My Baby Sister's Birthday

A sure sign of spring

See that rise, behind the snow?

That is where Fred and I were going

to put a double-wide.

We would have had to use a row boat

just to get to the road!!

The water running across the road and.....

into their artificial pond on the other side

Lots of water, although, in every spring, there is

always water in this spot 

I stopped at Meijer on the way out and

got a small cake and a bunch of Tulips. 

8 Candles because 6 + 2 = 8

She is Social Security age now. 

 Chuck and I are singing to her

Not only are we 13 years apart,

but almost 13 inches, LOL

She is 5'2" 

I insisted and she didn't want to.

It has been a very long time since I

held my baby sister on my lap.

You can tell by the way she looks,

she isn't real comfortable with this. 

Then, on my way home, I stopped to visit Pammie--she got her permanent dentures today and was smiling to beat the band.

Nice day--lots of laughing

Memories

It seems, as we get older, there are so many sad anniversaries.  I think if I remembered every one of them, I'd be sad all the time.

Today is a special one, however.

My Very Best Friend died two years ago.  She battled Ovarian Cancer for four years--with never a complaint, always smiling and of good nature.

I met her the first day of Kindergarten.  She was crying because she missed her brothers and sister.  I was an only child and I was crying because all the kids and the noise scared me.

I was backed into the farthest corner and she came up, put out her hand and said, "Would you pway wiff me?"  I took her hand and didn't let go for 68 years.  

We did everything together over the years.  Double dating, band, proms, parking, family vacations, weddings, funerals, canning, Christmas cookies, sewing classes--on and on.

I feel lost not being able to talk with her.  She always had the words I needed.  

Love and miss you, Arlene
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The last time Bethie and I were with Arlene

Each Day Is Much Like The Other

Today's high temperature was: 29 degrees

Last night we set a record low at: 10 degrees

Sunny all day

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I had a good night's sleep last night, as witnessed by the condition

of my bed covers when I got up this morning.

as opposed to what it looks like when I have had

a restless night

I was struck by a weird thought this morning, as I was getting dressed.  Why do I put my underpants on first and then my bra? (I get these weird kinds of ponderings at times.)  What under clothes do you put on first?  Curious.

At least Jackie wasn't out trying to fall down this morning, so I didn't have to get dressed until 10:00.  

Pearl called, "Why did you want?"  (I had called her three times last night and left messages.)

"I can't remember now, but it seemed important at the time.  Did you have your phone off?"

"No."

"When I called, it went immediately to voice mail so I figured you either had it off or you were charging it.  Why don't you charge it during the night when you won't get any calls."

"That's when I do charge it.  I plug it in just before I go to bed."

"I called at five and seven and again at eight.  I guess you had the phone off."

"No...I didn't.  It was sitting right here next to me and it never rang."

"Hm-mm, that's weird."

"Oh, I hate this phone and I hate this laptop.  None of them work right."

"I thought they were brand new."

"They are, but something is wrong with them."

"I'm coming to visit if you are home this morning.  Around 11:30?"

"Yes.  Merle has to go to the Chiropractor, but I will be here."

So, up I went.  I showed her my finished baby quilt and she showed me the work she's done on their little bedroom, her craft/sewing/desk/book shelves room--where she wants to put a twin bed, but Merle doesn't so he tells her there isn't room enough.(But there really is).

We sat down in her living room and she started in on..."I hate these electronic things!!!  My daughter came over yesterday and showed me how to get on the computer and find Face Book and all my games and she showed me how to get messages off my phone, but...when I try it, they won't work."

"Hm-mm.  That seems weird."

"I know it.  They work for everyone except me."

"It must be a PEBCAC problem,"I said.

"What's that?"

"P.E.B.C.A.C...problem exists between chair and computer."

She thought for a moment and then threw a Kleenex box at me.

So we yakked for about 90 minutes until Merle got home--it was nearly 1:00 and time for me to come home anyway.

I am worried about Pearl.  She had a "sore" under her left breast that the Dermatologist burned off--twice.  Now that sore is bigger and there is a hole in the middle of it.  She has recently had two basal cell carcinomas removed from her face and I am afraid this is more serious.  It looks terrible to me, but...I really don't know anything about skin cancer.  I am not real trusting of her Dermatologist--have heard bad stuff about him.  I go to a different one...because of what I heard about hers.  

Dar goes to the same one Pearl does and it seems all he does is keep burning these cells on her face and leg and rarely thinks of cutting them out--having biopsies and the like.  Dar has had four sessions on a spot on her face and one on her shin--they aren't healing.

Pearl's going to him tomorrow and we will see what he says.  The only reason she had the one on her forehead surgically removed is because she was in our general practice doctor's office and he told her to quit messing with it and have surgery.  If it weren't for him, I think the Derma guy would have just kept spraying it with liquid nitrogen.  

Sometimes it seems, on an older person, some doctor's only want to patch, or put a band-aid on a serious condition, thinking it isn't worth the time and money to FIX something when the patient may die within the next decade.  Ever get that feeling?

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I came home, put some peanuts out for the squirrels, filled the bird feeders and that was all I did--other than watch TV and cross stitch.  

This is a very lazy week for me.  I feel like I am waiting for something to happen.  Something like really nice warm weather and flowers emerging from the frozen ground and....getting out my pots and cleaning out the shed and stuff that two years ago, when it was in the 80's this time of year, I already had done.  Just waiting for a real spring.  AND--we are getting snow tomorrow.  Not much, but still...

Which reminds me.  I am so glad my blog buddy, Marcia from Cape Cod is away on vacation in the nice warm ocean water because the Cape got hit with a massive snow storm with hurricane force winds today.    

Also feeling so deeply sad for the people in the mud slide.  They interviewed one lady--her 4 month old baby was staying with the lady's mother.  They found her mother's body--no sight of the baby and the way one newscaster was talking, there may be many people who were just obliterated by the crushing weight, earth and rocks.

On the other hand, these people had to know they were in a dangerous zone and yet, they continued to build homes and live there.  Probably a man's idea.  I can just hear the conversation now.

"Honey...I don't know if we should live here at the base of the hill.  What if we have an earthquake and an avalanche or mud slide or something."

"Good Lord woman!  That mountain's been there for five thousand years, it ain't going to move now."

======================

Bad fire in Boston.  One of those Brownstone's caught fire in the basement and soon spread all the way up to the top floor.  Beacon Street--a really nice (expensive) part of Boston.  I was just glad that the way the houses out there are built, hooked on to each other, that the whole block didn't go up.  Three firemen died however.  

Sad--all these things are so sad.  

Wars and rumors of wars.  Hurricanes, earthquakes, floods and famine.  Government's rising up against other government's--nation's against nation's.

Seems like I read about this sort of thing somewhere in a big book I have.    

Then there will be a very large disappearance of many people from the earth.  I hope I am in that group!!!  Because, it is suppose to get way worse after that.

Boy--I Just Don't Know

Today's high temperature was:  27 degrees

Sideways snow--sun--sideways snow--sun--sideways snow--sun (repeat all day)

Record lows tonight

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What a strange day.  I had night terrors three times last night.

I had a hard time getting to sleep in the first place.  It was almost like I was afraid to fall asleep.  I could feel myself drifting off and I'd shake my head to wake up.  Then, I fell asleep for an hour and woke back up, rolled over and went back to sleep.

One time I woke up terrified, sweating and kicking.  

I woke up another time and I could not move--I was rolling back and forth and had the covers wrapped around my arms.

Another time--just at dawn--I woke up yelling.

It's probably because I was so upset at only getting to see Elise for 2 hours in the last 4 months and this whole unresolved issue with Jennifer.  The longer she goes without speaking or seeing me, the easier it will become for her to stay that way.  The thing of it is--I don't really care if she wants to be that way, but, I would like to be "allowed" to go to the kids plays at church and school and be able to visit with them and play games with them or take them out more often.  I would like to be able to watch when Andrew has his Karate tournaments or when Elise takes part in Jump Rope contests.  

I'm going to take an Ativan before I got to bed tonight and see if that keeps me calm during the night.  My subconscious mind sure gets wild when my conscious mind goes to sleep.  There is no rest in that kind of sleep and I am amazed I haven't had a middle of the night panic attack as yet.

=========================

First thing when I woke up, I came in here and looked out and there was Jackie, across the street, trying to pull her little red wagon over a bank of snow and ice--headed to her shed in back.  She had those damn Crocs on her feet that she wears year round and was slipping and sliding.  My first thought was, "Oh my gosh--she is going to fall down and I'm can't go running over to help because I'm still in my nightie."

So--I hurried back into the bedroom and pulled on my clothes and came back to watch her.  She was coming back with her wagon filled with Easter decorations!!  Good Grief!!!  She was trying to walk over the ice and snow pile, then reached back to grab the handle on her wagon and try and tug it over the pile.  Finally, she got close enough to her porch so she could hold onto the side slats and yanked her wagon over the pile.  Then she picked up a big storage box and set it on the steps--went up one step at a time, lifting the box in front of her onto each step and was finally---safely up on her porch.

She went inside and I called her and reamed her out good!!  She laughed and said she was glad her neighbors were watching to make sure she didn't fall.

8:15 a.m. and I was already dressed--UNHEARD OF!!

==============================

That was it for the day.  I kid you not--I did not do a thing all day!  I got a call from the lady at Social Services and she said she had not received two pages of the forms I was supposed to send in.  I quick checked my folder and I didn't have them.  She scolded me--they can get mean up there--and said that she could go no farther in helping me without those forms, BUT, "I will give you a second chance if you come get them tomorrow, fill them out and leave them with the receptionist."

I assured her I would be there first thing tomorrow morning.

The phone rang two minutes later, it was her.  She was all smiley now and kidding AND using her first name instead of Ms. Clingingsmith.   "Hi, this is Karen.  Guess what?  I found them.  They were behind your checking account statement and I was looking for them behind your rent proof.  I've got everything now and will let you know.  Thank you.  Buh Bye."

I thanked her, hung up and laughed.  When SHE thought I had made the mistake, she was all grouchy and mean sounding, but when SHE found out it was HER mistake--quite a difference.  Too bad I am scared of the government or I would have liked to say, "I told you they were there in that pile of forms!"

=================================

In between side-ways snow squalls, I went out and got the mail.  Guess what?  More good news!!  My rent is going up $10.00 a month!!!  I don't know why--maybe because we have a new management team for this park?  I just hope I see some results of that increase--like--oh I don't know--REPAVING MY STREET?  Making my neighbor Tami clean up the furniture and crap she has stored up against her trailer?  Trimming some of the trees around here?  After all, I rent this tiny piece of land, but for some reason, when trees need trimming, the LANDLORD doesn't seem to think it is his responsibility.

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Yes=--I definitely need an Ativan...........

See ya tomorrow--maybe it will be a fun day?   

It Was The Best and The Worst

Today's high temperature was: 31 degrees

Sunny all day

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Pammie got my day started at 8:15 a.m.  She called to say she had arranged it so I could take Elise out for supper tonight.  Elise turned 10 yesterday.  I am so thankful that Pammie baby sits Jen's kids.  She can work these meetings out--seeings as how Jen still will not speak to me.

Then, I heard about the awful mud slide in Washington state and I worried about Dianne, who lives there.  Dianne, I hope you are safe and that you didn't know of anyone impacted by this tragedy.  They say the residents of that small town were worried about a mud slide three weeks ago.  Apparently the "authorities" kept telling them there was nothing to worry about.  I just cannot imagine.  A whole part of a mountain, letting go and covering your home in earth and sweeping it away.

===========================

A mysterious sort of mating game I think.

She was just enjoying a bit of early morning, warm sunshine...

...and he came flying in to a branch below her             

          so she flew to a branch just above him......

...and then...she flew away                                       

====================
Around 4:00, Pammie came and I got to see all the kids and Pammie took a picture of Elise and me.  I like to get a picture on their birthdays to see how tall they are getting--compared to Mimi.  I am 5'11".  Elise just turned 10--looks like she is going to be as tall as Mimi.

She has changed so much since November, when I last saw her.  She isn't a little girl anymore :-(

She told me right up front, "Mimi, I don't want you to buy me a birthday present.  I have so much stuff and I don't need anymore.  I just want us to go out to supper and talk."

I had to go to Michael's first and I thought perhaps, as we looked through the kids craft things that she might change her mind, but she didn't.  Then we went to Red Robin, her favorite place, and man---did we talk!!!

She is such a delight and so sweet and courteous.  She had a sleepover for her birthday--12 girls!! She didn't want to hurt any of the girls feelings in her class, so she invited them all and all of them came.  

"It wasn't such a good idea," she said.  "One of the girls...isn't a close friend...she gets kind of wild.  I thought at one time she was going to break my bed and she did kind of tear up my bedroom.  She threw stuff all over the place.  A couple of girls got mad at each other.   Oh...I just don't know."

"Sounds like it was kind of hectic?"

"Yeah!  I felt like I was supervising a bunch of little kids!!!  A referee or something.  Next year I am only having my three best friends!"

We talked about religion, we talked about movies and TV shows.  We talked about her brothers (so annoying). We talked about her jump rope classes.  We talked about Girl Scouts.  We talked about school.  We talked about college and where she wants to go and what she wants to study.  She isn't sure and she said, "I don't have to worry about that right now.  I have a lot of time to make up my mind."

We talked about the trip she is taking in Aruba.  She is going with her Daddy and Grandpa to Aruba.  She has heard there are sharks in that area, and snakes and it can get real windy and she is a bit worried about that.  "I just would like to be old enough to walk the beach looking for shells, and go as far as I wanted."

"You aren't old enough for that  yet.  There are bad people around that try and kidnap girls--especially in a foreign place.  You have to be very careful."

" I know.  That's why Dad is going.  We don't trust Grandpa to watch me.  The last time we went to the ocean, he was suppose to be watching me and he was sitting on the beach, reading a magazine and I got caught in the undertow."

<first I had heard of that!  EGAD!>

"Oh my gosh!  Were you scared?'"

"Kind of.  There was another Dad there with his kids and he got me out.  When Andrew went to Germany with Grandpa, Grandpa took him to a bar with some old guys.  They stayed a long time and Andrew got up to go to the bathroom and when he came back, Grandpa and the guys were gone.  Andrew had to walk back to the hotel all my himself."

<and...they don't trust me?>


When I got my money out to pay the bill ($25.95 for a kids meal and my hamburger), I pressed a ten dollar bill in her hand--she didn't want to accept it, but I said, "Well, I would feel really bad if I didn't give you some kind of gift for your birthday."

"Yes...but...you bought me supper and I know how expensive this place is."

"Yes---but, you just tuck that away and maybe someday, you will see something you want and guess what?  You will know you have the money tucked away to get it.  YAY!"

On the way home, she thanked me about half a dozen times.  Said how much fun she had, just the two of us.  Then she hugged me and said, "I love you, Gramma."

"I love you too, Sweetheart."

She hopped out of the car, walked up on the porch, opened the front door, turned and waved and....I drove home, crying so hard I could barely see to drive!!

I kept saying over and over, "Thank you, God.  I am so grateful for being with Elise."  But...I just want to be able to see my littlest grand babes whenever I can--not just once a year near their birthdays!!  This makes me so sad!!
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I got in the house and sat for awhile.  Then I calmed down and smiled because, I really am grateful that I get to see them at all.  I put some shredded up paper and some dryer lint out on the bushes for the birds to use for their nest building.  By the looks of how those Robins acted this morning--baby birds will be in the offing and Mommy and Daddy need to build a home for them.
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   Buddy wants to know when I'm going to get him some supper

Maggie just wants to play and grab the cord on the camera          

Just Another Day In The Life

Today's high temperature was:  27 degrees

Sunny all day

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Well...here we go again.  Another brand new week.  What shall we do to make it momentous?  Or if not momentous, what shall we do to make it nice?  Or if not nice, what shall we do to make it through?  HAH

Man--I was up late Saturday night watching basketball and then I couldn't get to sleep because I was hyped up.  I had set the alarm for 8:00, because for Lent I GAVE UP, sleeping in and missing church on Sunday.  

I heard a strange noise that brought me up from the wonderful sleep I was having.  I could not figure out what the fuzzy noise was and then....ah yes...the clock radio, apparently tuned into a channel that wasn't coming through clearly.  I hit the snooze for 9 minutes more and fell immediately back to sleep.  Again the fuzzy noise, again the slapping of the snooze button.  That went on a time or two more and then finally, I had to get out of bed and then...it seemed all to be in a rush.

Feed cats, get my warm cocoa, turn on computer--NO--wait--into the shower, combed out the hair (simple task as I have it very short), figure out what to wear.  Clean litter box--Pearl calls and wants to talk?  At this time of morning?

No time to eat, so I grabbed a Special K protein drink and swallowed it down as I headed to the car.  Didn't check the time really and got to church 25 minutes early!!!  EGAD!!  No place to park near the front of the church as the Contemporary service was just ending and the lot was full.

Anyway--it was a nice service.  I almost fell asleep during silent prayer, but we sang some good rousing hymns and I felt content and peaceful as I left.  Forgot where I had parked and went out the front door--then had to walk 17 miles to where my car was.

I stopped at Wal-Mart on the way home to pick up 3 prescriptions.  I hate that store in general, but I love the kids that work in the Pharmacy.  I think I told you, when Fred died, two of them took time off work to come to his funeral.  They loved Fred.  His doctor's loved Fred and also came to his funeral.  The guys at the service garage loved Fred.  Everyone that met Fred loved him.  He was so easy going and chatty with everyone.  A thing we had in common.  I speak to total strangers all the time--in the stores, in the parking lots, wherever.  

I once convinced a pan handler in Boston to come with me into a cafe so I could buy him some food.  He wanted money and when I stopped and asked him what he needed money for, he said, "To buy some food."  So I offered the cafe and he declined.  Then I said to him, "You really want the money for booze, don't you?"  My daughter was standing there tugging at my sleeve, "Just ignore him, Mother."

I said to him, "I'll tell you what.  You come into the cafe and I will buy you a breakfast sandwich and some coffee.  I've got ten bucks.  Whatever is left over from what I pay for the food, you can have."

My daughter stayed outside, just in case she needed to call the police I suppose and the guy and I went in.  I had him order what he wanted to eat and then I handed him the ten dollar bill.  Then I went back outside and waited a few minutes to watch and make sure he was eating the food and not trying to get all the money back.  I could see him wolfing down his meal and drinking his coffee, so my daughter and I walked on.  

My daughter, who lived in Boston said, "Mom.  There are panhandlers all over town.  You can't slow down or talk to them or they can get aggressive in wanting money.  You just ignore them and walk on."  I found she was right.  If you gave money to each one, you'd have to take out a mortgage.  BUT.......

when we walked back to her apartment, we passed the same area and he was there.  I don't know if he had bought his bottle of booze as yet, but he looked up and smiled and waved at me and the rest of the week, while I was there and walked by that area often...if he saw us, he waved and smile and he never bothered us again.  So...........

I digress--anyway, every one loved Fred and so I still go to the Wal-Mart pharmacy because they had such respect for him that they attended his funeral.  
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I finished the large, full-size baby quilt I started in mid-January.  I only work on it while I am watching TV.  During my soap and in the evening.  Of course, with all the basketball games being on TV, I have been working on it a lot.  I cannot just sit and watch TV--I am too fidgety a person to just sit.  People ask me how I can concentrate on TV and cross stitch.  Well--I put the needle in an "X", look up at TV and then down at my work.  Baseball games are the perfect cross stitch companions because those games are so slow.  I have been known to make mistakes during basketball games.

 I now have four done and five to go.  These are for each of my grandchildren to take for their first born child.  I have them all wrapped in tissue in a nice storage box, so that after I'm dead, there will be something there for a great grandchild.  Weird, I know.

I have to admit, the farm one is my favorite.  Like any of my great grandchildren are going to be interested in farming--NOT, but--this project is also suppose to be fun for Gramma.  

Sunday night, I started a Noah's Ark one--while watching basketball and The Amazing Race.

Okay--a new week.  Let's go out there and do some good!!!  Or talk to strangers.  Or, make someone smile!  Or, whatever is your thing.

Later--Jude

P.S.  I almost forgot--a pix of my fave kid, as DJ in the musical Grease.

I was going on and on about him Friday night and someone

asked me if he was my grandson.

I could not love this kid more if he were!!

I still think he and my grand daughter Maddie are

adorable together  <sigh>

Do You Tingle?

Something Jean posted in the comments section the other day--reminds me of something Dar told me.

She has been having basal cell carcinomas burned off her legs, face and hands.  The doctor told her she had to be very careful because these could grow fast on her.

I asked, "Why would they grow faster on you than anyone else?"

"Oh because, I still have a lot of hormones in my body."

"Hormones?  You mean...like estrogen hormones?"

"Yes.  I still have a lot of estrogen in my system."

"You're nearly seventy-three years old.  How many hormones could you have left?"

"When I lived in Greece and I had breast cancer?  The doctor's there told me that I had extra estrogen hormones and that is why I had to be very careful of any type of cancer reappearing."

"Okay...but...that was twenty years ago.  Don't you think your hormones are pretty much gone by now?"

"Oh no! I still get a "tingly" feeling.  You know...down there.  So I still have very active hormones."

<TMI>

Then she gives out with that loud nyuck-nyuck Three Stooges laugh of hers.


"Oh.  I see."

"Don't you still get the tingles?"

"Not that I'm aware of.  Well maybe...but only if I have to pee really bad."
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So--you see Jean, if you aren't still getting the "tingles", even a young Robert Redford wouldn't do it for you!.