It's a Good Day

Gulf of Mexico

Siesta Key 2012

There has been a lot of concern from my blogging friends about The Trout.  Things are going quite well.  After surgery, the surgeon changed his mind about keeping him in the hospital overnight, so I got to bring him home.  He has been resting and doing quite well pain-wise.  It will be a couple of weeks until the staples are removed and then we can start thinking about heading out of Florida for the summer.

Both of us thank all of you for your good thoughts, prayers.  It certainly looks like the surgery was successful and we are grateful.  

Just a small delay

After such a delay in blogging and feeling guilty about it every day, I think it is time to tell you I will be taking a break.  After living so many years, it has been quite easy to readjust plans to go on.  I am just thankful that we can still make plans.

The last few weeks have been spent eating out of the freezer in anticipation of going north west for the summer.  We keep a running tab pinned on the freezer telling us what lies inside and therefore all meals are planned on eating it up in a timely fashion.  Everything was moving along quite well until the Trout decided to have a check up with his doctor.  The doctor immediately set him up with a surgeon and just like that, surgery is scheduled for Tuesday.  Our plans were to leave on Wednesday morning.

It seems the complicated surgery he had last September while out in Montana now needs revision as a hernia under the incision has occurred.  That means no driving for 3 weeks and all the lifting restrictions that go with it.

We had originally canceled all plans for going to France in May, when we usually go, after my knee surgery in December.  In hindsight, that was a very good idea.  We have made plans for stomping around Provence  in late October, so that seems to be working out well also.

We will take each day as it comes and be thankful we are as healthy as we are.  Our love for travel will not stop.  The Trout's fly fishing will continue in Montana...just a bit later.  All is well and I will be back shortly.

Our veterans

A repeat posting from 2008.  This photo was taken in the Memorial Chapel in the American cemetery, Normandy, France.

I can't let this day go by without remembering our veterans. I think being a veteran or being closely related to one is the most significant way to be a proud American. During my time, the conscientous objector, the draft dodger were not looked upon favorably. I even grew up in a community built on religion where men were given conscientous objector status, yet so many of these men went to war to defend their country. That is a real veteran. Not being together on our first anniversary because my husband was drafted into the Army right after college graduation; that is a sacrifice we do as Americans.

To be alive during the Vietnam war, getting news that my brother was shot down over Vietnam, rescued, and that his co-pilot was taken prisoner; that is what makes an American proud. God Bless you, Col. Day, for surviving the Vietnam prison and tortures. That is a real veteran. Be proud to live in America and  always be proud of our country. Let our leaders guide us proudly and not falter or undermine just who we are. We are proud Americans!

Treacle Tarts and Thoughts

Yes, what you see is my version of Treacle Tarts.  When I knew my 11 year-old grandson, Josiah, would be here for Christmas, and that the family  would be going to see Harry Potter at Universal Studios, I told him that I had found a recipe for Treacle Tarts, Harry's favorite treat, and we would make them together. 

I could not find the English golden syrup and the recipe said to substitute a combination of Karo white syrup and molasses.  Josiah's reaction when he smelled the molasses told me this would be a bumpy ride.  We did work together to put the tarts together.  Yes, he ate a couple, but even I was not fond of them.  The filling also included lemon juice, ginger, and bread crumbs.  I am not posting the recipe.  If you really want to try this, you can find it on the Internet.  Personally, I think a nice pecan pie would be so much better.  Sorry, Harry.  We also passed on the Butter beer.  Josiah, maybe you can talk your mom into trying that.  (wink)

2010 was again a busy year for a couple of retired folks.  Our dear old friends became grandparents for the first time, we went to a wedding, we went to a funeral and sadly, we had to say good-bye to our dear friend, our little dog, Kippy, in October.  Today, December 31, she would have been 15 years old.  We still miss her every day, but realize we have too much traveling to do and it just would not be fair to another pet.

We had a wonderful trip to France in May and once again, spent our summer in beautiful Montana.  We put many, many miles on our automobile, The Trout caught over 700 trout and I started sewing American Girl doll clothes.  There is one special dress, almost finished, and after my granddaughter has it, I will publish a picture.  It actually is rather special, if I say so myself. 

I have befriended so many people on Face book; we have always been friends, but now are reconnected.  And blogger friends....my goodness!!  I will not even tell you how much time I spend on the computer reading each and every blog that I follow.  In fact, I have been reading more blogs and writing less.  I hope to correct that in 2011.  Still reading lots of blogs, but writing more also.

I don't like saying it, but my year is ending with a splat on the driveway!  I have the worst cold I have had in over 5 years.  Our plans for this evening, eating at a very special restaurant in Tampa, will be cancelled.  But, there are birthdays coming up, so we can get to that restaurant soon.

So, 2011, what will you hold?  Another birthday...they are coming faster, aren't they?  A trip to Provence in May-June, and back to Montana on July 1.  I hope to see some old friends this year as they are traveling around Florida.  I am also hoping to go back home, to the Amana Colonies, and do some genealogy work in the museum where the records are kept. 

I wish for good health, and the same for all of you.  And then, one more wish.  I have so many people reading my blog, but they do not comment.  I am hoping that will change this year, because those that do are becoming such good blogger friends.   God Bless you all.  Let it be a very safe 2011.

A few early Saturday thoughts

Several things to mention this morning. First of all, and foremost in our minds, the Trout and I have been very good and on the South Beach Diet for the last 13 days. It is a very healthy way to eat. We just eliminate breads, rice, pasta, and potatoes and high glycemic vegetables and all fruits for two weeks. It actually diminishes all cravings for something sweet.

We are both feeling so much better after all the holiday eating. Trout is down 11 pounds and I am down 7. I need to really lose 13 more to be happy and healthy. One more day and we can add oatmeal and strawberries and other fruits. I truly believe the trick to keep losing is walking twice a day. And after we reach each our goals, portion control will be the most important thing to keep it off. And then we will be off to France to over-indulge again. (smile)

One of our car door openers started getting rather sluggish, and not opening the door as it should. (Could be that I found it in the bottom of the washer?) Who did that? The battery number was listed on the back of the opener so I went to Walgreen's and picked up a $4 battery. Simple enough. But, then, how do you get this gadget open? I googled "replace car door opener battery" and to my surprise, there were actually photos on how to do this. The Internet is truly amazing. So, battery was quickly replaced and is working again.

Have you heard of Life Line Screening? It is a mobile unit that comes around and tests you for 1) stroke/carotid artery screening, 2) heart rhythm screening, 3) abdominal aortic aneurysm screening, 4) peripheral arterial disease screening and 5) osteoporosis screening. All of this will cost me $139. Amazing. Each test performed by a doctor would cost so much more, and, a doctor would not order these tests unless there already was a problem.

This unit will be in our retirement community clubhouse on Monday. I am signed up for all the tests. The Trout did this a couple of years ago and passed with flying colors. Results are mailed to you 3 weeks later and these can then be given to your doctor to put into your records. If a problem is found, and quite often they do find something like an abdominal aneurysm, they tell you immediately and send you to your doctor. This is a most wonderful gift for our seniors and if you are interested in more information, check out www.lifelinescreening.com.

It seems winter is over in Florida. We again have normal temperatures and are getting anxious to plant some seeds in the garden. All of our hibiscus died, but we are advised to wait until February 14 before pruning. They will come back, from the bottom up, but they will. The Trout planted some cucumbers, radishes and actually, our tomato plant survived the frost.

Today in our newspaper there is some good news my grandsons might enjoy. Cypress Gardens, a Florida attraction for years, has been sold to Legoland. No details yet, but it sounds like a Legoland will be built very near us. How cool is that?

Enjoy your weekend, and laugh a little. It is so good for you.

And an addendum to my last posting. We have just made another jar of kimchi. This time we used bok choy and added radishes to it. I also made it about twice as hot by adding more red pepper. It is very good and healthy.

It's time to make new lists for the new year

The week has just gotten away from me. Have enjoyed spending time with daughter, son-in-law and those two grandsons that are going up so quickly. Lots of meals, visits from friends, a party in the neighborhood. I just have not been on the computer as much, which is okay, too.

The kids went to the east coast of Florida yesterday where the grandsons were born, visiting old friends. They get back tonight and then the sad good-byes tomorrow as the once again head home.

The new year. 2010. Just seems like we were watching the millennium turn a short time again. Must start the new year by getting organized and getting some things done. In today's paper I found a website for our local library which offers on-line languages. Actually, they offer 72 different languages. Amazing. Just checked into it briefly and it looks promising. The Trout and I need to improve our French. I truly believe the only way to learn a language is to live it. That is one of our dreams, to one day live for a year in France to take it all in. Aha, one more item on my 'Bucket List.'

Only 4 months from today and we will be in France. We have tried several methods of learning French, but this computer work just might work better. We will also be dipping into Germany for a few days, and I know I don't have to practice my German. In fact, we Skyped with our German friends in northern Germany on Christmas. Have not seen them in 9 years, so it was nice to reconnect in their living room. Isn't it amazing, what the computer allows us to do?

We are having our traditional New Year's Eve dinner which I will share with you and then a little South Beach dieting to get into shape for the coming year. I have so thoroughly enjoyed reading all the blogs of my blogger friends. Wonderful pictures and family stories and phenomenal food.
Looking forward to a new year and reading all the posts to come.

Recalculating...

It is known in our family, that I am the 'navigator.' It is a pretty impressive title for someone born without the mental ability to know north from south in any situation. If the sun is shining brightly, I can find EAST. If the sun is setting brightly, I can find WEST. The stars--forget it. I love to look at stars, but nothing has ever clicked in my brain as to where a special constellation should be. So, you can see, navigator is a mislabeled title for moi!! I honestly think this is an ability you are born with. You cannot gain it along the way. And, since my brother has been a pilot since the age of 15, you know who in the family got the good stuff when it comes to navigating.

The Trout and I have been talking for some time about getting a GPS. We have researched many models, talked to people who own them and still, we did not buy. We put close to 20,000 miles on our automobile this year and I can attest that most raised voices in this marriage were about misdirection. We have had several trips to Europe and again, I am the designated navigator. Reading maps in French, for instance can put more stress on an individual. I have found that some small villages in Europe will have a sign at one end of the town as to how to get to a certain attraction. Lo and behold...if you enter from the opposite end of town, there just might not be a sign at all. So.....

We bought a GPS which also includes European maps. This should be helpful when we make our trip to France the end of April. We have tried it out several times now and it is remarkable. How in the world can this thing work? Big brother is certainly watching.

I am looking forward to using it by myself next week. Last month I went to a neighboring town for my haircut. I had never been there before, so I Mapquested it all and got there fine. Now, here is where my lack of sense of direction comes in. I could not turn the directions around and get home. Yes, eventually I got home, but it was a long way around until I found some landmarks that lead the way. I am so looking forward to hitting, "Go Home" next week after my haircut. This is going to be great. It is such a crutch for my impairment!!!

Remembering a lecture

I have hesitated writing this posting for some time. I just don't know what to say without offending anyone, and if you know me, that is something that bothers me a lot. Everyone is free to form their own opinion, and I hope I hear some opinions.

What is it with women? Everything is more difficult, including watching your own head of hair grow gray. I mean, I can just look back into my family tree and know it is inevitable. But, let's go back a few years. I had the privilege to work as a secretary, transcriptionist, "go for " for a very intelligent and talented dermatologist. His speciality was removing birthmarks from babies and small children, but he was expert in many other fields of medicine.

Dr. H's one lecture to me, there were several, was to not use chemicals on my head, i.e. permanents, color dyes. His sway was that if you put the nicotine patch on your skin and the chemicals give the satisfaction of nicotine, why wouldn't chemicals on the scalp seep into the body and do 'whatever?' It made sense to me. In fact, other than once or twice, I have never colored my hair, but I did go through the permanent phase in the 80's.

So, every time I get a haircut, I remember what Dr. H said and stay away from colors. Until three weeks ago. I had not had my hair cut the entire time I was in Montana, so it had been 14 weeks. It was time for something. The trend is to now use "organic" colors without ammonia and therefore they are less harmful. So, I went 'caramel with highlights' and I really like it. It is maybe not such a great difference that it is noticeable, but I know that they gray is gone. This is not the permanent kind that will show my gray roots in several weeks time. It is temporary and when the time comes, I just might not even do it again.

Now, here is the interesting part. I just read this morning in a hometown newspaper that a woman who owned a beauty salon and two of her employees all got breast cancer within a short period of each other. What a shock! The owner researched and made big changes in her salon. All hair treatments are now organic. She isn't sure if this will make much difference, but she is betting on it.

One more reason why women can have a tougher time of it; or is it because I am a woman and closer to the reality of it all.

And so it goes...

Catching up a lot at home. Found a new dentist today that will be perfect for me. The last one had equipment older than me (yes, it is possible) and the hygienist had her 3 Spanish speaking children constantly chattering in the room the whole time she was cleaning my teeth. Why am I always the lucky one? Possibly because I don't complain much in public---just afterward at home.

The Trout is on his way, flying back to Montana! He is meeting up with his fishing buddy for 10 more days of cold weather fly fishing. He knew better than to ask if I wanted to go along. I am very happy to be back in Florida, thank you.

My Southern Living magazine arrived today. Pleasant surprise to see a six page article on Ree Drummond, known in the blog world as The Pioneer Woman. She does have the greatest recipes and stories.

A lot of cleaning out drawers and that type of stuff while the Trout is gone 10 days. I do things like that best alone, because I tend to make a bigger mess until it is all cleaned up. Anybody been there?

Knitting a new hat for 5 year old granddaughter. She outgrew the hat I knit 3 years ago and wanted the same one. I will post when it is done because it is the cutest thing for a little girl. And....she likes it!! She is home right now with the H1n1 flu which is not good. I pray she will have a quick recovery as well as the rest of the family who are probably getting it. This is a nasty flu. I did hear a doctor say that those born in the 40's and early 50's have a natural immunity since our mothers were exposed to that terrible flu of 1918-1920. Interesting theory. No flu shots available around here anyway this year so we will just go with the flow and carry hand sanitizer everywhere.

Cooking will also slow down in the next week. Need to lose some weight (who doesn't) and it is a good time to clean out the kitchen instead of cooking.

Other than a few extra walks outside, I will be checking all your blogs and if something profound happens here...I'll be ready to share.

We are home!!

We are finally home. After almost 13,000 miles of safe driving in a 3 month period, we arrived home with a sign of relief. The work has started. Lots of outside work this time of year in Florida. The Trout smells like a rosemary roast. Our one rosemary plant, planted 3 years ago, is huge again and needs a lot of trimming. I wish I could share the clippings with you. I love the aroma.

Computer tech spent 5 hours here yesterday. Seems our computer, which was totally turned off and unplugged for 3 months developed a lot of 'stuff'.' Working temporarily but will probably need to be totally scrubbed and then reinstalled.

Then after washing dishes by hand for 3 months, the dishwasher seems to be locked up. It happens a lot in the south if you don't use appliances for a while. Repairman coming tomorrow. One year our disposal locked up. I now pour 2 cups of vegetable oil down the disposal before we leave. That seems to keep it working.

I will be posting more often as we get settled. It just feels good to be back even though we had a terrific summer. Met so many wonderful people, including 3 blogger friends. There is nothing wrong with that at all. I hope it will happen more often.

The day has not started out well

I am somewhat hesitant in posting today, because it has not been a very good day so far. One phone call, and I am in a scattered state of mind.

For those of you who don't know me well, I grew up in a national tourist attraction area, the Amana Colonies, in Iowa. Eight years ago, at my parents' estate sale, everything that my brother and I did not want was auctioned. I thought we had gone through the sentimental things and had what we wanted. I did not attend the auction because of the extreme emotions connected with selling everything in a home that had been in the family 150 years.

Now, eight years later, the emotions are coming back. I read an ad in the local paper that an antique store in Amana was selling picture postcards from my family's estate. I called to find out what they were. Back in the 1920-30's, when black and white photos were taken, they were put onto postcards. You find many on ebay selling for under $1 up to $10; pictures of towns, state capitols, and so forth.

The lady I talked to said they were pictures of my grandfather, father, aunt, and so forth. Almost 75 of them. They must have slipped through the cracks because I have many postcards of the towns, etc., but not of people. I asked the price and she said $20 to $30 EACH. I think I am still in shock! These are pictures of my family, my heritage. Why would anyone want to buy these and why is it now impossible for me to possess these at these prices? When I asked if the dealer was willing to negotiate, she said the dealer would give a 10% discount on anything over $21.

I have to rationalize that yesterday I did not know about this, so why should it make a difference to me now? These are photos of my family that I would like to have and pass on to my grandchildren and great grandchildren. Is there something wrong with this whole set-up?

I do know, if I ever walk into another antique store, I will have a different mindset than ever before. I will be thinking of where an item came from and if it really should be mine now.

I can't believe it!

What are we coming to? Without getting my tail into a snare, I must make a comment here. There is actually a "group" out there that wishes that President Obama had taken a more "humane attitude" toward killing a fly that was bothering him while he was being interviewed. Are you kidding me? I thought it was the greatest feat of tracking flight patterns that I have ever seen. Do people have so much time on their hands to be lurking everywhere and looking for "mistakes or human failures." Some things are wrong and then somethings are just plain exaggerated. God Bless America!!

Happy Mother's Day

A Happy Mother's Day to all who are fortunate enough to be mothers. Becoming a mother is a gift that changes a woman's life totally. It adds a dimension that cannot be imagined. It searches deeply into your heart to find a love that you did not know existed. The love for a child or for many children is an indescribable feeling. I was given this gift the first time almost 40 years ago and again, 37 years ago.

What makes being a mother more remarkable is that I am also a grandmother and that is a whole new love that comes from my heart. To be blessed with 4 beautiful young grandchildren, individuals with unique personalities, makes that first step of becoming a mother, rewarded double-fold.

To my beautiful daughters, Happy Mother's Day and I hope someday you will also feel that double-fold reward of becoming grandmothers. God Bless You.

Buyer beware

The Trout has been on the Internet and phone making hotel, motel and B&B reservations for our trip to New England next month. Everything has gone quite well until we were trying to set up our last two nights in a town in Maine which shall remain nameless. This B&B is beautiful, near the ocean, but the only thing that was different from every other place we have ever stayed in the US, is that when we made the reservation, their policy is to immediately charge your credit card, even though we are several weeks from arriving there. And then, if we do need to cancel, they will charge $50 for inconvenience.

Through e-mail and phone calls with the Mr., the Trout found out that he suggested two different rooms, quoted a price plus tax and we should get back to him when we picked our choice. We called back and picked one of his suggestions and the Mrs. took credit card information. She knew we were asking for a two night stay. We understood the cancellation fee and agreed to it. An hour later, an e-mail confirmation arrived and the price had gone up 50%. The Trout called immediately and the "Mr." of the house answered the phone. Trout told him we had the e-mail prices quoted us and the price had gone up 50%. He said we were charged the correct price. Trout told him to cancel the reservation, because that is not what we agreed to. Trout also told him he understood that he would charge us the $50 for cancellation. Kind "Mr." said not this time because he had not put the charge through yet. Trout also mentioned that this place is the only one we have ever come across that submitted the credit card charge before we even got there. Mr. came back with "then you don't travel much!" Oh, no, that started the burners!! Trout told him he had traveled the world and had never found such a situation as this.

To end this sad tale, we are not going there nor ever will. If anyone reading is planning on going there, please e-mail me and I will let you in on this bad situation in the northeast.

He could have changed this situation into such a satisfying ending. We could have agreed on a price, he could have apologized, etc. After all, this is not a hotel chain--this man owns his own B&B.

Be careful and get everything in writing and if something sounds fishy, get out of there.

Every time something like this happens, I just lose a little more faith in mankind. I made a pact with myself a long time ago, that if I complain about someone or something, I will find someone to praise next. I am on the search, because this one was a doozy.

"Teach Your Children Well"

I keep rehashing a column I read in our paper this morning. John Rosemond is a family psychologist and has a weekly parenting column in our newspaper. The title of his column today was "Teaching Self-Esteem Not Best Method."

He states, "In the 1960's, American parents stopped going to their elders for advice and began going instead to mental health professionals--people like me." To sum this up, he is saying that professionals came up with something new; that high self-esteem is a good thing and all parents should make sure their children acquire it. It sounded good and was easy to market.

The evidence is now in that says people with high self-regard possess low regard for others. People with high self-esteem want to be served and paid attention to. The comment that caught my attention was "So to the question, 'Isn't it possible for a child to have high self-esteem and a high level of respect for others?' the answer is an unequivocal no."

Parents say they want their children to be confident. There is no evidence that people who are humble, modest, and possess high regard for others lack the belief they are capable of dealing with life's challenges. "The Amish do not value or promote high self-esteem. They call it being prideful."

And then there is the commonsense test. "Would you rather be employed by, work along-side, be close friends with, be married to a person with high self-esteem or a person who is humble and modest?" He finishes his column by saying that high self-esteem "has damaged children, families, schools and culture and we should begin the invigorating, rejuvenating process of finding our way back home."

I can remember when I was a young mother, all this self-esteem gobbledygook was coming out in books, etc. I am the first to admit that being a parent is a tough job. You do as your common sense guides you. You do as you saw your parents do, if it was right or not. This was your guide. You just do what you can, pray about it and keep your fingers crossed that your children will become caring and successful adults and parents themselves.

I do feel that too many books are being written and too many people are reading them. If a child can learn common sense by observing, a love for mankind and all that we are given in this world and a love of God, they can become parents and teach their own children that humility, modesty and love for one another is what can keep our world at peace.

3 inches of wasted paper

I couldn't believe the Sunday newspaper. There were 3 inches of ads and coupons. Such a waste of paper. It just irks me. Do you clip and use coupons? I rarely do. If we had a grocer that would double the coupons like some do, I might reconsider.

We must shop differently than most of the population. There rarely is a coupon I can use. We generally shop the perimeter where you find produce, meats and dairy. The coupons seem to be for things I have never bought, though, today I did look through them. I found one for a soap product. I like those because I can save a $1 on something that isn't eaten. We don't buy frozen foods or vegetables so can't use those. I never see any for cheese or milk or eggs. Luckily our Publix does mark those down occasionally and you can buy without the coupon.

Seriously, isn't it a waste of time and money to produce this paper coupon stuff? I know, there are those who will argue with me, but I will not buy what I don't need just because there is a coupon. And, I have lived long enough to know if there is a brand I like, I will stick to it. But, on the other hand, I have changed to a lot of store brands on foods and find most of them comparable. Not all, but most. I feel if you go to the work to cook a nice meal, it does not pay to go cheaper with products. In fact, we occasionally drive to Tampa or Orlando to a Whole Foods Store because they carry wonderful organic foods and things that we like to use a lot. It is worth the trip and it is fun. I love Whole Foods.

Now, let's see if I find that soap coupon in my purse the next time I need it?

Oh My Mind..

.."you were always on my mind" oops, sorry Willie! There were several news items this past week that have been on my mind.

Did you hear about the new study that drinking scalding hot tea causes esophageal cancer? It seems the hotter the tea, the more chance you have of getting this cancer. How about coffee? It seems coffee does not fit into this plan. Strange, very strange to me. Actually, I don't know too many people who drink scalding hot liquids.

My friends and I have gotten into Skyping. Do you Skype? It is a webcam that is set up on your computer and then you can dial up your friends and see each other and laugh together. I think it makes it much more personal if you can see facial expressions when you are talking. Our daughter and grandchildren also Skype us occasionally and it is a very nice way to keep in touch since we see each other infrequently.

Anyway, Connie and I were Skyping on Saturday afternoon when....BOOM! At first I thought a golf ball had hit our house and then I quickly realized the space shuttle Discovery had just broken the sound barrier and was coming in for a landing at Cape Canaveral. How exciting, and my friend, Connie, in Iowa, was able to hear it also. We couldn't have planned it better.

Well, Bay Hill golf tournament is over and Tiger comes out the winner with one stroke at the last hole and walks away with $1,080,000. That amount of money is absolutely amazing. Zach Johnson from Iowa walked away with $480,000, coming in third. He is from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and all of Iowa was cheering him on. Great job, Zach! The Trout volunteered at the tournament for 4 days, gone from home 12 hours each day. He enjoyed it, especially wearing this sharp cap they gave him. He was wielding his power by telling the crowd to quiet down and making sure all important people felt important. What a job!

Well, it's time to go to Curves and get some exercise and then catch up around the house. It looks like it will be a beautiful week in Florida, mid 70's and NO SNOW! That was for all my Midwest friends. Sorry, I just had to do it.

Just a little chit chat

The guys went golfing at Disney yesterday and then the girls met them at a nearby restaurant last night. The day was so beautiful--84 degrees and lots of sun and blue skies.

All ready to watch the Discovery space shuttle launch last night when I saw on the TV news flash that during fueling they developed a leak and the launch was cancelled. It would have been a beautiful night launch. We have seen several since moving to Florida. We really have to make an effort to get to Cape Canaveral to see one up close and personal. They will be stopping them soon so time is running out.

Our neighbors told us they spotted a cougar in their back yard, lying by their pond and others have said they have seen "large kitty tracks" near the edge of some of the ponds. Well, no more late night walks with the fluffy white thing we call our best friend.

Speaking of our dog, Kippy tore her ACL, anterior cruciate ligament, about 2 months ago. This was her good leg. She had torn the other knee last year and recovered quite nicely. She is 13 so surgery is not an option. So, in trying to help her, we have been lifting her up and down steps and onto the couch (yes, we allow that because she doesn't shed) and because she weighs almost 12 pounds, I have hurt my left thumb in putting all her weight on my hand in holding her. Now, that has developed into what looks like arthritis of my thumb. I have never had joint pains so had to ask someone if this is what it could be. A former nurse neighbor has described how I can make it feel better, so will try wrapping with those Icy Hot pads and see what happens. I have a physical with my doctor in early April and refuse to go in sooner. This is the beginning of those old age pains, is that right?

We've decided to cancel our trip to France this spring. The economy is just too uncertain. It will be hard not going, but we have lots of memories of previous trips and I am thinking everything will be looking better next year.

Have a good day today. I'll be thinking of you all.

Happy Birthday, brother!

Happy birthday, Corwin! My older brother and only sibling has a birthday today. He has always been the greatest brother any girl could have. He definitely has always heard a 'different drummer.'

He started driving a tractor at age 10 and working on a community farm. Our mother drove him to the airport to take flying lessons and he had his pilot's license before his driver's license. He is a 1963 graduate of the Air Force Academy and had the privilege of having President John F. Kennedy speak at his graduation. He flew F-100's in Vietnam and was rescued after being shot down in August, 1967. He was a pilot for United Air Lines for 32 years.

He has been married for 46 years, father of 4 children and grandfather to 6. He loves hunting and fishing and his Gordon setters. He loves rocking chairs and that is where you usually find him when at home.

He is kind, a deep thinker and the kind of person you want as a best friend.

I love you, brother, and hope you have many more healthy years ahead. I look forward to seeing you soon. Love, your favorite sister

Crossing the Bar

A great friend and former teacher died yesterday. Coincidentally, I had just written about her here.
She taught me to love literature and poetry so much, that it is only fitting that I remember her with a poem I memorized in high school at her request.

Crossing the Bar

Sunset and evening star,

And one clear call for me!

And may there be no moaning of the bar,

When I put out to sea,

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,

Too full for sound and foam,

When that which drew from out the boundless deep

Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,

And after that the dark!

And may there be no sadness of farewell,

When I embark;

For though from out our bourne of Time and Place

The flood may bear me far,

I hope to see my Pilot face to face

When I have crossed the bar.

Alfred Lord Tennyson