We Voted

Montgomery is electing a new mayor today, and I'm not to the point that I care who it is. Mama watches the news and reads the newspapers, so she has opinions. I know a couple that I don't want there. Especially the one with the criminal record.

Spring pictures: I don't know what this tree is - never have known. There are 2 of them in the side yard. They lift my spirits though.

The Carolina jasmine looks a little frail, but it's trying. Maybe I should feed it.

Guilt Entry

I keep wondering when I'm going to have the incentive to write something here. I think I can see actually see time passing at high speed, and I can't keep up with it. I can't blame an impending wedding for it, as I might have expected, because no one is making plans or even thinking about it. I think that will come - or not. We may all just show up and have a little wedding - which I think is what Emily wants.

One reason for not writing is that I feel like I need to show something for that 24 hours a day I have, and I can't think of anything. I enjoy all my hours, but maybe I just waste them. I have been guilty of just sitting outside and soaking up the sunshine some, and I have watched a few Auburn basketball games - even though they make me nervous, and I can't watch a whole one. One afternoon, I had to take nearly an hour to go correct a mistake that the bank made on my IRA CD. We were going to have to pay taxes on it, and so I had to go plead my case. It wasn't really hard once I got the paperwork together, and the bank guy made a couple of phone calls. Somehow it had gotten coded as a Roth, which is taxable. I'm waiting to get the corrected forms. I think Mike thought I had withdrawn it all and was buying fabric.

Anyway, I just called Mike and tested his memory, which he says is fading fast, and he made 100%. With Paul Harvey's death, I was thinking about how his radio show was such a part of our everyday life in 1967. I asked him what he thought about when he thought about Paul Harvey, and he said, "Auburn." I asked him what soup we usually ate for lunch then,and he answered correctly "bean with bacon." He also said "beef with barley" but I don't remember that as well. I walked home from work every day for lunch, and if Mike didn't have a class, he was there too. We sat at that tiny little table in the bay window and ate our soup and sandwich and looked at the mail - same thing every day - and listened to Paul Harvey. It's just like yesterday, thinking about watching the seasons change from that window and hearing that voice. Whole chunks of years of my life have been forgotten, and who would have thought something as simple as lunchtimes in 1967 would be remembered so distinctly. I think it was such a happy year that we remember a lot about it: Everything about Nadine, the best cat ever, who ran that apartment. Drinking Kool-Aid and eating popcorn, which was the only snack in our budget. Going to the Winn-Dixie on Glenn for groceries and sweating said budget. The huge magnolia tree outside the back door with the tree-house where I would go and read and drink strawberry soda. The excitement of finding enough money to go to the Sani-Flush for an ice cream or going to a movie - I think the movie happened only once. There was a fraternity behind us, and we could sit on the steps and enjoy the music on weekends. Mike had a part-time job at the Tiger Club, and it was a big deal for him to get to bring home some doughnuts that didn't sell. I had new wedding-gift dishes and pots and pans, and even making the nightly hamburger casserole - from another wedding gift - "100 Ways to Cook Hamburger" - was fun. I hate that the old house was torn down. I'm not sure when it happened, but once we drove by and found a Hardee's there.

I need to go waste some more time - laundry, cleaning up the kitchen, straightening my closet (and taking a small nap). Remembering makes me sleepy.

Uninspired Week

I kept waiting to find something interesting to write about this week, but it didn't happen. Since my goal is to record my days whether they are interesting or not, I'll have to search pretty hard.

I did spend the first part of the week getting acclimated to our new time clock at OSI. It put me into a panic at first, the idea that I have to clock in at 8:00 and clock out at 12:00. but it has pretty much helped to keep me on task. Before, I could go do a load of laundry or make a phone call or read emails, knowing I could "make up" the time later in the week on my off days. By working hard during my 4 hours, I have almost doubled my line count which translates into more pennies which lead to more dollars which always makes me happy. I also will probably not be working 7 days a week, which I have been for the last few years.

We have an elusive smell in the house. I hate it when I can't put my finger on what it is or where it is. I don't have high hopes, because the last time I smelled that particular smell was when the frog got squished in the back door. It seems to be confined to the den now, and I've opened all the cabinet doors and moved all the furniture. I truly thought I had found it when I pulled back the couch and saw a black mouse. Aha. The cats brought it in. But then I saw a tiny tag on it and an improbably pink nose and knew it was one of their toys.

I also thought I had discovered the cause when I walked into the laundry room and saw that the freezer door was standing open. The last time I remember opening the freezer was Sunday when Emily and I were looking at something they got for Chrismas, some special treat from Mike, that they had left in the freezer and were looking forward to eating. I figured there was a mess from the freezer defrosting and that it had seeped under the baseboard since the laundry room shares a wall with the den, but when I pulled it out, it was clean behind and underneath. There was not much in there except things in containers and some vegetables that were never going to be used anyway. So now I'm back to worrying about what bad thing is hiding behind the rolltop desk. I've kind of tracked the smell there, but I have to build up some courage to pull it out and look behind. Any volunteers will be welcomed.

It's beauty shop day for Mama again today. Seems like this comes around very quickly. I think we're going into the fabric shop afterwards today since she's back to sewing - placemat purses this week. She has 1 or more for every outfit, all colors, some with stripes and some solid. On the other hand, I have 2 "outfits" a season - that is things that kind of match - and a summer purse and a winter purse. Oh, I do have a Vera Bradley bag that I received this weekend. More about that later. It's time for Cuts 'R Us or whatever the name of that place is.

Todays' picture: Inspiration from one of my flower beds in Columbus. I don't remember what the flower is right now, but it looks like little lanterns or balloons. I'll look for the name later. Found it - balloon plant, or platycodon grandiflorus. I'd like to find some more of those.

 

Long Library Rant and Other Things

Well, all that snow excitement is finally over, thank goodness. We had flurries up until lunch time, but then it turned to rain. I just went to get the mail in short sleeves, and the sun made it pleasant. I can see a good walk this afternoon.

Emily called from Destin and said she might need to spend the night. They ran a marthon down there yesterday, and she was exhausted and kept hearing bad things from her colleagues about the roads into Warm Springs. By the time she got here, it was nearly dark, and we were afraid for her to risk running into icy roads after dark. Not that I minded her coming by. After her being 4 years in South Dakota, it hurts my feelings that she sometimes passes within 2 miles of me when she goes to Mobile. Even in her post-marathon lethargic state, it was nice to see her again. I had to work until 9:00, but we managed to get in a little talking. We exchanged cars, thinking mine would be heavier and safer if she ran into ice. I heard from her just as she was leaving the interstate this morning but not since. I have to assume she got there and is already at work.

I decided to record my library experience from Thursday so I'll remember it if it never happens again. It's the downtown library, and I hate to go down there, but that's the only library in town that carries audio cassettes and CDs, and I use those more than books. Just getting there is an adventure. When we first moved here, Mama and I drove downtown on a Sunday morning to try to find it and ended up going in circles. Then I called for directions, but they were from I-85 and getting off at a busy area around Alabama State. So I got out the map and found an easier route. I can go almost all the way on one road - the Atlanta Highway which turns into Madison Avenue. That left turn off Madison is the key. Half the turns are one-way, so I just choose one that's not and then go a few blocks and wind around somewhat until it appears. On Thursday, I was thinking of other things when I saw the SUV in front of me get into what looked like a left turn lane. We were in the general vicinity of where I turn, so I just followed it. I think we both noticed at the same time that we were turning into a one-way street. Luckily there was almost no traffic at the time and a convenient service station on the corner, so we both barreled into it. I noticed that it was a Covington County tag leading me astray.

Anyway when I got there, I did as I usually did, walk past the 3 or 4 sullen people sitting staring at a computer screen. I never expect a Hello or anything, so I went straight to the media room. I did stop at the new book section to look around and ended up straightening a shelf or two. Having worked at libraries for years and years and volunteering at libraries and using them all my life, the Dewey Decimal System is very important to me, and it worries me when numbers are out of place. For example, in the quilting section I found a cookbook called Recipes from Luverne First Baptist Church. Very strange. I'll have to check that out one day.

I got back to the media room and amazingly this nice lady who was typing in a corner looked up and said, "Good morning." Wow. That made me happy. It also made me happy that they have gotten in a lot more CDs; the only thing is that they are in no particular order - fiction mixed with nonfiction somewhat alphabetically - and they are on low shelves so that I feel like I'm standing on my head before I find what I want. While I was looking, I heard the lady start to hum along with a gospel version of Jesus Love Me that was playing softly in her cubicle. She had a beautiful voice, and it made my media room experience very enjoyable. I found a couple of CDs and decided to go upstairs. There's a beautiful spiral staircase and wide steps that I like to walk up, so I did and found a couple of books and then went to check out.

I put my books down on the desk, and the girl looked up and greeted me cheerfully. Usually they don't speak until they bark out the date due. But this one even helpfully told me what color my library card was when I was digging around for it. She commented on my books and told me in a complete sentence when the books were due back, thanked me and told me good-bye. I was in complete shock, and my euphoria lasted pretty much the whole day. I wonder what happened. Is she new? Have there been complaints? I know I have complained long and hard to whomever would listen. I'd prefer to go to the Pike Road branch, but every time I drive down Vaughn Road, they sense me coming and put the Closed sign on the door.

Coming home from the library is a little easier now that the construction is finished on the street I like to take. I just get on a random street headed my way and go back to Madison and turn right. I'd like to take more time to explore around that area. Mama used to live around there and remembers a lot of the streets and likes to explore a little. There are some beautiful old houses and ones that used to be beautiful. It's nice in the daytime but I won't be poking around downtown Montgomery at night.

Time for that walk. Darby looked at my feet when I went to let her out just now. If I have on my walking shoes, she gets pretty excited. Of course, it may mean I'm walking on the treadmill, which gives her the opposite reaction (kind of like my reaction to the treadmill).

If anyone reads this and gets this far, here is a lovely surprise (and surprised) picture of Elise when we lived in Greensboro. Now she's far, far away from NC in Texas.

The Weather Girl was Right

I can't even blame this on my least favorite month, February.

The people on WSFA last night were talking snow but already offering excuses why it might not happen. Less than 18 hours ago, I was sitting in this yard, enjoying the warm wind and drinking iced tea.


I didn't have to look outside to know it had snowed during the night. The first thing I heard were little voices next door laughing and shrieking - at 6:30 a.m. There's nothing prettier than falling snow, but it's something I had just as soon experience from indoors. I thoroughly enjoyed our 2 winters in Greensboro and all those snow/ice storms - from the cozy warmth of my upstairs window or snuggled in front of the fireplace.

I remember the excitement of a possible snowfall in Georgia when the kids were little. I always loved a snow day because of not having to get everybody ready for school and carpooling and/or going to work, but as exciting as it was for them, my whole day would be spent at the door receiving wet gloves and socks and coats and drying them for the next outing. We had no winter equipment, but that didn't stop them from sliding down our neighbor's driveway in roasting pans and cardboard boxes. I think one snow day a year was enough for me.


I did let Darby out. At first, she turned around and came back, but I coaxed her back out, and she realized she kind of liked it. She romped and played and flushed birds out of the secret garden behind us. She even found her sheep buried under snow and rescued it.



The cats just didn't even want to look at it, but when I went to get the newspaper, Maddy went with me. When I came in, she was crouched under the car, and this was her 10 minutes later - all finished with her snow excitement.


In my email at 7:00, I found an email from Mike once again requesting a web log. He had already heard the big news on TV and was very smug that he knew about it before me.

If my new friends Gaby and Dina from Guatemala City read this, I think I'm coming for that visit right now! If you're already harvesting tomatoes and coriander, it sounds like a perfect place for me.

It seems like a good morning for drinking coffee and looking out the window or maybe going back to bed.

Take Cover

For nearly 24 hours now we've had warnings and sirens and clouds and wind. It hasn't been as bad as it looks on TV. We're in some sort of weather hole, I think. In the spring and summer when we need rain, it will be raining north, south, east, and west of us, and our area will be the only place on the weather map with no precipitation. The sirens have gone off at least 6 times since yesterday afternoon, and each time, I'll check the computer weather, check the TV weather channel hysterics, and look outside. We had thunder a couple of times, a gust or 2 of wind, and lots and lots of rain. Not that I'm complaining. I like storms until they start getting serious; then I regret wishing for one.

I was talking to Emily yesterday standing in front of the TV, and this girl said, "There's tornado activity at AUM right now. Please take cover if you're in that vicinity." Well, I can see the AUM water tower (I think that's what it is - it has AUM on it) from the entrance to our subdivision, so I went out back and looked south, southeast, and southwest, and it looked good and clear to me. Later she said (probably after lots of phone calls) that she meant there was "rotational activity" in the clouds. I know the people in Prattville were scared to death after going through all that damage last February. This seems early for so many tornados. Didn't it used to be March and April when we would hear about them?

All this excitement plus having no internet connection for over 24 hours has made me grind my teeth. I didn't realize it, but last night I had to make myself unclench my teeth. I don't even realize I'm stressed sometimes until I get a headache and realize all the muscles in my face and neck are tight.

The internet disappearance doesn't seem like it would have the same significance as a tornado in terms of causing stress, but I think it was worse. How did we get along without being connected to the world all those years? I guess it's what we get used to. The fact that I needed to work 8 hours this weekend made it even more aggravating. Everything was working fine until about 9:30 or so Thursday when Mama said she was ready to go to the beauty shop. I went to the library while she was there, and when we got home, I decided to work a couple of hours. Nothing doing. No e-mail, no Google Home Page, no Internet Explorer. Not that I didn't try all my tricks - rebooting and checking the status - many times - like that would fix it. Sometimes these things do magically repair themselves but not this time.

If anyone but me reads this except for me and is not interested in computer failings, feel free to skip it.

I finally called my downtown computer guys and talked to Sam. He had me look at my router and modem and tell me which lights were green and which were amber and said it was probably the cable company. Strange, because Mama's TV was working. So I got a Knology representative who again had me look at all the lights and tell me what color they were and whether they were blinking and then to unplug everything and plug it back in (which I had already done, knowing from experience they would ask me to do it). He said he wasn't seeing a response, so he would send out a representative the next day - 24 hours from then. Horrors. For one thing, that is a LONG time to be without internet service, and another, it meant someone was going to be crawling under my desk. That was pretty depressing to think about, but I had been planning to take the time to organize all those 50 cords down there anyway. I had bought these little cord holders that you attach with adhesive to the back of your desk (I put mine underneath), so I popped 6 of those up there and looped cords through them, and it was amazing what a difference it makes. Lying on my back under the desk and looking up, it still looks a little messy, but I can say with almost certainty that no one is going to be doing that. Now I don't have to maneuver my foot through a nest of cords to reach the foot pedal.

There goes that siren again. I HATE that sound. Anyway, in fixing all the cords and neatening up, I happened to look at the modem and see that the cable green light was on, so I got all excited and tried everything again. Still nothing. The PC light wasn't on, and both computers were attached to the router. The Knology guy did come, right on time, and was a tall laid-back young guy who seems to love what he does. He sat down and immediately said, "Whoa, you have something missing. You need a cable to attach the router to the modem." I went to the sofa and picked up a white cable and asked if this might be it. He got all excited and plugged it in, and like magic, it all came on. I had noticed this white cable under the desk, but it didn't seem to be attached to anything, so I thought - well I'm not sure what I thought - but I didn't have another computer to plug it into, so I just put it away. Sometimes cables and cords just appear from nowhere, you know.

I knew being away from the blog for 3 days, I would have a lot of write. Too bad it's all boring. I'll wait until tomorrow to write about my library experience because I have to go once more and stare at the sky.

By Popular Demand

Actually only a request - or maybe hint - to update my blog. I do this little (nearly) daily update just for myself so when I'm old(er) I'll remember that I had a life, as mundane as it is. Things simply haven't been happening the past few days. Normally that doesn't stop me from writing, but I have been pretty occupied. I called Mike during lunch to tell him a piece of mail he had been expecting had arrived, and he was kind of busy - busy as in the kind of busy where you hear noise and laughter and clattering silverware in the background. He said, "How are you? You haven't been web logging lately." So this has taken the place of phone calls and emails. It's a one way street though. He knows everything about me, and I know nothing about him. On second thought, nothing's changed there.

I can't even remember anything interesting to mention. Every spare minute has been spent fighting with that little quilt. I found I had cut 16 of the little strips 1/2-inch too short and had to go looking through my remnants to see if I had any leftovers of that particular fabric. I did, thank goodness, but barely. Hope I don't find any more surprises. It's not really getting easier to square things up, but I think it may be because the sunroom where I sew is chilly. Maybe I'll bring the sewing machine to the kitchen table. The light is better in that bay window, and it's warmer. I don't like this cold at all.

Today was the first day of our official "punching in" at work. Getting ready to work at 8 a.m., I pulled up the web site for the clock and saw "Time Started 7:30 a.m. Hours worked on this shift 30,829." Wow, I should get a good paycheck this month. There are some more glitches (obviously) to be worked out, but I think I like it. It keeps me focused to know I have this little time frame to get my work done. I pretty much doubled my line count, although getting lots of dictation from my favorite doctor who says, "Use, the ENT normal. Use the cardiovascular normal. Use the pulmonary normal. Etc." helped tremendously. That means with just a few keystrokes I get a whole page of typing. I get happy when I see her name come up.

Mama is taking it seriously and says she will answer the phone and the doorbell and not come tell me who died in Andalusia until after work. Trouble is, I get most of my calls on the cell phone, and no one has gotten it through to the cats that things are different. Stella still rings the bell several times a morning for no apparent reason except to see me get up and open the door, just to scratch to get back in 10 minutes later. She know with her weapon of carpet-shredding claws, I'm her slave. Threatening to have her de-clawed hasn't seemed to make a difference.

Still waiting to hear from Emily about the actual wedding date. Something about pulling up sod and planting new grass at her friends' house where the wedding will be. They're having an open house or photo shoot or something the end of April and are putting down some kind of grass just for that, but I guess it's not what they want to grow there permanently. It looks like we're at the mercy of their landscaper as to when the wedding will be. Emily graduates the 9th of May and wants a couple of weeks to relax and get things done, so I hope it can stay the 30th.

Looks like I had a lot to say about nothing. Let me look for some interesting picture that has nothing at all to do with what I was saying. How about this one from a couple of years ago - the plumeria that came from Hawaii from Gray and Steph's honeymoon. It started out as a 2-inch-long stick. It's a big stick now with 2 branches, but pretty soon the leaves will come out, and it'll bloom again.

Weekend

I was glad to have my Saturday back, but I can't say I made good use of it. I did work 5 hours and I did put some more quilt strips together, but I guess I mainly read or cleaned a little. Pretty good bit of talking on the phone with Emily and Elise. Things seemed to have fallen into place in Atlanta as far as getting catering arranged and finding a dress that she loves that fits. That was the big excitement. Her friend Karen deserves a medal for making her stick with the dress search and not get discouraged. And Meghan is just full of ideas and plans.

I can see many more phone calls and brainstorming. Just searching for things on the internet can take chunks of time out of a day. I guess it needs to be done though. We both had the same Real Simple (ha) wedding magazine, so we were able to know what the other one was talking about. "Look at page 94 - I like the cake there." "What about zinnias and dahlias?" We have a lot of the same tastes, but with a few points we veer off into opposite directions, and I have to make sure I show the same excitement over things I don't like that she does as over things I like. I don't want to cause her one bit of sadness during these whole 3 months, so I'll need to be up to the challenge when we talk. It's interesting how things will come together in 3months that seem so disjointed now.

It's another chilly, fresh-pot-of-coffee working afternoon.

Oh, speaking of weddings and since it's our daughter-in-law Stephanie's birthday this week, here is a beautiful picture from not too many years ago.

Stephanie and Gray. One of my favorite pictures.

Latte Progress

I have been a little busy. Now that I'm getting more comfortable with what's going on, I should get them done faster. Each square has to be measured in 4 places 17 times, each time a strip is added, and if there is even a tiny discrepancy, the strip has to be redone. There sure is a sense of relief when I do that final measurement and see 5-1/2 inches on all sides. I think I said below that there were 48 blocks - I was wrong. There are 64. I think I may have gotten a little ambitious trying to get this done by the end of May. Oh, well. Gives me an excuse not to do housework.

Barbara and I had a nice shopping day yesterday - lots of looking, not much buying. I guess it says something about our ages to realize we spent more time at the Clinique counter talking about the latest anti-aging creams than we did looking at clothes.

Today - well nothing much to talk about. I worked 4 hours this morning and then worked on the quilt here and there and just kind of enjoyed my day. Very cold though. Darby didn't get her walk, and I don't think she cared. All 3 of them were content to stay in today. Stella thinks my sewing machine chair is hers, and I had to dislodge her several times during the day. She doesn't much like me anyway. Her latest funny/smart thing is to ring her bell to get into the sunroom - when the door is already open. At first, I just looked at her and told her to go on out, the door's open. She would keep ringing it until I got up, and I thought she was just bugging me. Then she would run to the back door, and I realized it was her roundabout way of telling me she wanted to go outside. For such a big sassy cat, she has almost no voice - just a little squeak when she meows. Kind of nice.

She likes my work chair too.

No Atlanta for me tomorrow - reprieve! I know there will be several trips to make before May, but we decided this will just be a chance for Emily to spend some time with her friends and feel things out. Then when there are decisions to be made, I may be asked for some input. She's pretty good at knowing what she wants though. An old friend from Thomaston, Keith Johnson, has agreed to perform the ceremony. We're excited about seeing him again. I think it's going to be such a good time, just like she's wanted all along.

Sadness

I woke up this morning feeling somehow down but couldn't figure out why. I went about my morning chores and came in to work a few hours and checked my email. My cousin Bobby had sent me a web site from one of his classmates, Philip Wise. I had followed his Caring Bridge site since last spring when he was first diagnosed with cancer but had lost it with my computer crash. He and Cynthia were high school friends of ours but, like so many others, we had lost touch with them for 40 years. Mike got in touch with him last spring before his diagnosis, and they met in Lubbock for lunch. They kept this journal of his illness and always seemed to be so brave and hopeful. This is the entry for yesterday:

Dear Friends,
Cynthia and I have been making plans to move to Birmingham. Gary and Vicki Furr and Fisher and Caroline Humphreys have worked to make this possible. They've found us a townhouse and will have everything ready to move in when we arrive in a couple of weeks. The children will come down to move what we need. Needless to say, none of this would be possible without them!
We discussed this move with our medical oncologist. He thought the move was fine, but he does think that now is the time for me to switch from seeing a medical oncologist to hospice care. We have decided that we will do that when we get to Birmingham. I'm slowly getting weaker and still slowly losing weight. Hospice is a wonderful program that I’ve observed at close hand. It will provide better and more frequent care -in our home.
This is not the message we wished to send to you, but it is the reality of our situation. We continue to be so grateful for the help and encouragement of all of you. Your prayers have sustained us during these days.
We do not know what the future holds, but we do know Who holds the future.
Yours in Christ,
Philip and Cynthia

His Caring Bridge site is here.