More about Aunt Naomi

She was never Miss Iowa. I don't think it would occur to her to enter a beauty pageant. She was, however, beautiful in every sense of the word.

After she arrived we spent lots of time talking. Of course! And then she settled in to sew and be helpful in every way she could be. When she discovered that one of my friend's sister was also a victim of rheumatoid arthritis and was in a sanatorium nearby she insisted we go to visit her. I think she was curious as to how it was to have rheumatoid arthritis in Brazil.

The visit was complicated by their speaking two different languages, but I translated as much as I could. Her name was Lucy and she tried to support herself by painting goose eggs, one of which is shown in the picture above. Aunt Naomi had great empathy for her.

Each time I see that goose egg, it reminds me of our friendship and our trip to see Lucy.

I am very sentimental, and love collecting things that remind me of events. The wooden cup that the egg sits on was made by my uncle Carl. He was a master of both wood working and painting walls to imitate wallpaper.

take care!

FINALLY

I am thinking about friends of the past. My best friend over the years was "Aunt Naomi". She was really my sister-in-law, but because we named our daughter Naomi after her, she became aunt naomi to make it clear.

When our family was in Brazil living in Novo Hamburgo, Rio Grande do Sul, we got a letter from her in November saying she was planning to fly to see us and would probably be arriving on January 16. As we didn't have a phone and it took forever for communication to arrive, January came and we had received no further confirmation of her plans, so on the 16th we all got in the car and drove the 45 miles to the airport. We decided we would meet any plane that she could conceivably be arriving on, and spend the rest of the time just goofing around.

Sure enough.. there she was! What a wonderful reunion. She had brought a trunk of goodies for us, but it was nowhere to be found. They informed us they would let us know when it arrived.

So we trotted back home. What a great thing for her to come so far! She suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, so abhored drafts of any kind. Somewhere I have a picture of her sewing, with the zipper at the back of her dress open, the skirt hiked up, and a big square fan blowing on her from about four feet away. 106 degrees will do that to ya.

Quite a long time went past and we were notified that the trunk had arrived so we went to procure it. By some miracle everything was intact. Oh happy day!

More on the next post. Take care.

wahoo

Spent the last few days wallowing in great tennis. The final men's match must go down as one of the greatest ever played. Federer finally pulled it out, but Roddick mounted a monumental attack on the great one!

Had great news about Elaine. She's back home, going to her granddaughter's wedding, and keeping on trucking.

Have my readers gone away? One person commented on my last blog! She did comment twice, but still. I am going to start a new series of memories of the past. So stay alert.

My ears are adjusted and are working Great. Hats off to the earguy!!!!

Take care.

odds and ends

I just finished "Careless in Red" by Elizabeth George. I love reading mystery stories that are also literary works. I especially like it when the characters grow and change through the various volumes of a series about certain characters. I think this series has been hurt by the transfer to British Television. I like to envision the characters as I have them in my brain, not as someone else has envisioned them. Bad books can make good movies. Great books rarely can.

We have had very bad news as our sister-in-law, Elaine, has suffered a stroke. Although she seems ok physically, we heard she was unable to speak. She has been such a positive light to my whole adolescent and adult life. She is truly a sister and a friend. We await further news. It is hard to be old and realize you cannot rush to the side of those you love when they are having difficulties. Not only is it difficult to do, you would just be a further burden for those you are trying to assist. So we send our prayers to God on their behalf.

Just a note: Why does "being in the dumps" have such a different meaning than "being in the dump."

Take care.

The Pits

I am down in the dumps because of what I consider uncharitable attitudes towards those with whom we disagree.

There was a craze at one time with kids to say "What Would Jesus Do?" They even had bracelets that had the initials "WWJD."

As I remember Jesus loved his enemies and those who despitefully used him. And he cautioned us to do the same. This taking of political sides with vitriolic attitudes by those who consider themselves to be Christian is absolutely astonishing to me. Read the Beatitudes.

Take care.

Pearls of Wisdom choo choo

Oh, dearie me. To think my pearls of wisdom are so widely sought!

George is slowly healing up and his sciatic pain is gone.!!!!! Now he just has to be careful not to upset the 5 inch slice up his backbone. So far so good.

I have been up and down. Naomi was here for a few days. We were going to go camping, but felt we were not up to it, so we just camped here at home. Fun. She cut my hair and took me out for lunch at Butler's Pantry in Alex. We visited the book store! and she bought me the latest Laurie R. King book. Great few days. We went to the sauna at It Figures and I decided to sign up for it. I am always so cold, it should be a good alternative to my mom's Wool Quilt.

As usual our book club was stellar. We discussed the book Middlesex, the Pulitzer Prize Winning novel by Jeffrey Eugenides. It is the story of a girl who discovers she is a hermaphrodite, and she is really a boy. A wonderful story of a wide span of history. We thought it was a bit long winded, but in general a good read.

I am having a roller coaster existence at the moment. One day up, the next day down. We'll have to see if we can even it out in the up area, and wipe out the down. Good luck.

Take care.

hi ho

I find it is difficult for me to be at the computer for any length of time without getting (being?) a pain in the neck. My outlook on life is improving, so - in order to have something to moan about _ I have to develop a new ache or pain. Tell me it isn't so!

We have book club today, so I am abandoning my nursing for the morning. George is recovering from the back surgery that removed a cyst from his L5 vertebra ( it was pressing on his sciatic nerve.) He seems to be doing quite well. In two weeks he will be able to play golf! We'll wait to see how that goes.

He has been sleeping in his recliner as it can be stretched out almost straight. It would be almost impossible for him to get out of bed. Soon. We're such a cozy couple - both asleep in our recliners. I can remember my folks doing an afternoon snooze that way, with the TV on. I would notice they were sleeping and turn the TV off... which would wake them up with protests that they were watching such and such a show, which had been on about an hour earlier. Ah, the vagaries of old age are catching up with us. It's frightening when you find yourself turning into your parents!

I'll tell you about bookclub next blog. My neck is telling me I've typed on quite long enough!

Take care.

Conflict

It's rather wimpy of me to complain about conflict when all I am talking about is doctor's appointments interfering with trips to the gym with my pals! Between George and me this week our trips to the doctor and the hospital are interfering each day.

I'm going for a rather minor check-up today and tomorrow George starts on the road to pain- free living. He's having an operation on his back to end his sciatic pain. It'll probably be a two day affair.

So it looks as though I might make the gym on Friday... Time will tell.

For those of you who like to ponder the imponderables I will HIGHLY RECOMMEND the DVD of "What the bleep do we know". You can order it from Netflix. If you are like me you like to ponder things and get a flash now and then that you understand. I remember watching something from Stephen Hawking. I understood about a tenth of it, but it was fascinating to both George and me. This is more understandable, but still gives a lot to ponder. I loved it.

Take care.

Yessireesir... or something

When I start to find pears looking good, you know that I am soon up to snuff. I am even floating through the art room now and again. I might even take up a brush sometime soon. Or maybe something else to smear paint around on some YUPO paper. Wahoo.

I have a sad event to share. My new zippered sweatshirt has disappeared down the rabbit hole. Every once in a while some item of ours just disappears into thin air. We sometimes find the item and we often never see it again. An immutable mystery..

George is set up for back surgery on the 4th of June. It's supposed to take away his constant sciatic pain. Prayers are appreciated.

Take care.

Wahoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dear Friends of the Blog:

I am having trouble getting used to having my old zip back!

The ear guy will be happy to hear that the new adjustments to my "ears" are great. My eye guy has been a great help with my new lenses: I now see 20/20. And my body guy will be happy to learn that the increased thyroid has made me peppy. I think he was afraid I would become hyper. I thought - me hyper! Let's give it a try.

In short, I'M BACK! (who was the evil character that used to say that?)

All of the little corrections have evidently coalesced into a peppy me. To say nothing of the dear prayers of all and sundry. Praise God.

Have a wonderful weekend. Take care.

siblings are great!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR FRAN!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
and many mo-o-o-o-o-re!

love, /

Blue Cloud Abbey

As we were leaving Blue Cloud Abbey in South Dakota, we prevailed upon Colleen to snap a picture of us in the entry. As you can see, we are a motley crowd.

We had an inspirational time. We could sleep, talk, walk, watch DVD's, eat... and eat... and eat.
Well, it defies description. We plan to go again next year (or sooner, if possible) but stay longer. If you would like to go there, let me know as I have the info. I guess going mid-week is smart.

I know it is hard to imagine, but I am speechless. (Typeless?)

Take care.

OK Already!

Hmmmm. I am wearing some of my stylin' new duds and preparing for a three day trip with my fabulous book club ladies. You can await my detailed report of said trip.

Right now I am enjoying the greening up of the grass. And, of course, the blue lake waters next to the reeds. My favorite color combination.

I went to the eye guy yesterday, and it seems my right eye has taken a recalcitrant turn. He prescribed new lenses for my stylin' rims which I ordered and which will soon be ready. Of course, "soon" is such a relative term. We'll wait and see how soon "soon" is. The doctor said the change will be rather severe and I might feel the floor coming up to see me. Just so I don't go down to see the floor, we'll be ok.

I've been seeing Mourning Doves (or is it Morning Doves?), sparrows, finches, downy (sp?) woodpeckers, and just a few purple grackles. The grackles seem to have moved on. Yippee! The starlings haven't come to make nuisances of themsleves. AND THE MARTINS ARE HERE!!! Now life as we know it can continue.

KL: Is your adorable birdbath holding up? A thing of beauty!

Take care. (There is a pair of gold finches now. The male is spectacularly yellow, and the female a muted chartreuse. Beautiful.)

Heavens to Betsy!

It's time to officially announce that my daughter is a genius.

She's came up for the weekend, and we drove to Alexandria. I didn't have enough energy to get out of the car. She managed to take me to lunch (We went to the drive-in at Jimmy John's and shared a #1). Then she went to fleet farm and got grass seed and trash bags for George and got gas. In addition, she found an adorable sweat shirt/jacket for me. Then we went to Herberger's. I had some coupons for one of their fantastic sales, but I wasn't up to the crowds, so she went in, coupons in hand.

She bought me two pair of JEANS and a pale blue T-shirt. I thought, is the girls nuts?

Jeans are hard to find even for yourself. But I didn't have enough energy to protest. We stopped for coffee at a drive in window at Dunn's Coffee, and then we went home.

Both pairs of jeans, the T shirt and the sweat shirt/jacket fit me PERFECTLY. What a genius. I mean she should be a professional shopper.

As you can tell, I just can't get over it. Take care.

acting

Last night I watched the movie "Apaloosa" which stars Ed Harris and has his father, Bob Harris, as the judge. I thought it was fun seeing Bob in a movie. He and Fran used to act in a Thespian organization sponsored by her Presbyterian Church in Evanston, Illinois.

The movie was beautiful and filled with great music. It also starred Renee Zellweger, Jeremy Irons, and Vego Mortenson. It was based on a book written by Robert Parker.

Some of the conversations were difficult to hear... well, not difficult to hear, but difficult to understand... even with my new paid for ears! When the movie was all over, I had this light bulb go out in my head! Maybe you can make the DVD do subtitles!!!!!!!!!! Voila. You can. From now on we're in business. Netflix, expect more rapid exchanges from us.

We have purchased two converter boxes for the dread June 12 deadline when all analog transmission will cease and digital transmission will be king. Now it's to figure out how to attach said box to our poor old machine. If I read the directions I will probably be able to do it. If not, I will call Jim. Remember our old friend, Fran?

It's a rainy day. George has worked himself to a frazzle preparing the garden, and the nice dark earth looks great. The seasons flick by!

Take care.

Stuck

OK, KL.... you have hit the nail on the head. I was stuck with nothing to say to you all. But now I feel un-stuck. You have done it with your great comment. It was also great fun to see you and KW and the others at the gym. I couldn't do much, but it's so much fun to talk and laugh.

KW is taking a fantabulous trip to Ireland. So the care and prodding of yours truly has been passed on to KL. They try to keep me up and running as much as possible.

It is a windy rather disagreeable day. Brrrr. I suppose we'd think it was mellow if it were winter time, but I want sun and warmth and green grass, thank you very much.

Oh, well... in due time. Take care, y'all.

Pot Holes

We just returned from a trip to Mpls/StP and I gotta tell ya, they have the pot holes from H E double Toothpicks. I mean, out here in the boondocks we have some potholes, but there isn't much traffic so you can dodge to one side or the other to escape. In "The Cities" You are surrounded by cars going at astronomical speeds, and there is no place to go but down into the dread hole.

We even had a hunk of black top hit our car from the car ahead of us hitting a hole. Sigh. And you know that Naomi had about $2,000. dollars damage from one. Her car was undrivable as the front end was kaput.

Soon the green grass of Spring will arrive. The snow will be gone. Golfing and gardening will begin. But will the potholes be repaired? Time will tell.

Take care. Really.

hmmmmmm

I am a serious lover of my fingernails! While every other thing about me is getting weaker and weaker, my fingernails are getting stronger and stronger! My hair is white, thin, and falling out, my eyes are in need of constant correction, my head reels from one thing or another... but I do have fantastic fingernails. I get cold spells, tremors, dizziness.... but - well, you get the idea.

It's still winter here, although I think spring has officially sprung. The birds are all atwitter at the bird feeder. Even a few black birds and grackles have shown up. The flood threat is still menacing Fargo/Moorhead. I feel, however, that SOON we will be seeing flowers sprouting.

Here's to SPRING.. and fingernails.

Take care.

Beautiful to look at!

Gadzooks! We've got snow. What a snowy mess. George thought he could just drive out of the driveway without shoveling because he had done that at 6. Now, at noon, he is trying to go down town, and is stuck in the driveway. So shoveling is in his future. I love snow, but he does the shoveling! No wonder I'm the one who loves it.

I slept in until 11 o'clock. So I am just now feasting on the gorgeous sight. The trees are spectacular. The birds have gone crazy at the bird feeders. It's very windy, so they flitter around trying to land on the feeder. Their wings are so active, they look like hummingbirds.

I haven't been up long enough to watch the news on TV. I wonder how it's going up in Fargo. I can't imagine this wet snow is helping the flood challenge. Oofta. Or uffda, if you prefer. Douglas County is not in a flood area, but I'm sure we'll have some flooded basements in town anyway. That seems a small thing compared to what folks by the Red River are facing if the dikes fail. It still is bad, though.

I'm just going to relax, enjoy my warm, cozy house, and watch George shovel. Poor guy.

Yup, well

I don't have results back from the MRI, so - as they say - no news is good news.

The sun is shinng on the newly fallen snow. The whole state is holding its collective breath to see how awful the flooding in the Fargo/Moorhead area is going to be. Oofta. At one time our son and family lived on the Red River. The flooding went up to the mound the house was occupying. George went up to check on things putting his fishing boat on the trailer, and boating over to the house. All was well in the house and they escaped damage, but the expanse of water was truly impressive. I have a video of that flood. This one is supposed to be worse. Wow.

I imagine the tiling of wetlands is one of the contributing factors to the extensive flooding. Not enough wetlands to soak up the overflow. Douglas County is one of the counties that is not at flood risk. Thank goodness.

House finches, junkos, and sparrows are busy on the birdfeeder. So cute.

Take care.

MRI

I had an MRI yesterday. Of my brain! I am going to describe my experience.

After I was all signed in and had signed about 6 papers, I was turned over to a nice girl (oops! Young Woman) who had me put everything metal in a little locker... hearing aids, cell phone, lanyard, etc. Then I stuffed my jackets into the locker together with my tote bag. Luckily, I had not worn my winter coat... it would never have fit in the locker. I refuse to put my winter coat on. It is supposed to be SPRING. So I layer jackets.

I locked my locker and we took the key into the room with us. I also took off my shoes at the door, and laid my eyeglasses there on a shelf. She asked me what kind of music I preferred. I said, "Long hair." She looked confused, so I said "Classical." It's amazing what small things can illustrate your advanced age.

We went into a brightly lit room with a contraption on which I was to lie down. It reminded me of a giant cream colored cigar. I laid down and she put very substantial earphones on me. Then a cream colored plastic catcher's type head gear. Then she gave me a button deal that I could press to get out immediately if my claustrophobia kicked in. And so it started. The machine slid me into a very confined space. I never opened my eyes so I cannot describe it. I basically put myself in a relaxed dozy state and listened to the loud hammering (for once I was sort of glad I was deaf) and the classical music. It took about 40 minutes.

The experience was ok. Very interesting. No big deal.

Now I await the results!

Take care.

What?

The strangest things pop into my mind in the middle of the night when I am attempting that last little movement into sleep. For two nights now I have been remembering little things from the past. When i was little, I remember our having a small metal bowl... by small, I mean about the size of the top half of your thumb. It was used to wash our eyes.

I mean, why did we need to wash our eyes? Did we have diseased eyes? We would put liquid into it, tip it up into our eyes, and let it drain into the bathroom sink. Hmmm.???

Another thing I have been attempting to remember for a long time was a type of medication similar to Mentholatum, but stronger. It came to me that it might have been called Unguentine. Does that strike a chord in your memories?

Enough, already. Have a nice day and take care.

Monday

For many of you folks that are still hard at work (Thank God if you still have a job!) Monday is a rather hard day. It's hard to get into the swing of things. The week starts off slow, then speeds up, and then you can hardly wait for the last stroke of the keyboard on Friday.

When you're retired, each day kind of melts into the next. It all becomes a blur punctuated by making meals and watching your favorite TV shows. And reading books! And going to the gym.

Today has the feel of spring. The birds are busy. There is a pair of house finches with their lovely red tinted heads at the feeder. Also chickadees and nuthatches. So much fun to watch.

Take care.

Snow, beautiful SNOW

We are in the midst of a good old fashioned blizzard. Get out the popcorn and the dvds. Not only do we have the warnings of the weather prognosticators, but we can see it with our own eyes. Wahoo. I especially enjoy it as I am retired and can just cuddle down in my recliner and enjoy being able to be in my nice warm house.

Poor Naomi, on the other hand, fell victim to a giant pothole. She is presently without wheels and in the quandary of whether to repair or buy. Decisions, decisions. Just when she was starting to get her ducks in a row, whammo. That about covers life, actually.

Enjoy the snow, if possible! Take care.

Birds

We have several sayings that don't make sense... That's for the birds is one of them. They are fed the most marvelous of seeds in our feeders.

It's so much fun to watch them. We have flickers, blue jays, junkos, finches, downy woodpeckers, pileated woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches, and a plethora of sparrows.

Today, because it is relatively warm, they are out in force.

Take care.

Perversity

I am just realizing that most of the pictures I have of myself are with others or they are me in some sort of repair mode. I could put up of one of the pix I took when I had my eyelids done. Or when I had the cancer removed from my nose, etc. But plain old nice pictures are few and far between. I believe I have a perverse sense of humor!

We're supposed to get a big snow storm today. I have an early appointment with the doctor and hope we get back home before it gets too bad.

So many people are ill with this or that. So far, we haven't gotten the crud that is going around. May it only stay that way.

Take care.

It's already late....

Well. The Oscars have come and gone so I am trying to get rid of the dark glasses picture. So far I have had no luck, it seems.

I love the dresses, the hairdos, all the folderol of the evening. But I am not up on the movies. Maybe when spring comes I will see some of them. Or when they become available on Netflix.

The sparrows are going nuts at the birdfeeder. It's down to its last seeds and they are going crazy trying to get the last ones out. One little sparrow keeps coming to the window and holding on the sill looking in at me. He seems to be saying... c'mon. We need more seed. Get a move on.
I have to reply, "Sorry. That's George's department!"

Take care.

Enough, already!

I have friends who are always sending me political slams from both sides of the political spectrum. Some are arch-conservatives and some liberals. When Bush was president I was always hearing from liberals. Now I am constantly bombarded by snide stuff from the right. Get a life. We are all in the same boat. Let's hope it all works out more or less the way we hope.

I, myself, am in the middle. I used to say I was an independent, but then they got an Independent Party of which I am not a member, so now I just say I'm in the middle. I vote for the person who I think will do the best job.

During the last ENDLESS compaign, I got so sick of all the folderol on TV I was overjoyed when the vote was cast and it was supposedly OVER. Ha. Here in Minnesota we still don't know who our Senator is. Sigh.

My brother is going to hit the big 85 on Monday. Wow. Happy Birthday, Bud! Sorry to hear you have had so much snow again this year. We have beautiful snow here, too, but not enough to inconvenience us in any way. George has shoveled it out and even got a chance to use his snow blower. The birds are feasting on the suet and bird seed, and the trees are frosted with snow.

Take care.

Snow Globe Day

Today is a miracle. The snow came straight down. Big flakes like in a snow globe. I love the feeling of looking out the window and feeling I am in the middle of nature. Beautiful.

I'm sorry, Fran, but I like hiding behind the glasses. All the paparazzi (sp?) you know.

Well, the Oscars ARE this week. Somehow it seems somewhat trivial considering the state of the world. However, entertainment offers a bit of a relief. I haven't seen any of the movies because with all our ups and downs we have given up going to the cinema.

Who do YOU think will win in the categories? Those of you who go to movies still.

Take care.

Check it out

I have finally the energy to write a new blog. However, it is also time for me to go to the gym. Decisions, decisions! Please notice the new picture of me. I have done that in honor of the Oscars. Notice the glamorous shades! Wahoo.

I replaced the picture on my profile page too. Are yu impressed? Take care.

Fog

It is quite disconcerting to feel foggy in the head and also to look out at fog! That will soon be corrected as we are meeting as a book club today.... even though the fog outside won't lift, the fog inside will certainly be stirred up enough to lift.

We are going to talk about "Left to Tell." An astounding book about the holocaust in Rwanda. I am also reading "The Memoirs of a Geisha" by Golden. So fascinating. Hard to put it down.

I gobble up books like I eat M&Ms. Great fun.

I didn't make it to the gym on Monday. I'm aiming at Thursday before I will be able to go. Then I will go on Thursday and Friday. Wahoo. Two times a week should be "otimo." When I start only being able to think in Portuguese, watch out. There are days like that. Since the only person I know that lives around here and understands Portuguese is George. I have to wait until he is home to spout a word or two in that language. C'mon, George, read my blog!

OK. I am trying to learn how to use "Facebook" but it is a struggle. Naomi is coming home this weekend and will give me some more lessons. I am struggling to get internet savy, but it seems there is always that new thing that bamboozles me. HOWEVER, I will continue to try! That's the ticket. "If at first you don't succeed..."

Take care.

Yippee

Well, I am celebrating waking up without a headache! I am up and dressed and soon will go to the gym. It is supposed to be warmer today, too. Yippee.

I just finished reading a novel, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. It is the first novel by the writer, David Wroblewski. I loved it. It kept me guessing but by the end, I think I understood all of the ins and outs of it. If you are a dog-lover, it is a must read for you. All kinds of information about dog training.... Most of which I do not understand.

I'm off and running. I am desperate to find a new book to read. I'll get back to you with the choice I make.

Take care.

Winter

I am caught in the doldrums of a winter day. I do not wish to venture out. I wish to wrap myself in the contemplation of white snow, shadows, and beautiful fir trees. I have just enough energy to read. I am reading a wonderful book which I will report on later.

I am afraid the doldrums might deepen into depression. I hesitate to move. Warm weather, where are you? I want to go outside without shivering and shrinking into myself.

C'mon, Spring. Get a move on.

Take care.

Pristine world

A new fluff of snow is making the world new again. I love living in the country (village) because the snow stays relatively clean until March. But after a fluffy snow fall, everything is so beautiful it makes my heart warm and fuzzy.

I still have a cold. Headachy, snuffles, no energy. I'm aiming for Monday for full recovery. We'll have looked at the Super Bowl and seen the Cardinals win so that should give me energy. Right. Go Cardinals! Such a fun team to watch.

I hear a snow plow. A sparrow is nibbling at the birdfeeder. Fab.

Take care.

Fingernails

Remember when I was saying I finally have fingernails? I attributed it to Hoof Saver, but now I have the idea that it also is attributable to my ingestion of two large Calcium plus Vitamin D per day. Any way, I now have fantastic fingernails. Wow. I love it.

I am slowly getting up to speed as I recover from my trip. One of the things I love is watching the birds and the bunnies. Both come and eat the bird seed. The bunnies from the ground after the birds have knocked it there. Both the bunny and the birds are all fluffed up to fight the cold. Three sparrows are outside my window as I type.

Keep warm. Take care.

Finally

A picture on this blog is quite amazing. Although this is not a picture of the snow in our backyard this winter, the only giveaway is the corn stalks not poking up out of the garden!

It is wonderful to be in Minnesota, but I am having trouble getting back in the saddle. We had a long day of travel to get back and I am more or less pooped.

I'm looking forward to the inauguration tomorrow. It is a notable milestone in the history of the country. Wahoo.

I am looking forward to some comments! Thanks! Take care.

Once more into ,.....

Well, we're going to try again tomorrow to get our flights, etc. I imagine the more interesting part of our journey will be getting our car out of a snow pile and started.

We have had some wonderful times here, but are eager to get back into our own digs once again. The main thing was to luxuriate in the company of our son and grandson. Our daughter was here for Christmas, too. So it was a fun family outing. We missed those who were not in attendance, however.

I have to try to get myself ready to go out in public tomorrow. I feel more than a little unprepared as I've been prepared for so many times. Now I'll go, period. (I hope@!)

Take care. Hope to see you soon.

Once more into ,.....

whoopdee doo

I hear the weather in your part of the world is a bit frisky. We are still in Virginia as the flight loads for us standbys were not good for today. We will try tomorrow. Matthew is home from school with a cough and fever, so it is great to be here to cuddle him. He is so patient and sleeps a lot.

I have been reading like a maniac and watching the HGTV channel. Mostly I have been getting my stuff organized and trying to pack. The addition of Christmas presents pushes our carry aboards to the limit. All will make it in, though, I am sure.

I have missed all youse guys! My e-mail is up and running fine after John gave it a few tweeks. I receive absolutely insane amounts of spam when I am here and my security stuff doesn't remove it. I know that I always get it, but it automatically goes to junk mail when I'm at home.

I hope to see you soon. Take care.

happy new year

Both George and I are suffering from severe colds..... but as long as we're both on our feet, there is always hope we will survive! AS you can see, I am not in the most upbeat of moods. For good measure it is foggy today!

The bright spot is our wonderful grandson. He's watching cartoons for a bit, then gets himself dressed and ready for school. Then I will walk him to the bus at 8:15. What a cutie.

John is already at work. How he keeps all the balls in the air. I can't understand. After school Matthew goes to youth center, then John picks him up and takes him to basketball practice where John also helps with the coaching. Then home for supper, which he has already prepared and I just have to put in the crock pot later this morning. Fantastic.

My e-mail is no longer working. But you can leave a remark in the comments of the blog, or on Facebook, and I will try to get back to you. We are planning on returning about the middle of the month. It'll be great to see you all.

Take care.

Ending....

Well. New Year's Eve. John is with friends. Matthew is also going to be at a sleep over with his buddy, and George and I are the old folks staying at home!

It feels great! We both have a killer cough but got medicine and cough drops today, so we are all prepared. Matthew was also sick, but has totally recovered today. I think if we had to go to a party we would just groan. There comes a time when parties should be under the oak trees out at Clara's Place for lunch. Of course, in this cold weather I suppose that wouldn't be practical, either! It has turned into a severly windy and cold day here, too. We had one day in the 70s and now it's really turned cold.

It's been a strange year. Lots of health challenges for George and me. Bronchitis and other stuff. Luckily, I have a short memory so I don't really remember every detail of my year... I just remember I have had other years when I have felt perkier! Of course, I have also had other years when it was worse.

My best wishes to you all. May God bless you and keep you in the coming year. To think that it will be 2009! It was just a moment ago that they were making all the fuss about the 2000 bugs. Can you remember waiting for all the dire effects? And here we are 9 years later. Wow.

Take care.

Aftermath

I feel better today. My cold is worse, but I feel better - go figure.

We had a fun Christmas. Matt got a Red Rider BB gun like the one featured in "The Christmas Story" from his other Grandpa. It came with a card in which a voice says "I double dare ya." just like in the movie. His grandpa has a leg lamp just like in the movie, and he also sent a picture of himself, outside in the snow beside a lit tree with the lamp in the window. Too cute.

Matt is seven but can do everything with his X box deal. Luckily John meters how much time he can play video games.


I got several outstanding gifts, too. I was more or less recliner bound over Christmas but now I'm feeling better. It is 70 degrees here today. It was about 35 over Christmas. Some swing.

Hope you are all well and have had awesome family times. Take care

Christmas fun

Christmas is always more fun when you can spend it with a child. Wrapping packages, putting up the tree, putting up decorations are more fun with the help of a child. We not only have the fun of seeing everything from the child's perspective, we are also awaiting the arrival of Nay. She will be here tomorrow.

She described the wonderfully snowy weather you are having in Minnesota. Some fun! Snow and ice are fun (!) but the relatively mellow 50 degrees here is also enjoyable.

We are having great food. John has turned into a chef along with his other great qualities.

I hope your trip has evened out, Karen L, and that all is going well.

Take care.

We're Here!

After lots of starts and stops, we're finally in Virginia. Everything was going smoothly. We got to the Fargo Airport at 5, Got through the security deal, And then proceeded to wait... and wait... and wait! Then we got on the plane, and proceeded to wait... and wait... and wait.

Finally they told us that the machines they used to start the airplane couldn't be started because of the severe cold (-3). The starters for the airplane needed a jump start. So, we sat some more. Finally they told us to go back to the ticket counter and retrieve our bags. Which effectively meant we would have to arrange a different flight.

As we stood in line at the ticket counter for quite a long time, two hours after our flight had been supposed to take off, they announced that we should grab our bags and go back through security, the flight was going to take off!

So.. off with the shoes, the puffy red coat, the sheepskin vest, show the baggy with the 3 oz bottles, your i.d. , your bag and your carry aboard. Then, put it all back on again (You realize that this was for the second time!) and go back on the airplane. Half of the passengers had given up, so there were considerably fewer passengers.

At OHare we avoided escalators and had no trouble making a connection, even though the one we were booked on had left just as we were arriving in Chicago.

After that, we had a fairly mundane trip. John met us in Norfolk and drove us to his home at Yorktown. He returned to his job and then is taking Matthew to basketball practice. It's great to be here.

Hope Karen L. has a good trip today. Take care.

Such Fun!!!

Wow. 10 comments! It was interesting how age played into what we remembered. I am really a fossil to remember Pearl Harbor. I never realized that before. That is, I know I'm an old fossil, but I didn't realize how remembering Pearl Harbor would point that out.

Two others I could mention would be the fall of the Berlin Wall and the uproar in Tianamen Square. I remember Fran and I calling each other about both of those events as they were happening.

Forgiveness is tricky. We think it means forgetting, but it doesn't. We think it means that the person has to ask for our forgiveness, but it doesn't.

For one thing, harboring resentment can literally kill us... It doesn't do a thing to the person it is aimed at, but it eats away at our own soul. "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." Substitute sins for trespasses and you see what this means. Hmmm.

Usually (not always!) I imagine a supposed hurt or slight sitting in my hand and I hold it out as if it were a bird and make a motion of setting it to flight in the universe. I let it go.

We're getting ready for our trip to Virginia for the holidays. Such bustling around trying to get all the t s crossed and i s dotted. We just got back from the cities for my appointment with the neurologist. All went well. The trip down and back was smooth. We delivered JYY the dog to it's beautiful owner. Now it is hard to remember that he isn't here. I expect him to show up and nudge my arm to tell me he as to go out, etc. He's a sweetie.

Take care. And thanks for your comments. I love 'em!

Where were YOU?

There are some dates you never forget where you were when you heard the news. December the 7th is one of those. The occasion was more than 65 years ago yet all those who are still alive remember where they were when when they heard the news that the Japanese planes had attacked Pearl Harbor.

George was in the drug store buying cigarettes for his dad. He forgot the cigarettes and raced home to get his family to listen to the radio. He and his brother enlisted and his dad was already in the army having served in WWI and as an officer in the CCC.

I was with my brother. I guess I wasn't exactly WITH him, but I was pestering him as he listened to a radio he had rigged up in his bedroom closet which he used as his little office. If I'm not mistaken it was a little crystal set radio he had made up. We heard the news and rushed to inform our folks.

Moments which affect the course of events are just a few: The assassinations of JFK, Martin Luther King, Robert Kennedy come to mind. I'm sure there are some other dates which haven't come to my poor fevered brain. Can you think of any?

I'm looking out the window. We have had snow and there is bunny hopping out in the garden. I better not let the dog out right now! We are dog sitting for a couple of weeks. Lots of fun, but it reinforces our idea that we should not have a pet.

Take care.

Black Friday?

Happy Black Friday! When has it ever been called that before? Why is it called that? Perhaps it is the day that ensures that the store winds up in the black? Whatever.

Naomi and I wandered over to Herberger's and managed to buy some stuff at ridiculously low prices. We just got under the wire as the sale ended at 12 noon. We were there at 11:30. The line I was in to pay for my two sweatshirts and two vests was stationary for a long time. The person at the head of the line was trying to apply for a credit card and had been refused, and continued to protest. Finally a manager came and took him away to consult and freed up the charge machine. Three people had already left the line, and there were still seven ahead of me! However, I finally made it through in time!

Yup. I'll be stylin' at the gym, girls. Aren't you thrilled?

I bought a small turkey this year. Just white meat. I always make stuffing (dressing for those of you who prefer that) but this year there was no place to put the stuffing. We three had a very modest meal: Turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, corn - and pumpkin pie with real whipped cream. It was yummy, but I must admit we did miss cranberries and sweet potato stuff with marshmallows. and rolls.

Many years ago our family had a 28 pound turkey that someone had given to us. Mom and Dad invited all the relatives and made a feast, but it snowed something fierce so no one could make it. We ate turkey left overs clear into the new year. I mean - twenty-eight pounds! However, if you have to have leftovers, turkey is great.

Hope you had a fine Thanksgiving! Lots to feel thankful for. Take care.

OK, already

Yup, I know. A blog once in awhile is good. Once you've started you have to keep on. . . . Unless you just decide to quit. I don't want to quit, though, so here goes:

I was born during the great depression. Now that we are in the middle of what might topple over into another severe economic disaster, I think of all the things that have happened during my life time.

Take typewriters. When I was in highschool my father insisted I take a summer course at the Madison Business College to learn typing and shorthand. I was a star in the shorthand and did well in the typing. Two weeks after the course was over I couldn't read a shorthand note I had left for myself! Learning something too quickly doesn't necessarily stick. The typing is something I am still using now, however, to write this blog. And Pop was right, typing is a valuable skill.

When I went to college I fainted with joy when they came out with a type of paper called "corrasable bond." You could erase a typed image from the paper and leave no evidence of it. What a boon. I once typed six papers in six nights after lights out in the dorm. I had to hold a flashlight between my right ear and shoulder to do so. I had a terrible sore shoulder and crick in the neck at the end of that endeavor, but I passed all my courses with flying colors.

And then came the electric typewriter. Now with the computer life is a breeze. Just keep fiddling with the image on the screen until it is just right and then print out as many copies as you wish. Wow.

My next blog will take up some other advance or regression in my lifetime. I'm sure you are all waiting with bated breath. While you wait, take care.

I'm still here - sort of

I had avoided buying "My Sister's Keeper" because of its subject matter. When it came up to be read in Book Club I had no choice but to wade in. What a tour de force. Jodi Picoult is a gifted writer. There are multiple characters, and she stars them as the narrator in alternating chapters. She has done it in a way that doesn't confuse. That in itself is miraculous. But the story itself is utterly fascinating.

Kate is born and thrives until she is about four years old. It is discovered she has a disease that is fatal unless she can find a matching blood donor. Her older brother is not a match. So her parents find out that if they can have a "correct" baby, the umblilical cord can be harvested to save her life. With scientific help they "engineer" a child that is a perfect match for Kate. That embryo is implanted and then born, and the placenta and umblilical cord are saved and are used. Anna is the child who saves her sister Kate.

The story as played out is absolutely enthralling.

Well, it's true I am still here. Whether I am still kickin' remains to be seen. Take care.

After the Fall

I spent most of my time in Virginia watching the HGtv channel. If I ever want to freshen up my house, I now know all of the tricks. The only trouble is that they all cost money. Right now all of us seem to be feeling the money crunch.

I counted the ABCs of my fall... Abrasions, Bruises, and Cuts and Contusions. As well as I could tell there were between 18 and 20 major ones. I just let my body take care of the healing and I am feeling remarkably fine now.

The trip home was relatively uneventful. No escalators in evidence, for one thing. I did lose a Tommy Helfiger black velvet jacket, however. Now I won't have to feel bad when I wear something that collects my shedding white hair in abundance. I will stick to either multi-colored or light colored clothes! Adjustment is always the name of the game.

We have been home for two days and I have not managed to get my mind in gear. What with the change of time and the trip from the east coast, we have lost two hours. oofta. George is busy doing endless things, and I have been just trying to get my mind going again. I have not even unpacked my bag. Two days, and I haven't unpacked yet. I mean, really. Get with the program.

Take care.

Whew!

This "Tuck and Roll" stuff is getting to be ridiculous. Fran fell and told me she thought the whole tuck and roll idea had to be learned from childhood... at her advanced age it wasn't easy to develop. Since I have HAD experience since childhood, I am the expert.

Well, in the Chicago Ohare Airport I was juggling a carryaboard up an escalator and I lost my balance. I tucked and rolled... and rolled... and rolled, until someone turned off the escalator. A woman came over to try to help me while I was still rolling shouting frantically, "Oh, my God" over and over. God heard her because another woman shut the escalator off.

The airport personel came over to see if they could help me. Poor George had been in front of me and could only look down powerless to help. He soon came to my aid, too. They sat me down and I kept protesting that I was relatively ok. I wanted to catch the airplane. I said I had a lot of experience of falling!!! and I was pretty sure I was good to go.

I have a contusion on the back of my head (don't have to worry about that because I am a hard headed Norwegian!) and it only bled a little. Oofta. Otherwise none the worse for wear... except I broke two fingernails! Now that is serious... now that I DO have fingernails to break. I imagine I will have a few aches and pains tomorrow, but my glasses were unscathed, as well as my new ears, so all is well.

John and Hannah met us at Dulles Airport, we went out for lunch and then drove home to meet Matthew. (He had to go to school, poor guy, and didn't have the fun of the long drive.) John, Hannah and Matthew are now out for a walk and George is snoozing.

Well, I couldn't wait to regale you with the latest tuck and roll story. Take care.

wahoo

We had a very busy day yesterday trying to get ready for the trip out east to visit our family there. Got our flu shots, voted, got our eyes checked out, did some shopping, and stopped for coffee.

It is a relief to have voted. We no longer have to pay attention to the political ads, etc. And, of course, the flu shot will keep us well. Right. And I found out that it wasn't my imagination, my eyes were not doing as well as they had been. In six months we will do a bit of correction as needed.

We will be gone during Halloween. Shucks. I love seeing the little kids all decked out. I will be able to report on how they celebrate in Virginia. We also will be gone for the big voting day, and I am glad we remembered to do an absentee ballot.

Our beautiful Maple tree in the back yard is shedding its leaves at fantastic pace. I is about half bare and the ground is more or less completely covered. Wow. Fall is here. Is that why it is called "Fall." Because all the leaves fall? Anybody know?

Take care.

Hi ho

I don't know if you are of the same mind as I am, but I am so sick of some of the political ads on TV I could barf. Can we stand the ickiness until November 4? I guess we'll have to, or swear off TV. Which wouldn't be such a bad idea. I am definitely addicted to TV... and reading. The picture of the flag in the wooden vase from Brazil raises my spirits a little. I remember the thrill of seeing that flag in front of the embassy while we lived in Brazil. I was amazed at the wave of emotion that washed over me.

I suppose that we will survive. This campaign is so disappointing to me. It seems to wallow in divisive rhetoric. I feel so ashamed of some of the people involved. Sigh. Just two more weeks. Whatever you believe, be sure to vote.... Really. Vote.

When I look at some of the stuff on Facebook and other spots, I think there is no longer just a generation gap... there is a generation chasm. Can we still manage to hang on to our basic beliefs? We hold these truths to be self evident... ALL MEN (AND WOMEN) ARE CREATED EQUAL. Black white whatever.

I have faith that our country will survive. The fiscal crisis is shaking us back down to reality. All this bloated spending will come to an end. They are beginning to offer "Layaway" again at stores. Don't use your credit card, use layaway and pay as you go with the money you have. People must be reeling with the financial crises and also the scary election. This is not the time for scare tactics. In my not so humble opinion!

Take care.

OK already

I know I should blog another blog, but I don't feel very well. So you will have to cut me a little slack! Our book club was fabulous as ever. Those who wish to stick to the subject (the book) find our freewheeling discussion frustrating I imagine, but - hey - it's so much fun.

The vote is in! "The Shack" is a fantastic book. Get it, read it, give it to others. It will make a great Christmas gift. We had a wonderful time discussing it, but the book is so rich that one just drowns in any one part of it... in other words... it is hard to get all the fantastic parts talked about. We all agree we love our book club.

I'll try to write another blog about my propensity to fall. I have a whole lot of them to relate.

Take care.

Tuck and roll... not

I was looking for a picture of Naomi building bookcases in the garage and got this instead. Go figure. ANYWAY, when Naomi was here building bookcases in the garage, we decided to go to Kraemer's (now defunct) for supper. The streets were getting torn-up, so while George drove the long way around to take the car home, Naomi and I decided to take a leisurely walk home, arm in arm, chatting amicably as we went. We got to the stretch in front of the Covenant Church where there was (coincidentally) a flaw in the black top like that shown in the above photo. On that tiny flaw yours truly tripped and fell.

Now.. to the crux of the matter.. I do not lift my feet high enough! I managed to stop the forward motion of my foot long enough to lose my balance and crash to the ground, nose flattened on the blacktop, blood spurting in every direction. Quite dramatic.

It is true that I did not tuck and roll. I had my hand in Naomi's hand.. blissful togetherness.. which impeded my tuck and roll just enough to land flat on my face.

You are lucky that I cannot locate the picture of my face after the accident. It is a glorious example of how much I like to show a picture of myself with various ugly injuries. Go figure.

Take care.

oops

I was entranced by the photo of Fran hiking in the Montana mountains which was featured on the last blog. She has her two walking sticks, back pack and fabulous hat! She's really into it. I was glad to realize that someone was walking behind her because it was they who took the picture. We both have hilarious stories about falling precipitously with no apparent reason, so the sticks are reassuring, to say nothing about someone at the ready to help, if necessary.

She tells the story of walking along in Washington, D. C., and falling with no apparent reason. Her family members were chatting just in front of her and didn't even realize she had fallen and continued on their way for some time. She was helped up by strangers, if I have the story right.

And then there is the time when she took me to a week-long rug hooking event out east. We roomed together in a room in a Campground type place. We were reprimanded for being too loud! Who, US? Impossible. Anyway, we were walking along and she proceded to fall without any appreciable cause. The times that the two of us have done this are countless. Old fumble feet, that's us. (I suppose that should be "that's we"... but how strange is that?)

One of these days I will write about the times I have fallen. I will have to do it in installments, however, as the list is long. Tuck and roll.... that's the technique I have developed... Tuck and Roll.

Take care.... and TUCK AND ROLL.

Dynamo!!!!!

That intrepid hiker in the foreground is Naomi's dynamo aunt! Wow. Way to go!

Our book club bunch got together because Tamar, Carol Jean's daughter from India, wanted to meet us all. You have to be pushy to get a word in edgewise, but we have all developed the fine art of interruption. I know Emily Post would be horrified, but I say - whatever works.

We don't meet as a club for a week yet. It is interesting to get a little taste of the differing opinions on THE BOOK. I will report on that later.

George is still coughing. I am pretty well. Life proceeds! Take care

Reading's the BEST

I have been reading like a maniac. I finished THE SHACK. Then I read a Madeline L'Engle book, LIVE COAL IN THE SEA, and now I'm reading Joan Didion's THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING. Wow. I'm trying not to watch TV so George can snooze in his recliner.

George is slowly recovering, but still coughing a lot. He looks a lot better, though, which is encouraging. Hopefully he will take it easy this week until he is really well.

People give me books to take down to the Art Center library, and if they look like a good read, I short circuit them into my brain before I take them down. Fantastic. I am slowly trying to sort through my mountain of books. Sigh. Not an easy task at any time, but as one gets older it gets harder. Now that parts of my brain have gone south, I find that I can read some of my favorite author's books without remembering the plots. They have been writing for twenty or more years, so their first books are now new to me. Hallelujah! One (if not the only) bright spot about getting old.

My eyes are doing well, my ears are operating, my feet even got into real shoes yesterday, and my mind is being stimulated by reading! Yippee.

Oh, yes, and I am going up to Battle Lake to get my paintings off the back wall. September is over. It is a beautiful fall day. Take care

Interesting Book

Toddle right out and buy a copy of "The Shack" by William P. Young. You will need your own copy because you will want to mark it up and go back later and wonder about parts of it. I was fascinated by it and read it straight through. Now I will mull a bit, and then go back and read it through again. Wow.

George coughed so much last night I thought I should take him to the hospital this morning, but he said he was feeling better! Go figure. It is so difficult to know what to do in this day of no home visits by doctors. Do you suppose we will ever get back to that time? It was great to have the doctor come to you. Also you didn't catch the germs of the other sick people... and vice verse.

I haven't got back to my art yet, but I am mulling it over, at least. Onward and upward.

Take care.

finger nails

I do not have a picture to illustrate this blog, but you can take it from me that I actually have fingernails. Strong fingernails. This is the first time in my long life that I can make that statement! The reason is rather bizarre and may make a statement about who I actually am.

I have moaned and groaned for many a year that my fingernails were disappearing. Strong grooves were appearing, from the base to the end of my fingernails and they would break at the point where the groove met the end. I actually thought the time would come when I would no longer have fingernails.

Then, last summer, while we were visiting at Lake Anna out east in Virginia, I met a lady whose business was raising horses. She introduced me to a product called "Hoof Maker" that she used on her horses and she said was great for fingernails. When I got home I looked at Fleet Farm and found the product called "Hoof Saver" which seemed to be the same sort of thing. I bought a HUGE container for just over $12. and applied it a few times to my fingernails. Wow.

I am presently typing away on the keyboard with fingernails clicking away on the keys! I have ears that can hear the clicking, and fingernails which are doing the clicking. Double Wow.

This getting old is a constant series of adventures. Yahoo. I don't know whether I will soon begin to whinny like a horse. If I do, be sure to mention it to me! I may have to rethink the advantages of strong fingernails!

Take care.

Tuesday

Okay. Take the pink away..and imagine my foot in the berks... My foot is getting along well, but the berks make me tippsier than usual. Which is pretty tippsy! I am trying to get up the courage to try my shoes, but my toe looks so new and innocent I am having a hard time working up to it. Next post.

George is still sick. The garden wonders where he is. To say nothing about the golf course!

I am about to start reading "The Shack" for book club. Everyone who reads it seems to be thrilled with it. I am waiting until close to the date we will be discussing it so that my memory is up to snuff. Where does the expression "up to snuff" come from? If anyone knows please let me know. I keep saying I will get one of those books that explain where old sayings come from, but I haven't done that yet..... As far as I know! This memory thing is for the birds. (Oops. There's another expression.)

Well off to another day with my nose to the grindstone... (oops) Take care.

tomato bisque

Well, thanks to the ear guy I had a way to search for a tomato bisque recipe... and search... and search... It turns out there are hundreds if not thousands of such recipes and as I am of rather an advanced age, I think rather than try them all I will just go to Bella's and ask for a list of the ingredients. Then I can decide which of the many recipes will fill the bill.

I suppose I could just ask for their recipe, too. AFTER I have first asked for the ingredients, in case they turn me down. It was yummy.

Changing the subject, my mother used to tell me that when you give a dinner party there are two subjects you should not allow... religion and politics. These subjects are too close to the hearts of those who espouse them, and the arguments get heated and personal.

The truth is, I think we should have more such heated discussions.. but why do they need to be so heated? This is a democracy and we are all entitled to our own opinions. I wish we could each state our beliefs, listen to the other person calmly, adopt some of their beliefs if it seems right and continue the discussion.

But the nature of the beast seems to be that those beliefs are passionately held, and the heat is part of the belief. And we each seem like nincompoops to those who hold the opposite or different position. Sigh. The less valid our position, the more heat it will generate. Sigh. And we insiste everyone have the same position. Not going to happen.

In a couple of months this election will be in the books. Thank goodness. And, of course, all will see the light and vote as I do! Right. Take a deep breath. Do some yoga. Or meditate. And pray that our old world will continue rotating for a few more years.

Take care.

cof cof cof

Well. I'm cheering myself up using a picture from camping last summer! The guy in the middle caught my cold and is miserably sick. That's what the cof, cof, cof is about. I'm pretty good, although i think I overdid on Monday so it took yesterday to recover! However, I'm the dirty dog that gave this cold to George, so I feel great remorse. He's bundled up in THE QUILT and having chills, etc. Oofta.

My nose is fine. The lunch was great. I discovered tomato bisque soup at Bella's. I LOVE IT!
If anyone has a recipe for it, please send. I haven't looked in the cookbooks yet having been waylaid by cof, cof, cof, but I hope it will be available somehow. I loved it.

The podiatrist said all was well with my toe. I = with my mordant humor = showed him the removed toenail, and he agreed with my diagnosis, and then asked if I wanted it back. I said no, so he threw it away, or I - of course = would take a picture of it to post here. I didn't think fast enough. Maybe, one of these days, I will post a picture of my sweet big toe. Stay tuned.

Our luncheon was fun as it always is when friends get together. I am still cof, cof, coffing, but am much better. (Yes, I do know that I should spell it cough! But WHY? Cof seems more phonetic to me.) I have discovered a new author that I am busy reading. I will report later.

Take care.

Monday energy

I'm going to the doctor who took out the whatever it was from the surface of my nose to see what he thinks of the result a half year or so later.

Then I am meeting the two K's for lunch at Bella's. That should be a hoot. My injured toe in my Birkenstock sandals, etc., etc. and a cold that came on after my sore throat. My friend, Elaine E. told me that I should take one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and one tablespoon of honey in a cup and add hot water, drink the resulting tea, and she was right. Both ingredients are easy to come by and cheap, so I rushed to follow her advice and the awful soreness disappeared. Followed by a sort of cold.

Then I go to the podiatrist this afternoon to discuss my nail-less right bigtoe. It's quite strange.
I have several hours of down time from the first doctor's appointment to lunch. I will take a book and go out for coffee. Then I will go to the Cherry Street Bookstore. Then to Bella's.

Eyes, ears, nose and Throat... Where did the toe come in? I will report later. Take care.

Rainy Day

Perfect day to stay home with my ouchy foot up in the recliner and read a book. We discussed "Infidel" at book club. We were all impressed with her writing and were carried away by the events of her life. Wow! It is very enlightening to hear what she has to say about Islam.

Now that the pleasure of watching some fabulous tennis matches is over, I must resort to watching endless political stuff. Obama was great on Letterman last night. He explained that when he said you can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig - he meant the Republican agenda would be the pig and Sarah Palin was the lipstick. Anyway, he is very quick witted.

Today is a day when we remember 9/11/01. The pictures bring back those terrible shocking events with a vividness which is upsetting. My darling grandson's birthday is tomorrow, one day after those events. The memories surrounding that day are also memorable, but in a far more pleasant way. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MATT.

Well, off for a day of reading. We are reading "The Shack" for next month. The pharmacist recommended it to George, so it must be outstanding. Donna was our recommender in the club.

Take care.

Ouch!

My comment about twinkle toes must have reached the ear of a malevolent spirit! Last night I managed to remove my whole right bigtoenail. OOOOOOOOOOOO. Now that hurt. I threw some bacetracin on it and a big bandage and hope for the best. I suppose I better go to see a doctor? I'm not supposed to get any wounds on my feet because of my diabetes. This is a doozy of a wound, take my word for it. Now what do I do? Just be glad I don't feature a picture of my toe. It is UGGGGGGGGGGGLY.

Okay. That's it for this entry. Take care. Better care than I took!

OKEEDOAKEE

I took your advice to heart, Fran, and changed my permanent picture. I don't know if that's such a great idea as KW was casting aspersions at its value as a picture. If she manages to take one of me that is better, I will use that! Yep, I'm stylin' all right!

I am feeling so much better I may just do a twinkle toes dance. Of course, as my gym buddies know, I don't lift my feet off the floor, so it might be a bit difficult. However, miracles do happen.

We are having crisp autumn weather. Beautiful. Okeedoakee. Take care.

If at first....

I have been trying to make my computer cooperate with my printer to print pictures. I am the "Artist of the Month" up at the AOTL gallery in Battle Lake, and I wanted a picture to include with my paintings on the back wall. (The gallery is now open Friday and Saturday, 10-4).

I tried everything under the sun, but only blank pages came out of my dear printer. The printer is HP and the computer is DELL. They don't necessarily like each other. The other possibility is that I don't know how to tell the computer what to do correctly! Is it possible.? Can it be?\

I am feeling much better. My medications have been adjusted in such a way that I have my "joie de vie" (spelling?) back. Wahoo. Watch out world.

Now what I am going to do is attempt to print the picture on my blog onto paper! I have done it with other blog pictures (Izzy and Enid's wedding) with some success, so here's hoping.

odd-li-o-dli. Which means adios in vickispeak. Take care.

Friday to Friday

Wow!

This is a picture taken by a U2 pilot of the earth. Some fun.

It has been a week since I have written this blog. An exciting week. Family fun, then family gone, then on Monday a trip to Mpls/Stp to stay with Naomi and go to a doctor's appointment on Tuesday. The doctor wanted me to get an EEG done and get blood drawn so we had to stay until Thursday for all that to occur. Lucky we had an emergency hotel!

Naomi starts teaching next week Tuesday and is very excited about it. We got to see her room and it is great. She even has a window with a view of a decorative garden. She will be teaching four classes of 10th grade English and one class of 12th grade English.

I imagine Hannah and Matthew will both be starting school. It was so much fun to see them both. We had a grand time. Take care.

Family is the best!

How's that for joy! He's the fisherman with the most fish this time! Wahoo. The three generations of males took to the lakes, and though everyone caught fish, I have the distinct impression that the youngest was the most successful! At least in his own eyes! (Mine, too.)

We have been having a great time. John is manfully trying to help me reorganize and clean my "Vicki" room. Just a little progress has been made, but having a start is really helpful. He is also going to see that I get more RAM. As if I know what that is. However, I do know what it looks like and where to put it when it arrives. Hopefully, after the addition, my computer will work faster. We are such gluttons for FAST... but it is a bit slow.

We have been playing games as well as fishing. George has been trying to set up a croquet set in the backyard. He has succeeded with that, but it is bumpy and not completely successful. We have another game that is flawed in the production. Balls that are supposed to attach to strings come off... so that has to go back to the maker.

We just could not have had better weather. It is very windy but beautiful. In the next blog I will try to include another picture. Take care.

Rain!

When all else fails show a painting of pears. This painting now lives near Omaha!

It is raining today which is good news as our lawns and gardens certainly needed the moisture. I think that our son and his kids will be arriving in a couple of days and I certainly hope that it won't be raining all the time while they are here! George is measuring the backyard for a croquet game. It is hard for us old folks to find enough for kids to do since we don't have our own personal lake. There are certainly plenty of lakes close by, of course. We should have a grand time!

I am more than happily watching the Olympics. The 4x100 meter relay was absolutely mind blowing. The US team won by 3/100th of a second. It was awesome... France had made the mistake of trash-talking before the race, so we found a way to win. Doubly awesome.

Tonight more swimming and other stuff. The US women's Fencing Team won all three medals. Wahoo. Volleyball (both beach and indoor) is fun to watch. Let's face it, I am addicted.

Take care.

Ah, the sun, the beautiful sun!

My friends have been sending me the most wonderful shots of the sun in one form or the other. I think I am probably through this phase, but I can't promise not to succumb at some future date to the seduction of beautiful sunrise pictures! Thank you, KL!

Naomi is trying to get me going on Facebook. I am trying, but it is difficult for me to follow the instructions. I really like blogging better, I think. It will take a while for this old dog to learn this new trick!

We are trying a new kind of squash tonight. They are billiard ball sized squash! I will report in the next blog. Take care.... and you know how much I love comments!

444

I stole this picture from Sharon, but it is spectacular so I felt I should share it. The 444 is how many posts I have made so far. They do mount up.

Naomi and JYY are visiting friends, so it seems very quiet. George and I are going to dog sit for a few weeks while Naomi goes on a trip to Seattle. She loves the Northwest, but stays in the Midwest because of her aging parents! Awwwwwwww. Ain't that sweet!

I got an e-mail which filled me in on the mixed feelings about the bunny. She was a person who actually had committed bunnycide in her day. They ate too much of her garden stuff. I know people who feel that way about squirrels. All I can think about is Beatrix Potter! Her cute bunnies have infected me. I can sacrifice a bit of produce to the critters! Live and let live.

It is a beautiful day in Minnesota again. Take care.

444

Bunny Blog

These are somewhat unsuccessful pix of the bunnies and bunny. Nay and her dog, John Ya Ya, are here and we are filled with trepidation for the safety of this budding bunny bunch. We'll have to keep an eagle eye.

Take care.

Hmmmmmmmmm.

Well, here's the printing to go with the pictures. I don't know what I did, but there you go.

You've all guessed that the picture is of Enid and Izzy at their "do" at the church. The other one is of a big poster I made to congratulate them. Enid does a blog so I searched her blog and the old one of Izzy's and made a giant card of congratulations.

Such fun to get to know them a bit more in person. Strange sensation. They are so much fun. We got some chance to talk, but we finally had to quite as I was monopolizing them. Go figure. Such sweeties. I also got a chance to chat with Izzy's siblings, John and Greta. I was teacher to them both, so they greeted me with mixed feelings!

Another thing I want to tell you about. I went in the shower last week with my "ears" on. Luckily the ear guy and I had talked about that already and he had reassured me that it would probably be ok if I should do that. It was. I am more and more enamored of my new ears. I tried to answer the phone yesterday with them off and I had to hand it to George as I could not decipher what was what.

I have more to tell you about the bunnies. I looked out my computer window and there sat two bunnies. One hunched down in the grass and the other a bit farther off seemingly keeping watch. They stayed there for a long time. Later George discovered a little nest in the grass... and there were some little squirmy little bunnies, covered with grass. Now we see one of the bunnies come and nestle down there. I suppose it is the mother bunny feeding the babies. I have some pictures of this I will share next blog...

Take care.

Blogger's Blast

Lush Landscape

We moseyed up to Battle Lake Sunday evening and the scenery was breathtaking. When Minnesota decides to be beautiful, it certainly succeeds.

Today I went to the ear guy again. Trying to get a nice balance between the voices I want to hear and those which are just annoying noise. You'll just have to guess which YOU are!! No. When one is in a big group of people I think it is hard for everyone to hear, not just those of us who are hearing challenged. I find it is just amazing when I take my "ears" off how I feel encased in cotton batting. They definitely help. But I do reccommend MY ear guy to you. He's a peach.

I have another painting I'm working on. I am toying with calling it "Seven Sisters" after Patty and Jodi's song and the seven hills north of here. We'll see how it goes.

Naomi got back from her hike today all in one piece. I only talked to her for a minute but they had nice weather and a great time. Four days must seem like a stroll in the park after the five week stint in Spain!

Thanks for all your comments. I am blushing with joy. Take care.

all right, already

This is one of the paintings that I painted at the workshop. The teacher was Cal deRuyter.

I was all tired out after all the exertion, but am feeling rather well. My ears need tuning up. I go back on Wednesday. I had to miss last week because of the workshop.

This coming Sunday we are going to get to see Izzy and Enid after church. They are going to be at coffee hour. I am going to try to make up a poster of pix from their blogs from Japan. I am way excited to see them. It is decidedly odd to meet someone whom you know intimately from blogging but know not much in "real" life. Will be interesting. I will try to take pix. You are all invited to the coffee. Church starts at 9:30, coffee time right after.

The garden is flourishing. Take care.

Trying out?

I'm busy trotting out the new me for a try out. The ears, the eyes, the equilibrium.... all facing the acid test of being the contact person for an art workshop. So far it has gone well. The sign-up is full. Two people had to bow out because of health problems, but two more were waiting in the wings to take their places, so all is well.

There is lots of stuff to get ready to take a workshop. One needs to get the art stuff together. I have supplies for any art you want me to try, but I have to decide what is needed for THIS particular workshop.

Then the stuff for being contact person. I have all the names and addresses organized plus all the stuff I hope I have for greeting the participants: name tags, etc. We are meeting in the art room at the Battle Lake High School, and I can only hope that they have air conditioning, as it is going to be a blistering day. Time will tell.

I will report on how well I did in a couple of days. Wish me luck. Take care.

Can't Wait!!

I can't wait for the four comments. You guys are too lazy. I had a wonderful day yesterday as I took my new ears to my book club and heard everything! Wahoo. I was chided for speaking too softly, but they have to understand I hear my own voice in my ears, too.

We did the book "Beyond the Sky and the Earth" by Jamie Zeppa. I give it a mixed review, but we all thought she had a wonderful way with words. It is a story about her trip from Canada to Bhutan to teach English. Of course, she suffers severe culture shock and then falls in love with Bhutan... and finds it hard to come back to Canada. Two of us in the book club are former missionaries, so we know how THAT feels. We had a great brunch first and then dug fiercely into the book. The discussion gets very lively. Fun.

This morning I took my new ears in to get adjusted. Endlessly fascinating. The fine tuning is fun as I get to chat with Kevin. (He's the ear guy.) The ears do feel a bit more fine tuned! As I have an art workshop next week, we'll see how that goes. Last year I had to stand next to the lecturer to be sure I didn't miss anything. As I am endlessly curious, I didn't mind the stares of the other participants... Now I hope I will not only hear the teacher, but also all of the comments thrown about by the others. Heaven.

Take care and get off your duffs and leave comments!

Back Again

I went out of the house just once during the 4th of July festivities. I went to the pageant presented at the Pioneer Village here in Evansville. Fantastic! You will notice the fine ampitheatre that has been built on the Village grounds. They are planning pageants each year to honor other early inhabitants. This year it was the Ojibwa. There was an Indian long house that people labored long and hard to complete inspite of the rain. Next year there will be a wigwam.

The rest of my time over the fourth was spent glued to the TV. I saw two of the most excellent tennis matches ever played. The Williams sisters (Venus won) and Federer and Nadal (Nadal won).

I started watching the F/N match at 8 am and it finished at 3. What fantastic tennis. The phone rang as the match was ending and I knew it would be Fran. Sure enough. We both LOVE to watch tennis. Go figure. Nadal won set one and two, Federer three and four, and they battled out the fifth set to nine/seven as there are no tie breaks on the last set at Wimbledon.

I watched the fireworks from the bedroom window. Very nice. I am not very excited about fireworks. Why imitate bombs? It seems counter intuitive to me. They are pretty though.

Take care.

Wha's up?

I am finishing reading "Ahab's Wife" so this picture seems rather appropriate. Another book which is a tour de force. An author taking a character from an old book (Moby Dick) and breathing life into him in a new dimension. That is what I love so much about the Laurie R. King books about Sherlock Holmes. It is a very difficult job, and one which is done admirably in the Ahab book. Of course, I adore the Laurie R. King books the most.

It is the time of year to be watching tennis. Wimbledon is at it again. Tomorrow I will watch at 10 am. I don't have cable so it is great that they are showing it on one of the regular network stations (NBC).

There are no American men in the men's side of things, but the Williams sisters are still on the women's side. Time will tell how it goes.

Take care and have a nice 4th of July week.

Why?

I have been pondering why a person writes a blog. There are probably as many reasons as there are bloggers... or a combination of reasons.

It would seem to be to communicate your thoughts to others. I think it is a little bit of that, but also the mere fun of expression. To have a place to mull over things. I love it. Hmmm?

I had the thrill last night to have a phone call from a relative I had not spoken to for a couple of years. She had looked at my blog and wanted to contact me about my paintings. I hadn't thought much about that aspect of my blog, but she said almost 100 people had perused my paintings. Wow. She remembered way back when I was first married and she was a little girl and George had given me oil paints and I was doing a painting of the little barn in the back of my in-laws' house. What memories. She was amazed at the evolution of my paintings - as well she might be! Anyway, it was great to hear from her.

I will have to ask Naomi to show me how to add paintings to the Flicker deal. I have not been able to figure it out on my own.

The weather is finally HOT. Wahoo. Take care.