FEELING A CHRISTMASSY MOOD 😊

Pentatonix – ‘We Need A Little Christmas’ song:

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuoueh0pwe8)

I woke up this morning thinking I needed to get some gray eyeshadow – I had worn three gray tops this past week with a plum-shade eyeshadow: that’s okay … but I wanted some gray. So, I decided to drive to Scappoose to buy some 😊

I buy 95% of my makeup in Scappoose (and 5% in Centralia) because I can’t find what I want locally. Scappoose and Centralia are closest to larger cities, so they stock more ritzy stuff – and as you have noticed, seeing the selfies I post here – I LIKE GLITZY COLOR: clothes, makeup, shoes, ect. (if I could find glitter hairspray, I’d use it!) I like color in my world.

Until the Fall of last year, I hadn’t worn makeup for at least 40 years; there were reasons for that, but those reasons no longer apply: so, I’m diving into the color pool with gusto, now. Makeup-wise. Clothes-wise. Shoes-wise. Granny’s stepping up her game, in her old age 😉

I put a pot of coffee on to perk – I like perked coffee (thank you Grandma Smalley for the perker pot!) while I washed and dried my hair.

Then I pulled some jeans on, and a thermal top – nothing fancy today. The weekend is when I relax everything … my mind, my body, my hair, my spirit. E.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. I relax everything back to the bare basics on every level. My mind gets a rest from the world’s chaotic craziness. My body gets a rest from the weekday exercises. My hair gets a rest from the blow dryer, curling iron, and hairspray. My face gets a rest from the makeup routine. And my spirit gets refreshed. Getting back to basics is a 24-hour necessity.

On my way out the door, I got a text from Mr. Complication. He cares about me: I texted back I’d drive safe … and off I went.

Smiling. Mr. Complication is becoming a real complication. In a good way … I think (he’s upsetting what I thought was a ‘set’ situation in the saga of My Life to date). I like knowing that someone cares if I live or die. I like knowing that I am lovable {just the way I am}. I like knowing that someone actually spends time thinking about me (and lets me know it). Mr. Complication gets me out of my head; and puts my heart in a good place: he puts a smile on my face, and a lightness in my heart. I like that.

I listened to Christmas songs on the radio, as I drove to Scappoose, and back home again. And I didn’t shed one tear – or quickly change the station; my heart isn’t sad this season.

I bought my wanted gray eyeshadow; and then some! I gave into my Flamingo side, and bought every shade I didn’t yet have in my color cache.

I bought another Christmas Cactus.

I bought festive car fresheners.

I added a blue-hued New Year’s beverage indulgence to my cart …

I grabbed a festive jarred pillar candle – I haven’t had to use my inhaler for six month’s (since Mother’s Day), so I’m reasonably certain I can light this candle and enjoy the scent, without fear of dying when I do so.

I also grabbed a box of small candy canes on my way to the cashier, to make festive ice cubes with.

I was getting into the Christmassy vibe, big time 😊

I couldn't resist it - fire engine red petals, with fuchsia throat. Very festive looking.

This air freshener smells WONDERFUL!

New Life Change unfolding ... am I ready?

Granny's 'Flamingo' indulgence 😉

Pink lash primer - this should be interesting.

I am a 'sensitive' ... the first time using it, will be telling.

Extra Car Fresheners.

Segrem's is vodka - but I bought it anyway; I never could drink vodka without falling alseep, practically immediately (Bob didn't believe that until he witnessed it). But, I do like a blue colored colada ;-)

Candy Cane Ice Cubes; pulverized canes, 1.8 tsp to a 'cube'; the powdered candy cane bits take on a life of their own, when water fills the trays.

Another indulgence - SMELLS GREAT! Very piney ... and I'm trusting my asthma healing 😊

It’s been a while since I’ve felt even a teeny-weeny tinge of a Christmassy mood.

3¾ years; to be exact.

But Mr. Complication has changed all that 😉

I DARE

I walked the upper third of the Pacific Way Trail this morning – then took my first 2022 out-of-state daytrip; to Scappoose, Oregon 😊

Pacific Way Trail - 2 miles round trip; upper third of the way.

The beginning of this morning's walk was a little nippy, even as the sun's warmth was parting the clouds.

The return lap of my morning walk was under a beautiful cloudless sky; though still with a bit of a nip.

I stopped by home just long enough to switch out my blouse, and change my shoes – then, I was off 😉

Along the road route to Scappoose, I heard the radio bleating out some more of biden’s intentions concerning the ramrodding of obama’s agenda.

Scappoose-OR from Heron Point, Longview-WA; via Rainier, OR - 44 mins. (36.0 mi)-US-30 E

Decided to take a little trip to Scappoose-OR

biden is determined to carry through with obama's race-centered agenda.

But the whole thing is pretty pointless since the obamanites erased male & female genders.

biden, obama's bainless puppet and the demonrats strawman, really thinks he can continue to push barak hussain obama's race-baiting and sex-baiting agendas ... daring anyone to speak out against it.

Well ... I'll take that dare: I WILL SPEAK UP. I will speak out; loud and clear. I will always push back against injustice and the unfairness of pitting people against each other: that is not what America is about.

From what I could gather, another one of obama’s lapdogs, schumer, intends to push the chosen one through without proper American Constitutional considerations ... kinda like when barak hussain obama was placed without proper documentaion, or credentials.

The obamanites are steamrolling Americans with in-your-face-racism.

The obmanite demonrats are steamrolling Americans with in-your-face-sexism - while claiming that to refer to anyone by thier birth gender is not acceptable in today's society; it is actually illegal in the job force, and public education and public places, under the obamanite code.

All four choices are race-based demonrat activists … that does not bode well for America as a melting-pot Republic. The Supreme Court Judges are to be fair in their judgements; being placed in position to speak for only one race is not being ‘fair’: not by any stretch of the imagination.

biden’s obamanite pick: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/supreme-court-potential-nominees-ketanji-brown-jackson-leondra-kruger-michelle-childs-candace-jackson-akiwumi/ & https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/01/27/supreme-court-breyer-white-house/

schumer’s devious intentions: https://www.businessinsider.com/chuck-schumer-scotus-nominee-will-be-confirmed-with-all-deliberate-speed-2022-1

The obamanite demonrats make a big deal out of racism and sexism … YET, what we’ve leaned with the obamanite demonrats – is that they will use sexism and racism if and when it suits their agenda. And that is what we are seeing the obama-biden-harris administration doing. biden and harris were placed to do barak hussain obama’s bidding, and to make sure the obamas’ vision is firmly cemented into place: what was left undone with barak hussain obama’s first and second coups, is being pushed through in his third coup; via biden and harris.

Fed up with the shitshow American politics has become, I turned off the talking heads, and determined to enjoy the rest of the drive.

I enjoyed my day out, bought a kettlebell, and saw all four snowcapped mountains: Mt. Rainer was visible behind Mt. St. Helen’s at various points along the road route, but there was no place to pull over and snap a picture.

Mt. Adams seen at Columbia City-OR.

Mt. Hood seen at Scappoose-OR.

Mt. St. Helen's (L) & Mt. Adams (R) seen at Warren-OR.

I bought a 10-lb. Kettlebell this afternoon to use in my weight’s workouts.

BOOK RUN TO SCAPPOOSE

Scappoose, OR from Heron Pointe, WA - via US-30 E; 44 mins.

I woke up in a despairing mood this morning … so, I decided I’d go for a drive and shake the mood. It is hard for me to think I may never get to live in the country as I had hoped.

I am willing; Real Estate is not.

Once I made up my mind to go for a drive – I knew exactly where I would head the car 😉

Returning a book to the Scappoose Library today.

A few weeks ago, when I was getting my house ready to show for sale; I found a book I had brought home from the Scappoose Library in Oregon – I still have the Library Card from there: we were Home Educating Alyna at the time, and spending a great deal of time running her back and forth between the two States, so I got a library card when we stopped there on afternoon. I never got rid of the card.

Today I returned the book I picked up there, last Summer.

Along the drive, I did some thinking.

While it is true that I’ve given myself a full year’s time to secure a new home, I a new locale … I know myself: if the wait drags on for a full year, I’ll be chomping at the bit.

And while I’m tonging the bit, I’ll be getting cold feet. Waiting makes me second guess things; that’s why I like to move quick on major decisions.

I can work things around to fit a quick decision.

Second guessing throws a monkey wrench in the works, and stops me cold.

Second guesses were crowding me this morning.

House hunting, so far, is not going so well ...

Not only can I not find a suitable house, but if and when I do … I’ll lose all my Senior Discount Perks. I’ll need a small loan (which will double by the time everyone’s hands touch it and leave their fingerprints all over it); and the loan company will bundle the property taxes, home ownership insurance + whatever else they throw in there to hedge the loan company’s interests (they are basically at this point acting like loan sharks): I will have no say whatsoever in how the loan goes down. The Bank that finances the loan will make those decisions for their good, not necessarily mine; regardless of what they say, or how they spin it to make it appealing.

And that is why every house Bob and I ever bought, we paid cash for: no loans. And we were able to do that because Bob’s Dad deeded the house in Cathlamet to Bob as his inheritance when Bob’s parents moved to California decades ago. Years later, we sold the house – and the $$$$ gained from that house sale netted us four more homes, from 1996 to present.

I want to be wise in buying a new home.

If and when I purchase a new home, I'll lose perks I enjoy now.

I have never played fast and loose with Bob’s money. Even though Bob’s money now belongs to me to use as I wish; I balk at throwing it away carelessly – that just isn’t who I am. I’m not tight-fisted with money, but I am very frugal.

Getting a loan now, almost seems to me … to be a sacrilegious thing.

With a loan, I won’t in reality, own my new home outright: the Bank will own it – while making a tidy profit on that ownership by double billing me for the privilage of the loan.

I'll be paying on a new house until I'm 95 yo - and the Bank will own it all that time.

It’s undeniable/unapologetic loan sharking.

So, I woke up with second guessing on my mind, this morning.

It’s not so much that I’m pretty much spending the kid’s inheritance (even though they don’t want it, anyway; they’ve been clear on that) – it’s the thought of the double billing, as well as the Bank dictating my life in telling me what Home Insurance to use, and refusing to give me Senior Discount privileges on the property taxes.

That irks me: it’s my right, and it pisses me off it is denied me.

With a Mortgage Loan, I’ll have a locked in mortgage rate that won’t increase – only because it has already been increased: if I get a $50,000 loan – the Bank will increase that loan to $100,000+.

So, By the time my last mortgage payment is made at 95 yo (if I live that long), the Bank will have already bought my house for the exact price I paid for it … and will go on to sell it, since the kid’s don’t want it, for twice what I paid for it! So, if I buy a $250,000 home, and replace the roofing, the flooring, do a little personal preference remodeling, ect.; the Bank will be able to sell it for roughly $400-500,000, when my body dies.

On the other hand … Heron Pointe increases the Lot Rent (aka; fee for the privilage of living in their ‘community’) by $300/yr., with no end in sight – and that can be increased at any given time, on a whim.

It makes more sense to buy that to rent.

And the risks are about the same IMHO.

Houses are money pits any way you deal with them.

The longer this drags on, the louder the second guesses will get.

If wishes were riches ...

I have no use for land ... and the houses are worthless.

Hiring handymen is wildly expensive - I don’t have free help anymore.

My friends are praying, too 😊

But our prayer goals are very different.

My friends mean well ...

And, on days like today, I wonder which ones will win Elohim’s ear 😉

During the drive to Scappoose, a Bald headed Eagle flew over the Highlander's hood – so low, I could see the eyes, and feather vanes ... but not low enough to be in danger of being smacked with the windshield; thank God. And, I passed several Lemmon’s Trucking trucks; every time I see one, I look for Bob’s Truck number: so, far I have not seen it.

That may be a blessing; I honestly do not know how I would feel, or what I would do, if I ever did see it.

Lemmon's truck 48; Bob drove truck 51.

Book returned; I turned the car for St. Helens. It was past noon, and I was getting hungry.

St. Helens, Or from Scappoose, Or - 9 mins.

I stopped at Noi’s Thai Kitchen Restaurant. It is different that the Thai food we have locally, and that’s okay – I like switching restaurants once I a while 😉

I ate a few appetizers while waiting for my main meal … and took a picture to show to my friends of why I will not even consider dating: not even a ‘friends only’ date – what’s out there, does not appeal to me at all.

Mature men are hard to come by, for one thing.

I outgrew males with long hair (unruly or otherwise), a loooong time ago. And MPO is that {man buns} look stupid: on any male. Seeing a sloppy looking male, with his pants hanging off his ass turns me totally off … seeing that immature ridiculousness on a 60+ male just makes me roll my eyes. And what’s with the scraggly, unkept, hillbilly beards popping up everywhere? That just looks disgusting. A 70-year old male with a motorcycle as his only means of transportation does not thrill me; at 70, a male needing to prove he’s still ‘got it’ just isn’t strong enough to keep himself safe on a hog … much less, entice me to hop on one and speed off in a heated rush of late-life-adolescence.

These males (can’t call them men; they haven’t grown up yet) are still attached to their mother’s teats and apron strings.

I.a.m.n.o.t.i.n.t.e.r.e.s.t.e.d.

My friends can stop praying for a man for me – the man I would be interested in, simply does not exist in today’s America. I’m going to show them this picture, point to it – and say, “Please, don’t pray for a man. I don’t want this.”

Crab filled wontons at Noi's Thai Kitchen in St. Helens.

Total turn off; aging hipsters are not in any way appealing to me. Graying 'man buns' and asses hanging, out are not cool.

Thai BBQ Chicken; half a chicken (!) cooked in curry & coconut milk; mixed veggies & rice. There was enough for 4 meals.

My next stop was McCormick Park: to enjoy a shaded walk, and to walk off some of the calories I had just packed on 😉

It smelled like Fall this morning at home - it looked like Fall in McCormick Park with yellow falling leaves & blue dragonflies.

While I walked the trail, I started thinking of another option for house searches that I have been avoiding because being surrounded by water makes me nervous. But, maybe it’s time to consider it.

Trying another option.

Since the country home dream is beginning to fade, maybe I should take a cue from my beatnik mother, and go bohemian – I was raised bohemian, so falling back into that rhythm should be fairly easy.

David had mentioned it last time we had breakfast together; and his son Tavis seconded the thought: so, I gave Shay a jingle, and asked her to look into the thought.

Maybe it’s time to slay all the dragons in my life, now that my personal knight in shining armor rides his white charger beyond the blue 😉

That I even am considering this option is shocking to me; but I want out of Longview.

‘Away Beyond the Blue’ – Emmylou Harris: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKY99siT8Qc

After Supper, I was settling in Bob’s recliner to watch some old black-n-white Monty Woolley (his movies are hilarious) movies on Youtube, when I glanced out the windows and saw this pretty pink and yellow sunset.

One thing I will miss for sure when I leave this house, is all the windows.

Tonight's sunset; pink and yellow flames.

Tonight's sunset surrounds the house.

I will miss all these surround-house-windows ...