Thank You for Being a Friend

 

In Memoriam -- well loved and in our hearts

When this issue of People arrived I put it aside to use for a post celebrating Betty White's 100th  birthday. Sadly, it's not a celebration of her birthday today, but a moment to celebrate Betty White's life. 

I really liked Betty White as Rose on "The Golden Girls," but as a huge fan of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, I loved the sassy Sue Ann Nivens. Sue Ann was the perfect counterpart to Mary Richards and watching the two of them (and every other character on that terrific show) was a joy and a source of wonderful memories. 

One of my favorite movies is "The Proposal." The stars are Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds and they are both really fun, but my favorite character is Betty White, as Grandma Annie, who totally steals the movie. She's sweet and funny with a little of Sue Ann's sass combined with Yoda's wisdom.  

What are your favorite memories of Betty White?

Dear Betty White, 

Thank you for being a friend! With deepest thanks and admiration, 

Your friend, 

Buttercup

As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care of yourselves.

Flowers for Pink Saturday

 

Can't have enough flowers for cheer on these (miserably) cold days

I'd planned to be in Buttercupland long before Pink Saturday, but it's  been a tough week. I had my Shingrix  vaccine first dose on Friday and took it easy yesterday to rest up. I didn't have a big reaction, but just enough to stay (mostly) indoors and keep cozy. Since it was nineteen degrees at the warmest, staying indoors wasn't difficult. I'm feeling just about all recovered today and got in a good walk this afternoon. 

Loved this bright and cheery Valentine window

I've got updates on my January goals. It's January 16th and I've discarded 16 bags of clutter. About half of those bags are paper and shredding gone to recycling, but the front closet is cleaned out and an old keyboard from a long discarded computer have gone to electronic recycling, as long as two half used cans of paint from last year's wall reconstruction project. Technically, I've only discarded 15 bags, because one bag of books is waiting to go to the thrift store later this week.  

On other fronts I've got good news. The walls that were damaged by the leaking 1911 pipe are patched and painted, with a minimum of mess. Happily the floor doesn't need redoing, so for now all's well in the apartment. As a plus, the sewer pipe construction project that's been on-going for at least two years in the street outside our building is mostly finished. There's still some heave equipment down the block, but no longer in front of the building. It will be easier for deliveries to the building and, perhaps, more importantly construction and the noise that goes with it, won't begin at 7:00 a.m. 

I'm planning a fun week ahead in Buttercupland. We'll be celebrating National Bagel Day belatedly and Buttercupland will be celebrating a special birthday. I hope you'll stop by for the fun ahead. 

As ever, thanks for visiting. Take care, stay warm and keep cozy. 

Pink Saturday Announces No Spending January

I'm proud to announce that none of these cute Christmas objects came home with me. 

I'm hopeful that no "things" come home with me in January, because once again it's No Spending January. For recent citizens of Buttercupland No Spending January is just that, no spending on "things," which I define as things of permanence -- see Ugly Sweater Cookie Kit above -- or things that are less permanent, like makeup or shampoo. 

While I've done a number of No Spending January months in the past, my last one was in 2020. I was especially careful then and cut down on eating lunches and snacks in restaurants. I had a number of travel plans for the year ahead (Ha!) and wanted to save up for special treats in Barcelona and Porto, Portugal and London. Alas, I didn't make it to any of those places, but don't regret saving money. 

I was very tempted, but these yummies stayed at the store, too. 

In 2021 I passed on No Spending January. It was pre-vaccination time and winter and there weren't as many things tempting me to overspend. This year I'm not out and about very much these days, and I'm well stocked in clothes, shampoo, and the general array of things. Though there are few things I need, I'm amazed that every day I'm tempted by at least a dozen emails and a vast array of things in store windows, grocery shopping or when I'm at the drugstore picking up a prescription. 

At the same time I've launched a major decluttering campaign. I realize I've got more than enough of everything and don't want to bring more into my apartment. I'm participating in  a "30 bags in 30 day" challenge and so far, I've decluttered 9 bags of discards.  I'm really pleased with the results so far and excited about what the results will be on January 31. My biggest challenge is papers and I've got a pile to shred. I don't think I'll have my paperwork totally sorted by the end of the month, but I've got a great start. 

Tomorrow morning a work crew will be here to start fixing the wall damaged by the pipe leak last month. I'm optimistic that this won't be a huge project, and they'll only be here for a few days of work. The wall has to be plastered and then painted, with a day or two to let the plaster dry. What's your excitement for the week?

I hope you've enjoyed our Pink Saturday  post for this week. Is anyone else thinking of doing a No-Spending month or even a week?

As ever, thanks for visiting. Take care and keep cozy. 

 

The Journey of 1,000 Miles: Chapter Five

 

And the final number for 2021 is 1015.9 miles, which surpasses 2019 and 2020, when I fell short of my goal (875 and 919 respectively).

I finished my Journey of 1000 Miles for 2021 on Monday, December 27 at approximately 4:20 P.M. I was delighted to have the four remaining days in 2021 that didn't include obsessively tracking my mileage. I did keep walking and without planning finished the year with a five-mile day on December 31. The morning was bright, sunny and as balmy as any day in April, which made walking a complete pleasure. 

I also tallied my miles for the last five years (when I began serious tracking) and my total mileage is 4809.9 miles. My goal is to walk 10,000 miles in ten years (or eleven or twelve, if need be) and I'm reasonably on track for that, too. If it was possible to walk to Europe or Africa I'd have reached Moscow at 4,786 miles and gone beyond  Dakar, Senegal at 3,830 miles. My ultimate goal is to reach Sydney, Australia at 9,950 miles. 

When I first started this habit/practice/obsession I wasn't sure I would have the discipline to complete it, let alone to keep doing it after five years. Though I didn't complete my goals during 2019 and 2020, it gave me structure during the worst of the pandemic days. The one thing I could do is go outside and walk and I did. Now it's just part of my life and one I'm very grateful to be able to continue.  

I walked in seven U.S. states last year. I'm hopeful I can do more traveling and add a new place or two to my walking list. I've got no plans right now, but lots of dreams. I will definitely keep you posted.  

This first week of 2022 has been a quiet one, but quite productive. I went into a decluttering whirlwind and there are two bags of donations, two bags of paper to recycle and two bags of trash. At least a dozen magazines went for recycling and my goal is be much more ruthless in that direction. More to come and so glad I've embarked on this with so much energy.

As ever, thanks for visiting and hope you're having a good first week of 2022.

Pink Saturday Takes a Mini-Vacation

 

It's a Pink bike for Pink Saturday

One of my favorite spots in 2O21 was Breezy Point at the very end of Queens, New York. There have been other Buttercupland visits here over the years, but I thought it was time to make a quick return visit for our first Pink Saturday post of the new year. When I saw the pink bike I knew that it would be the perfect Pink Saturday post. 

Even though Breezy is within the borders of New York City, the feel is very beach life far from New York or any city. It's not the only beach in New York, with 520 miles of coastline, longer than the coastlines of Miami, Boston, San Francisco and Los Angeles combined. Some of our beaches are world famous, like Coney Island and others are little known outside of the area, like Breezy Point. 

A visit to Breezy almost always includes a walk to the dunes and the beach.

Beautiful beach sunset

Last year I visited seven states, including a quick lunch in New Hampshire. Neither I, nor anyone else knows what the year ahead holds, but I'm optimistic that there's more travel this year than last. But even if I don't get very far, this post has made me realize that there are beaches yet to be discovered throughout our 52O miles of coastline. Do you have travel plans/local excursions you're hoping to explore this year?

Today was a quiet day, and not unpleasantly so. I did a lot of reading, had a Zoom call with friends, got in my walking and picked up a few groceries. After almost sixty degree weather for the last few days, the weather if finally becoming winter and snow is expected tomorrow morning. I'm hoping it's only an inch or two and I'll get out to the post office to mail a few packages. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and good wishes for the week ahead.   

My Perfect Word for 2O22: Cheerful

I've been considering my "word" for 2O22 for the last few weeks. Optimism came to mind a number of times and was the front runner for most of the time. I also thought of video, silly and perhaps a dozen other words. I was set to go with optimism until last night. In a discussion with friends I said that I wanted to be cheerful this year, not really thinking of it as a choice for my word. One friend commented that it wasn't an era for cheer, but my response was that it was definitely an era for cheerfulness.

I looked at the definition of cheerful and one of the top definitions was "noticeably happy and optimistic." This was followed by, among other words, cheery, chipper and uplifting. When I first started blogging in January 2OO9 the world was also in a sad and sorry state. One reason I began the blog and gave it an upbeat title was a means to life my own spirits. I found when I was cheerful and lifted the spirits of those I met in BlogLand I lifted my own spirits. I became Buttercup, and except for the few times I became my dark side blogger, Stinkweed, and I never looked back. 

This was the way I ended my first post on January 12, 2OO9:

 This year...the end of 2008 was a tough time. But it's a new year and I'm cultivating a new attitude. Instead of looking in the mirror and seeing someone -- me -- and thinking "Who is that tired, chubby, old looking woman?" I'm going to take on a buttercup attitude and attempt to see myself and the world in a happier and more upbeat way.

Here's to cheerful Buttercup. I know there will be many times that I may fall short, but I'm going to cultivate a buttercup attitude, which for 2O22, we will call cheerful.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow for Pink Saturday and throughout the new year. Next posts include a recap on the Journey of 1,OOO miles, No-Spending January and my latest art experience. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and every happy wish for the year ahead. 

Happy New Year's (Eve)

I had a bright blue sky and fifty degree weather for my first walk of the last day of 2021. The sun vanished a few hours later, but the start of the day was closer to spring than winter, and I felt as though I'd walked out into an April day, bright with all the promise of spring. My spirits have flagged this week, but on this morning all I felt was the hope of spring and the possibility of better days in 2022.

My wish for all of Buttercupland is just those intangibles, hope and possibility. They may  be fleeting, as the sunshine was this morning, but it's also what will propel us through dark days that may be yet to come. I'm reminded of the French writer, Albert Camus, writing in the 194O's: "In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer."  

The new year has almost arrived in the United States and has already begun in Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia and New Zealand. For all who have already celebrated and all who are yet to celebrate, every wish for happy, healthy, and for hope, possibility and an invincible summer.

I'll be back tomorrow -- next year -- with my perfect word for 2022. I hope you'll stop by to continue the celebration. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and have a glad new year.