Baking on the East Coast

The pool is looking better and better...

I think this is the hottest summer we have had since moving to South Carolina. And there's another 99 degree day tomorrow---- guess it will be too hot to go photographing tomorrow. Ugh.

Of course, there's not much to photograph either during the winter. (Unless you love b&w photography!)

What Are You Doing On Land, Plankton?

Scheming to find the recipe to the Crabby Patty, no doubt! Even if it means drowning in air.

I Stink at Dieting!

Only 3 lbs lost and I've already hit the Plateau!

I know some have said I don't need to lose weight, but I have gained and my clothes have gotten smaller and tighter.

I. do. not. like. that.

I'm practicing being thrifty and it doesn't help if you have to worry about running out and (unnecessarily) spending on a new wardrobe when you want your hard earned bucks to go elsewhere.

I think stopping the hormone pills has helped...think maybe the 3 lbs came from water retention!

Substituting yogurt for chocolate, bananas for chocolate, whipped cream for ice cream hasn't?

I'm middle aged....and doomed!

Having One of Those Days

I feel like I'm sitting by a mailbox waiting on a letter from a friend letting me know that he or she cares and that I matter in the world.

And that mail never comes.

Where do I go from here?

I don't want to live to be 100 years. The world has become such a bad place. (Like were there ANY good times in the world?)

Everyone has forgotten about me. I have no friends nor confidantes.

I am cut off mid-sentence and told not to worry about anything. Easy for you to say.

People with mental illnesses are one of the most discriminated of all. It hurts. It really does.

Food and sleep are my favorite two things now. I am gaining weight and I cannot control that though I have cut out calories.

Yellow Lab Love

I've had a hard day emotionally. Sometimes I think I'm going to run out of tears I've been such a crybaby all of my life.

Then my cats and a special dog come along to make me feel so much better.

Meet Woody!

(And his "dad" is a terrific man too!)

Muchos Gracias, Pirata Nino Negro

For the memory recall of my grandpa's nickname for me. M A D A M Q U E E N. (If you're offended, get over it. A lovely black actress played the part in "Amos and Andy", and I liked her character as well.)

I'm going to get philosophical here--- just enjoy the photo of the bridge if you don't like what I've got to say below.

Bridges....some people should think more about building them rather than burning whatever bridges they may have already, however tenuous.

Rabid angry hatred, sometimes or not irrational, destroys that angry individual, not whomever he hates.

Something we should ALL think about.

I recently realized that I still have hatred for my ex-husband and a couple of others--- I am not proud of it actually just the opposite. Because what good does it do for ME? Nothing. So I am praying for the grace to not only forgive them but to be able to control my rage and to love the (again) as fellow children of God the Most High.

I do not have to be friends with them or even exchange 2 sentences...but I've got to let these vices I constantly struggle with... GO! And that doesn't mean I have to be a doormat which is one of the reasons I have not given any thought to forgiveness until recently.

After all, we all should want our robes to be as white as snow when we finally get to meet Him, right? And I don't want Him to tell me that I could have done a lot of great things...but for my fear and anger which I let stand in the way.

Our bodies need to be nurtured and so do our souls. Staying angry is like a junk food diet-- in the end, it will slowly starve you of any virtue, goodness, that your soul needs to keep going as well as bear forth ill effects as a bad diet to the mortal body would.

Say a prayer at 9pm Easter, 8 Central, 7 Mountain, and 6 Pacific---- for just ONE minute. Pray to God to heal our country, heal the world, heal our divisions, and bring us true Peace. Just one minute...



(Shoot, I can get pretty deep, can't I? LOL)

Back To the Spartanburg Garden!

Nothing tells me more to slow down than to look at nature with God's own handmade relaxation aids.

I just love my lilies this time of year. Expect I'll be taking more of them throughout the summer. One of the most maintenance free, rewarding plants one could ever invest in. I'm thinking of planting loads of them in our big front and back yards.

(Though I HATE summer, though winter is close behind with its cold, which aggravates my Fibromyalgia, and everything is so brown and gray.)

Firing on only 1 cylinder so far this morning. Out of four cylinders. So tired!

Srsly!

Anyone else think Lucy's spankings on "I Love Lucy" were well deserved and hilarious?

To all Lucy haters:

I'll put up my Lucy against your Reality TV programming (Barf!) ANYTIME!

Forget the Stats

Buy some of my photos if ya feel so inclined.

http://flalilly64.smugmug.com/


I'm currently taking an online photography course and the time to dedicate to studying is becoming less and less it seems--- time for my boys to man up and start taking up some of the chores around the house!

PS: You don't REALLY have to buy anything but if you REALLY like the photos please tell me so. Or keep your mouth shut. LOL

Just to Drive Feministas Crazy

I think Lucy getting spanked was hilarious. Goodness she asked for, and needed it!

Of course, I wouldn't have minded, as a single woman or married to Desi Arnaz, getting spanked by him either!

Momma's Middle Child (Cat)

Meet my shy kitty, Luke--

But he's not afraid to fight any other cat trying to invade his home!

And unfortunately, he's a very good bird catcher. Sigh. Fingers crossed he hasn't caught one for a while. Hopefully, he's gotten bored with it.

Chutzpah Moment of My Year!

Still cannot believe this after 24 hours.

My abusive ex had the cheek to ask me to friend him on Facebook.

What the ******????!!!! It's been 18.5 years since our divorce!!!

And I'm remarried--- my husband and I have been together 16 years...guess that doesn't mean much to Mr Thick Cranium. It means, you dummy, that I don't socialize with my exes? Got it? I doubt it...

This man, who still owes me $2,000 for stealing my credit card and using it without my permission, lied to his mother telling her I must have taken her mother's wedding band (Um, who had the job at the time?), treated me like crap during our marriage telling me that his drunken abuses and name calling "weren't that bad", took a rental car that I paid for and drove it drunk thereby leaving me open to Lord knows what in the court of law or Heaven forbid, kill someone....would not sleep with me in our bed because he'd pass out at 3-5 o'clock in the morning, would not help me pay most of the bills, and the ones he did pay it was like pulling teeth.

Did you also know he wrote fraudulent checks, forged my name on one of them, made me empty my bank account with a minus balance so HE wouldn't have to go to jail (but it was okay for me.) You may think I'm stupid for doing this, but trust me I was BULLIED into it and he would not leave me in peace until I did.

He slept with other women during our dating time and during our marriage. (Where else could he be after 2:30 in the morning? And...I'd find women's phone numbers in his pockets) Nearly burned the house down because he passed out cooking something on the stove....

Oh, hahaha....he used to call me stupid all the time too!

Gee, I'm just supposed to forget about all of that "little stuff" and let him back into my life, huh? Heh. Hell will freeze over first before that would ever happen.

But it's also taught me I'm still THAT angry with him after all of these years. I've forgiven him, or at least I am working on forgiving me...but that doesn't have to make me a doormat. And he was like that....he would do something so bad, so sociopathic, narcissistic....and we all were just supposed to forgive and forget. I'll never forget that stupid grin on his face for the rest of my life, Lord forgive me.

He STILL doesn't get it. I wonder if he EVER will. STAY OUT OF MY LIFE AND MOVE ON, R**K! I HAVE. (BTW, surprised you're still alive after drinking almost a twelve pack of beer a night plus a few shots when you could afford them--- congratulations. On any liver transplant lists, I wonder?)

A Must Mention

This will be my final blog on Blogger.

If I get tired of it/disinterested in it, there will be no more.

I write because I like reading myself think!

Am I the Minority?

Who doesn't think it's a bad idea to be a little old lady with a lot of cats and dogs living with her?

I've found the "4 Legs" to be the best friends I've ever had in my life.

Let people call it eccentric...who cares??? The older I get, the less I worry about what others might think unless I could be hurting them.

Ok! Ok!

Maybe I should have just named this blog "The Gripe Corner".

Case in point: I really dislike it when someone wants to give or sell you something and when you have to say "No thanks." They suddenly clam up and won't speak another word to you.

To the lady at Krispy Kreme this morning:" I'm sorry I did not give you the answer that you wanted, but I hope someone will say 'yes' and that it will be perfect."

Gosh I'm so nauseated---took a bunch of online hearing tests just now. I'm aging---fast! (I'm 47, but my innards seem to be screaming 67!)

The Last Few Days...

Have been pretty difficult.

Dealing with rude people who are employed by a body that is *NOT* supposed to be cold and uncharitable.

Breaking down and crying to my sister over the phone because of the above. She's my LITTLE sister, I'm supposed to be more stoic and mature than she is.

I have hearing loss and my husband says it has really gotten bad over the last year. I thought everyone was just mumbling, especially my 13 year old son. I feel so bad now.

My husband is miserable after his surgery and there is not much I can do to help it.

It's too hot to work in the garden all day. Seems Spring only lasted a month here this year.

Good news is the house is pretty CLEAN and the laundry is caught up! Now I'm going to clip coupons, grocery shop, and work on my painting after Mass tomorrow morning. Bad news is I have to work tomorrow night to make up the time I'll not be at my desk Monday morning because husband has a doctor's appointment.

Still thinking about doctors...one of our neighbors is a retired doctor and he can get ornery. Had a random bad thought that if one of us had a heart attack and called him to help, he'd send us a bill. (Forgive me, Lord.)

Suggestion for Medical Schools

Please, please require medical students a certain number of hours dedicated to being a patient, so that the seeds of empathy may be planted and hopefully nurtured.

Why do I write this?

I felt like punching a doctor in the ER Tuesday night who had YELLED at my husband who had major surgery earlier that day and was in the hospital because he could not void after the surgery.

When I have time, maybe I'll share details.

I have worked around physicians for over 20 years and I am tired of their haughty, arrogant, and condescending attitudes. Not all of them are like this mind you, but there are quite a number of them around.

And don't anyone scold me about what they have to deal with---- I know that but that is no excuse to be rude to someone who has had nothing to do with your miserable day. Believe me, people's respect for you LESSENS when you behave like this....that is why some of you wonder why you don't get the respect you think you deserve. How about just treating your patients the way you or your most loved ones would want to be treated?