Good Morning Friends!!

I hope you can enjoy this beautiful, sunny October day and not have to drive to Target to replenish the Halloween treats that have mysteriously disappeared since you stocked up a month ago.

You know what I’m talking about.

+++++++

We truly do live in an amazing country. I just drove to my neighborhood candy store, the afore mentioned Target, and received both a flu shot and the latest Covid booster. And then they suggested that I stay in the store and shop for 5-10 minutes instead of just sitting in the appointed chair. I mean, how accommodating is that?

And, on the way home, there were Target carts on a few street corners, to help those who walk to Target for their candy and immunization needs. I tell you, now there’s a company with community outreach.

A few years ago, there was even a young entrepreneur selling carts out of his garage for a mere $5. It’s good to see the big companies helping out the little guys. I hope his business did well that day. He must have sold out because the business wasn’t there the next day. You gotta love his initiative.

*******

Do you see shapes in objects that normally aren’t shape-definitive? Yes, I just made up that word. I mean, if you can’t make up an occasional word, what good is having a language anyway? The words all had to come from somewhere.

Well, anyway, I often find heart shaped stones on the beaches and gravel roads I walk. Their appearance makes me smile and I usually pick them up and take them home. This does not mean that I am suggesting that all shape-definitive objects need to be treasured and saved. But when they give you a smile, notice it.

Case in point: while sifting through the kitty litter the other day, I found a perfectly shaped heart clump. Not only was it a heart, but it was a well designed heart, kicky and modern. I know that while that our cats are creative and talented, there’s no way that they knowingly peed a heart shape together because this was a two pee clump.

No, this was serendipity. A happenstance. A co-inky-dink, or a coincidence for those of you who haven’t been reading these blogs since 2014.

And as such a happenstance, it made me smile.

That’s all I’m saying: when life shows you a heart shaped pee clump of litter, appreciate it.

And speaking of appreciating (yes, this is an actual transition), I dropped my credit card as I was giving it to the McDonald’s cashier the other day. I tried opening my door, but that didn’t work—not enough room. Thankfully there was no one directly behind me, so I could back up. And lo and behold, along with my card was 55 cents in change scattered in the area. Score!!! I often find pennies while walking and hit them with hand sanitizer in case anyone was coughing on their change before they lost it.

*******

I have to tell you about podcasts. If you don’t know anything about them, and are apprehensive like I was, here are some pointers.

1) you need an app to listen to them. I started with Pocket Cast and have now added Google.

2) you need to hit the subscribe button to get hear them.

3) hitting the subscribe button doesn’t involve any payment.( I know, right? We are used to magazine subscriptions which cost money. But this is like public radio or tv. You can listen to the podcasts free before you decide to help them out and pay a bit a month)

4) The podcasts come in all shapes and sizes and topics. Comedy, true crime, current events, fiction, sports. Ten minutes long to an hour plus. Some are recorded at a kitchen table by two friends and some have great studio audio quality. Some are stupid and some are brilliant. You can sift through them by subscribing, listening to a bit, then unsubscribing if it’s not what you want to spend your afternoon with.

I listen to these while I’m sewing, knitting, or resting.

And I have found some that I really respect. Here’s one: LongCatMedia is two very talented writer/actor/directors from the UK who are the center of three popular podcasts. The one that makes me laugh out loud is Madame Magenta, a medium who is my new role model. The one that has me on the edge of my seat is Mockery Manor (often compared to Stranger Things). And the one that I am cherishing each moment of is The Ballad of Anne and Mary, about two women pirates. Production values and writing are extremely high with this company.

“The Amelia Project” is an award winner along the lines of The Twilight Zone.

“Midnight Burger” is about a cafe that is a time travelling machine with a most endearing and charming crew.

“Night Owl” is about stories of people who have have ghost encounters, most often based around businesses near Austin TX.

“We Fix Space Junk” is a female written space odyssey. Excellent.

And if true crime is your thing, look up CBC podcasts like “Someone Knows Something” or “Uncover.” Our friendly neighbors to the north have some very good investigative journalists on board.

These are just a few of my favorites. Have fun exploring!

Have a Happy and Healthy Halloween!!!

Love,

Janet