Our Dark House

Our house is dark tonight. We live far enough off the road to make our house undesirable as far as trick or treating goes. The giant magnolia in our front yard have grown so large that most people coming from the down hill side of our street don’t even know our house is back here.

In years past I have bought loads of candy to give out and then find myself left with it. It’s not a good thing. So last year and this year I decided to give up on handing out candy and just hang out in a dark house.

Carter lives in Beacon Hill in Boston on a street famous for Halloween with one house on one end of the street that gets all decked out and and ritzy square half way down her street that is known for generous Halloween treats. Since Carter does not anticipate living on this street forever she thought she would sit on her stoop and hand out candy this year. I asked her if anyone else in her building was going to do it and she didn’t think so, so she was the sole person from her building of ten units between mansions giving out candy.

I saw her instagram and she said it only took 45 minutes for her giant bowl of candy to be cleared out. Then she posted a photo of hoards of trick or treaters and said “Happy Halloween to the two kids dressed as sushi rolls and only them.” I asked if the kids were well behaved and she said for the most part.

You really have to lower your expectations when giving candy out. I am happy people still do it and I am happy kids have to learn to talk to strangers. The crap shoot is you never know how polite kids are going to be.

I hope that everyone who was out had a good experience, both the givers and the receivers. I hope there are not too many stomachs aches tonight and I mean for the fathers who might be eating their kids candy. And I hope everyone gets home safe and sound. Just a reminder that Santa is watching.

The Newest Trend in Mah Jongg

Once you have mastered Mah Jongg the next horizon is teaching your dog. Brilliant Mah Jongg breeds include Labs, Chows, Doodles and King Charles Cavaliers. Terriers have trouble picking hands and sticking to them and bulldogs get their card’s too wet with slobber. Beagles just eat their cards and goldens want everyone to win so they pass jokers, even though they know it is against the rules.

Salty Taylor is seen here with her Mah Jongg coach Kate. Salty first had to be taught not to eat the tiles, but once he realized they had no taste whatsoever he settled down to learning his neighborhoods. He demanded a walk around every neighborhood before he would pick one and zero in on his hand.

He liked winds as he has been known to pass it often. Consecutive run is his favorite neighborhood as it contains one of his favorite activities, running. Dragons are a favorite tile as he thinks they should come with a plush toy for chewing.

Kate has had some luck playing the hands that Salty has suggested once he had a full command of the game. Sally’s most difficult task is picking just one tile from the wall since he must do it with his mouth due to his lack of opposable digits. He feels that no one with such a disability should be excluded from the game as it is an inclusive activity.

Salty may have a future as a Mah Jongg support animal. The word is still out on the legality of Mah Jongg support dogs in tournaments. The one handicap they do have is the lack of ability to tell the difference between a red or green dragon in modern Mah Jongg sets. This of course is no different from the many color blind men who play so the Mah Jongg dogs should not be excluded just on that reason alone.

There may be a future Mah Jongg dog trading camp so keep your eye out for news on that front if you think your dog might be a candidate.

Thankful for My Group

I had a zoom call with my book group tonight. I was a passenger in our car coming back from the mountains, which had to be disconcerting to my friends on the zoom. The world flying by behind me as we discussed the loss of a parent by one of our members along with our latest read.

I am so thankful for this small group that started during the pandemic. We zoomed then because we were spread out across four states and we continue because we are a unit now.

The books we read or listen to are fun to explore, but it’s the friendship and emotional support that is really the glue that holds this group together. Thank you to my dear book group. Getting to spend time with you makes everything better. Looking forward to another year of good books.

Little Brown Dog Goes to The Mountains

I like getting invited to my friend Crocket’s house in the mountains. First, his parents, Jan and Rex are really nice to me. Second, my Daddy takes me on big hikes. Now that I am on medicine my walking is so much better. Daddy says I have four wheel drive going up the big mountain. Plus it was a really nice day for hiking. Third, there are nice beds here.

Crocket does not seem to mind when I take over one his beds in the kitchen. See Mommy and Jan spend most of the day in the kitchen working on puzzles, watching college football, cooking and needlepointing. So when I am not asleep on the sofa in the living room where Daddy is reading, I will sleep on Crocket’s bed. It’s OK with crocket because he is asleep on his princess and the pea bed on top of the ottoman.

I am also good at herding Daddy up to to bed early because I want to sleep on the big bed with him. As long as I can keep Mommy out of the bed I get the majority of space since Daddy is watching YouTube’s in his sleep on his side. Mommy ruins the whole thing when she comes to bed because she turns off Daddy’s IPad, and she expects to get into bed.

That’s OK because I have already slept at lest six other hours in various other beds and sofas throughout the day. I hope Mommy sleeps late again tomorrow because that mean’s I get more alone time with Daddy. I love coming to the mountains. It is the best place to sleep.

Last Minute Fun

Sometimes the best time to get me is the last minute. My friend Jan texted and asked if Russ and I could come to the mountains for the weekend. If she had asked me about a weekend months in advance I might not have been free, but thankfully when she got me I turned to Russ and said, “You want to go to the mountains, don’t you?”

I looked at my calendar, but forgot that I had promised my mother I would take her shopping for a TV stand. She was very understanding when I told her we were going to the mountains.

My friend Shelayne and I had a dozen back and forth texts trying to find a day for lunch. The first common free date is over a month away and only because Sophie was able to change something else. But if she had called me this morning and said, “Can you have lunch today?” I would have canceled my chores to have lunch with her.

Sometimes the last minute is the best minute. I know I am not free much with classes scheduled months in advance, but there are always pockets of time I can make free. Thanks to Jan I am not cleaning my house this weekend, or going to church, or working in my garden. Instead I will be spending time laughing with friends, cooking, doing puzzles, taking walks and needlepointing while the Tennessee football game is on. Great last minute plans.

New Mah Jongg City

New Mah Jongg City

Thanks to Barbara Walters, not the dead one, for inviting me to teach in Pinehurst the last two nights. I had taught one of Barbara’s daughters in Raleigh and she recommended me to her mom. So I had the pleasure of teaching Barbara and her other daughter along with 14 other lovely women.

The world is small. The second person who arrived at class yesterday was very familiar to me. I said, “I know you.” And she said the same. It took a few minutes of “where are you from,” and we eventually figured it out. Sandra’s granddaughter Izzy played basketball at DA with Carter and Saundra and her husband won the grandparents award because they came to every game, including tournaments in Charleston.

Also in this class was my friend Ruth E.’s best friend Penny, who was a hoot. So one quarter of the class was already warmed up to me.

They were a lovely class and they all graduated tonight. I hope this is the beginning of going to Pinehurst more often, even though it was a good drive. They were just a wonderfully fun group. As I say with all new players, “Now you have to play!” Then they can take the next level class.

Why Do I Forget?

I don’t have a regular schedule for my days. Some times I have to get up early and drive far away to teach an early morning class. Sometimes I have only an evening class so I do work around home all day and go to my class late in the afternoon. I am using this lack of regular schedule as my excuse why sometimes I forget to do what I need to do everyday.

I have a lot of medicines and supplements that I have to take four times a day. They are complicated enough that I have to use these four compartment pill containers. I have no trouble remembering to take the ones I have to take right when I wake up. They must be taken on an empty stomach and I am not allowed to eat for at least 30 minutes after taking them.

That is the only thing I ever get right in my day. My second round of pills comes after eating breakfast. I usually remember those, but sometimes not until a few hours after breakfast, which technically is still after breakfast.

The third round is after dinner. Well I am no good at remembering those. Today I left home at 1:30 to go teach in Pinehurst. I remembered to put my pill case in my purse. I taught Mah Jongg from 4-8:30. I forgot to take my pills. I drove home. I still did not take my pills. I was home a whole hour and then I remembered, “My Pills…in my purse.” So I took them, but I still have a fourth group of pills to take right before bed.

I really want to go to sleep, but need a little separation between groups of pills. How much time? Who knows. I just wish I could remember to take my pills right after dinner. It’s not like I don’t do this every single damn day.

I can remember to give Shay her heart worm or her arthritis medicine, but I can’t remember my own. The whole reason I have my pills in these little containers is that I can confirm if I actually took my pills. I am not that old and am having this much trouble. What is going to happen when I really get old?

Mah Jongg All Ways All Day

My dear friend Ann from Kinston has been going through cancer treatment at Duke. Today we got together to go to lunch with Reba and Debbie from Kinston. It was the first time Debbie had met Reba, who is the ground zero student who got me going all over the state. If it weren’t for Reba I never would have met Ann at Atlantic Beach and then I would not have gotten to Kinston to meet Debbie and the thread goes on and on.

Thankfully Ann is doing great with her treatment and of course looks fabulous. But more importantly is going to be around to keep playing for years and years.

After lunch out together Debbie had to go, but Ann and Reba were free to come back to my house, where of course we had to play a few hands. Mah Jongg is life restorative after all and what better way to pass the time between daily treatments.

Tonight I was honored to be on a zoom panel put on by Donna and Dara of Modern Mah Jongg. There were experts from around the country who shared their stories about their love of the game. The themes are the same; getting together to play Mah Jongg is healing, fun, escapism. As I always say at Mah Jongg class when people say how much fun they have in class, “It should be fun, it’s a game.”

What I let them discover for themselves is that it is much more than a game. It is a life line, a life saver, a community, a place to let lose and laugh, a place for support, an exercise for your brain, a place for advice, a place you belong.

A Heart Stopping Moment

I had a last few hours with Carter this morning before my journey home began. We had such a fun four days and I was sad to leave. My Uber driver was unable to figure out how to get me to Logan, but he happily took directions from me for the very short drive. All good I got to the airport.

When time came to board my flight I discovered two very tiny Chinese women sitting in my row, one in my seat. I asked her if she was in the correct seat. She asked if I would switch with her and sit on the other side of the aisle. I purposely pick the left side aisle seat because I needlepoint on the plane and that way my needlepointing hand moves out into the aisle and not into the person next to me. I really didn’t want to sit on the other side, but I didn’t want to separate these very old women. So I agreed.

A man was at the window and a nice middle aged women was in the middle seat of my new row. I apologized as I sat down, “I’m sorry I needlepoint and I promise not to stab you.” The man asked me if I wanted the window seat so I would only stab the window. So we all got up and rearranged.

I have done about a third of this giant canvas and I need to work on it everyday to try and finish it in this calendar year. So I stitched the whole flight, packing up my bag right as we landed.

It was great to get home to Russ and Shay who met me with a lot of wagging. That’s Shay, not Russ. Russ carried my bags upstairs and I looked at mail. I called the jury duty number to see if I was required to report for jury duty tomorrow. Thankfully I was released.

After dinner I started to unpack my bags. My needlepoint bag was not in my carry-on. I looked all around the downstairs route to my bedroom. My heart stopped. Had I not put my needlepoint bag inside my carry-on? Had I perhaps thought I had, but instead slipped it down the outside of the bag. Since I was in the window seat I did not have a good view of the floor around my seat.

I know what happens to left onboard needlepoint. I have more than a few friends who have left their stitching in the seat back pocket, never to see it again. I did not have any identification on my needlepoint bag. Not that an airline gives a damn about what is left on board.

I grabbed my keys and went out to my car. Just before I was about to throw up from the thought of having to recreate that whole canvas I saw my needlepoint bag on the front seat.

Now I am happy to be home.

Our Day of Neighborhoods

Carter picked me up in a zip car today and we went to pick up Claire and Norman for a day of touring neighborhoods. We drove to Charlestown which is so fancy now. 37 years ago I went to Charlestown to visit my friend Laura and she made me put a sign in my car that read, “no radio” so my car would not get broken into and my radio stolen. Too bad I did not have the money to buy a house in Charlestown then because it would have been a very good investment.

From Charleston we went to the South end. Carter and I have looked at streets in the South end and dreamed of her living there, but once again they are very far out of reach. Southie was next. Nice, young, hipper, not as fancy. We stopped and had lunch outside since Norman was with us.

Our tour continued to neighborhoods in Dorchester. Uphams Corner, Polish Triangle, Savin Hill, Ashmont. These neighborhoods are more affordable. We dropped Claire and Norman off at home and Carter and I went back to her Beacon Hill Neighborhood for tea at the new darling Beacon Hill Bookshop.

We had a tiny table in the courtyard. We had every staff member wait on us at one time or another. They went out of their way to give me gluten free items. Susu, the creative culinary director took a shining to Carter and offered her a job to work the tea service on Sundays.

We did not get a chance to see the book store because we stayed so long at tea. We couldn’t help ourselves because we were listening to the girls sitting next to us. One girl described a movie with Kiera Knightly that she liked, but when she went to find the book the movie was based on she said she couldn’t read it because it was half about the character Kiera plays and half about farming. Carter and I were waiting patiently for the woman to remember what the book was. When she looked it up on her phone and said, Anna Karenina Carter and I almost spit our tea out. Not a book about farming.

We walked back up the hill and up five flights of stairs to Carter’s cozy apartment to watch a movie. Time to pass out after such a fun day.

Bringing Adults Joy

Day two at Mah Jongg camp with Carter and Claire’s friends was a blast. The day started with Carter and I meeting up to have brunch. We talked our way into having the best booth in the place where we holed up for a good close to two hours talking. Thankfully our waitress had a new trainee so they were kind to let us keep the table so long. I tipped accordingly.

After that long gab fest Carter and I ubered to her office to set up for the second day of class. Sadly Carter’s friend from work, Drean had another class today so we missed her, but everyone else came to play.

Since yesterday was the big learning the rules day, today was the big playing day. The ladies came with snacks and drinks and I was especially appreciative of Claire’s special Arnold Palmer she brought just for me.

They were a smart group so we got lots of games in. There was nothing more joyful than when someone got their first Mah Jongg. The cheers went up for everyone.

We took one break in the playing to have a big group therapy session to discuss a family issue then went right back to playing.

I loved all the friends who came. It gives me great comfort to get to know Claire’s friends and how wonderful they have been at accepting Carter to their group. I hope they all have many happy years of playing Mah Jongg together and are always as happy as they were in these pictures. Sadly Courtney left before our group photo today.

We played longer than originally planned because everyone was having so much fun. After class Carter, Claire and I went to dinner. It was amazing we could still be talking at 8:30 at night after all the talking all day. Now I need a good recovery sleep, but all these cute people will keep my extrovertedness up I am certain.

Boston Mah Jongg

Last Spring Carter and Claire asked me if I would come to Boston and teach their friends how to play Mah Jongg. What a silly question. Of course I love nothing more than spreading the Mah Jongg love amongst their friends. Little did I know that the weekend we would pick would be the head of the Charles. So the city is covered in tourists and rowing fans.

Our class was tonight after work so it was nice that all these young people came after working all week. Carter was able to use the conference room in her building so we had a good place to learn.

Carter ordered dinner to be delivered to her office. As everyone was arriving Carter got a text that the grub hub driver had delivered the food with a photo of it sitting on the loading dock of the seafood warehouse across the street from Carter’s building. Carter and her friend Keves ran across the street to get the order before a big semi pulled up to that dock. The driver did not get the right building, but he left the food at dock 6 which is the number of Carter’s building.

When Carter and Keves got back they alerted us that the order was also missing three Pizza’s. Claire got involved then dealing with the missing pizzas. We just started the learning part of class while we waited for the rest of the dinner to arrive.

I love teaching young people because they pick everything up quickly. They learned most of the basics before we hit the Friday Night wall and everyone went home to rest up for a big day of learning/playing tomorrow. The bonus for me is meeting this fun Boston friends and Norman Clair’s sweet golden doodle who came to class with his emotional support vest on. I hope Norman liked Mah Jongg class.

Take Your Mother to Work Day

I got to go to Carter’s office and meet all her wonderful team members. It made a mother proud to hear how well she is doing and get to put faces with the fabulous people she is learning from.

I am in Boston to hold Mah Jongg lessons with Carter and her friends. Nothing but fun. After seeing her office we walked down the street for dinner at Chickadee. Carter’s best college friend Estelle joined us. I adore Estelle. We had such a fun dinner.

Carter thought it was time I told Estelle two of my classic stories. The first was the Saskatoon story and the second was the lost underpants story. Estelle is a member of the family now that she knows those stories.

Spending time with your grown child and her good friend is about the most fun thing there is. More to come from my Boston days, but now I have to rest up.

Good News — Tell Your Mom

When you are a young adult and something good happens to you because of your own hard work what should you do? It may feel braggadocios to tell your friends or worse post it on social media. There is one person who definitely wants to hear about your successes, Your Mom!

For years Moms have gotten report cards on your work. We have watched you at sports events and cheered you on. We know everything you ever applied for and did and did not get. When you get out of school we no longer get outside feed back on how you are doing in life. So if you get a job, a raise, some praise, a big sale, or a successful presentation. Tell your Mom.

I call finding out these things “adult report card.” No one is happier than your Mom to hear your good news. There is no fear of sounding too boastful. The hard part is that your Mom must also keep the news in the family, but at least you and your Mom can talk about it all you want.

No one is happier for you than your Mom. Having successes mean we did our job well and you are our report cards.

Joyful Joyful

Shay had her check up week before last. The vet noticed that her legs were a little stiff. She suggested that Shay might have a little arthritis. Shay had been slowing down a bit.

So the vet prescribed an NSAID to try and see if it helped Shay feel less stiff. We have to cut a small pill in half, which is crazy, and give it to her with her meal. In two days she was like a different dog.

She was walking perfectly normally and wanting to go on much longer walks. What a wonderful thing. I hate to think that she might have been in pain unnecessarily. She is such a stoic little thing, never complaining, never crying.

She may be 12, which is old in dog years, but I hope she has a bunch more good pain free years ahead of her. If only we could live as long as we were bringing joy to others. If that were the case she would live forever.

The Beautiful Spirit of Connie Kearny

I can’t remember exactly when I first met Connie Kearny, but I feel like I have known her almost as long as I have lived in Durham. It feels wrong to think of Durham without Connie, but sadly that has been the situation for the last two days as she passed away after a long decline with Lewy Body Dementia.

Connie was always a kind gentle southern woman with more style than most. As a member of Hope Valley Garden Club we spent many years at meetings and auctions together. For years I would go to her house, a reflection of Connie’s love of black and white and buy clothes from her. Carter attended her Courtesy Camp at HVCC and would come home full of better manners.

Connie’s husband Phil and I used to joke that he and I were cousins since we shared the middle name of Henderson as we do-auctioneered for Caring House together. Phil and their daughters have been devoted to caring for Connie. Connie was loved by all who knew her.

Her dear friends would bring her to garden club when she was unable to come on her own and they would include her in many activities. It was no wonder as Connie was loved by so many and will be greatly missed by our community.

I am sending love to Phil, Kelsey and Sarah and Connie’s sister Belinda and all Connie’s dear friends who are grieving. Sadly I will be in Boston on Friday when the service for Connie’s wonderful life will be celebrated at Trinity Ave. Presbyterian Church.

Connie’s wonderful spirit is free from the body which failed her, but will live on in the happy memories and lives she touched.

Smart Dog

If you look at social media you might have seen dogs who communicate with humans through the use of buttons they step on that speak words. It is so amazing how a dog chooses from over 83 words to say, “leash outside.” I watched as the dog parent pushed on the words, “water outside now.” And the dog went a lay down understanding that water meant it was raining. So 15 minutes after the rain ended the dog pushed “no water.” And the parent got the leash and they went outside.

Shay does not have a word button board, but there are plenty of words she understands, like go, car and chicken. But Shay also uses body language to communicate with us. Her normal dinner is kibble, some chicken and after she has eat the chicken off the kibble she gets cheese in two servings.

Sometimes she is still hungry and she wants more cheese. She has a stance she does on her bed while she sticks her tongue out for just a second indicating, “I need more cheese.” If we don’t respond she sticks her tongue out again, while holding the stance of one leg in front of another.

We pour a little shredded cheese in her bowl and she goes over to eat and then will lie down on her bed indicating her satisfaction. It may not be the same as pushing a button, but we still know exactly what she wants and how to get it. Dogs are so smart.

Gluten Free Turkey Meatballs

My friend Treat asked if I would share my recipe so I replied with it just to her. Then I got six other requests. So rather than writing it over and over I’ll post it here.

Russ has given up red meat for the most part, that is why I use ground turkey, but honestly any ground meat or any combination would would with this.

Since I can’t have gluten and I did not want to grind up my ridiculously expensive gluten free bread, I saw my jar of oatmeal sitting in the kitchen and thought that might work as a substitute for bread crumbs. Worked great and is probably healthier.

1 lb of ground turkey breast (ground turkey is all the parts including skin so I go with breast.)

1/4 cup of rolled oats

1 onion minced

1 red jalapeño minced

1 clove of garlic

2 T. Milk

2 T. Dijon Mustard

3T. ketchup

Good shake of Worcestershire

1 egg beaten

I minced the onion, jalapeño and garlic in the cuisineart all together. While the onion is still a little big I throw in the oatmeal so it too gets chopped up a bit. Then I add the milk and pulse it twice and let it hang out for about five minutes so the oatmeal can absorb some liquid.

I put that mixture in a bowl and add the mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire and egg and mix well. Then I add the meat and gently mix.

I use a cookie scoop the size of a golf ball to scoop out the ball and place them on a foil lined cookie sheet. I bake the ball at 375° for about 15 minutes. I put the meat thermometer in them to make sure they are at at least 145°.

You can substitute chili sauce for ketchup and add Parmesan cheese to the mixture if you want.

It’s About Time I Cooked Dinner

I made some bean soup last weekend and it kept Russ fed all week as I was out teaching. With a much needed day off today I thought it would be a good idea to cook a dinner of new things for Russ so he will stay with me.

Since I had to go gluten free three months ago Russ has been a good sport about eating what I eat. I know he misses pasta like he used to eat. So tonight I made some gluten free Mac and cheese. The elbows didn’t have the toothsomeness we like, but it was a good vehicle for the six kinds of cheese I used.

I made turkey meatballs with oatmeal instead of bread crumbs and Russ loved them so that was a good idea. The best thing I made was a salad of shaved raw Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, chick peas, Parmesan, dried cranberries, and pumpkin seeds, with a lemon vinaigrette. I want to remember what I put in this since it was good, and I tend to forget dishes I make up as I am cooking.

Shave the Brussels Sprouts in the cuisineart

Peel and dice a butternut squash and roast on a greased sheet pan in a 400° oven until cooked. How long depends on the size of your dice.

Put those things in a bowl and add a can of drained and well rinsed chick peas, cranberries, nuts and shredded Parmesan.

Lemon vinaigrette

Juice of 2 lemons

2 T. Dijon Mustard

1 T. Honey

1/3 cup of olive oil

Salt and pepper

Put lemon juice, mustard and honey in a bowl and drizzle in the olive oil whisking the whole time. Once the oil is well incorporated and emulsified, add salt and pepper to taste.

Pour enough over the salad to dress it lightly.

Crazy Dream

I can tell when I doing too much because I have crazy dreams when I sleep. Last night’s was a doozy. Usually I forget my dreams not long after I wake up, but not this one. It started out with me in a car. I drove it to the car wash where I got out of the car and went around the side the building to use a hose to take a shower – naked.

Thank god in my dream the vision of myself naked was not too distinct or it would have been a real nightmare. Some guy came around the side of the building and told me to drive my car into the car wash. Nothing was said about my showering nakie.

So I went through the car wash and when my car came out the other side I was driving inside a hospital. It was amazing how wide the corridors were because I never hit anyone, although I did come up to a man who demanded I get out of the car and he screamed at me. Thankfully clothes had miraculously appeared on me. I was afraid of this guy so I jumped back in the car and did a u-turn frantically searching for an off ramp inside the hospital.

That is when I woke up. As far as I know I never made it out of the building, but my car was clean as was I thanks to the hose shower and I was fully dressed.

On a better note I had 32 people graduate from two different Mah Jongg beginner classes and 16 from advanced beginner today so my nine classes in four days marathon is completed. I am praying I don’t dream about Mah Jongg, car washes or hospitals tonight.

You Need to Learn Something New All the Time

As a Mah Jongg teacher of thousands and thousands of people every year I see all the different ways that people learn. Over the years I have improved how I communicate information so that people of different learning styles and abilities can all gain as much knowledge as possible.

From teaching children to 80+ year olds all the same material I have gotten enough data points to make some broad generalizations. There is reason children go to school when they do. They are sponges when they are young and can pick things up quickly. Humans continue to get to be better and better learners to a point and then they start to slow down. I find that with the very old it takes a little longer to learn new things, but learn they still do.

The best students at any age are the most curious, wanting to know the “why.” My favorite class to teach is Advanced Beginner Mah Jongg. It is a class helping people learn how to think about the game, rather than just learning the rules like they do in beginner Mah Jongg. The class and I all work on the same hands, but the students work in groups discussing possible moves and then together we discuss the best move.

Normally that class is three days long and what is extraordinary is how over the three days people go from sometimes getting the answer right to almost always getting the answer right as they train their brain how to think about the strategy.

The most exciting thing to me is to see how older students improve at the same rate as younger students. I find that at first older students take a bit longer, but with each exercise it is like their brain has turned on high and then they hold their own. It is a little like the tortoise and the hare, slow and steady wins the race.

The one thing I have come to appreciate is that those repeat students I have who come to a class every year or twice a year make the greatest leaps and bounds in their skills, especially older students. It boils down to the fact that we have to keep exercising our brains in new a different ways as long as we live.

Thanks to my students for teaching me so much about teaching you. It exercises my brain everyday and the bonus is I get to spend time with you.

Joyful, Joyful, Exhausted

Three classes today. I left home at 7:45 AM. Got home at 9:39 PM. Had a big day with 52 new students. But the best part of the day was my lunch break with my two of my favorites, Dell and Holly. Thanks to Mah Jongg I get a chance to make so many wonderful friends.

Nothing feels better than arriving at the home of a previous student, Liz, who got a new class started for her friends and to be greeted by a big “DANA!” And a hug.

I may be exhausted, but it is well worth to have the privilege of doing what I do.

All that being said. I have to get up early and do it again tomorrow, but only two classes and not three. I wish everyone the joy of getting to do something you love that brings others so much fun.

You Have to Advocate for Yourself

I needed a prescription today. My dr. Is very old fashioned and called it into the pharmacy. The Dr’s Assistant called me and told me they left the prescription on the voice mail of the pharmacy. We both knew that meant they might not listen to it for a while.

I waited three hours and checked the online system. No prescription for me in the system. So I went to the store. I waited to be helped and told them my prescription was on their voice mail. The clerk said she could see two voice mails on the system, but the pharmacist had to listen to them. I watched as three people without appointments walk up to get vaccinated before the pharmacist listened to the voice mail.

The clerk told me they then had to check to see if they had the medication in stock. Ten more minutes. She said they had the generic and the pharmacist had to approve the change to generic. She finally did that ten minutes later. At this point I was the only person waiting in the store.

The secondary clerk old me it would be another 30 minutes and that I should sit in the chairs and wait. I politely said I would stand to wait. She then told me to sit down. You can imagine that did not go well with me. I said I was fine standing, but it was five hours since my prescription had been called in and it should take priority over walks-ins with no appointments as it was for an actual illness, not preventative.

So I stood. Standing worked and it was only 15 more minutes, making that visit a total of almost an hour because they didn’t have time to listen to the voice mail without my going there to tell them it was waiting for them.

When the number of pharmacies exploded a number of years back adding one on every corner, they did not expand the number of pharmacy students in the same ratio. There are not enough people to man all these pharmacies. Considering how long it takes to get a degree in pharmacy and then what a terrible job it is to stand in the store with horrible people like me waiting I don’t think things are going to get better anytime soon.

Pick A Peck

That Peter was on to something. When he was sent to pick a peck of peppers it was not a hard job. Peppers are prolific.

When we left for Maine I told my friends to pick my garden to their hearts content. My favorite was my friend Carolyn’s four year old granddaughter who has been visiting my garden annually. She is an intrepid veggie eater and love peppers.

This was the quote from her granddaughter that Carolyn sent me.

When Russ and I got home our fig tree was stripped clean and not a fig on the ground. That was hundreds of figs I was happy people could enjoy.

My peppers, eggplants, tomatoes and zucchini had been well harvested. I was thrilled that the veggies did not go to waste. I just left my aging plants in the garden, ignoring the need to rip out the spent plants.

Today was the perfect day to go clear the garden as it was cool and dry. Before pulling out the plants I had to harvest what little was left. A few small green tomatoes and a couple of ripe tomatoes, one tiny eggplant and hundreds of peppers. Those pepper plants gave and gave and gave. They would probably keep producing until a frost if I were to leave them, but there is no need as I have more peppers than we will need.

One thing that was unexpected were two pepper plants I bought at the farmers market which turned out to be not at all what they were advertised to be, so I have some white and purple peppers. I won’t be pickling those.

Creature Comforts

Yesterday I wrote that fall was coming today. The cool weather did not quite make it as it was the perfect 72°today. But wildlife must have read my blog and thought it was time to take shelter.

This morning Russ went down to get the laundry from the dryer and came back empty handed.

“I hope you weren’t counting on wearing any of that right now.”

“Why, wasn’t it dry?”

“No, I am having to rerun the whole thing.”

“Why?”

“A mouse committed suicide. Not sure if it was in the washer or the dryer.”

Thank god Russ found it and not me.

Then this afternoon I called Russ to come in the dining room. The cutest bright green salamander was trying to climb the French door, hoping to find a way outside. I asked Russ to get a rag to catch him while I opened the door. That salamander saw Russ coming and high tailed it to the sun room.

Russ is so tender hearted he didn’t want to hurt the poor guy when he caught him that he did not close his hand enough and the salamander kept jumping from his hand. It took a while, but eventually Russ got him on his way to the living room and released him outside. The little guy was paralyzed with fear that this giant was standing next to him. Russ was worried he had crushed him. He was fine, but told him not to come in the house again or I might crush him.

Listen up wild creatures. You live outdoors. I don’t care if you think you might be more comfortable inside. You won’t be, not for long, especially in the washer or dryer.

Soup’s On

I hear fall is actually going to show up tomorrow when the temperatures are going to drop. Since we have been living with perpetual summer I am looking forward to some cooler weather.

In anticipation I made navy bean soup tonight. Russ was all prepared to eat the leftover Thai green curry chicken I made night before last, but when he saw the soup he went with that.

There is nothing more I like than making soup to have on hand for lunch or dinner. I know I eat a healthier dinner if it is just a bowl of soup. I do use a smoked ham hock in my navy bean soup, so the amount of meat we each end up eating is less than two tablespoons.

Now that I can’t eat gluten there will be no crusty bread or grilled cheese to accompany soup. That is where I miss gluten. The gluten free breads I have tried are not worth eating with soup since I still remember what real bread tastes like. I will just have to be satisfied with the soup alone. C’est là vie.

Mah Jongg Openings Next Week

Next week I am teaching a beginner and an advanced beginner classes at a country club in Raleigh. The club lets non members fill empty spots in the classes at the last minute. A couple of people have dropped out of their classes and I have a couple of spaces in each of them.

It is hard for me to contact every person who might want to fill these spots, so I am putting the word out here. The classes are Tuesday -Thursday, beginner 9-noon, advanced 1-4PM.

If you are interested in these spots please contact me and I will let you know if they are still available.

A friend contacted me to see if I had a website about where my classes will be. I purposely don’t because dealing with one off students is a lot of work. I normally am contacted by a person who is interested in learning and I tell them to get her 16 people to create a class or I work with clubs who offer classes to their members.

I am sorry to all the people who sit on my waiting list for the chance at a free seat in a class. They just don’t happen that much and when they do they are at the last minute and not everyone is free at the last minute.

So this is a rare opportunity to get into a class if you want.

No Problem Vaccine

Russ and I scheduled our Covid shots for this morning. I also got a flu shot. Russ had already gotten his at his check-up. We arrived at Harris Teeter early and had to wait a bit because walk ups were ahead of us.

Since I had today and tomorrow morning off I thought it would be a good day for vaccinations in case I had a reaction. I got the flu shot in my left arm and Covid in my right and had no reaction whatsoever. Not only did I feel fine, but I didn’t even have a sore arm and I was able to needlepoint without a problem today. I did take some ibuprofen right after the shots just in case.

Russ called from the office in the middle of the day to check in on me and he also had no reaction. As far as we can tell there is no reason not to get your vaccine.

The more of us who get the shots the better all people are protected, especially those who can’t get the shot due to immune issues. You have no idea how many people are under going cancer treatments, or had a transplant. Please consider getting your vaccinations. They are covered by your insurance and not only will you help prevent getting very sick yourself, but you are protecting others.

If you live near a Harris Teeter you get a $5 coupon for every shot you get. Russ gave me his and I walked away with $15 to spend at the store. Added Bonus.

No Problem Vaccine

Russ and I scheduled our Covid shots for this morning. I also got a flu shot. Russ had already gotten his at his check-up. We arrived at Harris Teeter early and had to wait a bit because walk ups were ahead of us.

Since I had today and tomorrow morning off I thought it would be a good day for vaccinations in case I had a reaction. I got the flu shot in my left arm and Covid in my right and had no reaction whatsoever. Not only did I feel fine, but I didn’t even have a sore arm and I was able to needlepoint without a problem today. I did take some ibuprofen right after the shots just in case.

Russ called from the office in the middle of the day to check in on me and he also had no reaction. As far as we can tell there is no reason not to get your vaccine.

The more of us who get the shots the better all people are protected, especially those who can’t get the shot due to immune issues. You have no idea how many people are under going cancer treatments, or had a transplant. Please consider getting your vaccinations. They are covered by your insurance and not only will you help prevent getting very sick yourself, but you are protecting others.

If you live near a Harris Teeter you get a $5 coupon for every shot you get. Russ gave me his and I walked away with $15 to spend at the store. Added Bonus.

What a Day

Well who would have thought that all the democrats and Matt Gaetz would vote for the same thing? Well Kevin McCarthy who made a deal with the devil (read Gaetz) to become speaker was also taken down by the devil.

Ego is a killer and in politics these days too much is about ego. So McCarthy was voted out and who knows what the plan is to get a new speaker. And without a speaker NOTHING gets done.

I would like to propose that as long as congress does not have a speaker, and as long as congress is not actually pretending to do something the American people actually need them to do, they should not be paid. I think we would get a speaker a lot faster is it was costing them something for everyday without one.

We have 45 days until we are right back where McCarthy had us without a passed budget. He gave the right wing nuts too much power to shut down a common sense budget. 15 outliers should not have that much control.

So what the plan congress? I’m really interested in what Matt Gaetz and all the democrats who voted McCarthy out have in common when it comes to a new speaker.

After all this voting out had happened, tonight there was a new story that said that McCarthy declared he was not going to run for the speakership again. That was rich. You just got ousted, who thought you could run again, and win, and do a better job the second time?

It took 15 votes to get the job in the first place. That was a fairly good sign things were not going to go well, and they didn’t. Who pays besides McCarthy? The American people. Our country’s credit rating was down graded earlier this year and the agency doing it cited the mess of a congress as the reason for poor confidence in the American Government’s ability to pay its bills.

So far the congress has only made it worse since then. I doubt credit rating agencies are going to see this speaker vacancy as anything but a failure. Get it together, do your jobs, stop fighting with each other and learn to make compromises.

59 Mighty Fine

Happy Birthday to the best husband in the world for me. Russ Lange is 59 today. Yes, I robbed the cradle and it was the smartest thing I ever did.

There is no one more patient, hard work or loving. He has been a fantastic father to both Carter and Shay. You know he has to be a good person because Shay loves him more than anyone else on earth.

So join me in wishing Russ a great year ahead. He deserves good things as he has worked hard for everyone else this year. I count my lucky stars to be by his side and that he sticks with me. I love you Russ Lange!

Mopping Vs. Mah Jongg

I had a big week teaching Mah Jongg. Nine classes in three days and a whole town of new Mah Jongg players. Yesterday we took my Mom out to lunch and had her back to our house where she and I played a few hands of Siamese Mah Jongg. She told me her friend Gail accused her of getting lessons from me. These were not lessons, just playing. Her Mah Jongg is improving which is good for an 85 year old.

Today we had church where I was the lector. It was two big Exodus chapters to read. One was the story of the burning bush. I warned my minister Chris I was going to be doing two different voices, Moses as a Jewish man, and you know the other, God. Chris just said be careful. I promised Moses would not sound like he was from New Jersey. Our other preacher Alex was actually preaching and he did not know of my two voice plan. When I finished he commended me on my God voice, with the compliment of, “Move over Morgan Freeman.” I always thought God was a woman.

So after all that Mah Jongg and Churching, I came home and needed to do some work around the house. I vacuumed the first floor and mopped the kitchen. I only spent a little over an hour cleaning, but I was worn out from that. So I decided to lie down on the bed and was out like a light for a good two hours.

Turns out I can teach people for nine hours and still be awake hours later, but one hour of mopping and I need a nap. The physical labor is not that different, but the captive audience really keeps me going. If only I had people to entertain while I was mopping I might have gone on to do the rest of the house and not have needed a nap.