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Improvisation

6/23/2017

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My friends, over the years have always laughed affectionately at the way I “make do” with what I have. I always must improvise. Most of my life has been lived making do with what cards I was dealt, i.e. an unhappy marriage, a shack on the beach, not having a job, etc.
When I bought my shack on the beach, it was sturdily built, but was pretty much gutted on the inside. I shopped thrift stores, discounts on appliances, put down press on tiles to cover the gaps in the floor (you could see through to the ground), bought remnants of carpet, etc. I was a high school teacher and could afford the loan for house, but not the remodeling. So, I improvised. You would be amazed at some of the improvisations.
When a close friend visited, she brought me an embroidered hanging for my front door – “Welcome to Make-Do” is what it said. She said if she had heard me use that term once she had heard it a hundred times. I proudly placed it by entrance. And I still have it.
Yes, I do tend to improvise when money is tight. And now that I am 70, money is even tighter. I improvise all the time with groceries, the occasional night out, etc. And today, I took it even further.
I am invited by my apartment complex to “black and white” event. We are dressing up and management is throwing us a party. As I was figuring out my wardrobe for the evening, I finally picked my shoes and they needed polishing. I cannot remember when I last had polish. I started looking for something to “substitute” for polish.
I found some Pledge polishing sheets, I figured that if they were good enough for my wood furniture, they should be able to handle leather shoes. And they did. The shoes look wonderful. Leather looks cared for, etc.
Ok, all of my old friends out there, please note that Peggy can still pull off a “make do” when she needs to.
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Kudos

6/20/2017

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Yesterday I woke up with the song from Annie in my mind that starts with “Tomorrow, tomorrow…” This morning, however, I woke up with my mind going back to the past. As someone once said, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” It is so wonderful when you think about it, though- where it "can go."

This morning it started with thinking of leaving a Post-it on my door to alert a neighbor where I was, in case she came by. This reminded me of meeting a man who worked at 3M, a long time ago, who told me it was an accident when the Post-it was created. The inventor was experimenting to create something else.

This started a trip to the past. I remember typing with a manual typewriter and I had to literally erase my errors. The mother of one of the “Monkeys,” a former singing group, invented “white out.” We had to use carbon paper to create copies – then the Xerox machine was invented (young people know them as copiers.”). And typewriters went from manual, to electric, to word processor, to computer, to the wonders we have now.

I grew up not knowing if I had missed someone calling me on the phone, until they called back. Then someone invented an answering machine. And phones began their wonderful journey to where we are now.

Invention and creativity are still a marvel and so often overlooked. With the speed everyone is moving, whether personally or professionally, we tend to take everything for granted – EXCEPT those brilliant people who see a need and create something to fill it. They are the ones we see on Facebook, occasionally, with things they have created to make life better.

My little blog is calling out “Congratulations, Good Job, and Thank You” to all of those “inventors” who have made life better for all us.
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Broken

6/12/2017

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For the last 6 to 7 months things in my life have ended up broken. First, it was material things. I had my TV and my laptop both bit the dust last winter. The laptop was quite old, but the TV was not. Lately the slot where the batteries go on my old 35 mm camera, will not close – my camera is now broken.

Last winter my heart was broken when I lost my lovely little Pekinese, Bobby Socks. And a brief time later, my trust was broken by an individual (yes, another man). Lately, I have been trying to “fix” a 30-year friendship that seems to be ending – and just the other day, I realized it was broken, as well, beyond fixing. It will probably become a “Christmas card” friendship. So very sad.

I have been going through a trying time financially and that, or course, causes a few breaks in normal living, too. I am hoping when this eases in the next few months, other things or people will materialize to replace my “broken ones.” Perhaps it is Karma clearing the way for new things?
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And even though I seem to have these things “break” around me, my spirit is still holding up. It is hard to break the spirit of a hardheaded woman. I guess that is a good thing, huh?
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Thanks to My Followers

6/9/2017

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I want to take time to thank all the people who visit my website. In the last month, I have had over 2000 visits to my site and over 550 unique visitors (new to the site). This is unbelievable to me. And I thank you all again. When I started this website September 12, 2012 I was thrilled when I had 3 visitors. OMG, as they say on Facebook.
Occasionally, I get comments from my followers and I appreciate all feedback. One reader told me a while back that she searched Google for “Genteel Poverty” and my site came up. I was thrilled. I appreciate all comments from each of you who take the time to contact me. I never really expected to have this much of a following. This was originally just an outlet for me to share a little of what I know and to share my opinions and experiences.
So, thank you again and again. I love hearing from you. You can contact me directly at maudeanne@hotmail.com. Keep them coming, OK?
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Errors in Judgement

6/9/2017

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Last night I was watching “Campion,” an old show on Britbox. Campion is a detective who is polished, intelligent, well dressed, educated and a perfect gentleman. He even has a gentleman’s manservant, Lugg, a reformed burglar. At the end of the show last night, a woman says to Campion, “You are the only person I ever met who did not turn out to be an error in judgement.” I choked and started laughing. I went to bed chuckling, and I am still laughing this morning.

Anyone who has known me for a while and knows anything about my romantic associations with men will agree with me when I say, this fits them all. ERRORS IN JUDGEMENT!  My judgement.

I have thought over the years, “Oh, this man is perfect!” And unfortunately, they all, yes, they all have been errors in judgement. They have disappointed me; they have hurt me, either physically or mentally. And yes, they have even left me for someone else.

I seem to attract men. I do not know why, but I do. Unfortunately, the ones who want a romantic friendship, all, and I mean all, have fit this description. I once said that you could line up all the good men in the world and include one bad one, and I would pick that bad one. It is a gift – one I really do not want.

So, my friends, now that I am older (70 to be exact) and have many, many years of dating and romantic experiences, I have at least recognized this fault of mine. I will keep these errors in judgement at bay. Being hurt now takes a while to get over. It happened in the last few months. I made another one of my errors in judgement and it made me sad. Fortunately, it was not a major hurt, but it still hurt. So, I will get a magic potion to ward off all romantic interests. It still makes me sad that I must be alone. But it is safer that way.
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Being A Senior and Alone

6/6/2017

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One of the recent discoveries in my life is that I am not really valued, even now. My number of friends has depleted mainly because I want something in return for my friendship – true friendship, understanding, and courtesy. I have a few very good friends who give me the above. I treasure them, although they are few. My biggest problem, though, is me.

I reach out to everyone and offer my friendship to those I meet. But my ability to see the unsatisfactory ones is nil. I usually get hurt, sad to say. And you would think I would learn from this. But I still do it. I must be related to Pollyanna.

My relationship with men, not the friends, but the ones who want me as a special friend, is dismal. My friends and I laugh about my ability to attract “unsuitable” partners. I am glad I am able to laugh now; there was a time of tears. One of my newer friends said just the other day that she was going to have to change her opinion about me and my men. She had once said that I just had not found a decent one; there was one out there for me. But now she says I am right – I only attract the ones who want to use me in some way or another. The good ones evidently are already taken or at, my age, dead.

Example – since moving to Pensacola I have met several men - they do seem to like me. One is my neighbor; he and I are friends and he is a good one. I have met a couple who are married to friends and they are wonderful. But the ones in my life, both recent and long ago, leave much to be desired. Without a fault, they are and have been the same – out for what they want and need, and what they can get – to hell with the woman.

I thought I had met one, since moving here. He sought me out, wined and dined me, but then I became a last-minute lunch invitation because he was going to be in my neighborhood on an appointment; he knew he was going to be there way before he called me. In fact, it got so he called an hour or so before wanting to see me. Bong!!! It finally hit me that he really did like me enough to think about me until he was in my neighborhood, and he just did not want to eat alone. UGH!!!!

So even though I do not want to travel the rest of my life alone, it looks like I probably will be doing just that. I guess when I can get the funds together, I will go to new places and see new things and revel in that. Hopefully, I will adjust even better to the fact that I am alone, since it is very apparent that I am and always will be.
 
 
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Tilting at Windmills

6/4/2017

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​Have you ever wondered when it is time to stop “tilting at windmills?” If that reference does not mean anything to you, it refers to a literary character, Don Quixote, who fought windmills with his lance, because he thought they were his adversaries. So my questions still stands – when is it time or at what age should you stop “tilting at windmills?”

I have always, since a young girl, tried to right wrongs as best as I could. I have been known to take on opponents to solve all types of problems. I am wondering if all of this trying to right wrongs might have become passé now as I have gotten to a very old age, and it does not appear that others think as I do.

​As I look around, I do not see many people doing what I think needs to be done. I guess I am truly out-of-date now. Some of my hopes and dreams for the future have failed while others have succeeded. Maybe it is time for me to put away my lance and accept what is. That will be very hard for me, though, because deep within me there still lives that hope for change.
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Bells and Whistles

6/1/2017

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If you heard a loud commotion last night it was all of my bells and whistles going off. They do go off quite often, but last night I listened and responded accordingly. Hurrah!  It just took all my adult life for me to listen and react for my benefit.

In short, a very young friend met a man and she thought I might like him. She got his phone number and called to give it to me. I called him last night. First mistake.

Now, let me explain a bit about how this happened. She is a lot younger than I and not quite as jaded, so she thought this guy might blow away the loneliness that I am experiencing sometimes. Such a good heart, although a bit uninformed about my new requirements for a man in MY life.

Well, I called him last night, as I said earlier. And I am proud to say that for once I listened to those bells and whistles. At first, he seemed nice enough, and then he started talking about himself. (heard a slight ringing at this time, you know because he did not ask about me.) It eventually came out that he was a recovering alcoholic, had a roommate in his condo, was a Vietnam vet with issues, and so much more. By now the ringing was incessant.

It is not that I did not feel for this man – I did. But I do not need someone with more problems than I have. Then came the questions to see if I measured up to what he wanted in a woman. Get ready, these were his most critical issues. First, did I make up my bed every morning, and second did I leave dishes in the sink. He could not stand a woman who did this.  I have to admit, I was a bit taken aback.

I replied to both questions with “occasionally.” And I was upset that he put me on the defensive.  I am independent to a fault, as I my friends who have tried to change me know. This went on and on. He never asked about me. He talked about how wonderful is deceased wife was. And I finally realized that I had to come up with a way to put him off gracefully. I did not want to be with this guy at all.

I had to state what I wanted from another man not long ago, and it was acceptable to him, but he moved on. I now know I must come up with a reason for not seeing this man that will not hurt him. That is, if he calls me back. Who knows if he will, since I do occasionally leave my bed unmade and occasionally have a dirty dish in my sink. Wow, I just remembered, when I cook. My goodness, dirty dishes are on the sink and the counter while cooking. He would have a stroke.

​I am beginning to think, that perhaps, I need to keep going down this road alone. I require certain things to maintain my happiness, and I have become quite selfish now. I will consider those things more a man's happiness. I find it amazing that finally I am doing this. Better late than never, huh?

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    I am a retired teacher and IT trainer who has travelled a bit and learned many life lessons.

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