Halloween

Well, we finally had some kids for Halloween. We spent 8 years in Lexington and didn't have any except our next door neighbors. We had probably about 25. Not a huge amount, but enough to make it fun. We bought a bag of about 200 pieces of candy.

We won't eat the rest of it but will have to find a place to get rid of it.

Another month. Hope this month I'll have more success at the blog.

What a Week

Everything was going well until Wednesday. Lisa backed into another car when she was leaving a client in Staunton. Of course, it was the new car, the GMC Terrain.

We took it up to the body shop Thursday morning. USAA handled everything. What they didn't, Charlie O'Baugh body shop did. Fortunately, it is only about $1,700. We have a $500 deductible. It goes in on Monday morning and we get it back on Thursday. Enterprise has a rental for us which insurance pays for.

So we decided to drive to Waynesboro library that afternoon. I ran over a piece of wood in the road with three nails. Spent an hour waiting for the repair truck, then took the car to a local tire shop next to our community. Walked home and walked back an hour later to pick it up.

Friday morning I woke up with stomach cramps and had to cancel my volunteering at the Jackson House. I spent the day watching CNN and the arrest of the mail bomber.

Today I felt fine. I spent most of the day watching CNN and the horrific shooting in Pittsburgh of the Jewish synagogue. 

Watching the events of the past week put everything in perspective. Who am I to complain?

Keeping the Mind Sharp

I found an app the other day that I rather enjoy. It's mathematically based, so I am prejudiced when I say that this is the best mind game exercise I've seen in quite a while. It's called Math Puzzles. The first few are relatively easy, but get quickly more difficult. Here is a screenshot of the first puzzle:

Relatively easy, it is simple addition: 1+1=2, 2+2=4...5+5=10. You just have to type in 1 and 0 in the "Submit" box.

The second puzzle is:

Again, not difficult - multiplication: 2x2=4, 4x4=16...5x5=25

Here is a screenshot of the 11th puzzle:

By now they are getting more difficult. Each one requires TWO operations:

     For the first, you initially subtract 3 from 5 and get 2.

     Next, you add 3 to 5 and you get 8. Your answer is 28. Simple, yes?

And the answer for 7, 5 = ?  212 obviously.  😏

Currently, I am on puzzle 17 and have not had to use pen and paper yet. But I have had to take a screenshot now and then to study.

It's a good way to waste some time. Try it.

Paco Rabonne

Last week I  was watching the first episode of the season of  "The Big Theory" in which Stuart was getting ready for a date and asked Raj to smell his wrist. After a moment or two of silliness, Raj does and says "Paco Rabonne", sounding impressed.
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That reminded me initially that I wore Paco Rabonne for a while in the 80's and 90's. In fact, during that period of my life, I wore many different kinds of cologne, trying what I liked and what I didn't. I tried many. I still wear cologne at times,and I have a few favorites - Aramis, McGraw, Paul Sebastien, Polo, and Eau de Cologne. But lately, I have been going retro. When I wear cologne now, most often I will wear one of two old standbys: Old Spice and English Leather.

Like many men, I wear Old Spice because I like the smell obviously, but besides that I wear it because my father wore it. Now, Pop wore Aqua Velva and Mennen Skin Bracer as well and I followed suit for a while. I think he used them because they were cheap. I have found that I enjoy Old Spice in the hotter times of the year. I wear either English Leather or one of my more expensive labels in the cooler temperatures.

I told you that I wear Old Spice primarily because that's what my father wore; why I wear English Leather is an entirely different story. But I will save that for another time.

Stuart or Stewart?

Last week I took a picture of a reproduction of a picture we sell in the Stonewall Jackson House. It shows Jackson and some of his more notable staff. Among them is "JEB" Stuart.

 If you look at the close-up you will see his name is spelled "Stewart".

I can't find anything to explain this. I'll have to investigate. Everywhere else and everything is spelled Stuart.

Habits and Routines

It's been almost three months since we have moved into our home in Stuarts Draft, about 35 miles NW of Lexington. In that time I have been continuing with my volunteering at the SJH and the Lexington Library. I drive down twice a week to do this. I will, however, be giving up on all my library activities except the monthly book club after next week. I have applied to volunteer at the Augusta County library, but so far though they have expressed a very enthusiastic response I have not heard from them.

I have also returned to my reading. Moving in July and getting things organized either slowed my reading down or for periods of time stopped it altogether. By last month I was back on track, completing a total of ten books. Admittedly, several of them were begun in either July or August, but what counts is that I stuck with it.

But that's the end of the good news as far as routines and habits are concerned. I have not been able to return with conviction to everything I did before the move.

The most obvious to you, the reader, is that I have not been able to stick with my daily blog. I'm not sure why that is. I did and do enjoy it. I get ideas every day. It is very easy going from my reading area - which is my Lazyboy in the living room - to my study where I blog. Now I admit that I do like to have at least one picture a day posted, but that can't be the only reason I am hesitant on returning to blogging.

Another habit is my walking. I have not been able to return to a steady walking routine. I will walk for maybe two days, then not walk for three, then walk again for a day, then two more days off; well, you get the picture.

I also ate five prunes each day before I moved. I considered it part of a healthy diet. I have stopped since I have moved. In this case, however, I think I know why. Before, I ate them in my loft while I sat in my Lazyboy reading. Now, I really don't want to leave them sit around in the living room. And for some reason I don't like a bag of them sitting on my desk; I tried that and it didn't work.

I'm hoping that by writing about this that it will get me motivated to return my old routines.

As for pictures, I am posting yesterday's lunch - a peanut butter and cucumber sandwich!

This was suggested by an Englishman who visited the Stonewall Jackson House a couple of weeks ago. For some reason, we got talking about sandwiches and he recommended it. Only he did say to use crunchy PB. I didn't have any and don't think it would have made much difference. I di put salt and pepper on it. I think the next time I will make the cuke circles twice as big - even more crunch!