Passing the Torch?

 When the girls were little, bundling up in snowsuits, boots, hats, scarves, and gloves/mittens, piling in the truck, and going to visit Grampy and Grammy. Gary would fire up the tractor and clean out the drive, the paths to the barns, and to the pasture to make feeding the cows easier. Once in a while Grampy would come out and stomp through the snow and 'help' in some way.  But mostly the work was done by Gary with me helping with the shovel on the steps and the sidewalk.  The girls would play in the snow, both along the sidewalk and in the big yard in front of the machine shed.  Eventually everyone would be cold but happy, and we would congregate around the kitchen table and enjoy something warm to drink and usually some kind of snack, like cookies.  Lots of great memories from those days.

This morning I was sitting in the recliner, watching Jim's sermon from the online church service. I heard sounds like motors running.  Upon investigation I found Blaine on the 4-wheeler, moving snow in front of the garage and along the circle drive.  Then I spotted two smaller people in snowsuits, jackets, hats and gloves running along the side of the kitchen/dining room.  When I returned to the living room and looked out the patio doors, I saw a small snowman and Hilary waving at me through the doors.  Soon she plopped on the ground, moving her arms and legs to make a snow angel.  You know what happened next---Tessa on the ground and then Owen joined them to make more snow angels.   

 

 

Scraping sounds coming from the deck made me return to the dining room windows and I found Landon shoveling snow from the deck and tossing it into the flower beds. Hilary joined him soon after to clean off the deck and steps.  Soon the three kids were eating snow and throwing snowballs with snow scooped up in the gazebo. 

Eventually sleds appeared and the kids were slipping down the hill from the front yard to the lane and continuing down to the creek. What fun!

After they left I saw the truck and trailer pull up in front of Sid's house down the road. I found out later that he had driven there on the 4-wheeler to plow out the drive, then they stopped to shovel off the ramp to his front door and the area around the bottom of the ramp.  He wasn't home so they hoped he was surprised when he returned.

While I was so thankful that they were here to clean everything off and open up the lane (and it looks like there is a great path down the lane to the road), and I am super proud of their service hearts for others, part of me is just sad.

First of all I was so scared that Gary would be awake before me this morning and leave the bedroom without my knowing it and I would find him on the ground because he had had a heart attack while shoveling snow.  Now that he is 70 and has had a few health issues, that fear is always in the back of my mind, but even moreso with the heavy wet snow on the ground.  I know that he doesn't like my fussing over him about things like this (suggesting help with putting the huge wreath on the barn met with his anger at me for even thinking he might not be capable of doing that task himself).  But I am concerned.

Second I had no desire to be outside in the cold and doing those things.  Being in the house where it is warm and cozy and looking out the windows at the snow is more my thing now.  But as I thought about years past it did make me a little sad that those days are over and I won't be playing with the girls in the snow anymore.  Yes...I could with the kiddos, but I know I wouldn't enjoy it like I did 25-30 years ago.

I guess we are passing the torch from being the ones who take care of snow removal for the parents/grandparents to being the ones taken care of. It's not really a bad thing, is it?  

But it is a little sad.

In the Kitchen

 I spent most of the day in the kitchen.

Well, I planned it that way, but it just took longer than I expected.

The plan was to  make a double batch of cinnamon rolls sometime today.  

Now I have to admit that these cinnamon rolls are pretty darn good, and I have made the recipe several times over the past 9 months or so.    I have the routine down well---measuring everything out before I start.  Pre-heating the oven so I can use it for the first rising on the dough.  Warming the milk to just the right temp so the yeast is not killed. 

On the last two-batch session, I tried something new.  Putting the rolls in groups of five in disposable square pans and then wrapping them in Saran Wrap and foil and freezing them.  The purpose behind it was to have cinnamon rolls ready to pop in the oven on Christmas Eve morning or Christmas morning and I wouldn't have to get up early on those mornings or risk not having them ready.  The frozen pans worked out so well  that it seemed like a great idea to go that route again.  We used two pans for Christmas Eve/morning.  Then we pulled out pans for the overnights of Cooper/Lynnlee, Landon, and Tessa/Owen. 

The plan for these pans of rolls was different though.  Two pans went north --- one to Jan and Don so they could heat them up some morning and have an easy breakfast.  Jan had total knee replacement surgery yesterday.  The second pan went to Tony and Beverly.  She had breast cancer surgery on Wednesday.  Once again....a quick breakfast for them (and Brandon, if he were home).  I sent along a container of cream cheese frosting and the instructions for baking from the freezer to the oven.

Another pan is in the freezer to take to the new condo when Karen and Clay move in .  It will be a frenzy of activity on move in day, so having a pan of cinnamon rolls ready to take out of the freezer, thaw, and pop in the oven seemed like a good idea.

The fourth pan in the freezer can be for Hilary and Blaine, if they stop here on their way home from visiting in Francesville...or I might send them home with Blaine tomorrow when he comes over to check on the goats and plow out the drive.

And finally the fifth pan.  No disposable on that one.  I used the new square pan I received for Christmas for those five cinnamon rolls.  It is in the refrigerator.  It can sit on the counter during the church service so the rolls can rise, then they can bake in the oven and be drizzled with the homemade cream cheese frosting I made this afternoon.

Did I ever say how much I love having a dishwasher?  Today was one of those times I was really happy to have one.  Clean up of the baking mess was fairly easy with rinsing bowls, scrapers, measuring cups and spoons and loading all of them into the baskets. A few things I hand washed and returned to their rightful spots.  Counters were cleaned off.  The mat for rolling out dough was washed off and is hanging on the shower curtain in the main floor bathroom to dry. Easy peasy.

 Next on the agenda was making the chicken noodle casserole that is Auntie Ann's recipe.  She borught that casserole to us when Megan was born and shared the recipe because we really liked it.  The girls like it too, so it was included in their family recipes cookbook that we gave then for shower gifts.  n That is in the oven now.  

No sewing for me today, which was part of today's plan as well.  Too much to do in the kitchen and I am happy with the results---I hope.  I don't know how the finished product of the cinnamon rolls will be, but they usually turn out delicious!  

 As for the chicken noodle casserole?  I smell it.  It will be good!  

I'm So Confused!

 Virgin River.

I had heard about this series of novels from several people, and I decided to start reading the books, one by one, starting with the first one.

About the same time I heard that Netflix had a great series called "Virgin River" that was based on the same book series by Robyn Cook.  

Let me preface this by saying that I am an English teacher, and I know that when books/novels are adapted into film in any way, shape, or form, there will be differences.

Instance #1 - Thorn Birds.    I started reading this book when Megan was born ---I know.  Years and years ago since she will be 40 in April.  But I had so much trouble getting into that book.  I forced myself to continue reading until my attention was finally captured. I loved the book after that point.  When we watched the movie in my Novels class later, the story on the film began about the same place when my attention was hooked.  The person who wrote the screenplay must have felt the same way I did because those scenes didn't appear in the movie at any point.

Instance #2 - The Firm - I loved Grisham's book and I was looking forward to seeing the film in the theatre. When Gary and I saw it at the Isis Theatre in Winamac, I couldn't believe how different it was from what I read.   On the drive home Gary was talking about how much he enjoyed the film, and I added that I didn't really enjoy it because the book was SO much better and I felt like I had missed out on some key scenes that had been omitted.

Now this one.

I wanted to read the first book before I watched the first season on Netflix.    Before we could watch the first episode, however, Hilary shared with me several things that she really liked about the series she had watched.  As she talked, I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Charmaine was a hairstylist with her own salon in Clear River.  What?  She was an older lady who waited tables at a bar with a deceased husband and grown children.  Oh..and then she was pregnant with Jack's baby?  Not in the book!

In the book Connie had a heart attack and had to be taken to the hospital in a town an hour away in the back of a pick up with Mel holding the IV bag.  Not in the book!  That trip in the pick up was with a young girl who was poisoned by tainted well water.  Her parents were sick too.  Not in the book!

Hope entices Mel to Virgin River to be the nurse practitioner and seems to shuffle around, in and out of the bar, never having a major role in the story line.  In the series, however,  she is always around, meddles in everything, and lo and behold..... is married to the doctor.  They are in the midst of a divorce though.  But she is everywhere!  Not in the book.

Mel's cabin is in shambles when she arrives, but she stays in a room above the doctor's offices.  In the film version, she stays in a boarding house until she is surprised by Jack with a completely renovated cabin.  

Paige is a young mother who is fleeing with her son from an abusive husband/father.  She takes wrong turn and ends up in Virgin River at Jack's Bar, meeting Preacher the night she arrives.  She works behind the bar, in the kitchen, and develops a relationship with Preacher.  She does not have a food truck.  She has not changed her name.  

You know, when one reads a book, a character is defined by his/her actions, speech, profession, relationships, personality, character, likes and dislikes.  The reader has a picture in her mind of that character that works in the situations the character experiences. My picture of the characters in Virgin River are not consistent with the actors/actresses I see on the screen.  Mel is just not strong enough or petite enough or forceful enough.  She should be wearing jeans and boots all the time.  She doesn't.    Doc should be an old, crotchety man, not Tim Matheson. 

I have read nearly 2/3 of the second book in the series, Shelter Mountain.  I like it.  

Tonight we finished watching season one of Virgin River on Netflix.

I feel like the two are so different that they are really separate entities.  

What to do?  What to do?

Right now the best plan for me is to read and enjoy the books.  I can also watch and enjoy the series. 

But I can't keep saying "Well, THIS isn't in the book" and enjoy either. 

As of right now, Friday evening at 11:03 p.m. on January 29, 2021, the two are different stories with some characters who have the same names.  I will continue to picture Mel, Jack, Doc, and Preacher as I want to.  I will watch them on the tv screen and see totally different types of characters for the film version.  I have to do that.  Why?

Because otherwise, I will be SO confused! 

Back in My Happy Place

 Yes, I really enjoy my sewing room! 

As I have said before, one of the things on our list for the new house was a room I could use for my sewing room.  There is a room next to the family room with no closet and many outlets about halfway between the ceiling and floor.  It was perfect, and I love it. 

Last week one day Gary added some nails to the wall so that I could hang a calendar that Sandy had given me for Christmas and a painting that Hilary had made for me several years ago.  The calendar is one of the Lang type, and it hangs close to my sewing table, on the left side of the window, and I can mark projects on it.  Start dates.  Completion dates.  Dates that I take quilt tops to Betty's.  Dates for picking up quilted quilts.  Dates that the quilts are gifted or returned to others.  Things like that.  

The painting is red and blue on a white canvas.  Hilary put the word F A I T H on the canvas, actually marked out in masking tape (I think), then the paint was added abstractly.  I really like the painting but I never had a space for it at the old house.  It has been sitting on top of my old dresser in the sewing room since we moved.  At one point Hilary had said "Just get rid of that.  It's okay.  It doesn't look that good anyway."  But I kept it, and it is now hanging on the wall above my old dresser from The Little Brown House on 62 and Mt. Versnon.  I like it for two reasons.  One is that Hilary made it for me.  The other is that F A I T H is so important, especially now, and every time I look at the painting I am reminded that my faith must be strong.

Finally the last thing to be added to the wall decor was the sampler quilt I made in the class at Rossville Quilts.  I had selected a variety of colors from the MODA collection to make this.  There are yellow, white, peach, dusty black, green.....colors I really like, but it didn't go with the old house at all.  My plan was to eventually make Hilary's old room into a sewing room and it could go in there and I could repaint the room in its original (for us) color - yellow.  But that didn't happen.  We moved.  The walls in the new sewing room are white and the carpet gray so the colors work.  I bought a dowel rod at Menards last week. I sewed a casing across the top of the quilt.  Then Gary added two bolts to the west wall between two outlets. And it is hanging there.  After it was hung, I noticed that the writing on the cornerstones and a few of the squares that had the green fabric used was going in the wrong direction.  It was tilted back so that in order to read it, one had to bend the head to the right.  I had forgotten that.  Oh well...no one will notice, and if someone does, I will explain and laugh about it.

 

 

On Saturday I worked on the Memory Pillow for Hilary's friend, Cassie.  Her grandfather died before Thanksgiving and she asked if I could make a pillow from one of his shirts for her grandmother.  Because of the cut of the shirt and the placement of the pockets, it was too big for the 16" pillow form I had bought at Hobby Lobby the other day.  We stopped at JoAnn Fabrics this morning after Gary's doctor's appointment and picked up an 18" form and it is perfect.  My friend Karen from Michigan will make a label for it and once I receive it, I can adhere it to the shirt; then it will be done!

The next project I started on today.  I was a little apprehensive, and I thought I would need to solicit Betty's help again to start me on this.  But once I opened all of the containers and envelopes and really looked at what Susan had started and what she had left in little bags, I saw the quilt coming together.  She had made squares in the pinwheel pattern using four triangles of print fabric and four triangles of snowflake white.  Well, kinda snowflake.  She had 49 squares completed plus 8 squares that had appliques of girls' dresses.  There was a row of 7 blocks with white sashing between the blocks completed.  After talking to Hilary and Gary (who just nods at my ideas), I decided to use the completed strip, add a strip of pinwheels to the bottom and in the middle, then add in four more rows above the middle row and four rows under the middle row which contained four of the appliqued blocks in a pattern.  It worked.  All of it is laid out on the floor in the family room so I can pick up the blocks in a row and sew the sashing pieces between the blocks into a strip.There was a bag of white sashing strips plus a stack of cornerstones for the long rows between the strips.  I felt good about this project for the first time!  One reason is that I was able to figure out what to do with what I had myself (with Hilary's help) and not make a trip to Burnettsville to talk to Betty about it.  Another reason is that putting the blocks together in strips and the strips together with more sashing and cornerstones is not that hard to do.  Time consuming, yes.  Difficult, no.  I worked on one row this afternoon and it didn't take long.  If things go well, it won't be too long before the quilt is ready to head to Betty's Quilt Shop to be quilted.  I know she will have a fabric that will be perfect for the backing and the binding.

So yes.  The last few days I have been back in My Happy Place.  I have slept better.  I have felt more relaxed.   Just being in the room and working on the projects makes me feel great.  I always have a sense of satisfaction when a project comes together.  It is fun to see the stacks of fabric or blocks suddenly transform into a quilt top.  The feeling of a sense of accomplishment is like no other.  I love seeing the finished products and the reactions of those who receive the quilts or the table runners or the pillows.  

One of the things I always said I wanted to do once I retired was sew and quilt.  It is happening.  In my sewing room.  My Happy Place.

Life Is Good!

 Last night it was Landon's turn to spend the night.  Honestly, I was ready for it!  He is so easy----after all, he is 11.  But his staying overnight has been easy since the first time.  

This happened because he asked if we could go to Olive Garden for his birthday, then watch The Call of the Wild (the movie we were supposed to see LAST year for his birthday but I got sick as we were walking into the theatre), then spend the night.  When his folks dropped him off last night (after he had spent the night with Cameron on Friday, then had gone with Grandma Jan to lunch, and he was tired), I thought we were going to postpone because he was upset and crying and just tired.  But he pulled himself together and stayed.  

I am glad he did.

Our plans for Olive Garden didn't materialize.  The wait for a pick up order was TWO HOURS!  We opted for Fazoli's instead.  That sounded like a good choice, but in reality, it wasn't.  He didn't like his spaghetti...but he did eat a few breadsticks.  

The movie?  Oh my.  It was so good.  Harrison Ford was the main human character, at least in the second half of it.  But it was fun to watch, and fun to see how Landon was reacting.  I explained to him (teacher moment) that London usually has non-human characters in his short stories and novels. In this case not only was Harrison Ford playing a main character, but Buck was really the main character throughout the story.  It was fun also to be cheering for Buck when he was stolen from his first owners, when he was being beaten with a club, and when he wanted to be the lead dog for the mail sled.

After Buck was happy in his new home, in the wild,  Gary and Landon were going to watch Dunkirk since Landon is really into World War II.  I am not, so I went to bed and read another chapter in Virgin River, the first book in the series by Robyn Carr that is a series on Netflix.  Gary said this morning that they finally stopped watching at 11 because Landon was drifting off.

This morning? It is 9:00 and he is still asleep.  We are not watching online church services because we don't want to wake him.  He needs sleep.  

Gary has checked on Dotti, the goat who is about to give birth, twice.  No signs of imminent childbirth yet.

I added my Jesus Calling daily post (great message today) and posted in the forum that Rhonda and I use for Joyce Meyer's devotions.  Excellent message from Joyce this morning too.

A cup of tea in my snowflake mug while I posted those two above and added something to the daily DWLZ forum.  

Then I popped a pan of cinnamon rolls into the oven.  I made two batches of cinnamon rolls just before Christmas, separating them into five pans of five rolls each, then encasing them in Saran Wrap and foil before putting them in the freezer.  We baked two pans for Christmas Eve and morning, then another pan last weekend when Cooper and Lynnlee were here overnight.  This pan I let rise on the stovetop as the oven was pre-heating (and about 10 minutes after it reached 350*).  They rose nicely, baked well, and the one I ate was SO good!

Landon just came downstairs and proofread what I had just written.  He slept for 10 hours!  He is raring to go this morning!  On to making some oatmeal waffles, his favorite.

Yes, Life Is Good!

Kiddos Everywhere!

 Yes, I know.  One of the reasons, well, actually the main reason we moved to where we live now is to be closer to the grandchildren.

Our daughters?  Yes.  But the kids were the big draw.  Face it----they love us and aren't afraid to be excited when they see us.  We don't get that from Megan and Hilary-----not that we think they don't love us.  But you know what I mean.

Last week Cooper and Lynnlee were here on Monday.  Cooper had a haircut appointment and Lynnlee stayed with Papaw while Mommy ran some errands in Lafayette.  The other kids were here as well with their folks, but they were just visiting.  Not a lengthy stay.

Thursday and Friday Owen was here in the afternoon.  Blaine was working so Gary picked Owen up off the pre-school bus both day.  On Friday Lynnlee was here also.  Her regular babysitter went with her son to a college day.  Then after school Cooper came and both of the kids spent the night.  Cooper is never a problem---he has always gone to bed easily, stayed in bed, and wakes up and watches tv in the morning.  Lynnlee is getting better, but she is ALL over the bed and likes to slam against me.   We can't trust her enough to sleep in the futon room since she is still sleeping in the crib at home.  One of these days.

Saturday at some point Owen was here, Landon and Cameron were here looking for squirrels to shoot and exploring the creek, and Cooper and Lynnlee were still here.   Lots of noise and activity going on.

Tuesday night Owen spent the night because his class was quarantined and since Daddy was working, it would be easier to just stay here than Hilary drop him off or Papaw go over there to wait for him to wake up.  

Blaine works Wednesday (as I said above), Thursday, and Friday this week, so Owen is with us again.  Plus Lynnlee's babysitter had another migraine and her doctor wanted her to take a COVID test, so Little Miss was with us today and will be tomorrow also.  Cooper came with Megan after school as did Tessa with Hilary so for about 30 minutes four of the five kiddos were in the family room, playing and making lots of noise.

Tomorrow will be a repeat of today with Lynnlee all day and Owen at 11:30.   But a change will happen in the original plans.

Landon and Tessa are spending the night at Fifes.  Owen declared that he was going with Landon, then with Tessa.   After it was determined that he couldn't go with either of them to spend the night at Fifes, he declared that he wo9uld be spending the night at Papaw's home, and if Mommy and Daddy didn't take him there, he would drive himself.

I think when Hilary told us this, she was a little concerned that we would say he couldn't stay with us, but deep down inside she probably knew that wasn't going to happen.  Owen is spending the night at Papaw's Home.  Not house.  Home.

Landon asked us last week if we could go out to dinner for his birthday, then watch a movie.  Last year we went to Olive Garden, then had planned to go to the theatre and watch The Call of the Wild, but I got sick before we arrived at the theatre.  I went to bed as soon as we returned home; Gary and Landon watched something on the dish, then Gary took him home. We found the DVD of Call of the Wild a few months ago, so he wanted to watch it.  He plans to come over on Saturday evening for dinner, then the movie, then spend the night, and be here until sometime Sunday afternoon.  I am not sure whether it will be Olive Garden or not (since he is going out for lunch with Grandma Jan and Don and OG was mentioned for that excursion), but we will figure something out.

Next week?  Already we know that Owen will be here on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  Not sure about Lynnlee yet, but who knows?  We could have her also!  She is always fun, as is Owen so it really isn't a problem. It is just funny how often the kids are here.  

Earlier Gary and I  had talked about possibly heading south for a week or so.  Warmer weather sounded nice, but we didn't want to fly.  I am still apprehensive about getting on a plane.  But we decided that since we would arrive at our destination, then probably stay in the room most of the time, order carry out or delivery or buy groceries and cook in, trying to stay away from people....so why really go?  If we are going to cook, order carryout or delivery and stay in most of the time, then we might as well stay at home and sleep in our own bed, save the money to travel, and enjoy family and our own house.

Plus we wouldn't be able to spend all of this quality time with the kiddos either.

And that is what it is all about!

Just the Best Kind of Monday!

 It was!

I used to dread Mondays.  I loved weekends and time at home, especially when the girls were little.  I didn't like Sunday nights and knowing that the next morning was getting up at 5:30 and starting in on a new week. It was even worse when I arrived at school, looking at my plan book for the week and realizing there were FIVE days to get through before the weekend came again.  It wasn't that I didn't like teaching or my students.  It was just that I loved being at home with my girls and their daddy.

Going to the college to work for 10 years gave me another perspective on Mondays because every semester, my schedule was different.  Sometimes on Mondays I wouldn't teach at all, sometimes I would teach two classes plus a night class.  Always variety!

But now?  Each Monday is an adventure.  Since retirement happened, Mondays take on a new meaning.  And since COVID hit nearly 10 months ago, Mondays seem to be the days that grocery shopping and stops at Target and Meijer head our to-do list. Smaller crowds.  No one around.  Less traffic.  Just better environment for shopping.  Which brings me to today...

My mani appt with Tina at VS Nails was at 9.  I arrived a few minutes before and was the only customer for probably 45 minutes.  The other techs were cleaning, refilling containers, and taking down the Christmas decor.  When I was ready to leave there were two other customers in the salon---one getting a pedicure, and one without an appointment who took my place with Tina.

Since I was 'there,' I drove over to the gas pumps at Sam's Club to fill up the tank of the white Escape.  The price per gallon was $2.19 which was less that I had seen it at other stations.  Gas prices are now going up (effect of the election?).  I also opted to buy the stamps I needed at the Lafayette PO since I was close to it as well.  Maybe it wouldn't be crowded on a Monday morni

 It was!

I used to dread Mondays.  I loved weekends and time at home, especially when the girls were little.  I didn't like Sunday nights and knowing that the next morning was getting up at 5:30 and starting in on a new week. It was even worse when I arrived at school, looking at my plan book for the week and realizing there were FIVE days to get through before the weekend came again.  It wasn't that I didn't like teaching or my students.  It was just that I loved being at home with my girls and their daddy.

Going to the college to work for 10 years gave me another perspective on Mondays because every semester, my schedule was different.  Sometimes on Mondays I wouldn't teach at all, sometimes I would teach two classes plus a night class.  Always variety!

But now?  Each Monday is an adventure.  Since retirement happened, Mondays take on a new meaning.  And since COVID hit nearly 10 months ago, Mondays seem to be the days that grocery shopping and stops at Target and Meijer head our to-do list. Smaller crowds.  No one around.  Less traffic.  Just better environment for shopping.  Which brings me to today...

My mani appt with Tina at VS Nails was at 9.  I arrived a few minutes before and was the only customer for probably 45 minutes.  The other techs were cleaning, refilling containers, and taking down the Christmas decor.  When I was ready to leave there were two other customers in the salon---one getting a pedicure, and one without an appointment who took my place with Tina.

Since I was 'there,' I drove over to the gas pumps at Sam's Club to fill up the tank of the white Escape.  The price per gallon was $2.19 which was less that I had seen it at other stations.  Gas prices are now going up (effect of the election?).  I also opted to buy the stamps I needed at the Lafayette PO since I was close to it as well.  Maybe it wouldn't be crowded on a Monday morning?  The customers ahead of me were basically old people who had issues or wanted to argue with the clerks.  I think the clerk who assisted me was happy when I asked for three books of stamps and that was all I needed!  Four bill payments and three personal letters were slipped through the outgoing mail slot!

On the way out of town I stopped at Meijer to switch my presciption provider from SilverScript to Anthem.  Quick in and out stop.

Owen and Blaine stopped by soon after I arrived home.  I think Owen really wanted to stay, but Daddy wanted to go home.  Owen would have gladly come along with us on the rest of our adventures.

Driving to Medaryville was slow and interesting.  We drove through Monticello, then through the country and up Rangeline.  We stopped at the cemetery.  We drove past our fields.  We drove past the home place.  In Medaryville we stopped at the bank to deposit a couple of checks and chat with Karen.  Becca had to leave abruptly because Chris, her husband, had tested positive for COVID.  So she had been stressing out and Karen was stressing out because now she needed some relief help at the bank. 

Lunch at Pizza Hut in Monticello.  We were the only customers and our food was great!  Gary had wings and fries.  I ordered the lunch special of a pan pizza and salad.  I opted for the Italian salad which was delicious and a chicken bacon parmesan pizza which was superb.  Very good choice for the restaurant (no people) and the lunch (great food).  

When we reached the south end of Monticello, we drove back to the condos where Karen and Clay are moving.  Now we know which building and where we will be going when we visit them in a few months.

A stop at DQ for medium chocolate cones was next.  Yum.  Cold but yum.

Back to Meijer again.  Gary took care of his change in pharmacy insurance coverage.  I looked for the second book in the Bridgerton series and couldn't find it.   I couldn't find any of the Virgin River books anywhere.  On to Plan B for the books.

Gordon's was the next stop.  That place is dangerous!  But our bill was under $100 so that was good!

Barnes and Noble - final stop.  No Bridgerton series books. And we were told that the books have been flying off the shelves, the warehouses are out of the books, and new printings have been ordered.  It will be a while before their shelves are re-stocked.  I did find a couple of the Virgin River books and bought those along with a DVD that we think Landon might like. 

Home again at around 4:30 or so.  

As I typed this, it seemed like such an ordinary day.  But two things stand out.  One is that I hadn't been out of the house since Thursday when we went grocery shopping at Payless.  That is an adventure, but doesn't constitute classification as 'the best kind of Thursday'!  Today was 'get out of the house and do some things and have no schedule to follow or time to be back.'  Second is it was just to do something with just us.  Much as I love the kiddos, I was happy that Blaine didn't work and that Owen could spend the day with him.  It is good for both of them also for some time together without Mommy, Landon, and Tessa.  I cherish time with Gary, just the two of us.  It was just fun taking a different route to Medaryville and another route back to Monticello.  It was fun being the only customers at Pizza Hut.  It was fun stopping for ice cream on a cold January afternoon.  It was fun browsing around in Gordon's and then in B & N.  

It was just the best kind of Monday!

Catching Up Today - Sunday

 Today marks the third day I have been sequestered in the house.   I am ready to get out.

But it wasn't to be...we did talk about going to Meijer to switch our prescription plans over to the new companies.  But it is Sunday.  And that means that there will be people.  And standing in line.  Not something either one of us want to do.  So we will wait until tomorrow.

Instead----this is how the day has been.

Awake at 8:20 a.m., just in time to turn on the printer so I could print the bulletin for this morning's online service from FCC.  When I turned on the tv and found YouTube and the FCC spot, it was close to time to begin.

When I went to the kitchen for juice, I saw the gray Escape by the barn and yelled up to Gary that Blaine was here.  I unlocked the door and yelled "Good Morning!" to him.  When Gary came down, he was dressed and ready to join Blaine and Landon outside in the barn to do chores and discuss Dotti, the pregnant goat.

After church we listened to the usual----songs on YouTube from the Ball Brothers or Legacy Five or the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.

Breakfast was blueberry pancakes and sausage.  After that it was shower time for me. First time for the new hair dryer that Gary gave me for Christmas.  I moved the red one into the drawer for the spare, and I think the orange one will be put in the Goodwill bag after I check with M and H to see if they want/need it. We don't need three hair dryers.  I did have one in the closet in the main floor bathroom, but no one has used it.  If someone happens to need one, I can pull the spare out of the drawer.  I decided to wear the new pink and gray raglan sleeved shirt I bought at the Paula Deen store at The Island.  I like it!  It fits well and looks good.  I'm glad I bought it.

Next was loading the dishwasher, preparing ham and beans in the crockpot for tonight's dinner, and straightening up the kitchen/dining room.  

Bill paying time was next.  Plus I deposited a MO from Greta into our checking account.  I also found a card for Darlene Mellon since I hadn't sent her one since before the holidays and a card for Chris Foerman whose husband died just after Christmas from COVID complications.  Another check had to be written for the rope bowls that Kimberly made since the first one did not arrive, so I wrote a note to put the check into.  I have no stamps, so the envelopes are ready and on the dining room table.  A trip to the Delphi PO is on the schedule for tomorrow.

The next task was to go through the Christmas cards and check addresses against my master list.  I told Gary that I had never done this before, but I really wanted to just throw the cards away along with the envelopes.  He didn't look at even 10 of the 70 cards we received this year, so he really didn't care.   But in the end, I couldn't do it.  The envelopes were all pitched, but there were too many letters, pictures, and notes to get rid of all of them right now.  The list, however, is updated and ready for next year.

In between all of this we started to watch the Bridgerton series.  I know Gary isn't liking it much, so I will probably be watching it by myself---or when he is napping in the recliner.  Not his type of movie!

I feel good about checking a few things off the list.  

    Addresses for the Christmas card list - check!

    Pay bills - check!

    Sympathy card for Chris - check!

    Get well card for Darlene - check!

    Another check in the mail for Kimberly - check!

    Online deposit for Greta's money order - check!

    Response to Rhonda's devotion post - check!

    Jesus Calling post - check!

    Dishwasher run - check!

I still need to find the directions for making the memory pillow for Hilary's friend.  I think I will try it first on one of Dad's shirts that is hanging in the back of my closet.  

So it was a  Catch Up Sunday for me.  I need those occasionally!  Just to be able to sit and work through some things without interruption.

But tomorrow?  Nail appt, then a drive to Medaryville to deposit a couple of checks.  I need to get out of the house!

Saturday, January 9, 2021

 One of the things I need, or would like to, do more often is write here.   Good intentions and all....

I thought yesterday about writing about Landon and his birthday. I love that boy so much----he was the first grandchild and he seems to be such an old soul and SO much like my dad.    I told Gary yesterday that usually on birthdays of family (like our daughters and the kiddos) I remember what it was like the day they were born.   But I can't with him.  The day he was born we didn't even know that he existed and that he would be part of our family.  But I do remember what I was doing that day.  We were back home after Dad's death and funeral.  I had gone to the Logansport campus for the Adjuncts' Orientation Meeting that I was in charge of.  We had decided to split the meetings into three locations since the new building was open and those adjuncts teaching there needed to see where they would be and become acclimated.  The last prep work had been done by Ethan, who was also on the committee, and Susie, who had run all kinds of papers for distribution.  I was mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted, plus I had no idea of how my office would look since the move had happened over break and I hadn't been there.  I didn't know how to use the phones.  I wasn't ready for the first week of classes.  Thursday evening Tom, my program chair; Kim, the dean; and Kevin, the campus dean all told me to stay home on Friday and just rest and re-group.  So that is what I did.  I remember sitting in Gary's recliner that day, sobbing, and watching tv, and suddenly a peace came over me that all would be fine.  Of course I faltered later on, crying on the way to teach classes or on the way home, or a wave of emotion would come over me in my office at times.  But that day, at a certain time, I felt a sense of peace. Now I really think that is the time that Landon was born.

Later in February when Hilary and Blaine knew that Landon was coming home with them, the prep work for his nursery had been done, and dates had been set, along with pictures of the new baby to share, I showed his picture to my students. I am not sure now why I was in my office and the students were in the hallway looking at my computer screen.  But after Alyssa Samuels said to me..."You know what, Mrs. Siemens?  When your dad died, he went up to heaven and said to God, ' God, my granddaughter and her husband need a baby.  What are we going to do about it?'  and a week later Landon was born and now he is coming to live with Hilary and Blaine."  I really believe that.  

And here I was...not going to talk about Landon's birthday.  No, I don't remember the day of his birth, the moment when he came into the world and we saw him soon after and held him in our arms.  But I do remember that day and my feeling as the sense of peace came over me.  I truly believe that it was in that moment that he entered the world.

Happy Birthday, Landon.  I can't believe you are now 11.  I love you more than you could even know.

It Just Made Me Mad!

 I don't like to post anything on FB about politics.  I just don't. I don't want to argue.  I don't want to be told I am wrong in my way of thinking.   I would be open to discussion with equal time for listening and explaining.  But too often the discussion ends up being one sided, and I am told I am wrong.  If I do state my opinion or ask a legitimate question, the response often begins with "But....." followed by a lengthy explanation of how wrong I am or facts that would dispute what I have stated.  

I don't listen to the news either, and that is probably wrong of me.  I know I need to be informed, but just the thought of watching what is happening in the United States right now turns my stomach and starts the feelings of anxiety coursing through my body.  If I don't have to watch it or listen to it, I won't.  

But today, a former colleague from the college shared a post from the guy who runs FB about how Trump was going to be blocked from posting anything on FB and also on Instagram.  I learned later that he had been banned from Twitter also.  First of all, I don't care who you are or what you are saying, there is an amendment to the Constitution which protects Freedom of Speech.   Banning someone from FB, Instagram, and Twitter is just wrong.  

Then the former colleague added 'Any comments supporting Trump will be deleted.'  

That made me mad.

Why?  While I understand that your post is your post and you can delete comments if you want to, by specifically stating this is  saying that if someone has a different opinion, that person is wrong and has no right to express that opinion.  

I don't usually respond to posts like this, but the more I thought about it, the madder I became.  

I returned to the original shared post.  I saw there were two comments, but I couldn't see them.   I wrote something to this effect:  Question....If someone has an opinion different than yours or the ones stated here, then that person is wrong and his comment will be removed, correct?  I was wondering because if my opinion is different than that of family or friends, we usually talk about it and then agree to disagree.  But that isn't the case here?  If the post is removed because you don't agree with the comment, isn't that a violation of freedom of speech?

I posted it and continued to pack away Christmas decor.  Probably 30 minutes later I checked back.  There were now three comments, but none of them were visible.  So either my comment had been removed or it was hidden.  

My next step---I blocked the person.  I  should have unfriended, but I didn't.  Maybe when I felt better or cooled off I would return to the FB page because I did have a good relationship with the person while we were both teaching in Logansport and I did care about his family and like to see the news about them.  

However, when I returned to look at the FB page, I couldn't find it.  I guess I have been blocked too.  Just because I asked why someone couldn't disagree?  Because I asked about Freedom of Speech?  I didn't mention Trump or Biden or Pence or riots or tweets or tear gas or anything like that.  I just asked two questions.  Why can someone not express a difference of opinion and what happened to freedom of speech.  

Interesting, isn't it?

Well, I got that out of my system.   Back to posting only about family and the copies of the pages of my Jesus Calling book.  So far, those have been safe.

Taking It Down and Putting It Away

 It's time.  Much as I dread doing this, it is time to take down the Christmas decorations and put it all away.

Some years I have kept out the snowmen.  They are a nice addition through the dreary bleary months of January and February.  But the last three years we have gone to Florida for a couple of weeks in January and it just seems pointless to keep things out, then put it away AGAIN in a few weeks.  

So it will all go back to the basement soon.

Well, maybe not.  I kinda like the cardinal tree in the dining room in front of the long windows.  It makes the kitchen feel warmer and cozier.  The cardinal placemats and table runner will stay on the dining room table for a while plus some of the cardinals will still rest in one the window sills.  Why not keep the tree in the corner?

After some of the ornaments had been broken last year and because it seemed like some ornaments that we had used in 2019 disappeared from the boxes before we could decorate for 2020, I bought three new ornament boxes.   Two of them we found at Meijer, on sale, and one I picked up from Hobby Lobby on a trip there in December.  This morning I filled those three containers with ornaments, sometimes doubling up the unbreakable ones in the cardboard squares.  Next year we can pull those out, then grab a few of the boxes we didn't use this year and supplement, or may be we will find some of those that have disappeared!

After Gary returned home and we had lunch (with Owen too!), he took down the tree and put it in its box.  It and the ornament boxes went to the basement.  Then Owen and I pulled the colored bulbs off the ceramic tree that Ann made.  Hilary has ours, but I think the one that she gave to Agnes came home with us so we have another one, just not our original.  Gary wrapped the tree pieces in towels and placed them in a tub along with other things we had used to decorate the family room and the sewing room.  It will be nice to have all of the items from one area in one tub.

Now we are sitting in the recliners, Owen on Papaw's lap, resting up (really giving O time to just relax from a rough morning at school (he was NOT a good boy today).  Later on we will focus on putting away things in the living room and  then move upstairs to undecorate the bedrooms and the master bath.  I  become frustrated when I can't find things from one year to the next or I can't remember what went where.  I realize now that it was my fault for this---because I would gather things up and put them on the table, then Gary would wrap and fill tubs.  Everything would become mixed up.  Since we packed up everything in the lower level at the same time and in the same tub, it should be easy to find after Thanksgiving in the fall.  Same thing for the upper level (bedrooms and master bath), the tree, the bathroom, and the living room.  Much of the dining room is cardinals and they have their own tub.

But what about all of the snowmen on top of the hutch?  Hmmmmm....

Anyway....by the end of the week the house will be back to normal.

We noticed that more people decorated this year.  The shelves with Christmas decor in Menards, Hobby Lobby, Meijer, Target, and Walmart were empty much earlier than usual.  People were searching everywhere for outdoor lights.  When we went into town last night, we noticed that more exterior lights were lit and more trees were still in front of living room windows.  I hadn't noticed as many people on FB saying they were really glad to take down the tree and have their living rooms back again.No one seemed to be tired of the glow of Christmas lights or the escape from the news of the virus, quarantines, election returns, and other news items that are less than happy.

Next year.  Let's hope and pray that we make it through 2021 without political uprisings, that people stay healthy, that the virus is controlled, and that the feelings of good cheer and family remain.  There are much more important things in this life than the gloom and doom, and Christmas seemed to be the escape from all of that most of us needed.

Until next year......

Appointment #2

 Today was the second hair appointment with Jill.  I was apprehensive since the first haircut seemed ok at the beginning, but it just wasn't working too well after the first two weeks. I was not happy.

But I went in with an open mind.   My intentions to check with Brandi  since Lindsey is still out for my formula for color didn't work out.  The holidays, then the trip to Tennessee, got in the way and I just don't like talking to Brandi much either.  I like her, but she tends to be a little abrupt with me when I ask questions.  So.... we were going to 'wing it.'

Jill mixed up color and highlights and worked on my hair, chatting all the time.  I processed, then she washed it out and moved to the next step, cutting it.  I had shown her another picture and she was more eager to follow that one.    She asked questions as she worked, and finally she was done.

Well, I wasn't...because there were some places where I KNEW would be too long by next week if not trimmed more. She followed my suggestions, trimmed more off, re-styled, asked me again, trimmed more.  Finally I was satisfied and she was happy that I was....(I hope I wasn't being too difficult) and I was ready to pay and leave.

Hilary had warned me that her prices were higher than what Lindsey charged.  However, the price for the C and C/H was a little lower than what Lindsey had been charging me, but when I added in a tip it was the same. $85.  Of course there was no waxing, like Lindsey always did, so I missed out on that, but overall, I felt good about the cost.  Plus there was not the gas expense nor the time of travel, an hour each way.

Home again and upstairs I went to re-wash and blow dry.  I do like the color and the highlights.  The bangs were a little too long still, so I trimmed those off a little and will probably do more when I wash my hair again tomorrow.  Otherwise I like it. 

Gary liked it too...but he always says "It's just hair.  It will grow back (or out)."

I feel a little guilty about going somewhere else.  Lindsey has pulled me out of several times when I haven't been happy with my stylist.  She knows me and knows my hair and what I like and what I don't like.  I can ask her questions and get her advice.  But with the babies now....I am not sure when she will be back in the shop, how often she will be working, and how my schedule will jive with hers.

I am sure (fairly) that I will make a trip or two north for special treatment.  But for now Jill has a new client.  

And I have to say...it was nice to leave the house at 8:40, arrive at the shop at 8:55, then be home  at 11 after a 15 minutes drive back.  Plus I didn't feel guilty about not calling someone or stopping somewhere while I was in Pulaski County.  

Perks.  And a smile on my face plus great-looking hair!  Can't beat that!

The Best Laid Plans.....

The best laid plans and all.......Gary had a doctor's appt this morning and was gone when I woke up. I showered, dressed in my 'stay at home' clothes, then called the clinic to make an appt about my swollen feet and lower legs. Well...on hold for about 10 minutes, then cut off from talking to the nurse. I waited a bit for her to return the call (she had asked for my phone number), but she didn't so I called again. On hold for 30 minutes with no response, and Gary was home, so I hung up. I figured all of the people who were sick from NYEve and Day were calling in so they were super busy. We ate breakfast, then were heading to the basement (under the kitchen/dining room) to sort through the Christmas stuff to get rid of what we didn't need any more. H and B and the kids came. They picked up the fire truck for Owen and were heading to the fire station so he could ride it around on concrete and the other two kids could use their scooter things they got for Christmas. Did we want to come? Change clothes for me. Off to the fire station at 10:30. Lunch from a local place, carry out, eaten in the first station committee room. Home at 2:00. Karen and Clay were here (Gary's sister and her husband that we travel with) and the garage door was open. She had an appt with the radiologist and they stopped to pick up all of our Amazon boxes to use for packing for their move to their new condo (another long story). As we were sitting around the table catching up on the two doctors' appts and my lack of one, H and B and the kids come to return the fire truck to the Party Barn. They all come in and stand/sit around catching up on our trip and the doctors' appts and my lack of scheduling one. Before they could leave, in pulls Megan and the kids. Cooper needed a haircut, I made the appt, and I was taking him. Eventually H and B and kids left, K and C, left, then Megan went to Sam's Club and Meijer while Cooper and I went for the haircut and Lynnlee stayed with Gary. When Cooper and I returned, Megan was still gone and the kids were hungry so we fixed them dinner, then Megan ate when she returned, and finally they left after they ate. Gary asked if I still wanted to go to the basement and go through Christmas boxes. At 7:30? No.

Maybe tomorrow?

 

New Year's Resolution? Nah....

 I used to make New Year's Resolutions and you can guess what happened.  They were broken by January 2.

Then I liked the idea of having a "Word of the Year," and Tyson mentioned that in his communion meditation today.  But my words have evaporated into thin air by the time mid-January rolled around.  I tried to explain the concept to Gary two years ago, and he looked at me like I was crazy.  I even had plans to print out the word or find a pretty picture of it to frame and hang in the bathroom next to the sink so I could be reminded of it daily.  You guessed it again.  It didn't happen.

This year I have felt a surge of 'new beginnings' not only in myself but from my FB friends.  Eeryone is ready to kick 2020 out for good and start fresh with a new year, a new attitude, a new perspective.  The pandemic has been rough on so many people, but there are silver linings.

Being with our bubble of family, which includes, for the most part, the 11 of us.  Being with extended family at times, which means Karen and Clay.  

Focusing more on what is important and casting aside what isn't. Spending time doing what we want to do instead of what others expect us to do or would rather that we do.

So many changes---and so many reflections.

What did I decide?

I am setting goals.

I will focus on a favorite Bible verse.

Here we go.....

Goal #1 - Start each day with devotions.  If I can't do that, then end each day with devotions.  Devotions and prayer, quiet time, meditation---all of these things are a must.

Goal #2 - Read more books.  I love to read, and I tend to go in spurts.  Sometimes I read non-stop, go through a couple of books, then I am distracted and quit for a while.  After checking my list from the past two years, I selected a number that I think is doable for me, one that I can reach, and one that I can keep in the front of my mind so that I can push myself to reach it.  That number?  24    The plan is to keep the list going in the little spiral book that I keep bedside, but 24 is the number I need to complete by next Dec. 31.

Goal #3 - Quilting. One of the things I said I would do once I retired was to quilt more.  During the pandemic time, I did more than I ever thought possible.  I finished several projects, made several Christmas, graduation, and baby gifts, and planned for more.  My goal this year is to finish all 8 of the Christmas table runners, make a t-shirt quilt for Matt, finish the lap quilts for the little girls, and make something for Blaine and Gary.  I also need to make a quilt for a Christmas gift BEFORE we draw names so I am ready with it.  Those are the goals for quilting this year.

Goal #4 - Tied in to Goal #3 is to learn how to use the other two sewing machines that are in the sewing room.  After Aunt Joyce died, I bought her quilting sewing machine from Cathy.  I also have Mom's sewing machine---the one that she really really wanted and Dad bought for her one Christmas, then she never used it.  I am just so comfortable with my Singer that I bought when the girls were in 4-H to replace my old machine that Grandma gave me for graduation that it is hard to switch over.  I am sure that once I do I will wonder why I didn't do that sooner!  I also want to learn how to machine finish the binding on the quilts.  It would be so much easier, quicker, and probably neater and more secure than the hand-stitching I have been doing.

Goal #5 - I thought about joining Mandy Tanner in her minimalist de-cluttering of her house during January, but I thought better of it.  By the time the middle of the month rolled around I would be hard-pressed to find 15 things to pitch on January 15 and even worse would be 31 things to purge on January 31.  Instead my goal is to look through the Christmas boxes when we take down the tree and put things away and purge out things that we didn't use and that we probably won't use again.  Same thing with clothes, items in cabinets, the pantry, and my closets and drawers.  Purging is always good, and the fewer things I have to move around and find places for, the better. So this goal is to purge unused/unwanted/unneeded items.

Word of the Year - Yes. I know. I said this didn't work for me.  But I was lying in bed this morning and looked at the word above my closet door.  F A I T H.  Faith has gotten us through 2020, and it will get us through 2021.  That is my word.  I don't need to post it anywhere or worry about forgetting it because it is already above my closet.  And I do look at it frequently.  So there you go....F A I T H

Verse of the Year - I have always said that my favorite verses were from Philippians.  Chapter 4.  Verses 4-9   They still are.  But I have to add in several more - Joshua 24:15  As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.    Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.  And my new favorite that keeps popping up   Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans i have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to proster you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."   So Jeremiah 29:11 it is!  My Verse for the Year!

That's it.  I feel good about it.  I really do.  I can do this.

Happy New Year! 2021

 It's the start of a new year, and I feel excited!

We spent our 11th New Year's Eve in the Smoky Mountains with Karen and Clay.  Every year is different, but this one was especially so.  COVID had affected everything, at least we felt it did.

Quick stops at places that we enjoyed shopping.  Dining at odd times so as to reduce the wait times.  Browsing shops eliminated.  Staying in the condo more.  Playing more games and watching movies on the VCR rather than in the theatre.

Gary and I are still in the window of immunity, but you know how that is.  Everyone has a different opinion on whether that is really true or not, or if it is, then we are immune only against certain strains and there could be mutations that could affect us....so who knows.

Plus Karen is facing serious options about the breast cancer treatment and she doesn't need to be exposed to any of the COVID germs.

And Clay interacts with so many people on a daily basis---plus he has lost three close friends/like family recently and will be attending services as he can.

Just different.

But the lights were the same.  The stores were the same.  The restaurants were the same. And it was a fun time.

Happy New Year!  Let's plan for 2021 to be a good year, a year to bounce back, to enjoy life to its fullest as best we can, to appreciate our lives, our families, our friends more.  Cherish every moment.