Scott Helfrich – http://www.nwf.org Photo Contest – The National Wildlife Federation Blog
It was raining super hard this morning when it was near time to go to the gym, so we decided to cancel. I spent the morning with my bucket and towels trying to contain the window leaks. This was one of the worst rains we’ve had, with water rushing down the street, water-water-everywhere. Brian came down to help me, then let me out of my place so I could go get my massage, and then met the building handyman and another man, who both looked at my door and my windows.
They will confer, decide what they think will fix each of my problems, and get back to us with a plan, costs, and time as soon as possible. Help is finally on the way!!!!
I was exhausted from spending from about 5 this morning until I went to my massage at 10 wringing towels out and moving things that might get damaged. I almost went to sleep on the table under Khun Weaw’s expert hands.
The sun is shining now and I moved my drying rack back out onto the balcony with all the towels on it, hoping I can get some serious drying accomplished this afternoon.
Soon we will go to the cafe to get out of Khun Nong’s way while she cleans. I have the place pretty well put back together now so she CAN clean.
My first “Rainy Season” will remain in my memory forever. Hopefully, the NEXT one will be one of fond memories of what I DON’T need to do anymore. 😃🙏🏻
“Handle every situation like a dog. If you can’t eat it or play with it, just pee on it and walk away.” – Unknown
Tim Burgess – Chainsaw Sculptor
“Ever consider what our dogs must think of us? I mean, here we come back from a grocery store with the most amazing haul, chicken, pork, half a cow. They must think we’re the greatest hunters on earth!” – Anne Tyler
I’m having real trouble with the door on my place. For a while, it was just a challenge to open and close. It got so that I had to put my foot on the door frame when I was inside to get enough leverage to finally pull it open. Same thing on the outside with my key, with my foot on the door trying to force it open. Finally it has gotten to the point where I cannot get in or out by myself.
Fortunately, Brian lives in the same building, so he comes to get me and forces the door open and closed for me, brings me supplies, checks on me regularly, and has called the problem in to the building handyman who is trying to make time to come look at things. He will either think the door can be fixed and arrange for someone to come and do that, or will tell us that it cannot be fixed and we’ll have to buy a new door with a new lock and he will arrange for someone to bring those and install them for us.
Either way, my job is to show patience. This is an annoyance, rather than a big issue, since Brian is so careful to take good care of me. I’ll be very happy when leaving and coming back to my place isn’t such a challenge.
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We went to visit Harvey this morning. We had trouble getting a Grab because graduation day was happening at a bunch (or maybe all) of the schools and there weren’t enough Grabs to accommodate everyone who wanted to go somewhere. The streets were especially clogges, and lines of students in their various uniforms were everywhere on the sidewalks.
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Harvey seemed comfortable and more alert than sometimes. He announced that ‘they’ had tried to kill the head nurse there by filling her nasal tube with salt…. Other than that, he seemed to follow things we were telling him, so the visit was what passes for success these days.
People had been harvesting more of the rice growing around the nursing home. There were at LEAST 30 birds – some completely white and some gray and white – all with long legs – in the water in the fields while we were there. Their wings caught the light and it was really a nice sight.
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I’ve had a short afternoon since the trip to see Harvey took a good 4 hours or more today, so I’m late writing blog posts. I’ve also been trying to do my chores in getting ready for Khun Nong, my housekeeper, to come tomorrow.
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I did these two drawings on small cards for Khun Nong, but yesterday I did full sized images of them. I had a great time.
I hope that your day is fun filled and that your face hurts from smiling.
These photos of fall and winter make me a bit sad because I realize that I will never enjoy these sights in person again here in Thailand.
(1) Spring and Fall were my favorite seasons. I loved planting flowers and veggies every year in the spring. Fall in Arkansas wasn’t like the absolutely glorious images in Maine or surroundings, but I enjoyed the color we had, always trying to preserve leaves to use in art projects, my heart bursting from all the beautiful colors!
(2) Arkansas doesn’t ‘do’ winter well. We tended to have ice and then some snow. My favorite snows were ones with huge pretty flakes – that made you feel you were living in a snow globe someone had just shaken – that covered everything in fantasy, and then the sun came out and took it all away before I had to drive in it. We had a 650+ foot STEEP driveway on our 8 acres. Each year, no matter what we did, the trees on either side of our driveway would fall INTO the driveway, requiring us to use chainsaws to cut and haul our way down to the road. We had definitely gotten too old for this, but couldn’t afford (or find) someone to come do it for us.
In Thailand, depending on who you ask, we either have 3 or 4 summers that make up our year. We just finished “The Rainy Season”– June through October where it’s hot and rains almost every day, with huge hard rains and then remnants of typhoons coming our way from Vietnam – all of which caused my windows to leak.
“The Cool Season,” – from November until mid-February – it’s mid 80s for highs, 50 for a low, lots of sunshine and little rain. (Hooray!) “The Hot Season” is from March through May. Temperatures are above 95 degrees with scorching sunshine requiring umbrellas. Brian also adds “The Smoky Season” as a separate season, where it’s still really hot and farmers are burning off the residue in their fields making air purifiers mandatory. (Officially, this season is lumped in with “The Hot Season” for everyone except Brian).
No “Spring,” “Fall,” or “Winter” anymore. That makes me nostalgic.
What I’ve given up in seasons, though, I have more than gained in the delight of a new life here in Chiang Mai. I’m looking forward to buying some new clothes when I finally hit my weight goal (I’m about 9 pounds away now). I’m going to study up on the best clothes for a “mature woman” – who looks a bit like a Shar Pei now –
should wear in the year of summers I will learn to embrace now. My place is comfortable with lots of windows (some openable), a/c, fans, shades, air purifiers, and lots of water to drink. I carry an umbrella (for rain still now, but also for sun shade especially in the “Hot Season.”
I titled this post “A Bit Nostalgic – 2 and 1” because I’m nostalgic about the loss of fall and winter, but I just received something ELSE to remind me how very lucky I am to be here. My son just went to donate some clothes and texted me to unlock my door. He fought it open to bring me a doughnut! The first I have had in over 3 years. It was absolutely wonderful, but the best part was that he thought of me while doing other chores and brought me something he thought might ‘make me happy.’
We can never thank our veterans enough for all the sacrifices they and their families have made.
We used to live in Greenwood, Arkansas, a community of about 9,700 people. In the center of the ‘square’ is Greenwood Memorial Park where lots of events are held each year. On Veterans Day, U.S. Flags are placed behind the stones of veterans who served us, bought by their families to honor them.
I wanted to get a stone for my husband, Harvey, because he served 4 years in the Marine Corps. He refused, saying he wasn’t in an active fight (although he was on ships offshore several really hot spots ready to go ashore if ordered), but he didn’t consider that enough to warrant a stone.
Memorial Park looks so pretty for this day we honor our Veterans. Assemblies at the schools honor our men and women in uniform. Local veterans attend these assemblies, allowing us to thank them in person with lumps in our throats. A parade goes down Main Street, around the square, and back up to the high school. Bands play and crowds cheer. It’s a beautiful thing to watch.
Veterans Day from Thailand seems weird to me. It’s the first one where I haven’t been in the U.S. to participate. I even had to remember when to write this post so that it would arrive on Veterans Day in the U.S., rather than November 12th, as it is in Thailand now.
We visit my personal hero tomorrow in the nursing home. I don’t know how alert he will be. I would like to be able to talk with him about his service. He joined the Marines when he was 17 and I was 14. We dated on all his ‘leaves’ for the 4 years, letters flying back and forth as fast as we could write and send them. (No texting or social media accounts back in the Stone Age.)
Even the mailman got into the act. If he saw there was a letter from Harvey for me, he would break the rules and put the red flag up on the mailbox because he knew I would be in the house, face plastered to the window, watching him. If the red flag came up, I would dash out of the house, running to retrieve the mail, smiling like an idiot. We would smile at each other, he would tip his hat and drive off.
Harvey won a medal for his sharp shooting in the Marines. He was proud of his service, but always downplayed it in honor of the ‘real veterans.’
“The Culturist” on Substack is introducing me to several artists who should have received more recognition than they did. I am so happy to see their beautiful work and to share it with you.
I think this is fabulous. I want to touch it, to feel the contours. This is made of PAPER! I wish I knew who the artist is, but the Pinterest image didn’t give any information.
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I did this for my ‘adopted’ grandson who collects dinosaurs. I’ll give it to him the next time we’re together as a family.
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Freepik
To give you an example of how extremely NICE Thai people are, yesterday when we were leaving to go visit Harvey at the nursing home, we saw the cleaning lady in the lobby. We did the traditional greeting, smiling and bowing, but I noticed that she added a little something ‘extra’ on the end of her greeting. It sounded like ‘may-ah.’ I asked Brian about it later and he said she called me, “Mom.” I almost cried.
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Nigel Jarvis – Getty Images/iStockphotos
I’m hoping the handy man will contact us today about my swollen door. Brian nows comes by to let me out, accompanies me back to my door and forces it open for me, then pulls it shut from the outside when he leaves. While it’s kind of nice to know that no one could sneak into my place, I would rather be able to come and go independently….
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Khun Nong is cleaning Brian’s place this afternoon. I’m going to join him at the cafe (with Brian letting me out 😄) taking my sketchbook, Kindle, and sweatshirt. We’ll share a delivered dinner at my place this evening, with good conversation, backing up of computer and phone data, and more.
Frits Thaulow was a Norwegian Impressionist painter, best known for his naturalistic depictions of landscape. Wikipedia. I have always said that painting water and snow were impossible. Obviously this incredibly talented artist didn’t get the memo.
Portrait of the Painter Frits Thaulow, 1881. Creator: Christian Krohg. (Photo by Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images)
The paintings were displayed in a post by The Culturist, Substack.
As I type, I’m hoping that the handy man for the building can make time to come fix my door. It swells when it’s rainy or there is high humidity, making it really hard to open and close. Lately, it has gotten to the point that at times I CANNOT get out, or can’t get IN again. Thankfully, Brian lives in the same building. I can text him and he comes and helps; or many times, if we’re going somewhere together, he just comes and gets me and then makes sure I’m in again before he leaves me when we get back. The handy man is super busy so fingers are crossed that he can get to me today. If not, I’ll hope for tomorrow…
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Latest painted sketch.
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My work on the dolphin puzzle is going well. I have asked Brian to try to order the turtle puzzle for me again as soon as he can. I would really like to tackle that one after I meet the challenge of this one.
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I have been spending more time on Substack lately and am following several people now. I am finding some wonderful sources for things I love and want to share with you here. You might check out Substack and see if it’s something you enjoy.
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We visited Harvey at the nursing home this morning. He was sleepy and almost completely non-responsive today. He squeezed my hand, but said nothing, even though I talked to him a lot. Disheartening, but he didn’t seem to be hurting.
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I hope your day or evening is one that makes you smile.
This is something I think is important on so many levels. I try to do this every time I am out – even though I spend a lot of time with my eyes to the ground, trying to NOT fall on my head with the uneven streets, sidewalks, etc. As my balance improves, though, I take a bit more time to look around and NOTICE things. In fact, Brian thinks I’m losing my marbles because I AM noticing things I have passed a lot on our walks and mentioning them or asking him about them. He thinks I should have noticed them a long time ago, but better late than never…
When you make it a point to notice new things, you are consciously living in the moment. You aren’t thinking about what you’ll do when you get home again. Your long to-do list. Your problems and worries. You are THERE fully, taking in all around you, maybe seeing or hearing something that brings you joy. One of the things I’m noticing is the wonderful bird calls here in Thailand. I don’t really need to know that I’m hearing a ‘ruby-throated whapadoo’ to fully appreciate how beautiful his song is. I just hear it and it makes me smile.
Shops come and go here. It seems like they do it at a faster rate than what I’m used to in the U.S. I noticed that one place we pass on a regular basis is empty now. Very soon another shop will take its place, with a creative, hard-working, hopeful owner who will probably have things that are wonderful to see.
Today I noticed that the koi fish at the chocolate place we like seem to have grown a lot since the pools were created a little over a month ago. They are beautiful to watch. Very lively and colorful. A wondrous sight.
I have to laugh, even though the joke is on me. Brian saw some hot air balloons outside his window and sent me a picture of them a couple of days ago. When we were eating a meal, I thought I saw a hot air balloon, got all excited, and mentioned it. This brought on an excruciatingly funny period of ridicule as my son pointed out it was a water tower. It was shaped like a hot air balloon and painted red and white like a hot air balloon. He pointed out it wasn’t moving. I told him he should put on his list of things to be grateful for that his mom was a never-ending source of things to make him smile.
Take the time to be in the moment. NOTICE how pretty some of the trees are now. NOTICE how wonderful the smile lines on your husband’s face are. NOTICE how nice it is to be able to take 10 minutes and enjoy a walk outside. NOTICE how much joy you feel when you hug someone you love.
Take a noticing walk every day and see your happiness and well-being expand along with your world! “The world is wider than I remembered.”
“Autumn…the year’s last, loveliest smile.” – William Cullen
“Autumn in the Netherlands” – Davide – Substack
“Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go” – Unknown
“Autumn in the Netherlands – Part 2” – Davide – Substack
“Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.” – Jim Bishop
Breezie – @breeze420.bsky.social
“Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.”– Emily Brontë
KatEagle – @kateorlyk.bsky.social
“As long as autumn lasts, I shall not have hands, canvas and colours enough to paint the beautiful things I see.” – Vincent Van Gogh
Mark D. Alexander – @mad7500.bsky.social
“Autumn leaves don’t fall, they fly. They take their time and wander on this their only chance to soar.” – Delia Owens
Thanks to these talented photographers for allowing me to enjoy fall from afar, now that I live in Thailand. We are having a COOL day here – at 81 degrees F. Brian had his sweatshirt on when we went for chocolate a few minutes ago, wearing a sweatshirt over his tee, jeans instead of shorts, saying that this was “cold.” hahahahahahaha I told him that it was supposed to be 44 degrees in Greenwood, Arkansas, where we used to live. Granted, this cold front is early and is supposed to be short-lived, with the temperatures going back to normal fall in a couple of days, but ‘cold’ at 81?
I’m hoping that by the time the “hot season,” or ‘smoky season’ as Brian calls it, referring to the fact that it’s the burning season for clearing the fields in preparation for planting – that I will be at my goal weight and that my strength will be built up, as well as getting acclimatised to my new home.
I got my new puzzle this morning! I think I told you of my disappointment that the order of the turtle puzzle was canceled. I had to choose another one. This is the one I chose –
I’m happy with this one. I love dolphins, and this one has some turtles, and various colored fish, lots of underwater action, plus underwater plants. I’ve decided that when I get halfway finished with this one (see my new confidence?) I’m going to try to order the turtle again…
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Typhoon Kalmaegi hit the Philippines and Vietnam in the past few days, causing deaths and destruction. It’s on its way HERE in Chiang Mai, though it’s supposed to have become a tropical depression once it reaches here today and tomorrow and a bit beyond. “The Rainy Season” ended at the 1st of November, but Mother Nature is still in a snit and showing people who’s in charge. It’s raining today, but so far, I haven’t had any window leaks. I have towels and a bucket ready if that changes. We have dark clouds in the sky and the rains start here in an instant. Sadly, according to my phone weather app, the rain is supposed to continue all through next week, too. Heavy flooding could be a problem here. My window leak concerns seem really petty compared to possible damage to peoples’ homes and businesses….
Brian texted me yesterday, saying, “There are hot air balloons out there.” They were pretty far away, but sure enough, they were there!
Balloon Adventures Thailand
I researched and found a place called, “Balloon Adventures Thailand” that sells rides of various lengths on hot air balloons. You can arrange for a 45 minute trip, for example, to get a bird’s eye view of Chiang Mai!
Balloon Adventures Thailand
I have put this in my “Wish List” of things I would love to do, see, experience, buy, etc. that I’m keeping for when things tame down, when we have the time, when it’s appropriate, when we win the lottery – depending on the size and cost of the wish. 😃
Balloon Adventures Thailand
Since we are now starting “The Cool Season” (the major time tourists come to Thailand) I’m hoping to see more hot air balloons as I look out my window.
Balloon Adventures Thailand
I will work on my ability to walk longer distances, climb up onto something, and stand for longer and longer while I wish to be able to do this in the future.
My day started with walking a mile on the treadmill at the gym, then breakfast with Brian, followed by a glorious massage. I look forward to my massages each week. I will NEVER forget Lynn Moody, and my wonderful massages in Arkansas🙏🏻, but I’m grateful I found another really skilled massage therapist I can trust here.
It occurred to me that I might not have left a review on Google about the place I go, so I checked this morning and I had NOT! So I rectified that just a minute ago, basically telling people my life has changed since finding a beautifully run, clean, caring place that has experienced people who care about their clients. Khun Weaw has her work cut out for her, dealing with a 78-year-old with a lot of stress. She knows just how much pressure to use to give me relief, but not ‘break’ me! 😁 🙏🏻
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I got back to my place, changed clothes and Brian and I went to visit Harvey at the nursing home. We had to pay an upcharge and long wait time to get a Grab, but I guess that was because of the Loy Krathong and Yi Peng celebrations. A lot of shops close, and maybe Grab was short of drivers with people going home to be with family. Also, people come from all over the globe to see these remarkable celebrations, so demand was probably very high for transportation.
Harvey was more alert than he was the last time we saw him. He wasn’t making a lot of sense, though. I was talking about something about the condo, and he asked “When did you move?” He said to Brian, “I thought you lived on Earth.” He talked about starting an import/export business, and then wanted us to bring ‘a dozen’ things from the grocery so he could sell them at the nursing home… He did acknowledge we were leaving and said, “See you soon.” He seemed comfortable, wasn’t hostile, and seemed glad we were there.
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By the time we got back, it was already time for my terrific housekeeper, Khun Nong, to be cleaning my place. We didn’t need to bother her because I had taken the things I wanted to take to the cafe to Brian’s place when we shared breakfast. We grabbed our stuff and left.
I enjoyed making some more sketches, read more of my current book in my Kindle, people and traffic watched – since I got my favorite seat by the front window – while enjoying an iced mocha and later a lemonade.
My housekeeper did a stellar job as usual. There isn’t a particle of dust anywhere, and everything is scrubbed. Things on tables are straightened and all is neat – not one of my strong suits! Today I sat down at my computer to catch up on email and saw this! The white flowers are in a shot-glass size glass vase and were left on my computer table. I just couldn’t stop grinning. I’m so grateful to have found her.
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We were gone from just after 11:00 until about 5:30. Then we had dinner and visited awhile. When I got back to my place and had caught up on email, I was so tired and sleepy I just didn’t write any posts for the blog. Apologies.
I hope you’re having a really nice day/evening today.
We just tried to go visit Harvey. We wanted to go today because Fridays are super-busy for us. I just wrote the post about the Yi Peng Lantern Festival and the Loy Krathong Festival. Apparently, the fact that the 2nd night of both festivals is tonight makes traveling anywhere really challenging. We ordered a Grab and then information came up while we were standing outside, saying they would charge more than twice the normal fare one way and that our wait time would be ridiculous. So what is a wonderful celebration tonight is not without problems for us today. We will go visit Harvey tomorrow.
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These are my latest painted sketches.
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Pixabay
I finished “Next of Kin: Rebel Ridge Book 1” the Sharon Sala book I told you about. I enjoyed it and would recommend you check her out. Now I’m re-reading “Watercolor Dreams” by R.G. Ryan, which is technically the first book in his Jake Moriarity series, though I just finished the “Prequel: The Last Happy Summer” that came out recently. I am looking forward to re-reading the 6 books I have and then getting more.
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I have rolled up towels on my window sills, hoping to contain whatever leaks I get from still more rain. I hope the rain doesn’t make the celebrations tonight impossible.
Brian is researching to see if we can go somewhere this evening where I can see some lanterns without getting in the middle of the huge crowd in the dark at the river. I would love to get the flavor of the celebration, but from a distance.
This is practiced at the river in Chiang Mai, as well as all over Thailand. I thought this clip showed the beautiful Krathongs people made and show them putting them in the water for the celebration.
I love the idea of letting go of bad things that happened this year, letting go of bad feelings you might have for any reason, shedding regret over things you did – or didn’t – do, and more, replacing all with embracing a clean slate, a brand new year with the promise of a better year to come. The beautiful ceremonies unite the people in their strong belief. Really wonderful!
“I have come to accept the feeling of not knowing where I am going. And I have trained myself to love it. Because it is only when we are suspended in mid-air with no landing in sight, that we force our wings to unravel and alas begin our flight. And as we fly, we still may not know where we are going to. But the miracle is in the unfolding of the wings. You may not know where you’re going, but you know that so long as you spread your wings, the winds will carry you.” – C. Joybell C.
My husband and I were living in the house we built on top of a ridge line and lived in with our pets for almost 40 years, trying to keep up with all the house and yard work needed to keep everything afloat. It wasn’t easy, but we were managing. Then we both got Flu A at the same time. My husband also had pneumonia. I also had bronchitis and low blood oxygen. I ended up in the hospital receiving an emergency pacemaker after my heart stopped twice in the ER. We contacted my son and he said he would come to help us, flying 24 hours from Thailand to Arkansas.
A month later, we each packed a suitcase and a backpack, found wonderful, caring homes for our dog and cat, sold everything we owned and flew to Thailand to retire where we could be close to our son. Then my husband fell two weeks later, spent a month in the hospital and ended up in a nursing home.
Feeling a bit like “Stranger in a Strange Land,” – Robert A. Heinlein, we’re making sure my husband is getting the best care possible and I’m living in a condo in the same building as our son. I’m working slowly on learning Thai phrases, am learning how to honor the culture and traditions here, and am fascinated by all I’m seeing and experiencing.
I’m determined to embrace my new life. I was given a second chance at life by the hospital staff in February, and I won’t waste a minute. I am lucky that I am truly able to retire here. I never thought I would be able to say that. With careful juggling, I am enjoying perks here I never could afford in the States, such as a weekly housekeeper who scrubs my place until it shines; a weekly massage that takes out all the kinks and allows me to truly relax; my first-ever mani/pedi I get every 6 weeks or so; a haircut at the same interval; and recently, taking my clothes to the laundry to have them returned clean and nicely folded the following day.
My son and I spend a good amount of time together. We share meals twice a day, we go visit my husband three times each week, we go places together to run errands or just have fun exploring. We go to the gym every morning so that I can walk a mile on the treadmill, trying to retrain my brain to fix my balance issues, lose my extra weight. I’m doing yoga stretches, Internet balance exercises, and dance to fun music with water bottles doing exercises for my arms.
I plan my day around writing posts for my blog – an activity I truly love. I really enjoy finding things I find wonderful and sharing them with my readers. I have met some wonderful people I now feel close to through the blog, something I wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise.
I am learning to draw a bit better, sketching things I find on the net and painting them in an art alcove in my place. I read great books on my Kindle. I watch new and old movies on my TV, and love watching YouTube music videos. Music, new and old, is one of the treasures of my life.
I have time to reach out to old friends and new now. I’m so lucky to have good friends in my life. Most of my family is gone now, but my friends are all around me, just a text away.
So, I feel a bit suspended in mid air in a new country, with a different language, different customs, fascinating stores and food, learning new things each time I go out.
I embrace not knowing any of the answers. I am learning to go with the flow, just enjoying all the differences and trying to fit in as best I can. The people are so nice here, so welcoming, so forgiving of my bumbling efforts to say a few things.
As I learn, my wings are unfolding – I am learning and growing – grateful for the chance to build a whole new life – close to my husband and son.
“When robins appear, loved ones are near.” ~ Unknown
@frankaslothothuber.bsky.social
“… Once a penguin finds its perfect other penguin, they stay together pretty much forever.” ― Anna Staniszewski, The Prank List
@aintright.bsky.social
“The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese,” by Steven Wright
@glengrambo.bsky.social
“Penguins are one of the best antidotes for despair that I know. They are living lessons in caring for the planet and its creatures, in all their beauty and vulnerability.” ― Charles Bergman, Every Penguin in the World: A Quest to See Them All
@annaquent.bsky.social
“You can’t keep a squirrel on the ground.“ ~ Mary Lasswell
We discovered, after a lot of waiting this morning, that because of fraud, the Thai government says banks cannot allow you to add someone else to your bank account. You must open the original account with your name and that of the other person you want on the account. It cannot be amended. You must start over and open another account. 😳
Otherwise, I’m having a very nice day. I’ve been painting my sketches and reading a good book on my Kindle.
Here’s my latest painted sketch.
This is the book I’m reading on my Kindle. Next of Kin, A Rebel Ridge Novel, Book 1, by Sharon Sala. This author was recommended by my friend, Marsha, and I’m hooked. The story is compelling, the action is thrilling, the characters intelligent, real, and I’m caring about them. I will definitely read more when I finish the current book.
Alexas_Fotos – Pixabay
It’s supposed to start raining around 3 this afternoon. I have the towels on my drying rack inside with the fan blowing on them, trying to dry them out as much as possible before we get more rain. It looks like maybe one more week of this and THEN “The Rainy Season” will come to an end this year…
“The Chiang Mai CAD Lantern Festival 2025, to be held on November 5–6, 2025, will be organized under the theme: “In Remembrance of the Boundless Grace and Eternal Gratitude to Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, The Queen Mother.” This year’s event will be conducted with due respect and in reflection of Her Majesty’s immeasurable benevolence, who passed away on October 24, 2025.
The two-day festival aims to promote and preserve Thai traditions and cultural heritage. Activities such as lantern releases, cultural performances, and fireworks will proceed as usual,with opportunities provided for all participants to express their remembrance and pay their respects appropriately during this national mourning period.”
Loy Krathong Festival – Khao Lak Center
The Thai government has confirmed that the Loy Krathong festival will proceed nationwide as scheduled.
Celebrations are required to maintain a solemn and respectful tone to honor Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother.
Organizers have been asked to scale back festive elements such as live music and elaborate light-and-sound shows.
Some events will replace traditional fireworks with drone shows and use more subdued lighting to create a dignified atmosphere.
The purpose of the Loy Krathong and Yi Peng festivals is to “express gratitude, seek forgiveness, make wishes for the future, and show reverence to the water goddess (Loy Krathong) and the heavens/Buddha (Yi Peng). Both festivals, celebrated simultaneously, involve releasing lights—krathongs (baskets) on water and khom loy (sky lanterns) into the air—to symbolize letting go of misfortunes and ushering in good luck and renewal.”
Since there is usually a huge crowd at the river, and I’m not good in big crowds in the dark, Brian and I will honor the festivities more quietly. I look forward to seeing the lanterns, and I’ll try to find videos of people releasing krathongs into the water.
What a beautiful way to celebrate a ‘new year’ – letting go of the past year and embracing the promise of a new one!
My friend Marsha recommended an author she likes – Sharon Sala – so I’m trying one of her books. I’m really enjoying the story so far.
Unsplash
This is the perfect day to be doing a bit of reading. Guess what! It’s raining again! I keep wringing up the towels I rolled up and put on my window sills, then putting the towels back up. There is no point in trying to dry the towels at this point. Mother Nature is insisting that the rainy season isn’t over yet, so I’m just rolling with it, grateful that help may be on the way for my window leaks.
We met my husband, his nurse, and the doctor this morning at the hospital for a routine visit. The doctor is pushing us to let him put in. stomach tube. Harvey was lucid today and clearly said ‘no!’ when Brian asked him if he wanted that, so we told the doctor ‘no.’ We will just hope that Harvey is able to eat enough food the regular way that they can remove the nasal tube. We will see him again Thursday, since Friday will be a busy day for us.
We got a notice that our order for the turtle jigsaw puzzle had been canceled. Brian sent me links to two places we’ve ordered from before and I chose this one wiith the wonderful dolphins. Brian ordered it for me this afternoon, so hopefully I’ll have it soon.
Freepik
I think I told you that Brian insisted I start taking my clothes to the laundry rather than doing them myself. We took them yesterday, and they will be ready after 3pm today! The price was amazingly affordable and the turnaround time is certainly wonderful. They will return my stuff nicely folded in a transparent plastic bag. 😁
This is what I made yesterday. Harvey’s 82nd birthday is November 18th. I hope he likes it.
Soon it will be Election Day in the states. I will watch the results with great interest, even though I’m far away now.
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