Choices

Just read an entry on NRO's Corner. It was a response to the nonsense about the trial of that British teacher whose class named the Teddy Bear Mohammad. The response was written by the Supreme Muslim Council of Ireland and was well done. It concluded by calling on the Sudanese regime to resolve the Darfur crisis rather than concerning themselves with Teddy Bears. Again well done. If only heads such as these sat in Boston. There must be more critical issues to resolve here in the Commonwealth than whether a parent can spank their child. Hmm. Perhaps judges who release violent offenders and the horrific results of such judgements. Perhaps a Governor who refuses the requests from the Governor's Council to hold public hearings on such a judge. Perhaps a ridiculous investigation into the notorious Big Dig Fiasco which has cost over a million and the only minnow to be brought to justice is a small business which could be fined a pitifully smaller amount of money. Perhaps - oh I could go on and on

More Double Standard Groaning

Just read an article about Chris Rock and a recent performance where he talks politics and he refers to Hillary as that white lady. The story is on newsbusters.org if you want to go read it. Anyway, it winds up with one of those omnipresent double standard statements "What if it were a white comedian and he referred to Barack Obama as 'that black dude'?" That started me thinking since I just wrote about that People magazine thing where they have two female celebs in the same dress and you vote about who looks better. How about a similar thing where two comedians or politicians or what ever are put side by side, make a statement identical to each other but with reference to a white person if the comedian is black and a black person if the comedian is white and the dem refers to something un pc followed by the repub saying the same thing and have people vote like the dress thing? Maybe that would be a way of stopping the double standard for a while.....some things are lousy no matter who says it and others are only going to raise a ruckus depending on the people who want to be offended. Maybe if we did this often enough it would work like Global Warming......beat the drum over and over and over and then....ta-da! whether it's true or not it becomes part of the landscape and we accept it or we just roll over and quit.....What do you say? Let's do it!

You Could Be a Star

One of the things I routinely do is sit down with coffee first thing and check all the headlines. You know, Drudge, Fox, CNN etc. I love to check out the NY Post. The site is great and it provides a lot of information in all areas especially gossip. They have a column called Page Six. I go there and cycle through each of the blurbs. Here's a news flash. I know nearly none of the people they are talking about, makes for a great exercise in my old speed reading course. Once again this morning I went there and once again, nothing. Oh, I recognized the Mary Kate whatever her name is twin , Eliot Spitzer, and Tony Bennett but then? Nothing.

I further realized how out of touch with all that nonsense I am when my nephew and I sat down and looked at the People magazine site and went through the who looks better spot. I had no clue who those girls were in most cases. We looked at pictures of two attractive women wearing basically the same dress and were asked who looked better Rita or Ayisha? Neither one of us knew who was who and the choice given was not the right or the left, or the blond or the brunette. No. You had to know the names of those two and we failed. My friend was a bit better than we since she occasionally watched Dancing with the Stars or Survivor and I guess that's where the new star crop is coming from. I must say that I finally have put to rest any leftover celeb worship from the days when I had James Garner as Maverick posters all over my bedroom walls. These new celebs might as well be the man on the street and in fact are. They just happen to be on TV or in the news and in reality that is what it always has been. Wish I had known then what I know now.

You Tube Knitting Lessons

Just went to a couple of blogs and found a new one on knitting which sent me to YouTube and there are video knitting lessons there that are great. Maybe I will finally learn to hold the needles like my girl friend's mother did years ago. She could fly through a sweater in a week and you never saw her move the yarn the way I did. I let go of the needle in my right hand and the yarn is wrapped around the other needle and tedious for sure. I love to knit and the more complicated the pattern the better. Irish cables and bobbles and what have you's ....yes! They are mine......But I am so slow and I know it's because of the way I hold the needles. My grandmother taught me when I was maybe four. Oh, I know, four is crazy but she did. Knitting and embroidery and crochet. My fat little sweaty four year old hands would hold on and crumple up and the tongue would be out and the concentration would be huge. I would crochet edges on handkerchiefs with thread and tiny weensy crochet hooks. My grandmother was a patient woman....

Now....YouTube will show me a new way to hold the needles and maybe my knitting speed will soar..I am off to view the knitting basics video.

Dr Phil and the Girls' Club

Can it be true? Can it be November 28th? How did it zoom by like this? Well it did Babe so get over it. The Girls' Club met last night. Yes, it was a Tuesday rather than a Wednesday but we girls are nuthin' if we are not flexible. Work schedules change and so do we. We watched Dr. Phil and did our nails and drank white wine. Yes! Call us crazy! White wine in the soon to be winter rather than red. We are scamps and wild women we two. As we took what was perhaps the 43rd sip we commented that it was like a summer day. The crisp, dry fruitiness brought a hint of an umbrella table with it. It saved on the oil bill since we enjoyed that basking in the humid afternoon sun feeling.

Dr. Phil had that banned from the wedding crowd on. The MIL and the DIL were back. The MIL was calm and appeared to have worked on some of her stress points. The DIL was edgy and all about going back into the pits of the fight and pointing out how Cruella D'ville that demon of a MIL was and is and don't believe a word she says. The son had no words other that his wife's. That said a lot. He went from one controlling woman to another but the new controlling woman points to the older controlling woman as being the source of alllllllll his troubles. Let's get rid of her and life will be good Tra La. Man oh man what a boggle. Sounds like life at home right??? Someones home anyhow.

One thing I pulled out of that whole show was the MIL's therapy goal..focus on the outcome and act accordingly. What do you really want at the end of the day. Think about it. Make it happen. I'm going to go ponder that and maybe take a look at Dr. Phil's Life Strategies. See ya.

Hillary Nixon ?

Just read the LA Times article on Hillary. The headline is Clinton The Organized and it makes her sound like Nixon. That siege mentality and fill the moat thing speaks of Nixon during Watergate. Just sayin'

End of the Weekend.

Spent the weekend after the holiday with my best friend and oldest longest friend and her husband. They arrived on Friday. Her husband is not well and at this point no one knows what is going on. He has seen every kind of specialist known to man. His weight has dropped to the point where he is a skeleton. He is unable to swallow well and loses his breath easily. He is frail and so skeletal that he is frightening and my dearest friend in the world who has always been three levels above reality is meeting the challenge like a champ. She is with him and talking him through the panic of choking while he can't swallow. She talks him out of the panic and eases him into a calmer state where he can breathe and relax. Amazing.

My husband was a trooper through it all. My father went through a lot of what my friend's husband is going through and although it killed me to see this it really hit my husband so hard I couldn't believe the pain he was in. Thank God I had bought him a book for his birthday and in between cooking for everyone and truly hosting beautifully, he was able to lose himself in the book as I have never seen him do before.

My nephew was with us as well and he is a challenged adult. He lives in a sheltered house with staff and he holds down two jobs. He also has two girl friends. He will describe himself as "high functioning" and by golly he is, much more than I am most of the time. He is a gentle and sweet and considerate man with the manners of an 18th century courtier (?) is that the right term? He holds doors and stands when a lady enters and just twists my heart in many directions. He was so wonderful with my friend's husband that I can't even begin to describe it. He is just the most lovely man. My mother loved him beyond measure and he always refers to her. This morning the garage lock was frozen and to get in I had to heat the key with a match. "Nana would be so angry with you Auntie. You're playing with matches and she wouldn't like that at all." He laughed as he scolded me and when the door opened I had to tell him that we would never tell her about this. Since she passed away 8 years ago I don't think we have to worry about that but . . . how she would love that he is still talking about her and remembering all of the things that she would say and do.

Everyone is home now and here we are, alone at last. The husband will be spending the night with Tom Brady and the gang and me? I will finish the laundry and try to stay awake long enough to see some of those Patriots. Go Pats.

What? No Oil? Who Cares Huh?

It is barely 20 degrees. Yesterday the oilman stopped by to fill the tank and he could only put in 26 gallons.....my husband still has that silly smirk on his face, the same one that he had when he told the guy there was nothing wrong with the system, it only got turned on a short while ago. The oilman was staggered. My husband was smug. Not only did it just get turned on a short while ago but also the temperature is boxcar refrigerator atmosphere. I don't know how to make that husband happier...honestly.

A Perfect Day

Hope that everyone enjoyed the day as much as we did. Husband brined the turkey and have to say it was about the best he has ever served up. His hero is Alton Brown and he followed the Food Networks direction. Actually sometimes I think he thinks he is on the Food Network. He thinks I am his sous chef and he behaves like some Iron Chef tyrant. He's lucky that he is also a klutz and makes me laugh or there might be some really unholiday behavior in our kitchen. There are lots of blunt objects and sharp knives about.

His brother and wife arrived with my nephew, they all live close to each other and hence the arrival, they brought scallops wrapped in bacon and oysters and we had made crab stuffed mushrooms as well as celery stuffed with cream cheese and olives. Add a sparkling white wine and man oh man we have a thankful group that could wait for an hour or two for the bird to be finished.

Now, the meal is over, the dishes are washing, my brother in law and his wife have left, my nephew and husband as well as my dog are all dozing in front of the television. Life is good and hope it is for you too.

Happy Blessed Thanksgiving

I am so thankful for this moment. The coffee is done and waiting for me to pour a cup, my husband just took the dog out and I am alone in the house. The house is half done, as always. In-laws and nephew will be here by noon or so and here I sit. I am thankful I am as old as I am and don't get all energized by dust and clutter. I am thankful for the country in which I live and the opportunities and freedoms it provides. I am thankful, and peaceful and hoping all of the world has a moment of this same feeling. Now to put this computer away and set the table and prepare for the feast to come. Happy Thanksgiving to all and to all . . no, that's some other holiday isn't it? Have a good one. I just heard in the back of my head...We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing...and so we do...sing along if you want

Go here now......http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh131.sht

Hum of the House

I was just washing dishes from breakfast, some I hand wash and others are rinsed and put in the dishwasher which I just started. My husband is upstairs putting something or other on the back of a closet door and I could hear him walking and puttering measuring whatevering. I have banana bread in the oven which smells heavenly and the sounds and the smells and the contentment of this morning brought back a memory from 60 years ago. Sunday morning at home with Mom and Dad and the brothers and smell the roast in the oven, hear the hum of the house as each member of the family is doing something or other and who cares because we are all under the roof and safe and sound and content and secure. What a blissful moment to return too and to have now in my house on a Sunday morning. The hum of the house is a little like heaven I think. Blessings on us all and gratitude to a sovereign Lord who loves us so.

Facts? Please, no, don't give me facts!

Just briefly read a blurb about Romney. The author is outraged that Romney thinks consultants are not a bad way to deal with government change. He also is enthralled with data. Egads! Not a man who deals with facts! Anything but that!

Can't believe the tripe that is thrown out there to discredit the opposition. Give me a weepy moaning lip biting freak who feels our pain I guess. Just sayin'

Make God Laugh? Make some plans.

What a day! What a day! Started the day driving with the man of my dreams and yes, he is my husband, not that I ever dreamed about him but he's good. We went to the car dealer where we bought my used vehicle and got our free oil change, they give 3 per year, neat huh? From there we went to Wal-Mart and bought the father in law in rehab for the hip replacement underwear and socks and sweats and such so that he can do the physical therapy without his buns hanging out and honestly, my husband was so upset about the color of the t-shirts and briefs. Who knew that he ever realized what color his underwear was? I was stunned. Anyhow there we were buying the basics for the man and then we went to visit and he is doing great. He is a really fresh son of a gun, thank goodness, and tough as nails so we stayed while he ate and showed him how to run the TV which he will never remember and by the time we left we were hours behind where we meant to be but what the heck.



As we got on the highway to carry on with the errands of the weekend, the new used car belched, the check engine light went on and we pulled into the parking lot of the Super Stop and Shop. Called the dealer and lost my mind when the gal who answered told me at least 5 times to not drive the car since the light was blinking not steady. Skipping loads of detail here but to get to the end, called AAA waited forever, heard my name being called preceded by Aunt and lo and behold my nephew appeared. I forgot he works at this store. He was getting off work and was going to take the bus home. I figured we would be with him at this point since, see the previous note on the condition of the car. My husband finally got in touch with his brother who arrived like the cavalry and his daughter followed him in her car. She left us with her car and so when AAA arrived to tow the dead one to the shop we were able to drive my nephew home and go on our way. Thank God for family and for family that actually is there to help.

Of course today and tomorrow are now like the proverbial Chinese fire drill. . .bring the car back to our niece, meet our friends at an event we were going to together but now since the return car thing the time is all off. Tomorrow instead of going up to the office for two days I will go up with my husband and return since the car as noted previously is under the weather. Hopefully I will have the car by Tuesday and can get on with the week and holiday prep stuff.

We made a list way early in the day of things to do and that list? she has nothing crossed off. Chances of crossing off today...Slim's in Texas. Tomorrow? He's still there. Tuesday will be a jam packed fun time.

Just a Word or Two About Nothing

Long ride last night in the driving rain, black night, lots of wind and huge puddles on the side of the road that pulled the wheel as you drove through. Top that off with fog and there you have the perfect storm of a commute. One good thing is that at the end of the drive was a warm house, a glass of wine and a husband who slaved over a hot stove to put a hot meal together. YAY! Once my shoulders dropped back to where they belonged as opposed to shrugged up over ear level I was okey dokey.

Today was a dreary windy and cold fall day. The walk was a killer diller. I actually had my hood up as I walked along and thank goodness I remembered gloves. I guess it truly means the end of summer. Oh well....if only I had controlled my eating and drinking throughout the summer season my fall corduroy pants would not be cutting off my circulation. Oh dear. Those pounds are hanging on and for good reason. Fiddle dee dee Miss Scarlet. Think about that tomorrow. But tomorrow turns into tomorrow and oh what a lot of good intentions go nowhere.

Just thought I would sit for a minute and write a word or two and keep in practice. I'll be back later and be very profound. I haven't had many deep thoughts lately. Is that good or bad?

Strong Gene Pool

Spent the evening with my cousin and enjoyed it so much. She has been a widow for almost a year and has two wonderful kids, both married and independent and very caring. The conversations we have are wide ranging and include childhood memories, our mother's were sisters and close so their families were too, at least physically. Due to that closeness, we have a feeling of sisterness. (is that a word?) We shared a lot of things growing up and although our lives were separate we had moments in time when we spent a lot of time together. Happily for us both we are nearby and able to keep the connection. She was all I had when my last brother died and I realized all of my immediate family was gone. I am so blessed that however it happened, God braided us together and kept the threads connected.

Our parents were close and spent a great deal of time together and we chatted about that. When I got home I called her to report in and as I said "I'm all locked in" she was questioning, "Are you all locked in?" We burst out laughing because each of us was using our mothers' voices. We are from the same pool.

A Week-end Whirl

Happy Veterans' Day! It's a cold one. This is the second straight night it dipped into freezing. The husband is still of the mind that the furnace doesn't go on until the bird goes in the oven. At times like this that Florida dream he has seems good to me. The wood stove is chugging away and upstairs he has some kind of heat thing that really works well and is safe so it's only the floors that tell you what the chill factor is. Hardwood holds the temperature well.

Enough of that. The weekend was a whirl. Friday I had my semi-annual meltdown in honor of my dad's passing. November 9, 1999. I never thought of the day until Sunday or at least consciously I didn't. I was in a state for myself all day Friday and wound up sobbing and whining and so forth much to my husband's dismay. Like most men he was out of his element. Let's fix it, that's his motto. Let it ride it's course is mine. Hug me, pat me on the head and say there, there. Then leave. Let every man in your circle hear this advice. On Sunday I realized what the date was and then, it made sense to me.

Once the damns had burst and the water level dropped I was back on course. Saturday we went back to the other house where a grand wine tasting was held at a local liquor store. We met the wine manager 13 or 14 years ago when he first started and when we were first interested in better than jug wine. Joe has been a good friend and advisor of fine wines at reasonable prices ever since. The tasting is huge and is for the Holidays. Something like 200 bottles of wine are open for tasting and all the distributors are represented. Over the years we have gotten to know most of them and since the husband has been hibernating on the other side of the bridge since 1999 with only infrequent sightings, he was greeted like a long lost relative. One fellow in the crowd wanted to know if he was the newly elected mayor. LOL.

We met lots of old friends and neighbors and former co-workers so the event was like a GIANT cocktail party. Being older and wiser, the older part for sure, we managed to behave like sophisticated wine tasters and with few exceptions we actually poured the wine out. We met a couple of really good friends who have been busy and unavailable as have we. We decided to go to dinner and did so. We spent the dinner hour(s) catching up and laughing and enjoying the company so much that we made plans to get away for a long weekend. Now if we can all find the time.

We went to visit the father-in-law and he is doing great. He really had a major surgery and the nurse was saying that a 30 year old would have some troubles with the replacement he has had and when she saw how he was doing and learned his age she was gushing with the good reports. He will be going to a rehab before he goes home, thank you Lord, and we should find out when and where this week. Thank you for your prayers.

Finished the week end off with a furniture moving experience. We brought a bureau down to this house where we hope to be forever (how long is that again?) and we vowed not to do that again. We're too old for that kind of heavy lifting. A good and younger and stronger friend came over to help my husband and I just said Thank you over and over and over as they brought it upstairs to the bedroom in this house. We gave him a ton (yeah it's heavy) of the bread pudding we made on Friday and he called later to lavish praise on our efforts. It really was excellent, bourbon soaked raisins and a bourbon sauce to top it off. You get a little giddy if you eat enough of it.

Now the week begins and thanks to our Veterans I have a day off to catch up on all the things I couldn't do over the week-end. I'm off to do the laundry and the shopping and so on and so on. Have a wonderful day whether you have a holiday or not. Blessings on you all.

Follow Up Report

All went well with the father-in-law's hip. No infection so the whole thing could be done at once. The surgeon was pleased and said that although he will have to walk with a cane from now on, there would be no pain. The bone had begun to deteriorate so he said they used cadaver bone. My husband and his brother were both fascinated by that as am I. At one point someone said that we had better not tell the fil that and then we all looked at each other and said "He will love that! He will be telling everyone the story of his cadaver bone leg or hip or whatever." He will too.

My best friend's husband is a different story. Although no definitive tests have been made yet, the doctors are talking ALS or some variation. This came up yesterday and of course, she is devastated. We have worked together on horrible possibilities in the past, my father for example and my mother and my brother and so on and so on and we talked at length yesterday to get to the point where we will only believe what is proven. Until then we pray and wait and don't fall victim to the emotional what if's. That works for a while but then. . . .

Pray for her and her husband. Thanks. I have been searching for healing masses in the area. There is a shrine nearby, LaSalette, and coincidentally (you know there are no coincidences in this world) there is a healing service at 2PM on Sunday. I just sent her an email. Best I can do besides pray and listen and hug.

On that note I have to scoot to the office and move the paper work. Have a sunny day. The Lord is on His throne and has the reins in His hands. He loves us beyond measure and all will be for the good.

The weekend report

What a wild week end.....The worst Noel was the headline of the paper. We were blown all over by the high winds and the driving rain was amazing. A run from the house to the car was like a plunge in the ocean. All day Saturday we were really beaten senseless...okay so that would be one beat. Just as my husband took the roast out of the oven and we all sat down at the table, a transformer blew with the loudest sound imaginable. It sounded as if the roof of the house blew off. At that time of course, the lights went out and we had a romantic candlelit evening. My friends left shortly after dinner to see how their house was and they were lucky enough to have power. It was a blessing since her husband is so frail he really feels the cold. We cleaned up in the dark and stumbled around looking for batteries for the flashlights and radio.

Next day, the big game day, you know, the Colts and the Patriots, we were still without power and more friends were coming to watch the game with us. Since our phones were not working, by the time we found the cell phone and called, they were on the road. What they didn't tell us was that they were bringing a generator. What fun! That little dynamo powered up the TV and the freezer and the small refrigerator in the garage as well as the pellet stove. We had heat and the game and a slow cooker plugged into the generator as well provided the hot beef stew. On top of all that camping out kind of fun, the right team won. In our opinion anyhow.

Next morning at 4:30 AM we were up and moving and got the father in law and got to Boston and spent close to the whole day at the hospital moving through the pre-op drill. Now today he's back with my husband and brother in law and I'm at work waiting to hear how all is going. My husband keeps calling in reports....nothing to report...but I get a lot of calls. Should know soon how everything is. Hopefully there won't be an infection in that hip and he will only have to go through one surgery. We'll soon know.

Thanks for the prayers.

Upcoming Plans

Got through the night by hiding out at BJ's. I was almost alone in that store and how huge can a store be? It is huge. What is it about a restaurant size can of tuna that amuses me? It does. All I can think of is how much celery you have to chop to make a dent in that much tuna and by the time you get that can open you need physical therapy on the wrist and can opener turning hand.

Today I wrap up the office work and tomorrow will work from home. Monday is my father-in-law's pre-op and then Tuesday is the op. Both days are early ones and we have to come to the city from 75 miles away. An 87 year old never moves fast and one with a bad hip and large brace moves even slower. I figure that to get to where we need to be by 8:30 AM Monday we will have to set the alarm for 4. Help! Oh well. The good news is that he checked out so all the involved doctors say he's in good shape, except for the hip that is. If that hadn't happened I don't know what would have resulted. He is so anxious to get this going that the surgeon had to question him very thoroughly. I think he thought the FIL didn't understand the procedure. How could anyone be so eager to put themselves through that? But in fact that is the case. "I'm a firm believer in - when something's broke, fix it" He must have said that 10 times. I am glad that he is so hopeful. A positive outlook is critical. Pray for him. Thanks.

We have company all weekend. No one is staying over but we will be entertaining. The football game is the centerpiece. Tom Brady vs Peyton Manning. Don't miss it. We will be cheering and eating and cheering. Since it's Sunday and that 4 AM Monday thing will be looming please note we are cheering and eating and missing is the drinking part. 4 AM. That changes the whole picture.

On with my day and on with yours. Have a good one.