Random 5 for July 22 – Happiness, Facebook, reunions, clothes, bugs

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Make someone’s day! – I didn’t actually intend to do that but it happened. There is a working woman at new gym. When I come in at 8 she is finished with her workout and getting ready for work. She showers, washes her hair and gets dressed. It’s not business casual either. By the time she is done, she looks like a million bucks. If anyone has ever tried to gussy up at a gym it’s not easy. She uses the dryer you put your hands under to dry her shoulder length hair. Yet it all works out very well. After admiring her routine for many months, I finally told her so. She was so stunned and grateful that I was sorry I hadn’t said anything sooner. If you see something nice, say something nice.

Gone boy! – Facebook became tedious during and after the US election. People hate and love and have no problem ripping other views with vile language. I tired of that fast and blocked anyone who posted obnoxious things. The last time I went on to block something there was a category “Hide all DT.” (that’s Donald Trump) He may not be gone from my life but he’s gone from my Facebook.

I’m getting old – My family reunion was yesterday. This year I agreed to make one of my mother’s specialties which my grandniece had been making in recent years. It’s a long and somewhat tedious process over two days but if you like cooking, it’s enjoyable. I was very organized. (I’m old! If I’m not organized I’ll forget ingredients!) It went like clockwork. By the end my back was aching. It’s been a long time since I stood for hours. My back wasn’t happy but my tummy was. I’m too embarrassed to admit how many samples I ate (just to make it was good of course!).

One of those days — I was getting ready for the reunion. The weather was all over the place. Sunny and warm in the morning, rainy and cool in the late afternoon. I bagged my original outfit for something warmer but it wasn’t comfortable. It was close-fitting flowered jeans that shrunk a bit when I washed them. I can still get them on and breathe but it’s not comfy for an event where you want to eat and drink your heart out. Got out some old jeans that fit the bill. Stretchy sweats were on my list next!

We’re off of the Insect Air Bnb! – The fruit flies have decided that perhaps we are not their best destination. I got out the decorative apple with the cider vinegar reservoir for their swimming pool and let them drown in their joy. Word must have gotten out. Either they are diving right in or they have stopped visiting. Either way I’m good.

So how was your week?

63 thoughts on “Random 5 for July 22 – Happiness, Facebook, reunions, clothes, bugs”

  1. Haha, I’m glad the woman took it that way instead of you being a creepy person noticing her routine!! I know what you mean about FB! Luckily, I’m mostly surrounded by people who share the same views (and love for cats!).

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  3. I have stayed away from FB since the election for many of the same reasons, I suppose. I was not altogether thrilled to learn how some of my friends think, to be frank. LOL! I’m going to at least find that “block all things Trump” censor which will at least help. Ha! I hope your reunion was just wonderful, Kate. I think it’s great that you managed to bring your mother’s dish, which as hard as it was on you physically, must have been gratifying. It would feel like you brought an important piece of her with you to share with the whole family. We just returned from our reunion, and I felt the absence of some of our loved ones, and always will. But I think next time I’m going to think specifically about some of the foods they enjoyed and maybe consider that we share those. It’s not been something we’ve done! Also…glad the fruit flies have moved residence! Pesky!!

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  5. The hubs and I made/cooked something long and tedious over the weekend, too. I might post about it if I get a chance. Busy week ahead. So I hope you enjoyed the reunion. I love the cartoon you put at the end. LOL So fitting for many of us. Er…uh…maybe I should just speak for myself. 😉

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  6. I am so impressed by those who managed to work out, then get all spiffied up for work and do it so well, no one would guess they’ve been to the gym. Impressive skill – probably carried over to other things in their lives, too.
    Back in ancient history times when I taught school in order to get money to travel, I had the worst of the worst kids. Seriously. They ran off 2 teachers before me and it was only Oct. On parole, violators of parole (one more chance) or about to be jail bait kids – 16 couldn’t read and didn’t care; fire bugs…you name it. I’ve always had a policy of saying 1 honest authentic thing nice about whomever you encounter. Some asked me why I bothered saying anything nice to those kids, but I knew it was probably the only thing positive some of them heard about themselves all day – each day. Each day I smiled, greetied as they came in, and closed the door – and they were like pussy cats.
    There’s so much anger in the world ( I avoid FB completely as it’s mostly a stage for drama and rants now – some of WP is getting the same way….I’ve really shrunk back there, too)
    So much of violence/anger could be derailed with a few nice words. (along with people being more polite to each other, moderated language and encouraged to have a sense of humor) Sigh.
    HA! Fruit fly trick – thanks!

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    • So much truth here. People don’t have to agree but they have to be civil and kind. I am in awe of you! I’m not much of a kid person (think I’m allergic to them) but we need folks with your attitude to help turn some around.

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      • People call me the kid/dog whisperer…cats? debatable.
        I ‘ve had multiple careers but started there. Quickly tapped to train other teachers with one of the largest districts in the country, but realized 2 things quickly: 1. those young teachers who had large/well behaved dogs would easily transfer their positive but firm and fair attitude/ style with their animals to kids and that those who went into teaching because “I love children” were most often doomed to fail – loving children isn’t enough.(That was going to be a title of a book for along time HAHA)
        Left the classroom for multiple reasons – one being you have little impact or chance to improve education for many from the inside. Bureaucracy is not really focused on improvement or blocks change. Other routes have more impact. Anyway, across the career arenas, I ended up noticing people, figuring out where they were and where they needed to go, and gently shoving them in that direction. Starts with looking at them and saying something appropriately kind to them. Easier with kids as they are unfinished adults…grownups I have less patience with especially these days
        (So easy to get infected by the grumpy virus going around HAHA)

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  7. I’ve been doing some genuine complimenting too..it sure is worth it…cos as Janis says, you end up feeling as good as the person you complimented. I saw a lady at the til in Sainsbury’s supermarket who had a fabulous head of long grey hair….we held up the queue a tad while we talked about how she achieved this…

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  8. “Make someone’s day! ”
    This is, in a way, greatly reminiscent of the dying wish of a relative of mine (a well-known Religious Zionist rabbi here in Israel). In what turned out to be his final TV interview, he asked that we greet each other, and just say something nice – even if the person we are greeting is a stranger. If we meet a neighbour in the elevator, wish them a good evening (and mean it!), if we pass a garbage collector in the street, smile and say “Good morning”, etc. Don’t treat people as if they are invisible. Because, in the end, (in the words of the old song) – little things mean a lot.

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    • So true. My new gym is a place where almost everyone is invisible. Maybe it’s the early morning hour or the pre-coffee work out but there isn’t much smiling going on. I have made a few friends, all older and retired. That may be part of why I made such an impact (I really wasn’t expecting her overly grateful reaction!). It reminded me that we need to do this more often.

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  9. I gave The Book of Face the heave ho over a month ago. At least I think I did,,, Haven’t been on to check cause I am afraid they will lasso me in again. I am glad that the fruit flies are gone, no matter how they got that way! Our week was great by Friday morning… CH got excused from the evil chair, no more coffee through a straw but still can’t drive for three months… we’ll take it!

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  10. I have pants that shrink like that too – hmmm, must be the same style and brand. I hate when you have to unzip them because you had so many samples, but samples are a necessity for the cook – must not serve food that isn’t tasty! 🙂

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  12. Isn’t it funny about compliments? I often give them in my head (meaning that I think them but not say them). I have been making more of an effort – hoping to make it a habit – to verbalize all those thoughts. In fact, I actually crossed the street recently to give a woman a compliment on her outfit. She was thrilled and I felt great too.

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  13. Great R5 today. Would LOVE to not have anything with the word trump (doesn’t warrant a capital letter) show up in my facebook.
    Never heard of the apple cider vinegar thing. Really works? Great.

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  16. I love handing out genuine compliments to people we meet. Blocking all things DT on Facebook makes infinite sense!

    Glad the potato and cabbage strudel was a hit. Did your sampling of it have something to do with the snugness of your flowery jeans?

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  17. I love it that you began this post with saying something nice to someone. I try to do that as much as possible and the return is worth every kind word. And what in the world did you cook from the old family recipes that wore you out? I’ll bet it was delicious!

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    • It was cabbage and potato strudel. You prep the cabbage the day before — shred and fry in several batches. The second day you make the dough that you stretch out and cook the potatoes. Some people take a shortcut and use filo dough but not us. I make a lot so it takes time. It all went so it must have been good.

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    • The reunion was so tiring. It was the cooking before the day so I was good for the party itself. We had quite a bit of rain yesterday and it’s going to rain for the next week. They are predicting 5 to 9 inches total. We also need the rain.

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  19. I love this weeks R5, from the Facebook announcement to you cooking up a storm. My mother made sauce like nobody’s business that I have the recipe for, but never bother, Maybe I’ll buy some tomatoes and garlic, rosemary and thyme and make a badge.

    Your family reunion has inspired me.

    It’s rainy here, like Ireland, or Pennsylvania…:)

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  20. Well, you know I left FB years ago and have never regretted it. It’s really the best way to block The Donald. Don’t even give him, or any of his deluded fans, a chance to annoy you.

    I made some Christmas cookies a few years ago that were from one of my mother’s recipes. They took more effort to make than I remembered, so I hear ‘ya. You forget how work-y baking used to be.

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  21. The cider vinegar worked to get rid of fruit flies?! Thanks for the tip!!

    I wish that I could make Trump and all his ilk just go away rather than simply blocking him on FB. The world would instantly be a better place.

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