Eyes Open Wide

This morning, while Elaine and I were on our morning walk, we turned up Norwood Circle. We saw a white SUV coming towards us, so we moved to the side of the road. The driver, a woman, was on the phone. The next thing we knew, she was coming directly for us, and we had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit. Both of us were shaken by the near miss, but the woman driving the car never even slowed down. If she had looked in her rear view mirror, she would have seen us waving our arms and yelling. But then, she was still on the phone and totally unaware of what she had just done.

When I used to live in California, there was a law that said you couldn’t use your phone while driving. Heck, Maria Shriver (Arnold’s wife) was photographed at least 3 times, driving while talking on the phone. Whatever the reason for using the phone while driving, it’s not worth killing someone. There should be a law in Mississippi, stopping people from doing so. And they should be slapped with an outrageous fine if they are caught. 

And as for me, I promise never to answer the phone ever again while I am driving. My morning walk could have ended in death, and that’s enough to make me realize that no matter how important that stupid phone call is, it’s not worth killing yourself, or anyone else for that matter. I can’t imagine how I would cope with the guilt of maiming or killing someone with my car because I was on the phone and not paying attention. It would be hard to sleep at night. How about you? 

Now at first glance, this might seem odd to put such a photo on a blog, but I felt I needed to celebrate the event and share it with you. This is the first time in over 6 years, that a toilet paper roll was actually put on the holder by someone else in the household. Not only that, but it was done by a man! 

Went to the Raymond Pharmacy the other day, and found the hours on the door of the store. I guess if you're the only pharmacist in the town, you can set your hours any which way you choose.

Each time I go to Pearl, I pass this business and it makes me laugh. It was a challenge to finally be able to take a photo since the highway is very busy and I never seem to be able to stop at the light for very long.

Visit to the Coast

Bill and I drove down to the coast to visit some friends this past week-end. They have a lovely home. Here are some of the highlights of the visit:

                       Their drive-way was lined with Live Oaks, and it reminded me of California.

Among the many display cases, I found this alligator skull which was really cool.

                                                         This was my favorite artwork.

                                    While there, we met this great, old, Martin Banjo from 1923.

This was their pump house. Complete with tin roof, it looks like many other old buildings in Mississippi.

But best of all, were their pet catfish. We went to the edge of the pond, threw in some fish food, and suddenly all these fish appeared out of nowhere. They were very tame, and delightful as much as a catfish can be.

Right before we left for home, I took a walk around their property. Unaware, I picked up a number of Red Bugs (chiggers) and still have the bites. It feels so good when you scratch them, though. If you've ever had them, you'd probably agree. 

It’s tomato time in Mississippi and boy, are they plentiful. Nothing beats cooking with fresh tomatoes. Here’s a recipe that’s a big hit at our house.

Tomatoes and Feta Cheese with Rice

Cook Basmati rice according to directions and set aside. In a separate pan, saute onions and garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Then add the diced tomatoes, but only cook them until they are soft, but still holding their form. Mix the rice and tomato mixture together, adding a small amount of Italian dressing just to give it a slight zing. Then mix in Feta cheese right before serving.

As an alternative, add chicken and fresh parsley to the mixture for a single dish meal. 

Age 65

It’s official with this birthday. I am now an OP. I never imagined that I’d be this old. Back when I was a meer ute, I envisioned myself being 40 years old with a few wrinkles. That was my idea of being old.

Although my body reminds me each day that it is deteriorating, I have to say that I’m a lot happier now than I was when I was young. There were always too many dramas back in the earlier days. I was always striving to get to the top of the pile, thinking I’d be happy then, once I got there. Now that age has embraced me, I find that I appreciate the simpler things in life. Having that warm cup of aromatic tea each morning. Going for my daily walk through the town. Enjoying an evening meal with my husband. Creating my artwork, now that no one expects anything from me. I am now free to take the chances that I once feared. Delighted with what turns out to be great, and not beating myself up when something I created, misses its mark. I just put it aside and go on. There are other things to explore.

So when it comes your time to be 65, I hope you too can be comfortable in your old skin, and be happy. That’s what it’s all about.