Best Holiday Week--Now I'm Going Fishing December 29, 2012

Best Holiday Week

Now I'm Going Fishing

 

December 29, 2012

 

     It's been such a lovely week, and only week one of my Christmas holidays vacation.  There are still eight more days of vacation before work calls again.  I do hope everyone had a happy Christmas or Hanukkah.

 

     With all the little pleasures of meals and casual evenings with friends and family, I have thoroughly enjoyed this week.  For the past two days I have just enjoyed feeding the birds and squirrels, watching nature from my picture window, and relaxing.

 

      One of my little pleasures was making winter bird feeders to hang in the branches of shrubs near my bird feeder.  Here are the directions, so don't laugh:

 

      Take a toilet tissue roll, coat with creamy peanut butter, roll in birdseed, thread a string or ribbon through the roll, tie a knot, and hang outside for the birds.  You can also just put it through a bare branch like the photo above. Squirrels and birds love these and I am going to continue to make these all winter. 

 

Click here to see how to make the bird feeder. Cute website.

 

     My relaxing involved watching hours and hours of the original version of "Upstairs, Downstairs" on my computer.  Click here to watch one of the episodes.   

 



 

     While I really only listened to the episodes, I spent hours on pinterest.com, read news stories, and played lots of computer card games.  This must be what retirement will be like.  Nice.

 

     Now it's time to go fishing in the park at the riverbank I wrote about weeks ago.  Today, although it is lightly raining, I shall put my fishing tackle in some kind of container, complete with that knife for protection from alligators. 

 

     But first I have to attach a hook and weight to the brand new fishing rod I bought.  I've got to find a way to attach that rubber lure to the hook, because I'm really a salt-water fishing person.

 

     I'm borrowing my neighbor's canvas camping chair, complete with drink holder.  I'm packing a light lunch and a few bottles of water, probably 4 bottles, in case the fish don't bite and I have nothing to do.

 

     Since I want to absorb all the nature in the park, I'll be bringing my camera this time out, and will keep binoculars close at hand. 

 

      But wait, there's more:

 

     Yesterday, while driving through my neighborhood, I saw a turkey vulture (with the red face) feasting on a rather gruesome meal in someone's driveway.  It appeared to be a squirrel, but I'm afraid it was a cat.  Yum-yum.  

 

     Here is a turkey vulture.  Click here to learn more about turkey vultures. Ewwww.

 





 

     So, off I go to commune with nature and torture the fish.  Happy New Year  2013 to everyone.

 

Click here to view my pinterest interests.

 

     

Today's Task: Food Shopping For The Homeless December 22, 2012

Today's Task:  Food Shopping for the Homeless

 

December 22, 2012

 

     Today is the first day of my 14 day holiday vacation.  First joyful task will be to head to Winn Dixie to stock up on canned fruits and vegetables to help feed the homeless.   Winn Dixie, on the corner of Colonial and Bumby Street, really helped me get this job done.  Here is a link to the main Winn Dixie site:

 

Be sure to shop at Winn Dixie grocery stores---they are helpful and generous to our homeless in Central Florida.

 

     In a previous post, I described buying shopping carts full of canned fruits and vegetables to take to the Coalition for the Homeless.  That was way back at Thanksgiving, to help with their Thanksgiving meals.

 

     I'm doing this again because I set that goal:  to do something in a small way to help the helpless and homeless in Orlando.  Have you been able to do something similar?  Here is a video of where I will take the boxes of canned goods:

 

A beautiful video composite of what the Coalition for the Homeless does for others

 

 

      My neighbor and friend who helped me shop last time is not feeling well, so I have asked my son to go with me to shop and deliver today.  It's a very small drop in a very big bucket of need. 

 

 

     Here are the day-to-day needs that the Coalition needs to serve their clients, not just with food:

 



     On a lighter note, I am grateful for what I have and for what I am able to give to my family and friends at this time of giving.  "All you need is love," by John Lennon says it all.  But let's be more global and help provide for those who have nothing but love this Christmas. 

 

     After this task this morning, I'm forcing myself to start work on my taxes.  Ugh.  If I really dedicate myself, I can still have time to go watch those vultures and ibis playing in the park this afternoon.

 



Click this link to see what you need to make for Christmas dinner and all of your parties.



My Christmas Newsletter Is Complete And Totally Nontraditional

 

December 14, 2012

 

 

     It is written, edited, and printed.  This afternoon I will happily visit Office Max and have it printed on Christmas-themed stationery.  Tonight I will enclose a copy in each of the Christmas cards I write to friends and family.

 

      No bragging, no boasting, and no reason to be joked about at the office.  Goal reached!

 

      I simply listed 8 things I learned during this very difficult year past. 

 

     Possibly you could pare down your newsletter to the simple truths you have learned this year also.

 

     Simple Abundance is a great book, written to be read one selection each day for a year.  It has helped to calm my racing mind every night, although I don't follow the format; I open it randomly and read the selection that I turn to.

Try it; it could bring you a new outlook on your daily life.

 

     Here is one item from my newsletter, only the second newsletter I have ever written in my lifetime:

 

     "I have become a better person through rising above unfortunate situations I could not control."

 

     Send a comment with a line from your Christmas newsletter.  What did you write about this year?

 

 

Click here to see my pinterest site.



Sweet 16 Ceremony and Cookie Exchange

 

December 9, 2012

 

 

     Purchased my rod, reel, and tackle to go fishing on Saturday, but never got to the park.  There were too many other events going on this weekend.  I hope this is what retirement will be like.

 

     First, look at the picture above.  I was invited to a good friend's daughter's Sweet 16 celebration.  I'm not calling it a party, because it was more ceremonial than a party.   And the photo came from pinterest, but the tables were just this elaborately decorated.

 

     The room was set up and decorated as elaborately as a formal wedding.  Table linens, linen chair covers, all tied with beautiful red fabric bows.  The centerpieces were four-foot high clear glass vases topped with bouquets of flowers.

 

     Adrienne, the honoree, wore a formal golden gown that could have come from Saks Fifth Avenue.  There was a shoe-changing ceremony.  The father kneels before the seated honoree and changes her flat beautiful shoes to sophisticated fashion heels.  Then the father and daughter shared a dance to "Butterfly Kisses."  We were crying tears of joy for the lovely young girl who was now officially a lovely young woman.  Just like a Bar Mitzvah, the passage into adulthood.

 

     I left after 3 hours but the party went on well toward the stroke of midnight, with dancing and partying for all the family and friends.  How moving and touching to see such love.

 



 

     Today I baked 6 dozen cookies for my neighbor's Christmas cookie exchange party.  It was another lovely, but casually friendly event to remember.  Actually, this is not a photo from the cookie exchange, but those chocolate cookies look exactly like what I baked.  The table was covered in platters and bowls of cookies!

 

     There was even a table for the children to decorate sugar cookies with every icing and sprinkle imaginable.  After stuffing ourselves with the cookies everyone brought, we were able to take home containers of all the cookies people baked with love.  Thank you Breana and Dustin. 

 

     I really don't think that two such moving and love-filled events could replace fishing.  But I'm adding as Number 13, or is it 14, on my list to continue to accept all invitations for friendly get togethers when I retire.  If you don't have nearby relatives, friends are just as good.  Thank you friends, for inviting me to share your fun and friendship.

 

     Tomorrow, back to work.  But I will have such lovely memories of this weekend because of good friends. 

 

     Now, about that fishing, it turns out that I'm not the only one taking up fishing, if only for a few times.  I learned that by being at the cookie exchange this afternoon. 

 

     Click here for ideas for a Christmas cookie exchange party on pinterest.com

 

    

 

     

Tonight I'm Missing My Dog

Tonight I'm Missing My Dog

 

December 7, 2012

 

      Christmas music is playing softly from the radio, yes radio, the Christmas tree is tall, majestic, and smothered in colored lights.  The tiny Christmas tree on the buffet is lit with miniature lights.  The antique oil lamp is lit and flickering nearby.   The miniature Christmas village is on the fireplace mantle. The outside decorations on the porch are lovely, and I miss my dog, Ashley. 

 

      Ashley, a huge fawn-colored racing greyhound I rescued in 2000, left this world in September.  I am overcome with sadness and I am missing her terribly tonight.  I don't have any thoughts of my future retirement or of the fun I will have next year. 

 

      I wander from room to room in my home and wish I could see her watching me from her plush bed in the living room.  That's all I have to write about tonight.  Good night, precious Ashley.

 

There are lots of greyhound photos on one of my pinterest boards.  It's named Animals-Just Animals.  This is what she looked like:

http://www.goldcoastgreyhoundsorlando.com/available.php

 

Be sure to support the adoption of retired racing greyhounds.

 

www.goldcoastgreyhoundsorlando.com

 

 

 

www.pinterest.com/mimihylton

 

 

 

 

 

 



Absolutely Fabulous Thanksgiving November 24, 2012

Absolutely Fabulous Thanksgiving At Last

November 24, 2012

 

     Two days ago you were left wondering if we would ever get to our Thanksgiving dinner.  Both my friend and I decided to go home and take naps to wait on the bird to roast. 

 

     By 5:30 we got the call that all was prepared, and we were expected to arrive right away.  I'm not going to rave on and on about the fabulous decorations, the banquet-sized dining room table, laden with Martha Stewart-worthy decor and dinnerware.

I will include just a small corner of the table here in one photo.  The food had not been set on the table yet.

 

 

 

 

     I will tell you that the center tray, loaded with lit candles, lit the entire dining room.  The dishes full of food and condiments covered every other square inch of this table.  At the other end of the table was yet another huge glass vase full of more Christmas ornaments!  The theme was red and white, with simple red snowflake graphics on the placemats and runner.  The linen napkins were tastefully embossed with a deer, rustic style, and wrapped with silver bells napkin holders.  Totally Southern Living magazine quality. 

 

     The turkey was done to perfection and the few dishes of food we brought were squeezed onto the table somehow.  The chef was our guest's good friend, and outdid the finest restaurant chef.  Our host was impeccable in his catering to our every need. 

 

     All in all (until I get more photos to prove it) this was the most beautiful and delicious Thanksgiving meal I've ever had.  But wait, there's more.

 

     The four of us spent hours at the table having the best time just enjoying funny conversations and appreciating our blessings.  I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, too. 

 

      As for Black Friday, had to mention that, I used part of the day to remove my fall wreath and replace it with the Christmas wreath.  Then my neighbor and friend supervised me while I made a pinterest-inspired Christmas tree for the front porch.  However, I had to go borrow my neighbor across the street to plug in the extension cord which is at the peak of the roof of my 1950s porch.  It all happened within 30 minutes. 

 

       How did I do that?  With a very well-used tomato cage and a string of Christmas lights wrapped around it.  Of course the cage was upside down and the four wires that would normally go in the ground were wrapped with clear tape to make the pointed top to the tree.  So last night, Christmas officially started to crank up at my house.   It was beautiful to see just the lights shining last night.

 

     Here is the photo from pinterest.com.  It is so beautiful at night because the cage seems to disappear and you only see the lights.

 



 

     So, as the video says, "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!"  (I'll try to post more photos tonight, when I edit this.)  Now go bake some sugar cookies. 

 

      www.pinterest.com/mimihylton