Patience...

Patience is a virtue-cultivate it!  My Mom said that to me so many times growing up that is became a joke that everyone teased me about.  A five minute wait for anything would spark a loud sigh, and eye roll and perhaps even a foot stomp for added punctuation.  It did me little good, and didn't even speed the wait along even by a second, and in most cases slowed the show down even further.  But I could not control myself, THEN..

Having a child proved to be the ultimate lesson in patience as the little dude was 13 days late.  After about 8 days, I just accepted that I would be waddling around 'with child' indefinitely.  And when he was finally birthed, the true lessons in patience began.  A baby has it's own timetable-one that can be neither sped up or slowed down by a good eye roll so suck it up!

So I'm better now.   Yoga and good old maturity has made me much more reasonable tho there are still things that threaten to make me snap like a dry Ritz cracker...

Sometimes there is one checkout at Kroger and I'm the fifteenth in line.  With ice cream.  And for the third aisle in a row, the lady parks her cart in the middle and prevents me from getting past.  Move along lady, I don't have all day here!  If when signing in at the gym for a class I am already late to, there is a big convo regarding protein shakes and such and the clipboard is being blocked.  Hey, Muscles! If I'm late, it's all YOUR fault!  If the 'brown truck' slows down, but does not stop, with a delivery of something sure to change my life, I may run to the computer and track it's progress.  Big sigh.. I do not mind if dinner takes awhile to arrive, but for heaven's sake do not delay in delivery of my cocktail!  I've found that craning my neck in the direction of the bar does not seem to help and only succeeds in making me look like an idiot.  Just a very thirsty idiot!  A five minute wait at Tim Horton's drive thru can sometimes drive me to check my phone for something amusing.  C'mon girl.  Do you have the attention span of a housefly?  No, just need my caffeine-pronto and can hardly wait.

Impatience is not a charming quality, and I am determined to work on it. Nobody wants a malcontent old lady in the nursing home loudly demanding her applesauce.   Any advice for me, patient, virtuous friends?  Hurry along with it.  KIDDING!! xoxo

Soul Man...

Happy Earth Day, Darlings!!  This week has been crazy busy for me, starting with a visit from dear friend Mark who helped me shop out the greater Macomb County and eat and cocktail our way thru about 10 restaurants.  Anything to help keep the economy movin'!  The week ended (only just!) delightfully with a woodsy get away where I learned about deer ticks.  Don't ask...

Unpacking, then a hot bath ( to ensure drowning of any errant ticks), and I can relax.
A quick perusal of the Detroit News/Free Press will give me just a shot of reality as I move into another week.  And the news is not good.

I can no longer read the Key West Citizen online without paying for a subscription.  Sigh.. It's fun keeping up on happenings of my 'other' home.  Get the plastic and get it over with.

Still no arrests in the tragic Trayvon Martin shooting.  I  can barely get thru the details that are a questioning factor in this case.  A boy was shot.  Arrest and move on, and give Trayvon's death some justice.

It's Earth Day again, and I am sorely reminded the difference in the clean roads everywhere BUT Michigan.  When traveling home from Florida, the roadsides were pristine and it was not unusual to see old fashioned chain gangs hard at work.  But in Michigan-garbage and junk everywhere.  What's up with that?

And are we truly worried about what Ben Wallace will do in the future?  Hell, I was amongst his biggest fans.  How about retire with your millions and go work at a car dealership or something, comfortable in the fact that you made us Piston fans very happy-for a time.  Financial security should allow for some pretty open options.

The man who had two babies is divorcing his wife.  Really?  And I thought that would surely end happily. Really?   It was such a solid plan, after all.


Brad and Angie are jumping the broom!  So what?  Does anyone think that a six carat, custom diamond ring will ensure marital bliss?  The money would be beter off spent buying Angie a cheeseburger.  Skinny bitch.

As you can see, I am tired and rambling-and SNARKY.   Also suffering from  a raging case of heartburn brought on by a very hearty gnaw at a cool b.b.q. joint, which is doing nothing for my overall tolerance.  It's off to bed with a Tum for my tummy.  The best news is that  tomorrow is a new day, and I promise to face it with a more 'j-ish' (as Charles would say) attitude! 

Love to you all. xo

Moon River...

Holy Holly Golightly!!!! Ah, yes... On Saturday I got to live out one of my fantasies. At a Hollywood themed fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald House, it was encouraged that we dress like our favorite Hollywood star. No problem-that is if you can get by the underlining clown decor-(shades of Wayne Gacy!!) re: a giant Ronald McDonald and huge orange clown shoe centerpieces at each table! Given my aversion to all things clown, dwarf, gnome, leprechaun etc. it took a few vodkas and deep breaths to adjust. However, my dressing room at home had accessories waiting to furnish me with all necessary accouterments to be Audrey for the night!

In one of my favorite movies, "Breakfast at Tiffany's", Audrey Hepburn plays a young, single girl about town. At that time, approximately 1961, she was considered a modern day prostitute. The fact that she was beautiful and chose her men well made it all seem somehow okay. Even charming. And how about that foxy George Peppard? They made dating for money totally glamorous!

On 'Sex and the City', when Carrie found that an overnight guest had left money on her nightstand, the possibilities of a prostitution label had again, to be considered. Does dinner and a movie count as 'payment'? If so, then I have to accept the label myself.

Now, in the news, once again, is the worlds oldest profession. In Columbia, one of our Secret Service Agents did not pay the nice lady and she refused to leave the hotel causing an uproar. And begging the question-should any of this really be illegal?

There are many fine lines in this argument, and good points to be made either way. Maybe legalization and the use of brothels would be much safer and regulated. Isn't it going to happen anyways?

When visiting Toronto one time, the local 'ladies of the night' hung out at the corner and politely said hello to me and also policemen walking by. They seemed perfectly healthy and happy out plying their trade and dishing out doggie treats to passing pooches out for their nightly walks. I confess to not really knowing enough facts about Canada's law to accurately discuss this-just saying what I saw. It seems to me that the real crime is the pimps and traffickers that use coercion and exploitation.

What is your opinion/experience on the subject? I am curious to know what you all think. Drop a line here at the jspot and let me know. And I will pay YOU, in coffee sometime. xo

P.S. after numerous attempts, blogger will not allow paragraphs today. Bear with me, and this means YOU, Mark!!!! xxoo

He is Risen...

Happy Easter everybody! I read some very interesting articles while trying to put my finger on what exactly Easter means. For instance that the word 'Easter' is actually the name of a goddess and that the determination of the actual Sunday of Easter is determined by the paschal moon!

My understanding of it is very simply, that Jesus died and then rose again to forgive us our sins. And prove for once and for all that He was the real deal! Since no one has ever done this before, we are forced to rely on faith and trust to be able to believe such a thing. And I do.

Jesus has not promised us that this life would be easy and has acknowledged that we would sin and fail, and hardships would be wrought- but would be forgiven thru him. It would be lovely to have our lives (on earth) be effected simply by how we live it, but such is not true. Bad things continually happen to good people. But we were not told anything different. The promise of happiness only comes thru eternal life-and we are able to influence that by our actions and our faith.

On this lovely Easter Day, have faith that all things happen for a reason-one that we will not get to understand until eternal life. I resolve once again to do my best to be my best. Trying to live with love and kindness every day until that day, as He has shown us. All love, j xoxo

P.S. Yes, I do swim with manatees! A mama, papa, and baby come begging for fresh water and lettuce and I cannot resist jumping in to play with them. I get a chance to connect with my inner mermaid. It's a wonderful and awesome experience and I do recommend it for you not faint of heart! xoxo

April Rain...

Happy April Fool's Day my lovely fools!! The joke was on me today as I arrived home to a 55 degree Michigan day. However, April first has always signified the beginning of spring and happy weather times until sometime next December. Trees are in bloom everywhere and my magnolia tree is loaded and ready to pop any day now. Daffodils and tulips are adding much needed color in the yard also. I get so excited seeing them and get much less worked up over the bougainvillea in Florida that is always in bloom. It's easy to take their beauty for granted,

I love spring. It's so fresh and clean and new. Which currently is exactly the very polar opposite of how I am now feeling. Much good comes from having a month off, but boy, when reality hits-it hits hard. The longer you are away, the tougher the re-entry. I have about a foot of mail and newspapers and magazines to go thru. Stopping these services (you can do it online, of course!) and having them all delivered at once is convenient, but it truly is overwhelming en mass! And there is barely a scrap of food up in here!! You can bet a quick run out for Half n Half is happen sooner than later, with a full on Kroger run tomorrow when I have a modicum of energy in this old bod.

And speaking of the old bod, it's back to the gym for me. And I will be upping the ante on Mickeys walks. That fool dog is like the best exercise plan known to man. He happily will escort me on a walk or run anytime. I'm hoping his enthusiasm will rub off, cuz I gotta shake this Keys Disease that has turned me into a lazy slug.

I've barely watched anything on the boob tube other than the weather channel which I am convinced that runs a steady loop of 85 and sunny, 24/7 in the Keys. My DVR is full of shows I may never be able to catch up on, including Sex and The City reruns that I have seen, oh say, about a thousand times each. Maybe I will just erase them all without viewing 'em again.....

(WAIT FOR IT..)

April Fools!!! xo