Escape

The storm arrived and the winds blew, the house shook and I kept thinking someone was trying to come in as the teeming rains pelted an awesome drumming to keep me awake every hour on the hour. I love a good storm but appreciate it more in the daytime so I can watch it in all its glory. This night time storming is fine but only if you can sleep through it. We have more moving in so it will be a week of clearing, a bit of sunshine and then the squalls that take your breath away. The bushes and plants are beginning to look alive again as January creeps out and February comes in with its surprises. Valentines are out on display. Boxes and bags of candy, extra large candy bars on sale , something for everyone, and I will be giving it all up sweets for lent and have to start my mind set to thinking 'blobs of lard' as I look at all deserts. It works, after a week I don't even care if the boxes are heart shaped or not. Sounds good, doesn't it? But, alas, I am invited out for lunch at the Tea Room today and I will be ordering a dainty cup of soup, and their cups are dainty, with a quarter round of bread but only to save calories so I can choose a piece of pie. I'm not sure who the baker is up at the Tea Room but I have to say she is the best pie maker in town. Her cakes are terrific too, but her pies are to 'die' for. A good thing lent hasn't started. It will be a last hurrah for awhile as I work toward that day when someone does look at me and say 'Jean, you are wasting away." . . . fat chance! not in this lifetime, but my body parts are still working and even though 'thin is in', I can't help thinking of how hard I worked to get into this shape. What is that saying, "you are in good shape for the shape you're in". I'll buy that.

I thought this political cartoon hit the nail on the head. It has more truth than humor in it. I had one e-mail this morning that spelled out the history of Social Security and how it came into existence and what it was meant to be, not what it has become thanks to our politicians who changed laws to get their paws on a treasure they spent like water trickling in a stream. On the other hand, I received a e-mail showing the art of master artists we never heard of. The pictures were unbelievable, so rich in color, and the faces so beautiful. I will give the computer wizards a big thank you for enabling all of this history and beauty to be at our fingertips. My arm chair travels savor my keen desire to travel to the far reaches of our world. Just a trip around our own country is worth the effort as each state has something special and beautiful to offer.

So today, if you can hop a bus and check your town out first. I bet you will be surprised why so many tourists find their way to your doorstep. Our visiting bears have gone back into hibernation, hopefully to be resurrected again and brought back for another look-see. The Art Walk continues each second Saturday and we have some wonderful galleries to poke our nose into. I think our favorite place to browse is the big Antique Mall which houses fabulous yester-year mementos and, for me, a myriad of memories as I see so many 'things' I threw or gave away. It is a rainy day today, um . . . a trip to the antique store might just be in order . . . drat! I have a puzzle going and it fills my dining room table, guess I better stick with it and see if I can finish it soon.

Make your day a good one, finish up a long project, start a new one, walk out and about and see what you can see in your corner of the world. Enjoy the day, rain or shine, and give yourself a 'time out',and oh, consider yourself hugged . . . I just thought of you.