Nutin' Honey

The Fling on Saturday went reall good.  The singers were sounding great and helped fill in the lag time for the food being served.  The food was tasty and plated very attractively.  The main show, Carolyn Miller from Sedalia, MO, was very inspiring to all attendees.  This web site http://www.visitsedaliamo.com/Find-Sedalia/detail.cfm/ItemID/200/Nostalgia-Vintage-Apparel will give you additional information.  She comes highly recommended for your next event.  It is a real trip down memory lane.  I had totally forgotten my little black box purse!  With the music, the room setting, good food, good friends visiting with each other, and the program on person noted it was a spiritual experience for her.

As usual Gene was my best help all day Friday and Saturday.  The 5 ladies on the committee were the easiest to work with ever.  They are the reason for the success of the event.  All that and answered prayer.

Speaking of Gene, he had xrays and two shots.  One shot was in an area of bursitis, the other in his right knee.  While all is better for now, looks like he needs knee surgery, bone on bone is the awful phrase Dr. Seagrave used.  Guess we are awaiting a call to the surgeon to set a date.  

After resting all day on Sunday, Monday was a day to start moving toward the next project.  Yes, time to paint one room, repair the hole in the wall above the fire place, then installation of new floor coverings in those two rooms.  So, Monday, I tore out the ceramic tile along the north end of the living room.  I pulled up the backer board and Gene carried it out today.

The Spring Fling was not quite over as there was still the 5 or 6 hundred yards of net and illusion to be stored.  I spent Tuesday wrapping the 136 net flowers and streamers and stacking in a box.  That took care of about 475 yards of illusion tulle.  Today the remainder of the netting was straightened, double folded and wrapped around cardboard.  Volume reduced to about 3 cubic feet from 3 cubic yards.

Earlier this morning all the accessories around the fireplace and tabletops were stored.  They will not come out until painting, repairs and floor covering project is complete.  Phone calls from family and friends, visit from next door neighbor then left overs for supper rounded out our day.  Thank goodness for just an average Wednesday.

UMW Sunday & Spring Fling

It is time for me to get really focused on some serious sewing for the upcoming Spring Fling luncheon.  152 chair decorations to be made.  Also need to get an article in for Sunday announcements.  Oh my, the power point program I had for use during the UMW Sunday has to be redone to work in the old version  of power point used at church.  Displeased about that.

So there are going to be a few days that I will not be posting a blog.  Not to worry, I'll be back in a few with some happy stories.  Until then I Got Nothing!

Just Saying Thanks

Gene enjoying life one year later.

What a great day to be alive.  Five years ago today Gene was in ICU.  The doctors had said if he survived the next 24 to 48 hours, he stood a chance of living.  He did and still is living.  Just saying silent little "thanks" every time I look at him this weekend.

When I arrived at church this morning I decided to go up the steps into the educational wing.  That worked so good, I climbed the stairs into the balcony seating area.  In the process of putting my glasses away I found a piece of chocolate I had for Gene.  After the worship service I walked to the media booth and handed it to him.  Thanks, Creator, for the miracle of climbing stairs and handing Gene a small piece of candy.

Jenny Lake Campsite, 2008

Nursery duty was my next move.  At first there did not seem to much need than additional babies arrived.  So I was able to spend time with the little ones.  It really feels good to be able to calm a child when no one else is able to get the response.  Today it took 10 to 15 minutes to have the baby girl calm enough to be held by another worker.  Actually she and I traded as the one she was holding was beginning to be fret.

Fall, 2010

This little boy's name was not quite clear on the tag.  We finally settled on Elias.  What a beautiful brown eyed, dark haired little boy.  It was wonderful to be back on track to live my life without knee pain.  The joy of children, being able to up and down stairs and then seeing my husband 5 years after a near fatal illness running the media board.

I worked for many years using my talents to make money to pay bills.  I was not a pleasant person, hot tempered and high strung.  Mostly calmer now.  But I surely terrorized my employees and co workers with this temper.  Thank God for forgiveness and healing.

I really thought this day could not get much better.  Then I saw the parents of the little, beautiful boy.  The father was a person that had worked with and for me.  He had been a very special young man with a life threatening disease.  Scott had not been expected to live past childhood, then past teens and so on until at 33 he received a lung transplant.  That operation was at least 2 years ago by now.  But there stood another miracle, Scott holding his 7 month old baby boy.

Today has been just one of those days when I spend the entire day Just Saying Thanks!

PET

While most members of Wesley UMC were involved in the annual Mission Blitz, I was at a meeting in Theodosia, MO.  Two old friends were the program for the meeting.  They explained the Personal Energy Transport vehicle.  Then the women assembled two of the units then took them for a spin.

The link to this project is http://petinternational.org/ for more information.  The videos on this site will give you a deeper look into the program from the making to the receiving.  So the next time you are buying something new for your pet animal or a new gadget for your self, consider a donation to this PET organization.  If you know how to weld and live near Aurora, MO. contact the local United Methodist Church.  Jim Wrinkle will get you set up with a welding torch!

No, I did not do much to help others today, I drilled 8 holes.  But maybe if a few people read about this project and consider helping financially hopefully the day will not be in vain.

Comfort Foods and a Spring Cold Snap

This has been a busy week.  As my body and mind continue to put distance from the knee surgery my activity level is increasing.  Not just activity of movement.  That is beginning to feel almost natural now.  Though I do still stop and smile every time I walk up steps.  Or raise off of a seat without having to use my arms to push off the chair or car seat.

Busy is becoming meetings, appointments and activities in church and other organizations.  The past week and a half has had only 2 days that I could stay home.  Even though I was home, there were plenty of projects to keep me busy.  While about half of the projects were computer related, the other half had me up and moving.  Grocery shopping was high on the list this week as the pantry and freezer were pretty empty.  Grocery shopping  is a lot of walking and Gene was more tired than I after that.

Today the physical therapist and I agreed it was time to stop the therapy.  Other than possibly a little more flex range there was not much more I felt I needed.  Vince assured me that time and continued flex exercises would get the two where I wanted.  It is all up to me now to continue to strengthen and enhance movement. The completion of therapy called for a celebration of one more milestone on the trip to recovery.

Following today's last therapy session we visited a friend who is recovering from a series of health issues.  Then we came home and I installed some cages around a few plants to keep them upright when they begin blooming.  Pulling some more weeds without discomfort was sure nice.  The ground was wet from an over night rain and the air had a slight chill.  While cool is my preferred weed pulling weather I knew I must pace myself.  I came inside and watched a couple of Monk reruns while enjoying my recliner.

To round out our celebration Gene started a fire to chase away the chill in the air.  And I cooked some southern comfort food:  chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, gravy and a vegetable.  At http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/two-takes-depression/201104/comfort-foods-improve-moods I read about comfort foods and the effects on our minds and bodies.  Sure enough studies have shown we do get a "boost" from our comfort foods.

If you look at me you can tell from my size that I must be on a perennial high.  The scales certainly confirm my steady diet of comfort foods!  But for tonight I am not going to worry unnecessarily about the calories.  I am just going to enjoy the tastes, textures and smells of the food while toasting my toes by the fire.

Mowing, Weeding and Dirt Under My Nails

Last summer our mower sort of quit mowing.  I suppose the more accurate description was the mower motor just stopped while Gene was pushing it!  So we decided to go with an electric mower.  One of our friends had been using an electric mower for several years and was pleased with the performance.  Besides, at our age anything being lighter to push helps.

Getting my fingers dirty, circa 1947

So today was mowing day at 3871.  Between Gene and I, we are almost one whole person these days.  With hips and knees that have carried too much weight for too many years, we just are not as mobile as we were a few years back.  Gene's hip gave out after doing several errands and mowing the front yard.  I decided to give it a whirl  and I mowed my little back yard twice cause it was too tall for just one round to cut it down to size.  After the mowing I was able to weed an area of about 30' x 40'.  Enough weeds to fill a 50 gallon and a 15 gallon bag.  I do believe that my knee surgery is proving to be a wonderful thing for me.   Sure was good to be able to walk around, bend over using both legs to support my body and then raise up with no knee pain.

In an earlier post I mentioned how I was needing to get outside.  Yesterday we climbed into the Jeep with the top off and headed to Marionville.  Gene drove us on back roads all to way to Marionville.  It was hard to tell which of us enjoyed the fresh air the most. With the activity outside today, I am feeling better every minute.  Yep, this old gal just needed to be able to do a little mowing, weeding and get some dirt under my nails.
 

American Bandstand

As mentioned previously I live with a man that can go for hours without saying a word.  Some days this can drive me to making phone calls just to hear a human voice.  If he has nothing that he feels is worthy of someone hearing he will not even acknowledge something I say.  So I spend a lot of time just talking to myself.  Next I will probably just read signs as we go down the road just to have some sort of live human sounds. Listening to talking mouths on the radio or listening to some sort of recorded music is not live human vibes.

 
Tonight as we returned from visiting Edna, we heard the news of the passing of Dick Clark.  My first memories of Dick Clark were every afternoon in our home.  Of course he was on the TV along with all the regulars on American Bandstand.  We young Texans knew the names of all the regulars that lived half a continent away in Philly.  The only regular's name I remember is Pat.  She was probably my favorite.  She had her appendix removed and was off the show for many days, possibly three weeks.  Every surgery was major in the 50's!

The Stroll

Under the guidance of the gifted dancers on Bandstand us country kids learned to bop, stroll, twist and hand jive.  We saw Ricky Nelson, Paul Anka, Annette of Mouseketeer fame, Connie Francis, Chubby Checker, Jerry Lee Lewis and all the big as well as up coming names.  Slow dances seemed to bring the crushes to light even at the Chambersville Elementary School Friday night hops. There were the Bandstand couples, maybe Arlene Sullivan with a guy named Kenny, maybe?

Me, circa 1959

The age spread between my older sisters and I melted as the young marrieds Margaret and Suzie would help me at the ripe age of about 11 perfect the moves seen on TV.  Pretty funny as Momma sat watching Margaret, Suzie and I dance in Margaret's house just off Hunt Street in McKinney.  For Margaret's 70th birthday I gave her an "American Bandstand" Memory book.  It had pictures and stories about all the crew!

And Bandstand's "Rate a Record" segment was the origin of the wonderful phrase, "It has a good beat and you can dance to it".   I was definitely a child of the 50's and 60's.  American Bandstand and Dick Clark were an influential part of my tween and teen years.   Maybe it is not so bad to have the quite in the present to reflect on past times and dream of future times.  To take a few moments to be thankful for that young man in Philadelphia that knew how to market rock and roll.

But just for tonight while Gene is quietly watching the Cardinal game with the sound on TV and with earphones on listening to them on the radio and surfing the net, I may just bring up a song on this computer and do a little strolling!  After all for those of you that know the Bandstand theme song and how it ended,  Bandstand, Bandstand!  May the American Bandstand spirit never end.

Oh, My Whatever

It is fun to watch NCIS and Mark Harmon age more gracefully than any one human should.  He is on Jimmy Kimmel tonight.

Come to think of it, Paul Newman and Cary Grant are two more actors that aged so nicely.

Why do the guys wrinkles seem to add character?  My wrinkles just make me look mean.  I am just saying that it seems that having monthly "visits" from that special woman thing when women are young should be enough punishment.  But, no, we are pleased to have children only to realize the effects on our bodies as we age.

Things sag, bag and generally things such as bladders no longer work as originally designed.  Yes, I know guys suffer from sagging, bagging and shrinkage.  But there sure are a lot of guys that age really good.  Maybe it is because I am old as dirt at the point, but some of the older guys are more attractive than the younger version.  Ok, Marlon Brando is one of the token men that did not age as good as some.  But let's face it these 4 guys I have selected had a lot going for them to begin with in the looks department.

Maybe I am griping because I am just needing to get out in my very overgrown yard and pull weeds.  Yes, that would do wonders for my attitude.  I have managed to get a handle on most of the projects that were hanging over me in the near future.  But with my newly realigned body I have learned a lesson this past week.  Any activity that lasts over about an hour leaves me saying Ooohhhh my .... whatever!

Just plain mean!

Moving on Up

Today at physical therapy I was asked to walk up a flight of stairs.  By the third step my mind knew it would not be a problem to get to the top of the flight.  Then I was ask to come back down and I did each and every step as natural as anything.  Yes, I am plainly moving on up!!!!!

The 1970's had some edgy weekly series.  "All In The Family" was one of my Dad's favorite.  He and my mother identified with Archie and Edith.  All the changes in society with the women's movement, black power and the many other social issues were changing their world.  The effects if the Vietnam war, the protests and eventually Watergate had turned their world inside out.

My dad told of the times he remembered in the early 1920's.  The two political parties in Texas were the Ku Klux Klan and the Anti Ku Klux Klan.  Wow, that blew my mind.  A little online research shows that the Dallas, Ft. Worth area was one of the hotbeds of Klan activity.  That fact brings even more credence to Daddy's story about Tennessee, the black hired hand that worked with Paw Paw Rogers.

Tennessee, or Tenny as Daddy called him, lived in a room in a separate building from the "main house".  (That is even hard for me to write.)  I need you to know that Paw Paw, my dad, Aunt Sissy and Great Aunt Lillis lived in a house that was not much more than a barn itself.  If you read John Grisham's A Painted House you get the general idea of farm life in Texas and the South.  Paw Paw rented the house and farm land so he was not even as high up as the folks in Grisham's novel.  But I digress.  The scene is set for the story.

Tenny had left the house for the evening.  Paw Paw, who was quite the cut up, decided to play a trick on Tenny.  Paw Paw removed his shoes and let them drop loudly on the floor.  Evidently the walls were so thin Tenny could hear this from his room.  Paw Paw grabs a sheet and sneaks out to Tenny's room.  Tenny was sitting at a small table eating boiled potatoes.  With the sheet over himself, Paw Paw throws open the door to Tenny's room.  Tenny who has a potato in mid air on the way to his mouth promptly falls backwards in a dead faint.

Paw Paw is horrified by the effect of his practical joke and rushes to revive Tenny.  All he can do is apologize repeatedly to Tennessee.  It never occurred to the white man the impact on the black man seeing what he thought was a Klansman at his door.  Tenny forgave him but was ashen for a long time.

The 50 years between the days of the Klan dominance in Texas politics and "All In The Family" had seen changes.  No more whites only water fountain in Woolworth's or the court house public restrooms.  So when the spin off of "All In The Family" with "The Jefferson's", the sitcom's theme song has more meaning, "Moving On Up".  I am certain my climb this morning was nothing compared to the courage, guts and grit of living life in 1920's Texas for a hired hand named Tennessee.

Easy Like Sunday Morning

Mine is like the middle
one only in purple

This household is not an early riser any day of the week.  And to do it two days in a row is almost torture.  Yesterday I had a Groupon to cash in for Easy Zippy Strippy  sewing class.  All needed materials were included.  The Quilt Sampler furnished the sewing machines and even little scissors.  The class started a 9:00 AM.  On a Saturday morning, 9:00 AM.  I made the choice because it was the last day the class was available before the coupon was no longer good for the discount.

Yes, there were evening classes, etc, but with the knee problems, blah, blah, blah, I put it off.  And on top of all this it was raining, sort of cool and I just wanted to stay in bed.  But I toughed my way through it.  Even left Gene resting peacefully in our king size bed.  And now I have a zippy, strippy small bag.  I like it, not love it, but like it.  Friends and family, look out for lots of zippy, strippy gifts in the future.

Sunday morning came terribly early this morning mainly because I kept waking up to check how much longer I could sleep.  Why do our brains do that to us?  2:45, 3:50, 4:15, 5:03, 5:56 and I gave up cause the alarm was set for 6:09.  6:09 is strange but that is what it was when my finger could move the switch for the minutes on the alarm.  My fingers are as old as my old left knee.  The only young thing about my body is a right knee implant.  But I did it.  Exercises, dressing and off to church at 7:45 AM.  Spring Fling  tickets could be sold!

In the event I have never mentioned that I am married to a saint or at least one in the making, I am.  Gene was willing to climb on the cabinet and hang a sign.  He then walked to different doors and hung up Spring Fling signs.  He would have gone to get start up cash had the treasurer been unable to get to the bank.  I love him so much.

I really liked "Nightshift"

Ok, enough of the mush, gush!!  I liked the music of the Commodores.  "Easy like Sunday Morning" came to my mind when I started this blog.  I read the lyrics and decided that was not the message I had in mind.  I looked as several Sunday morning song lyrics.  Most are sort of downer messages and I do not want to be high or leave my husband!  I just wanted to write about a Sunday morning when I could sleep later!   I should have named it  CBS News Sunday Morning as that is a little more my speed.



Oh, by the way on the rainy, cool Saturday morning when I arrived at The Quilt Sampler at 8:59 AM, I was the third person to arrive.  The folks at the store were still setting up and it was almost 10:00 before the class began.  I could have slept almost another hour if I had known they were not liking the "early" hour either!

Col. Mustard in the Kitchen

The game "Clue" was a favorite for our son and me to play.  He could usually figure out the offender as quickly as me.  That well worn game is still in the cabinet in "his room".  That room that he stayed in only a few months for a couple of summers between college semesters at TCU.  He will tell me his "real room" is still at 102 W. Hadley.

Kinda funny how we moms assign rooms to certain kids even decades after the child has left home.  I left my parents home permanently in 1967 and Sissy in 1978.  While the rooms were called the blue and purple rooms by some of the family, my younger sis and I as well as my mom called them Janice's and Arlene's rooms till Mom moved in 2006.  While I had moved pretty much all my stuff out to my home in the 70's, there were a couple of Arlene's things in a closet in her room in 2006.

Adcock home place near
Miller, circa 1964

And this is something I have noticed that happened in Gene's family, also.  Certain rooms at the Adcock home place near Miller were the "girls' or boys'" rooms.  Those folks were in their 70's and gone from the home for 40 or 50 years.  Guess there is something of our DNA that must settle on the walls and the fiber of the rooms to keep them permanently marked.

Gene & Ken's room
under new owners

The thunder is rumbling in the distance tonight, Friday the 13th.  We are needing more rain than we have received today.  But I am not sure if I can get caught up on the yard work if we get very much rain.  I did some dusting and prepared a simple supper.  I was only on my feet for a couple of hours but that was enough to want to sit for a while.  Earlier I had cleaned the bathrooms and straighten the house a little and that required a sit down time with ice on the knee, too.

Yesterday after returning from physical therapy I had prepared a simple brunch for us.  Most of the afternoon was on the phone and computer working on people to sell spring fling tickets.  For dinner, Gene had thawed some burger patties.  I cooked the patties and we started putting the burgers together.  Gene decided one of the condiments would flow better if zapped in the microwave for a few seconds.  I was the first to open the bottle.  The contents promptly went everywhere except on the bread.

Yes, the stuff sprayed on the plate, floor, cabinet and even up the sleeve of my jacket.  Gene started giggling.  Well, I taught him and smeared the stuff on his face and beard.  He said it was even up his nose.  We giggled like a couple of kids.  Which condiment was it, well, it was Col. Mustard in the Kitchen.

Game Ready

After several weeks of down time with the knee pain before the surgery and then the surgery, I am needing to be game ready.  I am finding it a little challenging learning to get back in the game so to speak. I am really a hermit by nature.  Lots of people would not believe that statement.  My husband knows how true this is.

There were times when anxiety was so high even after dressing and driving to the parking lot at work, I would freeze up in my car.  I would wind up returning home and calling in sick/crazy.  Thank God those days are over, days filled with anxiety.  The desire to see not one soul save Gene.  Quite time at home is now enjoyed for what it is and not an escape from the world.

Today the weather is cool in comparison to the last few weeks.  Maybe even cool enough for a small fire this evening.  I would enjoy reading but the world is beginning to press in with tasks calling to be done.  I still have neither the list made nor the house cleaned.  And a person could write a book in the pollen dust on all my furniture.  Oh, well, if someone is lacking paper and is wanting to write a book come on over to 3871 and make yourself at home.  Just do not put a date on anything and the dust can wait a while longer.

This morning was another workout at physical therapy.  Even though my knee still is somewhat swollen, Vinnie and I were able to get 115 flex out of this old gal's knee.  Without assistance I flattened my knee on the table.  So, extension goal of zero is achieved!  Five more degrees of flex and that goal will be achieved.  With a new flex increasing movement added today, pretty sure my gluteus maximus and "minimus" and every other little "mus" in the back of my lower body will be sore tomorrow.

This is not me nor any man
 I know..... Just sayin.

One of the better parts of the physical therapy is seeing the improvement in my strength and agility.  The stretches feel wonderful after pulling my leg up on an 8 inch step 30 times.  But there is a device that tops the bill.  I probably mentioned it already in another blog.  Developed by a NASA designer of spacesuits the system was field tested on sports injuries.  The device is a single, portable ice machine and compression unit.  Its use has expanded to post surgery treatment and even veterinary uses.

Yep, for doggies!

I just know that at the end of today's workout the wrap that extends from mid thigh to mid calf felt really good.  The combination of cold and compression is a relief to the muscles of my leg.  Wish there was one designed for my sore rear muscles.  Oh, look, there is one http://www.gameready.com/products/hipGroin.htm !  Yet one more product (besides Corning Ware) developed from the technologies of space exploration with applications helping heal people and animals.  Yep, I am all about continued space exploration and Game Ready!

Not this, though it would fit best!

This one, silly dragon!

Risky Business

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/tags/bob-seger/

For many young 'uns (and a few old 'uns) from the 1980's say the words "Risky Business" and an image will come to mind.  An almost childlike Tom Cruise in a pink pinstripe shirt, white skivvies and socks sliding across The Opening into The Hallway.  What follows is a classic movie scene with Young Tom gyrating to Seger's "Old Time Rock and Roll".  Go to YouTube and search for Risky Business Dance Scene and you have a nights entertainment.  Everything from Homer Simpson to Kobe Bryant, Taylor Swift and the list goes on doing a take off on this particularly memorable scene.

While I am sitting reading emails and catching up with friends on Facebook, the TV is on in the background.  When I finally notice what the story is about I can hardly believe it.  It is about men working on on high tension electrical lines.  Guys in helicopters moving in and around high tension lines.  These guys step from a small platform onto the wires.  Watching these men literally walk and crawl on the lines is amazing.  The adjacent picture is from http://www.powerwater.com.au/newsroom/media_releases_folder/2009/high_wire_maintenance.  Definitely risky business.

There are a lot of jobs and activities in this life that are risky business.  Where would our lifestyles be without all the folks willing to do these risky jobs.   Miners, oil rig workers, law enforcement professionals, firefighters, military personnel and the list goes on endlessly.  Watching how mega ton items are shipped, hauled and moved from factory to end use involves multiple groups of risk takers, folks performing risky business.

I am sure that anyone reading this blog could come up with additional risk takers they know about that I have failed to note.  One of the riskiest businesses an individual can be involved in is relationships.  Being willing to put our self, heart, hopes and dreams in the hands of others by sharing is a risk.  Some people will take the information and not be respectful.  The information could be posted on Facebook, accidentally mentioned to someone else or just purposely flaunted.

Best risk of my life!

Relationships are precious things.  Relationships can be with a husband, wife, partner, child, sibling, friend or associate.  Yes, the risk is there.  We have all had our share of good and less than good relationships. But with all the risk, I would not want to live this life without these relationships.  How bland, how lonely, how desolate life would be without taking a chance on relationships, the Riskiest Business of life.

Hip, Hip, Hooray for Knee Replacement!

This knee surgery thing is not at all what I had imagined.  I thought for sure the incision would be very painful.  Mistaken on that.  I thought there would be pain in the joint area where the stuff was glued together.  Mistaken on that, too.  Now areas where the muscles are re-knitting together, yes there is some occasional discomfort but not in the way I expected.

Walking is becoming easier every day.  Maybe I should clarify that walking with confidence is becoming easier every day.  I am still a little wobbly with backward or sideways movements.  I am walking up steps  with a regular step, just not real fast and not very many.  And I can go down the steps with a normal gait.  Again slowly but still better than in many years.  Driving is getting back to normal with the exception of getting my right leg in and out of the car.

I had been told about getting the knee to bend being a challenge.  Again, not what I had imagined.  I am being resistant to the amount of discomfort that bending to the degree that is needed.  I am being so resistant that I flinch my hip back from the bend.  Oh, my, that was not the thing to do.  Now I have irritated the sciatic nerve and I was not expecting that!

So, I am loving the changes to my knee from the replacement.  Besides the lack of joint pain, people are saying I look like I have lost weight.  The scales say otherwise.  Some folks say I look like I am standing taller.  I have not measured so who knows.  And even though the hip and sciatic nerve are grumpy, I still say hip, hip, hooray for knee replacement!

Post Easter Blues

 
There is always so much to do and so much excitement before holidays.  This season has, of course, been Lent, Holy Week and Easter.  Throw in the knee surgery and Gene's mentoring it seems to have been pretty busy already this spring.  With the upcoming projects for UMW that I have been putting off working on till after Easter... well, now is the time.  And I am just plain not getting my mind wrapped around all I need to be doing.

When I hit the "I am not sure what to do first wall" it is time to sit quietly, make a list of tasks, prioritize the tasks and get to work.  If the making the list thing leaves me still floundering, cleaning the house will help me get my mind "in order".   I did spend some time working today on the chair decorations.  Not sure if I like what I came up with or not ...  I'll sleep on it and see what tomorrow brings.

So that is why I have the Post Easter Blues.  Time to get to work and I am just not ready to get back in the game.  The physical therapist noted I am still doing really good, ahead of the curve is his phrase.  Then why do I sometimes feel like I missed the curve and hit the wall.  It will get better in a few days.

Glow eggs!

It has been fun seeing all the pictures of the kiddos hunting eggs.  Probably the most interesting eggs were glow eggs the kids hunted in the dark.  I am still amazed there are plastic eggs that can be reused each year.

Resurrection Joy at Wesley UMC

I think I may have just cheered myself up remembering Arlene's egg stash in about 1962 or so.  It was when we still did the boiled egg dying thing for her and the nephews.  A few weeks after Easter the house began to have a bad odor.  Using Momma's amazing nasal  prowess, the problem was discovered in Arlene's closet.  Yep, you guessed it, Easter eggs gone bad.  The worst kind of Post Easter Blues!

A Scratch on The Record

Most of the folks that venture to this blog are old enough to remember records and record players.  Gene is a collector of sorts for these items.  He has his Grandpa Adcock's second hand Victrola crank record player that is full of 75+ year old records. The Victrola holds a place of distinction in our home.  You see it as one of the first items when you step into our home.  A second portable record player that is, also, a crank driven turntable is on the bookshelf in the living room.

In addition to the 2 antique players, Gene has a 1966 Sylvania portable stereo record player.  A turntable from the age of component systems in the 1980's is set up in his office.  That 80's turntable is used to capture music that he converts to digital format.  Gene will spend hours removing the scratch and dust crackles from the music.  We still have several albums from before we married to in the early 80's.  That is when tapes pretty much replaced the vinyl of our youth and young married life.

It seemed no matter how careful we were with the records there would be scratches on many of the records.  Nothing like having the records at a party and be really dancing to the sound only to have the needle malfunction at a scratched groove.  The needle could either skip a groove, slide all the way across the record or repeat the last groove endlessly.

Someone would go to the record player and move the needle to the next groove or next song.  You "young timers" would not know about the need to tape a penny on the needle arm.  The extra weight could overcome "needle bounce" caused by the damaged groove.  Or you might need to remove a wad of dust that had collected on the end of the needle.  Guess you could say so much for dusting off a few memories during today's walk down memory lane.

Yesterday was another busy day here for us.  I had physical therapy, then errands and back home.  It was my first time to drive myself alone since the knee replacement.  After several busy days in a row, I found myself wanting to just be lateral most of yesterday afternoon and into the evening.  After sleeping for probably 3 or 4 hours in the afternoon and evening, I slept all night long, too.  Gene was and is still being very busy with his confirmation activities.  We decided that I should not attempt to go out again this evening with him since we spent most of the day visiting Edna.

2011 Mother's Day treat for Edna

Edna was doing really good today.  She was so happy to see us.  Her ankles were not swollen as they were in February.  While she had never been very talkative, she did seem a little more quite.  She asked if she had always lived in that room since the move.  We explained that she and Dad had an apartment when they first moved to the Manor.  She was foggy on that memory but remembered in detail how Carl had a shower in the basement of the Aurora home place.  "He sure liked having that shower down there," she said.

Edna did take a tumble during the early morning on Thursday of this week.  She had slipped in some fluid on the floor.  This is the second slip in the last few weeks.  The first was during the last hospital stay.  Since I grew up down south I just have to say, "Bless her heart."

While sitting at the lunch table today we noticed that Edna had a small container of salad dressing that she emptied onto her salad.  She sat the container aside and began eating.  Because we had eaten breakfast just before leaving for Marionville, we did not want any food while she was eating.  This really bothered her.  She just kept trying to get us to take her food.  Gene finally ordered a cup of coffee and that seemed to help satisfy her need for us to have something.

But she just could not quit picking up the dressing container.  Pick it up, open the cover, try to pour out more dressing, fold down the cover and set aside.  We watched this ritual about 4 or 5 times.  Gene finally set the container out of her line of vision.  You know, sort of like that person that would go to the record player and move the needle off the scratch on the record.

May we all celebrate new beginnings on Resurrection Sunday.