travels and troubles

It's been a while...We traveled to Florida to visit kids and grandkids. Lots of fun...lots of baseball games. We enjoyed ourselves. When we got home we got a call from Uncle John that Aunt Jennifer had fallen in the kitchen and broken her hip. Bad News. As Aunt Karen says...Jennifer can't get a break.
So, while away Jennifer had hip surgery and now will have to go somewhere for rehabilitation. I'm sure she is not a happy camper. We feel awful for her. We plan on visiting all the Yankees in the family toward the end of the month. I'll be glad to see Jennifer for myself. It is hard being away from Aunt Rose, and the Bennetts and also the Paters and little Isabel. I don't want to live in PA anymore, but it would be nice if we could see everyone more than twice a year. This goes for the Florida Steinmetzes also.
Today is dentist day. Al went this a.m. and I've got a 2/30 appointment.
Sunday the Quinns came for dinner. Maura was putting on her makeup in the bathroom. I think our house is the only place she gets to do that and I was hurrying her along because I needed to use the convenience when I complained about my itchy head. She said, "Grandma, maybe you have head lice."
No, I most certainly do NOT have headlice. I just have an itchy scalp. Dr. Maura couldn't give me any other diagnosis.

Got to go. Till next time.

My baby boy had a busy--tiring day

Just read Bill's blog....oh, my gosh! We get up equally as early...and we also cram much activity into our days, but (big but) we usually take naps in the afternoon. AND, we don't have to work in a day of employment into our schedules. I also had a Dr. appointment this week. Nothing serious. Blood pressure a little high, even with meds. We (she and I) are watching it.

My big chore this week was painting the bathroom doors. After a few years the white begins to look dingy and yellow. This is a job I've been telling myself had to be done for at least 2 years. It's done now and looks bright and clean. Also took the opportunity to really CLEAN the bathroom. I almost hate to go in there now as I don't want to mess it up.

The big expense for the week was a new furnace and air conditioner. Al is always proactive and our heat and air when checked the last couple of years were only working at 80 percent capacity. Bad news. So, the King decided it was time to get new. Since this HUGE purchase is coming out of my (what's mine is mine and what's his is mine, too) savings acct...I said I wanted equipment that wasn't noisy. We got quiet...the guys were here two days and did a good job. Our tax guy said if we were going to get new h/ac to make sure we got one that qualified for tax incentive next year. So, here I sit with quiet heat and air///programable controls and much less money in my acct. Oh, me....we are helping to keep the economy rolling.

Speaking of economy rolling. It looks like the Steinmetz's are doing that too...what with sports equipment, cameras...etc. Somebody has to do it, huh?

Worked in the yard yesterday. It's spring...I hope for good this time. I was going to put my couple of tomatoes in before Florida visit, but the King advised against it. He said wait till our return. As usual, (even though he doesn't think so) I'll take his advice and wait.

Got to go. Till next time....

Easter Stuff

Hope all had a beautiful Easter. We had Mass at dawn at St. Stephen. It was cold, but lovely. Our helper priest, Father Theo, is from Africa. Al and I were debating as we left home at 5:30 just how cold it would have to be for him to decide to have Mass in doors. But he was a trooper and we had it on the soccer field behind the church. Lots of people attended. I thought many of the children weren't dressed warmly enough, but that "grandma" thinking. Maura Q was dressed warmly enough, but still needed my afgan to keep warm.

Next week Maura's first Communion. She's definitely geared up for it. I told her that yesterday was her last time to be a baby. After next week, she's a young lady and must act like one. She's getting there.

Soccer for Maura was last Saturday. First game. She's enrolled in the Nazorrean league. Her team is for first and second graders. They have 9 players...6 girls and 3 boys. Of course, her team, the Blues lost 5-1, but noone seemed upset by the defeat. Lots of running around and since most of her team had only practiced twice, it wasn't expected that they would win. They looked to be having lots of fun. Joan says it's an 8-game season. One practice a week and one game.

We went to Joan's for Easter lunch. I made a couple of dishes. Maura played her Piano Guild pieces for us. I was surprised at how well she played. She had to memorize 6 little pieces. She and her teacher have already had a practice run at the testing and she did well. I'm surprised at how much she memorized. She may have a talent for the piano. J says no fussing at practicing.

What would I write about without M? How bout the boys? Only a couple more week till we visit the Florida Steinmetzes. Can't wait.

Till next time....

funny, ha ha

It might not be funny to others, but I laughed for half an hour...when I saw a commercial for a product (can't remember the name) which was intended for Parkinson's sufferers...In the warnings, which they must report also, was the note that it might induce "compulsive gambling." I thought this was exceedingly funny and told Al I was going to check his meds to see just what was making him buy those lottery tickets. That's a joke, too. He's not into lottery tickets.

Anyhow, as my lord and master says, it doesn't take much to make me laugh. I surely hope not. People who don't laugh, especially at themselves, are missing out on a lot. Laughers live longer. Well, we may not live longer, but we have more fun while we are here.

That's all, folks. Till next time.

Thanks for the slide show

Today, we visited the Steinmetz blog and saw the slide show of early baseball for Florida boys...what fun they are all having. Questions???Just how many positions does J-L play? When did Chris become a catcher? And Anton! What an asset he is to his team. I (we) will find out the answers to these and many more questions when we visit at the end of the month. Can't wait.

For us, here in middle Tennessee. We have been having crazy weather. Yesterday it was 70 degrees and I planted lettuce and beans. Today and for three days coming we are freezing and will have to cover azalias and whatever else we want to save from Jack Frost. I'm hoping these are the last days of winter.

Also in the weather department...we had storm warnings and tornado warnings last night after the sun went down. Like I say....crazy.

Nothing else much is happening. I got a call from the gals at church who encourage prospective moms. I've been crocheting baby afgans for them for a couple of years. So...the order is in for 4 afgans for upcoming blessed events. I was beginning to feel that we weren't having any babies as they hadn't called me for quite a while. Seems, the person delegated to call me dropped the ball. So, once again...my evenings are busy with baby afgans and chemo hats. It's real easy to crochet while television is on as you only need half an eye to know what is going on in the media.

As to the terrible happenings around the country re: killings for no rhyme or reason...what is in the water?

No answer to that question from this quarter.

Oh, I'm reading a book on increasing brainpower. It's all in the vocabulary. The more words you know, they smarter your IQ according to my book. Trivia info....The average adult has a vocabulary of thirty to sixty thousand words. Highly literate people may have one hundred thousand words. The English language has well over one million words. No wonder English is hard to learn. A suggestion is that every day we learn a new word...find a word we don't know...look it up in the dictionary and use it at least 5 times and it is yours forever. And that's how we increase our smarts.

Who knew I was going to write a book report. Till next time

Embarassing Moments

Hi, again. I'm stuck on embarassing moments this week. I think because Easter is upon us I'm recalling the MOST embarassing moment of my life....thus far, that is. (I'm sure I'll have many more.) This is the moment I call my "humbling Easter moment."

A few years ago we were having an Easter sunrise service at our church. The time came and all was in readiness on the soccer field. I was scheduled to be a "reader" that a.m. and I asked our Deacon Hans if there was anything else he wanted me to do. He said, "Pick out a couple of hymns and lead them."

No problem, I thought as I have a decent singing voice and I've sung in choir. So, Hans and I headed off to the field where Father Steve and the congregation was waiting. Mass proceeded without incident. I read my readings... Hans read the gospel...Father Steve gave an appropriate homily and then during the preparation of the alter for the sacrement...Hans gave me the high sign and I started into the hymn.....Jesus Christ is Ris'n Today. Now this hymn is well known and everyone sang along along...weakly, but along. No one had songsheets as that detail was forgotten in the anticipation of the day. Soon it appeared that no one remembered the words. I was the only one with a songbook. Soon I was singing alone. Soon I had lost the melody. I was redfaced and almost humming. Then, as Al said later, I said the dumbest thing ever. I said "Let's try the second verse." Opps. We did and they did and I did, and Hans standing beside me put his arm around me tried to give me moral support.

Alas, it was no use. I was totally embarassed. My friends and fellow congregants tried to comfort me later, but I knew the truth. Deacon Hans and Father Steve knew the truth. God knew the truth. I had totally messed up.

Walking away that a.m. I knew that God had humbled me. So much for cockiness. You can't be sure of yourself, if you are unprepared.

Of course, the next day, I was over my shame, (a little). In retrospect I thought it was funny so I told everyone at work what I had done...labeling the incident as my humbling Easter experience. Al says I'm the only person he knows who does something dumb and then tells the word. Here I am putting it into cyberspace. Am I nuts or what? That is a rhetorical question...don't answer it.

Got to go...stupid things to do....Next time I'll maybe tell you about the time the policeman stopped me for ......well, as I said...another story for another time...maybe.

I almost forgot

Hi, I almost forgot I had a blog. I've been busy this week...trying to get the yard in shape for spring/summer. Five bags of left-over leaves and twigs and cuttings collected and ready for the trashman tomorrow. We've been having iffy weather...somedays it's almost summer with 70degree days and others it's back to winter with winds and rain. I am soooooooo ready for Tennessee summer.

I read via Carla's blog that her brother Jon visited. How nice was that? As we get older and relatives get fewer, we have to keep in touch with the ones we have. Al and RoseMary talk at least 2 times a week. Jennifer and I talk about once a week. Today was one of our days. She is sounding much like her old self. She said she was going outside to "leaf". This is a chore for those of us with diciduous trees. Leaves come and leaves fall and must be picked up at some point. We commisserated with each other about that chore.

We've been in touch with our yardman. He says he's already cut some lawns but I refuse to pay to cut the grass before April. So, this week, we call him and set up a schedule for the summer.
One nice thing about the yard. Last fall I bought a lot of pansies from church and they bloomed nicely until winter hit. I thought they had all died, but they are coming back and they look lovely. What a nice surprise. I talked with a friend who knows more than I do about plants and he said they should bloom until the heat kills them. He said to enjoy them and toss them when they go. I asked if I could transplant them. He said I could, but they would still die when it got too hot.

Speaking of temps...My best temps are 65-75 and although I can tolerate higher and lower ones, those are the most comfortable for me.

The Quinns are gearing up for Maura's first communion. It's scheduled for the Sat. after Easter. Jennifer and John are heading off to MD Anderson at the beginning of April. Then, the Nashville Steinmetzes are coming to Florida to see Y'all. I'm getting anxious. Boys, get those bats going and make some good plays while we are there to see you.

Love to all. Ta, ta.