Wednesday, May 03, 2023

Gathering Thoughts

How can someone who is retired be too busy to write her blog? I am not procrastinating because the Blog is on my mind several times a day, sometimes even before I drift off to sleep. I think of something and then wonder if it would be a good theme for the blog. 


Of course, by morning the only thing on my mind is COFFEE! As I fill the electric kettle I gaze out the kitchen window and see my neighbor's house. When I took this photo the leaves were not on the trees except for the ever-green hollys.  I took it a month ago.  I think about our (mankind's) footprint on this earth when I see that mansion.  The house has another wing behind the big tree trunk on the left, a three-car garage below, a swimming pool, five bedrooms, a dock, and a water view.  There is only one 79-year-old lady living in it.  She does not own a boat.  She bought the house two years ago.  I am not saying she does not deserve to live in a beautiful home, but it seems such a waste of space.  She is a nice millionaire.

When we built our house, we were thinking of only two bedrooms, but then we realized with three grandchildren that would be a mistake and added another as well as a small room in the basement that can be used as a bedroom.  All of these rooms have come in handy over the years.  

The weather has finally been nice enough to get out in the canoe.  



I am learning that getting into a canoe at the beginning of the day is easy, but getting out of the canoe after 4 or 5 hours is very difficult.  I am working on my deep knee bends, but it seems that my body has a mind of its own.

We did go to Emerald Isle, North Carolina for a week with my son and daughter-in-law, and grandchild.  A wonderful, if exhausting, trip.  Granddaughter is that age where everything is interesting and while she cannot yet walk, she crawls like a speed demon.


While it was still spring and the weather cool and cloudy and sometimes rainy, we had the whole beach to ourselves all of the time.  That is peaceful when you have a dog and a crawling babe.

We rented a house and did most of our own cooking to avoid having to deal with an infant in a restaurant.  But we did give the "kids" a few afternoons and nights out: a massage, a movie, a dinner, and a morning of canoeing.

Just before all this hubby had eye surgery.  It seems that if you are an elder you can get an eye lift through insurance if you are having trouble seeing and reading.  He passed that test and got the eyebrow lift.  


It does not make him look younger, but recovery was very fast and the minimal scar is hidden in his Scottish eyebrows.  He also finds reading at night much easier.  On the medical side, my daughter is trying to talk me into a face laser resurfacing treatment which would not be covered by insurance.  She has had it done and loves it.  Sigh!

Now back to the real world.  I will go read your blogs over the coming days and leave comments.

14 comments:

  1. I wonder too about one or two people living in huge houses. mostly I think why would they want a big place that has to be kept clean or closed off and holy cow, the energy bill must be outrageous. I understand having the house when raising a family and/or entertaining and then aging in it but buying it in the late 70s? but I guess when you are rich enough to buy a place like that you have house and groundskeepers and energy bills are no problem. still I wonder how much of the house she actually uses.

    I understand why your husband had his eyebrow lift but I would pass on the laser resurfacing. I'm old and I'm OK with that.

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  2. Many of my friends have had the eyelid surgery as it makes a huge difference in how you can see. Well, for them. I don't have an eyelid droop and can see just fine with my glasses. The optometrist said I don't need cataract surgery (which many of my younger friends have had) and my glasses work just fine to give me perfect vision for now. Maybe in a few years. I am glad that all these new procedures can keep us healthy and vital.

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  3. Beautiful scenery, love it.

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  4. Anonymous5:47 PM

    That beach scene is just beautiful. Until I moved into town I was rattling around by myself in a big, old 4 bedroom villa. I lived in a very small part of the house, there could have been squatters in the rest of the house and I wouldn't have known. A young family is living there now. A much better use of space. Glad you enjoyed your holiday with your little speed demon. She sounds delightful!!

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  5. Darn. I forgot to log mself in.

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  6. I at one time thought of doing facial things to improve looks. Now, I am at the age where only 'feeling' better matters. I guess I should care more about how I look but other things seem so much more important. It's an age thing, I think, for me. (weird that now I have to sign in each time without showing up as anonymous. I wonder if Blogger has done that to my blog also. Ack!) Glad you are back but thought you were going to Hawaii.

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  7. It sounds like a lovely get-away and the beach looks beautiful. Time with the baby must have been tiring but wonderful!

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  8. I'm glad you had your trip and enjoyed it. Once i've been sitting long enough, i have a hard time getting up and i'm not even in a canoe.

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  9. Just blog about anything that comes into your mind Tabor, let the words flow. You live in a beautiful part of the country with its nature spread around you. I am also about to undergo some laser eye stuff, and laughed when they had to prop my eyebrows up. It comes to us all.

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  10. I always enjoy your posts, and this one was no different. I sometimes go back and look at previous posts I've made for inspiration. :-)

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  11. Environments outdoors are the places we deserve to be
    when we are able to get out there. Your trip sounds lovely.
    Indoors, when we are able, can be as large and inspiring as the outdoors, bringing the outdoors in.

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  12. Hi Tabor! I think I missed some of your posts and am catching up today. I wanted to tell you about our trip to Hawaii in 2019 (yes, right before Covid hit), but decided it would make my comment too long. Maybe I'll blog about it one day. It turned out to be an unexpected impromptu celebration of our 50th (a year late). Anyway, you seem to stay very busy... which is great (especially since it is mostly with family), but I agree that it requires a lot of energy - something we don't have a lot of at our age. But enjoy your time together! And enjoy Hawaii!

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  13. Ah … your beach! What a spot you have.

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Take your time...take a deep breath...then hit me with your best shot.