That’s a bummer!

I have discovered, to my dismay, I have probably developed an allergy to incense. No! I love incense and I am pretty particular about what I burn.

I usually use incense in concert with candles creating a nice welcoming vibe. 🕯

Saturday after hubby left for work (he works night shift) I lit two candles and burned a stick my most favorite incense. I’d made a yummy fish dinner and you know how the fish smell  hangs out, so I figured some candle flames and the gentle incense would freshen the rooms. The ceiling fans were moving the air so I did the dishes and settled into the evening to watch the University of Arizona Wildcats beat yUCLA in basketball.

With in a couple of hours I noticed some congestion building, and I was starting to cough – things got worse.

By the time I got in bed I was having typical allergy symptoms: running nose, watery eyes, cough, sneezing, it was awful. I ruled out the candles since I had been using them nearly every day, but the incense was the difference.

So now what? My body got busy clearing it out by pumping my head with histamines, and my sinuses have been overflowing with the yucky mucous stuff. Oh man it’s a drag. No headache, fever or sore throat, thank goodness. Tonight is a Navage before bed and cough medicine with a decongestant.

Anyone need some incense?

Cheers!

-N

Two Weeks of Love and a conflict

I had a two week trip to Apopka FL (near Orlando) in January to meet my second grandson.

Nannie and Jackson

Let me say I am in love.

He was two months old and just yummy. He is a sweetheart and I spent every chance I got holding him, feeding him, and doing all the other baby things. It was my pleasure to help my son and daughter-in-law with the multiple tasks, giving them a well deserve break. I remember one afternoon saying, “Why don’t you guys have a date night?” which was met with enthusiasm. Anytime there was a comment about running to the store or going for coffee I piped up with a “go ahead I’ve got him,” with a big smile on my face. I loved my solo time with my wee fella.

Well, we are going back next month – lets just say I am ready to snuggle that boy again. This time he will get to meet his Poppa (grandfather) since hubby was sick and had to cancel last time. I am excited to see hubby with the baby grandson.

Now I come to the conflict referenced above. My kids have managed to live across the country from each other! One is in Phoenix, one is in Orlando. Could they have made it any harder on me? Although I will say my daughter moving from So Cal to Phoenix helped the dilemma a bit. Still it’s 2000+ miles to the others.

I told hubby when he retires I want to move halfway between them, which according to google maps is Rexville TX. Ready…its a ghost town! A crossroads location with about four houses.

Uh, no.

Charlie dressed to dance

So I’m here and keeping the credit cards paid off so I can travel, and taking every opportunity to see my Phoenix grandson. Yep, two grandsons.

Cheers!

-N

Great Place for Pottery

Are you in Tucson and looking to replace some of the pots your plants are in? Head over to Pottery Fiesta. They have two locations, one on Old Nogales Hwy and the other on Oracle Rd in Catalina.

It is worth the trip to get this quality product.

I have a huge ZZ plant that was ready to bust out of its pot, so I had something specific in mind for it. I headed over to the Catalina location and found the area where they keep the discounted pots. They had a nice selection of sizes and colors, and I found just what I needed for 60% off!!

I got a tray for it at 10% off and I was ready to transplant. Here is a pic of the pre-transplant ZZ plant, very majestic and obviously filling the pot.

With this big pot we had to use a lot of soil to fill the bottom ½ and have plenty of room to set the plant inside and cover it well. I was able to break off part of it for baby plant, and that’s so cool.

 

 

I’m sitting next to it to show a size perspective.  It is a great looking plant and can grow for quite awhile in its new space.

Here is the baby.

Cheers!
-N

Just shut up

People who have no real knowledge of what the regular hardworking population deal with, vomit their opinions about what a paycheck to paycheck worker can do to improve their lifestyle and tell people how to have success.

Shut it!

If paying off a $200,000 mortgage doesn’t make a big dent in your bank account, then you have no business representing me.

$100 extra a month can influence what I spend on groceries and gas. I spend time every day looking, unsuccessfully, for work from home opportunities to supplement my Social Security check. If hubby and I want to make major home improvements, take a trip to Orlando to see my new grandson, get car/truck repairs done or a myriad of other pricy things we either don’t or we go into debt.

We are not unique.

There are multitudes who are in the same boat. My problem is with the individuals who “represent” us who have no idea what we truly deal with. It’s obvious. Also, as part of the aging population my value as a worker is disregarded by a younger work population. My skills, experience, knowledge and desire carry no weight.

So just shut up.

-N

Christmas Cheer

My hubby and I had to make a quick run to the Fry’s grocery in Oro Valley to get some tamale supplies, and as we were leaving we heard the bell ringer out front along with another sound, the sound of brass instruments warming up.

I told hubby to go ahead and take the bags to the car while I investigated.

Bell ringer

I took this pic of our bell ringer who, despite the mask, was joyful and full of cheer as she greeted me.

Across from her sat this group of fine gentlemen musicians warming up and preparing to bring cheer to the harried shoppers.

Musicians

They are a group called Dulce and this is what their name means:

Dulce

As hubby and I got into our vehicle we heard the cheery sound of four brass instruments filling the air with “Joy To the World.”

Cheers!

-N

Christmas Decorations and Cooking

I’m not decorating for the holidays as I have in the past. It’s not because I have lost my Christmas spirit, but because it will be just hubby and I here, and our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day will be spent at my daughter’s place in Phoenix. Our grandson is there and the celebrating will go on in her house.

My son and his wife are in Florida so they are also doing their own thing as they wait for the arrival of my second grandson.

“A Christmas Carol”

If we were going to host a gathering I would jump on the decorating bandwagon, but it’s just not worth it to me. I have a few special things I love that I will set up: my Byers Choice “A Christmas Carol” carolers. I asked hubby to put up a few lights around the front porch, and I put out my holiday dishware and serving ware.

The Family Tree

Since I wrote the previous, my husband found a few boxes of Christmas decorations that belonged to his parents. After their passing we went to Reno and cleared out a storage area of things of theirs. This Christmas tree and these decorations were part of it. We now have a precious little tree decorated with ornaments gathered over their 50+ year marriage.

An important part of the holidays of southern Arizona is the making of tamales. One thing to note about Mexican food is the food is distinct to the region. It is my personal opinion – but there is no better Mexican food than Sonoran. You may have a different opinion but you are wrong.

REAL food doesn’t have orange cheese, it is only white crumbled cows cheese that comes from Sonora, Mexico. It is always fresh, and the ingredients blend well, not disguised by cumin and chili powder! Also our Christmas tamales have a green pimento olive inside that represent the baby Jesus.

So, when you enter a grocery store anywhere in southern Arizona at Christmas you will find a display like this:

Cheers!

-N

 

Debt and a book update

I told my husband I was going to email Bill Gates and tell him if he wrote me a check for $150k it would get us out of debt. On our own it will be years before that happens and I figured Gates wouldn’t even notice the cash was gone.

Consider: $150,000 vs $136,500,000,000.

My biggest problem is finding a way to contact him directly. Any of you know his email or cell phone number for a text? I hear he is philanthropic.

I  have an update on my contemporary fiction “Anchor Bay”. I reached a stopping point, where my research and information, leaning heavily toward law enforcement details (I have a wonderful friend, a retired Lieutenant in the Tucson Police Department who provides information,) where things stalled. I needed that scene, the pivotal scene, the driver that would push the plot forward.

To my joy, I found it in my notes from months ago. A random interaction described as a possible scene, which worked perfect  in this place. A strong plot and character development scene. WOO HOO!!

Cheers!

-N

How Publishers Can Make A Difference

If you are like me you love an actual printed book, however I don’t want it if trees are being destroyed and the process is producing and dumping waste. Check out this article about positive efforts in publishing.

Cheers!

-N

https://www.greenmatters.com/news/2017/09/15/1vvQRq/publishing-sustainable

A New Family Member

Most of the time hubby and I have had two dogs.

There is a specific reason for this besides the obvious social advantage for the dogs together. We make sure they are not the same age, a strategic move for us, so that when the oldest dog leaves us, we have the other dog to comfort ourselves with after the loss of the older dog. It has been a good plan for us.

We have had only our precious Millie since she came to us as a puppy. Well it is time to introduce all of you fine followers to Fred.

Fred The Pupster Vaughn

He is a mix of Great Pyrenees and Anatolian Mountain Dog with some hound. He is learning well to be here with us; you know all that puppy training stuff.

Just  like we have done in the past he is being crate trained and he is adapting very well. This in the crate pic was taken after a couple of hours of running around the yard with Millie. 

Crate Training

They are six years apart in age so we are confident in the knowledge that when it is Millie’s time to go 😢 we, Fred, hubby and I will be good comfort for each other.

They are already fun friends and Millie is a stellar big sister to him. He is learning about crates, doing potty outside, and returning the

Millie and Fred

neighborhood barks, although the first time he heard her big bad German Shepherd bark it freaked him out 🤣.

But after a time he settled down.

So, that is the introduction to our new baby. Oh…the cat is pissed😆!

Cheers!

-N