Tag Archives: Google Translate

Saturday 5-2-2026

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Happy May! I hope this month brings you nicer, calmer weather, some flowers pushing up confirming Spring, and lots and lots of smiles.

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Two latest painted sketches. I tried to show in this one that it doesn’t matter what kind of shop it is, the people use lots of plants to make it inviting.

I’m into a fun pattern now, where I paint some sketches at home, then take them to the cafe to add details and finish them, then do more sketches.

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Yesterday at the cafe they were taking pictures of drinks for some kind of promotion. I wasn’t in the way and they allowed me to watch. They would make a drink – for example, a pretty one with purple froth on top. Then they would go outside and find some tiny purple flowers and greenery to add to the top of the drink before photographing. It was beautiful and fascinating. They saw I was taking an interest, so they started looking at me for at thumbs up when I liked what I saw. 😁

I used Google Translate yesterday to thank the lady server there who has been so kind to me. She watches for ‘my spot’ to open up, for example. She came and got me recently and helped me move my stuff! Anyway, I thanked her for being so kind. I told her I had made some wooden earrings and wanted to give them to her as a gift for her kindness. I thought she was going to cry. It was a really nice moment.

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We are going to visit Harvey this morning. The nursing home sent Brian a picture of him READING! He wasn’t using the reading light (it was in bed with him) but he was reading again for the first time in a long time. We’re hoping to encourage that today, show him how to use the light again, if needed, and hopefully brighten his day.

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I’m practicing with my guitar – though progress is painfully slow – and learning one chord at a time now. I’m learning “A”, picturing it in my mind rather than referring to diagrams, and doing as well as I can placing my fingers as near the frets as possible, continuing to work at it until I get a good, clean sound. I do this several times before my fingertips start yelling at me. I’m building callouses as I practice. 🎸

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Notable Quotes

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Monday 4-20-2026

Another flowering tree in Chiang Mai. I have no idea what this one is. The amazing thing about this tree is even when the flowers drop spent to the ground, they are lovely. That’s how I first saw this tree! The blossoms on the ground were bright orange with streaks toward the middle of a beautiful pattern of leaves as if the bloom had opened before falling. Leaves in the center of the spent bloom were bright yellow! You miss the whole thing if you are just looking around. The clusters of blooms are way high up in the trees; so unless you’re looking UP – which I only do when Brian is holding tightly to my hand – or looking down at the ground – as I was, paying attention to places I could trip – you miss it. I’ll try to draw one of the spent blooms and show it to you.

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My glorious turtle puzzle is FINISHED!!!!!!!! 🎉 🥳 🧩. I finished him this morning. Brian has taken a picture of the finished puzzle and will order a glass print of it, the way he has done for the previous ones so that I can display his gorgeous face on my statement shelf. I’m going to leave him up for a couple of days so I can enjoy running my hands over him before taking him apart, bagging him up, and giving him to someone else who will enjoy putting him together again.

The Cheetah’s voice is getting a bit louder as he calls to me, but he’s still muffled inside his box…

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I tried out my Google Translate app on my phone at the cafe yesterday. I wrote, “You are a good water fighter. I had fun. Thank you” and showed it to my favorite server who had thoroughly drenched me in Songkran two nights running. He read it, then broke out into a HUGE smile and bowed. a few minutes he was back, asking me to read HIS phone. He said, “You are good, too, Auntie.” This again shows how NICE the Thai people are. I’m really happy the app worked!!!

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These are my two latest painted sketches.

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Poster My Wall

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Sunday 4-190-2026

This is another of the gorgeous flowering trees that are blooming profusely everywhere now, even with 101 degree temperatures and no rain. All this beauty makes my soul smile.

Shout-outs to 3 of my favorite people:

Shout-out to Cathy, who has been very ill, but is getting better now. 🙏🏻

Shout-out to Nora, who is trying to get ready to leave her long-time home.

Shout-out to Mary Lou, who will hopefully be on her way to the beach tomorrow for some much-deserved relaxation time!

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This is my latest “Thai Street Scene” painted sketch of a balcony with windows below. I love the basic design of the building, the elegance of the balcony and the windows, once pristine black and white, and now with a fascinating design of mold adding character. I love the fact that plants in all shapes and flavors are an integral part of each place I see.

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My SIL suggested that I get one of the free language translator apps on my phone to help in situations where I’m resorting to pantomimes and sign language. :0). There were so many listed, I took my phone to Brian and asked for his recommendation. He uses Google Translate, and installed that on my phone for me, setting it for translation from English to Thai. I can type in what I want to say, or say it with the use of the microphone, and it will print it out in English for me and Thai for the person with whom I’m trying to communicate – another tool in my arsenal. Sometimes a good photo is all that is needed, as in the case with the Songkran bowl ceremony and the nursing home staff honoring my husband in that way. I feel good, though, having this translator on my phone that will help me if I need it!

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We have a quiet day today. Brian and I will probably end up at the cafe at least part of the afternoon. Brian has started going over, checking to see if my spot is available, then texting me. I love it!!! I am finding lots of things I want to sketch. I’ll try to paint at least one of them today, plus work on my turtle puzzle.

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Good Housekeeping

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