Throwback Thursday ~ a day for remembering

Here are Bonnie, Lauree, and Donna in 2019, when Lauree made a presentation at the Crown Center.  Why am I featuring this today?  It's for Lauree and all our friends who knew Donna and Lauree's mother, Tiny.  Donna and Tiny both died in July 2021, and today is Lauree's birthday.  Happy, happy birthday, Lauree!

Lauree also took this photo of me that I use for my profile picture; it's on the sidebar to the right.  We had gone out to eat together with her mother, and I handed her my cell-phone camera.  Thanks, Lauree.

I hope your birthday is wonderful!

Actually, I hope your whole YEAR is great!

Clawdia on Caturday

Last night, when I took Clawdia on a walk to the other end of our hall and back, she stopped at this door.  She knows where her friends live.

• She nearly always leans her head down to sniff or listen under Sharon's door to determine whether she's home or not.
• She always enjoyed getting invited into Gail's apartment to look around and explore while Gail and I talked.
• And she used to insist that I knock on Tiny's door, until she finally figured out that Tiny no longer lives in the apartment just a few steps from our own door.

I sent this photo, saying, "Clawdia misses visiting you."  Unfortunately, her caregiver is allergic to cats, so we probably couldn't go inside her apartment to visit, even if we didn't have this pandemic lockdown with social distancing.

Another friend named Sharon emailed me a musical Christmas card of cats on a player piano.  I love the lively tune and the antics of the cats.

Two activities ~ snacking and coloring

This is the second blue bag I've received this year, both full of goodies to nibble, nosh, and drink.  This one has balloons on it.  Inside were these kitten socks for my birthday, socks that came from Hallmark — who knew Hallmark had socks?  The little black kitten could be Clawdia, except it's missing the white spot below its chin.  Being a word person, I love the name across the top as much as the socks:  "Toe of a Kind."  Someone was very clever to come up with that.  Lauree and Tiny gave me this blue bag as well as the earlier one that I lost, and then found).  They are such sweethearts.

Yesterday, I ran across The Unwind, an article by the people at Yahoo, detailing how they are finding calm during quarantine.  One has been gardening, one adopted a cat, and another came up with Gratitude Sundays.  One family has been watching animal videos online, and the writer shares links, if this interests you.  I was intrigued by the one who decided it was time "to jump on the adult coloring train."  I may print out this picture and color it myself, since it is one of the free coloring pages among the links this person shared.  What have you been doing to stay sane during this time of social isolation and lockdown?

Unprecedented life adjustments

CARING and SHARING

Last night, someone posted on our Nextdoor neighborhood listserv.*

"We have a sewing machine in our house, but alas no one who knows how to sew.  If anyone could put the sewing machine to good use making masks, etc. we're willing to give it to the first taker."

This morning, someone replied.  Here's the online "conversation," which has garnered several "LOVE" reactions.

"I would love to have this if it still available.  I am part of a group of Facebook making masks for medical professionals and essential workers.  Let me know if it still available and I will pick it up today!"

"It is still available.  I'll message you on this."

It's fantastic that people are so committed to helping each other get through this time of fear and anxiety, offering help and being willing to do for others.  Sunday was Golden Rule Day, and I think people all over the world are living that Golden Rule, as they "do unto others as you would have them do unto you."  It's happening, and it gives me a good feeling to see us caring and sharing.

...and MEMORIES

About that Singer sewing machine illustration I found.  I started sewing on a vintage machine like that.  I had already learned how to stitch by hand and how to embroider using a wooden spring hoop to hold the cloth taut.  See the flat treadle at the bottom?  We had to place our feet there to pump it back and forth to make the needle go up and down.  Years later, when I got a portable electric sewing machine, I was able to take out the old and put the new one in that cavity, where the machine could fold down for storage and up for use.  Since it was operated by an electric foot pad, I no longer had to pump as before.  The treadle was still in place, though unused.

Unlike the manual machine, the electric one could stitch backwards and do zigzags as I guided the material under the foot.  It made buttonholes that looked even and professional.  I eventually gave that one to my daughter.  Maybe I should get another, though I no longer have the old wooden thing with drawers for spools of thread and scissors.  I could put it on top of my desk or dining table.  Or maybe not.  I really don't have room for anything else in this apartment.

WORD of the DAY

* LIST·SERV /ˈlis(t)sərv/ an application that distributes messages to subscribers on an electronic mailing list; an electronic mailing list; a method of communicating with a group of people via email.  You send one email message to the “reflector” email address, and the software sends the email to all of the group's subscribers.

CLAWDIA

One day when I was shopping, I bought a can of Friskies Mariner's Catch, thinking maybe Clawdia would try it and like it someday, even though she has rejected it in the past.  When I opened it yesterday, thinking to give her something different, she jumped on it and started eating before I could put all of it in the dish for her.  She LOVES it, at least for now, so I guess it's going on the grocery list.

When we came home today after walking in the grass using the hated leash, I got a phone call from Tiny's daughter Lauree.  She wanted instructions on how to leave care packages for Sheila and me, since the Crown Center discourages visitors during our state's stay-at-home orders.  I told Lauree about the table  near the link desk where prescriptions and packages are being left, now that the office staff are working from home.  When I went down later to get it, Clawdia also had a couple of surprises.  Not only a can of fishy food, but treats!  Thanks, Lauree and Tiny, from Clawdia and from me.  I wish I could let Clawdia know the treats came from her dearly beloved Tiny.  Lauree is so thoughtful; when she called, she also asked if I needed toilet paper or anything at all, saying I should call her if I ever do.

FULL MOON

Here's the full moon rising majestically over my neighborhood this evening.  Good night to all, and to all a good night.

Blogging, getting outside, and looking at swag

Today, Google posted this image.  When I scrolled over it, these words appeared:

Stay Home.  Save Lives : Help Stop Coronavirus

Look at the letters.  The first G is reading a book.  The two Os are making music, one singing and the other playing the guitar.  The second G is talking on a cellphone with the final E, and the L between them is exercising with two weights.  Thanks, Google.  What are YOU doing to keep busy and/or entertain yourself?

GETTING OUTSIDE

At 2:00, the temps here in St. Louis reached 73, so I opened the windows for Clawdia (and me).  She jumped up on the windowsill to look down at the budding trees below our windows, and I went to shower (finally, in mid-afternoon) so I could take her out for a breath of fresh air and a walk in the grass.

DR. FAUCI SWAG

No, really!  You can now buy Dr. Anthony Fauci swag, like mugs, socks, fan club buttons, lawn signs, candles, cushions, and tee-shirts.  Fauci is now saying he doesn't know why the United States hasn’t instituted a nation-wide stay-at-home order amid the spread of COVID-19.

VIRUS ECONOMICS

"Virus economics" is a term I heard today, uttered by Austan Goolsbee on CNN.  He's an economics professor, who says (I'm paraphrasing), "We have to fix the virus problem before we can fix the economics problem."  I don't have to tell you how many people have suddenly lost their jobs because we're staying home and not shopping and traveling and meeting in large groups.  We are all either feeling lost in the middle of so many changes or feeling that lots of folks around us THINK they are experts.  Let's listen to the experts.

CONNECTING

The lobby in my building is now COMPLETELY empty, unlike the day I discovered the "shocking" almost-empty lobby a couple of weeks ago and took a photo.  Instead of two chairs and a few table, there are no pieces of furniture at all except the little table with hand sanitizer and a lamp on it.

So now we call each other.  My neighbor Faye came home from the hospital Wednesday, so I called her yesterday and talked for almost half an hour.  Tiny, Susan, and Pamela called me, and I called to wish David and Sharon a happy anniversary yesterday.  I read what a neighbor has written on her Beverly's Notebook blog (she's not as wordy as I am), and showed Helen how to solve the visual puzzle I'd posted (click the link to do it yourself or read the comments for the long, convulated way to get the right answer).

I've been in touch with several people on Facebook and by texting, like Rosy and Lauree, who sent pictures of her cats.  While I was typing this, I got a text from Sharon down the hall:

"Fresh cornbread outside your door."

And it was still warm!  I ate it immediately, with a glass of good cold milk.  Clawdia thought I should share, until I put a crumb in front of her and she changed her mind.  She was trying to take a bite (or maybe just sniff) before she noticed the camera aimed at her.

Thursday thoughts ~ at the end of the day

ACTIVITIES

You’re in lockdown.  The only items you have to survive on are foods starting with the letters of your first name.  What is keeping you alive?

• Bananas / Bologna / Broccoli / Bread
• Olives / Onions / Oatmeal / Oreos
• Nutty granola bars / Noodle soup
• Navy beans / Nectarines / Nachos
• Ice cream / Iceberg lettuce / Iced tea
• Edam cheese / Eggnog / Eclairs

The rules don't say only ONE kind of food for each letter, so I stocked up for the long haul.  Donna put hers on Jean's Facebook post (thanks for the fun, Jean), and I see Donna and I have Navy beans in common:  Drinking water; Oranges; Nuts; Navy beans; Apricot preserves.  Now it's YOUR turn.  Go for it.

EXERCISING

The sun was shining and the temperature reached 73°F, so I took Clawdia outside for a walk in the grass.  She visited Donna through the window, while I stayed six feet away (see the long leash?).

Continuing our stroll, Clawdia discovered the Crown Center bus, parked with the back of it over the grass where she was walking.  I drew the line (and the leash) when she wanted us to go under the bus.

CONNECTING

While we were outside, a couple walking on the Greenway waved at me; it was Lauree and her husband Ron.  She told me that her mother Tiny is doing fine.  We saw several people while out and about, including Emma at the Crown Center greenhouse.  I chatted with Ginny in Tallahassee by using Facebook's private messages.  Connecting with folks far and near.

New normal ~ going on a bear hunt

People in my neighborhood have been taking their children on bear hunts.  The idea came from a children's book (below).  I found the author of the book acting and singing his way through the story on YouTube.  What fun!  I have found several different YouTube videos of it, or you can get a copy of the book.

We're Going on a Bear Hunt ~ by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, 1989, children's, 10/10

"We're going on a bear hunt.  We're going to catch a big one.  Will you come too?"  For years, readers have been swishy swashing and splash sploshing through this award-winning favorite, as a brave family romps through sweeping land-scapes.  The version shown here features pop-ups, flaps to lift, tabs to pull, and sound effects.

Now I want you to imagine going on a "bear hunt" where what we are hunting for is all the encouraging things people are posting for how we can use our "stay at home" time.  That's OUR bear hunt for today.  One "bear" I found:  Parkway United Church of Christ posted this poem on their website today.  Thanks, Parkway UCC.

Don’t Quit

by John Greenleaf Whittier

Contributed by Ellie Svenson

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low, and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is strange with its twists and turns
As every one of us sometimes learns
And many a failure comes about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow—
You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out—
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell just how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So, stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit—
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.

I had to memorize this poem when I was a child in school, so reading it put a smile on my face and put my memories in overdrive.  Here's another "bear" I found on my hunt for encouragement, a book whose title is perfect for our time:

Finding a New Normal: Living Your Best Life with Chronic Illness ~ by Suzan L. Jackson, 2020, health

Based on Sue’s almost 20 years living with chronic illnesses in her own family, writing her blog, writing articles on chronic illness, and leading multiple support groups, she provides support and practical advice you can use.  Whether you are in the early days of living with chronic illness or have been at it for years (or decades), there are always challenges in living a life framed by limitations and restrictions, where isolation is a common issue.

This guide provides inspiration, advice on emotional coping, and guidance on living your best life with chronic illness from someone who’s been there.  Though it seems impossible at first, your life will eventually settle into a new normal, and while that life may be different than the one you had planned, it can still be a vibrant, fulfilling life based on strong relationships, a healthy emotional state, and finding joy in every day.  The emphasis in this book is on LIVING your life, not just enduring it.

We are all "coping with isolation, anxiety, grief, living a separate life, and looking for small joys each day," Sue Jackson wrote on her blog, telling us her book is now out in paperback, as well as in an ebook.  Don't you love it that she emphasizes LIVING, not just enduring?  Some of her chapter titles sound perfect for our "new normal" in the time of coronavirus:

• One Day at a Time
• Finding Joy in Every Day
• A Plan B Day
• The Restorative Power of Nature
• What Makes You Forget?
• Reading Expands Your World
• The Importance of Play
• The Wide World of Online Learning

Thanks, Sue.  We can use these suggestions NOW, to alleviate boredom and frustration when we'd rather be out and about.

Okay, let's keep "bear" hunting.  I have one more inspiration for now.

Rather than sitting around in a funk, we'd be better off doing some exercises.  Donna Rae Jones is working on a way to help us do just that.  I'll let you know when she'll be leading us live in the mindful movements of yoga.  She's sent me a connection so I can practice getting connected tomorrow.  In the meantime, check out her website.

Our new normal is checking on each other:  yesterday and today, I've checked-in by phoning, emailing, texting, and Facebook with Donna, Donna Rae Jones, Dora, Mary, Sandy, Susan, Tiny, Rosie, Gail, some of my family members, and maybe others that don't come to mind right now.  Have you checked on your neighbors?  Your friends?  Your elderly family members?

And last, but not least, the little black "bear" at my house.  Clawdia is doing her daily hibernation thing near me, as you can see in this photo.

Social distancing

The CDC defines social distancing as "remaining out of congregate settings, avoiding mass gatherings and maintaining distance (approxi-mately 6 feet) from others when possible."  It is less drastic than quarantine or isolation, which are used for people who are suspected to be carrying the virus.  (I found the GIF here.)  Keeping our distance from each other, even when neither of us has symptoms of the coronavirus, is the best way to prevent the spread of this pandemic.

I woke up this morning thinking about "the last man on earth," a book and a movie, if I'm remembering correctly.  I looked it up, and it's a 1982 book by Isaac Asimov and also the title of three movies over the decades (1924, 1964, and 2011).  That's kind of what I'm feeling this morning, as I sit isolated and alone in my apartment with only my cat as company.  And my computer?  Maybe that depressing feeling and anxiety was why my blood pressure was up a bit more than usual this morning.

Asking my five daily questions:

1. What am I grateful for today?

Snow!  Strangely, today's rain had turned to SNOW when I glanced up this morning.  And then the tiny white flakes became BIG snow flakes.  It's too wet to lay.  At least, I think so.  But who expects snow at the beginning of spring when the temps are above freezing all day?

2. Who am I checking in on or connecting with today?

Mary called to check on me this morning and to talk awhile.  Donna and I chatted through Facebook's private messages.  Sharon texted that she'd left something in the box beside my door.  It was a bag of pecans.  Thanks, Sharon!  I tried to call Tiny, who is now living with her daughter and son-in-law nearby.  We still have a lot of hours left in the day, so I may be in contact with several more before bedtime.  Evening update:  Shannon called to check on me, and when I went down to get yesterday's mail, I spoke to Dorothy in the lobby and Darlene on the desk.  I also met Donna in the hall, when Domino's delivered an order for us this evening.

3. What expectations of "normal" am I letting go of today?

Having all the foods available that I'm used to.  Joy says on her blog today that cabbage lasts longer than lettuce, so she shared her recipes with us (click her links).  Her whole post is intersting:  "Self love in the time of Coronavirus."

4. How am I getting outside today?

I'm not, because it's raining.  As of midnight tonight, St. Louis city and county will be under "stay-at-home" orders.  We'll still be able to go out for essentials like food and medicines, but I need to look at the details on the St. Louis County website.

5. How am I moving my body today?

I got out my mini-cycle so I can exercise inside a little better.  Donna used it while sitting in a chair after she had knee replacement surgery, and I used it with my hands on the pedals during therapy after I broke my shoulder, by putting it on a table.

Joy shared a couple of her exercises in her blog post (see #3 above).  Here's one I'll try later: "March in place while tapping the knee with the opposite hand — a cross lateral move that is supposed to help your brain function better."

I can always use the pages I printed out for our exercise group to do my own exercises at home, like these daily dozen for seniors.  And here are a few yoga positions I'm pretty sure I'd be good at.  Let's laugh a little.

Friday update ~ the state of things around here

1.  What am I grateful for today?

Neighborhood links — do you have one?  Years ago, I was on an email list sharing community news.  Now I'm on Nextdoor (a neighborhood email link).  One thread this morning:  "I'd be interested in knowing how it looks in the grocery stores, from those who've shopped in the last few days.  Is there fresh produce?  Are stores restocking?  Is 'senior hour' worth taking advantage of?"

**One comment (about MY store):  "Good morning — I was at the Ladue Schnucks on Wednesday morning at 6:45 a.m.   Store was not crowded and there was plenty on the shelves, in the produce area and the meet [meat?] area."

**Another comment:  "Also, if you'd like to avoid going to the store, you can down-load the instacart app and order from Schnucks for home delivery.  The prices are the same as in store and the delivery fee is $3.99.  If your order is more than $35, delivery is free."  (Donna and I use Instacart, which will now leave your order at your door to avoid contact.)

**A third comment:  "I was at Dollar Tree on Olive yesterday about 4:30pm.  Plenty of cleaning supplies available, and they had toilet paper, and vitamins, too.  Since the signs went up to stop hoard buying, I think it's really helped slow panic shopping."

**Another comment:  "I ran to CVS at Clayton and Brentwood to pick up prescriptions.  Only a few people there.  They had toilet paper for those without.  I heard from a neighbor that Schnucks on Ladue Rd was very crowded and USBank had lines.  Just FYI."

**A recent comment:  "Not too crowded at 11:00 at Schnucks at Spoede.  Out of tp and tissues."

2.  Who am I checking in on or connecting with today?

I'm connecting with YOU today, connecting virtually and sending a hug.  Let me know when you get it by leaving a comment.  See?  We're connecting.  While I was checking my blood pressure, Tiny called.  When I called back, she must have been talking to someone else.  Donna texted and emailed me, and I've been sharing with friends on Facebook.  Last night, I texted with Sharon.

3.  What expectations of "normal" am I letting go of today?

Normal is greeting people in the hallways and eating together in the Circle@Crown Café.  Normal is taking trips on the Crown Center bus and exercising in our Fitness Center.  To let go of exercising with friends, I can exercise with a video (see #5).

4.  How am I getting outside today?

I think I'll bundle up (it's 41° here, feels like 37°) and take a walk to the far end of my curving street and back.  Maybe I'll even go on around the block and back from the other direction.

5.  How am I moving my body today?

SilverSneakers plans to do another online exercise class on Monday.  In the meantime, I can repeat what's in yesterday's video and take a walk (see #4).

TWO things on day TWO of the new year

Dora playing while Nadezhda sang yesterday

January 1 ~ Find three good things to look forward to this year.

1. Books lined up to read, especially those of my own that I can read and pass on to others.  I've started reading Paws for a Moment With God: Devotions Best Enjoyed in the Company of a Cat and picked up the copy of Birds of a Feather, second in the Maisie Dobbs mystery series.  Both were on yesterday's list of books that I want to read this year.
2. Practicing the piano again, as Dora does regularly.  Dora invited me to join her and Nadezhda around the piano.  Erin, Sandy Richter's daughter-in-law, heard the piano and joined us.  She's the one who took this photo.
3. Exercising downstairs with my friends.  It helps me to stay flexible and strong, or as strong as I can be at almost 80 (in April).

January 2 ~ Make time today to do something kind for yourself.

The kind thing I did for myself today was going for a long lunch at Chili's with my friend Tiny and her daughter Lauree, as you can see in this picture of Tiny and me that Lauree took.  I had a very enjoyable afternoon.

2020 vision ~ maybe

"What are you planning to read this year, Bonnie?  I'd love to hear what you are thinking about reading," Deb asked in a comment.

The last book I finished in 2019 was Becoming by Michelle Obama, so maybe my first book of 2020 should be her Becoming: A Guided Journal for Discovering Your Voice.  "But it's a journal," you say.  Yes, but it isn't a day-by-day kind of diary, where I must write about what comes on the next page.  If I read through it first, I could then pick out specific pages I want to write about first.  That makes sense to me, and each page has a place to put the date, like this ___/___/___.  So first, this journal Donna gave me for Christmas and then the next book, which my friend Tiny gave me.

Paws for a Moment With God: Devotions Best Enjoyed in the Company of a Cat ~ compiled by Patricia Mitchell, 2010

"Have you ever noticed how a cat will find contentment in something as simple as a ray of sunshine?  She settles herself in its pleasure and basks in the joy of the moment!"  There is wisdom to be learned by observing the habits, curiosities, and antics of a cat.  If you have been blessed with the companionship of a cat, then cozy up together with this book.

Other books I want to read:

• Heidegger and a Hippo Walk Through Those Pearly Gates: Using Philosophy (and Jokes!) to Explore Life, Death, the Afterlife, and Everything in Between ~ by Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein, 2009, humor
• Resist and Persist: Faith and the Fight for Equality ~ by Erin Wathen, 2018, sexism
• The Big Book for Peace ~ edited by Ann Durell and Marilyn Sachs, 1990, stories
• 
  Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner ~ edited by Ellen E. Garrigues, 1895, 1910, ballad
• The Power of Hope: The One Essential of Life and Love ~ by Maurice Lamm, 1995, psychology
• Transitions: Prayers and Declarations for a Changing Life ~ by Julia Cameron, 1999, reflections
• Have a Little Faith: A True Story ~ by Mitch Albom, 2009, memoir
• The Altered I: Ursula K. Le Guin's Science Fiction Writing Workshop ~ edited by Lee Harding, 1976, 1978, writing
• Does God Have a Big Toe? ~ by Marc Gellman, illustrated by Oscar de Mejo, 1989, humor
• What Would Maisie Do? ~ by Jacqueline Winspear, 2019, journal

This last one comes with a slew of Maisie Dobbs books, a whole series, as a matter of fact.  I read Maisie Dobbs, the first in Jacqueline Winspear's series, and then I got this journal.  Donna, however, bought the whole series and has donated the ones she has finished reading to the Crown Center's little library.  She has enjoyed them so much that I may also take a stab at reading this mystery series.

1. Maisie Dobbs, 2003
2. Birds of a Feather, 2004

3. Pardonable Lies, 2005
4. Messenger of Truth, 2006
5. An Incomplete Revenge, 2008
6. Among the Mad, 2009
7. The Mapping of Love and Death, 2010
8. A Lesson in Secrets, 2011
9. Elegy for Eddie, 2012
10. Leaving Everything Most Loved, 2013
11. A Dangerous Place, 2015
12. Journey to Munich, 2017
13. In This Grave Hour, 2018
14. To Die But Once, 2018
15. The American Agent, 2019

Happy New Year . . . and happy 2020 reading to all!

Clawdia's friend Tiny

Clawdia has missed Tiny, since she moved to Idaho, but she seemed more interested in exploring Sheila's apartment that day in August when Tiny came for a visit.  She'd never been there before and was curious.

Sheila and Toni got in the picture with Clawdia and Tiny.

Tiny is still in town visiting her daughter Lauree, so Clawdia got to visit with her friend again last week in the lobby.  She wasn't happy wearing that leash and collar, though.

Clawdia's excursion

Clawdia screamed all the way down the elevator that she was being kidnapped, but she relaxed into Tiny's lap at the jigsaw table in the lobby and soaked up the love as Tiny crooned to her.  Tiny, who used to live one door away on our floor, is one of Clawdia's favorite friends.

After visiting with Tiny and Dodi and Sheila and Gail and Barbara in the lobby, we went out back near the gazebo, where Clawdia enjoyed nibbling the grass (photo at right), scratching her back on the rough concrete of the sidewalk, and exploring various nooks and crannies.

Then she marched herself across the grass toward Donna's building, with a few detours to look at this and that or sit for a moment to ponder her surroundings.  When the grass and winding walkways ended, Clawdia jumped up onto Donna's windowsill and surveyed the world around her (photographic evidence at the top).

We stayed outside until mosquitoes swarmed around Clawdia and she had her mouth open panting in the heat.  (Temperatures reached the 90s in St. Louis today.)  When we got home, she went straight to her food and water while I scrubbed my mosquito bites with alcohol.  After all that, Clawdia decided a cat nap was in order, so she curled up and slept near my feet as I stretched out on top of the bed to read.

The Rear View Review 2018

Tiny and her daughter Lauree (see July)

This look back at 2018 was done by excerpting a short portion of one post from each month last year.  You can click on the name of the month to find these twelve posts.  I took this idea from Colleen at Loose Leaf Notes and soon realized it works best when I'm quoting something personal I wrote, rather than my posts about books and what some random author wrote.

January ~ I don't remember WHY we did it, but I do remember borrowing an accordian and learning to play it, so Ada and I could go onstage in front of the whole school to sing "Sisters, Sisters."  Yes, once I was able to play and sing at the same time!  I think we were in 8th grade when we sang.  After graduating, we went on to Chattanooga High School, where we once again played in band and orchestra together.  Here's a high school photo of me holding my bassoon.

February ~ What a fascinating book! I could imagine a forest of trees "leaning" on one another, "talking" to each other via their roots, and sending out "scent" signals to warn other trees of dangers such as insects nibbling on leaves or beetles boring into their trunks.

March ~ I often find myself pondering strange ideas, like the odd fact that 39 years ago when I was 39 years old, I did something foolish on St. Patrick's Day.  That was half my lifetime ago!  So today, I'll let it go and be happy that it was something that I could (and did) un-do.  I'm just glad it was St. Patrick's Day and not April Fool's Day!

April ~ Clawdia looks like an ornamental decoration herself, sitting on the little corner table.  By the way, Clawdia knows I don't always see her, as she slips past me like a shadow.  When I'm coming near her, she actually chirps, a little "meowp" sound, to let me know she's there.  Is this cat smart, or what?

May ~ When I started talking about women needing to have a voice and men doing the talking about #MeToo, a man near me interrupted me (!!!).  So I stood up and continued to talk ABOVE him.  We women had come to discuss the #MeToo situation, not to have it "man-splained" to us, though I didn't use that word. A woman came up to me afterwards to thank me for speaking up.

June ~ My friend Ginny visited me at the end of May, bringing along her sister Bunny.  Although she lives in Florida, Ginny figured out how to come through St. Louis on her way to Pennsylvania.  Makes sense, doesn't it, driving from Florida to Missouri to get to Pennsylvania?

July ~ Last night, Tiny knocked on our door with two bowls of vanilla ice cream in her hands.  That's vanilla covered with chocolate syrup.  And she didn't know it was Vanilla Ice Cream Day.  How funny is that!  (Tiny, who'd never done that before, is pictured at the top with her daughter.)

August ~ Gumption

Don’t call me pretty or say that I'm beautiful.
That's not what matters to girls who have spunk.

Tell me I'm smart or I show such compassion.
Say I have spirit or always seem savvy.

Tell me I'm witty or clever or funny,
and point out whenever I'm loving and kind.

Looks are not all that a girl should consider,
so tell me I've got what it takes to succeed.

― Bonnie Setliffe Jacobs, August 2, 2018

September ~ Today I will ponder "a road crossing a forest" as opposed to our human assumption that the deer is crossing one of OUR roads.  From the deer's point of view, that road came through the forest, making a mess of things, causing problems, making life difficult and extremely dangerous.   Oh, to see the world ― and life ― as others see it.

October ~ I first noticed the tree's reflection in the water, full of leaves.  Only then did I see the "actual" tree had no leaves.

November ~ I guess what I'm saying is that my happy place is where I can enjoy green growing things.  Hmm, and at this point in my life, I think my happy place is living here at the Crown Center.

December ~ I try not to put my foot in my mouth, not that I could literally do such a thing at my age.
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I posted something similar to this six years ago:  2012 in first lines.  The idea was to "use the first lines of each month on your blog, to give an overview of your blogging year."