(My) Gerber Baby

This baby was born on a beautiful, sunny, 72 degree day.  Nearly a month late; when Momma became worried, the doctor told Momma she had “figured” incorrectly.  “There is no such thing as a ten month baby.  Just let Mother Nature take her course.” 

<I knew I had gotten pregnant New Year's Eve.>

So on that beautiful October day, baby was making her wish to be born apparent. Daddy and Momma got in the car and meandered to the hospital, taking the long way to enjoy the view of the autumn leaves on the trees.  Momma got checked in and settled.  The nurse said, “You are having back labor and what we call a “nester”.  It’s going to be quite a few hours.” 

3:30 pm--After an hour of nothing happening, Daddy decided to go to the cafeteria to get some lunch.  Momma decided to roll over on her back to take a nap. Sun streamed in the window, which had been opened to let in the warm breeze.

3:42 pm--Baby decided this was the perfect time, with no audience around, to sneak into the world.  Momma rang the nurse alert bell, nurse came in and heard baby crying, pulled back the sheet and said, “Oh my.  There’s a baby!  You had the baby…all by yourself?” Momma said, “I guess so.  I didn’t see any stork fly out the window.”   She acted like she was scolding me.

4:15--Doctor arrived, got his pen light out to check baby’s eyes, which were open and BROWN and following the light, then he checked her mouth, which had two tiny white teeth on the bottom row and doctor pronounced, “I think I now believe in ten month babies!”  Daddy came back up the hallway and said, “I hear a baby—real close by.”  Nurse stopped him at the door and said, “Yes.  Born in this labor room.  It’s a girl, but you can’t go in just yet.” 

4:45--Baby was taken to the nursery.  The nurse stopped in the hall to show Daddy.  Daddy came into room and said, “Oh my gosh.  You had the baby in here?”  Momma said, “Yeah, she just came—really fast.  I’m still kind of in shock and shaky.  Whew!  That was really something!”

Daddy sat down hard on the bedside chair and he and Momma just stared at each other and then they started laughing.  

Today, on her 54th birthday, her hubs got her a green and white wrist corsage and they went up to Michigan State (their alma mater) to watch the football game.

Tonight, on Face Book, there is a video that Karen's youngest son Stephen made for her.  He actually got the basketball coach Tom Izzo--world famous TOM IZZO!!!--to personally wish Karen a Happy Birthday, talked about her being an MSU alumni and how pleased he is that she attends most of the basketball home games. Then he went on to say how proud she should be of her "hard working" son and what a great job Stephen does in the IZZONE (the basketball cheering section).

I saw it and just about fell on the floor!! 

Obviously, Stephen won "Favorite Child of the Year" with that one!!

Blatant Promotion

Chris' latest pattern is now up on Ravelry.  If you want a quick, easy and beautiful baby afghan/blanket, this is a good pattern to use.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mile-a-minute-baby-blanket

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...and what did I do today?

While the bedding was in the washer and dryer, I crocheted and knitted.  Testing a Queen Size blanket with the same pattern as the baby blanket pattern and a man's winter hat with the most fun pattern of acorns!!!

Have I got the best life or what?

a Perfect Day

Jennifer's 3rd child, Alex, was 9 on Tuesday.

This evening, I took him out for his 

birthday one-on-one supper.

We had a wonderful time.

and I learned so much about him.

Alexander Chaston Oertel

How Many Times Have I Said--A Strange and Weird Day?

It rained "leaves" over night.

I got a frantic call from Dar at 10:45 this morning.

"Judy, my Dad just called me!  He never calls me at work.  He never calls anyone!  Go over there and see if he is all right and call me back!"
<"yessah boss">

I got my jacket on and my shoes.  I got the mail out of the mail box and walked down, figuring I'd tell him I was out getting my mail and decided to walk up to see how things were going.

I rang the doorbell.  Nothing.  No footsteps, but I could hear the TV.

It takes an old person quite a while to walk to the front door.  So, I rang the bell again.  Nothing.

So I opened the storm door and knocked--really hard and loud on the inside door.  Nothing.

I knocked again.  With my fist this time.  Nothing.

Maybe he is laying down?  Maybe he is in the bathroom?  Maybe he is taking a nap?

So I came back and called Dar.

"Oh, you should have just walked in.  The door isn't locked."

"I wouldn't walk into some one's house."

"I walk into yours all the time!"

"That's different.  I'd probably scare him!"

"Did you peek in any of the windows to see if you could see him?"

"No!"

"Oh gosh!  I wonder if he is all right."

"Well, I think you should come home.  Tell him you forgot your lunch or something and check on him."

"Good idea.  I'll do that."

GEEZ OH PETE!
================

He's fine.  The house phone rang.  He didn't know how to answer it, and thought it was Dar.  So he called her on his cell phone, but didn't leave a message.  She saw the missed call, went into panic mode--per usual--and called me, instead of calling him back to see what he wanted.

She came home on the pretense she had forgotten her pills.  She also told him that the home phone is only for people to leave messages and for him not to answer it.

All was quiet in the neighborhood the rest of the morning.
======================
I watched my Soap and had a strange experience.  There are 3 young 10 year old kids on the show--have been on since they were 4.  Saw them just the other day.  Today on the Soap, the kids were suddenly 16 years old!  No one else has grown older and only moments had passed in the script, but overnight, these kids age-progressed 6 years!

I kind of felt like Rip Van Winkle!!
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Sun and 65 degrees came out at 2:00 so I went out and finished up my garden clean up.  Ripped out all the annuals on the porch pots, put the pots away in the shed, along with garden ornaments, porch furniture and rug.  Filled bird feeders and put my snow shovel on the porch.  Sure looks bare out there!

August

October 21st.

Instead of making 4 back-breaking trips to the storage shed in back, I decided I could do it in two.  

At times I am a lazy idiot!!  Hurt my shoulder again.  Back hurts, but it wouldn't have hurt anymore after 4 trips than it did after 2.
============
So Joe Biden finally made a decision.  Shoot!  I wanted someone around to harass Hiliary and the communist socialist Bernie.  Democrats campaign is going to be so boring!

On the other side of the fence, Paul Ryan says he doesn't want to be Speaker of the House and is making so many demands so neither caucus will nominate him.  I hope he doesn't take that office, I think it would really ruin his life.  He seems to be such a nice young man. 

The Republicans have a Freedom Caucus and a Liberty Caucus.  Compromised of about 40-80 members of the GOP.  Freedom Caucus is ultra Conservative, Tea Party I think and the Liberty Caucus not much difference.  I don't like either of these Cauci.  What happened to the Moderates when you need them?
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In other news--I am over the emotional roller coaster I was on for two weeks.  3.5 years out and I was grieving for Fred more than I ever did that first awful year.  Tears just came at the most inopportune time.  Visiting The Farm.  Talking to Pearl.  Sitting in my chair watching TV.  At night, when I went to bed.  This weepiness wasn't brought on by memories of Fred.  I don't know what brought it on!  It was so crazy that I thought I WAS going crazy.  

Days--even weeks can go by and I don't think of him.  I have nothing in my house that is a constant reminder of him.  It's not like I am still cleaning out his "stuff"--that was done the first month after he died.  I don't know what brought it on, but I sure am glad I am over it!!!
======================
Speaking of Fred--although this has not one thing to do with him---there is a young man that manages the gas station up the road--where I get gas for the car and milk or supplies sometimes.  I see him every time I go inside.  His name is Jeff and we always say "Hi" and "How ya doing".

Yesterday at the Food Bank, he was there volunteering.  I was kind of embarrassed to see someone I knew who would thus know that I am poor, but he greeted me and pushed my cart out to my car and loaded the stuff into the trunk.

I thanked him and then he asked, "Ya wanna go out for a beer some night?"

I was stunned and shocked, but managed to squeak out, "Thanks, but no.  I don't..dah.... drink."  I meant to say "date", but then realized that he's too young to be asking me on a date and changed the words before they came out of my mouth.

He might be 50!    Most of my kids are older than he is!  So, of course, for the rest of the day I wondered, "What was his motive?"  I have become so suspicious in my old age.  He certainly knows I don't have any money if I am begging at the Food Bank.  Is he looking for a Mother figure?  A Grandma?  He knew Fred so perhaps he thinks the lonely widow would be craving some hot sex?

Creeped me out and now I want to go to a different gas station so I don't ever have to see him again.

GEEZ OH PETE!!

Dar keeps trying to foist me off on her father. He told her that I was a "fine looking woman" and wondered if I would be interested.   

Aren't I lucky?  I either have a 94 year old interested in taking me out to supper or a 50 year old wanting to take me out for a beer, or the neighbor's husband (Merle) who tries to get a hug so he can put his hand on the side of my boob!
Excuse me now--I have to go throw up!

A Mixed Bag of Tricks

What a day!!

I had one bag of leaves out for the yard waste people to pick-up today.  Meant to get all my annuals pulled up and in another bag--missed it.  Oh well, I will have to wait for two weeks for their next pick-up.

An appointment at the food bank at 11:30.  Found a nice bag of fresh vegetable mix: cauliflower, broccoli, baby carrots.  Another bag of fresh lettuce salad makings.  A nice pouch of chicken, to put in the salad and a small beef English Cut roast to add to the veggies.  Nice container of Muskmelon spears--nowadays, it is called Cantaloupe.  One cinnamon roll, detergent, toilet paper and 1# sugar.  No cat litter this time--drats!!  

Up to Wal-Mart to get some milk, Diet Pepsi and mailing boxes.--$23.67

Home to watch Soap and then up to Pearl's.

I quit fighting with Face Book on trying to retrieve her password.  Plus her old e-mail addy was in there as her user name.

I jumped into gmail and made her an account.  

Then back to Face Book to set up a new account, sent a bunch of friend requests and found her games.

Set up a new account with new gmail address and new password at her bank.

Set up (partially) an Amazon.com account.  Watch out world!!!
===================
While I was there, Dar and her Dad walked into Pearl's.

"I'm hunting for Judy.  Is she here?"

Pearl said, "She's back in the bedroom, working on my computer."

So Dar walks all the way back and says, "Go home now.  Dad and I want to visit you."

"I can't just yet.  I gotta get this finished."

"Okay."  and she goes back out into the living room to chat with Merle and Pearl.

I stopped what I was doing and walked out to the living room.

"I got your Face Book going, Pearl.  I gotta go home and put away my groceries and take some Alka Seltzer, my stomach is bad."

I waited until I saw Dar and her Dad leave--watching to see if they were coming this way.  They weren't.  They got in the car and drove away, so I hot-footed it back up to Pearl's to finish the computer job.

"Thanks a lot!  Running away so I had to entertain!"

"Hey--she was bugging the heck out of me."

"She acted like she wanted to talk, but there's no conversation with that woman!  It's all about her.  I asked her Dad two questions, which she answered for him."

"Yeah.  I know.  She has done that to me before.  I was talking with her and her friend Sheila and Sheila asked me a question and Dar answered for me.  Then another question, which Dar answered.  I turned to her and said, 'Dar, I am perfectly capable of answering for myself.' "

"I like her father though."

"Yeah--he's pretty cool."
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I forgot to tell you I got the clothes in my bedroom closet switched around for winter and while in there, drained and flushed the water heater.

No, that's not blood.  Rust out of the tank. 
Plus lime you can't see.

Tonight John and Maisey stopped by for a Porch Chat.  It was so warm today and this evening.  John and I got to laughing so hard, I hope the neighbors didn't wonder what was going on!

John said that he saw Dar this morning on his walk and she was sighing and carrying on about her father visiting her for "Three weeks!  I had planned on two, but now...my brother has extended his vacation, so I have to have Dad for three weeks!"

A Day Full of Blessings.

I had a great day today.

Woke up at 8:00, showered and started laundry.  Played some games on Face Book and enjoyed the sun coming in the front windows.

The neatest thing--I think I told you I am making genealogy books for my kids for Christmas.  They have turned out really well.  I love the special paper I printed them on--it's kind of glossy, a bit thick--like a magazine page.

I was worried at how much it would cost to have the pages combed (punched), the spiral and a front and back cover, so this afternoon, I took one up to the print shop.  The lady asked me how many pages, which determined the size of the spiral, what color back cover I wanted.  I chose navy blue with a clear plastic front cover.

She said, "Do you want to wait for it?  I can do it right now."

So, I watched her--it took almost 7 minutes.

WOW--it looked so nice!'

She went over to the computer/cash register and started clicking in figures.  I opened up my envelope, where I keep my miscellaneous money and pulled out a twenty dollar bill.

"That will be five twenty."

"Excuse me?  Twenty-five, twenty?"

"No.  Five dollars and twenty cents."

"WHAT?  Oh, that can't be enough."

"Yup.  A dollar for the front clear cover, thirty-five cents for the back cover,   Two dollars and fifty cents for the coil and not quite a dollar to punch it and tax."

I just about started crying!!!  I have 5 books.  I thought it would cost twenty dollars a book = hundred dollars.  Instead it is going to cost me twenty-five dollars for all the books!

Yes!  Blessings are just pouring all over me.
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When I left there, I went up the road to get gas for the car: $2.34.  Glad I waited because Friday, it was $2.45.  Twenty bucks filled it up!!

Then I went to the bank, took out some of my knit/crochet money, came home and put cash in the appropriate budget envelopes and still had some left over to take my Grandson Alex out for his birthday this week.

You cannot imagine how wonderful it is to look in my envelopes and see the money increasing each month, toward my car repairs and my glasses.  Plus, I got my doctor paid off and I only owe 50 to the Chiropractor and 65 to the dentist, which I will pay off next month.

The daily worry over money for the last three years, has been lifted. No--I don't have a lot of extra money, but when I get my debts paid off and my car fixed, I just might have a bit extra each month.  Then I can once again think about saving toward a new recliner or mattress or being able to go out for supper.  

This "job" has been a life saver and a real blessing for me.

I got home and there was a call on my phone to remind me of my appointment at the food bank tomorrow morning.  YAY!  I used the last of my milk Saturday, and I am out of laundry detergent and bathroom tissue.

More blessings.

Then  Pearl came down.  I made Apple Cake Saturday and took them some yesterday.  She brought back my plastic container and half a loaf of bread she had baked.

We had a really nice 90 minute chat.  She asked me if I would please come up and try and get her Face Book account up and running.  Her daughter seems to be too busy to stop in and do it.  Pearl has had her computer home for 3 weeks and still can't access it.  

I am just going to delete her account and start over, but I don't know if I can.  I will need her password and no one remembers what it is.  I don't really know how I am going to do any of this, but I sure am going to try.  Her daughter's are a lot like mine.  Her oldest daughter hasn't spoken to Pearl in 18 months and Pearl has no idea why.  She had tried to call her daughter, but the daughter won't pick up her phone.

So Pearl asked her youngest daughter, Marge, if she knew what was bugging Cathy and Marge said she didn't.  Pearl thinks she does but just won't tell her--in case it might be hurtful.

"If I knew what was wrong, I could fix it."

"Maybe not," I said.

"Well with Cathy, it was probably something I said.  I gotta walk on egg shells around her."

"Sounds familiar."

"What's wrong with our girls?  They use to think we were their counselors.  They shared so much with us.  Now, they just think we are old and decrepit and don't know anything."

"I was thinking the same thing the other day."

"Well, I didn't treat my Mother with that kind of disrespect, even though she was critical and nasty to me.  When she had a stroke, I brought her to my house and took care of her for another ten years!"

"I know.  When you and I have a stroke, it will be, 'put the woman in the nursing home and fahgetaboutit.' "

"Maybe you and I can share a room."

Then she chatted about Merle and she thinks he's pretending to be weak just so he doesn't have to relate to her.

"He goes to work everyday and doesn't seem to have a problem there, but the minute he gets home, he's in bed and sleeps the rest of the day.  Then he gets up for supper, afterwards, he sits in his chair and stares at the TV until bedtime.  He doesn't talk to me.  If I ask him a question, he won't answer and just mumbles."

"I wouldn't like that either.  He's probably tired out from working all morning."

"You should see him when Marge comes over.  She sits down and he just perks right up and talks to her and, blab, blab, blab.  Then she leaves and he goes back to being silent.  Sometimes...I'd just like to smack him in his head and say, 'Hello.  Is anyone in there?' "

I do understand her frustration with him.  

I also consider it another blessing that I don't have to put up with someone like that.

Placated, I Suppose

e-mail from Karen:

"How about we communicate via phone or in person? It's much preferred, I think, to be able to communicate well.

I hope you know you can call me anytime. I might not always be able to get to my phone, but it is always great to hear your voice.

Be well, Mom, love you"

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She's right of course!  

Usually though when I get the emotional crack-ups, it is at the end of the day, and I have stewed about them for hours.

One of the worse things of living all alone.

No one to talk to at the moment I need to bounce ideas off them.

Sometimes I remind myself of Dar!!!

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I feel a bit vindicated--well not vindicated, but like I am not totally losing it.  When I told Pearl about what the women said at the lunch, her mouth dropped open.

"You mean...they all knew before you did?"

"Yes."

"I'd be mad too.  That's just not right!"