Tag Archives: #Social Security/#Retirement/#What Age//

It’s A Different World

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Today Mary Flynn posted a piece for Florida Writers Association titled https://floridawriters.blog/no-puffy-clouds-no-twinkling-stars/o Puffy Clouds, No Twinkling Stars discussing being a better writer and the words we choose. Writing is a craft and several good reminders were highlighted.

She confessed “Google is my friend” and that she no longer uses a Thesaurus. 

“May attention,” I said to self. Well known successful authors are changing their ways. Perhaps you need to embrace this changing world.

However, I have little patience for pop-ups, and my old eyes and shaking hands refuse to type fast. I strike a key accidently that brings a cyber-world of advertising for a product I’ve purchased and leaves me feeling befuddled.

I love my Thesaurus and the tedious task of going down the path to a better word. I purchased the book for ten dollars at Abraxas, a used book store on Beach Street in Daytona Beach. The owner James Sass is quite a character and every inch of space in the store is taken up with books.

So, I got to thinking. What if I did kill someone for speeding around me on the exit ramp of LPGA Blvd. I’m too lady like to give them the finger when we are side-by-side at the light but I might follow them home and accidently ram their car. That would be premeditated murder and the argument that I googled murder many times as a writer tossed aside. I’d be portrayed a murderous person or slayer.     

Roget’s Thesaurus is were I searched for similar words for murder, and was directed to subtext, 308.1 where I found a full page of alternatives beginning with; homicide, killing, slaying, slaughter, butchery, throttle, choke, etc., and ending with condemn to death.

The choices are endless and many words brought back memories, i.e., my mother said throttle frequently during my childhood. Understandably, there were eight children.

* * * Claudia Just Saying

If you are looking for a great summer read, I would recommend Morningside Drive.

The Little Yellow Train

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Have you heard about the Little Yellow Train? I hadn’t, until I turned on the television and found Rich Steve’s travel show about France, the Pryenees and The Little Train. It wasn’t deliberate. You know how streaming works . . . You keep clicking hoping you remember the streaming service you watched your favorite program on. And some how wind up somewhere else.

In this case it was a good thing. The Legine de Cerdagne or Petit Jaune train gets its name from its red and yellow colors derived from the Catalan Flag. 

  • The line is 63 kilometres (39 mi) long and climbs to 1,593 metres (5,226 ft) at Bolquère-Eyne, the highest railway station in France.
  • The line serves 22 stations, fourteen of which are “request stops” (i.e., the train only stops when specifically requested by passengers).
  • There are 19 tunnels, the longest of which is the Tunnel du Pla de Llaurar with a length of 380 metres (1,250 ft), located at kilo metre point 59.639.[6] 
  • Built in 1903 today it is maintained as a tourist attraction by the agency called Plan Rail.

The PBS television program included panoramic views of the Pyrenees and small French villages.

The gentleman who purchased an abandoned train stations, restored it as a Bed & Breakfast, and now gets dropped at his door, was interviewed. He spoke French only and required a translator.   

It’s unlikely I’ll get to France and ride the Legine de Cerdagne anytime soon, but I enjoyed the view and the closed caption from my living room. 

                                                                                                         . . . just saying, Claudia

Morningside Drive is still a popular read and available on Amazon

Happy 2025

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Wishing all my family, friends and readers a Happy New Year. May our year be filled with laughter, love, good health and kindness.

I am working on Middle Seat Passenger, the sequel to Morningside Drive. I appreciate the support from family, friends and readers that I have receive when publishing my first novel. Thank you.

Happy New Year. . . just saying, Claudia

Composting Yuck

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In a previous post I talked about the Composting Guru who provided a five minute video on composting. I watched the video and followed the steps.

We didn’t have an old beat-up bin so I bought one. Just as well because it is going to be kept outside and in Florida would be considered unsightly. Fortunately I found a lovely purple one. Unfortunately the strong sun will fade it to a dingy violet in no time.

I put Bobbie C to work drilling holes in both top and bottom.

He took the job seriously. It was harder than we thought.

The next steps were easier. S

Steps to composting

1. Add dried leaves
2. Add soil and water
3. Dump in smelly yucky compose and mixed slightly. Cover and set in the sun.

It was quite gross. The filter inside the lid of the kitchen bin prevented my from smelling the decomposing fruit and vegetable scrapes.

Since we are three miles from the beach our soil isn’t really soil, it is sand. I’m hoping this will help things grow. But it is probably just another one of my “great” ideas to fight global warming.

. . . just saying, Claudia

Composting

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What’s new at my house? Well there haven’t been any health events, thank God.

I’m a full time care giver now. Those of you who have been there, done that, know what it entails. There is little time for other things, especially writing. But occasionally there is something new.

Doesn’t this Crofton Countertop Compose Bin (only $14.99 at Aldi’s) add a decorative element to my kitchen?  It’s useful too.  

“Compost is a mixture of ingredients used as plant fertilizer and to improve soil’s physical, chemical, and biological properties. It is commonly prepared by decomposing plant and food waste, recycling organic materials, and manure. The resulting mixture is rich in plant nutrients and beneficial organisms, such as bacteria, protozoa, nematodes, and fungi.” (Wikipedia)

This past week I added fruit and vegetable peels expecting the decomposing to occur. . . magically? Am I naïve, old or just plain dumb?

Today I realized the bin is a collection item and the magic takes place outdoors when soil, leaves and water are added.

Fortunately Composting Guru who provided a five minute video on what to do. You’ll need to view or skip through two ads to see how easy it is.

Claudia. . . just saying

Coming Soon

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Mary’s Smile

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Streaming AKA Screaming

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Photo by Matthew DeVries

Take a Leap

Just do it! Get on board. You’re going to have to do it sooner or later.  

These were a few, among many, thoughts I had while surrendering to  streaming and a cell phone only existence. There was no other choice, so I jumped in.

The leap was and continues to be traumatic!

I dislike this fast pace, speed talking, push a button. . . data collection, artificial intelligence life style.

Do you?

And Streaming aka screaming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The learning curve is high. But my cable bill was $246.

So let’s talk about AI.

Someone else writing your term paper is plagiarism. Am I wrong?

I was befuddled to learn WordPress now offers an AI component to help bloggers write a post. An individual’s uniqueness is what readers like.  Will this have a cookie cutter effect? Personally, I will not put my name on someone else’s work, especially if it enhances, and enriches my writing.

In my opinion, that would be cheating.

I would love to hear your thoughts.   

. . . just saying

Below is the email sent by WordPress. Perhaps I don’t understand the program.

WordPress.​com is built for writers.

One of the key elements of an effective website is its content. And because high-quality writing differentiates your website from others, it’s the primary reason visitors return and is instrumental in attracting new traffic.

But what if you’re not sure what to write, or you’re dealing with writer’s block? No worries! Your WordPress.​com plan gives you access to Jetpack AI Assistant, which will help you create engaging posts in a jiffy.

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With everything you need to get started at your fingertips, we think you’ll enjoy planning and writing your posts even more than ever.

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What Is Vogue

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A Michael Knors Design

Vogue is synonymous with fashion, trend, craze, fad, style and the latest. . . exclusivity.

Designer fashion has always been for the rich, however, now even the rich question. . . what they can afford.

Yesterday the March issue of Vogue magazine came in the mail. It is two hundred and seventy-five pages of beautiful photos and many articles.

My daughter used sky miles to subscribe, but since she’s not billed, doesn’t know how to stop them from coming. I don’t usually read the articles because the print is too small, but the title, What Is It With the Price of Clothes?, intrigued me.

Apparently only the richest of the richest are buying. But designers aren’t complaining, because prices are climbing. Channel’s classic quilted flap bag now sells for ten thousand dollars, double what it was five years ago. Why would Channel increase the cost and why do the rich pay the significant jump?

Well, if only the richest of the richest can afford to buy their status increases and so does designers’ profits. . .a win win

However, none of that is my concern. My worry is what to do with the magazines filled with pretty pictures.

Before Covid I would bring magazines to the hospital for their reading cart. Remember reading carts? Sometimes I’d leave them in a doctor’s waiting room. I can’t do that any more. So out of desperation I stacked them.

What do you think?

I’m still conflicted about throwing them out.These are some of the photo from the current magazine.

Ruff, tough and baggie are stylish. I don’t go for any of these looks, although the shoes are classy.

The pictures below aren’t from a photo shoot, but from a professional photographer on the street looking to prove that messy is a trend. I thought a large open over filled hand bag a pick-pickets dream. Wrong! Today, it’s “a marker of modern womanhood”. Go figure.

To make matters worse, I’m binge watching Project Runway and haven’t seen anything I’d buy it I could afford to.

I was never cool, but. . . still. . . is it really fashionable to look frumpy, and messy, your hair in disarray?

Please let me know if there is a way to cancel a subscription you aren’t paying for.

. . . just saying

Welcome To My World

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     Photo by Lynn Milburn

Mundane Sunday

Mundane Sunday

My Tandem insulin pump, wakes me up at 6 A.M., like an alarm clock would, to let me know I am going low. So, like it or not, I am up for the day.

 It’s Sunday morning, January 7th.

Like it or not, I drink a glass of juice, then fix a cup of coffee and a piece of toast.

Now. . . it’s Wordle time.

I started doing the word game last January. In the beginning I struggled. Now I’m fairly good. This morning I figured out the five letter word of the day in less than five minutes. My current winning streak is thirty-seven days long and I feel proud.

At my last eye doctor’s visit, hoping  to engage him in normal conversation, I asked if he played the game. I expected to chat about fun or finding time to play. But, his response was a dissertation on vowel versus consonant approaches. His take on a mundane pastime was genius, the only one he had, and why he’s a retina surgeon.

According to him, I use a vowel approach. I always use the word years, because it has three vowels. If none are in the word, I attempt to use the remaining vowels, i o or u.

Well, it is time to shower and blow dry my hair. Then I will bake a crumb cake for my grandson.

Yesterday, January 6th is a date I will always remember because. . . it is also my grandson’s birthday.

The day won’t be totally mundane. Dominic, his wife Marcela, and our daughter Janine, will join us for dinner out, then we’ll come home.

I will light a candle on the crumb cake and we will sing Happy Birthday.

P.S. It’s not snowing in Florida, but I wish it were.

. . . just saying