MINDFUL MOMENTS

In a matter of moments the month of JUNE will be over. How time flies. Back in May I dreaded June coming because it meant I would be a year older on the 12th of June but to my surprise my energy and stamina was strong and this JUNE was filled with amazing moments that I'll cherish till I die. So many adventures, so much good food to eat, and best of all my Mother who has Alzheimer's is still around. Leaving Michigan and being able to spend my birthday week in coastal Maine and the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts (thanks to a friend) was truly a blessing too. What a phenomenal month it was but now I must bid it farewell.                                      My birthday gift, a ride on a Schooner in Camden, Maine! I'm grateful for all the blessings this month brought me and most of all I'm thankful for the guardian angel that appeared to me when I was praying at church on June 7th and told ...

  The end of June is approaching and so is strawberry season in northern Michigan. This past week has been an extraordinary time to pick strawberries because they're at their best, so juicy and sweet. I'm glad I went strawberry picking with my male companion after work. Even though we got caught in the rain, it only took us an hour to pick 16 pounds of delicious ripened strawberries at Urka Farms. Afterwards I made some strawberry shortcake and we really enjoyed this sweet summer treat.What am I going to do with all the strawberries? Give some away to family and friends and I'll also be making strawberry jam. strawberry pie, and strawberry & banana smoothies. Strawberries are such a delicious and healthy fruit. Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C and manganese, and folate (vitamin B 9). Strawberries also have a powerful antioxidant content.  Strawberry Moments in June!

Last week a spider was building a web over my small deck. My friend suggested destroying it but I couldn't. Just watch "Charlotte's Web" and you'll see how much spiders deserve to live. The mother spider is eagerly awaiting the birth of her children. Every once in awhile I see her bring down the sac then she and the sac disappear to some little spot that isn't visible from my deck. Every life is precious, whether it be the birth of ants, birds, ducks, fish, geese, ladybugs, seagulls, or spiders. Those creatures in nature deserve to give birth to their babies and soon mother spider will proudly show off her baby spiders. It's the season of birth and since I live around nature I get to see proud mothers with their babies all over the place and it's such a blessing to watch. Let's celebrate "Mothers" who give life! I tried taking pictures of the spider web on my deck but due to heavy rains it's falling apart. Hopefully the spiders are ok...

Once upon a time there was no internet, mobile phones, or a wide selection of television channels, but there was one thing that kept me entertained, the "CBS RADIO MYSTERY THEATER" radio program. My father and mother were huge fans of this mystery nightly radio program. As an aspiring actress I too was smitten by all the mysterious stories with three acts performed by extremely talented actresses and actors. Even famous people appeared in episodes of this popular radio show. I was delighted to find out that many of these old shows are now appearing on "YOU TUBE' and most of them sound state of the art as if they were just recorded. Early this morning I was just too tiered to get out of bed and listened to a fantastic episode of "CBS RADIO MYSTERY THEATER" about a mysterious pearl necklace. The story took place in Hawaii and it was performed like a 1940's film noir. So full of suspense, and so entertaining. These days we can watch and listen to programs ...

I had an extremely busy day at work today. Not only did I have to supervise, but I also had to give all the sales advisors their half hour and fifteen minute breaks. Oh, how I longed for some "refreshing moments."My wish came true when it was time to give Jordon a break. He was sampling handcrafted Grilled American Cheese Sandwiches called "Lily's Toaster Grills." and they looked so appetizing. I was excited to take over and serve the sandwiches on a tray. Every time I opened the oven, the scent of bread mixed with cheese drew members in and they raved about how good the sandwiches tasted. When Jordan returned from his break, I placed a small piece of a grilled cheese sandwich in a wax paper and headed to the office to do paperwork. Once in the office, I took a bite of the grilled cheese sandwich. It was absolute perfection, it tasted like a just made grilled cheese sandwich, buttery toasted bread loaded with cheese. The brand name of these grilled cheese sandwi...

High Lawn Farm, Lee Massachusetts Thursday, June 17, 2021 My two favorite things during the summer months are watching cows grazing on grass in the meadow and eating ice cream. On the 17th of June I was able to accomplish both in beautiful Lee, Massachusetts in the Berkshire Mountains. Thanks to a recommendation I made a point of visiting HIGH LAWN FARM, known for its friendly cows and outstanding dairy products; butter, cheese, ghee, milk, and ice cream. High Lawn Farm ice cream is delicious ice cream. What a treat to eat ice cream being made right on the premises while admiring the adorable cows and wide open spaces of a lovely large farm. The vanilla ice cream in a waffle cone at High Lawn Farm was one of the best ice cream cones I ever had. Simply marvelous. Be certain to have your "Ice Cream" moments this summer and remember there's nothing wrong with eating dessert first, once in awhile.

Anderson Cooper, Prince William, Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Angelina Jolie, Ariana Grande, Johnny Depp, Natalie Portman, Courtney Cox, Nicole Kidman, Mark Wahlberg, Mike Tyson, Boris Johnson,  Prince (musician/singer), James Walton (Walmart) What do the above people all have in common? Each one of these people born in JUNE were or are famous. I'm a bit partial to JUNE being that I was born in JUNE too but I'm not famous, popular, or rich. Regardless, I've lived a very adventurous life and maybe before I die I'll have my five minutes of fame. It's funny back in May 2021, I dreaded that JUNE was soon approaching. I wanted May to be at a standstill but JUNE did arrive and to my surprise it's been a fun-filled month of excitement, and now I'm sad to see it soon coming to an end. Even though I banged my head in a minor car accident,  jammed my finger in a shopping cart, scratched my leg on rose bushes, and got my arm pinched on my slid...

JUNE is passing by so quickly, it's like a whirlwind. The month of JUNE started out on such a positive note, I found out I could keep my affordable insurance, the weather was glorious, the days were long, and I was looking forward to my trip to MAINE for my birthday. I arrived by train to Albany, New York on the 10th of June to meet my friend who picked me up at the station. Together we drove to the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts to spend the night and the next day it was off to Maine. On my birthday, June 12th I was so happy to wake up in Wells, Maine near Ogunquit and enjoy the Atlantic Ocean beaches and part of the day in York, Maine with all its attractions. After a delightful lunch at the Maine Diner it was off to gorgeous Camden, Maine. The drive over there was nerve wrecking. My friend was going so fast on the interstate that I started to feel dizzy. We got off at one of the exits past Portland and took the one lane highway 1 all the way to Linconville, Maine where we ...

The first of JUNE is always significant to me. It means that the days are the longest in North America with plenty of daylight and that summer is on its way. It's also the birthday month of my favorite performer Judy Garland, and my close friend Sharon whom I've known since high school. This morning I texted and called Sharon to wish her a "Happy Birthday." She was up bright and early preparing for her special day. She was going shopping, getting a hair cut, and looking forward to her outdoor BBQ. What was she having? Burgers and of course cake and ice cream. Sharon is an amazing woman. She has spent many years working in child care. Her heart is golden. She's a caring person who never tries to outshine anyone but instead remains humble and sweet. That's why I appreciate her friendship so much, because she always has a listening ear, gives great advice, and has profound wisdom. Soon she'll get the birthday gift I mailed her and I hope she likes it.  Happy ...

Even though I was born and raised in Michigan I never appreciated it. Every state in America seemed better than Michigan. That's why I ended up living and working in other states; California, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Montana, New Jersey,  New York, and Vermont. I got to work in other countries too; Austria, Ireland, Norway, and Ukraine. So where am I now?  M I C H I G A N When my Mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's my brother insisted that she be moved from Dearborn (a suburb of Detroit) where she had lived 40 years to Traverse City, in northern Michigan. I drove my Mother and her cat Sari from Dearborn to Traverse City where my brother had a rented house waiting for her. I was only supposed to stay in Traverse City three months while I helped my Mother get settled into her new community but I stayed much longer. Seven years to be exact. I still thankfully have my Mother but her Alzheimer's is quite advanced. She's in a wheelchair now and doesn't talk much but sh...