October 30, 2013

Don’t go for the okey doke!

Do you remember when VCR’s came out in the 60’s? Do you remember your parents and grandparents trying to operate these devices? Just the concept of them really baffled some in that generation. Go back a minute and think about all those wonderful technological devices/gadgets: not just VCR’s, but 8 tracks, cassette tapes, and CB’s [citizen band radios]. Oh my God, everybody’s dad and uncle had a handle and were able to communicate with truckers and radio hobbyists in, by George, other states!  What was the world coming to?  What about CD’s? There were no more albums! There are still some of us talking about an artist having a new “album”. LOL There are no  albums! They’re CD’s colleagues, CD’s! LOL We are beginning to sound like our parents.

More and more of us are realizing the benefits to becoming familiar with the world of technology. For senior citizens, technology broadens our world. It promotes brain fitness, as well as, physical fitness. It keeps us connected to family and friends no matter where they are in the world! Today, we have DVD’s, tablets, IPods, video games, computers, internet,  wireless internet, Skype, GPS, monitoring, home assistance devices, hearing aids, cell phones, and Smartphones. Yes, Lord, Smartphones. Now, smartphones are...just too (doggone) SMART! There are android phones, android smartphones, android tablets and other mobile devices. Really, I don’t know about you but, I don’t know enough about them to intelligently explain the mechanics and differences between these devices. Let’s not talk about trouble shooting problems. All I know is that I love them! It’s a massive amount of information at my fingertips. I am a huge promoter of technology! The more I learn, the more I want to know.

Nevertheless, if it hasn’t been addressed yet, somebody should create a reality show with seniors and smartphones because we are neophytes at the game. To make them work, we must talk to them, type on a keyboard that are smaller than a credit card, or run our fingers across the face of the phone. Don’t touch it too hard. All kinds of things may happen! My thumbs are constantly aching! They’re throbbing with pain… why?  I HAVE RA! Do I stop? No!  I love it! I can talk to more than one person at a time. Multi-task, LOL. I sit up at night and Google myself silly.  Then, I have to put heat on my neck. I still think it’s wonderful. I don’t have to get up and go to a what? A JOB! So, I can relax in the morning.

We are funny though. We can’t work the darn things unless we have a child around to tell us what to do. The other evening, I got a text from my son saying that he texted me on Circle. Circle? What is Circle? Well, I have been tutored by my eleven year old grandson. He taught me how to go to the “Play Store”, find the apps I want, and bang…download. Well, this time, the app site was already on the text in blue. All I had to do was…TOUCH…it. Since I have an android-that’s connected to the internet-well, you know the rest. I TOUCH IT!! I connected to Circle and …WA-LAH! There was his message. “Mom, I texted you on Circle. Love you.”  What? That’s what he said? All that just to text back on Circle, “I love you, more.” I do that when I’m texting on my phone regularly. Why did I fall for the okey doke?

People started texting me saying, “Ok, I’ll check into it tomorrow.” “I have it, but never use it.” “Who is this?” “Do I know you?” Well, now I’m bewildered! I didn’t text any of those people. I texted back my apologies, and yes, went to bed with sore, aching thumbs. I took an arthritis pain reliever and went to sleep. What I didn’t know was… that my phone was texting all night. Cyberspace isn’t as busy during the early morning hours. My phone or whatever I “TOUCHED” to download Circle texted my contacts and Facebook friends. I woke up the next morning and had all kinds of texts, “I’ll check it out in the morning.” “OK” “What are you doing up?” LOL One of my brothers texted and said, “What is this?” Then, my phone rang. He left the message, “Call me as soon as you get this message.” You know I didn’t want to call him. He probably got his text about three am also. If I was twelve, I would have known I was in trouble. LOL I did call. I wouldn’t dare ask what time his text came in. LOL He informed me of something called “phishing”.

“This is the act of sending an email to a user falsely claiming to be an established legitimate   enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft. The email directs the user to visit a website where they are asked to update personal information, such as passwords and credit card, social security, and bank account numbers that the legitimate organization already has. The website, however, is bogus and set up only to steal the user’s information.”

Well….none of that happened, but it’s always safe to KNOW. I called T Mobile to check on this social network, Circle. They told me it was just that and informed me that there was no activity indicating phishing on my account. Thank you, Jesus!

Unfortunately, my colleagues, I have spent two days texting, apologizing, and talking to people on the phone that I have not talked to in ages.  I probably texted you, and if I did… here I am apologizing again. I have learned my lesson. Hopefully, you’ve learned something from my experience. If you don’t know about the app, don’t open it. If you don’t know the person the email is from, don’t open it. If you have any doubts check it out. Keep yourself a ten year old child to consult with!!!!

Going to give my thumbs and fingers some rest now. Must Google tonight!

 

October 22, 2013

Kitten’s Salsa

We are coming into the holiday season. That means family gatherings and food, food, food! I told you I would share some recipes with you. I’m going to try and keep them healthy because that’s what I’m about these days. Trying to make that 35 year trek!

I am blessed to have many longtime friends. Those are friends that I have had for over 50 years. The kind of friends you can’t lie to because they know everything about you, and vice versa. Friends you know will be there, if you need them. The recipe I want to share with you today comes from one of those friends. This “young lady”, if I hadn’t known her for over 50 year, I would really think she was Betty Crocker’s sister for real.  Talk about cooking and loving it, that’s Kathy, known to some as, “The Kitten.” No matter what time you call her she’s cooking. Everything she cooks is homemade. If she’s having pizza, it’s homemade pizza, and if the menu says salsa, it’s homemade salsa.

This salsa is full of favor with its fresh vegetables and seasonings. It will be beautiful on your table because the colors are rich, vibrant, autumn colors. (I love autumn colors!) I can guarantee you that this recipe will make you a master chef in your circle of family and friends.

Kitten’s Salsa

Ingredients

Red pepper

Yellow pepper

Green pepper

Orange pepper

Scallions

A package of taco seasoning (mild or hot)

Black olives (chopped)

Shoe peg corn

Black beans

Garlic

Jalapeno peppers (add habanero peppers, if you really want to blow your stack)

A package of Italian seasoning

Olive oil (This is the last step.  Stir the olive oil and Italian seasoning together and pour into your salsa.)  

Warnings:

1)      Do not prepare this recipe on a day when knees, back, and fingers are aching. All vegetables must be diced very small. It will be worth it though!

2)      This recipe will make a very large bowl of salsa. Only you know how much you really need. I suggest you prepare it for company.

3)      If you’re with me on that 35 year trek, remember small portions of everything. The salsa is marvelous, so this is going to take some self-control. The salsa is probably not the villain. It’s going to be those tortilla chips. Be careful; don’t eat two bags of chips! LOL

October 21, 2013

Forty More Years!

Retirement brings about many changes. Many people retire in their 60’s. I’ve been lucky enough to be able to retire at age 57. Well, I won’t lie; I was a couple of months away from 58. So, 58 it is.  That’s still young enough to have many fruitful and most pleasurable retirement years.  I would like 40 more years, Lord, but I thank you now, for 35 more.

Of course, I realize I have to change quite a few habits to make that 35 year journey.  I see some heads are nodding in agreement. Let’s list some changes that might be helpful to all of us.

·        Keep your health insurance current. You need to go to your doctors’ appointments frequently. Don’t miss any because you’re feeling pretty good this month. I’m not talking about just a primary care doctor either. Get yourself a slew of specialists from every field you think you may need. Cardiologist, endocrinologist, gastroenterologist, dermatologist, neurologist, rheumatologist, and psychologist, if you think you need the later. Stay on top of all health issues!

·         Make a commitment to exercise routinely. I'm told this helps to relieve stress. Stick to it! If you fall off the wagon, just start back over the next day. Don’t beat yourself up. If you are anything like me, I’m always trying to crawl back on that wagon. I admit; this is the hardest for me. Never have I been athletic. In grade school, “they” would pick me last to play kickball. "They" know… who "they" are. I haven’t forgotten that you guys! If you like dancing, dance! I’m told that walking is best.

·         Stay busy. Think of all those things you wanted to do while you were working. Take some classes, clean your closets or basement out, travel, read, volunteer work, do some garden work.

·         Change your diet. Go Mediterranean!

“The Mediterranean diet is a modern nutritional recommendation inspired by the traditional dietary patterns of Greece, Southern Italy, and Spain . The principal aspects of this diet include proportionally high consumption of olive oil, legumes, unrefined cereals, fruits, and vegetables, moderate to high consumption of fish, moderate consumption of dairy products (mostly as cheese and yogurt), moderate wine consumption, and low consumption of meat and meat products.”

This has been most enjoyable for me. I am cooking so many different vegetables and cooking chicken a million ways. I’ve become “Shelly Crocker”. I’m sharing recipes with friends and family and enjoying cooking again. One problem here, you must cut portions. I’m working on that! I’ll share some recipes with you on the blog!

·         Lastly, which is really not last at all, but the first thing to do every morning? That is…thank God every day! Thank Him for good health, thank Him for the rain, thank Him for the sun, and thank Him for your family, Thank Him. Thank Him. Thank Him for getting you to this stage in your life. This was my morning prayer I sent to family and friends this morning.

Good morning, Lord! I thank you for this crisp morning of forty-seven degrees. I may not have everything I want, but you are faithful to provide everything I need. Thank you for being a faithful God, a forgiving God, and a loving God. I ask that you continue to keep a watchful eye on my family and friends. Love always!

October 20, 2013

May 2012 was a gift from God, retirement! I closed up shop and left the state!

I’ve been retired now for just a little over a year. I think it’s the best thing in the world! No early morning wake up, no fighting traffic, no having to leave the house in the dark and in unfavorable weather,  no getting dressed and having to redress because you changed your mind on the outfit, and no hauling! Yes, hauling. I was hauling book bags, briefcase, coats, shoes, etc. If you are in education, you know what I’m talking about. I can give my shoulders and poor little fingers a rest now.

What one needs while they are working is no longer needed in retirement. I don’t need to put on makeup every day. I don’t need the new clothes, shoes, and purses that I thought I needed when I was working. Beauty shop and nails, you can even put that off.  LOL Well, maybe that can be put off for just for a week. Groceries bills are smaller because you are not buying lunch foods or fast meals for evening consumption.

I have settled into retirement and have become quite comfortable. I stay up late and even get to watch some movies. Yes, movies. Not the news before bed. I was always trying to hear the latest schools’ closings. It snows in Missouri you know. Don’t have to worry about that in Georgia! I wake up by eight or eight thirty every morning, watch the news, make coffee and breakfast, read, write, and send my morning prayers out to family and friends, surf the web, play the piano, and make phone calls. Yes, Lord, I thank you!

A couple of days ago, I was searching the web for plane tickets to get to Saint Louis for the holidays.  I get emails from various sites: Travelocity, Cheap O Air, Fare Compare, and Southwest Airlines. Oh yeah, I’m connected! That’s the way to shop. Compare those prices! Soon, I became quite disappointed because in order to get the best deals you must grab those tickets when you see them. I didn’t want to let go of the money yet, but I was worried that waiting may cause me to miss out on the best deal.

All of the sudden, I had a brainstorm! I need to find a part time job in order to save that money and call it my “play poll”. Yeah, I would always have it available for travel, shopping, etc. Great idea! What did I do? Well, Ms. Organizer, here, pulls out her thumb drive and finds her most recent resume and started revising. That wasn’t enough; I started writing a cover letter, too. “I have the motivation and drive to be an asset to any company. I consistently present a high-profile, professional demeanor, complemented by a positive, “can-do” attitude.” The words were flowing. I believed what I was writing, too! “I welcome the opportunity to elaborate on how I could make a substantial contribution to your organization. I look forward to talking with you soon.”  Saving, printing, and revising…man…you would have thought I was an editor for the city’s top newspaper.  Just as I got to the closing, “Sincerely”, my Catholic up-bringing kicked in. “What am I doing? You know you’re lying! You don’t want to work for anybody’s company! What about all the ideas you had when you retired a year ago? Have you forgotten those or just lost your mind!”

Two hours later…I started this blog.

October 16, 2013
Is it me? Nola Reachelle “Cothran” Lee, nicknamed Shelly! Born, August 1, 1954 in St. Louis, MO. I actually grew up in a small town called Kinloch. I graduated from an all-girls high school in 1972, Incarnate Word Academy. I attended college and graduated, married, started my career in education, had two sons, divorced, nurtured children, survived life’s tragedies, loved, experienced heartbreaks, and swaddled myself in many joyous occasions in life. You’ve read through my profile by now.  This is enough to know if you have the “Nola” that you think you know. This is Nola, on the “surface”. Shelly’s Potpourri will introduce you to other facets of me.
At this point, you are probably thinking, “What a narcissist! Why does she think anyone would want to know about her humdrum life?” You haven’t read anything adventurous that I accomplished in my life, for example; sky diving, travel, etc.  So, what’s up?  I confess. Shelly’s Potpourri is really not for you, the reader, it’s for me. I choose to share it with you! I have lived a pretty calculated existence thus far. I have been on autopilot. You know the drill, go to school, get married, get a job, check paper, do the report cards, get the evaluations completed,  take care of the kids, be a good citizen, get the groceries, make sure the kids are in little league sports, get a dog (children need pets), feed the dog, think this and think that. Don’t misunderstand. This is all good! It was rewarding. I met some goals that I’m quite proud of. Were they all my goals? Aaaahhh…..
The purpose for this blog is to cultivate my soul. The teacher in me knows that journaling is powerful. Through journaling, I would like to connect with my inner wisdom, to seek my passions and share those with you, find the crux of my existence, explore my heart, tap my creativity, and lastly find and share my spirit. This is my quest which I pray will lead me to something even more fulfilling as I look forward to the future.

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October 14, 2013 - Columbus Day!
How befitting! Day 1 of blogging. I truly feel like an explorer today venturing  the unfamiliar territory of BLOGGING! I have spent the entire morning setting up an attractive blog which I hope you are going to enjoy. Be patient for I am definitely a novice to "The World of Blog", but determined to embark  upon a journey which I feel will be rewarding, educational, and down right enjoyable. If you have tuned in today, know that Shelly's Potpourri is under construction!