Sharing Silence with Frog

For the past several weeks I’ve shared quiet mealtimes with Frog. This is the view I have of his sitting on a flat stone. He doesn’t mind my moving about on the porch, as long as I don’t go near him outside.

A cute little chipmunk scurried up the stones on the right of the waterfall. I was surprised that there was movement to the left of the water. Although I did not see the action clearly, I thought another frog jumped into the lower pool from above. That took me by surprise, because I had seen only one frog up until then. As I ate, I kept my eyes looking toward the waterfall. Suddenly a frog jumped from the water to the stones above, where she disappeared instantly among the plants. Of course, I have no idea of the sex or relationship of the two animals.

This is what I was looking at, from the inside of the porch.

I went outside and down the steps, moving as quietly as I could. Zooming in, the camera caught the frog, still sitting there. He seemed comfortable with that, staying in place after I returned to the porch. I didn’t see the second frog again, but I will certainly be alert for any movement near the water.

Bed Exit Change

Years ago, a doctor told me I had arthritis in my back and hips. I was only concentrating on total knee replacements at the time. Worrying about other body parts could wait until they demanded attention. In the last few months I realized I felt fine lying in bed, but as soon as the feet met the floor, there was PAIN! I have a new exit strategy now. I slip out of bed, hoping the body won’t notice, and stand still until I can walk without whimpering. Once I get going, it isn’t bad.

I used the new trimmer to cut the forsythia bush to a reasonable size. The branches I cut off were about 2 to 3 feet long. The view is still obstructed by trees on the other side of the fence, but I can see more than I used to.

I Missed the Earthquake!

How do I know I missed the earthquake? Lise talked to me from Denmark and asked me about it less than half an hour after it happened. Neighbor Shawn had texted Lise, so that was her news source.

I did hear an unusual sound and thought it might be the heating system turning on. I was walking from the kitchen to the laundry room, which is why I didn’t feel the house shaking. Shawn couldn’t believe I missed all the excitement. I asked her if she heard a sound with the quake, She answered, “Yes! I heard at first, what I thought was a huge gust of wind rattling the windows. Then it became louder and stronger and when I looked out the window, no branches were moving so I knew it wasn’t wind. Then it still became stronger and there was no mistake! Izzy [the dog] freaked out!!”

Neighbor Joyce contacted all the women on the street, saying we might already know the quake measured 4.1 South of Knoxville, Tennessee. She first thought it was a really big truck on the street.

Maybe I’d already had enough excitement for the day. I woke with vertigo, my head swimming as I got out of bed. It never lasts very long, so I planned to walk as usual. There was a bobble with one knee, feeling like it wasn’t exactly straight when I got dressed. I took the old cane with me for support. Some of the time I held the cane off the road, and the rest of the time I put it down with every other step. If I looked a bit odd, that was nothing new. People here are used to me.

A Superb Personal Shopper

Friends, neighbors, and relatives all knew I was dreading the process of finding appropriate attire for an upcoming dressy event. Attire was the operative word, because clothing didn’t convey the seriousness of this search. Many of you know I’m happier in rags than glitter, but this was not about my comfort. It was about propriety and honor. Yes, serious stuff!

Neighbor Shawn offered to go with me, and I immediately felt relief and gratitude. I had no idea she was a shopping expert!! I wandered around aimlessly, seeing colors and styles I liked. If the color was good, the style was awful. Shawn asked what I was looking for, and she knew better than I did what I wanted. She zipped up and down endless rows, pulling out her telephone to scan tags for the sale prices. I would have paid $100 to get out alive!

The various departments had no boundaries. One moment you’d be in clothes for large women, and the next in petites (which means short, not little). Shawn held up several tops near me, using her artist’s eye to gauge suitability. I realized when I saw the front windows of the store that we were back where we started.

“You are an expert, Shawn,” I said. “How did you get your experience?”

She replied, “For several years when my children were young, I worked in this store at Christmastime.”

I thought to myself that was a start, but it didn’t explain her savvy use of the phone. No one had mobile phones back then. Also, she sensed what would look good on me. Of the six tops she had in the cart, there must have been three different sizes. They all fit!

I tried on each one, posing quickly for Shawn to take a photo with my phone. Daughter Lise suggested we do that, pointing out that it’s easier to judge how something looks when you are the victim. I will admit the pictures looked better than what I saw in the mirror.

I was thrilled that it was over, knowing profuse thanks could never repay Shawn for her superb guidance. She was a miracle in action!

What About French Toast?

Last week I thought about buying bagels for my usual Sunday morning breakfast, but I decided against it. Did there have to be a reason? If there was, I forgot it. It came to me in the night that I hadn’t had French toast in three or four years. YEARS!! I didn’t think about it again until after I had gone to church on line. It wouldn’t be a big production to coat two pieces of bread and cook them. No need to look at a recipe. Who would need directions for something that should come naturally? Don’t over-think it. Just do it.

How do you like your French toast? Should it be sweet or a bland background for real maple syrup? Should it have cinnamon? Do you like it soggy or slightly crisp? Does it matter what it looks like?

I don’t remember what pan I used in the past, but my eye lit on the wok. It lives on the stove, because it’s too big to store anywhere else. It’s too heavy to sling around, too. The battered bread looked good, with the coating nice and even. It got a little too brown while I made coffee. That wouldn’t have mattered to me, but there were spots of brown and quite a bit of uncooked batter. Good grief! The toast was not cooking evenly! I began to play with the mess, turning the bread this way and that, while pressing the raw spots into the pan. I turned off the heat, put one piece on a plate and left the other to stay warm in the pan.

Since the first piece was on the soggy side, I put the other one in the air fryer. It got reasonably stiff, but it also repelled the syrup. There has to be a middle road, but I wasn’t on it. That’s a real drawback of living alone. There was no one to laugh with me at this culinary blip. If I can muster up one giggle before the day is out, all will be well.

Rushing the Season

Spring weather did its usual yo-yo, with temperatures swinging at random. Recently, while it was in a very warm phase, I took the duvet off my bed and replaced it with silky sheets and a light blanket. That didn’t last long! I endured self-inflicted shivering off and on for a week and changed the covers at the usual sheet-changing time. I longed for bedtime to arrive so that I could snuggle under the summer duvet. It was wonderful!

I love my bed!

Thunder!

I should have paid more attention to the weather app before walking, but I played Wordle and Connections first. I did look at the app when neighbor Joyce texted that she wasn’t sure if we were going to have a shower. At 8:00 I hurried outside and was so intent on looking at the sky that I didn’t notice neighbor Shawn sitting on her porch. I’m glad she called out to me so that I could answer and wave. That’s when I noticed it was already sprinkling!

Joyce was game to walk. Sprinkling stopped a few minutes later. Good call, so far. After turning around at the stop sign, we were not halfway home when thunder boomed behind us. I stopped and turned around to see the sky. A dark cloud was gaining on us quickly, and I stepped up the pace. Joyce says I always speed up going downhill, but this was truly intentional.

At the beginning of our street I took a photo of the sky ahead, looking like a front going through. Joyce said, “The sun is shining the other way.”

Shawn, aware of our being out there, texted later, “Did you get wet?”

I replied, “Well, Shawn, define wet…. I was rained on from her driveway to my porch. I was warm enough that it felt good. I didn’t get wet. I was dampened. Not the spirits, just the hair and shoulders.”

Here is the rest of our conversation.

Shawn, “So after you left I got a notification that there was a close lightning strike!!”

Anne, “Did you hear the thunder?”

Shawn, “Yes. Bob was thinking he should pick you up in the golf cart.”

Anne, “Thank you very much for thinking of us. I am glad Bob did not risk his life for us, particularly since we were not struck down.”

This all goes to show that the world’s best neighbors try to protect me from my stubborn decisions. I appreciate that and will try to be more responsive to their concerns.

Gardening 2025

Beginning work in the garden was late for me this year. The last two years I trimmed all the shrubs in February, and this year I began only hours before the month of May. We did have a long, cold winter, though. The first time out is always slow. I checked the outlets on the porch and near the waterfall, taking a desk lamp that could quickly show me if the plugs were live.

I trimmed only five plants, since this was the first time I used my new electric trimmer. John had a battery-powered one that was just too heavy for me. When Lise was here, she quickly looked for tools on line and ordered this one. I read the instruction booklet, knowing I had to pay special attention to safety. My personal rules were to always hold the trimmer with two hands and not to take a step while the blades were moving.

The trimmer pointed to the starting point, and the after picture shows the results. I felt it was a good start.

Easter

I have never before watched the sun rise on Easter morning! Through the kitchen window, I saw the sky was getting lighter and went outside. Perfect timing!

Logan saw me on the front porch and came over to give me a huge Easter hug.

Marilynne and Vaughn drove us to church for breakfast. I had already filled my plate and eaten everything when I learned that Vaughn had baked biscuits, perhaps with sausage. I would love to have tasted that.

The church was comfortably full for the late service. I have been going to the early service on line and thought that was why I didn’t recognize many of the people. Later Marilynne said she didn’t know lots of them, either, and that’s the service they usually attend.

They dropped me off and came back to get me at 4:00 for Easter dinner at their house. What a feast we had! The turkey breast had been rubbed with herbs and homegrown garlic, flavoring the meat and making the gravy the best I’ve ever had. There were bowls of broccoli, asparagus, and Hollandaise sauce, as well as a potato casserole. Everything was perfect. I used neighbor Connie’s recipe for grape salad to take, which has become a favorite at my house.

The sun was warm on the deck as we chatted. I loved seeing their small manicured lawn and garden beds. There was also a small stream at the far end, making this a perfect setting, in my opinion.

After a suitable interval, Vaughn made coffee, and Marilynne brought out my Lemon Rub Pie. They graciously agreed to pose for a quick photo. They had been dressed up for church and changed into casual clothes.

At the end of the day, I felt everything had been absolutely perfect. We had worshiped together and shared a gourmet meal, while conversation never lagged. They tell the best stories!

A Worship Adventure

The day before Maundy Thursday, I was texting with friend Karen in NY. She mentioned that she would miss going to church on Thursday and Friday, because both services were at night. She and I don’t drive at night. I said, “Go to church with me on line!” That’s how we came to be figuratively sitting in the same pew 793 miles apart.

I didn’t expect to see anyone in person, but I dressed as if I were going to church. In honor of the season, I was wearing purple (lavender edged in purple).

Karen and I met, as planned, using cell phones and iPads. We didn’t text while the service was going on. I was shocked to see my pastor leading the service, because he announced on Sunday that he was having a knee replaced the following day. I wondered if he had had a miraculous healing. I didn’t move that well three days after knee surgery, and I’m sure Karen didn’t either. She had both knees replaced on the same day. I counted it a miracle and moved on.

Correction! I misunderstood the day of Pastor’s knee surgery. It will be the Monday after Easter, not the day after Palm Sunday. That makes a whole lot more sense. This is one of the busiest weeks of a pastor’s life, and Pastor Jeff is right where he planned to be, in the thick of it. I am recalling my prayers for him, asking that they be applied a week later. I’ll add new ones, because used prayers aren’t good enough for this dedicated man of God.

This was our view of the congregation.

For many years Karen and I, with our husbands, were often at the same service. After this service ended, I thanked Karen for joining me, because this added a new dimension to worship. She agreed, and we will meet again on Good Friday.