Heh heh

My last post failed. I hit a button before I even got started writing...and found that I had "published" nothing! Couldn't get back to it because my grandson was hogging my computer at the time.

I got the children safely delivered to their father yesterday evening. The meeting place is in Gary, IN (the Armpit of the Midwest). Meeting them there keeps me out of Chicago traffic...and even though it is an almost-three-hour trip to Gary, I am MOST grateful not to have to brave the construction and congestion of the Interstate 80/90/94 fiascos. As it was, post-Thanksgiving traffic was pretty horrific--bumper-to-bumper most of the way north, and only slightly better on the way south. I/We drove past two dead deer, two dead dogs, three accidents (one of which kept traffic moving at 5 mph or less for 30 minutes), and two flat tires. (The second flat was a blowout that happened right in front of me. It is to the driver's credit that he was immediately aware of the problem and maneuvered across three lanes of traffic at fairly high speeds and onto the shoulder without a hitch. Whew!) Adventures in holiday travel! Thank God, the day was clear and the roads were dry. It could have been a lot worse.

The children and I had a good time together. We had our Thanksgiving feast with the other grandparents. The kids played with the neighbor children, of course. Robin and I baked. (She likes to cook.) We watched movies on TV and ate popcorn. Ryan played Spore on my computer. We put up the Christmas tree and hung stockings. Robin and the neighbor girl went to Grandma Judy's to play with the fairy treehouse. We took a ring to a jeweler to have it resized to fit Robin. We went to church and Sunday School, then had the other grandparents over for lunch afterward. We didn't do anything particularly special, but when they are here, it's ALL special! Except for the first night when we didn't get back to Plainfield until 2:00 AM, we weren't up late any evening, and no one seemed to be too tired to have fun. We also did some hugging and snuggling. That's the very best part!

So now it's back to boring old life as usual. Will be preparing to drive to my sister's a little later in the week. Hope the weather cooperates.

Essay Assignment: Why I Don'

Snubbed!

Got up this morning to the sound of the garbage truck just down the street. Oops! It's garbage day! Out I dashed in the freezing cold in my bathrobe to take the trash can to the curb. The truck was just two doors down on my side of the street, coming my way. My neighbor's trash was still out, so I knew I had beat the clock. Whew! Just in time! Just as I came in, my granddaughter was up and gave me a big morning hug. We puttered around. Eventually, I opened the blinds to see that my garbage can was tipped over toward the street, and the lid was IN the street...so I knew I was going to have to go out there when I got dressed to pick it up. Then there was a mysterious email from my neighbor across the street, telling me when the garbage truck had come by... I figured that was his subtle way of telling me to go pick up my empty can and lid, so I did...except the can wasn't empty! Huh? What's up with that? The garbage dude totally took my neighbor's garbage and drove right on by mine. Snubbed by Ray's Trash Service!! (The truck was so close when I took the can to the curb that the dude had to have seen me in all my glory. I'll bet if I were some sweet young thing taking the trash out in a bikini, no one would have given a thought to passing up my gar-bauge!) Humph! I've been "dissed" by better men than he!

The children are having a good time, playing. Tomorrow will be errand day...but for today, they are just kids. I have spent some of my day rearranging things to make room for Christmas tree and decorations. I want the children to help me decorate the tree while they are here. That has always been a family activity in my house...and without family to do it, it just isn't much fun.

I have an Advent wreath for the table this year. Found it in a Christian gift store in town for 75% off last Easter. I've always wanted one of the silly things. Now I have one!

More later. The day is yet young.

Turkey Day

Once upon a time, my daughter came home from Girl Scouts or something with notice of the Thanksgiving tradition of the five grains of corn. At our feast today, we did that. Robin put five kernels of popcorn (we didn't have REAL corn) on every plate. I read a little story of the tradition--that the pilgrims had only five grains of corn to live on for days--and then we went around the table with each person telling five things for which they were thankful, putting their corn kernels in a little cup. The adults were predictable. We waxed loquatious about each thing. When it was Ryan's turn he was a man of few words: family, friends, health, shelter, food. Period! Robin came just before him and expressed thanks, among other things, that there were grandparents who were kind enough to give presents (she's not stupid!). Grandma Judy's turn was the last. She turned her thankfulness into a prayer that was our food blessing. This wasn't orchestrated. It just happened!

The food was good; the fellowship better. We ate well and came home a couple of hours later quite full. The children played with their friends for a bit and got to talk to their mother/stepfather on Skype from Utah. We watched a movie, ate popcorn and ice cream cones, played Yahtzee, played Spore and Webkinz on the computers. We have 2 1/2 more days to be together until Christmas. We will make the best of our time! When the children are here, it is as if nothing had changed. They are better behaved, perhaps, but still my babies!

God is good.
The day after Thanksgiving in 1986 was the day my mother passed away, suddenly. The day used to be tainted by that. I no longer think about that horrible time.

I am so thankful for all of you!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I woke up this morning to tornado warnings in Indiana? Huh? It's November, for Pete's sake!

I had a rather sudden change of plans this week. Instead of going to my sister's in Illinois for the holiday, I was persuaded by circumstances to stay home and visit with my grandchildren. It's a long story which I will spare you. Suffice it to say that I had to beg off from Illinois and change directions here.

Originally, I was to meet the children's stepmother in Gary on Wednesday evening for the kid trade; however, she called me to say that her "ex" was driving the whole distance to pick up their daughter on Tuesday night...and would bring my grandchildren with them to Lafayette where I could meet them at about 9:00 PM. That was going to save me a couple of hours of drive time. (I hadn't been aware that the children got Wednesday off from school.) In any case, he got snarled in Chicago traffic for about an hour-and-a-half going up and didn't call me to say he was on the interstate in Indiana for the trip back until almost 10:00 PM. I left for Lafayette. Couldn't find the road to their house. After a couple of calls, I stopped in a Steak and Shake parking lot, and they decided to come to me. (Guess I was close...but not close enough!) Anyway, the children and I were back in Plainfield by 2:00 AM. I'm glad we did our traveling on Tuesday. Wednesday turned out to be a nasty weather day.

It feels so good to have the children here! Yesterday, they were up fairly early, watching the clock to determine when their friends would be home from school. Ryan played Spore on my computer while Robin and I made pecan tassies. (Robin loves to cook. Since pecan tassies [little pecan pies] are somewhat labor-intensive, it was good to have the help. She did a great job forming the little pie shells!) The day went smoothly, and the instant the neighbor kids came home, it was play time! The neighbor and I conspired that when it was supper time, play time would be over. She needed to get ready for Thanksigiving at her house...and although I had the children here to play, they tend to migrate back and forth. In the evening, we watched a Harry Potter movie on TV and ate popcorn...then off to bed. (Well...the kids watched the movie. Grandma dozed!)

Our Thanksgiving feast is a cooperative effort with the children's other grandparents here in Plainfield. I supplied the turkey, but Judy is cooking it...plus stuffing, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie. I'm bringing the pecan tassies, mashed potatoes, corn casserole, and deviled eggs. What started out to be just a small celebration has grown over the past couple of days. I don't think we'll have to send out for pizza!

Megan and Denis are making a road trip to Zion National Park in Utah for their long weekend. Megan will call the children if she has cell service there. Robin was asking if she'd be able to talk to Mommy on Skype. We'll work on that!

I wish my family in Illinois the very best of blessings this day. (I love you, Shari. I'll be there next week!) To my friends, I am so thankful for you! May the day bring you joy and warm family times. To my daughter and son-in-law, I love you. Take care in your travels! Happy Thanksgiving to all!

A Fly

One single fly found its way into my house yesterday, and although it had the entire house to play around in, it chose to buzz me all night. (Guess I need to take a bath??) The silly thing has gone to insect heaven, thanks to my still-okay refexes as of fairly early this morning. But he still irritated the daylights out of me!

I've had a somewhat busy day. A radio friend came over in the morning to help me rake the leaves in the fenced-in back yard, and haul them to the curb. If I'd had to do it alone, it wouldn't have been done. With his assistance, we had it knocked down in about an hour.

A bit later, I drove to my former school to help with the radio club there...then went to Aldi's for a few things... Got some Christmas things out of the minibarn, hoping that the grandchildren will help me put things up this weekend. Glad I did. The rain hit a bit later...lightning and thunder...things we haven't had for a LONG time.

The news from the north is that I am to get the grandchildren TOMORROW night, a full day before expected! The house isn't ready, but I am!

Bedtime. Have big-time cleaning to do tomorrow!

Good News and Bad News

The good news is that my grandchildren will be here for Thanksgiving.
The bad news is that I have had to cancel my plans to be with my sister in order for this to happen.

The good news is that my Social Security benefit has been upped by a few dollars, retroactive to 2009 income.
The bad news is that my house payment has gone up by $130...a lot more than my SS increase.

The good news is that I am still alive.
The bad news is that I am quite depressed. I'll figure it out. I have contacts for help.

The good news is that I have a family who loves me, no matter what. There is no bad news in that!

I am the victim.

I am the victim.

I am the walrus, koo-koo-ka-joob!



If you aren't a Beatles fan, you might not understand the reference.



It appears that now my feelings and perceptions relating to my grandchildren are now negated by my "wish" to be a martyr/victim. It's amusing, actually. If I express anger, I'm being dramatic. If I express hurt, I'm being a martyr/victim. The only emotions I am allowed to express are happiness and satisfaction, even if I'm not happy or satisfied. Interesting how that works. The worst part of this is that it comes from my daughter...the one person to whom I have given the most unconditional support and love. Oh, there I go being a victim again!

Whatever!

The Fountain is Found!

I love the Internet! Things that once would have taken months to determine have been determined in less than two days!

My daughter launched an inquiry about the fountain picture that shows my great-great-grandparents sitting around it. (I spent many hours trying to locate an email address to contact folks. She managed to. Makes me so mad!!) She received a reply that the "sculpture" fountain is in storage at the Veteran's Home in King, Wisconsin. It was damaged but is repairable.

So...I might not get to sit on the lip of the fountain where my great-great-grandparents sat, but at least I know where it was and that it still exists. I've been trying to post a link to the picture, but it isn't working.

Genealogy R Us

I have long been fascinated by the story of my maternal great-great-grandparents. He was a Civil War soldier. She was a housewife and mother of eight. He came home after the war, re-upped as a veteran volunteer for another year, then came home again. A few months later, he left town (Peoria, IL) looking for work. Awhile after that, he left for the Dakota Territory (frontier back then), supposedly to herd cattle. He wrote to her saying he would be home on July, 4, 1867...and she never heard from him again. She wrote letters and advertised in newspapers in South Dakota, to no avail. A man from there showed up on her doorstep with some of her husband's things, saying that he had been with her husband when he was shot and killed by Indians. The man said he had helped to bury him. Then the guy took off with no further contact.

She did her best to finish raising her family without a skill. Times were hard. Eventually, she ended up living with her youngest daughter in Wisconsin. Toward the turn of the century, the government passed a bill that allowed widows of war veterans to receive a pension, so she applied. Since she could not prove that her husband was dead, the Bureau of Pensions appointed a Special Examiner to look into her case. It was now at least 30 years after the Civil War. Relatives and friends were called in to give depositions to determine if anyone knew of any reason that he would abandon her, and inquiries were written to the Dakota Territory to see if anyone had any information about her husband's untimely demise. (The depositions--all in the Archives of the Pension Bureau, and now in the clutches of the family, all provide insight into the personal lives of David and Bethsheba McKinney!) In short, there were some cloudy issues surrounding about some letters that he had supposedly received from some woman in Ohio, the fact that Bethsheba was a "strong minded" woman, etc., but no one had any reason to believe that he would just take off. Nor was there any evidence that he was actually dead.

As far as I can figure, the inquiries went on for at least six years. Finally, somehow, it was determined that hubby was alive and collecting his own pension in Grant's Pass, Oregon. The Wisconsin daughter was dispatched to Oregon to bring the now-old man home, and his wife and family took him back. They lived out the end of their lives in a home for indigent veterans and spouses in King, Wisconsin. In connecting with another faction of the family, I have pictures. All evidence indicates that Great-Great-Grandpa did, indeed, abandon his family!!!!

With that as background, I should say that my own research into this story has been going on for over 35 years. Before the Internet and PCs, I was relegated to obtaining what information I could at the mercy of genealogists via snail mail. I had already accessed records at the National Archives with no knowledge that there were well over 200 pages of documents at the Bureau of Pensions. So many more things have been available via the Internet!

One of the pictures that I have is of my great-great-grandparents in their old age, sitting on the lip of a very distinctive fountain somewhere. He is in his Civil War uniform; she is wearing a very Victorian dowager's black dress and hat. The fountain is quite unique. I would love to find it and sit on the edge, as they did! I fear it no longer exists but am not sure, at this point. Megan--my seasoned genealogist daughter--started looking for it. We don't have any definitive answers yet. It did prompt Meg to start a website to help us sort out information, which launched me into renewed interest to transcribe documents that we have. It absolutely absorbs me!

Why am I writing about this? Because it explains my total waste of time for the last two days! It takes me away from the mess and the depression and the hurt for a few hours. I most likely will never have all of the story of my g-g-grandparents' lives, but the search is fascinating. It explains so much about my grandmother--a person whom I adored. (That's a whole different fascinating story!)

I will not survive long enough to have great-grandchildren. I started my family too late for that. There will be no military records in the National Archives to testify to my existence. Census records no longer contain information that is helpful to descendants wishing to know more about their ancestors. My tombstone, if there is one, will only bear witness to the day I was born and the day I died. (We still haven't put one up for my brother...) What a life of love, learning, caring, sharing, successes, failures, struggles, dreams, and disappointments comes between those two dates! I will continue to write my memoirs, hoping to know what is too much information and what is okay for my descendants to know. Our stories only last one generation....maybe. I have no clue how I will be remembered. My daughter (my only child) is still angry that I kicked her out of the house when she gave up her children. My grandchildren (the loves of my life) probably don't understand anything that happened to them. Maybe it's best that we don't get it!

A few years ago, I stood at the grave of Joseph Armstrong in Pennsylvania--a man I thought to be a great+something grandparent--and told him that I hoped he was proud of his family because we turned out pretty well. (Found out later that he was merely a great+something uncle.) Still, the sentiment was the same.

Now, I need to figure out how to get all of my housework done. Getting through the genealogy stuff is consuming!!

Things Go On...

Wish I had a lot of things to report. I just don't. Prince William is engaged. IMPD has a lot of problems. My leaves aren't raked or gutter cleaned out. In a hundred years, who will care??

I got up early this morning and stripped my bed in order to wash linen (in order to get rid of horrible skin scales that come off my legs all night). Then I started making a stir-fry and did other things...then remembered (too late) a luncheon at church. Ack! I'm sure they didn't miss me. I just hate when I space stuff like that...

Another Beautiful Day

Today represents the last of a string of 70+-degree days. I should have been out raking, but I chose to do radio club business, instead. Probably a bad choice.

I spent a big chunk of the day writing and emailing the minutes of my radio club's last two months' meetings, answering lengthy emails about SATERN at Dayton, answering lengthy emails about radio club business, etc. I sent out email announcements about the club's Christmas party to those who generally miss meetings and nets. I set up a notebook for the club since I am secretary again...blah, blah. When I was done with all of that and ready to go out to rake, it was time for Dr. Phil! Then there was a worthy Oprah show...and then it was time to get ready to go to my friend Phyllis's house for a hen party with other teacher friends. So went the day!!

I know the Dr. Phil thing probably amuses some. I used to make fun of housewives who watched soap operas every day. The television is constantly on in my house for company. The only noise from the TV that I look forward to all day is the Dr. Phil Show because it keeps my brain alive. My house would be very lonely, indeed, were it not for the television noise!

Yesterday, I took off my jewelry and soaked it in detergent overnight. Wow! What a difference! Earrings look really nice when not covered with hair spray, eh?

Saturday...today now...is my grandson's 7th birthday. It kills me that I cannot celebrate the day with my little man. May God bless him on the anniversary of his birth, and always!

Veteran's Day

I won't bother to post about how proud I am to have been part of a military family that served during WWII and Korea (my father, uncle, and aunt) and Vietnam (my brother). I've done all of that before on this blog. I'll simply say that they were in my heart today.

People who aren't part of the military life probably don't "get it". My father was a college graduate, thanks to his football scholarship--the only one in his family of nine siblings to even graduate from high school. He married my mother and became a teacher and coach. Then, on the day of his first child's birth, Pearl Harbor happened. Thereafter, he took a commission in the Navy Reserve, and my childhood was set in stone by the government. It was a tough life...something I never really understood because my mother made sure we didn't suffer from instability or lack of love. Our constant moving had to have been hard on her. I didn't know until many years later how hard it was on me. I had a happy childhood. Still, my father went to work in a uniform. I was always so proud of that. I loved it that sailors on the streets of San Francisco would cross the street just so they wouldn't have to pause and salute as we passed by. Wow! People saluted my dad!! We were so steeped in military tradition and protocol that others didn't get that I felt special. My blood runs red, white, and blue.

Today, I posed as a Doughnut Girl for The Salvation Army at a luncheon to honor Duke Energy's veterans. Grandma Judy (my grandchildren's other grandma) and I showed up in WWI costumes. The Doughnut Girls were "lassies" that were sent to France in 1917 to boost the morale of American soldiers who had endured 35 days of continuous rain in the trenches. It was an honor. The strangest thing for me was that the "man of the hour" was someone I had just met in worship on Sunday--an 83-year-old man who was a 3-year prisoner of war in Germany during WWII...who had entered my otherwise empty pew to worship next to me last Sunday! It was a nice day.

After I got home, I went out to work on the leaves in the yard, but only managed to get three sheet-loads of leaves to the curb. I need help. I just don't have the desire! There are three young men moving into a rental home two doors down. Maybe they will help?? We'll see!

On Oprah today, Marie Osmond spent most of the interview weeping about her son who committed suicide last winter. It was an emotional interview, which I understood...but then, in tribute to him at the end of the show, she sang "Pie Jesu" from "Requiem." OMG! She sang in a pure, classical operatic voice. I had goose-bumps and tears! That doesn't happen often with me. It was a moment of humble joy! Hope you heard it!

The Never-Ending Job...

Leaves, leaves, and more leaves. Raking time! Since the weather has been so lovely the past couple of days, with at least two more nice ones to come, I have tackled the annual leaf-raking project EVEN THOUGH all the leaves aren't down yet. My back yard is all fenced in, which requires hauling the leaves to the curb with a sheet. It's a pain if I have to do it all by myself--which I do. Thankfully, the back yard isn't all that big. I'll git 'er done!

Last evening, I was invited to dinner at the home of a couple that leads my Sunday School class. They are interesting people, and I did so enjoy visiting with them. Learning new things about new people is a blessing. They have a whole room in their house dedicated to a manger scene with village. It's HUGE! Lou--the wife--does pysanky art (Ukranian egg decorating), and Vern--the hubby (retired from Public Service Indiana)--has a Harley! Lou and Vern lost their only child to Ataxia Telangiectasia at age 12 back in 1985. (Never heard of it? Neither had I. It is extremely rare, yet two such sufferers attended our church!) Both Lou and Vern have the gift of being able to say just the right things to comfort someone who hurts. It was nice to share the personal side to folks I see every week.

My Social Security came through today, so I headed out to purchase my grandson's birthday presents and get them in the mail for a Saturday delivery. I knew what I wanted. That always helps! I went to Walmart and had just approached a game stand when two managerish-looking guys asked me if I was finding everything okay. I told them what I wanted. They launched into action. They had one item, no problem. The other item, they couldn't find although the computer said they had it. They called the Avon Walmart to see if they had it, determined that they did, and informed me that it would be waiting for me when I got there...and it was! The manager guys shook my hand, wished me Happy Holidays, and disappeared into the sunset. I have NEVER had such wonderful service from Walmart--at either store! Something is afoot, but I like it!

Returning home, I found a box to pack the gifts in, got them wrapped and to the post office before the 1:00 PM collection time. They have been promised for Friday. Since Ryan's birthday isn't until Saturday, even if the gifts are a day late, they'll still get there on time. It kills me to miss the little guy's birthday, but I have to learn to suck these things up. If I had not been brought so heavily into my grandchildren's lives since Day One, maybe I would have a different perspective. Unfortunately, it's still hard to give up control. I haven't seen them since mid-October, with no promise until Christmas. It hurts them and me.

Life goes on. I will be a Salvation Army Doughnut Girl for Veteran's Day tomorrow. Should be fun...although not attractive. (I don't look good in a battle helmet!) Hope the press won't be there!

Love ya!

The Jewelry Box Project

Okay...so, a couple of weeks ago, I dragged my big jewelry box and some little auxiliary boxes to the kitchen table to clean and organize--something I haven't done in years. Guess what? It's all still spread out on the kitchen table because I can't decide what to do with stuff! I have a collection of Siam Silver jewelry that was my mother's. The bracelet is broken. I probably could have it fixed in order to wear it, but I don't know if getting it fixed would cost more than the piece is worth. Likewise, my grandmother's cameo broach with a missing stone. I have the mother-of-pearl beads from a broken strand that was also my mother's. I probably wouldn't wear it if I had it strung professionally, but the beads are too good to throw away. You get the picture. This is the problem with all of my efforts to clean and organize. I get too wrapped up in each item and then don't know what to do with it. I have a box in my closet filled with knick-knacks that don't have a place in the house anymore, but I hate to give them up. Arrggghhh! I have promised myself that I will reclaim the kitchen table before the weekend is over. We'll see!

I have the same problem with other things. For instance, I got the brainstorm today that I should crochet a vest for my granddaughter for Christmas. I used to have a pattern...hmmm...where is it? Oh yes...it's in the BIG stack of knit/crochet pattern books that I bought when Megan was a little girl...the stack that takes up space in my bedroom. I went through all of those books, so outdated. (Made myself sneeze from the dust!) I found the vest pattern, but a big corner is torn from it that would make following the pattern impossible. I just need to donate all of those books--and pitch the patterns that I used to tear out of magazines. That would free up a portion of one shelf in my bedroom. So many more to go!

I got to working on cobwebs in my bedroom today, starting with the dust on the ceiling fan blades. It's no wonder I cough all night! There must be a bazillion dust mites in my room, from dust and the skin cells that flake off my legs when I sleep. Oh...and I organized my recipe drawer yesterday. There were unused recipes in there from my first marriage in 1969! Pitch, pitch, pitch... I guess I am trying to make myself sound productive, when (in actuality) I haven't been. The price of depression is high...

My daughter's computer is down. She and Denis have spent the better part of two weeks trying to fix it. She was able to get the hard drive into another machine in order to back up her files, but she isn't happy...and I don't blame her. She has some pricey software on there that she got through IUPUI that can only be replaced with thousands of dollars...not to mention all the work she has put into genealogy sites, etc. I hope they can get it fixed. (Denis works for Microsoft in Silicon Valley. He has resources.)

I'm still hoping to hear SOMETHING from my grandchildren's family about little Ryan's birthday next weekend. They drove home to the north Chicago area yesterday from a funeral in Cleveland, through a snowstorm in South Bend yesterday. Since I haven't heard any bad news, I assume they got home safely, but it probably wasn't fun...

The month is moving along fast. Soon it will be Thanksgiving. I will be trekking to Illinois to be with my sister and her family, since I can't be there at Christmas. Going back to Eastern Standard Time tonight. Turn your clocks back! At least I won't be late to church. (I'm up half the night anyway, so no problem!)

Friends and Politics

I'm going back a few days here...
Some of my very dearest friends are conservatives, politically. A couple of them got really obnoxious on election night trying to rub liberal noses in their conservative victories on Facebook. I am not a Democrat. I am independent, voting Republican when I think that the candidate has something to offer that meets my criteria on MY issues...but overall, I am a liberal thinker...and I became really offended by their personal attacks. One of my favorites is, "Guns kill people like spoons made Rosie O'Donnell fat". Yeah...HAHAHAH...funny. Funny, perhaps, but also discriminatory. And nasty. And personal. A year or two ago, one of my best friends in life accused me of voting for Obama because he was a black man. In that moment, I realized that the friend and I didn't really know each other. In short, on election night, I became incensed by the rhetoric and attempted to expose the hypocricy of one "friend"...who quickly sent me endless emails telling me to stop because he didn't want anyone to know. Huh???? If you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen! What bothered me the most from this was that I was totally out of control. I couldn't have cared less who won the elections. I just hated the "hate" rhetoric that was showing up online. I am convinced that liberal thinkers and conservative thinkers are wired differently...like men and women. Ugh!

Today, I went to lunch with my bestest friend in all the world...a sister who isn't my sister. Phyllis and I taught together way back when I was first hired in the Monrovia district. She single-handedly got me through my divorce...and even though we haven't stayed physically close through the years, every time we meet, it is like we were never apart. Phyl and I are unlike in a lot of ways...but when we are together, we are totally in synch. She is obsessive/compulsive about her surroundings. I am a sloth about mine. Still, we get along. Lunch today was a shot in the arm for me! I love you, Phyllis!

My grandchildren are in Cleveland for their step-great-grandmother's funeral. They are heading for home tomorrow. Wish they would head for home via Indiana and leave my grandchildren here for the weekend. I can't even ask..

My church has an Angel Tree project which is based on incarcerated parents requesting Christmas presents for their kids in absentia. I volunteered to call a number of caregivers to determine what the kids need. It has been a real education for me! Glad I started early. Catching people at home and/or getting to know their individual needs gets tricky... One family is a third-year recipient of the Angel Tree project, but complained that "nothing they sent last year fit nobody." I explained that everything that was purchased came directly from the sizes they were given on the phone...but I'm not sure anyone was listening.

I keep my head up and hope for the best. You should, too!

Okay...So I Voted

Went to the polling place just before lunch. No waiting. My neighbor from across the street is always an election official. (Her job is to check photo IDs which are required in Indiana.) Just underneath my name on the signature line was Megan's. She votes in California now--a world of its own, based on things she has told me. Guess her registration won't expire here for eight years. Two election cycles...according to my neighbor.
I was a little disturbed to find out that virtually every county position that was open here had Republican candidates that were unopposed. Welcome to conservative Indiana!

It's plenty early to be worrying about Christmas, but I have to spread things out. My immediate family will be here. I love that. Wish I had more room, but we'll have fun. I need to start cleaning NOW...but somehow, I lack initiative. It's not crunch time yet! I'll hate myself later...but for now, I'm still in planning stages. Wish me luck!