Truth be told, the laundry multiplied, the dust is in no danger of settling soon, and the Babe vacuumed yesterday. He always surprises me with help around the house. He did a great dinner of chicken, celery, onions, and the Liz Raabe specialty, creamed soups. The Babe talks about family dinners. Many of them are probably not good for a 72-year-old male, with ischemic heart disease (like Spam in Cheddar Cheese Soup), but they’re good for testing his memory.
Today is catch up day. No, I haven’t finished the quilt. Had a cortisone shot in my knee yesterday. Didn’t have the need for 2 1/2 years! The Doc and PA both congratulated me on the low maintenance. The Keto Diet is due the credit on that. All the more reason to start it up again. First, the quilt. Income Taxes for 2022. And unboxing all our books from moving to our home here at Raabe Ranch. Still settling in? It happens.
Do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? We don’t. We would go to the VFW for Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner, but we not going this year. We’re going to stay home and enjoy some time together. It’s been another very busy week. I look forward to some downtime and some creative time as well. Celebrating? Staying In? You know what’s said: those of us who are Irish every day don’t need to pretend one day a year.
Ever check out the stories on Dateline? There is one on now, and a woman named Mary Turner Thompson wrote two different books about all the scheming. He pretended to be a British CIA operative, lie upon lie upon lie. It got deeper and deeper. He had marriages with many women, all single moms, in several countries. A fraud, and father of many children abroad.
You could not make this up. I may see if a library has the books, just to read them. I need to become more picky about ordering books for fun. At the current rate, I’ll end up out of storage and too many things to read in a lifetime.
Have a great day and evening. Let’s see each other tomorrow. Life is good. Live a good story. Start Today.
So much goes into giving care to one of our elders. They may be fiercely independent – which is a good thing, most of the time – and they may hold onto the reins with cold, dead hands. Long after they’re gone. Some folks try to control things from the grave. Conversely, they may be fiercely dependent – which isn’t such a good thing at any time – and they let anyone into their business. The family may never know of all the people who have insight into their business. That’s where elders can be taken advantage of, where things may go south.
I had an uncle who trusted anything Veteran or Police related. What that translated to, was when the telemarketers called and claimed to be either Veteran or Police related, he would donate. His kids had to lower the boom, and say, “If it happens again, you’ll need to go to assisted living.”
And then, there was the unscrupulous cousin of the neighbor, who got into the bank account and slowly depleted their Mom’s checking account; no one knew anything was amiss, until it was time to pay the funeral expenses. There was no money for that. How sad; their own kids would cause that issue for their parent.
What do your parents have set-up for when they’re aging quickly? Has your family discussed it at all?
Most people would rather sweep all this under the rug. The less said, the better. That is in no way how to deal with reality. Grown-ups talk about their business with family or someone they can trust. Believe me, there are some folks who cannot trust their kids, step-kids, cousins, and other relations to tend to business when we’re near the end of our journey’s and need someone to facilitate our final wishes.
I am so glad attention is cast upon elder abuse now. There are laws, law firms, lawyers whose specialty is elder law, and it’s a darned good thing we have them. The elderly are sometimes trusting, and that can cause trouble if they trust the wrong person. I’m so glad we haven’t seen that in our family, to my knowledge.
There can be no hint of impropriety when it comes to our elders. They have worked hard their entire lives, and deserve some peace in their twilight years. Too often, we hear of their kids or others who have an unscrupulous agenda at heart. That sort of news makes me so sad. Sad for the elders who trust; sad there are such bad people in the world, and sad the elders suffer because of it. If they pass away not knowing, that’s one thing, but if they know the person they trusted violated that trust that is inexcusable.
I have to say, I’m proud of the people Mom has around her. My two younger brothers are spending time each week with her, doing chores, errands, etc. I’m going to add two days a week, with time spent visiting, catching up, doing bills, etc. Taking Care of Business. When someone is nearly deaf and nearly blind, they could use a hand. It doesn’t mean they’re incompetent, it just means they need eyes and ears to assist. They can still be in charge. Delegating is hard, but possible.
The most uncomfortable conversations are the ones that need to be had. Every single time. Spouse to spouse. Parent to child. Sibling to sibling. Friend to friend. Wherever you are in life, make sure a trusted someone knows your wishes. Yes, it’s hard. But you are doing your survivors a huge favor. When the State gets involved, everyone loses. Give a gift. Make your final wishes know. Whatever age you are.
We’ll see each other again tomorrow. Have a safe, productive Monday.
The world’s most famous blunderer aside from any political person, has to be the loveable Yogi Berra. His Yogi-isms are famous. One of my favorites, “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over” is a classic. And it’s as true as the day is long.
The Yankees are the team America loved to hate; no one can deny they were one of the hottest teams with Reggie Jackson back in the 70s. I remember seeing them in the new stadium in Kansas City about 1980. It was great fun, although people did not yet tailgate and we arrived with three small children three hours before the gates opened. The kids and I sat in the car while their father canvassed the parking lot looking for other people from Nebraska.
We finally got to our seats. Talk about nosebleed section! Oh my gosh, it was the very last tippy top row. It was hot enough to fry an egg on the pavement. We were relatively poor, lower middle class I suppose, and couldn’t afford all the things the vendors were hawking. The boys had sunflower seeds, and out of my view they spat them out, flinging them into a lady’s beehive hairdo who sat in front of them. I did not see this, because our four tickets had two on one side of the support pole and two on the other side. The children’s father insisted on sitting next to me, but refusing to hold his daughter, a baby who insisted on trying to crawl on the floor in front of our seats. I suppose it couldn’t have hurt her, but the smell of vomit emitted and my mind knew some fool was sick from cheap beer, high heat and humidity, and no food at a double header between the Yankees and Kansas City. Good Lord!
It was an exceptionally long day, and the kids were all tired out for the ride home. Our boys had lots of fun, as brothers often do, and our daughter, well, she survived well. She was tough even then, she wanted to do everything her brothers did. No, she did not have sunflower seeds. She was about 16 months old, so her food was appropriate.
So back to Yogi. He’s also famous for saying, “Baseball is 90 % Mental. The other half is Physical.” Really? Despite the Yogi-isms, he was present for 22 World Series, either as a player, or a coach. “Pair Up in Threes.” “It’s deja vu all over again.”
Yogi was so right in his observation. It’s never over until it’s over; whether it is working on retraining your sweet tooth, adjusting to retirement and filling your days, or working on a new craft such as painting or writing. Simply starting isn’t finishing, and we need to consider that. Starting is just a step towards finishing. We need to keep going, persist despite discouragement or obstacles. Daily work yields long-term accomplishments. Just get started. You’ll gain momentum as time passes.
Today was a day to get Mom to a doctor appointment, Hobby Lobby, lunch, Walgreens. The usual outing. She got exhausted and gets upset with herself and worried. I just tell her don’t worry, I’ve got all the time in the world. It must be hard to not be able to do much anymore. I can only hope I have her long life, and a life where I can still get around, be of help to the community, and have a life that is fulfilling. Hope the good Lord is willing.
Tomorrow is another much needed day at home. It will be another beautiful day outdoors, and we’ll see you then. Take care out there, mask up where you have to (vaccinated or not) and enjoy every minute of every hour. They pass too quickly. Make the most of the time we all have to be together. Thank you for reading!
There is nothing like taking the afternoon off to spend at the movies with a girlfriend, a bit tub of popcorn, and Lady Gaga, Al Pacino, and Jared Leto. Wow. Great acting, great story, great everything. If Gaga isn’t best actress, and Leto isn’t best actor for the upcoming academy awards, I’ll be greatly surprised.
Acting is something not everyone is cut out for. Seriously. Especially for a movie, there needs to be a great story first. Those based on real life are favorites of mine. You can’t make that stuff up. But relatives of people told about could sue you. “Based on real events” gets you off the hook, I think.
But having people who can act the parts is important. Adam Driver, IMHO, was a milquetoast kind of character. I didn’t see him as a powerful force at all. Maybe he’s that good an actor, you know? I can’t say because I’ve not seen him in anything else. His wife pushed him to get involved, advised him on business decisions, and insisted on running the show. The driving force behind her ambition was greed. It’s the oldest story in the book, right?
You just can’t beat Al Pacino as family patriarch. He was in his element, as the aging, Italian businessman. He’s had a storied career as a method actor and is always good. His performance is great, as always, and I just wasn’t surprised by anything. He was typical Al Pacino. Always awesome.
Jared Leto? You just won’t believe him. He’s so unrecognizable. And the acting. Go enjoy the movie in a theater while you can. The pandemic may change the availability of theater viewing in the near future, so go while you can. It was perfectly safe. Go. You’ll come back refreshed for the experience. It’s great story telling.
The best part of the whole day? Spending time with my longtime friend Kris. She has been in my life since our junior year in high school. We have been friends for over 50 years, and kept in touch over the years. She and her husband Lenny invited us to the VFW in the first place, and the rest is history.
She lost Lenny in August. She is doing well, and I want to spend time with her much more than we have been. She doesn’t drive anymore, but that doesn’t matter since I do. I’m very aware we need to spend all the time in the world with each other because some day, we won’t be able to.
I’ve been so focused on writing I haven’t spent time with friends as I should. A NYT best seller wouldn’t be worth losing precious time with them while we still can. Sometimes we don’t get a choice in when those friendships end. A stroke or serious illness can happen at any age. We’re boomers, and you never know if you may have cognitive issues with age. This is not a doom and gloom attitude; it’s the reality of life in our late 60s and early 70s.
Think about who you can spend more time with during this season. It doesn’t have to be a family member. Friends need our presence this time of year, too. Don’t overlook people right in front of you! It will do you a lot of good, too. You can never regret presence instead of presents. It’s what the season of love is all about. It helps our worlds all become a better place.
Yes, some people with greed in their hearts and hate in their souls behave like the real-life characters in the House of Gucci. Some people live to bulldoze people out of their way, on the way to power and wealth. You can have it. Not my style at all. Remember who is with you during the tough times, the hard times, the times you want to give up. Those are your real friends.
This Christmas season, be a good friend. Start now. By 12/31/2021, it will be a habit, a big part of your life and character. See you tomorrow!
It started raining yesterday and has yet to quit. It’s a pleasant sort of rain, not one to be a gully washer. The creek behind us is almost full. With 2 – 3 inches of rain expected total, it doesn’t surprise me. We think this will really green up our grass. The back yard will muddy up. Goldie has worn two paths while playing catch. It’s ok. When you have kids or dogs, it’s expected. It’ll grow back someday.
A couple days ago, I wrote about Cynicism. Interesting topic, I turned the page this morning in my “Silver Disobedience” book by Dian Griesel. It’s a collection of her writings, blogs, and random topics on aging. She has a blurb about cynicism. It can be the only thing that makes us old. It replaces contentment with bitterness. Trust is replaced by distrust. Doubt replaces trust. Pessimism overtakes optimism. Sarcasm dominates. Faith and trust must be worked on.Old age happens at any time, any age. Avoiding cynicism is the key to remaining forever young.
I would highly recommend following her. While she is a model for the famous Wilhelmena Modeling Agency, she doesn’t concentrate on outer beauty. She concentrates on attitude and the care we should all give our bodies and soul. She’s a breathtakingly beautiful woman in her 60s. Imagine that! Once I saw her fabulous head of silver/gray hair, I knew it was ok to keep letting my COVID-coiffe continue growing. It’s now acceptable! Who knew?
I love this part of my life. It’s so awesome, the older grandkids are measuring how close they are to us in height. Some are very close. Whenever any of my cousins bragged they were as tall as Grandma Bobell, she’d say, “Well, that’s no big feat! I’m only four feet ten inches!” And she laughed her funny laugh. Just kept giggling to herself. She cracked herself up! I loved her laugh.
I’m wishing we could celebrate our granddaughter Kayla’s birthday, too. They are experiencing a lot of snow today. We always loved birthdays. I always requested a Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake. I did that to be the direct opposite of my older brother, who always wanted plain angel food. What was your favorite birthday cake?
It’s tough now to have a birthday cake. The Babe’s birthday is two days after mine. His favorite cake is German Chocolate. I love to make one for him, and the recipe on the Baker’s Chocolate package is the one my Grandma Jewell used to make. It was fabulous. Lots of butter! Oh my. Maybe I’ll make one this year. It can be frozen, then we wouldn’t consume it all at once. Sounds reasonable, right?
FInally, today I’m packing away my snowmen. They’re gathered on the coffee table, and I shouldn’t need too much time to do that. Just accomplishing something makes a huge difference. I think we might have the fireplace on sometime today, it’s pretty chilly. Soon it will be time to poke around outside and see what’s starting to grow in the flower beds. A favorite time of year.
Thank you for catching up today. Remember, whatever your age, check your attitude. It’s worth it to be positive and have a good outlook. I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow. Be Kind. Be Courteous. Be Safe out there!
It’s been a very strange day. I took Mom to her bank to move money around. She had an appointment with the person who does those things. We arrive, he was ill. She was upset. She gets agitated easily when things don’t go according to plan. She can’t handle surprises well anymore. She is home a lot, and she’s safest there. Not only do you have COVID-19, we also have extreme fall risk, some pride, and lots of stubbornness. It’s quite a combination. I’m glad I have the determination of both of my parents. Mom’s more of a steamroller; Dad was more of a prepare for the worst and be glad when it doesn’t happen. I’m more like Dad, but I can steamroll if needed.
So gets in the Branch Manager’s office, and handles first things first. Getting what she needed; then the paperwork; then the receipts. The money she had to “move” was probably unnecessary; as the account had special checks, which I’m sure are negotiable to write to a vendor, but she insists no. OK, Mom. Whatever you say. It probably didn’t have to be this hard, but it’s done, that’s all that mattered.
Mission Accomplished! We get back to the car, and she asked to sit there for a little bit so she could “collect herself.” The Babe’s Mom would say, “I need to get organized.” Little old ladies are so cute. They’re insistent on some things and other things don’t matter anymore. We went to Walgreens, and the only thing there was the “usual” toilet paper display at the front of the store was replaced by a paper towel display. I paid no attention to what she bought, but the cashier told her it wasn’t toilet paper. She felt terrible, and I didn’t watch what she was doing.
She said she felt terrible being such a mess. It’s confusing when she’s out, and I’m glad she does as well as she does. It could be a whole different game in six months. My brothers and me, we’re ready for whatever happens. I hope God’s good to her.
Tomorrow will be a big day for her, the stair lift will be installed. Like many older people, she’s not good with remotes. I hope it’s not a hassle for her. Practice. Just needs patience, which she’s not too good at with new stuff. Life is full of mysteries, isn’t it?
You work hard your whole life, and your kids leave. Your empty nest is fun for awhile, then if you have grand kids, you get to watch them grow up, then they go on and live their lives. You see them less often, too, it’s important for them to stretch their wings. And you kind of wait around to see what the next chapter has. You’re too vital and interested in life to sit and do nothing. That’s where I’m so glad to be creative. There are so many things I love and am good at, it’s hard to choose a hobby of the day. Right now, it’s writing. And watching videos. I have more to finish up with, and will do that. There are many interesting ones to catch up on and share with Cartney, my illustrator. I even purchased a book Arree Chung wrote, “Mixed.” It’s a beautiful book. The photos match the story so well. If you have young kids, this is a must have. It explains mixed race marriages in a wonderful way. Hat’s off to you, Arree! I’ll have a photo tomorrow, my devices aren’t synching right now.
We are on duty today to pick up addison from school soon. It’s nice to see her and hear how her day went. The Babe found some old photos on his phone this morning from when she was in first and second grade. Wow. She’s a young woman now, no longer a little girl! Time. It flies too damned fast.
Be safe out there. I’m praying for a safe Inauguration Day tomorrow. Regardless of anything else, we will all have a new president and vice president. I hope he is well enough to withstand the stress of the office. My prayers are especially for all law enforcement and military who are keeping the peace tomorrow. May the crowd have respect and be ruled by sensibility. God Bless the USA! See you tomorrow.
Meetings tonight at the Post. Then we’re done for the month, we hope. Just listening to some tunes and getting inspired for creating today. I have a picture quilt, a panel I layered and need to quilt. If I can see to thread the machine needle, I believe clear invisible thread (rather than smoky) should give a nice outline.
It’s been another busy week, and I sometimes wish to sleep until I wake up on my own. Does anyone do that anymore? The dogs wake the Babe, and he lets me sleep until 7. I’ve got a lot more pain since the weather turned cold. I expect it, and it’s become a measure of the next level of my disability.
Like clockwork, the updated news presents itself in areas such as what hurts and how much? Does it come and go? Does stretching help? Not so much anymore. Does that sharp pain change at all during the day? How about at night? The ache, how does it respond to ice or heat? Was it like this last year? When did it start? Does it ever stop hurting? And so on. Sometimes I just don’t recall. I should journal these changes, but I just don’t think of it.
Our mom has had her complete life of mobility, few restrictions, and at 91 concentrates a lot on what she can’t do anymore. As a person who has had restrictions from the age of 42 until now, I try to point out to her how grateful she should be. I’m used to things I can no longer do. My height has shrunk so I can no longer reach items on the top shelf in the cupboards. Right now, I can ask the Babe for help. He’s so good to me.
You know, this keto thing is really something. It works. Nothing dramatic like sixty pounds in thirty days or anything, I suppose if you were an exercise nut you could do that, but we’re quite happy with what we are losing. The Babe has lost 20-25 pounds and I’ve probably lost 15 – 20. It really shows. And we feel it. Even during the holidays, I just don’t want the awful stuff we used to fill up on.
We may break the sugar addiction yet! Sometimes I would like to have a Midnight Dark Milky Way bar. I just wouldn’t eat the whole thing at once. Yes, I’d love some nice warm bread with butter melting all over it. Just not now. I have some more pounds to shed. Growing up in the 1950s, they often used food as a reward. Common, but not a good thing to do. Especially when your Mom baked the best chocolate chip cookies in the world. When bullied at school, I’d reach in the cookie jar and take several cookies to my room. I always felt better after that. Our parents would say, “Just ignore them, they’ll stop making fun of you.” It still hurt, although we didn’t cry in front of the bullies.
Retirement. Freedom to Create!
What a glorious thing to come out of what folks are calling the worst year ever. Losing weight and a sugar addiction. It feels good. I can frame 2020 as a horrid year. It’s frightening to look at and wonder where we will be a year from now; OR I can frame this year as a year to be so grateful; we haven’t had COVID; we have lost no one to it, and we have a comfortable life with each other. We’re relatively healthy, aside from aging bodies. We have a firm belief in God and pray. And we trust in God. He knows what’s best.
Goldie LOVES her new Charlie Brown Snowman from Bark Box.
Wherever you find yourself today, be kind. Be thoughtful. Be Courteous. Be Safe. Let’s stay well until we can get vaccinated and build up immunities. Wash up and wear your mask. It’s the least we can do. Keep your spirits up. I’m as happy as Goldie is with her new toy. Thanks and see you tomorrow!
Today was bittersweet. Mom asked me to take her to the ENT today. We made a stop at her favorite Half Price Bookstore afterwards. She has terrific trouble with her vision from a stroke several years ago and has extremely poor hearing, even with hearing aids. Either of these things will cause a person to be isolated from the rest of us. She has not wanted to attend the last couple luncheons for the retiree group from my dad’s job at the Omaha World Herald, and has turned down invitations to the two wedding receptions our family is looking forward to. It’s probably part due to her age and infirmary, and part due to more isolation because of COVID-19. Last November, she was not comfortable attending the wedding of a one of her favorite grandsons, because she wouldn’t be able to hear the ceremony.
The Old Days . . . Come and Gone.
I can see a vulnerability in Mom I have not seen before. She is aging, she has taken excellent care of herself, and that can be a double-edged sword. Her independence has been reigned in due to limitations. I’m eternally grateful she quit driving on her own. With her hearing issue, it was easy for her to get rattled in traffic. It was hard at first, but we went on in-town errands and always had lunch. The first Wednesday of the month was always Shopko day. She’d stock up on paper products and what not. We’d ooh and aah at the baby clothes and laugh at goofy things. It was fun. I’m sad Shopko closed, it appears she’s kind of been declining bit by bit since then.
Of course it’s expected, especially at her age. She’ll be 91 later this month, and I’m astonished at that. She hasn’t had an easy life. Our Dad worked nights, and she was in charge 24/7. I was a junior in high school before he transferred to working days. Our two younger brothers had Dad at home while they were in high school. They had different parents than my older brother and I did. It was different at the end of the 1960s when we graduated from high school. Our younger brothers graduated in the mid 1970s, a much different time. A different generation.
We lost Dad in 1988, just after he retired. It was so unfair for him. He worked hard all his life to provide for his family and never got to enjoy retirement. He died six months after he retired. Half of the time he was fighting cancer, the other half, he was home alone while Mom tended to her dying mother with her sisters. Grandma died in September, Dad in December. What a burden on Mom. No time for grieving, there was business to attend to.
Sometimes I think it’s harder for someone to release their independence if they’ve had it for a long period of time. If you’re still independently living in your 80s, it will be hard if you have your wits about you and you need to give some independence up. Many older people don’t get a real choice, some tragic circumstance dictates the end of their driving, or living alone, or walking without assistance. Mom was really brave to give up driving when she did. It could have come sooner in my opinion, because I could see how shook up she would get in traffic.
When the low income high rises were popular in the 1970s, Mom swore if she had to live in one of those, she’d die a slow death, filled with misery. She helped my brother Steve with his South Omaha Sun paper route, and saw the inhabitants of the 10 – 12 story high rises first hand. After her mother died, she swore she would leave her affairs in good order. For that, my brothers and I are grateful. We know she’ll leave us someday. It’s just a matter or when. It will be unexpected, but it will still cause sadness.
But we will celebrate her because she did the darndest things (quote from her mother-in-law). She was a docent at the Zoo for over 25 years. Babysat the baby gorillas and orangutans in the nursery, and was on tiger-birth watch if a female tiger would start labor in the middle of the night. She might call me up and say, “If you call late at night and you can’t reach me, I’ll be at the Zoo, doing . . . .” We’d tease the hell out of her, but were always glad she was so active and out and about.
So yes, we’re grateful. And sad at the same time. She’s having a hard time not being able to go about her life. And we have to be patient even in the worst moments. My two younger brothers are good men and help her out a lot. Taking care of a house is a chore at 91. Heck, it is at 68, too. But at least I have the Babe. Another thing my brothers and I are be blessed with; she has wonderful neighbors, who help her, and who scold her when she’s pulling weeds where she shouldn’t be. Thank you, David _________. We appreciate it!
So as I recall her telling me the ENT’s mother (also in her 90s) was on her hands and knees, scrubbing the floor before her cleaning lady came over, and how she was scolded by her son the doctor, I will also remember the story of her pulling weeds in an unsafe area. The neighbor simply said, “What do you think you’re doing?” several times, relieved her of her bucket and loppers, and waiting in the driveway until she went inside the house, and say, “You kinda are doing silly things too, that aren’t good for you.” She laughed, and said, “Well, I suppose so.” And all I can say is, “Rosemary; you do the darndest things!”
So yesterday we went to the garden center and purchased some beauties. I planted a few things in pots earlier, and one in the ground in the front yard. A smaller hydrangea bush. It should look pretty good next to the butterfly bush that grew so huge last year. We’re planning to keep it trimmed up a bit as it grows, so it doesn’t encroach on the sidewalk to enter the house. Last year it needed to be trimmed a lot.
My back does cause considerable problems when I do work like this, so I sat down on the little front porch steps to rest it a minute. I untangled the wind chimes I purchased a few years ago at Shopko, when they were still open. It was tangled to badly, I was tempted to cut it apart and restring it. But then I started thinking about my dad. He could untangle necklaces that were twisted and tangled so bad you were tempted to throw them out. He was a man of incredible patience when it came to things like that.
I started thinking about him as I sat, trying to untangle the knots of all elements of this wind chime. The more I thought about him, the easier the tangle became. I was truly amazed at how the time passed, the tangles fell away, I thought of how my dad would work on things while working them out, I could smell the freshness in the air, I was aware of the coolness of the concrete, it was such a relaxing, enjoyable experience. And this was the result:
Late getting started, but the front is looking better.
I’m sure now I’ll have those heartwarming thoughts of my dad when I glance out the window while writing or sewing. I’m such a “just look out the window at this or that” kind of person. I hope to experience many more things like this when I’m looking away to let my eyes wander.
The Babe is mowing the yard in between working more on the birdhouse bench he’s building. It’s amazing how thick the grass in the back yard has become, despite the dogs being out and using it as dogs do. I used to think only retired people had nice lawns. I remember mowing our lawn on a big banked hill when my kids and I lived on Nicholas Street. My son Nicholas sure thought it was great to live on a street named after him. I do believe it was named long before he was thought of, but I didn’t want to burst his bubble. I have a bunch of plants to keep planting this afternoon, and I’d better get back to it.
There are a couple plants I need to plant in nicer containers, like the Hibiscus tree, and hope I can keep it alive this winter. Maybe remembering to water it will help, too. Since we have lost our great cleaning lady, we’ll be cleaning now and should be in a better position to be watering plants that need it. Yes, I’m sad to lose Lori, but she needs some benefits and to be more secure for her future. I wish her well, and am glad to have had her since we moved into this home. Good Luck!
Below is an overview of the flower garden the Babe fenced in for me. There are Columbine, a small Hydrangea, and a couple Asiatic Lilies down there. We’re going to lay down Landscaping Cloth and decide where the annuals go. I hope to get everything in and thriving by tomorrow afternoon.
Lots of Potential
There is something about this meme that I love. I do believe many of us have been doing this since social distancing and stay at home were introduced. I know it’s hard for the Babe to put into words how he feels, he just knows things are “off”. I feel the same way. It’s kind of like listening to someone talk, but you feel and hear like you’re underwater. Or you go somewhere and don’t think about driving there, but realize you are there. That’s the time to do like these two little guys do above. If you can’t or don’t want to talk about it, maybe you just need someone to sit with you. Quietly. Just feel the being together. It helps. Try it with someone you trust, love, and respect. It is the best medicine.
Thank you for reading today. I appreciate your time. Sit by someone you trust and love. Enjoy their quiet company. Or untangle your windchime from last summer. It will take your mind away from your troubles. So relaxing. I will be here again tomorrow, hope to see you then. It’s the Babe’s birthday. I’m off to bake a Red Velvet Cake. The store was out of German Chocolate. So the Babe bought our granddaughter’s favorite. Hope the others like it! Take Care. Drive Safely. Wash Your Hands!
The week is half over, if you live in a regular Monday through Friday world. I have six Saturdays and a Sunday, myself. Without Church in the equation, it’s more like seven Saturdays. You know when a person is young, charting out their careers, families, their place in the world, they never have enough time. I remember talking to my Grandma Bobell one time, after my daughter was born. She was my third child, and although I didn’t work away from home, I was very busy. I did my own cooking, baking, cleaning, and a lot of things like that. I enjoyed sewing and crocheting, too.
I was visiting Grandma with my kids and she said, “Just remember, when you get old, you’ll have all the time in the world, and nothing to do.” She kept busy, but it was very sedentary. TV watching. Smoking. Reading. Smoking. It was a time when old people were thought of as just “old.” Glad that as I’m entering into my “late 60s” that we no longer think that way. She was a very intelligent person, read a lot, and studied a great deal about World History. She was well versed in Roman times and Greek eras. She knew exactly where she wanted to go when one of her daughters went to Italy with her. Grandma may have only been on a plane ride once in her life, and here she was, flying to Italy with Aunt Judy. To be a fly on the wall! She enjoyed seeing things she only knew about by reading. She couldn’t walk very well, so many of the tours she stayed on the bus. At least she was there.
You Can Only Eat an Elephant One Bite at a Time!
One step at a time is how I’ve had to live for over 25 years, since a medical emergency caused a large portion on my spine to be disassembled without reconstruction. I have lingering pain, scoliosis, fibromyalgia and a bunch of other stuff because of it, but in those 25 years, one step at a time, have been beautiful! We’ve traveled, I met the Babe, we married, so did four of our five kids, become grandparents, and have a lot to look forward to in each other’s company. I’m so lucky to have found someone who didn’t take my “slowness” as a problem. His mother had MS for many, many years. I loved to watch how he was with her. I experience that same kindness and love when I have a bad day. Which isn’t a lot (when I actually complain) but when I do, he usually knows by his observations than by me saying something. God’s been good to me.
After talking with my book coach yesterday, I am deep into researching my main character. What do I want her to convey? What is her weakness? What can she show the readers that they can learn from? What can I learn from her? I don’t have it written down, but by writing it, I’ll know if she’s working or not. Then the rest of the story may be told. I need to touch very deeply on her emotions about things. To show how she’s changed and grown. Sounds as if that’s a lot of deep, thoughtful work. I’m eager to do it.
I have also discovered where the “extra” words exist and what they’re about. I have saved the ideas, to see if they fit into anything I have written. If not, they may be useful for something else. I’m just glad to discover where they were and that I’m really not missing a lot in the story.
My character learns this in her life. Her most important lesson.
Today will be another Wednesday Night Hamburger Night at the Post. Their special is Chicken Fried Steak, a real crowd pleaser. I’m not a fan, but usually that menu item is really a top seller. It will be great to connect with our friends again. It was a long time we were away from each other!
I find the information available about the ongoing pandemic to be kind of confusing. It is we just stayed home to ease the hospital run on ventilators? So when we go out and if we become ill, they just have ventilators for all of us now? So we avoided it thus far, does it mean we’re safer now? Our Test Nebraska site allows you to make an appointment to be tested whether you are symptomatic or not. Should we all be tested? What do you all think? Comment below, I’d like to know your take on it. I shudder to think what will happen late in the fall and next winter.
My character needs to learn this during her journey.
I’m hoping we are able to get some plants in the next few days. The Babe constructed a nice wooden fence (with a small gate) to keep my new plants safe from a curious puppy. He is also building a cute bench for extra seating or holding flower pots. We’ll decide after it’s finished. The back is shaped into different sized bird house fronts. They’re painted different colors. Not sure if it will go on the patio or the front porch. It would fit there perfectly, or we could put it on the deck, too. This is what makes new things fun, figuring out where to put new things you have made. We have fun!
Thank you for reading today. I appreciate your time so much. I’ll be here again tomorrow, and I hope to see you then! Stay safe. Wash your hands. Help your neighbor, wear a mask. See you!
Kathy Raabe 