July!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK. I finally managed to get into my blog to make a new one. Remembering all these passwords is the pits.

We have had an exciting month. The most exciting thing was our family reunion in Helena, Montana. It was so great to see the cousins meeting each other, some of them for the first time. Fran had a great idea to have the reunion, and Jeff and Janiece carried it off with great aplomb. John made our flight possible, and I am still reeling from all the fun.

I am still trying to hike and get in shape for the trip to Spain. At Fran's I bought a fancy backpack and I am valiantly trying to figure out all the straps and pockets and stuff. I will eventually get it figured out and will try to feature a picture of me strapped into the thing. Naomi will help me figure it out.

Take care.

wow, wow, wow, wow....

I was going to type "wow" 80 times in honor of my eightieth birthday... but that seemed a bit excessive. Yeah! I'm 80 today. WOW. My sister, who is 90, thinks I'm a mere piker.. but I rather like 80.

Now that I'm going to be a hiker, I've got to make use of every day. Besides which I better be sure to get in my June blog or I will hear about it from said 90 year old.

I come from a line of "long livers." Every time I say that I have the picture in my mind of people with lengthened livers... but you no doubth get my drift. We three siblings have managed to keep on ticking into our 80s and 90s. Wow......

Now I am beginning this new career. Getting my feet into shape for hiking. That is no small matter. I've had a bit of trouble, but it all seems to be getting ironed out. It is difficult to get the right arch supports, etc.

Onward and upward and downward... wherever the trail leads. Whoopee!

May Post!!!!

I figure I better get busy and write a blog in May, or it will slip away.

I am embarking on a new career!! I am presently beginning my career as a long distance hiker. I must say that I have only managed two miles so far, but I am aiming at about 20 miles!!! How about that for an old gal like myself.

I have hiking poles from llbean, getting special shoes as I am a diabetic so have to take great care of my feet, and trying to hike several times a week.

The goal is being able to complete the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Some of you may remember that Naomi did that a couple of years ago. I jokingly told her that I should do that and she took me up on it, and so..... I am in training. We're aiming at the summer of 2011. Seems a bit soon to me, but I don't have to do anything but keep on training. That, in itself, will give us a time line.

Wish me well!

Whoopee!!

There is nothing in our year that animates us like the arrival of the martins. The martin house was here when we bought the house. It sat on a clothesline post. Much closer to the ground that has always been advised. Eventually we moved it just a bit to the side of the garden straight in back of our house on a longer pole.

The wonderful thing about martins is that they fly here from Brazil!!! We lived a few years in Brazil and it always is a special thing to us that the martins come here from Brazil and fly from here back to Brazil after a few months.

Evidently the martins imprint the location of where they were born in order to come back to this particular place. Whenever there has been some crazy weather south of us we are afraid that they might not be able to make it.

We await the scouts (about three or four martins come early and then go back to say that the coast is clear to the others) and the arrival of the rest occurs about a week or so later. Whoopee and double whoopee.

One of the reasons I love living in our house is the arrival of these annual visitors. They are so fabulous... and they swoop down on the bugs - mosquitoes, etc, for their food and then go back and feed the mama birds in the house.

I can't help it. I've fallen in love with them over the years. Whoopee!

oops

Well, I got called away as I was typing the last blog, so time has passed. It turns out that the LAST FALL wasn't really the LAST FALL, but the penultimate fall. I have had another since then. I lost my balance fell over, hit my arm on the arm of a director's chair that George had brought out for me to sit on, and then tucked and rolled into the grass. Oh, my, I do have a magnificent bruise on my right upper arm.

The newspaper published a warning that most older people die or are seriously disabled by falls. I take this to mean that my lifelong training in falling is very good. I am not JUST NOW falling, but have had a long time to hone my skills.

To me, falling is an Olympic Sport. I better not get too proud of myself, however, but try to be as careful as possible.

I am presently in training to become a long distance walker. I have special shoes, walking sticks, etc. My distances are not so great yet. I am breaking in my shoes, getting a rhythm to the walking sticks, and I'm aiming at about 15 miles at a crack. Wish me luck, although I think I will need more than luck. Prayer would be good!!!

A New Goal

Hopefully the Last Fall!

You all know that I am famous for my knowledge of how to fall due to my extensive experience in that department.

I started falling and breaking bones as a child. I then developed what I chose to call the TUCK AND ROLL technique which has served me relatively well... through college, and into adult hood. What is a mystery to me is why I fall so often. Am I just a klutz, or what?

My latest tuck and roll experience was falling DOWN the UP escalator. I fell and tucked and rolled and rolled and rolled until someone finally shut the escalator off. It was a thrill to see those sharp steps continue coming at me. I was relatively unscathed, however, with only minor abrasions and cuts.

WELL, I finally have had what I hope is my last fall. There was no opportunity to either tuck or roll. But it was spectacular.

To get into the back seat of John's pickup, I first put my foot on the step and then hoist myself up to catch the hand hold and swing myself into the back. I successfully put my foot on the step, but my leg didn't have the strength to hoist my hand up to the hand hold. So I was launched backwards onto the blacktop! First onto my back and then my head hit. Whammo.

After I got my breath back, I was relatively ok. It has taken a while, but I feel as though I am completely back to my normal aches and pains.

I have learned that although Tuck and Roll is good advice, it isn't always possible!!!