Red Shoes

Sometimes we find treasured items we  thought we had  lost forever.  When we find these items, we experience joy.  It is extremely cool when we find an item we were not looking for at the time; it simply shows up. It's like the item says to us, "See, I was here all the time.  You looked every place else but here!" Sometimes we find an earring we thought we would never see again.  Sometimes we find a favorite article of clothing, or a pen, or a book,  necklace,  or ring.  This week, I looked at the lapel on my jacket and noticed that my favorite pin,  a pair of bright red glittery shoes with pump heels, was missing.  I have retraced my steps from the last time I saw it, but so far it is still missing.  It probably fell off my jacket when I tossed it somewhere.  I am not stressing over it, though.  When I least expect it, my red shoes pin will probably turn up. I will be happy to have it again.
Smiles,
Sylvia

Treats

I just returned from the university, where I picked up and returned my teen.  Nothing major, we simply needed to have a catching-up-with-you chat.  We talked (I mostly listened) as we went to a couple of stores and we also did some window shopping.  Then, we went to one of our favorite shops: Carl Fischer Candies.  The enticing scent of quality chocolate caressed our senses  as soon as we entered.  I absolutely enjoy the look, scent, and taste of good chocolate!   This shop makes their own chocolate treats, and they do it so well.  They also have other delightful candies.  Before we left the shop, my  teen bit into a dark chocolate- covered piece with a raspberry jelly center and went into a trance.  Before I sat down to write this post, I enjoyed a chocolate-covered caramel marshmallow treat.  It was so good it made me want to sing!
Sometimes, all you need is a little bit of chocolate.
Smiles,
Sylvia

Dead Squirrel

There was a show on recently that showed video clips.  Most of them were of  adorable babies and animals.  I guess they were submitted by the public, because I'd  seen a few of the clips on UTube.  The babies were precious, but one clip showed a cute little girl who looked like she was about 3 to 5 years old.  She was cuddling a dead squirrel  while responding to the person (her dad?)  who was recording the video.  She said that the dead squirrel was her pet.  She seemed happy as she repeatedly cooed, stroked the dead squirrel, and chucked its neck.  This made the head of the squirrel  bob up and down. She played with the squirrel's tail and nuzzled the lifeless animal. The squirrel was just being, well, dead.  After a while, the  little girl was instructed to put the squirrel back on the ground. 
Although I would not let my child have such close contact with a dead squirrel, I was impressed with the gentleness and innocence of the little girl.  I had to shudder after I saw the clip, though.  A dead squirrel?
Take care,
Sylvia

Car Care Place

At a car maintenance place, as I listened to one worker tell  me what things needed to be done to my car, another worker walked up and said softly, "Lend me five dollars."  I thought he was talking to his coworker, so I ignored him.  He looked at me, repeated the sentence, and I jokingly replied, "Why don't you lend me  five dollars?"  He said, "That's not a yes or a no."  I laughed and said, "I'm a  retired teacher and I am broke."  He jerked his head at my remark, smiled at me and said, "You know, you look like a teacher."  Then he walked away.  I finished my business there and left, but I now wonder how he meant what he said.
What does it mean that I look like a teacher?  I wasn't wearing a school uniform.
What does a teacher look like?
Why is he asking customers to lend him money?  Is he joking?
Does he mean lend or give?  One you pay back and the other you don't.
All I know is, the car maintenance place was all the way live that day!
Smiles,
Sylvia

Gotta Go

I was at the gym earlier. At the end of her workout, one of the members decided to use the restroom at the gym before leaving.  She said, " I'd better use the restroom here because I'm going to this new place and I don't know where the restroom is located there."   I cannot remember what place she was going to, but her remark reminded me of something I am in the habit of doing.  Whenever I go to a new restaurant, mall, theater, store, etc,  I always check to see where the restrooms are located.  Maybe I do this because of my elementary teaching experience.  On class trips, teachers have to quickly find out where the lavatories are located.  This is because as soon as you get your 20-plus students off the yellow school bus, one of them will say, "I have to use the bathroom."  This prompts the others to chime in with the same need.  I guess this training developed my skill of restroom detection.  As my sister will tell you, "If you want to know where the restroom  is in this place, just ask Sylvia!"
Smiles, and have a great weekend!
Sylvia

Decisions Made

Sometimes we make decisions without thinking we do.  When we receive time-sensitive mail offers which we don't open or read, we have made a NO decision about those mail offers.  When someone asks us to call and we do not commit to doing so, we may have already made the decision not to call.  When we continue to write the same task on our daily task list until it is too late to do the task, we have made the NO decision about that task.  When we bring home a sweet treat that our current diet does not allow, we have likely made the decision to have that treat anyway.
Happy decision-making today!
Smiles,
Sylvia

Missing Forks

This is what I call a house mystery.  In the kitchen drawer where I keep the spoons, knives, and forks, something happens.  Every few months, I stock the drawer with a set that has the same number of tablespoons, teaspoons, forks, and knives.  Mysteriously, there  always fewer forks in the drawer after a period of time.  I ask my family members, "What happened to the forks?  I know I put in the drawer the same number of forks as I did spoons and knives."  My family members always respond, "I don't know."  Somebody knows.  The forks do not just walk away. 
Do you have any house mysteries?
Smiles,
Sylvia