I really have to stop eating the fudge leftover from Christmas. It haunts me, enthralls me, and makes me stupid.  There are still 8 pieces left!   I'm going to start counting calories today.  I'm almost sure of it ..read more

We have company visiting from NYS, so we took them on the wildlife drive at Lake Apopka. We saw 65 alligators, which was fun for all. Here are some of them. Happy New Year! Just the tail ..read more

I'll be making fudge this year. I usually don't. However, it's been a year that requires some indulgence at the end, so here I go. Usually these "fudge" Christmases are the beginning of a long spiral into sugar induced weight gain. Oh well.  My father used to make fudge at Christmas when I was young.  He made the old fashioned kind you'll find the recipe for on a cocoa tin. The only way to get it to set is to beat it until your arms fall off. I simply don't have the strength to make that kind of fudge, even though it is my favorite.   My Grandmother made divinity each yea ..read more

I started baking for the holidays today. I've been going to bed each night for a week vowing to start the very next day, and then I don't. It was getting ridiculous. Yesterday I forced myself to put up a tree. It's small and super cute. I suppose I should decorate the mantle. I've been saving and framing Christmas cards of madonnas or angels for decades, and I put them up each year.  Lots of fine art and gold frames. They make me happy. It's like eating comfort food, only it is a visual feast. Okay, I have convinced myself. I'll do it tomorrow. I'm almost sure of it. I'll wait to clean un ..read more

 I saw this today on Sabine's Interim Arrangements and had to share. "I'm just a sucker for courage. As I say so often, I'm moved by the gift of courage, because when you walk towards danger, in the danger, and dare to do what's needed, you put your own safety at risk so you become in some way larger than life. Fear makes you shrink, doesn't it?" --Joanna Macy Now I just have to find out who Joanna Macy is ..read more

Do you have Thanksgiving coming up with gloating Republican family members? Go anyway, and if they start discussing politics quietly get up and leave. Don't say a word to the jerks, just thank the hosts for all the good food and leave. No need to engage with the jerks because that's what they want. If you politely leave, they'll get the message. It is important that they understand you are a person of substance, and you refuse to be abused. Drive separately if your significant other doesn't choose to support you. If the hostess calls you the next day to ask why you left, tell them you did ..read more

I believe the nature of this world is a duality between good and evil. The reality is we must always be ready to do battle against the darkness. Sometimes we win, and sometimes we lose. It is important to accept this is an everlasting battle, one that will never truly be won by either side. However, it must always be fought ..read more

Yesterday was a weird day. It felt like a cross between the end of the world and a gloomy Sunday. The kind of Sunday where you know when you wake up Monday morning you have to go to a job you hate.  Today I'm worried about Social Security and Medicare for the future.  Dark days ahead. 'Merica ..read more

Although anxiety is having its way with me, exhaustion is paramount. Why? There are a number of reasons, triggers all. Of course the upcoming election is driving all of us a little mad. That's the worst of it. If it wasn't for that, real life worries would be manageable. The other reasons are personal, things I don't really want to think about let alone write about. These are things that will pass, I don't need to obsess over them. As always, I'll just ride it out. Everything will be fine. All I want to do is sleep until November 5. If things go badly in the election, I may never want to wake ..read more

We are fine. Power is back on as of last night (thank you Duke Energy workers!). The front yard is hastily cleaned up of debris. Standing water and mushy ground makes it hard to do a good job in the back. That can wait. During the worst of the hurricane our pool was full. The draining pump went off when we lost power. The force of the wind blew water out of the pool out the back where it wouldn’t creep up on our house. Crazy. We actually had less water in the pool when we woke up on Thursday than when we went to bed late Wednesday night. We lost power about 2:30 am. Yes, we slept through the w ..read more