Def-y's Categorizing: February 2007 Archives

Dear Husband and I will be flying to Florida tomorrow for a long weekend. DH is going to play in the Charity Golf Tournament named for his son. I will be swanning around in a golf cart, shouting encouragement.

Do you know how difficult it is to decide what you'll need for Florida the last weekend of February, when you live in the Chicago Suburbs? I ordered a few things from catalogs, and picked up a few things on Tuesday. I was concerned that I didn't have a windbreaker until I saw the weather report for the Orlando area. It's going to be in the upper seventies, with a possibility of rain on Sunday. That's one less thing to pack!

Dear Husband has learned that I can't share a suitcase with him unless we're only going to be gone for four hours. I generally need to have the entire house with me when I travel. Cop Car and I were talking about making a trip to England and Scotland last year. It's probably just as well it didn't pan out. She said she never packs more than she can carry. It occurred to me that she might not carry my suitcase for me...

My-Sister-The-Nurse is going to stay with Elegante Mother while we are away. She hopes that she will be able to watch Oprah, read, go out to dinner and sleep a lot. I've left her a two page letter if information (I wouldn't think to "instruct" her), filling her in on the temperamental microwave, and the key situation. Thank goodness the phone was repaired today or that letter might have stretched to three pages.

I've had a list going for the past week of things I wanted to get done before we left. There's office stuff, house stuff, tax stuff, quilting stuff, cleaning stuff, shopping stuff....you get the picture. Monday, Edward Scissorhands went for his annual physical. The doc was satisfied, and said he could eat what he wanted to eat. EM and I saw the dermatologist Tuesday morning. I have to go back in two weeks. There's a precancerous spot on my nose that needs to be frozen. My dermatologist is the most wonderful woman. She understood that I didn't want to have a clown nose for this weekend, so we put it off for a bit. Dear Husband had his quarterly toof cleaning on Tuesday night (Oh, joy!). Tuesday afternoon, I did a little shopping. I picked up T-shirts, linen over-shirts, and soft pants, casual stuff all.

I rose at five this morning, cleaned the kitchen, and started laundry. I think I folded thirteen loads of laundry and put away all but two of them, which belong to our son. I have sensitive skin, so I very rarely wear something until it's been washed at least once. As things came out of the laundry, they were either put away, or folded to be packed. I have two over-shirts yet to iron, and three things to pick up at the dry cleaners tomorrow.

You know know you find things to do to avoid things you know you SHOULD be doing? I have this list of things I want to finish. I have very carefully buzzed my way through this list today, trying not to see: Replace the cat litter, Empty out the veggie bins, and pay the bills. My time is limited tomorrow before we leave, so I'll have to give up and do a couple of these tonight.

I'm going to pamper myself and have a pedicure tomorrow morning in return for getting those chores done! *G*

I hope you all have a safe, warm weekend. I'll stop by to see what you've all been doing when we get back on Monday.

We're having a quiet evening. Dear Husband is watching "Cast Away," and surfing the t.v. guide. I'm going to finish a book this evening.

I was out late this morning for a hair appointment, and returned home about 12:30. We had lunch and I went to sit in the rocker for a few moments. Right...a few moments! I was out until 4:30!

I'm trying to decide just why I've needed so much daytime sleep lately. There are a number of possibilities. I'm trying to shift around to earlier morning hours. By itself that wouldn't be a problem, but I need to be asleep by 9:00 at night to get up at 5:00 the next morning. I'm getting the early morning part down, but I need to work on getting to bed earlier. To that end, I'm going to ask my stepson for lessons on how to tape programs using our VCR.

It's possible that the medication I take for neuropathy is working against me when I'm short on sleep. I tend to think it aggravates an existing situation rather than being the primary cause. Should I have to increase the dosage, I'd expect to be snoosey for a while, but I've been at a static dosage for some time.

It's very possible with the bitter cold and snow that I'm not getting enough exercise. The exercise might tire me out enough to put me in bed at the right time, whether there was a program I wanted to see or not, so I need to get to a regular daily plan.

So....I'm trying to put it all together. I figure that it's going to be small changes here and there that lead to a better life. It would be nice to have things straightened out soon, so that I have the energy to get out and work on the grounds as the weather improves.

You Are 0% Massachusetts

You Yankees loving homo! You probably think Starbucks coffee tastes better than Dunkin Donuts.

I've been adopted into the Bogie-WichiDude-CopCar family. I noticed over at Bogie's that she is disgustingly Massachusetts oriented, so I went to take the test to save the family honor.

Ya don't get any better than THIS, Bogie! *G*

...that the deer found the seed and corn that I put out yesterday. You can see the tracks through the snow where several of them came into the yard from the north, and then circled around to the back door. They didn't eat everything. There was a little left for our early morning visitors.

I have an older feeder that has four vertical posts, wrapped with a length of close-weave hardware cloth. I filled that for the birds this morning. The cardinals were just coming to check out the seed when I left the kitchen to work. We've had several hawks hunting though our grove. When the trees are suddenly bare of birds, we know to look for the hawks. Yesterday there was a VERY large hawk sitting on a branch close to the ground. The only part of him that moved was his head, as he watched for prey.

I have more ear corn to share with the wildlife. I'll have to toss it to an area that doesn't have the big drifts, or it will be there until spring. The walkways of the herb garden were filled with snow yesterday. If it weren't for the wind currents creating drifts, you might not know the raised garden was there.

The temperature has dropped. In return for a beautiful sunny day, we have frigid temperatures. Right now it's 8 degrees F. and it's only supposed to get to 12. I'd be surprised if it warms up more than 2 more degrees today. My area of the Chicago suburbs has been cooler than the rest.

I'm thankful for small things. We didn't get a foot of snow. I don't think the faucets have frozen. It's sunny outside, and no matter what the weather, I get to go OUT tomorrow. I think cabin fever is already setting in! *G*

A major snowstorm is headed our way. It's supposed to move in this evening and drop up to a foot of snow on parts of the Chicago area. We're hoping that we will end up in the six inches or less part of the storm. Of course, the snow plow on Dear Husband's truck is still not repaired, so we'll be up to our ears in snow. That's the one bad thing about having a driveway that is more than 200 feet long.

We've been craving comfort food lately. I was planning to make a new soup featured in Rachel Ray's magazine. It's a tomato based soup with crab, leeks and corn. But, I ended up cooking what Rachel calls "Chicken a la Queen," a version of Chicken a la King, with a LOT of veggies, and a lighter sauce. Both Dear Husband and Elegante Mother liked the meal, but they'd prefer that I thicken the sauce, and DH would like to leave out the tarragon and use more black pepper. I was very satisfied with dinner, but next time I'll probably dice the chicken smaller than a one inch cube.

I plan to hole up in my office tomorrow and fly through a load of paperwork that needs to be done. I expect to stay in until Wednesday morning at the very least. I don't have the appropriate clothing to be out in the cold for any length of time.

I'm in count down mode for our trip to Florida. There are a number of things that have to be done before I can go, so one of the things I'll do tomorrow is to make a check list. I feel better when I can see in black and white that things have been accomplished. My-Sister-The-Nurse is on vacation at the moment. (She threatened us all.....told us NOT to get sick while she was away). When she returns, she'll come to stay with Elegante Mother while we are in Florida. I want to be sure that there's nothing extra for her to do while we are away. She's planning to go out to dinner each night with EM so nobody has to cook OR clean up! Smart woman!

Spring must be just around the corner. I have this urge to buy new things for the house, and read nursery catalogs! Like clockwork.....that urge hits me every year. Janet was moaning about the need to clean out "STUFF" at her house, and I told her that we could sing a duet. I've GOT to clean a two by two square of the basement a day or it's NEVER going to get done!

Remind me....I need to make arrangements for a rental car, and make a vet's appointment for Ed.

Edward Scissorhands, the cat who runs this house, has been housebound by HIS choice for the past six weeks.

Ed's been an "indoor-outdoor" cat all his life, and has seen no reason to change this routine now that he is at least 15 years old. It used to be that Defer, our dog, would bark when Ed wanted to come in, but with Defer gone, Ed has to hope that either EM, or my stepson or I, might be there to let him in when he returns.

When the weather turned so cold and blustery just after Christmas, we would open the door for the cat, and stand there while he tried to make up his mind if he could brave the cold. He'd shake his right front paw and retreat to a warmer spot.

He's taken up residence on a Christmas tree skirt that partially covers a floor vent. The cat has warm air ruffling his fur half the day.

So, we were incredibly surprised to find him running down the front walk this morning, when the door was opened. We have at least five inches of snow, probably more, and it's still VERY COLD out there, with a high of 16 today.

Ed made a half-circuit of the house. He checked to see that the birds were still using the feeder, and visited the herb garden to see just who was claiming it was THEIR territory, and then he ran for the back door.

I told him he was lucky he had a grandmother who would open the door for him on demand! *G*

Time outside......maybe five minutes!

Now all we'll hear is "Let me OUUUUUUUUUWWWWWWWWT!"

I'm taking the day off! I very rarely take an entire day for my own interests, so this feels a little odd.

I rose a little later than usual. Rather than starting my Friday morning at the clothes washer, I jumped into the shower, and then went to exercise.

When I got home, I did a few quick chores. I fed the birds and put out corn for the critters. EM and I planted bulbs that have been waiting for attention, and I cleaned up the mess.

I decided to check my stash for the fabric for a quilt I want to make. I need 22 fabrics in blues and greens ranging from the lightest to the darkest. It's possible that I have half of the fabrics in my stash, maybe a little more than half. The largest amount of fabric required is for the borders. The fabrics for the design need anywhere from one eighth of a yard to a yard and a quarter. There's cotton fabric all over my bed!

The design I want to make looks rather like a puzzle. It's incredibly easy to piece, but selection of fabric is crucial to making it a beautiful quilt. I'm looking forward to a pleasant morning at the quilt shop choosing fabrics to make this top work.

I've spent the rest of the early afternoon reading e-mail, and checking on my blogging friends. The sun is streaming in, keeping me warm, and making me think that a nap might be a good idea.

I wonder if I can persuade my family to go out for dinner! *G*

Wouldn't a soak in the whirlpool, with a good book, and a glass of wine be a lovely way to end the day??

Or, at least, Elegante Mother did!

I was startled to find that my Elegante Mother had her nails polished in navy blue and orange in honor of the Bears going to the Super Bowl. By the half, she'd given up hope and went to bed.

I'm very disappointed. I know I've talked about them "winning ugly" this year, but I thought they might have one last game in them, especially when they ran back for a touchdown on the very first play.

Yeah, I know the Colts were a pretty tough team to play, but I hoped we'd be champions once again.

As the Cubs say.....there's always next year. Good luck, guys!

I was just reading about Betty Friedan, the author of The Feminine Mystique, who passed away a year ago. If you'd care to read an interesting perspective of Ms. Friedan, go to Time Goes By, and click on the link.

My last semester as a senior in college, I had the opportunity to take a class on the rising issue of feminism, and Ms. Friedan's book was used as one of the starting points for discussion. I graduated in 1970 feeling that in the next few years we would have the world turned around (and cleaned up...but that's another story), and all would be right.

I've watched the changes that have come over the past thirty-six years. Some of them have been astonishingly good, and others we could have left by the side. Of course, I've come to understand a great deal more about the working of the world in the intervening years. The first thing that became clear to me was that change does not occur overnight. I still have high hopes for the feminist movement. Anything that helps a woman to be a strong, independent, thinking person has to be good.

As I started my career as a grade school band director, I had the feeling that I was invincible! I believed that we (read: I) could accomplish anything we set out to do. I carried that belief for a number of years. Then I chose to set that particular career aside, and moved on to one where I was going to be out of the public eye. Actually, I volunteered for a career that is very much like being a mushroom.

I realized this weekend that I am in a position where virtually every choice I make in life is questioned. I am an office. My bosses or the CPA or the financial planner, the Feds or the insurance people are always looking over my shoulder, asking if such and such is done. When I make plans for my husband and my mother to go to dinner, or an activity, I'm second-guessed about the restaurant, the time to go and how to get there. It's impossible to set a date for a family activity, and assume that it will take place without compromise or complaint. When it comes time to travel, I am merely the typist at the keyboard making the reservations, not the person making the choices about times and activities. My mother frequently objects to the meals I plan, and now some of my siblings feel that I have made poor choices on a family matter.

When did I loose the self-assuredness that I had as a young woman? Was it when I chose to help my husband and care for my mother? Did my self-confidence evaporate because I've chosen a quiet, backwater life? Have I made an error in trying to please most of the people most of the time? Is it necessary to disregard the feelings or interests of others in order to have a happier life for yourself? When you make the choice not to be rude to someone, does that broadcast to them that your opinions are not worthy of consideration?

I'd like to lay the blame for this at someone else's feet, but the truth is, I think it's my fault that this change has come about. But, I haven't thought through this sufficiently to see what steps I need to take to regain that sense of self that makes me feel I can function in the larger world.

I'm sure we all question ourselves from time to time. As we mature, we change. Perhaps one of my errors is a confusion between "aging" and "maturing." I hope that I've matured, and not merely gotten older.

I need the freedom to make my own choices. I don't mind the idea that I'll have to take responsibility for those choices, but I don't care to live the rest of my life so that everyone else is happy, but I'm not.

Is this a question of selfishness? Or, do you at some point, to stay healthy and sane, have to lead your own life? That may be the big question for me.

Have you hit this wall? How did you cope with it?

I know, I haven't been around all week, and then I drop yards of words on you. I hope you'll scroll down far enough to see the quilt I finished for my granddaughter.

I had just a couple of thoughts to share before I shut down the computer for the day and go to play with fabric. I'll visit blogs and read my e-mail tomorrow.

Elegante Mother is doing well. She had a visit with the doc to discuss the plan for her future health care. Doc is going the conservative route that we all prefer. She'll have some blood tests done next week to determine whether she needs to see a neurologist, or not. Until then, baby aspirin is the drug of choice. If she needs to see the specialist, she'll also have more tests done, including an MRI of her head. But, we're waiting to see the results of her blood tests before we jump into further treatment.

We have a Red Hat Lady luncheon coming up next Saturday. I've been asked to plan the luncheon for March, so I've been compiling a list of Irish restaurants in this area. We'll check out one of them for lunch tomorrow, and if it's good, I'll see if they are willing to host a small group. We'll be away for five days at the end of the month, so I need to get this organized right away.

It's less than three weeks to our trip to Florida! Where is the time going??? I need to do a little shopping, My present wardrobe is BBBBBbrrrrrrrr oriented! My-Sister-The-Nurse is going to stay with Elegante Mother while we're gone, thank goodness. Otherwise, I'd be a wreck.

It's VERY cold here, and will be even colder tomorrow. I bet the Bears are really thankful that they're not playing the Super Bowl game at home! *G* We're keeping bundled up, and adding quilts to beds where needed. Elegante Mother is showing off a new wardrobe of socks that my second sister gave her. If you don't have to go out, be smart, and stay where it's warm.

Okay.....I'm off to play with quilt fabric. Have a great day!

I am blessed with a niece who is artistic and thinks outside the box. I had the great good fortune of receiving one of her creations for Christmas. I've taken pictures of it so that I can share it with you.

I'm absolutely fascinated with the shape of the lip. I wouldn't have it in me to play with a piece like this, but she's fearless! I can't wait to talk with her and get her thoughts on how she decided just what she wanted to do.

Neither of these pictures are true to the colors on the pitcher. The lighter shade is much greener than this shows. If I had to put names to the glaze colors, I'd say she used chartreuse and burgundy, which are complementary colors on the color wheel. Again, I'd have chosen "safe" colors. My niece has a lot to teach me about taking risks with your art. Cop Car has had that influence on my quilting stash, and it looks my niece will carry me a few steps further.

I love the "tail" on the handle. I've been trying to decide whether it looks like a woman with her hand on her hip, or whether it looks more like a cat's tail, wrapped around the bottom. Whatever you think it is, it adds to the quirky sense of humor the piece embodies.

I'll have to see if my niece would like to blog about her work. Perhaps we could set up a "Guest Blogger" status for her. Btw....this piece was done by Nan's youngest daughter.

Thanks, sweetie! It's a wonderful work of art, and a gift I'll treasure!

I am not terribly obsessive about germs. We all know they are around us. We also know that it's virtually impossible to lead a sterile life. Still, there are some times when it pays to avoid germs, and winter cold season is one of them.

I was in the doctor's office with Elegante Mother last Monday. She had a follow-up visit with the doc. I picked up a copy of "WebMD" (because Hugh Laurie of "House, M.D. fame was on the cover *G*), and came across an article titled "Germ Warfare." I thought I knew a lot about protecting myself, but this article opened my eyes.

I've seen the liners for grocery cart seats that people use now, as a barrier between their children and the germy cart, and thought that was an inspired idea. Do you think I made the leap from protecting the little ones to protecting myself or Elegante Mother?? Darn! I REALLY need to be looking at the bigger picture. Our grocery store offers sanitary wipes to use on the cart handles. I vow I will never push a cart that hasn't been wiped down first.

As kids, we were taught to cover our mouth with a hand or a tissue when we sneezed or coughed. Now, we are more commonly being told to sneeze into our elbow or shoulder, so that we don't contaminate our hands, and then contaminate whatever we touch. Smart, huh?? Of course, it makes for really yucky looking clothes... *G*

As a sidebar to that, check out your doctor. Is he still wearing a tie? I didn't realize it, but there is a trend toward tie-less doctors as another way of limiting contamination. Think about it. A patient sneezes on the doc, and then his tie gets dragged across his next patient as he leans forward to examine them. It's just one more place I wouldn't have looked for germs!

I didn't realize how many public places or things there are that we need to avoid if we are serious about not spreading germs. I NEVER thought about elevator buttons, or the hand rails on escalators. Out here in suburbia, we don't have subways to deal with, but those of you who are city dwellers will pick up germs if you are a strap-hanger. Besides, a subway train is similar to an airplane. If someone within three feet of you is ill, you're at risk.

Because I work at home, and spend so much time in the kitchen, the information about "what's the germiest" at home interested me. The sponge at the kitchen sink is the worst offender, followed by the dishcloth. We've known for some time that sponges could be heated in the microwave for two minutes to sanitize them. Let me say, DAMP sponges. Apparently, when this was suggested in England, there were a number of house fires because they nuked dry sponges.

We change the dish cloth at least every day, sometimes several times within a day, depending on what's going on in the kitchen. And, I use a bleach product on the sink and counters regularly.

In descending order, the rest of the germy list is the kitchen sink, the bathroom sink, cutting boards, the kitchen floor, the bathroom floor, the bathroom counter, and at the very last....the toilet!

So....having written all this about germs, I'd still tell you that I do not obsess about them. I try to make intelligent choices. I clean what I can, avoid some of the rest, and accept that some contact with germs is not a bad thing.

I have a parting shot for you. Wash your hands frequently during cold season! Use warm water, soap, and 15 - 20 seconds of scrubbing. If you're not sure about the time, sing "Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday dear Meeeeeee-eeeeeeee, Happy Birthday to me," twice.

Now go forth and lead a healthier life! *G*

When it rains it pours, at least with home repairs and electronics! It seems that if one appliance is going to go bad, two more fall apart very shortly.

The printer/scanner/copier/fax machine we use in the office has been getting more and more persnickety. I have finally adjusted to the need for this equipment, and probably couldn't do without one now. So, after a brief discussion with the bosses, it was decided that we will shift this machine to the shop where they can use it as a copier, and we will get a new machine for the office.

That wasn't so bad, was it?

Then, last week, I realized that the dishwasher just wasn't doing it's job. It's roughly six years old, and is a Maytag, so of course, I'd like to believe their advertising about not needing maintenance. Hmpf. Finally it was bad enough that I called to arrange another service visit. I think my guys were shocked when they realized we would be returning to old-fashioned dish washing. I did the lion's share, but I wasn't shy about asking for help.

Tuesday, the service guy appeared, and worked with the machine for close to an hour before his boss called to find out where the heck he was! I had already figured out that his specialty wasn't dishwashers. He was doing a fine job, but you could see he wasn't used to doing it. Ultimately, he ordered the parts and said he thought they might have it up and running by Friday. And so they did!

The BOSS came out and had the parts swapped in fifteen minutes. While he was working on the dishwasher, I groused that just this morning the key pad on my microwave had died. He said that it was cheaper to buy a new one that it was to have it serviced. That's rather what I thought. When he stood up to go, he walked over to the microwave, unplugged it, plugged it back in, and waited a few moments before he entered the time. Sure enough, he got it to start again.

I asked him what the charge was for repairing it, and he said, "Nothing." Whatta guy! We talked about the clock on the oven that hasn't been working. His estimate on the cost to repair it was right in line with a previous estimate. BUT, he was able to tell me why the door of the oven "closes funny." There's a hinge that's wearing out. It would cost me another $25 on top of the charge for the clock to get that fixed. I think he may have a deal. I figure he saved me the cost of a new microwave, at least for a while.

Too bad that he can't replace the CD player on our very famous brand name music machine.

Copier/Fax, Dishwasher, Microwave, Oven, CD player..... It's time to stop! That's more than three.