SSS - Stand

It is time for another six sentence story. I'll be linking my story to Zoe's Six Sentence Stories - Stand. Although it is easier for me to stand and to take a stand these days, there was a time when such wasn't the case.

It must have been given to her around a special day, maybe Valentine's Day, for the color was certainly fitting, but there wasn't anything in her wardrobe with so much of that color other than her pep rally skirt. At least when she wore that skirt, there was a multitude of other girls wearing similar wool skirts.  Mom obviously thought the A-line dress was perfect for her fair-complexioned brunette daughter, but didn't she know how hard it would be for her to walk through the halls at school looking like a large piece of Christmas wrap? The cotton-polyester fabric was bright red with just an ever so slight hint of orange. The fabric was quartered into approximately eight-inch blocks by one-fourth inch white lines and at the neckline a broad collar of white reached to the edges of her shoulders and down about six inches from her neck in the front and in the back. Did her Mom not know how embarrassing it was to her daughter to stand out among her peers like that and how hard it was for her to fain enthusiasm for the surprise gift?

Ten Things of Thankful

My Ten Things of Thankful post for this past week and part of this is kind of a hodgepodge of gratitudes. Some weeks are like that. As usual, I will be linking my post to Josie Two Shoes' site Ten Things of Thankful. She is the administrator of this blog hop and actually looks forward to reading whatever it is that we decide to share each week. Click the link and you will be able to read what other bloggers have contributed. Who knows, you might even decide to start writing about the things for which you are thankful if you are not already doing so.

1 - 2 Friends and food - Depending on what day the first of the month lands on and whether or not the first Monday of the month is a holiday, there are some months where the second week of the month may be filled with more than one lunch outing with friends. This past Monday, my hubby and I ate lunch with the Empty Nesters who are members of the church I attend and sometimes their friends. (Normally we meet the first Monday of the month, but this month we postponed the lunch because of July 4th holidays.) The day after the Empty Nesters met, I had lunch with a small group of women from my church. The Empty Nesters have been eating at the same buffet-style restaurant for quite some time, while the women's lunch group tries out different restaurants each time. I am thankful for opportunities to build relationships outside of a church chapel and classroom setting as well as inside the church. 

3 - 5 Opportunities to use my talents, improve upon them, and share them - There is a charity in the area that accepts donated wedding gowns for the purpose of creating Angel Gowns for infants who have died. The gowns are given to a couple of local hospitals so they are ready to be given to grieving parents when needed. The photo shows the boy Angel Gowns as I made them, using the pattern and the materials I was given, but we decided to change the buttons to smaller, flatter buttons on the vests after this photo was taken. Sometimes when a person serves, they are blessed with special thoughts and feelings and moments of personal revelation, and such was the case for me as I spent the day preparing these Angel Gowns. It was a nice opportunity to become reacquainted with my sewing machine too, which I'm sure has felt neglected, and to see if I could still sew a straight seam.

These two identical Angel Gowns are made from a recycled white satin-like wedding gown. They have short sleeves with flared long dresses. The seams at the middle back are left open instead of sewn. A vest is sewn on the front of each gown in the chest area. (Note: The description of the photo is for the benefit of those who are sight impaired.)

6 - 7 Conversation starters and appreciation for the fact that no one remains a teenager - On Saturday I attended a picnic with some of those who were in my high school graduation class. Some classmates had been at another class gathering that I attended, but many I had not seen since graduation. Often the actual reunions have been held at the same time I have attended Education Week at BYU, or even further back, family reunions at the home of one of my uncles. We had a large class, and as is probably true for a lot of large classes, one becomes close friends with some, casual acquaintances with others, and never really begins to know the majority of the students. I didn't need to worry a bit about conversing with anyone in the group. The conversation often began with some comment about my eye which is still sporting signs of the black eye I received. I even bought some concealer makeup to try to hide the evidence, but it didn't do the job I was hoping it would. Oh, and I didn't see a single teenager, but I think the majority of us are probably content with what the years and experiences have done to us and for us. 

8 Wonderment - I bought some brown cage-free eggs a week ago, and was amazed at the design on the shell of this egg. Do you think the hen who laid this egg was attempting to tie dye her egg?

The shell of this brown egg appears to be divided into thirds by two evenly spaced circular lines going around the width of the egg. The lines are about the width of an eraser on a pencil. There is also a vertical line toward the bottom of the egg. That mark isn't quite a distinct.

9 Longevity - I continue to be amazed by the things that many elderly people are able to still do that enables them to feel a sense of joy as they share what talents and gifts they have been given. This week I also became aware of the longevity of the charge for my attachable keyboard for my iPad. I'm assuming that I must have charged it when I bought it, but I don't recall doing that, so when my keyboard wasn't working this week, it took me a while to figure out what was wrong. It was only when I noticed a port on the side of the keyboard that the light dawned. With a little bit of charging my problem was solved. Because I use the built-in keyboard almost as often as the attachable keyboard, I'd completely forgotten that there was a need to charge it. After all it was working. . . until it wasn't. 

10 Cousin visit - Hubby and I had a nice visit with one of my cousins and his wife today. We arranged to meet at the nursing home where Mom stays and had a visit with her for about an hour before we left to eat out at a local restaurant and visit some more. It has been 10 years since I have seen my cousin, although I have stayed somewhat in touch with the family during those years.

Plus one extra thankful - Lessons learned

A bandaid on my face

Stuck to hair near my ear

Painful to remove it

A gasp, but not a tear

Finally got it off

But sticky stuff remained

A scissor snip did it

Now somewhat shorter maned

Ten Things of Thankful

It is that time again when I begin thinking about what I want to share for my Ten Things of Thankful post which I link to Josie Two Shoes' site. She manages the Ten Things of Thankful blog hop and welcomes bloggers to link their posts. It really is interesting to read the variety of things for which people are thankful. Be sure to click the link and read others' posts. 

Since bloggers come with their own beliefs, experiences, knowledge, and ways of expressing themselves, reading their posts can be educational, motivating, and faith promoting at times. On the other hand, you might find yourself laughing out loud, and possibly thinking, "I've done that!" Some bloggers have such a gift for writing, you might feel if you keep reading what they share, maybe you will soak up some of that gift for expressing oneself.

It is time for me to begin my list.

1. The July 4 breakfast at the church - I tried a new (to me) breakfast casserole to take to the event. It is called Overnight French Toast Casserole and is prepared and refrigerated the evening before and baked in the morning. Not having to do very much preparation in the morning was a real plus in my book. 

2. Blueberries are beginning to ripen. The berries can look like they are not quite ripe in the morning, but with the warmer temperatures, are ripe by evening. If I pick some blueberries that are not dark blue and leave them in a bowl on the counter, they ripen by evening or by the next morning. This method of picking also allows us to eat more of the berries than the birds.

In the photo I am holding with my left hand a medium green plastic cereal bowl half full of blueberries. Some of the berries are close to being the dark blue color of ripe berries, while others are partly a reddish-purple color indicating they are not quite ripe.

3. Shade - Even the resident lizard decided to come up on the ramp to find some shade on one of those 100 degrees plus days. He didn't even care when I got a foot away to snap a photo.

This fence lizard was in a shady spot between the railing on  our ramp and the actual ramp. (Because I needed to use the flash to get a better photo of him, it isn't apparent that he is in the shade.) I love how his brown skin resembles rows of rickrack like the zigzag trimming that used to be sewn on little girls dresses or on kitchen curtains.

4. Crunchy Detox Salad - I typically do not do a lot of baking of breads and sweets, but I do enjoy the taste, which is all the more reason not to indulge. After filling up on pastries, and breakfast casseroles on July 4, my body let me know I shouldn't have done that. After the breakfast, I steered clear of most food until that evening and then just ate a very light meal. A couple of days later I found a recipe for Crunchy Detox Salad, and since I had all the ingredients I needed, I made a big bowl of it. There was enough left over to last a few days. I didn't follow the recipe exactly as far as how much of each vegetable I used. We have a favorite salad dressing that has ginger and sesame seeds in it, so I substituted that for the dressing called for in the recipe. We both like this salad, and I know that I will be making this again.

5. The fawn visited and let me take its photo! 

The spotted fawn came to visit, posed perfectly and looked right at me.

6. The good news is that there will be no charge to fix my Mom's broken hearing aid. The company decided to honor the warranty even though technically it had just expired by a week.

7 - 8 Just a black eye, bruises, scrapes and tenderness, but no broken bones this time and there was no charge to fix my glasses - One day this week I was doing some watering outside and managed to trip as I was trying to step around a boulder and between some shrubs. Although I did a face plant, at least I didn't face plant on the boulder. This was my first time to get a black eye.

The black eye is from the impact of falling while wearing my glasses. The bottom spring on my glasses broke and caused the scrapes on my face as the glasses bounced off. Fortunately the lens wasn't broken, but does have a few scratches not in my field of vision.

9. Togetherness plan - My husband has some concerns about my mobility, so he strongly suggested that we be together when I'm doing anything outside that is going to require me to be walking on uneven ground, which is just about everywhere on our property. Since I haven't been spending more than 30 minutes to an hour weeding per day, he thought that perhaps I could pick a project one day and we would work together, and the next day, he would pick a project and we would work together. After giving it some thought, I conceded that this plan is probably for the best. I'm also going to make an effort to strengthen my legs and balancing capabilities. 

10. Educational music for kids and for adults who want to feel like a kid once in a while - Maybe I should learn the words and sing as I pick. HaHa

Have a wonderful week!

Ten Things of Thankful

It is that time again when I share ten things for which I am thankful. I look back at the previous week and create a list, and sometimes share photos that help get the point across. Sometimes the list is just a brief list, while other times there may be a story or a long explanation that accompanies one of the items. Each blogger that writes a post to be linked to Josie Two Shoes' Ten Things of Thankful blog hop also varies in their writing styles. Some bloggers post each week while others join up when they are able depending on their schedules. There is no scolding if one can't be there every week. Click the link to see what other bloggers have shared for their ten things. Comments are always welcomed. 

1. Click, click, clicks. One evening I was sitting on the sofa reading and heard sounds of click, click, clicks of hooves on the roof. I hadn't heard that sound since goats we used to have had gotten loose and jumped on top of the roof. Yes, they really did! (We have an earth sheltered home and the back of the roof is just a couple of feet from the ground.) Anyway, I finally was able to see the twin fawns that my husband had seen a few weeks back. The mama apparently hasn't taught them yet about staying off the roof. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get a good photo this time around. 

2. Things we learn from animals. We were able to go to the zoo at the beginning of the week and got there early enough that we had no trouble finding a parking spot this time. (The last time we went we returned home because there wasn't a vacant spot to park!)

This black bear exhibits one way of taking a nap, by lounging in a sturdy hammock with his head resting on a log and kept in position by a chain that holds the hammock.

Nora, the polar bear, demonstrates one way to get a back rub, by sitting on her rump and keeping the rest of her body vertical against the rock wall so she can rub her back against any bumpy outcroppings on the wall. With a little motion, or a lot, she can get a great workout as well as a back rub.

We don't have a hammock, but I did benefit from several naps on the sofa this week, and my husband gives great back rubs! After doing some more weeding, a back rub feels good.

3. Animals to greet you upon returning home. When I drove into our driveway one day after a trip to the grocery store, I was greeted by a wild turkey. I had my camera with me in the car, so I parked the car further out in the driveway and began snapping pictures. Finally the turkey flew up on a fence and I was able to get a picture that I could share. My husband had seen a couple of turkeys a few months back on our property, but I didn't get to seem them that time. They aren't as cuddly as a dog, but are interesting as long as they don't become territorial.

Wild turkey

4. Evening walks. This week I got in 10,000 steps on four different days! That may not be a big deal to some of you, but for me that is a huge improvement. We live in an area where there are roads that offer a bit of a challenge, because they are hilly, but a lot of the roadway is shaded, so even though one gets a good workout it is possible to stay cooler.

5. Perfect temperatures. Although we did have some very hot days this past week, Saturday was a perfect day. The temperature was in the high 70's which is my favorite. It was a splendid day to drive to Portland.

The aerial tram in Portland, OR is shown against the blue sky. There is a large tree in the foreground on the lower left corner of the photo. Passengers are on their way from the east side of the Willamette River to Oregon Health Sciences University which is on a high hill above the west side of the river. The tram is a blessing to those who might find it difficult to travel up to the hospital in the winter when the roads are especially slick from ice and/or snow. Tourists enjoy taking the tram to get a great view of the city.

6. Flowers that bring back memories. I am one of those individuals who associate certain flowers with individuals I know or have known. Every year when I was growing up, it seemed that my mother planted some zinnias. I grew to love those bright colored flowers, and they always remind me of her. What flower reminds you of a certain person?

Hot pink zinnias in a shrub bed at the Portland Zoo. There are seven opened blossoms on one plant. Each blossom has a yellow center.

7. Clothing to fit the occasion. One of our children gave us tickets to an event in Portland this weekend. It was suggested that attendees wear Hawaiian clothing, of which I had none. After going to several stores and not finding anything, I ventured into one of my favorite thrift stores and came up with an outfit that I thought might fit the occasion. The pants were even brand new with the original tickets still on them. I must add that I did have to overcome a little bit of fear of standing out wearing such bright clothing among people I didn't know. (We stopped at the nursing home to visit my Mom on the way to the event. I'm sure many of the residents had not seen such colorful attire in quite a while.) Are there certain colors of clothing that you resist wearing because those colors make you feel uncomfortable.

Hawaiian attire. Bright yellow long pants with brightly printed short sleeved blouse. The print is of bright hot pink, yellow, and orange exotic flowers as well as some kind of a tropical long- necked bright pink bird. There are also pink sequins on the bird. Light green and tan bamboo looking leaves are splattered here and there.

8. Being able to still do some things. I didn't plan on this happening this past week, but sometimes things just happen, like it or not. When we returned to where we had parked our car at the zoo, we had a predicament. There wasn't sufficient space for anyone to open the door on the driver's side. There was only one of us who could get in on the passenger's side and climb over the console between the front seats of our Prius. Now we are both getting up in years, so this was going to be a bit of a challenge, but I managed to do it with some grunting, and contortions that made me pray I wouldn't throw out my back. Soon we were headed home with me trying not to think about the show I put on for those driving through the parking lot at that time. 

9. Newer mammogram equipment. This past week it was that time of the year for me to go in to get a mammogram. Not many women look forward to this yearly procedure, myself included, because it isn't the most comfortable thing to have done. No more will this have to be a concern. The clinic now has a new 3D mammography system that not only reveals cancer a lot sooner than the older equipment, but it is not nearly so unpleasant to have done.

10. The goodness of others. It is all around us in this world. We just need to open our eyes and our hearts to see it. More importantly we need do good and be good. Sure there are things that are a concern, even a big concern, but I still believe good will win over evil if we all do something to recognize the difference and then promote the good in little ways and in big ways.

Wishing you each a wonderful week as you celebrate the 4th of the July if you live in the United States of America.

Six Sentence Stories - Peach

One of those quick and easy desserts I used to make for our family was peach cobbler, but I decided to go back further into history for this Six Sentence Stories - Peach post which I am linking to the blog hop administered by Zoe. Writing a story in just six sentences using the cue word is the challenge. Each Thursday bloggers are able to start linking up to her site

"We must save them to protect our soldiers in case there is a gas attack by the Germans," said Gussie to her husband, Alvin. The children, too young to understand this discussion about the Great War, were playing a game of tiddledywinks on the worn wooden porch as their parents conversed quietly while rocking gently in the porch swing after a busy day of working on their farm.

"I heard talk down at the barbershop that the farmers are going to save the shells of nuts too," said Alvin.

"Well, I guess if everyone does what they can there will be enough to burn to make the activated carbon needed to make the protective gas masks for our soldiers," said Gussie. "This year I'm not going to add the stones when I can the fruit, even though I think the fruit tastes better with one added to each jar."

Alvin smiled as he thought about the peaches that were ripening in their fields and the sign he'd seen in front of the high school earlier in the day that said, "Do your bit, Save the Pit." 

Now, go check out what other bloggers have written for their SSS - Peach. Just click on the link above. If you are able, I hope you will be able to enjoy some peach shortcake like this one available at a local farm store as you read the stories.

Ten Things of Thankful

What an exciting week it has been, in a good way! I hope it has been that way for you too, but I know sometimes life and one's circumstances may feel overwhelming. In reality life is full of ups and downs, and so it should be, otherwise we would be flatlining.

Before I get on the road with my Ten Things of Thankful post, I just want to give a shout out to Josie Two Shoes who is the administrator for the Ten Things of Thankful blog hop. She reads every Ten Things of Thankful post which is linked to her blog hop and responds with thoughtful comments. Click the link to see what others have posted this week. Bloggers' posts can be added beginning shortly after midnight (Central Time) Thursday evening until Tuesday evening. 

1. Serendipitous discovery. For a while I've been trying to figure out what would be helpful in alleviating a certain situation with my body. One day this past week I was making a fruit salad using crushed pineapple, bananas, and canned mandarin oranges. I'd intended to add some coconut flakes to help thicken it a bit. When I went to the shelf to get the coconut, I discovered there was none to be had. One item I did find was a small unopened container of guar gum that I suspect I'd purchased because it was called for in a gluten free recipe. (Some friends of mine eat gluten free meals.) 

My husband was confusing guar gum with something else and suggested that I might be able to use some of it to thicken the salad. When I googled the use of guar gum, I discovered that one of its uses is as a thickening agent. I decided to give it a try because it can thicken both cold and hot liquids. Although I had no idea of how much I might need, I thought the amount might be similar to how much cornstarch would be required. Let me just say, that was not a correct assumption. One does not need anywhere nearly as much, and it thickens quite rapidly. We enjoyed the thickened fruit salad, and found that my body benefited quite nicely from eating it. That discovery sent me back to the internet to read about health benefits and any interactions from eating guar gum. It isn't for everyone, but can be helpful for some people. Have you ever found the solution to two problems while in the process of just trying to solve one problem?

2. Accomplishing goals in moderation. In the past I've been one to push onward trying to finish the desired objective without taking forever. At the time, it seemed like a good idea, but over the years I've learned the hard way, that doing things in moderation and taking breaks, resting, going on vacations, etc. offer healthy benefits. This week, I started doing some hoeing and weed pulling but made myself, often with my husband's reminder, stop after a half hour or 45 minutes and then going back in the house. I worked in the morning when it was cooler. After a couple of years of not being able to manage a hoe, I wanted to make sure I didn't overdo. I've felt excited about this jump in my flexibility without additional pain. Seeing some tidiness outside, at least in one area, has lifted my spirits as has the higher FitBit scores from the exercise involved.

It took me most of the week to weed this area.

3. Multiple uses of things. A whiles back one of our daughters shared how she cleaned her cacti. It was one of those things that for whatever reason, I'd not considered. I usually associate showers as a place people can bathe. This week I used the handheld sprayer in the shower to spray the dust off my five Christmas cacti. They probably wished I'd used this method a whole lot sooner. It certainly beats trying to wipe each leaf with a moistened rag.

This Christmas cactus just had a shower.

4. Walking with a friend. One evening I invited a friend to go on a walk with me down and back on a nearby dusty road. It was after dinner, still light, but relatively cooler than it had been earlier in the day. We hope to do more walking together, as we have a similar goal to do more exercising.

Inexpensive "sparkly" I found on   dusty road

5. Names that just seem exactly right. With all the wild animals that come around, we've never given one a name, but there is one doe who has been visiting who just beckons to have a handle, maybe Dandy or Daisy. We've seen her eat the flowers off the English Daisies and the Dandelions. Interestingly, she doesn't have any interest in the leaves or stems. 

There were more Dandelion blossoms before the doe ate them.

doe eating English Daisies

7. Warm places for the cold blooded animals. Among the various animals here is a lizard that enjoys hanging out and soaking up the sunshine on top of a pile of bricks.

Western Fence Lizard on pile of bricks

8. Challenges. There is a patch of wildflowers (or weeds) growing in a dry shady area.  I have been trying to identify them. With all our books and the online helps, this should be easy, but so far the only one I've found that looks similar supposedly grows a different area of the country. The reference book is kind of old, so I supposed it could be a plant that has migrated westward over the years. Anyone up to identifying this plant?

Can you name this plant?

9. Finding a pen pal I used to write to when I was 10 years old. At the beginning of the week I was thinking about a girl from Sheffield England. She and I were pen pals for a few years, but then stopped writing to each other. The thought came to me that perhaps with all the past family history research skills I had learned and with all the resources online, that I might be able to locate her, even though I had no idea what her married name was, if she still lived in the same area, or if she was still alive. Within a couple of days, I'd learned enough to be fairly certain I'd found her. I decided to call her. She answered the phone, and we had a delightful visit. We were both equally excited about being able to talk to one another. It just made my day, and we will be keeping in touch. 

10. My husband. My husband was just as excited for me having found my pen pal as I was I think. He encouraged me to phone her. In fact, that is one thing I enjoy about my husband. He is an encourager. He also likes to surprise me, such as having a  photo enlarged and printed on canvas of me wearing my floppy garden hat. It came in the mail this week as a surprise.

Six Sentence Stories - Well

This short fictional post will be linked to Zoe's Six Sentence Stories blog hop. The cue word this time is "well." It is quite entertaining to read all the various stories written in just six sentences using the same cue. Click the link and read a few, but once you start, you'll want to read them all.

For a very scientific guy, Joan thought it a bit strange that her Dad would hire a witch, but this diviner had come highly recommended. She and her siblings gathered around to watch, but stood out of the way of the witch who was wearing attire, not at all  like that worn by Halloween witches. It was quite peculiar, to her way of thinking, that the witch was a man and had an unassuming name of Sam.

After Sam removed a copper rod from the back of his pickup, he began walking slowly back and forth over the portion of land indicated by her Dad. As he held the rod horizontally, straight out from his waistline which was completely hidden by his bibbed overalls, suddenly the rod turned toward the ground. "There is water for your well down below," said Sam somewhat smugly, not sounding in the least like a witch. 

For information about well witching click here.