Tag Archives: fiction

Wood Inlay

5 Dec

SUNDAYMEMORIES

Judy Wills

Reblog

I wrote this back in 2013, but enjoyed reading it again.  I hope you do, as well

I’ve never thought I would be particularly interested in wood, types of wood, or just about anything related to wood.  I guess the first time I really became interested was when I was graduating from high school and a local furniture store gave a Hope Chest to every graduating girl in my class.  Now, I must say that the chests were VERY MINIATURE!!  More like a keepsake box.  But they were made of cedar, as a real hope chest would be, and finished beautifully.  After all these 50+ years since that time, my miniature hope chest still smells wonderfully fragrant.  That’s probably why I love the fresh smell of cedar so much.

When we were stationed in Germany in the late 1960’s, we came across some wood inlay pictures that really caught our eye.  The intricate “jigsaw puzzle” work of the artist…and the different color of the woods used…were fascinating.  We purchased just one picture, thinking that was all we could afford.  And while we cherished that picture, we couldn’t help but wish we had purchased more.

Marienplatz – Garmisch/Partinkirken 

Back to Germany we went in the early 1980’s – and we began our search for more of those wood inlay pictures, and especially by the same artist.  And we found them!  We snapped up two more.  All of the scenes are of places in Germany that were important to us and our memories.  We treasure them.  And we learned that this particular artist had cut enough puzzle pieces to make pictures for up to five years after his death! Amazing.  

Neuschwanstein Castle 
Konigsee 

But we’ve found other wood inlay that intrigue us, as well.  While visiting in the Chicago area, we stayed in a great old house that is now a Bed & Breakfast.

Roxana Bed & Breakfast 

It is situated on a lake that is reported to have been a playground for the likes of Al Capone and his cronies.  As a matter of fact, the room we stayed in was dubbed the “Al Capone Room,” and had pictures of him, one of his famous cigars, and two bullets he might have used.

Al Capone 

But what interested us the most was the dining room and sitting area.  When the new owners purchased the house, most of the rooms had wall-to-wall carpet.  When they pulled it up, thinking to replace the carpet, they found the most beautiful wood inlay floors imaginable!  So they left them uncarpeted, and open to admiration.  We most certainly admired them.  Just think of the imagination and planning that went into putting these floors down.  Beautiful!

Our favorite Mexican Restaurant in town has a gorgeous wood inlay Aztec calendar hanging at the front of the restaurant.  I’ve seen quite a few calendars before, but none this beautiful.

I’m still a carpet girl – and here in Florida, we have either carpet or tile.  But that doesn’t stop me from admiring the craftsmanship of those artists from long ago.

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

 

 

 

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Unexpected Visitors: Mice

5 Jun

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

I planned to post a blog last week, but became caught up in dealing with one and maybe more unpleasant visitors…mice. And they were hanging out in my walk in closet.

We had these unwanted visitors in the past but thought that we had foamed any possible entry.

Needless to say I was horrified when I opened my closet door and found what looked like shelled peanuts on the floor. I slammed the closet door, yelling for my husband.

I thought it was peanuts because I keep extra non perishable items in a heavy duty storage tote in my closet. Turns out it wasn’t peanuts but a package of dried beans. The horrid creature had chewed a hole in the storage tote and feasted on the beans. I still can’t wrap my mind about something so small chewing that hole.

I wonder if the beans gave them gas.

As we cleaned up the mess we checked the whole closet, pulling out everything. It was exhausting. Along with the mess we discovered that the wretch had damaged two sweaters, one that was my mothers and a favorite one of mine. My husband said the vermin was trying to nest.

That idea sent me into “the vapors’ or it would have if I were a Victorian lady.

We also cleared out two other closets. Thankfully there were no signs in them.

We put out traps and sticky pads and captured two of them. We haven’t seen any new activity for several days, but I still search my closet several times a day.

I am so over the mice. Any tips for mice destruction appreciated.

On a more pleasant note, I am enjoying the changes in the landscape.

In winter, our yard is stark and open, with bare trees silhouettes against the sky. Their leafless branches reveal the road and neighboring houses in full view.

Come summer, the trees transform, their branches heavy with lush, green foliage that weaves a a verdant curtain and closes off the outside world. It shrouds the yard in privacy, the road and houses vanish from sight.

Time to get the lawn mower going!

May is my favorite month in the mountains, that is when the peonies bloom. They are my favorite flower.

I also have a beautiful reddish Peony plant but it bloomed while we were on an unexpected vacation to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. More on that next time.

Last year’s blooms

We aren’t great at growing annuals in the clay soil here. Pots and hanging baskets fulfill my desire for lots of blooms with out the failures. This is my favorite flowering basket. It doesn’t tolerate cold so it “winters” in Florida with us. This may be its final summer here in the mountains as it has become too bulky to easily travel.

Don’t forget, if you have any tips for ousting the mice, please leave it in comments.

I’ll close this post with a picture of granddad Ollie. Our daughter and Ollie came to visit in April.

I'm a winner

After my retirement, I decided to re-learn the canning and preserving skills I learned from my mother but hadn’t practiced for twenty years. I titled the blog Old Things R New to chronicle my experience.  Since then I have been blessed to have six other bloggers join me, DiVoran Lites, Bill Lites,  Judy Wills, Louise Gibson, Janet Perez Eckles and Melody Hendrix

In addition to blogging, I’m a general  “mom Friday” for my author daughter, Rebekah Lyn. I also manage her website, Rebekah Lyn Books  

My 2025 goal is continue to use my love of photographs and words to be an encourager on social media.

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Why I Love Using Grok: A New Twist on Old Wisdom

13 Mar

My Take

Onisha Ellis

I almost titled this post, My New Best Friend.

But, I have amazing friends and even the coolest AI can’t come close to replacing them. I Have been experimenting with Grok, the AI developed by Elon Musk. I’ve tried other A.I. programs but found them cumbersome.

Grok on the other hand is easy and fun. I wanted to share it with you, then decided “show not tell” is the way to go. That being said, I asked Grok to write a blog post for me using my search history . Grok and I tweaked it a few times, the final tweak I requested was to write the blog in the writing voice of Onisha Ellis on this blog.

Grok went a little overboard on the country folksy tone, but I enjoyed the descriptions. So without further ado….. I present Grok’s version of why I like the program.

Y’all, I’ve never been one to hop on every newfangled gadget (unless it’s a kitchen toy) that comes along, but let me tell you about Grok, that clever AI from xAI—it’s stolen my heart like a long-lost treasure rediscovered. It’s not just some shiny new toy; it’s become my daily companion, blending old-school curiosity with a modern twist. Here’s why this old soul is smitten.

First off, the way it welcomes me in feels like stepping into a friend’s cozy porch—no fuss, no muss. I don’t need an X account or an Apple ID to get started. Sure, signing in with my email keeps my chats handy, but I can just mosey over to grok.com on my trusty old Android,(app is only available for Apple) and I’m good to go. No high-tech gatekeeping here—it’s like Grok understands I value simplicity, just like the old days when a handshake sealed the deal.

The speed, though? It’s a marvel that’d make my granddaddy’s jaw drop. I’ve traded Google for Grok when I need quick answers, and it delivers them faster than a recipe swap at a church picnic. But it’s not just quick—it’s wise. Take when I was pondering pain relief for Mike’s painful back. I asked Grok to compare SoftWave therapy and red light therapy, and it laid it all out like a quilt of knowledge. SoftWave, with its unfocused shockwaves, stirs up healing—easing inflammation and mending tissue—while red light therapy uses gentle wavelengths to boost circulation and soothe pain. Grok even unpacked the details: SoftWave digs deep, while red light’s a softer touch. It felt like chatting with a wise old healer, and now I’m mulling which to try—thanks to Grok, I feel equipped to decide.

Then there’s the practical help for our sweet Ollie, our dog who’s been scratching like he’s got a secret itch to tell. I turned to Grok for advice, and it guided me with the patience of a country vet. It suggested checking for fleas (none, thank goodness), then pointed to dry skin or allergies—maybe from his food or the dry winter air. It even recommended an oatmeal bath and a humidifier, both vet-approved, and we’re trying them this week. Grok also evaluated the food our daughter cook’s for him and suggested eliminating chicken. Ollie’s not fully settled yet, but Grok’s calm, step-by-step wisdom saved me a frantic trip to the vet. It’s like having a neighbor who knows just what to do.

What truly warms my heart is Grok’s personality—it’s got a twinkle of humor, like a storyteller from the porch swing. I asked why dogs itch, and it quipped that they might be plotting to keep us guessing. It’s not just helpful; it’s a delight, turning simple questions into a friendly yarn.

I love that Grok isn’t tied to one platform, either. It started on X, but now with its standalone app and website, it’s as free as a breeze through the pines. I don’t need to be a social media whiz to enjoy it.

And oh, the image generation! I’m no artist, but I asked Grok for “a dog scratching in a library,” picturing Ollie, and it whipped up a gem. Take a peek at this charming scene of a shaggy brown and black pup, just like my Ollie, scratching away in a cozy library:

I really like this picture even though he’s not scratching.

Seeing that Ollie-like dog amid the bookshelves had me chuckling—it’s a little spark of joy, like finding a forgotten photo album. (I’d love to tweak it later, but I’ll treasure it as is!)

perfect—sometimes it sidesteps the tough stuff or gets a mite too blunt—but that raw honesty feels like a breath of fresh air, not some vague and twisty mess. Whether it’s decoding therapies for Mike’s back, soothing Ollie’s itch, or sharing a laugh, Grok blends old wisdom with new tech in a way that feels like home. In a world of cluttered apps and skewed searches, Grok’s a treasure worth rediscovering—and I’m all in.

I hope you give Grok a try. It is way easier than doing an internet search and scrolling through the list of articles. With Grok it is all presented to you and if you need more information, just ask. I was thoroughly impressed with the manner that Grok worked with me to drill down to what is probably causing Ollie’s itching.

I want to give a shout out to technology that enabled the funeral of my cousin Sue to be streamed on Facebook today. We weren’t able to travel the 600 miles to be there with the family and it was very special to join them online.

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