Recently in Def-y's Categorizing Category

This evening, Dear Husband and I sat in the living room while we had a quick dinner. We were watching the news and there were two stories in particular that caught our attention.

First, at a Boeing plant in Pennsylvania, a Chinook helicopter going through final assembly was found to have cut wires. A second helicopter had a washer where it didn't belong. It gave me the chills to think that someone would willingly damage these helicopters, knowing that the crews who flew them might possibly die.

We both felt that this story was underplayed in the news. I checked for the story at CNN before I began writing tonight, and felt they had underplayed it as well. Perhaps there is a reason for this. It may be that they didn't have the details yet. They may have not wanted to speculate (although that doesn't seem to bother a lot of TV news departments these days). Perhaps Boeing was not willing to have their name splashed over the news for substandard products, although it was clearly an act of sabotage. They may have chosen to keep a lid on the story as security tries to determine what happened, and who might have had the opportunity to do the damage.

The second story was similar in a way, but was really one of local impact. Four or five students at a Chicago middle school vandalized the school. The news staff interviewed dozens of people from school staff and administration right up the chain of command to Mayor Daley. The school authorities have not decided just what will happen to these students, but there is discussion of expelling them from school.

Tables were turned over, books and papers thrown to the floor. Something was spread over, or ground into the carpet, and perhaps some equipment was damaged. All these things could be repaired.

If the students are expelled, just what does that mean? Will they be free to run around while the rest of the students finish out the last month of school? Will they be allowed to return to school next fall, and repeat the year, or do they have to find a way to finish the last semester on their own? I can see I really need to talk with my sister, Nan, who teaches kids "at risk." Her school provides kids with their last chance at a public education before they are asked to leave the system.

Dear Husband and I were of the opinion that in-school suspension, no extra-curricular activity, and time spent cleaning up either their mess, or other messes, would be a better choice than expulsion. By taking them out of an arena where they get any reinforcement for what they've done, and by making them work to repair damage, it would take the "fun" out of the rampage. Now would be a good time for these students to learn that you have to be responsible for your action.

Let me say that we are concerned that a story which has national impact received less coverage than this local story. While it occurred out of state, had the damage not been discovered, the sabotage would have increased our concerns about terrorism, and it could have had a global impact. Perhaps terrorists have found a subtle way to redirect our focus, forcing us to review all that we do. How can we know if we've hired a saboteur, or a patriot?

On the other hand, perhaps we need to focus on the local level. If we "nip it in the bud" as Barney Fife used to say, we might head off problems in the future. Could it be that once a kid finds he can hold a school district hostage, be goes on to bigger projects? Do saboteurs act to support a political ideology, or are they kids who were once vandals, looking for a bigger thrill.

I don't have the answers. As usual, I have a LOT of questions, but I certainly hope that those people who have chosen to work against society, be they child or adult, learn that you have to be responsible for your actions.

...for myself, yesterday. I had a mammogram, a dexa test, and a pap smear. I know....two of the most unpleasant tests women have to do, and I did them on the same day. But it went well. I had a radiation tech who really knew her business, and I think she may have taken just six "pictures." That I'm not sure of the number is a testament to how well she did.

Last year, I went to a different facility, and was roughly pulled around and smashed into position TEN TIMES!! I vowed never to go to that facility again. This time, I was in the same building as my doctor, just steps away from my next test. I think I may write a letter of commendation for the technician, because she did a phenomenal job.

Then, I had a visit with my doc, who did the pap smear. She is incredibly deft. I tend to dread this test because I've had doctors who apparently didn't know their anatomy, but this doctor is very good. I prefer having a woman do the test. I'm sure you know all the reasons. It seems to me that someone who has the same plumbing as I do, responds differently to this test than those who don't. I'm not guy-bashing. I am just more comfortable having a woman do the test.

The results won't be in for a bit. The tests have to be read, and then the results shipped to my doctor. Finally, someone from the office has to mail the information to me, so I don't expect to know the results for a couple of weeks. That's okay....I can wait.

I've scheduled fasting blood tests for both Elegante Mother and myself in June. I've been talking with Joy, at The Joy of Six, about weight loss and exercise, and how difficult it is to get yourself into the groove on things that will make your life better. I told her that I may use the coming blood tests as a focal point to try to improve my diet. Perhaps if I have a specific goal that isn't so overwhelming, I might have more success. We can hope!

And.....I had a tetanus shot! Since I'm playing around in the dirt, and Lord knows what's in that dirt after getting a new roof put on the house, and adding compost made elsewhere, it seemed like a good idea to get that shot.

Am I ready for summer? I sure hope so. At least I don't have those tests hanging over my head, and I can get on with things!

We've been having an amazing day! We rose fairly early, and Dear Husband and I put together a breakfast buffet for Elegante Mother and the two of us. It seemed to hit the spot; everyone left the table satisfied.

We gave the digital picture frame to EM and THAT was a hit! YES!! We explained that all my siblings could put together pictures of their families that could be played in this frame. *G* I can't wait for EM to start nagging them about the pictures! (chuckling) Meanwhile, she is sitting, watching the pictures waiting to see who comes up next.

It's rained heavily, and is still raining. So much water has accumulated at the south end of the herb garden that Mrs. Mallard is floating in the water. She could actually swim, if she didn't paddle too deeply! *G* The wind is whipping the trees around, and it's chilly. The wind seems to be from the northeast. The gutters are having trouble keeping up with the rain running off the roof. DH checked the sump pumps and one seems to be running a little slow, but we are still dry, and should continue to be so.

I'm going to fold some clothes and hang up most of our wardrobe, water the houseplants, and then I get to sew for several hours. I'm trying to get the blocks pieced for my second grand-daughter's baby quilt. there's nothing better than finishing a piecing project and getting it ready to be quilted! *S*

I hope you're all having a great day. For those of you who are mothers, Happy Mother's Day!

Mother's Day will be here in just a couple of hours. It's going to be a chilly, rainy day that we will spend inside, for the most part. Elegant Mother loves lobster. Unfortunately, her appetite is so small now that she can not eat an entire lobster tail at one sitting. We discovered that Red Lobster has smaller lobster tails, so we offered to take her there for dinner. One of my sisters will be joining us, so there should be something new added to our table talk.

It can be difficult to decide what to get Elegante Mother for Mother's Day. In the past we have resorted to gift certificates to book stores, to hobby stores, or to nurseries. Sometimes the gift is a day out, or a special meal on a weekend. This time we broke our own rule and bought her something electronic.

I was shopping on Thursday at a office supply store and found a variety of digital picture frames were available. The one I wanted, the simplest of those offered, had been sold out, but they were able to ship it to us from the warehouse the very next day. Voilà! Instant gift!

I purchased several flash drives on Thursday, and spent some time Friday night transferring pictures to them. One was Red Hat Lady pictures that I wanted to share with the Queen of our chapter. That was quite fortuitous, as they asked me to take pictures of everyone who attended the meeting today, so that we could create a photo book of our members. It will all fit on the same drive. I plan to repeat the picture taking next month, to try to get pictures of those who were absent today.

On the second drive, I'm going to collect all the shots I've taken of our exercise class over the past two years. I can take the flash drive to one of the pharmacies or discount stores and have a set of the pictures printed and put it into an album for our leader. I'm not a terribly good photographer, but I'd be happy to make copies of the prints for my classmates, if they wish.

And we come to that last flash drive. I selected a range of pictures from the family computer and moved them to the flash drive. I have more pictures on the office computer, but I'll have to shift those to a disk, and transfer them to the family computer because all the USB ports already have connections in the office. Who knew when we bought it that we would want more ports!??

The digital picture frame is very easy to use (once you get the power supply connected properly.) With the flash drive, it will hold tons of photos, and can be set to shift at a variety of speeds. Best of all, I can give others in my family flash drives to fill, and we can swap the drives every now and then so EM can see all of her family.

We plan to surprise her with it tomorrow. I'll make breakfast and plug the frame in while she's out of her sitting room. I can show her the on/off button. It's all she needs to know! *G* I hope it's a hit!.

Our weathermen are saying that it will be an extra blanket night. This is one of my favorite times of the year. I don't care for heat, and I really don't care for frostbitten toes and nose. I love cool weather, both during the day and at night. This is great sleeping weather!

As a matter of fact....I think it's bed time!

I hope you all sleep well, and find yourself refreshed and comfortable when tomorrow arrives!

From ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties and things that go bump in the night...Dear Lord preserve us!

This is a difficult entry to write, but I'm in trouble with my Mother, again. This happens with a fair degree of regularity. Mother has a very comfortable life with us, but I'm confident that she would rather live with any of my siblings. On the surface, this seems like the ideal situation. She has the front half of our house, and all the storage she wants in the basement. She has total access to the kitchen and the laundry and we've created container gardens for her on the sidewalk so that she can keep her hand in at gardening, now that she can no longer get into the regular gardens.

I take my mother to all her hair and doctor appointments, and to exercise three mornings a week. We stop at the bank, grocery shop and occasionally hit specialty stores together. I ask for her input on meals, and have forced myself not to nag her about what she eats (butter, chocolate, crackers, ice cream etc.) or doesn't eat (protein, veggies). I'm the person who took her to all her chemo appointments when she had colon cancer. I'm the one who hosts the Empty Nester Sewing circle once a month so that she can be among her friends from church. I'm also the one who takes her to the Red Hat Lady functions.

Unfortunately, I'm also the impatient one. When I call you to dinner, I am ready to have you sit at the table. Meals don't mean as much to Mother these days, so once we get her to the kitchen, and deal with a resting place for her cane, we still have to surmount the obstacle of getting her seated and served. Generally, she sees it as a social hour. By that time of day I frequently don't have what it takes to stand and chat, knowing that it will delay the time when I can sit and put my feet up for the evening.

My mother is very attuned to criticism and sees it where it doesn't exist. Recently she has taken to telling people that she is very fortunate that we have been willing to "put up with her." I'm sure that my impatience has leaked out....and I need to find a way to accept that there is nothing as important right now as peace in my household, and my mother's comfort.

My mother needs the security of knowing that she is wanted, and welcome. Don't we all feel that way? We made the choice to have her live with us. We never said...."Come live with us for the next ten years." She has actually been with us for nineteen years. I certainly hope, should I get to be ninety-one, that someone will care for me with compassion, and have more patience than I seem to be able to corral.

So, as we near Mother's Day, I'm contemplating ways to make Mother happy. The first entry on my checklist is.....MORE PATIENCE!

Dear Husband mowed for the first time this year on May 6th!

We don't generally push the mowing season. One of our neighbors was out mowing two weeks ago, but he has a pocket yard that is treated by one of the lawn companies. Our lawn finally needed attention today.

We had a beautiful sunny morning, but clouds have been moving in, and we'll have rain later tonight, tomorrow and tomorrow night. This will probably kill off our tulips and daffodils, but it will make way for the lilacs, peonies and iris, so it's not all bad.

Dear Husband takes the boat to Lake Michigan on May 16th and quilting season arrives the same day! *G*

I had intended to remove the screens tomorrow, clean the inside windows, wipe up all the spider webs, clean the screens and re-insert them. It sounds worse than it is. We don't have screens on every window, and they are taken out from the inside. It's a rite of Spring, part of spring cleaning that really needs to be done after a long winter.

I could get this job done despite the heavy rain coming through, but there have been a few changes to the game plan. Elegante Mother was not feeling well on Thursday, so she canceled her standing hair appointment. I made another appointment for her this Saturday morning at 8:30.

Then, I'm sad to say, a friend from the Empty Nesters group at Elegante Mother's church has passed away. He was a fascinating man. HE had just recently been moved to a nursing home. His 88th birthday was about two weeks ago, so the Empty Nesters all gathered to celebrate with him. Walt had been in the Army Air Corps stationed in England during World War II. He became very fond of English tea, not just the drink, but the afternoon meal. The EN group arranged for small sandwiches, sausage rolls, fruit, punch, tea, and birthday cake. Walt couldn't get enough to eat! I suspect the food at the nursing home was radically different from what he was used to eating.

The ladies of the Empty Nesters got together and designed a wall hanging which one of them created using embroidery machines. It commemorated Walt's life, with squares about England, and Wisconsin. We all signed the back of the wall hanging.

So, it was with great sadness that I learned he had passed away early this week. There will be a service Saturday afternoon, followed by a reception. We've offered to provide Caesar salad, brownies and lemon bars for the reception, and I'll serve while EM sits and talks with friends.

Shortly after the reception, we have to hurry and get a light dinner. One of my talented great-nephews is performing in "Les Miserables" and we have promised to be in the audience. EM is going to be exhausted! This is a lot more than she is used to doing.in one day.

So.....clean windows have been set back a day or two in favor of much more important activities. I can't say I really mind.

I've had the great pleasure to participate in the Share a Square Project founded and managed by Shelly Tucker. Last year, Shelly asked people if they would please send her a six inch crocheted granny square to be used in afghans for kids who will be attending cancer camp this June in Fort Worth, Texas. Shelly hoped that enough people would donate squares that they might be able to make 140 afghans, each having 48 squares. (Let me do the math.....hold on while I take my shoes off.......Um, that would be 6720 squares.) Shelly also wanted all the squares in an afghan to be from 48 different people. The squares have name tags with messages for the kids tied to them. Each child will also get a special bag to hold all these name tags as a memory of the 48 people who cared enough to send them a square.

A number of the ladies in my exercise class donated squares to the cause. I think we may have sent around 300 squares. I lost count as I sent the third box of squares to Shelly. Late this winter, I realized that Shelly still needed help to assemble afghans, so I volunteered to take on two of them, and then I ran to my exercise friends and begged them to help me! And boy, did they! We finished the two afghans and I was able to send them off last week. This project has brought us a LOT of joy!

This is the first of the two afghans:

Sometime around January Shelly realized that she had more squares than she needed. She thanked people for their generosity and said they could stop crocheting squares. A month or two later, it almost sounded as though she was BEGGING people to stop sending squares. I think she has been inundated with over 10,000 so far. You can click on the link above, and in the upper right corner of her blog, you'll see a link to Share a Square. Go visit to she how they are doing. And, I hope you'll consider sending Shelly a donation to help defray the registration expenses for the campers. Each child is assessed $150, and anything we can do to help make it possible for them to get to camp is a GOOD THING!
Here's the second afghan we assembled:

Shelly, thanks for letting us share the joy! Congratulations on a job well done!

Last week I had my head down, ploughing through the work on my desk so that we could take a three-day weekend to visit with my sister, Nan, for her birthday. I didn't have much time to read my e-mail and even less to visit my favorite blogs.

I was irritated this morning to learn that I had missed wishing one of my favorite on-line and real life friends "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" How could I have forgotten?! Luckily, Bogie, her daughter, bid her mother a happy birthday, so I figured out my error.

No doubt I have missed a whole lot of birthdays on-line. I hope you all had wonderful celebrations of your special day.

So...COP CAR.....I missed the right day, but I hope you know that my wish is most sincere, when I tell you that I hope you had a great day, and that you did something special to commemorate the momentous occasion of your birth! *G* Happy Birthday, my friend!.

Go read what Cop Car has to say on April 20th. I like her thoughts about what the focus of our election should and should NOT be! Way to go, CC!

....My sister, Nan, and her family! Nan's birthday is this weekend, and it's Prom time for the girls. Elegante Mother, Dear Husband and I are going to amble down through the fields today. Our oldest sister, My-Sister-The-Nurse, and her husband (yet to be nicknamed), will be joining us on Saturday.

Second Son is going to stay home and keep an eye on Ed. Someone has to be his doorperson!

We have a car to finish packing, and some last minute details to attend to. We'll be back late on Sunday.

I hope you all have a great weekend; I expect to!

Out of curiosity, I scrolled down through my archives to see when I started blogging. In 20 days, I will have had a blog for FIVE YEARS! It's really hard to believe I've been on-line that long.

A friend from the Red Hatters once likened my blog to the diary which Samuel Pepys kept. We both cover the minutia of our lives. On rare occasions, I get on the soap box, but for the most part, this is a journal of my days.

Today as I browsed through my friend's blogs, I discovered that one was writing about the prevention of dissemination of information about contraception and abortion, another was writing about her family honoring those lost in World War II. Another of my blogging friends spends her days working for Blogher, and so on, and so on, and so on. Nothing earthshaking is happening on my blog, but these ladies are clearly interested in what's going on around them, and not afraid to discuss it.

I may be a little jealous of their wider horizons, but there's nothing keeping me from following their lead. Sooner or later, I'll get there. Until then, you can continue to expect to see me whining about weeding, and complaining about poison ivy, kvetching about the lack of time to quilt, and carping about the demands of the house and office.

When it gets old, tell me to lighten up! ( And I'll just go off and sulk for a bit. *G*).

I don't know that I've said much about my beverage of choice, but I am one of those rare people who don't drink coffee. When I was growing up, Elegante Mother had a variety of teas available, and I came to like iced tea in the summer and hot tea in colder weather. I enjoy Earl Grey, Darjeeling, Jasmine, English Breakfast, and black tea flavored with orange. I don't care for fruit flavored tea (with the exception of a decaffeinated apricot tea I found some years ago) or most herbal teas, and until recently I wanted my iced tea to be strong, orange and black pekoe without sweetening.

I am making the first step toward a healthier me by changing the blend I use for iced tea. My youngest sister, Nancy, told me years ago that she was making her iced tea by brewing it with three bags of orange and black pekoe, and two of green tea. This week, I swapped one of the black tea bags for green tea. I can't tell there's been a change, and I know that the green tea is a healthier drink. Soon, I'll be using two of the green tea bags.

I know, Sis....it took me a while, but I'm getting there. Thanks for the tip! *S*

And, while we are on the subject of tea, is anyone else irritated with Mickey D's for being served sweetened tea when you have taken pains to request UN or NOT sweetened tea? Sometimes the problem is with the microphone system where you place your order, and sometimes it's with a server who only drinks sweetened beverages, who automatically goes to that canister. Now, when I order tea, I ask them to confirm that it is not sweetened when they hand it to me. There's nothing worse to a tea purist than getting a mouth full of sugar when you are anticipating the clean, astringent taste of unsweetened tea! Yuck!

First, I have a new grand niece! (Is that what you call your nephew's daughter??) This is My-Sister-The-Nurse's TENTH grandchild, and Elegante Mother's 25th great grand child. Pretty cool, huh? There will be four babies born to our family in one year. There's still one more to come, in September. My youngest granddaughter arrived at the end of September. Another of my grand nieces arrived on Christmas Night, one came yesterday, and the last is due at the very start of September. Isn't it wonderful to have babies to hold? The women in my family are good about sharing so the kids just go from woman to woman to woman. Even the girls get in on the baby holding.

Today, I collected Elegante Mother and made a trip to Morris, Illinois. Ostensibly it was to purchase birdseed, but Morris has this amazing quilt fabric store.... I warned Dear Husband that I was going to Morris. I have to give him credit. He didn't even roll his eyes!

We played at the fabric store for the better part of an hour, and then shopped for bird seed. For some reason my mother has taken a liking to the diner at the truck stop. This is the LAST place I'd expect her to choose for a meal, but she was happy as a clam with the luncheon special of salad bar and half a tuna sandwich (which she brought home).

We chatted about what we were seeing in the farmland as we drove We are both interested to see how well the farmland churches are being maintained. God is alive and well in rural Illinois. Some of these churches have even added schools, so the kids are educated closer to where they live.

We saw several types of towers that must be for reception of tracking data. UPS keeps track of their trucks and they know when a package has been delivered. The pipelines have (or used to have) towers to keep track of the flow of the oil (I think...I'm a little rusty on this, since Dad, my font of knowledge passed away more than two decades ago.) I'm sure in this day and age there are dozens of reasons for these towers. There are two of them just down the road from us.

We also watched the suburban crawl edging over hills that used to be prime farmland. To get to what we can honestly call "rural" land now, you have to drive an hour and a half out of Chicago, at the very least.

We had a lovely day. Elegante Mother loves to go for day trips like this, and she informed me that I was NOT to return to Morris without her! *G* I think we'll go in warmer weather so that we can visit some of the specialty shops that have popped up in town. We both would like to look at antiques and linens. I'll have to see if I can pry EM away from the truck stop for lunch so that we can try some of the restaurants, too! *G*

This was a "good time was had by all" day. Now we can settle in for the rainy days to come and not worry about impending cabin fever.

This morning I had a call at 7:30. I was getting ready to go to exercise. We'd been planning a party for our exercise leader, who turns 60 on Saturday and I wanted to get to class a little early. The call was from our guru, who croaked out..."I'm sick. Can you cover for me at class, or should we cancel?" know the class was disappointed when I arrived and announced that I'd be subbing. We went through an old routine which kept us busy, but didn't really move us forward .

The ladies who were organizing the class party said that they would hold off until Monday to celebrate her birthday. We're each planning to give her sixty of something. I chose marbles, so that should she ever feel that she's lost her marbles, she have some spares on hand!

Our guru has invited us to an open house at her home tomorrow. When she called this morning, I asked if she was canceling her party. She and her husband wanted to make it through today before deciding whether to cancel the party. She just sent an e-mail to let me know that the party is on. Now, I'll need to let Elegante Mother decide whether she wishes to risk catching anything.,although it's probably a moot point, since I plan to go.

It's been a long week. I may sleep in tomorrow, and then do some yard work before we go to the party. I'm looking forward to a little time out of the office.

My audit is DONE! OVER! FINISHED! KAPUT!

I wish I could tell you that my bookkeeping was perfect, but over the course of three and a half years, I under-reported 17.5 hours. :-(

It could have been so much worse. The auditor had a name on his list to check that he thought hadn't been reported. The man had worked close to 900 hours for us. I was on the verge of apoplexy at the thought of the cost and penalties. I was able to hand the auditor the union report, showing that I had paid the benefits, and that the auditor had made an error.

Those 17.5 hours really bug me, but I should point out that in that time period, I reported that our bricklayers and laborers worked a total of 82,173 hours, plus a little overtime. It puts the 17.5 hours into perspective.

I can tell you that the union spent more to do the audit than they will get back in benefits and penalties! *G*

Now, If only someone would put away all the data that I had to drag out for the audit, I'd be a happy camper!

This has been an odd morning. This is the last day before the audit, and I'd planned to work in the office all day. I rose around 5:15 or so, and read for a bit, and then threw on my clothes. I did a few chores, and started a load of laundry, and then headed to the office with a cup of tea to make a grocery list. Dear Husband took the garbage out this morning and asked if I was hiding garbage stickers somewhere. Not good.

The rest of the house was still asleep when I headed to the store. It's very odd to be there when they are cleaning the deli, and the baked goods are not yet out, and the fish and meat market is empty and dark. Luckily, I didn't need anything from those areas. I had most of what I needed for the week on hand, and just had to round things out, and pick up some garbage stickers!

I gave Elegante Mother a French cruller, and then headed to the office. I've paid my personal bills, and next up is our smaller company. Then, I'll be back to working on things for our audit. When I was filing, I found the letter from the company who will be doing the audit. I also have a letter from the Union. It's interesting to note that the letters do not agree as to the scope of the audit, nor the dates covered. Basically, the auditor wants every paper that's crossed my desk for a period of three years and four months. We'll see about that.

Doesn't it sound like a witch hunt? I know the union hopes to make more money from us with unpaid benefits and penalties, but I'm confident that our records are correct, and complete. In return for giving me all this grief, I plan to smile in the knowledge that there just aren't any mistakes. *S* (Can you see me stomping my foot and saying "So THERE!!"?)

So....I'll be at my desk for a while, and I might even be here this evening, but most of the pressure will end sometime tomorrow. YEA!! The good part of all of this is that I can see the top of my desk, and I'll be able to do a little Spring Cleaning in the office. Good timing: the CPA will be here to help me with first quarter reports in a couple of weeks, and I'll be ready for her.

We're having Chicken and Ham Tetrazzini for dinner, with roasted asparagus, and maybe a salad. Comfort food at it's best, and perfect for a gray, dreary day. Come on sun.....show your face!

I hope you're all having a good day, and that Spring is finding it's way to you. *S*

We were invited to a friend's 50th wedding anniversary celebration yesterday. Lyn and her husband have an amazing array of friends. There were people from school, and from the first town they lived in. There were farmers from the land around their home, neighbors, and business acquaintances, quilt guild members and friends from Bible study and church. And, FAMILY! We arrived about halfway through the afternoon and the room was PACKED! People came, and people stayed. It was a lovely celebration of fifty years together.

Happy 50th, Lyn and Wayne!

We eat out perhaps twice a month. In this corner of the western suburbs of Chicago there are endless opportunities for dining out, and the number is growing every day. We have a favorite upscale restaurant that has a sister site on Navy Pier in Chicago, and we were delighted when they opened the restaurant less than three miles from us. I wouldn't say we dine there frequently, or as frequently as we'd like. It's always fun to have a reason to go.

A friend from exercise class lost her husband early this year. I know that right after a funeral, there are a lot of calls and letters from friends, and that the attention begins to taper off as time passes. I thought it might be fun to treat her to dinner at this restaurant. She and her husband had been eating out for the past three years, so I thought it might make an evening pass more pleasantly for her, and she would have the chance to see a restaurant she might not go to on her own.

It was a wonderful evening. We all chose wines to start the meal, and chatted while we looked over the menus. Oddly, Elegante Mother and our guest and I all chose almost the same meal: petite fillet with a double baked potato. This restaurant is known for seafood and steaks, but this is the first time I've ever ordered a steak. Of course, it was superb. We dined early, to suit Elegante Mother's needs, so we had all the attention we needed. As the room began to fill up, a keyboardist and singer entertained us. It was just a very pleasant night.

I think we might do this again, but next time we'll try another of the restaurants available to us, just for variety. I hope it helped our friend to have the chance to talk, and to get out. I know it will be a long time before she adjusts to her loss, and I hope we can help her through it.

A good time was had by all!

....We hope! This past weekend was lovely! My youngest sis, Nan, and her family drove up from Indiana to spend the weekend with us. We went to have Portillo's famous Italian beef for lunch, and then came home to play with some of the preparations for Easter.

Saturday night, the girls all gathered to do a baby shower for a niece who will be giving birth April 7th. One of my nieces lives in Perth, Australia, and since she was going to be in town for the weekend, they decided they would organize the baby shower so she could participate. It was lovely to have dinner with all the women in the family, and to see a store-ful of adorable baby clothes!

Sunday, my sister and her husband fixed breakfast for us, and we all headed off to my oldest sister's church. Our family filled three pews. One of the members of the church asked how many generations of our family were there. This is an old farm community church, where generations of continual attendance matters. There were FOUR generations present.

We rushed home to set tables, heat the ham, make green bean casserole, and generally get ready. It should be said, that Dear Husband, Elegante Mother and I offer our home, but everyone else pulls together to see that the day is special. I could NOT have done it without the help of my youngest sister and her family. My-Sister-The-Nurse brought half the meal, but Nan's family saw to the tables, the seating, the decorations, the logistics that ultimately made everyone comfortable, and made the house look lovely.

There were approximately thirty people here yesterday, including two first-time visitors. We were talking about spanning those four generations, and I suggested that it was possible that there could be five. The mother of the oldest great granddaughter fanned her face, looked panicked, and suggested that it was too soon for us to even consider that! *G* Okay....it's too soon, but it's lovely to see our gathered family and enjoy the continuity of our line.

I hope you all enjoyed the day as much as I did. The final and perfect touch to the day was discovering that the crocus are up! Spring is on its way. We're blessed!

...or as we affectionately call him, ED, is my old black cat. You can see the silver threads in his coat. I think our vet believes he's a miracle cat.

Ed has been an outdoor-indoor cat since he first adopted us in 1991. He was roughly two years old at the time, and we were having a vicious winter. Somehow he made it into the garage and was curled up on the seat of the riding mower when I first met him. He had obviously been raised around people, and had just as obviously been abandoned. It's taken him most of his life to warm up to us, and he's been grudging about giving away his love and trust.

I know.....WHY keep a cat like that? Who can explain how you fall in love with a "pet?" This cat has trained us to his bidding. Elegante Mother opens the door for him to come and go, and she and I feed him on demand. He's as likely to slice our hands with his claws as he is to rub around our ankles, begging to be petted. He's just Ed, and he's a major part of our lives.

Unfortunately, he has begun to show signs of kidney failure. I knew, before we went for his annual checkup what they were likely to find. I approved the drawing of blood for tests just to confirm what I was seeing, and I was right. He's past the early stages, and is moving into the more pronounced middle stage.. He's lost weight, and the fat that normally covers his shoulder blades and pads his hip bones. He drinks, and pees, a lot.

Despite that, he seems to be in good spirits, and is still eager to go out, at least, when he feels the weather is bearable. He's been inside for most of the winter because it's been so bitterly cold.

This morning he went out. It's a bright, sunny, chilly morning. I set the timer for ten minutes and went to see if he was ready to come in. No cat. I looked again five minutes later, and to the side of the door, there's this black shadow. When I opened the door, I realized that Ed had caught another chipmunk, and was just getting ready to eat! YUCK!!!!

Dear Husband is on burial duty. It's his job to whisk away the remains. I sure hope that we don't have any visitors before DH gets home! *G* I suppose I have to go to the door and let Ed in.....

Despite my complaints about chipmunk parts being left around, I'll really miss this cat. He's my "kid." He comes to sit with me at the end of the evening, and we share warmth. I'll miss the little bugger.

A member of my family is angry with me. Unfortunately, I have absolutely no clue as to the cause. I realized more than six months ago that he was very carefully not speaking to me unless he was cornered. When he had absolutely no choice, he spoke to me in a sarcastic tone of voice, and still does.

One day when we were visiting their home, he offered a beverage to everyone but me, and though we've visited several times, he's continued that practice. When he comes to my home, he speaks to everyone but me. Yesterday, we were packing up the leftovers for the families to take home with them, and I asked if he ate ham. He replied that he did, but they wouldn't be taking any of it home.

My inclination is to turn my back on this childishness. Speaking to him is not going to resolve the issue, because he doesn't care to hear what I might have to say. I could refuse to go to their house, given that I am not welcome, and I could even make a point of not welcoming him to my house, but that doesn't resolve the issue. It only escalates the problem, and spreads it further throughout the family.

The question is, what do I do? Do I confront him and ask why he's behaving this way? I suspect that he would deny that he's been rude to me, but others are beginning to notice what's going on. One of my concerns is that if I let it go on to long, I'll snap one day, say something that compounds the problem, and we'll have a worse situation than we have now. He's the master at passive-aggressive behavior, when I'm a what-you-see-is-what you-get sort of person. I'm more likely to avoid conflict until it can be avoided no more.

I really don't want to cause any division in my family. I don't want anyone to have to consider whether or not they should invite me, and by extension, Dear Husband, or whether it's not worth the trouble.

If you have advice, I'd love to hear it.

I hate word problems! Why in the world would someone want to know what time it will be in Schenectady when two trains crash in Nevada??

A "friend" sent me a math problem yesterday. It took me three tries, but I finally got it right. Did I mention it's a FIFTH GRADE math problem??

I was so pleased that I sent it to my entire family and one unsuspecting friend! *G* When you get the number right, you are able to open a spreadsheet that comes with the word problem. At that point, you can add your name to the list of people who have successfully opened the spreadsheet.

My brother, who is an electrical engineer, wrote back to me, right away, and said "I didn't see your name on the spreadsheet." I told him that I'd gotten the number right (shared it with him to prove it! *G*) but I didn't have a clue about how to add my name to the list. At least I can do fifth grade math!

Here's the math problem. See how YOU do at it:

This is a 5th grade math problem. If you can't stand word math problems, just delete now. If you can open the spreadsheet, you'll see it's a very small list of people who have gotten the correct number. This is not a trick question. This is a real math problem, so don't say that a bus has no legs.

There are 7 girls in a bus

Each girl has 7 backpacks

In each backpack, there are 7 big cats

For every big cat there are 7 little cats

Question: How many legs are there in the bus?

The number of legs is the password to unlock the Excel sheet. If you open it, add your name and send it on to see who else can unlock it.

MathProblem.xls

I hope I've managed to include the file for the spreadsheet. If not...e-mail me, and I'll send it to you.
Have fun!

This afternoon, while it is a bright, lovely, sunny day, I've been buried in the hallway, cleaning out the mudroom pantry. I knew that it had to be done before my family visits, or someone would open the door and be taken out by the slide of STUFF flowing over them. *S*

I want you, and my family, to know that I THREW SOME STUFF AWAY!!! It's been said that everything that comes into this house gets lodged here, and stays, but that's not true. Dear Husband will attest to the fact that the garbage and recycling on Tuesdays is killing him! I sorted through the veggies and pitched onions and potatoes that were sprouting. I moved a number of things which had been stored there in error, to the closets and drawers where they really belong.

I boxed up the pillar candles and moved them to the top shelf. I reorganized the light bulbs, foil pans and paper plates. I was even able to add cleaning supplies I purchased yesterday without breaking the shelf!

There were two other chores that needed my attention. My oak table in the room off the kitchen where we usually eat dinner, has been looking very sad. I was using a bee's wax polish on it, but I either didn't polish it often enough, or I needed to buff it more when I added the polish. I found a liquid lemon-scented polish and gave it a go today, and it's made an amazing difference. I suspect the table is thirsty. I'm going to add a second application and then use a mechanical buffer on it. I hope the table will shine for Easter. *S*

And, I brought up ALL the bags of spring season silk flowers so that Elegante Mother can reorganize the flowers in her sitting room. I have all the flowers I need to make a wreath for this spring, and another for late Fall, but I need to pick up ribbon. I have a stash of the rest of the material needed, picks and dry foam, wire and moss. I should be able to get those done this week.

Last Tuesday my niece came to clean for me. I'd like to say that it was because I hurt my knee, but actually it's because she is the most amazing cleaner I have ever known! While she worked on the kitchen floor, I cleaned out the refrigerator. My family commented on the fact that they could see what was on the shelves, as if I was the only person putting things into the refrigerator! My niece is working on the things that most of us consider spring cleaning, and she considers to be weekly cleaning. She'll be back on Tuesday to take apart my living room, and I can be sure it will look nice for Easter.

We need to revise the old saw to read....."There is nothing sure in life except death, CLEANING, and taxes!

....to my week, and to this blogging session.

I spent about 15 minutes writing an entry, only to find that it has disappeared off the face of the earth! Maddening!

At any rate.....I was cat sitting for a friend who has three marvelous cats. I was on my way to do the evening visit on Monday, and as I walked up the sidewalk, my feet flew out from under me. Somehow, probably in trying to break my fall, I ended up landing square on my right knee. Other that the visceral "WOW! That HURTS!!!" the first thought to go through my head was that we wouldn't be able to take lunch to an exercise buddy who has broken her ankle.

After I landed on my knee, I must have thrust myself back to get my weight off the knee, and I ended up in the shrubbery, where I picked up several slivers. I looked and felt like a beached whale. No one was around to assist me, and my phone was in the car. There was nothing I could use to pull myself up.

I slithered over the sidewalk and into the grass, and tested my knee. I was finally able to rise, and was very surprised to find that I was able to walk. I fed the cats, and loved them up quickly, and headed home, in case something dreadful was yet to come.

I seem to have lucked out. I have a few miscellaneous aches and pains, and two spots of skin scraped off the cap of my knee, but I seem fine otherwise. I'm taking anti-inflammatories. My knee is warm to the touch, and I developed some bruising Wednesday afternoon, but if that's all that happens, I've gotten off easy.

The sidewalk looked dry. I could not see ANY ice at all on it, and was really shocked when I went flying. Elegante Mother has had some balance problems recently, so we've been very cautious about footing. I lucked out. I was embarrassed, but not mortally. I'll get over it, especially since I'm still up and walking!

I attend an amazing senior exercise class. I started going long before I qualified for the age requirement because I had arranged for Elegante Mother to take this class. Rather than sitting around and watching her exercise, I joined the class. Recently I asked the ladies in the class if any of them crocheted, and discovered a gold mine. I told them about the Share a Square Project that Shelly Tucker of This Eclectic Life has organized, and they made granny squares for the afghans that are being created for kids going to cancer care camp this summer.

We realized that we could help Shelly by offering to put together two of the afghans, and asked her to send them on. We met a week ago to begin stitching around the squares. Five of us rimmed 48 squares that afternoon, and two of us completed another 24 during the week.

We met again yesterday to finish edging the last 24 squares in black, and started assembling the first of two afghans. We'll interrupt our work this next week as we prepare for Easter, but we should be able to complete the afghans by early April.

It's been incredibly satisfying to contribute to this project. To learn more about it, and see some of the completed afghans visit Shelly's blog and click on the "Share a Square" button on the right side of the page. When we finish our two, I'll take a picture and post it.

P.S. DON'T send Shelly any more squares! I envison a house overflowing with them, pushing the walls out! She has enough! *G*

I have a number of entries I'd like to do, that really should have a picture to go with them. I think I'll give you the synopsis today, and try for pictures over the coming week.

The exercise ladies who contributed squares to the "Share a Square" project came to the house yesterday afternoon to work on assembling two afghans. We have to edge each block with black crochet, and then sew 48 of the blocks together, and crochet around the entire edge. Yesterday we managed to edge 48 of the blocks. We meet again in a week, and will probably have to meet once more. My table is covered with a rainbow of blocks edged in black!

I found batik fabric for pillowcases when I was in Florida. I saw a case, and fell in love with it. My "souvenir" was the fabric for two of the cases. I found an excellent pattern on-line. I could have winged it, but it was nice to have a pattern for back-up. I'll post a picture of the finished project soon, I hope.

This coming week is personal tax week for me. My sister-in-law does Elegante Mother's taxes, but I need to mail the information off to her. Then, I need to answer the planner from my CPA, gather information from Quicken, collect the 1099s and such, and send that package off. My CPA will be ASTONISHED if I get them to her by March 15th. She's busy completing the company tax packages

Tomorrow, Elegante Mother and I are going to a nursery for an early planting day. They will provide plants and soil and the additives for the containers. We bring containers and choose which plants we want, and spend some time planting them. The nursery will keep them until mid-May, when it's warm enough to put them out, and we will have mature (well, maturing), arrangements. I'll take pictures tomorrow, and pictures when we set them out. I figure it's a way to get our hands in the dirt, and assuage the need for Spring.

Quilting Bee meets tonight. I'll be crocheting, rather than quilting, but they won't mind. One of our members will be away, helping to hang quilts for a quilt show. I hope that I'll get to see that show on Sunday afternoon. (Note: This is another way to ignore that Spring is not yet here. A quilt show is always a good diversion!)

Monday the cat has his annual visit to the vet. Tuesday, EM and I are taking lunch to a friend who broke her ankle in February. Thursday is EM's salon appointments and a Share a Square afternoon. Saturday is a perm, and so on and so on. I'm going to have to start working in the office at night, to get caught up.

I hope you are all "weathering" the end of winter well. I know Bogie is longing for green, and Joy is looking for a cessation of white. I'm ready to be able to go out doors without having to put on my coat!

Have a great weekend!

This is a shot of the Chinese take out kitchen near our hotel in Florida.

A HERD, I tell you! As we were preparing dinner tonight, I looked out the kitchen window and saw a HERD of Robins! Usually I'm the last of our family to see the return of the robins, and usually I only get to see just one at a time. There must have been a dozen birds at the very least, and maybe twice that. They were in the herb garden, beneath the truck, in the black walnut and apple trees, and the shrubs near a bunny. They have a very distinctive run and hop, and were easy to identify, and they were fluffed up in defense of the cold.

Spring just HAS to be around the corner, despite the fact that we are supposed to get several inches of snow over the next 24 hours. Surely the robins wouldn't be back if it wasn't time, right??

Elegante Mother and I go to exercise three mornings a week. One of the things we work on at class is balance. This morning when we entered the room, there were two long strips of blue duct tape on the floor. The last 15 minutes of class, we lined up to walk the line!

The first time through, we walked relatively normally, one foot in front of the other. There were a lot of jokes about Breathalyzers and cops. The next time through, we brought our foot around in a circle before setting it down, and the last trip through we put a foot forward, touching down toe first, and then heel.

I discovered that most of it was simple to do if I was able to move through it fast enough. If the person in front of me was moving slower than I was, my balance went to pot.

I have one other balance test that was suggested to me. A person in their sixties should be able to hold this pose at least 10 seconds. Stand up, straight. Suck everything in and focus on keeping your core tight. Cross your arms, laying your hands on the opposite shoulders, close your eyes, and lift one leg to a 45 degree angle.

The first time, I keeled over almost immediately. I hadn't prepared by setting my posture and firming my core muscles. The second time I tried it, I got to about six seconds before I listed. One of my classmates was talking to me and distracted me. I think if I practice this in the kitchen, I should be able to master it.

Try it. How long can you hold this posture?

I seem to have reached a crisis point. I've been writing entries in my head for the past year or so, and they aren't getting onto the computer. Part of the problem is that I need to make a date to write. It doesn't need to be daily, but I need to set a time when I can go to the computer and put down my thoughts. I also need to keep a note pad handy to write down the ideas or sentences which come to me when I'm not at the computer.

AND, I need to take some memory building classes. I was just standing at the kitchen sink, rinsing knives, and in just two minutes, had an entry fleshed out. By the time I got to my computer....no more than five minutes later.....I couldn't remember the subject of the entry. This is really ticking me off.

Do you suppose more walking would improve my memory? Please tell me I'm just going through a phase, and that things will improve!

I know....thank you notes seem to have gone by the way of dinosaurs, but I still try to say thanks for all the things people do for me and things they give to me. I had a long list of notes to write from the holidays, and diligently worked on them. My goal was to have every single one done before we took off on vacation. (Actually, they should have been done MUCH sooner, but I dragged my heels.)

Wednesday morning, around 5:44 I finished the last note. It was really the one I most wanted to send, and it was going to take days to write, because I had so many things for which I needed to say thanks. I finally gave in, and typed it at the computer. I folded the thank you letter, and enclosed it in a Valentine's Day card, and was trying to insert the card into the envelope, when the limousine arrived to take us to the airport. That card was NOT going to go into the envelope. I kept working at it, even though I could hear the guys talking in the foyer. Elegante Mother was standing in the doorway, watching me, and finally she said...."Let me do it." I put the entire thing in her hands and trusted her to mail it for me. I figured if I kept forcing it, I was going to tear the envelope, and then we'd never get to the airport!

I was talking with my sister this week, and apologized for having sent a typed note. I know that she treasures those notes that I take the time to write. Those notes are few and far between these days. My handwriting is getting almost illegible.

Do you struggle to let people know how much you appreciate all they do for you? I find myself writing letters in my head that never get onto paper. Perhaps I need to drop everything when one of those notes starts writing itself, and get it written. Maybe I need to find a pen that will write under water, so I can do them in the shower. Or....perhaps I need to resurrect my tape recorder, so I can dictate notes when I'm in the car. (I know you'll all be thrilled to have me driving and dictating at the same time! lol) Another favorite time to mentally create notes is when my hands are in hot, soapy water, or when I'm working at the sewing machine. Doesn't this happen to you, too?

If you've been the recipient of a late thank-you note from me, please be assured that I really do care. I guess you could say the spirit it willing, but the body is overloaded (in more ways than one.) Thank you, thank you, thank you all, for the lovely things you've given to me, and the things you have done. I'm very grateful!

By saying....."I'm Hoooo-oooommme!"

Dear Husband and I flew to Florida, and spent a week in warm weather. Thank you, all, for your notes and the hope that we would have a good time. We did!

Unfortunately, as we were on our way to the airport, I realized that I was coming down with something upper respiratory, but I kept quiet about it. I wanted to go, even if it meant lying by the pool and baking out whatever nasty virus decided to make itself at home. Tough duty, but SOMEONE has to do it! *G*

As usual when we travel, the first afternoon was spent resting. Thursday morning we headed to the Gulf coast side of Florida, and visited beaches in Bradenton and Siesta Key. Bradenton's beach is an almost deserted stretch of narrow white sand beach with no amenities. We trudged down to the water's edge and hiked on the wet-packed sand, first north, and then south. This is really our kind of beach. We enjoyed having the area almost to ourselves, and as true Northerners, lapped up the breeze and the sun.

I didn't realize how much further south Siesta Beach was, but it was highly recommended, so we made the trek south, traveling from island to island until we found Siesta Beach. This beach is the opposite extreme from Bradenton's beach. It's the widest beach I've ever seen, and it stretches two miles along the Gulf. Even in February it was filled with people. I imagine in June you can't make your way to the water without stepping on someone. You could rent chaise lounges that had an interesting accessory. It was a royal blue sunshade that resembled the top of an old-fashioned baby buggy. It would shade the upper half of you as you laid on the chaise.

By this time, I was all for renting chairs and flopping down. My idea of a vacation is to sit by a very large body of water and read. And, by this time, my viral friend had me coughing, and short of breath. Just sitting really appealed to me, but Dear Husband smiled at me and said, "Shall we walk??" I think the man was trying to kill me off! We walked, but not quite as far as we might have, had I felt better. We watched people and water, and lots of birds.

I suggested to Dear Husband that we might want to rent a room in the area, rather than making the trip back to Orlando. That seemed like a good way to stay and enjoy the beach and weather, but DH was up for the drive, and we traveled from Siesta Key back to Orlando during rush hour. The trip went relatively smoothly, and we had a late dinner at a Cuban restaurant.

Saturday, DH golfed in his son's memorial golf tournament, and I spent our retirement funds on quilt fabrics! *G*

Sunday, I told DH I wasn't going ANYWHERE. He is an amazing man. He sweet-talked me into going downstairs to sit around the pool. It was heavenly. We started out near the whirlpool. I hiked up my pant legs and stuck my feet in the warm water, and DH hit the button to start the jets. After a bit of that, we shifted to chaise lounges in the shade, and just enjoyed the warmer weather. I finally got to read a book, and the heat helped my battle with the virus.

Immediately north of our hotel was a plaza with seven or eight places to eat. There was the "Run and Run" Chinese takeout. (We skipped that purely on the basis of it's name. *G*) There was an Indian place, a Cuban place, a Hooters, a really good seafood place called the Crab House, a CiCi's pizza, and a Carvery and Tiki Bar. We ate at the Crab house four times! I tried Red Snapper and Grouper for the first time.

Monday, we returned to the Gulf Coast area. Dear Husband had planned a loop that would let us drive through Tampa and St. Petersburg to the road that traveled north up the keys. We stopped at St. Pete Beach, which was very nice. We watched people flying kites, and watched birds and people, and walked up and down the beach. (Notice....no sitting.....sigh) The weather was a little rougher on Monday. Serious storms were passing north of us on a NE-SW axis, and the sky was cloudy. The waves were just a bit rougher than on Thursday, and the breeze was brisker, but we were totally comfortable in short sleeves. DH had on shorts. As you people watch on the beach it's pretty clear who lives in Florida and who is a tourist!

We made one last beach stop, at Redington Beach, I think. We watched people surfing with short boards and small parasails. It must take incredible upper body strength to be able to stay upright and maneuver those parasails! I spent some time trying to get a video of a pelican diving into the water. I want to isolate one of the frames to send to my nephew, who broke his neck diving in the Indian Ocean. He's doing very well, almost back to normal.

The storms began to close in on the area, and we decided to head back to Orlando. We dined one last time at the Crab House, and then spent some unglamorous time organizing laundry and repacking our bags. Dear Husband is SURE that I take everything but the kitchen sink when we travel, and he does have a point. I'm happy to say that I had just one pair of slacks that I didn't wear while we were away, and one tunic sweater. Had we gone to Cir du Soliel as we had hoped, even those would have been worn Next time, I PROMISE not to take everything in the bathroom with us. Just remind me that I can actually pick something up in the stores if I really need it.

The flight back was 25 minutes late in leaving the airport. Elegante Mother was concerned about us. I called once we were on the freeway to tell her when we'd get in. She said that cat moped and refused to eat for the first four days we were away. I spent the evening loving up the cat, and getting laundry started.

It was great. We didn't do anything earth-shaking, but the time away was wonderful. We only had to set the alarm twice in seven days, and I didn't have to make the bed or clean the room, or fix a meal, or answer the phone! YEAAAHHHHHHHHh! My kind of vacation! Can we go back now????

This morning, I SHOULD have been doing office work, and running errands, but I got involved in a project, and just couldn't set it down.

I have some friends who have a little boy in third grade. His class is sending travel mates to friends and relatives in an effort to learn more about the world in which they live. When the request went out for participants, I was wiggling in my seat with my hand up in the air, saying "Yes, Yes! I want to do it!" And luckily, they said I could! *S*

My little friend's travel mate is one of the original beanie babies, a moose named "Chocolate." Chocolate arrived on my doorstep on Thursday, despite the blizzard outside. I've been asked to write a message in his travel book, add something to the box and send it on to the next name on the list. I'm also supposed to send a postcard to the classroom, so they can see where Chocolate has been.

I have a niece in Perth, Australia. I sent her an e-mail, asking if there was any possibility that she could participate. Despite the fact that she is incredibly busy, she said she'd be willing to help. I'm supposed to box up Chocolate and send him on to her. She will add a few things to the box and send it to one of my friends in England. You know her....it's Bod! Bod is going to send it on to her God-daughter in London. Just telling you about it gives me goosebumps. This is likely to be the travel mate with the most air miles!

So, this morning, I realized I had to add a message to the travel book. I typed out several paragraphs, and played with the font. I had a lot of room left, and got to thinking about pictures to add around the text. By the time I was done, I had four pictures of cornfields, two of soybeans, and two of Chicago airports. There was a picture of Abraham Lincoln, one of Barak Obama, two of the Chicago skyline, two of Wrigley Field, one of Navy Pier and one of the Chicago lighthouse. There's a picture of a well head, for the oil fields down state, and a picture of vehicles in snow banks (seemed fitting given the weather this week!). And I added a map of the state. All of this was done in miniature. I was on a ROLL! *G*

I realized that if I delayed Chocolate's trip to Australia by four days, he could travel to Florida with us! So, I had to make one more page for the travel book! Oranges, alligators, the castle at the Magic Kingdom, palm trees, beaches and a light house fill in the space around the text. I was beginning to worry that I might not get all my work done. I had such a good time playing with the glue stick I really didn't want to quit. But...If I want to go to Florida, enough needed to be enough.

Chocolate will fly in my carry on, and I plan to take pictures of him in Chicago and in Florida to send to Chocolate's owner when we return to Illinois. From there he will fly to Australia. I can't wait to hear what he brings home from OZ!

I've been talking about this project with almost anyone who will listen, and I'm delighted to find that others are offering their contacts. Chocolate must be back in the classroom by May 1st, but if we have time when he returns from England, he could go on to Minnesota, and to Idaho. He's going to be a very well-rounded bear! *S*

You're probably wondering what I added to the box. Well, I went shopping for a Cubs baseball cap that would fit an 8 year old, and I added a picture book of Chicago. I had a map of Illinois, too, but that's been mailed to the classroom. I was going to send an ear of corn, and some soybeans, but they'd never make it through customs! As for what I'll put in the box from Florida, who knows. We'll shop when we get there.

Don't you just love being able to help kids with their school projects! *G*

Sunday, Elegante Mother and I went to a family baby shower. I had some serious reservations about the wisdom of going out. It was ZERO degrees here, and there was wind, so I know the windchill was worse. We weathered it like troopers. This particular shower was held after the baby was born, so all her "aunties" got to hold her. I have never seen so many women planting their feet, holding out their arms for this little tiny bundle, and then rocking side to side. Everybody has their own style, but the baby wasn't fussy. She enjoyed them all!

My nieces did an incredible job organizing this shower. Since it was for a girl, all the decorations were in shades of pink. I lucked out, and wore my pink turtleneck, so I fit right in! I wish I had taken a picture of the chocolate dipped strawberries, so you could see the work that went into them. Imagine strawberries dipped in pink icing and laid on a platter in perfectly lined up rows. Then, imagine that someone had come along after the icing had set, and added little dots of white icing on the sides of the strawberries. They looked so luscious that they pulled you to them!

This was mostly a family gathering, and my family is never at a loss for words. It was nice to catch up with nieces I hadn't seen since Christmas, and hear all the family news. We'll get the chance to do this again in a month or so, when the next of the girls has her baby. That will be the fourth baby shower since September. I'm SURE there's something in the water!

On Sunday, as we left the shower, we were invited to choose a picture of the baby in a silver frame. What a lovely thing to do! You can bet I made sure I had one....this baby shares my name! *G* (NO....her name isn't "Buffy!")

Thank you, ladies, for a lovely time!

Yup. We had another nighttime visit from the local constabulary. This time it was close to 11:00 at night, not quite the witching hour.

A very tall, very thin, very young patrolman was sent to check out another 911 call from our house. It seems to be coming from our son's phone line, the fax line that is connected to the dying computer. We have no idea how this is happening, but it seems tied to the repair work done on other lines to the house. It almost has the feeling of an "I, Robot" scene, where technology is developing a life of its own. Second Son wondered if the computer was calling for help in its death throes.

Our young visitor commented that it was scary driving up our driveway at night. I thought he was referring to the ice, but he went on to say that it's like something out of the "Blair Woods Project." I've never thought of my drive in quite those terms. I told him that might be why we have only had four trick-or-treaters in the past 18 years.

At any rate, Second Son is going to cancel that phone line, since it's not functioning, and we'll see if that resolves the problem.If not, maybe we need to have further discussion with the phone company to see if they can determine just what's going on.

Now, I need to see if I can get back to sleep......

"From ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties and things that go bump in the night, Dear Lord, preserve us!"

My mother has a sampler with that saying. It caught my attention when I was a child, and it's stayed with me all these years.

Things went "BUMP IN THE NIGHT" last night! I've been having trouble sleeping and had managed to block out all the little aches and pains, and was sound asleep when there was a knock on our bedroom door. It was 3:00 in the morning. I assumed that Second Son had knocked to tell me that Elegant Mother was in distress. I managed to unwind myself from the nest of covers and ran for the door.

The lights were on in the foyer, and I could hear voices as I approached. I'd left the bedroom in such a hurry that I was in my nightie and had left my glasses behind. EM and SS were standing there talking to two policemen! Let me tell you, when you've just been rousted out of bed in the middle of the night, those guys can look really fierce!

They explained that the police had received a 911 call from our address, and when they responded, all they could hear was static. Yesterday the phone company had worked on two of our three telephone lines. Elegante Mother's phone was still misbehaving. The police asked if our phones had been worked on, and when I replied, "Yes," they nodded knowingly and prepared to leave.

Second Son said this morning that he was surprised that they didn't ask to check the house to be sure that no one was being held against their will. I guess we all looked properly sleepy enough to convince them that we were victims of a technology malfunction.

This morning, I called the phone company to ask for a repair call, and told the customer service rep about our early morning visit. She asked if we had any wireless phones in the house. Elegante Mother has a base phone, with a wireless. From what the representative said, wireless phones can send out that 911 call! I had no idea that was possible.

I guess this happens often enough that the police can just about guess what has happened, but they still have to follow up on the call. We wouldn't want someone who needs assistance to go without because someone thought their call was just a phone malfunction.

Our visitors came in separate cars. They used their flashlights to look around as they came up the sidewalk. and then they rang the doorbell, THREE TIMES! I never heard it. In fact, I was so deeply asleep that I didn't hear the knock on the bedroom door. Dear Husband had to wake me. We're lucky that Second Son woke up and realized that no one else heard the bell, or the police might have tried to break the door down.

Well....all's well that ends well. We all got to go back to sleep for a couple of hours, and there was no ticket or fine for the false call. I guess in the future things had better go BUMP louder! And, maybe it's time to keep my robe by the bed! *G*

This morning Dear Husband helped me to take eight boxes to the Post Office to be sent off to our troops in Iraq. It's quite an experience to do this for the first time. One of the ladies in our exercise class spearheaded this effort last year, when her son was stationed overseas. She took six or eight boxes to the Post Office and discovered that she would have to open and list their contents, the weight of the items, and the value, on a customs form, before they could be sent.

Needless to say, she guided us in the preparations this year, and we met after class to begin the work. I even remembered to bring my kitchen scale! We were very short on time that day, so I volunteered to finish the boxes in my car, and get them to the post office. Remember, I said I was short on sleep? (See the next entry) I was up until 1:00 doing the customs forms.

I finished addressing the customs forms this morning, and we headed out. I thought I had all the boxes checked, and everything was ready to go, when the clerk asked me where I wanted to put the addresses on the box. Rather than hold up her work on weighing the boxes and getting the customs sheets set up, I used labels the clerk provided, and wrote all the Sender and Recipient information once again, for the eight boxes. I can tell you I was really happy to see this project to it's finish.

We hope these boxes arrive before Valentine's Day. We thought it might perk up some of the troops, and ease their days. At least they'll know that someone from home cares about them.

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Today is a day full of errands, but it snowed last night, and I've decided to get a late start so that I won't have to compete with those who are trying to get to work under less than ideal conditions. (That's a classy way of saying I slept in, and am off to a late start. *G*)

I need to start with the bank for both the business and our personal banking.

Then, Home Depot is across the street. I need Safer Soap, and those crystals that absorb water and then release it into the soil of potted plants. I hope they have them, this time of year.

Then I need to stop at one of the big fabric chain stores and pick up two yards of camouflage fabric to make cooling scarves for the troops in Iraq. Our exercise group is sending over comfort boxes, and I'd like to add these to the boxes. The absorbent crystals are used in these scarves.

The next stop is Target for toothpaste and nail clippers to round out the shopping for those boxes. Elegante Mother and I went hog-wild at Sam's Club yesterday, but I wanted the small travel sized toothpaste tubes, and Sam's doesn't carry that sort of thing.

I need to make a stop at my favorite fabric shop to pick up a yard of fabric for the quilt I'm presently creating. I can't wait, or it could be gone, never to be reordered. If I miss getting the fabric, I'll just sit down and pull my hair out, I swear! I've been working on the color placement for this project for the past month, and I think I've finally found an order to the colors that I can live with. Unfortunately, I'm short about half a yard of fabric to create the design, and I'd have to start all over again should this piece not be available. Pray for me!

I need to go to the post office. EM has a letter that needs to go to Canada, and it requires overseas postage. I think I know the amount, but I don't want this to come back, so I'll make the extra stop.

THen.....groceries. I sure wish I knew what we were having this week other than salad. I'm fresh out of ideas. Do you think if I cooked grilled cheese sandwiches every night that my family would get the idea and give me a hand planning our meals??

Once I get the errands run, and bring in the groceries, it's office work for me. I'm actually looking forward to it. The day is bright and sunny, but cold, so it will be good to be where I can look out,and enjoy it, but not have to deal with the wind chill.

Have a good day!

I THINK it's spider mites. I'll have to get the plant disease reference to check.

At Christmas, I moved the plants that reside along three of the big windows in the living room to make room for the Christmas tree. I have to admit, the Christmas tree is still up, because I've been enjoying it, and I've had other things to do. It has to come down before next Friday, when my quilting bee returns for the second time after Christmas, so I have a goal. But, until then, I'm going to enjoy it, darn it all!

Back to the subject... I've been growing a small, shrubby tree that was originally part of a mixed planting that was given to my mother years ago. It was perhaps two feet tall then, and is roughly four feet tall, with a spread of four feet. I love the silly thing, but it's been hard on it, having to grow inside. We've had some leaf drop, and I thought it was due to my erratic watering, but now I think that it could be due to an infestation of spider mites. I can see small white "bits" on the underside of the leaves on about half the plant.

I'm fairly sure that this problem came into the house on a plant that was give to my Mother. That plant has been residing in the garage (read: dead, frozen, but not yet buried), since November. Apparently we weren't quick enough to see the problem, and now, it's spread. I'll have to keep an eye on all the plants in the house.

My first line of defense will be to wash the leaves with Safer Soap. If that doesn't resolve the issue, more drastic efforts might be necessary. Research first, attack later is the plan. I hope I'm not too late to save this plant. It's an old friend.

To be posted VERY LOW on the refrigerator door - nose height:

Dear Dogs and Cats,

The dishes with the paw print are yours and contain your food.
The other dishes are mine and contain my food.
Please note, placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack
Beating me to the bottom is not the object.
Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed.
I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort.
Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep.
It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the fullest extent possible.
I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom.
If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open.
I must exit through the same door I entered.
Also, I have been using the bathroom for years -- canine or feline attendance is not required.

The proper order is kiss me, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough!

To pacify you, my dear pets, I have posted the following message on our front door:

To All Non-Pet Owners Who Visit & Like to Complain About Our Pets:

1. They live here. You don't.
2. If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. (That's why they call it "fur"niture.)
3. I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
4. To you, it's an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter who is short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't speak clearly.

Gentle readers: I have no idea who wrote this e-mail, but he or she definitely knows my cat, and the dogs from my earlier life. I'd be happy to give the author credit for a post that made me grin in recognition.

One of the blogs I read, one that is written by someone who is not an American, suggested that Americans have a very narrow vision of the world, and that we are rather unaware of the world in general. In some ways I'd agree with the author, but I was quick to point out that it can take Americans a LONG TIME just to get to their own borders. We are a surprisingly well traveled community, but we may be less well traveled than our counterparts in Europe, simply because we have to travel so far to get out of our own country.

With that in mind......here is a list of the cities that my oldest niece will visit in the next few days:

Almaty (Kazakhstan), Atarau, Uralsk, Astana (the capital of Kazakhstan),

Istanbul, Ankara, Turkey,

Baku (the capital of Azerbaijan),

then Moscow, London and finally, Perth, Australia.

Not bad for a little Midwestern girl, huh??? *G*

I may be the least well-traveled of my family, and I've been to Western Europe and England twice, and I've been to Canada a number of times. I hope there will be more travel (both inside and outside the US), in my future, and I can promise that I will be a well mannered tourist. I may not be able to speak your language, but I'll do my best to know your customs and behave myself.

I'll have to give it some thought and compile a list of places in the world my family has visited. I think South America may come off with the fewest hits. We've managed to cover almost every other continent except the Antarctic! Way to go, family!