DEATH MATTERS

To say I know about this one is a misconception of grand proportions- this one is a biggie for sure.  We’re all heading there, wherever there is.  Yes, all of us. There I said it, but many of us from our generation and our parent’s generation are in denial about this well proven fact of life - or death.   Charles from __________expounds, ‘each time a relative or acquaintance dies, I swear I will address my own concerns about burial, speak to my children, although the kids have difficulty addressing the topic too. 

We need not delay these dicey, hard to face arrangements for the last minute. The decision on how to handle my arrangements for life support, burial, where, when, how, why, - ah, not why, or when for that matter-  must come from me alone.  My children have already balked at some of my decisions, but after all is said and done and I am gone, THEY RESERVE THE RIGHT TO DO WHAT IN THE HELL THEY WANT -WHAT, AM I TO COMPLAIN?  I think not! Maybe not such a good idea to mention hell and death in the same breath. I’m putting it all out there for public consumption. So feast on this.

So folks, what are your plans?  They are certainly subject to change, at least put them down on paper before there is no subject to change.

don't sweat the small stuff

Many of us have heard the expression 'don't sweat the small stuff and it's all small stuff', but I contend that the small stuff can do you in. Case in point. The kitchen is an alluring place and we can all vouch for that. The kitchen can also double as a place that requires much work and maintenance.

This has to do with a dishwasher. The dishwasher soap dispenser sticks and does not snap open to allow the detergent out to clean the dishes. I counted 17 minutes exactly when the trap door would make a snap sound signifying that the soap contraption was attempting to open, then I would open the door manually and snap open the soap dispenser. Contemplating buying a new machine I decided first to do some digging.  I saw that the door was clogged with hardened black gunk that had accumulated over the years. It was nasty. I worked for days on an unclogging mission and reached success. Temporarily, that is. When I decided to sit back the do-hickey got stuck once again.

One cold more like frigid day last week, the dishwasher plain stopped. I went on a search mission for a new machine but decided I would bail the water out this one time and try the machine again. Evidently the pipes were frozen (as was the toilet, but that is another story) and the machine decided to cut me a break and start. I was gleeful and expired a sigh of relief.

I'm not sitting back on my laurels though, to forestall getting caught off guard, my intentions are to continue to look for deals on dishwashers and toilets, the water saver ones.

life's little pleasures

Without further ado I present a list of the myriad ways to say thanks and offer up a smile.
1. watching clothes dance about on a clothesline in the wind
2. sailing down the road in a car on green lights only.
3. libraries
4. being content with minimal needs
5. car starting in frigid temperatures
6. a tire that goes flat after you have reached home
7. major car repairs that you incur after you reach home from a long road trip
8. membership in AAA
9. long lasting friendships
10. spirited one time interactions with salesclerks, strangers, and the such
11. pets
12. chocolates
13. trees, flowers, gardens
14. a gift you chose that awed the donee
15. happy, healthy, successful children
16. living along a bus route
17. friendly neighbors who respect your privacy
18. mortgage free living space
19. indoor plants that you don't kill
20. works of art
21. smell, sight, touch, hearing, taste
22. relatives who look out for your back
23. good health at a ripe old age
24. storage space
25. foods without preservatives
26. foods not genetically modified
27. a good book
28. a good movie
there are more and I'll get back to them another time
add some to your hearts content