I Hope You Dance and Eat Pie

 

The beautiful essence and wonderment of spring has come, finally. Amongst the raindrops and chill of wind, but it's here. A blending of blossoms and fresh cut grass mix into one lovely aroma as you walk along your path. Rebirth is everywhere, showing us that every new day is a new beginning and a chance to do it all over again. 

We are given a do-over that begins upon the awakening of our human bodies each and every day. Rectify those things that you ran across the days before today that left you unhappy. Smile a little more. Laugh always. Shower those around you with hugs. Make life count with each heartbeat you take. When you leave this earth, leave behind a legacy of love. 

Now, back to everyday life ...

Our Friday didn't hold anything special in the blog post department. It was a regular day of work for me. Terry sat outside for a while, sucking on a big cigar. That is his time to relax and enjoy life. Mine is to play a game, take some photos, bake something, watch a show, or just chat with friends. Exciting, huh? 

I follow the pets around and basically annoy them to no end by shoving the camera in their faces. I pull out the brush and head for Togo, making his life complete by ripping loose hair out by the handful. All of it is done in love, of course, but I'm bored. What can I say? Plucking my dog has become my hobby of choice. 

Saturday, April 6, 2024

Mallory joined us for a day of watching the final Harry Potter movie. We made it through with tears and laughter, and completed the series. I forgot how wonderful this franchise is, even though it is difficult to watch in some scenarios. So many characters are lost along the way. Mallory and I needed a few boxes of Kleenex to make it through. 

The finale of Harry Potter was followed by Murder on the Orient Express, another DVD that Mallory gave me for Christmas. First, I like the murder mystery, whodunit type of films, but secondly, Johnny Depp is in it. Now, he's not in there long, but he's there. I respect him so much because he is amazingly talented to me. How many other actors can go from a brain addled genius in the character Willy Wonka and then go to the set of Secret Window, where he instantly becomes one of the creepiest killers in a shocking twist? Brilliant actor. 

Sweet man had gone to the store to pick up some munchies. He returned with an interesting collection of snacks that we devoured with no issues at all. Shrimp, two types of crackers, pepperoni, and pub cheese filled our table, plus our stomachs. Great munchies!

That was about the gist of our day. Nothing major. Nothing exciting that has me wondering how I can fit it all into a single blog post. We still have Sunday to see what may come. 

Sunday, April 7, 2024

Besides sitting on our duffs wondering if our laundry is coming out with that clean, fresh scent, we chose to take a run out to the VA cemetery to see if we could find the deer once again. The last few visits all of our beautiful four legged friends remained hidden or have had other parties to attend rather than coming through the grounds of the cemetery. We hopped into the car with joy in our hearts ... Well, I hobbled on my walker into the car, but the joy was there. Off we went.

Terry took it slow through the grounds of the cemetery and nothing. You could hear the proverbial crickets. Absolutely no deer of any type. Geese galore, but no deer. I don't know if they packed up and moved or if the mothership came down and scooped them up, but they have been absent from a few of our appearances lately and it's frustrating. I did enjoy seeing the beautiful blooms on trees and of course, the grounds are always lovely, even without the deer roaming the property. 

Disappointing? Not really. The drive is still calming and we do get to get out of the house and see some of the surrounding attractions. At least I am thrilled by this. Terry sees this everyday, as he works at the VA and I feel as though I've been held "captive" in the house for so long that a bug on the front porch holds my attention now. You all know how this is. Revert back to the times of COVID. 

We needed to pick up some things from the store. We decided on Walmart because they have the electric scooters that I can use to shop with. This time, I happened to get one that would go for a bit, then just stop suddenly. No explanation. Nothing. Just dead stop. Thank the cart gods that I wasn't on the freeway in this malfunctioning contraption, although I did have several people walking close behind who didn't know the fast stop was coming. Rather entertaining, really. The ones with their noses buried in their phones, following closely behind were really surprised. 

The both of us went from aisle to aisle with me riding the crippled machine, running when it could. We selected munchie stuff that sounded good, some items that were needed, and we headed for the checkout. That killed some time too. Waiting in line for an opening is always a good time. Yee haw!  😁😉😏😏😏😐😒

We had talked about going out to have some pizza tonight for dinner. Going through the cemetery and driving through Walmart on a glitchy cart that had a definite malfunction happening also used up some time of the day, and did give us some time out of the house. I was enjoying life, even with the POS cart. 

Once our shopping was complete, we drove to the pizza parlor for some pie. Terry informed me that there was a Round Table pizza place in town. This was a shock to me, as all of them had disappeared in Eugene and Springfield, except for one. My family used to eat at the Round Table left in Springfield, although I'm not even sure it's there still. I don't remember seeing it any longer, but also do not pay close attention when there (Since this post, I did research it and Round Table is still located on Main Street in Springfield). 

The eatery appeared to be clean and nice. People working there were friendly and all was good. The one and only complaint I will give is their automatic closing bathroom door is so heavy that it about threw me across the bathroom when I finally got it open. I braced it against my hip to pull the walker in front of me. I definitely put weight on my foot while trying to save myself from being catapulted across the room. Although I guess one good guest service would be that it sped up the process of me having to hobble across the bathroom to get to the stall. There is that.  

We ordered a large pepperoni, olive, onion, and mushroom pizza. Terry grabbed our drinks and I sat at a booth to save it for us. 

The parlor was pretty busy, with people in the party rooms and other groups just sitting and eating a slice or two of pizza. Three men walked in and took up the table past us. They spread out a card game in the Dungeons and Dragons style of game, and strategically placed their drinks out of the way, and began to chat while waiting on their food. It was busy enough to know that the parlor itself would remain in business for a while at least. It's also always a sign that the food has a better chance of being good enough to draw in the crowd.   

I used to love the pizza in the Springfield location. Hoping this one would be just as good, I continued looking around to see some more reactions of the guests in the eatery. My people watching stare was disrupted when the waitress brought our pizza and set it on the table. At least with someone else bringing the pie to us, Terry wouldn't be serving some other woman (check out We Have the Meats). Another great guest service when it comes to us at least. 

She placed the pizza down in front of us. My eyes immediately did the once over examination and I found it to be a very nice looking pizza. The pie looked tasty!

The pizza was fairly grease free. We all know that typical pepperoni is so greasy that it runs into the palm of your hand, and often down your arm if not wiped up immediately. This pie was delicious! Not overly greasy and the mushrooms and olives tasted very fresh. Very good review from us and yes, we will be returning. We give it five wheelchairs up! Great eatery!

We drank our drinks, ate the pieces of pie that we wanted, boxed up the rest, and hobbled to the car. I was so stuffed! Terry informed me that he needed or wanted as the case may be, some soda from Costco. This would be our final frontier for the day. 

I don't recall any of the electric scooters in that store, so I let Terry know I would wait for him in the car. And so I did. It wasn't a bad wait. It was a short wait actually. He went in, grabbed the soda, went through self-checkout and out to the car he came. Very efficient my man is! 

Most men tend to shop with blinders on. They go straight for the desired items, throw them in the cart, then race to the first open cashier or self checkout. Not me. I stop and smell everything, look at items that may be nice in the home or on one of us, go down extra aisles to see what I may be missing in my life, and then head out. 

Now, I'm not a shopaholic. Typically I don't buy anything from the extra 20 aisles I travel through, but it's always fun to look. I used to use the shopping trip as a break from my normal day, filled with work. It would get me up and moving, get me out of the house, and there were also plenty of interesting new products to hold my interest. I look at my shopping ventures as exercise of sorts too. It's good to get up and move when sitting behind a desk all day. 

Upon our return home, I assumed the position. Grabbing the handrail by the stairs, I pulled myself onto the next step. It's fairly simple now that I am allowed to put some weight on that limb. In the house again, I headed for the kitchen where I waited for Terry to unload the groceries from the car so I could put them away.  

Spring is here, definitely, and I am ready to spring clean. While I am running into challenges to accomplish this in my current state of capabilities, I am doing a few chores around the house that begin the process at least. Opening the drawers in my dresser to put a shirt in the proper drawer and finding I could no longer shove any more in, this had me on a mission of going through each one and ridding myself of  items I no longer want, need, or wear. I also removed the bulkier clothing that needed to be hung. 

A couple of pairs of jeans I hung. Summer dresses I hung. Clearing out the dresser allowed me to empty a box and a clothes basket full of clothes I temporarily kept in the living room before I could get into my bedroom. Those clothes are now all put away or hung up (cue bowing, crowd cheering). That, my friends, was a chore.

 Next up? My kitchen cupboards. Time to reduce the clutter and give my Dutch ovens some space of their own. They need to breathe, to reproduce, and provide us with the beautiful food they are capable of giving. Yes, I now worship at the altar of the Dutch oven. As our devoted readers know, I received three Dutch ovens on my birthday celebrated in Lowell. Marina and Brandy were making attempts at getting me to take one or the other package in and exchanging it for something else. I chose to keep all three. 

Brandy gave me a large blue one and Marina gifted me a box of two red ones, of smaller sizes. After looking all three over and cooking a couple of meals in them, they're mine and will remain that way. I have a large one now that I can cook a roast or some type of main dish in, another one to cook bread in, and maybe a casserole or side dish in the middle-sized one. Dutch ovens, my precious. 

I feel better accomplishing those small chores. Our living room has more space now and doesn't look quite as cluttered by removing those containers of easily accessible clean clothing. 

The bedroom looks better because I have cleaned out the drawers, the closet, and have some things cleared that make it appear a bit more organized. Not being able to get down on my hands and knees to mop the floor in the closet means that chore will probably have to wait or I hire someone to help me. Although there is Togo fur on the carpet again and that I know I can take care of. I have done that before, a few weeks ago. Every small chore accomplished will carry me closer to the goal of getting the house back in shape again. 

I feel as though Terry's daughter, Mallory has the best idea in housekeeping choices. She dumped most everything she owns and went minimalistic. She chose a few outfits and hung them or placed them in the drawers. Her shoes were knocked down to nothing. While she tells me she is OCD, I find it refreshing and probably a good thing. Getting your household items down to a minimum means less clutter, more space, and feeling cleaner! 

Terry loves to collect stuff. All kinds of stuff. He has some cool items in his varying collections, but it takes up the house. On top of that, I have three peg boards and several totes under my bed, filled with jewelry. That's the type of dust collecting stuff that we could get rid of and actually open up space. Maybe I should go on vacation for a few days and let Mallory come in here and tear it up!

I do believe too, that each chore completed gets me one step further away from the memory of this mishap. Still having nightmares of the incident, feeling the bone slide out of place and my foot flopping around, the sound and feel of all of it makes me sick. Looking at the shoes and the pair of pants I was wearing the day of the fall adds to that memory. Once I can really move, I'm throwing those clothes and shoes into a bag and out they go as well. 

But, moving onto something less nightmarish, my heart is light and filled with joy since I'm feeling the first days of spring tickling my senses. I do hope everyone is enjoying these days we have that are rushing by far too fast. If you get a chance to take that leap of faith into a change or a new experience, take it!  Life flies by too quickly to miss the chance that could bring you true happiness. 

As Tia Sellers and Mark Sanders writes, "I hope you dance," I do wish this for all of you. Happiness is the key to a good life and we can find that happiness within ourselves, within our mindset, and by the creation of our own reality. I hope and wish the best for all of you. If you get the chance to sit out or dance, I hope you dance. 

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,

You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,

May you never take one single breath for granted,

God forbid love ever leave you empty handed,

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,

Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,

Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance... I hope you dance...

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,

Never settle for the path of least resistance,

Livin' might mean takin' chances, but they're worth takin',

Lovin' might be a mistake, but it's worth makin',

Don't let some Hell bent heart leave you bitter,

When you come close to sellin' out reconsider,

Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance... I hope you dance.

I hope you dance... I hope you dance.

(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,

Tell me who wants to look back on their years

And wonder where those years have gone.)

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,

Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,

Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

Dance... I hope you dance.

I hope you dance... I hope you dance.

I hope you dance... I hope you dance.

(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,

Tell me who wants to look back on their years

And wonder where those years have gone.)