Books, Movies, and Sunshine

 I had run out of books to read this week and went to my available audio list on our library website.  I picked two to read.  The first one was Too Much And Never Enough:  How My Family created the World' Most Dangerous Man by Mary Trump, a cousin of Donald.  It was, as expected, disturbing and disgusting but explains a lot.  I don't even want to talk about it.

What is interesting is that the former book was about a person who tried his best to destroy our country's democracy, and the second was about what real life was like for many people after a dictator actually gained his power and did his best to destroy the world.

I have read much about the Holocaust and know what to expect when I read about it and usually avoid the subject, especially when I'm in a vulnerable spot emotionally - like the past year!

Something drew me to this book, though, and I figured I could always stop listening if it got too much for me.  From the very first page, it drew me in.  The story, the reader's voice, the almost poetic cadence of it.  It is a beautiful story in spite of the horrible subject matter.  The fact that it was based on a real person's memories made it more real to me than just facts.  I finished the book in two days.

This is a review that goes into more detail and explains the confusion between what's real and what's not real in the story - or what's unknown.  The basic story is there, however, with all its horror, and it makes me wonder how people can turn into such monsters.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/08/books/tattooist-of-auschwitz-heather-morris-facts.html

I can't remember if I've mentioned the movies I've watched, but my favorite has to be the British series Last Tango in Halifax.  I did some binge watching on that because I started to miss the families of Alan and Celia and all the chaos they created.  Such a sweet love story.  I did have to leave the English subtitles on or risk missing some of the conversation.  

I had not heard of Derek Jacobi, but after seeing him in this series, I want to watch other things he's been in.  I do that.  I find an actor or actress I enjoy and get obsessed with watching everything I can with them in it.  Along with Jacobi, I'm looking up some more Maggie Smith and Ian McKellan things.  I'm not sure they can beat Colin Firth though for watchability.  

I don't have time to go back and remember the other movies I've watched - or tried to watch and rejected.  

It has been a nice week with lots of sunshine and warm-ish weather.  I got my two PT sessions over with early this week, on Monday and Wednesday, and I believe I'm improving.  The cardiologist visit was yesterday, and he wasn't too upset about my lack of being in rhythm and said we would keep on watching the way I felt and discuss a few more options in a couple of months.  I don't feel great when I first wake up, not a lot of energy, but I think I'm doing okay.  I want to get my arm completely healed and then attack these heart issues.

I walked across the street to the hospital from the PT building and found this lovely place for waiting.  I wouldn't have minded waiting a little bit longer.

I got my dentist visit out of the way today and just heard, "We'll watch this place and that place but don't think anything needs to be done now."  This is a new dentist for me, and I think I like him, as well as the hygienist.  I like a wait-and-see dentist at my age. If nothing hurts, then I'm okay.  

Another pretty drive to North Bend.

I can't wait for the day when I wake up on Monday morning and realize I don't have any medical appointments.  

I got to see the girls a little bit yesterday.  Graysen was about to have her piano lesson.  They're still a little excited about Harry Potter.

We sat on a bench in the front yard and soaked up that sunshine.  Katherine hung a bunch of Barbies on a little tree, and we caught up on our week.  Once that sun went behind the cloud, we were all scurrying back inside to stay warm.

They were off for a playdate when Emily got home with two more sisters, Noelle and Cora.  I'm glad they remembered their coats and hope there's some Ugg cleaner at home.  

While we're waiting for blooms, my neglected amaryllis bloomed for the second time.  Elise keeps us in tulips lately, and this pink arrangement in my bedroom is pretty springy and cheery today.

Memories:  

7 years ago today, I was having to wait for pictures from Emily to see this baby.

And I've just been threatened that if I don't go out for a walk right now, the family will be by to walk me.  So I'm outa here.

I Can't Come Back

 I will come back when I have more of a life than doctor visits.  I may even come back tomorrow, but it's so hard to think about writing anything here day to day.

This has been a good week though.  I've taken very few pictures and can't remember half of what's happened, but I do know it was pretty exciting to have a warm-ish week.  Sunshine on several days and temps almost to the 60s.  It got everybody out and in good moods.

Yesterday it was a little gloomy, but I decided I would get outside.  Emily called and said that she and the girls were walking to the UPS store to mail a package and did I want to go.  Since the UPS store is visible from my living room window, I figured I couldn't go wrong.

I went down to wait for them and ended up sweeping the garage entrance and throwing away a few boxes.  While I was there, Noreen called and said she had been picking up a food box from somewhere - food bank? She is more up on where things are happening - and had an extra one for me.  It was good to see her for those few minutes and get some nice apples and cheese and lots more goodies.  She also gave me a big butternut squash which I sent home with Emily since they're more likely to cook it than me.  Graysen tucked it into her bicycle basket and said, "Mama, you're not going to EVER cook this.  It's my baby."  

Looks like the baby has found a good home.  Katherine was a little upset that she didn't have a baby too, so I wonder how Emily compensated for that!

This child has a long history of squash babies.

Both girls are at a Harry Potter birthday party today.  Two weeks ago, they had no interest in Harry.  Now that this birthday is happening, their bedtime reading has been the first Harry Potter book.  Graysen is loving it.  Katherine is a little overwhelmed with all the fantasy (like her Mimi!).  She told Emily she needed to walk around while she listened to it!  I've requested pictures from the party.

What a fun time.  Looks like they were making their own cups/mugs?  

The birthday girl is on the left in front, Ellis, and she's 6 now.

I don't even know what they're doing here.

My own little Hogwart!

Two sister sets.  They're in school together every day, so they've probably become more like 4 sisters.

I said good-bye this week to my first real-car-of-my own.  All other cars have been family cars, but this one was mine from the beginning and a good car too. 

I bought it one day, and within a day or so, I was driving it from Georgia to South Dakota to visit with Emily and the Binderts.  It was also my first trip that far alone, and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I was going to. 

Their cute little house.  Such good memories.  They even had a little garden in the back. 

Mike and I had some good adventures on the Rendezvous.  He called it the "tall car" because of the square appearance. I liked the fact that it was easy to find in parking lots. 

I drove it to New York next to visit my friend Karen and stayed in another cute little  guest house.  

That was a good adventure, but I've always regretted allowing a bottle of newly-purchased apple cider to roll around under the front seat all the way from NY to TN where the explosion occurred.  The tall car was never the same after that.  I was probably the only car with fruit flies going in and out of the windows in October.  Or any time, really.

It served us well, hauling gardening things and dogs and cats and making a good many trips to Texas when Mike was working there.  The best times we had were when we decided we could drive to Washington from Alabama and have fun doing it.  I lost count of the times we crossed the country, but we took several different routes and tried to see as much of the country as we could.  I'm especially thankful for those memories of good times.  

The only time I let Mama drive it to see some friends in Andalusia (she was in her late 80s), she leveled a mailbox across the street from my in-laws, and I think that was the same day I backed into a truck at the fabric shop in Cantonement.  Even with back-up beeps.  

Once we got here to stay, the old car took the cold winters in stride and looked good in her coverings of snow.  Being my car, it was never called upon to travel much when there was snow on the ground.  

I was T-boned a few years ago, and the car was officially totalled but without much visible damage.  Even with that, somehow it kept on running.  No one could tell me exactly what was wrong with it, but it kept me guessing with the different lights and warnings on the dash.  Finally, I began to worry about being stranded with the girls and started thinking about trading it for something more stable.

After a couple of years of "thinking about it," Ryan helped me make the decision to get a smaller SUV.

This is the only picture I have of it, but it's lovely to drive now that I have permission from PT.

I happened to be at Emily and Ryan's house at just the right time last Friday to get my last glimpse of my old friend.  There may have been tears.  

We donated it to Kars for Kids, and hopefully it will continue to make someone happy.  Those passenger doors above are the ones a young guy ran into after running a stop sign - so a really good car!

When I went to North Bend to the licensing office Friday, I saw ALL the elk out near the road.  I was distracted and didn't have my camera ready, but I saw that a member of the Snoqualmie Valley FB group had taken this picture.  Hope it's okay to use.

When I passed, they were nearer the road and just so exciting to see.  Mike loved to find them out so much, and we had to stop every time to take pictures and just watch them.  

This coming week?  Looks like sunshine all week until next Saturday.  I'll be keeping busy with 2 PT appointments, a dentist appointment, and a cardiologist appointment.  Fun.  I do get to keep the girls now anytime we can manage it, so we'll be doing some nice things, I'm sure.