Thursday's Thought for the Day....

This is a blessing worth pondering today, of all days, due to the blustery winds wrapping 'round my house.

Hold on tight, South Jersey!

Looking forward to a mug of tea by cosy candlelight this afternoon.

Tip for a Tuesday....

Set the timer and say a prayer....

Many months ago someone shared with me a suggestion they had been given.

It was to set a reminder on your phone, to be repeated every day at the same time, to simply "Pray."

Sounded like a good idea to me and after consulting my tech guru, aka the Englishman, I set up the reminder for 11 am.

Easy Peasy.

Simple.

Yet surprisingly - far more rewarding than I had expected.

Each day, no matter where I am or what is happening around me, I am reminded to just pause, take a moment and say a prayer.  Sometimes the prayer is intentional - to cope with the current state of affairs or a request for someone's healing, while at other times it is just offered up in gratitude.

That moment can turn around my day, my attitude or simply make me smile to remember those who suggested it.

I highly recommend the practice!

A Monday memory....

Cabbage night.....

in Brooklyn, New York, way back in the late 1920's.

My Dad used to tell a story about his escapades as a young man around Halloween time.

Kids would fill an old sock with flour and hit each other with it.

Pretty tame, huh?  Especially in comparison to what this night has escalated into since then.

When I was in High School, this night called for a outing of roaming the streets of a local town with fellow teens, our pockets filled with eggs and/or shaving cream.

The eggs were hurled at other street wanderers in hopes of covering them with the gooey substance inside. The shaving cream was to add further insult to the situation.

I remember my Freshman High School year experience in particular. 

But first, a background story... 

While ordering the required uniform for my new school, my mother decided to purchase the school's blue stadium coat with it's largely visible school emblem. 

I was not happy about that.  At the time, I believe, wearing boys jackets was more the "in thing" in outerwear.  Reluctantly, and at her insistence, I wore the coat when the weather turned colder.

So it was on Cabbage night that I set off to join my friends, while wearing "the coat."

Meeting up with several friends, we started off at the top of the Main Street and worked our way down to the opposite end.  We had several encounters along the way - all of which I thought was great fun actually.  By the time I reached the meeting point for my Dad to pick me up, I was literally covered from head to toe in raw eggs and shaving cream.

To say my mother was not amused would be an understatement.

The dry cleaner later told her that it was nearly impossible to get all of the offending mess off the coat. So it had to be thrown away.

I can honestly say that the destruction of the coat was not preplanned on my part.  

It simply turned out to be a lucky turn of events for me - 

 I never had to wear it again.

                                                                                                 Sorry, Mom.

Friday Fotos....

Autumn has arrived in our yard....

 

 Mums the word!

Tall grasses, flowing in the breeze....

What I thought were squash, have in fact turned out to be cucumbers, in the most amazing twists of growth!

Tomatoes!














Assorted peppers....

And these are the two apple trees the Englishman and I planted this morning in the front yard.

The smaller one on the left is a dwarf apple mcintosh, the right is a dwarf apple granny smith.

Wishing everyone a sunny, breezy weekend filled with happy memories!

and

GO ARMY - BEAT BOSTON COLLEGE!!

(wishing made it so last week!)

Thursday's Thought for the Day....

Oh, isn't that the truth!

Wednesday's wisdom....

Knowing when it's time to "cut myself a break"....

Last night I had a wonderful idea for today's post.  Truly, I did.  But by this afternoon I was unable to remember what it possibly could be!  I've gone back and forth to my computer since noontime with the hope of remembering, but it is gone.

So I've decided to cut myself a break.  To say "I honestly can not remember" and then to let it go.

The truth is, I write this blog for me.  

I also write it for my daughters and granddaughters - to give them a window of sorts in to who their mother and grandmother is.

Something tangible they can reread in the years to come as a running conversation.

So today, I can say to them, and me, that I am human like everyone else. 

Sometimes, I don't remember.

Today: I got nothin!

I have days when I feel overwhelmed.

Then days when I am beyond grateful for all the blessings I have.

And then there are the days when I can not remember a bloody thing!

(That one's for the Englishman!)

What I do remember, at the moment, is something Scarlet O'Hara, while cutting herself a break, said in Gone With The Wind:

"After all, tomorrow is another day."

Who knows - maybe tomorrow I will remember my "wisdom" intended for today.

Tip for a Tuesday....

Born with high arches?  

Here's a fabulous solution to a heightened problem!

Finding shoes with proper arch support has been a continuing problem for me for years.  Those that offer the much needed support are often far more expensive than those that don't.  And often some pairs look more like Army boots than anything you would find coming down the fashion runway.

Solution?

Dr. Scholl's arch supports.

They slip nicely into the level insoles of my shoes and give the much needed support my feet and legs cry out for.

Now I'm able to wear those fashionable ballet flats which are comfy and more appropriate for my outfits than a pair of clod hoppers.

(I found them in CVS.)

Easy Peasy.