Our forecast is for a low tonight/tomorrow of about 30 degrees!! It’s already been chilly but with the wind it’s bitter cold. The rugs on my patio are all blown up and the Spanish moss is dancing.

I had a busy day yesterday. My three dominos playing girlfriends came over and I’d made them apple crisp. It was ok (but I got it too sweet). We ended up at Fiore’s for fish.

Haven’t seen ken for several days but that’s ok. I’ve needed the time to get my cell phone set up, my old computer working as good as is possible. I’ll be getting my new computer Monday afternoon. (That’s the morning Sophie goes to the vet for her physical.)

Life is good. Sophie and I are doing fine.

I’m the new Nantucket V president which means work, but maybe we can make our home owner’s association into a fun friendly neighborhood.

I keep hearing about folks who have developed covid. Not only Dave, my son-in-law, but also my cleaning lady and Irene, the friend who had a great Holloween party. I am careful but it feels like everyone eventually catches it.

More problems. My backups didn’t perform as I’d hoped. I won’t worry too much. There are several things I can do to make the programs work. (Or at least I hope so.) Not much of a point working on the Lenovo computer, only to have to do it again when my new Dell comes next week.

My second Aerogarden came and I planted lettuce in it. It’s not large and fits where I hoped it would.

The weather’s turned cold!! Really cold. (Almost freezing.)

I am learning to separate myself from my computer. I don’t have a choice.

January 20th was a bad day!! Everything went wrong!!

I did have a pleasant evening with Ken, but the rest of the day was lousy!

Woke up and discovered that Spectrum was having TV problems. After calling them they suggested I reboot the system by unplugging it. About 15 minutes later I had TV.

Not long after that, I started up my computer … or TRIED to start up my computer. It said my “profile” wasn’t available. Basically that meant that Windows (my operating system) wouldn’t start. I worked on it. I would guess I struggled for about five hours!! What ended up happening is it wouldn’t recognize any passwords so I couldn’t start up anything. I was stuck. Several hours later, I called a computer repair guy (Shawn Cremshaw). He came over immediately and quickly found my hard drive was shot. He was able to get a copy of most of my data off my drive and put it on my backup so hopefully I can get everything (or most everything) restored.

We talked about good computers and I ended up having him order me a new one. The Surface Pro I was using is very expensive but it has lots of problems. He (Shawn) said he prefers a cheaper Dell so I went with his recommendation. I’ll have a new computer in a week. In the interium, he was able to work with my older Lenovo which is actually an excellent machine. He found ways to “speed it up” and I’m in good shape. The backup from the Surface Pro is accessible from the Lenovo so I can work on everything and it’s purring. Still slower than the new Dell will be but not bad.

But that wasn’t the only stuff that went wrong. A light bulb broke off in the socket.

I received my new white rug and Ken helped me lay it. IT’s lovely but Sophie promptly peed on it. It cleaned up nicely but she was in the dog house.

Now when listing the stuff that made the day problematic, it doesn’t sound so bad but everything seemed to go wrong.

When Ken came over, he brought a really good pizza and dessert. We enjoy conversation and a very pleasant evening. I hadn’t taken time to eat anything all day, so I really enjoyed dinner.

This morning I had a meeting with my financial guy, Rick Tuberosa. He told me to spend more. He said, what you spend, I can make back. Do more spending. So I left his office and went directly to Club Car of Sun City, my favorite golf cart shop and bought a new golf cart. Won’t be here until April or later.

I ordered a red one so folks aren’t going to notice that I have a new one, but it has lithium batteries that don’t need to be watered. What a relief. It also has a different drive system so it’s peppier.

This afternoon after I got home, I decided to buy myself a new cell phone. The one I ordered has an exceptional camera. My current one’s battery has been running down too fast. It used to go a couple days, now it can’t make a day. I will get a $230 trade-in credit for my old one. The latest greatest is a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G 128GB (Verizon). About this cellphone, it says, The highest resolution photos and video on a smartphone. Galaxy’s fastest processor yet. A battery that goes all-day—and then some. First ever S Pen compatibility. A striking new design. It’s an Ultra that easily lives up to its name. The whole transaction took a loooong time. I ordered it and then noticed my ($230) trade-in wasn’t included. I had to delete it and start over then call Visa to make sure I’d only be charged for one.

Today I went through about $20,000!!!!!

On Facebook this question was just asked: “DO YOU NEED MONEY?”

My answer surprised most.

I said, “No, I’m fine. Hope someone who needs it gets it.”

My bills are paid. My home, condo, golfcart, and all my possessions are fully paid for. I have ample money in reserve to take me through any emergency.

I purchased a long-term insurance policy in case I need nursing care. I have a household monitored security system.

I send funds to my daughter when she needs anything and I donate to causes I believe in.

I buy what I want when I want it without thinking twice.

I have a cleaning crew that keeps my condo polished, and a couple handymen that will do little jobs for me.

My condo is modest. It’s 1,540+ square feet, modern kitchen, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a two car garage, dining room, storage room and huge great room. There’s a back patio overlooking a pond and a screened-in side lanai.

The garage not only holds my Honda CRV and my upscale golf cart, but a laundry area for my washer and dryer, and a work bench. There’s also an extra refrigerator and small freezer (loaded with Omaha steaks).

I live alone, but have a cute cuddly dog who adores me. We’re both in good health.

Yes, there are a couple projects that would improve my condo, and I’ll do them eventually. I like having something to look forward to.

Last year I had all the windows in my condo replaced with windows that should withstand the worst storms that come through the area.

What more could I want?

Yes, my car is a 2020 but it only has about 1,200 miles on it and if I decide to replace it, I have the cash funds available.

I’m still mentally sharp and love a good book. I go to dances and I’m agile enough that I am occasionally asked to dance.

My wardrobe fills my closet (and I have some outfits I haven’t even worn), in fact some things are in my guest room closet. I have collected a lot of jewelry over the years. My mother’s items are now mine and I have purchased several (lots of) 14kt pieces.

The room near my kitchen has been made into a storage room. It’s filled with floor to near ceiling cabinets so I can store extras, Christmas ornaments, and unused small appliances. I keep stocked up on kleenex, meds, toilet paper, and more.

Rick, my financial advisor does a great job for me. (Last year my investments gained over 20%.) He has things set up so I receive a generous monthly amount to spend as I see fit.

Now I ask you, why would I want more?

Life is good!

This has been a week for changes/improvements.

I bought myself a new Kindle Paperwhite. Yes, the old Paperwhite still worked, but the improved visuals make the newest Kindle desirable. It came today and was immediately (with no effort on my part), connected to wi-fi and loaded with all my previous purchased books.

I also bought a wall plug which works great with Alexia. I am using it in my bedroom. I plugged my bedside lamp ito it. Now when I go to bed I can say, “Alexia, turn off/on the plug.” It’s great. (Especially nice when I get up to go to the bathroom.) I’m going to put one in the guest room and one in the nook by my gold loveseat.

My Aerogarden Farm 24XL is up and running. I have planted several varieties of lettuce, tomatoes (yellow and red), and basil. I’m hoping in a couple of weeks I’ll see growth.

Sophie didn’t help matters. She took three of the pods out of the Aerogarden and played with them. Hopefully they’ll still grow unless she lost the seeds out of them.

Pets, it turns out, also have last wishes before they die, but only known by veterinarians who put old and sick animals to sleep. Twitter user Jesse Dietrich asked a vet what was the most difficult part of his job.

The specialist answered without hesitation that it was the hardest for him to see how old or sick animals look for their owners with the eyes of their owners before going to sleep. The fact is that 90 % of owners don’t want to be in a room with a dying animal. People leave so that they don’t see their pet leave. But they don’t realize that it’s in these last moments of life that their pet needs them most.

Veterinarians ask the owners to be close to the animals until the very end. ??It’s inevitable that they die before you. Don’t forget that you were the center of their life. Maybe they were just a part of you. But they are also your family. No matter how hard it is, don’t leave them.

Dont let them die in a room with a stranger in a place they dont like. It is very painful for veterinarians to see how pets cannot find their owner during the last minutes of their life. They dont understand why the owner left them. After all, they needed their owner’s consolation.

Veterinarians do everything possible to ensure that animals are not so scared, but they are completely strangers to them. Don’t be a coward because it’s too painful for you. Think about the pet. Endure this pain for the sake of their sake. Be with them until the end.

Back about 1980, a renouned photographer took quality, artistic, black and white nude photos of me. They are nudes but definitely not pornography. These artistic and lovely prints are stored under my bed.

They are large, matted, works of fine art.

When I turn 80, I’m going to put at least one of the two up in my bedroom. (I’ll start with the one that doesn’t show my face.) Except for my cleaning folks, no one goes in my room anyway.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this. They should be displayed. I’m proud of them. I don’t want to shock anyone. According to definition, pornography is intended to stimulate erotic emotions. These envoke an appreciation for my past body and the artist who took them.

I’ll be 80. Am I wrong?

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Note about the photographer: Dr. S. Preston Jones is a renouned photographer. He’s been acknowlege as one of the best in Michigan. For many years he has been affiliated with the Midland Center for the Arts in Midland. He’s famous and received many awards for his awesome talent.

Last year I wrote this:

What I (Sharon Skaryd) learned in 2020: I learned that I can live truly alone as long as I have my dog to talk to. I discovered Zoom which is a great way to see folks at a safe distance. I learned that there are alternatives to shopping in stores (delivery and Amazon). I found that there are really only a few things you really need: a good bottle of wine and a supply of toilet paper. As a single lady, I found I’d rather be alone than with someone I’m neutral about. I found that for me throwing away leftovers is wiser than storing them in the refrigerator only to eventually toss them anyway. I discovered that TV movies repeat and repeat and repeat. I found that everyone responds differently to being isolated. It got easier for me but for many it has been really tough. A good book is a great way to relax before bedtime. I found that wearing makeup, bras, shoes, and matching attire is unimportant as long as you’re comfortable. I found that the news can be depressing so it’s better to avoid it. (What will happen will happen without my input.) I found it’s a good idea to occasionally make a list of stuff you have frozen. Review the list when you can’t think of anything for dinner, otherwise you’ll forget what’s there. Online services like banking and even online concerts are truly valuable. Talking to yourself is completely ok. When I feel I need to “get out” for fresh air, there’s nothing better for me than a nice golf cart ride. Sometimes I pick up a carry-out lunch and park in an isolated spot with a book and enjoy my “picnic.” Yup, this is my list of what I learned in 2020. Make your own list. You’ll be surprised at how wise you’ve become.

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Now it’s 2022. Here’s what I learned in 2021: Sophie is even more important in my life than she was as I went into 2021. She’s learning how to control me. (Example, she knows if I pick up my phone and the carry out menu from Palm Court, I’ll soon be going to the South Clubhouse to pick up my dinner and if she looks eager enough, I’ll take her with me.)

I’ve gotten closer to my daughter, Kelly. She’s my treasure.

But I was wrong about a few things:

I don’t need a bottle of wine. I really don’t sleep well if I have more than a small glass.

Having stuff in reserve is great, but I forget where I put items and I often buy more without realizing I was already well-stocked. (That reminds me I need to locate my supply of toilet paper. I know I have some stored away. And I must remember where I put my air purifier filters.)

I make lists. I list what stuff I have available for meals and side dishes. I list what I need to accomplish. I even list stuff I that might forget. There’s a long detailed list for Kelly to help her when I’m no longer available.

I’ve discovered I do better with less wine. I still love a glass with dinner but I usually replace it with a glass of ice water.

My back’s gotten worse. I should walk more and take Sophie. She’d love it. Many nights I use a heating pad to get comfortable and bring on sleep but I hope something can be done.

So I’ve discovered nothing profound in the past year.

I’ve found that I may not even want a special guy. With a guy-friend comes responsibility and I’m doing fine on my own.

Maybe I’ll have a great 2022 but I’m not holding my breath.

I’m very, very comfortable financially. (I have over seven digits of wealth and it’s growing.) Thanks to Rick from Ameriprise.