AYN ROUND

RANDOM THOUGHTS

2011-11-19T20:17:00.000-08:00

Since I am feeling sort of scattered lately, I thought I would throw a scattered blog entry into the sphere. Herewith are some random thoughts from my brain pan to yours:

Is there a chance we can rescue our country from political correctness, an obese government that can not waddle into their chambers and get something done, corrupt politicians who are censured one month and three months later recieve praise and campaign donations from those who censured them?

Have you used an app on your phone called Soundhound? I am in awe of how it works. Hear a song on the radio or anywhere - can't remember the singer or the name of the tune? Just tap Soundhound and the information appears on the screen! How do they make it? Amazing!

How come my toenails are so hard to cut as I get older? My fingernails are still the same. What's up with that?

I am addicted to the following TV shows. Other than these, the TV is rarely on: Boardwalk Empire, Homeland with Clair Danes, Parenthood (great ensemble cast), Weeds, The Big C, True Blood, The Game of Thrones and the Fox News Panel at 630p. Love Charles Krauthammer and Steve Smith. Miss Britt Hume. Every morning we watch Imus in the Morning - can't stand the I-man or his wife, but love the show!

We finished cleaning the garage this week. You might be thinking "Big Deal"...and you would be right! I wish you could see our garage! But now we can fit two cars, a big motorcycle, 4 tons of pellets and a lifetime of "stuff". The stuff is in boxes and will most likely be next seen by subsequent generations as they are groaning under the weight of cleaning up after us. There are boxes of memories of 4 kids including their school papers, artwork, stuffed animals, Star Wars characters, Match Box cars, dolls, pogs, and more. We have shelves up the wazoo, all of them stuffed. But it is organized for now. Until I need to find something!

We traded my little PT Cruiser convertible for a red Mitsubushi Gallant. Its weird how you get attached to cars. I had that one for 7 years. It only had 17,000 miles on it - 5,000 of which were on the odometer when we got it. I chose red since as I get older it's possible that I will make some driving mistakes - and hopefully they will see the little old lady in the red car!

Soon we will drive to Las Vegas to visit with 4 of our kids and grandaughter Zoe. We will be there for a month. An adventure!

I will catch up with more thoughts in a few weeks!

BOO!

2011-10-23T17:54:00.000-07:00

Aha! You were not expecting a new post here I betcha! Yes, I have been a lazy slug for the past few months. As soon as I sank into my recliner, played a few games of Words With Friends, checked my Facebook to see what was happening with kids,grandkids and friends - zzzzzzzzzzzzz. I was snoozing. On a more energetic day- I was out pulling weeds,painting or puttering. At this point, it is too late to paint. It is too cold to putter. The weeds have won til next spring when I will launch another assault. We had a wonderful summer here at the lake. For the most part the weather was nice until just a few weeks ago when the winds from hell have descended on us, along with daily rain.
"At least it's not snow" is what all the natives say. The Farmers Almanac predicted snow by the 15th of October. Lucky for us, that prediction did not come true. (I am hoping the one for today - that the world will end - will also be false! If not, me writing all this down is a lesson in futility since no one will ever read it!) A few weeks ago Pat and I drove to Indianapolis to attend a reunion of his D Company, 506th Infantry from Viet Nam. It was a group of great guys and their wives. We had never gone to one before and were both glad we went to this one. It is amazing to me to think that Pat was just 19 when he was a platoon leader, responsible for doing his best to keep these guys alive. What an awesome responsibility. They commented that they thought he was older at that time - because they were intimidated by him. I guess he was a natural at the job! My very own George C. Scott. His nickname back then was "Demon" - his radio call sign. I am positive there will be more army reunions in our future! We took the dock out today and put all the outside stuff in the garage. This is a sure sign of the end of summer '11. As a matter of fact there are three snow days predicted at the end of the week. Hopefully some hot air from D.C. will mix in and save us! Trick or treat!

WHERE HAVE ALL THE SUMMERS GONE...

2011-08-27T19:31:00.000-07:00

OR, at least THIS summer! I believe it was just yesterday we were in Georgia emptying the house and schlepping assorted "stuff" up here. That was early June. All of a sudden here it is LABOR DAY! Good grief. Is this the speed of life in the sunset years? If so I think I had better stay up later and get up earlier so I don't miss anything!
Pat, who loves winter here, has been saying things like "Just look at the colors all of a sudden out there in the woods!" Or "Bill (his barber) told me today that we should have snow by Mid-October...according to the Farmers Almanac . Plus I saw berries on the bushes and it is very early for them." As we drive down the road to our house he tells me "I can picture all this white with snow!" Pat is waaaaay ahead of me. I am still in summer mode - listening to critters chirping, seeing fish jumping in the lake, hearing the sounds of boats and jet-skis going by our house. I am still trying to get my newly-planted grass seed to grow into lush lawnscapes...in short I am NOT READY FOR WINTER!! Or even fall for that matter! There is that nagging feeling that whether I like it or not, the seasons will change. I know I will have to accomplish the dreaded summer to winter clothes swap that takes the starch out of me for weeks. With the small closets here the seasonal swap is like putting toothpaste back into the tube. As for me, I am taking my iced tea out to the back deck, put my feet up and let the sun shine on my wrinkly face and enjoy the warmth of summer. I know it will be gone soon enough.

THE SUMMER OF MY DISCONTENT...(or) FRICK AND FRACK CONSTRUCTION, INC.

2011-08-09T19:54:00.000-07:00

Okay, that is an exaggeration. The summer has had some definite high spots, namely THE wedding in June and a visit from Erin, Steve and the grandkids last month. And seeing Robin and kids and Charles and Carol. Oh yes, and my new appliances. I am grateful for all of my blessings! The discontent is mainly with the construction crew we have hired for several projects this summer. They have the WORST work ethics ever. They arrive when it suits them, usually around 1130a. One day they arrived at 430p and stayed til dark, filling the air with buzzing saws and f-bombs. They started on the back deck around June 20th give or take a few days. They finished the construction part of it yesterday, August 8th. It still needs to be painted. They poured cement a month ago and it set up too quickly, leaving a rough surface that works well to keep the bottoms of my feet nice and smooth. The sidewalk had to be patched in several places and it looked awful, so now they are going to apply a product called "Restore" to the mess. Now here is the "piece de resistance" . When we came home from breakfast a few days ago, Pat went into the bathroom off our bedroom and found one of the guys helping himself to....yes, you guessed it! Hydrocodone! We evidently have become a free Walgreens for the pharmaceutically-challenged in this area. Pat sent him packing. He was more upset about this felony than the last since we have gotten to know these guys over the summer. They came in and out for water and to answer nature's calls. He claimed he had a "bad headache". He could have had a giant arse ache. Lucky for him Pat didn't call the cops. He still wonders if he should have. The dude had one pill in his hand rather than a bottle so Pat told his boss he could never come back here again. So our crew grows smaller, the days grow shorter, and we are wondering if they will complete the next part of the project - a covered breezeway between the house and garage - before the first snowfall in November. Thats just three months away, and for Frick and Frack Construction - that just might not be enough time!

WHOOOOOSH!

2011-07-30T17:41:00.000-07:00

That is the sound of the summer going by! Summer used to last forever and now it is gone after a few days! It has been a treat to just hang around the house after all of our travels in May and June. We have had a construction crew on-site since about the 13th of June. It all started with a broken water heater. Pat asked the guy who replaced it if he knew anything about whole house water filtration systems. He did. He put it in. Then the dryer broke, followed immediately by the oven. All these appliances came with the "trailer" when it was new. So we toddled off to Lowe's and replaced everything. Pat figured they were in line to go down so we retired them early. The aforementioned man installed all the appliances.
We have 4 ceiling fans in boxes ready for them to install. Then Pat decided to get a breezeway built before winter to connect our house and the garage...and get a large deck put in in the back of the house, lake-side, so we have more sitting and looking space. They also installed a hot water shower back there which is heaven. So - this merry band of men have been around for nearly two months. Their work habits are such that they are here a half day and gone 4 or 5 days. They might show up at 4 and work til it gets dark. They might say "we will be there at 10" and get here at 1. The quality of work seems to be good so we go with the flow. In the North Country everyone has to squeeze in their projects in the summer months before the snow flies. So these construction guys have at least three or four jobs going at once. We try to keep griping at a minimum for that reason. Hopefully by the time it gets cold we will have everything finished!

CSI - DEXTER

2011-07-11T11:43:00.000-07:00

Pat does his pills every Sunday, separating them and putting them in their little daily compartments. He noticed when he was getting the bottles together that his pain killer bottles felt lighter than they should, since he rarely has to take them. We are talking controlled substances here. Oh my. When I suggested perhaps he had taken them over a period of time he was greatly annoyed with me. I didn't realize at the time how many were missing - 40-50 pills. (When we were talking to Pat's brother he mentioned that each pill can sell on the street for $50. ). SO, Pat said I am calling the police. "I'm sure they will want to know who was in our house - other than us" - and we came up with two possibilities - the four guys who are working on some projects for us per my last blog and a house cleaning service we have been using since I fell this spring. Pat called each manager of the two groups and told them what happened and that he planned on calling the police. Early this morning the phone rang and it was the boss of the cleaning ladies. She said she gathered her crew and told them what happened at our house and the more she questioned them, one of the workers seemed very uncomfortable and finally confessed. Probably after water-boarding her! An hour or so ago a deputy came to the house and asked Pat to sit in the car with him while he took his statement. I can imagine how curious our neighbors are after driving by and seeing ole Pat in the backseat of the patrol car!! Tongues are wagging on Pillar Point! I got to thinking that since she made off with the pills maybe she took some jewelry. She did. My Pandora bracelet, a gift from my brother, and a little bag of old silver dollars. Now THAT really frosts my frijoles!! Hope she fries!!
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PS...She told the cops she didnt take the jewelry or coins...and they asked me to look again. So yesterday afternoon, I went through it all and found the bracelet and the little pouch. I felt badly that I accused her but then she asked for it :-) Mostly I am glad that I still have my bracelet and silver dollars!

NDIY

2011-07-07T20:39:00.000-07:00

Translated = NOT DO IT YOURSELF! We have just done our very best to ratchet up the economy. In addition to adding to the coffers of the MGM chain with our visit to Las Vegas last month, we have just finished some major projects here at ye olde retirement trailer. The whole chain of check-writing started several weeks ago when our hot water heater bit the dust. The guy who fixed it responded favorably to Pat's question regarding his skill at installing whole house water filtration systems. Cha-ching. Then our dryer gave up after valiant service over the last 20 years...followed almost immediately by the gas stove. So, there we were, at Lowe's, picking out a truckload of appliances...as long as we were getting a few, we decided to retire the rest. I am now staring lovingly at a fortress of stainless steel which will likely outlast me. I can now drink water from our taps, via a shore-well, without the fear of bacteria and lake squigglies included. The water-softener part makes showers and hair-washing very much nicer. The same people who did all of the above also installed a hot/cold shower outside - something I have always wanted. There is nothing like a hot shower - outside! They put our dock in, sealed the driveways, installed ceiling fans, and next week will be back to construct an enclosed breezeway between the house and garage so we wont have to risk life and limbs getting to the car this winter. So, as you can see we are doing our part with the shovel-ready stuff. The end however is near so someone else will have to pick up the slack. Do it for the U-S-A!!!!!

SOME THINGS REALLY TORQUE ME

2011-07-02T19:07:00.000-07:00

There are things that I read that reeeeally get my blood pressure percolating. One of the things which fell into this category a few days ago was an article discussing a HARVARD UNIVERSITY study which cost who-knows-what. Perhaps you read it also. Basically the results of this "study" determined that the 4th of July is a right-wing celebration. The study claimed that those who attend 4th of July parades as youngsters were more likely to become Republicans. To this I say WHAT??? I have been to at least 40 4th of July parades and I am willing to bet my social security check that there were Democrats in the crowd, along with their children. Do you think they didn't get a chill when the Stars and Stripes went by in the care of a Marine Guard? Do you think they were tempted to cover their kids' eyes so that they didn't run home, and before their naps, write away for info on the Republican party? What tripe!! In addition to spending MONEY on such a stupid study, it becomes more and more apparent how unpatriotic and biased our colleges and universities have become. In a different article I read that the ratio of Democratic to Republican professors in colleges is now 70-1. Do you suppose our students whose parents are paying through the nose to attend those schools are free to voice an opinion other than the one held by their professors? Just saying. By the way, I WAS a Democrat for about half of those parades!

WOW! IT'S BEEN A MONTH!!!

2011-06-18T18:53:00.000-07:00

This has been a weird and wild few months! One hint of that is that my normal blogging schedule has fallen by the wayside...somewhere between Dexter and Ellijay, Ga! I wrote of our previous trips south-the last one came several weeks ago when we decided to rent our house in Gawja to a young couple with a little girl. That meant driving back down there and cleaning the place from stem to stern. Loading what was left in a UHaul trailer (no more trucks for Pat!) and returning to Dexter in time to exhale and pack for our trip to Las Vegas for son Ryan's wedding to Jessica. We stayed at the Luxor which was fun to stare at. We gambled at the Luxor which was not fun. We ate at the Luxor which was pretty good as out package included a buffet breakfast daily. Ryan was married at the Bali Hai Golf Resort, on a patio last Sunday evening. After the ceremony there was much good food, fun, dancing and Zoe holding (one of our special grandaughters). Zoe is Miss Personality at 1 year. It will be hard to be so far away from her. The day before flying home Pat got some bug and has been sick ever since - coughing and dragged-out-tired. I am praying I don't get it...have had a little coughing but nothing to keep me down. We have no travel plans until (1) I go to Montreal with my Garden Club and (2) we head south once again for some type of Army reunion in Raleigh-Durham the beginning of August. I have managed to get some flowers and veggies planted. Hopefully they will mature before the first snowfall! Hope all of you are enjoying your summertime so far!

ON THE ROAD AGAIN...

2011-05-18T12:24:00.000-07:00

I guess you can tell I have been busy lately. After returning from our Georgia estate, I had to have all my wits about me in order to scatter all the furniture we brought back in various nooks and corners around the house. This is NOT a huge house...so, take for example, our bedroom. It is maybe 15 x 15 and now contains: 1 King Bed, 2 marble top tables on each side of the bed, 4 - count them - 4 chests of drawers, and a washstand. Very cozy, I might add. And so it went for every room. Furniture I couldnt bear to abandon somehow found a spot here at the lake. After that ordeal came the Switching of Clothes, winter for summer. That is a two day project as I am still paying a heavy price for my days at the thrift store when I got "half- off" on clothes. Gradually as the stuff wears out I will be back to a normal human level. Now however, it is a 2 day act of torture. I am now out of the closet so to speak and on to cleaning the laundry room and then the storage room. Tomorrow we are off to Boston to finally get to hold our newest Grandson Matthew aka "Bud". Also on the list for the weekend will be to play with his big sister Carson and to celebrate daughter Erin's birthday. Back home and a day after that, hit the road for another trip to Georgia as we have rented our house there to a nice young couple and have to clean it to the bare walls for them. More stuff to drag around, throw away, and bring back here - this time in a small trailer. Pat sez if it doesn't fit into the trailer it ain't coming north. Fine with me. THEN, a few days after getting back from Georgia we hop a plane and head to Las Vegas for Ryan and Jess's wedding on the 12th. What a whirlwind month! I have not done one little thing in the garden this summer so far - mainly because its been too cold. The weeds and dandelions are flourishing however!
So that's the news from our side of the Bay. Will share our adventures when we get home again!

ROAD TRIP

2011-05-03T18:02:00.000-07:00

I have been on the road - and therefore out of print for the past few weeks. We took advantage of a lull in doctor's appointments to head south - visiting kids, grandkids, my good friend in NC and Pat's brother and sister-in-law in South Carolina. Then, after that good part we headed to Ellijay where our poor ole house has been sitting without us for three years. Now THAT was sad. The grass was tall (we hired a guy to cut it this summer), the house was musty (we left the windows open for two weeks & opened up many deodorizers). There were lady bugs on parade (typical for this time of the year there). We spent our time cutting back bushes, cleaning out closets and nooks and crannies, vacuuming, mopping, measuring for some new carpet in the family room. Then we had some help and loaded a Uhaul for the third time for the trip home. We had a three day drive with me following the Uhaul in the car, and a quick zig to visit my bro in Philadelphia who was in the hospital after surgery. By the time we got back to our retirement trailer I was a zombie as was Pat. Our bed never felt better. Max rolled around the floor and pulled his toys out of the basket. Be it ever so humble...... Now we have ALL of the stuff in the Uhaul around the house. I got our bedroom cleared today and the laundry done. Now on to other rooms. It is overwhelming!
We may have rented the house so that means another, YES ANOTHER, round trip to Ellijay to clear the house to the walls. AAARGH!!!!!! As my Mom used to say: "Give Me Strength! ".

CHANGE OF LIFE BABY

2011-04-07T17:41:00.001-07:00

Today is Ryan's 28th birthday. I am sure there must be some mistake about that number! He was my "Change of Life" baby...or "changed my life baby". I was 43 when he was born. I admit that I was pretty surprised to learn that I was pregnant at my advanced age. I started way back then doing the math: When he is in first grade I will be wearing orthopedic shoes; when he is in Middle School I will be mistaken for his Gramma; when he graduates from high school I will be in a nursing home. None of those dire predictions came true. His sister Katie arrived two years later and by then I was well into being a Mommy again so having her at 45 didn't phase me! Right from the start Ryan made me laugh - and he still does. He has a Great sense of humor. He pushes the envelope sometimes with his humor but so far as I know, he hasn't been punched out as yet. He has taken his time, kicking and screaming into adulthood. From what I have seen it has been a mostly enjoyable ride with the exception of some family drama in his middle years for which I am sorry. He has had the good fortune to fall in love with a wonderful person, has had an absolutely beautiful little girl, and from my lips to God's ears, will graduate from UNLV sometime in the next year, ending a record-breaking college career! He is a gifted golfer, a wonderful son, a great Dad, and as of June 12th - will be a caring, protective and honest husband to Jessica! I am very proud of him and wish him a Happy Birthday!

PUCKER UP!

2011-03-27T18:19:00.000-07:00

In the continuing saga of Life As An Adventure, this week I was diagnosed with macular pucker. This after having die injected into my arm and staring at length into lights bright enough to melt my eyeball.
I was told the pucker was there before my cataract surgery and that it would never get worse - or better. As it was explained to me, as one ages (there's that word again) the retina can pull away from the back of the eye and in some cases pucker or wrinkle (there's THAT word again!). If this condition annoys me in the future there is the option of surgery. What sort of surgery you might ask? Well...they would remove the vitreous in my eyeball and then replace it with saline solution which evidently is similar to vitreal solution. There are no guarantees that one's vision would be any better afterward. The thought of that makes me believe that I will find my vision , as corrected, quite fine - thank you very much! This week I have been feeling sorry for myself. My leg hurts, my eyes worry me...and then...to top it all off I got my hair cut. I have been paranoid about haircuts since being duped into a 3" cut by my dear ole Mom at the tender age of 17. Gone was my long page boy with the Rita Hayworth wave over my forehead. In it's place hair so short I couldn't get a curler around it. I digress. When I got it cut this week it was after reading that "older women should not have hair below their shoulders". Mine was. I asked the woman for a "medium bob". I dont call mine medium. Its pretty jaggedy also, and my bangs look like they got sucked into the vacuum cleaner. I have figured out that long hair must mean youth to me since for most of my life I have had long hair. Now - with my hurting leg, puckered macula AND short hair I am feeling O-L-D. There is no cure for O-L-D other than ...well....er....uh, you know. So slap me silly and let's just get on with it. As Pat says often, there are LOTS of people who would gladly change places with me.

THE DANCE OF LOVE....

2011-03-21T13:12:00.000-07:00

This is NOT what you are thinking. March has been especially tough on our bodies here at the ole retirement trailer. I am coming off my cataract surgeries (one great, the other not so) and my fall 2 weeks ago, hurting my right leg and all of it's components. Pat has had his basal cells sliced and diced, rooster-juice injected into both knees, and last week carpal tunnel surgery on his right hand. None of the above were so awful on their own. However taken together we each have our limitations - and therefore have devised the Dance of Love each morning. He helps me pull up my jeans and put on my socks. I help him pull up his jeans and then put on his socks. Last week I had to help with his zipper and buckle his belt. Usually we have laughing fits at the sight of us. It helps to be able to laugh. Drugs also help.
His carpal tunnel surgery was easier than he expected, just two bandaids covering two tiny incisions. We both thought he would be much more limited in the use of his right hand. We anticipated this limitation by purchasing what we call "The Biden". It was about $20 and fits easily under the toilet seat. When you turn it on the stream of water goes from gentle to clean-you-nicely-up-to-your esophagus strong. The bidet, oops Biden, works like a charm. Since it uses only cold water it is very refreshing!! The surgery was such a snap that Pat is scheduling the other hand when he goes back this week for his check-up. My leg has improved, leaving just my good knee in bad shape. I'm not sure how long the Dance of Love will continue - but it sure is great to have a partner for the Prom every day!

A LIKELY STORY.....

2011-03-13T20:20:00.000-07:00

(GATHERED FROM THE DAILY NEWS TO HELP KEEP YOUR MIND OFF WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING IN OUR WORLD)
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Man who fatally shot wife claims he was aiming at family dog
Brant Bater, 61, contends the dog was acting aggressively. It was his 61-year-old wife who got the bullet, though.(KTLA, Los Angeles)

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Man with rotisserie chicken in his pants arrested at Walmart
Chicken wings, a mouth guard and two toothbrushes were also stuffed in his trousers. (Rome News-Tribune)

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Priest busted for DWI offers to have sex with police officers

The man of the cloth also exposed himself while in the jail cell and asked the booking officer: "Is there anything on the form about your eyebrows? Because they are gorgeous." (Um, flattery won't get you sprung from jail, sir!) (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

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Drunk, naked woman arrested for throwing stones at people

She also threw her teeth into a canal. Witnesses said the woman cursed at three men, threw rocks at the men, pulled her clothes off and threatened to beat them up. The 46-year-old woman then tried to break a light and wooden fence. (Naples Daily News)

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Wife cuts crotches out of pants of woman vacationing with hubby

The married man and his female companion returned from a week-long vacation together and found a suitcase in the driveway of his home. Inside it, her clothing was riddled with scissor cuts in the crotch area. About 10 pieces of clothing, valued at between $1,500 and $2,000, were damaged. (TribLocal.com)

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Woman, 51, arrested after mooning high school phy. ed. class

She allegedly pulled down her panty hose and exposed her butt. Students cheered and whistled, says a witness. (TCPalm.com)

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Online crowd casts votes for Harry Baals Government Building

Still, Fort Wayne's deputy mayor says naming the building after former mayor Harry Baals was "probably not" going to happen. "We're not going to make any decisions that look bad." (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette)

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....and in THERE IS HOPE FOR ME YET CLASS....

Cops arrest 70-year-old woman for prostitution at "health spa"

Elaine Pyzikiewicz has worked at the spa for four months and has a state massage license in her name. She apparently offered "happy endings." (HeraldTribune.com)

---and a warning to Max the Dog who snores me to sleep every night....

Woman who killed peacock with baseball bat "just lost it"

The 70-year-old woman testified at her trial that before the incident she had not had a good night's sleep for months because of constant squawking from peacocks outside her condominium. (Honolulu Star-Advertiser)

You heard it here first. Maybe not.

IT MUST BE SPRING-THERE'S A NEW BUD ON THE FAMILY TREE!

2011-03-11T13:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the world REESE MACKENZIE HOPKINS, newest daughter of my niece - and my brother's second grandchild - and Riley's baby sister! Congratulations Rick and Lauren!

OKAY....

2011-03-08T13:59:00.000-08:00

Okay, I DID fall on Saturday. I was careful all winter walking on the snow and ice and then - the snow melted. I took Max out with me to get the mail. On the way back I hit a patch of slippery on a slight incline and did a split. Had I done that kind of split when I tried out for cheerleading as a youth I would have been proudly wearing a cute little flippy skirt and those regulation saddle shoes I always wanted. However when you are MY AGE splits are NOT good. I called out for Pat who was inside, and tried to stand up. Fell back down. I felt woozy and nauseous and in severe pain. My knee didn't function, my hamstring burned like ....well, it burned. My ankle hurt. I managed to crawl to the bottom of the porch steps and luckily within minutes Pat came out and discovered me. The mail was scattered all over the front yard and Max was cheerfully sniffing bushes and basically ignoring me. So much for the news story about "DOG SAVES OWNER AFTER FALL!" It was raining so Pat covered me up with a few blankets. I kept fading so he gently slapped me and said "Stay with me!" - and called the ambulance. I got to be this ripe age without ever riding in an ambulance and could have done nicely without breaking that record. Since this story is getting long, I will shorten it by saying I had no broken bones, but a leg that reminds me on a regular basis that I did it harm. I hope to be able to easily walk down the aisle at my son's wedding in August and will do what it takes to do so! To all reading this PLEASE be careful. One split-second (pardon the expression) can change your life!!

NEENER NEENER

2011-02-21T11:44:00.000-08:00

The other day Pat and I were laughing because he said "Made you look...made you look.." and I finished "Stole your Mommas pocketbook!". He wondered if kids everywhere had those same rhymes. Obviously I knew that one and I grew up in Pennsylvania - and he, as an Army brat, in North Carolina and Puerto Rico. Then we took a trip down memory lane:

Liar,Liar! Pants are on fire!
Reply:
I don't care, I don't care!
I can buy another pair!

I see London, I see France, I see (someone's name)underpants.

Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat. If you don't, I don't care, I'll pull down your underwear.

He's Popeye the sailor man (toot, toot). He lives in a garbage can (toot, toot). He likes to go swimmin' with bare-naked women... He's Popeye the sailor man (toot, toot).
Jingle bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg, Batmobile lost a wheel And Joker ran away.

Tubby Tubby Two by Four, Can't fit in the bathroom door so he did it on the floor. (Mr brother loved to tell me that one!)

(Some jump rope rhymes)

Miss Susie had a baby she named him Tiny Tim She put him in the bath tub to see if he can swim. He drank up all the water, he ate up all the soap. He tried to eat the bathtub but it wouldn't fit his throat Miss Susie called the doctor. Miss Susie called nurse. She called up the lady with the alligator purse .Sick said the doctor. Bellyache said the nurse. Cookies said the lady with the alligator purse.

I am a pretty little Dutch girl
As pretty as I can be
And all the boys in the neighborhood
Are crazy over me
My boyfriend's name is Mello
He comes from the land of Jello
With pickles for his toes and a cherry for his nose
And that's the way my story goes!

Teddy bear, teddy bear,Turn around.
Teddy bear, teddy bear,Touch the ground.
Teddy bear, teddy bear,Tie your shoe.
Teddy bear, teddy bear,Go upstairs.
Teddy bear, teddy bear,Say your prayers.
Teddy bear, teddy bear,Say good night.
Teddy bear, teddy bear,Turn out the light.

I'm rubber your glue and whatever you say bounces of me and sticks to you!"

I'm sure there were many more that my spongy brain can't remember.
While I was typing I remembered wearing a skate key on a string around my neck to tighten and loosen my metal clamp-on skates. I was 5 then and lucky to have a big expanse of smooth sidewalks where we lived. I can still feel them underfoot!

Pat wondered if kids today still play Red Rover or RedLight - Greenlight...Jump rope, Hopscotch, Stone Teacher or ever play pick- up baseball in a vacant lot? Or are they all inside with their Wiis and Ipads?

GHOSTS....

2011-02-19T12:20:00.000-08:00

On our way to Dexter every day we go by a house that haunts me.

Here's a picture of it so you know what I'm talking about:

Can you picture it when it was once full of a family, with lights on inside, fresh paint on the outside, flowers blooming, screen doors slamming in the summertime? Can you hear the vacuum running and a radio playing in the background? I can. I am so curious about how a house with such pretty lines and surrounding property fell into such disrepair.
There's an equally wonderful barn in the field behind the house with nice fat round silos which at one time were full to the brim with grain for horses and cows. What happened to the people who lived there?
Did their kids move away as they got older. Did the Mom have to eventually put Dad into a nursing home - and then move into one of her kids homes far away from here? Did they fall onto hard times and get behind in their taxes or become unable to feed the livestock? Why didn't one of the kids want the property which is not too far from the lake? No one I ask seems to know anything about the place.

When I am out and about I am drawn to these old places. If I could, I would get hammer and nails, a paintbrush and lots of paint and try to bring them back to life. I can visualize how great they would look - and can hear a family laughing inside them once again.

MY "SWEET BABY"

2011-02-14T11:15:00.000-08:00

After 14 years of marriage I am still so amazed that THIS one is so great! It's no secret that there were unions before this one. Actually I was beginning to feel a bit like Zsa Zsa or Elizabeth Taylor. It seemed as if no matter how the marriages began they were turning out badly. I was feeling snake-bit. Then one fateful day back in 1996, I was on my new computer with Katie sitting on my lap. I said to her "Look at these weird chat rooms on AOL...people name them the strangest things...here is 'Man at Piano Naked'! " She giggled and said "Let's make one up...we can call it 'Armpits'!" And so we did.
Within seconds into the room came Pat. He said he was curious about anyone with such a chat room name. So it began. We chatted. We chatted some more...we emailed...we chatted. We would arrange to be on the computer at a certain time at night, usually after I got the kids in bed. This was fine for me but for poor Pat, back in Georgia, it was oh-dark-early! Our long distance bills soared. We decided to meet in person and I flew to Georgia. Then he flew to San Diego. Back and forth we went. In October the kids and I met him in New Orleans for a cruise so we could all get to know each other.
To say that Ryan was not thrilled with Pat at that time would be an understatement. As we sat by the motel pool the night before the cruise, Ryan found some uneaten pizza on the 2nd floor outside someone's room and started lobbing it down at Pat. (That's my boy.) On the deck of the cruise ship during gale force winds Pat asked me to marry him. "When A Man Loves A Woman" was playing on the loudspeaker. It is now Our Song.
We got married in Sevierville, TN on November 1st. Inside my wedding band Pat engraved the word "ARMPITS"!

The first year was what I would describe as "rocky" . I was scared and thought about returning to California...even had some boxes packed. I am so glad I didn't ! I have learned over the years that the man I married is one in a million. Honest, funny, sooo smart! I respect him more than anyone. I told him last week that this is the happiest I have ever been in my life. He is the reason. I love you Sweet Baby. Happy Valentine's Day!!!

WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME....

2011-02-05T14:39:00.000-08:00

Pat and I love CHEERS re-runs. The writing and casting for that show was great! We try to watch something funny before going to sleep rather than news which would get our blood pressure up!

When we first moved to our "retirement trailer", we began having breakfast at a small coffeeshop in downtown (and I use the term loosely) Dexter. At first the waitresses and locals were nice but a little aloof. Now, however they are like family! When we walk in it is like Norm entering Cheers..."Pat!"..."Susan!".....we hear from the waitress on duty - either Brenda, Carole, Kelly or Shana and Mike The Cook. They automatically bring us iced tea, coffee and water, no lemon. "Do you want your usual?" My usual is egg whites and burned rye dry. Two days a week I have three slices. Pat's usual is scrambled eggs and home made toast...and two days a week he has the Fishermans Platter. Does he ever look forward to those two days!

As time has passed people have gotten to know us so that when we are there, people stop at our table to talk, tell us a story or two, and lots of times, to laugh with us. It is truly the highlight of our retirement - having breakfast there each morning. Yes, a luxury - but one we for which we would happily give up other expenses! We take our paper with us, and Max the Dog. The cook always gives us a piece of Doggy Bacon for Max - imagine HIS cholesterol level!

If you want to picture us on any given morning...imagine us at a table by the window, reading the paper, laughing and talking, at DIANE'S, where everybody knows your name!

THE QUILT

2011-01-29T11:44:00.000-08:00

Here's a kinda neat story about something that happened this week.
I love looking at quilts on Ebay and on Shopgoodwill. When I was looking through the 6 pages of quilts for sale on Goodwill, I noticed a blue and white one with the title "Family Quilt". I clicked on the description and then on the pictures. Someone had made this quilt using actual pictures of family members in addition to newspaper articles also about members of the family. One of the pictures was labeled with "Darren and Donna" and their last name. I always am sad when heirlooms get away from a family so just for the heck of it I googled Darren, found someone by the same name with an email address in Atlanta. I sent him a short email telling him about the quilt.
He responded with "send me your phone number" which I did. When he called he had already had his company's IT security person check my email for "demons" and told me I had passed the test. He then told me that indeed it was he pictured on the quilt, along with his twin sister who had died several years ago in a car accident. He had never seen the quilt before. He said he would check it out with his Mom and thanked me for the email. Last night I got this email from his Mother:

To Susan Skinner,
Thank you so much for taking the time to track down the family on the quilt. I have no idea how you managed to find my son Darren . He forwarded your email to me out here in Oregon. I recognized the quilt as being a special retirement gift given to one of Darren's uncles in California in 1989. I saw it only at that time. He must have passed it on to someone else before he passed away in 1998 in the state of Washington. It is a most interesting puzzle. We very much want to have it back in the family and are bidding to buy it. I cannot thank you enough for being a "sucker for family heirlooms" and following up on the mystery. You are a special person. We plan to "pay it forward" and will be watching for the first opportunity to do a good deed for some other family.

Many thanks,

Donna _______
Gold Beach, Oregon

I can't tell you how often I have seen quilts with labels such as "Made With Love for my Grandaughter " - or other affectionate words, on auction sites or in thrift stores. I always wonder why these precious gifts were under-valued and got away from their recipients. My love affair with quilts has been long. It started with a retirement gift of a gorgeous quilt to my Mother from the lady who cleaned for her. So much work goes into a handmade quilt! It was passed along to me. I will be hanging on to my quilts and then I can only hope my kids have some appreciation for them and the ones I made for them and am still making for them.

ALL QUIET ON THE NORTHERN FRONT....

2011-01-26T13:06:00.000-08:00

View From The Side Porch

Formerly Known as the "Cigar Porch"

There is a peace that settles in when the landscape is covered with several inches of snow. It's warm and cozy inside. Sure, I could clean the refrigerator this afternoon, but I am totally out of my yellow crime scene tape. So yes - there are tons of things I COULD do if I was so motivated....but I am not. Maybe in March. Or April. But not this month - what's left of it.

Wasn't it just Christmas? What in the heck happens to the days? They just seem to evaporate which is scary to realize. One day it's Monday and BAM...Friday! That never happened when I was working and reeeally busy. The only thing I can think of is that my remaining brain cells are not working efficiently to keep track of my activities. What if I am doing all sorts of projects but don't remember?? Maybe I have finished the 3 quilts I have started...or cleaned closets? I will have to check on that!

We are hoping to drive to Vegas sometime soon to see three of our kids and new grandaughter, Zoe. Just sort of meander over hill and dale. Then meander back again, stopping in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Boston. Sounds like a lot of miles. Have to schedule all the doctors appointments around that time block, so our physicians will have trouble making their March Mercedes payments.

That's all the news from the Lake this week. All is well, all are happy, all are fed, and all are present and accounted for!

SO...LEMME TELL YOU ABOUT MY OPERATION....

2011-01-19T19:04:00.000-08:00

Don't worry. Nothing gory! I had my #1 Cataract Surgery on Monday.
I entered River Hospital, on the shore of the St. Lawrence River at 11:20am. That's when they said to present myself. I left the complex at 4pm. The procedure itself took about 7-8 minutes tops. The rest of the time was waiting. Waiting to register, then to have my name called, then for the IV nurse, then for the anesthesiologist...and then...yahoo! My turn! I was #14 of 21 that day. Hitch a ride on the Cataract Train ! One gurney after another snaking their way into the operating room. Please have your check ready as you depart the waiting room! Just kidding. Or not. Now to the details. The doctor saw me briefly before he began and slapped a blue ink mark above my right eye. That's the One, doc! As they wheeled me in for my turn, all I could see was bright lights. I had some relaxation juice but was quite awake and aware, and could follow his directions. "Don't move your eye at ALL...keep your eye on the bright light at ALL times. You are doing great.... (aside to a student) See, we line up the #5s on each side...almost finished...great!" That was that. There was a lot of liquid flushing during the procedure. No pain. Not at all. I peeked when they were giving me juice and cookies in the recovery room and THERE IT WAS!!! The clock in CLEAR VIEW! A MIRACLE!!! That was Monday and this is Wednesday and my vision is still so wonderful! I can't believe it! I have to wait til a week from this Monday to get ole leftie done and I can't wait! Wouldn't it be amazing if I end up with 20/20
vision?? I am in total awe of what my Dr. did for me. When my Mom had the same surgery in the late 60's she had a visible cut on her eye and wore glasses about an inch thick. Now they implant the lens, with no stitches, and most patients don't need glasses except for reading.
I have worn glasses since 4th grade and hated every second I had them on. So I say HALLELUJAH!!!! HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU!

I HATE IT WHEN THAT HAPPENS.....

2011-01-12T19:30:00.000-08:00

I HATE IT WHEN THAT HAPPENS.....

*   When I drop an egg on the floor.

*   When I get those little cracks in the ends of my fingers - OUCH!

*   When I have found the perfect spot in bed and then my nightgown is wrinkled and it seems as if I am sleeping on a piece of re-bar.

* When I finish the laundry and find a towel, a pair of undies, and a dirty dishcloth that I missed.

*  When a button falls off as I am ready to leave.

* When my favorite bra wears out.

* When it's time for my mammogram and goozaka exam.

* When I miss someone's birthday.

* When I sneeze...yeah. That.

* When I am nekkid and can't avoid the mirror. Ewww.

* When it's time to cut my toenails.

* When I find something in a Tupperware container in the
   refrigerator that I don't recognize.

* When it's time to do the taxes and I can't find the papers which we need.

* When there are two pieces of bread left - and they are moldy.

* When I spend three days trying to win level 3-10 on Angry Birds -     I'm too old to be suddenly addicted to video games - or AM I?

* When I can't find the humor in all of the above!

ANTRAPRANURE

2011-01-07T19:28:00.000-08:00

Do you remember the old saying "6 monts ago I couldant spell antrapranure - and now I are one?". Second born son Jason is one. He is working hard to increase his footprint in LA's culinary scene with plans on opening two more restaurants... in addition to his already successful business LOCAL on Sunset Blvd which serves yummy food created from locally grown fresh produce from Southern California.

One of his new places will be in downtown LA and I believe he said it will feature Portugese cuisine. The other new place will be in Echo Park and I am not sure what type of food that will offer. He and wife Sindy also have opened a store in their neighborhood featuring all sorts of eclectic collectibles including old records, unusual furniture, dishes, shoes, jewelry, and more. It is lucky they are young and have the energy to go in so many directions! It is also lucky that they live in the US of A where, with lots of hard work (and all the proper permits!) you can reach for the sky and make a name for yourself. I am soooo proud of Jason - he is a smart, funny and hard-working guy. Good luck, JJ ~ and Sindy!

BRING IT ON!

2011-01-03T09:41:00.000-08:00

That's what I say! Bring on the New Year - we are always ready for a fresh start! After all, the old one, although challenging, left us alive and safe - with two new beautiful grandkids, a new and improved carotid artery for Pat, a new roof and driveway, and most importantly, with a general sense of happiness and well-being in our retirement. There is not much we could want in 2011 other than more of the same!

I have pretty much quit the New Year's Resolution drill. In the back of my mind I think THIS year I WILL lose those pounds, I will keep my closets more organized, I will not forget my vitamins....but I have accepted my imperfections and probably won't be sticking up a list of resolutions on the refrigerator. Instead I hope I can just sit back and relax, enjoy the freedom to not make a bed if I dont feel like it, or have a nap in the afternoon and not feel like I am being lazy. I hope this year we can hop in the car and spend time with those we love. I hope I can learn to use my Droid. I hope Pat stays healthy. I hope my cataract surgeries go so well that for once in my life I will be able to see the TV without glasses! (And that I will also see what I really look like in the mirror!)

May 2011 be a GREAT ONE for you all!!

2010-12-24T16:29:00.000-08:00

It's the night before Christmas
and all through our house
all three of us are stirring
with no thoughts of a mouse...

Pat's in his recliner
and I am in mine
while Max is sleeping
and dreaming something fine....

No - I won't go on with any additional verses!

Here we are by the lake...it's so quiet and peaceful. And lonesome! I told Pat tonight it is so great that I am happy with him because if I wasn't it would be sad to be here on Christmas Eve! Lucky me...when it is just the two of us, the world is still great! I hope that Skype will provide a peek into our kids and grandkids Christmas Day tomorrow...I can't wait to see them!

We wish you the Merriest of Christmases wherever you are and with whomever is joining you! May you have the gifts of good health, enough wealth and an abundance of happiness!

RULES FOR BEING HUMAN

2010-12-22T18:23:00.000-08:00

About 20 years ago a friend gave me this list. I kept it taped to my closet door for a long time and just found it again a few days ago. I think it is pretty neat.

1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it will be yours for the entire period this time around.

2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called life. Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons - or think they are irrelevant and stupid.

3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial and error, experimentation. The "failed" experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiment that ultimately "works".

4. A lesson is repeated until learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, then you can go on to the next lesson.

5. Learning lessons does not end. There is no part of life that does not contain it's lessons. If you are alive there are lessons to be learned.

6. "There" is no better than Here". When your "There" has become a "Here" you will simply yearn for another "There" that will again, look better then your "Here".

7. Others are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects something you love or hate about yourself.

8. What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.

9. Your answers lie within you. The answers to life's questions lie inside you. All you need to do is to look, listen and trust.

10. You will forget all this.

Christmases Past

2010-12-17T18:30:00.000-08:00

Ryan and Jess took Zoe to see Santa a few days ago...here is the result:

What a doll! Ryan said they avoided the fear factor by having her sit with her back to the Jolly (?) Old Elf, therefore not seeing him. She seems happy just looking out at Mom and Dad!

Here are a few photos from our kids earlier encounters with Santa.
What neat memories! I have more photos in Georgia with Fritz and Jason I wish I could include! We also have two of Robin and Erin, as little girls and then as young women, taken with the same Santa! Wish I could find them in our photo files!

same Santa years later!!

A MERRY SLOTHFUL HOLIDAY....

2010-12-08T18:49:00.000-08:00

Here it is, December 8th, and I am almost finished with my Christmas shopping. Not too bad, considering I have done it all from my red and white paisley recliner! Now THAT is the epitome of slothfulness. Next year it might be even worse as we are knocking around the idea of using the trusty checkbook for the "one size fits all" gift! I have been fighting that idea for a few years even though I know thats what the kids (and I use that term loosely with the exception of the grandkids) really want. We have used Amazon wish lists over the past few years but there is something not so much fun in doing that. I know - you purchase what they really want, but there is something missing for me. ( And it's all about me, right? ) When we aren't with any of our loved ones on the 25th you miss out on seeing their faces. Maybe that's a good idea considering what we have purchased for them! This year we got two, count them two, rubber Sophie Giraffes from France for teething babies. That item appeared on two lists. I won't reveal any other gifts since the big ones can read! Now I am totally dependent on UPS and the US mail to get the load here so I can wrap and ship. I WILL have to get up out of the chair for those jobs! We have about a half-foot of snow so far with more in the forecast - plus a forecast for days next week of 11 degree highs and minus lows. The lake is still not frozen. We are in a betting pool of people who have picked their date for the lake to be totally frozen...Pat picked next week and with those frigid temps he may be the winner!
To all of you who are finished with your shopping, wrapping, baking and have mailed your cards, I say this: BLEEEEECHHHHHHHH!
Translated: Way to Go!!!

WELCOME TO THE WORLD MATTHEW RHYS!

2010-12-04T11:16:00.000-08:00

We have just returned from Boston where we were lucky to share in the birth of our 6th grand - 3rd boy - Matthew Rhys, son of Erin & Steve and little brother to Carson. Childbirth never ceases to amaze me...it is truly a spectacular miracle! Matthew came into the world in the toughest of scenarios...following many hours of trying to be urged out of his safe and warm "nest" - he was finally yanked out by a c-section. C Section babes are so beautiful. No pointy heads for them, no forceps marks, just perfect little round heads! So, this family grows to four and what a beautiful family it is! Matthew is one lucky little boy to have such fantastic parents and a loving big sister. Welcome to our world Matthew Rhys! We love you!

WHAT'S NEW?

2010-11-23T18:33:00.000-08:00

"So, what's new?", friends and relatives ask when they call or email.

Well, Pat doesn't have an aneurism. Max has stopped scratching himself bald. The weather has been warmer than normal for the North Country in November - 54 today. Despite my best intentions, I do NOT have my Christmas shopping done or for that matter wrapped. I did the laundry this week on Tuesday instead of Monday.
I have discovered that our bed feels sooo delicious that I procrastinate getting out of it every morning - especially when watching Imus in the Morning. No, Erin hasn't had her baby yet and starting tomorrow she will be overdue. I should say HE will be overdue. The contractor finally had time to install our new bathroom ocuntertops ,sinks and faucets. Sadly he cracked one of the Mexican tile sinks in half and we had to order a replacement. Pat got me a new battery for my car - it kept dying after every charge. The airlines are tempting me with low fares to Las Vegas - but my body is not ready for public display or groping. My new flicker LED candles purchased on the internet work reeeally well! They came with a remote so I can turn them on and off with one button...gone are the plug-ins! No, we aren't going anywhere for our Thanksgiving dinner UNLESS Erin gives birth. Otherwise, a table for two. Ditto Christmas.
So thats about all that's new from Lake Ontario, where all the women are pretty strong, all the men are okay-looking, and all the children are average.

SEPARATION ANXIETY

2010-11-14T19:17:00.000-08:00

Last week I flew to Las Vegas on a cheap ticket I found online. I flew on Delta outbound and Continental on the way home. First I must say that I used to LOVE traveling. Not any more. It is a hassle, stressful, uncomfortable, and very exhausting. Those are the good points! I suffer from airport security line fluster. With lines of people behind me, I am aware of how long it is taking me to strip to my skivvies while neatly stacking everything into the little plastic bins which continue to roll along like a moving target. I may have left one of my shoes in the bin of the guy behind me, along with my belt,undies and my computer battery. On this trip I was "wanded" in Syracuse - the TSA dude asked me to step aside and hold my hands out, palms up. Then he guided this wand-thingie back and forth over my palms to see, I am guessing, if I had bomb-making powder on my hands that I forgot to wash off. After boarding and finding my seat, and getting the seat belt buckled (whew) the captain announced there was a warning light that had to be checked by a mechanic so we would sit for a while. After that it was off to Cincinnati and a 7 mile walk to my connecting gate. Make that a half-jog to the gate since we arrived late. Then on to Las Vegas. To keep up my strength for the days journey I had a mini bag of pretzels and 2 biscotti with a splash of diet coke.
When I got off the plane in Vegas it was....94 degrees. Kate had told me it was supposed to be cool so I brought my layers. I started peeling them away as I got in her car.
It was sooo much fun spending the 5 days with Ryan, Jess, Katie and sweet baby Zoe. She is 5 months old and could not be any cuter...full of smiles and coos. I think I got addicted to her during my visit and am now suffering from withdrawal back here in NY. I miss holding her, smooching her cheeks, miss her smells (most of them), her big blue eyes. Of course I miss my kids too! I am proud of Ryan and Katie for continuing to plug away on their degrees (I am hoping for enough years in order to see them graduate!). I love Jess more each time I spend time with her.

I have NEVER seen so many restaurants in any one place I have visited as in the Vegas area. My favorite was a GREAT Mexican restaurant where we ate twice after I became enamoured of their yummy fresh salad...I've been dreaming about it since I got home. While I was enjoying all of the above, Pat was home eating stale bread and water and watching the History Channel 24-7.

They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas...and in the case of my children and grandaughter this is true. They stay in Las Vegas and I miss them like crazy!

THE GHOSTS OF WINTERS PAST

2010-10-30T14:34:00.000-07:00

Let's start at my beginning!

Mom Chip and Me

As a kid in Tatamy, Pa. the snow seemed to pile up like huge mountains. I couldn't even see over the drifts. Snowsuits were articles of torture. Mittens got cold and icy in a hurry (not like todays fancy schmancy ones). Cheeks got red and blistery and the product of my runny nose dribbled down to my chin. Such fun.

Forward to first grade, living in Forks Township. We lived on a hill and on a curve which made winter drivers our own personal entertainment. We used to sit at the windows with hot chocolate betting whether "he would make it to the top" or if the car heading down the hill would hit the hedges and bounce into another car. We could hear the spinning of wheels into the night.

My Mom claimed to have a "snow string" and she told her 4th graders (I was one of them) that she would pull it on Thursday nights so we could have a long weekend. Sometimes it worked! Since we lived on that hill, sleigh riding was a big deal in the winter. We would walk over to the top of the hill, get a running start, flop on our sleds and wowee. What a ride!
Walking back up the hill was not easy but we did it over and over and over. As I got older I would throw my skates over my shoulder and head to an open field in search of a frozen waterhole. Can you imagine parents today allowing their kids to wander in deserted fields near a highway??

In high school we would have sleigh riding parties. I was mostly terrified since I didn't wear my glasses (they would get all wet anyway) so heading down the hill I was always afraid of making face-contact with a large tree! I have wonderful memories of skating with friends, dates in the winter where the car windows steamed up, making snowmen, having snowball fights, being all cozy inside a warm house...so let it, as the weatherman is saying it will tomorrow - SNOW!!

JUST SOME RANDOM STUFF....

2010-10-25T18:57:00.000-07:00

Here are some random pictures from the last month---
The first one is a tree I love near our house...

The second is one of Max The Dog who seems to be squinting like me!

The next captures my cousin and her husband at their 50th Wedding Anniversary-what an accomplishment!! Their cake was my first attempt at making a wedding cake....not professional but made with lots of love (and skewers to hold it upright!)

Here is a picture of my birthday lunch at the Blue Heron with some reeeeeally nice women! Thanks y'all!

The last photo was taken when my brother and his wife Kaki visited us last weekend for my birthday~

It has been a fun month of October here at the Lake!

NATIONAL PUPPET RADIO

2010-10-21T17:57:00.000-07:00

Okay. My bloomers have rarely been so politically wadded as during the past few years, but today's firing of Juan Williams by NPR has steam coming from my ears. I rarely agree with Williams but I believe him to be fair, articulate of his points of view, and most likely a nice neighbor.
Juan has had the nerve, according to the CEO of NPR, to express opinions not in keeping with the NPR guidelines. He had been reprimanded several times prior to his comments on Bill O'Reilly regarding being wary of Muslims on aircraft. I wonder of Ms. Shiller, said CEO, ever had those feelings of uneasiness when passengers in Muslim garb passed her in first class on their way to the back of the plane? According to what I have read MOST Americans, since 9/11, are fearful of Muslims in flight - let's just call it self-preservation.
On NPR's website they have used taxpayer dollars to bash Conservative Tea Partiers--- “Learn to Speak Teabag” - ridiculing the Tea Party movement. I suppose Juan would still have his job if he joined in bashing Conservatives.
Is Sarah Spitz still gainfully employed at NPR? If you were in the presence of a man having a heart attack, how would you respond? As he clutched his chest in desperation and pain, would you call 911? Would you try to save him from dying? Of course you would. But if that man was Rush Limbaugh, and you were Sarah Spitz, a producer for National Public Radio (Spitz was a producer for NPR affiliate KCRW for the show Left, Right & Center), that isn’t what you’d do at all. Spitz wrote that she would “Laugh loudly like a maniac and watch his eyes bug out” as Limbaugh writhed in torment.
In boasting that she would gleefully watch a man die in front of her eyes, Spitz seemed to shock even herself. “I never knew I had this much hate in me,” she wrote. “But he deserves it.” So let me understand. This unbiased fair-minded employee is A-OK, but Juan is done.
Politics aside, this is a scary slippery slope - when journalists are canned for having an opinion. There is sooo much wrong with what is happening to our country now that I don't have the bytes to explain it. I can say - BE AFRAID. BE VERY AFRAID. Maybe, as my friend says - NPR is actually National Pravda Radio.

Oh and by the way, here are some statistics from NPR's latest Listener Survey:

NPR News listeners are 84% white.
They are 78% more likely to categorize themselves as "liberal" and 2.27 times more likely to categorize themselves as "very liberal."
They are 97% more likely to belong to a country club.
They are 8.86 times more likely to read The Atlantic Monthly, and 5.66 times more likely to read The New Yorker. They are 73% less likely to read The Source.
They prefer Leno to Letterman and Conan to Kimmel, but they do like Letterman 17% better than the rest of America.
They're about 2.5 times more likely to visit Europe.
They are 58% more likely than the average American to play Frisbee, and 3.72 times more likely to go cross-country skiing. They are 2.22 times more likely to do Yoga. They are also 30% less likely to watch Pro Wrestling on TV.
In their leisure time, they are 79% more likely to birdwatch, 67% more likely to play chess, and 42% more likely to collect electric trains.
They are 92 percent more likely to shop at Nordstrom.
They are 41% less likely to buy a rap CD, and 93% more likely to buy a New Age CD.

They are 81% more likely to own an espresso maker.

They are three times more likely to own a Volvo, three times more likely to own a Subaru, and 3.9 times more likely to own a Saab.

They are 68% more likely to buy soy milk, and 67% more likely to buy veggie burgers.

They are 56% more likely to have a housekeeper.

Sound like your neighbors? I didnt think so!

BUHBYE BOBBY!

2010-10-11T19:55:00.000-07:00

A sense of darkness and gloom has descended on the recliners tonight. Our Braves managed to non-hit and error themselves out of the Division Playoffs. I can't speak for Pat but I am exhausted after all the tension. The team was playing on borrowed time as they had a combination of scrubs and newbies in the line-up because of injuries through-out the season. No excuses. Other teams had injuries also. Our phenom who started the season with publicity up the wazoo didn't live up to the hype. Our big first base trade with a history of home runs - didn't work out as well as a Brave. Life goes on. Winter will come. College basketball will start and I will root against Duke thereby annoying the heck out of Pat. We will sign up for March Madness. Then come spring another chance at the Big Ball 'o Wax! It is a grueling season. I can't imagine being on the road for 8 months of the year. One person will not have to worry about that any longer - Bobby Cox! He can relax in HIS recliner and yell at the TV with the rest of us. I bet he will hate it. We will miss you Bobby (except when you left your pitchers in too long!) Happy Retirement, Mr. Manager!!

THAT OLE BLACK MAGIC CALLED - LOVE!

2010-09-18T13:57:00.000-07:00

There are two different kinds of people in the world , and we married each other!

Here is what I have learned over the years:

I like to have our house clutter free. Pat prefers to have all his important papers (including mail from last May) surrounding his recliner. Stacks of paper can pile up on our new kitchen counters, along with an odd paperback, glass cases, magazines, etc. Along I come...and pick up all the piles and assorted stuff and stow it somewhere. Ah, now the countertop is clean. However, when he says something like "where is the xray that was right HERE 6 weeks ago?" I cannot come up with a good answer. How could I have LOST a 20 x 20 xray folder???

When I first met Pat I was a divorced Mother and usually didn't have two nickels to rub together. Yes, I admit that I had checks returned on occasion from Safeway. Pat on the other hand was a BANKER. I was intimidated by bankers! He had his check book registers neatly organized with all money accounted for. I list my checks in order on the back of my checkbook - unless I forget to write one down. Can you just imagine the HORROR the first year we were married? If you work in a bank you CANNOT have a check returned. It is a no-no. I believe Pat had to call me twice that first year to tell me my account was overdrawn. Just the thought of it makes me break out in a cold sweat even now!

When we go out to eat, I am very laid back about my utensils etc. Pat is very particular about his. They shouldn't (a) touch the waitress' fingers (b) be placed on a just-wiped table. If food should slip off the edge of my plate onto the bare table, I just plop it back on my plate - or worse, in my mouth. Pat is aghast. ( He also doesn't care for my hair in his food. How rude!)

I am driven crazy by weeds in the yard and he doesn't notice them.

He loves the History Channel in any form. The drone of their announcers drives me up the wall.

I can't go to bed with dirty dishes anywhere in the kitchen. " Oh, you can do that tomorrow!" Pat tells me.

I can't leave the bedroom in the morning with the bed unmade. Pat helps me make it but wonders at my obsession!

I can easily leave the door unlocked when I leave the house...but Pat comes along behind me checking to make sure that it is locked securely.

In spite of these weird opposites we are crazy about each other.
Maybe we are just plain Crazy!

In a spin, loving the spin I'm in, under that old black magic called love.

BACK TO SCHOOL

2010-09-08T11:50:00.000-07:00

Back in the "old days" when I was a kid, one of the best parts of heading back to school was the shopping for new shoes. In those days, at our house, you had three pairs of shoes if you were lucky! There were your School Shoes, your Play Shoes (usually they were your old school shoes), and your Dress-Up/Sunday School shoes. After school I had to take off my school shoes and put on my play shoes. On Sundays I strapped on my patent leather Mary Janes.

As a kid there was not much choice as to where we could get new shoes...it was Stride Rite. At the end of August my brother and I would look forward to going downtown and visiting Seidel's Stride Rite - the highlight being able to put our feet into the xray machine and see our tarsels and metatarsels through the little viewer. The amazement! Then the salesman would have us stand on the little foot-shaped measurer and slide the guides til he knew what size we were. "Amazing!", my Mom and Dad would always say. "Their feet are sooo much bigger than last time!". After hearing that for 14 years in a row I began to feel like I would eventually have the feet of a Platypus. It was that special smell of those new shoes, nestled in their box with tissue paper I remember. Right before Easter we would all return for spring shoes...in my case those wonderful black patent leather Mary Janes with the slick soles on which you could carpet-skate!

As my brother and I got older there was more merchant competition so we drifted away from Stride Rite. As teenagers we had more sophisticated tastes! One year for Christmas my brother begged for Thom McCan Flagg Fliers. These babies didnt have laces - but came with a tongue-like device that snapped down and locked you into your shoes. I, as a frustrated cheerleader wanna-be, yearned for the classic red-rubber-soled black and white saddle shoes to be worn with thick wool socks and crinolined skirts. When I opened the box at Christmas inside was a pair of "pseudo cheerleader" shoes. I thanked Mr. and Mrs. Claus but I was sooo disappointed.

Getting back to school clothes was not as much fun as a young kid. My Mom bought all my clothes and brought them home. Later she went with me so the trip was frought with stress. (She was Tailored and I was Ruffles). The #1 Shopping Trip of all Times was when I was in high school and our family drove to Allentown about a half hour from home where a new store called Hess Brothers had opened. They had a restaurant so we had dinner first. My parents enjoyed a DRINK with their dinner and were in such a magnanimous and jovial mood that my brother and I made out like banditos!

New shoes, new clothes and last but not least...the new pencil case, complete with pencils, pencil sharpener, protractor (never used in school) and a new box of crayons from nearby Binney & Smith...and off we went! The memories I have of grade school include wonderful smells...cheap ruled paper, school paste, smells of Pennsylvania Dutch cooking from the school cafeteria, wet mittens drying on the radiators...it's all coming back to me now! And the stories I could tell you about Miss Schleicker!!!! One story features a closet, tape and a kid named Bobby!

GOILS

2010-09-02T13:37:00.000-07:00

When you get to the ripe old age of almost (muffled noises) - you realize that over the years, the ones who have sustained you and supported you through thick and thin (mostly thick), for richer or poorer (mostly the latter) - are your female friends, God Bless Them One and All.

Today I enjoyed a comfortable lunch with 4 other women. Beside the lobster salad which was really good - there is an easiness about sitting down with women friends. You can pretty much discuss Anything. There they are, listening, sympathizing, empathizing. They Know.

The laughter comes easily. With good friends you don't have to have your guard up. If you don't feel like talking you can sit back and listen. They will pick up the slack! If you are down they will lift you up. If you are up they will be happy for you. If you feel old, fat, unattractive, set-upon - they will tell you how nice you look and have you lost weight lately? The conversation drifts easily from kids, to the news, to travel, to hopes and dreams, to fears for the future, and yes to gossipy stuff too! Information is shared on a good doctor or a great place to eat. In my case boyfriends and ex-husbands have appeared and disappeared - but my good friends have soldiered on with me...and I love and thank them all! You know who you are!

(Wish I had a picture of Judy, Lynn. Mad, Barbara, Sue, Jill, Leslie - and all of you!! xxxx)

RING-A-DING, RING-A-DING......

2010-08-29T12:23:00.000-07:00

I was just sitting here and suddenly remembered our phone number from when I was a kid. Yeah, I'm sure this is a classic sign of impending Alzheimer's! Anyway, when we first moved to our house in Easton, our phone number was 4813. FOUR NUMBERS! How amazing is THAT? By the time I was a teenager, the number had changed to 34813....and then as I moved away it became BL (Blackburn) 3-4813 or 253-4813. No area codes at that point.
Pat and I were just talking about what a big deal it was in those days to make a long distance call. Before dialing you knew it would cost big bucks. Then you had to dial "0" and ask for the Long Distance Operator. After a series of buzzes and rings she connected you. You had to choose either person-to-person or station-to-station. "This is long-distance collect call for Alice or Charles Brower" was how it sounded when I was calling my parents from my dorm hall in college. "Will you accept the charges?". Most of the time it sounded like a long distance away. Other times someone would comment "wow you sound like you are right next door!" At our house we had one phone. When high school rolled around the parental units got a second phone in their bedroom. I spent hours talking and giggling to my friend Andie while stretched out on their bed. "Susan, get off that phone NOW!" was a familiar phrase. We had a three story house so when the phone rang I learned how to get from one floor to another in split seconds. I don't remember when the colored phones came to be - or for that matter the little princess phones, Mickey Mouse phones, the see-thru novelties etc.
But I do remember sticking my finger onto the holes on that rotary phone to call my friends!
When I met Pat we spent SOOO much money on our phone bills! That was before unlimited minutes, Vonage, etc. I think our bills before we married were in the $300 a month range - an amount I surely couldn't afford! We tried only calling after 9 California Time but that was midnight Georgia time. Poor Pat didn't get much sleep for months!!
It is AMAZING how the phone biz has changed - now we have our phones in our pockets - and can send pictures and watch movies on them! But those phone bills? AAAARGH!

HOARDING

2010-08-23T11:35:00.000-07:00

I admit it. I am fascinated by the shows about Hoarders. Maybe it is because I am a founding member of the Dumpster Dollies - and spent many an hour in Coronado, Ca driving up and down the alleys looking for special castoffs. Coronado, being a wealthy little town, and having an alley for each street, was a bottomless pit of goodies. People would throw away the most amazing things. After separating from my husband I rented a HUGE 7 bedroom home. I then leased two rooms to make enough money to almost cover my rent. In order to furnish a family room, sunporch, TV room etc. I cruised the alleys with the top down on my Pontiac. I was able to carry home a nice sofa, several chests of drawers, two nice wooden trunks, and other things that I can't remember. Soon that huge place was cozy and nice.
I only had one bad experience and that was when I tried to heave a tetherball set into the back of the car. Someone had made it using a bucket filled with cement. I spent many days at the chiropractors after that haul! Katie and Ryan used to moan and groan if, on the way home from somewhere, I would say "let's just head home through the alleys." It was embarrassing to think that their Mom, in the heart of ritzy Coronado, would be scavenging!! I loved it! (My son Jason in LA has inherited some of those genes and has himself found some Real Treasures dumpster diving!) During those years I also was introduced to thrift store shopping. I couldn't afford Nordstroms and then even TJ Maxx seemed to be too much - so I landed at Amvets. I could have spent the whole day in there it was so much fun. Thrift store shopping is still my favorite way to spend a few hours.
But I digress. When I watch the Hoarding shows I wonder if could ever get into such a sorry state. The answer - nope. I HATE clutter. As long as my stuff can be contained in a closet or drawers I am fine. If it starts overflowing I won't be able to stand it. There is one place that right now is the depository of many bed linens purchased during my three year stint volunteering at a local thrift store...our garage. This isn't your average garage but is more like a barn. If I should think I can fill that building up THEN I will be in BIG TROUBLE and you might see ME on Hoarders....firemen on top of the roof cutting holes so they can lower themselves down to rescue me or retrieve my body!
If it's the latter, know that I died a happy hoarder!

LOVE LOST

2010-08-17T19:31:00.000-07:00

In a few days it will be my first-born son's 42nd birthday. August 20th, 1968. The wonder and awe of a first-born is incredible - and I was totally mesmerized and in love with this red-headed miracle. I had never been in a hospital before so the actual birth was exciting. Receiving cards and flowers and gifts was fun. Trying to figure out being a mother to a new baby was challenging but awesome. I can remember standing over Fritz's crib and staring at him while he slept. How was it possible to create such an adorable being? In the beginning it was hard to know what to actually CALL him since his birth certificate said FREDERICK GILBERT the Third. Should we call him Fred or Freddy? No. What about Ricky? Gil? Nothing seemed to fit until I remembered a guy in my high school class also named Frederick who was known as Fritz - and so it was. The name fit.
Fritz had the dubious honor of being born into the late 60s and growing up in the 70s. It was the hippy era. Adults "needed their own space". Smoking weed was "in". Long, long straight hair and bare midriffs were the rage. Unfortunately for my marriage I was not in - and as a matter of fact, was pretty seriously O-U-T. Thus, my union with Fritz's Dad ended. Needing a new beginning, I ordered the newspapers from 5 cities that sounded great to me, and ended up deciding to find the way to San Jose. Runner up was Austin. I packed up the house and kids, rented a cute home across from the elementary school and moved us to California. I can only imagine how hard it was for them. At the time I needed to be far away from my sad old life - and from my parents who had a little too much input into my decisions. I was told by a psychologist at the time that if I was happy - then my kids would be happy. I,for the most part, was happy. Fritz and Jason missed their Dad but truthfully he was so busy with his law career and new life that they didn't see much of him before we moved. I did my best as a single Mom but I sure wasn't perfect. I wonder what memories they have of San Jose. The man I met and eventually married relocated us to Southern California - Irvine and then Coronado.
When Fritz became an adolescent his sense of independence and stubbornness caused many family dramas - staying out after curfew, leaving hateful notes, abandoning his paper route --- and eventually the turmoil erupted into an event in our kitchen with the family looking on.

That night was a turning point for Fritz and me( and for Jason.) I thought he would be better off with his Dad back in Washington. I thought I was protecting him by getting him back there. (As it turns out I should have sent the male adult in the house packing instead.) I missed Fritz so badly I physically hurt. When he came back to visit his friends the first time I was so anxious to see him but when I did he just wanted me to know how much he hated me.
I cried. I grieved. I got palpitations. I cried some more. I have been crying ever since. I used to think that at some point Fritz would realize that although I was not perfect, I never ever stopped loving him - just as much as that day in 1968 when he was born. I try and follow his life as much as I can. He is doing well in the music business in LA. I hear that the woman in his life is wonderful. Over the years I hoped he would call or email me back or the best-of-all, come to see me when I am in LA visiting his brother. As I approach the big 7-0, I have to face the awful prospect of never healing the hurt between us. It is my biggest sadness and somedays it sneaks up on me and the empty feeling is unbearable. I wish more than anything that I could hug him tight,tell him I love him and wish him a Happy Birthday!

PASSAGES

2010-08-09T19:16:00.000-07:00

I didn't know it at the time but my first serious boyfriend died on the 4th of July. His wife of 50 years died just a few months earlier so I am guessing he didn't have the fire left to give a newly found cancer diagnosis a good fight.

We met at Hacket's Park in February, 1957 when we were ice-skating with friends. He said later he liked my plaid wool pants. I liked his sense of humor (always #1 on my attraction list). To me, at the height of 17-year-old naivete, he seemed too aggressive, too much of a know-it-all. On our first date - movies in a blizzard - he held my hand - and asked if I had been doing a lot of dishes. There was something about him that made me want to see more of him. I started writing my name with his last name. This was the beginning of the classic female-sitting-by-the-phone-waiting-for-him-to-call syndrome. I didn't know it at the time but he was also dating Kitty (eventually his wife) at the same time. So the phone did not ring on a regular basis. When he took me to the drive-in, my Dad always questioned me about the plot of the movie. Sometimes I made up some amazing screenplays! I was crushed when I learned of his engagement.
Over the years we stayed in touch once in a while...thru his unhappiness with his jobs, my unhappiness with previous husbands, births of kids, etc. All of a sudden we were "old". He told me when he turned 60 - "Just wait til you are this age. You will ache, things will go wrong with you. It's the pits." I thought he was a whiner! I turned 60 and my knees started to hurt. Luckily I didn't have to deal with what he and Kitty went through and pray that I won't. I realized when I "grew up" that he would not have been a good husband for me . But it is definitely unsettling to realize a person important to me so long ago and whose history is woven through mine is gone. I like to picture he and Kitty sailing away on their catamaran on a warm summer day. Godspeed Paul.

SOMEONE'S IN THE KITCHEN - AND THEY ARE NOT COOKING!

2010-08-06T12:51:00.000-07:00

This week featured a much anticipated renovation in the kitchen of our Retirement Trailer. In March we paid a guy a hefty deposit to do the job and as the weeks and months went by, the project remained unfinished. He finally sent us our deposit back saying he was "over it". We suspected there was some financial juggling going on which left our orders un-ordered! Enter Steve, contractor #2. Within just a few weeks he ordered material, made templates - and on Monday he arrived and installed half the countertops and the sink and then came back the next day and finished the rest! Voila! It is wonderful to have countertops that arent buckled and which don't scream 1980s from every corner! Okay now the appliances look a little dated but who cares. I am thinking of painting them...not sure what Pat thinks of that idea. I guess only the refrigerator could be painted - paint on a stove might melt and blister! We asked Steve to build us some shelves on the family room side of the counter and he did a fine job. Part of Pat's book collection will have a home at last! Whenever I see construction guys at work here I wish so much that my Dad (who could do all of that stuff) had taught me to be a home handywoman! Back in those days, daughters were to clean and cook - not construct and play golf!

SURF WAS UP!!

2010-07-24T09:50:00.000-07:00

This was the week that Erin, Steve and Carson visited from Boston. After a breezy perfect few days it turned hot and muggy. Did Carson mind? Not at all, since she was hanging ten in her $10 WalMart plastic pool! I threw in some plastic measuring cups, moved a plastic table poolside (that was her "oven") and she spent a few days cooking soup with berries (stones) and chocolate-lemonade, her specialty! The only attempt to swim in the lake ended in drama, as Steve thought he was being bothered by the ghost-snake (a stick) and Erin, as she was trying to catch Carson's carried-by-the-wind yellow sun hat slipped on a slimey rock and rolled on her pregnant tummy! After that we kept strictly to the above-ground pool! Pat was stricken by back spasms the last few days so we stayed close to home. Carson is sooo cute and three is such a wonderful age. She has a great sense of humor and is well-behaved and fun to have around. As soon as they left the house seemed so quiet and uninteresting! We can't wait 'til Carson's brother arrives in November!

AT LAST! GRANDKIDS IN THE LAKE!

2010-07-10T11:14:00.000-07:00

This was a very special week! Robin and her three kiddoes (aka our grandkids) arrived for a fly-by visit at The Lake before heading for a fast visit with sister Erin and then on to their vacation in Vermont next week. It was so much fun to have them all here. The kids have grown sooo much. What we really enjoyed was seeing them all have fun together in the water, throwing rocks, finding treasures along the shore, and listening to them laugh! We tortured them with a drive around the area and a visit to the lighthouse at Cape Vincent. We went for ice cream and pizza. I doubt they will soon forget the size of their breakfasts at Diane's - especially the stuffed french toast with strawberries and whipped cream! I saved their special rocks in a bag under the porch so when they come back soon they will have a head start on a collection! A week from today Erin, Steve and little Carson will come for the weekend so July is shaping up to be a truly special month here!

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!

2010-07-01T18:47:00.000-07:00

The Independence Day I am talking about is JULY 4TH - the official date of Pat's first day of retirement!

Let's talk about his career which started when he was a teenager working at Bubba Burger. His manager told him one day that he was going to have to "lay him off". Pat was so new at the employment game that he thought that was just a few days off and waited for Bubbas to call him back. Never happened. He drove a school bus when he was 16. I find that sooooo hard to believe, but I guess in 1964 in North Carolina school kids were expendable!

Pat enrolled in the Army soon after that. I don't know all the details of his service but I do know that he has mentioned being a 19 year old kid in VietNam as a platoon leader, being in charge and trying to keep not only himself but the other 19 year old kids in the platoon alive. Quite a burden for a teenager. He served two tours over there. When he got out of the Army he married almost immediately and finished college. My recollection of his career after that included stints at LEGG's Hosiery and as a sales rep for IBM selling copiers. He hated both.

He was accepted at law school but family events kept him from going. He would have been a GREAT lawyer! His career path took a turn to finance at that point when he joined a small bank and then the FDIC. During this time he also joined the National Guard, attended meetings, summer camps, and rose to the rank of Lt. Colonel.

When I met Pat in 1996 he had just retired from the National Guard and was working for a small family-owned bank in Georgia. During the 14 years of our marriage he has been with that bank in Griffin, Ga. and then another bank in Ellijay, Ga. When we moved to our retirement "trailer" he continued to work part-time for the bank in Ellijay and then decided to go back to work for the FDIC. (Two house payments will do that to a man!).

Wherever Pat has worked he has done a GREAT job (I hear this from people who were there). One of his bosses once told me that he was the "one of the best bankers he knew and the most honest". Not faint praise! I know him and I KNOW that I was SO lucky to marry a man of character, honesty, hard work and a team player.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, SWEET BABY!

...and Happy 4th to ALL!

IN THE GOOD OLE SUMMERTIME....

2010-06-19T15:05:00.000-07:00

I can hear the voices of past summers echoing while I sit here by the lake this afternoon:

"Mom, can we play in the pool?" By play in the pool we meant the inflate-with-the-vacuum-cleaner rubber pool with little rubber whale cutouts glued on the sides. No plastic pools in 1945!

"This swimming suit is itchy!" When I was little they were made of wool! Yes, WOOL! And then when my Dad worked at Kiefers Hardware my brother and I were issued from their stock identical swim trunks with fish on them. I was 5 and he was just 3. What did I know about swimming topless??

"Come out of the pool now and get some juice and crackers!" Our daily trips to the Nazareth Park Pool always included orange juice and Ritz crackers - and on a really good day, an ice-cream treat from the food stand. There were always at least 8 kids in the Ford station wagon in various states of behavior. One day my Mom accidentally left one of them at the park. When she realized it, it was a speedy return to the park and an emotional reunion! When I think of that park I can remember how clean it was, and the smell of pine trees which surrounded it. There was a baby pool with a fountain in the middle and then the BIG pool. My brother and I learned how to dive off the high board over several summers. It seemed like such a HUGE pool, but was pretty average when I visited 30 years later!

"Susan, Get it in gear! We are late!" Summer weekdays when I was in 9th-11th grade were spent at Camptown, a day camp run by the local Jewish Community Center. My Mom was in charge of all the little tots. I was a counselor-in-training, ie a lackey! I did have fun with other counselors, loved the kids, and grew to look more forward than I should have to Friday Challah. You know me. A bread fanatic!

"Lois, I've got some potato salad and sliced tomatoes...Ev has some fresh corn if you could bring some hot dogs..." We belonged to the Delaware Canoe Club - no schmaltz, just fun - and practically every nice evening, the Moms would pack up dinner and drag it all down to the river. The Dads would join us after work. I think back on it now and it must have been a lot of trouble - but they must have liked it as much as we did. We swam, canoed, water-skiied. I look back on those summers as the most special of all.

"MMMM- I can smell the ocean!". The summer's weekly vacation trip to Beach Haven, NJ was looked forward to the whole year. It was always iffy (a) what sort of cottage we would end up in and (b) what the weather Gods would decree for those 7 days. It was always impossible to get me out of the water, so I generally took on a prune-like look for the duration. Other memories of Beach Haven: the A&W Root Beer stand and my Mom picking us up at the trampoline center after having a few frozen dacquiri or three. She tried jumping and came down on one leg and veered off, landing between the springs, laughing so hard she wet her pants.

"Can I have the car tonight?" When I got my drivers license my parents bought a Chevy Impala convertible. The car was NOT for me. I believe it was for my Mom, and my Dad later got a Plymouth convertible for him. When I was granted the car I would call my friends and we would cruise with the top down, the radio blasting those great hits from the 50's. I remember keeping the beat by clicking my class ring on the steering wheel. The biggest thrill was getting hooted at by "college" boys! One time I got the car, and decided without permission to go to the drive-in. The car ran out of gas and I had to call my Dad to come rescue us.
Not good.

"Don't be late!" Who can forget the sweet summer nights of dating as a teenager.
Midnight canoe rides. Trying to find a place to...well, I will just have to say it...neck! (what a weird expression). I remember one time parking on a hill only to have a cop shine his light in the window. "Are you Charlie Brower's daughter?" he asked. Argh. The joys of small town life. The cops in Easton were vigilant. Perhaps that is why the illegitimate childbirth record wasn't very high!

The summer was my favorite time of the year - but I have to say that ice-skating at Hacketts Park and sledding parties had rewards as well!

GEOGRAPHICALLY UNFULFILLING....

2010-06-16T19:47:00.000-07:00

I just returned from my trip to the Left Coast. It was soooo wonderful - I got to see almost all of my "kids"...and to get my smoocher on our brand new grandaughter ZOE GRACE. She is so tiny and cute! I predict she will be crawling in another month! I was so impressed with son Ryan and Jessica - they seem born to be parents! I loved spending time with my daughter Katie and to be part of her adventurous life for a few days. (She has just decided to chuck San Diego and move to Las Vegas so she can finish school before she is on Medicare.) She has been attending San Diego State and budget cuts have made getting classes she needs almost impossible. It would take her 5 years to finish she has been told. Pfui. So off she goes to a totally new life! I am excited for her! To cap my trip off, I was able to get up to LA to see son Jason (The Chef) and his brand new wife whom I loved right away! They are both thrift store fanatics so I foresee some fun Goodwill/Salvation Army visits in my future with them! Jason's restaurant (it is called LOCAL and is on Sunset in Silverlake) is doing well and after having lunch there I can see why!! Jason and Sindy came down to San Diego to continue our visit and we were able to squeeze in two more thrift stores and dinner at a chichi vegetarian restaurant! Kate did all the driving and for that I was so thankful. When you haven't driven those freeways for a while (take the 405 to the 5 to the 10 to the 101N to the....) you need drugs to cope! Then came the hard part. I had to get on a plane and fly 3000 miles back home. Of course I missed Pat - A Lot - but when you get right down to reality, you just never know when you can make that trip again.( Have you flown lately? The seats have gotten so much smaller haven't they? They have shortened the seat belts too - probably trying to save money - they are so cheap! )So here I am on the Right Coast, missing everyone on the Left Coast like crazy! Not to mention our family 5-10-15 hours from here!

THE BEST OF TIMES.....

2010-06-04T11:50:00.000-07:00

Pat and I are proud to announce the birth of grandaughter ZOE GRACE MITCHELL! She was born June 2nd at 12:06am and weighed 6lbs 6oz and was 20 inches long. She tried her very best to come into the world the easy way, however she needed the help of a c-section. Zoe spent a few days in the NICU with amniotic fluid in her lungs but has now passed her car seat test and is almost ready to head home! (She had to sit in her car seat for 30 minutes and keep her vital signs in range). I asked Ryan this morning "What is Zoe doing today?" . His answer - "pooping, peeing, crying - and being wonderful!" I am on my way tomorrow to see her and her Mom & Dad...and Katie....and Jason...and Jason's brand new wife. Pretty exciting, and definitely the best of times!

A POTPOURRI OF CATHETERS, PETUNIAS, HAIRCUT, CATARACTS, AND RETIREMENT!!!!

2010-05-27T19:14:00.000-07:00

What a bumpy journey life is. Pat has been dealing with the weird and whacky world of cardiology, and has had pretty much every cardiac test known to medical kind. The latest results are somewhat a relief and yet not great enough to cause us to whoop and holler! When Pat was sitting at the poker table of genetics, he drew a bad hand as far as his blood is concerned. Yes, he got the looks, the body and the brain of a front-row candidate. But somewhere waaay back when, during the Cro-Magnon period, there was a genetic fluke which has since been passed thru the evolutionary chain to....Pat! It is called Factor V Leiden - and what that means is he is more likely to have a blood clot, and indeed he has had three. This gene "defect" was discovered not that many years ago, so doctors when he had his first clot didn't know about it. Whatever surgical procedure My Baby needs to have done requires much planning. As you can imagine, this can get hairy! When you are dealing with all of this it becomes so clear how darn short life is! So Pat sez..."I quit"! The FDIC will be without him sometime in June. This is good and was what we planned when moving here! The good things that come from this experience? Determination to live a healthier lifestyle...eating better, walking every day - and of course more time to watch The History Channel.

Next it will be my turn to go get my cataracts taken care of. My "baby" cataracts have grown up. I see through a filmy curtain which bugs the heck out of me. I hate the idea of someone sucking those dudes from my eyeball but what can you do?
I am greatful the procedure has improved over the years since my Mom had them done. You could see the little cut in her eye and she was stuck with coke bottle bottom glasses. Yuck. Now they offer several options. The most expensive is a lens with "hinges" which adjust between far away and close up. I won't be getting those, but most likely toric lenses for astigmatism. If I am VERY lucky, when I wake up in the morning I will be able to see who is sleeping next to me.

I threw caution to the wind and went to the hair salon today. I have PTSD when it comes to getting my hair cut. When I was a sophomore in high school my parents HATED my long hair. "Get your hair out of your eyes, Susan" became their mantra. "You will look soo pretty with short hair!" etc etc.
One day my Mom picked me up from school and took me to a hairdresser for a "TRIM". When I got home I literally could not use a hair curler it was so short. I cried. I cried some more. I threw my hairbrush at the bathtub. I wanted to kill my Mother who had obviously paid off the guy to Get The Hair Out Of My Eyes. Now I get my hair cut every seven years whether it needs it or not. Today was the day. The girl who did it talked me into having "lowlights". I might get used to it in a week or so. Basically its a darker blond with lighter blond streaks. Imagine an aged skunk. By the way, are you supposed to tip if your hair is done by the salon owner? I did - but wasn't sure of the protocol!

And then there are the petunias. I bought some plants a few weeks ago and they have been sitting around waiting to be planted. The first week we had frost. The next week we had doctor and hospital rounds. So now I am dealing with petunias on life support. Mea culpa Mother Nature!

That's all the news from Lake Webegone.

ONCE UPON A TIME....

2010-05-20T11:31:00.000-07:00

I was remembering the other day about all the fun times my brother and I used to have when we were young. When we were teenagers it wasn't as much fun since we had lots of fights so whenever possible I avoided him like poison ivy. For example when we were on dishwashing duty (this was pre-dishwashers) I washed and he dried. He delighted in throwing dishes back in the soap, telling me they were not clean. Or he would count the number of my pimples out loud. That was reeeally annoying!
He would also monkey bump me in the upper arm. Most of my early teen years I had black and blue biceps. There was a commercial on TV back then for Ajax. It had little men that were surrounded with bubbles doing a number on a sink. One of the little characters had a tubby stomach, and Chip would point to my stomach and say "Foams As It Cleans" - and then laugh hysterically! What a jewel!
But, as they say, I digress.

When we were very young we slept in a large attic room. Frankly I remember it as being sort of spooky, especially in the wind. When we were in our beds at night, we used to make up really funny stories involving my teddy bear (Big John) and his puppet (Sparky). Most of the stories involved bad words like "poo". I suspect we went to sleep most nights laughing. The names of our characters came from a radio program back then called "NO SCHOOL TODAY with Big John and Sparky. The theme song was the Teddy Bear's Picnic. Everytime I hear that song, which isn't often as you can imagine, I can picture us in our attic, laughing.

Eventually my Dad remodeled the attic into two separate bedrooms, a hall and some closets. Big John and Sparky were probably relegated to a closet. Sparky later was consumed in a fire that burned our home. I still have Big John...somehow he survived - however he was badly singed, his nose is hanging by a few threads, and his button eyes are gone.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001N05YMU/ref=dm_dp_trk1?ie=UTF8&qid=1274383278&sr=301-1

R.I.P. Sparky!

LOVE AND MARRIAGE.....

2010-05-14T20:47:00.000-07:00

Happy to announce marriage of #2 son JASON and KARINA SINDY VESTERGAARD this afternoon in Santa Barbara. Sindy is from Denmark and I can't wait to get to LA to give them both a hug! We all wish them so much happiness together! LOVE YOU BOTH!!

NO MATTER WHERE YOU GO, THERE YOU ARE.....

2010-05-12T18:29:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine shared that line with me about 15 years ago. I thought it was such a mind-provoking statement then, and today it still sticks in my head. Basically, to me, it means that whether I am in San Diego, Griffin, Ga, Ellijay or here in Dexter, New York I am the same. Let's say I might daydream about moving to the coast of North Carolina. The geography would be different but I would be the same person. I would have the same cravings for tuna sandwiches or an Oreo Cakester. I would procrastinate cleaning the refrigerator or working on my three quilts that I have started. I would still look in the mirror wherever I might be and wish to be thinner or younger or less wrinkled. Those moments in life when I might say to myself "If only I has a house with a pool" or "I wish I could live closer to my kids - that would be perfect!!"
Now I know better. Some negatives might be traded for different negatives, and some positives would be replaced with other positives. But, basically no matter where I am ---there I am!

As the old Pennsylvania Dutch saying goes - "We Get Too Soon Old and Too Late Smart"! I am still working on the smart part of that one!

MOTHER'S DAY

2010-05-08T21:18:00.000-07:00

The best days of my life were the days my four babies were born. When I married Pat I was lucky to have two more daughters, but they were both too old to "mother" when they came into my life! (Their Mom Brenda did a beautiful job doing that! )

Fritz was my first born. I was pregnant with him in 1968 when his Dad was finishing Lafayette College and I was teaching kindergarten. We moved to Fairfax, Va. in my ninth month and then we waited. And waited. And waited. Fritz took his own sweet time, and by the time he was born, he had consumed all the amniotic fluid and his skin was dry and peeling. He was the most spectacular thing I had ever seen. I remember standing next to his crib and just staring down at him in amazement. The first born always suffers the inexperience and nervousness of his parents. Fritz was good natured about all of that - he thrived in spite of our "newness" at parenthood. When his brother was born 2-1/2 years later, he was helpful and sweet. He had lots of friends, loved his matchbox cars, loved listening to his Dad play the guitar, enjoyed school. He scared the you know what out of me when I heard him choking one day and found him on the steps having swallowed a screw. Somehow I was able to stick my finger down his throat and grab the end of it. The divorce between his Dad and me was tough on him, as was a subsequent move to San Jose when he was in first grade. Shrinks tell you that kids are resilient but I am not so sure about that. All I know is that even though I don't see Fritz I love him the same as I did that August 20th when he was born.

Jason was born December 13th, 1971. His Dad, then a law student, had shuffled off to Buffalo for a deposition. My water broke while standing in line at Lord & Taylor in Arlington to buy a "bringing home the baby" outfit. A c-section was in order when pitocin didn't move Jas along. I remember being in the operating room, my first such experience, being scared and hearing the OB and staff listening to the Redskins playoff game totally disinterested in my life at all! That's the way it seemed anyway. The Skins won. I won too...a beautiful baby boy who seemed to smile from that very first day. Other than a visit to the hospital by ambulance that first week with some croup, Jason was such an easy guy. He, like his big brother, was a red-head. When I took them in their stroller to a mall many people asked if I was Sonny Jurgenson's wife (he had red hair and was the star QB for the Redskins). Jason loved to try and be like Fritz, followed him around, learned to play baseball from him, and learned his love of music from his older brother. I think both the boys enjoyed being kids in Coronado, California. Jason was a talented athlete so I spent many hours on various bleachers. (When they got to be teenagers I have another opinion of that little town). Jason has fought hard to be where he is today. He is so intelligent (didn't get that from his Mom!), is a talented musician like his brother Fritz, and a successful chef/restaraunt owner in LA. I could not be prouder of him and lots of times wish I could have him back to baby-size to hug and smooch.

Ryan was born in the spring when I was 43. I was so excited to be pregnant that I forgot to be worried that I was o-l-d. My friends were shocked! Having so many years between babies made Ryan's birth seem like a brand new experience. It was brand new since my OB was at another hospital when I went into labor so the only pain killer I had was Tylenol! What a sweet baby! His blond hair looked like duck-down 'til he was in grade school. He used to make the most amazing expressions! Ryan loved nursery school, grade school and by middle school he was determined to be the Johnny Carson of his class. I am sure that his teachers were happy when he and his friends graduated!
Ryan was a great baseball player but as he got older it became clear that he is a gifted golfer. He has such an easy outgoing personality, always makes me laugh,
and as he awaits the birth of his first child Zoe, I know he will be a wonderful Dad.

Katie was my Christmas present in 1985. Imagine that! When I got the results of my ultrasound in July of that year and was told it would be a girl I couldn't believe it! I went pink-happy in her room. It was so adorable! Since my OB wanted to go skiing for Christmas vacation, Katie was a C-section baby and she was perfect!
She still is. I was so proud and happy to push her in the baby carriage with the blanket I had knit covering her. It had a satin heart that was embroidered "Katherine Elizabeth Mitchell" - and she was something! Needless to say, Jason and Ryan enjoyed having her around. Ryan even let her hold his SuperFriends toys! Katie was sweet and shy, did well in school, but was not having anything to do with team sports, ballet classes etc. She loved playing Barbies (I always had to be Ken), doing anything artsy (I framed lots of her wonderful drawings) and being with her friends. She is a California girl at heart so she hated Georgia when we moved there and returned to Coronado to finish high school. "Tears in the pillow" moments galore. Now she is a grown up gorgeous woman. I miss her every day and love her more than Pt Loma Seafood tuna salad. She will understand that!

I am not sure if I am the only Mother who feels as if I didn't do enough...that I was not the perfect parent. Hopefully when and if they have kids of their own they will know that I did the best that I could and that I couldn't love them more.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ME--- THANKS TO FRITZ, JASON, RYAN, KATIE and ROBIN & ERIN !!

MAX THE WONDER DOG

2010-04-28T17:57:00.000-07:00

When Pat and I had been married about 2 years, I asked him if we could get a dog. He wasn't exactly enthusiastic so I dropped the subject. Then one day I decided to head over to the local dog shelter "just to see".
The shelter as I remember it was gray cement blocks, dank, the barking of many dogs echoing throughout the building. I walked up and down the rows of prison-like cells until I stopped in my tracks. There in one cell were eight little puppies, shaggy, bouncing off each other - and yet, look! There in the corner was one puppy who just was sitting still and quietly looking at me. Minutes later, he was on the end of a leash, heading home with me. When Pat came home from work, I met him at the door.
I decided not to mince words and blurted "I got a puppy today." He took it much better than I expected! We named him MAXIMILIAN VON SCHNAUZER 111. (The people at the shelter told me he was part Schnauzer and part Jack Russell). As that first night progressed it became clear that our new puppy was sick. In the morning Pat insisted on going out to the puppy's box first since he thought he wouldn't have made it through the night. He did but was a very very sick pooch! A trip to the vet, a diagnosis of whip-worms, and the first item in our checkbook with Max's name next to it! Many more to follow!

Max is now almost 11. He is, of course, a big part of the family. I'm sure everyone thinks THEIR dog is the cutest and smartest. However in Max's case we are sure of it! I think if I were to name his top ten attributes, at the top would be his large bladder. Want to sleep late in the morning? No problem for Max! That alone has endeared him to me over the years!

What about his other admirable characteristics? His vocabulary. We have lost track of the many words he seems to know. His latest word is tuna. He will do a back flip if you ask him if he wants some! He will pick up an almost-empty tuna can and carry it with his teeth to a private place where he can enjoy it. (He hasn't learned to bring it back to the kitchen yet!). Like all dogs he loves squeaky balls. But picture Max with THREE of them in his mouth! Whenever he goes out to do his business, we hide a dog cookie in the family room. He flies back into the house and looks in all the nooks and crannies 'til he finds his treat.

We started out enforcing the "No Dogs On The Bed" rule, then it was the "Dogs May Only Sleep at The End of The Bed" rule. Guess where you will find Max now! (He still is not allowed on our sheets!). He has a wicker basket full of toys and pulls them out much like a toddler would. He does not put them back. In Ellijay he used to have the run of the yard and adjacent woods. If a car came up the private driveway they were trespassing. Here in Dexter, any car that drives past the house is therefore a trespasser and he will defend us with ferocious barking. If you ask if he wants to go in the car, he is all over you with licks,nibbles, circle flips. Open the car door and say "Get in the back" and he is ready to roll. He knows if we go to eat that he will always get something wrapped up in our napkin when we return to the car. If we get ice cream, he know he will get a doggie scoop. If he wants his window rolled down he woofs in Pats ear.

If anything happens to Max, Pat and I agree that we wouldn't get another dog. Max has been the best - and when you have had the best....

Give it up for MAXIMILIAN VON SCHNAUZER 111!!

BEND OVER AND KISS YOUR TUCKUS FAREWELL....

2010-04-23T08:56:00.000-07:00

After just a mere half-hour with the TV news and my computer this morning, and I am ready to dig a hole and crawl in! Why, you ask? Well, other than the usual stresses and strains of life in general there are these items:

#1 from the DRUDGE REPORT:

"MILITARY LAUNCHES TOP SECRET ROBOCRAFT"
'We don't know when it's coming back'...What? Why?
Mission: Classified...Is X-37B start of war in space?

#2. also from the DRUDGE REPORT:

Potentially deadly fungus spreading in US, Canada 22 Apr 2010 22:21:58 GMT Source: Reuters

* Fungus is unique genetic strain
* Climate change may aid its spread
WASHINGTON, April 22 (Reuters) - A potentially deadly strain of fungus is spreading among animals and people in the northwestern United States and the Canadian province of British Columbia, researchers reported on Thursday.
The airborne fungus, called Cryptococcus gattii, usually only infects transplant and AIDS patients and people with otherwise compromised immune systems, but the new strain is genetically different, the researchers said.
"This novel fungus is worrisome because it appears to be a threat to otherwise healthy people," said Edmond Byrnes of Duke University in North Carolina, who led the study.
"Our findings suggest further expansion into neighboring regions is likely to occur and aim to increase disease awareness in the region."
The new strain appears to be unusually deadly, with a mortality rate of about 25 percent among the 21 U.S. cases analyzed, they said.
"From 1999 through 2003, the cases were largely restricted to Vancouver Island," the report reads. The spore-forming fungus can cause symptoms in people and animals two weeks or more after exposure. They include a cough that lasts for weeks, sharp chest pain, shortness of breath, headache, fever, nighttime sweats and weight loss.
(HEY! DID THEY SAY WEIGHT LOSS????)

#3. From the AP
State-Run Media Comes Clean… Finally Admits Obamacare Will Increase Costs

State-run media comes clean…
Democrats told us that they would cover 30 million more people under their socialized health care plan and reduce costs at the same time. Obama told the American public, “Not only can we afford to do this, we can’t afford not to do this…” But, now after pumping up the democrat’s nationalized heath care plan for months, the state-run media finally admitted that it will increase costs.
The AP reported:
President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul law will increase the nation’s health care tab instead of bringing costs down, government economic forecasters concluded Thursday in a sobering assessment of the sweeping legislation.
A report by economic experts at the Health and Human Services Department said the health care remake will achieve Obama’s aim of expanding health insurance — adding 34 million Americans to the coverage rolls.
But the analysis also found that the law falls short of the president’s twin goal of controlling runaway costs, raising projected spending by about 1 percent over 10 years. That increase could get bigger, however, since the report also warned that Medicare cuts in the law may be unrealistic and unsustainable, forcing lawmakers to roll them back.

#4. From HOTAIR.COM
Sebelius: We don’t know what ObamaCare costs will be.
The bill appropriated $5 billion for this program, but as Sebelius tells the committee, that was just a spit-balling number. In reality, no one has the faintest clue how much money will actually get spent on this program.

#5. FROM TMZ.COM

Lindsay Lohan has been named a suspect for the theft of a $35,000 Rolex watch that someone left at her house earlier this year.

OH NO!!!! Now ALL my faith in human-kind is gone.

FILM AT 11.................

MY SECRET GARDEN

2010-04-13T16:42:00.000-07:00

I have a wonderful magical Secret Garden. It grows un-tended and un-weeded in the deep recesses of my mind. My little garden has many rows of memories which have been planted there, four seasons a year over many years!, The first memory I have is one of me standing in my crib and my Mother pulling all the window shades down in the evening since blackouts must have been the order of the day during The War. I have memories of playing dolls on our big front porch on a rainy summer day. I can still smell the wet grass and flowers near the porch. I had a wonderful dollhouse made by my Industrial-Arts-teacher Dad. He handmade all the furniture including a little wooden "radio" with a wind-up music box inside.( I still have the remnants of that in my cedar chest. )

As I have grown up and older, the rows in my secret garden have sprouted with glorious flowers and many "weeds". After all, not all those memories are happy ones!

The best thing about my garden is that I can walk through it during quiet moments and pick a bloom and be carried back on it's petals to a time long ago when I got a pretty new dress, when a special boy smiled at me in the hall at school, when I giggled into the night with a friend during an overnight. I can see my babies' faces and feel their warm hugs, remember proms, best friends, my first kiss, summers on the Delaware River, trips to Beach Haven, NJ. Once in a while I notice a weed and can look at those bad memories in a different light because right next to the weeds are the pretty flowers begging to be picked. Those weeds must have served a purpose if only to have me appreciate the flowers!

My memories are so special to me that it seems a shame that they will disappear when I do - there aren't enough megabytes to keep them, and for whom? I hope that you take lots of time to visit your secret garden, weeds and all!

SELLING THE FARM FOR BABY STUFF

2010-04-12T18:51:00.000-07:00

I know I am older than dirt but I was lucky enough to have my last baby when I was 45. And the one before that when I was 43 (and the two before that when I was 28 and 31). There are many differences in equipping for a newborn NOW than THEN. When Fritz was born, he was carted around in a plastic seat that had a little plastic strap with clear balls on it for his safety and amusement. Jason inherited the same seat. I held them on my lap in the car without a seat belt on - I don't believe the Corvair even had seat belts! We moved up to a VW wagon that did have seatbelts and also to a car seat that you plunked on the seat and put the seat belt over it. Miraculously and thankfully they all survived. They endured the net sided playpen. Hated it, but endured it.( On the other hand Pat tells me of an occasion when Robin as a baby was hanging by her tooth on the net in her playpen!) I believe we had a bouncy chair, sort of a sling arrangement - and we had a bouncy swing that hung on the doorframe. We also had a Toys R Us stroller for $29.99 and that was the extent of our baby stuff.

We have had the joy of arriving grandchildren over the last few years - and each year the baby stuff on the lists grows in number, complexity, wonderfulness - and price. For example, the newest car seats hover in price around $300. These are the ones that are "approved" by some clandestine safety group. They are bolted to the car frame with 5 inch wide iron bolts, hugged to the seat by the seat belts thredded though, and then the baby is snapped into a harness, their wee heads cradled by a soft protector. They cannot move if they want to. But they can move their eyes from side to side which is great because there are toys attached to the windows that spin and sparkle. If baby is lucky, his car seat can be removed and placed right into a stroller ($299). Otherwise Mom or Dad carry the tot into the store by the handle - sort of like an oversized handbag. I have seen parents, especially Dads, carrying these kids in such a way as to make even the baby with the strongest constitution have bad dreams for a lifetime. Watch them as they go through a door! WHIPLASH CITY!

I remember trying to sneak into my babies rooms to make sure they were covered or hadn't spit up. Now they have full-on video monitors that work day and night. You can clip the portable monitor on your belt (if you can still wear a belt after giving birth) and wherever you are...there is the baby on the screen. ($200).
On every new parent's wish list is a cradle swing. I think someone loaned me a swing once but everytime it stopped I had to wind it up. It made such a loud noise that it woke up every baby in a one-mile radius! The Fisher Price swing ($180) PLUGS IN, plays 16 songs, vibrates, swings in two directions, has doodads hanging, and also plays a sparkly light show for the little person. I am surprised that they don't include a tiny controller for the baby to select the music of choice. Brahms? Nah. Gimme some of those top ten tunes!

I had a plastic diaper pail with a lid. New parents have these diaper wizards for $50. Not sure exactly what they do but they are good! I had flannel receiving blankets that I wrapped my babies up in like an Indian papoose. Today's babies have SwaddleMe's with velcro tabs. ($20). They are prisoners of love! .

There's more: Bumbo chairs, wrap-around nursing pillows with pockets for books and TV clickers, breast pumps that rival the technology at Old MacDonalds-not those rudimentary ones from the old days. There are "organic" clothes and Designer crib bedding. Gucci and Coach diaper bags. Little "beds" that attach to your mattress and have a night light - no worries about rolling over on your heir or heiress.

It's a new world out there! I wish I could have a do-over! I REALLY do!

OLD LIFE CRISIS

2010-04-07T13:27:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read that correctly. I missed out on a Mid-Life Crisis so I decided to have one now that I am in my old-life. Maybe you could call it an old-fart funk. Or name it a geezer gaffe. Whatever it is called, I must have it. I feel useless. Non-productive. Lazy. Lethargic. Sleepy. (One day last week I got out of bed at 2pm! ). Pat tells me to "go with it" and not beat myself up about it. He says that I have worked hard all my life and I should just kick back, relax and not worry about it. If I want to sleep late, then go for it. I, on the other hand, think that I need a swift kick in the butt. Sitting around all winter has made me a selfish slug. I think of all the places I could be of help but I just sit here, a waste of skin. Let me add that the afore-mentioned wasted skin is gaining in latitude and longitude from my attitude!

When I was working so hard in my past I used to think - wouldn't it be nice to just sit at the table and read the paper in the morning instead of rushing to work or to go out to lunch without worrying about picking kids up from school? You know, those grass is always greener thoughts that sneak up on us? Well, here I am. The grass is really green here, especially after all the rain we have had today. Instead of enjoying that freedom I fret over it. So tell me Doctor. What in the heck is wrong with me?
===============================================
Saw this somewhere and made me chuckle:

Two elderly women were eating breakfast in a restaurant one morning. Ethel noticed something funny about Mabel's ear and said, "Mabel, do you know you've got a suppository in your left ear?"
Mabel answered, " I have a suppository in my ear?"
She pulled it out and stared at it. Then she said, "Ethel, I'm glad you saw this thing. Now I think I know where to find my hearing aid."

BRACKETS SCHMACKETS

2010-04-05T19:47:00.000-07:00

For the third year I threw caution to the wind and joined in the family NCAA Tournament Brackets. My bracket name was SHOOT FOR THREE. Little did I know when I picked the name that it would end up being my final point tally. As most of my teams were eliminated weeks ago in the first rounds, it became clear that I would end up in the cellar and so I did. Well, I did manage to beat my friend Andrea who didn't get her picks in before the deadline. I take no pleasure in that small victory. The folks at YAHOO offer a bazillion dollar prize if you have perfect picks. There's a safe bet for them, especially this year with so many underdog upsets. It is those moments that make this tournament fun!

I think it would be cool if the MLB organized some sort of preseason tournament like the NCAA's. Maybe I will write a quick note to Bowie and suggest it. A finders fee for that idea would be appreciated Mr. Kuhn. This final game tonight between Dook and Butler is exciting - back and forth all night. Too bad one of them has to lose. Hope it is the Blue Devils!

A RELATIVELY NEW ADDITION

2010-03-26T17:44:00.000-07:00

When I painted the bathroom here in our retirement trailer, I went with Pat's only request in the decorating scheme. He wanted it painted what Lowe's calls "Sunset Adobe". The woodwork is white. The floor is fake wood. Accents are black.

Lately I have noticed that there are things taking over the color scheme. What are they? Prescription bottles! Luckily they have sort of that Adobe Sunset glow, with white tops...and black graphics on the labels. So they definitely fit into the decor.
Just in the last year we have gone to just a few prescription bottles to roughly 224.
Finding space for them is tricky.
Long ago, one marriage ago, I used to try and sell something called a "Lektriever". You may have seen them in doctors offices and hospitals. It is a floor to ceiling box with shelves that rotate at the touch of a button. I am wishing that I had one of those now in the bathroom to hold prescriptions, medical stuff - and skin creams. It is hard enough to store all these prescriptions but even harder to REMEMBER to take them. Like this morning. I stared at my Avapro blood pressure medicine and honestly couldn't remember if I took one when I brushed my teeth or not. So I took one. I figured the worst that could happen would be general fainting at the ironing board or kitchen sink. I also take 14 vitamin supplements a day. You have to get up mighty early in the morning to get the pills down your gullet. As for the beauty creams, I am a sucker. If it promises to erase my wrinkles I am there, cash in hand. This weekend I will be out shopping for a used Lektriever. I am sure I will find it at the thrift store!

WRITER'S BLOCK(HEAD)

2010-03-17T18:13:00.001-07:00

I am sitting here wanting to write something. But what? Nothing seems to be on my mind tonight which is amazing considering how much empty space is available in there. It is 20 minutes BAI (Before American Idol). I have flipped through all 150 available Time Warner channels and nothing is on. Nothing that interests me. I suppose it is indicative of the state of my mind that my favorite shows lately have to do with dwarfs. Oooops. Make that "Little People". I am in love with Jen and Bill! Then there are two other little people families, and starting soon, the "Little Chocolatiers". Now that seems to be stretching the theme a bit...little people hovering over large vats of melted chocolate. The thought of the consequences will make me check future chocolates for tiny lumps and bumps. Coming soon, CSI:Denver Dwarf Detectives.

Right now I am watching the end of Clean House ....how can a house be soooooo messed up. Do you think they go in and make them REEEEALLY bad? That reminds me - have any of you watched The Hoarders? That is like watching a train wreck! The good thing is that the show inspires me to clean closets and cupboards on a regular basis. No interventions for me, thanks very much!

Idol has been on 10 minutes and you and I know that I haven't missed a darn thing! They just don't kick them to the curb in the first 10 minutes! Later.

BLECH ON THE BLUETOOTH

2010-03-11T08:56:00.000-08:00

There I was in the ladies room at Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport last week and the woman at the sink next to me said "How are you?" "Kind of tired", I responded.
She looked at me like I was a nutcase and pointed to her ear. It was then I realized she was plugged in to her Bluetooth and wasn't talking to me at all. This is not the first time I have embarrassed myself in this way. I was at Hannaford's a few weeks ago in the vegetable aisle and a man pulled his cart up behind me and said "How do I know if the cantalopes are ripe?" Being a seasoned shopper I spoke up and said "My Mom always thumped on them and if they sound solid then you have a good one". He turned to me and said "I was NOT talking to you". Once again I noticed the thing stuck in his ear and was cringing, quickly moving down to the potatoes and onions. What is so all-fired important that people have to be continually plugged in? It is bad enough to hear 20 or 30 different ring tones wherever I am, but to also have to figure out if I am indeed being spoken to is IRRITATING. Cell phones are a great way to keep in touch but I am wondering where this technology will take us. Maybe the bluetooth things will be implanted at birth? Perhaps 6" screens will be installed on our foreheads. I will still be asking "Are YOU talking to me???? Are you TALKING to me? Are you talking to ME?"

THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY

2010-03-07T09:43:00.000-08:00

Here is THE GOOD:

This is the scene from the deck of the home in Sanibel Island where I was lucky enough to be all of last week. My brother and his wife bid on the week there at a charity auction and they won ~ and then invited the Brower family to join them! Sadly Pat was at an FDIC training conference in D.C. and couldn't go but I sucked it up and joined the gang in Florida. I hated to go without him but I had a wonderful time with my family. We don't get to see each other often so it was a treat to talk, laugh, eat and drink with them for a week! I got to goo-goo and enjoy baby Riley Grace which was so much fun, to get to know my niece and her husband better, and to spend time with my great brother and sister-in-law. Florida was chilly but the ambiance of Sanibel is pretty wonderful no matter what the temperature! The beach was strewn with so many shells. The sunsets were gorgeous. The restaurants are yummy and fun. I even had a facial! (SHE:"Ewww...what HAVE you been using on your face - it is sooo dry! You need some of this cream with crushed diamonds!" ME: Yeah, right, that is JUST what I need). It was a week without the news, with lots of books to read, and lots of laughing. In short- WONDERFUL!

THE BAD:

When I got home there were emails telling me of the death of the wife of my first boyfriend - they had been married 50 years. When I called, the pain in his voice was palpable. I cannot imagine the sadness after sharing so much together. This sad news served as a reminder of both how lucky I am and also of the inevitable that we all face. May we all find the strength. Godspeed Kitty.

THE UGLY:

Insignificant after the above, but the snow has melted here in the North Country.

As it disappeared, it left behind a brown-gray landscape...muddy and mucky. It is almost as if we are to accept the ugly before we get to experience once more the rebirth of Spring followed by glorious Summer...and we are waiting anxiously for it's arrival! I am staring at the dirt looking for daffodil and tulip shoots. Patience.

That's the name of the game.

MA NATURE MISSED US....

2010-02-26T12:55:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update....nothing happened. It was a lot to do about nothing!

"SNOWNADO" IN THE FORECAST!

2010-02-24T19:09:00.000-08:00

Yes, that is what Accuweather is warning tonight. I personally have never heard of a snownado. Living here on the lake I have found a new respect for Ma Nature. After all she had the chutzpah to rip our boat, dock and rail system from us a summer ago! I am curious about what she has up her sleeve for tomorrow and the next day. Heavy snow and 50-60 mph winds might do a lot to clean up around here!

I am thinking of cleaning out the garage and putting the stuff outside. That would save Pat a trip to the dump since most of it would likely blow away to the next county.

There isn't much I can do to prepare. My hatches are already battened down. Water? Check. Food? Check. Car in garage? Check. Batteries in flashlights? Check. Shovel Ready? Check! Extra padding for warmth in case heat is lost? Check!

Post Snownado?? Melting snow, warmer sun, and some signs of spring.
THAT'S what I'm talking about!!!

"MRS. SKINNER, WE HAVE THE RESULTS OF YOUR IQ TEST....."

2010-02-18T12:15:00.000-08:00

...and let's just say that I have placed somewhere between plant life and a sea slug.

Pat can concur with those findings based on my TV viewing patterns during the last few months. My entertainment schedule starts on Sunday with BIG LOVE on HBO...I am hooked on those polygamous Hendricksons and their wild and wonderful life. My favorite is Marjean. I am rooting for her to make big bucks with her home shopping sales and get the heck out of there. On Monday I am groaning over Jake's choices on THE BACHELOR. I loved Gia's comments last week that Jake was "so deep". Gag me with a spoon. I doubt she would know deep if she were up to her knees in it. And what is the attraction with Venice or whatever her name is...she looks like she should be running a tacky beauty salon on the Jersey Shore...so as of now I am rooting for Mr. Six Pack to fly into the sunset without any of them. I have recently discovered a series of shows that are low-life and lovely! The first of these beauties is I'M SIXTEEN AND PREGNANT. I have watched children have children. They fight with their Moms, storm out of their parents homes to party and leave the kids with good ole Mom. Their Baby-Daddies are pretty much worthless and end up out of the picture. Moving along, there is I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS PREGNANT. To this I say WHAT???? I have had 4 babies and I sure knew I was pregnant in that ninth month...feet poking my bladder, butts and heads rolling from one side of my belly to another. Not these women. They wake up in the night after a game of soccer and have "cramps" and before they could figure out what was happening they were giving birth on bathroom floors, in toilets, cars etc. Most of them say they don't have a CLUE how they got pregnant. That noise you hear is me, laughing hysterically. The next of my intellectual gems is I AM ______ AND PREGNANT! You can fill in the blank according to the episode. The choices might be OBESE, IN JAIL, 56, A DWARF, etc....fascinating, mind-numbing stuff! Pat often asks "Who watches this crap?" and now he knows the answer. His wife. He is still watching the History Channel so at least one of us will have their faculties in the future!

THE "REGULAR" PERSON'S TELEPROMPTER....

2010-02-09T16:51:00.000-08:00

MOM IS A JEWEL!

2010-02-07T15:24:00.000-08:00

...BECAUSE LOVE LIVES ON...

Okay. I will admit to wondering what to request my "loved ones" to DO with me at my demise. I have swung back and forth between cremation and your standard pine box. (Please none of that titanium and velvet crap!) Imagine my delight to learn of a company which will create a gorgeous gem from my remains! It will give new meaning to the statement that "Mom is a jewel"!

A company called LIFE GEMS has this to say on it's website:
The LifeGem® is a certified, high-quality diamond created from the carbon of your loved one as a memorial to their unique life. Love. Life’s single greatest risk. Life’s single greatest reward. Love captures your heart in a second and holds it for eternity.

LifeGem diamonds are molecularly identical to natural diamonds found at any high-end jeweler. To qualify as diamonds, they must have the exact same brilliance, fire, and hardness (the hardest substance known) as diamonds from the earth, and of course, they do! LifeGem diamonds are created individually from your specific carbon source in our patented process.

So, I am thinking that my kids could fight over this HUGE rock (because let's admit that my remains will be in the XL range). It will not be a pretty scene. The guys could end up with one heck of an ear-stud. Katie could be the envy of women over three states wearing me on her finger!

Now here is the downside....as always, it's MONEY!
Blue LifeGem Diamond - Option I (.20 - .29ct) LifeGem Price: $3,499.00
or the Best Option .90 - .99 $19,999* $18,999/ea
You only need either the amount of hair snipped off in a normal haircut OR if sending cremated remains, separate out NO MORE THAN 8 ounces (about 1 Cup) and tightly secure in a plastic bag or other plastic container.

I can't decide if this is Cool or Creepy!
If you see my kids blinged out after I have ceased to be....you will know!!!

YOUR TOP FIVE

2010-01-30T12:47:00.000-08:00

Lately I have re-discovered Imus in the Morning. Yes, he is still on the obnoxious side but I really enjoy the other people on his show. Charles is thoughtful and smart, and I watched Warner Wolff do the sports decades ago in Washington, DC.
Rob Bartlett is such a gifted comedian, sometimes raunchy but fun nevertheless.

One of the regular features on the show is for guests to provide their top 5 favorite songs before they appear. That got me thinking, and wondering if I could come up with just 5 favorite songs of my own. The answer is Not Really!

Here is my list. If you asked me again tomorrow the list would be different.
These are not in any particular order:

The Navy Hymn- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KCiMdR1ox0
On Eagles Wings-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvpjxfWrjzY
Hold on Tight to Your Dreams - ELO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKQsv1Q3ZNY
Lady Marmalade (gitchy gitchy yaya etc) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuyRW31u4Zs
Chances Are - Johnny Mathis http://www.johnnymathis.com/

SO....what are YOUR favorites?

A GAZELLE.....NOT!

2010-01-20T18:41:00.000-08:00

In my past life I have fallen for a variety of devices to help me become more fit.
The first that I can remember was one that I rented in Arlington, Va. It was a vibrator, so to speak. I stood on it's deck, wrapped these huge stretchy bands around my butt, turned it on, and stood there whilst it jiggled me so badly that my teeth got loose. My butt remained the same size. Next I purchased the ThighMaster. I was not able to master my thighs. They have minds of their own and even my stretch pants couldn't keep them in line. One night when I was bored and watching QVC I was lured into purchasing a ProForm Treadmill.
Just pay for the shipping, the spiel said, and then make small monthly payments. So I did it. I used it religiously for a few months. Then less religiously for several years while still making those small monthly payments. During the last few months of small payments, it served as a wonderful clothes hanger and also as a zippy chute for Barbie and Ken, Matchbox cars, crayons, and more. Even though the ad said it would fit under your bed, you would have to have a bed two feet off the ground. Therefore it was always THERE, a reminder of goals not accomplished.

A drum roll please! Introducing the newest addition to our household! It is the TONY LITTLE GAZELLE. Thinking it would be easy on our menisci, we bought it for each other for Christmas. Pat put it together this past weekend. We both tried it and it seems like it might help us to get some exercise during the winter. When Pat left for work he asked me to please PLEASE keep my cell phone nearby when I am on it. Maybe it's time for one of the HELPIVEFALLENANDCANTGETUP necklaces! ALL senior citizens should have one....

LIFE IN THE IGLOO

2010-01-12T11:44:00.000-08:00

There's not much happening today on the lake. I got up early to check the fishing lines and they were empty again. I was able to get the fire going pretty well and managed to melt two gallons of water before I ran out of firewood. Max and I will be waiting for the plow to come by and bring us the mail and some flatbread that I ordered. The bread makes the dried fish bearable. I have maybe 12 or more apples left and a few potatoes. Hopefully when Pat gets home this weekend he will bring more provisions. Last night I was bundled up in the blankets and a fur wrap, the fire was almost out, when I heard really loud cracking noises from the lake. The natives say this bay is never totally frozen so I am just hoping that the igloo is in the best possible spot. There are many visible cracks which show, and you can hear weird gurgling noises from the deep as the water moves below. My wind-up radio works pretty well, although my arm is tired from cranking it up...same with my survivor flashlight and my wind up cell phone charger. Other than that, life is good here in the igloo...wish you were here!

OUR GENE POOL DEEPENS.....

2010-01-09T17:08:00.000-08:00

We start the new year with the blessing of a special sparkling new drop in our gene pool! Ryan and Jessica shared their ultrasound taken a few days ago - and it is a GIRL!!!!

Talk about joy and excitement! Little (aka "LIL" ) Mitchell is due June 19th - and I am sure she will be a cutie! It seems like yesterday Ryan was a photo like the one above! Then just a blink of the eye and here HE is about to be a Daddy. He will be a gentle,fun and loving Dad. Jessica is a true gem and will be a great Mommy. So, LIL will be one lucky kid!

SO CLOSE....AND YET SO FAR!

2010-01-05T11:13:00.000-08:00

The big day - January 3rd, 2010 - came, and went. It was a dream for many years, a goal to be reached and celebrated with delight! PAT TURNED 62!!!!

He has been haunting the SSA.GOV website for years. He has collected ALL of those many-folded statements the Social Security office sends you each year regarding the benefits you might expect to have at age 62. Well, the big day came and Pat wistfully wished he could submit his paperwork and start waiting for those monthly checks to roll in. Alas, he is forced to wait longer. The home in Ellijay that we once loved and marveled at our amazing luck to be able to have, is now a two story brick and Tudor around our necks. The real estate market in that little Georgia town is at least two years from any sort of recovery. The entire area is depressed financially. What was once a thriving mountain vacation home market is now flat as a pancake. To continue that analogy, the times of flipping homes is long gone in Ellijay!

So, Pat gets up Monday in the dark and trudges to wherever the FDIC needs him...a lone figure on the thruway of life, driving his Silverado through the snow, still dreaming of submitting his Social Security forms, collecting his stipend, reclining in the family room - living the American Retirement Dream!

FEARLESS PREDICTIONS FOR 2010

2009-12-30T19:33:00.001-08:00

First of all, wasn't it just the MILLENIUM? Weren't we just worrying about what would happen to all of our electronics when the clock ticked 12:01am back then. Here it is all those years later. That is scary!

Here are my FEARLESS PREDICTIONS for 2010~

#1.
I will lose 85 pounds and be a featured story in Ladies Home Journal.

#2.
Pat will finally win Mega Millions. Adios FDIC. Adios house in Georgia. Hello beach condo. Sharesies for everyone we know.

#3.
More than one baby will arrive in the family in 2012. This prediction means that either Ryan and Jessica will have twins, (or) someone else will have to step up to fulfill this prediction. It won't be me.

#4.
Angelina Jolie will leave Brad Pitt for Jennifer Anniston.

#5.
The Republicans will seize control of the Congress. Nancy Pelosi,Harry Reid and Barney Frank will be caught in a tawdry "situation".

#6.
Barack Obama will be impeached.

#7.
D.B.Cooper will be found.

#8.
A cloud of Greenhouse Gas will overtake Algore and he will be rendered speechless for the first 9 months of the year.

#9.
There will be a revolt among the citizens regarding the outrageous bills passed by Congress culminating in a massive rally in Chicago in October.

#10.
We will get to see each and every family member in 2010 and
all of our cherished friends!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL --- MAY IT BE A GREAT ONE!!!

NOT A CREATURE WAS STIRRING....

2009-12-24T13:42:00.000-08:00

Tis the night before Christmas
and all through our house, not a creature
is stirring, not even...Max.
The stockings aren't hung by the chimney with care.
They are out in the garage in a box by a chair.
No one is snuggled all tight in their beds
since it's 415pm and not time for our meds.
With me in my jeans and Pat in his sweats
we had just settled down without any frets.
When out on the lake there arose such a clatter, I jumped from
my rocker to see what was the matter.
Away to the back porch I waddled so fast
slid open the door and shouted "Avast"!
For out past the seawall in a half-submerged boat
was Santa, his bags and some raindeer afloat.
He struggled to shore, all drippy and shivery
and courageously made his meager delivery.
I heard him say as he sloshed down the street
"not coming here again, you can bet your SWEET bippy
I liked Georgia better where it wasn't so nippy!"

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOODNIGHT!!!

TRADITION IS THE NAME OF THE GAME

2009-12-18T17:48:00.000-08:00

This season is a giant fur-ball of traditions...here are a few I have collected over the years.

#1. WHEN CAN WE PUT THE TREE UP?
Do not put the Christmas tree up BEFORE son Jason's birthday. Since he is living out in El Lay, we slip up a bit on that one. But when he was growing up,the holiday waited for his day on Dec.13th.

#2. THE COOKIE JAR
The Christmas cookie jar (a fat ceramic Santa that Uncle Royce gave me back in the early 80s) must always feature two main items- Roly Polys and Butternut Crescents. Each year they taste just a little different. Last year they were outstanding and this year they are pretty awesome too. These little gems have been in the cookie jar since I was a tot. Ditto for my kids. Roly Polys are just pie dough with butter,sugar and cinnamon rolled and cut in slices. The crescents are those buttery melt-in-your-mouth pecan filled jewels covered with powdered sugar. No calories in either of them!

#3. UNCLE CHIP'S BOX
Christmas Eve was the much anticipated opening of Uncle Chip's box of gifts. Now that the kids are all scattered and grown we have had to give up this one. But back in the days, there was nothing better than opening a present before heading up the steps to bed! As kids my brother and I looked forward to the very same thing - the paper-bag wrapped carton tied with twine that came from my Aunt Marg and Uncle Pret.

#4. NOBODY WAKES UP SANTA!
You can get up and stare at everything, but'cha better wait til Ole Santa and wife get their coffee and slippers (or maybe slipper sox if they were lucky to have gotten them the night before!) Go ahead and squeeze the boxes...but WAIT for the Big Man!

#5. THE STOCKINGS
The tradition of filling stockings has always been an art form in our family. To me the stockings are the best part of Christmas. When I was a kid, the stockings were small and always had an orange and walnuts in the toe. Somehow over the years, my kids stockings grew larger...they outgrew the cute little handknit ones with the angora Santas and their names on them. I wish you could see Katie's stocking now. It is at least three feet long and a foot or so wide.
Now THAT is a stocking. Santa had to search for bulky items to fill hers for the last few years!

#6. THE ICYCLE
At some point over the years I acquired a glass icycle ornament. The "kids" decided that the bottom point of that ornament was where the level of the presents under the tree should be. They hung it high. I moved it low. They hung it high. I moved it down. Of course Mrs. Claus always gets the last move!

#7. FUNNY GIFT TAGS
This one started with my Mom. At the end of each Christmas she took all the cards we had received and cut them with pinking shears to make all the TO/FROM labels for the next year. Our gifts had tags that said "To Susan from Santa" or "TO Susan from Mr. & Mrs. Claus". When we got older the tags got more creative - such as this one to my Dad, the golfer: "To Arnie from Mrs. Palmer" etc. You get the idea. Still do this with the cards!

As the child of non-religious parents, I created my own traditions in that area. I went to church every Sunday with some neighbors and sang in the Jr. Choir. I dragged my brother to Sunday school occasionally, trying to save him from the fires of hell. He wore his pajamas under his wool pants so they wouldnt itch. One Christmas my parents came to the candlelight service, my Dad wearing his new hat. He put it on the pew next to him. When he put it on after the service, the brim was filled with candlewax -courtesy of the man behind him. So much for converting the parental units!

It is the little traditions that make Christmas special.
My dream is to have ALL of our kids here for one big Christmas together.

Here are images of Christmas' Past:

PAGING GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON....YOUR BOAT IS READY...

2009-12-09T19:54:00.000-08:00

The wind is howling - gusts up to 60 mph are predicted over the next few days - and snowfall of 2 inches an hour. Should be pretty dramatic! Pat is working in the Syracuse office this week and in order to get there on 81, he travels through what is called the Tug Hill Plateau. They measure snowfall there by the foot, not by the inch. Whiteout blizzards are common. I will be biting my nails until he calls me from the office. Meanwhile Max The Dog and I will be warm and busy starting the holiday baking. That is, unless, the power goes off. If that happens we will be cold, hungry and bored!

OH NO NO....HO HO HO!

2009-12-01T16:45:00.000-08:00

It's not that I haven't been hearing Christmas carols since right before Halloween but it is still a shock to my system. Same shock every year...how in the heck did that year go by so quickly? As a kid, the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas seemed to take forever. Now it seems like it was just the 4th of July! If ever there was a year where I could leave all the holiday decorations in the garage and join everyone say, oh, maybe January 3rd, 2010 this would be it!

This will be the first year that it will be just the two of us. Katie's Christmas trip from San Diego to Syracuse last December was traumatic for ALL of us! Worries about her stranded in Philadelphia, diverted to Binghampton, driving to airports in blizzards...not good! She did get a free ticket out of the ordeal which made it more palatable, but only after months had passed!

Katie, Ryan & Jessica, Jason, Fritz, Erin and Robin and our grandkids will be many many miles away this Christmas.

In an effort to overcome that downer I have already decorated the house and put up the tree. That is a record for me!

Now it is on to more shopping, baking and general ho-ho-hoing!

THANKSGIVING MEMORIES....

2009-11-20T13:06:00.000-08:00

I am thinking of past Thanksgivings (and there have been many of them!). Most of my early Thanksgivings were spent with our family friends the Hahns. As their family grew, so did the chairs at the tables - the adult table and the "kids" table. There isn't a doubt in my mind that the kids table ruled - judging from all the laughter that came from it!

In my hometown the high school football season culminates on Thanksgiving Day with the Easton-Phillipsburg game. Let me tell you, this game is a hot rivalry and full of teen drama! I have a vision of me in bermuda shorts and knee socks and my red and white pompoms walking back home after the game. The smell of burning leaves filled the air, the smell of turkey filled the house.

When I went away to college, I was so homesick and saw an ad on a bulletin board asking for riders to Philadelphia. I signed on. The driver was a big-deal football player and I was a stuttering naive freshmen. It was just the two of us. As soon as we drove out of Wisconsin the snow started falling. By Indiana it was a full-on blizzard. He suggested staying at a motel that night and I was so freaked about being in a motel room with a guy I didnt know. He slept on the floor. Somehow we made it to Philadelphia where my parents picked me up. I think I flew back. Whatta dweeb.

The Thanksgivings as a young bride consisted of riding to Pennsylvania and Upstate New York, first as a couple and then with a baby or two. In California it was much the same, heading to Orange County with kids, coming back late at night, tired and full of food.

I don't think I made my own turkey for Thanksgiving until I lived in Georgia! Thanksgiving during those years meant picking up kids at Atlanta airport or welcoming Erin from college for a too-short visit before Christmas.

For the last few years we have been on our own for Thanksgiving. It seems weird. The very things I didn't like about the holiday when I was younger (all the people and noise) are the very things I miss a lot now! I would love to fill up the house and the table with family and grandkids! Maybe next year......meantime we wish all a Happy Turkey Day, remembering everything for which we are all thankful!

DEDE, DON'T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU ON THE WAY OUT....

2009-11-02T11:43:00.001-08:00

When we left Georgia and the safety of Saxby Chambliss et al, we figured that our votes in New York State elections would be hardly noticed. Well, guess what? Here we are in the midst of the now-famous 23 DISTRICT! I know our votes will count tomorrow!
I'm sure you have heard that Dede Scozzafaza, the so-called Republican on the ticket, was as liberal or MORE than the Democratic guy Owens.

A tiny little group of people began pushing Doug Hoffman. He had become disgruntled when the Republican hierarchy chose Dede who was ID'd as a RINO (Republican in Name Only). All the Tea Party members began emailing and hosting gatherings to support Hoffman, now an Independent on the ticket. Surprise! Much like the Little Engine That Could, Hoffman's campaign gathered steam - and lots of money and support from people waaaay outside the 23rd -people who want to contribute in any way to try and stop what is being pushed down our throats by Nancy Pelosi and her lemmings. Dede showed her true colors when she dropped out and endorsed the Democrat.

I don't know for sure what will happen tomorrow - if Hoffman will prevail. You will notice if you see him being interviewed that he is NOT a professional politician. Not polished and smooth. That's okay. Give me someone with heart and soul and a love of our country and the Constitution over a slick Willie anyday!

Dede has to return to the NY legislature as a turncoat. Good luck to her.

ON THIRTEEN YEARS WITH MY FREQUENT TRAVELER....

2009-10-29T18:46:00.000-07:00

This Sunday will be our 13th Anniversary. they said it wouldn't last! I must say this last year has been quite an adventure. We moved permanently to Pillar Point. Pat had his carotid artery reamed and lived to tell the tale. As soon as his super-glued neck was healed, he started his new job with the FDIC. I think going back to work was harder on him than the surgery! Imagine the shock to your system after being semi-retired, creating just the perfect fit between you and your Laz-y-Boy and then BLAM - up at 515AM driving to places as many as 6 hours away, staying in motels, eating out every meal, and dragging back home at 630PM. That is WHEN you can drive home and not spend the night.

All together now....POOR PAT! I wish I had a skill which would allow me to be the "earner". I love working. But alas, the chore falls to him. Pat has many amazing great qualities - but his "taking-care-of-business" ethic makes me fall for him all over again! I hope that by our 14th our house in Georgia will be sold, or even better that we win the MEGA MILLIONS! Pat's recliner awaits!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY BABY! YIWMYABIWSSIC!

BIRTHDAYS...CONSIDER THE ALTERNATIVE!

2009-10-24T14:40:00.000-07:00

That is what people say after you moan or groan about the accumulated years following your birth. On one hand I am in total agreement and on the other I am in awe that I am so old!! How did THAT happen! Taking account of all body parts and workings I feel lucky to just have a sore knee and screeching sciatica on occasion. We wont talk about crepey cleavage and "laugh lines". (I must have spent most of my life laughing!) Blurry vision, baggy knees and a brand new desire for an afternoon nap are other hallmarks of my present age. I AM happy to be around to celebrate yet another year and look forward to as many more of them as I am allowed!

RAINEY UPDATE.....

2009-10-20T18:28:00.000-07:00

GREAT NEWS!!!

Rainey had her surgery last Thursday and all went beautifully. She is out of the PICU and back in her own room and is scheduled to be discharged this weekend!!!
She has lots of pain but they have a pain pump and I am sure they will send her home with medicines to keep her comfortable. After being away from home and family for several months I can only imagine what a joyous event it will be for both her and Mom to be back home! We will pray that she will not need the second surgery which is the hope of the doctors at this point. We were told that she is 5-1/2 to 6 inches taller! Wow! Time for Gramma to go clothes shopping!!!

PRAISE HIM and the Physicians with their extraordinary gifts! LOVE YOU RAINEY!!!

WITH HUMILITY I ANNOUNCE THAT I HAVE WON THE NOBEL PRIZE FOR MATHEMATICS....

2009-10-12T18:10:00.000-07:00

It will come as quite a surprise to you as it did to me, that I have been awarded the NOBEL PRIZE FOR MATHEMATICS! Imagine my shock when the phone rang in the early morning hours, waking both me and Pat out of a sound sleep. Pat handed the phone to me and said "It sounds like someone with a funny accent". The funny accent turned out to be Gunnar Swenson, chief of the Nobel Prize Awards Consortium. After some back and forth and translation assistance I was ASTOUNDED to learn of my being awarded the NOBEL PRIZE for my work on INTEGERS AND HOW THEY RELATE TO THE U.S. STIMULUS PACKAGE. Now I have to decide what in the heck to do with my million dollar windfall, not to mention what to wear to the award ceremony.( I was told no cleavage which greatly disappoints me and limits my wardrobe choices.)

There are some who may think me undeserving of this Prize since I never got above a D in any mathematical course work. It was explained to me - and therefore I can pass the explanation on to you - that the award was given to me for what I MIGHT accomplish in the future!

If I get my check before the ceremony, let's ALL go! What do you say?
Party DOWN in Norway? I am looking forward to sharing the stage with so many other deserving recipients!

****Just as an aside I hope no one re-reads Nobel's will where it clearly states that the Nobel PEACE Prize should be awarded to the person who:

“ during the preceding year [...] shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.[1] ”

I will get back to you with flight times.....

HAVE THEY STOPPED TEACHING SPELLING IN SCHOOL (ALONG WITH CURSIVE WRITING)?

2009-09-29T17:08:00.000-07:00

I LOVE CRAIGSLIST. On my list of favorite places to snoop on the internet, Craigslist hits just after EBAY - and sometimes before! I have been looking for a reasonably priced wooden bed frame and in so doing, have discovered the most amazing phenomenon. PEOPLE CANNOT SPELL! I am not talking typos here. They get the benefit of the doubt. So just for fun I copied some yesterday that jumped out while I was bed-shopping.

1 SIZE SMALL TAN FLANNEL COLLARD SHIRT
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I will also trade for a bunk bed, mattresses, and chester drawers.
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I need to upgrade and get rid of this armior. It is in great shape.Will sell or will trade for an chester drawers
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too Peacе great room pair
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blask suade couch w/2 black and gold pillows
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you can barley notice it and your box spring will still fit. you cant even notice that it is there. i am selling this only for $100.00 please come get it so it's not just siting around.
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Looking 4 a dinning room table with six chairs good condition *pls email w pics and price -Thanks
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computor table - $40
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Dressor for sale
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Beuitful cheery wood queen size sley bed
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Let me say this. If the price is right on that cheery wood sley bed, I will take it!

*****UPDATE****
The price was MORE than right --- the cheery wood bed is now in residence!

*****UPDATE #2*********
and here is a doozy I spotted a few minutes ago in the BOATS category:
"needs miner repair has allumimn seats ,gunnal and keel 315-783-7676"

TWERP CALL-OUT - YEAH BARNEY, I'M TALKING TO YOU!

2009-09-22T15:47:00.000-07:00

This list could be confused with the Darwin Award List.
Here is my call-out to all the people in the news who annoy the heck out of me.

#1. PEEBO (President Obama) I believe he is systematically trying to steer our country into the dump.

#2. (Tie) NANCY PELOSI, HARRY REID, JOHN MCCAIN, BARNEY FRANK

#3. Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan, Madonna, Pamela Anderson, Bill Maher, David Letterman, Keith Obermann, Chris Matthews, Andrea Mitchell, Charlie Gibson, Brian WhatsHisName on NBC, James Carville, AP, Brian Kilmeade...to be continued....

#4. The entire government of the State of New York...top to bottom, esp our Senators Schumer and Gillibrand...

#5, Billy May - annoying even in death.

#6. The ESPN baseball announcers.

#7. Almost forgot Jimmah Carter, Charlie Rangel

THIGH SIZE AND OTHER TRIVIAL NEWS.....

2009-09-20T13:10:00.000-07:00

SISTERS REJOICE!!! Grab your tape measure and whip it around those thunder thighs!
Here is the basic info from a study done in Denmark. People whose thighs had a circumference less than 23.6 inches were more likely to suffer from heart disease and premature death than those with more chubby gams, according to this study. It’s the first research of its kind, and it could lead to a thigh-size test to determine heart risk, the Independent reports.

But the researchers note that after thighs crossed the 23.6-inch threshold, it didn’t matter how big they were; the risk remained constant for the trim and thunder-thighed alike. I just measured mine a few minutes ago and found them to be just under the cut-off. Just to be sure I will up my Wii workout focusing on that wiggly mass above my knees. My hope is that the scientists will NOT come up with a butt measurement. THAT would be serious!! What if they measure the skin hanging from the upper arm as a predictor of something dire?? I'm doomed!

Peebo (aka Obama) has called Our Governor and asked him not to run again. Is that a precedent? Will he be checking in with all Dem governors who are in bad poll shape? I wish Obama would ask one or both of our Senators not to run again - Schumer and Gillibrand. We hit the political jackpot when we moved here! Gillibrand was one of a few lawmakers who thought it was A-OK to keep giving money to ACORN. Give me a break.

I read today that kids don't have to learn cursive writing anymore. A Mom gave her daughter a paper for her signature and it looked like a first grader's. I suppose the theory is that ALL kids will be communicating via keyboards and won't need to use the written word. How sad. I fondly remember those cursive writing charts around my classroom in second grade. I thought it was fun to make pages of cursive Q's and J's. Our grandkids are getting the short end of the learning stick. Bring back Latin, Art, Music - and cursive writing!

Ryan and Jessica have set their wedding date - August 12th. I am so excited for them! That gives me approximately 10 months to lose 60 pounds. Six pounds a month...
1-1/2 pounds a week. I can do that. Keep telling me that. You can do it. You can do it. It's either that or a yellow tent!

SUMMER, I HARDLY KNEW YE....

2009-09-14T14:39:00.000-07:00

Here at our end of Lake Ontario, boat owners yank their boats, jet-skis, etc from the water right after Labor Day. (Had we known this unwritten rule we might not have lost our boat, dock and rail sytstem in last years September storm!). Though the skies are blue and the temperatures warm, the lake is boatless. I am sure there are some hardy fishermen who go out until it freezes but I haven't seen them this week.
As I have mentioned before, this has been a weird summer -friends in other areas of the country have said the same thing. It has been cool and rainy. Summer arrived a few weeks ago just in time to paint the leaves pretty colors and finish ripening my tomato crop. There seems to be a feeling of "uh-oh! Winter is coming and it will be BAAD". You can see plows attached to trucks already. We ordered 3 tons of pellets the other day. Pat is looking into snow tire prices. Physically we are prepared. Mentally - not so much!

We had a Great Visit with Erin, Steve and Carson-the-Cutie over Labor Day. Pictures to follow. Pat has started his new job. Lots of traveling. He is disappointed to end his part-time retirement but with two mortgages, he will work until it sells. Or til we win the lottery. Or until he gets his first social security check. I used to dream about winning Mega Millions. Now I have more modest dreams - $300,000 would make me jolly.

By the way, Pat got two rubber-gloved thumbs up from his surgical team when he went back for his 6 week check-up last week. They said "come back in a year". What miracles surgeons can pull off with the help of divine intervention!

(CLICK ON PICTURES TO MAKE LARGER)

CARSON CLIMBING IN THE BOUNCE HOUSE

PEEK-A-BOO, I SEE YOU!

VIEW FROM KITCHEN WINDOW

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PAT ON THE CIGAR PORCH

MAX THE DOG

THE WIND GOT ME!

ROOTING FOR RAINEY~

2009-08-25T17:48:00.000-07:00

Regular old cancer is crappy. Childhood cancer on the other hand is an evil monster which must have a stake driven into it's black heart. Our grandaughter Rainey has fought that fight and won. We are very proud of her and her family for doing what had to be done for her to be cancer-free. The bad thing about cancer treatment for children, with their small bodies, is that the cure can cause other problems down the road. For that reason, Rainey and her Mom are on the road to St.Louis where they will work hard to straighten her spine which was damaged by the proton radiation treatment she received years ago. It did a number on the tumor but also caused her spine to be unstable. She has experienced thirty days of traction last October and was fitted with an uncomfortable hot brace which she did not like One Bit. It worked for a while but now the doctors say she needs another month of traction followed by not one but two spinal surgeries - one from the back and the other from the front. We think it isn't fair that she has to go through all of this. We feel helpless. We love you SOOOO much Rainey and want you to know that Grandpa and Gramma Susan are rooting for you like mad!!!

AT LAST - THE TOMATOES!!

2009-08-21T11:47:00.000-07:00

Just when I thought there was not a chance in the world that the green globes on the two tomato plants outside the window would EVER turn red - along comes a week of hot humid weather here - and voila! We have inhaled the first three picked and as I always say - there is NOTHING better than a big fat REAL tomato.

I have added up the cost of my garden: 1 old skiff, 6 bags of soil, 1 bag of fertilizer, 15 packages of seeds from various Ebay sellers (esoteric seeds for chocolate cherry tomatoes, golden yellow tomatoes, snow peas, purple beans, etc) two Big Boy plants from Lowe's = rough estimate total $85.00. Now for the harvest estimates: two meals of snow peas, 4 meals of purple string beans, no esoteric plants survived, 20 tomatoes from the Lowe's plants.All bets are off here for the watermelon vines.

You do the math. Next year when I start blogging about my garden someone please email me and tell me for the love of all that is good,just buy the veggies at a farm stand. The only way growing your own might pay off is if you can get your hands on an acre of land. Dinky is as Dinky does!

WHERE HAS ALL THE SUMMER GONE?

2009-08-08T18:30:00.000-07:00

THE END OF SUMMER by MONET

Is it my imagination or is that the smell and feel of the end of summer? It is harder to recognize this August because we haven't really HAD a genuine sort of summertime here in the Upstate! I noticed in the forecast the low on a night next week is to be 47. That's a bit nippy for August. I have two tomato bushes full of big fat green tomatoes and I am wondering if the days will be warm enough to "reden" them up. My boat planter provided us with maybe three meals of snow peas, two of green beans. The mini watermelons are doing something but I am not sure what exactly since I have never tried them before. They all better hurry up - summers a'wastin'!

Pat put together my bike that he got me for Christmas, and bought one for himself today. We wobbled down the road tonight - it was my first time on a bike since living in Coronado. It's true what they say - you never forget!

While we were in Sams Club today I noticed all the backpacks, boxes of crayons, binders, packages of pens and pencils. The sight brought back memories of all those first days of school with 4 kids. The first day of school pictures...everything all new and fresh.

Another reminder of the dwindling days of summer '09!

SLIDING SCALES.....

2009-08-02T16:35:00.000-07:00

Some of life right now falls under the category of SLIDING SCALES.

The First Scale deals with the ever-present evil weight loss journey. I have discovered that if I Slide the bathroom scale around the floor in certain spots I can register a lower number. This ritual can take up to 20 minutes. I haven't tried to find a spot in the rest of the house that might knock off 3 or 4 pounds but that is a thought! Just picture a nekkid woman in her sunset years sliding her bathroom scale from room to room. Well, maybe not!

One of the many reasons we are paying attention to the numbers on the scale is yet another affront being set up by our big brothers in Washington - being taxed an a Sliding Scale based on one's weight!! The OTP - or the Obese Tax Police will be led by the Fat Czar. When they knock on the door here and try to get ole Pat on the Government Scale it will not be a pretty sight and will most likely be on the national news. It will be an event which will certainly include firearms.

The third Scale pertains to time spent on Ebay and Craigslist compared to number of minutes in the day. I confess to being addicted to both. On Ebay I can find the perfect whatever that I am looking for, and at the moment that is dress shirts for Pat. It beats driving all over town looking for the perfect size, style and cloth. At Craigslist.com I always check two places - BOATS and FREE. After losing our boat last summer to Hurricane Ike I dream of finding the perfect pontoon boat for under $1000! I know-two chances! But it is fun to look! You would be amazed at what people want to give you FREE on Craigslist! I love snooping through the lists.

Sliding scale #4 has to do with the Braves batting averages compared to those of the Marlins, Phillies, and Mets. Pat and I are able to follow the Braves up here thanks to MLB.com. He has a wire that runs from his computer and the MLB website to our TV here in the family room. We can follow the ups and downs of our Bravos as the season shows signs of waning. Things aren't looking that great for The Boys.
I believe they are 4 games out of a wild card slot...and waaaaay behind those nasty Phillies. How can I say that about a team from the State of My Birth?? Easy!

WORKING TOWARD NORMAL....

2009-07-27T18:50:00.000-07:00

It has been a week post-surgery for Pat and all seems to be going according to schedule. His sore throat is no longer a subject, the bruising and red marks on his face are mostly gone. His only complaint lies under the scar. He swears Svetlana (the resident who did most of the surgery) left a tube of lipstick in there. That's how it feels to him. "Just my luck" he says. "The surgery was a success but the doctor left her makeup in the trough". He is getting mighty tired of administrating his Lovenox shots in his stomach. That area of his body looks as if he has gone a few rounds and took some illegal punches. Hopefully his INR levels will be fine (clotting levels) so he can just use his coumadin (aka rat poison). We have said often this week how lucky we are that it all went as well as it did.

Since there has been very little sign of summer here in the tundra I have been working on my home handywoman projects which I love. My biggest problem is knowing when to quit. I pick up my paintbrush in the morning and Pat has to pull it out of my gnarled hand at 530p! There is nothing more fun to me than seeing a change for the better. In the past few months I have: painted two bedrooms, the living room, three porches and assorted railings, various sets of shutters, the "skirt" of our retirement trailer, done some sod work and grass-from-scratch in the front yard, started the pavers there...and....I guess that's it. I wish my Dad had taught me how to do things with tools, just as I wish he had taught me how to play golf!

There is a feeling that outside projects better get finished quickly before the snow and ice start. In November the inside stuff will start - like painting the laundry room, quilting, and if I can force myself....some major reclining!!

YAY - IT'S OVER!!!!

2009-07-18T17:51:00.000-07:00

We are back at the lake after Pat's surgery. He did well and now has to take it easy for the next 30 days...no yardwork, no strenuous anything. And, by the way Mr. Skinner, here is a low fat, low cholesterol diet which you should follow, which will
virtually eliminate pretty much everything you love to eat! But....your artery is free and clear. Amen and thank you Lord!!!

ROTTED CAROTIDS

2009-07-05T08:54:00.000-07:00

About a month ago Pat and I were here in the family room surfing the net, when Pat said to me "I can't see out of my left eye". WHAT??? In a few minutes his vision returned. I told him he should go to an opthamologist NOW. He finally got an appointment not with an opthamologist but an optometrist.

[As a side-item, it is not easy to find medical care here. I have been told that the reason is that doctors choose warmer climes over the north so there is a shortage of doctors here. We are in the military health circle which makes it somewhat easier for Pat - he can visit a VA Clinic and the VA Hospital in Syracuse.]

Back to my story.

The optometrist dilated his eyes and said he most likely had an optical migraine. He was relieved. I was relieved. But then a few days later a friend of ours woke up in the morning and was blind in his left eye. His vision never returned.His diagnosis - a stroke.

So Pat in his infinite wisdom decided to check with an opthamologist at the VA Hospital where that moment of vision loss was diagnosed as Amaurosis Fugax. Cutting to the chase - it meant he had a TIA. A TIA is a warning sign of stroke...in fact some websites call it a "mini-stroke". Thankfully, that doctor recommended he have several other tests - such as an MRI, CAT scan, and Doppler Ultrasound of his carotid arteries. When all these tests were completed everything was fine EXCEPT for his carotid arteries. The Doppler found the left carotid 70+% blocked and the right about 50% blocked. Not the kind of news we wanted!

Pat has met with the chief Vascular Surgeon at the VA Hospital and he is scheduled to have the left one reamed on July 17th. The right one they will keep an eye on. Noone looks forward to surgery - but I think both of us are looking forward to having it in the past tense. Pass the valium,please!

WHO DA THUNK?

2009-07-03T13:10:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I needed some potatoes for dinner so I reached into a 5lb bag of Idahos and pulled out....an alien growth! It was shriveled and wrinkled much like me before my nightly beauty treatment. It had these white tentacles reaching out through the net window on the bag. I hoped it was just that one but as luck would have it, the entire bag had turned into aliens. I pulled the bag out and it sat on the kitchen stool 'til I figured out what to use instead of potatoes for our dinner. Later I had a thought. I wonder what would happen if I planted these wrinkled spuds - woudl I get some potato vines similar to my sweet potato vines?
I cut them up into sections, all of which had the tentacles and put them in a baggie with some water to keep them moist. The next morning I took them out to the front of the house. This was back in May so NOTHING was in bloom and the yard looked pretty sad. I dug holes big enough to cover each piece and then basically forgot about them until in early June I saw green leaves popping up. Eureka. I grew something...but what would it look like? I have the answer for you!

The moral of this story is:

If you need a free landscaping plant with pretty pastel flowers, hide your potato sack in the pantry for a month and then plant them in your yard! I may branch out and plant the strange matter that is lurking at the bottom of my refrigerator drawers!