863.

Hello and Happy Happy Sunday y'all!

Daddy and I have had an eventful weekend.

Friday night, we stayed up late to watch "Deja Vu". I had seen the movie several times but daddy saw it for the first time. It's one of my favorite thrillers and daddy liked it too.

I remember my first time seeing it. Not the date i saw it but my reaction to it. I'd been seeing previews and hearing about the movie but I resisted seeing it because I assumed I knew what it was about and I thought it would be boring. The same way I'd done with LOTR.

Silly me. 🤪

I thought it was just some kinda regular ole Denzel romantic thriller. To my surprise and delight, it was much more complex than that.

Just another lesson in not rushing to judgment. Which is totally different from following one's intuition. 😌

🌸 🌸 🌸

Although we were up late Friday night, when we got up Saturday morning, daddy and I decided to head to the mountains. Previously we'd said we would go this coming Friday but Saturday morning just felt like a day to head for the hills. ⛰

Daddy said he wanted to go but he was moving very slowly, lollygagging on his bed instead of getting it in gear. 😆 I had to remind him that the ride was two hours and we needed to hustle a bit so we could get to our destination before noon.

We actually made it to the car a half hour earlier than expected but I had to come back for a few things I'd forgotten. 🙃 (I really must create more lists and alarms. It's become the only way I can be sure I'll remember everything. Almost everything...)

The weather was beautiful. Cold but sunny. We were bundled up just enough but the wind was nippier than expected. I could have used a pair of gloves earlier in the day.

We didn't have a set schedule but I knew where I wanted us to go. We hit every spot and in just the right order too.

First I took daddy to see a beautiful college campus I visit when ever I'm up that way. It has a nice lake area and daddy loves water. Everyone was nice and helpful, telling us the best place to park and offering to help daddy up the short set of (steep-ish) stairs.

Next was lunch at my favorite BBQ joint. Wouldn't you know it, daddy had fish.  🐟🐠🐟 At the BBQ joint. I didn't even know they sold fish. 👀

We then went to one of my favorite thrift stores. Even though I don't always find things to buy there (I did in June) it's always an interesting place to browse. I thought it would be crowded because it was the weekend. Surprisingly, it wasn't.

Daddy liked the shop too. He found lots of interesting things to look at and he seemed very comfortable there.

The store only takes cash, which I had forgotten. I also forgot to get cash but thankfully I had about $40 in my wallet. We left with a pair of pants and a couple of shirts for daddy, a re-usable shopping bag for Baby Bliss, and a cone of some cool-looking yarn for me. (Which is now double-bagged in my freezer, in case there are any critters lurking in its darkest recesses.)

We headed for the next thrift store (Goodwill) but made a pit stop first at my favorite independent grocery store. They always have deep discounts on healthy (and sometimes international) goodies that are sky high everywhere else. Sometimes it's because the expiration dates have come and gone so one must pay close attention.

Daddy wandered around the store which was cool because I like him to feel that he doesn't have to be within my grasp at all times.

What I didn't know until later was that he was in search of junk food. He brought an iced pastry to me and asked if he could have it. I told him no but I would find him a healthy snack. He said a curt "okay" then tossed the pastry on the nearest shelf. 😯

Well okay Mr. Shade Thrower. 😑

I spent quite a bit of moola in that store, as I always do when I shop there. Some things were for Baby Bliss and her significant other, as we were stopping at their estate on the way home. (It's on the route.)

Goodwill was our last stop.

The store is new and it's big. Initially daddy seemed reluctant to venture off on his own. Possibly because the store was bustling with other shoppers and he was maneuvering with his walker. He tagged along behind me briefly then I lost sight of him.

Eventually we both ended up in the men's section.

We left with a whole lotta stuff. For me: two summer dresses, a bunch of books, a beautiful drinking glass that matches one I already have (and possibly got at that store), two small framed summery art pieces for my office. For Baby Bliss: a black purse, a set of cut crystal wine glasses, a beautiful book about cats, a set of mirrored Asian art pieces for her s.o.  For daddy: a pair of pants, a sweater, a couple of shirts, a piece of art for his bedroom wall.

An hour later we were crossing the moat at Baby Bliss's home.

(Seriously, there's a moat.)

As we drove up the hill to their driveway, I could hear the dogs barking. They were so excited to have company that we had to wait for their parents to reign them in so I could park safely.

As soon as I opened my door, their newest baby (a boy named Blue) put his head in my lap and looked up at me with puppy dog eyes. Such a sweetheart. You would never believe what I've heard about how he's torn up the house every day since he's been there. 😂😇😈

I got out and Blue jumped in to greet daddy.

A dog with his butt in my seat. 😩🙈

Our visit was short but pleasant. The house is huge. And cold. They have that youthful blood so I guess heat isn't a priority.

(Side note: As a mommy, I am a bit worried that they're not prepared for winter. It was already cold and that area gets real snow. I've been texting them daily, asking if they have shovels, salt, a generator, and other winter necessities. Better to get those things early and not get caught in a mad rush at the last minute.)

The kids are friendly with the long-term neighbors and on close terms with one of them so that's good. I need to tell Baby Bliss to give that neighbor my number and give her's to me.

We saw the neighbor's horses while we were there. 🐎

Gorgeous creatures. Social, intelligent, graceful.

One came over to the fence to seemingly converse with the dogs. I don't know what was conveyed but it must have been good.

The dogs began to run the length of the fence in the direction the horse came from. I was amazed to see the horse take off right behind them, on his/her side of the fence. The dogs came running back and about a minute later, three more horses 🐎🐎🐎 came to the same spot at the fence to talk about... us?

Maybe. 😉

The first horse hung back a ways, seeming to let the newly-arrived have their time with the dogs. A few minutes later, the three galloped over to the first horse and they all ran off to the part of the pasture that runs behind the house where we could no longer see them.

Fascinating and very moving. I'd only seen such on telly or in movies prior to last night.

It was close to dinner time when we were about 30 minutes from home. When we got closer to home, we stopped for dinner at Cracker Barrel.

Both daddy and I had a taste for fried chicken, which I've had at Cracker Barrel before and it was quite tasty. 🍗

Must have been a good cook that day.

When our chicken arrived, there was so much breading on it, I was reminded of armor. 😰 It made the chicken appear almost twice its normal size. Whyyyyyyy? Just a waste of good chicken.

It's bad enough that Cracker Barrel has only been selling the fried chicken for a short time. Now I will never feel comfortable ordering it again. 😭

And the dinner is four pieces of chicken which is half a chicken, right? No way to order just two pieces. 😒 I guess we could have ordered one dinner and one of us ordered extra sides. But who would have gotten which pieces? 😩

Maybe God was telling me/us that if we want fried chicken, I need to learn to cook it at home. If I do, it will be the oven-fried chicken that Baby Bliss used to make. It was delicious and it was easier and safer to cook it in the oven.

I do not like grease popping in my kitchen. Doesn't matter who's cooking.

🌸 🌸 🌸

In the last bit of news for this entry, I talked to my friend Saturday morning.

We talked for 30 minutes, while I did my morning chores and waited for daddy to get up.

The first few words of our conversation were surprising in a pleasant way. Then it became pleasantly funny.

We rang off with each of us reminding the other to be safe in our travels.

A great start to a fantastic day. 😊

And now my good people, I bid y'all good night. Time for 🛌. I'm beat.

Sweet dreams folks. 😴

849.

I checked the line up for my neighborhood theater.

Nothing I want to see today.

But "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" is coming soon. I think I'll wait for that one.

Time for lunch y'all! 🍉🍔🍗🍝

845.

Does anyone remember this post: 340: sally?

It's an oldie.

I looked for it to see if there was any follow up because my neighbor and I had a conversation about the movie last night.

She didn't remember the movie and I couldn't recall the name although I know I have since I wrote that post several years ago.

The movie (which has since been remade): Don't Be Afraid of the Dark.

Have any of you seen it?

If you like 70s scary movies, check it out.

Some how... 

791.

Hello everyone.

Just a quick update:

First, thank you to everyone for the prayers, positive energy, healing thoughts, and all things wonderful sent my way. I appreciate you all and send virtual rainbows 🌈, sparkles ✨✨✨, and lots of love 💕💕💕 in exchange.

An update on my dad: I talked to him today. He was in good spirits and his voice was strong but he was very forgetful. I know cognitive issues can be common post-stroke so I'm not overly worried but it is disquieting.

It's another reminder that daddy's health is definitely declining. My prayer for him is that he's at peace with his life and remembers that he is loved by many. Amen.

My grandma is healing quite well and has already resumed many of her favorite grandmotherly activities. 😁

Baby Bliss and I took in a movie earlier this evening. We saw "The Dark Tower".  Not as bad as some of the critics (both paid and those of the backseat driver variety) made it sound.

Yes, there were seven (or eight) books in the series. (None of which I read, big huge Stephen King fan that I am... 😩)

No, this movie does not have time to cover the whole series. Big whoop. There's no way I can think of to compress that much material into one movie and this one only runs for an hour and a half.

So why see the movie then complain that it didn't accurately reflect the books? 😆😐😶

Any way, Baby Bliss and I enjoyed lots of aspects of the movie. Maybe there will be another installment...

On another note, sometimes when I come home after dark there is a single cockroach waiting for me on my porch. It's always sitting right where it can be seen. I'm not sure if it's the same cockroach each time but it's like it's waiting to make sure I get in safely. 😉

If I've already shared this information, please forgive me. I don't remember and I'm not gonna go back to check. Also, some of you may not know either. What's a few re-hashed stories between friends right? 😁

But I'm sure lots of you know that I believe in signs and omens, dreams and red strings of fate, yes?

And there's the animal totem thing as well. Which also extends to insects. (Y'all know where this is going right?)

Although they are on my list of Things to Never Bring into the House, cockroaches do have an interesting totem story. If I shared it before, feel free to ignore the link. If you don't know what I'm talking about, read here: Cockroach Animal Totem.

G'night y'all.  😴😴😴

784.

Update:

So I'm still awake (barely) in my room at the Hunk's. I've been talking to Baby Bliss and texting with her, my mom, and my sista in Arizona.

I assume the Hunk is asleep in his room on the other side of the house. He was tired around 11 p.m. (me too); we said good night in the living room at 11:30.

We've had a long day and I think neither of us got much sleep last night although we retired to our separate quarters fairly early.

We also got up early.

It was six-ish when I heard him moving about.

Not wanting to be the bad house guest, I got up soon after. We lounged on the sofa, talked about potential plans for the day and watched the big screen. Finally it was time to get ready so we could head out for breakfast.

After breakfast (at Cracker Barrel), we headed back here for a brief sit-down before we headed to the movie theater.

We saw "Baby Driver", a movie that made me gasp, scream, curse, and laugh out loud. It was pretty good though not what I expected. I think the Hunk enjoyed it too.

After the movie we made a short pit stop at the house again then headed to the mall. But the weather got bad and so did the traffic. We decided to head back home with a stop at Walmart along the way for a few items.

We got home some time after 5 p.m., just in time to start dinner and avoid me succumbing to a low-glucose incident.

He cooked delicious pork chops for us both. My side item was mixed veggies with extra corn. He had something similar but from a different package because his corn came with a seasoned sauce of some sort.

Fancy.

While he cooked dinner I showered and changed into my loungewear because I was tired and we had no plans for anything other than dinner and chilling at the house.

After we ate, I washed dishes then we talked and watched a few things on telly. By 11 p.m. he was ready to turn in and so was I.

He said he's waking me up at 6 a.m.

I hope he was joking. Last night I tossed and turned all night. I need a restful night if I'm gonna function later today (Saturday).

Not that we'll be doing much. It's supposed to rain most of the day which might keep us in (which is fine with me).

He seems to think we need to be out and about the whole time I'm here but for me this is like a mini-vacation. My vacations are usually laid back, with nothing happening on a set schedule, not even meals.

He's ex-military so I guess the strict time thing is still part of his overall lifestyle.

Any way folks, I'm nodding.

Ciao!

744.

Good evening lovely people.

I hope everyone has been well since we last met here.

My day was mostly low key.  👌

Laundry, a bit of housework, a bit of business. Baby Bliss came home with leftovers and shared them with me while we watched the second half of Speed Racer. (We started watching yesterday but cinemas interruptus in the form of a phone call dragged me way from the screen.)

Yesterday and today, I finally used the audio recording feature on my cell phone to record my dreams. I e-mailed the files to myself when I was done.

Yesterday I barely remembered one dream. Today I recalled six separate dreams.

Astonishing.

This morning's dreams were really interesting. One involved a neighbor I grew up with, a little girl who was a stranger to me, and lots of shoes.  😄

Another involved a former co-worker, a road with an almost-vertical drop, and a serious mishap involving the co-worker.  😓

The others I don't quite remember which is why I'm glad I made the audio recordings. 

I wonder what dreams I'll have to record tomorrow morning.

Speaking of Thursday, it promises to be a busy day for me.

I'm scheduled to be in the big city for quite a while, meeting a client/collaborator in the afternoon and likely dinner with the Paramour in the early evening.  👍

I'm down to less than half a tank of gas so I'll need to refuel before heading south.

As it's almost midnight, I shall be turning in soon. Thinking about tomorrow is making me tired. 😁😫

Ciao folks! 

737.

Hey folks!

I hope everyone has been safe since our last farewell.

Today was a cool day for me.

Where we live, some of the local theaters have $6 movies on Tuesday. Other than with dates, I don't go to the movies much. However, every now and again there's something new I want to see and I say I'm gonna go. Then I don't. 😑

To make sure I get to the theater more often, I created a standing "Tuesday movie" reminder on my mobile device.

If there's something I want to see, I go. If not, I dismiss the reminder and re-set it for the next week.

Today I decided to check out the early showing of "Get Out".

Note: I don't usually watch scary movies and definitely not alone. For one, I don't want nightmares. Secondly, anything that startles me at 10,000 decibels will make me scream or gasp loudly, as I mentioned most recently in post number 732.  I'm also a screaming laugh-er so there's that too...

This movie has been getting so much hype that even my friends are talking about it. However, no one is revealing spoilers.

Any who, when I awoke this morning, I kinda forgot what day it was. Partly because I'd forgotten to re-set my movie reminder.

Once I realized it was Tuesday, I had about 30 minutes to get ready and get to the theater. I knew I'd be late but I remembered how it felt like we'd seen 15 minutes of previews at the movie Friday evening.

So I tried it.

Well wouldn't ya know, I arrived at the theater and there was a line, a slowly-moving line.

What the hell?  😮

Yes, I live in a area where many retirees reside. It's also an area with a high percentage of at-home soccer moms.

Still, I expected that those people would have bought their tickets on Fandango so they could bypass the ticket window.

I swear they must have all collaborated last night, knowing I would be late.

*sigh*

I stood in line for a few minutes then realized I didn't want to be too late for the movie. Missing the opening scenes is no good. I decided to find a spot to hang out for a couple of hours, grab a bite while waiting for the next showing.

Common sense would have dictated catching a lunch special at one of the dozens of restaurants surrounding the theater. But when the tummy is rumbling, the brain isn't fully functioning. 😆

Instead, I drove to the nearest library, intending to read for an hour or so then grub on a salad and soup at Chick-Fil-A.

After I parked my car in the library's lot and sat there for a minute, it dawned on me: I needed vittles, having been awake for several hours and no breakfast. Off I went to Chick-Fil-A.

Lunch under my belt, I still had over an hour until show time. Dollar Tree was my next stop. I picked up a few cards to mail to friends back home who prefer snail mail and a few personal items. There was also brief conversation with a few friendly people and a visit to my post office box.

Finally it was time to head back to the theater.  🚘

Shorter line and I was early too.  😊

Lots and lots of previews. Cool because now there's another movie I want to see that starts Mother's Day.

The movie... The movie was frightening for a number of reasons.

I'm not sharing any spoilers here.

Get to the theater and see it.

When you return home, Google for all the hype you can find (articles, interviews, soundtrack, etc.)

Then go see it again.

I plan to.  👀

732.

Good early morning folks.

Hopefully everyone is somewhere safe and comfortable.

I'm home, snuggled with my blankets and pillows on the sofa. Tired and a little sleepy because I've been awake over 16 hours.

When I checked my mailbox today (the real-life physical mailbox where I get snail mail), there was a card from my friend who lost her mom recently.

My friend is a devout Catholic. The card said Baby Bliss and I would be prayed for at the Easter Novena of Masses at the Basilica back home.

The card is pre-printed but she added her own handwritten greeting and sweet words about her mom. How thoughtful of her to do something so nice for us (and I'm sure others as well) in the midst of her own grief.

My prayers remain with my friend and her family as they continue to mourn the loss of their mother.

🌺 🌺  🌺 

On a more personal note, I had a date last night. (Friday.)

He and I went on a couple of dates last year and although I thought he seemed to be a great guy, he was new to the area and still mentally involved in getting out of a really long long-term relationship. So when I didn't hear from him after the two dates, I thought: I wasn't really his type, he was sowing his newly acquired wild oats, and/or he'd thought better of dating and was taking time to get himself together.

No big deal. I'm not fond of being the rebound chick.

Fast forward to a month or so ago and he reaches out on the dating site we met on.

Cool.

We began exchanging emails every so often then the pace sped up a little. Finally we got around to talking about why we'd only had the two dates. I told him his understanding of events was a lot different from mine which led to him asking me to call him.

When we spoke by phone, although I still didn't recall things the way he did, I better understood why he thought we never went out again.

It turned out to be a good conversation and it ended with him asking me to dinner and a movie.

We met at a nearby "lifestyle/hybrid center" that consists of shops, restaurants, a movie theater, office space, and residential accommodations. It's laid out like a small town.

It's generally a safe place. I've had dates there in the past as well as gone with family and friends for various reasons.

My date and I met for dinner at 8 (I was late due to the horrible parking situation) at an upscale pizza joint. The pizza was freshly made and looked absolutely scrumptious. What surprised me is that it was almost tasteless. I don't know why. The sweet tea was good. Not too sweet like at a lot of places I've eaten.

After dinner we had about an hour before the movie was to start. We decided to take a drive in his car to run down the clock. We stayed in the general area, riding around talking. We still managed to get to the theater early and had to wait almost 10 minutes before previews started.

I chose the movie, Logan, because I'm a big fan of the X-Men series. Well folks, I was totally unprepared for the level of violence on the screen. Lots of gasping, arm-clenching, and screaming during this one. Thankfully no one shushed me.

No spoilers here but be warned if you have it on your want-to-see list.

He drove me to my car after the movie. We talked about the next movie we'll see (the new Fast and Furious installment), shared a long good night smooch, then parted.

I called to let him know I'd arrived home safely and thanked him again for the date. We talked for a few minutes then said good night.

And now it's almost 4 a.m. and though I could really really use 40 winks, looks like I'll be settling for 35.

Sweet dreams y'all.  😴

727.

Hello and Happy Sunday y'all!

I hope everyone is in good health and good spirits.

Looks like it's gonna be a lazy day chez Bliss.

It's a beautiful day and I'm so thankful.

The sun is shining, my windows are open, a cool breeze is fluttering my sheers, and I'm watching movies.

First up was one of my favorites, Dance with Me. Dancing, romance, laughter, love... My kind of show.

That Chayanne with his fine self... The first time I saw the movie, I wanted to learn Spanish and take the next flight to Cuba.

Luckily I already had my own hot Latin. 😉

I also watched Ray, a movie I've seen many times but it's another of my favorites. While the movie is highly entertaining, there are some truths that are undoubtedly altered or all together left out. This article at slate.com gives a clearer picture: It's a Shame About Ray.

Now I'm watching Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the Seventh Day. It's my first time seeing this one. Mega, mega, mega-watt star Pam Grier is in it. I love her. Every time I see her, I know she's my big sister from another life.

Maybe she seems so familiar because she looks just like a family of sisters I grew up with. They lived around the corner from my grandma. I was envious of them, not having any sisters myself.

There was the prospect of a date today but I wasn't feeling it and he asked for a rain check at the last minute.

No worries. The Universe always gives me what I need and today I need to be doing just what I'm doing.  👌

I'm also preparing Sunday Dinner.

Say what?!

Yes, that is correct. It's also funny. People who know me know why.

My beloved grandma once told me I'd never get a husband because I couldn't cook. Well she was woefully incorrect.

I've had several husbands and they all cooked. With the exception of one, they cooked right tasty vittles. 🍗🍞🍛🍤🍚

Lucky me.

As with most other things husbandly, Mr. Bliss was the best cook of the lot.

Baby Bliss and I dined out for many meals after my Beloved made his transition. Partly because I couldn't bear grocery shopping and partly because I didn't have much practice cooking.

Any way, that's all detailed in another post or two. Maybe three or four. No rehashing here.

Well folks, time to scoot.

A sista has to eat!  😄

681.

On a much more upbeat note,

I've had two additional dates this weekend with the Friday night guy.

Saturday we went to a movie at a local theater. We held hands and snuck in a few kisses while we watched. The movie was okay. Lots of action. Not too original re the plot. (Independence Day: Resurgence.)

Later we held hands as we walked. We sat to talk; snuck in a few more kisses.

Great conversation, great company.

Close to parting time, he asked if I wanted to continue going out.

I said yes.

Sunday morning he asked me via text if I wanted to have dinner with him Sunday evening.

Of course I did.

We ate at a popular local restaurant, one I'd been there many times in the years we lived in the Big City. Maybe once or twice since we moved away but it had been a while. The food was still good and the ambience remained inviting.

We talked, laughed, ate, held hands, and made goo goo eyes at each other the whole time. After dinner there was more hand-holding, walking, talking, kissing... A lot of talking.

Three great dates in three days.

He walked me to my car where we spent 10 or 15 additional minutes sharing smooches and silly talk. He headed for his car then came back to ask if I wanted to do something this week.

(Yes!)

Day to be determined because I'm expecting a project from a client this week...

Before I got home, I received a text from him. He shared a tidbit about something we'd done earlier. A three-hour text conversation ensued once I arrived home.

We touched on some deep topics, our feelings about the issues, our feelings about each other.

He's already told his best friend about me. Of course my friends have heard about him because they always know when I have a date and with whom.

He and I said goodnight around 12:30 a.m.

An hour later he was texting to say he woke up thinking about me.

Another 45 minutes of really good text conversation...

I am a die hard action-speaks-louder-than-words kinda gal but men who have a way with words (especially the written word) will always have a small piece of my heart for they woo like no others.

Fancy three-dollar words aren't necessary. Only the proper turn of phrase for the current situation, what ever the situation might be.

If we share other sensibilities -- important ones -- and the stars align just right, there's a high probability that he'll win my heart if that's his goal.

How long he keeps it is always the wild card.

But we needn't dwell on such things right now.

I'm enjoying the moments...

From what he's shared with me, so is he.

Stay tuned folks.

639.

March 31 will mark my fourth year of life without Mr. Bliss.

Although we meet often in my dreams, I will always miss him in waking life.

His beautiful smile, his willingness to help, the way he always encouraged me to try whatever half-baked notion I brought to him as a "what if", his zest for life...

He is missed by many, not just Baby Bliss and I or his family.

He touched a great number of lives. Hundreds. Possibly thousands. Maybe more.

He was one of the few people I've met in life who seemed to truly embrace his professed belief in Christ's teachings. Not in a stern Bible-thumping way but in the way he welcomed everyone with love.

He didn't care about a person's skin color, what kind of car someone drove, a person's religion, sexual preference, favorite food, shoe size... Mr. Bliss was open to possibility, if not for himself then for everyone else.

It's part of why we got along as well as we did.

Mr. Bliss loved holidays and the Easter season was on that list. Yesterday was Palm Sunday and I cried when I thought of what our day would have been like if he was still here.

He would have been up early fixing breakfast for us to enjoy before church. After church we probably would have had a nice dinner out, me and him talking about the delicious dinner we would have at grandma's on Easter Sunday...

Mr. Bliss was the best of all my husbands. Not to detract from the others because they all had their good points and there was one who would have been the best if there had been no Mr. Bliss.

What I mean is that Mr. Bliss was the best person for me because I was the best person for him. We fit in ways that didn't happen with the others.

If you have yet to meet the person who just does it for you, keep looking. I hope that old saying, "There's someone for everyone" is true because there is nothing like finding your "someone".

I'm so thankful that Mr. Bliss and I were in the right place at the right time on that fateful evening in October 1995; so thankful for the time we had together.

Every sloppy kiss and rolled eye, every squeeze of the derriere and every slammed door, every moment we spent holding hands on the couch and every time we ran the streets together -- it's all part of the magical perfectly imperfect history we shared once upon a time.

Until we meet again my darling Mr. Bliss...

Here is one of your favorite songs from one of your favorite movies. Laugh with me dear while you listen and know that you live in our hearts forever.

Amen.

578.

One of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite movies (Jumanji):

Judy Shepherd: There is a lesson you will learn/Sometimes you must go back a turn.

Totally appropriate for Mercury moving retrograde.

And yes God, I am listening.

Amen.

515.

In spite of attempts by busy bodies in my birth family to cast aspersions into the sunshine of my life, the past week was wonderful.

Last Sunday (May 4), my daughter and I drove down to Florence, SC to meet cousin N., her daughters, and her grandson, for a long lunch. I hadn't seen N. since our grandmother's funeral in 2000. I had never met her daughters or grandson and our children had never met.

Lunch overflowed with food, laughter, reminiscing.

After lunch, the cousins continued on to our hometown for a family birthday celebration.

My daughter and I headed to a four-day vacation on Pleasure Island, at Carolina beach. It was restful, rejuvenating, marvelous. I basked in the heat and sunshine, ate lots of yummy stuff, met interesting folk.

The teenager enjoyed herself too, in her own way. It involved lots of eating, sleeping, and selfies.

This most recent weekend was fantastic as well.

Friday evening, I had a fun and interesting movie/dinner date. We saw "Fed Up", the documentary co-executive produced by Katie Couric. (Excellent information given in the movie but I think it will do better on DVD.)

On Mother's Day, my daughter and I had a fantastic lunch with one of my godmothers.

There was also a weekend-long birthday celebration (for Baby Bliss) with friends.

I have shed many tears since Mr. Bliss made his transition. Every day that I find a reason to smile or laugh is a good day and I remain thankful.

My prayers for health and healing go out to all whose lives lack whatever it is they need to move toward wholeness.

Amen.

450: Saturday.

.

Hey y'all.

It's a beautiful sunny day in our neighborhood. What's it like in yours?

Baby Bliss and I are indoors today, listening to folk frolic at the pool. She's not feeling well so we're gonna stay in to watch movies.

We started watching "Jesus, Mary and Joey" last night but I nodded off. It's good but kinda slow.

Lunch for me will be leftover Japanese from last night's dinner.

Baby Bliss is refusing food and drink right now. After last night's "tummy incident", I'm sure it's for the best. She'll eat when she feels better.

I'm working on several projects, as usual. In addition, I still haven't finished rounding up my receipts so we can file our taxes. *sigh*

Labor Day weekend finds me laboring very much.

Such is life...

Amen.



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359: now playing

hey y'all.

although i usually blog the movie after (i think), this one needs to be done now. we started watching 15 or 20 minutes ago but it's already funny.

Keeping the Faith - Jenna Elfman, Edward Norton, Ben Stiller

Stiller and Norton were childhood friends in NYC who grew up to be a Rabbi and Catholic priest respectively.

Elfman's the girl who was their best friend. her family moved to the west coast when they were all young. she's back in town and here comes trouble.

i didn't know Ed Norton spoke Spanish. LOL

358: this week in movies

hey y'all.

we've been watching movies this week too.


1. Shut Up and Sing - the Dixie Chicks and folks who work to produce their concerts

a documentary of how the Dixie Chicks fared during the fallout behind Natalie's anti-Bush statement.

baby bliss and i both loved this one. Natalie, you rock!


2. Cold Creek Manor - Sharon Stone, Dennis Quaid

a sinister but forgettable scary drama about a New York family that buys a foreclosed home in the country, not knowing that the former owner has a deadly secret.

i say forgettable because the movie was similar to others in the same genre. it was interesting though.


3. Miss Potter - Renee Zelwegger

story of the life of the woman who wrote of the "Beatrix Potter" books.

i think it was good but need to watch it again. we were very busy today and i was multi-tasking while watching.

357: last week in movies

hey y'all.

we've been watching a lot of movies in the past weeks. in between bouts of cleaning and party planning.

let me see if i can remember what we watched...



1. Inventing the Abbotts - Joaquin Phoenix, Billy Crudup, Liv Tyler

a dramatic romance that detailed how two brothers living in a small town are entangled with the daughters of a wealthy family.

this movie moved kind of slowly for me but i liked it. some intrique, teen age angst and rebellion.



2. Running with Scissors - Gwenyth Paltrow, Annette Bening, Alec Baldwin, Jill Clayburgh, Gabrielle Union

a funny/sad/scary movie about a young man who's momma was a nut. she left him with her equally nutty shrink (and his family) after she and her husband split. based on the real life story of the young man.

i liked this one and didn't feel scared until i found out at the end that it was reality-based.



3. Shaun of the Dead - Simon Pegg, Kate Ashfield, Nick Frost, Lucy Davis

simply hilarious spin off from the previous "Dead" movies ("Night of the Living...", "Dawn of the...", "Day of the...", "Land of the..."

too scary for the kiddies (unless they're monster-proof, like baby bliss) but good for fans of spoof and horror.



4. i don't remember. sorry y'all.

* * *

11:21 p.m.

Update: i remember now. i guess i blocked it out for reasons you'll read about below.


4. Bobby - all-star cast

a day in the lives of people who were affected by Bobby Kennedy's shooting at the Ambassador Hotel.

voice overs of actual RFK speeches and bits of live footage interspersed throughout gave me the feeling that i was watching a captivating documentary. about mid-way through, i began feeling it was a bad idea for me to watch it during an election year, specifically this election year.

as the movie wound towards its inevitable climax, i was an emotional wreck. it took me a while to stop crying after this one ended.

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340: sally?

hey y'all.

i'm trying to remember the name of a scary movie from my childhood. if anyone remembers the name of this movie, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeze tell me.

TIA.

(and if you've read a similar post on my blog ever--cuz i'm having a deja vu kinda moment--please bear with me. repeating myself is a new form of recycling that i'm trying out for Earth Day.)

a woman and her husband moved to an old house. i think she noticed strange movements and sounds (including her name being called) but only when she was home alone.

she had a glimpse of a little rock-looking man with a round head and black eyes while she was in the tub. he attempted to turn the bathroom light off with a wire hanger. if my memory is correct, another one put a big chunk of glass on the floor for her to step on.

when she told hubby about the little rock heads, he all but said she was crazy in that nice, "awww, okay honey" way that men employ when they don't want to be bothered with what they think of as women being hormonal.

so one day hubby goes on a business trip.

and sally (i think that's her name) was put through the wringer. she had a miserable day trying to get away from those little monsters. then those suckers got her.

and in the end you can hear them (sally and the monsters) wondering aloud if anyone else would come along for them to get.

sally assured them that someone would indeed come.

325: the other night we watched...

..."No Country for Old Men"

um, this one frustrated me.

but i liked it because it had two of my favorite actors in it: tommy lee jones and tess harper.

and mr. bliss is a big fan of movies by the coen brothers.

there's a lot of killing and cussing in this one.

my favorite line (tommy lee's): if it ain't a mess, it'll do til one gets here.

don't watch it if you're afraid of bloody violence.

324: last night we watched...

..."Closer", with julia roberts, jude law, clive owen, and natalie portman.

i'd seen it before but mr. bliss saw it for the first time. of course we got into a disargeement about it. (have y'all seen it?)

if not,

*** SPOILER ALERT ***


mr. bliss said clive was right to be mad at julia for her affair, even tho he had a one-nighter.

i asked him if she was wrong-er because her outside dalliance lasted long-er? why is one a bigger sin than the other? i reminded him that the Bible doesn't say any sin is worse than any other. (not that i recall, any way...)

he annoyed the hell out of me when he laughed his head off at jude, when jude reprimanded julia for sleeping with clive again, when she was supposed to be being exclusive with jude.


*** END OF SPOILER ***


of course mr. bliss is entitled to his own opinion but mine was that they were all full of it.

my personal opinion: infidelity can be present in all sorts of actions, not just sexual ones.

if a husband has a gambling habit and loses every dime of his child's college fund, is that not a form of unfaithfulness?

or what if a wife has a terminal illness and doesn't tell her family until she's on her death bed? Is that a woman who has been true to her family?

yeah, it's totally a matter of personal opinion. mine is that many of us are unfaithful in many ways, at various times in a marital relationship.

the degree of pain and suffering the "injured party" feels is his or her own, to determine and deal with, however he or she chooses.

no matter what, i choose not to be a victim.

if my husband does something to cause serious disharmony in the household, one of us would have to go. but it would depend on what he did.

if mr. bliss came home and said he has sex with a hooker, i'm not freaking out about it. (i know some of y'all won't believe it, but i'm being for real.)

it's his pinga and he can put it where he wants to. i can't control it nor do i care to. he is his own man.

(and yes, we did take vows together. our's included the words "til death do us part" but maybe, like me, mr. bliss doesn't remember everything else we said.)

personally, i'm more likely to freak over anything concerning my child or my money. cuz those are the two things i'll be taking with me if i go and keeping if he goes.

any way, overall, "Closer" was a good movie. clive had the best lines, i think.

watch closely though cuz it's kinda tricky in the sense that time goes by and you don't know how much until the characters reveal what hijinks they've been up to.

not one for the kiddies.