Reflections of My Life

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Sunday, Sonny took me to his cousin's stable. My cousin and her husband met us there and we hadn't seen each other in a long, long time. She is like a sister to me. Horses are good for me. We had a good time. She had 2 minis who paid a lot of attention to Sonny and me when they discovered I had a bag of apples and carrots in my walker seat.

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This is Mike. He was pretty good and Sonny's cousin's grandkids were riding him. But he is not for a beginner. We will be going back again. All together she has about 7 different horses. Two paints. One big Thoroughbred, which is a rescue and she is trying to put some weight on her. Very thin. I am partial to Thoroughbreds, as that is what my own horses were. It was a fun day.
 

28 degrees here this morning and foggy. I don't mind. I am tired of warm weather and being hot all the time. Yesterday, I had my air conditioner running! In November!

Two of the new rugs I bought go in my entrance way which is in front of the closet. The doors to the closets in this apartment are the type that pull out in the middle of two panels. They are on a track at the top. The problem now is they will not open due to the new rugs. So.......I either have to take them off the closet and maybe cover it with a curtain. Or have the bottom of the doors cut off so it will go over the rugs. The rugs are not a high pile but still too high for these cheap doors.

I started cooking some chicken in the Instant Pot just now to make Chicken Noodle Soup. Have to go cut up the onions and celery after I finish this post. I forgot to buy carrots, but have dehydrated ones in my Emergency Essentials, so will use those. They are good too.

Rearranging the closets so one closet has all my dresses, skirts, sweaters, jackets, etc.
 
Yesterday, an electrician spent the day putting new LED lights in the halls. Very bright out there now! Last week the maintenance man and another guy worked on the rooms on the lower level. There are some offices down there, our community room, the laundry room, a bathroom, the room with the water, heating and electrical stuff in it and our storage room. They took out a lot of office equipment, some water heaters and a refrigerator. Now it looks like they might be remodeling those rooms.

Our maintenance man and manager both, work at two other complexes owned by the same company but in two other locations. Not far from here. So they are not here every day like our old manager and maintenance man were. Right now we have 3 empty apartments and yesterday a man was here looking at two of them.

I have been limiting my computer time so I can do other things. I sit down in the morning at the computer and before I know it noon is here. I am always saying where did the time go?

If it doesn't rain today, I am thinking of going to the store. I am waiting for it to warm up a bit first though. About 30 degrees here right now. Need to get Rabbit some greens and parsley.
 

Well today Sonny is taking me grocery shopping after our hair appointments. I have a list and hope everything is not all ready sold out. But I am doing a real simple Thanksgiving dinner for 3 people (with leftovers for each) so shouldn't be that much work. I do not use the stove that is in my apartment, but my Nuwave oven (not an air fryer). So I am making chicken instead of turkey. I like it better. My plan is sweet potatoes, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and apple or blueberry pie. I want to make more than I normally would so Sonny & Jeff will both have leftovers to take home with them. Jeff will probably not eat with us, though I invited him. He will probably come and get his dinner and go back to his apartment. That is fine with me if that is what he wants. I just like knowing he has a good Thanksgiving meal.

I want to make an appointment to go to a new dentist for more dental work. I really need to do this. But........as well as being a dentist scared person, I do not want to go to any medical places until this virus has quieted down more. I have always avoided getting sick by avoiding places where sick people go or negative energy is present. So I will wait on the dentist appointment for now.

Friday my plan is to start working on my storage area. At least an hour a day going through stuff. A box or bag for things to donate. And big labels on the other things that I am keeping. I need room down there to put my carpet shampooer. It takes up precious room in my closet and I don't use it that often.

My new rugs look good, though the ones I wanted for my entrance could not be used there or else I could not open the closet door. So they are in my bedroom (what I call my bedroom, it is a studio apartment so not a separate room) at least for now. I could have the closet door removed completely but it is too dusty in here and I don't want my clothing getting dust on. Or maybe I could have them take a bit off the bottom of the closet door. I will think about this later.

I hope if you are reading this, you have a nice day and thank you for reading and caring about what I say.
 
Thank you for your comments!

I have old journals, notebooks that I used to write in. Now I write on the computer as I am afraid my hands can't take the physical writing for very long. I do manage to color with them though. lol I wrote in an old journal how it was the day before Thanksgiving and I had no money to buy food for a Thanksgiving dinner. I will never forget those days. So even though I have a smaller income than I had living with my husband, I have more of everything. Including peace of mind.

Now though I can buy the food for the Thanksgiving dinner, I am sad to say I am not making everything myself, from "scratch" as they say. I always cooked that way. No, this dinner is being cooked by me but I bought convenience foods (and did not read the ingredients labels........I could not bear to do that! lol). I bought chicken thighs because they are easy and I won't have to cut them up. Stuffing will be from a box and I have had that in the past and actually like it. I bought gravy in a jar, but will probably doctor it up, though I could possibly make gravy from the chicken juices and grease in the pan after they are cooked. Cranberry sauce in a can. I suppose the sweet potatoes are the only other things I will be making with no help.......cooked in the Instant Pot. And pies........I bought two pies baked by Walmart's bakery and cool whip to top them. I just cannot stand in the kitchen cooking and cleaning up for any length of time.

I figure we will have a good dinner together. Nobody will be complaining. Sonny & Jeff are not the type to say anything bad about my cooking, even if it was bad. When I think back to the previous Thanksgiving dinners Jeff and I have had, I think this one will be way better than those. It seems we always had dinners at my in-laws' homes. Jeff will remember waiting for the turkey to get done and being put back in the oven because it wasn't done yet. My first husband's mother was not a cook and that was the only meal she made all year. They lived out on Long Island and we'd spend the week there. Going out to eat or getting take out the rest of the time.

If it wasn't for Sonny & Jeff, well Sonny actually, I would not even be making a dinner like this. I am not real big on holidays. To me, they are just like any other day. I am just so happy not to be going anywhere!!! I love being home.
 
Sounds nice!

I'm sure the Pilgrims would have stopped at Walmart to pick up a pie and a tub of Cool Whip if they could.

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Wishing you a peaceful and relaxing Thanksgiving, kat!
 
Today is a beautiful day here in NY. I even have my window open a little bit to get that fresh air. Sonny had to go pick up his prescriptions at the hospital and then he is going grocery shopping. So not talking to me on the phone for awhile.

Since I made soup yesterday, I can eat that for a few days. Sometimes it is nice to not have to do too much cooking.

My cousin's wife is at home under hospice care. It has been hard as we didn't expect this right now. She seemed to be doing good and we were encouraged. She is in God's hands now. I loved her a lot and am going to miss her. 2020 has sure been a tough year,

Well going to go cheer myself up a bit. Watching a movie and coloring.
 
Ever since I changed Rabbit's diet, he has been doing so much better. The first thing house rabbit owners look at is their bunnies' poop. I belong to a house rabbit forum and that is always a big topic of discussion. I have noticed he has much more energy too. In the morning now he is running, hopping and doing binkys all over the place. So taking the oats out of his diet and replacing it with oat hay was the right choice. I am not buying kale for him either right now. Kale and spinach have something in their chemical make up that limits how much a rabbit should eat.

He still sleeps pretty much all day but that is normal for rabbits. They are what is called crepuscular - they are most lively at dawn and dusk, and get their sleep (typically around 11 hours a day) during the middle of the day and also at night. A good pet for someone like me. He is my last pet but when he is gone, I will have to watch myself or I will end up with a cat. I am such a cat person that is hard for me to see one and not want one.

This is a picture I just took a little bit ago. He has been investigating the shelf I keep my shoes on. He has never chewed any, but many rabbit parents say their rabbits do. He wants to chew the wood bookcase as it is not finished wood, just painted. I put cardboard under it to level it and he has been chewing on that. That is okay though.

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I know the longer I live, then I will see more and more people I love or know will die. I remember my father saying he was the only one left after his lifelong friend died at 93. It does not make it any easier the older they are. My mother died at 78 and my father died at 93. Both were difficult but it was easier to lose my mother because she had been sick for over 24 years and was in her bed for the last few years. She was always saying she did not want to live if my father died first. She prayed to die and when she was dying I was able to accept it easier. Not the same with my father, though his last year, he kept saying it was his last.

Yesterday, my cousin's wife died at home. She had struggled for so many years and now it is over. So I am sad, especially for her close family members but feel her pain is finally gone and she can be at peace.

Today I have a lot to do and can't wait for it to get lighter so I can get started.
 
For the most part, I am very happy living here in my apartment. But last year our manager was fired and we went months with no manager. I am not a complainer so it didn't bother me until they finally replaced her. The new manager started a few months back. I did not even know she had been hired until the elevator would not move and she was in her office and someone went there and got her. That was the one and only time I talked to her. So I don't want to judge her without knowing or unfavorably compare her to our old manager. But since this quarantine she has put signs up all over the place without ever talking to us directly. Our old manager had meetings so we could all voice our concerns and she would address them.

Yesterday, I opened my door and there was a letter from the manager that tomorrow (which is today now) she would be conducting the annual inspection (never had one before) of our apartments from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM. Now I would have liked more notice of that or especially that it was not on the day most people get their checks. Everyone usually goes out on this day. I always have to go do my son's money and pay his rent. Lucky for me that Sonny will do it for me today.

The letter has that bossy sound to it and could have been written softer. The part I did not like was that she said if you were not home they would inspect your apartment anyway and said if you have a pet to either take it with you or put it in a cage. There is no way I could lock my pet in a cage if I was not here or if strangers came into my apartment. He has to be able to hide under the bed. So that is why I asked Sonny to do Jeff's money for me today. He has happy to do it. After the inspection is over, he will take me to the store.

I am sure there will be no problem with my apartment as I keep it very clean and neat. She said it could take about 15 minutes but I doubt mine will take that long. Just one big room. This is what you get when you opt for the convenience and assistance of a senior living facility. I always remind myself of that. I got up early to clean Rabbit's cage and will try to carry my garbage out using my walker because I do not want to get Jazzy (mobility chair) wet. Already done the cage and after my coffee will do my shower and then the garbage.
 
katlupe said:
I know the longer I live, then I will see more and more people I love or know will die. I remember my father saying he was the only one left after his lifelong friend died at 93. It does not make it any easier the older they are. My mother died at 78 and my father died at 93. Both were difficult but it was easier to lose my mother because she had been sick for over 24 years and was in her bed for the last few years. She was always saying she did not want to live if my father died first. She prayed to die and when she was dying I was able to accept it easier. Not the same with my father, though his last year, he kept saying it was his last.

Yesterday, my cousin's wife died at home. She had struggled for so many years and now it is over. So I am sad, especially for her close family members but feel her pain is finally gone and she can be at peace.

Today I have a lot to do and can't wait for it to get lighter so I can get started.
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Sorry about your cousin's wife Kat. You said you loved her so I hope your grief will pass soon. 🌹
 
RadishRose said:
Sorry about your cousin's wife Kat. You said you loved her so I hope your grief will pass soon. 🌹
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Thank you. Well the thing that helps is that she talked about dying quite often. Like she expected it. Just a few months ago she asked her grandsons what they wanted when she died. The youngest one, maybe 12 or so, said he wanted to live with grandpa (her husband and my cousin) so he would not have to be alone. And a few days before she died she had talked to people on FB. Everyone telling her they loved her and she answered everyone back to tell them she loved them too. She was involved in that lawsuit over the baby powder causing cancer. She could not talk about it due to the lawsuit.
 


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