FOTO FRIDAY: FULL OF LIGHT

FOTO FRIDAY: Last Sunday night was the last lighting of the menorah celebrating, The Festival of Lights. What a full December it has been, now the other amaryllis is celebrating in full regalia!

Last week's  FOTO FRIDAY

TBT: 2016 Christmas On the Second Night of Chanuka

 TBT: Back in 2016  when I was living in the End of the Rainbow Valley, Christmas fell on the second night of Chanuka, which doesn't happen too often as Jews follow the lunar calendar for their holidays.

tUESDAY tUNES: BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED...

Although I missed this tUESDAY tUNES a couple years ago when it aired on the Whoopi show, take a listen to Gladys Knight as she sang this classic...

Don't forget to tell your good friends how important they are in your life.

BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED

FOTO FRIDAY: FERTILIZE

 FOTO FRIDAY: Obviously the amaryllis enjoyed being fertilized by Chanuka Harry...

Last week's FOTO FRIDAY was:REFLECTIONS

MIDWEEK MUSINGS: SILENCE

Sunday's most recent antisemitic attack at Bondi Beach has left me grappling with many emotions...

 I found a brief but helpful reel which explains the three most common reactions, which include: 

*Empathy: due to the need to dig deep and create an emotional link to    the event. 

*Solidarity: to create a global sense of community since there are only   15 million Jews left in the world and what happens to one of us,   happens to all of us.

*Anger:when silence abounds and we feel alone due to the silence around us.

Personally, these emotions definitely manifested themselves...

After the Bondi Beach attack, uncertainty reigned as to whether folks would attend the Jewish communities' planned Chanuka events due to safety issues. People, we have had police presence at our places of worship for years but especially since the Israeli attack on Oct 7th, 2023.

 Let me tell you what happened at my synagogue Sunday. Forty-four reservations had been made and 105 people showed up. See, we needed to be together. As tradition mandates, we ate fried food, lit the menorah's candles,  played dreidel and sang songs of freedom.

As far as the general silence, our brazen leaders would definitely act differently if they felt their families and friends were in danger.  

I received a most appreciated text from a neighbor expressing sorrow and apologizing for the actions of others. And yes, friends shared similar sentiments. We as a society need to not condone this antisemitic violence. 

Let us not be silent and speak up when you hear hatred.

TUESDAY TUNES: BE A LIGHT - TI ERON

Our guest musician, Cantor Neal Katz from Tyler, Texas, graced our synagogue's Chanuka party Sunday night.  Little did I know he was the songwriter of a song I posted last year. What a treat for all of us present.  

We learned the back story of his song Be A Light as Cantor Katz  had asked Yonina, a popular musical Israeli duo, if they would translate his song into Hebrew. Cantor Katz accompanied them in the video and the song went viral. 

 (I have also posted the English lyrics for those who would like them.) Cantor Katz wants to have the song translated into other languages too. 

Enjoy...  Click on the link: BE A LIGHT TI ERON

MONDAY MUSINGS: PURE EVIL

 MONDAY MUSINGS:  The terrible news of shootings on Australia's Bondi Beach was rattling to say the least. You see Sunday night was the first night of the 8-day Jewish holiday of Chanukah, the Festival of Lights, commemorating not only a miracle, but more importantly, the first fight for religious freedom.

During the Australian Jewish community's Chanuka by the Sea, gunfire rang out leaving 16 dead and 40 injured. The youngest of the fatalities was 10 and the oldest 87. The shooters, a 50 yo father, died on the scene and his 24 yo son is in the hospital seriously injured. Their vehicle was found to have explosive devices. 

The Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declared the incident "an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism, an act of terrorism on our shores in an iconic Australian location, Bondi Beach, indeed a dark day in our nation's history. But we as a nation are stronger than the cowards who did this," he continued. "Australia will never submit to division, violence, or hatred, and we will come through this together. We refuse to let them divide us as a nation." 

Flags will be flown at half-mast across the country. 

Besides tears for the lives changed forever at what was to be a gathering of peace, my tears also acknowledge our country's elected leader only spews words of hatred and derision... Pure evil.

FOTO FRIDAY: REFLECTIONS

FOTO FRIDAY is reflecting on last Sunday's Interfaith meditation presentation... the room's circular light fixtures did the work taking us out into Mother Nature before we even walked to the meditation building... 

TBT: B-DAY BOY 6 YRS AGO

TBT  2019  when my son-in- law, the Atlanta Bday Guy Evan,  spent that b-day in the End of the Rainbow Valley chopping wood. 

Have a great 2025 birthday and may all future birthdays be less labor intensive!

MIDWEEK MUSINGS: MINDSET & INTENTIONS

I made sure yesterday was a full day to compensate for not being in Nashville as preplanned a month ago. Life happens and we have to flow with it. Is there a higher power changing our cards? Wasn't it Steinbeck who commented on the best laid plans of mice and men?

                     

Look for the positives instead of dwelling on the negatives.

What a relief to have this year's mammogram visit moved up and a good report of the two previously inserted markers showing clear fields and no possibility for misinterpretation. 'Gotta love modern medical technology, although women should definitely invent an apparatus for a less painful way than squashing our breasts to pancakes for X-rays.

Opting for less stress, I plopped down in the waiting room to use my laptop to register for the next quarter's LifeQuest classes. Classes won't begin until late January, some of which I will do online and I'm looking forward to being with other lifelong learners for the other classes...

Running a couple of errands would alleviate some of the stuff in the car before going home- dropped off requested dried zinnia seed for my brother and also a bag of juicy tangelos as a thank you for him detaching my new hose from the spicket before the next cold freeze. 

Walgreens was next, followed by filling an empty gas tank, and home to change for the Master Gardener's Holiday Party. In the last 4 years, I have never been able to attend. Now, I could go visit with new and older gardening friends. 

I returned home to watch a new Netflix series and dozed off on the couch while I alphabetised donation envelopes. It's that time of the year... 

The day wasn't the day I had foreseen a month ago, but I made the most of it. I think today will just be a pajama day as sometimes those are needed too..

tUESDAY tUNES: A NEW DAY

tUESDAY tUNES with two of my faves belting it out like nobody else can.  Soooo very talented individuals. Now I would have loved to have been personally at this Holiday concert but the next best thing is turning up the volume and watching it at home on the big screen...

A NEW DAY  Jon Batiste & Alicia Keys 

MONDAY MUSINGS: HOLIDAY BLUES/ SHARING SEASONAL JOYS?

 MONDAY MUSINGS: Are you experiencing the holiday blues due to missing those who used to share holidays with you? 

This year, I decided to fill my calendar, and it has been a game changer. Whether you grab a friend/ go solo, you'll be surrounded by others enjoying the festivities too. Plenty is happening in our communities at this time of the year,

In the last month my days have been enriched by company, musical presentations including a play, a Japanese restaurant menu tasting, holiday dinners & parties, some classes, and even an introduction yesterday to an interfaith spiritual meditation space.                        

Couchsurfer Lincoln
 from Canada

Missee from Charleston

Mt Fuji omikase

Interfaith Meditation
L to R: Buddhist, Episcopalian, Muslim & Jewish

Remembering to make time for real quiet is also a choice and you'll thank yourself.

FOTO FRIDAY: THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE...

FOTO FRIDAY: As is custom, since it's the anniversary since my Dad died, a special light, a yahrzeit candle, is lit.  The memorial prayer that is recited holds no mention of death, but rather words of praise to G-d. 

Dad was raised Reform so  I use the solar calendar date of his passing which was December 1st. 

May his light make this world a little brighter...

2 years since his passing...

Last week's FOTO FRIDAY was A NEW MONTH

TBT: EASY PEASY

 TBT is from 13 years ago when I used to do a recipe  per week this is a dish I think all of you will appreciate as it only takes about 20 minutes to prepare. No complaints from the peanut gallery. 

Take a look and try EASY PEASY

MIDWEEK MUSINGS: THELMA & LOUISE

 MIDWEEK MUSINGS this week are due to a visit from a friend from my late 70's,1976, that is. We met working as waterfront staff at the Charleston JCC way back when. 

We became fast friends and after that summer, I helped her with her Hebrew as she would be marrying into a conservative old Charlestonian Jewish family. I'll never forget my first Shabbos meal at her future in-laws and me cracking a joke after washing hands before the blessing of the challah (bread). OOPS, A big no-no.  I was still allowed to be her matron of honor. :)

Missee visited me over the last years in Colorado, Wisconsin, and this was her second visit here to Arkansas. Missee had vowed last year to return to help me clear another closet. That's just the kind of friend she is...  22 evening dresses, long and short were purged and will find new homes.  She documented all our doings to not forget our 4 days together ... the Fine Arts Center, tackling leaves -playing in the pile she made, helping our Turkey Day hostess set up tables, arrrange flowers,  Turkey Day cleanup of china and silver for 30 alongside me, keeping me focused with daily errand lists, fixing meals together, walks, going to Temple, and even going on a short convertible ride all bundled up as the temps dropped to winter during her stay.

Everyone needs a buddy like Missee. 

This Thelma & Louise duo slept well knowing we made the most of our short time together... Can't wait to create havoc again!

COMBO MONDAY MUSINGS & tUESDAY tUNES: FEELING ALONE

Holiday's can bring out all kinds of emotions.  I belong to a group on FaceBook called Cool Retired Women where all sorts of news/ issues are posted and readers comment on them.  Yesterday I read a very emotional entry by a Senior whose children are all grown up and out of the house and it's holiday time. I thought maybe you might relate/ like to comment. 

"My heart did not break the day the doctors told me my husband, Raymond, had passed away. It did not break when I sold the little brick house we lived in for more than forty years because the stairs felt like a mountain.

No. My heart broke on a quiet Tuesday afternoon when I stared at a single text message on my phone.

My name is Eleanor. I am seventy six years old and I live alone in a small condo outside Minneapolis. I want to tell you about the Christmas that almost crushed me. Not because of something dramatic, but because of a sentence that many older people hear today.

"You can stop by later for dessert if you want."

There was no anger in it. No shouting. Just a short message from my daughter, Melissa. She is a busy mother of two teenagers, balancing a demanding job and endless responsibilities.

But those words hit me harder than winter ice.

For decades, Christmas at our home was wild in the best way. Wrapping paper everywhere. Raymond carving a turkey that was always a little too dry. Kids running around. Laughter mixing with the smell of cinnamon.

I was the one who kept everything moving. I was the center of it all.

But time changes things. It takes away the noise. Then it takes away your purpose.

Raymond passed away. The kids grew up and moved away. The grandkids became teenagers who talk mostly through screens. My home became perfectly clean.

Quiet.

Too quiet.

This year, I waited for the holiday plans. Checking my phone again and again. Not just hoping to be invited, but hoping to feel needed.

Finally, I asked Melissa, "What time should I come on the twenty fifth? Do you want me to bring my holiday casserole?"

Three dots appeared. Then her reply came:

"Hi Mom! We are keeping the morning very simple. Just me, Tom, and the kids relaxing and opening gifts. We are really tired. But you can come later for dessert if you want! Maybe around four. No pressure!"

I sat in my kitchen with that message glowing on the screen.

Simple morning. Just us. If you want.

Sometimes in America, everything becomes about the small, tight family. The parents. The kids. And everyone else becomes extra. Even the people who raised you.

I felt like a second thought. Like a visitor.

But I typed back, "Sounds wonderful. See you at four."

Because that is what mothers do. We pretend we are fine because we do not want to be the parent who needs too much. We add exclamation marks to hide the hurt.

Christmas morning arrived. I woke up early out of habit. My hands remembered the feeling of hanging stockings. My body remembered the rush of preparing food.

But none of it was needed.

I made one cup of coffee. I watched the Parade on TV. I saw families waving signs saying "Hi Grandma."

I looked around my clean, quiet living room, filled with decorations no one would see, and tears rolled down my face.

I was not crying because I was alone. I cried because I felt optional.

Around noon, I could not handle the silence anymore. I put on my coat and went for a drive. I passed houses with crowded driveways. I saw grandmothers holding babies through glowing windows.

I realized something heartbreaking about growing old here: we trade community for independence, and end up with loneliness.

I stopped at a gas station just to hear another person speak. The cashier said, "Merry Christmas."

I almost hugged him. "Merry Christmas. I am seeing my grandkids later," I said, mostly to convince myself.

At four, I knocked on Melissa’s door.

Warm air and noise rushed out. Food cooking. A football game blaring.

"Grandma!" The kids looked up for one moment, then returned to their screens.

Melissa hugged me. "Mom, you made it! There are leftovers on the counter. Help yourself."

I smiled. I ate the cold turkey. I watched them laugh at jokes I did not understand.

I was there, but not really part of it.

I felt like a visitor in a life I once built.

Driving home on icy roads, the truth settled inside me. A hard truth, but one that needs to be said.

Being loved is not the same as being included.

My daughter loves me. I know she does. But she forgot that I am still a person who wants to belong. Not just someone to check on when needed.

So here is my message to younger families:

Your parents know you are busy. We know your life is stressful. We know you want simple holidays.

But we are disappearing a little each year. We lose friends. We lose energy. We lose our place in the world.

The only thing that keeps us connected is you.

When you say, "Come later," we hear, "You are not part of the whole day."

We do not need fancy gifts or perfect dinners.

We want the messy moments. We want to be there when the wrapping paper flies everywhere. We want the chaos because it reminds us we are still part of something.

So please, do not just squeeze us in. Do not put us between naps and errands.

Invite us early. Let us be there. Let us belong.

Because one day the house will be empty, and you will realize the greatest gift was not the presents.

It was the person sitting quietly on the couch, happy just to watch your life unfold.

Do not wait until we are gone to make us a priority.

 Everyone can use  A SHOULDER TO CRY ON... sometime. Take a listen to Alan Walker and Ava Max's ALONE Part 2.

FOTO FRIDAY: TUrKEY DAY 2025's A Memory...

 

FOTO FRIDAY: ONWARD TO DECEMBER... the fridge's shelves have more room, leaves have been raked again, Thanksgiving decorations are back in their bin and the house is so quiet...

TBT::CHERISHING THE MEMORIES OF TURKEY BREAK 2017

Turkey Break beautiful Fall Day for the family to visit Pinnacle Mountain ...  8 years later,  that little baby now has a brother, the couple on the end (2nd & 3rd row) married and has an 18-month-old little girl now, my nephew(top R) tied the knot, and my Natureman has left his earthly existence almost 5 years ago. 

May we always cherish our memories together...

MONDAY MUSINGS ^ TUESDAY TUNES TRANSCENDING TIME

 MONDAY MUSINGS & tUESDAY tUNES: Combo today as when I heard this rendition of Bobby Darin's Beyond the Sea performed by these 'youngsters,' Pleasantly surprised and inspired to also share my joy of music being appreciated by different generations.

Recently, I was chastised by Evan, my son-in-law,  for having attended the Maroon 5 concert with Adam Levine. Why would you go? Name some of their songs and I started listing them. (I'm not saying I didn't mess up titles as I also have my own lyrics for most songs)  In fact, my niece and I practiced over and over homemade choreography to perform Sugar with female relatives for Evan and my daughter's wedding. His mouth dropped and he reluctantly admitted I knew more of Maroon 5's music than he did. 

Well, it still fills my heart with joy hearing 'old' music ie Bobby Darin's Beyond the Sea performed by Young Original. I think you will enjoy it too, regardless of age.  ]

Which tunes do you think will transcend time?

BEYOND THE SEA  

Remember as usual to skip ad

or this FB video

RETRO MUSIC 

FOTO FRIDAY: TASTE TESTER

 

You know every product needs a tester and sometimes they are not easy to find ... 

Well, you need an extra special non- partial  tester who can't be swayed by popular opinion. 

It may surprise you to know it's my first granddog TEDDY.

TBT: THE TUNDRA SWANS

TBT: 2010. Ever year the week before Turkey Day they start arriving and their  deafening noise is like children out on the playground... 

25,000 tundra swans stopping over en route south along the upper Misssissippi... they will usually take off when the temps dip...  each year I see them, I am in awe...

 

MIDWEEK MUSINGS: BEING THANKFUL

MIDWEEK MUSINGS this week encompasses a very emotional past 7 days. Hey, it happens to all of us, and we just have to realize it's temporary. Thankfully, we'll all eventually regain enough shuteye.

Thankfully, the Atlanta family's on the mend with hopes doctor visits'll become less and less frequent. Healing, physically and emotionally, takes time...  

As little Jacob almost made it past our seats with his PreK-3 classmates for the Thanksgiving program, he sobbed out loud and yelled, "I am just sooo tired," before collapsing into his Dad's lap. 

He did join in for the class pic. ( upper row far L) 

           Don't you love how each child has a different focus?

I am thankful to be able to also share Ms Hannah's Turkey Day school lunch before the airport run. 

Now that this Bubbe finally has the kids' schedules and locations down, and completed the 'to do' list, it's time to return to my much less hectic lifestyle.

        

                       Thankfully yours...

TUESDAY TUNES: MAKE NEW FRIENDS BUT KEEP THE OLD

TUESDAY TUNES: Some lyrics never go out of style. One of the first songs we learned in scouts as Brownies was called Make New Friends. 

New verses have been added over the years and now they even have Daisies before Brownies. One can never start too young nor be too old to make a friend.

This is a different version than I have shared before and perhaps more appropriate as I lost both a new friend and an old friend in the same week.      

MAKE NEW FRIENDS but keep the old...

          

This was a friendship since Brownies when we were 6 years old...

Kaye Phillips Miers, 71, passed away on

Sunday, November 16. She was born and

raised in Little Rock, Arkansas. She

attended Little Rock public schools and

earned her nursing degree from the

University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She

is survived by her daughter, Olivia Lea

Easterling, cousin Cathy Cooper

Anderson and her Chosen Family: Clark

Benton and his children, Jason, Kelsey

and Morgan. She was preceded in death

by her parents, Lea and Fe Phillips, her

brother, Patrick Ward Phillips, and her

husband Charles Sheppard Miers.

We have lost a masterful storyteller with a quick-witted sense of humor who seldom met a “stranger” since she was a friend to all who knew her or spent any time with her. She loved to tell stories wrapped in stories, keep everyone entertained, share jokes, and she always nailed the punchline.

Famous as the toughest one in every group, a blend of bone-headed stubbornness and relentless grit, her stubborn streak, paired with humor and heart, helped her endure seemingly years of illness and yet remain a beacon of strength and laughter for all who loved her. She was indeed one of a kind, especially for her crazy, unfiltered sense of humor.

She cherished an extended circle of lifelong friends who gathered monthly for birthday luncheon celebrations. She found a second home in the Riviera Condos, a community of friends and fellow dog lovers who meant the world to her. Her friends and the memories they created together were a constant source of joy.

She and her late husband, Shep, showed their love to family and and community in their kitchen. They churned out hundreds of home- made meals for friends, neighbors, and church members; a testament to their love and support in times of happiness and sadness. She never met a recipe she wouldn’t try, and her kitchen was a place where love, laughter, and fellowship simmered together. The meals they prepared together were not just food, but a daily celebration of their bond and the community they lifted up.

A decade-long tango with cancer never dimmed her sparkle. She was deeply grateful for the extraordinary care of doctors and nurses, whose compassion and dedication made her feel seen and supported through so many unknowns and curveballs, turning uncertainty into steady encouragement and unwavering care.

Kaye was grateful to all of the Doctors and Nurses who worked tirelessly to help her through her many health challenges. Dr. Stan Burns the best friend and doctor a girl could ask for, Dr. Rhonda Gentry and staff at CARTI, Dr. Fritz van Rhee, Erica Ajoku, APRN, Dr. Emily Newsom, and all staff at UAMS.

A service celebrating Kaye’s life will be held at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral on Monday, December 1 at 2:00 p.m. with a reception immediately following.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Trinity Episcopal Cathedral (310 W. 17th Street, Little Rock, AR 72206) and to the Society of Saint John the Evangelist in Cambridge, MA (ssje.org/donate)

  

MONDAY MUSINGS: LIFE'S DIVISION STRATEGIES

 This MONDAY MUSINGS is about division. We definitely have political division issues in our country. Yet, I was faced with a different division upon my first day visit with one of my grands. It had to do with that day's homework.

It was third-grade math division homework. Have any of you done the new math lately? Her frustrated Mom had already resorted to calling another Mom, and I overheard something about a tutorial video parents could watch. As my daughter was lamenting her demise, I joined the exasperated, tired grand at the kitchen table, asking her if she would explain how she was tackling the problem. This retired educator felt if she could explain what she was doing, this division obstacle would be resolved.

Upon viewing the incorrect final answer, we needed to backtrack. There were so many boxes and lines to fill in.  She explained she had to find the closest thousand and then subtract it. To add to my confusion, to the right of the problem was a column of multiplication problems to solve."Are you supposed to fill those in before tackling the problem?"  She retorted, "I guess." 

The calvary arrived before we could go any farther. Her Dad, who deals with numbers every day, translating architectural building plans to order materials, sat down with her. Boy, was I relieved.

Is 3rd grade division really teaching us something bigger?          

Perhaps we as a nation need to reflect on using different approaches because we all need to benefit from the outcome... 

FOTO FRIDAY: MUM'S THE WORD

 

FOTO FRIDAY: Today was my Mom's birthday and I am so glad these decided to come back and show off their brilliant colors.  We had a little cold spell last week and I was worried they were zapped before bloomin'. I promise I won't tell since Mum's the word...

.Last week's FOTO FRIDAY was MORE THAN JUST WHITTLING

TBT: MORE LOSS

TBT: Yesterday continues to be a day of loss and if I ever needed a hug, today would have been it. It's been a decade since my Mom passed. As a survivor of WWII and its ugliness, always distrustful of man turning against man. 

May the goodness in all of us work hard in proving we can be better. 

     We were all together to celebrate Mother's Day in 2015.

MIDWEEK MUSINGS: POLITICAL ANIMALS

I skedaddled out of town after the last Political Animals get-together at the newly remodeled main library and my mind jumped to Fall in the Midwest...

Let me digress and share with you what was an interesting dialogue from two-time Pulitzer award-winning journalist, John Archibald. Mr. Archibald has been commenting on Alabama politics in his column since 2018 and on southern politics since 1973.

He has many daily readers, and they all don't love him. He spoke of changes, of how hate has grown in this country, reflected in some of his readers' comments. Archibald's reactions are respectful. He has not only attended these same readers' funerals but has been asked by families to write eulogies for those very same souls. Imagine that!

Also, there was mention of having to dirty our hands to deflate the hate dialogue of Christian Nationalism and improve the political climate with change, and not change that worsens others' daily lives. Martin Luther King even spoke of the church becoming sick. 

So what has happened to literacy?

People aren't reading books or newspapers. Where does one find the truth? 

Mr Archibald isn't optimistic and added we need community conversations and real news, not just social media quips.

 How can one argue with that?

MONDAY MUSINGS: ADAM & ME ,.IT'S OVER- THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES

MONDAY MUSINGS & TUESDAY TUNES: I had to end it... You just went overboard and it was obvious by your actions Sunday night. You knew it. 

You spent most of the concert with your back to my side of the arena. (west) And the light show was overboard... Don't think that I didn't notice...

So dear Adam. We have to call it quits. Your addition of tattoos has been extreme. You might not have to look at the ones at the back of your neck, but I do.  

I'm feeling our 25 year age difference more than ever...

 I wish you luck in your future endeavors and all your songs, specifically Sugar, and of course, thanks for the MEMORIES.  ( click and skip ad) 

FOTO FRIDAY:MORE THAN JUST WHITTLING...

FOTO FRIDAY: Someone has some pretty sharp tools. Take your time admiring the newest art by Neal Harrington, a prof at Arkansas Tech,  greeting travelers in the Bill & Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock. 

TBT:WHO MADe YOU KING OF ANYTHING?

TBT : With No Kings Day having happened, this 2012 pic reappears on my memories from one of the many Madison protests back when Walker was wreaking havoc on Wisconsin, a state founded by progressives. 

 I am flanked by some of my favorite activists.

Left to right: Linda, Sue (z'l), George, yours truly, and Maureen. This is a wealth of years of protesting injustices. 

 Yeah, we still want to know WHO made you King of Anything? As relevant today when a 700 million dollar ballroom is built with the people's money... 

BTW I lent my sign to Maureen, referring to Sara Bareilles' song 

King of Anything.

MIDWEEK MUSINGS: THAWING/ HEATING UP?.

MIDWEEK MUSINGS:  My Wisconsin stay had unusually balmy weather for late October. Although temps dropped overnight with 2 mornings and thick frost on the rental's windshields, the days warmed up to high 50's-low 60's.  

Ironically, I came home to a cold Southern abode. Hmmm? Maybe the thermostat needed new batteries -  I changed them. Alas, still no heat kicking on. The thermostat read 62. Brrrr. Throws were added on sofas, the heavy bathrobe became an extra part of my inside apparel.  

I called my heating and cooling guys first thing the next day and left a message with the answering service. A return call - Did I hear correctly?  They wouldn't be able to come for 5 days? 

After looking high and low for my little space heater, it finally dawned on me, it was up in the attic. If I pulled down the attic stairs, it'd be colder in the house. Luckily, my sister-in-law's office had an extra one.  It just moved with me room to room. Even 64 felt a lot better than 62.

Last Friday I called the heating company again to plead for an earlier visit and lo and behold, someone would come out a day earlier. That would be Tuesday afternoon. One problem.  Tuesday arrived and no call and I had class, so I left a message on the front door in case they showed up earlier. I made it home close to noon to find the note still on the door. Whew.

A couple hours passed, and still no serviceman. Yet, when I went to call the company, there was an unknown number on my phone and sure enough, it was my service call. He had just arrived at another call but he would come to me next. Halleluyah!

Boy, was I glad to see this guy even if Little Rock is expecting 74 degree temps for the next 3 days! I definitely wanted the issue fixed before winter arrives. 

A loose valve was the issue. Now it's toasty and the sweatshirt and robe can be put away and the comforters are refolded for a later date.

The serviceman did apologize for the wait but they are booked for the next 2 weeks. I inquired why they didn't hire extra bodies. He replied they'd have to lay folks off in December when business comes to a complete standstill. It's dead. 

Well, this senior homeowner is mighty happy there will be heat when chillier temps arrive. 

tUESDAY tUNES:SUNDAY MORNING

TUESDAY TUNES this week delivers Maroon 5's Sunday Morning as if she's a veteran performer in the Voice's Blind Auditions Season 27. Meet 20-year-old Grace Miller-Moody from South Carolina. 

Take a listen to her rendition of SUNDAY MORNING

Impressive, right?

SUNDAY MORNING

MONDAY MUSINGS: MAKING PEACE

 MONDAY MUSINGS: Peace comes in all forms. Today's musing wasn't what I was planning on, but it is what it is.  I received a call this weekend from a childhood friend who has been struggling with her health for a myriad of reasons. Her cancers morphed and no matter how they tried to label her health and treat symptoms, success was elusive.  

Unbeknownst to me, she had been in the hospital since earlier in the week receiving transfusions.  The goal was to raise her blood cell count, but the transfusions couldn't do enough...                                   

For most of her illnesses, she has kept her setbacks to herself but this call was different. It was to let me know that she would be returning home, and would be on hospice, sleeping a lot.  I was to let others know. Perhaps friends would like to come sit with her even if she would probably be asleep most of their visit...  

 I am truly thankful to have received her call and most of all, to know she has chosen this path of peace...  

Friends forever...