Short and Sweet

 Short post.

 Aren't these wonderful words to live by? Love More, Worry Less. This is stationery my penpal sent me, from the Philippines.

 Sleep like a baby? Cats have it figured out.

 

May Sarton journals, a new find for me

 

I enjoy seeking out memoirs and journals written by people about my age. Or older! I found this captivating book, "At 82: A Journal" by May Sarton. Wow. I could not stop reading it and only reluctantly put it down to do other things. 

 I learned about how she is aging, which is helpful for me to know. My slowing down is not just me! She celebrates the little things like her adored cat Pierrot, flowers in bloom, her old house in Maine which she has rented for many years, visits from friends and publications of her books. Actually these are Big things.

She is 82 and recovered from a big stroke she had 12 years earlier at age 70. The year before she began this journal she had two small strokes and a TIA when in London. It is desperately hard for her to go ahead with her writing but she does. 

I have not read her poetry, but this journal is perfection. I sort of fell in love with her. She is often depressed because her poetry, while beloved by readers, does not get the awards she feels she deserves. Like me she needs quiet time alone, naps and cheerful visits with friends. 

She mentions her writing colleague and friend, Doris Grumbach, who lives near her in Maine. Sarton praises Grumbach so I bought and am reading now "Coming Into the End Zone" by Doris, written when she was 70. 

 I also bought May Sarton's After the Stroke: A Journal". A point in favor of her journals is they are quick reads, shorter than memoirs. Do you have any favorite journals or memoirs to suggest?

Fun Stuff

 Hi Friends, 

Here are some fun things I found online to share. Have you tried this new diet?

My birthday was a few days ago and here are birthday flowers from my sons in photo below. The white lilies are sensational and have a subtle scent.

 

 

 My adult sons sometimes surprise me with bouquets, "just because". One from each son.

The above bouquet was on my kitchen table last week. It is called Tropical Bouquet,The red tropical bloom, the orange colors and the mixed foliage are dramatic. 

Cute cat with a full belly sand sculpture.

Psalm 119:34 "Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end." Psalm 119:33 KJV Today at the group of Christian friends I organize once a month, this is the Psalm I read, We meet at a coffee shop and each picks a Scripture to share. I like the idea of "teach me", when I read the Bible I am open to learn.

Here is a photo of a Bedouin I took at a camel race in the desert near Jericho 60 years ago. I did not realize how foolish it was to travel with my friend Carol, in the desert to wild places on our own. The American Embassy discouraged us, but did not forbid us. It was exciting and great fun at the time. War broke out a few months later. 

Another cute pix. A Gucci Pooch.

Funnies, Abe Lincoln and His iPhone, Dragon Fan, Freedom of Speech

 

This week plumbers came on Monday to give me a bid to replace my 12 year old water heater, and they will come back on Tuesday to do the work. They will also check and clean the garden sump pump which is about  5 years old. My garden has a sump pump and French drains which work great to push rain water to the street gutter. They gave me a $200 senior discount so the sump pump servicing is sort of free. Next project is to replace one of my gas wall heaters which is 40 years old. For home repairs and improvements I usually get 3 bids. So far I got two, one is $1,000 more than the other. We will see what bid 3 will be.  

Above is my dragon fan, three feet across, and a dragon sculpture, on my living room wall. Also closeup of dragon sculpture befow.

 

Many countries are pushing against free speech for their citizens. Indeed some EU governments are pushing against free speech by citizens in OTHER countries. They are aiming to stop Americans from freedom of speech, even though it is legal and protected in America. The UK has arrested far more of its citizens for speech than Russia in the past 12 months. As famous minds have said, no one who wants to censor freedom of thought and speech has ever been on the right side of history.

And here is a funny about President Abraham Lincoln and his iPhone and photoshopped. 
 

Things I Like to Chat About

 I love to learn. I am a librarian and so many topics interest me. Here are some topics and people that I care about. Do we share any interests?

Authors: Rumer Godden and Agatha Christie. Fascinating lives, lived at same time but paths apparently did not cross. Rumer spent half her life in India and Agatha many years camping in harsh conditions in remote deserts in Syria with her archeologist husband Max. Favorite novelist Anthony Trollope. D.E. Stevenson. P. G. Wodehouse for good laughs. Mapp and Lucia books by E.F. Beaton. Poet Mary Oliver.

 

I like novels set in India during the time when British were there. Novels set in Turkey. Many mystery series. Alexander McCall Smith, especially Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency set in Botswana. 

Memoirs. A favorite memoir on aging is Essays At 80 by American Poet Laureate Donald Hall. He lives alone in an isolated farm house in New England once owned by his grandparents. He is aging well and inspires me. The memoirs by Agatha Christie and Rumer Godden.

Petra in Jordan. A place of wonder I visited. Two American college girls visiting the desert long ago.

 

My favorite coffee shop below. 

 

 Gad Saad, Jordan Peterson, Elon Musk, Maye Musk, Russell Brand in his Christian path. Katie Hopkins.

TV shows. Tatort Munster. Great friendship between the detective and the coroner. The new 3 part Seven Dials. The new Northanger Abbey. Eastenders, watching it from almost the beginning. Munch (funny). Son of a Critch (based on memoir, funny, sweet). The current series of Father Brown, 13 seasons now.

If you know me, C.S. Lewis is my Christian mentor. One favorite of his books is The Great Divorce, fiction about people who reject God and who accept God and his imaginative look at what happens at the moment of death. 

Flowers flowers you can not have too many flowers. I treated myself to the above bouquet at Costco.  A week later on Mothers Day my youngest son came over with another glorious bouquet and card. 

What do you like?

funnies, blue Turkish ceramics

 

Above is a cup I bought in Bursa, Turkey, where they are famous for their blue ceramics. The second photo shows blue Turkish tiles in the Blue Mosque. I visited it several times, it is beautiful. In Turkey they were not allowed to depict people or animals in art, so many of the designs are floral. I wrote my B.A. Art History thesis titled "History of the Development of the Mosque" The old grand mosques are airy and uplifting as are the Cathedrals of Europe.

Gardening Brings Me Joy and Mamaw Tribby

 "Did I take time out to laugh, to love,

To see, to think, to pray?

These are the thoughts that cross my mind

At the closing of the day."  Mamaw Tribby 

quote from the book "A Garden's Grace" by Nancy Hutchins 

Gardening brings me such joy. I know many of you feel the same peace when you see your gardens. Also some of us love to see gardens our neighbors provide. 

 The above is from my patio fence and has volunteer nasturtiums.

 

 

 

My dad enjoyed nurturing his garden and lawn at our Wisconsin home. He especially liked pruning our forsythia and lilac bushes. Once in a while he pruned a bit too much but we always had yellow forsythia and lilac blooms every spring. We had a white lilac, a dark purple lilac and a light lilac flower lilac all next to each other. The white lilac was about 10 feet tall, almost a tree, I planted a lilac recommended for where I live in California but it doesn't produce blooms. This year it had one group of blooms! I have had this lilac for about 15 years and I am not giving up on it.

 

 

Christmas Joy and Beauty to All

 

The top two are from my home this Christmas.

 The above is a Christmas card I sent.

What a joy to know Jesus prepares a place for me in Heaven and for all who follow Him.

 

And a lovely card from penfriend Monica, I am sure it says "Merry Christmas" in Swedish.

Where I find health info, Where do you find health info?

 

I subscribe to the Epoch Times newspaper which arrives once a week in a paper edition. One section I like is the Mind and Body section. November 19-24 2025 has so many health articles. "Dehydration Spikes Stress Levels" and a favorite for me "9 Lessons from the Longest-Living Among Us." See above photo.

These long lived people share tips from their own lives. One of the women is an example of "Tap Into Forgiveness." 25 years ago when she was 79 at a prayer service she forgave the Communists who killed her parents and 5 of her six siblings. It lifted a load from her shoulders and she became more content. She is 104 today. Another tip is "Don't Dwell on Your Age."  

Another article is on preventing Pickleball injuries. Pickleball is very popular in my town, I live near a Pickleball court. "Eye Injuries Among Pickleball Players on the Rise: Study". Another article is "How Gut Microbes Influence Cancer Risk." I take a probiotic about 5 times a week and eat a healthy yogurt every day. 

Do you have favored sources for health info? I also subscribe to the Mayo Clinic Health Newsletter which arrives once a month. I have the Grok app and ask it health questions. Any tips you care to share for keeping healthy?

Several of you friends reminded us in your comments to stay hydrated. A great reminder. Sometimes we don't feel thirsty but I try to drink anyway, to stay hydrated. 

Bob Dylan postcards, Baptism, A Funny Exercise

 Do you love gardening? It is so calming, nature is patient. Plant a seed and hope. 

 Here are two old postcards of my much admired Bob Dylan. I have had them about 25 years and posted them at my desk at work. Now I am retired and still hang on to them. He is so playful and happy in the photos, and so young.My husband and I saw him in live performance in our city about 15 years ago. A show where he engaged with the audience. I still have the Dylan tee shirt I bought at the concert.

I had an especially joyful Sunday because my adult sons wanted to go to church with me. Adult baptisms were scheduled and that is very upbeat to see. It turned out one lady about my age was baptized and she told a little bit about her story, A month ago I attended with my sons and 5 young men were baptized. This gives me hope for the future. When I say young I mean in their 20s, 30s 40s, etc. Churches like ours are great places to find a future spouse!

"Younger generations now outpacing parents in church attendance, study finds." Hope for the present and the future. Charlie Kirk's assassination is motivating some of this return to church and to seeking, as young people reject violence. Hurray.

Memoirs,Writing to Authors,The Correspondent great novel

Earlier this month I happened to see the novel "The Correspondent" by Virginia Evans on sale on Kindle and bought it. This is now one of my favorite novels. It is hard to put it down. The main character is in her 70s and writes letters on paper. Not emails nor texts, too ephemeral. She even writes paper letters to favorite authors and loves when they answer her. She corresponds with some famous authors. She has a stalker who writes threatening hateful notes to her. 

I not only love the main character but I am inspired to write to an author, a physical paper note. The author I  chose wrote a memoir recently. I will tell you who I chose after I write the letter. I wrote two letters to favorite authors decades ago and they each wrote back to me! One was Sheldon Vanauken, for his memoir "A Severe Mercy: A Story of Faith, Tragedy and Triumph" of his love for his wife and how he recovered from grief at her death and was guided to be a Christian by correspondence with C.S. Lewis. 

 

The other author I wrote to was Madeleine L'Engle about her 4 memoirs, collectively titled the Crosswicks Journals. I wrote to her just using Crosswicks Connecticut as her address and she wrote back. All 4 Crosswicks Journals memoirs are brilliant and The Summer of the Great-Grandmother a favorite for me. She is famed for many novels including "A Wrinkle in Time" which was made into a movie.

If you have written to authors or other celebrities please tell me in your comments. Let me know if they answered you or not. I am curious.
 

My pup has 4 teeth pulled, And this and that

 

My adorable pup, age 14 in November, had 4 teeth extracted yesterday. Small dogs are prone to teeth problems. He went in for a teeth cleaning and they found four teeth to pull. Today he is doing lots of sunbathing on the patio. They put in stitches and he will get a check up in one week. He was found on the street ten years ago and the shelter pulled some teeth and neutered him before I adopted him. Bounce is my Best Friend. I LOVE love love this guy.

 

Fall Colors 

Zinnias, Marigold and Calendula from my garden today

This is a beautiful Hibiscus flower. In August I planted some hibiscus seeds in pots and none have sprouted. I planted some directly and some I soaked overnight. I will plant some more seeds indoors soon. The Scripture is Isaiah 26:12 "Lord, grant us peace; for all we have and are has come from you."

These signs tell people that some Muslims consider dogs filthy and asks that dogs be kept on a leash and away from Muslims. I think immigrants should adapt to the country they move to, and not push their culture on the host country. This sign is from Vancouver Canada and they are popping up in areas of the UK too. I have a book of Sharia law and it says dogs can not be family pets because they are so filthy. Some imams cite sources that allow dogs as family pets. My dear pup is adorable! He is family.

Castles in Wales we visited, funnies

 

Today I found this small guide book from castles we visited in Wales years ago. We rented a brand new VW camper van with a pop up so you can stand up in it and traveled to visit many castles in Wales. Each one has a romantic and historic appeal. Caernarvon Castle is stunning. We also visited Beaumaris Castle, Harlech Castle and Conwy Castle. In England we enjoyed Berkeley Castle and Tintagel ruins, very dramatic.

We also rented a space for the van on a sheep farm in Wales, that was a beautiful location. We camped across the road from Stonehenge and saw the sun set and rise there. That was decades ago, it may be more controlled access now. Another don't miss place to visit.  

 

 

Charlie Kirk, Brew Ice Tea, Fun TV Shows,Home Repairs

 The dog's reaction to internet mad news is priceless.

Do you make cold brew ice tea? It is easy, cheap and we have a very wide variety of teas to choose from. Teamonk makes a jasmine rose tea and Yorkshire Gold is a standard black tea for me. I fill the tea strainer with my choice of loose leaf tea (leave a bit of room as the leaves expand when wet) and put it in a pitcher of water for 8 hours. I leave the pitcher on a kitchen counter at room temperature when it is brewing. No hot water used, just cold water. 

I watch some great TV shows: Son of a Critch (seems true to life, sweet comedic show about a young boy growing up in Newfoundland, Canada), The Cleaner (season 3 is here, a comedy, he cleans crime scenes), Fisk (funny Australian series about an eccentric lawyer. I like the TV series filmed in Tokyo, titled 99.9 about a young lawyer who represents the .1 percent of criminals in the Japanese court system who are found innocent. I had already read that in Japan if the police charge you it is 99% chance you will be found guilty. The show is fiction and the main character is very young and a quirky guy.

Yes Charlie Kirk, the pride is awakened in honor of you. 💕🦁🙏🕇💕

I'm having a busy week. My oldest son is coming over three times to cook dinner for the two of us. Much appreciated by me. Delicious healthy food (shrimp and risotto the first night) and best of all, fun chats. I got two plumbers to bid on replacing an old toilet with a new one. Shockingly expensive to hire people for home repairs. Last week my washing machine quit working (20 years old, a Kenmore, a great brand) and I replaced it with an LG brand washing machine. 

And you may recall I replaced the old electric panel for my house with a new panel a couple months ago. My house is 70 years old and so was the electric panel so it was time for a new one. The old breakers were failing. A fun thing is I made my first Shutterfly framed photo collage. A birthday gift for my sister with 9 photos of family. It turned out very pretty and full of memories. I titled it "Happy Times." Have a happy September friends.