Cheryl B. Dale's Blog: RANDOM MUSINGS, page 16
June 21, 2015
LEMON TREE
This spring, we had a Bradford pear tree cut down because it had gotten so big the limbs were splitting off. One just missed the house.
Later, we set out a Meyer lemon tree because I love the fruit. The lemons aren't hard and sharp-tasting like regular lemons. They're less acidic and about the size of an orange. Granny Dale had a bush at her Florida house and we always brought some back when we could.
So we (actually, my guy) picked out one with lots of blossoms and planted it. When the lemons started making, he pinched off some so the others could thrive. The tree's about three feet high and its lemons are getting bigger.
They should be ripe sometime this fall. Then we'll juice them and freeze the juice in ice cube trays, then bag the cubes up so we can take out however many we need. (We learned this from Granny Dale, too.)
I keep thinking of lemon bars and lemon pie and lemon cake--most of which I rarely make but it's nice to dream, right? We'll use the juice for sauces and marinades for sure. Maybe even to make lemonade and add to iced tea!
Can't wait!
Later, we set out a Meyer lemon tree because I love the fruit. The lemons aren't hard and sharp-tasting like regular lemons. They're less acidic and about the size of an orange. Granny Dale had a bush at her Florida house and we always brought some back when we could.
So we (actually, my guy) picked out one with lots of blossoms and planted it. When the lemons started making, he pinched off some so the others could thrive. The tree's about three feet high and its lemons are getting bigger.
They should be ripe sometime this fall. Then we'll juice them and freeze the juice in ice cube trays, then bag the cubes up so we can take out however many we need. (We learned this from Granny Dale, too.)
I keep thinking of lemon bars and lemon pie and lemon cake--most of which I rarely make but it's nice to dream, right? We'll use the juice for sauces and marinades for sure. Maybe even to make lemonade and add to iced tea!
Can't wait!
June 14, 2015
OUR SCHEDULE
My cat likes to stick to a schedule. She wakes us up somewhere between 6:15 and 6:45 every morning, meowing in my face. She looks like this:
If I don't get up, she waits patiently. For about five minutes. Then she pat-pat-pats my face and meows some more. Loudly.
I get up, feed her the food, give her fresh dry food and water, and clean her box, By then she's ready to nap. She sits quietly in the bedroom, waiting for us to make the bed up. Again, she's very patient. Unless we don't get it made up in a few minutes. Then she climbs back in and we have to move her to make it up which she doesn't like and so she protests pretty noisily.
Lunch, she strolls out as we're eating. I have to feed her wet food again. Otherwise, she stays underfoot till I do.
After lunch, she waits beside the bed to see if I'm going to take a nap. If I don't, she takes one by herself.
For supper, she starts demanding food early. I have to feed her before we eat. Lately, we've been giving her the steroid (tiny dose!) after supper and then giving her some of what we ate as a treat. She loves my guy's grilled stuff: pork chops, steaks, chicken, fish... I must admit, he's an expert griller! That might be why she doesn't eat so much of her cat food.
Then it's TV time. If we don't go toward the den, she stands in the door and looks at us expectantly. Once we sit down, she meows to be picked up and placed on the sofa between us. This is when she gets brushed. When she's had enough of that, she cuddles up with my guy. Strangely, only when we watch TV does she want to be with him. She follows me around the rest of the time.
When it's time to go to bed, she leads the way, looking back to make sure I'm following her. She sleeps by my feet, sometimes so quietly I don't know she's down there.
Until morning when it starts up again.
She gets upset when we do something different. I guess because she's getting old and set in her ways. And of course, we just do what she wants. It's easier that way.
I'm just glad she's stopped yowling in the middle of the night.
If I don't get up, she waits patiently. For about five minutes. Then she pat-pat-pats my face and meows some more. Loudly.
I get up, feed her the food, give her fresh dry food and water, and clean her box, By then she's ready to nap. She sits quietly in the bedroom, waiting for us to make the bed up. Again, she's very patient. Unless we don't get it made up in a few minutes. Then she climbs back in and we have to move her to make it up which she doesn't like and so she protests pretty noisily.
Lunch, she strolls out as we're eating. I have to feed her wet food again. Otherwise, she stays underfoot till I do.
After lunch, she waits beside the bed to see if I'm going to take a nap. If I don't, she takes one by herself.
For supper, she starts demanding food early. I have to feed her before we eat. Lately, we've been giving her the steroid (tiny dose!) after supper and then giving her some of what we ate as a treat. She loves my guy's grilled stuff: pork chops, steaks, chicken, fish... I must admit, he's an expert griller! That might be why she doesn't eat so much of her cat food.
Then it's TV time. If we don't go toward the den, she stands in the door and looks at us expectantly. Once we sit down, she meows to be picked up and placed on the sofa between us. This is when she gets brushed. When she's had enough of that, she cuddles up with my guy. Strangely, only when we watch TV does she want to be with him. She follows me around the rest of the time.
When it's time to go to bed, she leads the way, looking back to make sure I'm following her. She sleeps by my feet, sometimes so quietly I don't know she's down there.
Until morning when it starts up again.
She gets upset when we do something different. I guess because she's getting old and set in her ways. And of course, we just do what she wants. It's easier that way.
I'm just glad she's stopped yowling in the middle of the night.
June 6, 2015
BIRDS WITH THEIR YOUNG
Looking out into our postage-stamp of a back yard:
Our lilies are starting to fade but are still pretty.
And this bird came up to the feeder the other day. I don't know what he is, but he has a splash of red on his wings that you can't see in the picture. We hadn't noticed him before or since. Maybe he was just passing through.
And I could not get a photo of our cardinals. Every time I tried to take one, they spotted me and flew away. A couple have been eating at our bird feeder for some time and lately, they've shown up with a large baby. Well, it can fly so I guess it's technically a fledgling.
What seems strange to me is that the mother and father feed it from the bird feeder. The baby sits on the table or a chair, and a parent comes down from the feeder and puts food into its mouth. A couple of times, the baby has lit on the feeder and seems to be eating, then she goes back to her old habits, waiting to be fed.
This has been going on for several days now. I'm wondering if the baby is a little slow? Seems like she ought to be able to feed herself by now.
But what do I know? Maybe this is what all birds do!
Our lilies are starting to fade but are still pretty.
And this bird came up to the feeder the other day. I don't know what he is, but he has a splash of red on his wings that you can't see in the picture. We hadn't noticed him before or since. Maybe he was just passing through.
And I could not get a photo of our cardinals. Every time I tried to take one, they spotted me and flew away. A couple have been eating at our bird feeder for some time and lately, they've shown up with a large baby. Well, it can fly so I guess it's technically a fledgling.
What seems strange to me is that the mother and father feed it from the bird feeder. The baby sits on the table or a chair, and a parent comes down from the feeder and puts food into its mouth. A couple of times, the baby has lit on the feeder and seems to be eating, then she goes back to her old habits, waiting to be fed.
This has been going on for several days now. I'm wondering if the baby is a little slow? Seems like she ought to be able to feed herself by now.
But what do I know? Maybe this is what all birds do!
May 30, 2015
THE IMPERSONATOR
A friend gave me a book, saying it reminded her of my vintage mystery, LOSING DAVID. She also said that the plot goes off in another direction, but she enjoyed it. I read the blurb and it sounded so much like my story that I immediately read it.
THE IMPERSONATOR by Mary Miley did indeed have a lot of similarities to my book. An heir/heiress goes missing and is presumed dead. Years later, an actor/actress who looks remarkably like the missing person is approached to play the part. The time frame is the past, the mid-twenties/ early sixties.
But there are differences, too. Miley's actor is the heroine and mine is the hero (kind of).
And Miley writes in first person while I--though my first draft was in first person, I switched to third, then switched back to first, then back to third (rewriting every time, I might add!)--finally ended up using third person with different viewpoints. (I won't go into the reasons, but I'm happy with the result.)
My story is a stand-alone; there'll be no sequels. Miley's is the first of a mystery series.
My story has a definite romance while Miley's has a tiny bit.
Miley keeps the murderer's identity secret till the last (though most mystery readers won't be too surprised, I suspect) while I lay out the murderer's identity in the prologue.
Since Miley is writing a series, she leaves a few loose ends. Mine leaves a question, too, but not one that will lead to another story; I just didn't know the answer.
And of course, the twenties are a lot different from the sixties. Miley does a good job of evoking that era; I'm not sure how I did with the sixties but...
Anyway, I enjoyed the story. If anyone's read both LOSING DAVID and THE IMPERSONATOR, I'd love to hear your opinion. I'm really curious as to how others feel they compare
On second thoughts: this sounds like a blatant plug so... Never mind. I won't ask you to go out and read them just to assuage my curiosity!
THE IMPERSONATOR by Mary Miley did indeed have a lot of similarities to my book. An heir/heiress goes missing and is presumed dead. Years later, an actor/actress who looks remarkably like the missing person is approached to play the part. The time frame is the past, the mid-twenties/ early sixties.
But there are differences, too. Miley's actor is the heroine and mine is the hero (kind of).
And Miley writes in first person while I--though my first draft was in first person, I switched to third, then switched back to first, then back to third (rewriting every time, I might add!)--finally ended up using third person with different viewpoints. (I won't go into the reasons, but I'm happy with the result.)
My story is a stand-alone; there'll be no sequels. Miley's is the first of a mystery series.
My story has a definite romance while Miley's has a tiny bit.
Miley keeps the murderer's identity secret till the last (though most mystery readers won't be too surprised, I suspect) while I lay out the murderer's identity in the prologue.
Since Miley is writing a series, she leaves a few loose ends. Mine leaves a question, too, but not one that will lead to another story; I just didn't know the answer.
And of course, the twenties are a lot different from the sixties. Miley does a good job of evoking that era; I'm not sure how I did with the sixties but...
Anyway, I enjoyed the story. If anyone's read both LOSING DAVID and THE IMPERSONATOR, I'd love to hear your opinion. I'm really curious as to how others feel they compare
On second thoughts: this sounds like a blatant plug so... Never mind. I won't ask you to go out and read them just to assuage my curiosity!
May 23, 2015
SICK CAT
My cat is old. Her brother passed away a few months back and it's taken her a while to adjust. He was about twenty and she, at seventeen, never knew our home without him. She was deeply disturbed and has been going downhill, her physical problems including barely eating.
The vet prescribed some steroid medication. His thinking is that rather than doing a lot of tests and exploratory surgery to see what's going on, let's just make her comfortable in her old age. I agree.
So she took the medicine for about a week and really perked up. Her yowling when using the bathroom stopped, her appetite picked up, she stopped throwing up, she seemed livelier and generally looked like she felt much better. A few days after getting off the medicine, the old symptoms started coming back.
I finally called the vet again and told him. He asked if she was still on the medicine.
"No, it only lasted about a week and there were no refills."
"I could have sworn I had her on it longer than a week. I should have given you refills. Well, let's try it again. This time, I'll give refills. She needs to be on it continuously for one or two months."
That same day, the drugstore filling the new prescription called. "I was filling this and I looked at your old prescription and thought the dose seemed high so I checked out the backup info. I'm so sorry. We had a new pharmacist in and..."
The new pharmacist thought the dose was one and a half teaspoons and that's what he put on the label. Poor Cat should have been getting one and a half milliliters so she was taking, like five or six times the correct dose!
No wonder she was feeling so good!
Here's our beautiful girl!
The vet prescribed some steroid medication. His thinking is that rather than doing a lot of tests and exploratory surgery to see what's going on, let's just make her comfortable in her old age. I agree.
So she took the medicine for about a week and really perked up. Her yowling when using the bathroom stopped, her appetite picked up, she stopped throwing up, she seemed livelier and generally looked like she felt much better. A few days after getting off the medicine, the old symptoms started coming back.
I finally called the vet again and told him. He asked if she was still on the medicine.
"No, it only lasted about a week and there were no refills."
"I could have sworn I had her on it longer than a week. I should have given you refills. Well, let's try it again. This time, I'll give refills. She needs to be on it continuously for one or two months."
That same day, the drugstore filling the new prescription called. "I was filling this and I looked at your old prescription and thought the dose seemed high so I checked out the backup info. I'm so sorry. We had a new pharmacist in and..."
The new pharmacist thought the dose was one and a half teaspoons and that's what he put on the label. Poor Cat should have been getting one and a half milliliters so she was taking, like five or six times the correct dose!
No wonder she was feeling so good!
Here's our beautiful girl!
May 18, 2015
BIRDS ON A LAMPPOST
On our walk the other day, my guy pointed out what we think is an osprey nest. It's on one of those high ballfield posts. He took a couple of pix today.
These are the babies. Looks like they're about ready to fly!
And this is the mother with a baby beside her that you can barely see. The light pole itself is very tall, one of those that towers over the ball field.
Yesterday, we saw a large bird on a nearby pole. I theorize he was the father and was acting as sentry for his little family. Or maybe he was looking for tasty squirrels/mice/lizards to feed his growing kids.
Then again, maybe his wife had kicked him out of the nest!
These are the babies. Looks like they're about ready to fly!
And this is the mother with a baby beside her that you can barely see. The light pole itself is very tall, one of those that towers over the ball field.
Yesterday, we saw a large bird on a nearby pole. I theorize he was the father and was acting as sentry for his little family. Or maybe he was looking for tasty squirrels/mice/lizards to feed his growing kids.
Then again, maybe his wife had kicked him out of the nest!
May 10, 2015
CRIME COLUMN
So we had some more weird crimes reported in the local newspaper this past week: I can't help but love this paper!
First some mundane reports:
A man's ex live-in boyfriend pushed and grabbed him, then yelled at him. Maybe the ex was trying to make up.
Someone rented some stuff, then pawned it. Tsk, tsk!
A woman's daughter hit her with a cup, leaving a cut on her finger. The daughter got arrested under the family violence law. Seems she was also on probation. Wonder what she was on probation for. Assault with a coffee pot?
Another person paid an employee of a business she'd used. Only he wasn't an employee after all. I'd take the money if someone handed it to me, too!
A man refused to leave the premises after he'd been served--guess it was a restaurant?--and police had to use a stun gun to get him out. Goodness. Looks like once he got what he wanted, he would have been happy to escape.
When children hit a parked car with their kickball, the owner came out and swore. Complaints about his cursing brought the police. What? Nobody called them about the rowdy children?
A man and woman were arrested for stealing tile from a house being renovated. Police caught the woman inside, but the man ran off to a nearby business and hid. Inside the bathroom. Looks like he found himself a comfortable hide-out! Wonder if he took a magazine or book in with him.
Then some strange items:
A man complained of harassment by his drug dealer. Seems he owed the dealer money for crack cocaine. And he told this to the police?
When chickens in town made too much noise, someone called authorities. Their owner was given a warning Guess there's no fowl play law in the city!
A couple got in an argument while cooking and someone called police, but it ended peaceably when the man walked out. Seems they had been arguing over the best way to fix chicken. Heck, if my guy said anything to me about my cooking, I'd turn the stove over to him!
I can't help but wonder if these last two problems can possibly be connected. Noisy chickens; chicken for dinner. Hmm?
First some mundane reports:
A man's ex live-in boyfriend pushed and grabbed him, then yelled at him. Maybe the ex was trying to make up.
Someone rented some stuff, then pawned it. Tsk, tsk!
A woman's daughter hit her with a cup, leaving a cut on her finger. The daughter got arrested under the family violence law. Seems she was also on probation. Wonder what she was on probation for. Assault with a coffee pot?
Another person paid an employee of a business she'd used. Only he wasn't an employee after all. I'd take the money if someone handed it to me, too!
A man refused to leave the premises after he'd been served--guess it was a restaurant?--and police had to use a stun gun to get him out. Goodness. Looks like once he got what he wanted, he would have been happy to escape.
When children hit a parked car with their kickball, the owner came out and swore. Complaints about his cursing brought the police. What? Nobody called them about the rowdy children?
A man and woman were arrested for stealing tile from a house being renovated. Police caught the woman inside, but the man ran off to a nearby business and hid. Inside the bathroom. Looks like he found himself a comfortable hide-out! Wonder if he took a magazine or book in with him.
Then some strange items:
A man complained of harassment by his drug dealer. Seems he owed the dealer money for crack cocaine. And he told this to the police?
When chickens in town made too much noise, someone called authorities. Their owner was given a warning Guess there's no fowl play law in the city!
A couple got in an argument while cooking and someone called police, but it ended peaceably when the man walked out. Seems they had been arguing over the best way to fix chicken. Heck, if my guy said anything to me about my cooking, I'd turn the stove over to him!
I can't help but wonder if these last two problems can possibly be connected. Noisy chickens; chicken for dinner. Hmm?
May 3, 2015
TEETH
I ate a bowl of cereal last week and bit down on something hard. I thought it was a small rock so I got it out and inspected it.
A tooth. Or part of one. About half of a molar that had been held together by fillings had broken off.
I was pretty sure I'd need a crown. The dentist saw me right away and verified it. Unfortunately, the tooth had broken off below the gum line so it seems an ordinary crown procedure won't do. No, I have to have something called 'crown lengthening' before I can have the tooth capped.
More expensive than a regular crown, he said sympathetically. But less expensive than a bridge or an implant. And the root wasn't exposed, he said encouragingly.
He needed a longer appointment time to do the pre-dental work for the crown lengthening, which is done by a periodontist or oral surgeon. So I'm going back in a few days for that. Then to the periodontist. Then back for the crown.
In the meanwhile, I keep tonguing half a tooth and wondering if it's going to break off. It's hard to remember to eat on the other side.
Maybe I can lose some weight.
A tooth. Or part of one. About half of a molar that had been held together by fillings had broken off.
I was pretty sure I'd need a crown. The dentist saw me right away and verified it. Unfortunately, the tooth had broken off below the gum line so it seems an ordinary crown procedure won't do. No, I have to have something called 'crown lengthening' before I can have the tooth capped.
More expensive than a regular crown, he said sympathetically. But less expensive than a bridge or an implant. And the root wasn't exposed, he said encouragingly.
He needed a longer appointment time to do the pre-dental work for the crown lengthening, which is done by a periodontist or oral surgeon. So I'm going back in a few days for that. Then to the periodontist. Then back for the crown.
In the meanwhile, I keep tonguing half a tooth and wondering if it's going to break off. It's hard to remember to eat on the other side.
Maybe I can lose some weight.
April 25, 2015
BELK INC.
Horrifying news: my favorite department store is putting itself up for sale.
Belk, with nearly three hundred stores across the south, has been my favorite place to shop since childhood. Started in 1888, Belk is a southern institution. And why not? It has good prices, nice merchandise, and pleasant salespeople. Alas, now it may be going the way of Davison and Rich's in Atlanta: gobbled up by a chain and never more heard from. Macy's has been mentioned as one potential buyer, but 'experts' think they'll pass.
It's a shame, since Belk is one of the few family-owned stores left. Oh, there's still WalMart, but that isn't exactly known for its customer service and well-kept stores. Good values, yes, but the quality isn't that great. It isn't a place to go when you need a special dress for a special occasion or a plush mattress pad for that new bed. Not like Belk's.
And Belk is always having sales! Sometimes as much as eighty percent off. If you don't need towels or shorts or pajamas a toaster or an emerald ring right away, wait. Whatever you want will soon be on sale and you can snap it up then. A woman the other day bragged about getting a hundred dollar outfit for under ten.
Oh, Belk! Don't do it! Don't sell yourself! A few paltry dollars for each family member isn't worth the heartbreak you'll cause millions of loyal customers!
Belk ad talking about locations, number of employees, etc.
Belk, with nearly three hundred stores across the south, has been my favorite place to shop since childhood. Started in 1888, Belk is a southern institution. And why not? It has good prices, nice merchandise, and pleasant salespeople. Alas, now it may be going the way of Davison and Rich's in Atlanta: gobbled up by a chain and never more heard from. Macy's has been mentioned as one potential buyer, but 'experts' think they'll pass.
It's a shame, since Belk is one of the few family-owned stores left. Oh, there's still WalMart, but that isn't exactly known for its customer service and well-kept stores. Good values, yes, but the quality isn't that great. It isn't a place to go when you need a special dress for a special occasion or a plush mattress pad for that new bed. Not like Belk's.
And Belk is always having sales! Sometimes as much as eighty percent off. If you don't need towels or shorts or pajamas a toaster or an emerald ring right away, wait. Whatever you want will soon be on sale and you can snap it up then. A woman the other day bragged about getting a hundred dollar outfit for under ten.
Oh, Belk! Don't do it! Don't sell yourself! A few paltry dollars for each family member isn't worth the heartbreak you'll cause millions of loyal customers!
Belk ad talking about locations, number of employees, etc.
April 18, 2015
WALK
Finally resting up after our travels to the wedding last week, we've begun taking walks again. Here are a few pix from them.
This one is down in the village, looking out on a surly sea. You can see a couple of small boats if you look carefully.
This one was outside the airport. You can see some of the hangars beyond the fence. What I wanted to get was the wildflowers blooming between the road and fence. Scads of little purple and yellow with a few white ones. They don't show up very well here, but they were very pretty.
And these cute little fellows were nestled alongside the road, just sitting there when we walked by from the Village. Their pond was at a condo complex behind us so don't know why they came out to the road.
We have some pretty scenery and cute wildlife around us.
This one is down in the village, looking out on a surly sea. You can see a couple of small boats if you look carefully.
This one was outside the airport. You can see some of the hangars beyond the fence. What I wanted to get was the wildflowers blooming between the road and fence. Scads of little purple and yellow with a few white ones. They don't show up very well here, but they were very pretty.
And these cute little fellows were nestled alongside the road, just sitting there when we walked by from the Village. Their pond was at a condo complex behind us so don't know why they came out to the road.
We have some pretty scenery and cute wildlife around us.
