Retire In Style Blog Too

My granddaughter is learning to drive! She had signs all over her car, STUDENT DRIVER  they say and her mother sits in the front seat monitoring her every move....so far. I did hear that her dad took her out the other day so that is different. We will see. I have been relearning to drive. I do not have any signs on my car...where do you buy those " Old Woman at the Wheel " signs? Sigh! Now I have a new goal for a successful day. When I told my granddaughter that I measured a successful day by how many people honked at me when I drove, she said that was because I didn't have any signs on my car. No honks was considered a huge success. No one honked at her. Let me explain. My husband had done most of the driving forever. He hated it when I drove and in his last days of life, he let me know it. He didn't like that I was not coasting up to the stop sign or red light, etc. I had to drive so he had to get over it. Now here is the deal, not driving leads to gawking and dream...

In the end the burial plot was not what she had expected. I guess she was not sweet and kind. The shot gun she protected  her child and land with stood in the corner of the kitchen ready. Grandpa had been taken to a safer place they said so when she died the place she was to be buried had already been taken. You will find her in the back corner. I think she was happier there anyway. True story.  b+

These are the days when so many things pull at me, I cannot think of what to do next. It is inconvenient when all the tires on my Mini Cooper need replacing and there is washing to be done. But then you all know what I am talking about...SUMMER! Books call me before anything. I have read few notable books this summer and 2 have come from my library box that sits in front of my house. It appears that my neighbors have very good taste in books. ☺ Because I love a good mystery as much as anybody I was delighted when a Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache novel,  A Trick of Light , appeared one day. If you are a fan of Louise Penny and you have not read this, do. If you aren't, just give her a try...you will not be disappointed. Then, much to my delight,  The News of the World  appeared right in the front row of my library box. I had heard so much about the movie starring Tom Hanks on HBO Max. When the movie came out, I am sure that sales for the book soared. (It is 39% off...

"Do you see Color?"   Carol Cassara asked that question on a blog post the other day. She had heard an interview on tv where the person being interviewed was asked about bias and bigotry and the person replied that they did not see color! Is that a good thing or a bad thing. Or did I simply misunderstand. Carol pointed out the ignoring another person's color denied that person of their identity all together. After all we are a part of many generations of humans that led to who they are. But her thinking was that when a person says that it is not what they mean. Those that disagree with the statement have taken it literally. We might do the same if we didn't think about what the deeper meaning was. Here is what she wrote: "So let’s break it down. Yes, yes, fools like me do want to rush in where angels fear to tread. Kids, we MUST discuss these hard topics or we are doomed to be stuck in this hell called our society forever. So it’s impossible not to see color. Co...

My Flowers this Morning Do you promised yourself that there will be a time to write? After the floor is clean and the dishes are washed and the bed made and you have gone for a walk? Do you promise yourself? It is finding the part of my thoughts that I want to share...honestly people the list of done things in a day are not...inspiring or interesting. What I had for supper, how my driving was today (no horns honking or even how many hours sleep I had last night.) What is a girl to do? On Women of Midlife I read several blog posts that interested me...how to buy a cocktail dress after the age of fifty. It was interesting but the cost of those dresses made me gasp. I dress in an inexpensive slip dress from Target with a simple top I purchased many years ago. I think I look good but who knows. ( Women of Midlife is a private group on Facebook....want to join other women over 50? Let me know) Dianne Tolly wrote about her now grown son's childhood temper tantrums. Now I can relate to t...

I now have a new iPad…it seems my digital life has taken a hit because of things that are beyond my control. Since last….well since me husband passed away in December 2021, I have been trying out a new life. Like most things in life, this stage is not easy either.  First, you need to realize that half my brain is gone because my husband and I were married for 61 years. We finished each other’s sentences, interrupted stories with editing and footnotes. What I didn’t know he did and visa versa.  Honestly, the biggest question in my mind is now how is… long will it take to recover…or will I ever. " Back at the ranch, I am just going on without feeling-simply numb. That being said, please know that I am happy. The face you see is not put on for outward appearances. The smile is real and my interest in you is genuine…my family can find my attitude a bit annoying. It has not been easy for them. They loved their father as much as I did. We just cope differently. Learning new things k...