At the YMCA
LOCKER ROOM
“How was your music lesson today?”
“Good. I had fun. I love to sing.”
“That’s good. Your mommy will be happy to hear that. We have your swimming lesson finished now, so let’s get your leotard and Tutu on and get ready for your dance lesson.”
“Yay! I’m ready.”
“You certainly are honey. You will be a pro at everything before your sixth birthday!”
In The gym Locker Room
Lady #1 “So you are not going camping with your family this weekend then?”
Lady #2 “No. we are going to postpone it.”
Lady #1 “Well then, can we expect to see you at church this Sunday then? No one is keeping track, but it has been a few weeks dear.”
Lady #2 “You just may.”
Lady #1 “Well I will let the good Lord know that you said maybe.”
Lady #2 “You do that.”
I spent three hours at the nail salon yesterday.
I thought it would be a nice relaxing visit.
I was wrong.
Man talking to the lady giving him his pedicure:
“I went to school with the lady but never met her. Found her in my year book though. We had a virtual high school reunion a while back and got to talking. I flew here to meet. We are going out tonight, which is why I’m getting my feet in shape.”
Lady: “So nice. You will have a good time. You going to move here?”
Man: “I don’t know. I have been in Tampa, Florida for thirty years now.”
Me: “Tampa is beautiful. I was just down there visiting my mom a few months ago.”
Man: “Where does your mom live?”
Me:” St Pete. I took my kids to Tampa to site see. We went to the aquarium and the battle ship. And I was able to point out those mega mansions over on the island. That is where the Buccaneers live, supposedly.”
Man: “Yes, my neighbors. I live on that island.”
Lady working on his feet: “So you have mansion too?”
Man: “I did well for myself. Retired five years ago and mostly travel now.”
Lady:”Maybe you will marry this lady you went to high school with and you bring her to your mansion. Or you sell and move here to be with her.”
Me:”Don’t sell your house. If it works out with your friend, she will want to move there.”
Then we all laughed.
Two very loud women walk in with a little boy.
Lady 1: “Is there someone in this joint to fix my dam* nail?”
Worker: “You sit and we take care of you in a bit.”
Lady 2: “I want a gel set!”
Worker: “You sit too.”
Lady 2:”This candy free?”
Opens container on the counter to take a full size Twix candy bar out to give to her grandson.”
Worker: “No $1 for candy.”
Lady 1: “Nah, it’s free. Where’s the dam* remote control. No one wants to listen to The Voice in here!”
Turns to the row where I’m soaking my feet.-
“You wanna listen to the Voice?”
Me:”I don’t care what’s on.”
Lady 1: “Okay, let’s put my password in and hook up Philo. There. Imma gonna leave my information in your TV so you can have something good playing.”
Lady doing the man next to me feet- “Sorry”
Man: “They are not from here I bet.”
Little boy runs up to where we are sitting and says hello.
Both ladies scold him.
Lady 1 to boy:”I know you miss your mom baby, but she’s dead and never coming back.”
Me: “What???”
Lady 2: “His mom killed herself a few months back. Drugs. My oldest son Is doing the best he can.
Moved here to get away from the drama.”
Me: “New York?”
Ladies: “How’d you know. I’d move back in a hot minute, but our two bedroom that was only $1500 a month in 2020, went up to $2800 a month. Hate this place! Mainly the schools. They don’t let you fight it out like back home.”
Lady 2’s phone rings.
“What the H*** do you want me to do about it? Let them fight!”
Lady 2 ends the call.
Lady 1: “The school again?”
Lady 2: “Yeah. Just let them fight. What a bunch of sappy whimps they have at these schools down here.”
Lady 1 to Lady 2: “Are we getting drunk tonight or should we wait until Saturday again?”
Lady 2: “ I think we should wait until Saturday, but start earlier then last week because I was still hung over last Sunday at church. Don’t remember anything the preacher talked about.”
Lady 1: “You didn’t miss much. They mostly talked about giving. They took money for the building fund. I was asking what building fund? It’s a new church. But you know who, told me that you should always tithe to a fund so the preacher can’t get his hands on it.”
Lady 2: “Truth right there. I tell you it’s culture shock down here. I just hate it!”
Lady 2: “That’s my phone again. The school. Leave me the H*** alone!”
Lady 1: “ You are too nice. Forget about our nails, let’s go to the school and get him. Let me talk to the teacher and principal and straighten them out. Kids need to learn to fight it out for themselves.”
Lady 2 turns to me: “What do you think? Also, where you from? New York too?”
Me: “I’m From Massachusetts.” “Is he in high school?”
Lady 1: “No. across the street right over there. Middle school.”
Me: “ So fighting in middle school?”
Lady 2: “This one boy called my son a N**** and then spit on his Nikes.”
Lady 1: “So her son punched him and he gets suspended!” “Let’s leave right now so I can go take care of this once and for all!”
Ladies and little boy get up and say they will be back in a hour.
Workers all apologized to the rest of us, as the ladies that left kept cussing, too.
Then one changed the TV back to The Voice.
Or maybe 2020 again? Can I stay home and do nothing please? What happen to my slow living journey? I want it back. Oh yes, life! 😅
My daughters wedding is in less then two months away. The wedding shower is a month a way. So much planning is involved, and I want it to be perfect. It will not be Pinterest perfect, because that is out of my means, but I’d at least like it to be something that takes her breath away.
Honestly though, I had no idea how much goes into an actually one hundred guest wedding. Who knew? I certainly did not. And when I think about other countries wedding customs and partying for a week straight, it’s exhausting to think about. Slow living will do that to anyone. You get use to taking it slow and easy. Handling one thing at a time. Slowly. Carefree.
Next week we will be moving my daughters things into her new house. The house closes next week. And they really did get the house of their dreams. It is just perfect.
There are so many changes happening at once and I thing I’m going a bit stir crazy. I really want to have a couple weeks of not leaving the house or working. I guess this is what happens in mid-life.
Actually, I take that back. While it’s not empty yet, I see the next five years, and while most people who become empty nesters look forward to a life of going here and there. Perhaps doing everything they had put on the back burner to raise a family…
Ha! No thank you. I do not care about going here or there. I’ve found my contentment in life.
Currently, I just don’t want to leave the house. I want to do, well, nothing. Maybe doing nothing would get boring after a few months, but I’m up for the challenge.
I always assumed that life would become easier when my kids got older. It doesn’t! It just gets busier. Life was easier when all the kids were younger. Go figure?!
I think it could do with my midlife lack of energy. I feel my energy levels dwindling by the month. Having to still cook so much, I’ve managed to get off Keto again and I’m guessing that is making my mind grouchy and foggy.
It really sucks! And when we are home, all I want to do is sleep, because quality sleep seems like a luxury my age.
Okay, I guess my semi-rant is over. I’m just so tired and don’t want to burden anyone with my feelings.
Thrift Store Conversation:
Black lady to Hispanic Lady:
“You are not planning on styling that together are you? Looks awful! Here, move over and let me help you. What size are you? You look big boned. Extra Large perhaps? What about something like this? If you are going to come to the states to live, at least learn how to dress.”
Hispanic lady remained quiet and shook her head yes and no, when the rude stranger was holding things up to her.
Several isles over-
Twenty something gal to her, I’m assuming, Gay Best Friend:
“None of these dresses fit because my chest is too large! At this point I’m going to show up as a guest with nothing on at all.”
Best Friend: “There is a procedure for that. Get rid of those atrocious things! And please keep your clothes on. No one wants to see all of that.”
Super Market-
Cashier to the lady in front of me: “ I’m sorry we do not take that old money.”
Customer: “These are silver dollars and half dollars.”
Customer: “Let me speak to the manager.”
Cashier: “Yeah. But no, I’m sorry.”
Cashier called manager over.
Manger:”I’m sorry ma’am, we do not take coin dollars, or half dollars.”
Customer: “But this is all the money I have.”
Manager: “Sorry. We can hold your food for you if you want to come back.”
Customer to Manager shared sone choice words, and then left empty handed.
Written a while back but just posting now.
I woke up in such a better mood then I have been this past week.
I was praying last night before I fell a sleep for peace of mind.
This morning I felt the urge to start the book of Ecclesiastes.
I just read the whole book in one sitting.
This time in the Contemporary English translation; that is not word for word, but phrase by phrase. I am still a KJV reader, but I had never heard of the CET, and wanted to see how it read.
What I was reminded of, is nothing is new just forgotten.
And the more we know, the more we suffer.
Hence, why I stay away from certain platforms and broadcasts.
It made me start thinking about a documentary that I bypassed a few months ago while channel
surfing. I watched the first few minutes, in shock.
It was about a resort in New York for the more colorful people to party.
I think it was called Cherry Grove. It first opened in the 50’s. I am not sure why, but that shocked me. I guess I have lived a more sheltered life then I thought.
Stuff like that is completely out in the open nowadays, so this is why it appears to be everywhere. Online, TV shows. Each time you leave the house, you are bombarded with all the Notice me! See me! Type of individuals. I truly believe these people just love the shock value.
But, what if it’s not everywhere? What if that is the illusion of it all.
What if it’s just that nothing is new, and it’s just all we notice nowadays because people are loud, and want attention.
Nothing is private. Nothing is shameful.
It appears to all be new, but it is not new. It is just out in the open.
Scripture says that nothing is new, and the more we know, the more we suffer.
Why? Because we have morals and DO feel shame when sin is glorified.
People say we are living in the days of Noah. But I bet we have been in the days of Noah since the fall.
Just thinking out loud today.
Living with Chronic Pain has become so much harder lately. I know, many people live life, on the daily in chronic pain. It’s no wonder we have an opioid pandemic here in the USA. 22% in the USA alone, apparently. With modern medicine the way it is, why do we not have any other choice, other then masking the pain with a pill that tells our brain that we have no pain.
I started feeling pain throughout my body back in 2016. It started after I was diagnosed with thyroid disease. I don’t remember if it’s the hypo or hyper, but it’s the one where it’s nearly impossible to lose weight without starving myself.
That said, since Covid, I had lost 80lbs. Recently, I have gained 10lbs back. It’s very frustrating. Back to carb free living. I will be able to get back on track after the wedding.
For the most part, I suffer silently. The last thing people want to hear about is your pain. Mental, or physical. It has never bothered me personally listening to people share their pain, but I am aware that it’s not a topic people feel comfortable listening too, so I just don’t bring it up. Right up there with Politics, Money, and Religion. Also, topics that I don’t mind hearing people discuss.
I think having worse knee pain then before my knee surgery now, eight months later, along with back pain, I’m just at a point where I’m upset over it. Hence talking about it…
I just joined the gym again last week, and I am trying to force myself to swim and exercise 3x a week. It’s insanely difficult.
The hot tub always feels amazing for body pain (while you are soaking), but they never reopened the steam room, since Covid.
Speaking of Covid. I have had it three times now. All my kids have had it except for one of my daughters, which seems to be immune to it. She’s around it almost on the weekly. Her BF and friends have all had it, and she hangs out with them and just doesn’t catch it. Amazing!
I have recently hung out with someone who had it, and also didn’t catch it.
What else has been happening?
My slow living has for the most part, ceased. Not happy about that at all!
Something else I want to get back on track. I swear the Art of slow living should be a priority for everyone. There is something so life altering about living at a slow pace, doing things unbothered and Unrushed. Living in Slow motion. Maybe it’s because I’m turning fifty this year, but age is beautiful! A realization and feeling that this life is just temporary. Enjoying the grass under your feet. The sun on your face. The bird that flies by. Speaking of birds. I bought a ring that is a hummingbird feeder. I’m on the porch each day waiting for the hummingbirds to trust me. I have so many in the yard, and I know that one day soon, one will trust me enough to hand feed it.
I am Currently reading the book, The Art Of Rest.
Apparently they have this book in all the hotel rooms in Bali.
I was intrigued, so I bought it. It’s just taking me longer to read, due to lack of time that I have to read.
I don’t remember the last day that I didn’t need to leave my house. I long for the olden days… days upon days of being home.
Planning a big wedding has been amazing, and exhausting at the same time. If that makes sense.
I really had no idea what was all involved, having eloped, myself.
Still a huge fan of people eloping I think!
I think it’s because of my lack of organization skills that I once had.
If I was not working from my house and I had a supersized outdoor building I think there would be less chaos, for sure.
Having an online store of five thousand items, is bound to be chaotic. Everything is in bins, but is around me.
Not to mention my three daughters online stores and all of their belongings.. that said,
I would never want a brick and mortar store though. Nothing beats working from home. I just miss things being pretty, and orderly. Once my daughter moves in a couple of months, I will have a free bedroom to use as a work room. I see order in the near future.
Lastly, I plan to get back to funny conversation blogs soon. I have heard some interesting ones lately. And have been involved in many myself. Maybe it’s with age, or just because of how I dress and my goofy smile, but I’m still approached on the daily, while out and about.. I left social media to not have so many peoples conversations in my head space, but they really are all still there. Just in person now. Lol
Living through 3 Generations
This has been on my mind over the past year.
Somewhat exciting, as I’m still alive, but also depressing, as things are changing so fast.
I am reminded that the days are long, but the years are short.
Are we all just more in tune with the rapidly changing world, or did our ancestors also feel this way, but they didn’t voice it.
Personally, I refer to the Good Old Days as growing up in the eighties. Alas’ I am sure the generation before me thinks of their generation as the Good Old Days. And so forth.
The nineties were also good.
Raising kids through y2k was also good, yet this new world that has produced this current generation is not so good. In my opinion of course. Many people think it’s great!
I hear phrases such as, Look how far we gave come. It’s so wonderful! And I silently think, REALLY?
I have now been a mother more then half of my life. My two oldest kids are very different from my three youngest, growing up as Gen Z. They are not as worldly as most, but they are a product of this current, wreck of a world we are all now in.
Times have really changed.
People have changed.
This world has changed.
It has become so foreign to me.
Despite removing myself entirely from social media seven years ago, I see how different this world is, even from seven years ago.
They say that nothing is new and history repeats it self. But having lived through three generations, this has been by far, the worse one yet.
No one cares about anything or anyone.
There is no right or wrong.
Anything goes.
Heck, people do not even know what sex they are.
This new world demands for us all to accept everything and everyone, and yet; it is void of all Love. God is Love.
The demand for acceptance has breeded a world full of hate, confusion, and disorder.
It sometimes makes me sad and depressed to think about, to be honest. But then I am quickly reminded on how it ends. God allows everything to happen for his purpose and glory, so I will continue to praise him in the storm.
Thrift Store
Lady on her cell: “Amen to that sister. Yes, I agree. I also found out who the real Christian’s were during Covid.”
“I had a lady not wanting to hug me because I did not have a mask on. I was like, you get your behind over here and give me a hug girl!”
“Fear. And you know what the word says about fear. I agree. If it’s my time to go, it’s my time to go. I will not walk around in fear. In todays world everyone is so fearful. They don’t want to do this or that. Scared of their own shadow. I’m living my life, not just sitting and waiting to die. You want to to sit and wait to die, go right ahead, but do not insist that the rest of us walk around in zombie land.”
Last Running WW2 Ship American Victory WW2 Ship These notebooks were on the drawer next to the typewriter.
Tampa, Florida 2022
From North to South 