reflections

Tis the season...for reflections. The year is almost over. It's been a hard year for some....what with job losses and deaths in families. No job losses for us, but death of a sister. So, I've been somewhat sad over these holidays missing my sister. In the midst of all the hubbub of visitors and cooking etc, always at the back of my mind is that we have an empty space in our heart.

I'm noted as the family optimist, so I try not to let these negative feelings get in the way of other people's fun, but I won't say it's been easy.

Travel plans...last year we visited Florida, Pennsylvania, Maryland and the Biltmore. We had visitors from PA and Fl.

Our baby, Isabel, will be two on January 1st. Where have those two years gone? Fast for her parents I know.

All the grands are growing up....J-L is 14, but still a little boy. I shouldn't say little as he's taller that all his grandparents and his Mom. Dad is still got height on him, but I'm sure it won't be long before those two are seeing "eye to eye." Anton and Chris...also growing like weeds. They haven't hit their growth spurts yet, but it will soon happen. Maura Quinn...all legs and getting taller each day. I think we may get a 6-foot girl out of her.

Presents are always a problem with the kids. We don't buy toys...never have...books when they were younger, clothing now and then. Our gifts to the younger members of the family have always been $$$ for their college funds. As we have a teen and another one coming up this year, those college days will be here sooner than one might imagine.

With 5 grandchildren...Christmas gets expensive...they also get a smaller $$ gift for birthdays. We know that none of the children needs anything...toywise or otherwise...lucky kids, so we are happy to contribute to future college expenses. Who knows how expensive it will be by the time Isabel is ready for college. If her mom is still working at Pitt, they should get a little tuition break. Anton says he's going to get a sports scholarship. One can only hope.

We know that however it happens...all theses children are college bound. They are all bright. We thank the Lord for their health each day.

And for our own health also. Health problems come with age but at the moment, we are "holding back the devil" healthwaise.

No one knows what next year will bring. The New Year's baby is coming tomorrow night. I personally don't ever want to know what's coming around the corner. I just want to face each challenge with grace and dignity.

As I told an aquaintance when she asked how my year had been...."It had it's ups and downs...like everyone's." We just pray for more ups than downs. Till next time.

Maura as Mary/xmas eve

I always said I wouldn't go to the Children's Christmas Eve Mass unless Maura got to be Mary because it's very hectic. However, this was the year she got to carry the Baby and put him in the manger. She was the "Theotokis" the God Bearer...Mary in the program. She looked sweet and did her job well. The Mass was beautiful...Father Pat Kibby had a great Children's homily...we are all called to be angels...and the best part...Mass was over at 5 p.m. and we got to go home for an early evening.

The Florida Steinmetzes were here. It was a lovely day. We waited for Joan and family to come to exchange gifts. The boys were unhappy with the delay, but "patience is a virtue" so they survived the wait.

I got to practice with my new camera. Carla (our photo expert) has given me some lessons on putting the pictures on the computer and I will practice when I am alone. I told Carla that I might need to call her for some updating, but for this moment, I do know how to do this thing.

Some of my art students are very good photographers and they tell me that once I learn this skill, I will be able to print photos for art projects. For now I'll just practice.

It's been a fun few days here in Music City. Bill, Carla and boys are off to visit Aunt Marilyn for New Years Eve. We have enjoyed having them with us. Saturday, after Christmas, we all went to the movies. We saw Sherlock Holmes and dad and I opted not to see the next film which Joan,Maura, and Florida Steinmetzes all saw...a prequel of the chipmunks...I think.

Got to go...till next time.

Catching Up

Hey, gang. Al is getting ready to play golf in a tournament for the food bank. Admission price is 15 cans of something for them. I'm sure he took a whole lot more than 15 cans. That's next weekend. As for me...today is the set-up day for the Arts Show at church. I've got 20 paintings of various sizes and 6 "wearable" art pieces. The wearable stuff are scarves. I hope I sell something...but even if I don't...there are no chance for sales if your creativity is "under the bed."

My art class at the Senior Center is almost over for this season...two more sessions. Then we won't start again until after the holidays. There isn't any use trying to have class when you have 2 major holidays in 2 months. I would be ready, but my students wouldn't.

The next project is to take crochet and knit pieces to the local Hermitage library for display in December. My crochet group has lots of stuff to put in the cases. They have 2 closed cases and although we don't get to put the display up....we will have lots to brag about. I am even going to put in a piece that Kathy Brown gave me. Just to include her in the display. We have about 10 (off and on) ladies that come on Mondays....usually 5 or 6 each week. I'll be writing up a short piece on the history of the group and our charity efforts.

A couple of weeks ago several of us went to THE BIG STITCH which in conjunction with national volunteer week had to goal of knit/crochet (ing) 2500 hats for different agency's needs during the winter...Cancer chemo caps...and baby hats for hospitals, etc. The day ended with the grand total of 2460 hats. Of course...most of the people who attended the day's events brought hats with them....you can't get 2460 hats out of 100 stitchers in only one day...but that was a successful event. Lots of fun, too.

Tomorrow is Joan and Maura's fall festival. The king and I will be attending and putting our bids in on the silent auction. I always think that because we go so early we won't be winning any bids, but usually Al bids enough on "golf stuff" that he gets a call telling him that he is the winner!!! Lots of fun there.

Got the property taxes last month and I paid them even though they weren't due until February. My friend says she never pays them till the last day, but I'm just like my Mom...I get a bill and hardly open it up before the checkbook is out and the payment is "in the mail." I can't stand having a bill unpaid.

It has been suggested that we pay our bills on line, but I guess I'm just too old fashioned. I like writing the checks and mailing them. As this is my habit over the years I've never had to pay a late penalty.

Yesterday was a sad day in Texas. We live in a strange world, don't we?

I'll close for now. Till next time

Busy Days

As the title implys...these are busy days here on the ranch. We are getting ready for our arts show at St. Stephen. I've been put in charge of publicity. I wouldn't dislike this job so much except that it just creeps along. You can't do it all in one day. It seems that for the past two weeks I've been e-mailing and taking news releases to places (you have to get it in for publication not too early--not too late). So at this point...after checking with the chairperson...we've decided that I've done my job. Yeah!

That's only part of it. I've also been getting frames and putting demar varnish on paintings and opps...did I forget to sign that one? So that's been hanging over my head. I've about got a handle on that chore.

Then a couple of friends asked me if I'd like to go in with them on a booth to try to sell some of the crochet items we produce. Sure, why not.

Trying to get some baby afgans done for Caring Choices. Taking a dozen of them today to give to them.

What else? Well, with all the art stuff I've been doing these past couple of weeks..I decided yesterday that it was time to "red up" the studio. What a mess. I clean it up and in a few short weeks, I can hardly get to my work station. Yesterday, I spent 2 hours "neatening up" the place. I hope it will last till Christmas.

What with recycling and teaching art and fussing with another person who uses the art room I've been very busy. I had to remind this person that we all had to cooperate and he wasn't the only "game" in town. He had a big sign on one of the cabinets...Don't block the doors. I thought he had a lot of nerve.

Today is reading day at the talking library. One of our regular readers is out because of surgery. She's a nice person...she says I'm the resident Catholic and she's the resident Jew. Larry our other reader is an athiest? I'm sure I didn't spell that right. Any how it's just me and Larry till Hillary returns from sick leave. Hill is the nicest person. I like her a lot.

Keeping up with Uncle John in Maryland. He seems to be keeping busy. We will have a houseful at Thanksgiving. Hope he will come too. He's thinking about it.

So, with all this activity, I've not blogged for several weeks. I've caught y'all (as we say in the South) up now. Write you again soon. Bye for now.

Just for J-L

I must admit when I read J-L had left his textbook at the Dr's office...I thought that boy should start being more responsible for his "stuff." After all, he won't always have his mom to pick up after him. In a few short years he'll be heading off to college and with no mom or dad to pick up the slack...he'll be in big trouble.

Alas, after those judgemental thoughts, I remembered I had left a library book at my doctor's office and had to return to retrieve it later in the day. Where was my brain that day?

So, J-L, I must appologize and try to be more responsible myself. You go, kid.

Love, Grandma S.

The joys of motherhood

Having just read Carla's blog of a few days ago....what a day! I had to reply. And we thought it was all going to be cookies and milk being a mom. I think that moms with only one kid maybe, just maybe are the cookies and milk moms, but the rest of us...the ones with jobs and more than one kid and the never ending chores that call us to pick up kids, get groceries, talk to bosses, send packages, (etc. etc. etc. as the King says) just have those days.

The situation (I was going to say problem, but that's not the right word) is that the days stack up and before we know it we haven't had time to write a letter or read a book. Been there...done that.

I have to confess that now that I'm past all the mothering stuff...well, in age, but not in mind...I thought I'd finally become someone that "has it all together." Wrong.

Wrong, because now that I have a moment to contemplate my navel I forget where my navel is. Ha.

This past week I had a appointment for my annual mammogram. This is always a fun activity, especially for those of us with something to gram. I made the appointment a couple of months ago and it was for a Saturday. Hmmmm. Saturday. I didn't know they were open on a Saturday. The appointed hour came and naturally being a Steinmetz, nee Joyner, I was a half hour early. The hospital was dark...Oh, well, I'm early. I'll just read my book till someone turns the lights on.

I read and I read and I read. Finally I looked at my watch. It was a half hour past the magic hour of my appointment. Everything was still dark. I went up to the sign-in door and read a big sign that said....closed on Saturday.

So, where in the heck was I supposed to be...certainly not where I was. I went home and decided I'd have to investigate on Monday. When Monday arrived I called and was told that mammograms were now done at Sarah Cannon (that's Minnie Pearl for non Nashvillians) Imaging center. SC is right next door to the hospital. And then the nice lady on the phone told me that I had gone to SC the year before for my mammogram. I felt left a dumb dora. After she said that I vaguely recalled going home last year and telling the husband that the new center was like a spa...dim lights, nice music...pleasant people...new imaging technology that made the whole experience not so bad. But until she told me of last year's visit...there was nothing up in the brain re. that experience. My brain is a sieve.

I'm telling you...the mind is a terrible thing to waste. It's a good thing I don't have to schlep kids to various and sundry appointments these days. Kids need us working on all cylindars. Hope Carla's next day was better.

Reading the Steinmetz blogs tells me that the Steinmetz family is busy as ever. Love to all from Mom, Mother in law and Grandma.

exercise,,,ugh

wSo," says my friend eying my pink Curves tee shirt with 1000 on the front. "what does that mean? It means I've gone to Curves 1000 times, I answer.
"Wow," she says..."you must really like it.
Truthfully I answer I hate to exercise, but I do it because it's good for my heart. (Not to mention how fat I'd be if I wasn't a regular member.) I'm not a good exerciser. I'm tall but not athletic. (Sorry,kids..I've given you no athletic genes.) No, I did not play basketball or volleyball or any other team game. I can't think of anything I'd like to do less than chase a golf ball around a course. I go to Curves. I've been a member for lots of years now.
I'm the person waiting at the door for Curves to open in the morning. It's difficult for me to go later in the day. My Grandma once told me that when you don't like to do something (like ironing) it's best to do it first thing in the morning and get it out of the way. Words of wisdom. So I go early and get exercising out of the way. That way I don't feel guilty later in the day because I know I won't go at 2 or 4 in the afternoon or 5 in the evening.
As I leave after my workout I tell fellow Curvers...if you aren't sweating, you aren't working hard enough.
Besides, as we all know...a person can do anything for a half hour. I'm glad I go to Curves. The people are nice and there are all ages, shapes and sizes. We wear any old thing and every once in a while someone says...how much weight have you lost....you look great. I know that they are just being kind, but I like it any way.

Note to the Birthday Boy...Happy birthday, Bill. I can't believe you are going to be 43. You always were a sweet little boy and you grew up to be a fine man. Dad and I are proud of you. Love, Mom.