Friday Afternoon Musings

 

a pedestrian

This Egret crossed my path this afternoon as I was walking through the neighborhood. While this picture was taken with the help of the zoom feature on my iPhone, he did allow me to get (what I thought was) surprisingly close. We see a lot of his/her kind around here at this time of year. They have to poke their head out in front of them to get their legs to move the body forward (or so it seems). 

This one did not seem inclined to converse with me. They are always on grocery trips when we see them, so chatting with humans is not a priority with them.

back of our house 
as seen from the multi-purpose path

It's wintertime in Florida right now. Our bike rides have not been a daily thing due in part to the cold but more so because riding into the wind is very tiring. However, as a follow-up to comments made in my last post regarding the padded bike pants, WOW! What a difference that makes. I have two pair, one padded with foam and one with gel. Both fillings make a comforting difference in the comfort of the bike ride, but the gel is my favorite of the two.

I resisted asking Gary, "Do these shorts make my butt look fat?" because I just didn't want to put him in that awkward spot. However, my "bulk" does not tend to rest in that part of my anatomy, so it's not a concern to me. 

my New Year's Day menu 2018

New Year's Day we did not have the traditional black-eyed peas with cornbread, ham, and cooked greens (and Waldorf Salad, pictured above), which was my norm for many years. While it's a wonderful menu, I am now 70-something and I can say with certainty that what I eat on January 1st of any year has absolutely nothing to do with my good fortune (or lack thereof) for the rest of the year. 

But more accurate for this New Year's day of 2024, I was not the chef in charge of the kitchen, so we had what he was serving. It is our habit to have "Gary's World Famous Bacon Sandwiches" on most Mondays for lunch, finishing off the package he opened for our breakfast-for-lunch on the day before. So we had that, and as always, it was very good. By the way, Gary has bacon, tomato and mayo while I add a couple lettuce leaves for added crunch and nutrition.

Edith's bowl-and-pitcher
atop my quilted table runner

The day after New Year's, a visit to a new dentist resulted in an invitation for me to get two cavities filled later this month. These are my first cavities in a very long time, so I'm grateful.

sealing the pavers

Another necessary but not especially pleasant event this week was getting the paver bricks in our front patio sealed. The result is beautiful and does not need to be repeated for two years, but the strong smell of the chemicals are headache-inducing. 

3pm tea and chocolate-covered peanuts

In spite of it being an absolutely beautiful afternoon outdoors, we retreated to the lanai on the back of the house to read, talk, and blog.

Sudoku

Here's a question for those who like to leave comments: have you ever played Sudoku? 

I began a month or so ago and absolutely love it. Once I realized it does not require math (not a bit!!) and it is said to be of help in staving off dementia, I decided to give it a try. Now this book sits beside my recliner where most evenings I work the puzzle in front of the evening news. 

If you are interested, here is one of many Youtube links explaining how to play: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWfZ77Z9q4Q

photo credit:
Google: water color journal

Another question I am inviting my readers to answer is this: why do some of us blog? The 15th anniversary of my first blog is coming up in a few weeks yet I still ask myself that question. Why do some of us feel the need to share our thoughts with who-knows-who is reading?

Why would anybody care to read my stuff, and especially if they don't know me personally? Am I trying to educate, evangelize, or enamor?

What has recently occurred to me is that being heard is a human need and in this culture of so many voices talking all at once, it's easy to feel nobody is listening. To feel heard, understood and validated is a basic human need.

And some of us just like to write.

Well, I'd be interested to know what my readers have to say about Sudoku and/or blogging, just to get a general feel for your opinions. Thanks, as always for stopping by.

Until next time, grace and peace.

Let the words of my mouth,

and the meditation of my heart,

be acceptable in thy sight,

O LORD,

my strength and my redeemer.

Psalm 19:14 KJV

from Cottage-Style Charm by 
Natalie Bird (Martingale)