Forty nineteen
One more year of winsome math. One more year in the archives.
When my mother-in-law turned 67, my four year old said, “That’s almost to the end, isn’t it?” My countdown is uncomfortably close to an innocent child’s vision of a human life span.
We went to see the Minnesota kids last fall. An effort was made to explain generation links to the 5 year old. Honey said he was his daddy’s daddy. The 5 year old laughed and said, “No, Poppy, you don’t look like a daddy. You look like a grandpa.” Is that almost to the end?
At this moment, I’m trying to follow a new TV program while blogging, which isn’t working really well, and Honey has nodded off on the other end of the sofa. I know that from the snory sounds. Oop! He woke up!
It’s Friday. I’m poo’d. I’ve been putting in overtime, 9 hours last week and maybe 7 or 8 this week. Add drive time to that, and I’m definitely aware of not being as young as I used to be. Tomorrow I sleep in, hopefully at least an hour past when I’m used to getting up.
We clean the house for company tomorrow. Eight friends are coming into my house to help me mark (celebrate isn’t computing right now) a number that can be described only as “on the edge.”
A lady, a deeeeaaar Christian sister, once told me when I turned 50 that 49 was the old of the young and 50 was the young of the old. I’m sure she meant to make me feel better to be considered young again even if it was in the “next up” age group.
It didn’t.
Maybe after a good night’s sleep and a bunch of laughs with friends—-in spite or because of the ugly cards, I’ll be able to blog a bit more chipper-ly on Sunday. Until then………
Hey, Honey got me flowers.
Celebration of life
Today we celebrated Life After Chemo, a friend’s transition from illness to health, restoration of energy, and a normal expectation of a future. At the onset of her chemo ordeal, the women from today’s group met at the same table, at that time a new table and chair set, so new, the owner hadn’t yet taken off the manufacturer’s tags.
All those months ago, Karen’s expression was sturdy, she was solid in her faith, resolved in strength to face whatever, and encouraged by our solidarity beside and behind her. We wrapped her in extreme giggling, mutual ribbing, and unexpected hysterically funny stories about Jackie’s own breast cancer diagnosis experience in Germany now ten years ago. She remains cancer free.
Karen is single, lives alone, couldn’t work, and couldn’t always make it to where she wanted to go, like church, like outings. She did not complain. As individuals we would check in by phone, and include her in prayer. As groups, the one that met with her on day one and the Sunday small group, prayed. We had her over for Thanksgiving, she attended Diana’s Christmas Eve party, but for the most part, she stayed at home. Germs is the main reason when one’s immune system is virtually wiped out with chemo treatments.
Knowing that the pet scan in October showed a few dots of cancer, that the doctor wanted to administer at least two more treatments, we were concerned, as was Karen. What do you do? You’re a moron to suggest that you’re tired of it and want to quit, so two more treatments were administered and another pet scan run. The all clear came through just about ten days ago. Happy New Year, Karen.
Today, she was a new girl — still jovial, still secure in her expression, but oh, the relaxation in her voice, her posture, and smile. She still wore the hat but now and then she will unconsciously stroke the short fuzzy hair peeking out under the brim.
Today, we sat around the table celebrating Karen’s new lease on life. We discussed the new politburo and prophecy, TVangelists, listened to Jackie’s experiences in Poland and Russia as a missionary, Rebecca’s survival of earthquakes and journey from Venezuela after Hugo’s takeover, and accepted Diana’s invitation to be her personal attendants this May when she marries one of the nicest guys I’ve seen in a blue moon or two.
All this joy, not to mention the food, around the same table and chair set with the manufacturer’s tags still attached.
Unplugging for a week — sort of
Saturday afternoon. I was one click away, the finger hovering over the touch pad, the little arrow hovering over the “click here” button to upgrade the Dish satellite service from the Family plan three levels up to the 250 rainbow of variety, enrichment….everything we ever needed or wanted. One level up, even two levels upgraded, do not include Foxnews. Call me biased. I like Foxnews, I trust Foxnews to be as balanced as they say. Heck, an outside-the-conservative-world public interest group tallied the time spent left vs right and declared Foxnews is literally, 50-50, almost down to the minute, balanced between liberal and conservative. It’s that 50% on the left that sends me over the proverbial edge, but just before the veins pop on the forehead, I know I’m going to hear at least 50% common sense and reason soon, unlike CNN of which we get only the Headline News but don’t turn to that anyway for obvious reasons, one of which is that journalism has morphed from objective to manipulative.
That said, the only way I am going to see Monk and The Closer without buying DVD sets is to subscribe to a package that includes USA and TNT. Family does not have those two or A&E or Discover or History or Spike (you read correctly–CSI reruns), SciFi, TLC, National Geographic, need I go on? Family has Hallmark. I’m sick of Hallmark. We surf between Hallmark Movie Channel, Hallmark, Foxnews, Daystar — I need Daystar, the locals, and that’s about it. We don’t watch shopping channels and there are many. There are a couple of detective and forensic choices but do a lot of rerunning. So does Hallmark.
The programs we do watch are single words, some single syllables, and the acronym — CSI. I’ll watch CSI-Anything. Those we plan our time around are CSI, 24, House, Bones, and the new kid, Fringe. Ex-X-Files fans, Fringe satifies the sci-fi itch. Our one sitcom is Worst Week. Love it. Boston Legal is gone.
I miss Monk.
So wouldn’t you know the church leadership is encouraging us to unplug the TV, the MP3 which I don’t know how to use beyond my FM station, the IPOD which I don’t have, the cell phone on which no one calls, and the computer which I do have and use for research and curiosity, for Imdb stats during the movies the church leadership is encouraging me to leave on the shelf, for … I just love to type and click. Click. And type. Love it.
I need meds.
The unplug theory actually fits in with my New Year’s monolog of the ToDo list. We wanted to read more which meant that to get the yarn projects rolling, Honey has read aloud, not during commercials which is when I used to do my homework in high school, but with the tube off. Except for Fringe, Bones, House, 24, etc.
Maybe tomorrow either before or after Criminal Minds and CSI: New York. Oh, there I go again. How about Friday? There’s basically nothing on. Particularly on the Family package. Or… is the idea to sacrifice? Is Barak the first post-American president of the new USSA? The answers are obvious.
In a sincere effort to take that dramatic first step, I just shut off the TV. Never mind that I wasn’t interested in what was on, nothing else was on, I’m typing anyway, it’s 10pm, Honey is crashing and won’t be reading, and I have to get some sleep as I need to get in to work early tomorrow. But it’s a start.
This isn’t easy for a person who was introduced to the exciting world of television at the age of 3, to a medium that swept the world, a person who’s first friend was Howdy Doody.
I wonder, if I had all the hours back I’ve spent in front of the television, living in a world of someone else’s pretense, how long would I have to live to use them?
Call in bed-head
chirp. chirp. twitterrrrrrrrr. chirp.
That’s the sound of the smoke alarms without power. Doesn’t it make perfect sense to equip a house with smoke alarms that don’t work after a house fire takes out the power? We didn’t have a fire. But the power did go out about 4am.
Tennessee hardly ever is cold. When I say cold, after 29 Minnestoa winters, I’m not talking about a range of 25 to 44 degrees above zero. People here call that chiiiiiiiiilly in 3 syllables. To me, 25-44 says “coat.” Below 25, down to 15 is coat and gloves. Below that, add a scarf, but the hat is optional if your hair is like mine and you brave all to spare the do. Boots seldom applied especially when my destination was dress-up. Boots are in the basket with the candles and the inedible forgotten candy bars in the trunk in case I’m stranded. I wasn’t so tough as I was fast between building and car.
Single digits, yea even, single syllables, says “cold.” The temp on the porch is 10, outside the north window is 9.
While I was having wierd dreams with chirps and twitters, the power came back briefly for about 5 minutes during which Honey started the coffee pot and jumped in the shower. I woke up about 6, wondering if I was blind, found the flashlight and found Honey in the shower in the dark. “Thaaank yooou.” I’ll find the lanterns. Why isn’t this one staying lit? Oh. The tail of the wick isn’t in the oil. Duh.
The power hadn’t been off long enough for the interior temperature to come close to the exterior 9 and 10 numbers, but give it time. Choices. I could basin bathe, and dress by lantern light, or call in bed-head and dive for the still warm comforter cuddly bed.
“Power’s on.” The lights being on were the first clue?
Add to list: more firewood, another 2 lanterns, matches, batteries, charcoal. Certainly not toilet paper, bread, and milk. Those are gone before I get off work since the S word (snow) has been issued over the air waves.
A Cool Blog Chain
I copied the list from Angie. She highlighted in blue what she’d done in the list. I will comment in red on each that applies to me in some way.
You didn’t really think I’d play it straight, did you?
1. Started your own blog, –Or you wouldn’t be reading it
2. Slept under the stars– On lumpy ground, did not sleep well, won’t do again
3. Played in a band –Does Jr.High band qualify? Oh, you mean a real one.
4. Visited Hawaii –No, but I plan on staying in a Holiday Inn Express someday
5. Watched a meteor shower –Always too late
6. Given more than you can afford to charity –Once but no regrets
7. Been to Disneyland/world –Once but the kids were too small to remember
8. Climbed a mountain –Many times in a car, once on a cograil
9. Held a praying mantis –I think so
10. Sang a solo –Thought I’d die and sounded like it was seconds away
11. Bungee jumped –Trampoline
12. Visited Paris –On the list
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea –How about a really big lake?
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch –Is crochet an art?
15. Adopted a child –Should have
16. Had food poisoning –Tossed Orange Crush in New Mexico
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty –Senior trip
18. Grown your own vegetables –Do Mom’s count? Mine are runts
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France –No, but I did see The DaVinci Code twice
20. Slept on an overnight train –Slept on train seats at night but no berths
21. Had a pillow fight –At multiple slumber parties and with the sisters
22. Hitch hiked –Picked up hitch hikers
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill –May have started out a little sick
24. Built a snow fort –Many times
25. Held a lamb –Not many sheep in Cameron
26. Gone skinny dipping –Memory washed clean
27. Run a Marathon –Why?
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice –I’ll bet the sailboat on Lake Pickerel smelled better
29. Seen a total eclipse –Through a box
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset –Many at the lake in Minnesota. Want to see the pictures?
31. Hit a home run –Tried, failed, repeatedly
32. Been on a cruise –Speedboats and row Boats
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person–adding to list
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors– Gettin’ close
35. Seen an Amish community –Got lost in Iowa looking for one. How do you get lost in Iowa?
36. Taught yourself a new language– Some pig latin, forgot most of it
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied –The two are not associated
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person –It’ll fall
39. Gone rock climbing –Does stumbling over rocks trying to climb the aforementioned partial mountain apply?
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David –Not without a license.
41. Sung karaoke –No freakin’ way
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt –Yes and it wasn’t faithful, it was 30 min late
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant –planning on it
44. Visited Africa –don’t like seeing animals eat each other and head for me next
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight –Must have been after losing memory skinny dipping
46. Been transported in an ambulance –There’s still time
47. Had your portrait painted –that boat sailed years ago
48. Gone deep sea fishing –Sorry, just perch in Minnesota.
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person –Was that in The DaVinci Code too?
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris –been to the top of the Empire State in the fog
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling –Tried without training, nearly drowned
52. Kissed in the rain– Kissed a few frogs—rain, sun, and snow
53. Played in the mud –As a child much to Mom’s displeasure
54. Gone to a drive-in theater –Frequently when I was under 12 and several buck nights after that
55. Been in a movie –home movies, mostly with the kids at hockey games
56. Visited the Great Wall of China –Canceled the trip after I heard there aren’t any rest rooms
57. Started a business –Working on it
58. Taken a martial arts class –HA EE YAH! (no)
59. Visited Russia –no fun after they picked off the Czar
60. Served at a soup kitchen –Served chili in a homeless shelter once
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies –Counted, delivered, collected. Will never do that again!
62. Gone whale watching –Sorry, just perch in Minnesota.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason –There’s still time
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma –Every time the bus shows up
65. Gone sky diving –Waiting for senility
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp –A goal
67. Bounced a check –Unknowingly. Forgive me.
68. Flown in a helicopter –too loud
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy –They’re in the spare room
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial –Senior trip
71. Eaten Caviar –Didn’t like it
72. Pieced a quilt –Watched Mom
73. Stood in Times Square– Senior trip
74. Toured the Everglades –Voluntarily? ain’t gonna happen!
75. Been fired from a job –Specify which one
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London –They’re such party animals, I can’t wait
77. Broken a bone –Had my heart broken a few times
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle –Rode briefly on one while pregnant, it broke down and we had to walk home
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person –1967
80. Published a book –Working on it
81. Visited the Vatican –Really low on the list
82. Bought a brand new car –Do demos count?
83. Walked in Jerusalem –Really high on the list
84. Had your picture in the newspaper –The kids have
85. Read the entire Bible –Skipped around a lot but don’t know if I’ve read every word
86. Visited the White House –Senior trip but couldn’t go in. Took a group picture on the lawn
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating –Watched parents kill a lot of chickens
88. Had chickenpox –As a baby
89. Saved someone’s life –Don’t know
90. Sat on a jury –Got out of it twice
91. Met someone famous –By whose definition of famous–famous like around town? Met the mayor at the VFW
92. Joined a book club –And canceled and joined and canceled and joined…
93. Lost a loved one –Parents and a brother
94. Had a baby –Two full term, one miscarriage
95. Seen the Alamo in person –Saw the movie…
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake –and get all salty?? No!
97. Been involved in a law suit –Not yet.
98. Owned a cell phone –Many
99. Been stung by a bee –Sixteen yellow jackets on bare legs. Boy, did I dance
Winding down
Short evening. I back up Sandi at work. She’s been out since December 30th. So Pam has to pitch in as 2nd backup so we can keep up. Pam was out today. I went in 45 min early after my hair appointment and stayed an hour and a half late. Tomorrow is early as mere self defense so I don’t have to stay late on a Friday.
I got home at 8:00. I have two ToDos. One is keep working on the afghan and the other is to order checks. So far, I ‘ve found a good rerun, commented on a blog, and am blogging. I need to wash and condition my face too.
Come to think of it, this is a short po
What would have happened if
I’ve wasted scraps of time here and there since I can remember wondering what would have happened if.
If I’d run away that night I overheard Mom and my sister talking about me. I was 15. How far would I have run? Where? Would my mother’s life have changed after I broke her heart and/or scared her spitless?
If I’d let Ron What’s-his-name take me home from the dance. I figured out later that he had plans for me.
If I’d studied more.
If I hadn’t gone to Minnesota or if I’d said yes to the Air Force guy and no to Honey.
These are thoughts that drift in and out sitting on the porch swing on a lazy summer Sunday or like now at 10:20pm on a rainy night keeping watch on the fireplace and looking for something, anything on TV. Lest you misunderstand, there are no regrets. I just have an overactive imagination.
I’ve mentioned to many that there are many books in me. Tonight I can think of only one, one I’d like to re-write. It was a paperback, a story of a boy with multiple endings. The reader chooses from two options. At the end of each chapter, you make the decision and the author directs you to a particular page for the rest of the story. Some consequences are good, some bad. It was a science fiction genre. Some endings took him on a space ship. Another ended his life before he made it home from school.
Choices.
I want to play with real life choices, not necessarily the ones I could have made, but scenarios from other people’s lives. That’s another option. I could think of someone I knew and re-write his or her life several different ways.
Now it’s 10:27. It’s still raining, the embers are whispering, the TV defines boring, and I have an early hair appointment tomorrow. I need some knee time with God, during part of which I will be asking guidance in choosing wisely with scissors hanging over my head.
Flash
225 Minnesotans have been strong-armed into putting a pornography author, former bad comedian, and failed talk show host into government. hee haw.
Gort got really big
I guess it was all those metal cockroach snacks.
I can’t believe I consumed that much popcorn salt and survived. On second thought, I haven’t lived through night yet. Jury’s till out. I’m hoping the excess sugar and caffeine in the full boar Coke counteracted it.
We used my two free Regal tickets, half of my Christmas bonus, to see The Day the Earth Stood Still. The new one. Key plot and storyline points remained although not in the same order.
The alien is still Klaatu, Helen Benson is still the female lead, there’s still a small boy, a robot named Gort and the genius mathematician, Professor Barnhart. But now Klaatu is without emotion and lacking any knowledge of human behavior, Helen is a professor of some sort of biological research, the boy is her black stepson, Prof Barnhart used to be John Cleese, and Gort is huge, several stories huge, but he still has a laser eyeball that disintegrates tanks an’ stuff. The saucer is now a glowing ball.
Also the same — alien comes to earth to save it; army tries to blow up alien, spaceship, and robot; US official refuses access to United Nations; army chases alien, woman, and boy; alien messes with Barnhart’s chalk board formula; all the lights went out and all motion stopped but it was at the very end after all the action, taking all the punch out of it.
I hope I’m not ruining too much for you. This time there were 8 people in the theatre. Last time, 6 for the Bond film, and for the X-Files, we were two of three people. The 3rd looked like he might have forgotten his foil hat in the trunk. I’m afraid theatres may be on the short list of doomed Americana, buried next to drive-ins.
We went to Wal Mart after the movie to look for the dark country blue yarn. None. But I remembered the nail polish remover and found a deep fat fryer while Mr. I’ll Wait Right HERE disappeared to the deli for some BBQ’d chicken chunks.
“Hey, it’s not a loss. We got this fryer for what we didn’t spend on a free movie we would have otherwise rented in 6 months.” Now we won’t have to rent or buy it.
On the possitive side, it had fantastic special effects and a good story. What made me want to spew salty popcorn right at them was that according to the alien, people are evil by virtue of their very existence. The earth is worth saving and can be done by ridding it of the evil, polluting, destructive, horrid, vile, disgusting, methane tooting human race. The original was concerned with man’s discovery of nuclear power and our habit of warfare. The concern is still valid today, google Korea and Iran. Nuclear holocaust can and may poison the earth for decades if not centuries — all man’s fault. This version concentrates on, but doesn’t use the phrase “manmade climate change.” A pox on them and their ilk. Much profanity is deserved and applies here to the arrogant, brainwashed chicken littles who insist that man is even capable of totally destroying earth with greenhouse gases, a fatal quantity of which has not yet been precisely measured because we don’t have 2 clues how much is up there let alone how much is bad. (sheesh!)
Why couldn’t they have said “Klaatu barada nickto” — even once? Because Gort …. no, I won’t ruin it for you.
No Resolutions
I prefer a comprehensive ToDo list. I reserve the right to add, rearrange, and/or cross off. Flexibility, opportunity, and inspiration will rule. On the list is a new program for muscle toning. I’m tired of the lose weight phrase. Hopefully with gradual habit building regularity, the energy level will increase allowing for additional efforts in better weather. The continued heel pain–to be addressed this month–currently prohibits cardio on the NordicTrack.
10:05 am. So far I’ve slept past 8:00, put on a bathrobe, eaten breakfast, opened a couple of organic recipe books looking for cleansing cream and lotion recipes. More about that later. I cleaned up the blog side bar a bit, adding 3 or so links, deleting as many, and hiding a few. A nice start. I was reviewing the blog links and liked what I saw on (oh, I forget which–go fish). “I resolve in 2009 to procrastinate more. I’ll start tomorrow.”
Next is taking down the rest of the tree — the top section was blocking the dining room clock I use when I’m fixing face and hair so I decapped it leaving the angel, already on a string from the ceiling, looking like she’s been rescued by a helicopter.
Last week I started the new dining room color in the corner next to the kitchen. The sample indicated a more tan khaki but on the wall it turns to a more greenish tan khaki. This is actually a good adjustment as it cooperates nicely with the kitchen olive green and gives the stuck-on-for-life border a new look. The paint project will continue on an inspiration basis until completed. Deal.
Today, or this weekend, I want to prioritize the cream and lotion project. Standing on the sore heel governs the time spent at the stove. I bought the ingredients to use when the kids were here so they could take some home. Now I have to hustle to include it in the shipment. I also bought them a bottle of multi-purpose essential oils for massage, moisturizing, whatever feels good. I may just have to buy myself one of my own, or keep theirs since I didn’t tell them about it. Let me think.
Two organic links are introduced. EWG is for Environmental Working Group. I linked directly to the skin page. You can enter a product and they will rate it green for least harmful to red for don’t smear this carcinogen on you or your kids. Avon and Oil of Olay get the most red circles. Aveeno gets the most green. The danger and damage is in direct relation to the quantity of mineral oil and other petroleum derived ingredients. When in doubt, and you can’t get to a computer in the middle of the store, remember “if it’s off the shelf, and you’re not in an organics store, it has petro-chemicals in some quantity.”
Petroleum ingredients perpetuate the condition the product claims to cure by clogging pores which produces irritation requiring the need for more product. Vaseline is the waste product of petroleum. It’s safe to say if the name has the word Vaseline in it, don’t buy it for any contact with your skin. It may be ok for your tires, but not you. Link to the other new site I found for further explanation.
Finding my foot cream recipe, also wonderful on dry legs, elbows, and knees, and creating a lighter weight cream for hands and neck (should I scent it with jasmine or ylang-ylang?) is definitely on the top of the ToDo list next to taking down the Christmas decorations.
Another ToDo is get back to the omega-3 for overall blood heath, glucosamine-chrondroitin for joints, grape juice for antioxidants, one aspirin, my Prilosec, and that’s a lot to swallow. Maybe add some zinc for cold and flu resistance. Zinc is the main ingredient in Zicam, by the way.
I also want to increase the alone time with God. It’s a bad habit to catch that last 10pm crime scene program after Honey crashes an hour earlier than I do. As long as I’m awake ….
World events can wear you out. But……… we are in the world even though we are admonished to not be of it. Bottom line is that what’s going on eventually affects wherever you are. Staying in touch allows me to be aware, prepare, not scare. My ToDo is to pay attention to current events and compare to my other hobby of prophecy. Amazing matches so far. We are close to the second coming. I’ve compared dispensationalism to covenant theory and, like a light bulb, “Oh, yeah! I’m the D one!”
What else? I’ve listed better health awareness from the inside out and the outside in, home improvement, faith development, Bible study, and the softening of deadlines to reduce stress. Oh, yeah. The doctor. (bleck)
Goal number one nearly accomplished: I am still sitting at the computer, still in my bathrobe, and Honey has cleaned out the fireplace and packed away all but the now detopped tree. He wants to know if I want to go see The Day the Earth Stood Still today with my free tickets from work. Today or Sunday, I haven’t decided, exercising my new ToDo feature of flexibility. We’ve already had the discussion that this movie is nowhere near the beloved original of which we have a copy, beyond “an alien comes to earth to warn them” and the title. There the similarities end. Enjoy it as a new movie like we enjoyed the recent Ocean’s 11 as a new movie in which only the lead characters’ name and location remained the same. We have the new release and the original and I still miss Sammy Davis, Jr. and Peter Lawford.
There you have it so far. Maybe I’ll update on the progression of various ToDo points. If the lotion/cream project is a success, I will share.
Genealogy–when in the mood. I want to renew my Ancestry membership after the tax man cometh and goeth. Books–I could sell them by the pound and make good money. I hope to keep the bookmark warm between the lines according to mood.
Have a great New Year’s Day. And if you have tomorrow off too, good for you. We have to work, but hey, I’m glad for you. We’ll talk soon.
