Kind Friends

Yesterday was a day. I had two great classes I taught, but in the middle of them I found out I had to move 85 people from classes they had already paid for to different classes. So I had to send 85 different emails. It was actually 82, because I did not have three people’s email addresses, so I messaged them through Venmo and they haven’t emailed me back yet (stressful.).

I was so worked up over this development that I could not go to sleep. I finally passed out around two in the morning. That alone was not helpful.

Today I woke up to a lot of kind and wonderful messages from people who made moving them to other classes easier. They were supportive and understanding.

One dear friend, Angier wrote, “Please do not be sick. You are a national treasure. I’m just so grateful that you teach this!!!” (There were some good emoji’s in it too.)

She has no idea how much that meant to me at that very moment. I hate having to disappoint people. Telling people that they can’t be in a class they thought they were going to be in kills me. Also it’s a huge amount of work and waste of time and space, when I promise that now there will be empty seats in that class which could have been taken by people dying to get in them.

My take away from this is I am always going to offer grace and encouraging words to others when they face a situation like this because getting those kind messages really helped me.

Then to top it off, a book arrived today, a gift from my friend Jill. She had read how much I loved the infused water in Florida and sent me a recipe book on every kind of infused water one could think of. It was the sweetest act of kindness at a time that I needed lifting up. She didn’t know that, or plan it, but that was what it was.

So thanks to the universe for putting these wonderful people in my life. And thanks to the friends for coming through when I needed you.

Now if someone could give me a theatre in Cary in April for three hours I could solve my new card scheduling problem. I have too many people who want to come to new card class and not enough seats in the right places at the right times.

NEW CARD CLASS CHANGE for April 8

For years I have taught at the club I am teaching at on April 8. They allowed me to have non-members fill the seats that members did not take.

This year they just changed how that works. Now a member must bring a non-member as a guest. So anyone who is signed up for my April 8 classes who are not members of that club I need to contact to change the scenario. I am heart broken as it means some people will not be able to come to that class.

I will look for another place in Raleigh to host the class where you do not have to be a member of the club. So now after teaching two classes today I am staying up emailing everyone who pre-registered. I apologize for this sudden change. It was just announced to me today.

Club members still have all the options open to them. I hope they come out.

Annual Goal

On December 23 I came up with an idea for a Christmas craft to make for next Christmas. So In ordered all the supplies I needed to get started. I think the days of overnight delivery are behind us. It took until yesterday for the last of my order to arrive. So much for starting on this craft while all my house was decorated.

The timing is funny. As soon as the last Christmas ornament is in the attic I was able to start working on next year’s new star attraction. I will not be posting exactly what it is, but here are some of the supplies. It is not something I can carry around easily so I expect to only be working on this when binge watching some great show in my gathering room.

That is not much time, so I need to set a goal to get a certain amount done each month. I am a goal oriented person. I think it comes from my early years in sales. I learned that if I set goals for all the actions I needed to do, the outcomes I was searching for would happen.

Wishful thinking was not a goal. Hoping something would happen almost never worked. Planning and completing tasks almost always paid off. And it was planning the small steps that made the giant task not too daunting.

So task one for this year-long project is complete. Obtain the materials and sort them into useable containers. I have ten months to make a dozen of my items. One and a quarter a month. Since I just started today I am going to have to finish the first one in less than two weeks. That should be a good pace since I will be away teaching about half of all weeks this year.

I’ll report back half way through the year to see if I am on track. What are your goals this year? Don’t tell me to work out more.

Some Sunshine

The news in America is disheartening. It is hard to watch what is going on in Minneapolis. But watch we must. We can’t ignore the disintegration of rights and problem is we also have to keep our strength up to fight.

For me this means eating as healthy as I can. Today Russ bought me a box of liquid sunshine and vitamin D. They are Sumo mandarin oranges. The beauty of them is that the sweet orange flesh pulls cleanly off the peel.

Eating this orange was a tiny moment of sweetness during a time of anguish. I can’t fix what is wrong in the country, but I can’t share a sweet treat that can give you a moment of escape.

New Card Class is Coming

It’s January! So Mah Jongg players start dreaming about the new card that comes out on April 1. For the last five years I have taught a New Card Orientation class. It started small and now it is a world tour.

I don’t get the new card any earlier than anyone else. So when it does come I have about six to seven days to play the card and analyze it and write my 80+ slide power point presentation.

The big thing I have to do is figure out what the new Charleston decision tree is going to be, based on the new hands. I have to play a lot of games in six days. Russ will come in a room where I have multiple computers going and say, “Are you still playing mah Jongg?” I look at him exasperated and say, “I AM WORKING.”

As hard as it is to get ready to teach new card classes, this time of year is worse.

This time of year I am promoting my classes and having people sign up for class.

As of today I have fourteen different classes in different locations as well as a zoom class on the calendar. Some classes are controlled by the country club where I will be teaching them. Some classes I keep track of the class lists and the payments.

Either way I have to ensure that there are enough seats for the people who sign up. So as I trickle out the word that it is time to sign up I am inundated with people signing up so they make sure to get into the class they want. Some people in the past waited until the last minute only to be shut out of their first choice. I am so sorry when that happens. So those people sign up fast now.

Responding to all the inquiries is a full time job unto itself. I consider my students friends and I love hearing from them. I just hope they all understand I don’t have time to write long messages back to each of them. It’s purely because I am getting a couple of hundred messages every couple of days.

I try and send out emails to class groups who have taken classes from me to alert them that new card classes are available. I always alert the newest players first because they need the most help. So some of you might have received an email from me already. Some will soon get an email and some may never get an email because I had such a bad system of keeping emails long ago.

Or sometimes people don’t write their email in a way I can read it in my class book. Sorry, I couldn’t read your hand writing.

So let this blog alert you that April is coming fast. You can find all my new card classes, along with all my classes at www.learnmahjongg.com

Don’t wait to sign up. You can contact me through my website if you have questions. Feel free to tell your friends. My zoom class is recorded so if you can’t make an in person class and the zoom class is not a good time for you, you can always get a video of the zoom class.

I too am excited about the new card. By this time of year I am ready. Just a few months to go!

It’s Only January 16

I had the day off from teaching. That meant I was able to finish all the undecorating. It also meant I was able to contemplate what has gone on in the country so far in 2026.

It is hard to imagine things can keep going in the direction that we have been going. American’s being gunned down, babies being gassed in their family van. None of this is right, good or making anything about being American better.

I in no way understand anyone who can condone this behavior, let alone the people who are actually carrying out these heinous acts.

We are only 16 days into the year. Our trajectory is awful. We have to turn things around. I wish I knew exactly how, but I do know we have to speak up and hold bad actors responsible for bad actions. We can’t be afraid of bullies. Even the biggest bully of them all.

My Daughter Knows Best

I have been looking for a dress for Carter and Claire’s wedding in Maine in June. Maine in June can be cold or hot. The wedding is going to be outside if the weather is nice or on the porch if we need cover. Either way I am going to be outside so I need to be ready for what ever the weather brings.

It is going to be small and intimate. It is not going to be overly formal, so the normal black tie mother of the bride dresses are too dressy. But summer resort wear is not dressy enough. I know what Carter and Claire are wearing and I want to be in the color palette they have in mind. I hate my upper arms so I want them covered.

All this makes finding just the right dress hard.

I ordered a dress that could be for the first night, or the wedding, but I think it is not formal enough for the wedding. So I keep looking. I sent Carter a picture of a dress I thought I liked. She thought it was too busy. She was right.

I am so glad I sent her that dress. It got her on the case. In less than 24 hours she sent me a photo of the perfect dress. It is on pre-order, with delivery expectations at the end of April. That is perfect. So I went ahead and ordered it.

Now the only problem is going to be finding the right shoes. I might need to ask Carter.

Tough Love

I’m a tough teacher. I am a lot nicer as I age than used to be, but no one gets away with much with me. It is my job to convey information to students in the most concise way possible. I want to make sure students learn.

I know not all students learn the same way. I know that some people are more sensitive than others. Once in a while while I can scare the bejesus out of some of them. They eventually understand why I do it. And when they get it, and they almost always do, they are thrilled and happy.

Sometimes you have to walk through a little fire. In the end it usually worth it.

Tonight I had a student who did not pick a hand early enough in the game. I had said clear as day, “I don’t care how smart you are, or how good you are at games… pick a hand at the end of the Charleston and just try and make that. Don’t try and play multiple hands, don’t wait and see what you get. It is hard enough to try for one while you are learning.”

This poor woman, did not pick a hand, but she did pick four flowers and four jokers and never got a hand. Her table went to a wall game. She easily could have won if only she had decided earlier. It was a lost opportunity.

At another table a woman picked her hand and stuck with it, even though it looked questionable. She asked me if she could change. I told her to stick it out and keep trying. She won. She felt such satisfaction and excitement with winning.

You need to have a win to help your confidence. I am tough because I know that once you have a win you will keep going. I also know that if you try and second guess your original decision it leads to confusion and frustration.

I am always going to be a tough teacher. I make you pick your own tiles to pass. It does you no good for me to play your hand for you. My goal is that you don’t need me. That takes tough love.

Please Sleep

Last night Shay woke me up at 2:00 in the morning. It happens. Usually she wakes Russ, who is up in the middle of the night almost every night. I am not. Except for last night.

I could not go back to sleep no matter how much I tried to stop thinking. Everytime I looked at my clock it was another hour later with still no sleep.

So I had a busy day. Garden club, then drove to Smithfield and hour and fifteen minutes, taught two classes and drove home. At least at nine at night the drive home was ten minutes faster. In spite of my shortened night’s sleep I was not tired, but I am desperate to have a full and goods night’s sleep tonight because I have to go back to Smithfield and do it again tomorrow and the next day. The driving and two classes without sleep multiple days can have a bad effect on how effective a teacher I am.

So for the good of my students I have taken a sleep aid tonight and am praying for a good night.

At least I saw a beautiful sunset between classes today. It was cold put colorful down there in Johnston County.

If I Won the Lottery

I could have finished the undecorating today. I worked diligently on it. I got all the house decorations put away. I took off a few thousand tree decorations. But I did not finish the tree. I needed the big ladder. I could have brought it up from the garage. I did not. I waited until Russ came home.

I went up and down the ladder a few times. Then I had had enough. I was tired of this chore. There is no reward in doing the undecorating. It is messy and sad. In the end I am left with a dark and dull house. No sparkle, no light, no joy. So doing the job just to end up joyless in not inspiring.

I have a crazy day tomorrow. Garden club, then driving an hour to Smithfield to teach two classes and driving home and get back at ten PM. I seriously doubt I am going up and down the ladder before garden club..so let’s draw out the undecorating another couple days.

Someone asked me if I was going to scale back on the decorating just so I would not have as much to undecorate. Not on your life. I live all year to get to live in a house that screams Christmas. It makes me so happy.

What I really wish I could re-do in life is the building of the addition of our house we did 30 years ago. We designed the perfect place for our Christmas tree, but not the perfect place to put it away.

If I could do it over I would have made my windows French doors and would have put a Christmas storage area on the backside of the room so I could roll the tree out of the room into a giant secret closet.

So if you have a chance to build your own house, consider building a closet right behind where you would put your tree and put in a secret door, or wall that opens. I dream of not undecorating my tree and taking it down. A dream that will not come true unless I win the lottery. And as my daughter always asks, “did you buy a ticket?” The answer is, “No,” so I will forever be undecorating.

Waiting for the Walk For Peace

The Buddhist monks who are walking from Houston to Washington DC are going to walk through my part of North Carolina sometime around January 22. I hope that I am going to be able to witness these Monks walking. I feel like we really need their message for peace in a calm way.

I also feel like we need to keep protesting. Making our voices heard that we do not support ICE and the heavy handed and illegal way they are handling immigration issues. Personally I would like Congress to cut their budget to nothing and stop wasting our taxes killing Americans like Renee Goode. People need food and health care. And peace!

UnSparkle Day 1

It had to start sometime…The taking down of Christmas. I have put it off long enough. Russ went to the attic and handed down the almost 50 boxes that all the Christmas goes in. I hate this process. Taking away all the sparkle and lights is sad and depressing.

I started with the needlepoint and did the living room first. I got the entry hall, dining room and sunroom done to. I started on the big room, but not the tree. I will get to work on that tomorrow, but don’t anticipate finishing it. I don’t see a need to rush.

No one is coming over. All the parties are done. It won’t matter if I do a little each day and put the tree away next weekend. Spending a little more time with my decorations makes me happy. I used to have my house decorated one month a year, but now I am up to two months. Why not? Life is short, spend more of it in Christmas mode.

Clear for the Win

Apparently people who travel from Ft. Lauderdale airport in the middle of the day don’t have Clear. I went to the airport with plenty of time to spare today. I hear that Fridays can be bad because of cruise ships. I agree most things can be bad because of cruise ships.

I was flying Delta so I was in terminal 2. My uber was driver was doing an excellent job avoiding the many law enforcement vehicles on the airport property. Don’t know what that was about, but there were seriously like 30 different cop cars between terminal 1 and 2. So she drops me off at door 221. (That’s a high numbered door. I wonder how many doors there are at FLL?)

I walk in and see this giant line snaking through the whole terminal for security. I walk past that to the Clear plus line. Not one person in the line and five clear agents. Takes less than a minute to scan my face and get escorted to the dedicated TSA agent who was just waiting for me. That takes ten seconds and I walked down this empty cattle chute. That is where I took this photo. There was one guy walking up the cattle chute way in front of me. And to my right was a giant line of people waiting to get through the x-ray security.

There was a totally dedicated Clear security machine and team and just the one guy in front of me. Those other people had waited in a giant line to get through tsa and then the line was very backed up for them to go through screening, even if they had pre- check.

I was never more glad to have tsa- pre check as well as Clear in my life. My picture does not really show how many hundreds and hundreds of people were waiting and I was one of two. If you fly more than twice a year, get Clear. It’s worth it. (You know I am not paid to promote any products on purpose so if I say it’s good I mean it and if I say it’s bad, then it was for me.)

Last Day of Classes at Hillsboro

When someone tells me their club is special, I take it with a grain of salt. Most people who belong to clubs usually remain members because they like their club, but “special” that seems like a rarity to me.

There are clubs that are beautiful and clubs with great food or fabulous facilities or programs. Good clubs have nice people who work there and know the members by name. But what really makes a club different is one that has all those things and members who are interesting, kind and fun that all know each other and like each other.

When I was invited to come teach at the Hillsboro club, the manager told me it was a special place and asked me to stay over an extra day after the class was finished because the members would like it and I would enjoy it too.

I don’t usually stay an extra day anywhere, no matter how nice the club, because I usually want to get home. For some reason I decided to listen to this manger and took him up on the offer to spend an extra day.

I am so glad I listened to him. It is not because of the facilities, or the fabulous (too fabulous) food, but because the members have been so spectacular.

I had one woman who really wasn’t that interested in learning Mah Jongg, but she was humoring her daughter. She went from a skeptic to a mah Jongg winner in three days. Tonight she told me, “I didn’t want to do this but it was more fun than the time the pigs ate my brother.” Trust me, she meant that as a real compliment.

I am looking forward to going home to be with Russ and Shay, but I really cherish the friends I have already made here and I look forward to coming back to spend time with them again.

It’s Like Grown Up Girls Boarding School

Yesterday when I was at cocktails before dinner I was chatting with a group of my students. I can’t remember exactly how we got on the subject, but I found out that two of the women had gone to Miss Porters and they told me that another woman In the class, Janet had gone to Ethel Walkers. I promised them no demerits for going to Porter’s my school’s rival.

So in class this morning I asked Janet if she had gone to Walkers and she had, graduating 11 years before me. She told me Sigourney Weaver had been in the class ahead of her. Janet was already a superior mah Jongg player, as a Walker’s girl.

After classes today two of my students invited me to have dinner with them and one of their husband tonight. People are so nice here about inviting me to eat with them.

As we were getting to know each other I discovered that they both had gone to Chatham Hall together. Trina had also been on the board of trustees there when they hired my friend Gary Fountain to be their head of school.

Trina and her husband Jay had lived in Knoxville, and are friends with my aunt Edie’s best friend, and my friend Townes. Townes and Edie were supposed to be here this week, but had to miss. I wish they had gotten to come and spend the week with me, but we will have to do it next year.

The men in the classes, and there are men, are really good sports, because at least this week, the classes are like a big girls boarding school event. If you went to a girls school you would understand what that is like. If you didn’t I can’t really explain it to you. Just know that everyone is connected somehow and we are having lots of fun, everyone wants to win, but is still really happy for the person who actually does win.

Delightful Day One

So far the Hillsboro club has not disappointed me in anyway. The people, both staff and members, could not be a nicer group. The accommodations are lovely. The food is fantastic. I even found some cute clothes in the shop.

The weather is perfect. The air is soft and gently warm. The night sky is brilliant.

Classes are going great. Everyone is attentive and bright.

So when I tell you about my favorite thing it is a tough decision because so much of it is great. But my favorite thing is the Infused Water Program. Yes, the water!

Carter and Claire had been here for a wedding and they told me about the water and I’m so glad they did because I might have missed it if they didn’t. Yesterday I had the strawberry Basil water and it was my favorite so far. The apple mint and Lime today is excellent. I can hardly wait for the water tomorrow.

How exciting to discover that I love infused water so much.

New Club for Me

I flew to Ft.Lauderdale this afternoon to get to the Hillsboro club in Hillsboro beach. This is my first time to come teach at this club. The first time I go anywhere I like to get there early enough to make sure everything is set up right.

It was a good thing. There was a potentially big snafu I had to remedy. Thankfully the staff were right on the fix we were able to make happen so by the time class starts first thing in the morning all will be perfect.

I was shown to my lovely room overlooking the ocean. And I got some yummy strawberry water from the fruits water station. Carter and Claire had been here in January for a wedding and told me about the fruit water program so I was on the lookout for it. Apparently there is a different fruit water everyday. I will report in on which ones are my favorites.

I went to dinner, which was outside, on a perfect 75° night. I arrived at the hostess stand and told her I was a party of one. She asked me who I knew, looking to seat me with someone. I told her I sadly didn’t know anyone, that I was the Mah Jongg teacher. A nice waiter was standing there and he took pity upon me and said he would take me at his station.

Since this is a members only club, no one is allowed to use their phone in public. So I sat silently and enjoyed my yummy branzino looking out over the black ocean. When I finished a nice woman came up to me and introduced herself. Janet, from Chicago. She said, “We have the same haircut and we are both alone. Would I like to join her for dessert.”

I wasn’t going to have dessert, but I gladly joined her and spent another hour and a half getting to know her. She was such a delight. When she found out I was the Mah Jongg teacher she wanted a photo with me so she could send it back home to her mah Jongg playing friends. So I broke the rules and took my phone out a snapped a quick selfie with Janet.

I think I am going to like it here.

Time to Order Your New Card

It may only be January 4, but it is time to order your new Mah Jongg card for 2026. And you aren’t going to receive it until April 1. But don’t wait to order it.

I know it seems crazy, but waiting to order your new card means you might not get it in time to start playing it on April 1.

For all you people who don’t play Mah Jongg you can come back and read tomorrow. Today is all about getting ready for the new card year. The National Mah Jongg league takes orders in advance. In fact, they take your money now, even though you will not get your product for months. In spite of that, you still should place your order.

There is nothing more exciting than getting the new card. I hope that 2026 is a better card. I will go out on a limb and say it will be better because even number years are better than odd number years in this century.

I am scheduling my new card classes right now. The first one will be April 7 in Durham, April 8 at Carolina Country Club in Raleigh, April 9 in Charlotte, April 13 at Hayes Barton Place in Raleigh, April 15 in Smithfield, April 16 at Benvenue in Rocky Mount, April 21, at BCC in Alamance, April 19-20 Lyford Key, April 22 at Cape Fear CC in Wilmington, May 4-7 at the Tides Inn in Irvington, Va. I will be in Atlantic beach and will also have a Zoom class.They will all be posted on my website in the next two weeks and you may register for classes then.

April is my favorite month as there is nothing more I love than sharing all the secrets and strategies of the new card with all you Mah Jongg lovers.

Friends Around the Table

On our last day in Scotland, at our friend Boris’ birthday, we decided we needed to have a thank you dinner when we got home. The friends of Boris knew there was no way we could ever properly thank Michelle for giving us this most perfect trip, but we had to try.

I discussed the possibility with Nick and Amy and they were in, so we knew we were good. I wanted it to be as soon as possible so that it wasn’t six months before we all saw each other again. Sadly not everyone could make it tonight, but Michelle and Boris and Amy and Nick and Jaymie and Amit could so we had a party.

These are some good foodies so I wanted a good dinner, but it is after New Years so I wanted something not too heavy. I decided that Mediterranean was the way to go, even though that meant I was going to be cooking for the half Greek, half Lebanese Nick. I think I passed the test.

It was a festive dinner as all the Christmas was still up. Jaymie said I should just leave it up until valentines. It was just wonderful to get to sit around the table and tell stories, no matter how many interruptions. I still need to come up with another way to thank Michelle and Boris as one dinner hardly comes close to showing our appreciation and love for the time in Scotland. The best parts are the friendships.

I love starting off the year with a dinner party. Especially since Russ is down in the kitchen doing the dishes right now. He likes the leftovers, although there are not many lamb meatballs left.

I guess I am going to have to make time to have a few more dinner parties this year. It’s time to get back to having people sit around our table.

Little Brown Dog in the New Year

I’m an old lady. This year I will turn 15. In dog years that’s old. But most of the time you would not know I’m old.

I still have my same 22 pound girlish figure. I like to play hard with my Daddy. He is my person. I demand for him to snuggle with me. If he is sitting in the wrong room, I just herd him to the place I want him to sit with me. He rarely says no.

He takes me on walks, but I determine the route. He never knows how long or which direction I am going to take him, but I always bring him home.

I don’t care about other dogs I meet along our walk. Big or small, loud or quiet, I ignore them all. The only thing that is important to me is my Daddy.

I sleep longer and harder than I used to. My hearing is not what it used to be. Sometimes I have accidents in my sleep. I am sorry about those. I don’t mind the indignity of diapers, but Daddy is always hopeful I don’t need them.

I cry and cry when Mommy and Daddy leave me at home alone. Daddy gets a message from Alexa, “Dog crying, playing dog calming music.” Alexa should know that only thing that calms me is being with my humans.

I may still look like a puppy, but I am an old lady. I am going to do my best to keep loving my Daddy here on earth for a few more years, as long as he keeps letting me be in control. It may be the year of the horse, but in my house it is always the year of the dog.

Time to Stop Cooking… Soon

Just when I thought all baking for the holiday was done I remembered I had to bake cookies for a funeral. I am happy to do this because our church is very good about providing a really nice service for church members we lose. I know that one day it will be me someone is baking cookies in honor of so for now I bake for others.

We started our day going to a sweet neighbor’s house for a little brunch. That is when I remembered the cookies. Thankfully making snickerdoodles is something I can almost always do as the ingredients are staples. That is unless I run out of cream of tarter. Thankfully I did not. And by the way, cream of tarter is one of those things that used to be very inexpensive, but now is a fortune. I wonder if it comes from a country with a high tariff?

I think with the completion of these cookies I am done baking for a couple of months. It’s back to work on Monday. This should also mean the end of eating holiday food.

I wish that summer came right after the holidays so I could just get food from the garden. Perhaps living in the Southern Hemisphere would help post holiday eating. I want to just have salads, but it’s not great salad season.

At least it will not be baking season. Oh, and soon the peppermint ice cream season will be over as soon as I serve the whole peppermint pie that is the freezer on Saturday night. Please let the eating end.