Okay, Give me a minute...

 And I will think of something to write about. I am about to do a rerun post. Happy Hour has many definitions. Almost one definition per person!  Currently, I am in Iowa and our happy hours at Evergreen Ridge are very flexible. They take place loosely from 3:00pm to 4:00pm. Soon I will be going to South Texas for the season where the happy hour I attend is next door to me. Last season I wrote an entry about a happy hour that was above and beyond in quality. It set a goal for me as I would like them all in Iowa and Texas to meet that standard. Why you might ask? Because I go home refreshed in many different aspects. Let's strive for the HAPPY in happy hour.

Here is the rerun post:

Happy Hour Conversation

  I keep telling people that our "Happy Hour" is NOT a gossip fest and they give me a skeptical look. One person even said, "Aren't they all?". So as a random thought I decided to take notes on the subjects covered during happy hour. Ours runs from 4-5. After all we are a very busy bunch and we have other things awaiting our attention.

So yesterday this was the rundown:

1. What is the population of Reynosa Mexico. I had recently heard it was 4 Million and that seemed very high. One said they had heard 1 Million. I looked it up and the answer is 1,000,000 in 2020. It was admitted that it fluctuated.

2.The Dangers of seniors and ladders. We shared ladder stories and it seemed everyone had one!

3. Good breakfasts are served at Victoria Palms.

4. We talked about Ropa. A place where people should go at least once. Some people are repulsed by it and others look at it as a fun treasure hunt. Ropa Usada is Used Clothing in English. There are large buildings in far South Texas where discarded clothing is gathered from all over the US with its next stop being overseas. Tre Demensions is a popular Ropa Usada place. This particular place has a mountain of clothing in the middle and people climb the mountain to find their treasures. Gotta see it to believe it!

5. Dentists in Mexico. Seems everyone has a favorite.

6. There is a German restaurant, 'Schneider's' that one of the happy hour people recently went to and gave a good review. It is located 1/2 block north of Dove on Ware Road.

7. We talked about allergies and the different types and suffering of such.

8. Tom Ball stopped by and we talked about his black powder shooting. Not a subject that comes up often.

9. Rumor has it they caught the bike thief, but then you know how rumors are.

10. One of us mentioned they had scratch marks on their car from a cat and would not have believed it but they witnessed it.

11. We talked about the new directory and how great it was!

12. We admired Linda P. new shoes!

13. We discussed food and things we had made lately. Such as Bacon and Waffles.

Promptly at 5:00 we depart and look forward to the next one!

My friend Colleen

 We grew up in the same town and we barely knew each other. That's a different story. We became friends in our adult life surreptitiously and that is a whole other story. 

Colleen is a writer, and in my mind a very good one. By reading her writing and being her friend, I know we are on common ground. When we get together, time seems to disappear.

It might be odd to think that two widowed women would be such very good friends and still be so busy that keeping in touch is haphazard for both of us. It is true. Colleen writes for Greene County News Online and I know I can be in touch with her writings in the opinion section if I go there, and I write in my blog on a somewhat regular basis. We are both guilty of forgetting to read the posts of each of us.

Colleen writes about trees because she loves them. So do I. Go read her entry and you will learn something, about trees, about Colleen and about me.  https://greenecountynewsonline.com /2026/09/16/what-trees-do-for-me/

7 second poop method?

 

I was trying to find the method online. Just curious! I kept being led to another site with promises but no facts. Frustrating! But I am persistent, one of my best traits even though there are those who might not agree.😁

Here is the answer, my friend.

How to Do the Routine

Drink Water: Drink a full glass of room-temperature or warm water right after waking up to rehydrate and wake up the digestive system (some versions also suggest a small amount of apple cider vinegar). 

Gentle Stretching: Do light stretches in bed to increase blood flow and relax muscles.

Wind-Relieving Pose: Perform Pawanmuktasana by lying on your back and pulling your knees to your chest for a few seconds to compress the colon and release trapped gas. 

Diaphragmatic Breathing: Finish with deep belly breaths to signal calm and activate the parasympathetic nervous system.    

Who has been hanging out at my house watching me do my morning routine?! This is something I have done for quite a few years. I admit to getting offtrack sometimes. I do the bed exercises first because if I waited I would be reluctant to return to bed to get them done.      

Happy trails to you!!                                            

Local News

 One of our Evergreen neighbors enjoys cooking. That is how Mike spends his time. If you are lucky you might get a sample. He is also willing to share recipes. Here is one that was mighty good.

We have had a string of dampish weather with no sun in sight. This morning I heard someone say it was going to be a long day. I said, "Good!,We can get more done!" Not sure it was appreciated. 😁 This is when we start thinking of heading South. Just a tad too soon, however.

Jason's latest artistic endeavor. ( Abstract, art, steel, wood, and stone)

My latest pair of earrings.

Till next time...

Recalculating!

Planning

Maybe I did...I don't remember!

Month from now...

 A month does not seem very far away and that is a date that has tentatively been chosen for "going South". So it is time to cut back on the groceries that will not stand the test of 6 month sitting in a fridge getting closer and closer to being outdated. Heaven knows we are well aware of what being outdated means!

This will be a much easier experience of preparation. The items to pack are minimal compared to years past. A few clothing items, toiletries, meds, craft supplies,T-Mobile hookup, and laptop.

I was surprised to learn that my mail can be put in my apartment by staff. And Keri has told me she will look at any mail that might seem important for one reason or another.

I have my cactus plant with me and staff also said they would water it for me. The cactus is special to me because my middle son, Gary gave it to me for mothers day in 2008. We were full-time RVing at that point and he had purchased one of those very small plants at WalMart so it worked great. I have been taking care of it ever since and there have been several generations since then. 

Enough for now. Stay tuned.

Fall

 Looked it up. The type of Hydrangea I have outside my window should be dead- headed in the fall. Good news! They are truly beautiful and do not require much effort from me.  I am currently seeing a few dead heads. 

I have had a year of many things to take care of and it has come to a normal amount of every day items that happen in most every ones ToDo lists. I was not sure I would ever get here, but here I am and ever so grateful. I set out to simplify my life and simplify I did. I have small, tidy living quarters that I am enjoying every day.

In about a month I will be heading South to enjoy another part of my life in sunny South Texas. I am frequently asked which I prefer but that is asking a question I cannot answer because there are things about each that hold equal appeal. I have friends on both ends that mean so much to me. 

Both places are like small town living. My life would be very different had I stayed in the house. As I looked into the future of that, I knew it was not for me. In a way it is a bit strange. I am somewhat of a loner on one hand and an extrovert on the other. I could see me going not days but weeks and perhaps even months without any human contact if I stayed in the house. The decisions I have made will allow a balance on both ends. If I want to sit at my computer and type out my thoughts on a myriad of subjects, or spend hours putting earrings together, or finding someone who wants to play pool, I can. Or it is easy to seek out someone to visit with if you are leaning in that direction. Uhh, the pool thing is easier in the southern part.😄

Well, it is time for some breakfast!

Grands and greatgrands

My granddaughter Ann, with her husband Anthony and their 3 daughters. Scarlet, Skyler and Nina. Ann is second from left.

Hummers

 I was part of a conversation the other day about humming birds. Jason did some research and found the first to leave and head South are the males, followed by the females, with the youngsters going last. Of course, that brings up many questions. ore research is needed.

My observations about the youngsters are many. They are brave, Mom and Dad would not argue much with wasps, flies, or other things that would try to take over on the feeders, but the youngsters persist. It makes for some interesting encounters.

They also play, "cowboy and Indians". In other words mock battles that look like dancing.

And in discussing the trip south, there are many unknown things. Today I found a post of a friend of mine who lives in Weslaco, Texas. The picture below is what her feeder looks like! I would say that Mom and Dad have made the trip!