…wonderful people who volunteer when you desperately need help on a civic project! Toastmasters contests couldn’t happen without a cast of dozens behind the scenes.
Month: March 2012
On living in a neighborhood with a HOA
I’m still not sure whether a Homeowners Association is a blessing or a curse. On the blessing side: our HOA has an all-volunteer board of neighbors who care enough about the neighborhood and keeping it nice to donate their time. On the curse side: I have to go to meetings of the HOA board. And then there are the rules which sometimes seem picayune. Tonight one of the board members was trying to tell everyone that no one should be able to plant flowers by their doors, because that didn’t promote a uniform look. Good grief! One of the board members has a virtual Garden of Eden right outside her door, so that suggestion didn’t go over too well. My next-door neighbor grows irises which shame me daily. She takes such good care of her property while I pat myself on the back for keeping the bushes trimmed down. And she’s 92, which doubles the shame.
But that HOA does manage to keep our fees low – and it made sure all the houses were re-painted five years ago. So, let’s call the HOA gift no. 23.
Blessing No. 22
Today I got an unexpected birthday present … about 7 months early.
My dad gave me the Queen of Mixers … the Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer. In cherry red. Picture to follow. As well as many cupcakes, cakes cookies and breads.
He asked me a week or so ago what type I would like, and I thought he was planning to make this a birthday present for me later this year. When he called earlier today to tell me he and Mom were coming over with a present, I thought, oh, no, you didn’t. Then I burst into tears. Unless you cook, you just wouldn’t understand. It’s the Cadillac of mixers.
I can’t wait to make this and this and this and this.
Thank you, Dad and Mom. You’ll never regret giving me this!
Hello fellow bloggers and everyone out in blogland….
….somehow that doesn’t sound as romantic as “and all the ships at sea!” That was the phrase radio announcers of yore would use in welcoming the listening audience to their program.
The past week and a half has shown me that if I don’t write down my blessings each day then my attitude takes a plunge. I’ve seen and experienced quite a few blessings over the last few days … but the time to write them down has been elusive. (One more whine, then I’m done kvetching: when I come home from work, the last thing I want to do is sit in front of another keyboard and monitor.)
But there have been many blessings. And it’s time to make lists again….because not doing so has made my last week and a half a grumpy, out-of-sorts experience.
Blessing 17: Stepping outside tonight on my way to run another errand, I stopped and truly saw the gorgeous deep blue sky, half-moon and stars. It looked like Van Gough flung his paintbrush around South Carolina.
Blessing 18: Today was a beautifully warm (79 degrees!) yet breezy day. About 3:30 I was tempted to tell my boss we all needed to shelve work and go outside to fly kites. It was that kind of day.
Blessing 19: Last week I was grateful for my 25-minute commute to work, cause it gives me a chance to sing along to the radio. When the drive is almost all Interstate at 65 mph, and practically no stop and go traffic, then commuting is a pleasure.
Blessing 20: Saturday, Feb. 25, I participated in my first 5K walk of the year. I was expecting to take 75 minutes to finish, since I’ve never been able to sustain 3.0 mph on the treadmill at the gym. But I finished in 55 minutes. Yea me!
Blessing 21: A purring kitty who loves to sit by you when you’re at home.
Notes from Aunt Gem 