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Daily posts

Netflix Roulette

- robin

Since last Autumn, after my surgery, Larry and I have watched much to much TV. {it is now time to read more!}

We have so many titles on our “to watch list” it is crazy! Larry had to write them all down.

I am thinking about putting all the names on a circle, like a roulette wheel and spin that thing to see what we will watch next. Netflix Roulette!

Last year we watched Last Tango In Halifax. {Netflix} It was so good, that we have started re-watching it again.

Last week, we binged on The Tiger King. I am entertained and sad all at the same time.

We own the old PBS Pride and Prejudice collector CD and watch that only on the weekends. {it is so long but so wonderful on blue ray}

The point of this is…last night we finished BROADCHURCH season 1. Can I say AWESOME?

Photo: Broadchurch, on Netflix

The woman who stars in the show, is the same woman who played Queen Elizabeth in the new episodes of The Crown. Larry and I have enjoyed Broadchurch as much as we loved Harlan’s The Stranger.

Larry and I do not watch TV during the day , just in the evenings…. Looks like we have enough shows to get us through next Christmas!

Photo: ART by Matilda

The ART above is by my favorite girl. She made it a year or two ago. The Bunnies make it an Easter piece to me….an abstract for sure!

Happy Good Friday. May the God you worship grant you peace during this trying time.

Love you beyond the moon.

Me

I Cried

- robin

Yesterday started with a 3 mile walk. It was a beautiful morning and I loved being outside.

I wrote a few {real} letters. I talked with both of my daughters and we had meatloaf sandwiches for dinner. I wish that I had taken a photo of the sandwiches because they were beautiful. Hahaha.

Before dinner, Larry transplanted a few Creeping Jenny plants to an area near our entry.

Photo: Pablo and plants

The Creeping Jenny is the lighter green plant the bottom center of the photo. Pablo {statue} has been the gatekeeper at The Cottage for many years. He makes me happy.

***

Yesterday we took a drive to pick up our new face masks. During the drive, we passed the middle school near us. The line of cars this week was 3 miles long. I cried. This is where families come to pick up their food from The North Texas Food Bank.

Larry and I have been involved with the food bank for a long time. {15 years?} Seven years ago, at the Food Bank dinner, Laura Bush awarded Larry with the most amazing award. We have been blessed to be part of the organization.

Yesterday, was so sad, seeing cars lined up for their food. People are out of work, children who count on meals at school do not have that luxury right now because schools are closed. I am crying right now thinking about it. I hate thinking of children being hungry.

Larry came home and made a sweet donation to The North Texas Food Bank in our granddaughter Matilda’s name. We did not know that today was DAY OF HOPE.

Thank you food bank for all you do!

***

The world is upside down. Life as we know it is different and it is so difficult to stay positive and calm.

I wish you

Calm moments.

Sweet friends.

Smiles when least expected.

Compassion and patience.

Love you beyond the moon.

Me

Chuy’s And Our New Normal

- robin

I have been hoping every day for something normal to happen. Was it possible? Since last October, my life has been upside down. Yesterday was a particularly down day. Everyone is struggling, I know. I wish I could share something normal, just for a quick second, with each of my friends.

Photo: Granddaughter Matilda made this rock for Larry and myself.

Everyone who knows me, knows that My Larry is in the restaurant business. He loves his job and he loves his clients. Yesterday , because of the quarantine, Larry gave me a sweet gift.

One of Larry’s clients, one of my favorite restaurants in fact….has opened to serve the public “take away” in lieu of their dining room being open.

Larry informed me that he ordered dinner. Dinner from a restaurant where in normal days, we ate at weekly. CHUY’S! My favorite! {it would be ready in 20 min}

Photo: Our curbside spot

We pulled into our spot and texted our info to the restaurant! A young man with a mask and gloves came out with a huge bag. Our dinner!

I know that we had never experienced Chuy’s like this before. Larry was smiling and you should have smelled our dinner. It was wonderful.

Photo: Chuy’s take away

We came directly home, Emptied the bag, washed up and got ready to enjoy.

Photo: Our new normal.

As we all experience our new normal, please do not forget to incorporate your old normal with your new normal. It is amazing! We had our favorite Tex Mex dinner and our favorite Pennsylvania beer. Our old normal is now our new normal.

Be creative, do 20 jumping jacks, smile when you do not want to and follow your heart.

Do you know what the common theme is between our old normal and our new normal? NORMAL.

Chuy’s has always been a constant for me. Whether it was getting me through cancer treatments (twice) , tornado damage or the C-virus. What is your constant? How can you fit it into today’s world?

Stay safe, stay strong.

Love you beyond the moon.

Me

So Thankful

- robin

Larry and I go to the market once a week now. I sometimes wait in the car but would rather go in. Last week when I went in with Larry, we were in the paper goods department and needed travel tissues. A woman was fighting with two workers of the store. There were three packages of toilet paper and she wanted them all.

The grocery workers told her the she could have one…but she kept ignoring them and was grabbing/fighting for all three. I was embarrassed and sad. I hope that the woman is more calm this week and accepting life today, with gratitude and hope.

Photo: Matilda made Love Rocks last week. She put this one in a box that her family left on our porch. I love it so much.

I am thankful. I am so thankful! I am in remission. Larry is happy and loves his job. My daughters have toilet paper. {Yes, that was a joke} Life might be a bit bumpy for all of us right now, but we can manage this. Yes, we can.

Photo: Cyril

Meet Cyril, the Easter bunny from Kroger. He was in the neglected Easter department and had a 50% off tag on him. He was chipped up and sad. I fell in love instantly, put him in our shopping basket, brought him home, gave him a coat of varnish, made him a bow and he was part of our table at Sunday dinner. He will reign over Easter dinner too.

My days are full. My YouTube Channel is growing, I am learning Needle Felting. Matilda and I play the video game Terraria almost daily. {it is an interesting video game. She plays at her house and I play from The Cottage. I did have to buy a book to figure it out.} Larry and I walk at his lunch hour each day and of course, I blog/journal daily now.

I worry about my friends and family. Perhaps they do not know how important they are to me? Larry says that friends from FaceBook are not true friends. They are convenient friends. In the world today, we are all very busy and distracted…

Photo: The new puzzle.

There is a new puzzle on the dining room table. It is not getting finished very fast…. I guess Larry and I are distracted too.

Love you beyond the moon.

Me

Sunday At The Cottage

- robin
Photo: Sunday dinner and a movie

I took pictures and set the table. Larry made one of his famous “boards” and we made a pot of tea.

Photo: Champagne bubbles during Sunday Dinner and movie

Larry and I sat together and felt sad. We toasted the physicians and nurses who are putting their lives on the line for us all. We prayed for the victims of C-virus and the families of ones who have lost the battle.

Photo: Garlic Cheese Bread

We ate to much food. Larry’s “board” was perfect. I made sourdough garlic cheese bread….and a apple tart.

Photo: Apple Tart
Photo: Apple Tart

I can honestly say that we were distracted. We were sad but determined. We must try to keep life somewhat normal as we shelter in place. I feel excited thinking about Skyping with a friend or taking a walk.

Stay strong. Follow your heart. Pray. You know, we are living in a history making time. Keep a journal…take photos. We will all look back on this time and sigh. We will pray and thank God for what we have……

Love you beyond the moon.

Me

White Ribbons For Our Drs and Nurses

- robin

My grandfather was a physician and my grandmother was a nurse. I have cousins who are nurses and who are in the medical field. Lauren was studying to be a nurse and Jamison was an Air Force-aerospace medical technician.

I have always been in awe of anyone in the medical field. Their dedication and knowledge gave me complete confidence in their ability to handle any situation.

Today, in honor of the DRs and nurses fighting the C-Virus in our hospitals nation wide, Larry and I salute them. We salute them with our prayers, our commitment to shelter in place and with white ribbons.

Photo: White bow to honor the nurses and Drs fighting to save patients with C-Virus.

On this palm Sunday, 2020, my prayer is for this extraordinary situation to be over soon , for the ones fighting the virus to regain their strength soon and for anyone who has lost a loved one to the C-Virus to find comfort with friends and family.

My heart is breaking and there is nothing I can do but sit in The Cottage and watch it happen.

May God watch over us and give us grace and strength today and everyday.

Love you beyond the moon.

Me

Birthday Pug and Wishes

- robin

Yesterday was {my daughter} Lauren’s birthday. We could not have a party and celebrate or go out to dinner. When Larry was at Kroger, he bought this little cake and Birthday Pug sent wishes to Lauren.

Larry and I hope that Lauren had a great birthday. {it was also her wedding anniversary}

You know what Birthday Pug always says:

Your birthday reminds me of the old Chinese scholar,

YUNG NO MO!

Love you beyond the moon.

Me

Happy Birthday Lauren

- robin

My oldest daughter was born on this day. She also celebrates her wedding anniversary today.

Photo: Riding a carousel in Paris

In my “minds eye”, when I think of Lauren, her face looks like her face in the picture above.

Her birthday and anniversary this year, is during the quarantine for C-Virus. She seems positive and happy…and to be honest, isn’t that what this is all about? Trying to make the most of a situation and being kind to people?

Happy birthday and anniversary Lars. May you receive the same joy that you are giving.

Love you beyond the moon.

Mother

A Moment In Time

- robin

A month ago, when I was feeling pretty low…I started getting letters and cards in the mail. Many, many cards! It was sweet, thoughtful and overwhelming. I loved that people took the time to share a moment in time with me.

A few of the letters were from people I did not know. One, was from the Mother of a friend of Lauren’s. Her name is Hazel. Hazel, has been fighting ovarian cancer and she is in remission! { I love that word!} And…Hazel has become a friend of mine. Our friendship started by writing texts almost daily and now we have marathon phone calls once or twice a week.

Hazel, has been fighting cancer, is a master quilt maker and loves her children/grandchildren very much. See? We have a lot in common.

Yesterday during one of our wonderful visits…Hazel mentioned that she had made masks with fabric she had at the house. She made as many as she could {17 I think} and then made arrangements to deliver them to the pediatric office where her grandchildren go. I am in awe of her. What a lovely, thoughtful thing for her to do.

She sent me a picture after our visit and I had asked her if I could share the story and photo. She said of course.

Photo: Pediatric Office wearing Hazel’s masks

Hazel and I have never met in person. I hope that when the quarantine is over, she and I can have a chat in person.

Photo: painting drying in front of Matilda’s doll house.

I finished a painting yesterday. It is titled Hazel’s Bouquet…..fitting, don’t you agree?

May your today be filled with special people, and special moments…..

That is what matters most of all, right?

Love you beyond the moon.

Me

Once And Awhile

- robin

I love alone time. It makes me happy to paint, work on a project that will soon be a gift {right now it is a sweater} read and just BE.

Larry is super busy in his home office. Calls coming in all day and problems to be worked out. I personally think that he loves being so busy and that is good.

We have not been anywhere, so there are no adventures to share…and my opinion is not worth much, so I will refrain from sharing.

There is so much happening in the world that my heart feels broken at times. How do you feel about your life in the time of COVID 19?

Photo: Painting,
Photo: Red The Cat

We have a new neighborhood cat. He is young and spunky. Some of the people on the street call him RED. He lives two streets away and his family says that he just will not stay home. He is on our street a lot. He is a little “off”, but he is sweet and cute. I am not a cat person, but I can be a cat person for 10 minutes a week. Once and awhile.

On Netflix, I am watching the Tiger King while I am working at my work table….I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Love you beyond the moon.

Me