Friday rolls around

I got dressed as soon as I got out of bed this morning, ground the coffee beans and set the coffee to brew.  Then I walked about a mile - I should have gone the whole circle around the park but I wanted my first cup of coffee.  I'll try to do the other half this evening.

I'm cold again today - at least my hands are freezing - when I decided to get under a fleece throw on the couch I found it wasn't warming me up enough, so I got out an electric throw I have.  Set that thing on high and I was soon in dreamland.

I started making a pot of minestrone soup when I finally got off the couch.  That should warm me up, but I should have made bread to go with it!

I had a comment to one of my posts from Liz.  She had read Skippy's I Make Soap and tried to leave a couple of recipes, but had problems with leaving a comment on her blog.  (Many of us are having difficulties with the comment feature lately.)  She sent the recipes to me, and I forwarded them.  Isn't it wonderful how our blogging world can be so in sync sometimes, and so helpful.  I think I will try to make the seafood casserole myself one of these days.

Liz also commented, as have a couple of others, that it made sense for me to get the flu shot this year considering my previous experience with pneumonia.  Liz and others who wrote similar comments are absolutely right, and I'm not second guessing my decision - just a bit surprised at the inefficacy of the much-hyped vaccine.

I was checking the TV offerings earlier and stopped on the HGTV channel, which featured a couple with two small children looking for a motorhome to replace their Class C. The program showed three models (I'm sure the couple actually checked out more than three), and the man even commented that the RV's had more televisions than did their house.  The Class A they settled on had a large TV for outdoor viewing; one in the living room and of course one in the bedroom; there were bunk beds for the children, and each bunk had a drop down screen, plus I think there was also a TV in the kitchen.  Does that sound like overkill to anyone reading this?  The Class A they eventually chose was really beautiful inside and out and seemed to handle extremely well.  (Darned if I can remember the make or model - I remember 5th wheels but not class C or A models).

One thing that bothers me when I watch House Hunters is the overuse of the word "WOW".  I'm sure it's the most used word on that channel - "OH WOW".  On the Weather Channel the meteorologists are constantly peppering their speech with "Of course", as in "Driving in Chicago will be a problem, of course, with all the snow."  And if you can stand another overused phrase, on Book TV many authors as well as the interviewers can't ask a question, describe a situation, or express a thought without "if you will" being thrown in every other sentence.  Does anyone else have a word or phrase, if you will, that is used so often that of course it becomes obnoxious?  You do?  Oh WOW, please pass them on in the comments section.  
 

Was I gullible?

I just saw a report on the evening news that the overall effectiveness of this season's flu vaccine was 58%; for the elderly it was 10%.  Since I am closer to the elderly category than any other, I think I was really taken in by the publicity surrounding this issue.  I have had the flu shot maybe twice in my life before this year, and I think this will be my last.  Ten percent effectiveness gives you a false sense of security, and I won't be so gullible in the future.  But who knows, I may be in that 10% effective group.

WOW!  You folks who live in the central area of the country are really being pounded by the snowy weather.  I hope you can ride it out indoors and can avoid the roads and highways.

The sunset I can see through my squeaky clean sliding door is spectacular this evening.  I was poring through my iPhoto collection a couple of days ago and realized how often I photograph this scene.  I'm so lucky to be able to see it on a near daily basis.

I don't know why I should have been so tired today but I took a long afternoon nap, wrapped in a snuggly blanket because I've been cold all day.  

The news doesn't look good for the upcoming summer season at the National Parks unless Congress can get its act together.  Fewer rangers in the picture?  They have already cut the ranger staff to the bone at Lassen.  I am definitely going to make friends with the local sheriffs' departments although I'm sure their budgets are stretched as well.  It's a shame that when the Parks need volunteers more than ever, they don't have the staff to support and protect them.  I'm getting ahead of the problem and we may miraculously get an alternative to sequestration within the next week.   

 



  

Yesterday I went over to stay with grandson Liam while Meg went to the doctor.  I drove through some heavy rain getting to their house, but only a mist coming back.  As always I'm happy to be with my grandchildren, and worn out when I get home.  No more rain on the horizon but it was very foggy when I got up this morning.  It's all burned off now and looks like it will be a sunny week in the 60's.

I went to pick up a book I had requested from the library, and found 8 more that I checked out.  I'm a fairly fast reader, at least when I'm reading fiction, so it won't take me long to get through them.

While listening to a podcast this afternoon at the same time the afternoon sun came shining through the door I had to dust mop the living room floor and wash the sliding door inside and out - all the little hand prints that go about halfway up are now gone and waiting for new ones to appear.  That afternoon sun shows everything! 

Time to fix supper although I'm not all that hungry for some reason.  I feel really good today, or maybe it would be more correct to say I feel really happy and content, which could be the same thing. 

Later, I'm reading blogs and trying to comment.  I don't have a clue what happens, but many times the whole comment just disappears, or it is published prematurely without my ever hitting "Publish".  It is so aggravating and most of the time I don't go back and try to start from scratch.  Can't remember what I said, for one thing - you know those senior moments. 
 

Sunday walk

It was tough but I walked for about 45 minutes, then sat down while Jeannie picked up the pace for another 15.  My legs have been bothering me but I figure exercise might help.  It was a beautiful afternoon, with short sleeve T-shirt weather.  That will change in a couple of days.

I try not to mind the rain (and snow in the higher elevations) because California needs every drop to make it through the normally bone dry summers.  Going back to Lassen this year has me wondering whether there will be fires nearby, evacuations, etc.  I haven't worried before, but when I consider the responsibility of having to make sure everyone packs up and leaves the campground, it sort of makes me think twice.  I know from past experience I will get sufficient advance notice, so that isn't the problem.

Ironically, I just got an email from my coordinator at Lassen asking me about uniform shirts, fleece, etc.  She said they've been having lots of snow.  I've been thinking about Lassen now and then, and the nearby sights that I want to visit on days off.  Burney Falls is one, as well as Eagle Lake.  There are many more and I may as well take advantage of the proximity.  Maybe I can get better at using the camera I bought a few months ago.  If I could just figure out what I want in the long term for a phone and service.  I'm certainly not going to sign any more 2-year contracts.  At my age it's best to take things in shorter doses.  Of course, I could live to be 90 and then I will have spent way more than I would have with long-term contracts!

 

Correction

I can't believe I actually made the mistake in yesterday's post of referring to German Franks and Irish pounds (pre Euro).  Vera caught the error and reminded me that it was German Marks!

Thanks, Vera. 

I forgot to mention ...

That yesterday Donald had a box of chocolate covered and decorated strawberries for me.  I would have taken a picture but ate most of them already.

I don't know why the sitemeter doesn't show up on the new Macbook.  I access my blog in Firefox, but sometimes I use Safari for things like uploading photos, looking at Sitemeter, etc.  I found the statistics section of Blogger and found them to be a bit off from sitemeter, but they have page views for the last month listed by source - between Russia and the Ukraine were about 50 views.  I wonder if I actually have any readers in either of those countries - I know I get a lot of spam from them in AOL and Gmail, but I can't tell about the blog spam comments.  There were four such comments in my AOL inbox this morning.  Sick minds at work if you ask me.

Jeannie mentioned walking this weekend, but since I didn't hear from her today I take it we will walk tomorrow (Sunday).  I need the exercise, and wish I could get my act together and walk every day.  I just don't enjoy walking by myself anymore.

I decided a couple of weeks ago to reconnect with old friends in Ireland, so I wrote to the one whose address I could remember.  She wrote me back immediately and provided addresses of two other friends.  I miss Ireland sometimes, especially the camaradarie of the women.  In a group of women you just can't stop laughing--they are the friendliest people with the best sense of humor I have ever known.  I wish I could go back for a visit, but then if I got that far I would certainly have to visit Germany, and maybe a couple of small villages in rural England.  I've only been in London and it's way too big to suit me, and I'd rather be in New York.  A trip like that is out of the question because I simply couldn't afford it.  Because of the exchange rate it is more costly than when I used to travel there and spend German francs or Irish pounds.  Never did like the euro!

It sounds to me like I'm ready to take a trip, but it will be a few months before I'll be going anywhere.  I hope the summer and fall weather isn't horrible.

  

More on downsizing

I'd like to elaborate a little more on my post yesterday about whether or not to hold on to "stuff" when leaving a sticks & bricks for an RV, or downsizing for any reason.

In 2000 I moved to Ireland where I lived in a rented Irish farmhouse for 3 years.  I didn't know how long I'd be there, so I listed everything I had, including furniture and furnishings, and sent copies of the list to each of my 4 kids.  I told them they could have anything on that list, and they responded quickly.

My oldest son had just moved into an apartment in Tuckahoe, NY and asked for mostly furniture items - a bedroom set, gorgeous maple corner china cabinet, etc.  The ones in CA took a lot of the smaller things that I mailed in lots of big boxes through a shipping company.  I left a few things there in the basement storage area and rented out the condo.

I returned to the U.S. in 2003 and sold my Virginia condo, deciding a few months later to move to North Carolina, where I rented a furnished apartment until I could find and buy a suitable house.  I bought everything new for that house - all furniture, linens, decorations, small appliances, etc.  I loved that furniture, purchased from a local company that had been family owned for decades.  I loved that house and everything in it, and spent 5 happy years there.

Because it was on the side of a mountain in a heavily forested area, I reached the point that I couldn't keep up with the maintenance required no matter where you live, so I decided to sell the house, buy an RV, and live in it full time.  I sold all the furniture and most everything else in the house, leaving personal items in storage in Asheville.  Two and a half years later I didn't feel satisfied with the RV life and ended up in an apartment, and now in a small mobile home, needing furniture. 

That is why I wish I had stored more of my belongings.  Many people who downsize into an RV stay in it for longer than I did, but I gave it a good try and don't feel anything but satisfaction that I did the right thing, selling the house as well as the RV a few years later.  But when I think of the furnishings I had bought and then sold, of course I wish I had them now.

I had a nice visit with Arianna this morning.  We ate breakfast together and then she started pulling toys and more Barbie dolls than you might find at Toys R Us out of the toybox.  She played and I watched mostly.  Anyone who has spent time around little girls knows that the first thing they do when they get a doll is to take the clothes off.  She had me putting dresses back on those silly dolls!  And Ken, oh my.  He was also unclothed until I finally asked her to put his clothes back on him - she handed me the clothes and I had to dress him.  I commented to myself something about him being such a dork, and she looked at me wonderingly and asked me "What's a dork".  I toned it down a bit when I told her about dorks!  Surprisingly she picked up every toy and doll off the floor and put them away, and then I read books to her until my voice was nearly gone.

When Jeannie, Donald and Autumn got back from the field trip they told me that Autumn had lost another tooth that morning.  While we were having lunch, darned if she didn't lose another loose one.  All four of her top front teeth are gone although the two middle ones are starting to come in. 

It's always a great time being with the grandchildren, especially one on one.  I'm a lucky woman.