Am I really that dirty?

OK it’s probably more of a “she has everything” syndrome, but this Christmas was particularly rich in the gifting of bath soaps, bubbles, balls, gels and the like. If I don’t count the refill on my favorite bath gel that my older son finally remembered – yeah – I got various bath supplies from three different people.

Not complaining as have already used a couple and only the best of the best, still one does wonder if I have some kind of apparent smudges, body odor or other reasons that would bring most of my family and friends to gift me with bath supplies.

Ah, ha, it now dawns on me that many know that in the winter I do adore a good, long, hot bath. So they will all get used before next Christmas!

The grandmother calendar or…

I’ve finally made it.

The birth of one’s first grandchild is an indescribable event.

The only present I truly wanted for Christmas was photo evidence of this miracle in my

Life – and I got it!

It hangs downstairs where I see it not only first thing in the morning but several times throughout the day. 12 months to enjoy seeing him grow from 0 – 7 months!

And yes, I was good – no sneak peaking – yet - not sure how long I will be able to hold out though so all bets are off.

New beginnings and all that….

Why do we automatically presume that we must make New Years’

Resolutions, never mind, keep them? Especially as most of us don’t even manage

to master those daily lists.

Still a new year, and now a new decade do call us to reflect and perhaps give some

consideration to what we would like, if not need, to change in our lives.

Yesterday I did make a start, not on any list of resolutions, but simply put it into my

head that 2020 will see me continuing something I started two years ago, ie throw out one item a day, and two, not save the good stuff, be it clothes, plates, furniture, expensive

towels or sheets. Our lives are finite: why purchase things with the vague plan of using them “someday”?

To those I’ll add something I try to consciously do in my daily life: people are more important than things, having coffee, lunch, a drink, dinner with a friend beats anything else. One needs to listen to that inner voice and stop and listen when someone needs us.

After all, cleaning just needs re-doing!

Cheers to all and may this decade be your best!

OK where was that list?

Do you have Agerasia?

I hope I do!

Ah, nothing like broadening one’s knowledge of vocabulary. It sounds kind of like a disease, but if so, I sincerely hope that I have it. Agerasia that is.

Today’s A-Word-A-Day (https://wordsmith.org/awad/ do join), is obviously no longer widely used nor even known. However it did have its’ origins way back in the early 1700s and is something that we all aspire to: not looking our age as in looking younger than one’s age. They also included a handy way of finding out if one qualifies: (calculate it) I qualify, but could lower it even more if I would eat more fruit and be a vegetarian.

Enjoy and I hope that you have it as well!

Always good for the morale on what has turned out to be a very gray and dreary day on the climate front. And a Monday at that.  Good thing my weekend was lovely!

Two packages of chips, or

A vegan lunch on a German train!

OK so by now I should know better and mostly I always have some chocolate and some nuts with me – as I did this time. However, I also had memories of wonderful lunches in the German trains and as they had posted the fact that there was a restaurant car, we decided to “dine at leisure” and didn’t buy anything during the changeover in Basel.

Big mistake!

First of all, they had a reduced menu card – due to “technical” reasons – now that just about covers everything doesn’t it. There were two vegetarian options, ie cheese sandwiches that came straight out of plastic to be re-heated on their small grill and the same with vegetables. For my son, who is vegan, there was literally nothing, if one discounts the potato chips. He had two and as he is big I am sure that his stomach was rumbling the rest of the ride.

Fortunately that night we were going out with a couple of the nephews. Pickings for vegans were slim – and according to him – not that tasty. Still he could get food.

This is where the older me says “oh for the good ‘ol days”. 

Sunday decadence

It was an extraordinary Sunday, first of all in that I was actually at home and had no meetings, coffees, lunches nor social events planned.

I caught up on the wash; took pictures of the whole house (just another of those projects of which I seem to have a never-ending supply); went next door and caught up with the neighbors. I also actually had breakfast and lunch at home (rather unheard of in my current life) then did decide that we all deserved a treat so headed up to the local bakery and bought “goodies”.

My former housemate and her husband are currently here as their place was flooded in the major storm we had in July – good enough excuse for me!

I divvied everything up into threes, made my coffee and had it outside on my terrace, all the while reading one of my out-of-date magazines so that I can pass it on later this week.

The sweets were truly decadent! It was a very good Sunday indeed.

choclatemousse + St. Honoré

Apple pie

My share of the three goodies

“Wake up sleepy Sally…”

This morning I woke up first too early/late for that night trip to the bathroom, which lead to my abrupt awakening at 7:40 (rather unheard of for me, but as I had no morning appointments I hadn’t turned on the alarm) and a bit of morning sluggishness, normally not me at all.

As I stumbled half-awake down the stairs towards the kitchen and a ritual of honey, lemon juice and warm water, the old song “wake up sleepy Sally” ran through me head.

Why do these bits and pieces of old songs or phrases come to the fore of our minds?

What triggers them? Why do we even still have them in our memory banks? OK so it turns out it was “Wake up little Susie” by the Everly Brothers and not what my mind produced. Or was it “Wake up sleepy Jean” by the Monkees?  Susie???? Who knows – the mind is a wondrous thing.

I was only 20 minutes late for my coffee. And I did finally “wake up” , regardless of Sally or Jean.

my sleepy cats