Focused at Fifty

One of my favorite amusements during these crazy times has been trying out new foods which I normally would not try. These are various vegetables, fruits and meats which I spy in a supermarket and think to myself, ya know what? I’ve never tried that. Let’s give it a go! I won’t spend hundreds of bucks but if something is within my budget, I’ll give it a go! So bring on the breadfruit, bring on the ugly tomatoes, bring on the sea urchin, bring on the kangaroo! I’ll try ‘em all! Umm… maybe not the kangaroo! Kangaroo is expensive! Haha, I bet you though I’d say the sea urchin! I actually like sea urchin. Uni , as it is known, is one of my favorite sushi. It has a light sweet flavor. It is not for the faint of heart but if you ever try it, you may be pleasantly surprised! I was at a local food store called Bill’s Produce in Schuylkill Haven, PA. It’s known for its cheap affordable produce as well as friendly staff. I spied a small long green pepper which I’ve seen before but nev...

"Chippy" As I approach my 50th birthday during the Co-vid pandemic, my thoughts turn to how I have changed during this time. There are obvious changes such as my gut. LOL And then subtler changes such as an appreciation for the annual greening of the landscape during the Spring.  Some things are rather blunt such as:  I have enjoyed not seeing certain people. I absolutely miss seeing a lot of people I am close friends with.  I have enjoyed not having to hunt for my work ID. I have enjoyed not having to commute an hour each way. My 50th birthday is not what I thought it would be. LOL  I am extremely lucky and there are so many people who have it waaay more difficult than I.  I found out that Nala is a favorite dog name and it comes from the movie the Lion King. At least three friends have dogs named Nala and I still have yet to see the movie. LOL  Did I mention the beer belly?  I have realized that the idea of "celebrity, rich and fa...

"Spring Flowers" Now is the time of year when my daffodils fade in the yard. It is a sad time, garden-wise. Nothing one can't get through but it shows the cycle of the yard, the garden, where one plant blooms and they eventually wither and another blooms in its place. Continuing all the way through the Spring and Summer until we see the eventual late summer blooms of the August goldenrod or the hydrangea. I do admit that just writing about the goldenrod makes me want to sneeze. It is beautiful though, the transition from the late March crocuses to the late blooming flower of the Summer. We do not know exactly when how long they will last but know the approximates. Crocuses, hyacinths, forsythias and daffodils first. And then the other flowers bloom continuing until August and some until Fall, such as the favorite mums. The difference between us and the flowers is that we know we can expect these flowers next year. Sad is the time when our friends, neighbors, and...

"Emergency Preparedness"  With our world in the midst of a pandemic and the vast majority of us still under quarantine, I thought it would be useful to go over some basic emergency preparedness guidelines, and more specifically, what we should have in our disaster supply kits.  I began thinking of this a week or two ago and began rummaging through my files for my emergency lists. The info which I am going to supply you with info from a couple of sources: Montgomery County Department of Public Safety and FEMA. It is a minimum of what we should all have but I would definitely encourage you to do more to prepare for a disaster.  The coronavirus pandemic suggests we have 14 days worth of supplies. Maybe that should be the new norm with many of the items below, as opposed to 3 days? Nevertheless, where it stated 3 days in the lists, I kept it at 3 days. Myself, I will end up having 14 days of supplies on hand as a minimum for the months going forwards.  Who...