Challenge # 37 1/2 Continued

This is the 2nd half of my blog about cravings and that was all centered on food cravings, I also have nonfood cravings.  The first that comes to my mind is  solitude.  I don’t think of myself as a writer, I have always thought of myself as a creative person and a craft person.  I like to write when no one is around to distract or disturb.  My crafting is just the opposite, a former Girl Scout leader, Sunday School teacher and room parent I used crafting with all.  I have also over the years taught many crafts in a variety of settings.

For a number of years I have worked directly with the public in telephone sales,  customer service and direct sales.  All of these required one on one contact with the general public, while trying to achieve what they needed along with my companies requirements or quotas.  Some of these positions required a solid seven  to eight hours of customer contact.  That’s a lot of talking!!  Some required a certain volume or dollar quota of calls handled each day.  All I wanted at the end of the day was “no talking.”

To this day, if I have a busy week, I need a day with no requirements.  A day for my writing or reading or watching TV or some solitary craft project.  I can feel myself getting testy or short with others after a little bit.  It does not make me feel lonely or abandoned or isolated if I don’t talk to people for a day, it revitalizes me.  I can also feel this as much as a physical craving for a certain food.

Another thing that I crave is travel both near and far.  This year is going to be tough with all the restrictions.  I have easily agreed  to a trip to a nearby by town I used to live in as a quick diversion to classify as my current travel.  It saddens me to think the I will not travel outside the US at all this year and no idea how soon into next year things will open up.

Take a look at your schedule or menu or closet or storage and see if you have any cravings that surprise you.

Advertisement

Challenge #31 Adrenaline Rush?

This challenge comes from a small writing group.  We have a large series of random questions that we answer ans share.  The goal is to answer at least one per week.
(My personal goal in addition to this is to try and complete one each week for one year.)

Question:

What do you do for an adrenaline rush?

My first thought is, I am old, I don’t do adrenaline, so I begin with my research, maybe I do this in another way.  Right now with the Covid 19  lock down all over the world I think most about getting back to travel and think maybe that is my adrenaline rush.  It could be.

What I learned about adrenaline in a nutshell.  It can, decrease the ability to feel pain, increase your strength temporarily and sharpen your mental focus which will allow you to think quickly and form a clear plan of escape.  Not much chance of that, this pandemic has hit all regions of the world. (Sad face here.)

Some adrenaline rush activities to do, commit to achieving a lingering goal by a deadline like hitting a target weight or stop smoking or write a short article once a week for a year.  Bingo.  I had no idea you are my adrenaline rush.

Some other things that are considered an adrenaline rush are not life threatening like being first on the dance floor.  Make a speech in a public forum where you don’t know your audience, sing karaoke at the top of your lungs,  watching a horror movie, bungee jumping or sign up for surfing lessons.

I think today’s lesson is that I am an adrenaline junkie and never knew it.  Yes, on occasion I have done public speaking where I knew no one in the room, far too many times I was the first one on the dance floor with my white girl dancing.  I did  indoor sky diving and zip lining and loved every minute of both.  I have also moved to new places with no safety net and not really an overall plan.  Not a big fan of horror movies and have always proclaimed that I never could be drunk enough to do karaoke singing. So while I have not been in a lot of life threatening situations I do enjoy my short bits of travel, I can hardly wait to get on an airplane again going to a new city or country. My heart rate it increasing just thinking about it.

 

Quilt Show Time!!!

This makes me so happy!  If you have read any of my blog in the past, you may notice a quilty theme running through it.  I love everything quilts.  I love to sleep under them,  I love to make them,  I love to see other quilts, I love shopping at quilt shops, yes I really love quilts.

Next week I get to go to my all time favorite quilt show.  Pigeon Forge, TN has Quiltfest and it really is the best show ever.  When I first began quilting there were 2 really big shows, one was in Paducah, Ky the other in Sisters, Or.  I have been lucky enough to have attended both of these shows.  Over the years I have gone to quilt shows all over the US and a couple in other countries, some are really big and some are really small,  all of them are a treat to attend.

Over the next few weeks I know I will be sharing photos of some of the amazing quilts from this show.  Last year they had over 600 quilts on display and I am sure that this year will be just as good if not better.  Here are a few of the quilts I have shared in the past, I hope you enjoy.

Berlin Wall

Thirty years after the wall came down I had the delight to visit earlier this year.  I have no comparison since this was my first time in Berlin.  I did have the iconic photo opportunity and stood in front of the wall.  Here are just a few of the photos taken in Berlin this summer.

Only a relatively small portion of the wall still stands in its original position.

View from the B & B where we stayed in the outskirts of Berlin,  Just beautiful.  Next are 2 views of a very bombed out church that is preserved showing the damage and has very modern structure around it.

Brandenburg Gate.

Street sign and an Irish Pub in Berlin.

More from Berlin.

Challenge #4

Have you ever taken a walk on the wild side?  What was it like?  This challenge series stems from a small group who are sharing their response to a large series of questions, with the aim of tying to complete at least one challenge per week.

My wild side.

I am not sure I even know what the “wild” side is.  I am a firm believer that it is different for everyone.  Some of the things I consider normal others tell me they are wild.  This is like living my life on a daily basis, something or someone is always wild.

I never thought it was unusual to go to a movie by myself, or to dinner alone or to another country.  Probably one of my best trips, very spur of the moment, a friend talked me into going to Guatemala for a day.  No planning, no suitcase and no one going with me.  A quick trip to the ATM for a little cash.  Go to the hotel the flight crew is staying in since they had been there before.  In the morning finding a market to buy something to wear that day.  Back at the hotel checking in with the front desk about a quick tour of  the town. It was just after a volcano had erupted and there was ash everywhere, but a beautiful country and truly a fun trip.  That was my first international, by myself, but I have done it since then and certainly will do it again.

Is it wild to move to another city where I knew no one, three times so far has proven to be a good thing for me. I had visited the cities at least once before the move.  This has taught me a resilience I was not aware that I had.  It has shown me ways to reach out to people and create a new tribe and follow new paths.

USA, Arizona, Tucson, Saguaro giant Cacti (Carnegiea gigantea) in Saguaro National Park at sunset

There are a ton of crafts that I have taught myself, mostly trial and error.  Nothing like looking online for directions at some point, so you jump in and try.  I have no idea how many things I was able to pick up by myself.  Some are things that I have gone on to teach to others.  Wild or not.

About the only things I truly think are “wild” are things in nature.  I am always off to my next adventure.

What do you think is wild?

Airport and Airplane Tips

This post has been rumbling around for a while and I am glad to finally get this out.   I have had the ability to do some travel to various parts of the world and I have picked up a couple of tips and tricks.  Some things have changed over the years and some ideas are timeless.  Some of my tips will apply more to business travel and some for that leisure trip to see your favorite aunt.

Be prepared to wait.  If you are traveling alone bring some work, a busy time project or some form of amusement other than electronic.  It can be as simple as a crossword puzzle but it helps time pass while you wait.  If you are traveling with children this is doubly important.  In spite of all the good planing on your part as a traveler and the airlines part, stuff happens that cause delays and cancellations and it is necessary to be flexible as possible.

I occasionally am bad at allowing the two-hour arrival time at smaller airports.  Recently that came back to bite me since everything that could go wrong did.  Traffic getting there was extra heavy,  the lines were long at the counter and I wanted to check a bag.  The line for TSA moved at a snail’s pace and only 1 person was  checking ID’s.  They needed to do an extra pat down on me at the checkpoint.  I ran in stocking feet to the gate and they had already boarded everyone.  I had just enough time to put my shoes on before I boarded the aircraft.  I did have to gate check a bag and held my breath that my electronic item inside would survive intact.

If at all possible pack everything for that long weekend in a backpack.  For children all their entertainment and snacks plus one change of clothes, for a domestic flight, in their own backpack.  Even a 2-year-old can handle that and it empowers them to know they are in charge of their own stuff.  I have done 4 days in London with just a backpack and it is liberating to not have to lug everything you own along.

Try not to bring  shampoo or hand lotion at all if possible.  Hotels have that available, if you are staying with family or friends just let them know  if you have a special need or brand that you can only use.  Also offer to send money to cover the cost for that designer  shampoo you need.

I know some of these sound like pretty basis suggestions, but unless you travel a lot you may not think about the fact that you will have to pay 3 times more for that candy bar at the airport.  Put it in your purse and have it when you are seated on the airplane, also remember that empty water bottle to fill at the nearest fountain once you pass through security.  I always have some kind of snack in my bag so I don’t have to wait for the flight attendant to bring water and pretzels.

A Multitasking Morning

I am not sure I look at multitasking the same way others do.  A typical morning, the TV is on the news channel so I can hear and occasionally see what is happening in the world.  A load of clothes has just gone into the washing machine, that should be moved in 45 minutes.  The dishwasher needs to be emptied and everything put in its correct place.  I need to figure out what I will wear today and I am starting to get hungry for my breakfast.

This is an everyday multitask  list before I even get out of the house.  Then comes the schedule for the day.  Is this a day for the Senior Center, for quilt guild, for shopping, for travel or just a trip to the sofa to veg. Retirement hasn’t taken the multitasking away, it just changes the direction it takes.  Oh the golden years, life is grand.

2018 Year-End Review

How do these things sneak up on us, another year in the record books and I have not broken any record or shattered anything.

I had 2 “big” trips this year and a few small ones. It felt like the travel gods were on some other path than mine.  In the spring I did go to London and the timing worked out great for the royal wedding.  I was lucky enough to be on the grounds of Windsor Castle during the wedding and saw close up the carriage with the newlyweds go right past us.

Then recently I was in Paris for a few days and mostly had a great time.  I have been lucky enough to have visited both of these cities previously but did find new and exciting things to see and do.

For the most part, those were the 2 major unique events that happened this year.  As is prone to happen people are born and die.  I have a new great-grandson born earlier this year, that makes 3 great-grands so far.   I lost a second cousin, much too young, this year and a few friends.  I was able to reconnect with a couple of old friends and spend some time rehashing much older days.  I participated in a craft show for the first time in almost 10 years and certainly enjoyed that.

Not to appear like a slug for most of the year, I have been spending a great deal of time with my grand and great-grand daughters.  One is hard at work in her college program and one is 9 and in 4th grade.  My involvement is to make sure the little one gets on and off the bus and has homework finished and helping out with cooking some meals for the family.  It’s amazing how much time that can consume.

This will continue in 2019 since this is the last semester of my granddaughters college degree.  She may decide to go for post-graduate studies, but after tough study and work and home commitments she will take a couple of years off. (She is also planing her wedding in 2019, busy lady.)

For next year, I have put 2 more countries back on my travel wish list, they have been for many years and I really hope to get to them.  I can’t wait to see what my grand is doing with her life and career and what level of commitment she may need next year.

At my age it is always time to ramp up the exercise and cardio so I can be the  active gram out on the dance floor, not the one looking for paramedics.  Trying to get back to some of my favorite cities to visit and find one or two new ones.  Take a course in college for anything, just to make sure the gears are all still turning. Oh, I also want a new tattoo or two.  Not a super long list, but I know from experience things pop up to change my direction.

 

 

 

London Travel/Royal Wedding

Well this title is a bit misleading, our remaining days of travel were all outside of London.  This was the week of the Royal Wedding and I was pretty much prepared to change travel dates, but my grandson said Yes, so off we went.  He scouted out the best route to get to Windsor and we took a bus, double-decker of course, to a train filled with other wedding watchers.

The trains were filled with people from all over the world, speaking a huge variety of languages and all seemed quite charmed by the event about to take place.  Windsor is a smallish town fairly distant from London and very much like the places you see on TV shows.

With the help of the “Royal Wedding” signs around town and a local giving us directions as he watched from his front lawn this parade of people going past.  We made it through security and safely on the grounds of Windsor Castle.  About 100 yards in front of our location was a huge, movie screen size, TV for viewing the wedding.  Now, just to wait.  A camera in a tower on the grass was about 10 feet away and he was filming all around the area.  When he turned the camera on the people right there a lot of flag waving and cheering happened.  We were “officially” at least in our minds, a part of the royal wedding.  We found a fairly open space to watch and settled in.

The people watching was fun and a few cars with guests and Megan with her Mom came right past us for us to all wave to.  We then watched them disembark from those same cars at the front of the castle.  Once the wedding started the grounds quieted a little but not completely.  Many of us on the grass joined in with the songs and cheered the events happening. We all sang God Save The Queen and waited for the carriage to come past.

We were certainly rewarded for our efforts and were no more than 20 feet from the carriage and saw Prince Harry and Megan!!!!! This was never officially on my bucket list, but certainly is crossed off now.  The locals asked what would this compare to back in the US.  The only thing I could think of was seeing the President.  I have luckily seen 3 and shaken hands with 2 and this felt the same.

Sunny Day And Cottage Names

Today for my early morning walk I started very early.  In the midwest, many of us, missed spring.  We had some nice spring days, then it got cold and rather than go back to spring the weather jumped into the middle of summer.  We are having several days in the low 90’s which does not usually happen until late July or early August.  Who stole spring?

I do love early morning and the nice mirror and stillness of the water.  This photo surprised me with the pretty reflection of the clouds in the water.  I was very lucky with this shot.

While I was walking among the lake houses my mind wandered back to my recent trip to England and many homes have names, not just the huge manor houses or castles.  So I decided to name a few.

Eagles Nest went to a home that could be a tract home elsewhere.  A simple 2 story aluminum sided house.  But, this home has an enormous half dead tree in front, the kind I have seen eagles stand in to survey their next meal, it also had an eagle with its wings spread nailed above the doorway.

Another smallish home with beautiful blue siding became the Bluebirds Roost.  We have long ago dubbed a  quaint home The Witches Cottage because of the moon shaped cutouts in the shutters.  So you can see, the is a bit of whimsy in this process.

So let’s get really cheeky as you might hear across the pond.  This we call Skiers Rest.  That is because they have used retired water skies to surround the mail box. Very clever.

We named this next one Evita’s Cottage because of the great view from the balcony overlooking the lake.

We also found a Rabbit Hutch due to the bunnies nibbling on their lawn.  Lilac Cottage due to the purple flowers blooming throughout the lawn, no lilac bush in sight.  Old School House is named for the large bell hanging near the front door and it never was a school to our knowledge.  Whales Tale is due to the fact we saw an airline pilot getting out of her car one day. ( Pilot Whales in case you were wondering.)  Guppy Cottage is due to the collection of fish always swimming near it.

What would you call your neighbor’s houses?  I think I need to get busy and quilt small banners for the neighbors to hang in their homes or yards and let’s see if the names stick.