The phone was ringing. Most people have cellphones and most cellphones have caller ID so, most people know who is calling. My new friend announced herself with her first and last name. I grinned, she most always does that. She told me it was probably a good thing I did not accompany her on her recent outing. She did not return home until 8 o'clock in the evening. I cringed, laughed out loud and gave a silent thanks for choosing to stay home. She had managed to spend nearly seven hours in two stores. The thought of it made my head spin.
My friend has a hard time understanding why I do not like to shop. She reminds me of my sisters, Lela and Blanche. They like to shop like my friend does. But, their idea of shopping differs from mine. When I shop, I usually know what I'm looking for, find it, pay for it and leave. When they shop, especially for clothing, they finger every piece of cloth in the entire store, try on endless outfits and many, many times, leave empty handed. Drives me crazy. On this occasion though, my friend had found bargains galore and was very satisfied with all her purchases.
My new friend is a lot of fun and I enjoy spending time with her. She usually insists on driving, mostly because it is her idea for a new adventure and even though her driving scares the holy crap out of me, I go. The Voice, that lives in my head, always reminds me of what my husband has so affectionately told me on more than one occasion, "It amazes me that I have ever been able to drive anywhere without your help." I also remind myself that she drives over a thousand miles, by herself, to winter in this place. Sometimes I just have to close my eyes.
We enjoy each other's company for a variety of reasons but two stand out. We like to talk and we like to listen. We can spend hours talking about ourselves, our accomplishments and our failures. Listening to each other, learning about our pasts and our future dreams. We can sit for another hour, in the front seat of the car, in order to finish up whatever scenario we started on earlier.
It is good to have someone to talk to. Even more important is having someone to listen. It is not necessary to always look for, or offer a solution. Many times, a listening ear can bring about miracles in peoples lives. Perhaps there is a reason we have two ears and one mouth.
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
Down The Rabbit Hole #1 Cycle of the Sun
"When the moon is in the Seventh House, and Jupiter aligns with Mars, then peace will guide the planets and love will steer the stars. This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius."
Age of Aquarius, 1967, from the musical Hair
Welcome to the Rabbit Hole. Once a month, throughout this year, we will dive into the unusual, the unknown and the downright weird. I hope you enjoy the journey.
This is the third attempt to put this information into some kind of format that would make sense. Reading over the first two attempts, came across like an old dusty science book, way too much technical information. I was nearly asleep by the third paragraph.
The Voice, that lives in my head and who has fully recovered from its new year antics, looked over my shoulder and softly whispered, "Be yourself." Ok, I will keep it simple.
Our tiny solar system that revolves around our sun is believed to have an even bigger journey. The Mayan calendar is just one example of the ancients perhaps having lots more sense than we do. They knew about this journey.
Our cosmos, that we see on a clear night sky, is split into twelve parts. These are commonly known as the zodiac. It takes our solar system nearly 26,000 years to travel through each sign or age of the zodiac. Dividing this number by 12, we come up with an estimated 2100 years that we spend in a particular age.
So what? Well, interestingly, the Mayan Calendar did not predict the end of life on earth as we know it. It was a calendar that marked the end of an age. The end of Pisces, the fish, the name we use that was given to us by the early Greeks. It is believed we are now entering into the age of Aquarius.
According to my research, this age of Pisces that we are leaving behind, has been one full of anarchy and power. This too is interesting, especially looking at the recent upheaval of society and the atrocities that humans bestow upon each other. If this is true, what does this new age have in store for us?
Perhaps the lyrics to the Age of Aquarius say it best, "Harmony and understanding, sympathy and trust, abounding. No more falsehoods or derisions (ridicule, mockery). Mystic crystal revelation and the mind's true liberation."
Believable? It would certainly be better than what is going on now, but it is up to the individual to come to their own conclusion. There is a ton of information to be found, if one were to look. I think the number 12 has a lot of interesting history, especially with the biblical implications. Some articles refer to this Aquarian age as the age of Christ.
So, as we crawl up out of the Rabbit Hole with this slice of information and that tune, The Age of Aquarius, is dancing around in the back of our heads, let's remember one thing....."Let the sunshine in!"
Age of Aquarius, 1967, from the musical Hair
Welcome to the Rabbit Hole. Once a month, throughout this year, we will dive into the unusual, the unknown and the downright weird. I hope you enjoy the journey.
This is the third attempt to put this information into some kind of format that would make sense. Reading over the first two attempts, came across like an old dusty science book, way too much technical information. I was nearly asleep by the third paragraph.
The Voice, that lives in my head and who has fully recovered from its new year antics, looked over my shoulder and softly whispered, "Be yourself." Ok, I will keep it simple.
Our tiny solar system that revolves around our sun is believed to have an even bigger journey. The Mayan calendar is just one example of the ancients perhaps having lots more sense than we do. They knew about this journey.
Our cosmos, that we see on a clear night sky, is split into twelve parts. These are commonly known as the zodiac. It takes our solar system nearly 26,000 years to travel through each sign or age of the zodiac. Dividing this number by 12, we come up with an estimated 2100 years that we spend in a particular age.
So what? Well, interestingly, the Mayan Calendar did not predict the end of life on earth as we know it. It was a calendar that marked the end of an age. The end of Pisces, the fish, the name we use that was given to us by the early Greeks. It is believed we are now entering into the age of Aquarius.
According to my research, this age of Pisces that we are leaving behind, has been one full of anarchy and power. This too is interesting, especially looking at the recent upheaval of society and the atrocities that humans bestow upon each other. If this is true, what does this new age have in store for us?
Perhaps the lyrics to the Age of Aquarius say it best, "Harmony and understanding, sympathy and trust, abounding. No more falsehoods or derisions (ridicule, mockery). Mystic crystal revelation and the mind's true liberation."
Believable? It would certainly be better than what is going on now, but it is up to the individual to come to their own conclusion. There is a ton of information to be found, if one were to look. I think the number 12 has a lot of interesting history, especially with the biblical implications. Some articles refer to this Aquarian age as the age of Christ.
So, as we crawl up out of the Rabbit Hole with this slice of information and that tune, The Age of Aquarius, is dancing around in the back of our heads, let's remember one thing....."Let the sunshine in!"
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
Dang Few Of Us Left
The title is one of my husband's favorite sayings. It is usually heard after someone gives him a compliment on his handy-man finesseness. Yes, I'am aware the extra ness was not necessary, but it has been some time since I have thrown an extra one in.
It might be possible to apply the phrase to the ever dwindling population of the baby boomers. They are the group of people who were born between 1946 and 1964. World War II was over and many western nations celebrated by having lots of babies. This group has been blamed for just about every problem that is happening on Planet Earth.
The list of our faults are many. We have been blamed for the rise in political power, climate change, higher education costs and being stingy, self-centered, uncaring sociopaths. Basically, we have been viewed, with a group mentality, as the worst generation ever.
I must beg to differ. We have learned lots of things. First of all, we haven't blown up the planet and we are all still here, right? There are lots of nasty diseases that no longer plague our society thanks to our generation. Those with physical handicaps are able to enter the world, beyond their front doors, due to the due diligence of the baby boomer generation.
What about the cell phone? Or, the internet? Those two 'can't live without it' things did not come from the last two generations named X and Millenials. Nor would X & M be here without us.
When the button is pushed to turn on the radio, something else our generation produced, and music from Bob Dylan, the Beach Boys, the Beegees and the Beatles fall on the listening ear, it is good to remember they were, and are, baby boomers too. The wonderful list of movies that boomer Steven Spielberg has produced have and will continue to entertain us, for years to come.
Another thing that the boomers can fly on their banner is having common sense. Common sense comes from being able to have practical judgment that did not come from any specialized training. Usually, life itself is the trainer of common sense. We know things like, the burner on the stove is still hot even though it was just turned off and that goes for the coffee fresh out of the pot. We know that it is not a good idea to eat a pod of laundry detergent. Sticking a fork in the toaster has real consequences. New knives are, for the most part, sharp. When the door does not open when it is pushed, is why the sign on the door says 'pull'.
Common sense was lacking with the young millennial I encountered in the grocery store the other day. As I reached for a nice head of cauliflower, this young lady warned me to be very careful because some of them were moldy. I responded with "Really?" and she said "Oh, yes!" and proceeded to point out the mold on the cauliflower in my hand. The spot she pointed to was so tiny, it could have been a speck of dirt. I peered at it and told her that a knife would take care of that. As I walked off, she was still going over the rest of the heads with her microscopic inspection and I thought, "Yep, dang few of us left."
It might be possible to apply the phrase to the ever dwindling population of the baby boomers. They are the group of people who were born between 1946 and 1964. World War II was over and many western nations celebrated by having lots of babies. This group has been blamed for just about every problem that is happening on Planet Earth.
The list of our faults are many. We have been blamed for the rise in political power, climate change, higher education costs and being stingy, self-centered, uncaring sociopaths. Basically, we have been viewed, with a group mentality, as the worst generation ever.
I must beg to differ. We have learned lots of things. First of all, we haven't blown up the planet and we are all still here, right? There are lots of nasty diseases that no longer plague our society thanks to our generation. Those with physical handicaps are able to enter the world, beyond their front doors, due to the due diligence of the baby boomer generation.
What about the cell phone? Or, the internet? Those two 'can't live without it' things did not come from the last two generations named X and Millenials. Nor would X & M be here without us.
When the button is pushed to turn on the radio, something else our generation produced, and music from Bob Dylan, the Beach Boys, the Beegees and the Beatles fall on the listening ear, it is good to remember they were, and are, baby boomers too. The wonderful list of movies that boomer Steven Spielberg has produced have and will continue to entertain us, for years to come.
Another thing that the boomers can fly on their banner is having common sense. Common sense comes from being able to have practical judgment that did not come from any specialized training. Usually, life itself is the trainer of common sense. We know things like, the burner on the stove is still hot even though it was just turned off and that goes for the coffee fresh out of the pot. We know that it is not a good idea to eat a pod of laundry detergent. Sticking a fork in the toaster has real consequences. New knives are, for the most part, sharp. When the door does not open when it is pushed, is why the sign on the door says 'pull'.
Common sense was lacking with the young millennial I encountered in the grocery store the other day. As I reached for a nice head of cauliflower, this young lady warned me to be very careful because some of them were moldy. I responded with "Really?" and she said "Oh, yes!" and proceeded to point out the mold on the cauliflower in my hand. The spot she pointed to was so tiny, it could have been a speck of dirt. I peered at it and told her that a knife would take care of that. As I walked off, she was still going over the rest of the heads with her microscopic inspection and I thought, "Yep, dang few of us left."
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
The Big Green Clean
The Voice, that lives inside my head, had not been seen for several days. The Voice thought it was a good idea to go out to celebrate the New Year. It was one of the rare times that not listening to the Voice paid off, although I must admit, it did look pretty good as it waltzed out the door in a new pair of leather fringed ankle boots.
Several people were talking about doing the big clean. I inquired about this and was told that instead of spring cleaning, this area deep cleans right after the beginning of a new year. After giving this some thought, I proceeded to follow suit. There was not a lot that needed to be tossed, but it is always interesting as to how much unnecessary stuff can begin to accumulate in a short amount of time and in a small living space.
As I began the deep cleaning process, I made several trips to the trash can. It is located at the far end of the kitchen in a small utility closet. Going into the kitchen several times caused me to walk past the refrigerator and of course, that meant opening the fridge door to peek inside and make mental assessments.
While running the vacuum, I began to think about my endless quest for a low-carb, bread like, type of wrap. I had been in the refrigerator enough to know what ingredients could possibly be used for such a grand endeavor. As I was making another trip to the trash can, I stopped to peer inside of the pantry. Those cans of spinach had been in there a long time.
While dusting and periodically thinking about the low-carb concoction, I pulled out the food processor on my next trip through the kitchen. Not wanting to waste footsteps, during the next two trips I retrieved eggs, two cans of spinach, that I opened and poured into a strainer and some portabella mushrooms that really needed to be used. Everything about the ingredients screamed of healthful benefits.
Stopping mid-stream, again, with the vacuum, I went back into the kitchen. I had it all planned out in my head and figured it should be a success. Therefore, I put all the spinach, all the mushrooms and one dozen eggs into the food processor and hit the start button.
While I was cleaning out a large walk-in closet, I remembered I had turned the burner on under the cast iron skillet. Hurrying out, I was relieved to see that it was not smoking too much. At least not enough to set the smoke alarm off. I took the lid off the processor and admired its contents. It was green, kinda brown and really thick. I had envisioned a more crepe like delicacy, but as soon as the first scoopful hit the skillet, pancakes were more in order.
I used a large spoon to quickly spread the blob of low-carb, green-brown paste around the bottom of the skillet and waited for it to cook. The first one was turned over a bit too early and fell apart so I decided to wait longer on the second attempt and headed back to the closet. Funny thing, spinach mushroom egg wraps do not burn. I decided to thin the mixture but can not for the life of me remember what I used to do that, but it did help with the smoothing out process.
Before too long, I had a nice stack of green-brown-spinach -egg wraps sitting on a plate. I looked up just in time to see the Voice leaning over the counter, looking at the finished product. After about 5 seconds, the Voice went tearing out of the kitchen, headed to the bathroom, still wearing one leather fringed ankle boot.
The wraps, they were pretty tasty, even Runtly, the ever so entertaining Jack Russell Terrier, liked them. The apartment was spotless, the refrigerator looked good and the Voice.....well, I hope it gets to feeling better soon.
Several people were talking about doing the big clean. I inquired about this and was told that instead of spring cleaning, this area deep cleans right after the beginning of a new year. After giving this some thought, I proceeded to follow suit. There was not a lot that needed to be tossed, but it is always interesting as to how much unnecessary stuff can begin to accumulate in a short amount of time and in a small living space.
As I began the deep cleaning process, I made several trips to the trash can. It is located at the far end of the kitchen in a small utility closet. Going into the kitchen several times caused me to walk past the refrigerator and of course, that meant opening the fridge door to peek inside and make mental assessments.
While running the vacuum, I began to think about my endless quest for a low-carb, bread like, type of wrap. I had been in the refrigerator enough to know what ingredients could possibly be used for such a grand endeavor. As I was making another trip to the trash can, I stopped to peer inside of the pantry. Those cans of spinach had been in there a long time.
While dusting and periodically thinking about the low-carb concoction, I pulled out the food processor on my next trip through the kitchen. Not wanting to waste footsteps, during the next two trips I retrieved eggs, two cans of spinach, that I opened and poured into a strainer and some portabella mushrooms that really needed to be used. Everything about the ingredients screamed of healthful benefits.
Stopping mid-stream, again, with the vacuum, I went back into the kitchen. I had it all planned out in my head and figured it should be a success. Therefore, I put all the spinach, all the mushrooms and one dozen eggs into the food processor and hit the start button.
While I was cleaning out a large walk-in closet, I remembered I had turned the burner on under the cast iron skillet. Hurrying out, I was relieved to see that it was not smoking too much. At least not enough to set the smoke alarm off. I took the lid off the processor and admired its contents. It was green, kinda brown and really thick. I had envisioned a more crepe like delicacy, but as soon as the first scoopful hit the skillet, pancakes were more in order.
I used a large spoon to quickly spread the blob of low-carb, green-brown paste around the bottom of the skillet and waited for it to cook. The first one was turned over a bit too early and fell apart so I decided to wait longer on the second attempt and headed back to the closet. Funny thing, spinach mushroom egg wraps do not burn. I decided to thin the mixture but can not for the life of me remember what I used to do that, but it did help with the smoothing out process.
Before too long, I had a nice stack of green-brown-spinach -egg wraps sitting on a plate. I looked up just in time to see the Voice leaning over the counter, looking at the finished product. After about 5 seconds, the Voice went tearing out of the kitchen, headed to the bathroom, still wearing one leather fringed ankle boot.
The wraps, they were pretty tasty, even Runtly, the ever so entertaining Jack Russell Terrier, liked them. The apartment was spotless, the refrigerator looked good and the Voice.....well, I hope it gets to feeling better soon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)