“If you have to clean your house anyway, be optimistic, make it fun, sing, dance, and play.”
~Toni Armenta Andrukaitis
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The first thing I like to do when I clean the kitchen is sweep the floor. I have a magic broom that stands up all by itself. (So do you. Try it.) Now, if I could just get it to sweep the floor all by itself, that would be great and would really be magic. I know, some of you out there have a Roomba that sweeps your floor, but being of Hispanic heritage, I prefer to dance or do the Rumba when I sweep the floors.
Two wet towels and just dance along to the music. We used to do this when we were kids. That’s how Mom would get us to help wet mop the wood floors and have fun at the same time.
The reason I had to mop the floor In the first place was, when I was grabbing something from my over crowded pantry, I dropped a glass jar of Alfredo sauce. Instead of being upset, I chose to be optimistic and I said, A. Maybe it’s a sign from above that I really shouldn’t be eating Alfredo Sauce. B. Maybe it’s about time you cleaned your dirty kitchen floors. *You shouldn’t ignore signs from above. When I receive these signs, I like to say, “Lord, You don’t have to hit me upside the head!” But, sometimes He does.
See all the calories I saved? I said, “Thank you Lord for saving me from all those calories.” He said, “Prego!” (Italian for you’re welcome.) It was Prego sauce. See the sign? I didn’t even know God was Italian. Did you?
“Your Monday morning thoughts set the tone for your whole week. See yourself getting stronger, and living a fulfilling, happier and healthier life.”
Germany Kent
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This is so funny, well not really. I was going through some photos and videos, trying to gather up my blog post for Toni’s Tuesday Tip of the Day. I spent about half an hour uploading or down loading (I never know which is which) a video to YouTube when I realized that it was only Monday.🤦♀️ Boy, wouldn’t I be embarrassed if I did that! Not really. Most of you know that I’m old and goofy and crazy and forgetful. Where I lack in cognitive acuteness, I compensate with amazing creativity, humor, and modesty. (Not to mention an expansive vocabulary.) 🤦♀️
“I believe that miracles happen every day. Every person is a miracle. Every moment is a miracle. If only we can open our eyes, we’ll see God’s love everywhere.”
A lovely Sunday morning. Well really, it was hot, steamy, and I didn’t sleep well, but I was more than happy to jump out of bed at 7 to get ready for church. Actually, I didn’t jump. You know, old bones, arthritis, osteoporosis, a sore knee, my ankle is swollen, and my back has been acting up. I’ll rephrase that…I gingerly limped and hobbled out of bed.
I arrived at church around 8:30, lit a candle and proceeded to my pew. Mr. Jerry was saving my seat, and I scooted over to save two more seats for Helene and Bonita. I started out kneeling and saying a few prayers before Mass started. One of the fervent prayers was a petition that my knee wouldn’t hurt so much when I’m kneeling. 🤦♀️ I kneel to pray, and pray to kneel.
Today’s Gospel Was the story of Jesus being asked to heal the daughter of one of the rulers in the synagogue. On His way there, a woman in the crowd approached Jesus…
27She had heard the reports about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I shall be made well.” 29And immediately the hemorrhage ceased; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone forth from him, immediately turned about in the crowd, and said, “Who touched my garments?”
The cured woman was afraid that what she had done would make Jesus angry. Instead … 34And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
While in transit, the ruler received word that his daughter had died. Jesus insisted on going anyway, “But ignoring what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” When they arrived, people were mourning and weeping. Jesus went in, took her by the hand and said, “Little Girl, I say to you arise.” The little girl got up, and Jesus told them to get her something to eat.
My take on it… just like the sick woman who believed that touching the Lord’s garment would heal her, she believed it, so it came to pass. The ruler believed that Jesus had miraculous powers, so the little girl was given life. The power of faith is a very miraculous force.
So, what else did I do this weekend. I was pretty lazy. Yesterday, I decided to clean out my fridge. I had spilled some iced tea and there were other spills and possible creatures growing in my fridge. That took quite a while. I didn’t want to leave the fridge door open too long. So I emptied one shelf at a time, setting items on the counter and washing and drying each scuzzy shelf.
Of course, I had to taste a few things to see if they were still good. I didn’t taste the jar of pasta sauce that had fluffy green and grey stuff floating inside. Then, there were a few items that I remember putting in there during the Lincoln Administration. Those got tossed. So, I did a pretty good job of cleaning and organizing.See, all neat and tidy. And there’s even a little room. (That won’t last long.🤦♀️)
Happy Sunday, my friends. And like the group JOURNEY sang, “Don’t Stop Believin’ “
“You don’t have to brush allyour teeth, just the ones you want to keep.” —Unknown
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Be honest, are you terrified of going to the dentist, even for a routine cleaning? It never fails, just when you think your teeth are just fine, you get the old, “You have a couple of cavities.” Or, “We’re going to have to do a root canal.” Then, there’s the dreaded, “That tooth needs to be removed and replaced with an implant.”
I’m not sure what scares me more, the fear of a scary painful dental procedure or the thousands of dollars it costs just for one dang tooth and no dental insurance.Personally, I have one tooth that I call my “$10,000 tooth.” It has gone through fillings, a root canal, crowns and an implant. The same dang tooth. I always joke and say, “I think my teeth have put my dentist’s kids through college.” I’m sure you can relate.
After almost 17 years of going to the same dentist’s office and many costly procedures and one too many questionable suggestions, I decided to change dentists. My friend Loretta has recommended her dentist for a few years. He was her neighbor and good friend. Many of our mutual friends have switched over to Dr. Do over at Red Oak Family Dentistry.
My friend Helene went over there last month to register and get an appointment. The earliest availability for a routine cleaning was in September , so I decided I better get my name on the list. I walked in on Tuesday, expecting maybe October or November, when the receptionist said, “How about Friday at 9am?” What? I asked, “This Friday?” She explained that there was a cancellation, so I jumped on it. Wow! Lucky me.
When I arrive on Friday, the staff was very sweet and polite. One lady asked for my drive’s license for ID and asked, “When was your last cleaning.” I replied, “Sometime 2019 B.C., before Covid.” They laughed.
My hygienist, Jessica, was sweet as could be, and talked me through all the X-rays and procedures. I joked around with her, but it was more to calm my nerves than to be funny. (Although, I am very funny.🤦♀️) My blood pressure was 156 over 89 when I arrived, which is crazy high for me. Usually I’m in the coma range of 117 over 75. I guess I was still nervous.
Isn’t she cute! Beautiful eyes. A few more jokes and small talk and I settled down.
The examination, X-rays and extensive tests of gums and teeth were very thorough. And, not once did she scold me for not flossing. I was honest and said I only floss on days that start with Q. I be bad. No cavities or significant problems were discovered. (My other dentist ALWAYS found something wrong that needed attention.) When she was finished with all this, about an hour and a half later, then Dr. Do came in for the follow up check.
Isn’t he cute! He also is a parishioner at St. Gabriel and advertises in our church bulletin. Nice! A Catholic dentist. I’m sure we have a special saint for that. We Catholics have a Saint for everything. Maybe Saint Bicuspid? Anyway, he went over every little detail and X-ray result with Jessica. Then, he did his own personal exam. He said I had a few minor things going on, receding gums, overcrowding, etc. , but nothing serious.
So, to make a long story even longer, I highly recommend RED OAK FAMILY DENTISTRY at 5345 W. University Dr. #200, to all my friends, neighbors and total strangers in the McKinney area. Thank you Jessica and Dr. Do.
“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.” — Audrey Hepburn
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Today was our monthly art day at Towne Creek Senior Apartments. It was nice that we were able to have two people at a table, a little distanced, but much nicer than separate tables all 6 feet apart,
I had so many compliments on my time-lapse video of the horse on Tuesday that I decided that would be one of our projects today. Some ladies used watercolor pencils, others markers and others regular colored pencils. All turned out different, and all awesome. Those that finished quickly worked on a 3-d flower pot drawing,
Everyone was busy with their horses.It was great to see Miss Clair. She wasn’t one of our regular ladies until the last few months, and I’ve been volunteering here for about 15 years. she finally decided to join us. She’s pretty awesome!Miss Bonnie is an original YAH YAH. Young At Heart artist. (So Nice we say it twice.)Miss Dorothy’s projects were so colorful. I love it! Her flower pot looks woven, but it’s just tiny squares that she markered in a cool pattern.Miss Kathy said she didn’t think she was going to like the horse project. When she was done, she loved it. So did I. Cool, right!Miss RoyAnn enjoyed her projects. She’s a fairly new member of our little art group. Sweet talented lady.Even our own dear Helene played around with some pencils. Usually she’s running around like a chicken helping the ladies, but this was a good, sit down for a while and color kinda project. Not so much running around.Today, we were graced with a visit from a young high school volunteer, Michelle. She was so helpful getting all the tables cleared and ready, passing out supplies and running around. She enjoyed her project, too.
Another fun day with my Young At Heart artist Friends at Towne Creek.
“Did you ever have one of those days where everything was just going perfectly? No? Me neither!”
~Toni Armenta Andrukaitis
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The day started out nice and quiet, but then I was getting calls and texts from friends and family saying the emails they sent to me were bouncing back with a different account and saying my mailbox was full. Well after a lot of investigating and then a lot of super tech support, it looks like the problem was cleared up. I can get and send email on my phone. Great, right?. But now, I can’t access my email on my iPad. I tried everything. I live on my iPad! 🤦♀️
Earlier, when I was washing some dishes and cleaning the sink, I turned on the garbage disposal. Now, I very rarely ever use it. Guess what? Dead as a doornail. No problem. I’be fixed it before. I even fixed Miss Kathy’s when she was on vacation. How hard could it be? 🤦♀️
I got out my handy dandy tool from the last time I fixed it, and gave it a twist. It didn’t twist. I pushed the reset. Nada! (Lucky I don’t get manicures, this is messy business.
Yes! I unplugged the power and scooted a knife around before I stuck my hand in there. I wasn’t taking any chances. Not the way my day was going.
I even went back onto YouTube to watch a refresher Video on how to repair your garbage disposal. I did all the suggested tricks, except for removing the entire unit. Still nothing.
So, I did what any frustrated garbage disposal repair person would do. I left all that stuff and towels and cleansers and crap from under the sink cabinets on the floor and had a glass of wine. Maybe I’ll try again tomorrow or maybe I just won’t use the *#@&#* blankity blank garbage disposal ever again. 🤦♀️
“If at first you don’t succeed, turn off the vacuum and read the darn directions.”
~Toni Armenta Andrukaitis
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My friend Karen inspired me years ago with her cleaning regiment. She had her Maintenance Monday routine down to a science. I tried that, but my Monday was always busy. I tried “Taking care of tasks Tuesday,” but I’d always be out having lunch or something. Today, I was determined to try “Work Around the House Wednesday.” I usually don’t have plans on Wednesday. So, I wasted most of the morning with podcasts, Facebook, and emails, before tacklingWork Around the House Wednesday.
After a little lunch and some mindless tv, I didn’t want to surrender to Wasted Wednesday. I stripped the bedding and threw the big clump in the washer. Then, I went in the closet and took out My Sharona, the Shark vacuum. I emptied the dirt canister, and took a knife to all the long brown hair tangled around the roller. This was a big time consuming job. There was a lot of hair. Maybe I should get a crew cut.🤦♀️
I vacuumed around the kitchen, living room, dining room, and hallways. Sharona seemed to be working ok as I went from room to room. But, I noticed that there wasn’t much accumulated in the dirt canister. Hmm, carpet must not be too dirty.
My Sharona SUCKS!!!! Literally. My vacuum cleaner, named Sharona, was going through the motions and making that sucking noise. Well, when I unplugged the chord in the front hall to go into the bedroom to change outlets, I noticed the on switch had something written on the side.
Oops, I had the switch on bare floor and not on brushroll. I had done all that vacuuming without the brush roller going. so, all it did was suck up a little and make noise. I was too lazy to re-vacuum all those other rooms again, so I just vacuumed the bedroom and all of a sudden, the dirt bin was pretty full just from the bedroom, and I could see the brush marks on the carpet.Lesson learned. Read the instructions! Oh yes, and put on your glasses.
Being the optimist that I am, I decided that NOW I will know the right way to vacuum in the future. Hmm, but I’m not too sure about always reading instructions.
Why did the horse go for a walk around the block? … He wanted to check out the “neigh”…. borhood. (I just made that up. Pretty cheesy, right?”
-Toni Armenta Andrukaitis
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I was just horsing around upstairs in my art studio, formerly known as the crap room. So, I thought what better way to horse around than with a horse. Granted, these videos aren’t by any means fine art. They are just a way to demonstrate a few quick ideas and art techniques, hopefully to inspire or just amuse you.
“Your Monday morning thoughts set the tone for your whole week. See yourself getting stronger, and living a fulfilling, happier and healthier life.”
Germany Kent
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Today is the first full day of Summer, or the Solstice, which started last night June 20, at 10:32 pm Central time. Summer is officially here and it’s the longest day of the year….oh wait, that rhymes. I feel a poem coming on…
Our Summer is officially here
It is the longest day of the year.
An early dawn and and a shorter night
The sun each day will be at its height….
(I could go on, but I will spare you🤦♀️)
I woke up this morning inspired by the thought of Summer. I scoured through some papers, books, and notebooks and found a blank spiral notebook to begin some thoughts, dreams and plans for my summer. More on that tomorrow.
“A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.” (The key word here is “good.)
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A beautiful Sunday and a fine day for Father’s Day. I woke even before the 7 am alarm, looking forward to 9am Mass at St. Gabriel.
Father Dankasa celebrated the Mass and began by wishing all the fathers a happy Father’s Day. And added, “And Happy Father’s Day to me too.” We all laughed, but really… our priests are fathers, aren’t they?
Today’s Gospel was the story of Jesus calming the storm that terrified the disciples. He questioned their faith and they were in awe of His power.
On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples: “Let us cross to the other side.” Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him. A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!” The wind ceased and there was great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” They were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”
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After Mass, Helene, Jerry and I stopped for coffee and a quick happy birthday toast. Friday was Jerry’s birthday, but he was out of town with family.
Jerry opening his cards and gifts and enjoying a special world famous homemade “bad ass brownie” made by yours truly. And now, a special Happy Fathers Day to my Awesome Son, Joe. (The best Father I’ve ever known.) I’m very proud of the great dad you’ve become.
Toni Andrukaitis 