Monday is here. The sun is shinning and the birds are singing. That means that today will be wonderful….
Instead of Sunday dinner and a movie, we opted for a Saturday picnic at the Arboretum. We packed up the food and made our way to our favorite garden.
For our picnic, I made roast beef sliders (with Boar’s Head roast beef & white cheddar cheese) fruit, little pastries, Champagne and took my little MP3 player (for our favorite music) We visited while we had our meal. It was wonderful.
Photo: Sliders
Photo: Dessert
Photo: View from our picnic bench
We talked about Friday night. Larry and I had gone to the Meyerson to see the Dallas Symphony play The Beatles. It was part of the pops series and very good. Even Larry liked it and he is not a Beatles fan.
OH! We had a movie for the weekend. I almost forgot. We watched La Divorce with Kate Hudson.
I love Kate Hundson and Naomi Watts, they are sisters in the 2003 movie. Larry like the movie for the scenery and I thought it was a light, interesting movie. Not to “deep” for the subject. I cuddled with Larry while we watched. That was my favorite part.
This morning, I would like to ask for prayers. My daughter Jamison, lost a good friend today to Coronavirus. His name was Steve Raphael. Jamison is the admin for a virtual prayer group, and asked for prayers for Steve and his family. Steve always watched over Jami and made sure that she was taking care of herself….He started a new journey today. God Bless him and may he rest in peace.
***
For the past year… I have been talking about this
Goldie Hawn: COVID trauma is hurting a generation of kids. We’ve failed them as a nation.
We will survive the COVID pandemic, but I’m not sure we can survive an entire generation whose collective trauma sends them hobbling into adulthood.
Photo: Goldie Hawn
Thank you Goldie Hawn. How wonderful is it that you have brought this problem to a international stage. The young people in our lives need to know that even though life is different, there are adults in their lives who support them and will do anything to help make these strange days doable.
How will kids remember these days? Have they lost a parent or grandparent? Will they remember someone close suffering with COVID? We have lost so many.
If you have a young person in your life…connect. Be patient, honest and kind. Get them help if they need it…and above all, LOVE them.
I am going to close now and write a letter to my granddaughter…..
A few weeks ago, while cleaning out my ART supplies, I found 3 skeins of jumbo yarn (roving) that Lauren had given me years ago. It was a thank you gift for taking care of baby Matilda. I had never used such huge yarn before, so I put it with the rest of my other ART supplies in the closet, waiting for the perfect project.
When I found the big yarn a few weeks ago, I went in search of a pattern. I was going to make Lars an afghan out of the strange, roving yarn. Finding a pattern was difficult. It was then that I decided to make the blanket using my arms. No needles. It was strange working with my arms and then about half way through, the old fibers started to fall apart. It made me very frustrated….and I threw it away.
Last week I told Lauren about what happened to the roving yarn. She laughed and did not mind at all. The funny thing is, it bothered me. Bothered me a lot. I wanted to make her something out of giant yarn……so I pulled out my size 50 knitting needles, and started looking for a pattern. Finding a pattern proved to be more difficult than I imagined. It was then I sat down and wrote my own pattern.
I dragged Larry to Michaels, to help pick out the jumbo yarn. Michaels had nothing, so we went to Joann’s. This is what we found.. It was on sale and I had coupons, but it was still expensive.
Photo: Size 50 knitting needles, and jumbo yarn
I bought 3 skeins of this yarn. With the big knitting needles in hand, the perfect jumbo yarn and my home-made pattern, I started the afghan for Lauren. I am using all three skeins of yarn, who knows what size it will end up being?
Photo: 2/3’s of the way complete
You can see the size of the yarn compared to my shoes. It is huge and it is clumsy. I feel like I am wrestling with it as I am knitting! The fun thing about the project is that it is for Lauren. It is a fun and funky blanket and I hope that she likes it.
Your job is not to say anything. I don’t think that she reads the blog often, so she should never know about the jumbo gift. If she finds out, I will know that one of you told her. (hahahaha)
I am pretty sure that I will never make one of these ever again. It is very strange and not very satisfying.
Love quote: “Anyone can be passionate, but it takes real lovers to be silly.” ~Rose Franken
Last evening, (like last week) Larry and I prepared a picnic and took it to the park to watch the sun set. The days are getting longer and our Texas winter sky was beautiful.
Photo: Sunset
While we enjoyed dinner. we listened to,
Photo: Beethoven and a picnic!
After dinner, Larry and I started filling out this Grandparent book. ( we had been discussing the questions while we ate)
Lauren gave this book to us before our granddaughter Matilda was born, 10 1/2 years ago! At last nights picnic, while Beethoven was playing, we started filling it out. It was fun reliving certain things from our childhood and early married life.
I cannot decide if these books are for the persons filling it out or for the person receiving it? Larry and I are having fun filling it out, but I cannot imagine anyone being interested in our past……
Last week, Larry and I went out on a wonderful adventure. During the outing we came across an antique shop in Carrollton Texas. I remember being in this shop years ago, with Lauren and Jami. They must have been little girls when we shopped there.
The shop was wonderful and I saw many things that I loved, but we just don’t have room for things like that anymore. There was one thing that I could not resist…an old Simplicity pattern. It was dated 1974.
Photo: Front of the old apron pattern
Photo: At the bottom, 1974!
The old pattern reminded me of Suzanne Pleshette. She wore things like this on the Bob Newhart show.
I could not find a photo of Suzanne in an apron, but this made me smile. Bob Newhart and Suzanne Pleshette. I am anxious to make aprons out of my vintage pattern. It would be great to find vintage fabric to use. I’d better start looking!
I found a fun quote on an apron site…..”your opinion was not in the recipe” haha…. Yes. I still wear an apron. Two of them hang on a hook near the kitchen. One is from Paris and the other was a gift from a dear friend. ( Thank you Kim!)
I ask you, apron or no apron?….my vote is YES! APRON!
Happy Monday. It is 49 degrees outside and cloudy. I woke up tired, remnants of last weeks cold I guess. Music from my “picnic” playlist is playing and I plan on working on the new painting before a DR’s appointment at noon. Yesterday was Sunday dinner…and it was wonderful, basic and healthy….
We had rotisserie chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes and salad. Our wine was Storyteller.
Photo: I loved the salad
Photo: Storyteller Red was a hit
Our Movie was The Tender Bar.
We are not fans of some of the actors in this movie, nor the director. BUT what a wonderful movie! Larry and I met, dated and married in the ’70’s……and this movie was mark on. Music, clothing, attitudes, the general vibe of the movie was honest and visual. All that AND it told a sweet story. Bravo.
After reflexology, we watched TV. Television is not very good these days. Do you remember when we would run home from school to get our homework done so we could watch the latest, greatest sitcom on TV? Tonight all we get is The Bachelor. Gross.
Larry and I have been learning a lot about things that have the ability to help (us) in a certain way. Today is a busy day and hope that you do not mind me sharing a poster that I found…and I will be taking it to our General Practitioner next week. (I love our GP)
Self-care has been defined as the process of taking care of oneself with behaviors that promote health and active management of illness when it occurs. Individuals engage in some form of self-care daily with food choices, exercise, sleep, and dental care. I honestly thought that I was “taking care of business” all of this time, but guess I haven’t been. I am working on these things now.
So much of this is common knowledge. My Mother did these things before self care was a thing. When did life become so complicated? Self care is part of my journaling process now and part of my mantra. I honestly want to do these things without thinking the words, SELF CARE before doing them. Have a happy weekend….
Photo: Robin and Larry at The Dallas Museum Of Art
For the second time in as many months, Larry and I saw the Van Gogh exhibit at the Dallas Museum Of ART. With one difference. Our daughter Jamison joined us.
Jamison works in Dallas and passes the museum daily. She thought that it would be fun to meet and enjoy the ART together. That is exactly what we did. The exhibit was even more stunning than the first time that we saw it, if that is possible. (Maybe it is because Jami was with us?)
Photo: Jami and Van Gogh
We visited with Jamison and we also visited a few old friends, better known as public paintings that we have become attached to over the 35 years of viewing.
Photo: Jami and Larry. Chihuly glass was part of an installation years ago.
Years ago, when Dale Chihuly had an installation in Dallas…Jami had the wonderful opportunity to paint with him. She had on Ked shoes that day, and he painted them for her. Recently, Mr. Chihuly, while on his rounds with Botanical Garden installations, was in Dallas. Larry and I took the shoes (as they had been unsigned) and had a nice visit with Mr. Chihuly and he signed the beloved Ked shoes. It is a sweet memory.
Photo: Jamison & Robin…emoting in front of a newer piece at thee DMA
It was a wonderful Wednesday. I needed time with Jamison…her laugh and her kindness is inspirational.
Jamison, if you are reading this, please know how much you inspire me and how much I love you. Me.
Yesterday was a struggle for me. I think that Larry knew it, because in the afternoon, he asked me to go on a health walk with him. I would not have gone on a walk if he had not asked me…..
Photo: Health Walk
We walked about 2.5 miles. I hit my 10,000 steps again yesterday and we enjoyed a beautiful walk together.
A few hours after we walked…like last week, we packed up dinner and went to the park to watch the sun set while we ate. It was wonderful.
Photo: Tuesday sunset
And we listened to great music while we ate dinner.
Schubert is a favorite…..I have the feeling that dinner at the park could become a wonderful habit.
Yesterday, was a beautiful day. I went to the Dr while Larry worked, then, went to see our granddaughter who was on school holiday. We took Matilda fast food lunch from Country Burger (a Plano treasure) and I took my laptop to daughter Lauren. Larry had a special visit with Matilda, while Lauren became my favorite “tech” person!
Lauren worked on my laptop, fixing the problems in my Word Press site! Todays blog is brought to you from WP! I am thrilled. Thank you Lars.
As promised yesterday, I watched the Wolf Moon, the first full moon of 2022. In the night I snuck to the back door to peek and it was beautiful. I ran to the bedroom to get my phone and take a picture and when I came back, clouds had covered the moon. Below is the cloudy moon. The cloudy moon was beautiful too.
Photo: Cloudy, Wolf Moon
As I watched the moon yesterday, it became evident that this wonderful, vast world is struggling. In this struggle, it is easy to become sad and frustrated. Larry and I try to remind each other to stay patient and to stay kind. (it is the mantra that we say to each other)
Oh! That beautiful moon has the ability to remind us how tiny we are in this big world and how important it is to accept and love our neighbors.
I know that many of our friends had bad weather the past few days. Tornadoes, snow, power outages and plain old cold weather. Please know that we are thinking about you. Let us know if you need anything and remember self care is important during times of stress. (I didn’t even know what self care was last year. How sad is that?)
It is wonderful being back on my Word Press site. Thank you again Lauren. I hope to be more observant and creative posting now.
