SoCS: T,tea, tee

Tough Titties. That’s what I like to say. Not to any real people, just the people I argue with in my head. What does it mean? Would that be the worst thing: your titties going tough? The proverbial teat you are suckling from has dried up? Maybe its just the sound of it; not too mean, a little funny. If you don’t like it; tough titties.

Tea.  I can remember having tea and a cigarette with my parents after dinner. HA! Seems funny, now. Smoking with my mom, especially!

Now I don’t like tea, strictly coffee. I do make ginger tea often. Grated ginger boiled in water for 5 minutes. It’s delicious, great for colds and stomach problems. and you can use it as stock in your cooking.

The temperature has finally come down and its glorious! Windows open, breezes blowing through…. I even have on a long-sleeved Tee.

Thai Basil. So good. That’s what I’m doing this morning. Yesterday I cut back a big pot of it full flower, washed, dried, picked the leaves and put them in the salad dryer in the fridge. That’s a neat trick I discovered for salad and berries you don’t want to deal with for a day or two. Put them in a salad dryer with a plate on top, in the fridge.

And then I cut back my flowering Italian Basil and put it in a vase overnight. It will keep for a few days like this but I’m going to blend up a batch of pesto with all the basil. I will use it on the no-mayo potato salad I’m making tomorrow.

Next Saturday I won’t be here for SoCS, I’ll be in Toronto meeting up with old friends for a reunion. I’m very exited, even anxious, its been so long since I’ve gone anywhere. There are friends flying in from BC I haven’t seen for years. decades even. I’m really looking forward to it. Tremendously!

Thank you for reading this boring post. If you don’t like it; tough titties.

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “T, tea, tee.” Theme your post around “tea” or “tee,” or find a word that starts with “T” and talk about that. Bonus points if you manage to incorporate all three. Enjoy!

https://lindaghill.com/2018/07/27/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-28-18/

RDP: Time

Tiiiime is on my side, yes it is.  I got all the time in the world.

Being retired is freaking awesome! I wake up, don’t know what time it is and don’t even look! Morning coffee at my computer may take 2 or 3 hours depending on if I’m posting here. Then I do some housework.

I thought I would do a lot more housework when I retired but I was wrong. Oh my lord, you would have to do it all day long everyday to make your place perfect. Some people just set the bar way too high. It’s just another reason be a hermit; no one will see it. I keep my active triangle clean: kitchen/ livingroom/ bathroom  but those hidden piles intimidate me. I slink away, shaking my fist; one of these days I’ll get you!

There are projects I planned on doing once retired that I haven’t started yet. Mostly painting. I thought I was going to do it in the spring but I didn’t.  I can fart away a whole day with ease and enjoyment. Those are such major projects I put off starting them.

Soon, though, I will have more time taken up with exercise. That’s right, exercise. In August I’m being trained to do exercise classes for seniors. They are advertising they need more volunteers and asked what other communities I would drive to. That’s fine with me but its the time I worry about. I don’t want to fill up my week with another job and spend my days off doing housework. It is volunteer after all.

On the other hand, what a perfect way to get out with people getting exercise and being healthy. I’m already starting a play list for Dance Fit and my new project is planning obstacle courses. Silverback Ninja Warriors. This is also for my Opening Doors group, too.

Today it is finally raining! Soft, steady all-day rain that we need so much. I’m happy to have the time to work on a little sewing project; bean bags.

Looks so easy, what can go wrong? Liners make it easier to sew so I found the perfect size and amount of beans and made seven. Then I put together the outer bag, inside out, and found the liner bags are too big, too stuffed. That’s when I said, Ok that’s enough for today; pick it up tomorrow.

That’s my favourite thing about having this time; saying ‘that’s enough for today: I’ll pick it up tomorrow.

Today I’m either going to cut open the bags, take out 1/4 cup of beans and sew them back or cut new fabric.  Decisions, decisions…..  I’ll have to play with them for a while.

(Note to all people out there with real stress in their lives….. I’m sorry.)

Just took my last mouthful of cold coffee, time to put out some frozen berries for my smoothie and do some yoga.  Yep, I’m doing it. I always told myself this is how I was going to live when I retire so now that I have the time, I sort of have to. Can’t come up with any excuses.

And, yes, I am so grateful for this life!

https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2018/07/22/rdp52-time/

 

SoCS; organ

Organ. What the heck kind of prompt is that? No, don’t change it to organize… it’s about organs.

Tee Hee. Organ…. all of a sudden I’m 13. (nudge nudge wink wink)

I love my organs. They are all functioning well and I appreciate them for that.

My favourite organ joke is in “The Meaning of Life” when a recruiter is going door to door looking for organ donors.  A door opens with a Rastafarian-bedecked man with smoke pouring out of the house.

“Would you like to donate your organs?”

“Sure, but I’m using them right now.”

The next organ that comes to mind is when I was ‘turning’ vegetarian. My mother had instilled the need of eating liver once a week to stay alive. One day I opened up the slab of liver I had bought and it grossed me out so much I never ate it again.

But the grossest thing is paté de foie gras.  To get this they force feed ducks or geese until they are sick and weak with fatty livers. It’s that fatty liver they claim is so delicious. What the hell is wrong with people?

That’s all I got to say about organs.

 

https://lindaghill.com/2018/07/20/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-21-18/

RDP; open

The prompt today ‘open’ gives me an opportunity to talk about Opening Doors which is a mental health program I belong to and volunteer in. In case you don’t know me, I’ll give you a little background:

When I arrived here 10 years ago I was escaping an abusive husband and had to leave everything.  After 28 years of being mentally beaten down I was a shell of a person. Certainly not ready to go out for job interviews or even hold a job.

Luckily I had my sister to help me out, some financial help and then help from my government who added on to my meager income once I got a permanent part-time job at 61. Working with people also gave me someone to talk and joke around with. Slowly over the years I got back on my feet.

This winter I was happy to be retired but ended up being alone for days and days on end. I still haven’t made close friends in the 10 years I’ve lived here. Part of it is my introverted and hermetic ways; I like being alone but too much of it is not a good thing.

Social isolation is very depressing. Exercise class didn’t help when you are in a group of women with much different lives: lives with children and grandchildren, holidays and husbands and renovations. So many times I’m in a group and no one talks to me. They don’t notice because they all know someone and all have similar lives. You end up feeling more depressed and lonely.

In February I saw a notice on Facebook from our Community Health Centre where my doctor is. They were starting a new program called Opening Doors which is a mental health program aimed at those who have anxiety, depression or any other mental health problems and experience social isolation. The marginalized and misplaced. The ones that feel they don’t belong anywhere.

The program includes exercise (I have to admit here; one of the main reasons I wanted to join is that exercise class is 1:30 pm to 2:30 and not 8:30 in the morning or at night, like the other exercise classes), exercise games so there’s more interaction and fun, Art and Conversation, cooking classes, guest speakers… things to do.

Last week they took a whole bus load of us to a local tourist town to walk around, have lunch then bussed us all off us to a show at the theatre. All paid for. Our small town group joined up with the larger group from The City so we all got to meet new people. For some people it was so exiting to do something like this; I felt humbled about taking for granted all the great things I’ve done and seen in my life.

This program is fantastic! We don’t need counselling, we don’t need medication, we just need to be with people, other weirdos and misfits like us. Friends with similar lives. Friends who encourage each other to ‘get out there’! It’s Opening Doors we’ve felt closed out of.

When we were at lunch, taking three long tables, I could see the waitresses looking at us a trying to figure out what we were, what is this group about? A waiter did ask and our leader said, “We’re just a group of friends out having a good time!”

The health center is enrolling me in a program to teach fitness to seniors for new programs they are starting in the fall. I intend to start a dance fit class because nothing is better for exercise and feeling better than dancing. I told my group leader what I was planning and she said, “We’re counting on it”

Opening Doors certainly has opened doors for me.

Here are my creations from Art and Conversation so far;

This is a painted vinyl album melted into a bowl

Yes, they are chuckle worthy but we all had good time doing them!

https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2018/07/16/rdp-46-open/

RDP: spoof

Back when I first got satellite TV I didn’t know there were dirty movies after midnight on one channel. I always look for late movies to tape so I have stuff on hand for to watch when there’s ‘nothing to watch’ on the hundreds of channels.

I saw a movie called “Sasha Grey’s Anatomy” and thought it was a spoof on Grey’s Anatomy. OK, all of you who already are hip to porn are laughing because Sasha Grey is porn mega-star like Stormy Daniels. I was so naïve!

If you ever want to do something funny with your spouse or close partner; tape a porn movie and watch it on very fast forward. I tell you: I had tears I laughed so hard.

https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2018/07/14/rdp-44-spoof/

SoCS; pot

Pot is the word that comes to mind first and is pushing out any other three-letter words so I guess the cat’s out of the bag. Oh… two more 3 letter words!

Pretty soon its going to be legal here in Canada. I’ve been waiting 50 years for this. I remember joking about how they should have a Cannabis Control Board selling different varieties of pot like our Liquor Control Board and we’d laugh……

Or how about the pot vending machine? I saw that on TV. Back in the day we would have thought we were dreaming. That would be a skit on SCTV.

I haven’t been smoking pot all these 50 years though. I quit twice for long periods of time just because it’s a bad habit and I am a very habitual person. But I missed it. Never missed meat or alcohol all these years but I missed pot terribly when I didn’t have it. Twelve years; missed it the whole time.

Now I live on my own and answer to no one and soon pot will be legal so I can say this:

I’m going to stay in today and watch TV. It’s already hot and hopefully its going to rain. (I’m sorry to wish rain on a Saturday but we need it.) I need total introversion today; not going anywhere, not doing any yard work, not talking. So, yeah, I have to admit it: I will be imbibing in pot.

https://lindaghill.com/2018/07/13/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-14-18/

RDP: dappled

In the morning the sun rises through the woods behind my house, mostly Silver Birch and Maples. On the wall just over my shoulder is a framed silhouette of leaves blowing in the breeze.

Birch and Poplar make the most soothing sound with their leaves. It’s heavenly this morning because it’s cool enough to have the windows open. The dappled sunlight coming through the trees along with the soft rustle is so peaceful.

I’m in my office/ sewing room.  Also on this eastern wall is my bathroom and kitchen with windows wide open, rustling leaves, dappled light and the occasional warbler.

Here is my kitchen right now;

(That long piece of lace is for a gap between the door and the screen. Yeah, I could probably find a long plastic piece at the hardware store but I’d rather make something with scraps. It fits the décor.)

https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2018/07/10/rdp-40-dappled/

RDP: dart

The nice thing about where I live is that I can just dart down to the beach, dart back to my house and dart back down to the beach. I never do that but I could if I wanted or needed to.

The thing about darting out is losing your parking spot. If its hot enough to go to the beach its going to be crowded. After all, this is the best beach for kids and dogs and its free. Luckily we can go during the week when it’s not as crowded.

standing room only at Ipperwash Beach

 

 

Today is a beach day; my sister is bringing my grandniece and a friend her age. I’ve been waiting a month to give her the boogie board I bought her for her birthday. The beach is only fun with the kids. I don’t ever dart down with my boogie board by myself …..although I might make that one of my ‘things to do now that I’m retired’.

I missed beach days working at the grocery store the last four years. It was in a crazy busy beach town, the crowds and traffic were terrible; by the time I got home I did not want to drive down to the crowds at the beach.

Phew! I just darted off to try on my bathing suit because I have a few things that don’t fit me anymore. Luckily it still fits although I’m going to wear a tank top over it. That floppy white blubber will be covered this year.

And I have to do some shaving. (sigh) I only do it when needed. Its getting tricky seeing it and finding the right spot on my bifocals. There’s a site selling bathing suits with longer legs which I really want but they are in Hong Kong. I don’t know why that makes me hesitate but it does. Now I have those bathing suits all over every thing I look at on-line. I’ll give you the link, there are some nice old lady bathing suits;

https://www.rosewe.com/print-Swimwear-c33.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0a67zu7T2wIVT7BPCh2Zuw5WEAEYASAAEgLOQ_D_BwE

The other darts I want to mention are the huge dragonfly like monsters that are out. They are as big a hummingbirds this year. In the evening they are up the in air about 20 feet and cavorting with each other. I think insects are flourishing in this climate change.

Well, Time to get ready for The Beach!

https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2018/07/09/rdp-39-dart/

SoCS; sup

‘Sup? Well, I’m going to London and meeting my sister who will drive us further downtown to Sunfest.  I hope to buy some things: a white top, jewellery, anything patchouli and sup on some fine vegetarian food. Oh, so much vegetarian food I can’t even decide what I want.

Thursday I went to Grand Bend for lunch and a show at the local theatre. Really, I really did. It was with my ‘group’, Open Doors. They took 30 of us in a bus (a very hot school bus) downtown for free time, then lunch then bussed down to the theatre. All paid for. It really is an amazing program. I’m half volunteer and half group member.

One of the ladies who has some mental challenges had never been to the beach. ever. And she does not live far from great beaches. We got her down to the water, helped her take off her sandals, and she put her feet in. She was pretty excited; told everyone at lunch she went swimming.

We drove past Sobeys on our way to the theatre and I did one of those tongue out, thumbs in ears salute….. is there a name for that? I worked there for the last four summers and it was hell, Hell I tell you!

The show was “Cruisin’ the Classics”. If you have read my blog in summer’s past you may remember me complaining about 50’s, early 60’s classics music they played all summer at work. Same songs everyday. It could drive a person insane; Palisades Park, Hello Marylou, You Can’t Sit Down! oh yeah, good songs if you hear them once every 10 years.  Torture every day. That was the music at “Cruisin’ Classics”  Three girls and three guys singing all those songs.

I get that shit stuck in my head. Yesterday I couldn’t stop; “Wise.. men.. say….” oh no stop! get out of my head. “… but Ieee …caaan’t …hellllp……”  Aauugh!

I’m going to hear a lot better music today! It’s an international music festival. And bonus; it’s not too hot! Like yesterday which was so perfect I couldn’t be indoors. I did some weeding then actually laid out in the sun, covered in sunscreen of course.

Well, that’s what’S up with me.  Have a great weekend and be kind to those working to serve you.

 

https://lindaghill.com/2018/07/06/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-7-18/