Posted Entries:

Posing Posted on Jan 2, 2021, 6:01 pm
It's a pose. Today the mask (not that mask, it was firmly on my face for every second I was outside the apartment) slipped. I was a bit angry....

Reading and Tangents Posted on Jan 1, 2021, 4:01 pm
I'm a slow reader. Plus I usually only read books at night in bed before drifting off to sleep. (This usually results in reading all or part of a page or two when I pick it up the next night, too.) But books lead to other books...and movies.

Endings and Beginnings Posted on Dec 31, 2020, 12:12 pm
We don't age by years, though. We age by bits and drabs and tiny insults. We give the arrival of a new year an artificial power. Whereas the actual day of birth and death are significant events, their anniversaries are not, really, except in our brains.

Holiday Cards Posted on Dec 30, 2020, 2:12 pm
Wherein I discuss the sending and receiving of missives at this time of year and reveal how I mostly made it a true exchange both this year and a few years ago.

Ruined by Reading Posted on Dec 29, 2020, 1:12 pm
We never like to be without words. Inside this apartment, we ought never to be.

I pledge, resolve and really, really mean to... Posted on Dec 28, 2020, 2:12 pm
Resolution time? I've done them. For the new year, for the holidays, for other people, and even made a plague pledge. This year? Just one simple pledge.

That Didn't Go as Expected Posted on Dec 27, 2020, 1:12 pm
I said I was going to be productive yesterday. I had good intentions....But by the time we got that done, it was sooo close to the cocktail hour that my goals fell by the wayside.

Christmas Break Posted on Dec 26, 2020, 12:12 pm
I plan to be productive today. No really. I don't feel bad about missing a day of Holidailies because doing whatever I wanted felt good. For a while. I want to feel like I accomplished things at the end of today.

It's Christmas Eve Posted on Dec 24, 2020, 7:12 pm
Our supper was Welsh Rarebit (cheesy toast) with a side salad with sliced turkey and Bloody Marys.

Random Thoughts from the Plague Times Posted on Dec 23, 2020, 4:12 pm
When I express doubt that we will ever again travel freely, dine out with abandon or go out to hear live performances, I really don't need to have people say "oh, yes you will." But, of course, someone always does.

I Don't Really Like Cooking Posted on Dec 22, 2020, 4:12 pm
The recipe involved a lot of mushrooms and other ingredients. (Including wine and garlic...usually a good sign.) The result was allegedly Mushroom Bourgignon. It took a long time. I wasn't terribly impressed.

Distance World Posted on Dec 21, 2020, 3:12 pm
It isn't like being with other people and going to parties. But it isn't total isolation either.

I No Longer Believe I'll Get Out Anytime Soon Posted on Dec 20, 2020, 5:12 pm
I no longer hope. I put things off. So tomorrow I will have something to do.

Second Wave Posted on Dec 19, 2020, 7:12 pm
Every day, a bit after six, I will usually look at this chart for my county in Texas. Besides new cases, I'll also see if there are new deaths reported and how the hospitalizations, ICU, and ventilator numbers look. We are trying to tame vectors ourselves.

Christmas Presents Posted on Dec 18, 2020, 8:12 pm
In the spirit. Uh, no. May be drinking the spirits, though.

I've Never Really Like the End of the Year Posted on Dec 17, 2020, 5:12 pm
So it seems the end of the year is drained of everything but starting to worry about taxes and winding up the year.

Outdoor Recreation and Relaxation Posted on Dec 16, 2020, 5:12 pm
As we have driven around and explored close-in neighborhoods, I have noticed a surfeit of outdoor recreation equipment as well as outdoor furniture, firepits, and such.

Degrees, Honorifics, Misogyny and Books I've Read Posted on Dec 15, 2020, 2:12 pm
The whole OPED controversy about Dr. Jill Biden reminded me of a lot of things including a book I read during a weekend at a staycation probably twenty years ago.

Newspapers Posted on Dec 14, 2020, 12:12 pm
By the way, I didn't write yesterday in the blog. Maybe I'll write more today. My excuse? I was trying to read and get rid of some of the newspapers!

COVID-Routine Posted on Dec 12, 2020, 7:12 pm
When the evening hours come I start thinking about dinner. And drinks. I've drunk Bloody Marys, opened old wines and drunk the ones that were still drinkable, perfected my recipe for vodka gimlets, "cornered" bottles of cognac and Scotch, bought tonic water for vodka tonics. I've tried to use up what is here but we've gotten curbside pickup on vodka, Rye, and white and Rosé wine. I've made Moscow Mules and Old Pals.

Take-Out is Not the Same Posted on Dec 11, 2020, 12:12 pm
I miss eating food plated beautifully and at the perfect temperature. I also miss exotic dishes not offered for take-out. Not that I'm an elitist. We got take-out greasy burgers!

COVID-Diet Posted on Dec 11, 2020, 12:12 am
At first, it was an adventure. Digging through the pantry and finding cans of black olives from Costco, supplies of condiments, cans of soup that sounded good but were past their best by date.

Meditation and Looking Back Posted on Dec 9, 2020, 10:12 am
I started this entry back in July, edited sometime in August, and published today. I was trying to get the blog rolling before Holidailies. I thought I'd write during this hiatus, but, apparently, I'm mostly working puzzles and watching my computer screen saver!

We Will Move Beyond This...of Not Posted on Dec 8, 2020, 7:12 pm
I don't see a path for us, really, from here to a reasonable facsimile of our old life. But I keep hoping.

Indoor Shopping Posted on Dec 7, 2020, 2:12 pm
I think they only let old people in before 10. They didn't challenge me. Ha. Go figure.

Material World Posted on Dec 7, 2020, 12:12 am
There will never be a thrill like the Christmas that I got a Polaroid camera.

I Have a Problem with the Truth Posted on Dec 5, 2020, 4:12 pm
I hate to say or write anything that isn't exactly, precisely as true as I know to make it.

Excuses Posted on Dec 4, 2020, 3:12 pm
A lot of things on my 'To Do' list can be just as easily done tomorrow. Or never. Any excuse will do.

Reining in the Roaming Posted on Dec 3, 2020, 11:12 am
Our travel since February has been limited to a ten-mile radius from our downtown Austin condo.

A List Meme for the Plague Times Posted on Dec 2, 2020, 12:12 pm
I made a list meme thingie after Day 200 and so I updated it for today's post. Answer some or all of the questions if you so desire and post yourself.

Pandemic Entertainments Posted on Dec 2, 2020, 1:12 am
I have been entertaining others (well, so I say) and entertaining myself with Facebook during the 262 days of this madness called semi-isolation. So when I realized Holidailies was happening I decided that I could just trade off the Facebook posts and quickly post something every day in this blog. Let's see if I do that!

From Long Ago But Oh So Appropriate Posted on Jan 1, 2020, 5:01 pm
Past thoughts that seem appropriate today. Wish I could go back in time, but you just can't.

Collections, Acquisition, Gifts Posted on Dec 29, 2019, 9:12 am
Stuff. Blah, blah, blah about things. Gifted things, collected things, etc.

The Girls Posted on Dec 27, 2019, 4:12 pm
Wherein I mostly talk about my annual lunch with my friends who are no longer girls, but touch on other random things.

Boxing Day Posted on Dec 26, 2019, 11:12 am
I ramble about Christmas...

Where Have I Been Posted on Dec 22, 2019, 8:12 pm
I have started thinking about writing about a few subjects while not posting daily. Which led me to read a bunch of my own writing (and some other things) on those subjects.

Gifts Hall of Fame Posted on Dec 21, 2019, 12:12 am
I ramble about gifts.

The Tyranny and Joy of Stuff Posted on Dec 19, 2019, 5:12 pm
I ramble about nothihng with two pictures of my collection of stuff.

Christmas Musings and Other Stuff Posted on Dec 16, 2019, 8:12 pm
I ramble about Christmas and chairs and stuff.

The Meat Sack and the Objects in Space Posted on Dec 12, 2019, 11:12 pm
Random thoughts on humans and stuff and collisions between the two.

Sloth and Tradition Posted on Dec 9, 2019, 11:12 pm
I was in here tackling the holiday tradition of doing one and only one jigsaw puzzle.

Progress Posted on Dec 8, 2019, 11:12 pm
...because it's a holiday tradition...

I Have a Black Eye Posted on Dec 7, 2019, 9:12 pm
A literal black eye. What fun!

Decorations so Bright Posted on Dec 6, 2019, 5:12 pm
I still want to write more about the economy and fast fashion and climate change and all my fears. But Christmas and housekeeping. Whatever.

Worries Posted on Dec 5, 2019, 10:12 pm
I really should read all those newspapers because it makes me worry about so many things.

The Mighty Consumer Posted on Dec 4, 2019, 11:12 pm
Things aren't really adding up for me these days.

Holiday Pressure Posted on Dec 3, 2019, 10:12 pm
Really I don't feel pressure to do much of anything. I resent all the 'last chance' sales filling my inbox for black Friday (extended!) and giving Tuesday.

Addiction Posted on Dec 2, 2019, 3:12 pm
How do you manage your addictions? If you don't have any, that's great. (Or maybe they are good ones like a healthy diet and exercise.) My big three are crosswords, coffee, and cocktails

Promises and Plans Posted on Dec 1, 2019, 3:12 pm
I promised to write everyday and here it is...me fretting about promises and plans and things I must do.

It's Almost Over Posted on Dec 31, 2018, 2:12 pm
Holidailies will end. And, maybe my blogging will end for now. Or forever.

Going Through the Motions Posted on Dec 31, 2018, 12:12 am
Sloth isn't becoming, but I do it so well.

Schedule Posted on Dec 29, 2018, 12:12 pm
What if I didn't have a schedule?

The Last Haircut Posted on Dec 28, 2018, 8:12 am
And so it goes. As my dad used to say: "There's always something to take the joy out of life."

Boxing Day Posted on Dec 27, 2018, 12:12 pm
Boxing day is about giving to the less fortunate? Or the elites casting stuff off to their workers? Well, I'm definitely very lucky.

All is Merry and Calm Posted on Dec 25, 2018, 4:12 pm
I try to enjoy the time to read and think. But things hang over my head.

Am I Better Now? Posted on Dec 24, 2018, 11:12 am
I'll have some tamales! Maybe some Molé Enchiladas with Cheese. A Margarita. The allergies have made my appetite a little wonky. Maybe I feel better because all that sounds good even though I'm not hungry.

I Wasn't Here Yesterday Posted on Dec 22, 2018, 8:12 am
But is there anything more miserable than sneezing and blowing your nose and not even being able to read or watch TV comfortably because your eyes hurt?

It's Almost Christmas Posted on Dec 20, 2018, 9:12 pm
I would like to be invited to a White Elephant party. I think these are hilarious and fun. Gift-wrapping some stupid (or even nice) thing you don't want and then having an exchange. Does anybody do those things any longer? Well, I miss them.

Perils of Paper Posted on Dec 20, 2018, 12:12 am
When I have these great ideas about cleaning out it usually ends like it did today: ink on my hands, a few sacks for recycling and, no, I'm not caught up. But I love the papers.

Between the Lines Posted on Dec 18, 2018, 4:12 pm
I like the predictability and yet the surprise.

Health and Hope, My Medical Nihilism Posted on Dec 17, 2018, 11:12 am
All the rest of you should get tested for everything, take statins, etc. etc. (And get a flu shot for heaven's sake.) I'm the control group.

Enjoying the Holidays Posted on Dec 16, 2018, 9:12 pm
Best holiday ever.

Puzzled Posted on Dec 15, 2018, 11:12 pm
I find it interesting to observe how people do puzzles. Most people start a jigsaw by finding the edges and assembling them to give everything a frame of reference.

Books, Books Everywhere and No Time to Read! Posted on Dec 14, 2018, 3:12 pm
I think I could become a recluse and never venture out to bookstores or the library or get another newspaper or magazine and could read for years without reading the same thing twice.

Retirement Routine Posted on Dec 13, 2018, 3:12 pm
But the routines, the things we usually do, give life some shape. Sixteen years after retiring from the life defined by work routines, it gives some comfort.

My Boycott of Football Posted on Dec 12, 2018, 5:12 pm
Isn't it funny that boycott has 'boy' right in it? Although I have just this minute learned that the etymology of the word boycott and it's an eponym!

Many Prompts I Couldn't Follow Posted on Dec 11, 2018, 11:12 pm
Yesterday I really had no excuse for not writing. I have, after all, made a list of over a hundred topics for my 'by the numbers' memoir.

Culture is a Funny Thing Posted on Dec 9, 2018, 9:12 pm
I'm sure I begged for the gun and the hat. The doll was meant to try to interest me in dolls, I think.

The Spirit of the Season Posted on Dec 8, 2018, 11:12 pm
Some people are always willing to inject that little bit of fun into things.

The Holiday Card Conundrum Posted on Dec 7, 2018, 1:12 pm
I have exhausted this topic for yet another year. It makes me tired. I feel like the introvert I am at a cocktail party full of people I know but I don't know what to say to them.

I Meant to Post Yesterday Posted on Dec 6, 2018, 8:12 am
I have gotten our Christmas tree out. (Normal size ornaments are shown for reference.)

And So It Begins...The Holiday Puzzle Posted on Dec 4, 2018, 10:12 pm
So we are starting a thousand piece puzzle, having expanded our dining table to accommodate it on one end.

It's Always Something Posted on Dec 4, 2018, 12:12 am
Ready for Christmas season but actually falling apart.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas Posted on Dec 2, 2018, 8:12 pm
Such an interesting time of the year for children who, like me decades ago, look forward to ripping off that colorful paper and having what the heart desires. Or maybe it would appear, unwrapped under the tree while you slept. These days, for us, there are rarely wrapped presents...

Holidailies-Repetition Brings Reputation Posted on Dec 1, 2018, 4:12 pm
If you just ramble, is it writing? Because that's what this first entry does. Imaginary memoirs, dictionaries, words, crosswords.

Aimless Posted on Dec 31, 2017, 5:12 pm
Where I talk about lists and my sloth and show a picture from the 50's. No style points on this finish.

Almost Done with The Holidays Posted on Dec 29, 2017, 2:12 pm
Winding down the year and the holidays with a few get-togethers and parties and the usual year-end worries.

Collecting 101 Posted on Dec 28, 2017, 11:12 pm
The pleasures and perils of collecting.

Unmet Obligations Posted on Dec 27, 2017, 3:12 pm
Wherein I make my excuse for not posting by talking about what I've been doing while absent from the blog. And also post pictures: of the missed jigsaw, music events, the evolving skyline and something unusual for sale at the annual Armadillo Christmas Bazaar.

All I Want For Christmas Posted on Dec 23, 2017, 6:12 pm
I review a silly Christmas list I made. And the presents I've received. And reveal that two days before Christmas almost no one is shopping at furniture and lighting stores.

Missed a Day Again Posted on Dec 22, 2017, 11:12 am
Events and the holiday are taking time but "We got the mail and there were three holiday cards. But I was winning because I'd already sent a card to each family."

And The Holiday Continues Posted on Dec 20, 2017, 5:12 pm
Wherein I catch you up on decoration, holiday cards, and our social schedule.

I Wish I'd Paid More Attention to Mythology Posted on Dec 19, 2017, 4:12 pm
I really think it's useful to know what people once believed and, for that matter, what they believe now.

The One Thing That Connects Us All Posted on Dec 18, 2017, 11:12 am
I don't want to be any trouble in my inevitable disappearance. We all die. But first, we experience over and over when others pass.

Get Those Cards Out Posted on Dec 16, 2017, 5:12 pm
It's only nine days until Christmas and so not much time to have my Merry Christmas card arrive before Christmas (or the end of Hanukkah). Why did I print 'Merry Christmas?' So tribal. Dang. Also, if it said 'Happy New Year' then it could arrive, well, anytime in January.

The Nutcracker Posted on Dec 15, 2017, 4:12 pm
FFP saw many of the productions from the wings in his years as a VIP Mother Ginger wrangler. Tonight he will don the new costume and ride the skirt portion on stage, propelled by stagehands and with children dressed as bonbons lurking underneath. The bonbons will emerge, he will try to upstage them with his 'moves' (but their proud relatives in the audience will ignore him) and he will be wheeled off.

Connection Time Posted on Dec 14, 2017, 2:12 pm
People like to get mail. I do. Of course, I always hope that the cards I get are from people I already sent them to! And that I remember who the heck they are and why we know them. (There are people in the database that I am at a loss to tell you how they got there.)

In the Spirit of the Season Posted on Dec 13, 2017, 3:12 pm
"Yeah, so if you are going to be cooped up in a space, it might as well be whimsical." Oh...and there's Alfred Hitchcok.

Christmas Desire Posted on Dec 12, 2017, 6:12 pm
That's me with a doll dressed in jeans and T-Shirt (an attempt to get me to like a baby doll). Obviously, I got a hat and gun. The homemade jeans and shirt might have been handed down.

Staycation Posted on Dec 11, 2017, 12:12 pm
Staycations change one's perspective briefly and concentrate one's attention apart from the distractions of the apartment.

Travel, Half a Century Ago Posted on Dec 10, 2017, 10:12 am
...the tourists with their outfits and their giant flash cameras with exploding bulbs...

Santa Arrived Posted on Dec 9, 2017, 1:12 pm
Wherein I look back on a Christmas morning for two of my cousins through slides my aunt had in her collection.

Nostalgia Posted on Dec 8, 2017, 5:12 pm
Nostalgia is a great time waster.

Oops...where did yesterday go? Posted on Dec 7, 2017, 9:12 am
I tried for most of the day to conquer the newspapers threatening the place with a hoarders license.

Social Networking Posted on Dec 5, 2017, 5:12 pm
My Instagram account has one picture (of tacos).

My Body is a... Posted on Dec 4, 2017, 3:12 pm
...temple? Uh, no....No, my body is a laboratory.

The Puzzle Addiction Posted on Dec 3, 2017, 5:12 pm
What is it about puzzles? Why can't I quit them?

Tennis Posted on Dec 2, 2017, 2:12 pm
While I love tennis, I wouldn't say I'm addicted to it. I would say I'm addicted to puzzles, coffee, and cheese.

Welcome Back to the Stacks Posted on Dec 1, 2017, 12:12 pm
My blog returns after going silent after Holidailies 2016. My ability to write is haunted by unread newspapers. Or so I claim.

Collecting my Thoughts and Other Things Posted on Jan 1, 2017, 11:01 am
All day I thought about the things I might write about: cleaning, collections, pastimes, taxes, summing up the greeting card 'season,' etc. Also, my boycott of football.

True Facts Posted on Dec 30, 2016, 1:12 pm
The truth is so elusive.

Social, Media and Social Media Posted on Dec 29, 2016, 7:12 pm
I hope social media keeps going as a through line to people's real lives. But I hope we rely on real media produced by journalists to give us news.

Old Friends Posted on Dec 28, 2016, 5:12 pm
I doubt I'll ever do any travel or meet-ups in distant spots with any of these gals again nor will we have any of the more adventurous activities of our past. But we have lots of memories.And I'll cherish them as long as I can remember them.

Trivial Things Posted on Dec 27, 2016, 2:12 pm
A story about a starving teenager who died after eating poisonous roots in Venezuela or a Middle Easter family trying to assimilate in the U.S. after fleeing and spending years in a refugee camp, that's the perfect antidote to the trivial things that irritate me.

Holiday Cards Posted on Dec 26, 2016, 10:12 am
There was a time when we had more ephemera and it was fun to save it: letters, cards, ticket stubs, playbills, pamphlets, etc.

Christmas is a Day of Rest Posted on Dec 25, 2016, 9:12 am
Today is Christmas. And Sunday. I plan to publish this without editing and curl up in my chair with The New York Times magazine puzzles and CBS Sunday Morning.

Movies Posted on Dec 23, 2016, 3:12 pm
We are doing better than usual seeing movies that are being talked about this season. It's all due to the little cinema (Violet Crown) over on 2nd Street just two blocks away.

Retirement Posted on Dec 22, 2016, 3:12 pm
I'm always telling people who retire that I'll advise them. But, really, I've failed at managing my own.

The Chair Posted on Dec 21, 2016, 2:12 pm
It would be a documentary film. It would be called "Chair."

I Resolve Posted on Dec 20, 2016, 12:12 pm
Why that picture? Because a lot of people (and possibly me in the past) often resolve to drink less.

Bargaining With Myself Posted on Dec 19, 2016, 2:12 pm
I spend a lot of time inside my head. I think 'what should I do next?' and 'if I accomplish some task, what could I then do that's fun?' and 'how long am I going to sit here thinking instead of doing?'

Read More Posted on Dec 18, 2016, 3:12 pm
What do I do instead of reading?

Upon Reflection Posted on Dec 17, 2016, 7:12 am
Perhaps it's because I prefer not to look at things straight on, especially myself.

Every Move You Make Posted on Dec 16, 2016, 9:12 am
And we perform, our bodies perform, on a whirling rock in a vast space. It's enough to make one sit quietly in the easy chair and try to work a Friday NY Times puzzle.

Housecleaning Posted on Dec 15, 2016, 8:12 am
Wherein I use writing in this blog as yet another reason I'm not cleaning house.

The Parties Posted on Dec 14, 2016, 10:12 am
We might be invited to a Boxing Day party and a New Year's Day get together. I'm sort of looking forward to Christmas Day when no one invites us anywhere.

Travel Quests Posted on Dec 13, 2016, 8:12 am
Have you ever traveled somewhere just to see some event or one particular landmark or eat somewhere or, um, buy books?

Gadget World Posted on Dec 12, 2016, 8:12 am
I had a Palm Pilot, I just remembered. With that silly set of shorthand marks you made with your stylus to write.

Tennis Posted on Dec 11, 2016, 10:12 am
Tennis. Stuff. Two of my favorite subjects when I have committed to write something!

Total Stranger Posted on Dec 10, 2016, 8:12 am
I'm intrigued by the appearance of these people I don't know in my photos.

Depression Posted on Dec 9, 2016, 8:12 am
Just with a bit of a black cloud or with a black dog following along.

Here's to a Random Slide Show Posted on Dec 8, 2016, 8:12 am
I often feel better about it all when I consider life a random set of images and feelings instead of something we plan or control.

It's Only a Game Posted on Dec 7, 2016, 2:12 am
I sometimes think we do this because real life, where things really do matter and sometimes are matters of life and death, is too complicated. We can understand the rules, play between the lines, get control.

Getting in the Spirit Posted on Dec 6, 2016, 8:12 am
I understand my tribe's myths in the context of other myths. But I still get a little cultural push from the songs, traditions, pagan trees, etc. Usually.

Addiction Posted on Dec 5, 2016, 12:12 pm
We watched some old movies and one of them was "The Lost Weekend." It kindled something I've been thinking about lately and that is addiction.

Pen Sets Posted on Dec 4, 2016, 8:12 am
A lot of us of a certain age received 'pen sets' for Christmas, birthdays and, especially, graduations.

Dear Santa: Not These Either Posted on Dec 3, 2016, 8:12 am
In further news of what is not on my wish list: no more gadgets

Wish List Posted on Dec 2, 2016, 8:12 am
Instead of wishing for them, I have cataloged things I own already obviating the need for more.

Ten Thousand Things Posted on Dec 1, 2016, 8:12 am
Christmas makes me think about things.