlobe and the earring back falls on the floor.  I don't want to wear the post earring without the back because the chances of the post slipping out and getting lost are high.  So, I usually search diligently until I find it.  However, the search must also be gentle, because if I step on the earring back, I may bend it to the point that it can no longer be used.

When I drop a contact lense on the floor, especially if the floor is carpeted. This is another gentle search.  Also, when I drop a contact lense in the sink, but I haven't put the stopper in position.  I don't want the lense to go down the drain, so I have to be very  careful about retrieving it from the sink.
Life's little challenges...
Smiles,
Sylvia

Future Nurse

While I was at the mall this week, I heard a young lady call me, "Miss Brown."  When that happens, it's usually one of my former third grade students. The older ones still refer to me by my maiden name because I wasn't married when they were in my class.  Out of necessity, long-time teachers usually have great name recall.  We need it because we have to memorize the first and last names of  about 15 -20  or more students each school year.  We have to match those names with the children's faces and voices, too. However, when you retire from classroom teaching and meet up with one of your former students, it may take a minute or two before you can call a name correctly.  At this week's encounter, I didn't get the name right off, but as I looked at the young lady's face and listened to her voice, her name came to me.  She seemed pleased to know that I could remember and call her name correctly. She's in  her early twenties now and is studying for a nursing career. She was on a lunch break with some of her nursing candidate colleagues.  It's so nice to see her on a successful path.
Take care,
Sylvia

Elusive Coffee

Have you ever noticed that it's nearly impossible to get all of the ground coffee out of the aluminum or plastic coffee cans?  Every time I set up to brew a pot of coffee using my old drip coffee carafe and I am at the end of a can, I struggle to get those straggling coffee ground remnants out of the can. 
Oh well, maybe it's just me.
The cool thing is that my brother gifted me with the newer single cup coffee machine that has individual brewing cups, so I  have options.  Nice...
Smiles,
Sylvia

Tucked Away

Do you ever discover items you forgot about or didn't know you had?  Maybe you decided to tidy your bookshelf and found a  book you placed there years ago.  Maybe you checked a coat pocket and found some money you didn't know was there.  Maybe you looked under your car seat and discovered the pen you'd already replaced because you thought it was long gone. 
Recently, I unexpectedly found a novel I'd borrowed from a friend long, long ago.  Actually, I didn't ask to borrow it; she had insisted I read her copy so I didn't have to purchase it myself.  When I opened the cover of the novel, I saw her familiar signature.  She always wrote her name in her books.  As I flipped through the pages, a photo of her fell out.   Her face wore a confident and fun loving smile.  In that photo, she was enjoying life.  At first, the book and the photo made me catch my breath, because she passed away a couple of years ago. It was sudden.  I'm thankful to have many good memories of our friendship; that tucked away photo ended up making me smile.
Take care,
Sylvia

Good Actions

While at the supermarket today, I was approached by a  man who was lovingly and patiently shopping with his elderly mother. I had noticed them earlier and we  had greeted each other.  When he approached me again, he asked, "Miss, can you talk with my mother?"  I said I would.  It turned out that she was looking for a product that her son preferred she discuss with a female.  I spoke with his mother and then she chose what she wanted from the shelf.  She was so sweet as she said, "Before I got sick, I used to be able to do this kind of shopping for myself, but now I  need help.  Thank you for helping me."  Then, she hugged me.
I felt tenderness for her and her son, who stood at a respectful distance while his mother and I discussed the different products for women.  As I left the store, I said to him, "You're a good son; you take care of your mother."  He thanked me in a modest manner and smiled. 
It is so nice to see good actions.
Take care,
Sylvia