Out and about...
I’m feelin’ sicker, with a kidney stone, than I was when I had cancer, I’m thinkin’. But, I’m still happy to be out and about.
This past week, my oldest grandson’s oldest son, Garrett, had his 15th birthday and we all went to “the ranch” to eat cake. It got me to thinkin’ about when my oldest grandson was born, back when I was “doing” the Mabank Banner.
I celebrated being a brand new Grandma in the only way the Editor and pretty much sole employee of the town newspaper could, by putting Toney on the front page, of course!
I called the column “Extra Special,” because that’s the way all of us Grandmas think of our grandbabies.
Then, I invited other proud Grandparents to brag a little, too, by bringing in “extra special” photographs of the newest members of their families. And boy, they sure did! I was soon flooded with baby pictures. I ran one picture in the paper each week for a long time.
I’m often asked how many grandchildren I have, that I am always talkin’ about. My answer is, “I don’t know, I get mixed up!” Daughter #5 even made me a chart.
But right now, my heart and prayers are with the newest “extra special” great-grandbaby, Chloe. She is in the hospital sufferin’ with breathin’ difficulties. I had just been down to Daughter #1’s house to hold Chloe, great-grandbaby #21, the day before. Sickness can come on fast with little ‘uns.
The other day, when I was out and about, I met a man at the doctor’s office. He told me that he bought the paper to read my “story.” I figured he was kiddin’.
After I had been to the doctor, Daughter #3 suggested we go to the Tea Room to see the new spring decor and maybe I could eat a bite of soup, since I couldn’t eat before the X-rays were taken. Soon along came two lady friends and the first thing out of their mouths after “Hello,” was how much they enjoyed reading what I had to say!
A bunch of folks weren’t around to read the “older ones,” (my stories), but I know, for a few of you “older ones,” (my friends), you’ve heard it all before. So, maybe I’ll get back on the job! I do enjoy writing.
As I was saying, I’m still happy to be out and about, I just don’t do it as often.

The Last Word:
I may even mention something about the grand ole Mabank Banner. There are not a lot of us left who used to read it.
– O.T.

The View From Here

Fill your home with good fortune, part 2...
Editor’s Note: This is a continuation of Katherine Veno’s column from Sunday, April 24 about filling your home with good fortune.
A rose is red because it reflects red light. Feng shui makes use of this reflected energy to create a balance between your yin and yang to suit your personality.
Think of yin energy as a plant growing from the earth. It comes from the soil, raising itself upward and moving toward the sky. As yin energy moves up to the sky it becomes more diffused and dissipated. Yin energy is the passive energy. Yin energies have an element of dreaminess about them. Colors like blue, white, green and purple according to feng shui are believed to have yin energies.
If your home office is full of creative and dream-inducing objects or colors, feng shui may call for you to get rid of them (at least some of them) and use more vibrant colors in their place. Yang feng shui colors will help you get in the right spirit to do some work and be enthusiastic.
Every association you have with a color contributes in some way to how you are. That is why colors play a meaningful role within the practice of feng shui. It is very essential for you to understand why toning down or playing up certain color in your home will help you to achieve the goals you have set for yourself in your life.
Yin colors:
Blue is calm and soothing. In feng shui it reflects love as it heals and relaxes. Blue creates a feeling of peace and trust. Since it is the color of the sea and sky, Feng shui associates it with adventure and exploration. Navy blue is the color of intellect and wisdom.
Black symbolizes money and income, black is great for careers, especially when combined with metal. It is the feng shui color of emotional protection and power.
Purple is excellent for physical and mental healing and it is associated with spiritual awareness.
White represents poise, confidence and purity. Because of its yin energy, feng shui uses this color mostly in combination with gold or silver to generate a calm atmosphere.
Other yin colors are pink and green. Green is the symbol of life, while pink brings tranquility. Together they create an oasis of calm and reflect beauty and love.
Yang Colors:
Yang colors tend to be fire and wood elements that provide enthusiasm or the positive energy required to do something.
Yellow is as auspicious as red. Yellow represents sunbeams, warmth, motion, cheerfulness and friendliness.
However, according to a noted ‘Color Feng Shui’ consultant, prolonged exposure to large amounts of intense yellow can cause anxiety.
Orange strengthens your concentration. You might use this color when your creative well runs dry. Orange is used to give you a sense of purpose. Orange is the color of organization.
The other yang colors are tan/beige, brown, red, mauve, maroon and lavender and gold. Each color has its significance such as money, luck or romance.
Feng shui also has a lot to do with the direction in which your home sits. There are different colors that Feng Shui defines for the use in exterior facades of your house. Exterior colors of your house in Feng Shui practice can be used for matching or enhancing the basic house type that you have.
For example if your house is facing south, painting its exterior with white, grey or blue enhances the flow of Chi in your home. For houses facing East, earth tones or metal tones are thought to be of much use for enhancing the positive energies of the house.
As you explore Feng Shui, remember that opening your heart to the universe is more important than knowing meaning of colors and Feng Shui practice. After all, it is the heart that allows the healing energies to flow in you and your living environments.

Embarrassment and I...
Few ways can I embarrass myself more than by hitting numbers on the telephone to change television stations or dialing the remote for a phone call. Well, maybe there are other ways.
I’ve long had difficulty parking a car between lines. Once, with grandchildren in tow, we drove to St. Paul’s Hospital in Dallas to see an ill relative. I wanted to park in the front. My riding crew gave no feasible help. Twice in straightening my Buick at the time, I bumped the rear bumper of the car beside me. When we finally were settled and disembarked, one granddaughter said the driver of the other car was in his car all the time. She has laughed about this more times than necessary.
Once I did something on purpose I thought would not be noticed. It was boot day at school. Late the day before, I ran into a shoe store, tried on one boot, didn’t check my purchase, paid and ran out. The next morning, putting the black boots on last before leaving for work, I realized both were for the right foot, but not drastically so.
But I realized at noon I could get to the store for the left boot. Meanwhile I stood at the door of my classroom to greet my 17 and 18-year olds feeling spiffy in my new boots.
One would noticed my feet in the boots, tell someone who hadn’t noticed, and soon I was the talk of the hall. I couldn’t understand such ado. One had to look closely in a dimmed hall to see the distinction of the boots. At noon I corrected the situation. My only child still in school and not graduated would not look at me. He always knew instantly if I had fallen in the hall, or dropped a pile of papers, or did anything out of the ordinary.
Of course, in classes with them, both of my sons called me “Mama,” which drew a repeated chorus. Otherwise we tried to ignore one another.
Younger, I played the piano and thought the world knew when I made a glaring mistake. Sometime I cried. Not today. But it can be embarrassing to be on the wrong line of a hymn and not be able to find the correct place in a public atmosphere. I usually stop, try playing one note that blends and try harder to find where the organist might be.
Long ago, there was a question some of us women pondered about – which certain type clothing to wear if we had no clue. (Now, I just want covered.) There is nothing sexy about visible fat, wrinkles, or clothes molded to an imperfect body. Is all pride going?
Our clothing question, if you are still following me, dealt about being underdressed or overdressed with any finery we might have when going someplace new. Personally, because of the lack of pride thing mentioned above, it doesn’t matter. The answer we agreed on, though, was to be overdressed because we might look better.
Then, I once flinched for older women who wore colors in tops and skirts that didn’t match. If my mother did that, I was uncomfortable for both of us. Now, older and wiser, (don’t laugh), I realize I have difficulty matching navy with navy or not seeing the difference between navy and black, or varying shades of pink or green. I just don’t wear red.
Then I become leery of wearing any top or dress in glaring or neon colors. I don’t care if orange and red can be worn together. This takes a knack I don’t have. Why emphasize it. Let me blend in with others.
Yes, embarrassment and I are a team. I have stood by the wrong man, thinking I was married to him, and almost pinching him. I have burped into the phone on a long-distant call. I have talked a pretty good conversation to the wrong person on a phone and not realized it. Then I have done this twice. But the other party accepted my profuse apology and said, “You can call again. I don’t care who you are, but you brighten up my boring day.”
That could be my purpose in life. I’ve had an operator on the phone in Oregon tell me I sounded just like her grandmother in Alabama whom she missed. I suppose the only embarrassing act I have no excuse for and cannot apologize enough for is decades ago, leaving the same child more than twice somewhere and not realizing it until his oblivious siblings told me or I reached home and started to get him out of the car.
Today, such behavior could be something worse than regrettable.