Another summer holiday is here, and you know what that means, don’t you? Men down to Mikey’s Meat Market buying meat. I was in there on Saturday getting some pork chops for supper, and it was a friggin’ mad house. Now, you don’t get this for your winter holidays. Thanksgiving, Christmas, even Easter, I go into the meat market and it’s mostly exhausted women trying to do higher math. You know, if we’ve got 14 people coming for dinner, how big’s the turkey got to be? Or if the rump roast weighs such and such, how long should I cook it and at what temperature? Man, they don’t ask questions like that on the SAT’s! …

Charlie and me went to a dance down to the VFW this weekend, a benefit for the Moose Megantic High School Band Boosters. The theme was “Rockin’ to the Oldies.” I says to Charlie, “We’re oldies. Let’s go!” We had a fun time, too, once it got going. But that took awhile, because someone hired professional dancers to kick off the evening with dance lessons. Charlie and me didn’t have much interest in that. It’s not like we think we’re perfect dancers or something. Far from it. But like a lot of couples, we have our own style. We don’t give a hoot about doing it “the right way.” Anyways, after teaching us how to …

Saturday, I’m on my way home from my weekly appointment with Patsy down to Hair Affair, when on a whim, I turn into the Agway parking lot. Don’t know why, because I’d planned on going straight home to clean the house. It just kind of happened. Generally, Charlie’s the one who shops at the Agway. Me, not so much. But there I was. So, I go inside thinking, Maybe I can find another hanging plant for the deck. Well, no sooner do I get in the door, when who do I see? Debbie Plourde. I hadn’t seen Debbie since Washington crossed the Delaware. She was a year behind me in school. Debbie left Mahoosuc Mills …

So, I’m browsing through People magazine’s “The Beautiful Issue 2018: 41 pages of gorgeous, inspiring stars!” I come to this page filled with photos. “Beauty at Every Age,” it promises. It starts with Elle Fanning, who’s all of 20, and ends with Emma Thompson, 59. I whiz pretty quick through the youngsters, but when I get to the gals in their fifties, I slow down. I can relate more to them. And, I actually know who the heck they are! There’s Viola Davis, Meg Ryan, Robin Roberts, Allison Janney, and they’re looking good. Not too much Botox or injected fillers (though a few have suspiciously smooth necks and jaw lines). I get to Emma Thompson, …

Every house project takes at least two, three, four times longer than you think it’s going to. That box that says “all parts included” is lying. You dive into repairing that little bit of rot outside the front door and discover it’s the tip of the iceberg. And don’t even get me going on window treatments and paint chips! Experience has taught me that if Charlie’s going to be attempting one of these little chores, it’s best if I’m out of the house. So Saturday, when Charlie announced he was going to install our new bathroom blind, I called up my sister, Irene, and we went down to the Busy Bee for breakfast, then on …

I’m letting Charlie handle this week’s blog as I’m recovering from the flu. And yes, I did get the flu shot, but like a lot of things nowadays, it’s not 100%. The good news is I didn’t get as sick as I would have without the vaccine. It’s been a week and I’m starting to bounce back. Luckily, I was able to clear my schedule and do the rest and drink plenty of liquids deal. It’s about the only thing that really works with the flu. And Scamp is a good little nurse. Here’s Charlie’s latest poem. You Don’t Belong Indoors  There’s a stinkbug in the sink where I would really like to shave But to …

It’s been a few weeks since I finished radiation, and I’m starting to feel more myself. And heck, it’s almost March. March in Maine means even if you get snow, you still feel hopeful that spring is right around the corner. Now that I have more energy, I’m trying to catch up on some of the things I let slide. Still trying not to sweat the small stuff, but there’s a limit. I mean, dust bunnies the size of tumbleweeds? That’s just not right! Here’s a poem about what Charlie’s been up to lately. I Didn’t and Here We Are I coulda snow-blown while the snow was fluff Before it all turned to that crusty …

I had to go in for a mammogram last week. I know! I just finished radiation for breast cancer and I have go in for a mammogram? Don’t worry. They didn’t pancake the tender one, the one that was operated on and then irradiated. No, I get to have a mammogram on that one in six months. This was for my left breast. Now my boobs are on a different schedule. Honey, the girls have seen more action in the past few months than when Charlie and me were first dating! It’s the first time I’ve ever been nervous for a mammogram. Actually, I was a little cranky because I didn’t want to be there. …

Have you ever had a chore that just gets shuffled from one to-do list to another? Something that needs to be fixed or put away or thrown away, but you never to get to it. “Maybe tomorrow,” you say. But tomorrow never comes. And by the by, you don’t even notice anymore when you jiggle the handle of the pesky toilet. Or automatically bump your hip against that drawer that sticks when you come to shut it. Well, you’re not alone. Charlie got inspired. Not to do his chore, but to write a poem about not doing it. I’ll Get To It One Of These Days  There’s a nail head that catches my shovel, it …

January is almost done, thank goodness. My decluttering is kind of stalled, though, because I’ve done all the easy stuff, and all that’s left are big things like tacking my craft room or the catch all closet. But, it’s hard to get motivated. Frankly, I’m kind of overwhelmed just thinking about it. Caitlin, my niece and guru for all things new age-y, says to me the other day, “Aunt Ida, some animals hyphenate for the winter. Maybe we should take our cue from them, and slow down a little. You know, enjoy it.” We were having lunch down to the Busy Bee, and I was tucking into the special of the day: baked macaroni and …