Oy Vey!
Last Friday, Janet tagged me for The Thinking Meme. I told her that I was in trouble because I couldn

There are a lot of little things floating through my brain at the moment. I thought I’d gather them into one post, and see if I could focus and get back to work.
First, let me thank the reader who recommended the music of Linda Eder. I put her name on my Christmas list, and received the “Storybook” CD. What an amazing voice she has, and she’s great with jazz. Thanks for the suggestion!
Second, I’d like to tell the guy who created the squeezable bottles for mustard that sit upside down that they don’t work. It sounds like a really good idea, and may work with catsup, or other condiments that are thinner, but mustard, especially Dijon style mustard, and mayonnaise, simply don’t squeeze out well. Back to the drawing board!
Third, if you have never had a really good kitchen knife, you don’t know what you are missing. I’ve been very happy with several of the knives we have, but Dear Husband’s daughter and son-in-law bought him three Wusthoff knives for Christmas. WOW, what a difference! Of course, I’ve already cut myself on one. I suspect that everyone should treat themselves to at least one good knife in their lifetime, just so they can see what they’ve been missing. Better yet, get three, and you’ll be set for life.
Four, I’m getting better. SLLLLLlllooowwwwwllyyy. The doc put me on an antibiotic because my cold had lasted longer than the usual ten days to two weeks. I was probably getting ready to feel better, but the drugs helped. I don’t usually jump at the offer, but I’d had two two-week or more bouts of the same cold within five or six weeks. I wanted to stop the pattern. The doc says when something like this goes past the two week period, they call it “bronchitis.” I never knew that.
Five, I spent the day yesterday, SUNDAY, chained to my desk. I put in at least twelve hours, and I have more work to be done. The good part is that I can see some of my desk now. And, I made the time to write to some friends this morning. It was well worth getting things done.
Six, My Christmas decorations are STILL up, and it’s the middle of January. And I don’t care. They went up late, and are really minimal. We have wreaths, stockings, and a bank of poinsettias, a small Charlie Brown style Sitka spruce that is up all year round, a tree skirt, swags at the outside lights, and three Christmas oriented wall hanging. I’ll start with the fabrics. Next week we can talk about the evergreens and poinsettias.
Last, click on the link in my side bar for “Just My Opinion.” My sister wonders what gives people a lift. Give her a hand, won’t you?
Happy Middle of January!
NOTE: I was referring to the entry at “Just My Opinion” titled “Just Stuff, ” but it’s fine with me if you weigh in on the discussion about Dan Brown’s book, too!

Elegante Mother is the gift card queen! She has been telling her family for several years not to buy her things for Christmas and birthdays. She has filled her rooms with quilting fabric and books and clothes and music, and there’s just not a lot of room left.
Of course, her family is not willing to let a holiday or birthday go by without giving her a gift, so half of them plan to take her places, and the other half have given her gift cards. She must have eight gift cards to bookstores, a couple for hobbies, one for fabric, and one for coffee. I think she may have a few other cards that I haven’t seen yet.
Each time we go out, I plan to make a stop at one of the places where she has a gift card, to give her the chance to shop. She’ll be able to pick up fabric to finish a quilt (or to start a new one *G*), books to while away the winter (if it ever arrives), and coffee for her breakfast stash. She’s contemplating beginning to paint again, so she may want to pick up oils, brushes and a canvas or two.
We’ll be stretching Christmas out for a couple of months. *S*

I took Elegante Mother shopping today. We went to exercise, stopped for a quick visit at Mickie D’s and then hit the local department store. We were intending to shop for a new purse and a wallet. By the time we left, I could have used some help to carry everything to the car.
EM was amazingly lucky. We were looking at cotton brand-name pants, and classic winter sweaters that had price tags in the $36 to $44 dollar range. At the register, most of them rang up in the $14 to $20 range.
We bought two sets of fleece PJs, and a pair of wild pajama pants. I picked up a pair of fleecy socks to go with the PJs. We’ve just persuaded Elegante Mother to shift from nylons to trouser socks for the winter, so we stocked up on six pairs of trouser hose.
EM chose a purse, a wallet and a new checkbook cover, at least three tops and two pairs of slacks.
AND, we did all that in roughly an hour. The woman knows what she wants!

Why is there NEVER anyone around when you need to babble!??
My husband just called. He said, “I’m going to be late.” I asked why, thinking it was too warm for him to be sitting with heaters to set the mortar on newly laid masonry. He said, “I’ve had an accident, and I need to stick around to talk to the police.”
Getting information out of the man is like pulling teeth!
“HONEY…..ARE YOU ALL RIGHT??!!”
“I’m fine.”
(calming down just a little) “What about the people in the other car?”
“They’re fine.”
“What happened?”
There followed some kind of explanation about the weight of his truck when loaded, and not being able to stop on a dime, and something about somebody zipping through an intersection.
I’m not clear on what happened, but I seriously doubt it is Dear Husband’s fault, and I’m really relieved that he says he’s okay. Of course, he’ll have to prove that when he gets home!
What a day………..

I don’t think I’ve blogged about this. Things have been a little crazy here lately, so I might have. Forgive me if I’ve already shared this with you.
Nine days ago, I was in the kitchen, and Elegante Mother walked up to me and started speaking. I know she wanted to tell me that she had finished using the washer, but what came out of her mouth was a group of completely unrelated syllables.
I was watching her intently, wondering if something happened to my hearing. I thought at first that something was wrong with me, but I realized as I watched her, that she knew she wasn’t saying words, let alone the right words.
Her eyes got big. I suspect that mine got big in return. The entire episode couldn’t have lasted longer than 15 seconds. A second episode of about 6 seconds or so followed. On the advice of my-sister-the-nurse, I gave her the stroke test. I asked her to speak a simple sentence. I asked her to smile. I asked her to raise both arms. For comic relief, I asked her to stick out her tongue. She was fine.
There’s been no more “speaking in tongues,” but we have seen the doctor. He’s fairly sure that EM had an itty bitty stroke in her speech center. To be sure, she will undergo a battery of tests tomorrow at our hospital, to rule out other possibilities.
My mother is ninety. You’d think I would be preparing myself for the time when she won’t be here. I don’t think that’s possible.
My-sister-the-nurse pointed out to me that I’ve been providing EM with assisted living for some time. I actually hadn’t thought much about it. Yes, I help her remember names of people and things, and on bad days, I help with memories that are dear to her. I am her chauffeur, and I am the nag that tells her she needs to eat more. I am the person who takes her shopping, and helps when she needs assistance going up stairs. She is still in charge of her life, but she’s frail, and I can measure the change these days.
I hope, for both of us, that when it’s our time, we go swiftly, in our sleep.
And I hope that time for her is a long way off, yet.

(Cough, cough) (Hack, hack) …in my head and throat.
What’s with the cold season this year?! I caught a cold, possibly from my stepson or my sister, just after Elegante Mother’s open house, early in December. I was laid low for two weeks, when I needed to be shopping, and wrapping gifts, and decorating the house. I finally began to perk up about a week before Christmas, as the cold began to ebb.
I had a couple of days free of coughing, and then the cold came back with a vengeance! I can’t decide if the first cold went into hiding, or if I caught a second cold right after the first.
Saturday, December 30, and New Year’s Eve, I spent some time in the office working on the filing system for 2007. I typed labels for the files, and removed the 2006 files that were ready to be stored. I made labels for the binders for 2007. I packed up the 2005 binders for storage, moved the 2006 binders to the bookcase, and set the new binders up in the hutch next to the computer. I have three banker’s boxes of files to go to storage. This is all a first. I’d never have gotten all this done this early, if I hadn’t been too sick to be up and about. A little typing and filing was the best I could do.
So….the Pollyanna in me would like to point out there’s a bright side to life, but the Scrooge in me is saying (in a MUCH louder voice) “BAH HUMBUG!!”
Stay healthy! Avoid people like me who are coughing and hacking. Teach everyone you know to cough into the crook of their arm, and take your vitamin C on the off chance that it will help you dodge this cold!

We have been having the oddest weather. For the past 21 days we have had weather that has been warmer than the norm. We had a GREEN Christmas! I can’t recall the last time that happened. Tomorrow, it’s supposed to be FIFTY degrees. I meant to plant some bulbs last fall. I have the space in mind, and the flowers should be gorgeous together, but the bulbs are still in the garage. Tomorrow, after exercise, I plan to get those bulbs in the ground!
The weatherman said that we can expect roughly ten more days of these above normal temperatures, based on what they can see to the north and west of us. We usually see two or three days toward the end of January where we have balmy days in the fifties or sixties. I bet we’re below zero for those days! *G*
Dear Husband is not complaining about the weather. As far as he’s concerned, I should stop tempting fate by talking about the weather. Of course, HE works outside. I can’t really blame him for wanting the weather to stay warm.
One last plea…….Dear Lord, would you please not cover us with snow in April, May, and June to make up for this??

I’ve mentioned that I’m in an exercise class three days a week. I was the baby of the class until a woman came along who beat my record by a week. We tease back and forth, and she takes good care of Elegante Mother, who also attends the class.
When I opened my e-mail today, this was the greeting she sent:
2007
After serious and cautious consideration…..your contract of friendship has been renewed for the New Year 2007 !
It was a very hard decision to make. So try not to screw it up!!! LOL
My Wish for You in 2007
May peace break into your house and may thieves come to steal your debts. May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for $100 bills. May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips! May your clothes smell of success like smoking tires and may happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy. May the problems you had forget your home address! In simple words …………
May 2007 be the best year of your life!!!
Could you ask for better wishes than that??? *G*
Thanks, Pat-of-the-Back-Row!

Some of my newer readers may not know that my youngest sister also blogs, as a part of the RedEagleSpirit group. She has been on hiatus thanks to an incredibly busy year, but she posted yesterday. I hope that you will click on the link for “Just My Opinion” and visit to see what she’s been up to.
Sis….I didn’t realize that you had been at your school for TWELVE YEARS! Had I been pressed for a guess, I might have said seven or maybe eight. Where has the time gone? Congratulations to you for continuing to take such good care of kids who really need to have someone care about them. Your halo is assured!
Happy New Year!