I don't really have a specific thing on my mind at the moment, I actually have a lot of them, all in little snippets ...  Wow, it's only Tuesday? Finally, I may have found a way to defeat the Squirrels. Yep, that was a dramatic few hours. Darn, no trivia tonight. Yeah, it would have been fun to hang out, maybe next time.

​Not sure why I am feeling like it should be at least Thursday already, but I am.  Maybe having done my normal Thursday long drive on Monday has mixed my week up, or maybe because I have worked late two night in a row. But, at the moment, it's how I feel. Yeah, I need a break. There is one coming soon: 9 days, 10 hours and 41 Minutes but who's counting?

​I have birdfeeders in my yard. The birds sure do eat a lot! But I truly enjoy watching them come and go. Having birdfeeders also brings squirrels. I don't really mind them, they too are fun to watch. But they steal my bird food! I had tried feeding the squirrels, too: a few cups of peanuts every day. Unfortunately, they wanted more. I think I figured out a way to stop the squirrels from climbing the birdfeeders. I put Crisco on the pole. It has worked so far. I did google it before I tried it. FUNNY!!! videos out there to watch.  https://youtu.be/VtGtYoqBiNs

​I got a phone call late this afternoon from my sister, Mom was at the hospital. It wasn't surprising. When I talked to mom and my sister on Sunday, Mom seemed confused. She is 82, but she has had all of her faculties together until then. She was not feeling well and had a really bad headache. Considering the medications she is on, her other health issues...it wasn't a big leap to think not so happy thoughts...stroke, aneurysm...other things I don't know much about. Being the non-medical person in the family I usually defer to my sister about health issues. They did the tests: Vitals and CT scan all seemed normal. Turned out it was what I thought it could be on Sunday but never mentioned to anyone: UTI. Glad it's nothing too serious. Meds are started and she will be just fine. Phew, major sigh of relief. 

​While waiting for the lab results, I live hundreds of miles away from my family, I went over to the restaurant where I work, figured it was game night, I could kill some time, distract my brain and have some dinner. I had invited a friend to come out for game night before the medical concerns with my Mom had come up.  Well, much to my surprise...no more trivia games. Bummer.  My friend couldn't make it anyway, but yeah it would have been fun to hang out. Especially tonight, I needed to de-compress. That really was a rough couple of hours.

​Here's to tomorrow being a lot lighter of a day!

It was  a pretty damp, dreary weekend here in the Northeast but I was able to find a few good hours to dig a new garden. A month ago I had purchased 30 Lily bulbs knowing they needed a place to be planted. I delayed the project waiting for the Aprils showers to warm up to May Sunshine.  I dug out a 10 foot by 2 foot patch, peeled up the grass and planted the lily bulbs then enclosed it in a gardening fence, hoping to keep the wild animals out or at least deterred. I threw on some top soil, too.  Here's hoping I have a lovely flower garden to share photos of sometime in the near future.

​Today my thigh muscles and glutes are telling me a did some real work! Not a bad thing at all, I still did my 2 mile walk as well. I have been trying to get that in 5 days a week. Started out a mile, now I've expanded it but kept the time the same, going a little farther and a bit faster when I get comfortable.  

​Spring is so much about clean slates, starting fresh and new beginnings to me. I'm ready to embrace the future and see where it takes me.  

Life it happens to us all. It's easy to forget that. It's not easy today.  I have a friend, she actually graduated high school with my daughter. But we are connected in many ways. We actually met through a work affiliation. We were sitting there and connected the dots...we lived in the same town, she graduated in my daughter's class, and oh...she and I share the same birth date. We aren't best friends, but in that work environment she is my friend. The end of last year she was diagnosed with leukemia. Ugh!!! How is that possible.  She's strong, she's young...she's in for the fight of her life. She was doing well...today I hear...not so good...it's back to the hospital for a much more aggressive treatment, like the first one wasn't tough enough?  My heart aches for her, and her parents. I can't even begin to think what it would be like.

​Later today I'm scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed and I see multiple posts to another friend, "heard you and the family were in an accident"? Ugh? No response, looked on his wife's page...no posts hmm? Okay, text the same mutual friend that told me earlier today about my young friend going back to the hospital...Yes, it's true. My friends wife and children were indeed in a car accident. There are some broken bones. A lot of bumps and bruises...but they will all be okay.  I am some what relieved. Auto accidents have indeed touched my life very closely, having lost 3 close relatives to the hands of others poor driving.  I've reached out...hoping to prepare a meal and drop it off when they are ready for it.  I got an update from my friend late tonight, a bit more serious than originally thought. There is indeed some permanent damage to his wife's leg.  The simple moral of this story DON'T TEXT AND DRIVE!!  The person who hit his family, wasn't even looking when they crossed the middle line and smashed in to them. 

​Just one of those days that make my heart sad.  I wish everyday could be full of sunshine and rainbows, but sometimes...they just aren't.

Well, not your typical anniversary...like years married or in a job...no this week bears the anniversary of my near death experience. No, I don't have stories of the afterlife or bright lights,  I guess I wasn't that near death. But if you were me...it was. It came down to a simply decision really, one that even now, 4 years later I give 100% of the credit to my sweet departed dog, he's been gone now 2 years, the anniversary of his passing is also coming up soon. Anyway, I was sick, having recently flown, not hard to believe. An adult with 102 fever even on medication...yeah that's sick. I had been to my primary doctor twice in 24 hours. They assured me, I would feel better soon and to just take the antibiotics they had given me. (There's a lot more story to this but I'm trying to not focus on how inept they were.) So that night I was laying on my bed, my throat feeling worse, with hardly any voice and barely able to swallow water, and I came to a cross roads: either take the medication and go to sleep or go to the hospital. It wasn't an easy thing to decide. Having grown up with a nurse as a mom, well you just didn't over-react to medical things.  But my dog, he made me aware this was no joke. He didn't leave my side that day or evening. He followed me every time I left a room. When I was laying on my bed trying to make that decision he was right there next to me. He wouldn't eat, or go out side. He was worried about me.  I decided to go to the hospital. And probably not a moment to soon. Within an hour of walking in to the ER I was intubated and put into a medically induced coma. I woke up 3.5 days later.  Epiglottitis: an infection of the epiglottis.  1 in 100,000 Adults are stricken with this a year.  They never could tell me why it happened, but they did assure me it is highly unlikely it would ever happen again. My take away from this, 4 years later, it did take awhile to get to this point...live every day to the fullest, as much as you can. you never know what day will be your last. Live, Love, Laugh and Enjoy every day!

It's Easter. Not really a big holiday in my family, I remember when I was little having family get togethers with Easter Egg hunts and a picnic like atmosphere when the weather was suitable.  What it usually ended up was a family dinner. I don't have a lot of family around so, today, the weather was glorious. I opted for time in the fresh air and sunshine.  It was quite an amazing day really, just what I needed I think: an ocean breeze and some sunshine.

                                                      











It's not the clear blue seas of the Caribbean, which from what I have heard the last 2 days, the skies and seas have been a bit rough if you are interested in seeing a very smart pilot make the right decision to do a go around check out the link below.
​https://www.facebook.com/Maho.Beach.Cam/videos/1989105221318270/

​Today flights were diverted to other Islands until the skies cleared. Rough few days, but I can bet you whomever is on the island, is still having a grand time. 

I hope however you spent your day, observing the Easter holiday with family and friends, or finding your happy place for today, I truly wish you a wonderful and marvelous day, and week ahead.

I got the itch to change a little home décor. As seems to be my style...one project lead to another.  I updated the living room curtains to be drapes. Doesn't seem like a big deal, but just that little change made a big impact. I realized that the drape hardware was more of a nickel finish than the brass that I used to have so, I also updated a standing lamp fixture and a light switch plate, I have to say I am really pleased with the results.  The dining room curtains  were not as nice as the old LR ones, so I moved them to the Dining Room and added a nice valance. Wow what a difference!  And now I am searching for people to pass the leftovers to.  I'm a firm believer of passing things on to some one who can use what you no longer need. Take good care of things and they will last for a long time.  

I see the buds starting to open on the trees, crocuses, tulips and hyacinths are pushing up through the ground and blooming...Spring has Sprung!  I love this time of year, it's full of new beginnings for nature and people.  I have a touch of spring around the house, some tulips in vases. Last weekend the windows were all open and the fresh air was flowing through. And today, the first roll of thunder for the year. There is something about the beauty and power of nature that just brings a smile to my face. I guess that's been a constant theme since I started writing these little tidbits. It's been a very busy and productive winter, I'm looking forward to the change that comes with a new season. Busy takes a different turn...more towards the outdoors.  

Well so the story goes...what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. I don't really think that's true anymore in our age of social media and immediate communication about everything. What I discovered, just a few minutes from the glitz and flashing lights of down town Vegas was nature! A lot of beautiful rock formations and it was wonderful. I hadn't realized it was such an easy short drive to find this beautiful National Park. Another thank you to the powers that be that had the foresight to save our lands from total destruction as humans surely would have done if not reminded that nature is important to appreciate and retain.  I've been to Vegas now 3 times, and I have to say this was one of the best times I ever had. Taking in more than just the glitz and glamor of what the town has to offer. Hoover Dam...also a short distance from downtown. What an amazing feat that was to accomplish in the time it was done. 24 hour shifts, hundreds of people working together, in the end creating a water way that provides from Nevada all the way to Mexico. Allowing land that would otherwise be uninhabitable to be thriving metropolises as well as farming communities. Truly an impressive sight to see. The water levels of Lake Mead are down, and have been for 10+ years now. You can see the water line distinctly. Hopefully this is just a temporary situation and not a sign of the future. 




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This past week was something else!  Brought in potential candidate #3 to file the open position.  Been searching and searching since October for the right person, I am cautiously optimistic. We may have found the winner!  I was also closing the books for 2016 and Jan 2017 simultaneously.  That's 16 sets of books at the same time. I'm not sure what day it is, or for that matter what year! But what I have discovered is that it has been a very rewarding and almost wonderful experience. So much more efficient then the way we had done it in the past. Yeah! On top of the busy work schedule, I've been working on that social schedule. Had dinner Friday night with a dear friend and her adult daughter. We are going to attempt to make that a much more regular thing.  Had lunch today with another friend, also a great experience.  Get out! Be Social! Live Life!
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And yet another true confession: I just completed an 8 week Basic Salsa class. YES! I did it, I nailed the moves we learned, okay maybe not the Tap, Tap ... but I get the whole thing, just can't make the hands go right and the feet go left...all good things take time. It's like the rub your stomach and pat your head trick. I'm getting there.  I also signed up to continue the lessons. I wasn't sure I was going to do that. It all started because of that guy...but I enjoy it! It is so much better than going to a gym. It's a shared experience. Love it! About 4 years ago I tried to learn and was discouraged by a so called instructor. Bottom line, don't let anyone tell you that you will never be able to do something. Just keep trying, keep practicing, and your brain will learn it. Be patient with yourself, even if no one else is.

​One last note...adventure number 2 of the new year begins in 36 hours. Travel the world! I better get that laundry done.

I think someone forgot to tell Mother Nature it's winter in the mid-Atlantic states!  I'm not complaining in the least. Nothing like a mid-winter weekend with temperatures near 70 degrees.  You can bet I spent time outside both days this past weekend. I even had a couple windows open for a while. It was so nice to have real air moving through the house. It's going to be gone for a bit, but there are rumors of a return before the end of the week.  I went on a "Meet Up" nature walk this weekend. It was nice, actually a park I had gone to before, but explored a bit more. For me, there is nothing like fresh air, sunshine and being outdoors to help me feel alive and well. Winter can be such a drain on folks: short dark days full of dreary skies.  I never thought of myself as being a "snowbird" type of person, but I sure do see the appeal of always being where the sun is shining. I am a realist though, I know even my favorite Island has rainy days (and hurricanes)! I guess the solution is to always find the bright side no matter what the situation is.