Dear Reader:

My life is changing..subtly but changing. For one thing I am cooking again…yes you heard me correctly…the “Boo” is cooking! I mean meat, potatoes, and veggies dinners…meat and pasta, chicken and rice and veggie casseroles.

When restaurants were open I met friends twice or thrice a week for lunch, ate half there and had the rest for dinner. (Have to admit it is the best economical meal plan around for a single person) So I just got out of the habit of cooking daily, then weekly, and so on. 🙂

I am having to wait on the chicken casserole since the stores (by Friday) are out of fresh meat…but the meats will return by Tuesday…shoppers are learning the food store truck schedules by heart.

Slow Cooker Pot roast…and spaghetti & pasta….

*I have to admit it…but I am having fun cooking again…who knew?

One of my nurse friends and I bumped into each other at  our bank ATM parking lot…we resisted the urge to hug (such a southern custom..it is tough to break.) She told me in their hospital…one of their medical personnel had created a new greeting- they were extending one foot forward while the other person does the same (thus adding distance between them)….not touching the others’ foot but just a little foot wave!

Yesterday I heard my name being called and it was a friend of mine who taught at Alston Middle with me…Lorraine White. The most wonderful music teacher and great friend. Like Carol Poole and myself we traveled to historical parks and schools to do storytelling with music…(integrated learning with social studies, storytelling, and music!)Lorraine has a beautiful voice.

While performing some times I would get so mesmerized by her voice singing touching historical songs…it was hard to remember where to pick the story up again! 🙂 Now seeing her …after such a long time made me so happy…lifting my spirits.

Humans are social creatures by nature and this has become more obvious with heightened alone time.. But now between cooking, gardening, reading, writing cards…and texting with funny cartoons poking fun at the “new normal”… slowly life is settling down somewhat.

Beauty in all forms and tidiness still play important roles in my own happiness.  For example I couldn’t stand looking at my beloved car (Surcie) one more minute… covered completely in pollen from the front to the back.

So I drove her through a rather new mechanized car wash in town (figured me alone in a car worked) and then I vacuumed “her” inside. It is amazing how much better that makes one feel…love having a clean car inside and out! How about you “Surcie?” Happy?

But what really made me happy yesterday was reading a message on Facebook from an ole’ friend I knew in college. (Deb Hanna) *Deb is the cute blond to the right of me….lower right.

She mentioned that her mother-in-law (apparently) was in a type of senior nursing home or assisted living facility some distance away. The problem was communication between them and their loved one had ceased…  it was upsetting, no doubt, on both ends.

Deb was writing a note to send her mother-in-law and let her know they were all healthy while finding out how she was doing. I almost stopped there but found myself reading some of her friends’ responses to this unsettling dilemma.

The first reader asked for the mother-in-law’s address so she could write her also (even though she probably would not  remember meeting her once while visiting or even who she was.)

Still the friend assured Deb that she would clarify her identify and then her close relationship with Deb and her husband…praising her for raising such a wonderful, caring man. Almost immediately the next few friends, loving this idea, jumped on the ‘wagon’ too.

Can you imagine how wonderful it would be for this worried elderly mother to suddenly get all these caring cards from her son and daughter-in-law’s friends? Don’t you love this idea?

God provided me with a wink and opportunity to do just this with one of my Ya’s friends extended family through her daughter …who is seriously ill. I received the address and hope to get my note off this morning.

Anne Peterson called and while we were catching up I mentioned this same idea to her…she took it…adding a new twist to it… closer to home…and said she was going to grab her note cards right then and there. (And of course her note cards are so special because she originally painted the scenes! 🙂

So until tomorrow…Creating ideas to improve certain situations in life is fulfilling, not only to the creator, but all the people influenced to perform a kind act using the idea.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Here are Brooke’s grandchildren….so adorably precious…always a happy way to start the end of a post…

…and officially end with a huge shout-out to Ady Barbour (my great niece who is turning eleven today)...it just can’t be…slow down Ady…middle school next year. Wow!