Strange...

Song of the day: “The Greatest day” by Take That, naturally. They’ve been in my head for several hours now. In the past I wouldn’t have minded, you know, considering that it IS Take That, an’ all, but however cute the song is, it is not one of my favs. *sigh*

So I have been feeling strange these past few days. I can’t quite put my finger on it, nor am I sure if I want to. It’s kind of indefinable, as if something is off, like we’re on the brink of something, but I am not yet sure if it is going to be a positive thing or not. Let’s hope it will be, had more than enough negative things happening this past year, didn’t I? Anyway, this feeling makes me restless, like I’m comfortable in my own skin, and I don’t like it at all.
Could be that it has to do with Sally’s passing: reminded of my own mortality, and all that carp, but I doubt it. I’m very positively minded in that regard. I’m aiming for 150 but if I end up somewhere in the middle of that that’s fine with me too…as long as the trip getting there was nice, right? Hah.
No. I can’t quite figure out this restless feeling inside me, nor do I appreciate it, if I’m to be completely honest. I’ve better things to do than wonder about the intricacies of my sometimes loony mind.

Alright then, let’s get down to business and see if we can get somewhere. What’s been happening since the last time I wrote.

Oh yeah, I got flashed, kinda. Seriously, I might be damaged forever. You’d think that someone would be more careful walking around in the buff while there’re people in the house, but nope, now I’ve got this image on my retina, which I’ve been having the hardest time getting off. Don’t get me wrong, I can appreciate the male form as well as the next person, but this was no Chris Hemsworth…Darn it!
Thankfully my chat buddies on the Amazon discussion fora were kind enough to give me some good imagery of the “Mighty” Thor to ease my suffering. *blissful sigh*

Did I mention yet that I’m thinking of organizing a dinner party in September? Well, it has gone beyond just thinking about it now. Of the fourteen folks I asked, half have expressed their regrets considering they’re out of the country, or too busy ‘till October (could I please reschedule). That means I’ve got the other half willing to come for a night of food, drink, music and conversation. Should be fun, shouldn’t it? Am now a bit worried, of course. It’s getting to be more than just plans. Now I’m going to have to put my money where my mouth is. Hah.
As to the menu (have settled on a buffet now) I’m thinking of bite-sized treats. Stuffed mushrooms and/or stuffed tomatoes, and/or stuffed peppers. Deviled eggs. A selection of my patties, possibly with buns for those who feel like burgers. I will do a couple of chicken dishes, and will probably have big brother fry some meat burgers for the carnivores that will be joining in. There should be salads (summer demands it) grilled veggies, sauces, allowing everyone to pick what they like, rather than having to eat what is put on their plate at an actual dinner.

Asked a friend from work if she wanted to come, and she was looking at me all worried when I explained the plan. First words out of her mind were, “Are you sure you can afford to?” No I’m not, but some things you just have to do, don’t you? I mean, most of these folks I’ve invited have been invaluable during last year’s trouble, and the other lot are nice new friends who will add to fun of the evening…money…well, is just that, money: We all need it, but on itself it ain’t that much fun.
Besides, I am good at economic cooking. I’m planning on a budget of no more than 200 bucks for food and drinks, and since folks have already offered to take something along, I’m suggesting wine so I can focus more on the food part, rather than the drinks. Hah. Did I mention that I’m planning of a few pies? Well, I am. An apple crumble, probably, maybe a cold cheese/yogurt cake, I’ll have to see what’s on sale in regard to fruit when the time comes.

My main concern at the moment are chairs. As someone already suggested tables you can get around with by using boards on saw horses, or some such, but chairs are going to be a problem. I’ll have to get creative, maybe make some benches for those who want to be old fashioned and eat while sitting, hah. I’ll figure it out.

Second concern is location. I rather not go too far on the property (it is a tad embarrassing, the way things look these days, after all) but the old horse paddock, nice and empty these days, could be getting too windy, come September. So maybe I’ll chose to take the corner wall of what used to be grandpa’s and tenant’s place. There’s a tile floor there, so that’ll work. We’ll have to wait and see. If the day was a particularly hot one, some wind might actually be appreciated by the guests.

Have been getting some sea time this past week. Since grandpa has to go to his acupuncturist anyway, we’ve been taking the opportunity to get some exercise in the sea. Rather wonderful what with the pool not in use this year (pump broke down, darn thing) cooling off has been hard…and taking a shower really isn’t the same. So I did some serious crawl, a bit of butterfly stroke to strengthen the back, back stroke crawl to relax, and some back flips in the water just for the fun of it. Hah. Marvelous. Might go again today, taking Knight along, since we found a piece of beach where dogs are allowed. Yay. Might be good for his foot…or feet, as is still the case; poor baby.

On the overall he’s been doing well enough. Am putting clean “socks” on him every day now, treating him with hydrogen peroxide and Betadine to keep him clean and allow him to heal. Little prick got his sock of twice already, and now has a matching wound on what used to be his good foot. Aaaargh. But anyway, it is clean at the moment, and semi-healing, so I’m going to try to keep positive and expect that there will be a time when I can take of those dratted socks without him wrecking his dratted feet.

We’ve got summer temps going at the moment. Some serious scorchers, which means that nature is even dryer wherever you look. I hate it. Not so much the heat, but the dryness. I’ve got chapped lips for crying out loud. At the moment we have a brisk wind, so it’s not as bad, but still it is really, really dry.

Been doing some cleaning around the property, especially by the terrace where we sit during the computer work days now. It was a mess, and those few sessions have done a work of good. The ground is actually flat now, which does a lot of the eyes at least.

Had a trip to punto limpio (the local land fill) to toss away old batteries and a ruined couch, found a rather nice wooden cupboard there that I’m going to hang in my room if for no other reason than the fact that I need the space. My sleeping corner still is a friggin’ mess, and anything like storage will be a vast improvement.

I am slowly getting over my exhaustion, thankfully. Have done the occasional naps, slept in a time or two, so in that regard I’m improving. Also, I’ve been careful to eat well, regularly (though I missed a few meals again, darn it) and with high nutritional value. Two meals a day with veggies, either raw or baked, at least that’s what I’m trying to maintain. Doesn’t always work, but one does what one can, right?

Been doing some computer work. At the moment I’m reading through the manuscript as is, to get my head around characters and plot twists so that I don’t get lost once I resume writing. What with all the distractions of the past months, I was getting more than a little lost. I like what I’m reading so that’s a plus. Hah.

Oh, before I forget. The dinner big brother and were invited to was nice. A quiet evening in a sea view apartment with four dogs for company. The meal was nice, in particular the Asian salad, and my chocolate cake without gluten went down well enough. Structure wasn’t perfect yet, but it was sweet and chocolate-y, so it served its purpose.

Been doing some exercises, naturally. Now that things have quieted down some, health should become way more important once more. Nothing too strenuous, mind you. Lots of stretches, some air kick boxing and of course the swimming.

Well, that’s about everything I can think of right now. Considering we’re well past three pages, it should do well enough for this week’s blog, I’m thinking. Let’s hope I’ve got something a little more exciting to talk about the next time, eh?

R.I.P. old friend.

This morning I received the sad, yet not unexpected news that our family friend of some odd thirty years passed away during the night. It was a long path with much suffering, to which the end came with some relief for everyone involved, I think.

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"I hope that you have found what you yearned for, what you were made for, and what drove you relentlessly through the course of your life. May you find contentment about your choices, and remember your loved-ones fondly, as you too shall be remembered."


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(This picture is from a photo session I did with her in 1998, and as which I would like to see her remembered.)

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Good journey, old friend, may you find peace in the hereafter.

Sally (aka M.J.P)

2/25/1943 --- 7/21/2014