Yet Another Day...

Did I accomplish anything? Not much. Do I care? Not really. I will later, when I am expecting company and am pressed for time, but for today, I just enjoyed the great weather and bought a shredder.

A shredder? Huh? As I've been going through things in my bedroom, I am aware that a lot of the papers that are just laying around here contain personal information. I burned a bunch a few nights ago on the patio, but I have to have something else to take up the slack.

I guess we are going to get socked with rain over the weekend. I hate it that my gutters are filled with maple seeds, but I can't do everything!

Happy weekend, everyone. We retired folks really don't notice one day over another. :)

Room

I woke up this morning and just got totally disgusted trying to make my way out of my bedroom to the bathroom. I mean, I've been stepping over stuff for two years just because there is nowhere else in the house to put some of it. And, with the collection of junk comes dust and cobwebs. I haven't been able to get into my closet without a major effort. So today, I decided (again) to make an effort to move stuff around. I hate to be working inside when it is so beautiful outside, but it would feel wonderful if I actually could find places for all of the "schtuff" that I THINK I need to keep.

Of course, when one room is being dug out, another is inundated with the overflow. That would be the kitchen. I'm getting a "donate" stack going in there. No one else can tell that I have made progress. If I could keep my cleaning/sorting/pitching momentum going, it would probably take me another two weeks to get it actually DONE. Am also trying to get a stack of radio junk ready to peddle at the Dayton Hamvention...coming up in a couple of weeks. Which reminds me that I need to get my hairs cut... (Just made the appt. for tomorrow at 10:30.)

If any young'uns are reading my blog, a word to the wise: Do NOT let your belongings rule your life! I have probably given away $1-2k worth of stuff over the past two years, but there is still so much left! Unless you have a big house or a lot of kids, you need to establish a rule...something like "nothing new comes into the house unless something goes out"...or unless you already know exactly where the new stuff can be put/stored!

Back to work here. I just keep on pluggin'.

Not Much to Report

I haven't been up to much lately. Monday and Tuesday, I did two weeks' worth of laundry and put most of it away. Today, I have tackled picture frames. Lots and lots of picture frames. And a little kitchen cleaning.

I have a collection of portraits of my grandchildren at various stages of infancy. I love them all but have no wall space to display them, so it's time for me to find some other way. Album, perhaps? In any case, I need to get rid of the zillions of frames that were collected to display them and are just taking up space.

Two nights ago, I was out on the patio burning papers, cardboard boxes, and some limbs/twigs from the yard in the chimenea. I have a boatload of maple helicopters all over the place now. Trying to decide if I should burn them or put them in the trash. Big job! And I think the helicopter crop is only about half down, at this point. Then there are the gutters...

Trying to plan for the weeks ahead. It sounds silly, since all of my days are free, but I get overwhelmed trying to think of everything. Ugh!

I did mow the back yard this evening. It's only a 15-minute job, so no biggie. I have a request in to the dude who mows the rest for me. I think he's been sick. If he can't do it, I probably can. I'm just lazy! (Actually just old!)

We had scattered frost this morning, but the temp was up to 60 by noon. Hopefully this will be the last hurrah for nighttime cold. It IS a little late for frost... I will rely on the traditional Mother's Day planting date for annuals. Don't know when I will have the children here again.

Truth be known, I've been a little down since their visit a week ago. Not sure why. I mean, we had a good time...but things are so darned quiet around here after they leave that I lack direction and motivation. I hope things will get back to some semblance of normal in the near future. Whatever that means.

Sunday School Social

Last night (Saturday) I joined members of my Sunday School class in Danville, IN, for dinner and a live music concert peformed by The Berrymans, a duo out of Wisconsin that sings their own humorous songs to their own accordion and 12-string guitar accompaniment. It was an enjoyable evening.

While we were enjoying the concert, storms came through. We'd had a tiny bit of rain on Friday and some of Saturday, but Saturday evening brought real rain and wind. I came home to twigs and branches in the yard that will need to be picked up when things dry up. Guess Mississippi got socked with tornadoes. Thankfully, nothing like that here...

This morning in worship, there was a little gal in the choir that had solos. Her high soprano voice blew me away! She could hit extremely high notes without an effort, making it look easy! (My once-sporano voice is now baritone, but even when I could still sing soprano, hitting notes like that was work, and I'm sure my face and posture showed it!) I got tickled, though...just beneath the hem of her choir robe were her feet...in flip-flops...and all the while she sang the most beautiful music, her toes were wiggling. I didn't notice until the last song, and then I got to watching those toes instead of listening to the song! Note to anyone performing in public: little things like that DO make a difference!

Birds...and Senility...All in One Swoop

I just have to say this: it's been such a delightful spring listening to the songbirds in the neighborhood. The robins and cardinals and wrens make such happy sounds that my heart is lifted just listening to them. I remember a spring morning, just before dawn a year or two ago, when I pulled Robin out to the front stoop and said, "Listen!" Her face brightened and her jaw dropped as she heard the birds sing up the sun after a long winter. It was a special moment. So nice to have joy in such little things that come for free! Of course, there are also squirrels...and a bunny rabbit in the neighbor's yard. (There are also 'possums and raccoons that I have not seen yet. Don't want to!)

I didn't sleep well last night. Some people might not understand this, but I get pains from sleeping. Shoulder pain. Charlie horses. Stuff. Well...last night, I was awake at 2:30 with a pain in my chest--not heart, but muscle--from sleeping "wrong". I got up, took a Tylenol...and noticed something on my lip. It was a blood blister on my upper lip at the lip-closure line. I'd never done anything like that before!! When I finally got up for good, the blood blister came loose...then came off...with no damage underneath. Huh??? After examination, I found it to be a piece of kidney bean from the chili I ate just before I went to bed. It was really stuck on there! I guess I'm senile. How would I not notice something on my lip before I went to bed????

Ate a late lunch with radio friend Adam this afternoon. Have a social event with my Sunday School class tomorrow evening. Then it's Sunday again, already. Where does the time go???

Earth Day

Okay...so today is Earth Day. Daytime TV programming is full of information about how to "go green"...and I guess I am absolutely flabbergasted that I am still alive! This morning, one woman on The Today Show talked about going "green" by not buying clothing that is advertised as "wrinkle-free" because that means the fabric has been treated with formaldehyde. Oh no! Not that!! (So, how soon does the formaldehyde wash out?)

Almost daily, the Dr. Oz show talks about harmful bacteria found in homes. (Flushing your toilet, for instance, can supposedly propel e coli bacteria up to twelve feet through the air to hit your shower cap or your toothbrush. Obviously, they don't know MY toilet!) What's going on here? Are we raising a generation of germophobes? I mean, studies are showing that allergies and asthma are on the upswing because our homes are becoming TOO clean and bodies haven't had the chance to create immunities. (They haven't seen MY home, either!)

Well...I'm here to tell you that I should have croaked years ago! Out of sheer ignorance, we did things as kids for which modern society would have jailed my parents. Such as? We ate things straight out of the garden--just brushed off the dirt and popped 'em in our mouths. We followed road repair trucks and picked up hot road tar to chew on. We danced in the streets behind the mosquito abatement trucks that were fogging for mosquitos. We played with the little balls of mercury that came out of broken glass thermometers. We ate our steaks rare and our eggs sunnyside up. I walked barefoot all summer and often picked little pieces of glass out of my feet...and kept on walking. I only washed my hands when my parents MADE me. I even cleaned little cuts with spit.

Organic? What's that supposed to mean?? I thought it referred to food items that are grown or raised without pesticides or hormones...but this morning on TV, there was a dog playing on an "organic" dog bed and a child playing with "organic" toys. Hmmm... Maybe we need to take a lesson from my parents' generation for Earth Day. During the Great Depression, they did without. They didn't waste things--food, especially. They used what they had or did without. They didn't paralyze their kids with adult issues and warnings about how this thing or that thing would kill them or harm them. Good thing, too! I would never have survived childhood, had I known!

Interesting Days...

Monday and Tuesday, I did absolutely NOTHING. Guess it was my way of recuperating from the weekend. Still, I'm not used to just being a vegetable, so I always feel guilty. But you know what? I'm retired! If I don't want to do anything, I don't have to!

The weather, once again, has been absolutely lovely. I was overdressed today in sweats. I did clean up the kitchen, mowed the back yard, and did a few other things...but didn't tax myself. I do need to be exercising. Just need to find inspiration!

Now that the patio is somewhat cleaned off, it's been fun sitting out there and watching the sparrows and robins pick up nesting material. It won't be long until I'll be hearing the "feed me!" chirps of the fledgeling robins in the yard. I love it!

In a couple of weeks, Grandma Judy and I will trek up to Muncie for Grandparents' Day at the children's school; then there is the annual Dayton Hamvention. It also begins to look like I can buy Megan's 500 race tickets for the first time in a zillion years. Hope my sister can join me for the event! (Getting there and back is not for the faint hearted!)

Megan has already purchased plane tickets for her, me, and the children for her summer visitation with them. We had to get our heads together on that because Robin's birthday comes close to the end of that time, and we needed to determine if she wanted her party in Indiana or in California. Robin is a roller-skating officianado these days and wants her party to be a skating deal. We'll be working on that! Poor Ryan doesn't have as many choices because his birthday comes in November, which is totally weather-driven.

I will be attending a social event on Saturday evening with my Sunday School class. Once upon a time, I wouldn't be caught dead doing that because my life was so otherwise full that I couldn't even THINK of something like that...but...well...things have changed! I just have to keep checking my calendar because I missed an important event last week due to schedule miscommunication. It's hell to get old!

The Weekened

I had a very busy weekend with my grandchildren. Here is a blow-by-blow, for those who might be interested. (If you aren't interested, don't read it!)

Friday:
Picked the kids up at about 4:30 in Muncie. They were ready to go...and seemed happy to be coming to Plainfield. (Not at all concerned about not going to Cincy with Nathan, Kendra, and Wednesday for a soccer tournament.) Kendra sent along two envelopes with money that all three of the children had saved from their allowances: one labeled "hot lunches" and the other labeled "homeless persons fund". (Apparently they also have envelopes for the Humane Society and Riley Hospital.) Each envelope is marked on the outside with the amount contributed by which child on what date. Kendra said there was $55 total, but I added up the amounts on the outside of the envelopes, and if that was accurate, it was more like $45--still a sizeable amount of money for little kids! The envelopes that came with us were to be given to Grandpa Phil for his feeding mission for the homeless at church--a sort of early birthday present. I was also given instructions about how to care for Ryan because of his cast, etc., etc.

We stopped at the McD's in Muncie for supper. (Good choice because by the time we hit the Indy area, the heavy traffic had dissipated.) The children have graduated from Happy Meals to Mighty Kids Meals--more money and more grease, but they were happy. The prize was a dragon from the How to Train Your Dragon movie. At home, while I tried to install the Spore game that I had purchased for Ryan on the computer, the kids had just enough daylight left to play with the neighbor boy, Jack. At one point, Jack's mother called to ask if it was okay that the children were playing in her yard...that Jack had the hose out... NononoNO! No hose! Had them all come back to my yard to play. They played around the base of one of the maples, dragging dead grass clippings from the berm and some broad leaves from weeds...and sticks from the yard and bark from the tree...to make homes for Jack's dragons. (He already has toys from the movie.) At dark, Jack had to go on errands with his mother, so the kids came in. Ryan played Spore on my computer, and Robin played in her room, dressing little teddy bears in doll clothes. (She made a bride and groom and asked me if I could tell which of the seven sacraments they were about to receive.) We didn't horse around much...and they didn't resist...but it was seriously 10:30 before everyone (including me) got to bed. Busy day! 'Tis the one reason why I like to get the kids on Fridays. If they come on Saturday, we don't have as much time to get through the adjustment things...

Saturday:
Robin would have slept later, but Ryan was up at 7:30 and woke her up. After breakfast and a little TV, Ry started asking (about every 15 minutes) if he could go see if Jack was up. I made him wait until 10:00. Jack was up! Jack was dressed! They played in and out...mostly out. Jack's sister Grace is kind of the odd man in the company. She is younger than the rest, so while the bigger kids play outside, Grace plays by herself with their toys in my house! When I suggest that she should go outside to play with the rest of them, she tells me she doesn't want to...but usually gives up in boredom, at some point.

At one point, Jack's mother called to say she had to run some errands and really needed Jack to be with her, but that they would be back in "about an hour" to continue playing. We used the break to have our walking taco lunch. (The kids LOVE that. Robin eats the daylights out of it--Fritos with taco meat, refried beans, cheese, lettuce, and sour cream. Ryan won't eat the lettuce, but does well with the rest.) At lunch, we also made a list of the things we wanted to accomplish the rest of the day. We actually got all of them done!

After lunch, Jack still wasn't back, so we decided (Ryan, reluctantly) to run OUR errand. I had told Robin that since I had bought the Spore game for Ryan, I would buy her something for $30, but she needed to be thinking about what she wanted so we wouldn't have to be chasing all over to find something. We also needed candy bars for the s'mores we were going to have later... She decided she wanted to go to Target because she wanted a Zhu-Zhu Pet. I told her that the only place I'd seen them locally was at Walgreen's, so we went there, instead. The ONLY Zhu-Zhu Pet deal that they had left was one pet with the first part of the habitat dealie. $30. We bought the very last one...and got our candy bars...then went home. Wonder of wonders! Jack's car pulled into their drive right behind us in ours. Yay! Back outside to play. (I kept a pretty close eye on Ryan to keep him from running or doing other dumb stuff in his cast. They all actually played pretty nicely together...back under the maple on their knees.)

Robin is studying rocks in school. I told her I could send her back with some nice ones to show her class...so we went to the patio to select some. She picked out the ones that she wanted, and we talked about them. Some she could actually identify herself. That's my girl!

Meanwhile, I had emailed friend "Big" Ryan about problems with the living room computer's disk drives. He stopped by, cleaned out the computer, removed the drives, put one back in, etc. In the meantime, he decided to install Spore on the living room computer...which mean he had to uninstall it from mine. That took awhile because he finally figured out my daughter had some controls on the one in the living room. He finally got it installed but kept getting messages that wouldn't let it work. (One was the "another application of the game is still running" deal. I told him we had solved that by rebooting my computer...but it didn't seem to work on the living room one.) Finally, he had to leave. Thus, I had no Spore game on my computer, and the one on the kids' computer wouldn't work. *Sigh* He took the second ailing disk drive with him to replace it with another from his spares at home. Will have to figure out the problem with that before the children visit again.

At 5:30, Grandma Judy and Grandpa Phil came over for corned "beeth". Robin pulled Judy into the bathroom to tell her about the two envelopes that she had put underneath Phil's plate at the table. At dinner, she told him to look under his plate. Surprise! Both children explained to him about the money and how they had all (including stepsister Wednesday) agreed that he should get it to help feed the homeless through his church mission. He was touched and impressed. I could see the proud-grandparent wheels begin to grind in his head about how to get the most public impact from the gift. Should the children put the envelopes in the collection plate? No...maybe he should first show them to Pastor Ted (who was gone this weekend). In any case, I could tell that Phil wanted EVERYONE to know what his grandchildren had done. Heh heh.
We all explained to the children how proud we are to have them in church with us on Sundays when they come to visit. We like showing them off!

We then retired to the patio to get a fire going in the chimenea for s'mores. I made Phil the Keeper of the Flame. We sat and talked while the kids did the marshmallow roasting, got sticky, and enjoyed the daylights out of the experience. (It was a cool evening. We put our jackets on. The fire was warm and nice.) Several charcoal marshmallows and mess s'mores later, we let the fire die down and went back into the house. Judy and Phil left just at dark.

Inside, Ry wanted to play Spore...but I had to tell him that it wouldn't work, so I put him on the Webkinz site. He was okay with that for awhile, then he and Robin played TOGETHER in her bedroom, quietly and nicely, for at least an hour! I had to keep checking on them because they were being too good! Finally plunked Robin in the bathtub and got Ryan to bed...or rather, he put himself in bed, fully clothed. (I couldn't tell because he was so far up there in his loft bed...and I know he had his DS with him...but I let him have it his way. He never did get in his pajamas...)

Robin has a little tradition that was started long ago. When she gets out of the bathtub and everyone else is in bed, she gets into her bathrobe, sits on the couch, and wants a bagel with cream cheese for her bedtime snack. It's like "our" thing. Maybe she thinks she is getting away with something, so that makes it special...but I have come to expect it. She asks for it every time...sometimes saying, "You know what I'm going to say..." So she got her bagel and cream cheese, then was ready to settle. Before we both went down for the night, I sat next to her and told her how proud and touched we all were at the unselfish thing they (the children) had done in giving their money to a cause that would help people who didn't have as much as they have. She smiled and gave me a big hug and kiss. I think she fell asleep happy in the knowledge that she/they had done well.

Sunday:
Since we go to the early service at church, we have to be up early. Robin got up well. Ryan fussed. He didn't want to go to church! He complained, "Every time we come here, you make us go to church." Ryan is under the impression that when he comes to Grandma's, there should be freedom from rules and chores. Apparently church also comes under that. I simply told him, "That's what we do here now. We go to church." (I have some trouble with Robin with the rules and chores thing, too. Had to ask her several times to remove her mess from the living room...which she never fully did. They DO, however, pick things up when told by Kendra! I don't fight it much...) We got to church just as the choir was lined up for their processional. Phil spied Ryan's grumpy face and deduced that he wasn't a happy camper, but the little guy came around just fine. They went to the altar for the Children's Message, then retired for Children's Church. They made paper bag car trash bags for Earth Day. After church, I moved them to the Sunday School room, then went to my own Sunday School class. (The children have their own name tags at SS now, even though they are only monthly visitors. And they always seem happily engaged when I pick them up. Even Ryan!)

After church, we came home, had a snack, changed clothes, and got things together to go to the Heffelman's for lunch and the "How to Train Your Dragon" movie at The Rave. I had thought Nathan and Kendra might be there to pick the kids up when we got back from the movie so had things in the car.

We had a nice lunch. After that, Ryan played Uncle Wiggily with Grandma Judy while Robin happily played outside all by herself. Then it was time to go to the movie. Judy, Robin, Ryan, and I went. They enjoyed that. Lots and lots of dragons in 3-D! We ate a big tub of popcorn, had drinks, and sneaked in some candy in my purse. (Prices are outrageous, you know!) When we got back to Judy and Phil's, Nathan and Kendra weren't there yet, so I just brought the children back home and changed them into their Muncie clothes and let them go out to play. Jack again! We were back about 4:00...and Nathan didn't come until about 5:30, so they had bonus time to play. Robin especially like that. "We're lucky because we got more time to play!" I think everyone went home tired and somewhat dirty...but happy.

I always love having my grandbabies here. Before the weather improved, it was a challenge to keep them busy and un-bored inside. This trip, I had to anticipate Ryan's restrictions with his broken wing...things to keep him happy without physical activity; hence the movie and the computer game. Other than that, even with the cooler temperatures this weekend, we had lots of sunshine and outdoor play (with supervision). The children never had a chance to be bored, and neither did Grandma! Yes, there is extra expense and mess, but it is worth it to me! I can take my time cleaning up after they leave. Having a clean house is highly overrated!

Oh! Here's a funny:
After the water heater fiasco of last weekend, the defunct heater was taken outside and put next to my bedroom window in the front of the house. My neighbor was going to give it to one of his friends to take for scrap metal, saving me a $20 haul to the dump. He only asked if I could help him lift it onto his truck this weekend.
When I got back from Muncie on Friday, I noticed that the heater was gone. I thought, "Bless his heart, Fred lifted that thing all by himself!" I was going to write him an email about it on Saturday when I received an email from him, instead: "Where is your water heater? I was going to take it, but guess you found someone else to take it, instead...which is good because then I didn't have to mess with it." Uh...huh???? SOMEONE took my old water heater! Had to have had a truck... Were I not so grateful to have it gone, it would kind of scare me!

So much for the weekend.

Collected the Kids

I am home with my grandchildren. One of my radio friends suggested that I am just a patsy to them because they know a weak link when they see one. Well, yeah! Am I supposed to apologize for caring too much? I haven't done a single thing that will hurt them in the long run, so--to the rest of the world--kiss off!

We have a big weekend planned. Ryan's broken arm is only a bit of a deterrent. He is doing the best he can to be "good". He's six...God bless him.

Beddie-time. The troops are asleep. The forecast is for cold temps for the weekend. We'll manage!

Ugh!

Yet another beeeyoooutiful day in Central Indiana. I think we skipped spring...although the weekend is supposed to be a little more "seasonal". Of course it will...because the grandchildren will be here!

I got a call from the grandchildren's stepmother (Kendra) this morning. Ryan had an appointment with the orthopedist to check on the progress of his arm. Apparently it is healing well and quickly. Kendra did talk them into putting a cast on it, however, which has simplified things for them all. He is now allowed to at least use his thumb for his Nintendo DS, and getting him dressed is easier. The hard splint and wrappings just wasn't working for convenience. I'm glad she did that. We don't have to be nearly as protective of his arm now. I guess whenever Robin got upset with him, she would try to hurt his arm. With a plaster cast on, all he'd have to do is clunk her on the head with it once and she'd figure things out pretty fast!

I got a sad email from my sister today indicating that Lefty, a neighborhood dog, got hit and killed while trying to cross the road earlier in the week. Then their dog, Cain, was alive, he and Lefty and another pooch named Angel would run together. Lefty always showed up at my sister's once a day for a treat. Cain died of a cerebral accident (stroke) a couple of years ago...and now both Angel and Lefty have gone over the Rainbow Bridge from failed road-crossing. They are all probably in Doggy Heaven, running in the fields together again...

I will be driving up to Muncie tomorrow afternoon to collect the children for the weekend. It will be good to see the little skunks again!

Mrs. Magoo?

I have three pairs of glasses around here, somewhere. My favorite pair, another backup...and a third that I haven't seen for awhile. My favorite pair was found crushed under a towel that was used to mop up water heater leaks...so I was using the backup pair. Then, as I was going to bed last night, I tried to put that pair on the "Peeper"--a wooden hummingbird that has a notch on his head so that, when you put glasses there, it looks like the bird is wearing glasses. Unfortunately, the glasses fell off and went down behind the dresser. Oops! This morning, I didn't have strength enough to move the dresser, so I took an early run to Walmart to buy another pair. ($8.) They haven't left my face since!

I am within 2-3 hours of dedicated work of having the patio regained. Bad deal that I lacked energy today and yesterday. I HATE wasting good weather! It's been 80 for the last several days... A radio friend with young grandchildren came by yesterday to collect the children's Little Tykes picnic table and one of little Ryan's first bikes. I am glad to see them go to someone I know. My grandkids outgrew them a couple of years ago. Babies don't stay babies for very long!

I've been overplanning for the grandchildren's weekend here. We'll see how things go. I can't do everything! Trying to do "just enough" that they'll be happy and occupied without activity that will hurt Ryan's arm.

Ciao!

Little Ironies of Life

It was another gorgeous day in Central Indiana. I actually didn't wake up until 5:30 this morning, which makes it one of my later mornings. Here I am, retired and able to sleep in every morning, and what happens? I am awake every morning LONG before dawn, unable to go back to sleep. My doctor thinks it's anxiety. Could be...

I took advantage of the lovely weather to work on cleaning up the patio. Understand that everything that USED to be in the garage was moved to the patio two years ago when the garage was converted into a Grandma Room. All the precious junk was moved from the inside, where it prevented me from putting my car under cover, to the outside, where it has prevented me from using my patio. All the precious junk was just too good to be thrown out...but now, so much of the precious junk has been ruined by being exposed to the weather that I am now sorting it and throwing most of it in the trash. So glad I kept it! I have been working steadily on getting the mess cleaned up. Today, I made even more progress. Will keep working on it. Maybe by Mother's Day, I'll have my outside "retreat" ready to use again.

'Tis also a little irony of life that I can only seem to get ONE major accomplishment done per day...and some days, not even one! I used to be a working dynamo when I put my mind to it. Don't know if it's my age or the fact that there is nothing to drive me now. I seem to be a purpose-driven person. Give me something to work for, and I can do it! Still, I was pulling weeds in my little flower garden this morning...leaning over to do it...and just about killed my hips in the process! So it's work, rest, work, rest, work...etc. As my mother used to say, it's hell to get old! Takes me forever to do what used to happen via adrenaline rush! Adrenaline? What's that??

I went to my radio club's meeting tonight for the first time since December, and the walls didn't even fall in! We are preparing for Field Day, which occurs in late June. It was good to see everyone. I was the only female ham in the group; the other female in attendance was the wife of one of the other county radio operators. It was good to see her again, too!

I will try to finish off the patio tomorrow, then start on the inside of the house. The children will be here this weekend. Their rooms need to be straightened, and I desperately need to get the kitchen floor washed. I am also trying to plan things that we can do that doesn't include physical activity, since Ryan is restricted. We'll see!

Keeping the Sabbath

I go to my church's earliest worship service, then stay for Sunday school. After SS today, a few of us from the class took a road trip to Brazil, IN, via US 40 (the National Road). Why? The redbuds are in bloom all along the way! It was a gorgeous day so was well worth the trip. We ate at a diner in Brazil, then came back the way we went, stopping in Stilesville at an infamous hardware store that is absolutely CRAMMED with stuff. It had been a couple of years since I was out that direction, so it was an interesting venture.

I rode with Grandpa Phil and Grandma Judy. Judy and I are talkers. Phil just drove and listened, silently. (Sometimes I think he stays silent just so he can complain about how much we talk! He isn't normally a quiet person. Are you reading this, Phil????)

I think we were back in Plainfield somewhere around 2:30 or 3:00. I was totally pooped since I was (again) up in the wee hours of the night. Thought I'd lie down to take a nap...and tried a couple of times...but it wasn't happening. P and J had to read five chapters of Revelations for their Bible study class tonight. Hope they were able to stay awake long enough to get that done. Revelations is a tough book to read!

Generally on Sundays--contrary to my life before I retired--I don't do much but relax. It's the one day of the week that I don't mind feeling lazy and laid-back. Today, I was watching old reruns of The Andy Griffith Show...and one was an episode that reflected just the sort of Sundays I love. A type-A, big-city businessman's car breaks down two miles outside of Mayberry. He walks the distance to town and is dismayed by the fact that he can't get anyone to fix his car because it is Sunday. He rants and fumes at their small-town ways, but as Andy and Barney and Aunt Bee are sitting on the porch singing "The Little Brown Church in the Vale" to Andy's guitar, he begins to relax. When his car gets fixed by one of the locals as a favor, he fakes that the car is still not operating properly and uses that excuse to stay over and enjoy the rest of the evening. I'm not sure why that episode is such a favorite to me. Perhaps because it reminds me of the times that we sat outside at my grandparents' farm in the evenings after our Sunday meal...or perhaps because "The Little Brown Church" song was one of our family favorites. I can still hear my grandfather's deep bass voice singing the harmony, "Oooo, come, come, come, come, come to the church in the wildwood...O come to the church in the vale. No thought is so dear to my childhood as the little brown church in the vale." Indeed, no thought IS so dear to my childhood as that song!

I've been re-reading some of my old posts on here...and have found a number of typos, spelling anomolies ("baptised" vs. "baptized"), and a grammatical slip or two. Unforgivable! I promise to do better so my readers aren't shaking their heads and clucking, "Oh, Peggy, Peggy, Peggy! You were an English teacher!" I'll git 'er done!

Number Four...and Counting

Yesterday (Saturday) I was up at 4:00 AM. (Why? Who knows??) Went to the bathroom and discovered a wet spot on the carpet just in front of the door. I knew immediately what it was: a leaking water heater. I knew the WH had problems but was hoping it would hold off a bit before it "blew". Silly me! A little more investigation showed the carpet wet all around that part of the hallway. Of course, it was Saturday, so I was going to have trouble finding any company willing to come to install a new one. What to do? I sent an email to a friend of mine who agreed to come over and take a look at it. He said he'd never installed a gas WH before. I figured if he could at least turn off the gas and water to the behemoth, I could do without hot water until Monday when I could find someone to install a new one.

In short order, he had the gas and water shut off...then drained it to the driveway with a hose. (There were some very happy sparrows taking a warm bath at the end of the drive!) Next thing I knew, he had the miserable crusty thing outside...and while I mopped up and cleaned out the mammoth cobwebs from inside the closet where it resided with the water sofener, he went out to purchase a new one.

To make an all-day story shorter, he installed the new water heater (with a couple of trips to the hardware for parts) then spent an hour trying to get the pilot light ignited. (He sighs like my daughter does when things aren't going well!) My neighbor came over to offer his advice. We even called the gas company to see if they would come to light it. ("Service hours are Monday through Friday"...blah, blah.) The instant the neighbor left, the pilot ignited, and I was in hot water again! Six hours after the saga began, I sent a tired, wet, and dirty Ryan home to his wife and his dogs with a couple of tubes of Girl Scout cookies, enough money to cover the cost of the water heater, and just a little more money to cover the cost of the next time he takes his wife and I out to dinner! Thank you, Ryan!!

I have lived in my little house-on-a-slab since March of 1992. This is the FOURTH water heater that has had to be replaced in that time, possibly making plumbing/hot water the most expensive feature of the house. There have also been four carpet-floods, not counting toilet overflows and sewer backups. (Two from water heater, one from water sofener, and one from AC condensate pump.) Aarrrgh!! I did learn something new, though. According to the book that came with the new heater, there IS an annode tube in a gas water heater that has to be inspected once a year with softened water...AND artificially softened water will reduce the life of the water heater!!! (I always believed it to be the opposite...and it is, for other appliances!)

So...how was YOUR day?

Small Victories

Back to early spring weather in Indiana today! Went to bed with the bedroom window open and a fan in front of it. Sometime in the wee hours, I noticed that there was COLD air coming through that window! We'll be back to the 70s by the weekend, and I'm glad. I was really getting used to the delightful temps!

I got a couple of things accomplished yesterday that have been hanging over my head. I mowed the back yard and arranged to have the front done (because I'm lazy). With my daughter's help, I was able to get the Easter pictures out of the digital camera. (I'm new at this.) I worked on cleaning my bedroom, which has been an on-going project for the past two years. Today, I got the various stacks of clean clothes from the trip to the proper bedrooms. Progress!

The children will be here next weekend. I'll be planning non-physical activities for them because of Ryan's restrictions. I think we'll go to a movie and maybe find a computer game that Ryan likes. I'm not sure how he can play with Jack and still maintain his restrictions. Has to be supervised, for sure!

Oh! Did I mention that we resolved a California mystery? Robin picked up a dead something on the beach in CA that defied description and recognition. It smelled pretty fishy but didn't look like anything I had ever seen before. We put it in a plastic bag and brought it home to Meg's...and put it on the balcony. We took pictures. Unfortunately, by the next day, it was putrefying and smelling pretty bad...so we discarded it...but were still dying of curiosity as to what it was. When I came home to Indiana, I emailed the pictures off to a professor friend of mine in the Biology Department of Auburn University to ask if anyone on the faculty could recognize it. (Unfortunately, the pix weren't particularly good, and we had failed to photograph the under side of the thing.) Within a few days, two of Jim's friends had proffered guesses. I discarded two of the guesses because I was somewhat familiar with what they had suggested...but one guess caused me to look it up on the Internet...and BINGO! Gumboot Chiton! Mystery solved! I'd never heard of the things before!

Ryan

In conversations with my daughter and my grandchildren's stepmother yesterday, I found out that my grandson's broken arm would not be casted. Both the orthopedist and the pediatric orthopedist agreed that the bone was not sufficiently out of place to require a cast. Instead, they put it in a hard splint, wrapped it all, and ordered no physical activity at all, including using the fingers of his left hand. He will go back in a week for another assessment. It will be hard to keep the little dude down, once he begins to feel better.

I guess Ryan is turning down the codeine medication because he doesn't like the way it makes him feel...dizzy and groggy. I suppose just a regular pain reliever would help. He will go back to school tomorrow. Wonder how all of that will work? He'll need help just going to the bathroom...

It's still warm today. Muggy, actually, with rain on the way. I will continue puttering around inside. LOTS to do outside, but it will have to wait!

Easter Sunday

This is the continuance of yesterday's post about the weekend's activities, plus an update about today.

I already mentioned yesterday early morning...beginning the day with the Hallelujah Chorus. It just made my day! For The Lord God Omnipotent Reigneth, Forever and Ever. Hallelujah!

When I went back to my motel room, I tried to snooze a little more, then decided to get dressed and coiffed...then stopped at Walmart to get some other shoes for Robin. (Long story.) I was trying to stall so I didn't appear at the grandchildren's house too early. When I did get there, the egg hunt had already occurred and sugar was being consumed at record rates by seven children. The kids were jumping on the trampoline, one at a time, and a kitchen timer was being employed to keep track of each kid's turn. :)

The Heffelman grandparents arrived, bringing all kinds of goodies (thanks, Judy and Phil!) and the dinner could commence. Children were fed first...then adults. It worked! Then it was Sacrament Party time! Everyone got something. Robin and Ryan got more. It was like Christmas in April! The children, unlike the day before, looked dirty and grubby...but after three hours of angelic behavior through three hours of church the night before, who could complain? It was a warm day. Everyone could jump on the tramp in their bare feet. Life was good!

Along about 7:00 PM, with my belly full, I packed up and headed for home. Ran into some kind of traffic tie-up in the Noblesville area. Picked up my cell phone to call and warn Judy and Phil, in the event that they hadn't left Muncie yet, but the phone was dead...and apparently I can't use it when it is charging. We crawled along at 8 mph for about 10-15 minutes, then (miraculously) everything cleared up and we were back up to speed. I got home about 9:00 PM, totally pooped.

Apparently there was a thunderstorm overnight. I didn't hear it, even though I had a bedroom window open. That's how tired I was! Today was a beautifully warm day. I had the desire to do some things around the house but not the energy. Haven't even unpacked the car yet!

Late this afternoon, I got word from my daughter via Internet that my grandson has broken his left arm just above the elbow in a playground accident at school today. He was given pain meds with codeine on a then-empty stomach. Poor Kendra had the sisters, out of school and hungry, and Ryan, about ready to pass out (fell asleep on the phone talking to his mother) at the pharmacy getting meds for him. The arm will be set tomorrow. It could be a long night for them all! There is no reason to rejoice in this, but I am SO happy it didn't happen on the trampoline! I would feel so very guilty! My poor little Ryan... Back in August, he had a concussion from a bicycle accident that sent him to Riley Children's Hospital the night I got out of the hospital from my heart attack. (That was scary! He was sent to Indy from Muncie because Muncie thought they saw bleeing on his brain. Praise God, it didn't happen.) Looks like my tough little guy is going to have accidents. I guess his father had many broken bones as a child. Please pray for Ryan Heffelman!

We are having severe weather tonight. Wasn't forecast...which means pop-up storms. Have already had pea-sized hail and are now on the second wave of stuff coming through. Listening to ham radio in touch with the National Weather Service...

I noticed some guys sitting on my neighbor's roof today. I knew they weren't putting on a new roof because his roof has been replaced within the last eight years or so. Finally I yelled up and asked them what they were doing. They were taking "mold" off the roof. (Actually moss.) Well...the whole front of my roof is covered with moss and looks awful. They sent a guy over to talk to me, at my request. For $700, they will remove the moss on my roof and supposedly replace some missing shingles and zinc stuff to keep the moss from regrowing. I'm having second thoughts...will need something in writing. Could occur in the next day or two. I am short on that kind of cash, but it needs to be done... Some other things will have to take a back seat to that...

Well...I didn't take a nap today although I really needed one. Now I'm worried about Ryan. His arm will be set tomorrow after his sisters are dropped off at school. The plan, for now at least, is for them to be here on the weekend of the 15th. I'm ready! After that, I will have to start gearing up for the Dayton Hamvention. Time flies!

Trees are greening and blooming. The shrub in my yard by the stop sign is totally in bloom. I just need some help getting the yard ready for mowing. Isn't life fun??

Our Angels

So much to write and so little energy to do it. Grandma is tired!

I arrived in Muncie around 5:00 PM on Saturday. Checked into my motel room and discovered a little refrigerator, so put the deviled eggs in there (three dozen) to save Kendra the refrigerator space at home, changed into my church clothes and rediscovered...oops!...the reason that I had only worn that outfit once since I bought it. The top was so roomy that I was exposed at every move! The first thing I requested when I got to the grandchildren's house was help in getting things pinned so I would not be indecent in church!

Some background information: Both of my grandchildren were to be baptised in the Catholic Church there on Saturday evening, and Robin was to be confirmed and take her First Communion. At the house were godparents-to-be Katie and Lou, and their four children. (Count 'em, seven kids there!) The service was to be from 8:30 to 11:30 PM, which meant that the other grandparents couldn't be there because of their Methodist Church choir commitments on Easter Sunday here in Plainfield. In any case, when I got there, children were in various stages of waking up from naps. Ryan had JUST gotten up and didn't seem conscious yet.

The family had been saving for a trampoline for the back yard. I thought it was a worthy project, and so--as part of their Easter and church commitments, since I had a little tax return, I decided to help it happen. Lou and Nathan were to pick up the tramp on Saturday. In fact, when I arrived in the late afternoon, they were still putting it together. Only Robin and her stepsister had seen it. Robin pulled me over into the bathroom to thank me for it...to help keep the secret until the others had figured it out.

When Ryan seemed a little more awake, I said, "What is going on in your back yard?" He answered that Daddy had built them a tree house. I said, "That's a pretty funny looking tree house!" He said that it wasn't done yet. He still hadn't looked out the window. At that point, Katie picked him up to really look...and once he saw it, he fell back in her arms in shock and said, "The trampoline has been bought!!!" Surprise!

We all had a bit of meatless spaghetti, then it was time to dress for church. It was cool that night, but everyone had sundresses...except for Robin who wore a child's "wedding dress"...for First Communion. But because she was to be baptised, she couldn't have anything on her head. Katie had put her hair in one long French braid down the back. She looked absolutely beautiful...and she knew it! She was carried to the car so her dress wouldn't be soiled...but not before her Godmother gave her a rosary and showed her how to carry it in her hands. Ryan looked handsome, too...except his hair was too long and tousled from sleep...and he wore brown shoes with navy pants. But who cares? It's a guy thing!

Well....I have been to MANY Catholic masses in the past. In fact, my first marriage was a Catholic mass because I married a Catholic man...but THIS one was different! It was an Easter vigil...triduum...before the mass even started. The service lasted over three hours and droned on and on. Even the Catholics among us were standing on first one foot and then the other. Because of the echo in the sanctuary, the participants had to speak slowly into the microphones so that the echo didn't drown them out. The triduum consisted of Scripture readings (long), then responsive songs (long), then prayers (long). And there were SEVEN Scripture readings plus songs plus prayers. It was 10:00 before the actual mass began! After that was to follow four baptisms and some confirmations. Then Communion for the whole congregation.

There were eight children in our party...Lou and Katie's four, Kendra and Nathan's three, and friend Carmen's one. We filled up two pews. The children ranged in age from 3 to maybe 8, but not one...NOT ONE...created a problem after sitting for three hours in a boring service that meant, basically, nothing to them. They were good as gold. I was stunned!

When it was finally time for my granchildren to be baptised, they were called to the altar...two of four who were to be baptised that night. (The other two were adults.) They stepped on a riser and leaned over the baptismal font and had water poured over their heads. Thereafter, they were given aprons with a symbol stitched on them. (I'm sorry...I should know what the symbol means. I just don't.) After the baptism, the newly baptised were sent down the aisles to light the candles of everyone in attendance.

Robin and others were called back up to the altar to be confirmed. They were all annointed with chrism (oil) on their foreheads and given their chosen confirmation names. Robin's was Agnes for St. Agnes. Lamb.
This is geting long. Suffice it to say that we all puddled up. At one point, Kendra let out a sob...then Katie let out a sob...and the next thing I knew, Robin was crying. I started passing out tissues because I have learned in the last few months NEVER to go to church without tissues!

Then there was Communion. All those who were not eligible for Communion were to simply cross their arms over their chests for a blessing. Robin, of course, was to take her first Communion as the ONLY young child in the congregation to do so. (Father Dudzinski had suggested that wine be practiced at home. Katie had watered down some wine to try Robin...but it got rapidly spit out. Robbie won't even take liquid medicine that doesn't taste good!) Thus, my granddaughter got the "body of Christ" but not the blood. She took a pass! She wasn't the only one, so I hope she wasn't bothered. The Catholic Church uses real wine instead of the "unfermented juice of the grape" that most protestant churches use...

When the service was FINALLY over (at 11:45 PM) we called for pictures with Father Dudzinski. Everyone was tired. (Ryan had been rifling through my purse in the pew, looking for something to eat!) Robin's brand new rosary had already broken....and she hadn't done a thing to it. Amazingly, Ryan's brand new rosary had NOT broken, so Father D blessed it. When the pictures were over and we headed for the house, I said good night and went to my motel room (which was very nice).

My next post, which will have to wait for tomorrow, will talk about Easter Sunday...but I want to explain my Easter morning at the motel, first.

I got to sleep at 2:00 AM but was awake at 5:00. I puttered around until 6:15 when I could go for the motel's continental breakfast. The young man at the desk was obviously Indian. He had been there from 11:00 PM and was soon to go "home". I mentioned that the overnight shift must be boring. He said it was...but he had his studies. He was a Ball State student...and when I asked what he was studying, he said computer science. My response was "Of course!" I talked to him about my recent trip to Sunnyvale, CA, and how my son-in-law worked for Microsoft. This young man mentioned that 60% of Microsoft employees are Indian. I believe it! Then he turned on the television in the breakfast lounge....

The channel was turned to a religious service with a choir that started singing the Hallelujah Chorus. I stood up and listened all alone, transfixed. That song holds a special place in my heart. I know every soprano measure of it. It was such a glorious beginning to Resurrection Sunday! The day began bright and beautiful. More about the rest tomorrow. I'm just too pooped to pop!

I hope you all had a joyous Easter. Praying for one friend who did not. I am just grateful for each day.

Deviled Eggs and Deviled Grandma

My charge for the Easter dinner in Muncie is to bring deviled eggs. For some reason, my eggs have become favorites...so I boiled them last night and filled them today. Cracking and de-yolking two dozen eggs takes almost an hour! Then crumbling the yolks, mixing the sauce, and filling the eggs took another hour or more. Did 46 eggs....okay, so I ate about three, just to see if they are good. They are, if I do say so myself.

The last two 80+ degree days have totally spoiled me. I've been wearing shorts and trying to coordinate my trip to Muncie. Have pulled up moss and seeded. Moss comes up like little blankets of sod...and the stuff just underneath the surface is interesting. I've seen a beetle or two, a centipede or two, and lots of earthworms. I'll just keep on working back there!

Time to hit the sack. God bless!

The Wee Small Voice

I was working around the house today, grubby and scuzzy. There was to be a Maundy Thursday service at church at 7:00 PM. I almost talked myself out of going because it meant I would have to get all cleaned up . But the wee small voice in my soul said that I needed to be there...that Christ died for me and that He at least deserved my attendance at a service commemorating his last supper, passion, and death. I'm glad I listened to the voice. What an absolutely powerful service took place tonight! I am still breathless from it. My church (Plainfield United Methodist) once again geared a service that touched my heart in ways even I don't fully understand. The music was to cry for (and I did). At the end, the sanctuary lights were lowered except for those behind the cross on the wall, and the last words of the liturgist were, "And then, the Lamb of God...died". There was no further sound except a blow on the shofar. The choir (all dressed in black) followed their leader holding a candle out of the sanctuary in silence...and the congregation filed out without a word.

There was even silence in the parking lot. I noticed that cars didn't move quickly. I wondered if others were still sitting in their cars still as stunned as I was. When I departed, I drove to Friendship Gardens and sat for a few minutes in front of the waterfall, listening to the robins sing down the sun and thanking God for a most glorious summery day...and the promise of everlasting life.

Back in 1994, I was singing in an Easter cantata that was being performed in Belle Union, just east of Cloverdale. I was driving from Plainfield to the practices because Joe and I were only recently divorced. I had a solo...Mary's Song...sung at the foot of the cross where Jesus had just died. It was a tear-jerker. There were to be two performances on Palm Sunday weekend. I had barely gotten home from the first performance when my sister called to say that our father had just died. I think I knew it was coming but had hoped that it wouldn't be. What to do? Stay the next day for the last performance, then leave for Illinois? Or skip out on the last performance and leave the whole cast in the lurch? I stayed...but I felt hollow. Would I be able to sing? The next evening, I drove to the church in Belle Union, considering what, if anything, I should tell my fellow singers. As we were putting on our costumes in a back room, I mentioned that I had lost my father the night before. One woman said, "Oh, how nice! Last night, your father couldn't hear you. Tonight, he can!" It changed my whole perspective from despair to victory. You'd better bet that I sang my heart out that night...for my father. I'll never forget it. Such a powerful memory so long ago...