Wow, does time fly these days!!
I think the last time I posted, I was getting ready for the Exercise Class to come to brunch. That was May 30th. Twenty-nine members of the class and two guests were here, and the brunch was FABULOUS!!
I can’t list all the dishes. I’m still not sure what two or three of them were, but it was just like going to a church potluck. We served an egg-sour cream-sausage-cheese casserole, a baked French toast casserole, and a spiral sliced ham. Our guests brought chips and dip, mini bagels and cream cheese, German potato salad, Hawaiian salad, bow tie pasta with artichokes, black olives, grape tomatoes and a tiny bit of cheese, fruit salad, fruit pizza, meatballs, a plantation cake, and baked pineapple with a tiny bit of cheddar cheese over the top that was to-die-for! Of course, the desserts were endless. There was German Chocolate Cake, a rhubarb crumble, banana cream pie and ten other things I didn’t get to try!
It was just a little drizzly, but not wet enough to keep anyone from participating. I set three tables, for a total of 30, and when one last person straggled in, we just made room for her! The house was abuzz with the sound of happy people chatting with each other, and I had a great time! I love it when these friends come to visit.
I was the last to sit down to eat, and when I picked up my plate to take it to the kitchen, I discovered that my friends were washing the dishes. They not only washed and dried and put away the china, but they got the glasses, the silverware and the serving pieces, too! You can’t possibly have better friends than that! There was very little left to do by the time they’d left.
I’m delighted that the iris were at their peak and the gardens were glorious. Dear Husband had mowed the lawn a few days before, and I’d used the weed eater, so everything looked tidy and neat.
This was definitely a “good time was had by all” occasion, and I hope we do it again and again!
Category Archives: Def-y’s Categorizing
Of All the (BAD) Luck!
I’m coming down with something. I have that dreaded raw back of the throat that hit me just as we went on vacation in February.
We went to exercise yesterday morning, and from the moment we got there, I just wanted to sit. My “friends” wouldn’t let me. They nagged me to exercise, so I did, but as soon as I got home I took a nap. Then I took another nap in the afternoon, and my family, bless them, were willing to eat leftovers.
I went to have my hair cut this morning, picked up a few groceries, and then hibernated at my sewing machine for the early afternoon. I’m trying to decide whether it might be time for another nap….
This wouldn’t be so awful if it weren’t for the fact that the Exercise brunch is this coming Friday. Today will be the best day of the weekend, so I’ve blown off prime gardening time when I have very little of it left before visitors arrive.
Still, it seemed right to take it easy today. I’ll just have to hope this doesn’t bloom into something that will make my friends think twice about whether to visit or not. It would be a shame to have them miss the iris in bloom. The first two have opened. Pictures eventually.
If I don’t make it back tomorrow or Monday, Have a good Memorial Day weekend, and don’t forget to share with someone WHY we have this day off!
Pillowcases
This entry is for Cop Car, who shares a love of fabric with me. I’m sorry the picture lacks definition CC, because these are beautiful Batiks! The larger part of the case is made of a green fern print on a dark royal blue, and the “cuff” uses the same colors in a cross-hatch design. The quarter inch folded fabric between the two is a very pale green striped Batik.
They’d make beautiful gifts. I’m seriously considering making some for my family.
Vandalism and Sabotage
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.
I Did Something Good…
…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!
Checking In
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!
Technology and Mothers
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!.
Extra Blanket Night
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!
I’m in Trouble, Again…
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!
Mark Your Calendar!
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*