Well Planned Life

Today is Memorial Day here in the US, a day when we honor and remember the men and women who have died serving our great country.   We also give thanks to the men and women who continue to serve, who choose to put their lives on the line so that we as a society may live our lives in freedom.   Coming from a family of past and present soldiers, this means a great deal to me (thankfully, none of my family members have been killed in action, that I know of).   While I don’t personally know what it’s like to serve this country (if I had any courage at all, I would have enlisted), I honor and respect those who do.   I support our all of our soldiers one hundred and ten percent.   And while some may not agree with America’s policies and politics, I think it’s beyond important to respect those who fight for our right to complain about the things we don’t like and might disagree with.   So here is to all of those who have served and continue to serve the Uni...

Reggie and I (and my hubby) just spent an extended weekend in San Antonio, Texas visiting family—we stayed with my sister- and brother-in-law.   We all had a great time.   I don’t know why it has taken us so long to get there, but we sure won’t wait so long to go back.   It was my first time there (and Reggie’s).   We were amazed at how friendly and welcoming the people are.   In general, people are patient and relaxed, very unlike many people here in New York who are always in a rush to get nowhere and have no problem letting you know they’re unhappy with whatever it is you’re doing (or not doing).   In Texas, it’s just a calmer pace, much more my speed.   The weather was warm and the sun was shining.   While I can’t say I’m ready to move there just yet, I see the appeal of living there.   I’m more of a mountain girl myself and need to have my official four seasons, at least at this point in my life.   But never say never—Texas is...

I don’t have to tell you that we live in a technological age.   Things are changing rapidly, almost too rapidly for me.   Sometimes I feel as if my head is spinning out of control .   The more things go digital, the more I turn back to the good old days. Lately I am finding comfort and relaxation in the simpler things in life; not just taking the time to smell the roses, if you will, but also to live in a simpler time, if only for 30 or 60 minutes. I love my DVR .  It allows me to record shows that I would otherwise be unable to catch due to work and other activities.  The ironic thing is that I tend to record shows that illustrate a more relaxed way of life.  For instance, right now my DVR only contains episodes of “ The Golden Girls ,” “ The Waltons ,” and “ The Mary Tyler Moore Show. ”  (I do record current shows, but as the season is coming to a close, most of what I have right now are these.)  These shows have special meaning to me...

Disclaimer: What I’m about to say is based on my personal experience only .  The laws that govern this may depend on what state and/or country you live in. It’s very rare that I get on my soapbox.  In fact, I pride myself on not doing it—I don’t want my blog to become a place where I vent and get on people’s cases about what to do or how to think (and you’ll never see/hear me talk politics).  I hate it when people to do that to me in person (which happens way too often), so I try never to do it to other people in any form.  However, I have to mention this topic because I am so passionate about it and because it’s so important to me.  And the truth is, not too many people think about it, so it could very well be important to them too; they just might not know it. I’m almost finished reading Jodi Picoult ’s latest book, Lone Wolf .  (If you have never read anything by her, please check her out—she’s a great writer and usually writes about current ...

Last weekend we had new kitchen appliances delivered.   I can’t tell you the amount of excitement this provided me (yes, my life is that sad).   The appliances we had were original to our condo’s being built.   The oven stopped working for the second time since we bought the place, and we had to decide: pay to have it repaired again or simply replace it.   And since the dishwasher no longer cleaned that well and the refrigerator made a huge thumping noise when running, we decided that it was time to invest in new appliances.   Plus, they just looked old—think late 1980s style. The new appliances are so sleek and quiet (we can actually run the dishwasher and watch TV at the same time!).  And since they are Energy Star -approved, they should save us money on our electric bill in the long run (only time will tell).  The oven and dishwasher are simple models and perform well.  But the real excitement lies with the refrigerator.  Why? ...