I'm Thinking…No!

Particularly in this pandemic year, when life is abnormal anyway, with all of the added stress and worry about getting together or not, getting gifts to the right destinations, and remaining safely sequestered through the holidays, to say nothing about sending and receiving Christmas cards and yearly communications, watching “Muppet Christmas Carol” and “Holiday Inn” yet again, it’s time to regroup, take a deep breath, and resume sleeping nights.

Continue reading “Post-holiday Letdown 2021”

We as Americans are so sorry that you, citizens of the world, had to witness the spectacle of our electoral process under fire, and more importantly that you had to see Americans whose behavior is completely unacceptable.  That’s what it was, people completely out of control, an unbridled mob.  Completely unacceptable and contemptible.  

Continue reading “An Apology to the World”

Yes, yes, I know, we all make them.  Most of us break them.  We start out with the best of intentions. This will be the breakthrough year that we follow up and through.  Until some moment in January, when, as the carol, “In The Bleak Midwinter” suggests, so too goes our willpower, our resolve, and our determination.  Some of our loftier ambitions, to be totally honest, dissolve somewhere between Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve.  For example, I’m cutting back on sweets.  But wait, there are still some Christmas cookies to be . . . . .  I’m going to get more exercise . . . . . but wait, it’s rather chilly and windy outside today and I might hit an ice patch.  Better take the car to fetch the mail.  It might be warmer tomorrow and I can start then.

Continue reading “New Year’s Resolutions: Aiming High”

Yes, ladies and gentlemen.  Today is the day, and we’re bringing you moment by moment events of the great Christmas Cookie Bake, 2020.  It’s as if you are right here, watching the excitement from your homes.  We’re taking you into the tent with Paul and Pru. The lists of possibilities has been pared down to only the eight or ten favorites.  

Continue reading “Great Christmas Cookie Bake 2020”

This is a big item in many households.  Her Ladyship grew up in a climate of, shall we say, “heightened anticipation” about gift giving, both Christmas and birthday.  In our house, my brother was the investigator, leading to the nickname, “Snoopy” and my mother placing his Christmas presents at a neighbor’s house almost until Christmas eve.  Otherwise, it was certain that he’d find them.  He got it from our grandfather, who, as I mentioned in a previous blog, emerged several days ahead of Christmas from their bedroom closet wearing the gloves and reading the book my grandmother was giving him.  

Continue reading “Christmas Gift Surprises”

Or, we might call this, “new adventures in shopping.”  For those readers not familiar with our dear friend, Lady Peacock, or as she’s known to her closest friends, the Duchess of Cadbury, (we just call her “mum” in casual settings), I would recommend an introduction.  You’ll get just a taste in previous blogs, “A Trip to Remember”, “In Quarantine”, “A Diet in Action”, and my personal favorite, “Snacks Without Borders”.  

Continue reading “Lady Peacock Buys a Car”

Black Friday has now morphed into Cyber Monday – in fact let’s not limit ourselves to one day.  Retailers began their sales marketing long about Columbus Day, so the festivities haven’t really crept up on us.  The last two weeks of November and well into mid-December continue to be a feeding frenzy of shopping.  The experts tell us that the holidays represent upwards of 60% of all retail shopping.  I’d believe that.  We had three deliveries just the other day alone, with lots more confirmation emails coming in hourly.  

Continue reading “More Thoughts on Black Friday and Cyber Whatever”

Particularly this year, when we may not all be able to meet in person, share a meal, and enjoy family and friends, it’s more important than ever to keep thoughts of our past traditions and fond memories at the surface of our day. All of us have tales of Thanksgivings past that cause us to smile as we recall the warm memories of the holidays.  I repost here some that are my favorites.

Continue reading “A Day of Thanksgiving – Fond Memories”

As you know, I’ve written extensively, perhaps more than my readers want or need to read, about the grocery shopping experience.  Pre-pandemic, I’d go two, three, perhaps four times a week to collect what we needed. Much of that travel reflected a general lack of planning, but I prefer to think of it as spontaneity.  We’d decide in the morning what we felt like having for dinner.  Particularly during Herself’s confinement to the house during her recovery, we transitioned to curbside take-out along the way.  That made Princess Anxiety happier that interaction with the outside world was reduced to, well, nothing.  The exception to that being her daily afternoon run to Starbucks.

Continue reading “The New Era of Grocery Shopping”

People create their own happiness . . . . or not as they so choose.  I firmly believe that, in most cases, if you’re not enjoying life, it’s because a) your expectations are too high, or b) you’re not looking for it in right places.  

Continue reading “Happiness is What You Make It”