Eyes

A few of the trick-or-treaters tonight have had costumes with black fabric completely across their faces. It's weird to not see their faces. It reminds me how much we value our eyes around here.

Both The Husband and I wear prescription glasses.  Nearsightedness has been an issue for both of us most of our lives. We have a teensy bit of envy for those with great vision.

As we've gotten older we've found we need multiple pairs of glasses around.  Regular progressive lenses for most situations.  But when The Husband is wearing his contacts he needs readers and has fifteen or twenty pairs scattered around the house.  Then there are the ones we wear just for computer work or playing the piano. Between the two of us we probably have 10 or so various sets of glasses that we use and change according to our current need.

These lovelies are The Husband's favorites and the ones I tease him the most about.  They are ancient.  But...he sees well out of them and loves the oversize lenses that allow for better peripheral vision without so much distortion.  

I call them his "Old Man Glasses" because they look so much like the ones our older friends have always worn in the past.  (Never mind that when he originally purchased them they were the latest style. And, no, he'll never be an "Old Man.")

I've tormented him so much with my teasing that whenever he is wearing them (and that is most of the time) and someone stops by or we have to run a quick errand, he's quick to whip them off and swap for the more modern looking ones.

We're dreading the day when they finally fall completely apart. He'll be bereft for only as long as it takes him to cobble together some manageable form of the original with duct tape, bailing wire and various screws, nuts and bolts.  (At that point I'll be kissing him very carefully!)

Gratitude

Another day where I noticed things to feel grateful for.

With a great sense of trepidation I stepped on the bathroom scales this morning.  After all the good food I've been eating (and maybe some food that's not quite so good for me) over the last couple weeks I was sure that I was carrying some extra (and discouraging) pounds.  What a huge relief to find that I weigh just what I did before the food marathon.  That's something to be grateful for.

I've managed to make some progress on the "catching up" after our trip.  The laundry is all washed, most of it even folded and put away.  The ironing is finished.  The clothes I don't put in the dryer are nearly all hung dry.  The bills are paid.  The mail mostly dealt with.  And I'm so grateful for the things those chores all represent:  plenty of decent clothes to wear.  And the appliances to take care of them.  Money with which to pay the bills.  A home that's comfortable and pleasant to live in.  Yes, I'm grateful.

Went to lunch with my friends today.  (The Husband went to lunch with his friend.)  I am so grateful for their constancy.  For their patience and acceptance of my faults and foibles.  It was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon.  I'm grateful for the blessing in my life that led me to find a couple sweet women (who don't seem to mind that I talk too much) who make time in their full lives for me.

Gratitude.  A good thing.

Noticed

I noticed a couple things today.  The second thing was at the grocery.  I seemed to be following the same route as a young mother and her little guy - I'd guess he was about 3 or so.  His steady stream of chatter kept my mind engaged while we played leapfrog up the aisles.  "We're on #8" or "Marshmallows" or some other toddler observation he would voice in that cute little boy way.  He was just so happily content to help his Mom shop.  It made me smile.

First thing:  I was headed out early to my doctor's appointment.  Driving down past the construction area for the new Trax line I noticed a crew of men getting ready for work.  By doing exercises!  There on the side of the road the 5 of them were stretching, reaching, bending, doing some jumps.  With smiles on their faces.  That, too, made me smile.

I decided that (as I feel about sparklies) there just might not be enough smiles in the world.  We need to make our own contributions to the effort!

Road Trip!!

The Husband needed to go in to the office in CA - or as he affectionately terms it:  visit the Mother Ship.  Since circumstances required that he drive, I invited myself along.  Since usually when he travels for work he travels alone, and usually when we travel together it is vacation, this trip felt like a vacation, even though he was working.  And what fun we had!

Our home-away-from-home was not only a comfortable place, it was in a fairly central location for getting around (although that getting around thing proved to be nerve-wracking-frustrating for this driver unfamiliar with the surroundings).  I dislike all the traffic there in Silicon Valley.

I had forgotten how truly beautiful it can be there. We had serious rain every single morning but usually by noon or so it was beautiful.  These trees smelled heavenly after the rain.  And the eucalyptus scent is like none other.

I should have titled this "Great Food Trip" as it seemed I was endlessly moaning in pleasure over the yummy food.  I was introduced to Mongolian BBQ and loved it.  Breakfast at the Mother Ship the first morning was steel cut oatmeal cooked with bananas and poached pears.

Wherever The Husband goes he always finds the very nicest people. We had dinner one night with a couple guys from one of his former places of employment (he keeps in touch with them) and we ate at the Fish Market.  It was a delightful evening with a couple wonderful guys who made me feel important.  (A feeling I never take lightly.) I highly recommend the skewered scallops and shrimp.  Amici's has the very best panzanella salad, and pizza that we split and nearly fought over because it was so good.

One day a friend drove me over to Half Moon Bay, this was the view from our outdoor table at Sam's Chowder house where she and I both had - what else - New England Clam Chowder!  And we detoured through the town to find the bakery that sold us wonderful cinnamon crisps (like the "elephant ears" we used to (rarely) get as a kid) and the most fabulous coconut macaroon I have ever eaten!

We treated ourselves to Jamba Juice - I thoroughly enjoyed my Pumpkin Smash, The Husband preferred his seasonal Eggnog flavor.  In Reno we all licked soft serve cones at Scheel's and had multiple samples of their fab fudge.

And The Daughter and Granddaughter taught me to make these pretzel stacks, a take on the chocolate dipped pretzels so popular during the holidays. (Spread the pretzels around the cookie sheet, top with chocolate kisses, or rolos or whatever you like, soften in a 200 degree oven, then press the top pretzel down, cool (or not, they're good warm) and if desired, drizzle melted chocolate over the top.  Enjoy!)

I loved the Mongolian BBQ so much we visited it again later in the week.  And found another to patronize with our kids in Reno.  I'm now a confirmed supporter.  We ate with some friends at Jeffrey's Hamburgers in Palo Alto and our chocolate shake was served soda fountain style in tall glasses with whipped cream and a cherry.  Another fun evening - I'm still surprised when this self-confessed-anti-social-person actually enjoys sociality. I continued to have the steel cut oatmeal at the Mother Ship - one day it was with bananas and raspberries.

We did other things besides eat, although there are times I disagree with the quote I read when I spent some wonderful time at the Sunnyvale City Library.  Coral Arvon said, "Remember, eating is not a hobby."  (That's probably why I look like I do - extra fluffy!)

The area seems to require seemingly endless driving to get anywhere.  It wasn't my favorite part of the trip, especially after having spent two days driving to get there, and having two driving days to get home.  At least on the freeway there aren't all those stop lights.  Notice I didn't say traffic lights - for a reason.  Do they really direct traffic? It felt like all they did was make us stop the car.

I enjoyed the drive over to Half Moon Bay so much over the 84 that I convinced The Husband to do it again the next day.  I'll never tire of that view.

We spent some time at the GoKart Track.  My license proves I was there, although I opted to not take a picture of my driving times.  It was super fun, and exhausting!  We drove two tracks, and I managed to keep my claustrophobia (from the helmet and neck roll protection - I have no neck so it was hard) in check and let loose some laughter as I kept my right foot heavy on the gas and my left almost completely off the brake and careened around. The Husband very kindly let me win, although neither one of us broke any speed records.  We just aren't aggressive enough, and perhaps were too happy (not mad enough) to go super fast.  I discovered my arms aren't as strong as I thought.  It took an enormous effort to turn the steering wheel and I was sore for a couple days.  Still -  its a fun diversion!

At the Mother Ship again, we saw the self-driving car - there were actually two, and don't mind my finger in the corner of the picture.  I surprise myself with my constant snapping of photos with my phone.  Don't have any skill, just like to capture a memory when I can. (But, please, can the phone camera have a zoom lens?)

Driving home I stuck the phone out the window and snapped this shot of the windmills - always a favorite part of that drive.  I wish I had been able to get more of the windmills in the shot - there are so many lining both sides of the road.  I've often wished to be able to get out of the car and listen to see how loud they are.

I'll spare any readers further pictures - I took one of the Yum Yum donuts we bought to take to the kids in Nevada, and some of the Mother Ship Campus (it's so lovely) and one of the Reno Temple and some of the family.

We arrived home last night after a drive nearly straight through from Nevada - 8 hours of driving punctuated by only two restroom stops and one gas refill - to hugs from The Son and The Daughter.

This morning I've managed to get through 3 of the ten loads of laundry, visit the doctor (what fun to drive on familiar streets. Diagnosis:  compression of the ulnar nerve.  Treatment - Aleve and time.  Prognosis - most likely a full recovery without difficulty.  Yay for a common and probably easily treated ailment.) return books to the library and savor being home.

I'll have to stifle the pressure I'm feeling with 12" of mail to go through, bills to pay, 10 loads of laundry to launder, recorded TV to view and the general catch-up required after being gone for 9 days.

But....I'm home!  And there's no better place to stifle pressure than that!  (Thanks, My Love, for taking me along.  I never tire of being with you!)

Low Profile

Started off the day tossing out something The Husband wanted.  Should've asked him first, but didn't.  Therefore - fail. (Even though he, of course, was kind about it.)

Didn't have the right kind of stuff for lunch - again:  fail.

Decided to spend the rest of the day maintaining a low profile.  Didn't want to fail some more. (Didn't want to have another one of those days.)

But I did fail at something:  having an enriching day.  Just felt restless and non-productive and sort of useless.  In spite of doing laundry and tidying up and doing the usual Friday things.

I think I need some chocolate. (YAY, chocolate!)

That Kind Of Day

Decided I really needed to use my Kohl's "Extra 30% Off Of Everything" coupon before it expired.  Was hoping to find a shirt or two.  I must have tried on everything in my size in the store.  I actually did find a couple things, but not the most important thing (for The Husband) that I was hoping to find.  I'll have to try again - if I can manage to talk myself into shopping again.  That hour and a half wiped me out.  I might have mentioned how much I love (not) to shop.

Needed to wash a couple things.  The Tide is stored in the cupboard above the washing machine. Fumble!! The result:

NO, that isn't a shadow in the middle of the bottom one - it's the void left from my shoe which is now filled with Tide.  It was nearly a brand new box.  Notice I said nearly. But no longer.  The pictures really don't show how bad it was, nor do they indicate the depth of my dismay.  But....to my credit, I didn't swear.  Only moaned loudly.

And it was only 1:00 p.m.  I'm hibernating for the rest of the day.

And So It Begins....

Driving past the city park this morning I noticed the workers putting the Christmas lights on the trees.  The city really does a great job of sprucing up the park in holiday finery - spreading the Christmas cheer.

Reminded me (like I could forget) that I'll need to be doing some Christmas thinking, deciding, purchasing, wrapping and gifting.

It gets harder and harder for me every year. When it comes right down to it, I would find the season so much easier to bear if someone would just tell me what the right gift is for everyone.  Getting out and doing the purchasing, wrapping and gifting is really the easiest part.  The deciding is the hardest part. It seems like everyone is already so materially blessed that most of the items I give just seem to get lost in the abundance. I try to find something useful and meaningful while at the same time deliberately trying to keep the real reason for this celebration upper most in my mind and behavior.

And like I said, it gets harder and harder every year.  (And it's almost like that dinner thing every day.  I'm happy to do the shopping, preparing and cleaning up.  Would someone just please tell me what to fix?) After 42+ years of it, I think the brain is just plain dead.  I am fresh out of ideas.  (In addition to which, I really dislike spending money!)

And while I would never want to skip the celebration of our Savior's birth, I'm starting to wonder if I could just skip the gifting-thing. I know it would never fly and I'm not really serious....still, I can imagine, can't I?

Now, to dust off the decorations, and where did we store the tree?

Autumn

This year seems to have been an unusually lovely fall season.  The colors seemed to start a little earlier, and have lasted longer than our usual ten minutes.  And they seem to have been more vibrant.  I have loved it.

This tree was even more stunning yesterday before it lost so many leaves.

And this beauty leads to this......

                   FUN!



One of my favorite fall activities is scuffling through the leaves.

And this was just a collection of leaves in a random curb that I happened to stop at.  These leaves are so deep it is difficult to see that those are my shoes buried in them.



And of course all those leaves will inevitably lead to the utilization of this tool.  Our trusty rake.

The leaves on our big old cottonwood trees are still mostly green.  Pretty soon they'll turn yellow and then one day, in the space of about four hours, 90% of the leaves will all drop off the branches, it will look like leaf snow.

And then The Husband and I will spend a couple afternoons (usually this happens around Thanksgiving) out in our sweatshirts and work gloves raking and bagging and more raking and bagging while we chat and commiserate about our aching muscles.

And it will be, for a minute, a bit of heaven on earth.  I hope in the real heaven we'll remember how much we loved the autumn.  And if I'm lucky, I'll find some leaves in a curb to shuffle through.

Amused

So, I'm sitting at the 4-way stop today (the city powers that be haven't yet figured out that 2 lanes in each direction feeding a 4-way stop isn't an effective use of the 4-way stop) and caused some amusement in the lady on the street to the right of me when I involuntarily placed my hands in my cheeks.  (I think I could almost/not quite hear her actual laughter.) In reaction to the lady coming directly at me through the stop sign (it wasn't her turn) at the same time the two cars that had the right of way entered the intersection.  They all missed each other by inches.  And I nearly 'lost it' in fright as I could mentally see them all colliding and sliding into me!!

Today I picked up a new spatula to replace the one I broke.  This is the front of it:

You can see the business end of the spatula is covered in plastic wrap.  Also see the "safe to 450 degrees" notation.










Now the reverse side:

It still amuses me that apparently common sense isn't so very common.

And my favorite amusement of the day - these words I heard:  "I couldn't pick a favorite book.  I wouldn't want the rest of them to feel bad!"  My sentiments exactly.

And what better way to start the week than with some laughter.  It's good for my heart.

Logan Thoughts

We left the Salt Lake Valley yesterday afternoon for our drive to Logan.  Things I thought over the last 36 or so hours:

- I expected the Logan canyon's colors to be dull and winter-like.  Instead, all the trees were still dressed in their finest - from fading green to yellow to orange to bright red.  It was breathtaking.

- Wondered if we'd have to leave our hotel room window closed all night.  The cow farm across the street was super-fragrant.

- Was grateful that WalMart was open 24 hours so that The Husband could run for supplies for the replacement visual that he forgot and left at home.

- Was surprised that the waiter at IHop noticed and commented on our "spiffy" dress.  Said we looked nice.

- I'm getting a bit smarter:  ordered from the "Senior" portion of the menu and got just the perfect size omelette.

- Started and ended the day with spinach.  (Spinach and bacon omelette for breakfast, spinach salad at Corner Bakery for dinner.)  Felt virtuous about the day's eating until I polished off my half of the chocolate bundtlette cake at Corner Bakery.  Then I just felt happy.

- Drove the circumference of the new Brigham City Temple.  Simply beautiful.

- Was so pleased for The Husband at his presentation at the Family History Conference.  Awesome delivery, thorough knowledge of his subject, great sense of humor.  And look what they gave him:

This basket filled with yummy goodness, most of which originates there in the Cache Valley.  What a thoughtful kindness.

- Wanted to hug the sweetheart who asked (after the introduction of The Husband included the fact of our being married for 42 years) if we got married at "like 12 or something? You don't look old enough to have been married over 40 years."  Bless her!

- So enjoyed being at the wedding of my nephew.  We don't get to see them near enough!

- Managed to make it home in time to drop off our overnight bags, change our clothes then high-tail it to the movie.  A fairly-decent-feel-good-movie.  Glad we went.  (Even though we saw the movie sans popcorn!)

- And finally, after a quick bite at one of my favorites places:  "home again, home again, jiggety-jig."

And now, my own clean-sheeted-bed, my own shower in the morning and hopefully a somewhat calm day of rest tomorrow.  I so love that life is never boring. I hope for a future of problem-free-boredom-free-fun-filled days. (Let's see how I do with that.)

Just A Few Thoughts

Made a Costco run this morning - I try really hard to steer clear of places that entice me to easily part with The Husband's hard earned money.  But my list was long, the place was crowded with carts, people and goods and I was relieved to only spend the $3,000 that I spent.  Could have been much more.  (Said with tongue firmly in cheek - no I didn't spend that much, it just felt like it.)

I had to smile, though, as I watched the 20-something head out to retrieve carts from the parking lot and give a little skip.  Even cart retrieval can be a happy thing (the weather was beautiful and he was outside - what's not to skip about?)

My trip there netted me several things not on the long list.  Like: my annual pumpkin pie!  Came home and had a piece for lunch/dessert. My tastebuds were jumping up and down squealing, "yippee, yippee, yippee!" This will most likely be the only pumpkin pie I buy this year, but it's a good'un.

Kudos to The Husband for rescuing the neighbors.  They didn't realize the dumpster delivered this morning has an actual door on one end to open.  They were climbing the ladder laden with yard branches and debris, precariously balancing to get them up and over the end when they could have easily just opened the end and walked in.  Yay for experience. (And Yay! for a thoughtful observant man who isn't afraid to help out!  So glad I married him.)

Loved my walk this morning.  Temperature:  perfect 47 degrees.  Sunrise:  beautiful.  Feet:  firmly taped and properly socked for the newest of my walking shoes.  Loved the colors of this tree against the backdrop of the evergreens.  I hope to never tire of the beauties of this world.

And I love this quote (attributed to Nikki Giovanni) that I read this morning:  "We love because its the only true adventure."  Based on the last 43 years I can attest to the fact that it has indeed been an adventure. (And as I've been known to proclaim, I'm always up for an adventure!)

A Not Quite Boring Wednesday

This handy gadget is one of my very favorite winter accessories.  Now that the cold weather is here, just before my shower I drop in my towel, press the heat button and when I step from the warm shower into the chilly bathroom air (still got that inner-scrooge-don't-want-to-turn-on-the-furnace thing going) my towel is toasty warm.  Mmmmm. Such a luxury.  I revel in it.

And for an extra special treat, I can warm up my jammies before I put them on, or warm up a small throw to put down at the foot of the bed for getting between less-than-warm sheets.  Or I could toss my socks in before I put them on. 

Yes, I know it isn't that cold yet, but it soon will be and I like to be prepared.  

My inner scrooge was also satisfied today at the eye doctor's when I opted to just replace the lenses in my glasses instead of getting all new frames and lenses.  Couldn't find any frames I liked any better, these are still in great shape and are currently still marketed, plus they happen to be just about the most comfortable glasses I've ever had.  

I sense a theme here:  comfort.  The older I get the more comfortable I like to be.  (I now just give in and wear fat pants rather than trying to squeeze the lard into cuter looking jeans; I'm just going with the ones I can actually bend over in.)

Strength

Strengthened my jaw a little bit as I nearly put my teeth through my tongue doing my best to keep quiet.  Didn't want to cause difficulties, or embarrass The Husband.

Election day working the polls will be interesting if I'm unable to speak.

Monday, Again?

What is it about a Monday?  It seems they are more often a strange day than other days of the week.

This morning I had occasion to stop in at the restroom in a store.  This was a small public restroom, 2 stalls, one stall being wheelchair accessible.  While I was in the smaller stall, all of a sudden I hear a thud and catch something out the corner of my eye.  What I find is a fairly large roll of toilet paper unrolling across the floor until it nudges up against my foot.

Now what do I do?  Does the lady in the next stall need this?  Is it an extra?  Is she ok?  All sorts of questions run through my mind.  I run through various scenarios - wondering if she can just pull the roll toward her, or if it will just unroll (and no one wants to use paper that has been dragged across a public restroom floor- ewww...) or should I speak up - keeping in mind that the second that roll hit the floor there was dead silence beyond the divider, making me think she might be too embarrassed to even acknowledge her clumsiness.

I dithered and dithered - and finally gently toed it back toward her, washed my hands and scooted out the door.  But now:  I want to know the rest of the story.

Decided to have a couple scrambled eggs for lunch.  First egg cracked into the bowl:

And yes, a double yolk!  How often does that happen?  Pretty rarely for me.  And I hesitated to put the second egg in for scrambling, didn't want to be a pig and eat three eggs.  Or is it still just one egg with double the protein?

And the question of the day is why, when all you're doing at the doctor's is having someone look at your hand, do they have to weigh you?  I still don't believe that it is a necessary activity, particularly when I'd just had lunch and was wearing a minimum of 5 lbs. of clothes.  One of these days I'm going to rebel.
 

To Remember

There were lots of sentences or quotes that I wanted to remember today.  But the one that stood out for me was this one by Jeffrey Holland:

"The crowning characteristic of love is always loyalty."

He is a very moving speaker with a powerful way with words.  I'll want to remember this one.

Inner Scrooge

I so love the "bridge" months:  the months when neither the furnace nor the air conditioner are running so we get a bit of a break from those bills.  I tend to have a bit of a contest with myself each year, trying to see how long we can hold out before turning on the furnace.  Although this morning The Husband cleaned the glass and logs in the gas fireplace so we can have some heat if we like.

This morning's outside temperature when I got out of bed: 30 degrees.  I think fall is here to stay.  And I love it.  I particularly love the winter clothes that I can wear in layers and somewhat cover my extra-poundage-enhanced body.

The grandson's very first General Priesthood meeting.  Here are two of the three generations of men from our family heading out together (the third one arrived later) for the meeting.  Warms my heart.  (How nice it would be to have all the family men going together.  I know they attend together in their hearts even though distance intervenes.)

And I read a french proverb this morning that I like.  I might even have quoted it here before but it is worth quoting again.

"Gratitude is the heart's memory."

I wish my heart to have an extraordinarily long memory.

Friday's Favorites

Just a few of my favorite memories of today:

- Getting a pretty good haircut.  At least it feels so far like a decent one.  Haven't felt this good about my hair in a few years.  It feels good to feel good about my hair.

- On a whim we stopped in at a new bakery in our little burg.

Bake 360 has the most awesome goodies.  This is a picture of a pistachio filled cannoli we haven't yet tried.  (I think The Husband forgot we bought it.)  My chocolate filled croissant this morning was the very best I've ever had.

- Answering the doorbell to find two of the neighbor girls there.  The older one had brought her younger one over to see the sand dollars we found at the beach.  I got a hug and a smile and it brightened my day.

- Standing on the steps (it very conveniently makes me just the right height for The Husband to hug me) for a back-cracking hug.  What joy it is to have my very best friend in the world working here in the house - when he needs a break from his work (to stand up, or whatever) he always heads straight for me.

- Making plans with friends for an outing tomorrow.  I'm grateful for (accepting and loving) friends.

- Getting the carpets vacuumed and the tile steamed.  Feels good to feel tidy.

- Having a new library book to read that is clean, absorbing, well-written and just plain fun to read. 

Nothing extraordinary here, just finding contentment in our ordinary lives.

Looks Can Be Deceiving

Since I've managed to make some headway into the large stack of books that accumulated while we were on our trip, I decided to head out for a walk on the trail this morning.  (I've been down on the treadmill or elliptical, multitasking (reading while I exercise) most mornings.)

It was only 35 degrees out this morning - perfect for an invigorating walk.  But...I had forgotten.

This fairly innocent looking weed is quite abundant in our area.  I haven't a clue as to its identity.  But I can certainly identify it by its smell.

Picture in your mind the most awful stinky, dirty, foot odor, multiply it by, oh, maybe a million times, and you have the way this particular plant smells when it is blooming, as it does each fall.

Then, multiply that horrific scent by the over-abundance of the plants sprouting every possible place they can grow and you have:

Instant Nausea.

Not my favorite way to start the morning.  Although the morning walk out in the sunrise, seeing my friends the horses and listening to the birdies sing to me almost made up for it.

Blue Chair

Roughly 18 or 20 years ago I bought this chair.  The Husband was spending more time in his office at home and I wanted to be in the room where he was.

So, I came home with this swivel rocker.  It isn't anything fancy.  Just a simple little chair.  If I remember correctly, I didn't even have much choice of color - I'm not into browns or rusts or greens, so it seems like this blue was what was left. I've stitched many a stitch and read many a book while sitting in this chair.

When we moved into our current home, the chair was relegated to the basement.  Wasn't used for a short time.  Then we were assigned a special home teacher.  He was getting on in years and it was difficult for him to sit in or stand from the other furniture in the living room.

So...in came the blue chair.  It has become the home teacher's chair.  Ever since that first home teacher, we've had home teachers that are, shall we say, more experienced in years.  Their bodies are not so limber.

This chair isn't really a great looking living room chair.  But in our living room it stays.  We enjoy the men who occupy it.  We enjoy having a chair that they can feel comfortable in and can effect sitting and standing from it pretty much on their own.

I've had offers from visitors to help me "decorate" my living room in the style currently in vogue in the area.  I smilingly shake my head and say thanks, but no thanks.  I'm attached to this silly little chair.  It is important to me.  I'd rather have someone feel comfortable here than be in awe of decor that doesn't have any personal meaning.

I'm partial to rocking chairs.  Pretty much every seat in my house would be a rocker if I had my druthers.  Yes, even at the dinner table.  And I'm counting on the hope that in heaven (and I am hoping to get there) there will be rockers.  Hopefully one just like our little blue chair.

Tuesday

Today's menu:  mostly ginger ale and saltines.  Finally able to eat some dinner tonight that so far has not caused any discomfort.

I'm thinking the hour and a half nap I had today - a real rarity for me to sleep during the day - was very beneficial.

I actually remembered to take the garbage cans to the curb tonight.

I finished a book.

I did some stitching.

I did all the washing and drying of clothes.  Folding them was too much moving around.

I accepted a request to be a table judge at the November election via email.  Wondering now if the email was legitimate.  We'll see.

I don't think I insulted anyone, but that's mostly because I didn't really talk to anyone except The Husband and The Daughter.  And if I insulted either of them:  my abject apologies.

Hopefully Wednesday (and Wednesday's blog post) will be more enjoyable and interesting.

Cheerleader

I was chatting with a good friend the other day.  He simply stated he is his family's cheerleader.  Matter of fact-ly stated.  Straight faced.  But... I sensed some real emotion behind his facade.

In truth, he is the cheerleader.  He is the sounding board, the financial advisor (and money lender), the manual labor for all things needing manual labor (i.e. moving, fixing things, cleaning up things, building things and pretty much anything else that needs the brute squad) the mood booster, the hug dispenser, the joke teller, the purveyor of wisdom, the spiritual mentor (this is not a comprehensive list.) In short: the cheerleader.  The Dad/Father/Grandpa/Husband/Friend.

I imagine that must be a heavy load at times.  He, himself, doesn't have anyone like that, only his wife.  No living father, or uncles or life-long friends.  Just himself.  He's expected to be around when needed but to not need anything himself.  A paragon of unselfishness.

I consider him one of those un-sung heroes.  He does his best, aside from the fact that his efforts are usually more than most people would expend.  He doesn't rock the boat, just carries on.  And when someone calls he pretty well leaps over the moon to help.

I'm sure there are other family cheerleaders out there.  Others whose efforts go unremarked.  I think I should find some friends and figure out how to cheer him on. He surely deserves it.  Hip-hip-hooray!! Hip-hip-hooray!!

I wonder if chocolate would help?