Grouse and no, it’s not only a bird

A-Word-a-day, one of my all-time favorite sites, posted this one today. I knew the verb “to grouse” meaning to complain; I knew the noun “a complaint”; I knew that it was also a bird, but I learned something new as well.

 

Since 1941 “grouse” is an Australian slang, used as an adjective and meaning “wonderful”.

 

Now that’s what I love about words – so versatile – so able to be twisted and turned and become something totally unlike what they were.

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Getting things done, or not…

 

Reflections on procrastination.

Ah, there are days!

I have a whole day all to myself, something that is rather rare, at least until English conversation at 16:00, so I had great plans for sorting, filing, tossing and the like.

People intervene – and that is my life and I like it!

 

First of all I needed cat food having discovered last night that I had no more wet food. Both cats were looking on and very anxious for their nightly dinner. Fortunately I did have a tin of cat tuna or not quite sure if they would have forgiven me. So needing cat food I debated which store and decided to not cross the border, then remembered that the best store for their brand was one of the three that I hadn’t been to for awhile.  On the way there, I caved (had planned on no lunch dates) and called a friend on the off chance that she would be available as she is sometimes here, but usually busy, but often in Southern France where I really can’t just call and make a lunch date. She was so that’s Date number 1.

 

Finally at the store I promptly ran into another friend, and as luck would have it, she was available for coffee, so we did. Lovely interlude.

 

Home finally just an hour before I need to go back out for my luncheon date and suddenly “work” not quite as attractive, so a few computer games and this blog later…

 

Perhaps after lunch I’ll be more productive? Or not. There are days.

And people will ALWAYS come first in my life – that is what makes it so good.

 

Reflections in the countryside

 

02.02.2022

 

There are dates that are attractive to people due to the repetition of a number. There are

No wedding venues for example either for today, nor for the 22.02.2022.

 

In our family, unfortunately, the 2^nd of February doesn’t hold such positive connotations as we lost my husband and my son’s father on the 02.02.2000.

 

It was, as we quickly realized, his last joke, especially as in reading the death certificate they had labeled it 00:20!  I do believe that he had the strength and mental capacity to achieve that combination and it still makes us smile.

 

That being said 22 years later, there are way too many 2s in this day. When he passed away on the 02.02.2000 there were 5 zeros and 3 twos, now there are 5 twos and 3 zeros, never mind the 22 years.

 

It’s enough to make one think, but then again I have always had some kind of connection to numbers and if 2 is not my favorite, my life is full of numerical coincidences.

We will get through the day.

 

 

Friends

 

I receive magazines from one friend that I read and pass on to another; I buy magazines that I read then pass on to the first friend, then when I get them back I pass on to another…. Old friends, good friends!

 

So, when in a recent one of said magazines I read my horoscope “You may be changing your social circle. Old friends may be dropping away, making room for new connections that will help you to grow more” I thought, horrors, no, no, no.  At my age I am unfortunately losing some friends to the heavens (sounds a lot better than the alternative doesn’t it – and one doesn’t need to have any particular beliefs to prefer the thought of a heaven to anything else), but so far I have seen no change in the “dropping away”. Have I added new friends – amen, and each addition is enriching.

 

Without my friends, old and new, life simply wouldn’t be as rich as it is. I’ll take them all!

So forget that horoscope and let’s see who my next appointment is, ah yes, that dear young woman who spent a few years here with me at number 15! Yeah. And yesterday it was two friends – the remains of an association that didn’t make it, but the friendship endures. Then it will be…

 

I am blessed!

 

My friends are like these petals: a bright light in my life, and abundant.

 

Mediocre isn’t always bad

 

I usually refrain from anything political, but the following paragraphs could so apply to many other incidents, many other persons, many other situations.

We try sometimes to be perfect, and fail ourselves miserably most of the time. Most of us are not totally good, efficient, nice, kind, but then again most of us aren't evil, total wasters, unkind nor lazy.

I came across a Quora publication today that, for me, says it best – and with not too many words:

 

Pastor Lance Ness in this article – and I quote:

 

https://www.quora.com/profile/Lance-Ness-4

What are the highlights of the first year of Joe Biden's presidency?

 

“I am Republican and:

Overall, Joe Biden is a lackluster leader. I knew he would be.

But for a 78 year old man who jumped into the White House at a terrible time I don't think he's doing a bad job.

I do not blame him for Afghanistan. Trump CLEARLY set things in motion for a withdrawal months before he left office.

He is doing at least a reasonable job with a pandemic.

People want to criticize his spending bill. TRUMP TALKED ABOUT AMERICA'S INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEMS IN 2016. He saw the problem, and what did he do about it? Every president for the last 20 or 30 years (maybe more) should have been spending a few billion a year on this problem long before now. If we had we wouldn't be looking at a trillion dollar monstrosity.

After 4 years we have a President who is at least sane, semi competent as to the job, doesn't embarrass this nation 24/7, who isn't caught lying on a daily basis, waste 3 days out of 7 playing golf, or hours tweeting every day.

Biden is getting criticized but he doesn't handle it by scteaming “fake news” or trying to shut down Saturday Night Live because they pick on him.”

 

 

 

My daily wish list….

 

I had to laugh – and promptly have adopted the terminology – when my sister-in-law the other day said that she needed to get back to her “wish list”: just a fancy, and much better name for the “to do” lists that we all make from time to time.

 

Does one feel less guilty at the end of the day if one calls it a wish list, as in I “wish” that I could get the filing done, the laundry folded and put away, the floors swept, the cupboards sorted out, the letters answered, the book keeping done? I certainly hope so, so from now own I no longer have a “to do” list, but rather a “wish list”.

 

Guess that I had best add a few things and get on with it!

Thanks K

 

 

Run like Clockwork as in

 

 

My day ran like clockwork, or as the French would say “on rollers” which actually seems more apt! An expression that transferred from actual clocks to more general areas in the late 17^th century.

 

Woke up on time without the alarm, which had been set as I needed to be across town at a specific time to keep my older grandson whilst his mother took the baby for a check-up.

I had even enough time to dash past one of my favorite grocery stores, and one that has been carrying a great assortment of ready meals ever since the original lock-down a year and a half ago. They have a couple that we really like – in this case grandson one loves the Indian Butter Chicken. Not only did they have it, but they had two – a favorite as well of my daughter-in-law, who gives way to her son when there is only one. They even had the spicier Vindaloo, which my son and I love and Palak Panir! I was on a roll as the Americans would say. OK, so had to look up the origins of that expression: dates back to the second half of the 19^th century and refers to the rolling of dice.

 

Got to their place early so no stress, morning passed very pleasantly with PlayDoh then the garage and cars. In no time it was lunch – eaten happily and willingly by all.

 

Junior down for a nap and I was off again doing a couple of errands on the way home and still having time to meet a friend for coffee.

 

So lovely when all goes not only according to plan, but efficiently so! Not many days like that so greatly appreciated.

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