Tuesday, March 7, 2023

March Came Strolling In

  March came strolling in with mild temps and many sunny days.  Compared to the rest of the country we've been very lucky so far this Winter.  (I'm knocking on wood now!)   In other news, I've been 70 for a week and  so far so good!  It was a good birthday even though I spent part of it with my Dentist and I'll be getting an implant in the near future. Midge sent me a super cute package filled with lots of goodies like new Easter towels, a Spring table runner, a box of chocolates, cute pens and note paper, plus a bunch of scratch off  Illinois lottery tickets.  After finding out I would need a tooth implant I was hoping for a big win!  Well, $28 isn't bad but Dentistry demands a bigger win! I got some lovely gifts from my hubby.  A gift card to my favorite little place, The Parsley Pot, and something worth more than gold these days:

A dozen eggs! Green ones! Now lest you think he's not a good gift giver, I received a cool gift from him a few days later.  It's a portable CD player!  I know, I know, that's a thing not used too much now,  However, I have lots of CD's and no CD player in my newish car.  Plus I can use it at the gym or my walks instead of my phone. 
It's so cute!  I'm looking forward to using it and also dusting off my CD's!  Another gift I got was from my son and daughter-in-law in Oregon.
Beautiful flowers! 
A week later and they still look fresh and pretty.  Another gift my son sent was a throw blanket with all the things that made up 1953.  Prices of stuff, movies, who the President was, etc,  So fun to read and realize how times have changed.  A new house was about $6,000 while a dozen eggs was .70 cents.  That did surprise me a bit because sometimes eggs have been less than that here.  Along with cards, gift cards, and lots of birthday greetings I felt very blessed.  I need to give a quick update that I forgot from last month.  Remember the chili cookoff I entered?  Well, I didn't win first place but I did win "Hottest chili"...I was surprised because I don't ever make super hot chili and this wasn't that hot.  All the others must have been more mild I guess.
The funny thing were all the folks coming up and asking me what number was my chili. Then when it was time to leave  I went to get my crock pot and mine was the only one totally empty of chili!  That's a win win in my book!  I've noticed that whether I'm working or not, my days are filled to the brim and I'm always busy.  These past 2 weeks I haven't worked because of Docs being on vacation.  This week I'm only working Friday.  This has given me time to use my gift certificates from Christmas to get a few massages.  A sweet gift from my hubby!  Also to take extra walks with Annabelle and to get a project done that I've put off for way too long.  Cleaning out closets.  I've been working on the one in our spare room.  It's a pretty good size closet and was the place I put things until I had time to find a better place.  It turns out the better place is mostly the trash!  I found more comforters than anyone needs.  Some shoes I didn't know I had...bad me!  Many papers from church or just ones that I didn't take time to look through until now. Yep, garbage or the fire pit!  I did find a few old photos:
This was taken the year we were in a parade and had made a banner with my BFF Donna.  We had a float for Starkey Chiropractic and we combined it with Donna's husband's business, Starkey Glass. This was probably 20 or so years ago.  Fun times!  One of the other things I found was fountain! Yes, a fountain!
It's small and fits on a table top.  I wondered why it was hiding in a closet.  When I put it all together I remembered why.  It looks good, works good, but when it's running you don't hear the soothing sound of the water cascading over the rocks!  Hmmm...not sure where this will end up but it's not going back to the closet!  I'm sure I'll find more things that will surprise me but the best surprise will be a clean, organized closet!  It's the little things in life that make me smile!  Hopefully March will stroll out as calmly as it did coming in.  I'm looking forward to seeing my daffodils in full bloom soon! 




6 comments:

Deb J. in Utah said...

You were well remembered on your birthday! You got some lovely gifts. Your ward chili cook cook sounds like a lot of fun - I would sure like a taste of yours. I love spicy chili. Glad you are having mild temperatures. It is still cold and snowy here, but things are supposed to be warming up. Spring is coming! Have a good week. See you again soon!

Shady Del Knight said...

Hi, YaYa!

This is a wonderful, uplifting post, dear friend! I'm very happy to know your first week as a 70-year-old went well and that the weather played along. It's hot down here, and at noon today our air conditioner broke down! We spent the whole day sweltering. The repairman can't come until tomorrow to fix it. Yessum, there's that pesky issue with your tooth, an unforeseen dental expense but, all things considered, life is good up there in your neck of the Creepy Woods. The gifts Midge sent you are so thoughtful, so sisterly, so much a sign that the giver knows you well and loves you. And hooray for you getting a tiny CD player that you can take along on walks or to the gym! You'll be in seventh heaven playing your old CDs for the first time in years. They will keep you young!

By now, I know how much you like flowers, whether the ones growing out in your garden or displayed in arrangements on your tables. The family members on the West Coast came through with a lovely birthday bouquet for you. It looks just right beneath that still life painting. The various reminders of 1953, the year you were born, are also a splendid idea for someone like you who has reached the 70 year milestone. Congratulations on winning a prize for the hottest chili! It must have been delicious because it was the first to be eaten. All my life, I avoided hot and spicy chili, but Mrs. Shady and her son favor hot sauces, and over the years they have transformed my eating habits. I now look forward to five-alarm chili. We are even growing ghost peppers in our garden. As you probably know, they are extremely hot peppers.

That's a wonderful picture of you and Jack from the early 2000s. I admire you for tackling the task of cleaning out that jammed closet. I have a perfect idea for that tabletop fountain you found. Put it into circulation in your family's white elephant gift exchanges! Right? Yessum, I hope your daffodils bloom soon and that you will share pictures when they do.

Your happiness is mine. Enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend YaYa!

Julia said...

Congratulations on winning Hottest Chilli. Everything you cook is noteworthy and tasty, I'm sure. I love spicy chili too and I'm not surprised that it was all gone.

You did get a lot of gifts for your birthday. As I'm getting older, instead of gifts, I love phone calls, emails, or visits on my birthday as I have a large family. Hubby usually treats me to a seafood restaurant.

That's a great picture of you and Jack.
I need to do some spring cleaning here too.

Spring will be here in 13 days. Take care.
HUgs,
Julia

acorn hollow said...

wonderful birthday gifts you are well remembered and loved. The comforters could go to a animal shelter or a thrift store along with your fountain. It feels so good to clean out.
Congrats on the hottest chili I am sure it was enjoyed.
I miss Donna's blog
Cathy

Prims By The Water said...

Great gifts you received for your birthday! You might be able to donate things that are able to stay out of the trash. I say you you were blue ribbon winner at the chili cook off since your pot was empty. Folks must have loved it very much! Those were some fresh flowers to last. Pretty too! I usually add some sugar to the water to make them last a bit more. Janice

Susan Kane said...

Thoughtful husband. Happy Birthday! I was born in 1951. Prices were crazy then. A house for $6,000!