Whew…

(I thought life was supposed to slow down when you retired…)

Jumped out of the bed this morning at 7:30 (horrors – I usually sleep until 8:30 or 9:00). I had an appointment to get my hair cut at 9:00 and I really didn’t want to miss it. The stylist is a recommendation from someone at church and I liked her very much.

When we were moving out here, I remember my cousin Anne saying she didn’t want to move because she just couldn’t bear having to find a new hairdresser. She thought she would rather change doctors than try to find someone new to cut her hair.

I laughed at her.

I apologize.

I feel her pain.

We’ve been here 14 months and this was the 5th person I’ve had try to cut my hair like I wanted it.

I think she did an okay job.

We’ll see how it holds up after it’s washed.

I had no sooner gotten home than it was time to go to the Knitting Club here at Tobey Jones. I’m trying to get the sleeves of a sweater done before it turns cool enough to need it. I should be okay, but I’m pretty bored with the pattern since I’ve used it on the back and both fronts. Thank goodness I decided to do drop sleeves, so I don’t have to worry about the extra 6-8 inches raglan or cap sleeves take.

Then Big Al and I went to lunch at Silk Thai – our favorite Thai restaurant. We’ve neglected them the past couple of months and they were feeling a little bereft without us visiting them.

We got home in time to go to Happy Hour at the Garden Apartments. It’s also been a while since we’ve been over there, and it was good to see everybody and catch up on the news. There are a lot of new residents there since we moved, so it was good to remind ourselves who lived where, etc.

We watched “Jack Reacher” last night, and I was pleasantly surprised. The dialogue was pretty true to the books and Tom Cruise did a very good job as Reacher. BUT, it still suffered from his size. The fight scenes were less believable since he is (comparatively) so slight. But it was a nice way to spend the evening.

Now if I can only get Big Al to take me to see “The Butler.”

Not My Fault…

I know, I didn’t get a blog posted yesterday, but it really wasn’t my fault. I came home after doing Tai Chi, and playing bridge, to find my computer had been attacked by nasty something. It was a Trojan of some sort which set about scanning and reporting all kinds of malware. When I tried to go to Microsoft Security Essentials or Malwarebytes to confirm the scan, I found they had both been erased. Of course, I immediately called Bill and he spent several hours last night cleaning the hard drive. Then this morning, I spent several more hours running a couple of scans and finding more evidence of nastiness. I think we got it all (I hope.)

This afternoon, Big Al and I went to see Hyde Park on Hudson. I highly recommend it!

Now, the computer is behaving oddly again, so I’m signing off to run another scan. 😦

Easing back into a routine after the holidays

Yesterday, I started easing back into my exercise routine that was first interrupted by my trip to Louisiana in early November, and later sabotaged by Thanksgiving, cold weather, and Christmas.

For the early part of the fall I tried to spend some time every day in the Wellness Center. There is an exercise room with all kinds of exercise equipment, including treadmills, weight machines, and ellipticals. I try to hit the machine room on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I particularly like the seated stepper that works both arms and legs. Before I left in November, I was able to do a mile and a half in about a half an hour. I find, now, that I’m back to doing a mile in that length of time, but I’ll gradually work back up. It’s a good aerobic workout, which is what I need in my current state of couch potato-ness.

On Tuesday and Thursday, I take Tai Chi. I took Tai Chi many, many, many, many, many years ago, but I’ve found that a lot of it comes back to me. I really like it because it helps with centering myself, and staying aware of my body and what needs to be worked on (everything!). I was in the beginner class through the fall, and I’m going to try to move up to the more advance class. I’ll probably still go to the beginners class for the exercise, and observe and gradually work into the more advanced class. It’s great for balance, joint suppleness, and keeping stretched out in this cold, damp weather.

On Tuesday afternoons, we play bridge here in the Garden Apartments. When we move over to the duplexes we’ll probably continue to come back here for our weekly game. There’s also a game on Mondays and Thursdays at the Senior Center in town. We haven’t started attending that yet, but we may later. They run a bus over there, so we could go even it the weather is bad and we don’t want to drive.

On Wednesday evenings, I go to Centering Prayer group at Bethany Presbyterian Church. I’ve been really lax about keeping up with my praying in color and other spiritual disciplines that I had begun to develop in Dallas. I hope to get back to coloring when I finally get a desk that I can work at. My desk right now is only a holder for my monitors with a pull-out keyboard drawer, so I really don’t have any room to draw, color, or write.

Of course, we go to church on Sunday mornings, and I led a course on Sunday evenings on the Beatitudes this fall. I’m going to try to get up early enough to start going to Sunday School before church because they’ve asked me to teach a series from this year’s PW Horizon’s on “Letters to God’s Household” (First and Second Peter, First, Second, and Third John, and Jude.) That will happen after Easter until the end of school.

There are always trips to various places around the area, and “talks” by people from the colleges and universities on topics of interest. Once a month the Tacoma Historical Society presents a program on some tidbit of information about the local area. In a couple of weeks they will take a bus to an afternoon matinee of the movie “Hyde Park on Hudson”. There’s also a “Lunch Bunch” that takes the bus to an interesting restaurant in the area once a month or so. Tomorrow, we’re going to Gateway Cottage – it’s supposed to be a really nice “Tea Room” that serves lunches.

We had the guy from the movers in this morning to give us an estimate on how much it will cost to move us across the campus. It’ll be pricey, but at least we won’t have to schlep it ourselves.

Life moves on!

All about ME!

(Those of you wanting pictures and warm fuzzies can quit reading right now. I didn’t make up these questions…)

What do you think are your three best qualities?

1. Intelligence
2. Forthrightness
3. Honesty

What do you think are your three worst qualities?

1. Pride
2. Aggressiveness
3. Bluntness

And when you think about it, it just depends on whether you like what I’m saying or dislike what I’m saying whether you think the same thing is Best or Worst!

What do you think you have the most of: talent, intelligence, education, or persistence? I have the most intelligence.

How has it helped you in your life? – From the exalted age of 67 years, I’m not sure my intelligence has really helped me all that much. I never HAD to work at grades so I didn’t study. I know a lot of people think I’m a “know-it-all” because I usually DO know the answer to most questions, but that doesn’t necessarily endear me to others.

Do you have any special sayings or expressions? – Probably too many to list.

1. When I agree with someone hoping for something, I say “From your mouth to God’s ears.”
2. “Oh, please,” when I disagree or think someone is being overly sure of themselves.
3. “Quack” when the Oregon Ducks score in football.

What’s your favorite book and why? – I’ve got so many favorites it’s hard to pick just one. I love “Gone with the Wind”  probably because it was the first “adult” novel I ever read. I also adore “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy  , partly because it’s a great story dealing with wonderful, eternal themes of courage, and perseverance, and friendship, and honor, and partly because Tolkien drew from the countryside around Oxford and it makes me homesick for the Cotswolds whenever I read it (how’s THAT for a sentence – parse THAT if you will). I also love the novels by Elizabeth Goudge, most of which are out of print now.  She treats her characters, with all their flaws, with love and compassion. And for light reading I love the mysteries of Tony Hillerman, and the novels and mysteries of Father Greeley. I always feel like I accidentally learn something from them in and around the edges of a great story.

What’s your favorite movie and why? – I love “Gone with the Wind”  (see above), and “The Lord of the Rings”   (again, see above). In a more current vein, I liked “The Help”  – I thought it was true to the book. The book made me uncomfortable – convicted me – but I appreciated the look at history. I know there are some people who disliked both the movie and the book because they felt like a white woman couldn’t tell the story of the black women in the 1960s, but I thought it rang true to what I knew in Arkansas during that time. I also love “The Blind Side”.  Probably the same people who disliked “The Help” disliked “The Blind Side” for the same reasons, but I appreciated the story of hope and redemption told there.