Following Up

 I covered so many things last week that I wanted to remember what happened to our plans and some new things to record.

Unfortunately, this whole week was spent in (unnecessarily) worrying about my wisdom tooth extraction.  It was just so strange, this need for surgery when most people get theirs out young.  I'm not even sure if I mentioned any details here.  I'm sure I did, but I don't want to take the time to find out what.  After I had a routine dental cleaning last year, I developed some sort of abnormality in my far left gum area - where a wisdom tooth had been found during surgery about 15 years ago for removal to be fused to my bone and "impossible" to take out.  My current surgeon had no trouble and wondered why that happened, but I just went with the flow, and they took out the tooth next to my impacted wisdom tooth.  No trouble all those years until then, and even then it wasn't uncomfortable - just a small area where it felt like a tooth was coming in.  I waited until the next 6-month appointment and went back, only to get sent to an oral surgeon.

Having had osteopenia and maybe likely osteoporosis now, I was twice on Fosamax and Alendronate to help with the thinning of my bones, which can also be troublesome in later years when it somehow affects your older bones, especially your jawbones.  Two dentists have mentioned it to me, and, of course, I had added it to my worry section of the brain that in case I ever had to have jaw surgery, I might be in trouble.  So here I was looking it right in the eye and imaging all sorts of bone grafts and years of healing - if not worse - especially when I heard the word biopsy in the surgical instructions.  I'm not making light of this.  I haven't heard from the biopsy yet, but I have more faith in the surgeon after having the procedure done and talking to him.  Or having Emily talk to him since I don't even remember seeing him the day of the surgery.  

There will be no pictures ever of me with my mouth full of gauze and an ice pack wrapped around my head like a big white hairband, but I was not too concerned.  I asked Emily if I was too crazy on the way home, and she said I was just normal, which somehow doesn't answer that question.  She said we did talk about medieval broth and chicken bones once though.

I think the worst part of the whole day was the IV, and I'm usually preparing for the serious faces and sometimes panic on the faces of people who take my blood samples or put in IVs.  Mama's veins were the same way, and I think it's harder on the phlebotomistsfd than us.  No one seemed too worried, but after tries in both arms, the first nurse gave up and turned me over to the other one.  They were gentle, and it didn't bother me, but they were so concerned and kept bringing up subjects they thought would distract me.  When they found out I had cats, they entertained me with tales of their cats and asked questions about mine, but it just didn't work.  I offered up the backs of my hands as a choice, and I'm really not sure why they were reluctant to try there.  When I had my cataract surgery this summer, that happened fairly soon, and on the next visit, they just went straight to my hand.  They must have had a stricter schedule than this office.

After a few more tries, the nurses decided the doctor could come try.  She was very sweet, and her name was Dr. Brown, but she was not my surgeon.  I just kind of go along with things and figured out they knew which was which.  She finally found a vein on the side of my arm near my elbow, which is a new spot, but it worked, and that took care of getting me ready for anesthesia.  I was really a little concerned there would be talk of having something that didn't require an IV, but that would be a deal-breaker for me.  Anything to do with bones, I do not want to be awake at all.  Or with my mouth open.  Before I realized that they would not have to go to another medical office to find someone else, Dr. Brown asked me to take some deep breaths for her to test it.  The next thing I remember is someone telling me to open my eyes, that they were going to get a wheelchair.  I was still under the impression we were still waiting on a vein, so I said, "Where are we going?"  Dumbest question of the day!  Answer was, we're finally getting this troublemaker out of our office!  

So I've been home, pretty much alone and even out for a few hours of babysitting yesterday without a single bit of pain.  The bleeding stopped within 12 hours probably, and I've just had a dull headache in spite of taking some Advil for any expected discomfort.  There's something about getting through an ordeal that you've dreaded and realizing you've survived it that give you (me, anyway) an extra shot of adrenaline.  I can't remember what I did, but I first got some food that Emily made for me as soon as we got home.  I think it was awful boxed chicken broth - that I added nothing to,  Maybe some yogurt and a popsicle.  I've missed coffee and tea and all good food.  No caffeine, carbonation, or hot things for a week, so that limits me some.  I did get some little protein shakes that were not good, but I wonder if anything would have been good.  I tried making decaf coffee with some milk and part of the chocolate protein shake, and nope, that didn't do it either.  It's probably good, because anything I've tried to drink has ended up on my shirt or chin.

I think this is going to be a good day though since there's no numbness and no gauze and no ice to wear around.  I still have to swish some vile-tasting mouthwash around twice a day, but that makes me feel like any germs that got in there are being well destroyed.  

Noreen, who knows me well, gave me two little jars of Oui yogurt, which are bought not only for the flavor - mine is raspberry - but for the fact that their containers are cute little jars that you can turn into vases or anything holders.  There's also a chocolate-covered yogurt bar that Katherine and I sampled yesterday.  That's to save for when I really need a soft-foods boost.

That's been my favorite thing along with some Safeway clam chowder, which was good, but I was a little concerned over the little pieces of potato and clam in there.  It worked though and was much better than the broth.  I made a packet of cheese mashed potatoes last night which were just okay, as expected.  Emily makes good mashed potatoes, so she's promised me some of those when she has some time.

The only thing I've asked for for my birthday is that the girls take me to the Swirl down the street for a frozen yogurt.  I've been taking them there since they were old enough to hold a cup, so it's payback time.  The store has been under a couple of other names but in the same location.  I usually just supervise the cup-filling and try to avoid paying for toppings of gummy sharks and M&Ms that they know they can't finish.  I think in these 7 or 8 years, I've only gotten one taste - when they had peach - so I think it's my turn to have a real cup.  I did taste some boba things one day and like those, so I'm already planning my attack.  Our big problem will be when we'll fit it in with all their after-school activities.  It may be this weekend, but that will be even better.  

And that's enough about my head repairs.  First got the cataracts behind me - but no new glasses yet - and now have this surgery over with.  I'm still waiting to hear about the biopsy, but Emily was told my gums looked healthy, for whatever that's worth.  So we wait a little longer.  

Maybe we'll try a picnic at Mike's Tree.  I found a news article about the City of North Band planning a new development for the area.  I thought I had mentioned that here but don't see it.  Some condos and apartments have already gone up nearby, and it looks like some decisions are going to be made soon.  I hate to lose our place.  The actual tree looked bad last year and was losing limbs.  It's so special though, and just picking out another area is not going to be as nice.  Not much we can do about it, I guess, especially if the tree is dying.  That whole area is so beautiful though - the surrounding mountains and the tall fir trees, the Snoqualmie River running alongside and that big swath of pastureland perfect for little girls and a dog to run in.  I might have to find another place besides St. George's for my ashes when the time comes. 

I'm just melting some candles instead of burning them for some fall flavor and not cooking any anything.  I wonder if everyone is just tired of pumpkin bread.  The office and maintenance workers here seem so happy to get it and even come begging sometimes, but we have a whole new crew now, so who knows what I'll pick for a little gift during the autumn days - maybe cranberry bread or banana bread.  That always seems like a good breakfast gift.  I hope I'll still feeling good as we go into October.  

Noreen and I went out to eat last week at a place I went to long ago but is under new management and has a new name.  Buckshot Honey.  I didn't read the whole menu because Noreen had earlier loved the smoked brisket sandwich with "greens" on the side.  That sounded way good enough for me, so I ordered the sandwich but forgot the greens, which were collards.  I never liked those growing up better than turnip greens, which I like very much, so maybe subconsciously I forgot to order them.  She gave me some of hers, and those were the best things on the menu.  Who knew?  With vinegary bbq sauce on them - just like our pepper sauce we always had on the table growing up. 

I'm not sure what the theme is supposed to be - it says barbecue, but it's pushing the Old West theme, not the Southern barbecue flavors I'm used to.  Good sandwich though and big.  I had to bring half of it home.  The sides are where I messed up!  I got potato salad, which again was a quite different salad than I'm used to.  I discovered almost too late that it was much better with that barbecue sauce on it.  I also ordered cornbread because I love it and never get it, but alas it was not my type of cornbread.  I think it's rude to make cornbread sweet, but this was like a piece of cake.  I tried to trade it to Noreen for the collards she gave me, but she turned it down and said she was not a cornbread person.  I think maybe she needs to try another kind!  There probably wasn't a lot of that in California.  

It was a nice lunch though and good conversation, as usual.  

This is a pretty nighttime picture of it.  When I first noticed it open years ago, it was a soup and sandwich place, much lighter, but I never did eat there.  It's located in Old Snoqualmie, and it seems like I'm always just passing through to get to North Bend or taking someone to school, etc.  I'm glad Noreen introduced it to me.  There's a nice place to eat outside, but it was shaded and a bit too cool for that.  At Christmastime when they have the tree lighting night, that area is filled with open fires and good smells and carolers.  So pretty.  

We left and walked over to Carmichaels Hardware.  Again, I don't go in there much either.  It's very different - kind of like an old-fashioned general store but with a pretty well stocked, it seems, hardware store.  I'm always needing little things I would normally pick up at a Wal-Mart, but there is not one within my driving range, so if I don't want to drive to an Ace Hardware, I just order from Amazon.  As we were poking around in there looking at all the touristy and cute things just floor to ceiling, I remembered that I had a difficult light bulb for a lamp that had burned out.  It's hard to remember the right size when I'm out, but this time I did, and I found it for $4.00.  And it worked.  My last one had a little tip to it that pushed my shade sideways - along with the help of cats knocking it over.  When we first moved here, we were missing a lamp part when we unpacked along with some little electrical piece, so Mike and I went out searching for a hardware store.  He had been up here long enough to know where the nearest Wal-Mart was and wasn't willing to drive that far.  We didn't have much hope for what looked like a little gift shop, but we ended up finding just the right little parts and old-fashioned toys for the babies.  Don't ask me what, but I'm sure they were much appreciated!

I'll catch up on the girl's athletics on the next post.  They're having fun and doing well these past few weeks.       

They were over here briefly one day last week when Graysen had a day off from cross-country.  They came in and got the biggest hugs ever.  I hadn't realized how much I missed seeing them.  The soccer and cross-country events are in locations that aren't easy for me all the time, or the weather is bad, so I've had to skip those, but it looks like the weekend is going to be perfect.

Anyway, they were thrilled to see the decorations up and had to go around and admire every little thing and remember where it was last year or where we got this or that.  The little velvet pumpkins were a big hit, and they picked out 3 or 4 each to take home with them.  Then they opened a little gift bag from Aunt CC that had Halloween wigs and some candy and just trinkets - lip gloss, etc. The best thing was her critiquing of some fashion drawings they had done - Carly and Katherine mainly.  They had asked me to judge each set, and I hate doing that.  It's an awful job.  I can see their hopeful faces and have to pick one is just too hard.  It's fun for them though.  Elise had taken each doll and written her opinion of the clothes or artwork or something on the back, and they spent a long time on that.  

After all that, I got myself a cup of coffee and them a snack, and out came the books.  They take every chance they get to read, and I don't mind if I have to ask for an appointment to talk to them!  I'm so glad they love it. 

 Before long, Katherine was in the chair, and Graysen was cuddled beside me, and it was happy time.  Then Katherine looked at Graysen and patted the chair and said, "C'mere."  They are so precious to me.  I love that they have each other.  Especially when Katherine comes in and tells me she wishes she were in kindergarten where it didn't matter what she wore.  It seems that the girls in her grade (4th!) are all into "trendy" things and popularity, and she just wants to be comfortable in what she wants to wear.  I know how she feels, but I did have to admire her little short skirt and white shoes and necklace.  They are always nicely put together and clean - at first - when they go out, but they do like just pulling old shirts and soft leggings out to wear.  She said Graysen didn't care what people thought about what she wore and she wanted to be more like that.  I hope these girls never hurt someone's feeling because they aren't "in" and accept one another.  Graysen and her friends have come a long way and have gravitated toward friends that build them up instead of leave them out and criticize.

This has taken a long time, so I'm going to do some cross-country videos and soccer game ones to post next.  I don't understand all the rules and what's going on, but it's fun to watch them do what they love.  

Weekend Results

 Most of the things I mentioned last post were tried, and most of them either didn't happen or failed to have the results I wanted them to.  Luckily, no one cared.

Our trip to Mike's tree was put on hold since it had rained so many days that the field would have been soggy and not fun to picnic on.  Emily and I were busy pulling out stuff and donating and throwing away, so we were glad to have another day stuck inside.  I'm not sure what happened on Steller, but I heard a few of the comings and goings.  Graysen's team won at soccer.  Not sure about Katherine's.  No one reported.  She hates losing, and she didn't call, so I have to guess that they lost.  They just play in the rain.

The two-ingredient pumpkin bread "worked," but it was certainly nothing special.  I poured cake mix and a can of pumpkin puree into a bowl and stirred it around.  I wanted to make half for the girls without nuts and the other half with pecans, so I waited until the batter was in the pans or muffin tins to poke the nuts or chocolate chips in.  The result was an unappetizing-looking collection of muffins and a small bread.  I should have taken pictures, but I didn't.  It was quite yellow, and those chips and nuts poking out didn't do much for the appearance.  While it was warm, it tasted okay but nothing like the kind you make from scratch.  I haven't even shared any since we didn't have our picnic, and I have a few bites with coffee in the mornings.  I probably could have done a better job, now that I've tried it, but it takes just a few more minutes to make the real thing so why bother.  It's just as quick to run down to Safeway and get something already made.  In fact, Carly, my former upstairs neighbor, brought me a box of pumpkin biscotti from Trader Joe's Sunday morning.  Her dad is a sucker for seasonal goodies and is always sharing what he finds with us.  That's a much better choice than what I made.

Elise and I watched Emma Saturday night.  It was the second time for me, and I loved it just as much and noticed a few things I had missed before.  It was such a nice couple of hours.  Elise made us a cup of espresso with whipped cream - espresso con panne? - and it was soooo good.  We didn't care how strong it was, and she's really good as grinding the beans just right and gauging the right amount of sugar - just as I've gotten used to drinking my coffee black. We love all Jane Austen's books and most of the movies made from them and enjoyed comparing the different ones we've seen.  

I got her to take down my box of fall decorations with the idea that I would make a wreath and see what I wanted to use.  Before I know it, she had found a home for every little acorn and pinecone, and I had to go behind her and calm it down a little bit.  I'm at a point in life where I don't like a lot of clutter and don't feel like I have to use every little decoration I've collected.  

This wreath is going to take a lot of work, but I do like the fall eucalyptus stems.  They're velvety and will look good when I do a little poking in the ends and maybe putting a bow on.  Or maybe not.  This was about halfway through, and I was still trying to tame those stray branches.

The same with Grandma's churn.  I just brought out the premade stems and poked them in the hole on top.  I was still in my pajamas, and it was cold, so I didn't want to spend any more time out there than I had to.  It will go by the front door with my ceramic pumpkin and the yellow one Elise and I thought we needed in Safeway Saturday along with some cinnamon-scented pinecones.  That was a good purchase and makes the house smell so good even without making the potpourri.

I got a bag of these baby velvet pumpkins from Amazon, and they are so cute.  I like the colors, and they're perfect for just poking in places where I need something else.

Mr. Pilgrim disappeared long ago, but Mrs. P shows up every fall and ends up - somewhere.

I saw Mama's trifle bowl that she liked so much sitting out and started just piling things in.  It makes me happy, so I'll probably leave it alone and put some candles with it.

That eucalyptus again and the cinnamon pinecones.  So easy to just lay them down and get instant fall vibes.  Debby gave me these plates when I lived in Montgomery simply because I admired them, and they are one of my favorite things.  We use them all the time, and they look cheery year round.  

Emily found the towel year before last at her favorite hospital gift shop and the acorn candle last year and gave them to me.  We love that shop, especially in the fall and at Christmas.

Another baby pumpkin, green this time, with a bowl Mike brought from Mexico and the glittery acorns Elise gave me when we lived in NC.  Most everything has some good memory, and I'm always glad I take out things and scatter them around. Between the cats and grandchildren, those acorns have turned up in unusual places through the years.  I think I still have about half of them.

It will be fun for Graysen and Kate to come over and go from room to room and table to table finding their old favorites.  And I'll have to go see what amazing things they're done this year - besides a whole new kitchen, laundry room, and bathroom.  

The cats are unimpressed with the new look and want only the fireplace on and their little islands of comfort.  Sort of like me - plus a cup of coffee.

Fall Spirit Lifters

 We need an extra shot of happy this weekend, and I'm going to work on that as soon as I can.

It's a little early for wassail to add some holiday cheer to the apartment.  I'll definitely be stockpiling apple cider, cranberry juice cocktail, oranges and all the spices, but I think I'll wait until closer to Thanksgiving.  Who knows?  Life is rushing by at such a fast pace I might just have wassail whenever I want to.  

In the meantime, I'll make the house smell good with some potpourri made from some orange peel I've saved and a couple of apples.  I need to trim my rosemary, so that will be a good addition.  I'll just keep adding things until the mixture pleases me.  

We're going to Tanner's Landing Sunday afternoon to spread out our blankets and chairs and remember Mike and cry and laugh and watch the girls go crazy with the dog.  I know this won't happen, but I would like to take Gus with us.  I have a little cat playpen now, and he might enjoy that outing.  He would love to climb Mike's Tree, but he would also like to run wild in all those open spaces.  We saw an eagle last year, and that's too scary to think about, although Gus has gotten to be a really big boy and might not appeal to birds of prey.  It seems like after this annual trip, we can perk up a little and get on with all the Halloween and Thanksgiving activities.

I have my pumpkin pillows in the chairs on the front porch and worked on my wreath today.  I don't have the bow on it yet, and it needs some more filler, but I hung it anyway.  

I hope I get myself organized enough to make pumpkin bread and cranberry bread to give as gifts.  I'm going to experiment on one that's so simple it can't be good!  It's a box of spice cake mix and a can of pumpkin puree. That's it.  I bought a couple of boxes and cans to try and might try cupcakes for the girls for Sunday without pecans and some with for the rest of us.  

So now I have a plan - several plans.  I'll see how much of this I get done tomorrow.  I feel like it will take at least one trip to the grocery store and maybe one to Mount Si Nursery.  I would like to have a decorative cabbage for one of my pots but don't really love mums.  I think the porch is okay without having to worry about killing things or bringing them in for the winter.  

It's already Saturday morning, and I'm not sleepy.  I think the family has something planned with some other families and soccer games out of town that afternoon.  I've missed seeing the girls this week and can't wait to hear all their school news.  

I was going to find some pictures of past years' visits to Mike's tree, but I typed in the wrong year and got lost in these memories.  

We were visiting for a couple of weeks in September of 2014 and having quite a good time.  Graysen and her funny friend Pop-Pop.  I think he had already started his chemo at that point and was staying in WA a lot, so GG was very familiar with him and his antics.

This precious baby with her auburn hair wearing one of the many, many monogrammed things she was forced to wear!  What a sweet age and how thankful we were to have her in our lives.

It was my birthday week, so we went out for Indian food where Graysen tried some mango drink with a catchy name.  It was the first time I had seen her since the summer, and it was just the best time ever.  I got to walk her around outside up and down the sidewalks with her holding my hand, and I thought life couldn't get any better.

But it did.  We babysat one night so Ryan and Emily could go out and have a night away from pets, baby duty, and parents.  The next morning, they came in with a bouquet of birthday flowers for me.  I almost missed what was attached to the stems.  A pregnancy test announcing a new baby in May.  One of the best birthdays ever.

And there was a lot of this..... Jack loved having Emily all to himself for lots of long naps, and we were glad to keep Graysen entertained.

We went for lots of walks around town through the falling leaves.  We walked by these apartments a lot, and we never thought that one day we would be living there - right on this street.

Lots of walks with Griffin and the whole family.

Some of these pictures make me sad, but this one is a good one.  Mike made the most of his doctor's visits.  We were at the Starbucks next to the Cancer Center in Seattle.  I'm not sure if he had already started chemo or not or if we were there for blood tests, but once he got his coffee and newspaper and settled in to entertain the nurses, he made it a fun day.  I think he was getting lab work for a port before the lung surgery, if my memory is correct, so it would have been a good day.  

It's good to have these memories, but it's hard too.  The things we didn't get to do and the Pop-Pop the girls didn't get to grow up with.  

So we'll just remember what we can and feel lucky we had all those years.  At this point, we had been married 47 years.  Still not enough.

Slow September Start But Found Emma

 Nothing is going the way I planned it.  Not all bad and not all good but just days of spinning my wheels and not getting the things done that I wanted to get done.

I didn't even see the girls for a week, and that is so unusual for me.  I did want to get to Graysen's soccer game but decided to wait until it was cooler since there's a long walk and sitting with no shade.  I can't believe I'm even thinking about things being too hot.  They won anyway, and I'll get to try for the next one.  Kate is playing soccer too but not on a club team, so her games are at different places.  She's not totally dedicated to it but is marking her time until she find her perfect activity.  She's talking about lacrosse, especially since there are school teams for later on.  Her martial arts classes are going so well.  Last week was belt testing, and she got all sorts of honors during the week.  She went up to a blue belt, I think, and got called out first and got to lead her group.  I'm not sure what all of that means, but there was a lot of excitement.  I have to try to get down there this week to watch one of the classes.  I always enjoy the enthusiasm and the serious faces of those kiddos.  Kate accidentally found out when we were getting out of our cars that one of her instructors lives in the apartment behind us.

The weather is coolish and was even rainy yesterday, and I'm enjoying it so much, although I've stuck close to home.  We've canceled our little yard sale because of time and energy and things happening with the remodeling, and we'll have to wait until spring now.  I am going to list my freezer on the free stuff page.  It's just taking up room in the garage with nothing going in there except the few times when I have maybe some overflow groceries.  

I can't think of anything noteworthy to write, so I'll find a few more pictures from the past and post those.  I'm feeling a little out of the loop, but it's time for the annual birthday call between Debra and me.  I'll have to text and see when the next 3-hour block of time is available for us both! 

I never watch movies and sometimes feel guilty, I guess, about having access to them and not taking advantage of it.  When I saw that the new Jane Austen Emma movie got good reviews, I decided to watch it, and it was lovely.  

The chess-playing Anya-Joy Taylor had the role of Emma and did it justice, as did all the characters.  

I just smiled through the whole movie.  Any time I get to see Miranda Hart act makes me happy, and she was perfect.  

I know I've seen Bill Nighy act before but wasn't familiar with his name.  He was hilarious with his worrying about the weather and health and everything else.  I totally identified with him.

I'm wondering how I could get this setup for the coming winter.  And the two footmen to be there to set them up when I ask.  

Actually, all the parts were well cast and so familiar at the end of the movie. I think I'll go on a binge and watch all the Austen books that were made into movies and find some others too.  Perfect winter watching by the fire.

After reading some of the articles, I want to go back and watch it again and look for some of the things I missed.

It's Already Saturday

 What a whirlwind of a week.  I didn't even notice it was going so fast.  

It was a tiring and hot (for us) day, and I was so tired I went to bed about 7:30 but then woke up around 10 and have had plenty of energy since then.  I guess I'll take it when I can get it.  I woke up to Elise cleaning my refrigerator.

I guess she's tired of hearing me say that I can't get on the floor to clean under the crispers and just don't have all that much energy any more.  She took forever and had all the food out and sorted through and all the shelves and bins just sparkling.  No quick wipe-up that I tend to do.  I had spilled a bottle of some caramel-flavored coffee syrup on one shelf, and it had dripped to another one and was just driving me crazy.  The smell was delicious but no fun seeing those sticky spots.  

So nice to have that done.  

I'm not sure what I'll do with my Saturday.  I want to get some carpet cleaning started.  I'll have to take it one room at a time.  The yard sale next weekend is still up in the air.  I know I have a bunch of toys and games that I need to get out of my house.  

I'll probably listen to a football game or two.  I think our hot weather is going on for a few more days.  It's not so bad.  I have a little fan on now with a half-open window, and it's getting me chilled.  

Maybe Graysen will have a soccer game to go to.  I just can't do those winter ones, so maybe I need to take advantage of the warm-weather ones.  

This girl is enjoying middle school and cross country after school.  I haven't talked to her this week, but I did get a picture of the badge they wear.  

It's been quick, this road from first day of preschool to middle school.  Too quick.

Things I Like

 Since I don't have a "following" or try to influence people to buy certain products, I'm not sure what will go on my Friday posts.  Probably a lot of nonsense and things interesting only to me.  I might mention at the end some things that other people like on the blogs I do follow - just in case I have a gift to buy or want just to treat myself to something.  

One thing I've mentioned before that still gives me pleasure is Jigsaw Explorer.  I used to enjoy putting together puzzles but actually never did it very much through the years because of time or having a dedicated puzzle table or just not thinking about it.  The beach was a good place for having one going, and we enjoyed that on St. George's a few years.  

Since moving here, Emily and Ryan have had a Christmas puzzle out on a table starting after Thanksgiving - or several puzzles as they get finished - and I would get one myself. A couple of neighbors and I exchanged puzzles one winter before they moved away.  I didn't get any pleasure from it though because of not liking to sit at a table for very long as I got older.  It made my shoulders ache as well as my back and then made my knees creaky when I finally got up.  Then there are cats.  There's no way a cat can see small objects on a table without thinking it's their own personal playground.  Nothing is more discouraging than working hard on a puzzle and finding it on the floor in pieces in the morning.  I had big cutting mats that I would lay over the top at night when I remembered, but that was a lot of trouble, and I just finally stopped getting any pleasure from it.  It is fun to do them with other people, for some reason.  Although you're concentrating with half your mind, there's still room for conversation.

Then Sherry once sent me the link for an online puzzle of sewing objects - thread, bobbins, tape measure....  I can't even remember it now, but I didn't hold out much hope for it, having seen what online puzzles are like.  10 big pieces, and you're done - or teeny pieces on the phone version that are impossible to see.  But then I found Jigsaw Puzzle Explorer Page.  There is a daily puzzle, so that makes for an extensive library of them - 1073 at the current time.  You can browse by subject or just start scrolling.  Once you pick the puzzle, then you decide how many pieces you want.  On boxed puzzles, I love the 1000-piece ones, but on the computer, I can barely see the details on 500-piece ones. 

There are several settings besides size, having to do with whether you want to rotate the pieces or not or isolate the edge pieces first.  I like changing the background.  I try out various colors to see which one seems to work better.  Same puzzle, different background.  I like the dark backgrounds. 

This is one that I finished earlier that I enjoyed.  I like to do them when I'm listening to an audio book to keep me from falling asleep.  Or sometimes I just want a meaningless thing to do while I'm lost in my thoughts.  I like bright colors, plenty of detail, and very few areas of grass or trees or things with leaves.  

I can see I have too much to say about everything, so I'll have to take a break or just change the title of the post to A Thing I Like.

Maybe one more, since I've just cleaned it, and it's on my mind.  

This cat water fountain.

Dogs make a big mess drinking water, mainly because of their big tongues and the fact that they're dogs.  Cats are neat drinkers, but they like to play in the water just for the heck of it.  Bowie likes to tip over the water bowl just a little bit to see what will happen and then seems shocked when there's water all over the floor.  That meant picking up the bowl and the placemat and wiping underneath several times a day.  That kind of makes me more their slave.  

I did some research on the one above and found nothing wrong with it.  It got good reviews and was easy to put together.  It has a little motor inside and some filters, and you can choose either a fountain of water or just a little gurgle.  I've had the fountain on, and Layla does stick her paw in there sometimes, but it's sturdy enough not to tip over.  Elise thinks it's not cool enough for them, as in temperature, not style, and I didn't think about that.  I guess the motor keeps it a little above room temperature, but no one is complaining.  Sometimes I will take a couple of small ice cubes and put them in the top - when I think about it.  In the picture, I have the flower removed to see how that goes.  

I now have an automatic cat litter box and an electronic water bowl.  I probably won't invest in an automatic feeder because the cats love seeing me have to honor their wishes for more food.  

The cat slave is now ready for a nap, so I'll have to continue later on.  

Past Septembers

 As far as weather goes, September is one of the best months in Washington.  What little bit of heat we've had is gone, and it's a little chilly, but after the morning coolness, the days are all blue skies and sunshine - until it isn't.  With the end of summer, the rain comes sneaking back.  I really don't mind the rain in the fall.  It has that bittersweet feel that fall always has for me - endings and beginnings.  Snuggling with the girls after school in front of the fireplace with hot chocolate.  Sometimes we even do that in the summer just to bring back the cozy feeling.  

This September of 2024 probably won't be one I remember fondly unless someone does something exceptional.  I have my wisdom tooth extraction to worry about, and in spite of it being just a dental procedure, I'm overly concerned about it.  Who wants someone prying a 50-year-old tooth off your jawbone.  The oral surgeon was a little vague about how he was going to do it - wanting to spare me, I guess - but my imagination is enough to cause some anxiety.  I'm going to adopt Mike's attitude and not do too much research on this procedure, especially that anomaly where taking medications for osteoporosis in your younger days might be disastrous one day to your facial bones.  Lalalala.  Not thinking about it.

Emily will be with me, so that will help.  I will already have celebrated my birthday with whatever festivities there will be since I can't consume anything but liquids for 2-3 weeks.  Right now, ice cream and mashed potatoes don't sound that bad, but I know they will get old quickly.  

So, Septembers in my childhood always meant starting back to school after a long hot summer of boredom.  How I loved going into that classroom with the new-pencil and crayon smells with the boys all in their new jeans and girls in their plaid dresses.  That's when we got our new shoes for the year - not our first pair of new shoes, but the shoes that were intended to last until spring if our feet didn't grow too fast.  I loved everything about school.  First grade was a breeze, because, even though I didn't go to kindergarten, I already knew my ABCs and numbers, and that was about it.  Amazingly, I wasn't bored because I got to put all those letters together to make words and sentences and learned to READ. 

Mike was always in my school, but we didn't really know each other.  If you didn't live in the same neighborhood or go to the same church, there were no outside activities to speak of in 1952.

 Second grade was harder because my teacher was not the first-year-out-of-college Miss Campbell but a white-haired stern teacher named Mrs. McEachern.  I'm sure she was an excellent teacher and a really nice person, but she terrified me.  The only time she ever showed impatience with me was when I demonstrated my lifelong inability to be neat.  My Puzzle Pages were a disaster.  You know, those squares where you cut out pictures and place them in chronological order?  I could do it at a glance, but somehow my pages all stuck together or I glued them down upside-down.  I still struggle with crafty things that require glue.  Or neatness.  Basically all crafts.  

I had good teachers, old and young throughout my six years at East Three Notch, and my uncle Radney happened to be principal.  It didn't benefit me any.  I doubt I had the courage to speak to him at school, but he would take the cousins and me to the school while he worked during the summer.  We were pretty good, I think, but there were the times when we would get a mouthful of water from the water fountain upstairs and go spit it over the balcony in the auditorium.  I think the janitor squealed on us. 

I had all our school pictures separated and chronological not too many months ago, but I had to stow them somewhere temporarily, and they just got all mixed in with the others.  I did find our fourth-grade ones.  We seem to be a little more put together.  I still had to have curls and a plaid dress.  I believe my grandmother made every item of clothing I had all through school.  

September in high school and college meant more new beginnings and football games.  I didn't know the first thing about football except you picked your teams and cheered for them, and the games were so much fun.  I was in the band for maybe a few years.  I thought it would be more fun than it was, but I was basically wanting to go on the out-of-town bus trips with my friends and forgot you had to learn to play an instrument at the same time you marched.  I decided it was more important for me to stay in formation during our halftime shows than to give them the few notes I could muster up, so I "carried" a clarinet in the marching band.  I think I did contribute a little in the spring in the concert band.

In the fall of ninth grade, I had my first boyfriend, Jim, and as soon as we had one date where his sister drove us to the Martin Theater, his dad took a job at Troy State College, and their family moved away.  He sometimes got to come back to the games, so the only time I ever saw him was when the band took a break after halftime.  Great.  My first boyfriend, and I saw him about 15 minutes a week, if that, but we did go on a leaf-hunting trip that I remember as one of those perfect crisp fall days where your life stretches out before you and the future looks so bright.  Unfortunately, it didn't include my friend Jim.  The 50-mile distance between our homes took its toll, and we drifted apart after two dates. And one prom a couple of years later.  We did run into each other in the fall when we were both in college at Troy.  Actually, he was then friends with my current boyfriend and later husband, so we had a few more pleasant conversations before our lives went off into separate paths.  

But first a glimpse of us on the front row - 3rd from the left and 4th from the left.  Maybe that picture was when we first started talking.  Who knows?  Lots of familiar faces but also a lot of faces that are no longer here.  That was 64 years ago when we were so young.  

Once again, I've spent too much time looking at old pictures, and my morning is gone.  I hope I will post more of these old pictures where they're easy to get to.  As crazy as they might look to our grandchildren, this is the way we were and pretty happy about it too.  

My Favorite Month

 September used to be my favorite month, and I still love it a lot, but it has carried those feelings of loss and grief for 8 years now, and it's hard to just embrace it like I used to.  I'm going to try to change up my haphazard method of writing and try to go for a theme several times a week to see if I can get interested in recording my life again. 

One of my problems with working with a computer and phone for pictures is that I sometimes can't find what I want and have to spend too much time digging around.  I'm going to dedicate one post for just what's in my latest week's pictures, silly or not.  

Noreen and I follow a Facebook app about finding faces in mundane things.  I've never seen one until today when I looked up and saw this really weird creature sitting in a chair across from me.  Sloth?  Panda?  Pig?

On closer observation, it becomes fairly clear that it's my library bag that I threw down after we got home from the library and getting milkshakes at Burger King.  

Okay.  Maybe stretching it a little.

So one day will be old memories back before they were even stored on my phone.  Real photos.  In boxes.  I'll have to scan them or take pictures of them, so they won't look as good, but the idea is just to get something down.  Emily is struggling now trying to decide which of the old letters and documents and pictures to keep and which to get rid of.  I wish i could help.  She's so sentimental, and the burden has fallen on her to decide what to keep for the girls to remember their family before they were here.  I seriously doubt they're going to have that much interest in several generations back unless I sneak it into something they might read anyway.  We're already overwhelmed with pictures now, so how could they ever have to wonder about a thing!  Emily and I enlisted Alan and Kathy's help with identifying this lovely lady.  We learned that it's the girls' great-great-great grandmother, Mrs. Wilburn Miles Windham - or Minnie MacDougald Windham.  They have her little rocking chair at their house.

One thing I like to do is see a couple of my favorite bloggers and their Five on Friday favorites.  I'm sure I don't buy five things a week and certainly not things that people would be interested in, but every once in a while I'll find something I like and would like to remember.  

I can't say I really like this vase.  I've pretty much detested it all my life, but it was something that Mama treasured.  I think someone gave it to her before she was married, and she always loved putting roses in it.  It's not a rare piece, but it does have the maker's name on the bottom and has been known to be worth a little money.

I asked Emily if she liked it and wanted it, and she said she didn't, but as I started to put it back in its usual spot in a drawer, I looked at it with new eyes.  It went through about 60 years of being displayed in a busy house with kids and cousins running around without having a chip on it.  Like Emily said, "It has just a few too many curves," but there's something about running your hand across all those curves that's soothing.  I think I might keep it and try some flowers in it myself sometimes.  I just have to hope a cat doesn't knock it off and break it now.

And maybe I'll do a recap of the week on Saturday.  All my days seems to run together now that I don't have a lot of activities on my calendar and not much energy for going out and doing things. This will force me to keep some notes.

Before I do a few pictures, let's see if I can remember what I did this week.  I know it's Monday, and it's Labor Day, so I'll  call it my weekend.  

Four days a week, Graysen will have cross-country practice after school, so I usually won't see her at all those days.  And her days start at 7:30, and she rides the bus.  This first week has been nice for her, she says.  Her two good friends in cross-country dropped out after the first few days, but she was not tempted to do so herself.  She feels like she is pretty good and enjoys running, so she's sticking with it.  It makes for a long day, especially when she gets home just in time to grab something healthy to eat and head to soccer practice.  She a determined little girl, and I'm so thankful for her dedication.  I do worry about when she will get homework done, but they'll work something out.  On Fridays, they get out of school around noon, and she might get dropped off near here sometimes, but last Friday, she had a friend go home with her.  Ryan walked them over here and picked up Katherine and Carly, and they went and got a yogurt at the Swirl.  Ryan is a good dad to put up with all those giggles and craziness.  So I'm just seeing them in bits and pieces.  I do need my Graysen time though.  

Katherine hasn't said much about school, but she likes her teacher and has some friends in her classes.  She walks to school and gets out at 3:36 except for Fridays when she gets out at 1:36.  So even though her friend Carly has moved a few apartment building over, they still get to play for a while in the afternoons and longer on Friday.  

She has DMW twice a week, but it's late so I walk her downtown and watch her across the street, and Ryan or Emily pick her up.

This happened last week.

I inherited a cat that I didn't ask for or even  want, long story, and I'm not sure how long he'll be with us.  I don't even know his name, but once I remember it was Wolfie - or Wuffie as we call him.  He's a very social cat and loves to be around people, but he also is used to his independence, so we've had a few rules to try to work out.  On Thursday, Katherine and I started our little walk to her DSW class, and I was listening to her chatter on about school and her belt testing and other things.

She happened to look behind us, and here came Wuffie just ambling along the sidewalk behind us.  He wasn't saying a word, just walking like we had invited him. You can just about see my apartment through the trees in the upper right-hand corner.  It put me in a dilemma because I didn't want to pick him up and have him get scared downtown with all the cars (well, the 10 or so he might see), but I didn't want to leave Katherine to cross the street by herself without a light.  She's good about standing there until the car is fully stopped, but I don't trust anyone with my babies!  She said, "I guess I'll just have to take him with me!"  She really wanted to, but I think the 20 or 30 screaming and running kids would be too much for even that cat.  I compromised and let Wuffie come to us and then watched from a half block away as she crossed the street.  I love how she waited patiently for one car to turn and then when another one stopped for her, she held up her hand and acknowledged it.  Sweet girl growing up so fast.  

So our neighbors above us have moved from Apartment H to B, which is a short walk away.  I've been there for dinner twice already, and they have a nice 3-bedroom first-floor apartment with plenty of light.  The only trouble with that is the two cats and a 3-year-old wanting to wander.  The addition of a nice cattio keeps the two cats safe, but Ida just takes off running sometimes, and it takes a sharp eye to keep up with her.  So much sunlight though.  I'm envious.  

And my next-door bestie Noreen is moving too!  Still next door but on the other side.  We now share a wall in one building, but then we'll be across a little walk from each other.  I think we can probably sit at our dining room window and talk, and I know our porches are close enough to visit easily.  She is getting an upgrade on her sun quota too and another bathroom, plus new floors, paint and appliances, so she's happy.  We pay enough rent to be deliriously happy!  So far, we haven't found another place that's cheaper and as convenient and homey as this complex, so I guess we'll hang out here a while longer.  

I'll post a few pictures I see and try to get a few hours' sleep.

Cat interactions.  

Changing sheets is enough of a pain without having to displace a huge cat, but he refused to take a hint.

He brought a furry plush bed with him, but he much prefers sleeping on my bed, so the other cats take advantage of his old one and love it.

I'm not sure Layla meant to be sharing this space with Wuffie, but she's pretending not to be afraid.  She's the one who growls and howls the loudest - not because she's afraid of him, but because she wants to remain the queen and have the others afraid of her.

I not only inherited a cat but two new chairs, and Layla claimed this one immediately.

I think Bowie thought he was about to snuggle up with Layla until he noticed that clipped ear.  He did a slow-motion backing up maneuver that was painful to watch.  I wish he wasn't such a fraidy cat.

One of the rare times they were all three in the same room without one of them being dramatic.

I'm still trying to get Emily and me on the same page to go furniture shopping to replace these awful pieces that ended up here, but there are no furniture shops within my driving range, and our schedules are packed full usually.

I did see this pop up on Facebook though one day and decided these might "do" until I find what I want.

They looked like nursery rockers, but that doesn't bother me.  I need teeny furniture for a teeny house anyway, and they looked fine.  Ryan was going to pick them up for me in his truck, and we decided he would go alone because he wouldn't mind turning them down if they were in bad shape or something was wrong with them.  Knowing me, we both knew I would probably take them anyway and tack on $50.  

Luckily, they were a good fit and in excellent shape.  I'm still scooting furniture around to see where I want the desk, but so far, so good.  It gives me room for a little shelf for taking off shoes at the door too.  Two negatives that aren't deal-breakers but make me realize I might still keep on looking.  The girls love them - TOO much.  They immediately jumped in and started spinning around and tend to sit on the arms and fall into the seats - all the things kids do.  And now that I need to use my arms more to stand up, the chairs feel like they're running away from me.  Same with my grownup friends.  But we don't sit inside a whole lot, and we'll be fine.  It does look better than the other two I had in there.

The Queen Chair is surprisingly comfortable and easy to get up from, so I think I'll let it live in this corner for a while until I decide if I want to bring it back to the living room.  We could use an extra dining chair if I ever had anyone over for a meal.

This one is fairly sentimental.  I got it an an antique shop when I was pregnant the first time with plans to rock a baby, I guess.  Once we got him home, it was not that comfortable, and we had just bought a recliner, so it has always been just an extra wherever we've lived.  Emily is deciding if she wants it, but, like me, she just doesn't have the space.    

And this table came home.  It once was a light-colored oak, I think, that belonged to Mike's parents.  I loved the table but did not like the color of the wood.  Once Mike retired, he got busy painting it black, and I love it now.

In the other apartment, it was my cutting table in my sewing room, but when I went from 3 bedrooms to 2, Emily took it in temporarily and gave it a home.  Now was the perfect time for it to move back, just when they're running out of room.  I need a cutting table again if I can get started on my quilts again.

It will look better with a normal-looking couch instead of that flowered thing, but who knows when I'll get a chance to go shopping for one.  

For years, I've had a little blue table with all the girls' art supplies and games and puzzles and school books behind the couch.  Now I'm gradually having to find home for all those things.  It's not easy!  

September 13th is the big Spring Garage Sale for Snoqualmie - spring and fall being the only time you can have sales - and Emily and Ryan are supposed to be working along with me to clear out more things.  I think I've mentioned before how much I love simplicity now.  I'm close to being happy with what I have and will be happy with a little less!  

Well.  This might be my entry for September, but let's hope I do better with some sort of plan.