Wednesday:) Wild and Wacky Women

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream”

― C.S. Lewis
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A group of wild and wacky women, who also go by the name of the Unbiological Sisters, went to the movies today to see “Hello, My Name is Doris,” with Sally Field. It was a cute and funny movie, with a few sad but realistic moments. This related well to all of us 50/60 something ladies. No spoiler alert, if you haven’t seen the movie, but Doris shows us a lot about life as an older person in a fast paced high tech young world.

   
 After the movie, we went for a late lunch, discussing how wonderful Sally Field was in the movie. We joked about how we could relate to having clothes in the closet from the 70’s and not being able to part with old junk and our old out of date hair-do. But, the main theme of the movie was, it’s never too late to change, to grow, to enjoy life, and to have a dream.  

 
So, a lovely group of wild wacky women went to a movie about a wild wacky older woman, and laughed and giggled through a fun lunch. It’s nice to know that we “are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” (Or to have another fun day with friends,)

  

Tuesday:) “Tooth” and Consequences

  
We all make choices, but in the end our choices make us.” ― Ken Levine

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Another TOOTH tribulation Tuesday. Zumba in the morning, an hour walk, and off to the dentist for my permanent upper crown, and to remove the stitches from the lower implant area. Yikes! Talk about not fun. I’m not sure which has been more painful, the extraction, stitches, raw gums, awful headaches…or the sticker shock from the charges. Double whammy!

  
Shameless selfie. Yes, I take pictures of everything and everyone. No, this is not a smile.

On a brighter note…🎼, after the dentist, I stopped over at Sweet Spot Bakery on the square to visit with Miss Kathy and Miss Elizabeth. Kaylyn stopped in for a visit with her new baby, little man Jason. I got to hold him for a little while. So cute. A reminder of how precious life is.

   
I want one of these! Can’t wait to be a grandma.

 Thanks for the photo Miss Kathy. 

Nothing like a new young life, a precious baby, to make you forget about pain.

Montage Monday:) A QuietWeek in a Peek

“Can you be alone without being lonely? Can you spend time by yourself without craving noise or company of other people? Have you discovered the glory of quiet time spent alone, time spent listening to your soul? Solitude brings with it gifts that come from nowhere else.” 
― Steve Goodier

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A lazy day today, well, at least lazy for me. No kickboxing, slept in, but took three walks, did a little laundry, a trip to the pharmacy at Baylor, pick up photos at Walgreens, finished dispersing mini cupcakes to neighbors, now write. A lazy day. A quiet day, spent alone listening to my soul. 

  
A week in a peek.

  

Sunday Service and Some More of My Peeps

“Easter is a time where we are reminded that conclusions in man’s mind are beginnings in God’s plan.” ― Craig D. Lounsbrough, Flecks of Gold on a Path of Stone: Simple Truths for Profound Living

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My Easter started by greeting for 9 o’clock Mass. I arrived before 8, anticipating a crowded service, and I was right. Church was full before 8:30 and the overflow were seated in chairs in the vestibule, and the rest sent across to the community center. It was great to see so many celebrating this special day.

  
When Mass finished around 10:20, people were already streaming in for the 11 o’clock service. No one was greeting at the door, so I stayed to greet for the next Mass. I didn’t have anywhere to rush off to. 

I decided to stop at McDonald’s and treat myself to some pancakes for breakfast. I’m finally eating a little soft solid food. I was the only one in there the entire hour or so that I was eating. The whole place to myself.

  
When I got home, it was time to finish frosting and putting peeps on more cupcakes. I still had a few neighbor’s and two fire stations to deliver to.

Some more PEEPS for my PEEPS.

   
    
   
Then, of course my PEEPS at the fire stations.

   
Station 2- a little blurry. They were trying to take a bite while I was trying to take a picture. 

 
Station 1

After deliveries, my friend Kelle had invited me for dinner. She made two delicious homemade soups in sympathy for my sore mouth and missing tooth. Then, we went over to the Celt Pub on the square to listen to some music. The sun had come out, and it turned out to be a pretty nice day.

  

A little classical music for a classy Sunday evening. 

Then, a perfect end to a lovely Easter Sunday, a call from both of my sons. 

HAPPY EASTER TO ALL MY PEEPS PUT THERE!

Saturday:) Bunny Baking Bonanza For My Peeps

“If you are kind to your peeps, your peeps will be kind to you.”

~Toni Armenta Andrukaitis

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My “peeps” are the greatest. I usually call them my friends, but around Easter time, I call them my peeps. I bake up a storm during Easter weekend, making these cute bunny peep cupcakes and sharing them with neighbors and friends. I’ll let the pictures tell the story.

  
  
Step 1: Bake a zillion mini cupcakes. Some chocolate with a cherry, others with marshmallow and chocolate chips. The yellow cake mix cup cakes have a small piece of peach.

  
Step 2: Frost 1/2 a zillion cupcakes, add a peep to the middle with a mini marshmallow tail and a jelly bean in front. (The other 1/2 zillion for tomorrow)

  

Step 3: Start delivering the peeps to your peeps. 

  
 
Fire Station 5 peeps. I always appreciate my local fire fighters. Station 2 went out on a call just as I was pulling in. I’ll have to catch them tomorrow. I still have the other 1/2 zillion cup cakes for tomorrow. 

Hoppy Easter to all my PEEPS out there. Love you guys!

 

Good Friday:) Firsts and Seconds

“First opportunity is the golden opportunity.” 
― Amit Kalantri

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Good Friday is a solemn day for Christains, but also a good day to reflect on our blessings and realize that the small discomforts and suffering that we might endure, cannot compare to that ultimate sacrifice on the cross.

I had a few firsts today. Even though my tooth pain isn’t quite all gone, I decided to just bite the proverbial bullet, and go about my day as usual. I went for a long early morning walk, which is part of my normal routine. Then, as I was walking, I thought, gee, I haven’t been to Good Friday services or Stations of the Cross since I was in grammar school at Blessed Agnes way back in the 60’s.

When I got home, I fixed a big spinach salad. A first, because I’ve been living on smoothies, shakes, ice cream and yogurt. Ah, solid food! I still have to chew on the right side only, with an occasional twinge, but worth it.

   
It was so good!

 So, my other first for today was going over to St. Gabriel’s at 2:30 for solemn services and Stations of the Cross. It was cool, but sunny outside. As I sat in church, the skylight above me bathed my face in warm sunlight. It felt very comforting. Almost like God was pointing a flashlight down at me saying, “Ah, there you are…where have you been?”

  
After church, I stopped at the store, then came home and went for a second walk. A good time to think and reflect. For dinner, I made a second spinach salad. Maybe tonight I’ll have my first Black Russian in a couple of weeks. Life is good!

I plan to savor all my firsts and indulge in all my seconds.

Theme Song Thursday:) Hear Me “Roar”

“Words make you think. Music makes you feel. A song makes you feel a thought.” 

― E.Y. Harburg

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Day 8 of my dental dilemma. Only smoothies until after the extraction heals and the implant gets placed. Who knows how long that will be. But, I woke up, took my meds, and went to Zumba. “Hear me roar.”

I stopped at the bank,then the store. I bumped into this cute older couple at Albertson’s. The man was wearing a Cubs hat, so Imwent up and shook his hand and asked, “You from Chicago?” Of course they were. Who else would be bold enough to wear a Cubs hat in Texas? We chatted and shared stories about Chicago, different neighborhoods, and the old Cubs/Sox rivalry. John and Dolores were more than happy to chat in the produce aisle. 

  
When I got home, I made a quick smoothie, then out for a long brisk walk. It was very cold with strong winds, but it felt great. I did some housework, laundry, and paperwork. Then, I went out for another walk before heading over to my other divorced and separated support group at 7. More sad painful stories. Life is crazy. Time to think about my blessings and strengths. “Hear me roar.”

  

 
I heard this song on the radio on my way home and thought, this is a good song for my blog today. A good song for my day. A good song for my life. 

Theme Song Thursday:) Hear Me “Roar”

“Words make you think. Music makes you feel. A song makes you feel a thought.” 

― E.Y. Harburg

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Day 8 of the dental dilemma. More smoothies, but doing better every day. I went to Zumba in the morning, then stopped at the store to get more almond milk and ingredients for more endless days of drinking my meals. 

  
While I was in the produce aisle in Albertson’s, I saw this cute older couple. The husband was wearing a Cubs hat, so I went over, shook his hand and said, “I like your hat. You from Chicago?” Well, of course they were. Who else would be brave enough to wear a Cubs hat in Texas? John and Dolores were all to happy to chat about Chi Town. We talked Southside/Northside, Sox/Cubs, neighborhoods, and discovered we had something in common. We were all born at home, no hospitals. You never know who you’re going to bump into at the grocery store.

  
I came home, made a smoothie and went for a walk. It was cold with blustery winds. After some mundane housework and paperwork, I went for another walk before dark. Then at 7, I went to my other divorced and separated group. People sharing more heartbreaking stories of pain and sorrow. I had a very busy, crazy, active day. I’m a lion…HEAR ME ROAR.

I heard this song on my way home tonight and thought…this was my day. This is my life. This is my song!

Wednesday:) What’s Cookin’ Miss Toni?

“Nice people don’t necessarily fall in love with nice people.” ― Jonathan Franzen, Freedom

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Day seven of the tooth from H-E- Double Hockey Sticks! The good news is my mouth, jaw, and raw gums are feeling a little better. The bad news is…its just a little, and has a long way to go. You can only drink so many smoothies and shakes before you start getting snarky. I WANT A HAMBURGER AND FRIES! ME WANT COOKIES!

  
This evening was week four of our St. Gabriel Divorced and Separated Support Group. I’ve been bringing brownies and/or cookies every week. Why? Because I like to bake and share and make people happy with massive quantities of useless sugar. That’s me.

We have a very good group of people going through different phases of pain, heartbreak, and adjustment. I really appreciate the moral support that I receive, but more importantly, I think that I am in a much better and happier place than I was two years ago, when my life was raw and in upheaval. Now, I can share my insights, triumphs, joys, progress, and massive quantities of sugar, with others. I’m a nice person. I’ve always been and will always be a nice person. “Nice people don’t necessarily fall in love with nice people.” But, that ship has sailed. Open waters and clear sailing now.

With my sore mouth and nagging headache, I didn’t feel like baking, so I rummaged in the freezer and found my pre-packaged lemon cake balls and brownie bites that I was saving for a rainy day. (It’s raining now) I melted white chocolate and dipped the lemon ones, then melted dark chocolate and dipped the brownie ones. I confess…I endured the pain and sampled each one by leaning my head to the right and chewing very carefully avoiding the left side. A few cringes and yelps ensued, but worth the agony.They were yummy!
  
Today was a good day. I got home from church safe and sound before the storm started pelting away. Life is good! 

Tuesday:) Time To Teach A Painting Class

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” 
― William Arthur Ward

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Well, the crazy tooth, or rather, lack of my tooth, is doing better. I still can’t eat solids, the gum is sore around the gaping cavern where the implant will go, and it looks pretty disgusting in there. The good news, you may ask? Subsisting on smoothies and shakes since Thursday, I actually lost a few of those lurking winter pounds. 

I managed to get to Zumba this morning and went for a long brisk walk in the afternoon. Then, I gathered up my supplies, paints, brushes, examples, and wine glasses for my painting class I was teaching at Lone Star Wine Cellars. It’s a great location, right on the square. A quaint wine bar with the friendliest people. 

  
   
 
Some of the ladies had taken some classes previously, but a couple who never painted before, were amazed at their final wine glasses. I sure love to teach and share with others.  Anyone can learn a new technique, you just need a good teacher. (That would be me.) 

I told, explained, demonstrated and inspired…I had it covered. 

(Examples of some of my painting.)