Tuesday Two Step and 2-22-22 at 2:22

“Diligence is the mother of good luck.”

~Benjamin Franklin

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So, today is 2-22-22, must be a lucky day. Helene and I went for taco Tuesday. Then we went to Station 5 for early voting. I set my alarm for 2:22 pm so I could take a photo on my phone. As luck would have it, my alarm went off while I was voting. 🤦‍♀️

I love my phone screen photo. I get to see my Mommo all the time.

After voting, I went over to Walmart to pick up a few supplies for our Friday Towne Creek Senior art group. We were going to make pizza, but since it’s going to be sooooo cold, I’m going to make my famous potato chowder soup and Helene will make egg salad sandwiches and I’ll bake more mini cupcakes. I managed to spend $80 on who know what? Oh look! Something shiny.🤦‍♀️

As I was leaving, I saw a lottery machine by the exit. I didn’t know how to work it, so I put in a dollar and pushed some buttons. They didn’t have anything for a dollar, but they had one for two, so I put in another dollar.

Then, an older couple passed by and was using the machine. I said, I’m going to watch you. I have no idea how this works. Oh! When they left, I put in another dollar and got a Texas Two Step ticket. With all that alliteration, it’s gotta be luck on this 2-22-22. Plus, supposedly it is supporting veterans. ❤️Wish me luck…🤞🏼

Wednesday:) What’s Cookin’ Miss Toni.

“In the South, people traditionally have black eyed peas on New Year’s Eve to bring good luck. I made a huge pot of it this year. We can use all the luck we can get.”

~Toni Armenta Andrukaitis

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Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve, so I made a huge pot of my black eyed pea/bean/salsa dip for the occasion. I’ll share with some friends and neighbors, but this stuff is really good. I’ll enjoy it for days.

If you want to know my secret no-chop, no work, easy recipe, here it is…. open up a lot of cans and jars and dump them all in a big pot.

Actually, I did pan roast the corn with oil a little before popping in all the other cans and jars, added apple cider vinegar and S-P-and garlic powder. Voila!

Here’s a little history…

Do you know why it’s good luck to eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day? As with most superstitions, there are several answers to the question.

Most Southerners will tell you that this culinary custom dates back to the Civil War. Black-eyed peas were considered animal food. The peas were not deemed worthy of serving to General Sherman’s Union troops. When Union soldiers raided the Confederates’ food supplies, legend says they took everything except the peas and salted pork. The Confederates considered themselves lucky to be left with those meager supplies, and survived the winter. Peas then became symbolic of luck.

Happy Wednesday, my friends.

Wednesday:) What Special Day Is It Today? 11-11

“To reach the future, man needs to be clever and more important than this he must be lucky!”

― Mehmet Murat ildan

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Today is Veterans Day, and most people were thinking about the veterans in their lives, past and present. The words sacrifice, commitment, and honor come to mind when I think about Veteran’s Day. My father served in WWII and was stationed in the steamy jungles of the Philippines. A big thank you to all who served.

Elijah Armenta~ watercolor painting by his “amazing” daughter, yours truly. A composite painting of the Philippine Islands with a layer of palm trees over that, then Sergeant Armenta.

While I was scrolling through Facebook this morning, admiring all the veteran salutes, I caught a live streaming Empath Soul Mastery video hosted by Kathryn Malek. She commented that today was 11-11 and those are very lucky numbers. Well, the broadcast started at 11 am Central time, so I commented when it was 11:11 am. Pretty cool. Very lucky numbers, plus I was listening and learning about strengthening and self-caring for empaths. I used to think empaths were goofy strange people, maybe real, maybe not. But then I learned that some people just feel and sense more than others, and are very sensitive to the world around them. It’s very interesting. I learn more all the time.

I took a screen shot on my phone at 11:11 on this beautiful 11-11-2020 day. Cool!

It was a good lucky day. Lucky to be alive, healthy, happy, with great friends and a fantastic family.

And look at this spectacular sunset…

A Super-Duper Spectacular Special Saturday

“Did you very have one of those days where absolutely everything was going right? Well, me either. But, today was pretty close.”

~Toni Armenta Andrukaitis

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No alarm to wake me today. I fed the dog and let her out back, then did some meditation. Then, off for a morning walk with the dog around the pond. My neighbor is out of town for a few days, so she asked if I’d keep an eye on the cats, feed them, etc. Sure, why not? I am the neighborhood pet whisperer. Animals love be me.

Here’s the cool part… when I was feeding the cats the other day, I noticed Miss Kathy’s garbage disposal was broken. Dead as a doornail. As per instructions, I’ve always put the old cat food down the disposal. Oops! That wasn’t working.

Last year, or earlier this year, I don’t remember, maybe you do, my disposal stopped working. I googled to see how much it would cost to have one replaced and it was crazy expensive. So, I did some research and watched some YouTube videos and after one trip to Lowe’s for the right tool, I fixed my disposal. I decided that I’d give it a try on Miss Kathy’s.

I fed the cats, came home and got my tool that I had cleverly taped to the disposal under my sink and went over to give it the old college try. The hardest part was getting my old cranky knees and crinkly body down on the floor and under the cabinet, after removing all the bottles, cleaners, and stuff.

I remembered what I did with mine, and put the tool in the right spot and turned a few times, pressed the reset button, then crawled and strained to get up to test the switch. Nope! Dang!

I had my phone, so I did what most folks would do… I sat on the floor and watched a few YouTube videos on the subject. Back under the cabinet, more twisting, turning, unplugged, plug back, and say a few prayers to St. Joseph, (Patron Saint of carpenters and fathers- I didn’t have time to research who is the Saint for plumbers-St. Vincent Ferrer-just looked it up.) I dragged my old body up again and tested the switch. Voila!!!! Fixed it! I took a video and sent it to Miss Kathy, just saying, “I fixed your broken garbage disposal! I am AMAZING!” She replied… “I know you Are!”

Well, I was SO proud of myself, I could barely fit my big swollen with pride head out the front door, and my back was sore from patting myself on the back. A perfect start to my day.

Later, back at the ranch…my house… I was going through closets and boxes looking for more things to take over to church for the St. Vincent DePaul donation drive. I already had a ton of stuff, but I wanted to take three or four king size comforter sets that were upstairs in closets. When I grabbed the last one in the guest room, under the black trash bag that held the comforter, I found the long elusive crate with Joe’s 30 year old Dick Tracey lunch box and action figures that I had been desperately searching for to send him. It was under the bag. If I hadn’t been generously donating items, I wouldn’t have found it. Yay… thank you St. Anthony.

I was on a roll. I packed up the car and headed over to church with my donations. I met Helene over there, as she was donating, too. We stopped for a Coke and a chat.

I stopped at the store and got a great sale, eggs were 49cents a dozen, a case of water 3 for $5, and I had a coupon for free bananas-3 pounds, yes free! (Is there a saint for that?)

Now, even more good luck. I decided that if the line wasn’t too long outside Fire Station 5 on my way home, I would do my early voting today. Yep, perfect timing. No wait at all. In and out in less than 10 minutes.

Then, home to walk the dog… again… and catch the perfect sunset.

Now, wouldn’t you say that was a pretty darn good day? (And it’s not over yet. I know… I should have bought a lottery ticket.)

Happy Saturday, my friends!

Tuesday:) Toni’s Tiny Lucky Ladybug

“Luck is what you have left over after you give 100 percent.”

Langston Coleman

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Lady bugs are supposed to be a symbol of good luck. I never knew the origin of that history or even where the name came from. The other day, I found a ladybug sitting in the middle of my kitchen counter island. I carefully captured her in my hand and walked her to the back door and set her free outside. I figured if finding one was good luck, then killing one would be bad luck. I’ve been very lucky and blessed thus far, so I didn’t want to jinx that.

One of my Facebook friends posted something about the history of how the ladybug got her name. I had never heard that story. And, here is an over abundance of information (TMI) about the legend and history of the ladybug.

Having a ladybug land on you can be a magical moment. While other insects may pose a threat to humans, animals and crops alike, ladybugs are harmless — and even better, they’re beneficial! That’s why so many cultures over the centuries have cherished ladybugs, believing them to bring good luck.

A Good Insect

Ladybugs, which are members of the beetle family, come in a variety of colors, notably red, and are recognized by the distinctive dots on their oval-shaped hard bodies. Farmers encourage ladybug populations in their fields because ladybugs protect crops from insects, especially from aphids and other sap feeders who can do great damage. A single ladybug can eat as many as 5,000 aphids in its lifetime, according to the University of Kentucky Department of Entomology.

Superstition

Even though the ladybug is a North American insect, its delicate and artistic appearance has made it popular In many cultures, with a variety of superstitions to go along. One well-known superstition shared with children across cultures is: Never kill a ladybug because doing so will bring bad luck. The source of this adage was likely farmers, who wanted to protect these tiny but efficient crop defenders.

A Source of Good Luck

Some cultures believe seeing a ladybug brings good luck. The person may then succeed in love, have good weather, experience financial success or simply receive some other desired wish. Other cultures presume having a ladybug land on you brings good luck, or that whatever a ladybug lands on will be replaced with an improved version. Feng shui, the art of arranging spaces for optimum flow of energy, often incorporates the ladybug symbol.

Christian Symbolism

The ladybug’s distinctive spots also contribute to the symbolism surrounding the insect. In the Middle Ages, European Christian societies believed the beetle’s spots represented the Seven Sorrows of Mary, according to Catholic Answers Forum. After the farmers prayed to the Virgin Mary to protect their crops, ladybugs supposedly appeared to defend the crops. The farmers called the bugs “Beetles of Our Lady,” which evolved into “ladybugs” — hence a reference to the Virgin Mary.

Theme Song Thursday:) When It Rains… It Pours

“I’ve always said that I’m pretty lucky. I just forgot to mention that some of that is bad luck.”

~ Toni Armenta Andrukaitis

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Did you ever have one of those days, and even weeks? Well, I’m not complaining. Oh.,,wait…yes I am.

After last week, going to the Honda dealer for a routine oil change and inspection, they ended up pulling off some plastic molding off my windshield. This was after they told me I needed a bazillion dollars worth of maintenance, including new tires. I said no. Lucky thing is, Sunday, I had a nail in a rear tire that couldn’t be fixed. If I would have had new tires, yikes! But, I did get four new tires at Walmart on Sunday for probably half of what the dealer would have charged.  Then, I went back to the dealer Monday so they could replace the molding. Next day, the windshield had a fifteen inch crack. 

I took the car in today at 9am. While I sat in the waiting room for the courtesy shuttle to take me home, I grabbed one of those free cookies by the coffee bar. Half way into the cookie, I felt something crunchy. I took it out and looked. It looked like a pony bead or some kind of hard plastic. Upon further investigation, it turned out to be my tooth. Not an ordinary tooth, but what I like to call, “MY TEN THOUSAND DOLLAR TOOTH.” It was my implant that was formerly a root canal.

The shuttle took me right to the dentist instead of home. The good news was, they were able to cement it back on. It just doesn’t give me much confidence in an implant that doesn’t even stay on a year.

But, like I said, I’m pretty lucky. Just a lot of bad luck this past week. Nothing compared to what many are going through, so I ain’t complaining, just relating. I ended up taking an Uber home. This was my first time Ubering. I was excited. This is Linda, my driver. I gave her a nice tip for my car ride of about 5 miles.

My windshield didn’t get done till after 3, and the courtesy car came to get me around 4. But, now, I have a brand new windshield.

That’s all the bad luck. The good luck is, I didn’t get charged a penny for the windshield, or fixing my tooth, and this was my first Uber car ride, so it was free too. NOW, THAT’S PRETTY GOOD LUCK, ISN’T IT?

Tuesday:) Two Lucky Finds and Some Food

“Here’s the thing about luck…you don’t know if it’s good or bad until you have some perspective.” ― Alice Hoffman

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I haven’t  even thought about lucky pennies for a long time. They seem to turn up when I least expect it. This afternoon, my sister and I coerced Mom into going out for lunch at Portillo’s. She didn’t want to venture out, but we didn’t give her a choice. It was almost 40 degrees and pretty darn nice for Chicago weather. As we took a couple of steps from the car, there on the dark black top was a lucky penny, right by Mom’s foot.

Always great food at Portillo’s. Mom had the Chicago hot dog and JoAnn and I had the Polish. Mine was the Maxwell Street Polish sausage with grilled onions. Oh yes, and lots of fries. Yum!

When I got back to Mom’s place later, there in the middle of the hallway floor,  was a lucky dollar. 100 times luckier than a penny, all in the same day.

Maybe my luck was so good because I sampled some black eyed peas on New Year’s Day, a southern good luck tradition. I was too lazy to prepare any kind of recipe with them, so I just opened the can and ate a teaspoon full. (I’m very superstitious and can use all the good luck charms available.)

Tuesday:) Tales of a Talisman

“If you don’t believe in luck, you won’t have any. If you don’t believe that dreams can come true, they won’t. You are what you believe.

~Toni Amenta Andrukaitis

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“All that is necessary to break the spell of inertia and frustration is this: Act as if it were impossible to fail. That is the talisman, the formula, the command of right-about-face which turns us from failure towards success.”

Dorothea Brande

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The definition of a talisman is described below. I find lucky pennies or lucky feathers, and I use them  as a personal talisman. I always seem to find them when I need them. For me, the penny symbolizes, not wealth necessarily, but that things will be OK and will work out for the best. I feel that the feather represents the wings of courage, the ability to fly and soar when I might be feeling sad and earthbound, perhaps even angel wings guiding and protecting. A talisman is only what you make of it. Magical powers.

talisman

tal·is·man\ˈta-ləs-mən, -ləz-\noun

: an object (such as a ring or stone) that is believed to have magic powers and to cause good things to happen to the person who has it

Full Definition

1 : an object held to act as a charm to avert evil and bring good fortune

2 : something producing apparently magical or miraculous effects

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This afternoon on my walk, I found a lucky feather almost hidden in the thick winter  grass. I needed the reassurance of the feather talisman today. I found it. It was a good day.

   
 
“If you don’t believe in luck, you won’t have any. If you don’t believe that dreams can come true, they won’t. You are what you believe.
~Toni Amenta Andrukaitis

Sunday Sermon and Some Other Stuff

Here’s the thing about luck…you don’t know if it’s good or bad until you have some perspective.” 

― Alice Hoffman, Local Girls

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Today is All Saint’s Day. Father Don said that we can’t all be saints, but we should all strive to be more saintly by following the words of today’s Gospel. My take on it…you don’t have to be poor, suffering in pain, and a push over to be saintly, but you do have to share your wealth and gifts, have faith and be strong when in pain, and always be fair, honest, kind and grateful.

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Matthew 5 : 1-12a
At that time, when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up the mountain. He sat down and His disciples gathered around Him. Then He spoke and began to teach them :
“Fortunate are those who are poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Fortunate are those who mourn, they shall be comforted.”
“Fortunate are the gentle, they shall possess the land. Fortunate are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied.”
“Fortunate are the merciful, for they shall find mercy. Fortunate are those with a pure heart, for they shall see God.”
“Fortunate are those who work for peace, they shall be called children of God. Fortunate are those who are persecuted for the cause of justice, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.”
“Fortunate are you, when people insult you and persecute you and speak all kinds of evil against you because you are My followers. Be glad and joyful, for a great reward is kept for you in God.”

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It was still a dreary drizzly morning, but it was daylight saving time, so we got to turn back the clocks one hour. An extra hour to sleep. Yeah! After church, I stopped at Albertson’s to get some groceries. When I stepped out of my car, there, right by my car was… Not a lucky penny…Not a lucky feather…But a lucky ten dollar bill!! Now, that’s pretty lucky!

  
Am I lucky or am I blessed? I don’t know…I think it’s the same thing. 

  
Or, I am both lucky and blessed!

  
Here’s the thing about luck…you don’t know if it’s good or bad until you have some perspective.” 

― Alice Hoffman ( My perspective is I’ll call it good luck.)

Wednesday Words of Wisdom: Lucky Signs

That is life, isn’t it? Fate. Luck. Chance. A long series of what-if’s that lead from one moment to the next, time never pausing for you to catch your breath, to make sense of the cards that have been handed to you. And all you can do is play your cards and hope for the best, because in the end, it all comes back to those three basics.Fate. Luck. Chance.

Kelseyleigh Reber, If I Fall

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Luck comes in only two forms, good and bad. Often times, it just depends on your perspective.

~Toni Atmenta Andrukaitis

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Sometimes my lucky pennies or coins or feathers show up at the strangest yet appropriate times. Take today for example. I went for my morning walk/joggle, and I noticed a small white plastic card on the street, next to a grey car. I picked it up to see what it said. It looked like one of those work badges or key cards, so I stuck it under the windshield of the car. Maybe the owner dropped it. My good deed for the day. 

Continuing my walk, I hadn’t taken two steps when there by my foot was a shiny lucky penny. Coincidence ? Hmm? I thought, someone up there is saying, “Good job. You are a kind considerate person.”

  
Then, walking up the street and turning the corner, what do I see on the sidewalk? A small red playing card, the ace of hearts, face-up. Oh man! Not a two of diamonds or four of spades, but an ace of hearts. 

  
What does that mean? I’m hoping something to do with the heart. Wouldn’t that be nice. I could use some excitement right about now.

Well, I’m not finished yet. On my way to meet my girlfriends for lunch, I stopped at Walgreens to pick up some photos I ordered. On the sidewalk by the entrance, I found a lucky dime. Ten times the luck of a penny, right? 

 
Three lucky signs in one day, actually in one morning. 

Fate, luck, and chance.