Lately, when I make the bed, I just want to get back in it. I did get back in it today and lounged around for several hours listening to NPR. I have a daily routine, but am losing interest in it.
- one hour of chores
- exercise
- computer work
I know I am retired, but I can't spend the day in bed without feeling highly guilty. I am falling behinder and behinder.
Valentine's day is this week. Not one of my favorite holidays. Liked the words heard in a song on the Lawrence Welk show last night..."somebody soon will love you, if no one loves you now." One can always hope. I really miss those old sing alongs we used to have at the Quadrangle where my mother was incarcerated
So, why was I watching The Lawrence Welk show? Trying to get ready for Downton Abbey. We watched if for three hours....very satisfying. A one hour show is never enough. Watched the repeat from last week and the two hour show from last night. I am already experiencing withdrawal symptoms as next week is the season finale. There are people I LOVE on that show (Matthew, Mary, Mrs. Hughes, Mr. Carson, Mrs. Patmore) and people I HATE (Miss O'Brien, Mr. Barrow).
Monday, February 11, 2013
Friday, February 8, 2013
A horrible weather day
Well, here it is just raining but TOO MUCH. Sometimes it rains INSIDE my house, so I dread any forecast that says, rain, heavy at times. Other people north of here are having a lot of snow, so I guess I shouldn't complain. Just trying to get through the day distracting myself because rain depresses me.
Just finished 100 ways to happy chic your life, by Jonathan Adler. I picked up this book because the author was born in my town. But, like all the other famous people from my town, he doesn't live here anymore. He started off making pottery in his parent's cellar and has moved on to decorating, life advising and production of many items. The book is mainly photographs, featuring his beach house on Shelter Island (Long Island?) He is funny and delightful and urges one to have their signature behavior....his is to wear white pants. Described as having an "empire", he has been told that he is like waterfront property with hurricane damage. Craft projects, decorating advice, and organizing tips are all numbered, and yes, there are 100. #28: Adopt a signature folly #45: Reuse and repurpose #90: Find a way to hang it. Even if it is not your style, the book is delightful and inspiring.
Always say goodbye : a Lew Fonesca mystery, by Stuart M. Kaminsky. I listened to the audiobook I borrowed from the Vineland Public Library. One of those hard boiled detectives, getting over a tragedy.
He goes back to Chicago to try and find out who killed his wife and why and to get revenge. When he finds that the guy did it accidentally, he doesn't have the heart to kill him. Another story gets in there at the end, which didn't seem to go with the rest of the book.
Just finished 100 ways to happy chic your life, by Jonathan Adler. I picked up this book because the author was born in my town. But, like all the other famous people from my town, he doesn't live here anymore. He started off making pottery in his parent's cellar and has moved on to decorating, life advising and production of many items. The book is mainly photographs, featuring his beach house on Shelter Island (Long Island?) He is funny and delightful and urges one to have their signature behavior....his is to wear white pants. Described as having an "empire", he has been told that he is like waterfront property with hurricane damage. Craft projects, decorating advice, and organizing tips are all numbered, and yes, there are 100. #28: Adopt a signature folly #45: Reuse and repurpose #90: Find a way to hang it. Even if it is not your style, the book is delightful and inspiring.
Always say goodbye : a Lew Fonesca mystery, by Stuart M. Kaminsky. I listened to the audiobook I borrowed from the Vineland Public Library. One of those hard boiled detectives, getting over a tragedy.
He goes back to Chicago to try and find out who killed his wife and why and to get revenge. When he finds that the guy did it accidentally, he doesn't have the heart to kill him. Another story gets in there at the end, which didn't seem to go with the rest of the book.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
The "instability" ball
You know that big ball that they have at the health club? I took a class today called Stability ball/yoga. I didn't do real well. It was challenging but I might do it again. There was crouching involved and pushups, two things I have been avoiding.
My brother-in-law apologized to me for doubting me. I said that the Baltimore Ravens was the only football team named for a POEM. Since Poe lived and died in Baltimore, the team was named after his poem called The Raven.
Checking out the book The blind side from the Bridgeton Public Library. Since I saw the movie and since Michael Oher is on the winning Superbowl team, I am interested in learning more about him. You don't hear much about him, but he is still on the team, so he must be doing an OK job. Perhaps you never hear about people on the defense side.
My brother-in-law apologized to me for doubting me. I said that the Baltimore Ravens was the only football team named for a POEM. Since Poe lived and died in Baltimore, the team was named after his poem called The Raven.
Checking out the book The blind side from the Bridgeton Public Library. Since I saw the movie and since Michael Oher is on the winning Superbowl team, I am interested in learning more about him. You don't hear much about him, but he is still on the team, so he must be doing an OK job. Perhaps you never hear about people on the defense side.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
10 classic Grammy performances
Enjoying watching these. Will try to provide a link over to Rolling Stone magazine, where I found these treasures. I am going to watch them, each and every one.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/video-10-classic-grammy-awards-performances-20110210
Yesterday enjoyed reading a blog post by a guy who doesn't have the Internet at home with a list of his reasons why. On a blog called The minimalists. Made me feel better about my lack in this area.
It could be a principle. It could be a lifestyle.
After using the computer, I am going to the health club to lift weights and do the treadmill and the bike. I do feel somewhat better today and found out that I have lost 5 pounds in a month. Not too shabby. Day after day of deprivation trying not to eat between meals. Felt a bit better when I read about a woman who lost 212 pounds. She exercised for one year before she even tried to do anything about her eating.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/video-10-classic-grammy-awards-performances-20110210
Yesterday enjoyed reading a blog post by a guy who doesn't have the Internet at home with a list of his reasons why. On a blog called The minimalists. Made me feel better about my lack in this area.
It could be a principle. It could be a lifestyle.
After using the computer, I am going to the health club to lift weights and do the treadmill and the bike. I do feel somewhat better today and found out that I have lost 5 pounds in a month. Not too shabby. Day after day of deprivation trying not to eat between meals. Felt a bit better when I read about a woman who lost 212 pounds. She exercised for one year before she even tried to do anything about her eating.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Communication problems
The problem is I just don't feel like communicating. I feel out of it since the world seems to be all about communicating. Facebook, twitter et al.
Light from heaven, by Jan Karon. The audiobook is read by John McDonough. I was so excited to find this audiobook in the Vineland Public Library. I thought I had read or listened to all of the Mitford series. In this one, Father Tim and his wife, Cynthia, are housesitting out in the country several years after his retirement. A new project comes his way and more and more people get involved in his life. He is put in charge of an old abandoned church in the mountains. I know these books are kind of corny and quite religious, but I just love them. So what if people say things like "Dad gum it!" On the container it says it is the last one in the series, but I think she wrote one or two more (that I didn't really like). Mitford is a small town in North Carolina and Father Tim Kavanagh is an aging Episcopal priest. According to the box, the books are "welcome reminders of the simpler and gentler pleasures of life".
Washington : a life, by Ron Chernow. I got this book on my Nook and it was quite fascinating. You can only borrow the books for two weeks through the Overdrive system available through many libraries. The book was 1193 pages and I didn't finish it in two weeks. I have to keep a paper list to record such problems as this. So, I borrowed it again and like a miracle, the book didn't expire. I don't know why. Sometimes they hang around for an extra week as long as you don't go around a wireless connection. But this one lasted more than one week longer than it was supposed to. Now I want to go to Mount Vernon. The book followed him through his military career and through his presidency. The inauguration was in New York City and I was reading it during the inauguration of Barack Obama. Some of the features of George Washington's inauguration are still with us today, such as using the actual Bible and having the ceremonies outdoors. I forgot that Philadelphia was the capital for awhile around 1790. In fact, even though Washington started planning Washington, he never got to live there. Interesting sidelights were his difficulties making ends meet and his actions and thoughts around slavery. He didn't want to sell anyone, but did not want to deal with the problems of liberating his slaves. But, as more and more children were born, he ended up with over 300 slaves (many of them elderly or young) to support. His goal was to live until the year 1800 but he died shortly before the previous year ended.
Light from heaven, by Jan Karon. The audiobook is read by John McDonough. I was so excited to find this audiobook in the Vineland Public Library. I thought I had read or listened to all of the Mitford series. In this one, Father Tim and his wife, Cynthia, are housesitting out in the country several years after his retirement. A new project comes his way and more and more people get involved in his life. He is put in charge of an old abandoned church in the mountains. I know these books are kind of corny and quite religious, but I just love them. So what if people say things like "Dad gum it!" On the container it says it is the last one in the series, but I think she wrote one or two more (that I didn't really like). Mitford is a small town in North Carolina and Father Tim Kavanagh is an aging Episcopal priest. According to the box, the books are "welcome reminders of the simpler and gentler pleasures of life".
Washington : a life, by Ron Chernow. I got this book on my Nook and it was quite fascinating. You can only borrow the books for two weeks through the Overdrive system available through many libraries. The book was 1193 pages and I didn't finish it in two weeks. I have to keep a paper list to record such problems as this. So, I borrowed it again and like a miracle, the book didn't expire. I don't know why. Sometimes they hang around for an extra week as long as you don't go around a wireless connection. But this one lasted more than one week longer than it was supposed to. Now I want to go to Mount Vernon. The book followed him through his military career and through his presidency. The inauguration was in New York City and I was reading it during the inauguration of Barack Obama. Some of the features of George Washington's inauguration are still with us today, such as using the actual Bible and having the ceremonies outdoors. I forgot that Philadelphia was the capital for awhile around 1790. In fact, even though Washington started planning Washington, he never got to live there. Interesting sidelights were his difficulties making ends meet and his actions and thoughts around slavery. He didn't want to sell anyone, but did not want to deal with the problems of liberating his slaves. But, as more and more children were born, he ended up with over 300 slaves (many of them elderly or young) to support. His goal was to live until the year 1800 but he died shortly before the previous year ended.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Oreo's cookie or creme whisper fight
This was my favorite super bowl ad since it takes place in a LIBRARY. It was funny because people are having a knock down, drag out fight, but they are whispering since they are in a library. Even the firemen and the policemen are whispering.
It looks really cold and windy outside. Am enjoying hanging around my sister's nice, clean house and puttering around with her husband, using the computer and reading the New York Times. Not real enthusiastic about returning to my life. I am losing interest in my life. Big event for the day is going to the eye doctor, which I desperately need to do. I am having trouble seeing the computer and many other things. I guess I will have to bite the bullet and buy new glasses, which cost as much as a small vacation.
It was fun watching the super bowl. I won $15 and got to watch some of it from the hot tub. It was a pretty exciting, nerve-wracking game. I wanted Baltimore to win just because of Michael Oher, who was the subject of a book and a movie called The blind side. He is on defense so you don't hear much about him, but his rags-to-riches story is very heart warming.
It looks really cold and windy outside. Am enjoying hanging around my sister's nice, clean house and puttering around with her husband, using the computer and reading the New York Times. Not real enthusiastic about returning to my life. I am losing interest in my life. Big event for the day is going to the eye doctor, which I desperately need to do. I am having trouble seeing the computer and many other things. I guess I will have to bite the bullet and buy new glasses, which cost as much as a small vacation.
It was fun watching the super bowl. I won $15 and got to watch some of it from the hot tub. It was a pretty exciting, nerve-wracking game. I wanted Baltimore to win just because of Michael Oher, who was the subject of a book and a movie called The blind side. He is on defense so you don't hear much about him, but his rags-to-riches story is very heart warming.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Not much to say
I think I am losing interest in this blog, along with many other things. Is it the winter blues?
Dedicating a large part of today to reading the Sunday New York times. I usually only do that when I am visiting my sister in North Jersey as she has a subscription. I find the actual paper so much more enjoyable than the online version.
Managed to fit everything in this weekend. Friday night I volunteered at a concert of Ben Williams and the sound machine. It was jazzy and very compelling and exciting. I should go to more concerts, even if I don't know what I am going to hear, like with this group. Out to breakfast Saturday morning at Dodge's Market in Elmer. A tasteful array of healthy foods. Joined some woman friends for a lunch at a friend's house and then up to North Jersey for a family reunion of sorts. The highlights of the evening were watching Downton Abbey (unfortunately a segment I had already seen TWICE), watching one episode of The killers and going out into the hot tub while it was snowing.
Dedicating a large part of today to reading the Sunday New York times. I usually only do that when I am visiting my sister in North Jersey as she has a subscription. I find the actual paper so much more enjoyable than the online version.
Managed to fit everything in this weekend. Friday night I volunteered at a concert of Ben Williams and the sound machine. It was jazzy and very compelling and exciting. I should go to more concerts, even if I don't know what I am going to hear, like with this group. Out to breakfast Saturday morning at Dodge's Market in Elmer. A tasteful array of healthy foods. Joined some woman friends for a lunch at a friend's house and then up to North Jersey for a family reunion of sorts. The highlights of the evening were watching Downton Abbey (unfortunately a segment I had already seen TWICE), watching one episode of The killers and going out into the hot tub while it was snowing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)