It is 21 degrees with a chill factor of 7. We will be in the low 20's for at least the next 48 hours. Light snow and significant ice are predicted as well.

Two years ago, at about this same time of year, we had that horrid freeze that collapsed the Texas power grid and left several hundred dead. Then last year we had another nasty, but slightly shorter, cold snap at this time of year. Luckly we did not have major power outages though the grid was stressed to it's limits. And, now, this year at the same time as the prior two years we have this "cold snap". Hopefully our power grid will hold together but I know it is proably working at capacity and we have at least a week before any real change in the weather.

People say "it is winter, it is supposed to be this way, this is normal". NO IT IS NOT NORMAL!!!

Now, on that happy note. I have laundry to do today and I am dreading having to take Timmy out for his do his doo trips. But we do what we must.

 On this day in 1954 a male child was born to Ralph Moran and Antonia Ruiz Moran. They named that child Robert. Robert had a normal childhood for those times, he played with friends, many of whom consider him their friend even today. He got into trouble and out again. He served in the U.S. Army and worked for many years as an employee for the State of Texas. Robert loved everyone and everything. And, most important to me, he somehow managed to love me all the years we were together. Most of the time he was a happy person with few cares that he let the world know about. Then, suddenly, and without warning, on March 14, 2021 at 4:45 p.m. he died. And, at that point, a new star was born in the heavens and the world became a lesser place for the rest of time.

So, on this day, I wish my Robert, the one true love of my life, a Happy Birthday. Gone but never forgotten and loved for all eternity.

You are missed more than you know.

Your Husband, Jon

 Sophie Tucker...GOD what a woman, what a life, what a voice. Yes, I just watched The Outrageous Sophie Tucker on Prime. Give yourselves a treat and watch it.

Tonight was family night in our dinning room. A night for families, residents and their kids, grandkids and great grandkids to all get together. So, I stayed in and ordered Japanese food via Door Dash. Two reasons, one..with all the outside traffic coming in to the building I just did not want to be exposed to anything...and yes, as paranoid as that may sound, Abilene has a major flu ourbreak and something they are calling Texas Crud which is not a cold, not a flu, not covid, not anything but it is contagious and I don't want it. Second reason, I don't have any family and would just feel too alone in that environment.

Right now it is the regular Thursday night Bluegrass group which, thank God I can not hear in my apartment. But they are popular with our group here so every Thursday night they sing up a storm. One of these days I may just stop in to hear a bit...they are supposed to be really good.

I was going to retire a couple of my computers. But will only be getting rid of the 11 inch Chromebook. I decided to keep the big all in one Chrome desktop as it has a rotating monitor and in vertical mode I can read an entire article without having to go from screen to screen. That and porn pictures fill the entire screen...yes, even I now and then give a little look at smut.

So now I am going to read until I get a good doze going and go to bed.

 Just wanted to do a quick post before I head off to bed. I just watched a movie on Prime called Minyan. For the first few minutes I almost stopped watching it but there was something about it, I still have not figured it out yet, but it kept me through to the very end. It is, in its own way, a beautiful movie but there is also something else there that just held me. It is available on Prime and on Vudu. Probably on some of the other streaming services as well. And, I highly recommend it to you all.

We did have rain all day and just a little snow this afternoon. Probably all the snow we will see but everything is wet and the temps tonight are in the 20's so probably ice and slick in the a.m.

Timmy, bless his heart, went out this a.m. and immediately turned back to come inside. He held it until noon and by then the rain had let up and he went out and peed about 5 gallons. How little boy dogs do it I will never understand. I get up during the night to pee about once every hour or so. Dogs must have more than one bladder.

Now, if you have a blog on which I have commented, you are aware that my comments have been being posted as Anonymous. I could not figure that out...but with the foggy mind of someone who is tired and ready for bed...I finally figured it out. I got a new computer (yes now there are five of them) and in setting it up I used the newer of my two email addressed. So, Blogger thought I was someone new and kept masking who I was. Finally I figured it was that, logged off and back on under my other email address. And, now all is back as it should be.

Finally, after almost two days I have the new computer all set up so I will now begin the process of getting rid of some of the others. I have an 11 inch HP Chromebook which I am hoping to just be able to give to some kid that needs one for school and can't afford it. I am pretty sure I am going to try to sell my 22 inch Chromebox with the rotating monitor and touch screen. We shall see on that. I will keep my little 10 inch Fire tablet with keyboard and my 14 inch Lenovo laptop. That will put me back in the Windows universe. I am still not sure how much I like or dislike Windows 11 but it is what it is so I need to get accustomed to it.

I hope I have some good dreams tonight. I won't remember them but hope that they are happy. Sometimes I have bad dreams which I also don't remember. But I keep re-dreaming them over and over until I just give up and stay up. Makes for a long day the next day but at least the dream is dealt with.

Have a great night everyone, stay warm and dry. Tomorrow is supposed to be dry and sunny but cold. I can deal with that.

Good night. 

 Just put in two loads of laundry so have a few minutes and thought I would do a quick post.

Weather is cold this a.m. and will remain cold for a few days. Tomorrow we are predicted to possibly get some snow. Depending on who you listen to it could be anything from no accumulation to up to 6 inches. All I know for sure is that, except for Timmy's outings, I will not be going out in it.

Started watching The Rig last night on Prime. Not holding my interest so will probably just delete it from my watch list. I have several movies on tap to watch so that will be a nice way to spend some time on these cold days. I am reminded again how nice it is to not have to be concerned with a utility bill. I can keep it all as warm as I want and just enjoy life.

Now I want to thank all of you who follow this blog and/or comment on it. I write it to be a journal of my life but also, and maybe more so, to share what happens with you all. So far I have not received any snide comments or provoked anyone to just do what we used to call flame me. Hope I never do. I stay pretty much away from topics related to politics because they tend to upset me on my own and the last thing I want to do is get into some sort of I am right and you are wrong bitch fight.

I do, on occassion, touch or things spiritual and/or religious, simply because I have an interest in those topics. But, I tend to not be dogmatic in my opinions on those topics, leaning more to the philosophy that we are all unique and that uniqueness is what makes us worthy of one another.

Now, that said, I send out warm hugs for these cold days. Thank you all for simply being you.

 Looks like what I thought would be an early Spring is not to be. This coming Tuesday night they are predicting we will get up to an inch of snow with temps in the low 20's. I know an inch of snow is nothing for many of you but for us here is will paralize the entire region. If there was a way we could harness the energy form all the shivering that will be going on we could probably blow it all to our North where is belongs.

Now for my pet peeve of the day. Television, either traditional or streaming services, do a show that I enjoy and then announce there will be no second season due to low viewership. Hell, I was watching it, don't they know how important I am?

I have been streaming Night Sky on Prime and while it is a bit slow I have been enjoying it. I have two more episodes to watch of what was to be there first season only to find out there will be no season two. I am pissed. If I did not get Prime movies as part of my annual Prime membership which gives me free shipping, etc. I would just cancel it all.

I did cancel both Deekoo and Here which I just subscribed to. They advertise a movie as being in english and it turns out to not be. Yes, the movies are nice to watch but if you can not understand the dialogue why bother. Plus the blatent fraud of claiming they are in English knowing full well they are not.

And finally. Someone in the kitchen (probably a six year old that waundered in off the street) has decided that dinner tonight will be corn dogs. I am sorry, that is not dinner any day of the week much less a Sunday dinner. I will probably just Door Dash a burger and fries or some such delicasy. Afterall, I am at least a 16 year old in regards to meal choices.

 BITS AND PIECES

Today just some bits to maybe make things a bit clearer.

First, here is a picture of the front of the building I live in. It shows the driveway that all the limos pull in to let residents out...maybe not limos but pretty nice cars. I don't use it since I had to stop driving due to the drop foot in my right foot and I could no longer feel the gas or brake peddles.

And this is a picture of our central courtyard. The window to the left of the french doors is my apartment. The french doors are the Library. Large collection of books, a lot of which are in large print formats. Also it serves as a game room in the evenings for rummy and/or 42.

So far it is a beautiful day. Lots of sun even though it is a bit cool. Sitting at 50 degrees right now so maybe a little walk with Timmy and sitting in the sun a bit after I have lunch. If I can find a place out of the wind it should be pretty nice.

For a few days now I have been sitting reading news and email in the mornings and just began to cry. Not sobs or anything like that, just a serious melancholy. I know what it is. In about a week it will be my Robert's birthday. The second since he died. And every year it just does not get any better. Someone told me recently that incredible love leads to incredible grief. 

And, if this year is anything like the last it will be followed by a major depression leading up to and on the day in March when he died and then the day in July that we were finally able to get married.

I knew I love him with all my heart and soul but his absence overwhelms me at times and all I can do is let the sadness and the memories wash over me. When that happens Timmy always comes to me and lays his head on my lap and looks up at me with sad eyes. I know he wants me to not be sad and I know that my Robert would just tell me to "man up" and keep moving forward. I do try and most of the time it is o.k. But, on certain days it is more that I can handle.

Everyone, hug the person you love, tell them until they tell you to just shut up how much you love them and how important they are. You can never prepare yourself for such a loss but you can endure it and hold on to the memories of all the wonderful times.

 Quick check of the weather shows that Winter is not done with us yet. This coming Tuesday we will be dipping into the 20's which I am not looking forward to.

Right now I am just sitting here waiting for the cleaning lady to show up. One of the great things about living here is that every two weeks she comes in and cleans. There are also people that do our laundry for us but I am not at that point yet. I like to do my own. There is a sort of zen about doing a load of laundry.

Looking around my little apartment I realize how really small it is. At 385 sq. ft. it is about 2/3 the size of my bedroom out on the farm. Right now I am sitting at my desk located in the corner near a window. I call this my study. A desk, chair, Library Table, Two small tables. One table has the printer which is wireless and connects to all my devices without cables. The other table sometimes holds my snacks and sometimes the outfit I am going to put on today. The desk and library table are my work space and home to 4 (yes 4) computers of varying sizes from my 22 inch Chromebox to a 10 inch Fire tablet with keyboard. There is also the charging disk for my phone and a charging unit for my vape pen.

Looking toward the door to the unit is a large television cabinet with my 55 inch smart TV. Which is, I have to admit, slightly smarter than I am since it remembers what I like to start my day with and tunes to that channel every morning regardless of what channel it was on when I turned it off. So that area would be my television room I suppose.

Across the room is my bedroom/living room. A really comfortable twin sized day bed, an arm chair and lamp to sit in while I watch television or read a book...or, as is the case often, just doze off for a while.

Then, on the two other walls are my really large closet which also include some shelving that is my library and the kitchen which only gets used for making coffee, doing what few dishes I manage to soil and a really nice sized small refrigerator that keeps ice cream solid, makes ice really fast and has more than enough space for my needs since almost all of my meals are had in our cafe and prepared by the staff here. I do have a small stove but never use it so I have ordered a noodle board as a cover for it and for the additional counter space. If I do any cooking I have a small electric griddle, a small electric waffle iron and a egg cooker the is a magic thing in it own right.

So, not all that bad. Where I used to have to walk half a block to get from my bedroom to the kitchen just to get a cup of coffee now it is just a few steps or, if I am feeling social I can go to the lobby of the building or to one of the public areas and partake of any number of blends of K-Cups. I even, though I would never buy it myself, have begun to enjoy French Vanilla coffee now and then.

The small space also encourages me to get out and walk around the neighborhood. Something I never did out on the farm. So, I am walking much more than I was in the past and feeling better for it.

My surogate great granddaughter sent me a picture of Sara the other day all cuddled up on a plush sofa wrapped in a nice warm blanket, so that was nice. My big dog Duke could not stay where he was originally rehomed but has moved to a nice home with two other large dogs and they say he plays with them like he was a puppy.

The initial knowledge that I was going to have to make this move really scared me to death and the adjustment was, and is, sometimes difficult to make. But make it I am and I am better for it. As expensive as this place is I find that I have money left at the end of the month from simply not having to pay utilities and buy groceries. That is nice, gives one a nice feeling of security.

So, if you ever find yourselves confronted with having to make a similar move in the future...yes it will be traumatic, but if you open yourself up to the changes, both good and bad, you will make it and might just find that you like it as I am finding.

 Got my xrays yesterday. Not the most plesant experience having to contort my sholder in all sorts of unnatural ways when that is the part that hurts most. But managed to do it. I looked online this a.m. and the results are there. Nothing I did not already know. But at least now there are xrays so maybe the insurance company will approve an MRI to check for a pinched nerve. If not I will just go to a bone and joint doctor and max out all my credit to pay for it.

My grandfather hated insurance. Said they were nothing but legalized protection rackets. Sort of like the mob not bombing your store if you paid them up front not to do it. I think he may have been more right than not. Seems like as time passes all those old folks from my youth had a not more wisdom than given credit for.

Our weather is in a colder mode now for a few days with some chance of rain. We need the rain but I could do without the cold. This old body just does not get on well with cold, especially damp cold.

The other day I got chilled so I cranked up the heat to 78 for about 5 minutes. What a pleasure to do that knowing I did not have to pay the utility bill.

Sitting here now, looking around my little home and wondering what I can do to make it more me. Can't come up with a single idea. So may just go with the poor starving artist motif.

 MAYFAIR WITCHES...Part Two

I watched the second episode of Mayfair Witches and while it is proving to be an entertaining series it has little to do with the Rice books beyond the basic plot line of a woman with the powers of a witch who is heir to a powerful family of witches and bound to a spirit named Lasher.

I am not a big fan of how producers and directors have taken to a so called adaptation of a printed work only to try to rewrite everything in their own image. I know that to make these three books into a visual story would take a lot of money and a lot longer than a few episodes. But I don't find that as a valid excuse to just use a writers reputation and the titles and plot lines of their work and try to make it into something of their own.

Maybe I am just too much of a traditionalist. I have read and reread the books a number of times. I am always amazed at Rice's writing skills and style and would love it if the AMC series was more in track with those works than it is proving to be.

It upset me enough that I cancelled my AMC+ subscription and will watch it on regular AMC instead until they make the decision to just broadcast it on the + station like they have done with other shows in the past.

Now for the days weather. Mid 70's with a lot of typical West Texas wind. Good thing I don't have a wig.

 So here we are half way through the first month of the year and we all seem to be doing well...I hope that extends to each of you as well.

I got my 1099-R from my retirement plan so now all I need is my tax form from SSA and I can file my taxes early. I like to try to be near the front of the refund line. I have always viewed my annual tax refund as a sort of non-interest earning savings account. It is always nice to get a bit of cash to start the year with.

Our weather is slowly working its way back to a daily mid-70's range so I think we are going to have an early Spring. At least I am hoping so. Of course that might mean we are going to have another long and hot Summer. And we may be impacted by whatever the El/La Nina/Nino shoves our way. We typically only get the drought impact from those little buggers though.

Out menu for the week here at "the home" looks pretty tasty. We do have one lunch of Barbeton Fried Chicken. I had to look that one up. I will probably give it a try as I like fried chicken. Always open to something new. And, if there is ever anything on tap that I don't care for I can alway Door Dash a meal. One of my new favorite past times.

A new and interesting awareness that has begun to develop with me is the impact that gravity has on us as we age. I am getting close to my "ideal" weight of 185 but it seems that the closer I get the heavier I feel just going about my daily chores. Add to that the pull of gravity on parts of the human anatomy and I almost don't recognize myself when I look in the mirror. At least my ass has not started to sag yet. But other parts have begun to show an afinity for the pull of gravity. What was once a pretty decent muscle toned body is becoming no more. I used to tease my grandmother about how her muscles had relaxed and were just resting. Be careful how you tease your elders. It all may come back to haunt you in you later years.

 Well, the inquisition went well I think. They did not come at me with pitch forks and flaming torches. I introduced myself, talked about my mother living here several years ago, what all transpired to bring me here and how comfortable I felt. I also talked about how I am a born and bred Liberal Democrat and how I know that might not sit well with some of the folks here but that was fine since we are really all headed in the same direction after all is said and done. How my politics are tightly tied to my faith and my belief that we are all supposed to be helping one another. I told them how I was born a Southern Baptist and how over the years I had evolved to what I am today...a Christian in so far as my belief that we are all of one family no matter our named religion and/or dogma and that we were commanded to love one another and how that commandment did not list any exceptions.

In the Q and A afterwords I was asked about my family and to my surprise several of the folks there had known and/or been employees of my father. They knew his story and there was a pretty much unanimous feeling that he was a good man dispite his shortcommings. A couple of the ladies had worked with my stepmother in founding the Abilene Women's Club which still exist and is involved in all sorts of charities.

I talked about my relationship with the one great love of my life and how it had ended after so many years. About how that had impacted my entire life and probably had a lot to do with my deteriating health and eventual need to move to an Independent Living place.

One thing I did become aware of was that no matter the age of my fellow residents we all share something in common that sounds a lot more depressing than it is and that is that we all are pretty much the end of the line in our respective families. That after us there will be no more of our line. That common thread is, I believe, what makes this place so unique.

So, all in all, I am satisfied with it. Now we go forward with our life in this place that I call "the home" with new friends and goals.

 Doctor's appointment today. Maybe we will take one more tiny little step in the direction of addressing the arthritis in my right sholder and the pinched nerve in my neck. The worst part of the arthritis is that I am right handed and just about any movement increases the pain.

Then, tonight, the inquisition!!! On the second Friday of each month they invite a new resident to "tell their story" and be "interviewed" by the more long term residents. It is sort of a get to know one another effort and I think it might be interesting. I am already debating how open I will be. I will not say "that is really none of your business" to any prying questions. But I may say something like "that is a much longer story for another time and place" and just move on.

I will post tomorrow how it goes.

Weather is cold this a.m. in the low 30's but still above freezing. Highs this afternoon should be in the low 60's. But things are getting ready to turn better again. We are only a month or so from the beginning of spring and the long range shows lots of days in the 70's coming up with even the 50/50 chance of rain.

 We are back to more normal temps starting today. Highs in the mid 50's, wind and the very slight possibility of some rain. I will believe the rain part when I am standing outside drenched to the bone.

Today I will stay inside as much as possible, take Timmy for his necessary walks but avoid the sunlight since I, one more time, slept with my eyes open and am now suffering from nasty dry eye with lots of tearing that is trying to lubricate them.

I do that now and then for some reason. Probably should ask my eye doctor when I see him in April if there is anything that can be done that does not involve some sadistic surgical procedure. There is a man living here who has to have a needle stuck in his eye about once a month trying to get rid of a blood clot that is there. The day I lay still and see a needle coming at my eye will be a cold day in hell.

I probably should do a little cleaning. Timmy tends to bring in dust which settles in corners and needs to be swept. I may just do a Swifter of the floors. I have some Swifter pads that have lavender in them. That would be nice.

Other than that, since it is a strain to try to read, I will probably just watch a few movies on television. I did subscribe to both Dekkoo and Here channels on Prime so there are plenty of Gay films to watch, mostly with sub-titles but I can just watch the pretty people speaking words that I don't understand I suppose.

Now, off to breakfast. I was going to fix something here myself but decided to order a set of silicon kitchen utensils instead and they won't be delivered until Saturday so that can be my excuse to not cook.

Have a great day everybody.

 Today it is supposed to hit 81 degrees! There are some things about the changes to weather that I really don't mind and this is one of them. It has resulted in our part of the State being placed on a fire watch which I hope does not happen. But a nice warm day with plenty of sunshine to recharge the old batteries and encourage several nice walks around the neighborhood will be welcome.

And, the new congress has hit the road running. Gutting increased funding for the IRS which the IRS really needed in order to continue doing its job. And, threatening cuts to Medicare and Social Security. The saving grace is that their bills will hopefully die when they reach the Senate.

My ongoing prayer is for a return to sanity.

 I just love when things work out for the best. As you know I have been having trouble finding a groomer for Timmy. Well, we finally found just the right man to do the job. Timmy trusted him and all came out well. The groomer even made an appointment for a few months down the road to give him a trim. So, here he is, the before....

And the new and improved Timmy, the after....

Can't believe it is even the same little man. I used to call him my little raggedy man. Now I have to come up with something new. My beautiful little boy works for me.

 MAYFAIR WITCHES (Spoilers/No Spoilers)

Just watched the first episode on AMC+ then on regular AMC. The most I can say is that they probably did the best they could do by compressing what should have been at least a 6 hour 2 part mini series into a single 1 hour episode.

They completely circumvent the great wealth that Rowan's adoptive parents have, the amazing glass house they live in and roll it all into Rowan living on a boat. They drop the death of her adoptive father and the roll she played in that. They have not yet even mentioned Michael though it ends on the boat in a major storm so that still may come.

Courtland is introduced in the series long before he is in the books. Lasher's status is revealed long before it is in the books as well. But his involvement with the Mayfair family revealed early and in a way that is not all that off.

For those who have not read the books the time jumping will probably not make a lot of sense and may leave a lot of folks confused to the point of not continuing to watch this season.

I am not giving up on it yet and will  at least watch the next episode but at this point I don't have a lot of faith. Where The Interview With A Vampire is in many ways improved by the condensation of events and the gaying up of the characters I don't feel that the Mayfair Witches will benefit.

 SILENT CONVERSATIONS

These days I find that I have silent conversations more often than not. I do talk outloud to Timmy and he just looks at me with that sort of "wish I could understand you because I know you are saying something important to me" look. And, I often talk outloud to Robert's picture on the wall. But most of the time my conversations are silent. Probably because I just don't want to get too much in the habit of talking to myself. I do catch myself talking to myself outloud, but quietly, now and then in the market or as I walk down the street on one of my walks. But more often it is just those sort of thoughts that are more than just thinking. More of what are the pros and cons, what are the options, sort of conversations.

Probably everyone does just the same with the exception of talking outloud to youself in the market. I probably avoid the "nuthouse" simply because most people don't hear me or if they do they see an obviously older man with a cane and feel sorry for me. One of the great benefits of aging seems to be that people grant you space to just be old.

Part of it, I am sure, has to do with being alone. When you have no one else around you like to hear another voice at times, even if it is actually your own.

 I have never been particularly fond of change. Status quo is my preference. But the past couple of months have been jam packed with change in my life. First changes to my health that brought about the need for change to my living circumstances. All the changes that were involved in moving from a 3k sq ft house into a much much smaller little apartment. Changes in my companionship, dogs and people, that I have to admit still haunt me today but were necessary for all concerned. Changes that mask themselves as adjusting to my new life path most of which are good but I do tend to isolate so there is that and I have to find ways to overcome and become more of a social animal...YUK!!!

Most confusing, for me, have been the changes I have had to make where my health care is involved. Changing from my doctor of many years in a small four doctor practice where everyone knew you to now a massive health care organization called Hendrick Health Care where you seldom actually get to talk to a real live person. Lots of voice mails left most of which are never returned. Changes from my pharmacy, Owl Drugs in Coleman, TX where, again, they know you and  call you by name to a small local chain pharmacy where they do things not the same as what I am used to. Confusions as to what medications I take and how often which are still being sorted out between the pharmacy and the doctors and their nurses.

I COULD JUST SCREAM!!!!!

But, when all is said and done, I really don't have any complaints. I am comfortably warm on cold days, comfortably cool on hot days, have a nice (though tiny) place to live with my belongings and my precious Timmy the Terrible Terrier constantly at my side. And, this coming Monday he will finally be getting groomed. If he survives that trauma and the groomer does not just give up on him then all will be good on that score.

Some of the changes have been, and continue to be, for the better. I am eating better than I have in a couple of years. I am getting rid of some fat around the middle as a result and I do feel the benefits. I do walk a lot more than I used to. Not only taking Timmy out several times a day but also just going out for a walk at least twice daily weather permitting. I have narrowed my belongings down to what I need with a smattering of what I want and not just filling my space with impulse buys.

Like the song says "There'll Be Some Changes Made Tomorrow,There'll Be Some Changes Made."

So, from my little corrner of the world (note I no longer say my little corner of paradise...that was the farm and continues to be that in my mind.) From my little corner of the world things are not all that bad. Just lots of adjustments and that is what life and growth is all about. So I reach out to all of you and send virtual hugs. Know that you are each a very important and treasured part of the life I live these days. Be happy, be healthy and be the best that you were always meant to be.

 And so begins this sixth day of this new year.

One of the things I do early in the day is read a number of blogs that I find interesting, entertaining and the authors of which I am beginning to count as friends. Yet another way that this virtual world we find ourselve living in seems to expand and touch all the areas of our lives. Mind you, these are people, like my "friends" on Facebook, most of whom I will never meet.

One of those blogs is titled Two Men and a Little Farm. It is written by 1st Man and shares the lives of him and his husband 2nd Man. I really enjoy it because it is so much what Moran-Newman-Farms started out to be many years ago before Robert died and I broke apart emotionally, continued to grow older and finally had to accept that my life today would have to be not the same as it was planned and dreamed to be.

Today 1st Man posted about a hat that 2nd Man had given him for Christmas and I was transported back yet one more time to a very similar hat that I got for Robert for much the same reason that 2nd Man got it for 1st Man.

Robert's Zen was the riding mower going back and forth across the fields keeping our little farm neatly manicured and beautiful, not only in looks but as a place to be together living the best life imaginable. Robert did not get sunburned. Robert got darker and darker and darker until he could easily pass as an African-American. His genetic heritage was about 80 percent South American from Chile and he wore that heritage with pride.

This is a picture of (left to right) my mother, Robert and me. Robert at his most "tan". Sadly I am the only one left and this world is a lesser place with the absence of the other two.

Enought of that though. Today is cleaning before the cleaning lady comes...why do we do that??? Laundry and trying to finish the Mayfair Witches trilogy befor the AMC+ series starts on Sunday. Supposed to be a really nice day as well, in the 70's so at least a couple of walks with Timmy.

 Just sitting here waiting for time to go get breakfast. My tummy is making those little rumbling sounds that mean I will probably eat a lot more than I either need or should.

Took Timmy out for his first round of watering the rose bushes and sniffing every blade of grass. He is such a good boy where it comes to waiting all night. Even I can not do that.

Today looks to be a cool but sunny one. I do need to walk over to the market to get a few things. I need to get a loaf of bread and Timmy will soon run out of food. And, I am in the mood for cheese. The market near me has a nice cheese selection. All a bit pricy but worth it if you are a cheese eater like I am.

There are a couple of delivers due from Amazon today but they will be left at the front desk so I don't have to be here to receive them.

Oh, and I have a couple of lottery tickets that will pay out just enough for me to get another Mega Millions ticket. Imagine what it would be like to win almost a billion dollars. Then imagine what it would be like to try to not let it change your life.

And the new pharmacy either messed up on a couple of my prescriptions or the new doctor change them and did not inform me so I have to deal with that later.

Well, ten more minutes and they will open the cafe and I can silence the little drum player in my belly.

 CHAPTER 2023

And so it begins. A new year, a sort of new life, a new me in many ways. What it will bring, where it will lead, only the gods know and they are remaining, as usual, quiet.

Out with the old as they say. The old house that was impossible to heat or cool, the wonderful yet much to large farm for one old man to take care of properly, the time spent wondering how I was going to make it another month and remain sane. And now, in with the new. The new and much simpler living situation, the living of a life where almost everything is taken care of (for a price) and where all I really have to worry about is how to fill my days. The new and more active me depending on my own two feet instead of an automobile to get around and do the things I am fond of doing. Sadly there is no movie theatre or library within walking distance, but there is everything else that I could possibly want or need.

The ending of 2022 proved that life is not, in fact, my enemy but my friend who will provide if I let it. The hard part for me is just letting go and letting life happen. I have learned that in the past I spent way too much time trying to manipulate life into something that I wanted it to be and failed more often than not.

So, out with all the old and most of the past. The only thing that I will carry with me into this new life adventure is the memory of the enduring love of a wonderful man who was taken way before his time and, in my mind, reduced the status of the entire universe. But, I know now that it is really more than just a memory and is in fact a wondeful treasure that I have been blessed with and will carry with me for the rest of time.

Yes I have some challenges. I have badly controlled high blood preasure, neuropathy in both legs and feet, arthritis in just about every joint, an anurysm on my aorta that the insurance company says is still to small to correct, Barretts Esophagus which on occassion tries to choak me to death, uncontrolled Type 2 diabetes...uncontrolled partly because I don't eat right, and my vision is not what it used to be but that will be corrected in April with a new eye glasses prescription, and lord only knows what they may discover going forward. But all in all I am not in really bad shape given all that I did in my youth that brought me to this point.

I am a container of wonderful memories and that can never be taken away from me nor will I ever try to forget them. They are who I am in many ways and that is just how it is.

So, as we venture into the exciting life ahead in 2023 I wish you all the best, the happiest, the most wonderful life that you can manage. Happy New Year to you all.