A Teaspoon of Sugar

I am sitting here waiting for this old computer to finish the little bar at the bottom of the screen that tells you it has finally gotten done, eating those lovely gourmet jelly beans that I keep in a little jar on my desk, when I happened to choose one that tasted of sugar and coffee. Once, long long, long, long ago I had a teaspoon of sugar saturated in coffee. It was the same taste. How did some jelly bean producer know to make just that forbidden taste?

I know, I know, they make them that taste like vomit, too. Believe me they are not the greenish ones you would suspect. No, No, No! It might be the one that you can feel sure is coconut because it is white, but there you are, vomit as sure as it was a putrid green color. I do love a sense of humor.

Love,
Betty

Betty,

I've been wondering about you. Has Ida been treating you OK? She seems to have become gentler than she might have been.

I have known a couple of Ida's in my life. One was my paternal grandmother - and a hard wind she was. She and my grandfater had four children, each five years apart - I am sure those were due to the only four nights she allowed my grandfather into her bed. He didn't mind. He found solace from her stoniness in other places. If Ida-the-storm had been like her, well. I'm glad your sense of humor is showing.

The other Ida was my mom's great aunt. She was apparently a much softer and kinder person. I never met her, but my Uncle James almost named his second daughter after her. They were considering either Ida Beth or Amy Claire. Amy Claire won out. Uncle Feagin said he didn't know why they didn't compromise and name her Ida Claire.

I hope Dick has met my Uncle Feagin. They will have a rousing time together.

Take care and try to stay dry.

Ann

Jelly beans that taste like coffee and sugar?

Where do I find these wondrous things?

They might be called Jelly Bellies and found in candy shops. I've had them and they are quite interesting.

Ida is battering Virginia where my daughter lives. On facebook yesterday she wrote, "I'm thinking of building an ark. I have one cat. Anyone else have any animals to contribute?"

We've been on the phone several times. She still has electricity but says it has been raining for days. The last storm in April produced considerable damage to her house which is still not back to order. She said last night her neighbor's trees were leaning and she decided to put her car in the garage. Everyone is staying home from school and work, even those in the Navy like her husband.

After high school she lived in Green Bay Wisconsin where I thought they had the worst weather in the nation. Then she moved to Missouri where they had giant ice storm and she was alone and without power for six days, burning old text books in a little fire place to keep warm and eating what was in her cabinets. Now she's in Norfolk where storms hit and ocean tides rise and streets become impassible.

Now you've got me thinking about those jelly beans. I think the last place I saw them was in a candy store in Savannah.

Carol

I thought about the ark today going to town to help my daughter.
I wondered about all the creatures on this earth.
The mind does have no bounds. Like dreaming. It can go any where and explore any direction and put forth into any idea, willy-nilly while driving or sleeping or working .

It might make me a danger on the roads. I do not know.

I remark upon the unrest of the mind. Never still.

Lately, I have had a difficult time sleeping.

I feel all wound up from the bottom to the end of my neck. I do not know why.

I think about the burning of old text booksto keep warm. I would do it. David and I get so many phone books that we do not need or know what to do with. The Idea of burning them crossed my mind. He has tried to burn phone books, even tried to break them down into burnable units. It cannot be done. It is almost like trying to burn a bible, whole.

I am off to bed. I am sorry that Alice left. So many friends to discard.

Love,
Betty

We never discard them. Once a friend, always a friend.

I love the way your mind thinks, Betty.

Ah, hijacking is fun. We've gone from jelly bellies to arks to phone books.

We are so creative.

Love, Carol

Betty Fasig wrote:

I thought about the ark today going to town to help my daughter.
I wondered about all the creatures on this earth.
The mind does have no bounds. Like dreaming. It can go any where and explore any direction and put forth into any idea, willy-nilly while driving or sleeping or working .

It might make me a danger on the roads. I do not know.

I remark upon the unrest of the mind. Never still.

Lately, I have had a difficult time sleeping.

I feel all wound up from the bottom to the end of my neck. I do not know why.

I think about the burning of old text booksto keep warm. I would do it. David and I get so many phone books that we do not need or know what to do with. The Idea of burning them crossed my mind. He has tried to burn phone books, even tried to break them down into burnable units. It cannot be done. It is almost like trying to burn a bible, whole.

I am off to bed. I am sorry that Alice left. So many friends to discard.

Love,
Betty

Betty,

It is so like you to wonder about creatures. I know what you mean about the mind wandering, especially while driving. Sometimes, when driving familiar routes, I realize that I have traveled several miles without being aware of where I had been. I have read that it's normal, and that anything our of the ordinary would be noticed in time for us to respond. I hope so.

Sometimes I meditate to slow my mind down. I cannot meditate by simply sitting still. It just doesn't work. I do best with pictures if nature and soft background music. I set them up as powerpoint presentations, then watch them sitting at the computer. Maybe you could use pictures of your animals, or wild creatures.

I hear you about the sleeping part, and being all wound up. This is not an easy season to get through, and this year, especially, when the world is in such turmoil and it's hard to see very far ahead.

The other day, I received a CD from the phone company, with all the SA white pages on it, and a note saying it would replace that irritating book. The next day, I got another book. It seems that if we don't want the book delivered, we have to call in and ask.

I miss Alice, too. Sleep well.

Lots of Love,

Ann