"We become what we think about." ~ Earl Nightingale

Welcome to Sacred Ruminations

I hope you'll look around & leave comments
then visit me at my new blog ...

Giraffe Journal

and/or website ... Labyrinth Journal
both self-hosted at WordPress
where I publish as myself
rather than under a
pseudonym.

I've not had much time for posting or blog visits, but if you're interested I hope you'll find time to check out my new blog, Giraffe Journal or my Labyrinth Journal website ... both self hosted at WordPress.

Thanks for your visit and have a delightful day ;--)
Hugs and blessings,


Tuesday, January 12, 2010

What's on my mind this morning ...


Herein are my Morning Musings and

randomtuesday
with Wordful Wednesday too

1. It's been a while since I've just 'mused' in the morning, but I want to begin again ... so here goes. It's dark and damp outside this morning. I know because I just put the trash cans out. They're full because I've been clearing clutter from my desk area all week.

2. I turn 65 on February 23rd and should have applied for Medicare months ago. Alas, procrastination got the better of me (yet again) and my back's to the wall. I cleaned to find the folder with information from a Medicare 101 seminar I attended (at the urging of a good friend) last November ... found it (hooray) ... spent HOURS yesterday on the phone with Social Security (exhaling as I remember the experience of listening to information I already knew, giving the same information repeatedly ... first to an 'automated voice' and then to three people before finally connecting with Montrey in Seattle who told me he could sign me up over the phone ... put me 'on hold' while he made copies of necessary paperwork) ... whereupon I got disconnected.

3. After waiting an hour hoping Montrey would call back (I'd given my phone number repeatedly to everyone ... didn't I give it to him?) ... I started over ... finally reached a person (Keisha) after 25 minutes of 'automated' messages & questions and told her my tale of woe. Bless her heart, she listened ... went 'off script' and connected me with Mr. Mason who apologized profusely and didn't put me 'on hold' when he went to make the necessary copies ... so I'm officially 'signed up' w/o having to go to the local office ... a 'secure envelope' is on the way so I can sent him the required documention to verify my eligibility ... and coverage will begin on February 1st even if my Award Letter and/or Medicare card haven't arrived. I'm relieved ... but my next decisions involve deciding on a 'supplemental care' and 'prescription' plan.




4. I attended my Photoshop Elements 'collage' class last night ... learned some kewl new techniques and think I'm ready to purchase PSE8 (since I'm currently using PSE6) because it has nifty features to explore.



5. I'm spending today with my sister and will deal with pressing matters later this week. We'll begin by picking my Nikon D60 up (the camera shop called last night to say it's ready ... HOORAY!) and dropping her's off for its annual cleaning & adjustment. I've experienced significant withdrawal symptoms being without it for the past week, but I'm delighted I won't need to 'fix' the spots on my photos any more and am hoping that cleaning the contacts will correct the problems I've had with my Tamron 28-300mm lens.




6. She wants to walk a mall (something I've pretty much given up since my decision to avoid new acquisitions & focus on getting rid of stuph 3 years ago). I'll avoid 'shopping' by taking photos while following her around. It'll be fun to catch up as we walk ... enjoy a tasty lunch together ... just like old times before she hit the road with her husband to travel full time in their RV a few years back. Sounds like they'll be around at least until March so (happily) this may be the first of many such days spent together.

7. I bought a flat of pansies and a can of 'coyote urine' granules over the weekend. I need some way to keep the neighbor's cats out of my garden ... and am willing to try just about anything at this point.


8. After adding a few photos to illustrate my musings, I accidentally published this prematurely ... so I'm hoping so one drops by to comment before it's finished. I'm reminded that this used to happen frequently and I could have used my 'test blog' to create it before adding it here. Perhaps I'll remember to do so in the future ...(or not).

9. Let's see ... what else? It's about 6am and I need to eat breakfast, take a shower ... then take Molly for a walk ... so I don't know how much time I'll have to visit blogs before my sister arrives. I guess I'll be catching up with others this evening (if I'm not exhausted) and/or tomorrow. The weatherman sez we might get a bit of rain this evening and tomorrow ... with another storm predicted for the weekend. We certainly NEED the rain so I'm hoping he's right. My little 'fur-kid' just celebrated her 5th birthday on December 31!

Click images to embiggen for better viewing
and for others participating in
Random Tuesday Thoughts
Wordful Wednesday at Seven Clown Circus



Here's wishing everyone a delightful day ;-)

Did you know???
January 10-12 are National Delurking Days ...
so how about making a commitment to:
http://www.maviefolle.com/wp1/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Delurking-Day.jpg

Thought for Today
"Teachers open the door. You enter by yourself." Chinese Proverb

27 comments:

Keely said...

Ah, bureaucracy. Gah. Glad you got it sorted.

(It's too early, I actually had to look up 'bureaucracy'. Need. Coffee.)

Don't you wish other people would just take care of that crap while we wandered around taking pictures?

Karen said...

First off--thank you for sharing photos of your space!! I love it!! And also--congrats on staying focused and ultimately getting what you want--signed up without even having to leave your home! Have a wonderful time with your sister--and your newly cleaned camera!!

Joyce said...

Good Morning!

You are keeping so busy! The organized space looks great, and finding your way through the Medicare maze must feel great as well. I have something similar going on here as I am almost done with paperwork to apply for aid for my elderly mom. I find it quite daunting, as it must be done "just so". I fully expect to receive it back with requests for more information. :P

The pansies are so bright and cheery looking. Though it's unseasonably warm here just now, we very well may get snow even in February, so no pansies for us yet.

Have a wonderful time with your sister!

George said...

I enjoyed your musings and am glad to hear that you now have your Nikon back. Your tale of signing up for Social Security brought back memories.

LadyFi said...

Yay for your camera coming back. And I love the mosaic of Molly - too cute!

Margaret aka: Fact Woman said...

Glad you are all signed up and all without going into the office! My D90 was in the shop for 3 weeks and I thought I'd die without it. Happy for you that yours was only gone a week. Yay for spot free photos.
Just got a macro lens for Christmas and am loving it!!!

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

All righty then -- thank you for the update -- sister and all; I laughed about the Medicare/Soc. Sec. stuff. I used to think that when I got old there would be no more hassles, no more decisions to make. Not quite true is it?

Loved the pansy pictures especially.

But you wrote all this before 6 in the morning? Wow. I wonder if it's too late for me to become a morning person?

Barb said...

Hi - I came to visit you from Paulie's blog. I enjoyed your reflections. I, too, wandered in the Medicare Maze - now get your supplement and you're set. I see you're from Taos - my "neighbor" (I live in Breckenridge, CO). There is certainly no way I can plant pansies (until June maybe) - but I do enjoy the idea of them...Have fun with your Sis.

Sandee said...

Wow, signing up for medicare sounds delightful. I'm glad you got it done over the phone. Good for you. I've got a few more years to go, but hubby just started receiving Social Security. That was a really easy process that surprised him to no end.

Have a terrific day. :)

Ginny Hartzler said...

How much I enjoyed this post! I love getting a peek into your office, now when I read your blog I can picture you there writing. I notice you have a comfy looking chair and a Dell. I adore Dells and they are the only brand of computer I will buy. It gives me an idea to post a pic of my working space (in the living room with a T.V. tray and a pink laptop.) Your phone problems with Medicare take me back a few years to the same thing when my husband retired. I was on the phone for days! We finally had to get several financial addvisors. I am just so glad that you got signed up the first day you called!! We had several mix ups. My camera is a Nikkon P80, the newer one that is in between a point and shoot and an SLR. I would never be able to master a big one with different lenses like you have, I think my daughter-in-law has the same one you do. Yes, I totally know what you mean about shopping and picture taking!! Taking pics helps keep me from buying, and it's just as much fun. My husband obliges me by taking sharp turns and such on the road as long as I'm not spending. I love pansies, wait till my husband reads about the coyote urine!! That did give me a chuckle. The Molly pics are lovely with her white fur against the bright green.

I am Harriet said...

Definitely, go for the Medicare while you can.

Have a great day!
http://iamharriet.blogspot.com/2010/01/predictable-you-tell-me.html

Sarah said...

I enjoyed your musings! I am impressed with your photoshop skills-I can't do much there but wish I could! I know what you mean about automated machines-I waited for about fifteen minutes with a woman's voice telling me repeatedly that I was number 2(pause) in the queue. It is so frustrating! I hope you get it all sorted out soon anyway!

Matty said...

You sure are busy. An early happy birthday to you. I'm not quite ready for Medicare yet, but it's on the horizon. Molly is a cutie.

Mary said...

Glad you got your Medicare taken care of. Isn't it maddening when they continue to put you on hold. It took me two days and six hours last week to change our car insurance broker. We went with Grey Power, which save us about $600 a year, but the time it took was ridiculous.

Lovely pansies and nice photos of Molly. Happy bleated birthday to her.

I would love to take a Photo Shop class. Glad you are learning new things.

Enjoy your evening.
Blessings,
Mary

Cajoh said...

Actually stopping by from Seven Clown Circus— but could have seen this on Random Tuesday as well…

I like the fact you call them Morning Musings. Good luck with your seminar and moving on to those golden years.

Thank you for sharing,

Unknown said...

I had forgotten that your birthday is the day before my grandson's. :) Glad you got the medicaid thing all taken care of - I don't look forward to that! Pansies, I love! Coyote urine pellets I had never heard of! You'll be so happy to get your camera back in your hands!

Susan Cook said...

Happy birthday to Molly. Thanks for sharing your week with us. Hope you enjoy your time with yours sister. And glad you got the SS thing straightened out. :)

Ginny Marie said...

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog! I'm glad you were able to spend time with your sister yesterday. I didn't have much time to read other people's random Tuesday thoughts, either...I took my daughters to the children's museum! So I'm hoping to do some more blogging today.

You and I share a February birthday! Mine is at the beginning of the month.

Happy Wednesday!

Michele said...

Wow! a retriever with a ball in her mouth, what are the odds? Very very good if my Nessa is any indication. Tell how it goes with the coyote urine. I need to keep my own cat out of my garden.

Unknown said...

Thank you so much for popping by today! I am so kjealous you get to take a class on photoshop! I guess I better get photoshop before I start worrying about classes! lol.

Pamela M. Kramer - A Renaissance Woman said...

Our desks look a lot alike. :)

As always I love the photos of your dog. Happy WW

Anonymous said...

Lots of fun stuff going on with you. Very kewl that you're taking the PE collage class and I love your flowers. And of course, I think Molly is very cute. ;-)

Paz

Brenda said...

Your dog is beautiful, it sounds like a good start to the new year.

Carol said...

Wow, you have been busy! and what patience, I'd have flipped with those phone calls! Enjoyed your musings!

Carletta said...

I was looking for your Ruby Tuesday and ended up here first. Happy Belated Birthday to Molly!
My wonderful Hubs gave me PSE8 for Christmas. I'm lost with it. I guess I should look for a class.
Hooray indeed for getting your camera back.
I enjoyed reading your musings. :)

Diane AZ said...

Your Photoshop collage class sounds like fun. You must be so glad to have your camera back and to be signed up for Medicare. Your pansies and Molly pictures are gorgeous. Looks like a great week for you!

Laufa said...

Congrats on being patient and persistant with getting your Medicare! Your pictures are beautiful (also the fountain and sunset on your other blog).