I don't make this stuff up. I just write it down.

  I have been on Pinterest for several years now, and am followed by no less than six people calling themselves Johnny Depp; usually they all have a different letter, or added word, but the name is there at the tops of their boards. Probably a week does not go by when one of them does not send a message; because the chances of Johnny Depp actually contacting me are slim to none, I just read them, and decline to answer. It was a different story a few weeks ago, though. The message read: " I am the REAL Johnny Depp. Has anyone tried to contact you here on Pinterest, or on any other social media platform, using my name?” I answered, “Yes, several times on Pinterest, but I have declined to answer.” The next day, Johnny's message was, “Thousands of women are falling for this scam, and end up broken-hearted or defrauded. Have you been scammed?” I replied, “No, because, as I said, I have not answered any of them. I'm okay, and thank you for asking.” That was the exc...

  Another hard loss What an awful start to the 4 th of July, 2023. Penny died during the night. Poor Harry found her, and let out the most god-awful howl I have ever heard. I think I was sorrier for Harry then, than I was for poor Penny. From the time of their first meeting as small kittens, they had been the closest of cats. Harry had wrapped his “kitten arms” around her immediately that day, and the two of them rolled all around the kitchen floor playing and rejoicing in the fact that they had each found a new playmate. I took a week's rest after writing the above. Dealing with the loss of Penny was pretty hard. Dr. Atz called two night ago, checking on how I was doing after the loss. He's more than just a vet; he is truly one of the kindest, most decent people the world can still claim as a citizen of the planet. Okay, I am back after taking another break. This is a hard one. Groucho has also passed away, and her daughter, Specs, just died on August 23 ...

  On May 1, 2023, my dear friend, Millie Kozikis, passed away. My heart broke when I heard the news, but I could not cry for her. She had suffered so long and so much, that she deserved peace. Instead, I cried for myself, because I miss her so much. I first met her at an outdoor craft show in August of 1997. I was new to the craft circuit at that point, and I had forgotten that I would need a hammer to drive the tent's support stakes into the ground. I asked a friendly looking lady near me if I could borrow her hammer. “ Sure” she said, and flipped it to me backhanded. She did not even aim it...she just tossed it. I caught it, which was good, or it would still be in my mouth. Fast forward many years, and Millie and I had become business partners on the State Office buildings' vendor's circuit. We were doing six days straight in various State owned buildings, and we were getting pretty worn out, to say nothing of how silly we were getting. At on...

I am not sure when deliberatly giving false information in retaurant reviews became such a huge amount of fun for people who, apparently, have very small minds, but that seems to be the case. A site called Yelp, which carries restaurant reviews for various spots, ran a review - obviously written by a troll - which told people to stay away from Maddie's in East Hartford, as people of color are treated badly there.   To me, that was the worst thing they said, but there were others.  They claimed to have been overcharged for drinks (Maddie's does not serve liquor), and also said the waitresses are rude, inattentive, and that they threw their change back at them. Nothing stings like injustice, in my opinion, and the fact that a wonderful, family-owned and operated diner is getting a bum rap is injustice in my book.  The owners - a mother and daughter combo - would never be guilty of being disrespectful to any patron in any way whatsoever, and if any waitress ever treated...

I hate to admit it, but my plan to lose 12 pounds before I see my cardiologist again in January is in danger of falling on its face.   The reason, of course, is that I have not walked seriously in some time - I have walked the odd two miles sporadically, but not religiously. I told my sister that the worst feeling I ever had in my life was standing on Dr. Mansoor's scale in the summer and seeing a number I do not even want to put in print.  I was embarassed nearly to the point of tears; it was like a physical pain. I swore to him that I would lose 12 pounds by the time I came back to the office, and he said, "From your mouth to God's ear.  You are the only one who can do this.  Dr. Cheema and I saved your life.  Don't let us down." How can I argue against that?  On the bright side, I would be dead and, thus, I would be spared seeing the look of disappointment in his face; on the dark side, I would be dead.  Period.   Being that I am not ...

I am hoping to get my bathroom done over in 2023...hoping being the key word.  My sister, Maureen, also needs to have her bathroom done over; hopefully, we can get a group rate. Maureen needs a walk-in shower with a seat, while I am hoping to get a claw-foot tub...it will take up a lot less room than the shower/tub combination that is currently in there. The problem, as always, is the nuisance of having work done, but I would just deal with that if another problem did not exit.  That problem is that the back stairs leading to the second floor (where Maureen's apartment is located) have to be replaced in order to get her old bathroom fixtures out and get the new ones in.  Because they are back stairs, they fall into the "structure of the house" catagory, and I will have to come up with half the cost.  I can feel my bathroom renovations being put on hold, and it is not a good feeling. On a happier note, I told Calla about the planned renovations,  and I even told ...