Not on my bucket list!

I don't actually have a bucket list (you know, that list of things you really want to do before you die) but in the last two days I've added three things to my list of things I never ever ever ever want to do. Is that an unbucket list?  I'm not sure.
Skydiving is high on my list of things I never want to do, but after a few recent morning news reports I've added these:
1. polar bear dip - I do not want to dive into icy water in the winter time, or any other time for that matter.
2. eat ants - I don't care if they are served up at an amazing restaurant in Denmark (or maybe it was Norway?)
3. running a 50 K super marathon through ice, snow and slush (or any other kind of marathon for that matter, or actually any kind of running.

an age name identity crisis

Well, not really a crisis, more of a question.  Recently I heard a convenience store robber described by a reporter as 'elderly'.  Then they went on to say he was in his sixties.  I turned 69 a couple of weeks ago and I'm not elderly, am I?  Elderly has always referred to people way older than me (in their 90's these days).  I know I'm not middle aged anymore, unless I expect to live to 130 or so - not too likely.  But I'm not sure how to think of myself.  I don't much like the term 'senior', except for the discounts.  I do like the discounts.
I need to give this some thought.  There should be a title for people who have lived a while but don't feel old.
Hmmm... Nana, Mom and girlfriend don't count.  I need a term to be used by the outside world in general.

another bit about popcorn

My grandchildren introduced me to a wonderful popcorn recipe some tine ago.  Take a bowl of freshly popped popcorn and mix in a handful of M&Ms.  It's been a while but I remember this as being a delicious concoction.  This must have been in my mind, along with thoughts of my nifty new popcorn popper, as I was grocery shopping today, because as I was checking out I realized that not one but two bags of M&Ms (one dark and one milk chocolate) had mysteriously appeared in my cart. Obviously I brought them home and am happy to report that the snack is just as yummy as I remembered.  Move over Rachel Ray.

prefect timing

One of the Christmas gifts I received this year is a hot air pop corn popper with a cute little scoop that sits in the top.  The scoop doubles as a measure for the exact amount of popcorn to use and as a container to melt butter as the popcorn is popping.  Yumm!  Hot buttered popcorn!  I tested it last night and it worked beautifully.
But the really amazing coincidence is that earlier this week I heard a report stating that natural fat (like butter) is good for old people.  It helps our brains work better.  Hear! hear! or is it here! here!???  I'd better go eat more butter.

Like a Christmas dinner

The morning news commentator today was commenting on the many dinners served by the Rescue Mission yesterday.  This is an admirable group and they offer a laudable service for many in Fort Wayne but I was a little concerned by one statement by the announcer.  He said "The Rescue Mission Christmas meal featured items like turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans and pie."  Really?  Why not just serve them the real thing?

What a beautiful, fun Christmas!

I woke this morning to the whispered conversation of two of my granddaughters admonishing each other to be quiet while they explored the contents of their stockings which had of course been "hung by the chimney with care".  After enjoying our church's late night Christmas Eve service together, I spent last night at my son and daughter-in-law's house just so I could enjoy this early morning wake up call.  As soon as I let the girls know I was awake we spent a cozy half hour or so exploring their goodies while Mommy and Daddy slept in.  Finally, at 8:00am, we coaxed the parents out of bed and got down to the real present opening.
After all of the gifts had been opened my oldest granddaughter, who had been intensely hoping for an Ipod, had just about resigned herself to not getting that most hoped for gift, when her dad, through a series of written clues, led her on a scavenger hunt all over the house, the culmination of which was a series of letters she had to unscramble to figure our where her gift was hidden.  it took her a while (and a few hints) but she finally solved the puzzle and got her Ipod.  I figured out the clue, can you?  Unscramble these letters to discover where her Ipod was hidden:  O C P E H A N N I B
PS All of the food was excellent but the key lime pie at dinner was awesome!

new technology????

I overheard a commercial on TV this morning for a particular car, I won't mention the brand.  The commercial touted a long line of special features including "stop start technology" or maybe it was "start stop technology".  Either way, what does that mean?  I've always assumed that all cars can stop and start.  That is sort of the idea, isn't it?

Who knows where Santa might show up.

Many years ago my husband sported a fine handle bar mustache and a full, sort of Kenny Roger's style, beard, both white, and he always had very twinkly eyes.  One summer, while on one of our many camping vacations, we had stopped at a K-Mart somewhere in Montana, I think, to stock up on essentials.  It happened that Tom was wearing a red and white striped polo shirt that day.  Once in the store we went our separate ways so I didn't hear this story until we were back in the camper.  It happened that as Tom was strolling through a toy aisle he noticed a little boy looking and looking at him.  Of course Tom smiled and the little boy just waved and said "Hi, Santa."
You just never know where Santa might show up!

huzzah and hip, hip, hooray!!

I'm not quite there yet but the end is in sight.  I have finished my Christmas shopping (not wrapping, just shopping) and my Christmas cards are finished, notes written, addressed, stamped and ready to drop in the mail tomorrow.  Now you may be thinking "big whoop"  all of these things should be finished.  It is, after all, only four days 'til Christmas, but considering some of my Christmases past when I was still wrapping gifts on Christmas Eve - after the midnight church service - and my Christmas cards mysteriously morphed into new year's greetings I'm feeling like a winner!

I am not alone

I'm watching Jay Leno's show and he's doing jay walking, searching for people who are good Christmas carolers.  The first two people he interviewed had wonderful speaking voices but were terrible singers.  I've been told I have a pleasant speaking voice but I know my singing leaves a lot to be desired.  Kind of nice to know I'm not alone.  I'll just keep singing in the shower and keep my day job.

Conflicting information

Yesterday morning on the TV news results of another medical research study were announced which claimed that vitamin  and mineral supplements aren't worth taking.  It's not proven that they do any good.  Really?  I can't prove it but I take a multivitamin and other vitamins, mainly B12, C and D and calcium, and among all of my friends about my age (69) I think I'm the only one not taking any prescription meds. When the nurse called me with the results of my lab tests after my last annual physical, she said "The doctor says everything looks good, just keep doing what you're doing." So I think I will.
I did laugh when the first commercial after that medical report was an ad for adult chewy multivitamins.

unusual lawn ornaments

I have the usual Christmas outside decorations - multicolor lights adorn bushes, "snow flakes" hang on the front of the house and spiral trees stand in the lawn.  But now I have two really unique snow sculptures to add to the ambiance,  After a heavy snow this past weekend my grandchildren decided to build snowmen.  And so it began, but what we ended up with is one snow penguin and one snow alien (complete with celery antennas).  I bet you don't have those in your yard.

old style shopping, new style shopping

It's snowing again this evening, but in spite of that, I needed to do some Christmas shopping.  So, with my brother's help, I shlepped through the snow to Walmart and Office Depot, found several of the items I needed, and chilled and tired, came home to wrap them so they can be shipped tomorrow.
Then I snuggled down on the couch in my fluffy robe and slippers and ordered the rest of what I needed on Amazon.  Tradition vs comfort....hummm.

a delightful distraction

On Friday I turned 69 but rather than bemoan my fate I was kept too busy to worry about it.  My grandson, 12, and granddaughter, 11 came to spend the weekend with me.  These are the two who lived with me for several months when their mother moved home after her divorce so we are very comfortable together.  After a low keyed Friday evening we awoke to a Saturday full of snow.  Rather than snowmen a snow alien and snow penguin were created.  After a cold and snowy morning the afternoon and evening  were spent happily "snowed in".  Several games were played including charades and the ever popular "Jumping Monkeys".  This morning the roads had cleared and we were up and out for church with a breakfast before.  All in all it was a lovely, busy weekend and just the tonic I needed to help me overlook all that "time marching on".

another grandchild's performance

This evening I attended a performance of the rousing Christmas musical "Dude, you hear what I hear?" This was presented by the third, fourth and fifth graders at St. Charles School and it was quite a show with a lovely Christmas message presented with humor and good singing.  Of course my focus was pretty exclusively on my youngest (fourth grade) granddaughter who stood front and center as one of the wise men (with a beard even).  Even though hers was a non-speaking part she took her bows like a diva.  I guess, if one has dreams of becoming a famous singer it's good to know how to accept accolades.

my guardian angel for today

I woke up to a flurry of snow this morning, not a lot, just enough for a slippery commute to work.  Happily for me, early on in my usual 20 minute drive I realized that I was behind an extremely cautious driver going about 30 miles an hour in a 45 mph zone.  No way or desire to pass so I relaxed and enjoyed a very slow relaxing drive to work, blessing the "guardian angel" in the car in front me who assured me a safe trip to work.

my laugh of the day

I just happened to tune in to the Victoria's Secret fashion show for a few minutes this evening.  A phrase in one of their ads (within the huge glitzy ad that was the show) described their admittedly gorgeous undergarments as "the gift angels want."  Really???  It gave me a whole new vision of heaven.

The music marathon has come to an end.

Tonight I enjoyed the final two performances in a series of grandchildren's Christmas concerts.  First I attended my second granddaughter's 5th grade band concert then we rushed to my grandson's 7th grade band concert.  They were both very good, and having never played in a band myself, I am full of awe at the music their teachers/directors can coax out of these groups.  I am especially impressed by the progress that happens between 5th and 7th grade.  It's so exciting to see the growth.  Play on and sing on all you grandchildren.  Hooray for you!

Here's another Christmas poem

Here's another snippet of a Christmas poem, this one from 2008.  As I reread it, it brought back a flood of messy, fun memories.

ON BEING A GRITTY GRANDMA

Being a grandma takes grit and
luckily grandkids provide it.
With boots and shoes and sugar spills.
Through snow slides into muddy creeks,
strawberry and sour apple picking,
jam and applebutter brewing,
and the absolute best mud fight ever.

more amazing music

This is being a music full weekend for me in what is always a most musical time of year.  This evening I attended a performance by the Fort Wayne Children's Choir and watched with pride as my youngest granddaughter, fourth grade, sang as part of their Lyric Choir.  We heard songs by children at several age and experience levels and I marveled, as I have before, at the wonderful music performed by these groups.  Kudos to the Fort Wayne Children's Choir. It was a lovely holiday treat.

"The hills are alive..."

I attended my sixth grade granddaughter's choir concert this evening. Actually the concert also included selections by the strings (beginning and intermediate), intermediate band and chimes.  It was all great fun with an impressive crowd of encouraging parents and grandparents applauding each performance.  Of course I thought the choir was the best but then I was a tiny bit prejudiced.  Other than the excessively hard bleachers it was a totally enjoyable evening.
Then I got home, settled down on my blessedly soft sofa and discovered that a new live production of "The Sound of Music" had just started on TV.  I've enjoyed watching it, there were some new songs and different dialogue in spots and it was very well done.  But, sorry, it will never replace the Julie Andrews version in my heart. Still, it has been a lovely, music filled evening.

I'm qualified now

I took my CPR training this afternoon, to renew my certification.  I puffed breaths into the dummy's mouth, did those sequences of 30 compressions, learned the right way to "Heimlich" someone, and how to use the nifty defibulator machine (I love a machine that talks to you and tells you exactly what to do).  I passed the written exam, played victim, worked on other victims, and generally learned quite a bit.  All I can say now is, if you plan to have an emergency, choose your location wisely.  Anywhere but where I am would probably be good.

It's December already

Well here we are, well and truly into December, and facing the usual lengthy list of things to do before Christmas. One of my fun December jobs is creating my Christmas poem.  Every year for more than 20 years now I have mailed out a Christmas poem.  it's my take on the annual Christmas letter.  To inspire myself this year I've decided to publish parts of some of my favorites in this blog.
So here's part of one of my favorites from 1993:

Time flies, they say,
When you're having fun.
I must be having a ball,
For here it is December again,
and the year that is
is the year that's gone
and all that's left are memories
and gifts not wrapped
and cards not sent..........

A month ago, from a Florida beach,
we watched Endeavor lift off,
and that bright flash across a dark sky
was like this year just past:
brilliantly joyful, exciting and fun,
and gone by much too fast..

a date with a younger man

I took my grandson, age 12, to a concert this evening.  Tower Brass, a group from Chicago, performed and they were wonderful.  Great music and a fun show.  We had a really good time and I am enjoying the fact that my grandchildren have not yet outgrown their willingness to spend time with their Nana.  I know the time will come, as it should, when they will be too busy getting on with their own lives to spend much time with me.  So for now I will savor every opportunity and this was one of the best.

Shop til you drop

I do not shop on black Friday but I did take one of my granddaughters shopping today to select her delayed birthday present.  She wanted a Vera Bradley backpack and the nearest store selling VB products is in a small nearby town called Grabill.  As we were driving to Grabill I was explaining to my granddaughter that the shop we were going to was a combination flea market, antique shoppe, and giant grandma's attic.  It's amazing the stuff you can find there.
To my delight, It turns out she loves exploring lots and lots of stuff so we spent hours roaming from room to room, looking, laughing, wondering "who would ever buy..." then turning right around and finding something we had to buy.
An added bonus - no huge crowds, no parking problems, and time for a yummy hot chocolate treat.  Oh yes, we did find the perfect VB backpack..

roasting my turkey, the grand finale

I'm delighted to report that the turkey was excellent, as were the sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, rice stuffing, and on and on.  The pies, cake and cookies were also delicious.  So many things to be thankful for.  And today I'm thankful that all of the dishes are washed and put away, and, with the help of four industrious grandchildren my Christmas tree is up, decorated and the whole house (at least inside) is ready for Christmas.  I'm counting my blessings tonight.  Tomorrow I'll worry about calories.

cooking my turkey, day three

Happy Thanksgiving Eve.  The turkey is thawed enough to be ready to roast tomorrow.  I've made the cranberry relish and baked two pumpkin pies.  The sweet potatoes (no marshmallows, I make mine with chopped nuts and brown sugar) are ready to go in the oven tomorrow morning.  Tomorrow I'll make the mashed potatoes and gravy, baste the turkey, set the table, brew the coffee,bake the biscuits, heat the ham, etc., and welcome the other nine people (family all) who will be at my table and who are bringing stuffing, desserts and green bean casserole.  I don't think anyone will go away hungry.
On my favorite TV news show this morning I saw a chef explaining how a Thanksgiving dinner for one could be made for under 350 calories.  One suggestion was to stew the turkey (boil it in broth) instead of roasting it.  I don't think so.  Thanksgiving day is a wonderful day for enjoying fellowship and thanking God for the blessings in our lives.  It's not for counting calories.

cooking my turkey - day two

I am happy to report that the turkey is beginning to thaw.  This evening, for the first time, I was able to feel just a little give when I poked the turkey.  It's good that frozen turkeys can't bruise, as much as I've been poking it.  This evening I was also reminded of another thing in the long list of things I have to be thankful for.  I had a call from a dear friend (we were college roommates and have been friends ever since and in our case ever since is 50 years.  It gives a whole new meaning to BFFs.) to share with me something she and her husband had read in the paper.  The article didn't have anything to do with us now, but the location of the event brought back floods of memories of a driving trip we and our husbands took together touring the northeast.  This was BC (before children) and the four of us had a hilarious time.  How truly wonderful to have friends who have been so close for so long.  I am truly blessed and truly thankful.

Cooking my turkey - day one

I'm excited about Thanksgiving this year.  I always enjoy thanksgiving but this year, for the first time in many years dinner will be at my house and, because I had my kitchen remodeled two years ago, I actually have an oven that's large enough to cook a turkey. I bought the turkey (16 pounds and frozen to the consistency of a bowling ball) last week.  Yesterday, Sunday, I transferred it from freezer to refrigerator to begin the thawing process.  On the way, I popped it in its pan and into the oven, just to be certain it fits and it does.
Since I'm not sure that a 16 lb turkey is enough for 10 people, I also bought a small ham.  I like to be prepared with a fall-back plan in case something goes drastically wrong.  I also dusted off my old Joy of Cooking cookbook and studied up on how to roast a turkey.  It was interesting to find notes in the margin that I had written years ago.
Being a moderately techy 60-something year old, I will also google ideas for turkey roasting.
Once years ago I tried to find recipes on line for sauces made with hot red peppers and ended up on a very interesting, but quickly deleted, non-cooking site.  I don't think I'll have the same problem with turkey.

Ok, ok, I'll stop feeling sorry for myself.

Just when I've worked up a good 'pitty party' for myself  "Oh poor me, I have so much stuff and I don't know how to get rid of it." (see yesterday's blog) God slaps me up side the head with a reality check.  This morning on the news I watched teams of volunteers helping to clear up the devastation left after a tornado which went through a small city near here two weeks ago.  750 volunteers were moving mountains of ruined possessions.  I feel dully chastened.
But then, five minutes later the same news show played a segment about a man who found a gold statue in a dumpster.  It appears to be an Emmy award from the 1950's and the finder is trying to locate the owner so it can be returned.
I had two reactions to this:  1. Nooo, they don't want it back.  They threw it away!
2.  This is a warning to me to never throw away boxes of stuff without checking to see what's inside, although I am absolutely certain there are no gold statues in this house.

Inadvertant hoarding

I am not a hoarder.  I've seen those shows on TV and my house doesn't look anything like the ones they feature in those stories.  I am admittedly not the world's greatest house keeper but there's nothing on my floors but flooring and furniture and I can move easily from room to room, at least on the first floor.  My basement (aka walk-out lower level) is another story. There are corners and rooms and even a "downstairs" garage in my basement full of stuff, stuff that my grown children have left at my house because "I have more room", stuff that belonged to my husband that I haven't dealt with yet, stuff that I simply don't use anymore like an old desk and filing cabinet.
I've started to contemplate moving from this house to something smaller and I've realized that part of the reason I still have so much stuff is because I simply don't know how to get rid of it.  I mean what do you do with an old upright piano or bits and pieces of old PCs.
Over the years I've given lots of stuff to Good Will and other charities.  I even gave a large sectional sofa to some college students who needed furniture.  But there's a limit to what even the most needy people will take, unless of course you put it in a garage sale.  Hmmm, I may have just hit on a retirement career.

I remember where I was.

November 22, 1963, I was a sophomore in college and my nickname was 'naive'  So it's really no wonder that my first reaction when my boss told me that President Kennedy had been shot was to assume it must be some terrible hoax.  I worked in a department of the library called Teaching Materials Services and was in the basement of that building sorting through some items in storage.  A fairly unremarkable job except for the fact that one of the heads of the department practiced taxidermy as a hobby and the innocent looking cabinets that lined the walls and created corridors through the huge room were likely to have half preserved animal and bird bodies lying on the shelves.  Every cabinet opened was a new adventure.
On that afternoon I was feeling spooked already when one of my bosses called down the stairs to me telling me to come up stairs right away.  She didn't have to tell me twice.  It wasn't until I was back among the living that I was told what had happened  Needless to say we spent the next several hours glued to the TV.  I remember feeling shock, horror, and disbelief, especially disbelief.  Assassinations didn't happen to us, here in the USA.  They were rumors heard of in reports from third-world countries or something that happened way back in history to Pres. Lincoln.  We were all so naive.

nuts are good for your

Nuts are good for you according to a report on TV this morning.  Eating nuts (just an ounce or so and not too salty) every day can extend your life span.  I like nuts so this was really exciting to me and I will be adding them to my shopping list.  But what really got my attention was the fact that eating nuts every day will "improve your life expectancy by 20%."  Really?  I'm pretty sure we all have exactly the same life expectancy.

waiting for the train

Exciting news on local TV this morning; a movement is in the works to bring high-speed train service to Fort Wayne.  We would be a stop between Columbus, Ohio and Chicago, IL.  Of course the preliminary study to measure neighborhood and environmental impact will take at least two years so I haven't bought a ticket yet but I'm starting to daydream about the possibility.
I love riding the train.  It started with my first train ride when I was five years old.  My mom, dad, younger brother and I were travelling from Fort Wayne to Philadelphia to visit family.  Fort Wayne had train service in 1950.  It was an overnight trip and I remember going around a horseshoe bend where we could see the front of the train far ahead of us.  I also remember staying awake all night because I was so excited.  Looking back on the event from a more mature perspective I realize that my parents probably didn't find that trip nearly as much fun as I did.

eating humble pie technologically speaking

A few weeks ago I just about broke my arm patting myself on the back because I was able to help my daughter with a computer techy type question, but today the tables were turned.  She happened to come into my office as I was wrestling with a computer / printer problem.  It took her about two seconds to sort it out.  So thank you darling daughter, you win this round.

on using a flip phone

I heard an interview on TV this morning with a multimillionaire owner/manager of a football team.  During the interview the pretty young thing who was interviewing him asked jokingly if it was true that he still used a flip phone.  He said yes and went on to give some reasons including more privacy and less expense.  To which she replied "But you have lots of money, you could have any kind of phone you want."  His response "It's been my experience that people who 'have lots of money' have it because they're careful how they spend it."
So there all you people who snicker when I pull out my flip phone....It's nice to think I have one thing in common with a multimillionaire.

the postal conundrum

I heard this weekend that the post office is probably going to raise the price of first class stamps again, to 49 cents this time.  Then this morning our preacher mentioned in the sermon, in a look back at 1963, that during that year the cost of a first class stamp was five cents.
Of course back then gas was 30 cents a gallon.  I don't begrudge the post office the price raise, but I do wonder if there are other ways they could cut costs or increase revenue.  I heard that they were considering stopping mail delivery on Saturdays.  As far as I'm concerned they could stop delivery three days a week, maybe Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday?  Of course that would mean a delay in receiving my typical day's mail which consists of one bill (maybe), six or seven solicitations for money, three or four ad fliers, and an occasional free newspaper.  It's no wonder my recycle bin fills up nine times faster than my garbage bin.
I have an idea.  Perhaps the post office could charge a fee not to deliver the junk.  I'd pay.

the bake sale excuse

I love to bake. Cookies, cakes, pies, they're all fun to make, but living alone it's hard to come up with good excuses to bake much except around the holidays.  So when I'm faced with the opportunity to bake for a bake sale (we're having one at church tomorrow), I dig right in.
Today I baked snickerdoodles, brownies, blondies and pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting,
I'm happy to report that everything is delicious.
Because of course that's the beauty of being the baker - everything has to be taste tested!

House wreckers

I happened to click on a TV show this evening reporting on real estate horrors.  They explored homes disappearing into sink holes and homes being accidentally demolished.  I worked in the real estate field for 25 years and had my share of "adventures" but, happily, never had to deal with sink holes or demolished houses, although I can remember a few that should have been demolished.
Watching a show like this and being appalled vicariously makes me glad all over again that I am retired from real estate.  Now all I have to deal with is selling my own house one of these days but that's a story for another time.

Statistics

Several years ago my husband taught a class in statistics at a local college and he used to joke about spending the first class teaching his students how to pronounce the word.  It's not stastistics or satistics or even sadistics although, if you've ever struggled through the math in a statistics class that last one may seem appropriate.
And speaking of statistics, I heard a great line this morning from the movie "Anchorman".  "60% of the time it works every time."  And that reminded me of one of my all-time favorite lines.  I actually heard someone say this in a speech.  "Fifty percent of all statistics are made up on the spot."  I love it..

Thinking turkey

In two weeks it will be Thanksgiving and I'll be cooking a turkey for the first time in several years.  It just happened that we had Thanksgiving at other family members' homes and I did Christmas dinner, but this year I get Thanksgiving.  I'm pretty excite since I'll get to use my new oven for the first time for something this big.  Since it's been quite a few years I'm contemplating buying a Butterball turkey because they have a hot line I can call for help.  And it must be a pretty good hot line.  I heard a comedian comment recently that the government should turn to the Butterball hotline to help with the Obama care website problems.  He said that the Bb hotline could handle huge numbers of calls, were always cheerful, and knew all the answers.  Hmmm, sounds good to me.

Today is 11-12-13

I heard on the news this morning that many people chose today as their wedding day because it's such a unique date - 11-12-13.  Well maybe memorable is a better word than unique.  As the announcer pointed out every date is unique.  Think about it.
But very few dates run in numeric sequence. (One a year from 01-02-03 to 12-13-14, if my musings are correct.) We'll have to wait until November 12, 2113 for this one to come around again.  I don't expect to be here but it's fun to contemplate.
Personally, I'm looking forward to next year.  12-13-14 will be my 70th birthday.  How cool is that?

the first snow

I don't know why the first snow of the season excites me so much but it does. It's snowing tonight and while they're only predicting an inch of show and I know it will melt away tomorrow, I'm still thrilled to see the first snow.  I'm not a huge fan of winter, although I do have some lovely memories of days off from school and long days spent ice skating.  By the way, those "snow days" were every bit as exciting when I was a teacher as when I was a student.
I think I won't try to analyze my reasons but simply accept the quiet joy of this moment, and in the morning rejoice that my car lives in a garage and I don't need to scrape the windshield.

a family dinner

I love family dinners and I'm blessed with a basically functional family.  This evening I had everyone at my house for dinner to celebrate my son and daughter-in-law's 12th Anniversary, my daughter's 40th Birthday and my granddaughter's 11th Birthday.  Although the dinner I cooked wasn't my best ever, the cake was good and so was the conversation. But one of the real highlights of the evening for me was when each of my four grandchildren, separately and together, came into the kitchen to ask how they could help and then proceeded to do everything I asked of them.  At 12, 11, 11 and 9 they are suddenly responsible youths, not little kids anymore, Wow! When did that happen?

the good old days???

Imagine a time when women could be committed to an insane asylum for the perfidy of disagreeing with their husbands.  In the mid 1800's it was the law in several states in the US that, if a wife disagreed with her husband about just about anything, it was an obvious sign of insanity and she could be committed.
I just got home from seeing Mrs. Packard at First Presbyterian Theater and it's a very intense presentation of just such a circumstance based on a true story.  I highly recommend it, and it's playing for one more night.
It will make you glad you live now (at least if you're a woman).

A study on sleep

Just heard of another great study, this one I totally agree with.  The study proved that children who sleep more eat less and are less likely to become obese.  I really like this study and I know it works, at least for me.  The earlier I go to bed in the evening, the less I eat.  For example, right now it's almost 10 pm and I am faced with a decision.  Do I go to bed right now and obviously not eat anything or stay up to watch Elementary and have a snack and a cup of tea?  Since I don't have to go to work tomorrow it's no contest.  Hmmm, popcorn sounds good.

Air brushed attributes

Last evening I watched an interesting demonstration on how photographers can air brush their work with models to enhance their attributes - longer, leaner legs, higher shoulders, slimmer waist, higher cheek bones, smoother skin, etc.  Not that I've ever seen a model that seemed to need that kind of help but I guess it's an example of an industry striving for perfection (or fantasy).
But that made me think, wouldn't it be lovely if someone invented an "air brushing" mirror that would appear to fix up little flaws as I applied my make up.  It wouldn't matter that it was only in the mirror, because, once I walked away from the mirror I wouldn't have to look at me again for hours.  But wouldn't it give you a wonderful lift at the start of the day to think you looked grand?
Ok, you inventors out there, get busy.

Gotta watch those 68 year olds!

I'm 68, and I think fairly mild mannered, so this news story caught my attention.  I'm not sure what the final straw was but this grandpa evidently had a dispute with his daughter over her children's, his grandchildren's cell phone use, and decided to make his point with his car. In the video clip I saw he drove around the yard to get in position, t-boned his daughter's car which was sitting in the carport by her house.  Then, I guess deciding he hadn't made his point clearly enough, drove around the yard some more and proceeded to drive through the front wall of the house. Very dramatic! And the moral of this story is????
Choose one:
Don't cross a 68 year old.
Beware the angry grandparent.
A man and his car are a force to be reckoned with.
Some people get crazy when they get old.
Let your kids raise their kids.

Or send me one of your own.

sounds like Dr. Seuss

This morning on the news they reported about an unexpected find in the baggage area at Ohare International - an alligator under the escalator.  How very Dr. Seuss.  I had to leave for work so I didn't hear how they resolved the situation, perhaps a vet with a net?

the cars in my life

I was watching a report earlier this evening on Lamborghini, the factory and the car.  They are beautiful cars with a great sound but I can't imagine paying 4 hundred thousand to 4 million for one (even supposing I had that kind of money to throw around, which I don't).  But, in thinking about it I realized that I do like distinctive looking cars.  Most of the cars I've owned over the years, while not expensive, and often bought used, have had a distinctive look for their time.  I practiced driving on my husband's Studebaker - no power steering, drove like truck, but very distinctive looking.  I owned a Corvair, mentioned in an earlier blog, then, with my husband, a VW bus, a Toyota mini van, a VW square back, a Toyota Corrola, a Ford Taurus station wagon, a Contour, and currently, a 2004 Buick Rendezvous.  I've probably missed a few along the way but you get the idea.  I bet, if you close your eyes you can picture every one of the cars I've listed.
I should also give honorable mention to the 1957 baby blue and white Chevy that I dated in college.  Yummy, and the guy wasn't bad either.

A study I can agree with

I heard about another study this morning which I rather like.  It seems that scientific research has shown that people who eat meals as a family at the table without TV or other extraneous distractions are less likely to be / become obese. The survey results indicated that a meal with conversation allows people to eat carefully, think about what they're eating and not over eat, whereas, if a person is say eating while watching a football game on TV he/she is more likely to indulge in mindless, endless snacking and consequently become overweight.
I did spot what I think are a couple of tiny flaws in the study.  First, I know lots and lots of families who eat meals at the table,  then snack later in front of the TV.  Where do they fit into the study?  And what about families like mine who, especially on holidays, indulge in some pretty heavy eating even at the dining room table?  I think some popcorn might help me ponder this some more.

my favorite quote of the day

At a news conference today one of the people in charge defended the Obamacare on line registration fiasco by answering when a reporter asked when it would be working "It's working, just not at the success rate we want."  Really?  I think I'll suggest that my grandson use a variation the next time his mom complains about his grades "I am doing my home work, Mom, just not at the success rate you want." Good luck with that!

not the image I expected

A company, which shall remain nameless, advertises frequently on TV that they can help students with focus or other issues to improve their grades and do better in school.  I envisioned, based on the ads, this company being run by bright professionals who really knew what they were doing.  Imagine my surprise then to find a letter from this company in my mailbox, in an envelope with no address and no stamp. The last I knew this is totally illegal.  Shouldn't a company who educates people know this?

visual feasts - quiet and LOUD

This weekend I enjoyed two visual feasts.  First, on Friday evening I went to the opening of the new exhibit at First Presbyterian Gallery.  I appreciated the paintings by Vassi Vasevski and Jordan Ivanov - two very talented artists, but I was especially entranced with the crystalline glazes on Al Martin's ceramic pieces.  At first glance they are pretty pots in pleasing shapes but on closer look you see fascinating patterns where crystals have burst in the firing process (at least that's my guess) leaving subtle flower-like or organic patterns covering the surface of each piece. Yummy!

Second, last night a friend and I attended a Rod Stewart concert (yes, that Rod Stewart) at the "Palace" in Auburn Hills, north of Detroit. I don't often listen to music on cds or the radio but I love to go to live performances - I like to see my music - and this performance was amazing. The music, of course, was excellent, his voice is still crazy good, and he has a bevy of excellent back-up talent.  But the visual feast for me was the back ground patterns, colors, pictures and special effects and the costuming which progressed through the show from dresses and suits reminiscent of performers in the sixties and seventies to much more current, edgy looks.  And of course watching RS perform was no hardship either.  It was a delicious fun time.

Enthusiastic shopping

Each year at church we sponsor a project where we fill shoe boxes with gifts for children in tough circumstances around the world.  Since two of my granddaughters didn't have school today and they were spending the day with me, I decided to let them help me shop for items to fill the two boxes I decided to fill.  I was delighted to discover that they are every bit as excited to shop for someone else as for themselves, and they were organized.  We put two shopping baskets in the cart, one for a boy's gifts and one for a girl's.  We had a delightful time selecting small toys, school supplies and other fun things. The only problem is I realized, as I started packing things into boxes, that I have enough here for four boxes.  Lucky for me there are more boxes at church.  What a good problem to have.  

marching band memories

I attended my grandson's first band concert of the season this evening.  It was inside, in a crowded gym, with lots and lots of proud parents and grandparents in attendance and it was fun to see and remember the early stages of the cycle.  The sixth, seventh, jazz and eight grade bands played and they actually did very well.  I'm always fascinated to hear the progression from 6th to 8th grade.  It's amazing how they develop.  My grandson is in 7th grade and in two years he'll be in marching band, and then the real fun begins for his parents.  Maybe they'll be pit parents like my husband and I were, enjoying long loud jouncy bus rides - I'm sure there's a correlation between riding school buses in your youth and developing back problems - but I digress. Then helping to unload, and later re-load, the incredible amount of instruments and other stuff that go into making a great band show, and making sure everything gets on the field with precision timing so your band doesn't loose points for your ineptitude.  Being a pit parent is not for wimps!  I'm so glad I'm a grandparent now and can just go along and enjoy the show.  I've paid my dues.  Bring on the band!

and yet another study, this time about dogs...

There has been a rather complex study done recently about dogs, testing whether they feel love for their human families.  Well really!!  Any dog owner with any feeling can tell you their dogs love them, and not only love them but in some instances go to amazing lengths to serve and protect.  There was a piece on the news last week about a dog who woke her family and saved them from a fire.  Our good dog Remington never had to rescue us from a fire but he was ready to protect!
When our first baby, Tommy, was a few weeks old I decided that I needed a hair cut and asked my mother-in-law to watch him for an hour during his nap time while I went out.  Helen was the most loving person and doting grandma you can imagine so I had no qualms about leaving her with the baby.  When I returned from my appointment, my mother-in-law was very relieved to see me and had an interesting story to tell.  Tommy slept the whole time so that wasn't the problem. But, it turns out, as soon as I left the house, Remington, our brave little mini dachshund, plopped himself down in the doorway to Tommy's bedroom and didn't move.  Every time grandma tried to walk into the bedroom to check on the baby the dog growled until she walked away.  Happily, Remington learned to accept Helen as part of the family but he always remained very protective of "his" kids.  Good dog!

another fascinating study

A few days ago I heard about another study done with young children and teens that showed that children who have a regular bedtime (the same time every day) do better in school.  While I have no doubt that that is true, I would like to see what the other variables were.  I suspect that the better performance is school is at least in part due to the fact that the children with the regular bedtimes have parents who are involved enough and care enough to make sure they go to bed on time, which says to me that the parents/caregivers also care enough and are involved enough to help with homework and feed their children nutritious food and generally engage in good parenting.  Let's hear it for good parenting!
I also suspect that most adults would do better with regular (earlier) bedtimes.  I try, really I do, and I'm usually in bed by 11:00pm.  My problem is reading in bed.  I like to read before I fall asleep but if I get involved with a really good book, sleep time tends to get later and later.  Maybe I need to practice parenting myself.  I think they call that self-discipline.

like a kid with a new toy

All day at work today I was excitedly looking forward to coming home this evening and playing with my new computer.  I know, I know, I shouldn't use the word 'play' since I really am trying to learn how to use Windows 8.1  and googlepad and who knows what else, but along the way, I discovered google store and figured out how to download a few free favorite games and I'm still amazed at how fast I can get on the internet, so I'm having fun and to me that's playing.  I'll do some serious stuff another day.

Which one was I?

In church this morning our minister preached a really excellent sermon based on the parable of the prodigal son.  At one point in the sermon she commented that any of us who have siblings or are the parents of more than one child can relate to the idea of "good child vs. bad child".  As she said this my son, a grown man with two children of his own, who happened to be sitting beside me, looked at me and whispered "Which one was I?" I used the excuse of listening to the sermon to avoid answering, but as I thought about it later in the day, I realized that they took turns.  I have two truly wonderful children who are two years apart in age and as they were growing up they seemed to almost deliberately switch roles.  Invariably, if one of them was going through a sweet lovable stage the other would be going through an ornery, contrary, sometimes moody stage and I came to anticipate the personality swaps about every 18 months.  It went on from infancy through high school, and so dear son, the answer to your question is "You were the good one, except when you weren't."

my new computer

I'm writing this blog on my new laptop. How exciting is that! I haven't written one for two or three days because my old computer just froze up.  It wasn't actually totally dead but it was moving soooo slowly that it took me 20-25 minutes to access my blog or e-mail or anything else. I tried all the usual fixes, defragging, deleteing, disparing, and finally decided, after 8+ years to bite the bullet and buy a new computer.  After a day long adventure, aided by my very patient son, systems have been backed up, windows 8.1 has been loaded and I am on my way.  I love the touch screen and everything else I've tried so far but I do have one concern.  So far I haven't found "free cell".  I'll keep looking. I do have my priorities, after all.

contemplating a face lift

I keep seeing commercials on TV for "life style" lifts and sure enough all of those people who look so much better now had all of the same problems I have - saggy jowls, wrinkles, a crinkly neck and on and on.  But I'm wondering where it would stop.  If I got a face lift what could I do about my hands or my legs or my many other saggy parts?  Maybe, if I always wear gloves and long sleeves and spanx and long pants I could get away with just a face lift???  I think I'll wait until they start advertising "full body" lifts.

sensitive toothpaste

Yesterday morning I heard an add on TV for sensitive toothpaste.  I listened closely and they repeated that phrase several times.  Now I have heard before of toothpaste for sensitive teeth, but this sounds really special.  How sensitive can toothpaste be?  Will it hold my hand and say "There, there" when I made a mistake?  Will it listen when I want to share my woes?  Will it hug me when I'm feeling blue?  Sensitive toothpaste sounds wonderful.  Cheaper than a cat or dog and a lot less hassle than a spouse.  I'm going to rush right out and buy some.  

This made me laugh

I don't think the current government partial shutdown is a laughing matter especially since 3 of my 4 adult children are currently furloughed from their jobs.  However a comment made by John McCain on the news this evening did make me laugh.  When asked about how continued inaction would impact congress's approval rating he said "We're down to blood relatives and paid staffers now."  How much worse can it get?  I don't want to find out.

Wasp Wars

I have a lovely old apple tree in my yard which has had an abundance of apples this year.  I have gathered many many apples to use, but every day I find more bird pecked, bug eaten ones on the ground and since several branches hang over my driveway I need to rake them up and throw them away so they don't get squashed beneath tires.  Today I went out to do that job only to discover that the wonderful smushy apples had been discovered by wasps who didn't think much of my clean up plan. So, being adverse to wasp stings, I came back in the house, with plans to mount my attack on a chillier day, when the wasps, I hope, will be snoozing.  Wise wasp war warriors know when to retire.

my short-lived singing career

I saw a wonderful concert this evening, the all male singing group Chanticleer.  No instruments, just beautiful voices with an amazing range harmonizing, truly awesome.  Whenever I hear truly great singers I think how grand it must be to be able to make such music with your voice.  I've always thought that I'll know I've died and gone to heaven when I can carry a tune.
Don't get me wrong, I love to sing - in the shower, alone in my car, in church (if no one else can hear me) - but I know my limitations.  My daughter made sure of that years ago.  I was rocking her to sleep one evening (she was one year old) and singing what I thought was a sweet lullaby, when she opened her eyes, looked up at me and said "Don't sing, Mommy."

Tech Wars

Earlier today I was able to download a photo from a cd, copy it to the church bulletin I was working on, size it and print 350 copies of the complete document.  Doesn't sound like much but I felt great.  Over the last three years I've come a long way with my computer skills at work.  I'm actually pretty competent with publisher.  Then I got home and sat down with my laptop to write this blog and waited 20 minutes while it thought about connecting to google chrome.  I'm writing in a rush now in case it just shuts down.  I had it in for some minor repairs earlier this week and was informed that my computer's battery is "just about fried", among other problems.  This leads me to think I might want to start shopping for a new computer - this one is eight years old - but first I would like to know that the government is done being shut down or at least that my social security payment has been deposited.  I know, I know, I want so much.

Litter's revenge

I don't really understand the urge to litter.  Why can't people take their trash home and throw it away?  I live on a fairly busy street and two or three times a week I find something discarded in my yard, usually right along the road, but sometimes tossed with some force, deep into the yard. Cigarette packs, beer cans, soda bottles, fast food wrappers, paper cups, even this week a pencil, have all graced my yard at one time or another.  I pick them up and throw them away and don't get angry but I do wish sometimes that I could teach a litterer a lesson.
A friend of mine learned a hard lesson about littering several years ago.  She and her husband and young baby were travelling by car and driving through a fairly remote area when the baby needed a diaper change. According to her story there wasn't a good place to pull over and stop so she changed the diaper (her husband was driving) as they drove along.  She was using a wonderful new invention of the time, disposable diapers!  After the change she realized that, while the baby was clean and happy,they now had a car full of really baaaad smell, so, seeing that no one was around, she decided to toss the diaper out the window.  Bad idea.  As she rolled down the window and tossed the diaper it was caught by a gust of wind and wrapped itself around the antenna, where it boldly waved, after spewing its contents along the side of the car, until they finely (she said it seemed like hours) found a pull off where the could deposit the offending diaper in a trash barrel and do some cleam up. Of course the previously deserted stretch of road was now full of cars full of cheerfully honking witnesses to their folly. After telling this story my friend assured me that she has never again thrown anything out of a car window.

My Corvair

A couple of days ago, on my favorite morning news show, they demonstrated a car that can drive itself. Very helpful and pretty amazing, and it reminded of my first car which sometimes seemed to have a mind of its own.  You remember Corvairs?  There was even a book written about them, Unsafe at Any Speed.  I bought my 1961 Corvair, used, in 1965 for $800.  It was my first car and I bought it, practiced driving it, and then got my drivers license, in time to finish my last college courses and start my first year of teaching.
Such a nice car, until it turned on me.  I was driving back to Ball State one Monday morning after a weekend at home, when I took a curve a little too fast, and before I knew it, my car had spun around, rolled over and up on its wheels again, and I was sitting in the car in a field, looking through an open space and watching my windshield rocking gently on the ground in front of the car.
Two weeks before, my mother had sent me money to have seat belts installed in that car (they weren't standard back then) and I walked away from that accident with only a tiny scratch on one knee.  I walked to a nearby farmhouse and use their phone to call my father and tell him what had happened.  His first words were "Are you ok?" When I assured him I was he said "That's all that matters."  I always loved my daddy but never more than at that moment.
He came and picked me up, drove me the rest of the way to college and then proceeded to fight my battle with the insurance company.  They wanted to total it and give me $400.  That got my daddy's German up, since he had never in his life had a claim on his insurance policy, which also covered me, and he thought that 50% depreciation in less than a month was pretty steep. So he asked what other options we ahd and they said they would pay to have it repaired so he said "Fix it."  It cost the insurance company $2,000 but I ended up with a rebuilt car which I drove for the next six years, until my husband and I traded it in on our VW camper.  By then it had well over 100,000 miles on it and I could see the road through the rusted out spot in the floor board on the driver's side. But I never had another accident in taht car and, with the engine in back, it turned out to be a wonderful car to drive on snowy roads when I lived in upstate New York.

I received a random act of kindness

As I was standing at the back of my car this afternoon, raining drizzling down and starting to fall more heavily, unloading the groceries I had just purchased, a sudden gust of wind caught my shopping cart and propelled it away across the parking lot.  I caught it before it had rolled too far and was back at my car when a lovely young lady came up and started helping me unload my groceries into my car.  She said "I saw your cart get away from you, and since I have an umbrella, I thought I'd come and help."  How nice was that?  I feel like I was really blessed by this kind gesture today and am excited about the prospect of paying it forward.

remembering Peter, Paul and Mary

This evening I attended a concert/talk by Peter Yarrow, formerly of Peter, Paul and Mary.  It was the annual fund-raiser for the Indiana Center for Middle East Peace, and I found Mr. Yarrow's comments on bullying and protesting for good causes very interesting.  He is very involved with an organization called Operation Respect.  You can learn more about that at www.operationrespect.org. While I appreciated his wide ranging comments and his new song "Don't Laugh at Me" I must admit that the real pleasure of the evening for me was listening to the strumming of an acoustic guitar (no loud amps, thank you very much) and being encouraged to "sing along" to classics like "leaving on a jet plane", "Blowing in the Wind", and of course, "Puff, the Magic Dragon".  If you read these titles and instantly started humming the melodies you are of my generation.

a curious contradiction

I had my furnace serviced today (its annual check-up) by a serviceman who has been here before and who represents a good reliable company.  After he finished his work he informed me that everything looked good, in fact the filter was unusually clean.  Everything was good, good, good.  But then came the zinger "You know" he said, "your furnace is 15 years old.  It's approaching the end of its life."
"Really?" I said, "our old furnace lasted for 30 years."
"Well, you know" he replied (wait for it...) "They don't make them like they used to."
Why not?!!!

I love people with an upbeat attitude!

In our Bible Study group this morning one of the ladies announced that she and her husband are celebrating  a total of 100 years of marriage.  He was married before for 47 years, she was married for 48 years, and now they have been married to each other for five years. All of their extended families got together this summer to celebrate.  How great is that?
Another lady (she and her husband are both in their nineties, and both still driving, in good health, and very sharp people) mentioned that they are starting to think about moving into assisted living.  She said, and I quote, "Statistically, we kind of have to face reality."
i want to grow up to be just like these ladies.

a lesson to live by

I heard a report this morning on the news about a lady who survived cancer at 82 and is an inspiration to her children.  She's now 99, doing just fine, thank you, and asked the secret of a long life said "Take life one day at a time, enjoy it, and be sure to laugh."  I so agree.

Gingerbread and Applebutter

I'm baking gingerbread this evening and it's a lovely experience on so many levels.  It fills the house with a spicy good essence of autumn aroma and it tastes wonderful.  Even better, in a way it;s the culmination of the applebutter experience for this year. I love a warm piece of gingerbread split in half and slathered with applebutter.  Yummmm.  Try it.  I'll be serving it to a group of women coming to my house for a meeting tomorrow and I hope they enjoy it.

more college memories, how I met my husband

Wow, one little reunion weekend and the memories keep flooding back.  Seeing the print making department, dissimilar as it is to what I remember, reminded me of how I met my husband. I was working diligently on a silk screen print, when Martha, the graduate assistant who was teaching the class, walked up to me and said "I know someone who wants to meet you."  As I later found out, Tom had never set eyes on me at that point, but he had shown some interest in Martha, who (lucky for me) was dating someone else,  She decided that she and I were similar enough in looks (tall with brown hair) that Tom might be attracted to me and he was.  With my ok, she gave him my phone number, he called, and we spent over an hour on that first phone call.  Then we went out for what was then referred to as a "coke date" - the drink, not the drugs - at the corner sweet shop.  We actually drank Lime-O's, and that was the beginning of a three-year up and down, near and far courtship.  He moved to Texas for a while, I moved to New York, but eventually we got back together and the rest, as they say, is history.

an ode to pizza king

At the reunion I attended this weekend at Ball State, several thoughtful, and very complimentary speeches were made about past professors and department leaders, some living, some dead, all definitely worthy of praise.  However one aspect of my college education was not touched on and I think it deserves mention. Fifty years ago when I went off to college, a financially and socially challenged small-town girl, I had never eaten pizza prepared in a restaurant.  My girlfriends and I had made pizza from a box at slumber parties but delivery wasn't an option back then, at least not in Woodburn, Indiana.
Thursday evening as my friend Alice and I were driving around Muncie, trying to decide on a place for dinner, we happened to pass a Pizza King restaurant (a place we learned to love and had often frequented in our college days) and immediately decided that pizza was the perfect choice, and it was,  Talk about something that brings back memories - the smell was wonderful, the taste was amazingly delicious - thick gooey cheese, traditional toppings, a perfect crust!  We still love you, Pizza King.  Yummmm!!
 

Down memory lane...

I had a wonderful two days at Ball State University this weekend attending the first ever reunion of art students from the time when Alice Nichols was chair of the department (from the late 1940's to the early 1970's).  It was fun to reminisce, but even more fun to see how the school has grown.  It is a "school" now, not a department, with many specific art majors at the bachelors and masters level.  When I attended there we were working toward a bachelors in art education.  Now you can get degrees in about twenty different areas of art and the qualifications to get accepted to the program are much stricter than in my day.  I'm not at all sure I would have made it.
The area that most intrigues me is the new glass design program.  We spent a fascinating couple of hours watching students working with glass, super heating and shaping blobs of glass into soaring works of art.  I particularly liked one lovely "wing" shaped piece that was being created as we watched and would have liked to buy it.  Unfortunately, it was being created as a thank-you award for a million dollar donor.  I know that's not me. .

A blast from the past...

As I was driving to work this morning, I was passed by a circa 1971 VW bus camper conversion, very similar to the one my husband and I used to own, and the way it bounced along and the sound of its ticky little engine brought back a flood of memories. We bought our camper new in 1971, while I was pregnant with our first child and had the pop-top added a year later. I learned to shift the gears (4 on the floor) by jackrabbiting around a large mall parking lot, and we were off.  My family (my husband, myself, two children and two dogs) traveled in that camper/second family vehicle for 13 years; 210,000 miles of exploration through the desert southwest, the mountains of the northwest, parts of Canada, historic sites along the east coast and on and on.  We even camped in Las Vegas (my first time there) and discovered that the KOA laundry room had slot machines.  So many happy, silly, carefree memories - thanks little VW bus.

A Scary Statistic

As I rush around in the mornings getting ready for work, I half listen to the local and national news. Sometimes a snippet catches my attention, but the commentators are on to something else before I can get the information straight.  For example, the other morning I heard this statistic "Over the next ___ years one in three people will die with (not of, with) Alzheimer's."   One in three?? That's truly scary and pretty unbelievable, but it got me to thinking - what are we all doing that generations before us didn't do?
Of all the people I have known in my father's generation -my parent, aunts and uncles, and parents of friends, I can think of three who had Alzheimer's -none in my immediate family - out of probably 50 or more people that I could quickly name, certainly not one in three.
So what are we doing to ourselves?
What's in our food? beverages? atmosphere? OTC meds? other? that could impact so many, so drastically? Are we reading too little, watching TV too much, focusing on computer and other screens all day? I am sure there are lots of studies being done so my assignment to me is to do some reading.
More on this later.

This functional family

In this age when dis-functional families often seem to be the norm, I am pleased to report that my family is very functional.  We had a family dinner tonight, 11 of us, including 3 generations of siblings, cousins, in-laws, parents and children, and we had fun - good conversation, good food (I cooked but everyone ate without being forced, so I'm assuming it was good), four young cousins - my grandchildren - playing happily together, even our family's inimitable rendition of "Happy Birthday" to salute a son and son-in-law who celebrated birthdays this month.  I am so blessed.

Apple butter day

I didn't post a blog last night, too much fun having a sleepover with two of my grandchildren.  Two are here tonight also but they are asleep now after a busy day of apple butter making.  This year I decided that my grandchildren, at ages 12, 11, 10 and 9, were old enough to help with more than just gathering the apples from my old tree so I gave each of the three who could be here today a cutting board and knife and we started chopping apples.  Of course I watched them carefully, not wanting any cut fingers, but they did very well.
We chopped enough apples for two big slow cooker  batches of apple butter.  The first one is almost finished as I write this and the house smells wonderfully of apples, cinnamon and cloves.  Yummm.
Would you care to guess who was the only one of the four of us to cut her finger?  Me, of course.

What's in a voice?

Today I used the credit union's drive through service to deposit my paycheck.  Since I was two bays away from the building, I couldn't see the teller but her voice came loud and clear and extremely cheerful over the intercom, "How are you today, Lucinda?"
Now I knew that we weren't close personal friends (no one calls me Lucinda) and my first reaction was to think how over the top and insincere her voice sounded and that made me laugh. But then I realized that if her goal was to spread cheer, she had succeeded.  She made me smile and laugh (mostly at myself).
Who am I to judge the sincerity of someone else's greeting?.
I will accept all future cheerful greetings at face value.

and speaking of slang phrases

I woke up at the 'crack of dawn; this morning and I actually saw it, the real crack of dawn.  The sky was dark, full of purple and skybluepink rolling bubbly clouds, and there, right in the middle was a thin horizontal stripe of icy clear pale shining blue - the beautiful crack of dawn.

Terms we take for granted

At our weekly staff meeting this morning our Korean pastor thanked one of the staff for teaching him a new American phrase while they were working on a project together.  The phrase was "play it by ear" and that got me thinking about terms we use that may have no meaning or a very different meaning to someone whose native tongue is not English.  Consider "You're toast!", "What's up?", "Give me five!", "That's my bag.", "Bring it home.", "Let's face it.", "You don't have a leg to stand on.", "Wrap it up.", "It's the cat's pajamas." - well no, we don't really say that one much anymore - but pajamas remind me of one of my favorites "You made your bed, now lie in it." and that's what I"m "off to do".  Good night, I'm going to "saw some logs."

Cats are quiet

Through the years I have had several pets, dogs and cats, and while I dearly loved my dogs, I must admit that I find living with a cat very comfortable.  Cats are quiet, and they like to snuggle.  My cat, Frances, is snuggled up beside me on the couch right now.  Of course there are a few drawbacks.  Cats don't fetch.  I saw a cute video of a dog bringing his master a beer from the fridge.  Frances might bring me a cricket, but only if she wants to show me what a mighty hunter she is.  I have taught her one trick though.  All I have to do is flop down on the couch (this is usually on a Sunday afternoon) and say "nap" and she is right there on top of me holding me down so I'm forced to take a good long nap.  Good Kitty!

reflecting on reflections

I realized, as I was putting on my make up this morning, that looking at myself in the mirror is a lot less fun, and takes a lot more courage, at 68 than it did at 23.  I don't really believe that there is a new wrinkle on my face every day, but it certainly seems that way sometimes.
Lucky for me I can't wear my glasses while I'm doing my make up, so I don't really see the harshest reality.
I heard recently of a woman who coped by simply removing all mirrors from her house.  I'm not quite ready for that yet.  On the other hand, one of my friends who is my age uses a magnifying mirror so she can really see all the flaws - no thank you!

An encouraging word

Two mornings ago I heard a very, very exciting bit of research results on the morning news, exciting to me at least.  A study has shown that many people do their best, most creative work in their 70's and beyond, and that brain tissue keeps growing much later in life that was originally thought.  I'll be 70 in 15 months and I'll be waiting for the genius to kick in.  Will I write a great novel; paint better than I ever did in college or take up weaving again?  Who knows?  We'll all have to wait and see.

Happy Birthday to my favorite son...

Today my oldest child, my son, turned 42.  So many memories swirl through my mind, it's hard to know where to start.  We've been through a near death experience, a pinewood derby triumph, a name change, the agonies of shyness, the victory over shyness, many scholastic successes, a few not so successful endeavors, interesting jobs, an eternal interest in space, fantastic support for me through the toughest time, a wonderful wife, two beautiful daughters and on and on.  Is it any wonder I love him so much and am filled with pride whenever I think of him.  Happy Birthday Thomas!

What happened on birthday eve...

Tomorrow is my son's , my oldest child's, birthday.  He will be 42 and has grown into a wonderful man of whom I am very proud.  But more about him tomorrow.  Today I have been remembering the night before he was born.
My husband and I had gone our for a delicious Mexican dinner, and I was feeling fine until about midnight when I started to have stomach cramps.  I seemed to develop all of the classic symptoms of a mild case of food poisoning.  Sometimes I'm slow to figure things out but eventually I get there.  After about three hours of discomfort I began to wonder if I might be having labor pains.  You would think that the fact that it was 10 days beyond my due date might have given me a clue.  I finally decided to call my doctor who told me that, since I wasn't having regular contractions yet (note, I never did have regular contractions) there was probably no rush, but since it was my first I could come to the hospital any time.  I woke my husband, we got ready, grabbed our prepacked bags - mine with clothes, his with stuff to occupy our time - and headed off to the hospital.  We got there about 5am, were wisked into a little room where a nurse checked me over and then left us alone.
My husband, since we had both read lots of books about the subject, assumed that we would have several hours to wait, brought out the travel chess set and started to set up the game.  Just then the nurse came back, said we were heading for the delivery room -no long wait after all - and off we went. Our baby boy was born at about 6am.
The moral of this story is that if you want a fast easy birth experience, eat Mexican food the night before. More about my baby boy tomorrow.

An Amazing Performance

Picture if you will over 100 children, most of them under six years old, sitting on the floor with their families in a huge room, enjoying banjo and accordion music.  It was a sight to behold, and I misspoke a little when I said they were sitting.  Mostly they (and their parents) were swaying, doing jumping jacks, clapping, sneezing, twirling and generally moving to the music.  This is the magic of Jim Gill, a children's entertainer whom I had never heard of until our church invited him to come and perform as the opening program of our music series for this year.  I hadn't heard of him but lots and lots of young children certainly have.
What i most enjoyed about the evening, besides the really excellent lively music, was that nobody told the kids to be quiet or settle down.  They were there to move and move they did, and so, although we hoped not to be noticed, did a lot of us grandparent types standing around the edges of the room. It was pure fun.

Today's discovery

While sitting in a meeting this evening, I heard a woman who was giving a report refer to looking up a word on Thesaurus.net.  Who knew??  I don't know why I should be so surprised.  I do find all sorts of information by googling, but it never occurred to me to search for an on-line thesaurus.  I was so excited (did I ever mention that I am easily entertained?) that I came right home and looked up a word.
The word I chose was 'happy' and the huge long list of synonyms that popped up included cheerful, pleasant, agreeable, amiable, bright,buoyant, easy going, affable, cheerful, cheery, complaisant, congenial and friendly.  The whole experience left me smiling..

Thinking about Syria

I heard a very interesting lecture this evening on situations in the Middle East.  The information was presented by a young man who has just spent a year in Jordan studying political situations in that area and working on his doctoral thesis.
I'm still processing much of what he said but two things stand out right now.  First, I didn't know that over 3,000,000 Syrians are refugees living in camps in Jordan and other countries.  That's 10% of the Syrian population. He said that the US is contributing a great deal of money and materials to help these refugees and had some rather scathing comments about other countries who make big promises of help and then don't come through.
Secondly, in the Q&A session, he was asked about possible reprisals if we attack Syria in some way.  He said the most likely response would be to attack something of value to us in that part of the world.  I must admit my very selfish first reaction to that comment was "Well, that wouldn't be as bad as an attack in the US." How very shallow of me.
I just heard on the news this evening that Syria has offered to destroy its chemical weapons in exchange for???.  It will be interesting to see how this plays out, since also according to our speaker the aim of the US in Syria is regime change and has been for a long time.

An irritating word

From time to time a word, or more accurately a word usage comes along that drives me nuts.  For a long time it was the word utilize.  I didn't understand why people insisted on utilizing the word utilize when they could simply have used the word use.  I haven't noticed this much lately so maybe it has run its course.  However, recently I have notice another word fad.  It seems like so many people I hear interviewed on TV shows start every sentence with 'so'. Now 'so' is a perfectly acceptable and useful word (see the sentence above) but seldom necessary at the beginning of a sentence.  Listen for it and you'll hear what I mean.

Ginger bread temptation

I baked gingerbread today for a dessert we're having at church tomorrow.  I love gingerbread and I love to bake it.  It's so spicy and makes the kitchen smell absolutely wonderful.  The problem is temptation.  I'm sitting here sniffing the wonderful aroma while knowing full well that these cakes are intended for the fundraiser tomorrow.
I'm about convinced that I should do a taste test, you know, to be sure the two pans of gingerbread are good enough to take tomorrow, but the two pans were mixed as separate batches so perhaps I should check them both????  Hmmmm....

The play's the thing...

Nothing very profound today, just want to share a fun experience.  I saw the play Fox on the Fairway at First Presbyterian Theater.  It was very funny, not just mildly amusing, but laugh out loud funny.  I really enjoy a good laugh and a surprise ending.

A Dock Diver Dog

Another fun fact gleaned from the early morning news.  Remy, a large black long legged rescue dog, is the fifth best dock diving dog in the country.  They showed several scenes of him running full tilt off the end of a dock, leaping into the air to snag a suspended ball, then flying way out into the water, then swimming back. It's a good thing I saw this since otherwise I would have had no idea what a dock diving dog competition consisted of.
What first attracted me to this news piece was the dog's name.
Many years ago we had a dog, a very short legged miniature dachshund named Remington, whom we called Remy.  That seems to be the only thing they had in common.  Never was there a dog who hated water more than our Remy.  Bath time was not a pleasant experience.  The closest our Remy ever came to dock diving was on a woodland hike with the family when he ran out onto what he thought was solid ground only to discover that it was the edge of a lake covered with green scum.  He sank like a chubby little stone, proving once and for all that not all dogs can swim.  Lucky for all of us, he was on a leash and we hauled him out quickly, sopping wet but otherwise quite unharmed.

Really, what a deal!

TV commercials intrigue me.  I know, I know, I'm easily amused, but really sometimes they tug at my heart, sometimes they make me laugh and sometimes they just puzzle me.  How can a super one-day sale last two days? How will I save money by spending money?  Will a face lift really make me look 20 again?

But the one I've been pondering most lately is one advertising a legal firm (which shall remain nameless because I don't want to be sued).  In their commercial they say "If you decide to settle a law suit and the money you receive is less that what you owe us, we'll reduce our fee."  Hmmm... They don't say by how much they'll reduce their fee.  Will it equal my settlement?  Will it still be larger than my settlement?  Will I walk away with anything?  Why didn't you win the lawsuit for me?

I'm not a litigious person so I'll probably never know.

A day to remember

Today was a red letter day in my life, a day to remember in my technological evolution.  Today my daughter asked for my help with a Publisher problem and - wait for it - I was able to help her!
Today I also "installed" a new cordless keyboard on my computer at work.  After carefully reading the installation manual which told me not to eat the batteries, and warned of other dire possibilities, and scanning the warranty booklet, I finally found the actual installation instructions on a postcard size slip of paper. They consisted of two pictures, one showing how to put the batteries in and one indicating that I had to plug the memory stick into my computer.  I did both steps and it worked.  Such an accomplishment.

I love to read.

Everyone who knows me knows that I love to read.  Currently I'm reading a novel by Barbara Kingsolver. "Prodigal Summer".  Kingsolver is one of my favorite authors.  She tells excellent stories but I also enjoy the sheer beauty of her descriptions, especially descriptions of nature.
Today one line made me laugh "A bird never doubts its place at the center of the universe."  I will remember that as I enjoy the little soloist outside my window tomorrow morning.
By the way, I always appreciate hearing about new authors and recently read books, so if you want to share or just leave a comment, click on the title of this post.  That will put this entry on a page of its own with a space for comments.  Thanks.

My son the Elder

This year my son was elected an Elder in the Presbyterian Church, which pleases me very much.  This morning we served communion together for the first time and I enjoyed the experience.  However, I do have one concern.  I've been an Elder for several years but now that my son is one, what does that make me?  An ancient, I suppose.

advice from an older woman

Another news bulletin - this morning it was about stress and a recent study showing that women currently suffer a great deal more than men from stress, not a joking matter, and I don't mean to take it lightly, but one bit did strike me as particularly interesting.  It seems that these days women worry about housework about 30% more than men do.  That's what they said.
As someone who stopped worrying about house work years ago, I feel singularly qualified to offer some advice in this area.
The first thing to accept about housework is that it is exceedingly patient, if it doesn't get done one day, it will still be there the next.
Secondly, it's very satisfying to make lists and to mark things off as you get them done.  The trick is to intersperse lots of little jobs with the big ones, for instance on my list for today 'mop the floors' is sandwiched between 'bring in the mail' and 'write my blog'. Now I can look at my list at the end of the day with satisfaction noting that I've scratched off more things on my list than are left.
Trust me, this really lessens stress.

Girls' night out

No blog last night because I was out with a couple of girlfriends until the wee hours.  Kudos to my friend Kay, who, from time to time, drags me out of my comfort zone.  Usually with very good results.  If it weren't for Kay I never would have discovered the excellent entertainment available at Come 2 Go (or C2G), most notably amazing ukulele player Jake Shimabakuru and the group Guggenheim Grotto.
Last night we went to the outdoor entertainment at the Botanical Gardens downtown.  The acts, "Unlikely Alibi" and "Deals Gone Bad" were lively and interesting although I beg to differ with the MC who claimed that the lead singer in "Deals..." had the best voice in northern Indiana.  Having seen "Les Mis.." at the Civic two weeks ago, I know there are some much better voices right here in Fort Wayne.  But it was a fun evening sitting outside, listening to music, feeling the warm breezes blowing, enjoying my semi-annual beer, and ending the evening at Applebees for a late night snack.
Thanks Kay.

Amazing factoids

I listen to local and national news shows as I'm getting ready for work in the mornings and over the last few mornings I've heard some fascinating health "facts":  1. your Body Mass Index isn't the best indicator of obesity.  Your waist measurement is a better indicator.  to be healthy a woman should have a waist measurement under 35 inches and men under 40 inches.  happy to say I passed that test.
2. The idea of left brain or right brain dominance isn't really very accurate.  Everybody uses both sides of their brains - that explains a lot.
3. And this is my favorite -drinking cocoa or eating chocolate in the morning can help improve brain power, especially in children and older people.  Yes!! I've always been convinced that chocolate is one of the basic food groups.  No information yet on how this will impact #1.

I'm feeling much better now

Last night I blogged, in a bit of a snit, about something that makes me angry - anonymous criticism, but this morning I realized how petty I was being.  My morning devotion focused on Psalm 103:8 "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love."  Well, that was a slap in the face.  Then the Action Step that comes with each devotion directed me to "Be aware of what sparks anger in you, and try to remember God's steadfast love."  So, I'm duly humbled and over it now.

Allow me to vent...

I am generally a mild mannered person.  I venture to say most of my friends think I am nice and fairly easy-going.  But a few things do tend to make me angry and one of them is anonymous criticism.  If you've spotted an error in something I've published, please tell me, I can take it.  I realized long ago that I am not perfect.  But tell me to my face, or at least sign your name to the note.
Today at work I received an envelope in the mail addressed to THE PROOFREADER followed by the church address, all in large printed caps.  When I opened the envelope I found one half of a page cut from the newsletter we mailed out last week with one word circled and the "correct" spelling written in the margin. Nothing else, no note, no name, certainly no return address on the envelope.  In case you care, the word was 'flyers' - my spelling.  My anonymous critic wrote it as 'fliers'.  My dictionary shows both spellings as correct, with neither preferred.
After I calmed down, I decided that it was actually pretty exciting that she/he found only one error in a sixteen page, densely written newsletter.
I feel much better now.

No!!! It's too soon...

As a post script to a committee related e-mail that I received earlier today, a friend wrote "I started my Christmas shopping this weekend."  Really, it's 90% out, it's August, I'm just beginning to get use to seeing school buses on the road. Christmas shopping???  Actually, I have always admired people who do their Christmas shopping early.  I don't emulate them, but I do admire them.  However, I do have a system that works for me. When my friend Rosie tells me that she has finished her shopping, usually about mid-October, I know it's time to get started.

learning a really foreign language

I've traveled in several European countries without feeling a strong compulsion to learn the various languages.  I think it's because those languages are Latin based, like English and written in the same alphabet as English.  This gives me the illusion, I think, that I can understand a little of these languages. I can't, of course, but I'm comfortable with the illusion.
But next year I'm traveling to South Korea, and that language seems so different that I feel that I need to learn a little of it before I go.  I have 52 weeks and my goal is to learn a phrase a week.   Spoken, not written.  Although I love to see the Korean language written out I can't delude myself into thinking I could ever master that.
So far I have learned An Young Ha Sai Yo?  How are you?; Gwen Chen Ah Yo.  You're welcome or it;s ok; and I'm working on Kham Sa Ham Nee Da,  Thank you.  Sadly, when I say these phrases they don't sound the same as when our Korean pastor says them.  Maybe I'll sound better in 52 weeks.

Paid labor

My oldest granddaughter, age 11, has become very interested in money.  She was explaining to me all about credit and debit cards the other day, and now she is trying to earn money to buy an i-pod.  She explained to me that by only saving her allowance ($5 a week) she would have enough to buy her i-pod by January of 2015, so, needless to say she's trying to earn some more money so she can buy it sooner.  I love to encourage initiative, especially if I get some labor out of the deal, so today we spent a lovely few hours together trimming bushes and hauling many loads of branches down the hill to the brush pile.  I did most of the trimming and she did most of the hauling and that was a tremendous help to me.  I paid, she trudged willingly up and down the hill and we had fun.  A true win win situation.

Game night

I enjoy playing games, on my computer, on my Nexus, on paper (I'm a real Sudoko fan), but what I enjoy most is a real live game with other people.  This evening my daughter and her kids spent some time here and we played Mexican Train.  We had a lot of fun and it made me remember game playing when I was a child - my parents were fierce Euchre players and my cousins and brother and I engaged in some marathon Monoply games'  As our children were growing up my husband and I played lots of games with them, starting with Candyland (which I never won) and carrying on through the years.
A few months ago I attended the funeral of a cousin and each of his children, as they spoke at the service, remembered the fun they had had playing games as a family.
I hope my kids and grandkids have the same good memories.

A week well spent

My job is only part time.  I work about 25 hours a week at what I have described to friends as the perfect retirement job.  I am the communication editor for First Presbyterian Church and that involves putting together bulletins, brochures, booklets, anything in print that committees, pastors and church groups need.
This week,and the two before, have been unusually busy with lots of things needing to be finished up before the fall schedule begins.  Today as I drove away after work it was with the happy knowledge that everything was done that needed to be done, and I even got a jump start on next week.  And, since I don't work on Fridays, everything looks lovely to me right now.
I had planned to work outside tomorrow trimming bushes and pulling weeds, but just a little bit ago and girlfriend called and we are meeting for lunch tomorrow, so no time for weeding and whacking.  This week just keeps getting better and better.

great scenes I have seen #1

Over the years, though I didn't always have a camera at hand, there are certain scenes I have seen that are indelibly lodged in my memory, thank goodness.
One of my favorites happened when my daughter ws in kindergarten,  As I watched her get off the bus one sunny spring day and start down the driveway towad our house, bouncing along, strawberry blond hair glowing in the light, I was astonished to see a cloud of yellow butterflies that had been sunning on the driveway rise up in a swirling cloud around her.  it was breathtakingly beautiful and over in an instant, but what a glorious instant it was.

my very own Japanese painting

When I walk into my living room early on these warm and humid summer mornings, just as the sun is rising, I am greeted by a wonderful view through my living room window.  Mist lies low in the field across the road from my house, a field that used to be cultivated but now has grown up into scrubby trees and bushes. Larger trees in the distance create a rough edged back drop and the mist paints the scene in grey tones.  The sun behind the clouds sheds a  soft glow, and the whole scene, framed by my two pear trees, looks like a Japanese painting..

High tech, low tech

A couple of days ago I was metaphorically patting my self on the back for accomplishing something high tech (for me) but today I was reminded that some low tech items and actions are also pretty special.  I wound the clock that hangs on my dining room wall.  It was a Christmas present from my husband about 40 years ago when we had moved into a very traditional center entry colonial and had decided that we needed some more traditional looking furnishings. With regular winding it has faithfully.ticked away the minutes of our lives and chimed the hours and half hours. It's not a loud clock, but at night, when it's very quiet, I can hear it ticking, even in my bedroom.
My daughter told me that when she was deployed in Iraq the second time she would fall asleep some nights imagining that she could hear the clock ticking.  Now she has a wind up clock in her home. Hooray for low tech.

I want to learn Korean

Today I attended the Korean Language Service at First Pres. I sat beside a friend who is fluent in Korean and English and she quietly translated for me.  She also provided me with sermon notes in English and all in all it was a very enjoyable experience.  The music is always wonderful.  However it made me realize that next year, when I plan to take a trip to South Korea, I will want to understand at least some of what is being said around me, so I need to start studying Korean.
I was thinking about phrases I might need to know - "Help, I'm lost, where is my hotel?"  "My name is..", "point me to the shopping area." and possibly most important "Where is the ladies' room?"  I'd better get started now!

Eureka!

I find that I am inordinately pleased with my self when I accomplish what for others are probably simple tasks.  For the last seven years, since my husband died, I've been faced with various projects that I would not have undertaken if I still lived with a man.  One of my all time favorites was installing a new mail box.  I used power tools and everything.  It stood straight and tall for a couple of years until it got demolished by a snow plow.  Then I had the fun of installing another one.  Nice, but not as satisfying as the first time.
This evening I accomplished another first (for me).  I installed a new dvd player, attached it to the TV, connected it to the internet, and right now am enjoying watching one of my favorite series on Netflix.  Yeah me!!  And all of this probably only took six times as long as if I had asked my 12 year old grandson to do it.

now that's incredible

A couple of months ago I heard a sincere young lady on TV news show announce that a new medical breakthrough offered people a 20% chance of not dying.  Really?  To give her credit, she did come back, after the commercial break and explained that she meant to say 20% chance of not dying from a particular disease.
This morning, a sincere young announcer (on the same news show - I like hopeful news) announced that yet another medical breakthrough now assures a 50% lower chance of dying!  Really????  So far no effort to correct that statement so I'm starting to get my hopes up....

It's only a small disability

I am a dyslexic typist.  I ahve no problem reading and I can spell fairly well, but when I type, my fingers tend to flip the order of letters in a word.  This wouldn't be a big problem except my entire job consists of typing, or is the term keyboarding these days?  Actually I spend half of each day typing and the other half correcting my errors.  Thanks goodness for the backspace button, one of life's truly great inventions.  I am deliberately leaving this blog unproofed so you can see waht I mean. Actually this looks like one of my better jobs.

New Glasses

I picked up my new pair of glasses today and so far they are doing just what I needed, helping me see a little more clearly in the distance and making it easier to read small print.  That's nice, but where's the excitement?
I got my first pair of glasses when I was seven years old, and they were wonderful.  I was sure, with their squarish brown plastic frames, they made me look at least ten.  61 years later, my new glasses have squarish brown plastic frames - what goes around, comes around.  Sadly they don't make me look ten.

Was that a compliment?

Have you ever received a compliment that wasn't quite??
Recently someone said to me "Your makeup looks just perfect today." which left me wondering how it usually looks.
A beautician said "You sure don't look 68."  How old do I look?  80? 60? If 60, is that so much better than 68?
And recently, from my grandson "Your blog sounds just like you, Nana."  Is that a good thing?
Ah well, as my wise mother taught me, "When in doubt, just smile and say 'thank you'."

Shared memories

The two grandchildren who slept over at my house last night are the two who lived with me, with their mom, after her divorce. They lived here for over two years so it's not too surprising that when they visit here, a certain amount of reminiscing takes place.  Last night it took a different, fun turn.  They started pulling out lots of old story books, which I used to read to them, and we all took turns reading to each other.  What a joy to share sweet memories and to appreciate what good readers they have become.  They are such a blessing to me.

We're having a sleepover

We're having a sleepover tonight, my grandson (12) and granddaughter (10) and I.
we've eaten pizza and played Yahtzee and Uno and other games.  Now we're goofing off and delaying going to bed.
Yeah!!! We ate lots of cookies too.
And now we're reading books back and forth.
It's being a great sleepover.

Opera or Musical?

Just got home from seeing a performance of Le Miz at the Civic Theater here in Fort Wayne.  It was a wonderful performance with many excellent voices.  They are sold out for this weekend but if you get a chance to see it next weekend, I highly recommend it.
An interesting question came up though, in the discussion on the way home, "Why is it called a musical and not an opera?"  My first guess was that it's because it's in English, but when I was in Milan a few years ago I saw the opera "The Rake's Progress" and it was in English, so that's not the answer.
My friend Al suggested that perhaps it's because if they called it an opera no one would come.

Now That's Entertainment!

My youngest granddaughter joined the Fort Wayne Children's Choir this year and just completed a week of music camp.  This evening we enjoyed the fruits of hers and many other children's labors during a wonderful concert.  After a week's practice their voices were amazing.  We heard beautiful familiar tunes like  "The Sound of Music", "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and "The Impossible Dream".,
But a whole different level of entertainment was reached on the car ride home as she sang a little ditty she had learned during break times.  It went like this:

I know a house in New Orleans
that's forty stories high,
and every room I went in to
was full of apple pie.

And the beauty of this song is that you can substitute limitless types of pie and sing it over and over and over again, almost all the way home.

Now that's entertainment!

Two amazing bits of information

I learned two fascinating new things today.
This morning, I heard someone being interviewed on a morning news show, while I was getting ready for work.  He said that chocolate in the morning, specifically hot chocolate or dark chocolate helps older people think better.  It stimulates brain activity.  Yes!  I've always suspected that chocolate should be considered one of the basic food groups.
This afternoon, while I was having a manicure, my nail tech showed me how you can use sugar to clean up a nail polish spill on a hard surface.  She showed me on ceramic tile so I don't know how it would react on other surfaces.  She spilled a few drops of bright red polish on the floor, then sprinkled little piles of sugar on each drop, rubbed gently,and hey presto, the polish was absorbed by the sugar in little clay like balls and then she just swept it all up with a broom.
I love a day when I can learn two new things.

Sunrise Serenade

On these wonderful cool summer nights I am able to sleep with my bedroom window open and consequently I am sung awake each morning at sunrise by a bird in the apple tree outside my window.  I suspect it's just a little sparrow but he has the attitude of the 'cock of the walk'.  I think he's sure that he is calling the sun up because as soon as it's up he stops singing - his job is done.
His song goes like this:
Cheeerrr (long and slow) then weeet, weeet, weeet, weeet, weeet, weeet, weeet  ( 7 very quickly).
This phrase gets repeated several times, then he varies the routine - sometimes one cheeerrr and one weeet, then a joyful series of cheeerrr's.  Then if the sun's not quite up yet, he runs through the whole program again.
Sing on little bird!

The competition was fierce

Well, I showed up for the audition this evening, for a part, any part, in an excellent play titled Mrs. Packard, and discovered that at least 30 others ladies had the same idea.  It's not often that a wonderful play comes along that has roles for several women ages 40 to 70.  I have seen and acted with many of the ladies who tried out and they are excellent.  If I get a part in this play, I will be honored.  If I don't, I will totally understand.  It will probably be several days before we know.