Pretty is

...My Life and Style

You are here: Home / Home

I’ve been sick for a month

YES…

I’ve been sick for a month!

The Tuesday after our Saturday date night at the Alhambra, which I posted about here, I came down with… something.

I thought it was a sinus infection, complete with headache and congestion.  But no matter what I took [or how much] I could not get rid of the headache.  It lasted for two days.  Then the fever came, and the coughing, and the inability to sit down without falling asleep.  I had no energy and was unbelievably tired.  My cough was so bad that I thought “maybe I have bronchitis”.

I’ve made it this far in life and have never had the flu, so I was thinking “there is no way I can have the flu”.  Since I have been a successful social distancer, I couldn’t imagine what or WHOM I could have come in contact with that would have given me COVID.  Maybe it was the Alhambra photographer who got strangely close when showing LB and I our photo on Saturday night.  But I still don’t know.

 On the following weekend I slept.  I SLEPT all weekend. I was still sick… headache, coughing, lethargy.  On Monday LB started to feel bad.  On Wednesday he decided we needed to be tested for COVID.  He went alone to Walgreens and submitted a sample.  Since it wouldn’t reveal results for THREE DAYS, he went to CVS and bought a home test kit.  It was a 2fer so we both tested.

And we were both POSITIVE

The next day we drove to the Downtown Public Library and partook of the Monoclonal Antibodies treatment courtesy of our honorable Governor Ron DeSantis.  Four shots… 2 in the back of the arm, 2 in the lower abdomen.

Thank you Governor DeSantis.  You are a hero!

LB started to get better right away.  I [on the other hand] had to call the doctor, who prescribed an antibiotic for 5 days to help with my congestion and cough.  On day six I was thinking it didn’t work.  But today, I’m not coughing much, and my voice is almost back to normal.  It seems to take forever for the symptoms to subside.

Let me quote my sister: “Covid is no joke”

~

I started doing research and found this site with a lot of good information.  That information was derived from this site which has even more amazing information.

Also there is a Covid defense Box (a Physician-Recommended COVID First Aid Kit) you can request from this site.

It includes…

  • Budesonide nasal spray to fight the cytokine storm
  • A pulse oximeter to monitor blood oxygen levels
  • Vitamins C & D3, Zinc, and Quercetin to strengthen immunity
  • N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC) to promote bronchial, respiratory, and immune health
  • Claritin (Loratadine) H1 histamine blocker to dry up secretions
  • Pepcid (Famotadine) H2 histamine block to lessen secretions
  • Mouthwash to lessen viral replication in mouth
  • Low dose aspirin to prevent blood clots
  • Melatonin to fortify immune systems, and prevent blood clots

I hope this helps someone!

~

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

 

The Sound of Music

I was introduced to the Rodgers and Hammerstein’s masterpiece as a little girl.

One of my aunts, I think it was Sharon,  took me to the theater where I watched the longest movie I had ever seen in my little life.  I’m not sure why I think it was Sharon because it seems like it was typically Linda or Vicki that would take me to the movies.

[Maybe someone can help me out with this?]

I wish my memory wasn’t so bad 🤪

But I do remember that the movie was great.  I’ve seen it more than a dozen times.  I loved it so much that I had the album.

I couldn’t remember what happened to that album.  As a matter of fact, I don’t remember if it belonged to me or my sister. Surely it was too wholesome to become victim to the back-masking record burning event that took place around the late 70’s.  Gina reminded me that it was on her stereo and stolen during one of the many home break-ins we experienced as kids.  But we had it in our possession long enough that I memorized EVERY SINGLE song from the movie.  It is amazing what your brain will allow you to remember.  For me, it is lyrics.

I think my favorite song is probably

“The Lonely Goatherd”

[Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo].

~

Right now the Alhambra Theater and Dining is showing a production of The Sound of Music.  LB has been watching for an opportunity to purchase weekend tickets.  On Friday night he got lucky.  Two seats had become available and he grabbed them.

So on Saturday night we did something that has become out of the norm during the plandemic, we went out on a date.

The show was great.  It was considerably shorter than the movie, some of the songs were a little out of place, but the story was the same.

We loved it.

If you get the opportunity to go, I highly recommend it!

Just as info, the menu is a little strange.  Bear in mind that pork schnitzel is merely a breaded (and probably fried)  pork chop and Sacher torte is just a piece of chocolate cake.  Both are delicious!

~

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

You talkin’ to Me?

Occasionally I will pick something apart.  LB does it too.  We’re funny like that, but at least we can relate to one another.  That said…

There was recently a Facebook post circulating and it begins with

“The end is near. So why am I smiling?”

You’ve probably seen it.
The writer introduces herself as a “3rd generation pastor’s kid” and goes on to give a brief synopsis of her early experience in an end-times-obsessed religious environment.  Her overwhelming fear that she would miss the Rapture of the Church was debilitating and followed her into adulthood.  However, thanks to ‘awesome mentors and logic’, the fruitless narrative [that she could be left behind] finally began to crumble.
I cannot deny that she does have a gift for exhortation.
Then she changes lanes and reminds the reader “you shall know it by its fruit” and goes on to address those who are not speaking words that are beneficial to anyone but…
 ‘darkness’.
Reading this makes me go
Conviction?
Maybe.
I’ve come across the post 25 times at least, so I decided to give it some thought.
I can identify with the writer because I too [at an early age] was exposed to end-time prophecy: the rapture, the tribulation, mark of the beast and many horrifying events that you can read about in THE BIBLE.
In 1972, a movie dramatizing some of those events was released.  I saw it in the auditorium/sanctuary of the church where I grew up.
The name of the movie was…

A Thief in the Night.

Along with the movie came the song “I Wish We’d All Been Ready“.  The lyrics reiterated the message in the movie.
Other movies followed: A Distant Thunder, Image of the Beast...

does anyone else remember these?

(side note: all are available to watch on IMDb TV)

Back to my story: At the time, I was only 6 years old, but it was probably a couple of years later that I was able to view the first of this series.  No doubt, the message of that movie would leave a child with a sense of dread and if you believe the Bible to be truth, it was a wake up call.  Nobody wanted to miss the rapture and find themselves facing the tribulation, along with the government police who would arrest and imprison those who rejected the narrative.  I was truly concerned about missing the rapture when I was a little girl, but now I understand that it isn’t me that should be concerned (John 10:24-30).

~

As the writer of the considerably shared post tells us, “those of us who are alive” have the privilege of seeing what ‘prophets dreamed’.  To me, that would be…

the beginning of the end.

For example: The Biden regime is currently experimenting with control, and is testing the people to see if all that they propose will be accepted.  The complicit CDC is now setting up internment camps for you and me.
At some point a leader will mandate a mark in the right hand or forehead (Revelation 13:15-18).  Those who accept this mark will be damned (Revelation 20:4).
This may be information that is considered beneficial only to ‘darkness’, by someone’s standards, but I think it should be known.

 

Just as info, I am not a conspiracy theorist, obsessed with, immersed in, or focused on the evil that I have been awakened to, but I am concerned.

However, I know the end of the story…

God wins.

~

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Has it been TEN YEARS?

Unlike my Daddy, who only worked for one company all his life, and eventually advanced to the top, I have worked at many places.  Thanks to him, my first job was at

First Guaranty Bank

as a proof operator and later a teller.  I worked there from 1984 until 1985.

First Guaranty hired me again in 1989 and I eventually moved from the teller department to the loan department.  I stayed with that bank until 1998 when I took an offer from another bank.

I didn’t know how good I had it.

I worked a few months at Bank of America and then took another offer from SouthTrust, at the Gulf life tower. It was official… I was a banker just like my daddy, except different.  I was with SouthTrust until 2000.

After this I became a home school

Teacher

I think it was 2002 when I figured out that I couldn’t teach Algebra and needed help.  I enrolled in a class at FCCJ which lead me down the road to finishing college.  There was absolutely nothing I wanted “to be when I grew up”, but interior design sounded fun, so I enrolled in the program.  It was during this time that I accepted an internship with Liberty Furniture.  I was there until the Obama economic decline impacted the company in 2010.

In 2011 I was hired by a communications company.  I’ll typically refer to it as

“the company”

in my blog posts.

I started by assisting customers in the call center.  In 2016 I was invited to become a member of the customer advocacy group [CAG] working hard-to-resolve issues, and assisting customers who had reached out to the company’s office of the president.  And that is what I am currently doing.

In 2020 the company made the decision to have my department begin working from home.  I published several blog posts about that adventure here and here.

Although today is Sunday, and I’m not at “the office” it is my work anniversary.  I have actually made it to ten years with the company.  It is unbelievable that I have held out so long and it has NOT BEEN EASY!

If you know me, you know what company I’m referring to.  If you don’t know me well, I can tell you that it is a well-known communications company whose name I do not mention in my blog, just in case I happen to inadvertently say the wrong thing.  Who knows when a Google search may reveal my little blog, and someone may take offense at something I say.  I’ll make the announcement some day, but not yet.

 

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

 

What’s Up Wednesday

What’s Up Wednesday is a monthly compilation of

What’s Up

 posted on a

Here goes…

What we’re eating

I’ve enjoyed preparing recipes from the YouTube channel Ruled.Me

My favorite so far is chicken in roasted red pepper sauce that you can find here.

LB loved it!

 

~

What I’m Reminiscing About

President Trump’s first term in office.

Those were the days!

In less than 8 months the new administration has made a complete mess of our country.

Watch this short clip about the Surrenderer-in-Chief.

~

What We’ve Been Up To

Last month we had the roof replaced.

A hurricane left its mark a few years ago and last year a hail storm made the damage worse.  Next project will be to put in a drainage system and sidewalk [maybe] so we can walk in the ever-flooded side yard.

LB and I are still working from home.  We go out for dinner maybe once a month and most recreation time is spent by our pool.  That’s about it.

~

What I’m Loving

This man…

What would I do without him?

~

What I’m Dreading

The only thing the REALLY causes a feeling of dread is the barely lucid Biden regime and any dark plans it has for the American people.  I am hoping something good will happen.  Soon.

We are praying for darkness to be brought to light.

~

What I’m Working On

I’ve been working on a photo album/scrap book featuring various events and adventures LB and I have enjoyed over the years.  It is coming along nicely.

~

What I’m Excited About

In July I mentioned that the company was preparing to bring us back to the office.  Yesterday we were advised that our temporary work-from-home program has been extended though September 30, 2022.  Scheduled return to work activities have been delayed until further notice.

Woo Hoo!

~

What I’m Watching/Reading

The last good movie LB and I watched was

**SPOILER ALERT**

The ending is exciting but also a little sad.

~

What I’m Listening To

At the moment I am listening to this CD:

I pulled it out and dusted it off on Monday morning after the Sunday evening news that Don Everly had passed away.  I published this post on Monday night.

~

What I’m Wearing

This is a typical working from home outfit:

Willow

Shoes included only if I’m going somewhere after work.

~

What I’m Doing This Weekend

Going to meet LB’s friends at a Mexican restaurant.

They invited us last weekend, but we were isolating due to exposure to COVID.  It appears we are both okay.

Bring on the fajitas!

~

What I’m Looking Forward to Next Month

Autumn!

I’m not sure why I’m looking forward to autumn… in Florida we won’t really see cooler temperatures until December!

~

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Forever Everly

Last night I was watching a movie on CMT when, between commercials, I saw a tribute to Don Everly.  He had passed away at age 84, and although I didn’t know him personally, it made me feel sad.  Don Everly is best known for his work with his younger brother, Phil, who died in 2014.  They were truly a couple of cuties! Together they were known as The Everly Brothers.  Immediately I shared this with my family, because it gave me a clear memory of my Daddy.  I’m not sure the younger ones would be able to follow that, but I shared it anyway.

The Everly Brothers

began as an American country duo and became Grand Ole Opry members in 1957.  They were inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame in 1986.  Known for “steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing”, Phil and Don Everly were raised in a musical family.  They debuted on radio singing along with their father Ike Everly and mother Margaret Everly as “The Everly Family”.  They gained fame quickly when they became a duo in 1957. 

I suppose that was about the time when my daddy first heard them sing, and they became a favorite. 

Many years later he would introduce them to me.

It has been said that family members are able to harmonize together in a way that cannot be duplicated by those who are not related.  It is certainly true that the Everly Brothers had a way of complementing one another vocally that was nothing less than fascinating.  Considered one of pop music’s greatest vocal partnerships, Don and Phil Everly had worldwide hits in the late 1950s and early 1960s; hits like “All I Have to Do is Dream”, “Walk Right Back”, “Wake up Little Susie”, and “Cathy’s Clown”.

My sister and I tried to mimic their sound singing “Bye Bye Love” LOL.  Mine was the high part.  I’m not sure I could still remember how to sing my part with her, but I think it would be fun to try.

The Everly Brothers had many hits and I’ve included two examples of their hit songs.  I will ALWAYS love their music and I hope you will enjoy listening.

 

~

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Banana Pudding

In case you didn’t know, banana pudding is a southern delight.  It is a dessert that typically consists of layers of vanilla pudding, vanilla wafers, and sliced bananas and can be prepared baked or refrigerated, topped with meringue or whipped cream.  My daddy’s aunt Fran used to make the baked version, but the refrigerated method is the most common. Many home cooks chose to cover the top of the dish with Cool Whip (faux whipped cream made with hydrogenated vegetable oil).

Recently I found a recipe by Eagle Brand and decided I needed to try it.  I’ve always thought instant pudding and whole milk were somehow lacking, even if covered over the top with Cool Whip.  The sweetened condensed milk makes a big difference.

I followed the recipe for the most part, but I doubled it.  Also, the recipe called for vanilla instant pudding, but I used one package of vanilla instant pudding and one package of banana cream instant pudding… because that was what I had in my pantry.

It turned out to be the best banana pudding I’ve ever had (if I do say so myself).

 

This is the recipe I used from the Eagle Brand website.

 

Banana Pudding

  • Servings: 10
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients

•             1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

•             1 ½ cups cold water

•             1 (3.4 ounce) box vanilla instant pudding mix

•             2 cups (1 pint) heavy cream, whipped

•             1 box vanilla wafers

•             4-5 barely ripe bananas, sliced

Directions

Whisk sweetened condensed milk and cold water together.  Add pudding mix and whisk until well blended.  Chill 5 minutes.  Fold in whipped cream.

Spoon 1 cup pudding mixture into serving dish.  Top with one third each of the vanilla wafers and bananas .  Repeat layering, ending with pudding mixture.

Garnish as desired.

Chill thoroughly for several hours.

Connect