Rain

We had several days of rain that came up from a tropical hurricane off the coast of Mexico.  It was welcome, even though it brought wind and flooding.  The total from the storm brought us up to the annual average, and over, in some areas.  Then this morning, I woke up at 4:45 to the sound of rain on the skylight and flashes of lightning and the accompanying thunder.  With the ground already saturated, there will probably more flooding and road closures.  Not a good time to be on the roads.  Stay safe, everyone.

We Moved

   We moved last Monday to a new apartment.  We've lived at Westminster Village for ten years, so were eligible to have new paint and flooring in the old place.  Not looking forward to being displaced while all the redecorating was in process, we found that we could move into another unit.  There were several available, so we picked the next size smaller and set about deciding on the new decor.  Fortunately, the Marketing Director is an ace when it comes to decor, so we followed her advice.  The new wall color and flooring fit perfectly with our furniture.
   We scheduled a moving company, then began packing up what items we could move ourselves.  We took "ownership" of the new unit on Friday and began loading boxes on laundry carts.  Saturday began the transfer, which went on into Tuesday.  The movers hauled the big items - furniture and art work - and placed everything in place as we had planned it.  The one snag was that the 4-drawer file didn't fit in the computer room (I had measured everything two or three times!) so it went on the patio.  Wednesday, a Maintenance worker installed shelving in our storage closet off the patio, so we were able to put everything away that had been stuck out there.
   Art work is still not hung, but the floors have been "Swiffered" both wet and dry.  We know where almost everything has been shelved, and have been able to make breakfast without too much of a delay while we search for plates and coffee and such.  So tomorrow is the first anniversary of the first week in our new home and we are absolutely delighted to be here, facing east and greeting the sunrise.

May 1988 - Moscow State University - Excerpt

"Freedom is the right to question and change the established way of doing things.  It is the continuing revolution of the marketplace.  It is the understanding that allows us to recognize shortcomings and seek solutions.  It is the right to put forth an idea, scoffed at by the experts, and watch it catch fire among the people.  It is the right to dream - to follow your dream or stick to your conscience, even if you're the only one in a sea of doubters.  Freedom is the recognition that no single person, no single authority or government has a monopoly on the truth, but that every one of us put on this world has been put there for a reason and has something to offer." - President Ronald Reagan.

Unusual Smoothies

Shirley had some oral surgery two weeks ago and was put on a liquid diet.  The first thing we did was buy a Magic Bullet for making smoothies.  Since then, we've been trying all kinds of recipes.  There was the usual fruit and yogurt and milk.  Some with rice milk.  Then we branched out to cans of soup thinned with milk.  Another good one one was chicken pot pie and milk.  This morning it was a breakfast sandwich - half a biscuit, soft-fried egg, cheese and a slice of crisp bacon with a cup of milk.  She loved it!  Tomorrow may see a pizza smoothie.  No telling where we'll go from here until she sees the doctor next Wednesday.

Slimming Down

Not only have we been able to get our weight down - eating less sugary foods - but Shirley and I have been cleaning house.  We took a large load of too-big clothes to the Humane Society store last week.  We've been going through the apartment, looking for things we don't use or don't need anymore.  A lot of the items are donated to our Village Shoppe here at Westminster Village, which doesn't accept clothing, the proceeds of which go to the Westminster Village Foundation.  The Foundation provides grants to Westminster Village, primarily for resident assistance.  There are cases in which a resident may see their resources dwindle and need help with their monthly charges.  The charitable purpose of Westminster Village is that no resident will ever be asked to leave if, through no fault of their own, they run out of money.  So we support the Foundation as best we can.

Off Again

Well, I'm off Facebook, this time for good.  I'm just tired of the business of them selling my personal information to any company, then saying how they're protecting my privacy.  So much for that.  I'll use the time previously spent for worthwhile projects.  How do you feel about Facebook and the privacy issue?

Back Home

We're back home and after several days of rest and laundry we're ready to face the world.  I had written in 2013 that I was parting company with technology, but strangely, technology crept up on me.  I'm now the owner of a Fitbit.  If you don't have one, a word of warning: they can be habit-forming.  And while away, somehow I wound up with a smartphone - a Samsung Galaxy J7.  Now the problem is how to figure out all the ways to make it work for Shirley and me.  So far, I've taken 2 pictures, received 4 messages and loaded a few items on the calendar.  That's it for now.  The manual is over 160 pages, so I may be closeted for a while.  See ya.