Hi Ho, Hi Ho, I'm Home!

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, I'm Home!!!! Had an absolutely wonderful time in Columbus, OH. My friend Diane and I resumed our friendship as if we had never been apart (last time we saw each other was 1968). She is still the very gracious and kind person that I remembered and we laughed and cried and laughed some more. We visited a quaint, historic town called Roscoe Village (www.roscoevillage.conn) and shopped at an authentic general store, candy shop (yum!), Celtic shop, and lunched with her friend at a restaurant appropriated named The Warehouse. We also had dinner one evening with her friend Joanne. The little guy Lucas was in an art gallery/framing shop that we stopped by. We also visited a nut shop, of which I hadddd to purchase some delish nuts, the Museum of the Artisans Guild, and Trader Joe's.

It snowed, off and on, and one night we had a really wild wind deal....not necessarily like the ones in Montgomery, this was a really noisy one...enjoyed that also.

Soon, alas, 2 soon, Diane and I said goodbye and promised to visit each other soon. She will fly to San Antonio sometimes near the end of the year, I will drive up, we'll tour San Antonio and then I'll drive her back to Montgomery for a few days.

Today's thought from me "There's no place like home"....

Enjoy your weekend and tune in again for more interesting updates in this retiree's life.....:-)

Just so I don't forget

For all my devoted readers (?), I know I've been slow lately in writing but I've had a busy February. Now that I'm back feeling like my old self, I've had various appts in H'town, finishing income tax stuff (for my parents, finished my own) and participating in the April Sound Ladies Association. I'm really enjoying the ASLA - meeting new ladies, going places and becoming part of the community. Relocating to a new community after living in the same area for some 30 years, and given that most of last year I was out of touch with the world, it's been really nice to start getting to know and participate with other ladies. Today it's early movie afternoon and then dinner at Olive Garden. How fun is that. Then I leave for my trip to Ohio to see a very dear friend from many moons ago, try the 60's, and upon my return, it's Scrabble night, Ladies luncheon, Decorating Diva's day out and then suddenly it will be March. So there !

Update on my friend Shari - she recently had surgery. We had a backyard patio hug the other day and she looks great. She still has to take it easy but she's doing much better.

btw, an article a few days ago in the H'town Chronicle caught my eye, it was about Valentin's Day by personal financial columnist Shannon Buggs - she compiled several aphorisms and bits of poetry to help beloved and lovelorn put their money desires in perspective. Today's thought is from her column and attributed to John Kenneth Galbraith in The Age of Uncertainty, 1977

"Money is a singular thing. It ranks with love as man's greatest source of joy. And with death as his greatest source of anxiety"...

There will be more from Shannon as I have time. Sooooo, that's whats news for February 17 - I'll try to dash off one more blog before leaving on Thursday. I'm headed into Conroe this a.m. for another doc check-up and then later, movie time....(bargain at the Grand - $5.00 tickets).

Enjoy the day :-)

Special Valentine Post

This is a most special thanx to Dave- today, yesterday and tomorrow, better known as my BF. This man is the most special person to me. No one has ever treated me better, cared for me more or "got my back". He nursed me through 2008's year of the accident, which required alot of care and certainly alot of patience, this year he has seen me thru the horrific flu that I returned home with in January, and for the last eight years has been my companion, my lover, my friend, my trusted caregiver. Much more than I could ever have asked for or imagined. He has challenged me to think, to care more about things in the world, to open my mind to ideas bigger and more interesting than I could ever know.

He has kept my family and friends aware of how and what was or is happening to me and he takes the load off myself by being my handyman, my electrician, my picture hanger, my "go to" guy. Big time geek best of all.

Indeed I am a most lucky gal - thanx BF - I doubt I could really ever tell you in person how much you mean to me. Tonight we'll celebrate Valentine's Day with prime rib, broccoli and Popsicles for desert. Plus candles on the table.

Enjoy YOUR valentines day, whatever, however and with or with someone special. :-)

View from my patio

It's such a beautiful day and I couldn't resist going out on the patio and taking a few pics. I'm probably the luckiest girl in the world to have such a view. And even when the boats start their engines, I rarely hear them. Of course, these aren't the yachts, just nice power boats that belong to neighbors. I have a slip also, a boat I don't have and certainly don't need, but it's a nice thought. The water is a very comforting to me and I enjoy sitting on the patio reading, snoozing or just watching the world go by. My buddies, the ducks were snoozing so I didn't bother taking pics of them, but next time they come around I'll snap a few. Cutest ducks are Ben & Jerry. They are pretty much together always, and they fight over a piece of bread.

Today's thought from Life Little Instruction is #306 "Take a nap on a Sunday afternoon". Personally, I believe naps are good any day of the week. :-) Enjoy, I'm back to the patio, I feel a nap coming on.

Believe it or not - more post post IKE

WOW! believe it or not, no rain, no wind, no lighting strikes, just a big pine that went down on BF's street. amazing....and it was a young tree, not one of the really old ones that exist out here. it even blocked the turn- it was cut up and moved to the side of the street by the next day.

We finally received some rain yesterday evening. Nice but not enough. Supposedly more is coming tonight. and that's the weather from Montgomery.

Had a great day yesterday, early am doctor's follow-up after my recent hospitalization and everything is almost back in working order. Then off to my CPA in the afternoon. I've been working diligently on gathering up my tax info. It is so nice to have task completed. All I'll have to do is sign on the dotted line and mail it to Uncle.

#137 from Life's Little Instructions - "Keep your watch 5 minutes fast". I've done that for a long time. I would always rather wait 5 minutes for you then have you wait a minute for me.

:-)

Savannah's best.......

One of the most notable of historic areas that we visited in Savannah was Temple Mckve Israel, the third oldest congregation in the United States. It is the only Gothic Temple in the world and still has religious services on Friday evening and Saturday mornings. It is wonderfully maintained and has a congregation of about 3500 members. Our docent, Buddy, was well informed and a very pleasant gentlemen. His hobby was not only Jewish history but Savannah history and he was well informed about both. The congregation on the inside was beautiful....absolutely beautiful and awesome. The ceiling was extremely high, the pews still retained numbers (as in olden days when members purchased their pews) and were the old fashioned style of pew, much as found in any older religious place of worship. The stain glass windows were incredibly beautiful, at the bottom of each was the name of members of the Jewish community who had contributed to their commission. Our tour lasted about 45 minutes and really was not long enough. (imho). Gail and I were very grateful to be able to see and experience this part of Savannah history.

The lovely ladies have returned

Home, sweet home! Savannah is a lovely town, the people are friendly and it is a really nice "get-away" spot, historic homes, trolley rides, theater, food, shops, waterfronts, trees, a perfect spot for a long weekend.....HOWEVER, if you happen to pick up an extra traveler, say a really horrific VIRUS, it is not that much fun....not fun at all if you want the truth. My friend Gail was a wonderful person to travel with. Caring, easy to get along with, and we never ran out of things to say. Unfortunately, I picked up a terrible bug, and we ended up returning home a day early. Gail suffered a less unfortunate experience with the bug, hers lasted about 24 hours....

No more need be said about the unexpected and unwelcome guest.....

We did travel to Charleston, S.C. one day for a planned tour, which was interesting. The tour guide left something to be desired. We had lunch at a well known restaurant in Charleston and the ride going and coming in our cute little PT Cruiser was good. lots of interesting stuff to see.

Savannah is a very picturesque city, almost a million in population and everyone we met and/or had contact with were very pleasant, particularly our hotel staff which couldn't do enough for us in providing directions and conversation.

Hopefully, Gail will travel with me again one day. It is really good to be home, out of the hospital and thanx to BF's wonderful care, back on my feet again....

More pics and more stuff tomorrow....my own quote "there's no place like home when you don't feel good".....:-)