February 2021 

What a previous year we had and seems like it may get worse yet.  I don't necessarily mean the Pandemic and I hate to sound political but WOW!  

So far me and my family have been blessed and very careful of this virus.We do what we can as the instructions say and my grandson in Florida is in school and doing very well. I dont think I have left my house in a year because of this Pandemic and its a good thing for me as I don't really like to visit neighbors or go to bars or even resturants all year.  My darling husband does the mask thing and washes his hands a lot as he is my shopper.  He does not like to sit and watch movies and has no inside hobbies, so, he goes grocery shopping or  doctor visits.  I go with him but sit in the car.  It is fun to watch people wear masks or forget them and have to go back to their car for the.  Is that a little Sadistic?

Oh! Also, I sit because I have back problems and mostly confessing to being lazy. At my age I think I deserve to be lazy. 

I felt like I was in a familiar nursing home this past year, my house, and had my own private caretaker, my husband. He is the most wonderful man who never thinks about himself.  If you read my other blog about moving to Florida and not liking it too much I am hoping that this year I will. My five children keep in touch to see how these two old people are doing and my two daughters in Florida do visit.  One daughter gets checked for Covid before she comes while my  other daughter a Nurse has gotten her two shots of vaccine.   We are still waiting for appointments on getting our shots.  I am so frustrated by that part of this Pandemic.

I am hoping that all this garbage we see on TV is not taken too seriously.  Remember it is all Political .

I mean take the bad part of what is going on seriously staying as well as you can but stop with the radical news. ( It gives me indigestion)           Yes, I am a Republican and proud of it!!
. 

 

Still, until this disease begins to diminish and we can take off the masks and see faces again as I miss smiles and hugs, just do what you can to stay well.  

Colors Abound in Tennessee

 Oh how I miss Tennessee.  About this time September 2020 just about the whole state is going Fall colors. Not just the leaves turning colorful but all the decorations.

Each year tourist come up just to see the beautiful colorful mountains.  Here I am, moved to Florida and it feels like summer all the time.  I miss the seasons in Tennessee and the places to visit. Because of health issues my children in Florida insisted we move closer. I understand that but I was trying to put it off for another five years.  Didn't work, they insisted!  Funny how you listen to the wishes of your children as you become a senior citizen.  

My home there was near Pigeon Forge and Gatlinberg, very touristy and I guess I will be a tourist.

Every home and store and resturant had some sort of Fall decor.  Beautiful!  It does get crowded even with this Pandemic going on I understand. 

I miss you Tennessee!

Always liked Rod Stewart songs

Here is my Maggie Mae:  

If you like Rod Stewart you will know this song of which I named my new dog.
My Boston Terrier left us for doggie heaven just before we left to move to Florida.
Distraught I was I

thought I would never want to go through the death of a pet
but when I saw this pet I just had to have her.  She is a min-pinchi.  Maggie Mae.

A Writing

I just came a cross a folder I had of my poetry or poems I have done a few years back.
A bunch of it was for a writing swap on a group I belonged to. I was living in Tennessee and wrote a lot but since my move last year I haven't.

So let me amuse myself and get back to blogging by putting up one of mine.

Cloudy Day

Against a baby blue sky they appear
Clouds, pristine white
Clouds, tinged with gray
Changing shape as they slowly glide by
First, shaped as an elephant, then a dog

Amused, I watch as they float by
Then, suddenly, rain drops
gracing the land below giving needed
nourishment to the earth below

First it comes in droplets that make it
easy to stay and watch
Then a shower of rain, that makes me alert,
but wet.

Clouds, providing water for this parched land
Clouds, giving me a picture show on that
large baby blue screen.

by Diane Yates (me)

"I'm Back"

I'm back means to me: 
 I am back living in Florida again.  This is a big move for me as I loved Tennessee.
After spending 35 yrs. in Florida before, living in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains was
not only amazing to see the four seasons change and feel the cool breezes (occassionally) between
the trees, the need to move BACK to Florida was necessary, so my adult children advised, because
they feared we were getting old.   HA! We are!

After 12 yrs. in Tennessee and many request to move South, I gave in.   It was not that I wanted to move, but the three out of five children wanted us to be close enough should we need help.
Yes, my husband has a heart condition and me, I'm just getting old 84 this September having arthritis problems. My Children seem to become the parent while I return with my husband to childhood, knowing what is best for us.

                     My Garden

                    My Birds and the Mountains

  I did feel we had a few years yet to need help from them to do what ever was necessary.  Fear my husband's illness would take him away from me and I would be alone was more of a concern I think. 

Well, we are here now in hot, hot Florida.  Then again it has been hot, hot all over the country.
I am just beginning my 9 month here and I still miss my mountains but I do get to see my children and theirs more often.  As a famous journalist once said or maybe more than once "There is more to the Story".

Mirror, Mirror

A Fairy Tale of sorts.

 

I believe there are a lot of my “sisters” who are over 70 who could write this slight fantasy also.  However, being in my 80’s I owe it to myself to mention this mirror first.

I needed a hair cut, not styled, just trimmed.  I wait usually two months before making an appointment.  As I walk-in the receptionist remarked “I Remember the face Mam, but not your name-?”  Probably because I do not like being out of my own comfort zone.

Now, to get to the Magic Mirror part.

Got my hair washed, using white hair shampoo.  Then cut,blowing it dry, a little tease  all this done  with my back towards the mirror.

“Well, all done” as she turned the chair for me to approve her work.

I can honestly say I was pleased! I looked good.! Maybe even younger.  It had to be  magic!

. Tell you why!.

When I got home I wanted to take a selfie and send it to my adult children. My new haircut.

My IPhone is ready for me  to take my"selfie" .  Well, it turned out that I looked like an old lady 👵🏼 ... me!  No change, same face. Hair did not do anything different. Very disappointed!

Really,  I believe they spray an age reducer on those mirrors for us oldies.  I say this  because my bathroom mirror never lies either do selfie ‘s. Its the real me.

I think I will go more often to the same Salon to get my hair trimmed, with same hairstylist just to

look in their Magic Mirror.  

Maybe a facial even!

Got a facial after all and same face!

Hummm!

Summer - Hot -

Summer is not my favorite season.  It was when I was school age being the end of the school year and fun time in the neighborhood.  Now. at this age I'm at I find the weather too hot for playing outside with the neighbors.  In fact, no one is outside in this neighborhood of reitrees, too hot!

Do enjoy the flowers and trees in bloom all summer but maybe I am a little weird for the next season I love to see the colors in the leaves as they start to change in  the trees and fall into a pile on the ground likes pretty skirts of color.

 I also like the Winter as the trees become bare and the shapes of the branches make for designs you can't see when covered in summer green leaves.  You see a'lot more through those dark branches.  Homes and barns and abandoned buildings you didn't even know
were there.

SNOW, which I am sure a lot of Northern friends find trouble with but here I only see snow laying on the branches like decorations  or a 2 inch cover on the sidewalk.   This is in Eastern Tennessee I am at. 

I was thinking that since I was born the end of September, that may be a reason  I love Autumn or Fall (call it either). 

Now for me, I am a bit of a recluse.  I love my home and most of my "doings" are either at my crafting or writing.  I even prefer to write letters than telephone.  Age has a few limitations also for me at least and I envy those that get up an go.  Having the ablity to FACETIME my five adult kids and their kids is a blessing since we all live in different places. So for us older folks having an IPAD or IPHone and not being afraid to use it can be a plus for us.  My feelings regarding Iphones for the much younger set and how they use it is a little different though.

I will just stay in the aircondition

during the HOT summer days and keep hoping for Autumn or Fall to arrive, then my Winter and hopefully it begins all over again as Spring.