It’s OK to slow down ….

I bought a box of white-chocolate fortune cookies in the clearance cart of the floral department of our local Safeway yesterday. Ummm.  We have luxuriated in nibbling them, both with hot tea or coffee and without.  I particularly have savored the fortunes enclosed.  This morning my cookie said, “It’s OK to slow down and smell the roses.” OK.  But, how?  How can one slow down? Particularly in light of achieving the fortune I opened yesterday, “In your old age, you will enjoy comfort and material prosperity.”  I’m old.  I’m old.  Bring it on.

These Gloves were made for losing…

These gloves wre made for losing….or am I just totally irresponsible when it comes to pairs of gloves (or earrings).  Gloves are extremely important to me.  I love my hands.  I take good care of them.  They make sweet music at the keyboard; but I digress.  I particularly like leather gloves; problem is, black is best and black has a way of disappearing in the recesses of my black purse.  I have lost complete pairs of black leather gloves at the gas station in Chicago, at churches, at school, and most recently at a Christmas concert.  I buy tons of gloves, the 2 for $1.50 stretchy kind are great for back – up and for loaning and for tucking in the pocket of every coat and jacket and every backpack. After using my water proof, double layer ski gloves for 5 winters (and not losing one) I finally invested in a pair of nice WARM and Professional looking suade gloves in October.  Now these gloves not only looked great, they were fur lined and had knit gussets all around and a cuff.  They were extremely comforting and comfortable.  I got them at nearly half price at Kohl’s and I wore them through the first days of extreme cold here in the Colorado mountains.  My fingers did not go numb driving in to work.  I praised them, I flaunted them, I wore them to the Christmas concert; tucked them under my arm while receiving a program and then sat in the bleachers for an hour.  Entering the night air at 8,000 feet afterward was a sharp reminder.  I caught the janitor turning out the lights, we searched the gym.  We looked under the bleachers to no avail.  A mere month of use and my gloves were gone!  I am still sad.  Even sadder now as I drive to work in my miss matched pair ( one stretchy and one ski glove); because, yes, I lost a single the other day.  Maybe I should take up baseball again – afterall you only need one glove.

There’s No Business Like Show business!

Oops! Wrong musical; but given there is still 2 feet of ice and snow on the ground and we have just come through several days of zero temperatures, it hardly seems appropriate to title this, “June is Bustin’ Out All Over!”  Last year at this time the four family members in this cabin were deep in rehearsals for the CCU production of Carousel.  I played the part of Mrs. Mullin, the female villan.  Doug was the fatherly Dr. Seldon, the Starkeeper, a carnival barker, and a clam digger (shortage of men, you know); Andrea tripled as a carnival gymnast and swordsman, the eldest Snow daughter, and chorus member; Philip acted the part of Enoch Snow Jr., carnival juggling midget and swordsman, Orin Peasley at the clambake and danced with the leading ladies as needed.  It is abundantly clear by now that this family loves music, microphones, studios, and stages.  If you are stage struck, just click on this picture and it will take you to an 18 photo sampling of the musical Carousel (as performed at CCU).