COLD SNAP CAUSES SCARE & S. FL KIN OKAY AFTER STORM & MORE

By OLIVENE GODFREY

Our first cold morning of the season nearly scared the wits out of me. It was about six A.M. and I had just entered the kitchen to start preparing breakfast when I heard the scary chirping sound of a smoke detector in my office which is next to the kitchen.

The next instant, I noticed a burnt smell in the air. And,
I thought the house was on fire and my heart starting pounding and I yelled for Barry who hadn't got up yet. He rushed into the office and the smoke detector stopped chirping. Barry tried to calm me down and explained that our new electric heat pump was using axillary heat because of the cold temp outside. He said the burnt smell was the "newness" wearing off the coils, and that it happened because the heat pump hadn't had to use the extra heat until that morning. That was a relief but the experience left me shaken all day.

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Yesterday, I called my nephew, Rex, and his wife, Annie, in West Palm Beach, FL to find out how they and other S. FL relatives survived the hurricane, Wilma. They reported they didn't have too much damage and were lucky that two uprooted trees in the yard fell away from the house. They were without electric power five days which was an unpleasant experience.

Annie told me that she and Rex were considering selling out and moving somewhere that would be free of hurricanes as they are so weary of the storms.

Later, I spoke with my sister, Jeanette, who lives in nearby Dalton, GA., She said that we are fortunate to live in northwest Georgia which has four distinct seasons and we rarely have severe weather. She added that the scenery is beautiful, too, and I agree with her observation.

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Last week, I watched an interesting interview with 91-year old Jack La Lanne, who was exercising and eating a healthful diet before almost anyone in our country. He says he eats fresh veggies and fruits, grains, and eats egg whites and fish for protein. He still looks fit and healthy and seems to have a very positive attitude of life. He doesn't eat any sweets or red meats. He is an amazing man. But, while I believe in exercise and a healthful diet, I also believe that moderation in all things is best. And I don't feel guilty if I occasionally enjoy a small steak or favorite dessert.
See you next time.

HOME GROWN TOMATOES FOR THANKSGIVING DINNER ?

By OLIVENE GODFREY

After hearing the weather forecast for cold weather this week,
son Barry decided yesterday to bring the house plants in from the patio to the inside of the house and the garage. He pruned the plants that were all huge now and we hope they won't be damaged by the sudden change in their environment.

He had grown a tomato plant in a large pot on the patio at the first of the summer. The plant was thriving and produced one round of tomatoes and then it was stricken with a fungus and Barry cut the plant down to the top of the soil. Soon a tiny plant appeared and then it began to grow and is now large with tomatoes forming on it. So Barry will leave it on the patio to get the sun and bring it in the garage at night and see what happens to the tomatoes. It would be amazing if we could have fresh tomatoes for Thanksgiving day.

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For the first time in a while I went to the supermarket to shop for groceries with Barry this past Saturday. The store is huge and I got in more walking than I wanted but using my cane helped me walk. Since I fell last April and broke my right shoulder and arm and upset my balance, I have made a grocery list each week and Barry, bless his heart, buys the groceries and does a good job of it.

This week, I wanted to buy some frozen and non-perishable foods for our Thanksgiving day dinner and wanted to select them myself.
We bought a small Butterball turkey breast and some other items for our dinner. When we stocked up on Diet Cokes and Sprites, we noticed the six-pack cartons of the original small size Cokes.
I recalled when the small Coke was the only size made by the company and it costs a nickel. A six-pack of Cokes was a quarter. And, in those days, when my late husband, Ralph, and I were newly weds, we could only afford one carton a week.
That was following World War II and we lived frugally in a cold water flat. But we were young and had some good times back then.

This past Sunday, we had another bright blue October day and Barry and I went to town to eat lunch. I wore a winter jacket and it felt good as the weather was cold and crisp. We saw some colorful foliage along the side of the road. The experts tell us that if the cold weather continues and we have a frost that the color show will arrive--finally!

See you next time.

OCTOBER'S BRIGHT BLUE WEATHER SPARKS THOUGHTS OF FALL

By OLIVENE GODFREY

"O suns and skies and clouds of June together,

Ye cannot rival for one hour,

October's bright blue weather."

By Helen Hunt Jackson.

As I write this, we are having a perfect October day with
blue sky and warm sunny weather. The temperature is supposed to dip down into the 40s tonight and there is a fallish nip in the air despite the green grass and foliage still alive.
We still don't have any colored leaves and some of the leaf experts say we will, in time, have a flamboyant show of leaves this year. On the other hand, some of the experts say the leaves will just turn brown and fall to the ground.

Barry hasn't brought the house plants inside yet as they are still pretty and the days are warm. A tropical tree has grown so tall and large that Barry will have to trim it back before bringing it into the house.

We have been preparing in some ways for this coming winter since last spring when we had an energy saving top of the line electric heat pump installed in our house to replace the old propane gas furnace. Since the price of propane has soared, we hope we will save money on heating costs this coming winter.

During the summer, I had some winter garments dry cleaned and bought two new pairs of winter shoes with soft, safety soles.
After I fell in April and injured my right shoulder and arm, I gave away all of my pretty high heel shoes. I kept a few pairs for sentimental reasons.

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A wonderful aroma wafted through the house one recent morning.
I relaxed in my recliner in the den while a beef pot roast cooked in the Crock pot and blueberry muffins baked in the oven. The muffins were for son Barry who loves them.

I thought of the previous night when I had slept only a few hours. It was one of those nights when I have a problem sleeping as mu mind raced, skipping from one topic to another, I thought of the things I needed to do today and I knew from experience that I feel bad when I don't get enough sleep.

As I tossed and turned in the wee hours of the morning, mu thoughts turned to my upcoming 79th birthday in December.
And, I wondered,"When did I get so old?" I enjoyed my young adulthood years and had a great time in my middle years.
Actually, I didn't really feel old until a few years ago when doctors began their advice to me with, " At your age...."
I remember I wanted to shout, "What do you mean? I'm NOT old, for goodness sakes." About that time, I started looking at the obits as soon as the morning paper arrived and was shocked by the number of deaths of people who were younger than I am.

And then I remembered the dear young adults who have told me they can't believe I am as old as my age. For, after all,
we stay young forever in our minds.

See you next time.

SILENCE IS GOLDEN & MOM & SON LOOK A-LIKE & MORE

By OLIVENE GODFREY

The silence in our house is indeed golden these days. It
started when son Barry purchased a new refrigerator recently for our kitchen. The new fridge hardly makes a sound. But, our old one which was about 30 years old sounded like a freight train going through the house. And, to make matters worse,
the fridge motor ran almost constantly. So, there were only a few moments a day when we had any silence.

I don't know why we put up with it for so long. It still kept the food reasonably cold but mot as cold as the old garage fridge which is 43 years old. Since the new fridge is large and spacious inside the freezer compartment and fridge, Barry and a co-worker hauled the old one to their shop and Barry reports that it is still going strong.

When I am resting now in the den or working in my office or kitchen, I can't believe how quiet it is in the house. Every once in a while, I will hear a creaking sound which is probably the house settling down.

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Almost every time Barry and I go out in public together, someone will comment on how much we resemble each other in the face.
While I was having a haircut in a mall beauty shop recently, the operator looked at Barry who was waiting on me, and said,
"You have to be her son as you all look just alike."

One of our final conversations with my late husband, Ralph, occurred when he spent his last few weeks in a nursing home.
Barry was standing on one side of Ralph's bed and I was on the other. Ralph looked up at us and said, "You all look just alike." Barry ad I laughed and reminded him that people often tell us that. It is a nice memory for us.

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Lately, I have read several articles on the subject of dieting.
I never paid much attention to such articles until a little over a year ago when I was diagnosed with Diabetes, Type two.
The one that interested me the most was about a woman who had lost a lot of weight by rejecting fad diets and coming up with her own no-diet. I fit in that category. I knew that my diet had to be one I could live with the rest of my life. I have a couple of books on diabetes and have learned which foods are forbidden on my diet. So, I have my own diet plan which has worked for me until recently when I can't seem to lose the final ten pounds I need to lose. One article said this happens because of changes in our metabolism. I decided to omit borderline foods from my diet and to increase my exercise time. I still haven't lost the weight but am holding my own and hope that in time, I will be able to achieve my ideal weight.

Since I have been on this diet, I have just about stopped baking the blue berry muffins and chocolate brownies that Barry loves so well. Since he is slender and doesn't have a problem with sweets, he has missed them. He bought me two new muffin pans and I plan to bake him some blueberry muffins one day this coming week. I will sample one of them. Hey, if I am going to the trouble to make them, you better believe I am going to eat at least one muffin.

See you next time.