Happenings Then and Now

Dor and Bill Wed – Father not happy in background

Always on a search for the perfect blog subject, it sometimes occurs to me that little life experiences can also be exciting.

Like how about the excruciating tension on June 7th at our house here in rural Virginia?  It was the Washington Capitals playoff ice hockey game for the Stanley Cup! And they won! Our family have been avid ice hockey fans for 44 years; ever since they began.  And they never won until now!  You can’t imagine the excitement.  Bill actually went to Washington, DC for the parade and met our son there!  And they are still talking about it!

I did not go to the parade but almost as an afterthought, I noticed BigFoot is not so big anymore and I am walking a little more gracefully!

It has been close to three years now with a knee-high boot, a lot of staggering, a cane, crutches, and a scooter, but the real bad time began in November 2017 with frightening swelling and pain.  There is light ahead!  Yeah!

A sojourn to Roanoke, Virginia was great fun!  A friend had to  visit the Social Security Office (not so much fun).  But idle chatter made the time go by.  Then lunch at the Wildflower Cafe, and exploring a discount store called Tuesday Morning (even though it was a Monday).

Happy Days!

And to top things off, Bill came home with a beautiful bouquet of flowers for our 59th Anniversary!  Even I find this difficult to believe…. I mean not the flowers but the length of time.

Well, it does seem like we are a good match even though my Dad predicted we would be divorced in a year.  Next year will be 60!  Maybe we should throw a party?

 

 

 

 

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Days of Our Lives – April 2018

cathy-bathingsuit

It’s Tuesday!

I  LOVE Tuesdays in my part of Virginia because it’s “Swim Day” (even though I have missed doing the local YMCA Aquasizing sessions now for several months.

I do manage to get there on Thursdays though and whilst the class is doing jumping jacks in the water, I am dog paddling at the deep end.  It makes BigFoot happy to participate even in that small way.

It’s Thursday!

Thursdays are also delightful because Thursdays are Swim Days too.  And the dog paddling brings on an after-the-beach drowsiness as well as soft skin and a feeling of immense accomplishment.

Other days present odd challenges.

It’s Monday!

On Monday, after agonizing trying-on-and-on-and on, I found a bathing suit (to wear on on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  It’s a lovely floral thing (dooming outdoor swimmers to be attacked by bees who think the flowers are real).  It might work for Tuesdays and Thursdays but makes me look pregnant on any day of the week.

Now I realize a woman my age should not be pregnant (and if so, might qualify as a carnival attraction).  Nevertheless, it is a lingering image locked in my mind’s eye. 

It’s Friday!

Therefore on Friday, after swimming on Thursday in an old suit which outgrew my newly acquired non-exercise shrinking figure (saggy suit blues), I returned the new (pregnancy type) suit to the store down the street who said they would take it back with the original tags.

That leaves Wednesday and the weekend.

It’s Wednesday!

Wednesday was spent on line ordering other things.  BigFoot resists on-foot- buying in real stores (except for swim suits) resulting in shopping withdrawal symptoms.  You would be surprised at how painful that can be.  But, modern progress allows one to alleviate pain by enabling purchasing things without actually standing on your feet.

As for the weekend,

• Sunning in old clothes (not sure of bathing suit yet).
• Waiting for results of the 5^th MRI for BigFoot.
• Trying on new socks (ordered on line).
• Taking pictures of BigFoot (which is nominally shrinking now).
• And wishing it was Thursday!
• How did your week go?

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Going Bananas

In the checkout line at the supermarket there was a fellow ahead of me who was buying a big pile of bananas.  The strange thing is I noticed the bananas before I did the guy. (Is this just another sign of aging?)

Anyway, I was thinking, “He must love bananas.

• Maybe he has a big family.
• Maybe he is a camp counselor buying snacks for the kiddies.
• Maybe he wants to make banana bread?”

I was still lost in imagining what he would possibly do with all those bananas when he turned back toward me and smiled.

Cute Safari Park Guy

And there was an emblem on his shirt that said, “Safari Park.”

Aha!  Mystery solved.  This was a representative of the Virginia Safari Park, a magical place near me and just a few miles north of Virginia’s Natural Bridge.  Safari Park is where my  grandgirls (all grown up now) still demand to go every time they visit.

“Are the bananas for the monkeys?” I boldly asked the Safari Park man.

“Yes, and the giraffes love them too.”

“Do you mind if I take a picture of all those bananas?  Oh, and a picture of you too? I want to write a blog post about the park.”

“Of course, he said, “And thank you.”

If you are interested in going to the Virginia Safari Park, my young friend told me they will be open until Thanksgiving.

Virginia Safari Park is a 180-acre drive-thru adventure featuring 1,000 free roaming animals. Drive along 3 miles of road in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley.  With the Blue Ridge Mountains as your backdrop, animals of all sizes, shapes and colors approach your vehicle in search of a tasty bucket of feed. Their website is http://www.virginiasafaripark.com .

My youngest grandgirl, Mackenzie, all grown up now but still loves the Virginia Safari Park.

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Country Outings and Lunch With Bruno

Dining in a Virginia Orchard

The bear came back today.  I was preparing lunch when there was Bruno having his own lunch in the “orchard.”  The orchard consists of two fruit trees that didn’t make it and one pear tree that may still be offering something edible.

Bruno is a teenager or young fella who is out on his own I think because we never see the Mama Bear.  Anyway, as I sat down for lunch I was imagining joining the kid and sharing a pear or two.

Fortunately, reason and abject fear stopped me from being mauled to death.

Shopping Delusions

I thought I finally purchased the perfect pair of jeans yesterday!

Some stores have mirrors that make things look great.  The illusion is usually fleeting. This store was like that.  Wow! I looked young and glamorous in that mirror.

And the jeans even felt good – the stretchy kind you know and high wasted like in the old days so they wouldn’t slip down below my belly button.  A bit long but I began hemming them as soon as I got home.

Well yes, they are comfy all right and I wore them all day today.  But some people (like me) don’t have the right body image for jeans.  Mine always seem rumpled and a bit too baggy (my body as well as the jeans).  Obviously, jeans should emphasize curves shouldn’t they?

Having a flat butt doesn’t help I guess.  I mean you have to have curves to emphasize them.

Yesterday’s Outing

Yesterday was a big shopping day and lunch out with my friend, Norma.  We do something exciting like that once a month.   A lot of talking goes on (stored up for four weeks).

As for shopping, I am almost overwhelmed in those big malls with so many choices. Living in small town rural Virginia you get used to limited buying opportunities.  This time my friend and I added “The Cheese Shop” in Stuart’s Draft, Virginia, for spices and nuts, dried fruits and homemade jams and jellies, and cheese of course.

We had lunch at a Thai restaurant but I missed Bruno. 

And on the way home we stopped for a frozen yogurt dessert.  It was a cool ending to a lovely day.

 

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Starting Over with New Loves

Image from http://www.pinterest.com

Change is o.k. I guess.

But at what point should one begin to think about starting over?

I am giving serious consideration to reliving my life with new loves.

No, I don’t mean acquiring new relationships.

Well, maybe so.  Maybe some relationships.  Relationships with places and things.

Long-time favorites once loved and counted on are either going, going, going, or gone.

• The downtown gift shop I loved and even wrote advertising copy for is selling out!
• The health food store I depended on for expensive delicacies and youth restoring vitamins  has already closed its doors.
• Long nylon nightgowns that helped with silky, sleepy, bed-turning are now considered “Vintage” and impossible to find unless you want to sleep in something slept in by somebody else.
• Big terry cloth pot holders with pockets are missing. They may be another vintage item. (Hurrah Ebay!)
• My quilted barn coat is getting frayed from 12 years of use and is irreplaceable.  The store that carried it no longer carries it. Neither does anyone else.
• Favorite tea flavor (Vanilla Caramel) is gone from our local grocery stores.  Is there such a thing as Vintage Tea?  (Yay! Amazon!).

Every day something else is NA (Not Available – To be youth oriented, I am practicing talking in initials) and the search begins for replacements.

“Such is life,” my sainted mother used to say.

She never told me I would lose so many old loves and would have to start life over.

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Old Gifts for Young People

Viola was a local  Virginia “character” who took pride in having an independent streak.  She was forthright and fiercely opinionated, and loved beautiful things.  And she was a beloved friend whose gifts over the years are things I still cherish.  They were old gifts she found in antique stores and one-of-a-kinds for the young me.

Sadly, we lost Viola, but there are wonderful reminders of her all over my home.  She was a friend who put extra thought into gift giving.

• A beautiful scalloped edged platter I still use to serve cookies.

• An art deco bowl that makes bananas seem  brighter and yellower (is yellower a word?).

  

• A lacy edged vase for short stemmed flowers to make into elegant arrangements.

  

I just read an article about how young people don’t like old stuff anymore. They don’t want Grandma’s china or sterling silver that has to be polished.

Who needs gold edged dinner plates for fast food or pizza delivery?  And who wants cutlery you can’t put into a dishwasher?

I concede there is some logic in this thinking albeit the younger generation seems to be forfeiting an atmosphere of beauty, charm and grace.

But do they know about the feelings you can get from holding or using something with a history?

A beautiful old serving dish is never really old.

And an elegant old vase will always complement a spray of  seasonal flowers.

And much like people, some old things age gracefully with the help of a little extra care.

And other things grow more beautiful with little to assist them but age and patina.

I was a young woman when Viola gave me some exquisite old things.  They never required too much care and they are cherished now, almost thirty years later, along with some very sweet memories.

I keep reminding myself that finding the one-of-a-kind perfect gift for someone special may be as easy as a stop at the local antique store.

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Too Many Choices

I have a phobia of sorts.

It is shortness of breath when faced with too many choices like shopping in cluttered overstocked stores or having to decide between zillions of television channels

When we were young and living in “remote areas of California” I was happy to do all the shopping at one local general store.

And we didn’t even own a t.v. or a computer or a cell phone.

But there is no accounting for progress.

We moved to the Virginia countryside where life promised to remain simple and uncluttered.  There were only three restaurants, no department stores, and no big box stores.

We put an antenna in the attic to get two clear television channels and one fuzzy station and decided we were living in Paradise.

And time marched on.

And suddenly there was a bigger, wider, more enticing world of satellite television with a zillion optional programs.

We were among the first 20,000 people in the United States to have Direct TV.  There were no installers then (at least in rural Virginia) so Bill installed everything himself.  Imagine the joy in surfing around with a remote thing!  And imagine being given a whole menu of options!  I could feel my breathing phobia kicking in.

And time marched on.

There is no accounting for progress.

I recently learned how to record t.v. programs for later viewing.  For those of you who are still novices like I was, you just push a button that says REC on your remote.  I have gone a little balistic with this new power (but symptoms of my short-of-breath-phobia are emerging too).

I have R E C’d enough programs to keep me recliner-chair-bound for the winter.

• The Young Pope is mesmerizing.
• But then Mercy Street is enticing.
• And Victoria is a must.
• I like the History channels.
• And nature things.
• And all those recommendations we get from friends.
• And we currently also have three Netflix discs on standby.
• And I want to get back into blogging.
• And there is so much to do in cyberspace anyway.

Progress?  I call it “overkill” and there is simply not enough time in a day anymore.

Do I want to go back to three channels on the t.v.?  No.

Well maybe 10 or 20 options max?

As for shopping I sometimes yearn for the good old days.

A visit to Ernie’s General Store in Hayfork, California sounds good, simple, easy.  I could get paint, gifts, clothing, hardware, and maybe even a television set – all in one place.  Those were the days when we rented a trailer from Ernie and it was in his back yard!   That was when we were young and living in the wilder more remote places of California.  It is now many decades later and there is no accounting for progress.  I recently heard Ernie’s store was for sale.  I wonder if it is still there.  

Ernie’s Department Store Hayfork, California

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The No Fly Zone

Would you believe that even men’s underclothing can be trendy and mysterious?

Parental Guidance recommended.  This is a true truly indelicate story.

Bill and I went shopping last week.

Bill purchased some great socks, a couple of T-shirts, and a package of three boxer shorts.   I complimented him on his refined taste in underdrawers.

“Good brand,” I said.

But when we got home and the new shorts were put to a test, he discovered a  serious flaw in the merchandise.

There was no fly!

“Can you imagine this?” he said.  

“Why would they ever sell boxer shorts with no fly?”

Since I try hard to solve all mysteries, I began thinking.

Thinking is supposed to be good for aging people.

• Maybe they were shorts for sports.
• Maybe when they called them boxers they meant the kind boxers really wear in the fighting ring.  They wouldn’t have a fly would they?  That would be somewhat risky depending upon where the knockout punch landed.
• Men’s bathing suits don’t have a fly either, or do they?  I never really noticed.
• Did George Washington have no-fly briefs?
  

  George Washington portrait

I tried hard to figure out the mystery but finally agreed the shorts Bill bought were flawed!

The fly/flies/flys must have been sewn shut by accident. 

I told Bill to give me the unused items and I would return them to the store and explain the manufacturer’s malfunction.

That night however, I began thinking again and mulling.  Isn’t mulling a lovely word?

And finally I thought of GOOGLE SEARCH!

And there they were – No-Fly Briefs – all over Amazon.com and everywhere else  you can think of.

They are the big “in” thing now because they are seamless if you are a man who wears tight pants.

Who knew?

But seamed or seamless, Bill will not wear them.  And by the way, he doesn’t wear tight pants either.

So goes my somewhat indelicate story of trends in modern day apparel.

And Bill is steering clear of the “no-fly zone.”

Re Comments:  

If your spouse or significant other is wearing no-fly boxer briefs, please, that is way more than I need to know.

 

 

 

 

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Small Town Virginia Adventures

Downtown Bikers at Lexington, VA Sidewalk Sale April 30, 2016

This weekend was chock full of fun opportunities in and around little old/ historic Lexington (Virginia that is).   It was a great place to escape reality, see, meet and watch people, and participate in exciting adventures.

Three of my pals and I decided to participate in the 83rd Historic Garden Week, a “County Roads and Vines” Lexington House and Garden Tour.  Wow!  That sounded so interesting because it covered homes from the 1800’s and gardens that would surely inspire us to get busy on our own properties this spring.  And finally we would enjoy a fitting ending to the day at the Rockbridge Vineyard for wine tasting!

But, morning brought clouds and drizzle with a 60% chance of heavy rain.  Adding Dor’s bad foot to the foreboding weather with the danger of slipping on wet grass in a historic garden’s uneven terrain, we cancelled original plans in favor of lunch.  Then maybe we would take a walk around town, weather permitting.

Did I mention that some small towns offer more than the mundane?

There was a sidewalk sale in Lexington!  And after a chatty lunch at the Sheridan Livery Inn we four wandered around with umbrellas in tow and began to catch some local excitement.  I was trying to ignore my stupid foot (with “plantar fasciitis”) which would not be ignored.

My friends in the lead checking out sidewalk sale.

Finally there was an art show at Hopkins’ Green where two of us sat down and gazed upon artful displays while the other two retrieved the car.  My foot was grateful for the respite.

Today was for luxuriating at home, enjoying icing the complaining foot, stretching, and resting.

But yesterday was a grand day with great friends experiencing wonderful events all in one small American town in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

 

 

 

 

 

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Big Foot Shopping Online

My closets are full  but devoid of the latest transformation-al apparel.  A person with a big foot needs life altering duds.

My face/body needs creams to wake up a winter complexion preserved in anti freeze.

And my hair needs more “products” – maybe even a wig!

There is a definite need for exercise gadgets to assist in achieving svelte beauty.

And the house!  Well, the house needs all sorts of replacements for worn out items….. maybe me included.

Big Foot has discovered any and all needed or not-s0-needed-items

can be found ON LINE (no electric go-cart necessary)!

Hurrah!  And just think of the big sales on now!  All that “stuff” is practically free.

Of course this is  self-deception to fool myself into never leaving a chair (and of course, being suckered out of all my money too).

I blame it all on Big Foot because the big boot I drag around means I greatly resemble Scrooge’s ghostly partner, Jacob Marley of Charles Dickens’  A Christmas Carol.  Marley was cursed with dragging around heavy chains for eternity.

Jacob Marley
en.wikipedia.org

But poor Marley did not have the benefit of  modern technology and “retail therapy” on line!

• He missed the thrill of the hunt,
• then pride and joy in finding obscure gadgets,
• and Woohoo! – a breathtaking plunge into the lurking danger of dealing with an unproven website!

But there is more:

• The waiting and anticipation of delivery,
• breathless expectation of the arrival of something new,
• actually dragging the box inside,  and then
• the exquisite joy of opening to discover the wonders within!

The problem with all this deviant behavior (even if it is a welcome diversion from lugging around cursed weights), is it becomes slightly radically compulsive.

I fear I am slipping into that obsessive compulsive realm of online shopping.

Will you, my friends, help with clever ideas for coping with boredom?  I am doomed to wear this big boot for 3 to 6 more weeks – maybe even longer!  Here are some suggestions from friends to date.  Your additions would be oh-so welcome.

Read (I am reading, reading and reading ad infinitum.)

Blog (Yes, I am blogging with little to write about except for online shopping adventures.)

Study Windows 10 (One page is enough because I need another manual to decipher the one page.)

Watch Television (That’s good for a few hours if I don’t count falling asleep.)

Sort Old Photographs (I am planning that but procrastinating)

Write Letters (Are you kidding? Recipients would faint.)

Write a Book (On the verge)

Big Foot Dor is in danger of appearing on one of those television hoarding shows. And Bill hasn’t seen the bill yet either!

 

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