My BEST JANUARY Memory. EVER.

January 2021 got off to a rocky start...so I closed my eyes, and tried to remember a BETTER January...which was easy.  Three years ago, I was obsessed with Hamilton. Remember??  I loved looking back at that time...

Although I basically stumbled across this blog post from three years ago -- after the tumult in our nation's capital yesterday -- it helps me to think about Alexander Hamilton.

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(published in January 2018)

THANK YOU LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA.

Thanks to you, 2017 has been a wonderful, entertaining history lesson. Lilly fell in love with your words, and your hero -- and the time of the Revolutionary War became real for her. With real people, fighting real battles, disagreeing about real issues...yet -- hey -- AMERICA SURVIVED.

So maybe that's the lesson, eh?

We can only hope...

Lin-Manuel Miranda.

From Wikipedia:
Hamilton earned the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, and was nominated for a record-setting 16 Tony Awards, of which it won 11, including Best Musical, Best Original Score and Best Book. For his performance in the lead role of Alexander Hamilton, Miranda was nominated for another Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. The Hamilton cast recording spent ten weeks atop Billboard's Top Rap Albums chart in 2015, while The Hamilton Mixtape, an album of covers of songs from the musical, developed by and featuring Miranda, reached number one on the Billboard 200 upon release in December 2016.

After an eight-month ramp up...January 3, 2018 FINALLY ARRIVED...and all the stars in the sky were aligned...even with temperatures of ten BELOW zero (without counting the wind chill factor)...

WE DID IT..!!

Winter Wonderland

Living with the Four Seasons is about more than just dealing with the Hot and the Cold. It's more like the Agony and the Ecstasy. The Good and the Bad....literally the Happy and the Sad...

Today was a happy day. Although it was cold -- it was just normal winter cold...freezing -- but not brutal. And the sun was shining.

The thing is -- we woke up to an actual Winter Wonderland. During the night, Mother Nature worked a miracle. Every tree, every twig, every branch, every power line for miles and miles was coated with a frozen thick white froth.

On my way into town, I tried to take pictures with my phone. We didn't have a snow storm, or an ice storm...instead, we had heavy fog. And the condensation created THIS GLISTENING AFFECT...

Every branch of every tree was covered with a heavy, frozen, glistening mist...

It looked like every power line for miles and miles had been wrapped in white cotton...

I don't remember ever seeing this...

Every tree looked like a modern art sculpture.

As soon as the sun got high in the sky -- I knew all the white froth would start to fall off.

 Here's the thing.  I'm 72 years old -- and I was delighted to wake up and look out the window to see a DIFFERENT WORLD from the one I thought I knew.  I took it as some kind of message.  That this world we live in full of surprises. And when you go to bed at night, you never know what the morning will bring.

And things are ALWAYS better in the morning...

But you do have to get out of bed and look out the window...

Aunt Rozella's Ring...the REST of the story...

So -- what are the chances that I lost my ring at the Walmart self-checkout?

And, even if I was CERTAIN of that -- should I drive back there to look?

Or -- would it be better if I called?

Yes....I'll call. That will be quicker...

Right....good thinking, Rita.  I dialed the number...somebody answered...

Me:  Do you have a Lost and Found department?

Walmart:  Yes...I'll connect you...

After 20 minutes of being on hold...(think bad elevator music)...the phone went dead.

Now, I'm thinking...this phone call was a bad idea.  I SHOULD HAVE JUST DROVE BACK UP TO THE STORE...

 

I dialed the number a second time.  After 30+ rings, a real person finally answered....

Me:  Please don't put me on hold...I waited for 20 minutes, and then got cut off.  I'd like to talk to the person in charge of the Lost and Found. 

She kind of chuckled...and I heard her say, "Julie -- are you Lost and Found today?"

Julie:  Hello?

I explained the situation...the whole time, Julie was chewing gum.  She didn't sound too interested...  I described my ring -- and then, tried to give her directions to the exact machine I used.  We talked for maybe 3 minutes...and she said, "Okay.  I'll go take a look."

Before she could hang up, I said "do you want my phone number?"

She said, "Oh, right.  Of course..."

I hung up...disheartened.  Discouraged.  SO MAD AT MYSELF.  I knew the ring was loose...why did I wear it that day?   How could I be so careless?

I was absolutely, 100% sure I would never see Aunt Rozella's ring again.  

So, I started making supper....and, 10 minutes later -- the phone rang.  IT WAS JULIE FROM WALMART....

She said, "I found your ring!  And you're right -- it's beautiful.  I've never been able to make a phone call like this!!"

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? 

RITALUCK STRIKES AGAIN...!!

 P.S. ...thanks again, Sally...

 

 

 

It's Lost, It's Found, It's Lost Again...

About Aunt Rozella's ring...

The Pittsburgh ring was also too small -- so I had to have it sized. I wore it every day for many years...then, I lost a lot of weight. Ugh. It became too loose....so, I put it away.

Recently, Lilly was going through my jewelry box, and she admired the ring. I tried it on -- and it magically fit! Damn...does that mean I've been gaining weight? Probably...

I don't wear a lot of jewelry nowadays -- but I have always loved that ring so I put it back into circulation.

On Voting Day, I got up and was delighted to have a PLACE TO GO that required WEARING A BRA...

Really. Since Covid -- who's wearing a bra??  It's like applying lipstick right before you have to put on your facemask...TOTAL waste of time and effort.

Anyway.  That morning, I got all dressed up -- proper underwear, an actual outfit -- with ACCESSORIES...and I put on Aunt Rozella's ring to go vote...

Our polling place is Boll's Community Center

After voting,  I ran some errands, finishing my big day at Walmart.

I'm not a fan of Walmart...and I HATE the fact that they had such an unfair advantage during the pandemic.  I also HATE the fact that they have replaced clerks with self-check-out machines.  Ugh.  

 But, on this day -- that's where I ended up.  The lines with REAL people working cash registers were very, very long.

So, I reluctantly went to the self-check-out place.

When I got home, I realized I was no longer wearing Aunt Rozella's ring.  It was gone.  

Again.  

Lost.  

I had no idea where or when I lost it...

Damn...

 

Aunt Rozella's Ring

First order of business:  this will be a post with ABSOLUTELY NO BAD NEWS OF THE MEDICAL/OLD PEOPLE VARIETY...my people are all holding their own...thanks for worrying about us...

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My mother's only sister, Rozella,was always my favorite Aunt. She was a a career woman (that was a thing way back then) -- and when I was a kid, she worked at the Princeton Bank. She wore sophisticated clothes, pantyhose, and dressy shoes with matching purses. But that's not why she was my favorite. THAT happened because she was the first adult who actually talked to me. We had real conversations... and she listened to what I said.

I am very fortunate to have lots of nieces and nephews -- and I've modeled my own Aunt-Act after my Aunt Rozella.

After John and I moved to Iowa, and built this house -- Aunt Rozella and Uncle Marion came for our New Year's Day. I would love to have some pictures of those dinners.

So, yesterday, as I was preparing the fresh pork with mashed potatoes and sauerkraut, I remembered how much I loved her.

Aunt Rozella gave me the ring she always wore.

It was black onyx...and I treasured it.

It had a unique, raised, Art Deco setting -- probably from the 1920's.

It was too small for me -- so I had to have the ring sized. But, unfortunately, when I got it back -- it was a tad too big.  After wearing it just a few times -- I lost it.  HOW COULD I BE SO CARELESS? I looked for days...weeks...I searched every nook and cranny of my house, my car, the yard...

I felt terrible...I didn't know how to tell Aunt Rozella that I lost her beautiful, special gift.  The ring I loved so much...the one that belonged to her own mother...ugh...

I always hoped I'd find a ring I could pass off as Aunt Rozella's. I looked all the time..and when eBay started to be a thing, I'd spend hours looking at pictures of black onyx rings.  Nothing was even close. A few years went by...but, even though she may have wondered why I never wore the ring -- she didn't ask about it.

In 1996, I was on an amazing 12-city tour for my book -- Life Is Not A Dress Size.  Aunt Rozella was dying of cancer.  Every-other-weekend, I had a trip -- and, depending on my schedule --  I'd stop at her house either on my way to the airport, or on my way home.

In October, I was going to Pittsburgh, on the last leg of the tour -- when I stopped at her house.  You never know when it will be the last time -- y'know?  

That day, she gave me her beautiful brown leather swing coat.  She never talked about cancer or dying.  Instead, she said, "I want you to have this coat, Rita.  It's the most expensive thing I ever bought for myself -- and I've lost so much weight, I won't be able to wear it this winter."

The next day, I did a seminar for the Pittsburgh ASG.  After the show, my friend, Joyce Perhac took me on a little tour.  We went to the mall (remember malls?)...for a bit of a walk-around before supper.  The mall was hosting an Antique Show that weekend -- with many temporary booths and kiosks.  We were walking and talking.  There was furniture, and china...lots of jewelry...we were in a rush because the mall was going to close at 5:00...and we were hungry...

Yep. You guessed it!!  On our way out of the mall, we passed one last little kiosk, with trays of vintage jewelry -- and I saw Aunt Rozella's ring.  I remembered every detail of that ring -- and this one WAS A TWIN.  I've always thought maybe it was the ACTUAL ring...if only I knew how it got there.  Without hesitation, I paid the man $110. OMG...I was SOO DELIGHTED.   

The next day, Sunday -- I flew home.  Mom told me that Aunt Rozella had died the night before.

She died on Saturday afternoon.  At about 5:00.

HAPPY NEW YEAR..!!

I wanted to start the New Year with a post that had NO BAD MEDICAL NEWS...no old people falling or being rushed to an Emergency Room. 

Hey -- maybe that'll happen TOMORROW...

But, today -- we have another serious development.  Dean started getting open sores on his hand...Nicole took a picture with her cellphone and sent it to Dean's doctor.  Who said, "BRING HIM IN RIGHT AWAY..."

Ugh...with all the snow and ice...and he's in a back brace...really??..so -- Off they go...

Dean has MRSA.

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Turns out -- I really needed a chuckle this morning.  And, thanks to many of you -- I often get EXACTLY what I need via email...

Mary Mulari sent this list of "Psychotherapy for Seniors"...and I can just about picture her and her buddies up there in the Great North doing ALL THESE THINGS...

 

How to Maintain a Healthy Level  of  Insanity in RETIREMENT...

 

1.  At lunch time, sit in your parked car with sunglasses on, point a hair dryer at passing cars and watch them slow down!

2.  On all your check stubs, write, "For Sexual Favors"

3.  Skip down the street rather than walk, and see how many looks you get.

4.  With a serious face, order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat.

5.  Sing along at The Opera.

6.  When the money comes out of the ATM, scream 'I Won! I Won!'

7.  When leaving the Zoo, start running towards the car park, yelling, 'Run For Your Lives! They're Loose!' 

8.  Tell your children over dinner, 'Due to the economy, we are going to have to let one of you go....'

9.  Pick up a box of condoms at the pharmacy , go to the counter and ask where the fitting room is.

And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity: My Favorite...   

 10.  Go to a large Department store's fitting room, drop your drawers to your ankles and yell out, "There's no paper in here!"

THE FIRST SNOW DAY

Wednesday was our first big snow "event" of the winter.  We had about six inches of snow -- and at least an inch of sleet/rain -- which made it crusty and VERY HEAVY to shovel.  Ugh.

I went out four times to shovel the sidewalk and around my car.   That was enough exercise for one day -- and it was actually more interesting than walking on the treadmill.

If you live in Iowa, snow removal is a big deal. And it has ALWAYS been John's job.  Over the years, he threw a lot of money at the toys...sorry...."tools"  to do that job. He bought a walk-behind snow blower, garden tractors with various front and back blades, and even a very large John Deere tractor with a bucket on the front. 

But, the truth is -- for the last two years, my brother Calvin has been digging us out.  John never got comfortable with the big tractor, and he couldn't remember how to start the snow blower.  But he still considered snow removal as his job.  He would pull on his winter boots and gloves, and go outside to "supervise".  

Here's the thing --  yesterday, John had absolutely no awareness that I was shoveling the snow.  I put on my winter duds and go out to shovel (20 minute increments were about all I could handle)...and he sat in his chair, watching television.  He didn't have the least bit of interest in or understanding of what I was doing.

And that's okay.  It is what it is. God knows I need the exercise...and shoveling snow is the EASY part of my life right now...

In the morning -- our DirectTV didn't work.  THANK GOD for the Amazon Firestick.  I've been watching the Netflix series, "Virgin River" -- and I thought John might enjoy it.  But it uses a lot of flashbacks, and it was too confusing. 

Then I remembered how much John loved the movie Gettysburg.  He used to watch it every 4th of July.  

Gettysburg was the first movie John took the boys to.  Ross still remembers it well. After a long, boring 3 hours, the theater lights went on...and Ross was SO HAPPY IT WAS OVER..Then, John told him this was just the "intermission"...and Ross said, "are you kidding me? What did they do -- film it in real time?" 

So -- that was John's day.  He watched Gettysburg while I shoveled snow.  At 3:00,  Calvin came down with his road grader (that is only a slight exaggeration)  to dig out our long driveway.  Cal came in for a cup of coffee and John barely looked up...

My loaf of bread turned out great...and I made some chicken wings in my new oven.  I'm working on a New York City 1000 piece puzzle....that certainly brings back some wonderful memories...

Here's the best news..... 

IT'S OFFICIAL.  TODAY is the LAST DAY of 2020, and WE MUST, Thank God, OFFICIALLY SAY GOODBYE TO THE HORRIBLE 2020...!! 

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ALSO -- Happy Birthday, LP..!!  We are all missing TMBC right now -- but, hopefully -- the vaccine is on the way...and the world will soon be a safer place.

THANK GOD FOR SEWING, EH??