Random Thoughts

We said goodbye to our Lilly yesterday. She was the best dog, so sweet and smart. Our hearts are broken.

I remember the first night with her. We got her home, and everything looked so new to her. We eventually put her to bed. The next morning each step we walked down the stairs and towards her kennel a familiar but unflattering scent grew stronger and stronger. We were greeted by the happiest puppy…covered in poop. My mom instincts kicked in as I scooped up my baby and took her upstairs for a bath. Stef got the glorious job of gagging while he cleaned out the kennel.

Every day was an adventure with Lilly. She had her routine. It started in the morning with her visiting each of us in our rooms. She did that throughout the day, rotating who she hung out with, loving her belly rubs and time to play with toys. And she loved her toys. She’d bring them to us to play tug of war or fetch. She knew there would be a new toy for her under the Christmas tree, and she was as excited as a little kid when we opened her present.

Lilly loved her home and if we ever had to kennel her at the vet when we took a trip, she expressed her dissatisfaction with us. She would cry the whole way home, but with a cup of frosty paws, all was forgiven, and she was back to her old self. If we ran to the market for just a few minutes, we were greeted with Lilly wagging her tail and jumping around as if to say, “Yay! You’re finally home!”

Her illness came on quickly and caught us totally off guard. She had always been a happy, healthy dog. She went downhill fast. The vet tried everything he could, but Lilly just kept getting worse. There was no hope of recovery. With heavy hearts, it was time for her to go over the rainbow bridge. Stef and I cried as we wrote this. The house feels so empty now, but we smile with the memories our little dog…our Lilly Pad.

Stay groovy…

–Susie

Have you ever binge watched a show? I think we all have at one point or another. So, we weren’t streaming Yellowstone, but watching it on Paramount. The thing that’s interesting, is that since we weren’t steaming it, we couldn’t actually “binge” watch it. Why? Well, there’s this thing called sleep. And as you get older, you find yourself falling asleep earlier in the evening.

So, we caught parts of Yellowstone. We didn’t expect to be able to follow it since we were missing major hunks of the show, but somehow, we could. And what a great show it was. It was super violent, but also super intriguing.

Now we plan on getting Peacock to actually stream Yellowstone and watch it from the beginning. Then we’ll be able to pick up the new episodes on Paramount in November. By the way, what is with the idea that it streams on Paramount, but all of the episodes can only be viewed on Peacock? Doesn’t make sense to me…

Stay groovy…

–Susie

Do you remember writing checks? It’s how we paid for everything. The electric bill came in the mail, and you wrote a check. You owed a friend money; you wrote a check. Sure, you could pay with cash, but I’ve never been one to carry a lot of it around. So, a check was the answer.

Remember going to the grocery store and groaning when the person in front of you in line pulled out a checkbook? That was the problem with checks; they took so long to write out. And you had to record the amount of the check in the ledger. And don’t get me started on balancing your checkbook.

I promised myself the most recent checkbook would be my last. I ran out of checks years ago, and I’ve never had a need for checks again. With debit cards, Apple pay, Venmo and Zelle, there are more than enough quick ways to make a payment.

When was the last time you wrote a check?

Stay groovy…

–Susie

Keeping friendships going doesn’t just happen. You have to put in the time. We all have friends that we may not talk to for months, and then one of you calls, and you pick up right where you left off. But what if one of you doesn’t call? You can go a long time without communicating, and, let’s face it, the relationship may just fizzle out over time. Such is not the case with my band mom friends.

It started back when the kids were in middle school. We’d see each other at concerts and other events related to the beginning band, concert band, and eventually symphonic band and higher. But high school, ahh, that’s when the work began. You see, the kids started marching band. Marching band is a very involved process for the band members, and with all the work they put in, the kids became the best of friends. But a really cool thing happened. The moms became the best of friends as well.

With summer band camp, carpooling to and from practices, football games, and competitions, the moms got to know each other very well. And we formed bonds that continue, even now that our kids have graduated high school and moved on to their next adventures. How do we keep our friendships fresh and going seven years after our kids graduated?

I credit one band mom, Carolyn, with being the glue that holds us together. She is our social coordinator, and every month or two she reaches out in a group chat and facilitates our lunches. Sometimes everyone makes it, while other times someone is tied up and can’t join in. But getting together every couple of months ensures that we keep the friendships fresh, and they can stand the test of time.

How about you? Do you have friends you haven’t communicated with in a while? Give them a call and invite them to lunch.

Stay groovy…

–Susie

So, we are planning a trip to Paris in March, and Stef and I have been watching a variety of videos on the topic…Everything from dining, what to see, and even Parisian etiquette. Of the videos we’ve seen, we are particularly interested in those made by “Les Frenchies”.

Antoine and Colleen are Les Frenchies. He was born in France but lived in America for thirty years as an adult. She is from the states but loved to visit France often. They decided to move to France and now create videos about many aspects of life in Paris which are handy for those who plan to visit.

What makes their YouTube videos so enjoyable? Basically, Les Frenchies are our age, and they are real people. They present the food, drinks, sights, expectations, and travel through France in a very relatable way. They are full of excellent tips on how to get around and even what to avoid. Basically, their YouTube videos make me smile, and they are really helping us prepare for our trip.

So if you are planning a trip to France either now or later, check out Les Frenchies. You will more than likely enjoy them…

Stay groovy…

–Susie

A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, was first published in 1843. This has long been one of my favorite books, with me rereading it every year at about this time. I can quote many of the significant passages due to so much exposure. Since movies came into the picture, there have been many adaptations of this famous story on screen. My favorite of all of these productions is by far the 1951 version starring Alistair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge. I believe all the other Scrooges pale in comparison.

Somehow, I don’t have a copy of this famous film, but we can always find it on television or streaming. But this year it did not show on TV, and the only version that we could rent was a colorized one. I am a purist when it comes to old films, and I prefer the black and white versions to colorized ones. We enjoyed watching this movie depiction of the classic story, as usual, but for me something was missing in the colorized version.

First of all, the film tended to jump and the voices did not always match up with the mouths in the scenes. And there was something about the darker moments of the film that lost something when color was added. The dreariness of Ebenezer Scrooge’s life was less dismal when you add color to it.

But it is still one of my favorite productions of the holiday season. If you have not seen the 1951 version of A Christmas Carol, I highly recommend it. But I will be purchasing a black and white version on disk to enjoy over future Christmas holidays.

Stay groovy…

Susie

Do you remember S&H Green Stamps? These popular stamps were distributed from1896 until the late 1980s. I always saw them when we went to the grocery store. As the receipt was printing out, S&H Green Stamps would print out, too. The more you spent, the more stamps you got. You then pasted them into books for the stamps. Now here’s the fun part! You could exchange these books of stamps for merchandise from either the S&H Green Stamps catalog or store.

Books of S&H Green Stamps actually helped me get things for my first apartment. A couple of books got me a nice set of dishes for my kitchen and a vacuum cleaner. I used those items for years. Those booklets my mom gave me were like found money. S&H Green Stamps disappeared not long after that, but I fondly remember those freebie items I got from those little stamps. How about you? What did your stamp books get for you or your family?

Stay groovy…

–Susie

So, a while back I wrote about giving up soda in favor of water. It was an obsession with me, albeit temporary. Within a short time, I went back to drinking my Diet Dr. Pepper with a vengeance.

Well, I’m trying to drink water…again. The goal is to adopt a healthier lifestyle, and all of the chemicals in soda don’t fit in with that goal. But I want to succeed with the mission this time, so I came up with a plan. It’s pretty simple. Some people drink a cup of coffee every morning. I am drinking a Diet Dr. Pepper each morning as a sort of coffee substitute. By allowing myself that one soda a day and having it every morning, I hope to hold off the soda cravings and encourage me to drink water the rest of the day.

It’s only been a week, but so far it is working. The question is: Will it work in the long run? That remains to be seen, and I will report back on my progress in a couple of months.

Stay groovy…

–Susie