Sophie's Story

           This weekend is cookie baking weekend. Baking cookies to put on plates that we give to people is one of the few things about this season that I enjoy. The reason why I like it so much is because it involves baking, something I have always enjoyed and it means I have to stay home always a bonus for an introvert.          I've been baking holiday treats since I was in junior high. Back then I had a long list of things I would make. Cookies, bars, and mini marshmallows covered in chocolate and coated with coconut. A few times I attempted fudge. I had one really good batch. The rest turned out a bit grainy so I stopped.          Now I make cookies. Last year I made cream cheese mints burning out out my hand mixer in the process. I think I'll pass on those this year. While the selection of cookies may change once thing stays the same. I always make cut out sugar cookies using my grandmother's recipe. T...

            I was told by my mother that my eyes would stabilize after age 40, it's one of the many lies she told me over my life. My eyes have never stabilized and get worse every year. This means that every year, I have to get new glasses. I dislike shopping for glasses as much as I do shopping for clothes. It's a chore to have to pick out new frames yearly. Also somewhat wasteful.          I used to have two sets of frames that I liked and would alternate between the frames. This helped to save money. It would also ensure that I would have a frames that would fit my face. I have a small face, no bridge on my nose and a very heavy prescription.           For some reason that I can't explain, I can't get this done anymore. This means that every year, I have to buy new frames again. I've found a place where I can get frames that are more affordable. The problem is that they don't have a good select...

           Over the years I've noticed that that Thanksgiving is slowly being erased. I started noticing it many years ago when the Christmas music started playing the day after Halloween. To this day hearing the Peanuts theme and It's a Marshmallow World make me want to curl up in a ball and rock back and forth.           I've noticed that Thanksgiving decorations are no longer being displayed. I can understand some of this. Pilgrim and Native American pictures that used to pop up around Thanksgiving time could be considered offensive given the nation's history with Indigenous people. There are plenty of other decorations that would be just fine. Pumpkins, cornucopias and harvest style decorations would certainly be appropriate and not offensive.          Black Friday started creeping up. At first it was the Friday after Thanksgiving. Then it was very early in the morning of the Friday after Thanksgivi...

           This week C and I had our yearly optometrist appointments. There are several things I need to take with me to this appointment. I need my glasses case, my contact case, contact solution and my wallet. I have a large purse that I use to carry all these things.          We went to the appointment and got our new eyeglass and contact lens prescriptions. After the appointment, I took my wallet and eyeglass case out of my purse and put them in the glove box inside the car. We had other errands to run and I didn't want to carry the purse with me. I wouldn't need my wallet or glasses and felt they would be safer locked in the glove box as opposed to being in the purse which would be in the trunk.          We had some lunch and then ran our errands. When we got home, we took the things we bought out of the car into the house. I grabbed my wallet and glasses along with a few other items. I went to the trun...

           When my parents moved into the senior apartment complex where they live, there were many activities that they could participate in. There were get togethers, Happy Hour once a week, religious type programs, a chorus and diamond art class.           For those of you who don't know, diamond art is like painting by numbers except you use small resin beads called drills. The canvas is preprinted with symbols or numbers and is sticky so the drills adhere to the canvas. It's a good way to relax and do something creative without having to actually be creative. The finished project turns out somewhat shimmery and depending on the design can also look dimensional.          Mom was doing "bead class" as she called it, when I discovered that I had a diamond art kit given to me by a tech I used to work with. It was a large design maybe 24 by 18 inches. It was a picture of a grey cat with a blue butterfly...

           Several years ago someone told me about edible landscaping. This is where edible plants are used instead of decorative plants in landscaping. An example would be planting berry bushes or fruit trees. As much as I'd like to do this, I'm not sure I'm good enough with plants to be able to make this work. I do believe in growing at least a few things we can eat so I'm trying things in out garden.           One of my most successful trials of food plants have been carrots.  Last year we had open space in our garden where the lemon balm plants used to be. My Dad suggested growing carrots. Dad has been a fairly successful gardener in the past so I did what he said. I bought some carrots seeds and planted them.          I read information on growing carrots and learned that once the seeds are planted it's important to water them daily. Every day I watered the seeds until the ground was moist. On...