The Homer Simpson Chronicles

I think that with age comes wisdom, confidence, positivity, achievements. But I also think that with age comes feelings of insecurity, doubt, negativity and indecision.

Since I am getting ready to turn the big 6,0 this year I have noticed a lot of changes within myself. Yes the usual things that come with age like watching body changes hair changes, wrinkles etc etc but also some things that have been quite unexpected. For instance I don’t always feel confident in myself and it’s hard to be positive a lot because a lot of crap has happened in a short period of time. Life is freaking scary. And I hate to use the D word but often I feel just plain dumb. Sometimes I feel like I can’t do anything. I feel like Homer Simpson.

If you’ve ever watched TV you probably know who Homer Simpson is. He is a cartoon character, always screwing up and doing dumb things. Nothing ever seems to go right for Homer. Lately I have started to identify with Homer a bit more than I would like. For instance:

A couple of weeks ago. I had to make a cake. I have made hundreds of cakes through the years. I used to make wedding cakes. But through the years I stopped making as many as I used to. I don’t seem to have the time for it or the patience or quite frankly the skill.

The wedding cakes were the first cakes I stopped doing. I would be a nervous wreck putting the cakes together. This seemed to get worse as I got older. So for my sanity, and my poor husband’s, as he was the only one at home with me when I was in panic mode over a cake, I stopped doing the wedding cakes. I did continue to do cakes for special occasions and for all of my family’s Birthdays, anniversaries and things like that.

A couple of weeks ago, my nephew’s wife had a birthday and we were planning to get together and celebrate. At the last minute the plan to meet was changed to the following night, moving the celebration up a couple of days. So I had to make a cake that very night after work. I decided to do a layer cake. I would make two layers and then split them and it makes the cake have several layers. I have made these many times.

As soon as I got home from work I made the cake, it was in two round cake pans. Of course I had to let it cool and that does take a little while. I could have stuck it in the fridge or freezer for a bit but I felt like I had plenty of time to let it cool on the counter. It was only about 5:30 when I took it out of the oven. At 7:30 I checked on the cake. It was almost completely cool or so it seemed so I started making the icing. My cake icing recipe is simple but so good and fairly easy to make.

I use a cake slicer that has something like a nylon string that actually glides through the cake and makes two layers out of one. Because the cake was still so fresh, from having been taken out of the oven only a couple of hours before, it was a bit crumbly. When I started to put the icing on the cake a rather large chunk fell out of the cake. I have had this happen before. Not a big problem. I just stuck it back in place and slapped some extra icing in that area. The last time I used by piping bags I decided to store them in a larger plastic bag down in one of my cabinets. When I took the piping bags out of the plastic bag, I saw there was mold on the bags. I must have put the bags up when they were still a little damp!!!! I had to dump those in the trash. Now what could I use to decorate the cake? I tried cutting off the end of a sandwich bag and using that, no luck. I tried using a freezer bag, no luck. I was in a panic. I told my husband I might have to run to Walmart and get more piping bags. It was 8:30 PM and Walmart is over fifteen minutes away, it was not looking good. Suddenly I remembered I had bought new bags and stuck them in the hall closet. Of course getting to those involved digging half of everything in the closet out and putting it in the floor. I turned over some cleaner and had to stop and get that up immediately before Gus could get to it.

By the time I got all of this done the icing for the cake had gotten really soft. I also realized that I wasn’t going to have enough icing to do the rosettes all over the cake the way I had planned. And let me mention I had already started putting the rosettes on the cake. I would either have to stop, now it was almost 9:30, and make more icing or come up with plan B.

Suddenly I was overcome with hysterical laughter. My husband cautiously yelled from the other room and asked if everything was okay. I was laughing so hard I sputtered the words out. “On my goodness!!! I am Homer Simpson!!!! I can’t do anything right!!! The more I thought about it the funnier it was. I put the cake in the fridge along with the icing, this would help it thicken, and took a breather. I decided to take the icing off of the cake and not do the rosettes. It was late and I was tired so plan B it was. I redistributed the icing and made it smooth all the way around. I would buy a Happy Birthday sign from the Walmart next day to put on top of the cake. And you know what? The cake was fine and it was delicious.

But the thing is when I started making the cake I had self doubt and I just didn’t feel like I would do a good job. It was okay but it wasn’t the exact cake I had intended to make. I don’t like having negative feelings and I think it is just something I will have to put out of my mind. Easier said than done of course. I guess Homer isn’t so bad maybe I should think about what Homer would do and then do the opposite.

I also think that our bodies and minds are a work in progress until the day we leave this world. Things change and feelings come and go including feelings of insecurities and doubt and intellect. It’s okay.

So if you happened to see me at Walmart last weekend, and I was bent over my cart and couldn’t stand up because my clip to my small purse hanging around my neck had gotten clipped onto the cart and I couldn’t for the life of me get it undone, then you know I was having a Homer Simpson moment. DOH!!!!!

Always remember

Love your day your way!!!!!

The Dog Days Of Summer

Well the Dog Days of Summer end tonight. When I was a kid I heard my parents and grandparents talking about the Dog Days of Summer. It would be really hot and they would say “oh this is nothing we still have to get through Dog Days”.

I always thought that dog days had something to do with a dog and it does just not the hound dog variety I was thinking of. Dog Days are from July 3 to August 11 each year.

The phrase “dog days” is a reference to Sirius, the Dog Star. During the “Dog Days” period, the Sun occupies the same region of the sky as Sirius, The brightest star visible from any part of Earth. Sirius is a part of the constellation Canis Major, The Greater Dog. The heat is due to the earth’s tilt at this time. Source Farmer’s Almanac

In the summer, Sirius rises and sets with the Sun. On July 23rd, specifically, it is in conjunction with the Sun, and because the star is so bright, the ancient Romans believed it actually gave off heat and added to the Sun’s warmth, accounting for the long stretch of hot weather. They referred to this time as “dog days”. Dog Days are from July 3 to August 11 each year 20 days before and 20 days after this alighment of Sirius with the Sun. Source Farmer’s Almanac

Ancient people often believed that this was a time of drought, bad luck, and unrest, when dogs and men would be driven mad by the heat. I know I have felt that way a few times. And even though “Dog Days’ officially end today here in the south we will still have hot hot temps and high humidity which makes the heat even hotter and stickier.

Since I have been recording the temperature every day for my temperature blanket I thought it would be interesting to show you just how the temps here have been. These are all Fahrenheit:

July 3, 88. July 23, 93
July 4, 95. July 24, 87
July 5, 90. July 25, 85
July 6, 90. July 26, 86
July 7, 88. July 27, 87
July 8, 95. July 28, 85
July 9, 85. July 29, 81
July 10, 85. July 30, 84
July 11, 86. July 31, 83
July 12, 88. August 1, 75
July 13, 84. August 2, 90
July 14, 90. August 3, 90
July 15, 92. August 4, 85
July 16, 90. August 5, 88
July 17, 88. August 6, 86
July 18, 85. August 7, 88
July 19, 87. August 8, 88
July 20, 87 August 9, 84
July 21, 88. August 10, 85
July 22, 89. August 11, 82

I always checked the temperature around 1:00-2:00 PM and this gave me a fairly accurate reading for that day. You can see that the “Dog Days” haven’t been very bad at all this year. I think once or twice it got close to 100 degrees in the early evening but that is all. And as I said we could be in for even hotter weather I have often known August and September to be very hot and sticky here in East Tennessee.

My mama always said you could get an infection easier during dog days. I remember if we ever got a scrape or cut or Lord forbid stepped on a nail we were sure to get an infection if it was during “Dog Days.” Is this just a myth? in 2009 a study was done in Finland to test this theory to see if the rate of infection was higher during Dog Days. The myth was actually found to be true. I guess my mama knew what she was talking about.

Old-timers believed that rainfall on Dog Days was a bad omen. You may have heard this little poem:
Dog Days bright and clear
Indicate a happy year,
But when accompanied by rain,
For better times, our hopes are vain

The old Farmer’s Almanac, 1817

You probably knew how the name Dog Days originated but if not now you do. I wonder what Cat Days would be like?

Always remember

Love your day your way!!!!

Friday Favorites & Some Amazon Finds

Happy Friday. It seems like this week has gone by really fast. How about for you? I wanted to share with you some favorite things from this past week. First up are some of my Amazon finds

I had read about this heatless curling tool contraption thingy on Instagram and TikTok. It is supposed to make beautiful wavy curls just by wearing it all night. So I ordered this one and it was relatively inexpensive. It is very soft and easy to use. Your hair should be fairly wet or damp when you put it in. It is easy to sleep in. I tried it out the other night and I rather liked it. What do you think of the way my hair turned out. I have super straight hair to start with. I put it in my hair while watching the video on my phone. A few choice words were uttered but it’s really not that hard to get in. I was afraid it would fall out during the night but it didn’t it stayed nice and secure.

***From Amazon, I know it looks a little strange. You can google a video on how to use this it’s pretty simple.***

***I liked the way it turned out. Not super curly but that is o.k. I got a lot of compliments at work.***

I am also loving headbands right now. I ordered two sets from Amazon. I love wearing them on a day I’m not going to wash my hair. These are so different than when I was growing up. Those were so bad they would give me headaches but these are nice and soft. They are great for second day hair.

So far this one with the pearls is my favorite.

Another hair product I am loving is this Biosilk. One of my young co-workers just graduated from Cosmetology school and I asked her what would be good for my dry hair. She suggested this leave in hair oil. I love it!!! You can use it on wet or dry hair. The first time I used it on my hair when it was dry and I liked it. But the second time I used it on my hair after I got out of the shower and towel dried it. I should say T shirt dried it. That’s what I use to absorb the water in my hair. My hair felt so silky and smooth. I couldn’t believe it. Second day hair today and it feels just as silky.

This is called a cremation bracelet. Mark and I both got one to put some of Molly’s ashes in. That may totally turn you off and gross you out but we love them. It is just a very small amount of ashes that goes into it. It makes us feel close to our Molly.

I love this magazine. I picked this one up at Walmart earlier in the week. Country Sampler Farmhouse. It has so many neat projects I hope I get to do a few of them.

I mentioned a while back how much I love the Neutrogena foaming face wash but hold up there’s a new kid in town. New to me anyway. I couldn’t find the regular Neutrogena foaming face wash so I bought this foaming daily cleanser and I am loving it!!!! It comes out like a gel and then becomes a light lather. I love it.

I finally finished this audio book it was seventeen hours long. It was so good. I got it through the online library with the Libby app. I hated finishing it. I have been listening to it on my way to and from work.

And the best most favorite thing is spending time with my sweet hubs and family. Gus wakes me up every morning, usually around 4:00 AM, wanting snuggles. And that is fine by me.

What are some of your favorites this week?

Always remember

Love your day your way!!!

Weekly Catch-Up

Happy Monday!! It was a chilly 45 degrees F here this morning and I am loving it. The leaves are turning colors more and more every day.

How was your week and weekend? It was pretty busy here at the zoo, which is what I am now calling our house, because of all the animals.

Last Monday it was back to work for me after the Sister Trip so I had a bit of catching up to do. It was also Fall Break for several of the schools around our area so we were slammed at work. It reminded me of our summer attendance.

I started to notice that when Molly walked across the floor she was starting to make quite a clackety clack sound. I checked her nails and they were getting really long. I don’t think Molly has ever had her nails trimmed. She has always been an outside dog, until a few months ago, and her nails were always short. Not anymore, they were starting to get really long. Scruffy has to have his cut regularly. My nephew’s wife Amy, is a vet tech and she has cut Scruffy’s nails before. I asked if she could come over and do Scruffy and Molly. I also offered to make dinner for them when they came over. she said they were getting ready to go on vacation but could come the next night.

I had to work late the next night and knew I couldn’t do dinner for them so I ran by the grocery store at lunch and bought a cheesecake and some dip and hummus so we could at least have some snacks. The babies did great when Amy cut their nails I was so proud of them. Scruffy acted better than usual and Molly didn’t even flinch. Amy is very good and the babies love her.

Of course Wednesday morning I had to leave out early and take Allie cat to the vet to be spayed. She was very sore and not herself for a couple of days. I had to run by the vet clinic and pick up some extra pain meds for her on Thursday but she is doing fine now.

Thursday was Sister Lunch. We pushed it back a day so my nephew Tyler could join us. We also had Birthday cake for his brother, Caleb, who turned 18 on Sunday. I gave Caleb a Birthday Card with money. Which is what I usually do. I noticed he had a bit of a sad look on his face. He thanked me for the money and then we started discussing presents. It was still a few days away from his Birthday and his mom and grandmother was asking him what he wanted for his Birthday. He said he would like presents to open. He said money was great but it was always nice having presents to open. He does have a job now and makes his own money so I guess money in a Birthday card doesn’t hold quite the same appeal. But it really got me to thinking. I myself love presents. Giving money is easy but there is not a lot of thought that goes into it. So I think from now on I will do presents. I picked out a few things for him so he would have presents on his Birthday. And you know what? I had the most fun picking out those gifts. I think maybe in the past I have always been busy and just didn’t take the time and thought into getting gifts for him and his brother. Special occasions deserve gifts!! I also made him chocolate cupcakes and am now committed to making cupcakes for several of his friends’ Birthdays. LOL.

On Saturday I picked up my mother in law at the Assisted Living Village and took her to get a hamburger and go for a drive. It has become increasingly hard to do this. She has a really hard time getting into the car. I always use her car which is a small Toyota Corolla. She can’t get into mine at all. She no longer seems comfortable in the car and she constantly complains about everything. She almost seems relieved when we get back to the village. It’s sad, I certainly don’t want her going out if she doesn’t want to. I think she just feels more secure now being at the village. It’s funny how time can really sneak up on you and change things so quickly.

I picked up groceries on the way home and did a little laundry so I could savor most of my Sunday. I had big plans for Sunday big plans I tell you. Mark had to work so I had the day alone with just the babies. My plan was binge watching Gilmore Girls, knitting and making some cute pumpkins and bats for Halloween, more on those later, and just chilling with all the babies. And that is just what I did. I loved every second of it.

It was back to work this morning. Why do weekends go by so fast? I ran across some very strong words of wisdom this morning when I was scrolling the Gram or TikTok. So it”s not always a waste of time. This is what I read: You need three things to be happy in life.
1. Find someone to love, this could be a person or animal. (Hopefully it’s a whole lot of people or animals.)
2. Have something do do.
3. Have something to look forward to.

I will leave you with that for your week ahead and challenge you to have all of those and everything else you may want.

Always remember

Love your day your way!!!!!