Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and this beholder likes green skinned women

Well... what do you think?  Maybe you shouldn't answer that.  I'm referring to the new artwork above my bed.  All I know is, I love it.  For the past couple years I've been looking for something to hang there.  

I didn't know what I wanted, I just knew:

1. Nothing too colorful or busy--my bedroom is my zen zone.
2. I wanted something modern, minimalist.
3. It had to be lightweight so I wouldn't worry about it falling down on my head!

I saw this piece above, Nude Woman in Green on an e-canvas site and liked it immediately.  I've got a wooden cross and a couple other artworks on the walls, a sepia Starship Enterprise across from my bed and an "Incan-style" mini-print beside my bookcase, so I'd say my bedroom is pretty much done for wall decor.

Maybe it's time I started shopping for a new bed.  Just kidding!  I love my hippie bed.

The primitive art beside my bookcase and the sepia-toned Enterprise opposite my bed

I thought I'd share this too-- A year or so ago, I bought a map of Pittsburgh for the wall beside my television.  I loved it but it was small, only 18" x 24". 

So last week when I got a 50% off coupon from the same map site on Etsy, I looked for a similar but larger map.  I found it and the perfect 24" x 32" natural frame.  I love it.

I did try hanging a more traditional piece of art there, a row of different colored mountains in assorted colors.  But it was too busy right next to my tv.  And at night it just looked very dark.

I like the whiteness & simplicity of this minimalist map for this space.  I'll hang more colorful stuff elsewhere.

I plan to buy 2 more art pieces, the first is for the accent wall in my dining room.  

I want something oversized, a stretched canvas with an Asian influence.  I have it narrowed down to a few I really like.

The second piece I want is a small wooden, fabric or metal wall hanging to place alongside this wonderful Veloy Vigil.  

I paid a small fortune for this print in the 1990s, and another small fortune to have it professionally framed with museum glass.  I should post a better photo, it's gorgeous.  It's been in storage since I retired and moved a few years back.  It's not a big piece, but it's heavy and will need a wall anchor.  I'd like to see it hanging up above my couch, but it needs something up there with it. 

Well, I think I'll go take a look at my green woman again.  I can't seem to get enough of her.

Reverend Doug and his blessed trip to Cracker Barrel

Yesterday (Wednesday) I was blessed with a reduction in long covid symptoms, so I figured it was safe to venture out and go on that senior lunch outing to Cracker Barrel, in Cranberry Township.  

It may not have been as picturesque as last weeks Narcisi Winery, the food wasn't as fancy, but it was still a joyous trip. The day was cool but sunny, the ride was shorter and more fun, my lunch pals Paul & Dennis were there and always make things more enjoyable.

Something strange happened on my way to the senior center and then again inside the place.  About halfway there, a woman passed me on the street and said "Good morning Reverend."

Wait, did she just call me Reverend?  She was gone before I could say good morning back or bless her, so I just kept going.  

When I got to the senior center, Paul was there, engaged in a conversation with a new member, a man I met a week ago.  Paul came up to me and said "I told Bob you're our new pastor."  I think my white collar was giving people the wrong idea or something?  Anyway, here's a few boring pics of the day.

After we arrived at Cracker Barrel in Cranberry Township; pardon my blurry finger

While the women piled into the gift shop,  Paul ordered some wine, Dennis a beer and I got this new Fall item, "Granny's Apple Tea".  Very appley, very sweet.  

Here's one of Pearl, back from the gift shop.  It's strange, we live in the same apartment building, on the same floor.  Yet this is only the second time I've seen her since last December.

Here's one of the wall above Paul's head, I was trying to get a closer look at those curious baskets.  EDIT: Snowshoes!  Duh!  Thank you Kimba & Bobi!

My meal--fried chicken tenders and a "loaded" baked potato.  I've had better loaded potatoes, but loved those green onions and gobbled it down.  Those chicken tenders were juicy and seasoned just right, the best chicken I've had in a long time.  They were also bigger than you think, after two of them I was stuffed!  

I got a box to take the rest of my chicken home, and as long as I was there I bought a $5.00 TakeHome dinner for tomorrow.  Actually, we all did--everyone got meatloaf except for me, only because I had meatloaf this past weekend.

When our server brought out mine, she included a bag of hot corn muffins and told me my apple tea was on the house.  When I asked why, she said "Just because" and smiled at me.  Honestly, I don't know why.

After everyone was finished, Paul told Dennis "We've got an hour before our shuttle returns, there's a cantina across the highway, you up for some margaritas?"  Dennis handed me his food bag and off they went.

(I had to text them when Access arrived 10 minutes early--"Get back here or we're leaving without you!"  I swear to God, Dennis was so tipsy he was blurry!)

I sat outside on one of Cracker Barrel's rocking chairs and chatted with Rose and Claire for a good hour, what kind, funny ladies.  My LC symptoms started up again around 8pm, I think there was too much activity earlier, oh well.  All I know is, for the day at least, I felt blessed.

The End of the Dive-Bombers, I hope: taking the good from the bad

I think I've finally found an answer to my fruit fly problem--which was growing progressively worse these past couple weeks.

When this all began, I set out mason jars of apple cider vinegar with a drop of dish soap in both the kitchen and bathroom, where I got attacked the most.  A couple people recommended pouring Arm & Hammer Baking Soda down the drains, followed by white vinegar--I loved the fizzy action, but I think the bugs did too.  

The mason jars only collected 3-4 bugs a day, and it got to the point where the bugs were LITERALLY lined up on the top of my refrigerator door, dancing back and forth like it was Radio City Music Hall and they were the Rockettes!  Why, why??

If you knew me in the real world, I am a very, very clean person.  I wipe down everything with hot soapy water and Clorox wipes daily--including my appliances.

I noticed the bugs weren't getting near my food, but did kamikaze flights into whatever I was drinking.  I wound up buying a sippy cup for my coffee, tea, ginger ale--everything.

I also noticed they were attracted to light.  If I was in bed with my tablet, they bounced off the screen.  If I was in the living room on my laptop (where I need my eyeglasses) they would dive-bomb my face, over and over!  The reflection of the screen on my spectacles, I'm guessing.

That's when I remembered a bug light I bought 7-8 years ago when I first moved in here and discovered I had a gnat problem.  It was like a mini merry go round, with a strong light underneath and a sticky white base.  Thankfully I found it in the back of my apt's storage locker, the bulb still worked and included an unopened pack of those sticky bases.

I decided to put it on the bookcase that separates my kitchen and dining room from my living room.  Maybe those mini-monsters would take a detour from the kitchen before attacking me on the couch!

I decided to leave it on 24-7, and after the first night there were 48 buggos in there the next morning

And the morning after that, this pad had an additional 50 victims, nearly 100 total.  I swapped it out for a new one, and began pouring pots of boiling water down both drains and closing them off when not in use.  When I got up this morning, the sticky pad had only 5-6 dive bombers.  I'm going to keep on until there's zero.

One good thing came from this; I like having a light on that bookcase, a normally dark area in my place.  I ordered a small bookcase lamp to place on an upper shelf.  I also discovered I prefer my coffee in that thermal mug.  I normally reheat my coffee several times in the microwave to keep it hot, now I don't have to.

Meanwhile, it's doubtful I'll be going on the next senior lunch outing this Wednesday unless there's a big turnaround.  The day I went last week to the Winery, my pain number (from the long covid) was at a 2-3.  Uncomfortable, but didn't hold me back.

It remained the same the next day, and dropped down to a solid 2 on Friday.  When it's a 1-2, I start feeling hopeful.  However, by midday Saturday it had gone up to a 4, and by Sunday morning a 4-5.  I spent the morning sucking on Riccola lemon lozenges and holding ice packs to my face and side of my head.  It's 10 times more stubborn than these damn fruit fleas.

Anyway as long as I'm bugging I mean blogging, here's a photo of Sunday dinner.  I marinated a couple chicken thighs overnight, cooked 'em in my junior air fryer for 22 minutes.  I just love that contraption.  And for the record, those red mashed potatoes are the real deal.