New Years Eve Day

Gees, last day of 2013.  I just looked over the pictures  of noted people who died this year.  Always amazes me but then, that's what life is all about, I suppose.  It's 10:30 a.m. and I'm sitting in the kitchen finishing my morning cup of coffee.  Andy is watching wrestling,  Jake  is sleeping, and Mary's in the shower.  Kind of surprises me sometimes to realize how popular wrestling is to watch on television. I find myself watching once in a while but I usually start laughing within seconds and move on to something else. Those who enjoy it, though,  are avid fans.

I've definitely become aware that I'm the older generation as I observe the tv that M&A enjoy compared to what I like.  I like Alaska, the Last Frontier, Wheel of Fortune, 60 Minutes, among others and Andy likes ...well..other stuff.  ha ha

Another friend of Mary's brought over food yesterday.  It was wonderful!

                                               almond/orange  chicken breasts

                              roasted vegetables (Brussels sprouts, carrots, broccoli)

                                      rolls and the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever had!

The vegetables were  so easy to fix and so delicious, I was reminded that I really need to make more of an effort fixing dinners for myself. Marie Callender is fine but I can't depend on that ole bag all the time.

Mary's office sent flowers yesterday too...

John & Penny stopped in for a few hours to meet Jake.  Penny's daughter, Shannon, and her twin daugthers, Kendall and Riley, also came.

I've got a friend coming by in an hour to take me to lunch in Issaquah. (Ann Robson/Judy Scott) I'll post a picture of us on FB and on here tomorrow.

Nothing much planned for New Years eve or day.  I did manage to get my photos all sorted on my laptop so I'm especially pleased about that.  Am  working on a knitted afghan now and jumping on my computer frequently to check email or read Facebook.

Ha Ha  I just glanced up at tv again to see what all the chanting and yelling was about.  I must remember to tune into wrestling when I need a good laugh.  You can't help but smile at the theatrics that  go on.  I wonder how those guys can keep a straight face.   I went to a wrestling match in Portland once (probably 1963) and I almost got hit by a flying chair.  One of the wrestlers threw it as he left the ring.

Here's another view of "the man"....

Achoo...sniff...sniff

Always makes me curious when I go to bed feeling fine and wake up sneezing and sneezing to beat the band.  Mary just gave me a couple Sudafed so I'm hoping that will nip it in the bud.  Allergies and sinus are such a nuisance sometimes.  I must admit, though, that I suffer less than I did in my 30's and 40's.  Course now I have other things to contend with --like achy joints, poor eyesight, aging skin, bad feet, and digestive disorders.  Ahhhhh...ain't life grand?

I walked through the house taking pictures so I'd have something to post this morning....

                                         Mama and baby enjoying an after bottle nap on the couch

                                                        The diaper stairway.....

                                   Bottle and nipple holder (didn't have these in my day)

                                Baby bottles and nipples...also different from "my day"

                                     Play mat that will get lots of use in months to come

                                                         THE VIEWING CHAIR   hee hee

Today I'm heading upstairs to set  up my laptop in Mary's office.  I need to continue sorting my photos and some of my other files, as well.  Such a tedious job but I'm glad I'm finally getting to it.  I started yesterday afternoon and went to bed with a very sore shoulder from clicking and dragging that mouse.

Mary taped some shows I wanted to see (The Kennedy Awards and Alaska: the last frontier) so I may watch them in her room while John and Penny are here.  I brought my knitting and was hoping to make some progress on it.

Well, that's it for now.

Seahawk Sunday

Andy and Jake are sitting on the couch watching the game. Well, Andy is watching and Jake is contentedly sucking on a pacifier.
Mary is at the kitchen table reading more notes on motherhood tips.
Catie is cooking us quesadillas for lunch....

And Gramma is sitting at the kitchen island working on her blog.

A neighbor brought over a huge pan of lasagna last night (with a salad) so I'm eating a whole lot better than I do at home.  Just love it when I don't have to cook.

Tomorrow Grandpa John and Grandma Penny come to visit and Tuesday I go to lunch with Ann Robson (Judy Scott in Issaquah).  Thursday I go back to Southcenter so Mary and Andy can get their hair done and show off Jake at the beauty shop.  Maybe I'll do a tiny bit of shopping while there too. Friday I think Catie will bring me home after work and she'll spend the weekend visiting her mom in P.A.

I'll need to get back in physical therapy and sigh....probably call the dentist and see if I can get to the bottom of what is amiss with the old teeth.  All in good time.  I love being here but I still miss my recliner, my bed, my pillow, my bathroom, and well, I guess that's all.  Ha Ha

More for Saturday

Catie took me to the mall.  Too crowded. Too noisy.  Too big.  Glad to leave.  I did apply for an account at Sears so I got everything half off (and everything was already marked way down so that was good)

Went to Jimmy Johns for a sandwich (not as good as Subway) and got my new cell phone synced with a new sim card.  Busy place.   JC Penneys got a little bit of my money but not much.  Ran to Safeway for Mary and man, talk about long lines.  At Penneys, I picked up some socks as we were heading for the car and I was delighted to be second in line.  The lady in front of me turned around, gave me a really dirty look, looked me up and down and then the clerk waiting on her motioned to "the line" I was to get into that was forming off to the right.  I would have been about 12th so I decided the hell with socks.
Catie next took me to Barnes & Noble (always a fun place) but the lines were long there too.

Got back home and two of Mary's friends were here visiting from Port Townsend...  Shari & Tami...

Yesterday it was Jenny & Eric with their two kids....

One of Mary's friends down the street just brought us a salad and big pan of lasagna for dinner.    And that's it so far.  More tomorrow.......

Off to the mall I go

Granddaughter Catie is coming by in an hour or less to take me to Southcenter so I can do a little shopping.

Yesterday, after Mary and Andy got the call from their lawyer that the papers were finally filed, we had a toast to celebrate the adoption.

Poor Jake.  He's going to have to deal with a looney tunes granny!

Here's a picture I took yesterday when we went for his first doctor's office in the U district.

Watching and listening to the new parents just makes me smile.  They find themselves talking baby talk and they try not to (well, Andy tries.... but neither does that good at it)  ha ha   Mary told me that Andy was reading up on umbilical cords and started to read it to Jake like it was a story book.  Wish I could have recorded that.

Ahhhh....my latest news....

Announcing the arrival of my latest grandchild.....Jake -born Dec. 23 at 1:35 a.m. in Mt. Vernon, WA.  Weighed in at 8 lbs. 9.5 oz. and we'll call him Jake. It's been killing me to keep my mouth shut about this until I was given the okay.

 My oldest and my youngest grandchildren born almost 25 years apart

Jen, Hunter, Maddie, Andy, Mary, and the latest rock star.....

Jake was  adopted in Skagit County and we're all over the moon happy for Mary and Andy.  Mary will be off work until April and Andy is home full time until the 6th of January.

He  got his first bath today.....

On the other side...

Christmas Day I drove from P.A. to Renton.  The plan was I'd drive as far as the Narrows Bridge in Tacoma and then Jenni would take over 'cause I'm intimidated by on ramps onto I-5.  Actually, I'm intimidated by all freeways.  For whatever reason, though, I decided I would hang in there and drive us all the way.  Everyone was dozing up  to this point and I suspect they all got a little nervous with my announcement so they were awake and alert.  I did okay but it certainly wasn't my favorite thing to do and I doubt I could do it alone a second time.

Below are some pictures I took at Jenni's on Christmas Eve and others I took at Mary's on Christmas day......

 Jenni made me this fabulous fleece blanket for taking naps in my chair.  I just love it!

 I love this ornament on her tree -- Glenda the good witch

                             Kiss was another cute ornament

                                            this was my most favorite.

                                       This clown always gets hung every year

 Maddie is peeking through the tree when I took this one.  I called it a selfie on Facebook but she told me she photo bombed me, and that selfie wasn't the right word.  Sigh...I can't keep up.

Here's Wayne and Maddie near their tree. That old kitchen queen cupboard on the right belonged to my grandmother. I used to change my kids on it.

Prime rib dinner at Mary's on Christmas  night  (Catie on the left)

                                               Mary and Andy's  fireplace decos

This was Andy and Mary's present to themselves -- a Sing Trix  www.singtrix.com if you want to see a demo.  It's really cool.  I even sounded like a rock star on it singing my alma mater.  Well, I thought I as  good.  The twins were rolling their eyes.

Toys and phones are plugged  in all over the house

My car parked outside Andy & Mary's place


Catie sent me a picture of her new office space. They recently moved from Kirkland to Bellevue. A place called Market Leader.

Tomorrow she's going to take me to Southcenter.  I only have a couple things to buy but I suspect I'll see the sale signs and realize there's more to my list.

Yesterday I rode along with Mary and Andy while they ran errands.  Was fun to sit and watch the scenery.  They took me to Dick's Drive-in for lunch.  My first time, I think. It was okay but I think Jack in the Box was better.

Rain is coming down today and it's gray and gloomy outside.  I'm glad I'm staying in.  They have a big screen HD tv so I'm enjoying that as well.  Nothing much else to report but tomorrow...well, that's another day...stay tuned.  Or....I may even post later tonight.  I can hardly wait.

Xmas Eve Day

Noon time.  Just finished lunch (a baloney sandwich) and was looking around for more.  Found a bunch of bite-size candy bars I had stashed away for a "whoever gift" and guess who "whoever" is going to be.  ME!!!

Went to my last physical therapy session until I sign up again in January.  My knee is at the 100 degree bend so I know I've made some progress.  I went to the bank to deposit some checks I'd received on the sale of my book and then decided to get the car washed.  This will probably be the last car I buy but should I get another someday, it won't be white.  Man, was it filthy!  But then I haven't washed it in ages except for a wipe down.  Washing the car must have been on a lot of people's mind because I was 7th in line and when I finished, there was still a line.  I bet they're traveling to relatives and didn't want to show up in a dirty car.  That tells me there's probably going to be traffic on the road tomorrow. Darn it! I hate traffic.

I'm not real fond of driving through those automatic car washes. I never can seem to get my wheels onto the conveyor belt thingie and I'm real intimidated once I'm in there and being pushed on through.  When I got home, I packed the car with the presents I'm taking tomorrow and looked over my to-do list of chores still left.  Feed the birds, take out the garbage, wrap a present (thank God, Maddie's showed up today), wash a load of laundry, finish my jigsaw, unload the dishwasher, and clean out the fridge. Going to have to take some of the food with me as it will only spoil (but not too much).

The neighbor next door who has cats that roam the neighborhood has been gone for a couple weeks or so.  Don't know who took her cats but my birds certainly have enjoyed having them gone.  I had half a dozen quail walking around on my deck and stopping to look in my sliding glass door.  This was after I threw some oatmeal flakes outside.

Guess I'd better get busy around here.  Hope you all have a Merry Christmas!  I'd post an old Christmas picture but it just occurred to me that I don't have one single solitary Christmas photo from my childhood.  We didn't have a camera, I guess.  That's kind of disappointing. I'd like to have a look at one of our decorated trees from back then.  As I recall, they were ones we chopped down ourselves and decorated with mostly homemade decorations.  I do have some of years past so perhaps I'll post those below....

 Cousins Linda & Jimmy with their folks, Lillian and Jim, early 60's I think

 Dad probably in the 60's on Cosgrove Street

 Susan in front of our tree in a little house in Seattle, 1966

 Madelyn and Hunter, Christmas 2000

A group of us wearing Santa hats a few years ago

2 More Days 'til the Fat Man Comes

Mailman brought me a present from my half sister today.  She's the one in prison in PA.  A few months ago she sent me a real pretty afghan (which I use for naps) and today I  got this cool hat.  I'd been wanting one that covers your ears with flaps.

Tomorrow is my last day to get two things I ordered online.  I called the place to track the package 'cause I knew it should have been here long ago.  Sure enough. They sent it out Dec. 11 and come to find out the Auburn, WA post office sat on until yesterday before sending to the PA post office.   That sucks!  I'm stopping my mail while I'm out of town so Maddie may have to wait for two of her gifts if it doesn't arrive tomorrow.

I picked up the twins this morning to take them to Jen's bank as they both have eye appointments.  It's going to be a day of relaxation for me today and tomorrow. (except for the exercises I have to do). I've got a jigsaw puzzle going and am getting into Sissy Spacek's biography.  Also checked out Sinclair Lewis' Main Street.  I decided I was going to read it with a dictionary nearby so I can stop and look up what words mean. (Usually I skip over them figuring life is too short to fill my brain with words I'm never going to use anyhow)  I'll have to train myself to stick with it, no matter how hard it is to get through. That's one of my problems with finishing books.  My attention span is in the gutter.

I'm not sure what's wrong with my knee the last two days but I've been getting some terrific shooting pains right through the surgery area.  They're just quickie pangs but strong enough to make me wince -- and they happen while I'm resting.  Twice in bed last night and once this morning in the recliner.  I don't think it can be arthritis as I thought you were immune from that with knee replacement parts.  As long as they pass on by quickly, I guess I'll just play the waiting game to see if anything develops.  I wonder if it could be scar tissue breaking up.  Hopeful expectations, I suppose.  Knee pain is just a way of life for someone my age but it's still curious why it's happening in my leg with new gadgets inside.

I drove down to Walgreen's Drug Store to pick up some reprints and a panhandler was standing outside.
He asked me for a couple dollars and I said sorry.   Then he said sorry right back and I could tell he was embarrassed.  I wonder if this was something new to him.  At any rate, I went in the store and while I stood in line, I decided I'd give him money when I went back to my car.  Too late, though. He had moved on.

I got a doozy of a paper cut on the tip of my middle finger this morning. It bled like crazy so I had to put a bandaid on it.  Ironically, I was opening something about medical coverage from AARP.
Well, that's about it for today.  I may write tomorrow but if I don't, I'll be back at the end of the week when I'm settled at Mary and Andy's place.  For now, it's off to the recliner -- and a nap, I hope. Some days I'm successful and other days, not so much.

Saying goodbye...

Mary Norton and I drove into Port Townsend yesterday.  She went to a Christmas party at Victoria House where her aunt lives.  I went to the Lutheran Church to attend a funeral.

Judy Howe lived at the Discovery View Assisted Living Apts where my folks did so I would see her from time to time when I stopped in there.  Even though we weren't particularly close in our adult lives, I still remember fondly playing together as children. Below is a photo of two of her sisters, two of her four children, and two nephews.

I woke up feeling kind of punky but decided to drive into town anyway and wait for the queasiness to pass.  I was certainly preoccupied most of the time.  As I was preparing to drop Mary off at Victoria House on Discovery Road, I flew right on by thinking it was down on San Juan Avenue.  Once I thought about it, of course, I realized my mistake.  After the funeral, I was trying to decide the quickest way to go back to Victoria House and pick up Mary.  I chose the route  by Del's Grocery and proceeded out San Juan Avenue AGAIN!  As soon as I was preparing to turn into San Juan Villa (or whatever it's called) I remembered that Victoria House was up on Discovery Road.

It makes me very nervous when my memory goes off on its own little trips.  I suspect because I take the
temporary memory loss as an indication of what's to come.  As people are living longer these days, I think we've all become aware of the various afflictions that can befall us if we live long enough.  Dementia and Alzheimers is becoming commonplace, and I don't have any doubts that I'll be dealing with it.  Or....my kids will be dealing with it. I'm sure I won't be aware of it.  Sigh....

Right now, though, I'm dealing with a body that is sore and achy most of the time.  I did my exercises this morning and it was just as if it was the first  time I've ever gotten on that blasted exercise bike.  I know I'm 70 and obese but gees, you'd think it would be a little easier by this time.  I put in a half hour, did some others on my bed, and will ride again during the Seahawks game.

It could just be that I'm still under the weather a little.  It was so dark, gloomy, and rainy after the funeral that Mary and I decided to just come on home instead of making a couple of stops in Hadlock.
I stopped at Safeway in PA to pick up some Chinese food for supper because I knew I didn't want to cook anything --not even soup.  I ended up going to bed at 6 pm!  And I stayed there for 12 hours too.
I absolutely refuse to have a bug right now.  I have plans.

Here's a picture of Judy Howe from her funeral program.  To me, though, she'll always be Judy Bare.

My sister and Clarence Lammers came by with KFC day before yesterday so we exchanged presents after chowing down on chicken with potatoes, gravy, and biscuits.

Here's a picture of Mary and her aunt..

And here's the puzzle I recently completed of downtown NYC.

Saw some cute cartoons on facebook yesterday.  This was one of my favorites....