it's almost 2020

Here it comes, ready or not, 2020 is almost here.  Do you remember when 1984 was science fiction and seemed so far away?  Do you remember when we ushered in the year 2000?  People (a cousing of mine in particular) were pretty sure the second coming was about to happen.  This particular cousin and her hsuband left a party early just in case.  I guess she felt that she would be safer at home.  So now it's (almost) 2020.  I like the sound of 2020.  2019 was a good year but just an ok sounding number.  Perhaps I like the sound of 2020 because I associate it with good vision, a very positive thought.  I did see an interesting suggestion an Facebook today.  It suggested that, when writing the new date, 2020 should be written out completely.  1-2-2020 instead of 1-2-20 for example.  The article suggested that if you just write 20 someone could change the date by adding two more digits.  20 becomes 2019 for example.  I haven't figured out yet when thos would be a problem, maybe if someone tried to change the date on a will to make it appear that it was written earlier.  I shall probably write 2020 on my checks, etc. just because I like it and I'll be watching for examples of when changing the date would be a problem.  I'll keep you posted.  In the meantime, Happy New Year!!!  Bring on 2020.

Do you remember....

Cabbage Patch Dolls?  This evening on the news they showed a short, sweet clip about little children going to court to "adopt" their new Christmas dolls and action figures in a small town in northern Indiana.  The reporter mentioned that this tradition started in the 1980s during the time of the Cabbage Patch Dolls craze.  I remember that time.  Every girl wanted one and every parent went to great lengths to buy one.  I had a friend who was working as the manager of the toy department at our local JC Penney's during that year.  He later quit and went into real estate - much easier.  Some of his descriptions of shopper frenzy were pretty funny (after the fact).  Thanks to a dear friend I was able to get a Cabbage Patch doll for my darling daughter without so much fuss.  Her brother was teaching in Germany at that time and shipped home several German Cabbage Patch dolls one of which I was able to buy.  I don't remember the dolly's name but my daughter was thrilled and thought it was really interesting that her baby's adoption certificate (every CPD came with one) was in German.  By the way, they were strange squishy faced little dolls, not really pretty in the traditional sense of the word, but oh so huggable.   

a new experience

This evening a friend and I attended the "Boars Head & Yule Log Festival" pur on by Plymouth Church.  This was the 45th year that they have put on this production and it was amazing.  I don't know why I have never seen it before but I'm so glad I have now. The pagentry, the costuming, the dancing, the choirs, the orchestra - everything was wonderful.  A note in the program said there are over 300 costumes.  Many of them were quite elaborate.  The "Beefeater" outfits looked as good as those I saw at the Tower of London.  All in all a visual and musical treat.  Better yet it's free.  You do have to pick up tickets though.  They put on four performances each year.  A great experience which I highly recommend.

blueberry blues

Well, I baked the blueberry cake today.  (See my post from two days ago.)  I need it for a carry in at church tomorrow.  I followed the directions carefully and it smells wonderful but it looks, well, flat.  I wondered when there was no baking soda or baking powder in the recipe, but it's a recipe in our last church cookbook, submitted by a friend who said it was her sister's famous blueberry cake recipe.  I mean, that sounds credible doesn't it?  Never the less, it is a pretty flat cake.  You might even say dense.  I suspect that my little old hand mixer (approximately 50 years old) just didn't have the power to whip enough air into the mixture even though I mixed the soft butter and sugar until it was fluffy and added the eggs and flour as directed.  My plan is to call it coffee cake and, if people don't like it, I will bring home anything left over.  Really that won't be too much of a hardship.  

trying a new way

I spent part of today sending out my annual Christmas poem, which has now obviously become a New Year greeting.  It's not unusual for me to be mailing out my season's greetings after Christmas.  So much other stuff seems to get in the way, all the usual business of the holiday season.  After addressing several envelopes, a process which was slowed down by the need to confirm new addresses. I have discovered that, when entering new addresses in my phone contact list all I need to do is enter the first part of an address and the phone will automatically pop in the rest of the info including zip codes.  Very convenient, but I decided, after several envelopes were ready to go, that there had to be an easier way, and there is. Please understand that this is all possible because I bougth a new phone this year.  It has a lot more fun features than my old semi-smart phone.  I took a nice clear picture of my poem with that same wonderful phone, then sent it as a text attachment to a niece whose address I don't have (she lives in a RV and moves around a lot because of her job).  Then I decided to take the easy way once more and posted my poem on Facebook.  So easy and I've had several nice responses.  And now I can relax for a year.

bake on

I just finished watching the holiday version of "The Great American Baking Show" and I am inspired to bake.  I will not, however, be baking a lavish meringue or elaborate macarons.  I will be baking a fairly simple blueberry cake.  Truth be told, I would not be thinking about baking anything this soon after Christmas but we are having a carry-in at church on Sunday.  I decided on the blueberry cake because I happen to have all the necessary ingredients on hand and it should go well with coffee.  I know it's a good recipe because the first ingredient is 2 1/2 sticks of butter.  That's my kind of cake. 

What's wrong with this picture?

I hope you all had as much fun as I did this Christmas day.  It was a good day.  Lots of food, lots of goodies and one question.  As gifts I received two jigsaw puzzles, a page a day Sudoku calendar, a book of crossword puzzles, a pair of fuzzy slippers, candy, a beautiful painting of a red winged blackbird, a calendar full of family pictures, a book and a toaster.  Every one of these gifts encourages me to enjoy a relaxing, one might even say sedentary, and calorie filled life style this winter.  It doesn't take a lot of effort to work on a puzzle or read a book.  But wait, there was one more gift.  I recieved a new, fancier Fitbit.  My old one was falling apart so I am really glad to have it, but I have a feeling that all the relaxing pastimes outlined above are going to be laced with a heavy dose of guilt as my Fitbit reminds me that I haven't taken enough steps or climbed enough stairs.  Ah well, I will struggle through (the guilt, not the recommended workouts). Merry Christmas everyone.

glorious music

Just came from a marvelous Christmas Eve service at First Pres.  The music was excellent.  Earlier this evening I attended a service at St. John's Lutheran and heard a friend sing a beautiful solo.  Between this and Heartland and the Philharmonic Pops this has been a wonderful holiday season for music.  Tomorrow of course will be all about eating and opening presents and that's ok too.  Merry Christmas everyone.

Are you ready?

People keep asking me if I'm ready for Christmas. Most of them know me too well to expect a yes answer. Not quite ready but I'm getting closer. Today I braved the mall (not too bad on a Monday morning) to buy a few last minute gifts, then shopped for all the groceries I need for Christmas morning brunch.  Then I spent a little time at church practicing for Christmas Eve service.  And finally, this evening, I finished wrapping all the gifts I will be giving.  I will have time tomorrow to do all possible food prep work. So, you know, I'm feeling nearly ready, until, that is, I look at the list of people I still want to mail my Christmas "poem" to.  I guess this year they will be Happy New Year greetings, or I could just post it on Facebook.  Hmmmm.... 

new movie, new restaurant,

This evening, as a somewhat delayed birthday treat, and at my request, my son took me to see the new Star Wars movie.  This is the third movie in the third set of three and, supposedly, the end of the saga.  I am happy to report that it is (in my opinion) an excellent movie with a lot of the feel of the very first one.  A number of the original props too, but that jsut made it more fun.  If, like me, you have been a Star Wars fan since 1977, you will enjoy this movie.  If your're not a fan, well then you just don't know what you're missing.
After the movie we picked up my granddaughter from a friend's house and the three of us went to supper at a Mexican restaurant I had never even heard of.  It's called Guacamole's and they serve, among other things, excellent guacamole.  It's not a fancy place but the food was really good.  
So good reviews all around.  I recommend the movie and the food.

It does make a difference

A friend and I went to the Heartland Sings performance at the courrhouse this afternoon.  It was beautiful as it is every year but we got in late enough that we had to sit in a back row, at some distance from the singers.  This actually makes no diference as far as the music is concerned but the speakers are another matter.  I think the acoustics that make the music reverberate so beautifully around the space under the dome makes someone speaking into a microphone sound like he has a mouth full of mush.  When I commented after the program that I had had a hard time understanding the speakers, he was much relieved.  He said he though he was going deaf.  We then got into a discussion of favorite Christmas movies.  The ofiginal "Miracle on 34th Street" and "Elf" were mentioned amongseveral others.  He was surprised when I added the first "Die Hard" to my list.  It does take place at Christmas so I think it should count.  

Arena scores again

I saw Neil Simon's "The Odd Couple" at Arena Dinner Theater this evening. The food was good, the paintings on the walls were done by a friend of mine, very nice, and the play was very funny.  Actually the first act was amusing, the second act was hilarious.  The two handsome Spanish brothers Manolo and Jesus just come from Barcelona certainly spiced up the second act.  All in all a delightful play and one I would recommend. 

a strangely unsettling feeling

I was addressing my Christmas mailing tonight, finally getting some sent out.  I know, I know, very late but this will not surprise anyone who has known me for any length of time.  What gsve me a jolt this evening was addressing one envelope to my grandson.  He graduated from high school last June, and as a first fling at independence has moved into an apaftment with two friends.  So far so good as far as I know but I felt a little tug of sadness at the thought that one of my grands has left the nest.  This phenomenon will no doubt repeat itself three times in the next three years as the remaining grands head off to college or whatever.  I know it's inevitable and I really wouldn't want it any other way.  Still, the first is, well, the first.  Good luck little bird.

mistakes and misteaks and misstakes

Some mistakes can lead to good results, some not so much.  Case in point, I was finally getting around to mailing out my annual Christmas poem this evening.  I had seven notes written (I can't just send out a naked poem) envelopes addressed, poem stuffed inside, but thankfully no stamps on yet, when I realized I had a typo in the third line.  It's Arctic not Artic.  So I reprinted the poems and will work on mailing them out tomorrow.  Happily I hadn't used up all my fancy paper.  
The second mistake had a much happier outcome.  While entering a friends address in my contact list (not everything had transferred over to my new phone) I accidentally dialed her number. It was ringing before I realized what was going on so I decided to wait and see if she would answer. The is a friend who I don't see much because she lives in Texas.  She answered the phone, did have time to talk, and 45 minutes later we had pretty much caught up on each others lives.  A very satisfying accidental phone call.  

Shakespeare spurned

I was in a meetng earlier this evening where the discussion turned to theater offerings.  I was a little surprised and zomewhat saddened when several people agreed that we shouldn't be putting on Shakespeare's plays in our theater. "They're too boring." was the general opinion.  How sad and yet I do understand.  I don't think many people these days have the patience to sit through one of the bard's convoluted stories,  And I know his prose isn't always easy to understand. After all Shakespeare never used one word when twenty-five would do.  And goodness knows there are usually enough characters in one of his plays to populate a small village. However, I want people to love Shakespeare, especially since I'm going to be in "A Winter's Tale" in April. Don't worry about writing down the date I will be sure to keep remnding you as the time gets nearer.  Forsooth!

ordering on line

I'm always impressed with people who tell me they order everything on line.  Especially at this time of year.  And I admit I've tried it.  This eveing for instance, I ordered two things on line.  My son and daughter-in-law had each sent a suggested gift list with links to order on line.  I started with a gift for my daughter-in-law.  I clicked on the pictures, followed the prompts, and, within three minutes, had successfully placed my order. Hooray!  Then I tried to order an item for my son, clicked on the picture, got linked to a bazillion things I didn't want.  Started again.  And again, and again.  Finally, half an hour and three new passwords later I had placed my order.  I think I will wait a while to order on line again.  Probably sometime next December.  

Best Birthday Card

I celebrated my 75th (gasp) birthday this weekend and had a grat time.  The Pops on Friday night, the Carroll HS Holiday Celebration (wonderful orchestra and vocal music) on Saturday night.  Plus lots of time to visit with friends.  All in all a very nice birthday weekend.  Top it off I got this sweetly sentimental? card from my daughter.  Picture this: front of card - angels flying around the edges, all pale pink and gold with a gold-lettered message that reads 
"On the day you were born the angels got together,"  

How sweet I thought as I read it, how sentimental.  Then I read the continued message on the inside 
"They do that every day, just touch base, see who's got vacation coming up, stuff like that." 

Best Pops Ever

I attended the Philharmonic Holiday Pops Concert with some friends this evening.  We all agreed it was one of the best ever.  The tenor soloist, Doug LaBrecque, whose credits are quite impressive, really carried the show in my opinion. There was the usual appearance by Santa and his tap-dancing wife.  The Children's choir sounded great and, of course, the Philharmonic did a great job but the tenor solos were truly excellent.  Great job sll around.  It's on again tomorrow and next week Saturday and I do recommend it.

checking things off my list

I am a list maker.  I have a friend who says she never makes a list when she goes to the grocery store.  She just remembers everything she needs.  I admire that, I really do.  However, that's nit my way.  I can memorize things you understand.  I enjoy memorizing lines in a play, but, honestly, memorizing a grocery lsit holds no appeal for me.  It's just so much easier to make a list.  Also I find a real satisfaction in crossing things off a list, either a to-do list or a shopping list.  I feel like I've accomplished something.  Today I wrapped, boxed and mailed gifts for my relatives on both edges of the country.  I also finished writing my Christmas poem. Not printed out or mailed, you understand, but written. So there are some things off my pre-Christmas list.  If lists are good enough for Santa, they're good enough for me.

party time

Each year our apartment complex hosts a Christmas party for all the residents.  I always find someone intersting to talk with and many goodies to eat.  There's also a drawing for prizes but I've never won anything.  This evening's conversations ranged from real estate woes to travel plans to where a college professor got his doctorate.  All very nice, but I must admit I was more atracted to the food.  They had my favorite wine, Moscato, and usual goodies like mini hot dogs, meatballs, shrimp and skewers of chicken (all with the appropriate sauces of course).  The best item I tried, which was new to me, was a jalapino pepper stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon.  It was a little hot but yummy.  Of course it's hard to go wrong if you wrap something in bacon.
I am definitely in a Chirstmas food mood.  I don't traditionally bake cookies but a friend recently gave me a recipe for sweet rolls that sounds easy and really yummy.  I will be trying them for my Christmas day brunch.  I told my family that we are doing brunch this year instead of the usual evening dinner.  Everyone seems to think that's a fine idea, especially since I offered to host it.  

waiting for my muse

Every year I write a Christmas poem instead of a newsletter.  I started this for a couple of reasons. First, when I was yeunger and busy with Christmas for our children and work and everything else, I found that I usually didn't have time to read other people's newsletters until way after the holidays.  I reasoned that if I was too busy to read a lengthy letter so might other people be. Secondly, I decided that if I just hit the ihe high points I would at least let people know my family and I were still alive.  People who were curious enough to want more details could call me.  These days they text.  Third, I must admit, while I thought my husband and children (and eventually grandchildren) were wonderful - they were mine after all - they never seemed to be able to compete with the amazing sounding accomplishments of my friends' kids. Now I shall continue with my "poetry" writing, just because I enjoy it.  So far this year I have written the title "Hip, Hip, Hooray!"  A reflection of how times and focuses have changed.  Stay tuned. 

a new decorating touch

I'm almost at the end of my Christmas decorating for this year.  The tree looks good, there are other Christmasy bits of decor around my apartment, there are even seasonal guests towels in the bathrooms.  However, I'm not too sure about the lights I strung along my balcony railing this year.  For the last three years I had long "ropes" of multi-color outdoor lights wrapped arount the top railing and it looked pretty good.  However, probably because of too much wrapping, those lights died on me by the end of the season last year.  So this year I decided to try something different.  I bought two long strings of blue icicle lighta and strung them straight along the railing fastening tthem at about four-foot intervals, Now I'm wondering if I made a big mistake. Instead of hanging in a beautiful, natural looking (blue should have been my first clue) row, the wires are a little twisted and saggy, and while some of the icicles are hanging down as they should, others are pointing sideways and a couple are pointing up.  This is NOT a "natural look" for icicles.  I shall continue to tweak them and maybe try for a different look next year.  At least it's a pretty color of blue.  

Tried and true

This evening it was my turn to host a monthly meeting of a group I belong to.  We take turns fixing a dinner. The host provides a main dish and drinks and others bring in the side dishes and dessert.  I decided to serve a mushroom, cheese, spaghetti casserole that has been a long time favorite in my family.  A favorite, but one I hadn't prepared for a few years.  In fact I really had to dig to find the handwritten recipe tucked into one of my old cookbooks.  I am happy to report that it tasted just as good as I remembered and my guests seemed to think so too,  They all had seconds.  Always a good sign.  I also enjoy it when everyone around the table gets very quiet because they're too busy eating to talk.  Good to know I can still create a silence.  

Christmas songs and stories

I saw the First Presbyterian Theater production of Christmas Songs and Stories this evening. As the name implies it is a variety show of sings and readings including "T'was the Night Before Christmas."  When the show started I wasn't too impressed but after the first two songs I was hooked.  The first half of the show was secular , the secon half scriptural.  And it was all beautifully done.  I recommend this show.  

Charity

I had two interesting opportunities to give to charity today.  First, I stopped at Walmart to do some shopping, and, as I got out of my car, heard the red kettle bells ringing.  I try to drop something in when I have some cash with me so I was ready and popped something into the kettle when I reached the door.  Then I heard a voice saying "Well, hi Luci."  It was a friend of mine helping with the bell ringing.  We had a nice little chat, and I was really glad I had put something in the pot.  Later today I got a request in the mail for a donation, by a nationally known charity.  I was tempted so send them something because their mailing included some Christmas theme return address stickers.  I had just been wishing for some of those.   Then I looked more closely at the name and address on the stickers.  The address was correct but the stickers had my husband's name on them along with mine.  My husband has never lived at this address; in fact he's been dead for 13 years, so I decided he probably didn't want to make a donation.  

It's a mystery

I was sorting through my coat closet recently and I discovered a jacket that doesn't belong ro me.  It's a nice red light-weight casual jacket, trimmed with black accents, and I hadn't noticed it before because I do have a similar light-weight red jacket.  I think, when I saw the sleeve of this mystery jacket I just assumed it was mine until I noticed my red jacket tucket away at the back of the closet.  I don't know where this 'new' red jacket came from.  I have asked several friends and no one claims it.  Now I'm pretty sure jackets don't just grow in closets.  If they do, why doesn't money grow on trees?  Someone who was visiting me must have put it there.  I think I will post a picture on facebook.  If no one ID's it from that maybe I will take it to church and hang it on the coat rack there.  If it hangs there too long I'll donate it to Good Will or something. But really, wouldn't you think somebody might notice that they've lost a red jacket?

Real mail

I love this time of year, and not just for the obvious reasons.  I know it's hopelessly old fashioned but I really like to get real mail.  I don't mean the usual assortment of stuff that shows up in my mail box.  On any typical day I'm likely to get at least one notice that I've been approved for life insurance, two suggestions that I might want to borrow money for the holidays, three requests to send money to various charities.  four advertising pieces and five golden rings.  Oh, wait, that last bit doesn't sound quite righr.  However, during this wonderful time of year I can expect to get at least one real piece of mail from a real person.  Today was a bonanza day.  I received two Christmas cards and a birthday card, each signed by real people.  I particularly liked the birthday card which wished me a "year of great adventures."   I like adventures, and since I'm about to turn 75 (three quarters of a century, gasp!) I'd better get them while I can.

new and improved

A public service announcement:  
The Allen County Public Library (one of my favorite places to visit) has installed a new improved computer system.  It's been operational for a couple of weeks now.  The first day it shut down after so many people tried to access it that the system thought it was being hacked.  After that happened I decided to wait a while to go on their new system.  Yesterday I got a notice that two books I have checked out needed to be renewed.  Since I have been renewing on line for several years now, I decided the time had come to try the new system again.  No luck.  I followed their directions but couldn't get it to accept a new password. So I quit and went to bed, deciding I would renew in the oldfashioned way, by phone, in the morning.  But before I could do that I had a scheduled class with a young lady I tutor.  When I told her my tale of woe, she informed me that in order to get access I needed to either go to the library or phone in and get a new password from them.  So we went to the library.  A nice librarian helped me renew my books and also took me through the whole process of getting set up with their new system.  Time will tell if I actually find myself using this wonderful new system any more than I did the old one but it is good to be connected.  By the way, your old library card still works. 

almost but not quite

I've been trying, unsuccessfully, to establish an on line connection to the library's new system.  So far, no luck.  However, when I thought I was getting somewhere a little bit ago, I suddenly found myself being asked for credit card information.  Now I may be slow but I do know that the Allen County Public Library doesn't charge my check-outs on a credit card, so I quickly backed out of that site.  Tomorrow I will renew my books the old fashioned way, on the phone.  

post Thanksgiving status

I had a really fun Thanksgiving this year.  My brother and I drove to Virginia to spend the holiday with his grandson and wife.  My brother's daughter and her "husband" and my brother's ex-wife were also there.  It was a very congenial group.  We ate a lot, laughed a lot and played games.  Just what a famly Thanksgiving should be.  Sadly, when I got home I discovered that I couldn't connect to my blog site until this morning.  I am typing this while I am briefly connected and will try to resolve the problem.  More later, I hope.