Summer's Nearly Here

Greetings, all:  Well, summer is just around the corner.  I just can't wait for "snake time".  That means I have to be careful where I step and look, look, look, every time I walk out of any door of my home.
It really isn't that bad.  Last year I didn't see even one snake.  Hallelujah!!!

 I'm already praying that the good Lord will keep us North Carolinians and Virginians safe from impending hurricanes.  Of course, I want everyone to be safe, but especially we here on the East coast;  if that's selfish, so be it.

Spring has come and gone, a month early here in the Mid Atlantic region.  Now, the dogwood and azalea blooms are waning and I feel sad.  It's been a beautiful spring, and the azaleas, which are still blooming, have been just beautiful.  I really hate to see it get very hot; I can't deal with too-hot weather at my age.  This has also been the windiest year I can remember.  We sure could use a windmill in our yard.  I'd love to get off of the electrical grid, but the time for that has come and gone.

The hot weather will be nice for my great-grandchildren, though.  Hopefully, the vitamin D that they'll get from the sunshine will perk them up.  They've been sick with earaches and congestion most of the winter.  My granddaughter has had to take them to the doctor several times, which means she has to leave work and drive an hour there and back with sick children.  She's a very strong girl and seems to take things in stride.  It certainly pays to have children while you're young.

I haven't been doing much beading lately; I just don't feel the desire to.  I had someone take pics of my jewelry, hoping to build a web site and sell some, but I just don't have it in me.  I'm just too old to start this. The bookkeeping alone would be overwhelming, not to mention packaging and mailing.  I'm only one person; I'd definitely need some help, but there's none available.

I have been doing a lot of reading, which has always been my number one hobby.  I love romance and mystery, my two favorite genres.  I've discovered Karen Slaughter and Fern Michaels and have read most of their books.  I hate to read all of them because then I'll have to find another author I like.

My mother will be 91 yrs. old next month.  She hasn't been doing very well lately.  It's very hard to have to watch ones parent's health start to decline.  It also has to be very hard for her to see this happening to herself, her loss not only of her health but also her independence.  She has a sister that will be 98 this month.  There is definitely longevity in the family, so I'd better take good care of myself which means eating right and exercising.

I started walking on the treadmill last week.  The treadmill was in my husband's room. I had it moved to the dining room, in front of three windows, so I can walk on it and look outside.  I'm walking for 7 minutes at the time.  I know this doesn't sound like a lot, but it's all I can do right now.  Eventually, I'll work up to at least 20 minutes.   Walking on the treadmill also builds bone mass in my legs and hips.  The quadricep muscle is the biggest muscle in the body. I also do Yoga, which I've been doing for 50 yrs.  This has kept me extremely flexible and also helps protects from injury.  When your muscles are tight, you're much more prone to injury.


I have to watch the movie, The Descendants on iTunes.   By the way, you'll be surprised to hear that I've found a singer whose music and voice I really like - Lady Gaga; can  you believe it?  Also I like Savage Garden and David Archuleta.

 I bought my great- grandson a Yamaha keyboard for his birthday.  He really has some talent in this area, in that he learned a song in a short length of time on the piano, from the notes he'd learned in music class at school.  He also can really keep a beat when he puts the drums on and makes up a tune to play with them.  I'm so happy that some of my family, other than my daughter, who is a great singer, and myself, has some musical ability.

Well, readers, it's time to close; I have to read some more and get ready for bed.  Be blessed, Nana