not sure why!

 Yeah, so I was in the middle of a masterpiece post, and my typing stopped showing up on the page.  I turned the computer off and back on, and it works now.  It's probably clogged up with tons of garbage and needs updates.  I guess I was almost done anyway.  I had a nice time at Margaret's.  I got to see Tenny's new fish, and Wulf wrote me a note that said, "Stop pesterine me."  :). 

This fine day is too quiet.  I vacuumed a little, did a load of laundry, washed a few dishes, cleaned the sink, put out a few little Easter bunnies.  I ordered some candy from Walmart, and can't wait to fill a big basket for the grandkids.  Add that to the list of things I miss:  filling Easter baskets!  I loved doing that, and there were years when I filled like 25, for my kids and for another family.   They grew up and moved out and there were fewer baskets...now Miss Char and Miss Cam don't really care for them so much.  But, I do have 18 grandchildren, so dang it, I'm going to fill a big basket for the dining room table.  

I ate a spoonful of peanut butter, and had two cups of coffee.  I rode the exercise bike, and am going to get on it again in a few minutes, along with doing some other exercises.  Paul should be home soon, and we will start dinner.  He's getting more corned beef for tomorrow's dinner.  We'll have red skinned potatoes, and cabbage, and some carrots, along with the corned beef.  We will celebrate Ellis's first birthday too!  Kathryn is making the cupcakes/dessert for that.  

I strive to be truthful on this blog.  Life isn't all sunshine and roses and puppy dogs, but it mostly is.  I am usually a very positive person, and I also believe with all of my heart that God sends us what we need, what is for our very best, so I do not want to be unsatisfied with that.  But it comes with a struggle and a fight sometimes, it isn't just like a magic wand.  Life isn't always like I think it should be, or how I want it to be, then I have to learn to be content, and figure out what I can do to make it better without being a grump about it.  

It is a perfect day for feeling down in the dumps.  Seriously.  I have a few lanterns on, and the lights on in the windows, and the living room mini-split is humming with heat.  It's chilly in the edges of the room, and it's dark and gloomy outside.  It snowed last night, but it only stuck on the vehicles and deck...the ground is brown and green.  There are no leaves on the trees yet here, so they are just...brown.  I am not down in the dumps.  But I am thoroughly enjoying the coziness.  I am blessed with a purring mama cat on the arm of my chair, too.  She jumps up and has to put her nose on my nose, greeting me, I guess.  She purrs and purrs and can't get close enough.  Her favorite is kneading my sweater and making little pulls in it.  :). Also, if I stop petting her, she reaches out with her paw and reminds me.  

Sam and Samantha...

Ophelia and Denzel

Old Kitty and I....

You all have a really good afternoon!

things i miss...

 Old people and The Good Old Days, who woulda thunk we would be among those longing for them?  I was hanging up clothes today, and it reminded me of shopping in Sears.  Sears was a bit hoity-toity for us when we were growing up, but when I had my own kids, I found myself there often.  I bought nursing bras, maternity jumpers, footwear, kids' clothes, winter coats, appliances.  

I miss the mall too.  We have a huge-0 mall,  in the city, but it doesn't feel safe to me, in fact there was a shooting there last night, after it closed in the parking lot.  It's also so big, and there isn't much there that's affordable.  In the smaller mall that closed, there was a Sears on one end, Dick's on the other, and in the Good Old Days, a K-Bee-Toys.  We would go to The Children's Place, and H&M, straight to the clearance racks, of course.  They added an Old Navy, and we were all set.  In later years there was a Dunkin in the middle, with lots of comfy chairs, it was a great place to go on a snowy or rainy day.  

We would smell the caramel corn and the Cinnabon, but we never bought it, too expensive.  We would smell the candles in the Yankee store, and in the Bed Bath, and Beyond, and sometimes bought some from there.  (It was a big trick, like:  Buy Three Get Three Free!, and you'd walk out of there saying Dang, I just spent fifty bucks on soap and scent!).   We went in Claire's sometimes, they had good sales and the girls quite liked it.  They liked Charlotte Russe, and a few other little stores, as well as Aeropostale.  I liked when they had Gap and Baby Gap.  (When Jonathan was born, I bought him loads of adorable outfits from there, we hadn't had a baby boy (a live one, which is hard to say, but Robert didn't need any baby clothes, sadly) in years, almost ten years.  

Anyway.  I do miss the mall days.  

I miss having the kids home.  It echoes in here of quiet today.  Sonja and Oscar and baby Kaia went to Washington D.C. with Char and Cam for the weekend.  Paul is working on an apartment in a house we own, it's been empty for months, with us paying the mortgage and utilities, have to get someone in there!  I would normally be there helping him, but add that to the list of things I miss!  I am not much help these days.

I miss my sister, of course.  Sometimes achingly so.  I walked past the guest room, and recalled bringing the phone in there to talk to here, if the girls were out here in the living room.  It's like a gut punch sometimes, the remembering she's gone, and the nothingness now.  I feel desperately lonely, and I know I'll adjust, but there is no one on this earth I can converse with like I did with her.    

Yah, I know, I have an excellent husband to talk to, and he really is sweet and kind, but he isn't interested in the details.  And shh, half the things I talked to Cheryl about were about him, ha.  Oh, nothing bad, but husbands are hilarious in their own way.  I didn't get to tell her about the time about a month ago when he said to me:  Can you tell me what's for dinner, in ten words or less?  In other words, he didn't want a rambling answer, just get to the point.  It was hilarious, yet a tiny bit hurtful.  My answers aren't THAT boring...along the lines of:  Well, there is bacon, so we could have eggs, and we have peppers and onions, so we could have scrammys, but there is burger we should eat, but I'm not sure of the girls will be here, so maybe we should freeze that and have chicken?  I sort of see his point.  But, in any case, Cheryl would have appreciated that.

Yesterday after I went to the pool, I came home and puttered around a little.  I was discouraged, my walking is not great.  Paul was going to work on the apartment, so I asked Margaret if I could come visit for a few hours.  Wulf, Tennyson, and Blythe were very glad to see me.  I read some stories and listened to their stories, and had some hugs, and Wulf made me a coffee, with his mama's help.  

things I love...

 ...in no particular order:

Comments on the blog.  It makes my day!  I don't always answer them, and I do apologize for that, but I love getting them.

Spontaneous fun.  I think this is why I don't like to make too many plans.

Knowing what's for dinner.  Better yet, having it all made and it's cooking all day, like a stew.  

Having someone else make dinner.  :)

The grandkids.  This morning, five year old Tennyson called me, face-timed, to tell me about his fish, to show me the car he painted, stuff on his bedroom wall, what was on tv.

A dark rainy day, the gloomier the better.  This is why I like living in Central New York State, we get plenty.  I also love a nice sunny day of course!   A snowy day is nice too, if I don't have to drive in it, I love how it looks, and that quiet echo-y-ness that is unique to being outside in the snow.  

Spring.  We central NY-ers appreciate spring like no one else, especially the ones in the direct path of all that Lake Effect snow.  

Coffee.  Locally roasted is the best, but I also like the Lavazza whole bean espresso beans, and the Starbucks Blonde roast beans.  I just ordered a 6 pack of those from Amazon for $40, which is a really good deal, and we go through so much coffee.  I'm not getting a penny to say that I also really like my Ember mug, it keeps the coffee hot until the last sip, I really love it. 

Norwegian chocolate.  Now, this is particularly difficult because there is a stack of bars on the counter, and I know I cannot crack into one, or it'll be annihilated.  Paul brought one to Ray who works at the dump, and I gave the smaller Kvik Lunj bars to all my friends at the pool yesterday.  I have a few for Molly's birthday, in addition to a bag of Smash!, which is Norwegian chocolate covered Bugles, so deadly good.  We will get those big bars out when people come over, or if we really want something special.

Hand soap that smells good.  My current favorite is Mrs. Meyer's Lilac.  It smells JUST LIKE FRESH LILACS.  

Clean floors.  It is still a struggle to vacuum, but I'll do it, because I hate yucky floors.  With a yellow Labrador, there is always dog hair.  We don't wear our shoes in the house, but it still needs daily vacuuming.  If wishes were fishes and we ate them on dishes, I'd have one or two of those robot vacuums, as long as we're wishing, the ones that mop while they're at it, would be nice.  A really top of the line vacuum mop could land here too, and I wouldn't complain.  You know, self cleaning, maybe some steam, like a Tineco.

Camping.  Every time I think of going camping, I get such a happy feeling.  It's so much fun, and I love being in the camper.  It's so small and manageable and cozy.  It's coming up!

There are also a few things I do not like:

My so-so mobility.  Let's be honest, it's awful to not be able to just walk around and do what you want.  Compared to how I was doing a month or two ago, I have no complaints, but I am definitely not where I want to be yet.  What if this is as good as it gets?  What if I never am able to scurry through an airport again?  Wander the whole Walmart without dragging and limping?  On the flip side, it's better than being in constant pain, and at least I CAN walk.  There are worse things in this world.  Will this thing be the thing that steals my joy?  Steals my thankfulness?  These are daily battles for me, and I am determined that I will not sink into despair.  "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, of famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.  For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8 v.35-39).  (So, I do not like the way I struggle to walk, but dang if I'm going to let it rob me of my peace!)

People looking at me.  This was hard for me on my vacation, but hey, caring what people think is NOT what I want to cling to, so it was good for me!  This is also a big issue when going to the pool, because walking along the pool deck in my big old lady bathing suit is not my favorite even when I'm NOT hobbling so slowly on my cane I'm almost going backwards, being careful not to set the cane tip in wet spots, as it then it slides and takes me with it.  I want to yell, "Don't look at me!".  But, in the long run, who cares?  They're nice people, and I have to do what I have to do for my health, wouldn't want to stay home just because I'm mortally embarrassed.  But believe me, I was tempted!

Our deck is getting splinter-y.  When you get a nice huge-0 new deck, and paint it regularly with sealer, it shouldn't deteriorate so quickly, but thank you New York winters!  (ask me how I know it's getting splinter-y....)

Missing my sister.  This is not fun, and it is not getting easier.  We know she's in a better place, but as Sam always says, two things can be true at once.  I would like to tell her about arriving in Oslo, and our mutual friend Patty was on the same flight, also needed wheelchair assistance, and this young Norwegian whippersnapper pushed both of us at once, as if we were as light as feathers!  Patty might be rather feather-ish, but I certainly am not.  Cheryl would have gotten a kick out of it!  

A warm afternoon on the deck without calling Cheryl.  It's like a huge part of my life has been scooped out, and there's this nothing-ness.  It would sound strange to you all, with me here with so many kids and my husband who works from home, but sometimes I get so lonely!  Paul is actually working during the day, and the girls are here sometimes, but always doing their work, ect.  The other kids do come visit sometimes, but most of the time I'm on my own, and I'm seeing that I dealt with that by storing up things to talk to Cheryl about.  She always cared about the details!  You know how when you talk to some people you feel so boring?  But when I talked to Cheryl, I never felt that way.  We could converse for hours.  I do have it that way with my girls too, and I am super thankful for that.  But this is in the Things I Don't Like Category:). 

Well this is not supposed to turn into a Pity Party, is it?  No, there is much to be thankful for.  

This weekend, we'll have some corned beef and celebrate our Irish heritage, if Char finds some when she stops at Aldi after her college classes today.  She won't be here for it, as she's going to Washington D.C. with Camille, and Sonja and Oscar and baby Kaia.  

I took a break from writing and vacuumed the hallway, kitchen, dining area, and living room.  It feels better in here.  In a little while, I'll mop.  :)

Anyway.  It's that time of day, to figure out what's for dinner...you all have a good afternoon!

hello!

 So the question was asked about Norway and my connection to folks there.  Our church has a conference center there, so I like to go every year to the sisters' conference, there is such an excellent vibe!  All the thankful ladies of all ages, lots of moms, single women, older women, all there to be encouraged to fight the good fight of faith, and to have so much fun together.   They come from all different countries.  We met a lady from India, who lives in England, and had such a nice time getting to know her.   Our Canadian friends were there, and Sonja's friend Sonja from Germany, and of course Oscar's family!  

(and yes, I had a knee replacement surgery in November.  I'm the world's slowest recoverer, but to be fair, my orthopedic surgeon told me I had the worst arthritis he's ever seen, and he had to install a hinge knee.)

(In any case, I am super thankful I can at least walk, even if it's not great yet!)

This fine morning, I woke up still doubting my ability to get my rear end to that pool.  My walking has been meh, but I knew the best thing was to get in the water.  I had some anxiety about it, to be honest, but I went anyway.  In the car on the way there, I sang songs of faith to myself, about not caring what people think...it's embarrassing to hobble so slowly!  What if I fall?  All of it, garbage, those thoughts.  So I just went.

As usual, it was fantastic to get into that water.  I brought back Norwegian chocolate for all of my pool friends, and the lifeguard, which is so rewarding and fun!  

Home...ahh, home.  Charlotte Claire didn't have class today, so they were going to do something...it ended up being Sonja and baby Kaia picking us up and going to Target!  I pushed a cart, and walked so slowly I was almost going backwards.  By the end of the store, I was going even slower than that!  But, I did it.  

There were packages of 93% ground beef half off, so $3.85.  I got four, and froze them into balls in quart sized freezer bags, four to a pound.  You can thaw them and make smash burgers!  Or make chili or whatever.  I didn't get much else, a salad kit, and the girls got some snacks for a gathering they are going to tonight.  

Right now I'm having some raspberry tea, and enjoying my comfy chair.  It was pouring rain when we got homes and I got pretty soaked.  I was chilled from the pool anyway, now I have a sweater on and my tea, and I'm warming up. 

You all have a really good afternoon!!!! 

I'm baaaack!

 Oh dear, can I just say it was fantastic?  I can't believe I am not on the other side of the Trip to Norway.  It went so well, but not without a bit of suffering, but that is life.  

We drove to Newark, New Jersey, to the airport.  It takes almost five hours.  We stopped at a rest area after about three hours, and I could barely walk because of sitting for too long, but I managed with Margaret's patient help.  We stopped again to get some Chik-Fil-A to bring to the airport and eat, and an Americano from Starbucks.  

We parked in a garage at the airport, quite a ways from the elevator up to the train, so into the wheelchair I went, much to my mortal embarrassment.  We found out the hard way that if you just try to go fast to make it over a bump, it will tip forward.  There were shrieks of laughter in that parking garage, and I was fine, but oh dear.  You can't believe how many bumps there are that make it almost impossible to be in a wheelchair. (I also opted not to bring the footrest things, thinking they would just be more to carry, ec., so I had to have my legs out straight the whole time...good exercise, but not so comfy, and I felt so vulnerable that I would hit my leg against something or someone would ram into me, which did happen in the train...a guy with a huge baggage cart rammed the chair, and my leg lurched forward and wrenched...it hurt for a long time!) (on the way home)

We made it up to the train without incident, then to the ticket counter of Scandinavian Airlines.  We had to check the chair, and use one of theirs', which required a lady to push me.  Margaret came through with me, and this lady just went around the lines!  I had to get out of the chair to walk through the screening, and a very nice lady assisted me.  I told her I was sorry about the way the TSA employees aren't getting paid (politics!  so wrong!), and she was so sweet.  I was able to walk around a bit, but the lady came back with the chair and pushed me to the plane for pre-boarding, which was actually nice...because I had to walk over halfway down that airplane to get to my seat, and it was nice not to be bumped or jostled.

So, during the flight, I got up frequently, so no sleep for me.  I was in an aisle seat, and when it was time to hobble down to the bathroom, of course the turbulence started up.  Not too bad, but I couldn't just hold on to the seats with my free hand because people were leaning back, and they had tv screens, ect...so the big tall flight attendant came along, he took my free hand, and walked backwards all the way down, I was SO embarrassed.  All the rest of the times, I made sure one of my girls helped me.

We got onto the bus, and two hours later we were there!  I was thankful we had that chair, because it was a haul to our apartment/suite.  

I saw so many friends!  The first night, Miss Kaia was awake for like three hours in the night, so we were tired the next day.  But we still stayed up until after three...every night!  We had some laughs, laughed so hard I couldn't breathe, so hard my stomach hurt.  

Evelyn and Margaret and I in the parking garage...we were going up to the sports arena, where there is an ice rink, volleyball courts, ect., as well as ice cream and those yummy Norwegian Polska, hot dogs.  

Miss Kaia, world traveler...she did really well, better on the way home than the way there.

This is almost too personal to post...this is Oscar's mom meeting baby K for the very first time, I did cry.  

Margaret and I at Paint and Sip...

Our friend Joannie in the glasses (she stayed with us, and was SO much fun!), Evelyn, Emily, then on the other side, me, Margaret, Sonja...

Chillin...

Out to dinner in Oslo with this group of ladies...

In the airport on the way home...shh, I brought home a LOT of chocolate...:)

These were waiting for me when I got home...happy anniversary to Paul and I, 42 years of bliss!

I slept so well last night.  My feet were a bit swollen from the traveling, but much better this morning.  My walking is so-so, a bit wobbly, but it felt great to get on that exercise bike.  I got my suitcase unpacked and my clothes washed, mostly put away, and I vacuumed some of the house.  I went outside and enjoyed some nice weather, but the day flew by.  

The trip was made doable by my daughters being so good to me, and pushing me the distances in that wheelchair.  On the bus on the way to the hotel at the Oslo airport, I had on a jean skirt, and must have hit my leg with the poky thing on my cane, that helps with ice and snow.  The bus ride was two hours, so when I stood up and had to walk and then down the steep bus steps, I was struggling, then Emily noticed my leg, I hadn't even felt it!  There was a gash on my shin, with two big streaks of blood running down and soaking into my sneaker lace and sock.  It looked worse than it is!  

(I made sure to wash it up with soap and water when we got to the hotel, removed the sneaker lace and washed that as well.)

It started hurting later, but it seems to be okay.   

We had a nice dinner in the hotel restaurant, sang happy birthday to Joannie, and really had a nice time.  

The trip home was uneventful, but also full of little events: the trips all the way to the back to use the bathroom on the plane, and me getting patted down going through Norwegian security...i he said to stay in the chair, but he had to pat me down.  great.  my favorite.  I traveled in a dress with leggings, he asked if he could lift up my dress, and I said, "No, no you can't."  So, he didn't.  I mean, I could have stood up so he could check out the chair, but instead he put his hands under me and felt all around the chair seat, my goodness, so invasive, but he was polite and respectful, but still.  The other security guy took my cane and sent it through the scanner....I didn't know I never got it back, until Evelyn happened to go through the same line, and found it lying there...!  

So I'm home now, and hobbling around, happy to be home, wishing I could walk better, trying to be patient and trust the process, but mostly extremely thankful for the trip I had, for the hope that I had ignited in my heart from the meetings we went to, God is good.  

So you all have a really good night!

goin' bye-bye on a plane...

Traveling is so much fun, but it's equal parts excitement and apprehension.  It's physically challenging, and I have had some of my worst migraines on airplanes.  (That trip to the Dominican Republic years ago, my headache got blindingly bad, and by the time we were on the bus taking us to the resort, I got sick to my stomach, into my jean jacket...I was too sick to even ask to stop the bus...not sure if I would have wanted to get out and do it roadside with everyone watching, and there were so many stray dogs wandering around...anyway.).   

I had a dream last night that when it was time to get on the plane, the door was really small, and one had to crawl through it, through a tunnel, then the seats were right on the floor, no standing up, we were on the "upstairs" of the plane, in the attic.  It was a claustrophobic nightmare.  Then when I got off the plane, I found out that the downstairs passengers had a pool!  They squished us all in, then had a pool party.  harrumph.

I'm leaving here in half an hour, so of course I sit here for a bit then scramble around at the last minute.  I'm all packed, my carryon can only weigh 17.6 pounds, per SAS website, which is kind of cheap-y of them, you can fit like 30 pounds into one of those bags...the dimensions are right on, and when I weighed the suitcase, it was exactly 17.6 pounds.  But, I still had a bag of coffee, and some candy I'm bringing to Janet.  So I stuffed it in, and if they weigh the bag, I'll just rip open the candy and stand there eating it.  

I decided to bring the compression socks and put them on at the airport.  If I put them on now, I'll have them on for like 24 hours, I cannot.  

Yesterday, Kathryn came over with her little ones for a while, and we had a good time.  Achilles saw me walk across the kitchen without my cane, he stopped dead in his tracks, and said, "Grandma can WALK!"  I told him I can manage a few steps, but I look like Frankenstein, and that started a good conversation.  He also likes talking about the Wizard of Oz, he has an excellent memory and is very smart.  We talked about what each of the characters wanted from the Wizard.  Rhys can write letters and numbers, then Jamie drew "boys swimming".  (He's turning three next week, having his birthday party here when I'm gone!)

So I had a nice day.  We had some really good air fried chicken thighs for dinner, Paul had marinated them in vinegar and spices, they were very flavorful.  We also had a cauliflower crust pizza.  Jonny stopped in for a visit too, so it was a good evening.

Now I need to move it move it to get out the door....I admit to having a little bit of traveler's anxiety this morning...do I have my passport?  yah.  I am all checked in to the flight, i have my hairbrush and my phone charger, and my water bottle...I hate to fill it then get there and have to have it empty, and have to drink it all...I have done that before.  oh, all the things!  I am super thankful I get to go though, and I will have a really nice time...I won't be bringing my lap top, so I won't be blogging until next week, what on earth will you do without me, ha.  Have a nice day, and nice weekend!  

not too long ago, not too far from here...

Did anyone else grow up hearing stories?  My father liked to tell us stories around the campfire.  He also liked to tell us about the stars and galaxies.  He ignored us most of the time, but he was usually in a good mood when we were camping, which is maybe why I love it so much.  (Except for when he was backing the camper in...ugh)

Anyway.  This fine morning, the sun was shining out of a clear blue sky!  What a mean trick, it was only 12F (-11.11c)!  I hadn't grabbed a mitten for navigating down the deck stairs!  I have to hold on for dear life, of course.  Brrr.  To the pool I went, and as I waded down the ramp, the water was nice, a bit warmer than it's been.  

A few people I hadn't seen in a while were there today, one had a few surgeries and was out, another was on vacation.  It's nice to be back in the water, and seeing everyone again.  Getting out of the water and walking back up the ramp is part of the price I pay to be able to move so nicely in that water.  

Home...ahh, home.  I made a hot cup of coffee, put my sweater on, covered up with a blanket, then got a text from Sonja...and yes, I would like to go bye-bye.  Camille and I were out the door in no time, she was driving!  We went to Sonja's house, and got in her car.  Aldi, which was waaaay better this time, but still very slow and hobbly.  I got more brownie mix, a cauliflower crust pizza, some cherry lime seltzer, and a present for Jamie's birthday.  

We decided to go to Marshall's, which was challenging...by the time I got out to the car, I was holding Camille's arm, and my knee was not happy.  But, it was fine once I got in the car, and I was able to go up the deck steps at home just fine.  

So...home again, with an iced Americano from Starbucks, I sat here in my comfy chair for a bit, then decided to vacuum.  I ended up doing the whole kitchen/living room/hallway without using my cane.  I was pretty happy about it, then boom, the knee sort of gave way, but...I did not fall.  But I took a rest anyway.  

My legs are sore right now, all those weeks of not much activity, now getting back into things is not easy on them.  But I am SO thankful!   I am not where I want to be yet, but I'm thankful.  One lady in the locker room today said she felt sorry for me.  for ME?!  Oh honey, I'm doing great!  Don't feel sorry for me!  

I have not started packing yet, although I do have a Target bag with some stuff in it, and some other stuff on a chair...and a list.  

So, I hate war.  Men love it, women hate it.  Having had two boys in the Army, of course I can't even imagine the anguish...and I hate that this whole new military action will have consequences.  But.  Bless Israel, and you will be blessed.  And:  Iran has dealt SO unjustly with it's own people, killing protesters, ect.  Those in power were merciless. They hate America, and cannot have nuclear weapons.  I think this had to be done.  I think it might make the world a better place.  Like him or hate him, he is a good foreign policy president.  

One thing I've learned through the last few years is that we can agree to disagree, and I don't hate anyone.  There is so much division and finger pointing, name calling, like...are you still in kindergarten?   Each of us will stand before God, and our deeds will be judged.  If we judge others, we will be judged by the same measure, so we should fear to do that!  

Anyway, you guys have a good evening, and I didn't mean YOU are still in kindergarten!  I meant when the politicians get into it...ugh.  

leisurely Sunday evening...

Can I just say that I still revel in the slow pace of my lifestyle now, after all those years of hectic-ness?  I remember one year on Mother's Day, I had three or four small children, and Paul took them for a nice long walk with the double stroller, and left me to just sit in the yard and vegetate in the sunshine.  I loved that, loved him for that.  I remember trying to read the Sunday paper when we had lots of children, in fits and starts, usually finished up by the time the next Sunday rolled around.  Life was just busy busy busy.

This fine morning, I washed white towels, then colored towels, then got out the vacuum cleaner.  Paul ended up vacuuming, and mopping.  Shh, he is such a nice guy, but I noticed crumbs he left.  He does things so quickly, but I can't really complain, now, can I?  He burned the cardboard (yeah, we are that kind of rural!), and took care of the garbage and the returnable cans.  

I sliced and cubed chicken breast (a five+ pound package) and marinated it in soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, and lots of pepper.  I froze some, but put the rest on a baking sheet in the oven, sprinkled with sesame oil.  A bag of stir fry veggies with lots of red peppers, and some fresh broccoli florets on another baking sheet with sesame oil, into the oven.  A pan of jasmine rice, and dinner was underway.  Oh, for a sauce, I used butter, honey, ginger (a lot of ginger!), garlic, soy sauce, some orange chicken sauce, orange marmalade, rice vinegar...mmm.  Char mixed up a pan of brownies, she went with Camille to their friend's house and took them warm from the oven, leaving a few here...which I do not want to eat, ha.

We had our friend Annetta here for dinner, it was so very pleasant.  She left a bit ago, and it's just Paul and I here with Sunny and the kitties.  We didn't have church today because there was a mentors' weekend, and we watched a broadcast of a meeting today instead.  

Yesterday we were bare feet on the deck, this morning we woke up to more snow.  It's cold out, 19(-7.2c) right now, going down to 6  (-14.4c)tonight.   brrr.  I plan to get up and go to the pool...

My suitcase is in my room, ready to be packed.  I have a list (Passport!  Charger!  Plug converter!). I will be wearing my new wool sneakers, even with dresses.  I usually wear my Birkenstock knock-off clogs, but they are harder to walk in these days.  I plan to practice in the next few days, to see if I can manage them. 

Ah well...have a good night!  

then Friday comes along, again!

 Life is just speeding by!  The days and weeks and months...I still can't believe I'm sixty years old.  A sixty year old, in my book, is an old person.  Sometimes my body feels old, but I am personally NOT an old person.  Sometimes I think If I'm lucky, I'll get another twenty years..., and we all know that twenty years is nothing, goes by in a blink.  I've been writing this blog for over 18 years!  We know that it's not our business how much time we have, and I am not dwelling on it, just a thought that goes through my brain.  

Anyway, I am thankful for today.  My day has been excellent.  I got up and went to the pool.  It has gotten a little easier, more routine to go.  I park in the back, phone the front desk, and they so nicely unlock the door for me and I don't have the long trip down the sidewalk.  

The locker room and the pool deck can be very wet and slippery, so I go slowly as to not lose traction with my cane, and the water shoes help.  The ramp into the pool is a nice gradual decline, with a railing...I take the slowest mincing steps, but then when I reach the bottom, ahhh, in the water I can walk so nicely!!!!

When I got home, I was taking off my shoes when I heard Cam talking to Sonja about going someplace.  They dithered and discussed, then decided it was a good day for Target.  Yes, I would like to go too!

Sonja dropped me off in the front, so I didn't have to navigate the parking lot, with Char.  We went in and ordered a coffee and sat down to wait for Sonja, Kaia, and Camille.  Traipsing through the store was rather uneventful, I did buy a new pair of "readers".  I wanted something new for my trip, a dress or a sweater, or a top that looks fantastic, makes me look really thin, and was cheap. ha.  I did not find anything.  There was a really pretty button down sweater, with elbow length sleeves, but it was cropped.  I did buy peanut M&Ms for the flight, unless someone has  a nut allergy, and also some beef jerky, and some gum.  I bought stuff for a salad for dinner, and a new sweatshirt for Miss Char.  

I didn't want to speak too soon, but as soon as I got in the car I said:  my knee didn't buckle one single time in Target!!!  I walked around more than last time, too!  Now I'm not saying I was racing up and down the aisles, but it is getting slowly and incrementally better.  

I need to get up and move again.  I'm chilled because the pool water has been rather cold.  But, I have laundry to put in the dryer, and a load of towels to wash.  Charlotte Claire gave Sunny a bath, and used a pile.  :)

Now it it Saturday night.  I got up this fine morning, after a rough night:  Sunny whined to go out around one a.m., then again around five.  I don't know if she wasn't feeling well or what, but I hobbled down the hallway and let her out, waited for her to come back in, and settled back into bed.

Beef stew was on the menu, so I dredged the meat in flour with onion, garlic, salt and pepper, browned it up, then put it in the crock pot with beef broth, some bullion cubes, a few packets of brown gravy mix, a bag of mini red skinned potatoes, baby carrots, and some cubed carrots.  

The day was warm, I think 40 degrees and sunny!  Margaret came over with Wulf, Tenny, and Blythe, and Kathryn with Achilles, Rhys, Jamie, and Ellis, then Sonja with baby Kaia....Evelyn also came over for a bit.  We spent a bit of time out on the deck.  Marge and Kap shoveled some snow away so the kids could drive around in their Little Tikes cars.  I was out there in bare feet, it was so nice.  

Kathryn brought stuff to make little pigs-in-a-blanket for the kids (mini hot dogs with crescent rolls), she also sliced up some apples, so they had a nice snack-lunch, then Margaret made a pizza with them.  Some of them liked the stew, and we had a cozy dinner.  Sonja played hide-and-seek and matching game with them.  There were quieter times, and noisier times, but it was a really fun day that went by too fast.

Now it is quiet again...and it will snow again tonight, and get cold again...oh well.  Spring WILL come.

You all have a good night!

some things...

 ....to be thankful for:

Morning coffee.  It is always so good.  Anticipated, and never disappointing.  There's nothing like it.

Paul.  He went out and shoveled those treacherous deck steps for me this morning, after we got several inches of new snow last night.  He got out the snowblower and cleared the driveway, cleaned the snow off my car, and started it for me.  It ended the internal hemming and hawing I had going on about heading to the pool.  I HAD to go, after he did all of that!  

It's good for me to go.  I was in the water fifteen minutes before class started, so I walked forwards and backwards.  The class itself is good, all the upper body movement feels nice.  I didn't go in the deep end for the second half, just walked back and forth again, the swam just a little bit, kicked those legs, which feels weird.  

After my nice hot shower, I got dressed and headed out to the car, then walking down the hallway there in the rec center, that dang knee gave out unexpectedly, just a little bit, I didn't fall.  But it throws me for a loop, wrecks my confidence.  But, having no choice, except for just to sit down on the floor and cry, I walked out to my car.  :). 

Home for hot coffee and a nice comfy chair.  Not for long though, I have PT this afternoon.  

One of the people in the pool told about going out the door yesterday and seeing all the new snow, and having a little hissy fit.  I said, "It didn't help, did it?"  no.  it did not.  Winter is at the stage where it has been here forever and will stay here forever.  

Seven days until my trip!  I logged into my SAS app, 7 days until your trip to Oslo!  I had such high hopes of how well I would be getting around!  Last year when I got home from Norway in March was when I decided Enough Is Enough, and scheduled the surgery, as I was in a world of hurt.  The new knee, for all of it's faults, doesn't hurt like that.  None of that aching all night garbage.  (The other knee isn't as bad either, it aches and sticks but not as bad as this one did).  But I really thought this year I'd be cruising around like nothing, when I booked in September.  But.  I am going.  :)

Now I'm home again, all covered with a blanket in my comfy chair, with the snow swirling down outside. We're supposed to get another  three to six inches tonight.  I've got my coffee here, and the new candle warmer turned on...the old one stopped working, so I ordered another one.  It's a little glass lamp thing, you put a candle under it and it melts the wax and brings the aroma of the candle without any fire involved.  It's a nice warm lamp.  

So now it's dinner time again, and I'm thinking of leftover chicken soup.  Miss Char just had a four o'clock lunch of egg and bagel, so she won't be hungry.  She did a store pick up for me after her classes today, so we have a large bag of Reeses's Peanut Butter Eggs,  some Cadbury candy coated eggs, a big package of chicken breast, stew beef (there is nothing like a nice bowl of beef stew in this cold weather!), avocados, carrots, and deodorant.  

My goodness!  It's Thursday morning now!  I have no idea what the interruption was, but I generally close up the laptop if any actual humans want to interact.  

Miss Sunny woke me up during the night, whining.  She's usually good in the night...she just lies down on her doggy bed in our room, and settles in.  So I got up and let her out, which left me WIDE awake.  It was before four, and it was past five when I glanced at the clock...

I have not started packing for my trip yet, but I did splurge on some travel sized Herbal Essences, and some Dove body wash, and a new tube of travel toothpaste.  My new compression socks came in the mail, I've never traveled in them before, but it's sometimes said it's safer to do so after a surgery, it can't hurt.  I have some candy for my niece Janet, she lives in Norway and misses Reeses. I got out my travel backpack, it's looking fine.  I have a list too, and some protein bars (Built bars are so good, and I'm not getting a penny to say so..they're expensive though, I get them when they go on sale, and eat them sparingly for a treat...I used to eat one on PT days, because I hated and dreaded PT so much, in the early days). 

Blah blah blah, as my father used to say.  You have a good one!

a wee bit more snow....

 ...the world outside is fresh and clean again.  I was glad it wasn't a pool morning!  It's a stay-at-home day, so far anyway.  Laundry, vacuuming, exercise bike, wondering in between why I can't walk better than I can, but plugging away at it.  

Yesterday, Miss Sonja K. came over for a visit.  

Kaia likes the kitty!

Camille was having some brekky and doing some homework...Kaia likes Camille, too.

In the afternoon, Paul let me know that Bill had accepted our invite for dinner, my dear sister Cheryl's husband.   I chopped some red skinned potatoes, and tossed them in avocado oil, salt and pepper, added chopped onions, and put them in the air fryer.  Paul made some really good burgers from Aldi waygu beef, with sauteed onions.  He cooked up a pound of bacon too. We had some buns in the freezer, so I buttered them and put them in the oven to toast up.  Bill brought in a bottle of wine from Boundary Breaks, down on Seneca Lake, it was too good (I managed a good sip!).  I also made a quick batch of brownies.  I'm telling you, without getting a penny to do so, that Aldi brownie mix, the cheap kind, like $1.50 a box, substitute the water for strong coffee or espresso, and they are SO good!  Also, when you have someone over, your house should smell like baking brownies, right?  

Charlotte Claire and Camille were very busy doing school work, they are both really enjoying college.  I'm getting a second hand education, again, as they study and talk about their classes.  :). 

Today seemed like a chicken soup sort of day.  We have the Ambitious Kitchen cookbook, and the chicken soup recipe is divine.  We ran out of couscous, although I suspect someone put it in a different place, because wouldn't one remember using the last of such a thing?  It didn't stop me, I am simply making a separate pan of egg noodles, whoever wants them can scoop them into their bowl of soup.  It's all done now, sitting there in the Dutch oven with the lid on, ready to eat.  So it smells wonderful in here...not brownie wonderful, but good.  

I miss the sunshine on my skin so badly it almost makes me cry.  Drama drama, I know.  But here in the northeast, it's months on end without that.  It was October for me, that's already a long long time.  I mean, yeah, you can go out on a sunny winter's day and feel it on your face, but I'm talking that basking.  That's why if per chance it's fifty and sunny in March, we're out on the deck in shorts and tank tops...sometimes with goose bumps. 

 Today it's very cold out, and our furnace isn't working well.  Paul ordered a part, and Jonathan is going to help us fix it.  Our propane bill was ouch, it's been a cold winter.  Why is it that we hate spending money on things like that, instead of being insanely thankful we have the money to spend on things like that?

 We can't take anything with us when we depart this world.  We all know this, yet we're like squirrels with acorns, socking and stockpiling.  "Give and it will be given to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap.  For the measure you use will be measured back to you." (Luke 6:38).   We ARE programmed to survive though, so I'm thankful that we also have some good sense.

I like it when I have  trips booked.  Norway next week, then Arizona in April, then Norway for ten days in July!  Also, five camping trips this year!   I am not as ambulatory as I had hoped I'd be, but I still have a week to prepare for the first trip.  :)  Nothing makes time fly like trying to get into shape for a deadline like an international flight!  

Ah well.  It's almost dinner time.  I was so tempted to bake some artisan bread today, but being stuck in the house with hot fresh bread, well, is it really so smart?  Maybe I'll make some when lots of people are coming over to help eat it.  It's bad enough to have those brownies out there.  

You all have a nice afternoon!

Ahh, and a day at home!

This last week, I went to the pool on Saturday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and again on Saturday!  Then to the celebration of life for Joe, home for a bit, then to my niece Becky's house for a gathering to reminisce about her mama, my sister Cheryl.  Emily so nicely drove me home, and helped me out to the car, when it gets icy, ugh.  

So this fine morning, I did not leave the house.  No one came over, it was a snowy-ash day, and I did a few loads of laundry, got on the bike several times, vacuumed, puttered.  Dishes, ect.  Paul left and did some work on a house, then stopped at Aldi.  We had burgers for dinner, and a nice salad, and some pickled beets.  I didn't like the pickled part much, but I do love beets.  

We watched the end of the hockey game, it was fun to see the USA win against the Canadians!  It's just that hockey is their thing, and we won!  :)

We are only getting a few inches of snow tonight, so I should be able to make it the pool.  The tricky part is managing to get down those deck steps.  The weather warmed up, so we haven't been able to bring the car up to the front porch, and walking down the sidewalk is treacherous...oh, I exaggerate, it's slippery though, and bumpy.  The deck steps are not too bad when they're clear, but they get icy too.  So we'll see.  Now that I drive myself, I want to make sure it's safe.

The days are ticking by, my trip is getting closer!  Oh, I wish I could walk better, but wishing is a monumental waste of time, unless it leads to working harder.  I am looking forward to and dreading this trip, if you know what I mean.  I do have an aisle seat on the plane, but not one of the nice ones where you can stretch out, no - I'm in the back of the plane with the regular people.  It's a night time flight, and I should sleep, but I am planning to stand up and move every hour or so, if I get too stiff I won't be able to walk at all.  

It'll be fiiiiiiine.  Worrying and fretting won't help.   

Ah well.  You have a good evening!

ahhh the weekend!

Yesterday, I went to the pool.  It sounds like such a simple sentence, but it's packed with suffering ha.  I figure I have to surge forwards as much as I can, and even if I'm taking mincing little old lady steps, I'm getting steadier and stronger, although it's very hard to see in the midst of it. 

I came home and made a batch of chocolate chip cookies, tried to keep moving.  I find alternating between taking a rest with my feet up, going on the exercise bike, vacuuming a little, sitting down...it helps.  If I were to just plant myself, I'd be so stiff.  Getting back into the swim class makes me aware of muscles I forgot I had!  It's so nice though. 

Miss Char and Miss Cam worked yesterday, then left for a weekend in Ottowa, Canada.  Paul and I went over to Kathryn and Darius house for smoked wings...and sliders, and Evelyn's homemade Mac and cheese, salad, and cookies... Emily and Mariel were there too, it was quite fun.  

This fine Saturday morning, we went to the rec center, again, Paul to the gym, me to the pool.  There isn't a class on Saturday morning, so I just walked forwards and backwards and moved, for a half hour.  It's not as daunting anymore, although I don't love hobbling back up the ramp...the water shoes have been amazing though.  

We're leaving in a little while to go to a celebration of life for our friend Joe.  He passed away the morning after my sister did, he was the same age as my parents.  He's been a church friend for 40 years, he had such a good heart, a father's heart.  

It's too quiet here, but Kitty is on the arm of my chair, where she belongs.  When I got back from the pool, I went in to get some laundry, she was underfoot every step, into the laundry room, I got her more food, more water, she was still underfoot, purring, corralling me to my chair so she would sit here and purr.  I am definitely her person, not that she has too many to choose from anymore, but she likes me.  

Anyway.  You all have a good day!

and what did today bring?

 I saw a post that said, "The day after leg day", and a guy got a spoon out of the drawer, dropped it, looked at the one on the floor, opened the drawer and got a new spoon.  I feel like that most days, like it's the day after leg day.  Yesterday was a doozy, going to the pool then PT later.  I have learned to keep moving after the pool, to keep things loose.  

This fine morning, I knew I had to get out of the house, it was a mild day, not snowing.  Sonja was wanting to get out too, so she came and picked me up.  I made it down the deck steps, and into her car...then off we went to Target.  She so nicely dropped me off at the door, and I hobbled in with my cane.  I got a cart, and she brought Kaia in.  Lil Miss K. got to ride in the seat of the cart for the first time!  She was bundled with a blanket, then the seat belt, and she liked it for about half the store.  I understood, I was sort of done by halfway through too.  

I walked slowly.  So slowly.  But, the knee didn't buckle until one little time right as we were leaving.  It was a fun shopping trip.  I got some Valentine's day Skittles and Hershey Kisses for 70% off.  I bought some fake tulips, and a new green gingham table runner, a salad kit, a package of chicken drumsticks, and some undies for Jamison.  Oh, and a few half price toys for the grandkids.  

We stopped on the way home to get coffees, then again for me to switch and drive so Sonja could ride in the back with little Miss, who was crying.  

Sonja and Kaia came in for a bit when we got home, we watched the long programs of the figure skating.  That gold medal winner Alysa Liu was fantastic, but I was a teeny bit shocked at what came out of her mouth. "That's what I'm f---ing talking about!  Holy s--t! " I know, she was excited, but dear me.  She was phenomenal!  Poor Amber though... And shh, I have said s--t myself, accidentally, when my knee has buckled, and back when my hip was giving me such random grief.  

I have tried to keep busy here at home this afternoon too, but jeepers it does feel like the day after leg day.  I might call my ortho and try to get an injection in the "old" knee before my trip, which is two weeks from yesterday.  

If you are tired of hearing about my knee, scroll right by...but.  I figured something out.  When I went in for one of my post surgical check ups, I was still using the walker and explained to the surgeon how the knee randomly buckled.  He told me I had a hinge knee, he explained how it bent so easily, and I just had to be patient, it was normal, ect.  Well.  I didn't know that a "hinge" knee is not a standard knee replacement.  

This explains some things to me!  

Anyway.  
Enough about the knees.  This fine afternoon, Sonja so nicely got out some of my spring-y decorations.  It's not spring yet, but we needed some sprucing up around here, it still looked so naked after we took down the Christmas stuff.  Some fake flowers and fake plants and pink candles...does wonders.  

Our dinner tonight was taco meat I had cooked up and froze, so easy.  Just fry up a baggie in the iron skillet, and make some corn tortillas...add some of the salad from the salad kit, and you have some simple taco tortillas.  I like lime juice on mine.  They're great with peppers, onions, olives, cilantro, but not too bad without all of it, too.  After dinner I had some Hershey Kisses with almonds, which are my favorite.  

I am hoping to get my rear in gear and get to the pool again tomorrow.  I am feeling immense pressure to get moving, as my trip is coming up soon.  I did buy some compression socks from Amazon for traveling.  

Anyway.  Not much else to say on this fine evening...:). Have a good one!

it's the teeny tiny little things....

 This fine morning, I did something new:  I went to the pool, all by myself.  ALL BY MYSELF.  Yes, I walked down the deck steps, to the car (to be fair, Paul did move it to the front of the driveway for me!), and drove to the pool.  I could have gone around back and parked close, and called the desk, they would have unlocked the back door for me to come in, but I got a nice close parking spot, and decided to walk down the long sidewalk.  

This was the first time I was actually there during water aerobics class, since before the surgery.  It was so nice to be back!  I was able to do some of the things, but also was walking back and forth, just moving.  One of the nice ladies in class walked with me back down the sidewalk to my car:)

Next time, I'll go in the back door!  It has stairs, but it's a much shorter walk.

Now, since I've been home, I had a second coffee and sat here in my comfy chair.  Then I got up, took care of my wet swim stuff, put in a load of laundry, went on the exercise bike a little, just to get the stiffness out...then I vacuumed my room.  It had been way too long.  Of course I vacuumed for like ten minutes before I realized the vacuum wasn't working well, someone (probably me) had vacuumed up a big plastic bead.  Behind that bead:  dog hair, fuzz, dust, crumbs...ugh.  

Anyway.  I still need to vacuum the rest of the house, but I took another break.  I have to leave here in just a little while for PT, which is gonna be killer, after going to the pool, but I didn't want to call last minute and reschedule, AGAIN.  

Oh dear, it's snowing out!  Big fat flakes!  It was raining when I left the pool...I hope it doesn't get too icy.  

And, here it is, four in the afternoon, and I'm home from PT.   They tried a new thing, had me lie down with a bolster under the knee, and hold it up and tighten the thigh muscle, while the therapist poked and prodded around the knee...it's supposed to wake up the brain-nerve connection.  Well.  I proceeded to do the other lovely things that I do in PT, bike and balance board, leg press, leg lift thing...but they were nice and didn't make me do the stair stepper, since I had been to the pool.  Was it worth $88?  ha.  not really, but I don't feel ready to walk away from it yet, since I can't walk yet ha.

I came home from PT, checked the things in the dryer, made an afternoon coffee, then was walking to my chair, feeling pretty good about my busy day, when my knee...sort of buckled.  I didn't fall, but it is so disconcerting.  It seems to happen more when I'm really tired, and it does happen less and less, so that's good.  But dang!  

It's like it's saying Don't you get any ideas about saying things are going so much better!

Overall, I have no complaints.  Except for this:  Today when I was getting the vacuum cleaner, I had the thought to tell Cheryl about swim class, because she knew the lady who walked me out to my car, and it hit so hard, I felt a sudden flash of strong anger.  I didn't dwell in it.  I am not mad that she died.  But I partly am!  I do not like it, not one little bit.   I know that's the selfish part of me speaking, but it is what it is.  I miss her terribly.  Of course I do.  You don't love someone and care about them, and go on adventures with them, and do fun things with your kids together with them, coupon shop, and make the same dresses with the same patterns and collect the same toys for your kids, and laugh about the same things, sit in the sun together and solve the worlds' problems for years and decades, then boom, it ends and you're not sad!  I still am here, I am still alive, but I'm not whole anymore.    I can't imagine the days ahead without her.  

The depths of despair...that's what Anne Shirley told Marilla in Anne of Green Gables.  Cheryl and I liked to use that term.   I am not wallowing, no, I won't stay in those depths...but it is a process, and I do miss her like crazy.  My son Samuel always likes to say,  "Two things can be true at once", and in this case yes, I am sad and I miss my sister, but I am also very happy and thankful, if that makes sense.  

Ah well....it's What Are We Having for Dinner O'Clock, and I am envying all of you meal planners right about now...have a good evening!

joy!

 So yesterday after my big trip to the pool, I puttered around here, and tried to keep moving.  We had a ham in the refrigerator, a nice honey ham, spiral sliced.  I told the girls I was going to put it in the oven, make red-skinned baked potatoes, and some roasted Brussel sprouts.  Char was dubious, a ham, just for the four of us?  That got me thinking...so I put the menu out on the family chat, and offered anyone who wanted, could come to dinner...

Emily and Mariel ended up coming!  It was so very nice!  We ate dinner in the manner of young adults these days, in the living room all cozy, watching the Olympics!  I also chopped up six apples, put them in a baking pan with a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon, and baked them up.  I had some with one small scoop of vanilla ice cream, when still warm from the oven...oh dear, so good.

We had such a good time, talking about things and critiquing the snowboarders.  We have a dear friend from church who passed away in the morning after Cheryl.  We're having a remembrance/celebration of life on Saturday, so we're planning for that, and remembering visits with him.

The younger girls are going on a trip to Ottowa for the weekend. When they're gone, it's a stark reminder of what's coming in the not too distant future.  We will be empty nesters.  Now, some older people count the days...we are not them.  The house comes to life when they are here, with their silly movie quotes and belting out Stevie Nicks.  They do their homework, then take a break with home made vodka pasta at two in the afternoon.  

I think I'm hanging on for dear life, to these days of still having "kids" at home.  I love them all dearly, of course, but these two younger ones are so lively and fun.  I know we aren't going to die of loneliness, because thankfully the older kids still come and visit and the grandchildren burst in the door and fill the house with fun.  But it's different.  

We have eighteen-going-on-twenty grandchildren all of the sudden!  8 boys, 12 girls.  The oldest is 12, then the rest are 8 and under.  Richly blessed, how did we get so blessed?  

So this fine morning, I decided today shall be a Pot Pie Day.  Chicken Pot Pie, to be exact.  I made four butter crusts to make two pies with tops and bottoms, then started on the filling...I chopped celery and carrots, and peeled six or seven potatoes, cubed them up.  I put chicken breast in the crockpot with rosemary, thyme, sage, salt, pepper, onion powder, minced onions, a dash of garlic.  I added all the veggies, and a little bit of water, then 32 ounces of chicken broth.  The pie doughs went into the refrigerator for a while...then later, I rolled them out, thickened up the filling with corn starch and flour, and made the pies.  On the tops:  salt, pepper, rosemary, then onto baking sheets lined with parchment.  

Sonja and Oscar came for dinner, and we watched some ice skating and half-pipe snowboarding.  Kaia is sitting up now!  She is also spitting up, but that is a whole 'nother story, ha.  

Now they've gone home, the kitchen is all cleaned up, and I'm tired.  I did my stair-stepper this morning, for 5 and a half minutes, and got on the bike several times.  My walking is still rusty, but getting incrementally better...I do not see the increments but I know they are happening.  

Tomorrow morning, pool again, then PT in the afternoon, this sounds rough!  Two weeks until Norway, two weeks from tomorrow!  You all have a good night!

this glass is half full!

 I just thought I would share that I went to the pool this fine morning, (and it IS a fine morning, sunny and 25 degrees! (-3.89c)).  I walked down that sidewalk without one knee buckle. I won't exaggerate and say it felt great, but it was smoother and not terrible.  (The funny thing was, Paul was walking with me, asked , "What's preventing you from just walking?"  well.  You tell me, then we'll both know.  ha.  I thought I was doing splendidly, too!)

Anyway.  I talked to lots of ladies, and I realize how much I've missed that part of going to the pool.  I was there before my swim class began, and leaving when they were arriving, but talked to different people there too.  

I put in a load of laundry when we got home, and now I'm sitting here with my feet up.  I am going to get on the exercise bike in a few minutes, so I don't get all stiff from the walking and swimming...if you could call it swimming:  I did kick my legs a little.  I mostly walked, forwards and backwards.  I swung my legs up and down and to the side and just moved.  It did feel better this time.

Charlotte Claire is doing an order pick up for me after her classes this morning, but I don't have a meal plan except for to use the chicken we have in the refrigerator.  We also have a ham I need to use.  We do have everything for pot pie, and for stir fry, so maybe we'll do both of those this week.  

I may have forgot to report that Paul took me out to dinner on Friday night!  We went to a place called The Angry Smokehouse.  He dropped me off, I crossed the road and was making my way up the little sidewalk toward the door, while he parked the car.  The maitre'd/host/seater-guy came right out and held the door for me, so I had to step up a step holding my cane and the door frame...I felt like SUCH and old lady.  I hobbled in, and he sat us down right at the first table, and it was super nice!  

In case you're wondering what we had, Paul had a burger, and I had a French dip made with beef brisket...it was ridiculously good.  Darius can smoke a better brisket though.  (yesterday he did indeed smoke a brisket, he brought me some, hot from the smoker, is there anything better?)

Anyway.  Today Paul has to bring his iPad into a shop, it's not turning on, so I'm going with him for the drive, getting out of the house is nice.  

You all have a good day, and thank you for visiting me here, to read the same old same old!

so...

 on Saturday morning, we did get to go to the Rec. center!  Paul drove me around back, and my good friend Janette unlocked the back door for me, so I had a shorter walk into the locker room!  There are stairs, but stairs aren't as daunting as a super long possibly slippery sidewalk.  

Into the locker room, teeny little cane-leaning steps...painstakingly slow.  One lady in there asked what I had going on, then replied, "In November?!  And you're walking like THAT?!"  yes.  yup.  mmm hmmm. She was actually quite nice, she had a knee replacement herself a few years back, and the recovery was so quick and easy.  Yas.  of course it was, ha.  I hobbled all the way across the pool area, then down the side, because like I grumbled about before, the entrance to the ramp going into the pool is at the exact opposite side of the huge-0 pool room as the locker room exit.  Walking down the ramp is no picnic, but the beautiful black five dollar water shoes helped, gave me some traction, thank you for the suggestion!  

I walked in that pool, forwards and backwards.  I lifted my legs up sideways and front ways, and I paddled a little.  Here's the honest and sad truth:  it didn't feel great.  The new knee just feels jangly in the water.  I want it to feel smooth and painless, but not yet, I guess.  

Then, I walked back up the ramp, feeling even heavier than on the way down, ha.  Back into the locker room, a shower, got dressed, and made it back down the stairs out the back door to the car...ahh, I did it.  There isn't such a triumphant feeling when you know you barely did it!  But, I did it!

Sam and Grace stopped over on their way home from a two day little vacation, and stayed until after dinner.  Margaret and Adrian came over with their little ones, and Kathryn came over with hers.  Evelyn came, and Sonja with Kaia.  12 grandchildren in one day!  They had their corn dogs, and we made the ice cream sundaes:  Sam scooped the ice cream, I put the brownies on the plates, Wulf put the squirty whipped cream and chocolate sauce on, Grant manned the sprinkles and mini M&M's.  (Then the two boys got to make their "masterpieces" for being such good helpers!)

We had our stew for dinner, and there was just enough, although Emily came over later, and I'm not sure she got much in her bowl. I always try to gauge how much to make for dinner, and I ask ahead of time who is going to be there, and don't always get a response from everyone.  It's my kryptonite, my weakness, what I have bad dreams about:  not having enough.  I think it stems from having 16 children, and having to feed them dinner every single night, ha.  I wasn't always the best planner, and standing there with the refrigerator door open, trying to figure out what I had enough of...

Anyway, like the fishes and the loaves, everyone had enough to eat.  The stew was super good, in my humble opinion.  Beef prices are ridiculous, but I just crave a hot bowl of beef stew in the wintertime.  The kids brought fresh bread, some heart shaped cut out cookies, and other snacks, and drinks too.  

So this fine morning, it was time to get ready for the baby shower.  I don't have many pictures, but it was lovely.  

Two little helpers, cousins Rhys and Ruth, delighted in Aunt Rosi's baby gifts.  

Margaret's cookies!

Mariel's cookies!

Camille (and my) cake!  I didn't get a pic of the brownie bites...they were super good though.  

Ah well.  Today's walking wasn't the best quality, but I did manage to get from one place to another...tomorrow is another day, and we're planning to go to the pool again!  ugh, but...yay!  Does that make sense?  Have a good night!

and we didn't get to go...

 ...to the pool this morning.  Paul had too many work calls.  Our pool is only 9 minutes away, and I'm thankful for it, but...the hours it's open, dang:  Monday, Wed., Friday closes by ten a.m.  Opens back up every day Monday-Friday at five until 8:30...BUT:  the swim team practices, followed immediately by another local school's swim team because their own pool is being redone.  So you can go, and maybe get a little corner of the pool to swim in, but it's crazytown.  It is open until noon on Saturdays, so we are going to give it a try in the morning.  

This fine day, I washed a load of clothes, did some dishes, and went on the stair stepper for 5 1/2 minutes.  I went on the exercise bike a few times, straightened up a few things, puttered, and here I sit.  

Accountability!  My walking is still not great...I took one step this morning, on my way to go down to use the stair stepper, and it didn't land right, and it hurt.  I still feel so peg legged and unbalanced.  Trying to focus on that half full glass isn't always my first reaction.  It's like a lose-lose sometimes, the more I walk and try to practice, the more sore and achy  I get, but I do know that it's temporary, and I have to do it to build endurance.  

If I had a nickel for every time I thought of something to tell Cheryl, I'd be out buying a new car.  dang.  I knew she had cancer, knew it spread, knew she was tired, yes, I knew.  But I thought this past hospitalization was just another blip, and that she would come back from it...all those things I was storing up to say to her, naively thinking we still had time...dang.  

She wouldn't want me to be sad, and I'm not walking around here hanging my head.  It's just those gut punches when I remember, and the things she would appreciate, and the knowledge that she's gone...my heart aches.

Here, though, is some cuteness:

Camille...darling angel, the cherry on top, my very last little baby.  She is 18 now, how?

Suzanne Eleanor, Jonathan Robert, Sonja Kathleen, and little Camille...not so very long ago!

Miss Charlotte Claire and Miss Camille Anaya...#15 and #16 (well, not including baby Robert...that would make them #16 and #17, but that's too confusing).  The two of them are still besties.  

They're at work today, going to a Valentine's party this evening, working tomorrow...tomorrow I'm having some kids and grandkids over, and going to the pool and frosting the cake, and making brownie bites and frosting them...oh boy!  Maybe I'll get those brownies made today.  

Yes, I have been very blessed, extremely.  :). You all have a very happy Valentine's Day!  

may as well!

 I wasn't going to write anything today, because everything is the same old same old.  I woke up, got my coffee, sat in my comfy chair...then went on the stair stepper for seven minutes, yay me.  

I rested a bit, went on the exercise bike, rested, had another coffee, washed some dishes, and vacuumed.  So exciting I can't even stand it!  I did talk to both Kathryn and Margaret on the phone, and texted Sonja.  

Charlotte Claire went to her college classes this morning, and is stopping at Aldi for me on the way home.  I realized that when the grandkids are here on Saturday, it'll be Valentine's Day, so I want to make it special for them.  Ice cream sounds good in February, right?  

Dinner tonight:  smashburgers.  Why do they taste so good?  Iron frying pan, caramelized onions, beef patties smashed down into crispy thinness, lots of freshly ground pepper, salt...maybe a little bit of melted cheese...mmm.  

Camille is making the most beautiful merengues for a Valentine's party she's going to, I'll get a pic when I get up.  

I was going to make a list of things that bug me, but I have forgotten what was bugging me, and THAT bugs me.  One thing though that I absolutely despise:  the death penalty.  I just can't.  no way, no how.  How can it not totally negatively effect anyone who has a part in carrying it out?  How can it possibly be helpful for victims' families?  It is barbaric.  Most of those people are on death row for years!  It seems that most of them have apologized and repented, what good does it do to strap them down and kill them?  I also hate when hard working immigrants are rounded up and deported.  They've been practically invited to waltz over the border in previous years.  They came, the built lives, got jobs.  I am not talking about criminals or gang members.  Mariel works with a few guys who were deported, they bought a house, had good jobs, were doing all the paperwork they were supposed to be doing.  A local mom worked at a nutrition bar company here in town, she was sent to a detention center without her 13 and 15 year old sons, they decided to join her, and are all back in El Salvador...she was working, they were doing extremely well in school...why?  

This isn't political, it's just how I feel. 

Anyway.  It's a few hours later, and we didn't have smashburgers for dinner.  Paul had to leave, so he made himself some eggs, he's the one who likes those burgers the most, so they're on hold until tomorrow night.  I made bacon and eggs for Cam and I, and Char had some cheddar sausages.  

Camille is going to band practice tonight, she plays the violin.  Charlotte is going to make some chocolate covered strawberries for their party tomorrow.  I am going to help her.  :). 

I'm hoping to go to the pool tomorrow...if it warms up a little and isn't as snowy and slippery out there...:)