Thankful Sunday

If you have been on the ride with us the last few months you know we have had our house on the market since the first of June.  We have reached the point in our lives together that we are old, just not ancient as  our moms who are 95 and 99 ( - 3 weeks ).  Our yard is gorgeous but we no longer have the stamina to put in days of long hours that are needed in the spring and fall.  We do not have the good sense to spread the work out over a few days, either.  Not sure if that is the old age thing or the OCD/perfectionist in us.

You may ask what all this has to do with Thankful Sunday.  Here are just a few of the reasons:

It is a glorious fall morning following gentle, refreshing rains last evening.

The yard work is done.

I planted pansies and some other fall stuff yesterday.

I fed my fishes this morning while watching a spider work its web.

The sun is reflecting off the spiderwebs giving an iridescent hue to the silky strands.

I did not become entangled on the spiderwebs on the way to feeding my fishes!

Took some pictures for photo blogs.

I have already spoken to my Mom this morning and it was a good day so far.

Played dominoes with friends this weekend.

Going out to eat with several girlfriends on Tuesday.

Our cousin, niece and her family are coming to visit in a week.

My husband still loves me in spite of me.

Last but not least is this little development.

Skywatch Friday Meets The Spin Cycle

The beauty of a early autumn morning with the remains of summer in my garden is the setting for these pictures.  I present to the Skywatch Friday photo blog the sunny skies of Southwest Missouri.  For more beautiful skies from around the world visit here.  It is a wonderful way to enjoy our planet on any Friday.

This weeks Spin Cycle subject is "Everything that kills me makes me feel alive."  My garden is one of the main things in my life that can give me the feeling of being so a part of the universe, so alive.  At the same time can be a killer to maintain.  For more alive/killer stories click here.

This Friday some of my passions intersect, photography, my garden/killer obsession and the lastest interest, blogging.

Clematis fruits, last of the summer, soak in the fall sunshine.

Water garden view through one of the hundreds of rocks picked along roadsides and gullies.

Fluffy clouds reflecting in the water of the garden pond.

Thursday Challenge: Beverages

For more takes on Beverages visit the Thursday Challenge site.

Visit to a local winery, Canon PowerShot S100, f/2

Epcot English Village, tea garden, Canon PowerShot S100.

Lots of Bloggers

The longer I am able to stay home the more I am able to visit the many amazing blogs that are available.  Many of the ones I have visited have been done by simply clicking on a link at another blog.  Many of the blogs are following a theme for the day.  "Just Write Tuesday", "Wordful Wednesday", "Photo Thursday", Skywatch Friday, Spin Cycle and the list goes on and on.  Think of a subject and you can most likely find a blog group with which to connect if you wish to do so.

Today I awoke with the same cold Gene and I have had since Sunday evening.  My body decided to add a twist with a nose bleed.  That lasted for 3.5 hours.  We are talking stand over the sink and keep the water running cause the nose is running that much and filling my throat.  It finally slowed after about 30 minutes, enough time for one small trashcan to be full of my red DNA samples as well as the sewer system.  And enough to move to a chair with a towel, tissues, ice packs and trashcan.  And Gene dressed to take me to the emergency care unit if needed.  And that is when it slowed to more of a trickle.  Now there are some of you that are saying TMI but it is probably less violent than the last show the kids watched this afternoon.  Ok, truth is my head is still really stuffy and I am my usual, complaining self.  And it sort of freaked me out as I never have nose bleeds.

We are doing the Financial Peace University.  No peace here last night.  Discovered the Quicken software had wiped out our data for the last 13 or so years on one account.  What?   How?  Because we linked to the bank and it overwrote the file with a new name starting with the March 2013 statement.  I lost my cool, my religion, and way more.  What Kind of programmers do they use at Intuit, former Grand Theft Auto folks?  There is backup for the files but to restore is to wipe out all the stuff since March.  Crap.

So if you came to this blog today for inspiration, education or improved skills then just click here.  Maybe one of these sites will help.

Hemmed In

Hemming is one of my least favorite parts of sewing.  The first garment I made in 4 H was a brown print cotton skirt.  Best I remember I was 10 or 11 years old.  I pinned the fabric together as Mom had shown me, matching seams, etc.  Still somehow the turned up hem and the skirt front just did not sew together correctly in my novice hands.  To make up the difference I gathered the material of the front to match the length of the inside hem.  Mom looked at the hem, frowned, and I had the pleasure of ripping out the mistake.  I could not tell you how many times I reworked the hem on that one skirt.  I to this day can still have difficulty with hems.

My life feels a little hemmed in right now.  I do not want to start anything that makes much mess.  Saturday started with our getting things ready for a noon showing.  A little wipe down of the bathrooms while Gene vacuumed.  I wanted to get a cake in to bake while I showered.   I had just started mixing the batter.  No problem until the phone rang at ten with a call saying some realtor wanted to show the house at 10:30.  The person had been calling my cell which was in my purse in the back seat of a car in another town.  Crap.  So finish mixing the cake, set the timer, quickly dress in yesterday's clothing and head out the door.  No shower time, uck.

The realtors never let us know when they finished looking the place over.  We finally came home about 2.  The cake was well done.  If there is not enough time to bake a cake, pretty sure there is insufficient time to say rip down a room full of wallpaper.  And no one wants to buy the house with wallpaper.  I feel like a 10 year old kid ripping out the hem over and over to get it right.  And getting nowhere quickly.


There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit! Romans 5:3-4 MSG

The House of Representatives Are a Bunch of Drama Queens

I hate the absolutely unnecessary drama coming out of the House.  I see a. bunch of maybe even well intentioned people insisting on not funding a legitimate program.  It is health care, folks.  We call ourselves a Christian nation.  The politicians want to balance the budget on the backs of the very people Jesus told us Christians to look after, the children, the widow, the poor. 

Comments of how we are so worried about how "my" health care will be effected with Obamacare tell me that we are worried about ourselves first.  I am a person who was relegated to either no insurance due to a pre-existing condition, arthritis, or extremely expensive insurance.  I settled for a policy with $54,500 limit on any hospital stay.  And it had to be an overnight stay.  I was stupid to think I would have no trouble getting insurance once I left employment.

My fault, my bad.  But I do not believe that an industry that is still making record profits is entitled to continue to have its way with the public.  That is part of the changes that the Health Care Reform act addressed.  Let's not send our nations credit rating into another downward spiral in a fight to defund health care.  God forbid it be done to oh, let's say maybe defund the excessive tax breaks for the energy industry.  God forbid it be done to implement performance based bonuses to corporation mismanagers.  Mismanagement like the financial folks that brought about the 2008 economic crisis.  No let us not put those programs in peril.  Is it because those folks would no longer fund campaigns, fun weekend retreats, etc.?

We may want to think we are a Christian, loving nation but let's take a look in the mirror.  Is it really going to diminish my health care for widows(widowers), children, disabled and other poor folks to have a chance at just the basic care?

¹² “Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God’s Law and Prophets and this is what you get.". ..... Matthew 7:12

And if the House members are in need of drama become actors or race care drivers. 

Skywatch Friday

Skywatch Friday in The Surburbs

If you enjoy fabulous photography or just would like to visit other lands via the blogoshpere click on over to Skywatch Friday.  You are in for a real treat for the eyes.

Fall will officially arrive on Sunday.  Today's clouds and cool temperatures certainly make it feel like fall in my back yard.  Flowering plants that prefer warmer days are looking tired.

Playing with some of the effects in Photoshop.  I mean what else is there to do on a cloudy day in suburbia?

Backlight post edit.

The sun did try to shine a little but 'solarize' option gave it a boost.

Post edits in Photoshop with the 'Solarize' option.

My Summer

My Summer

by 

Janice Elaine Rogers Adcock

Now all my white clothes are put neatly away.

I saw honking geese fly overhead just yesterday.

And the colors of autumn are surely not far behind.

Now as I recount my summer I'll try to be kind.

There were trips to care for a Mom on the mend.

A visits from grandsons when I fell on my end.

A house on the market made work inside and out.

Clearing the house, the yard and even a downspout.

Between trips to help my family down home,

The trusty old dryer gave a creaky last moan.

And not to be the least bit out done

The air conditioner quit, that *&j4 son of a gun.

My Mom was moved and we cleared out her place.

With the trailer all loaded we returned in a race.

The doctor called saying Gene's Mom was quite ill.

We returned to find her smiling, sort of being a pill!

With the home air conditioner still on the blink
We headed once more to Texas, I think.
Yes, this was the trip to visit grandsons and Son.
We laughed, we worked and we had some fun.

The last trip back on the well traveled road
Found us both quite tired from the summer's load.
Then the Jeep's oil gauge quit working as well.
That's all I have to say about my summer from Hell!

For more summer stories pop over to Gretchen or Ginny Marie for more Spin Cycle fun.  Or press below.

Mom and I heading for an Arizona outhouse, Circa 1953.
California vacation and we both have on hair nets

Thursday Challenge: Wet

"Cloudy Reflections at Sunset"

10/18/05, Cape Cod, Mass., USA, Janice Adcock, Konica Minolta, f/3.5

"Swim Meet Water Off A Kid's Back"

Photographed by Janice Adcock, 6/29/2012, Konica Minolta, f/4.5, 1/250 sec.

 Thursday's challenge this week is wet as in water, pool, umbrella and things related.  Pop on over to Thursday Challenge for fun and learning to enjoy more wet and wild photos.

History

History

What was the truth?

Is it what is in the text book?

Is it what the leader said?

Is it unearthed diaries of 

children long since dead?

Click here to see what the internet shows for today's long ago events.

Location of The Presidio of San Francisco is founded in New Spain, 9/17/1776.

New Motto

Most of you know of my personal motto, "One thing in, one thing out."  That motto was a result of back to back 'breaking up housekeeping' for out parents homes in 2005 & 2006.  Both sets of parents were children of the Great Depression.  Both mothers' fathers lost the family farms due to losses in the stock market.  Both fathers left the farm, Husband's dad in 1938 or so, my dad in the mid 50's.  Both were eventually repairmen for the remainder of their working lives.  Both homes and outbuildings were crammed full of stuff.

Cleaning out Husband's parent's home of 53 years was most challenging.  Husband's folks were conservative, frugal folks.  It took about 15 months working much by himself to prepare the place for auction.  Of course I helped on days off as I could.  His folks "helped" by putting stuff away he had already sorted, etc.  There in lay the challenge.

When we cleaned out his mom's assisted living apartment, she had 14 sets of sheets in the closet.  She had only one bed left when they had moved to the apartment.  We found about 10 new towels in the closet.  The towels in her bathroom were thread bare.  The new set we had given her were made into arm covers for the used sofa.  It took three of us three days to clean out the two room apartment.  We still have stuff in our garage trying to sell or do something from Husband's parents.

Withing a year of the clean out of Husband's family homeplace, my mom required a move.  Maintaining her older home and 88 yr. old body became too much for her.  Multiple nights in a row of midnight calls for help proved to be the final straw for the closest sister to manage 40 miles away.  My folks moved into their home in October, 1961.  Even though we had cleaned out the attic 7 years earlier, this process took months for us to accomplish.  We left youngest sister with a ton of work still to be accomplished even after the move.  The day we were to return in 2006 to help with the garage sale, Husband's mom was taken to the hospital with double pneumonia.  As so many times in the past, we split our duty, me in Texas, Husband in Missouri.

This spring we began the process of downsizing our own living situation.  In the middle of all that madness is the time, once again, of my being in Texas with my mom and Husband here dealing with our house going on the market.  Eighteen days after returning home a second trip to Texas was made.  Husband and I spent 10 days with my sisters cleaning out Mom's 4 room apartment.   There is still many items in our garage to deal with from my family's stuff.

This brings me to the new motto, "One thing better not be brought into this place and get as much of this stuff gone as possible!"  That needs to be shorter.  "Nothing in, two things out."  That'll work for me.

So today I spent the time attempting to gather information about a Zuni bracelet I have.  What'cha think?  Worth anything?  Signed by "S P Boone  Zuni".

Better Day

Any day following a full blown I hate me day is usually pretty good.  Well, that is unless a person were to take their own life.  For decades I battled depression with thoughts of suicide.  The mental health industry received many dollars from me or my insurance coverage.  It is really good to have a really low day (oxymoron there) that does not lead to thoughts of suicide.  It is good to know how to move beyond the negative thoughts and pick up on life again.

Now, readers, do not go getting all paranoid on me about this.  I had a week where my body was reminding me daily that the replaced knee and lifted bladder had not fixed some other problem areas.  Yesterday after the "I Hate Me Day" post I was feeling enough better to actually do some yard work in the cool of the evening.  I just used some of the techniques from the chronic pain clinic.  I listened to body and did not push it.  In time using the relaxation technique, the tension in my shoulder and neck was diminished.  In addition I have resumed my stretching and core exercises.  Even the act of writing the blog was a type of journaling  exercise.  After working for a couple of hours in the yard a shower proved very refreshing and added to my relaxation.

We have started a program named Financial Peace University.  We are certain this will help us get back on track after a couple of years of too much outflow.  As home owners we all expect roof, appliance and plumbing problems to develop over time.  Never a leaky fireplace that leads to termites.  You can read about some of this fireplace adventure here, here, here, and here are just a few.  That adventure last year plus Gene and I having two hospitalizations each, a chunk of change on automobile repairs , a tooth cap, well, you get the picture.    We are doing the FPU program and last night I read parts of the assignment out loud to Gene.  We discussed different aspects of the program.  Went to bed and slept the sleep of old people.

Today we attended worship.  Pastor's sermon was more on the theme 'Identity Crisis".  Worked on peeling apples for the annual Apple Pie fund raiser for UMW.  Grabbed some quick, cheap food on the way home.  And now we are both just relaxing.  I need to return a few phone calls.  but mostly I am ready to just watch a game out of the corner of my eyes while surfing the net.  Things will turn around.  And if not, at least more fodder for another blog!

Here is hoping you are having a good day.  If not today, may it be so tomorrow.

Original photograph, Gene Adcock, June, 2008, Middle Loop, Yellowstone National Park.

It's An "I Hate Me" Kind of Day

I hate me, myself and I today.  It's my blog and I am just gonna put it out there.  I read all these amazing blogs written by people.  These blogger folks are highly trained it appears in technology, photography, raising kids, bearing their souls, ad infinitum.  And part of them are making a living doing what they do.  Others do not.  Like me.  I spend hours reading their blogs, trying recipes, trying techniques of geekness and photography.  I wind up hating me.  Here are a few of my top self-loathings:

• I hate the fact that I lived my life full bore ahead, most times in the wrong direction.  
• I hate that my passions have never been fruitful in a monetary way.  
• I hate that the cash flow seemed to be outward bound, seldom inward bound toward my checking account. 
• I hate that monetary value is how I am supposed to measure my worth according to our society.
• I hate that I am a resounding failure at that part of life.  
• I hate that all the talents I have were left only half developed.  
• I hate I never disciplined myself to became proficient enough to be 'marketable'.

• I hate that the yard, which was my focus for so many of the early 'empty nest' years, is now like a mill stone around my neck.  
• I hate my body is not cooperative when it comes to yard  maintenance anymore.  
• I hate that it is perfect yard work weather.  
• I hate that my body whispers, "Do it.  Then I'll make you pay dearly tonight and tomorrow.  
• Shoulder
• Back
• Ankles
• Arches
• Just sayin'."  
• I hate my damn, snarky body.

• I hate that I wanted to smoke that cigarette one night in 1991.
• I hate that I walked onto the front stoop and missed the bottom step.  
• I hate that the ensuing fall left my ankle sprained, swollen and apparently, permanently damaged.  
• I hate that it is hurting today.  
• I hate my ankle
• I frequently occasionally hate that I gave up smoking. 
• I hate that some days I miss the pleasure of slowly inhaling
• And exhaling.
• Ok, I just inhaled and exhaled plain air.

• It was fine but not the same
• It did not feel, you know, a little naughty.

• I hate that I want to be naughty sometimes.  
• I hate I just say out loud what everyone else is thinking but are too educated and self controlled to say.  
• Stuff like the nursery staff cannot do childcare in a room without toys, beds, pallets, etc.  
• Stuff like we need to allow people to die sometimes. 
•  I do not mean purposely pulling the plug, but, Christ, do not make them (me) linger in diapers in a bed. 
• As my Uncle Clay demanded of my mom and his daughter, "Just let me die!"  
• They did and he did within a short time. 
•  I hate I say the words no one else wants to say
• I hate when I see the disapproval
• And I hate myself for having said the thing no one else would say.
• I hate seeking approval.

• I hate how I look at stuff, things, situations, processes, whatever and try to make it more efficient or better. 
• I hate that the 4-H motto, "To make the best better", is no longer socially acceptable in lots of circumstances. 
• I hate suggesting for instance printing envelopes with the return address instead of printing sheets of labels that have to be applied to the envelopes.
• "Oh, no, we cannot do that.  What would the volunteers have to do then?" says the secretary of an organization. 
• I'm so sorry, I thought we were short of volunteers.  
• Or maybe they could be freed up to do something besides 'busy work'. 
• Maybe it is not just my body that is snarky.

• I hate that I have few social skills.  
• Cracking jokes goes only so far.  
• I hate that I like, want, need to be liked.  
• I hate that I do not give a crap if someone likes me or not other times.
• I love hate being am snarky  

• I hate that I have anxiety attacks while riding in traffic

• I hate that I yell and/or gripe:
• At my husband.
• He is a saint for living with me for 46+ years
• He still puts stuff in the wrong place I want stuff put.
• At my grandsons.
• They are just kids needing to try limits.
• They can try my limits.
• At my 95 year old Mom.
• She is just tired.
• I hate knowing she is really me in 28 years.  
• Refer Uncle Clay quote above.

• I hate my inability to spell and having to 'trust' spell checkers.
• The spell checker for this blog site is the 'expert' on spelling.  
• Spell check said the ad infinitum was misspelled
• It was not.
• I was right cause I did learn something in two years of Latin.

• I hate I have made so many bad choices that I no longer trust my self.

• I hate my impatience.

• I hate that at many points in my life I thought I could make a difference.
• I hate that I did not recognize when I did.
• I hate there has to be a second bullet in outlines.

• I hate being both self-loathing and narcissistic at the same time.
• I hate that today I shall just wallow in it.
• I hate not having anything better to think about than me.
• I hate thinking I am smarter than some people.
• I hate thinking about how ignorant I am.
• I hate the list formatting is not cooperating today.
• I will not redo one more time.
• Note above impatience.
• I hate being a perfectionist
• I hate that crap happens that keeps perfection at bay.
• I hate not being in control of my universe.

Well, now, doesn't that feel better.  Maybe tomorrow I will write about what I like about me.  If I can figure out something that I do. Like. About. Me.

SERENITY

Original photo by Janice Adcock, Cape Cod, Mass, October, 2005.

Gnawed Grate

Gnawed Grate

Photoblog Challenges, Theme 38, G, macro of metal

Photo of our fireplace grate after a visit from a squirrel searching for warmth.  It chewed, bounced and ran around in circles in the ash till it finally opened the grate and was released into our home.

Blue

A fellow blogger at Weighty Matters lives in Norway.  I enjoy her posts about her life, home and work in Norway.  Mara is a tour bus driver who recently passed her Yrkes Sjafer Kompetance.  Click back there if you want to know what it means.  Mara's blog has taken her readers on mighty adventures in hiking, moving and picking fruit before the critters eat the crop.  Today Mara's blog is entitled simply "Blue".  There is a picture of, no don't let me spoil your treat.   Go and see for yourself at Weighty Matters.

Further reading on Mara's blog took me to the website of Canadian photographer, Dale Hudjik.  The website, Spun With Tears, runs a Thursday Challenge.  The blogger lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.  Canada is one of the favorite places we have ever visited.  We spent about two weeks in western Alberta.  Missed Edmonton back in 2008 but who knows, maybe some day.  Until then we will revisit the beauty of that country by looking at the many photos made on the trip.

The photo is part of a collection of dozens we have made of abandoned homes and businesses.  We have titled the entire collection 'Somebody's Dream'.  This particular photo was made while my husband and I were travelling along Hwy. 13 in a Jeep Wrangler.  Heading toward HWY 1, we angled northwest taking whatever back road caught our fancy.  We came across this old homestead near the border of Saskatchewan and Alberta.  The vast blue sky set a backdrop for the remains of dreams of an unknown past life.  A feeling of sadness, of feeling blue shrouded the scenery.  In honor of the Canadian photographer, I would ask to be allowed to enter this week's Thursday Challenge theme of "blue" by submitting a photo from our Canadian adventure.

'Somebody's hands opened the door, somebody's eyes saw this same blue sky."
taken 5/29/2008, 3:23 PM,  Konica Minolta Digital.

Some Days

Some days there's just not much one can say.

9/11 is a day folks seem to have a lot say.

For a friend and her husband, they hear,  "Happy Anniversary."

Another friend celebrates 65, having survived cancer.

My Mom turns 95 this day and is surrounded by love.

Both women hear, "Happy Birthday!"

My Dad's nephew, a young 65, passed 6 years ago today.

His loved ones still feel the sting of loss longing for words of comfort.

Nine-Eleven brings back horrific visions for families and a nation.

Some days seem so full of emotions we need more time,

More distance to allow some joy to seep into the day.

Days that "live in infamy" however seem to hold sadness hard and fast.

The following is a quote from Mark's Blog on the 15th anniversary 

of the Oklahoma City Federal building bombing,

"But Christians must live in certain hope, participating with God to transform this world from being a bombed-out shell to a place where swords have been beaten into plowshares and lions lie down with lambs. What we can’t forget is that we belong to the Prince of Peace!"

May God grant that we move forward in Peace.

From article titled, 'The Power of Loss.  The 9-11 Memorial
http://www.okeanosgroup.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/120911014927-9-11-memorial-09-horizontal-large-gallery.jpg

Oklahoma City Murrah Building Memorial
http://woodwardmark.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/oklahoma.jpg

Memorial above the sunken SS Arizona, Pearl Harbor
http://www.jesusismybuddy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Pearl-Harbor-Hawaii-picture.jpg

Nap Time

Is there anything as luscious as an afternoon nap?  

Children fight and struggle against naps so hard.

Teens succumb to naps when time allows.

The twenties through forties are too crammed

With college, jobs, children for some to have nap time.

It is great to be at a time of life where

The lure of sleep is not seen as a denial of life's excitement

But a reward for rising early or just cleaning the kitchen.

This post is short and full of yawns as I struggle

To keep eyelids open and fingers typing legible words.

But, alas, I must surrender to the siren call of nap time.

Turn the lights out as you leave, please.

Dang! There's Gotta Be More Than Dementia and Bitching...

Speaking as Yoda, "Great joy I receive when associating with young moms and younger women.  It matters not a real world or blog world connection be."  It is fun and inspiring to see the connectivity as I noted before in OB-GYN.  Most of this summer has been spent dealing with issues of aging mothers chronicled in hip surgery, dismantling Momma Rogers' apartment , the descent into deep dementia with Gene's Mom then and now.

There is such a contrast between the joys of the young women and the intense, full lives and our two mothers' lives.  The brightness of the light of building lives against a backdrop of the darkness of fading lights of life is blinding at times.  The light of Edna's life rarely shines.  Mom's light is covered in the darkness of depression and deep sense of loss.

God, there's gotta be more than this at the end of life!  While I thoroughly enjoy the younger voices, lately I am searching for older voices from Light.  I begin the search in the blogoshpere.  These are a few of the ones I  find showing life after retirement and hip replacements.  Lights shining from the 60', 70's and into the 80's and 90's.  Several are political from differing viewpoints.  May these blogs give pleasure and hope to all who visit, especially those of the 'senior' age frame.

• Margaret and Helen (I am not responsible for the content but I sure get a kick reading this)
• My Mom's Blog with Thoroughly Modern Millie ( I've visited for several months, love it! )
• The Elder Storytelling Place (site for story submissions from all ages)
• Grandparents.com ( Not a true blog, more of a resource, kinda grandparenting for dummies)
• Grandma's Musings ( Grandma has three of four blogs to visit from her main page )
• A Little Red Hen
• Dogwalk Musings
• Freaque Waves
• Golden Lucy's Spiral Journal ( no new posts since '08 )
• SandwichINK ( for those caring for parents and grandkids )

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  THERE IS MORE THAN FORGETTING AND COMPLAINING!!!!!!!!!

Like this one last for your list:

On the Lighter Side ( this is a fun video post and not the main page )

Day Five Without TNT ... Priceless

For years we have enjoyed the delights of cable/satellite/uverse television entertainment.  The latest rate hike mixed with the sixteen day trip with none of the afore mentioned entertainment options enticed us to cancel the service.  In addition, we cancelled the AT&T phone service for the land line.  This is a real weaning process as I have used Ma Bell or one of her Baby Bells for-ev-er.  Some research and NetTALK Duo ii appears to be our VOIP devise of choice to replace the old land line. I order on Friday, use points and receive on Saturday morning.  Out of pocket cost, $ 0.00.

We have a 16 ft. hdmi cable for tethering a computer to the TV for streaming programs.   Husband pulls out the two sets of HD rabbit ears to grab the free signals bouncing around our bodies.  Next comes the digital to analog converter for the old set in the bedroom (will that thing never die).  With our own DVD/streaming device and Netflix subscription we figure we're set.

Gene spends a good part of Saturday morning attaching new devices to existing devices.  He detaches other devices for return to AT&T.  Ah the joy of saving money is soon slightly diminished as Gene begins the connection of the bedroom/should be dead analog TV.  We have forgotten the TV's remote had long since gone the way of non-functioning remotes.  A work around is determined and he moves into the rabbit ear dance.  First here, then there, slide the single long antenna against the wall to help balance the main unit on top of the wish it was dead analog TV.  Gene turns on the converter device, runs setup and channel find.  Wa-la we have pictures on our old should be dead TV!  Sweet!  Cost $ nada.

Next Gene moves to the living room to attach the rabbit ears to the 46", hope it does not die anytime soon HDTV.  The rabbit ear dance begins again and continues over the next two days.  At present the rabbit ears are strung through the window and balanced on the brick ledge.  (This is the same window that last Christmas.the squirrel chewed the screen attempting to get out of the house.)  Reception is still spotty so research done and upgraded antenna on order.  Use points so our of pocket cost is under $7.

Completion of the Rabbit Ear dance leads to the next adventure, the NetTALK device.  Our decision to purchase this device was influenced by the fact we could most likely 'port' our current number.  Wow, that will be great.  No confusion and no need to notify the world of a new number.  Electronic guru Gene begins the process.  He hits a wall when the NetTALK system malfunctions while assigning a temporary number.  Gene tries multiple times to get a number to generate.  Gene sends a tech request.  No techs available as it is Saturday of Labor Day weekend.

Time is of the essence now.  Sunday morning the phone and television feeds are turned off.  AT&T works on holiday weekends.  I get on the computer and go through he same steps Gene did on Saturday.  Same result, system cannot generate a temporary number.  I go to the forum portion of the NetTALK website.  A couple of other folks are experiencing the same issue.  The moderator of the forum refers to a previous post regarding initial setup issues.  I follow the advice.  It is now Sunday evening.  Notices are sent to people most likely to call the old land line number.  We check emails on Monday but the techs are still on holiday.

Tuesday morning emails begin coming in and withing 30 minutes of supplying pertinent information, we have a temporary number.  I complete the initial setup with NetTALK including a request to port our number.  Cost, $29.95 for a year of service, $19.95 one time port fee.  We have phone service.  We give the temporary number to necessary folks.  Thursday I try calling out and all numbers are busy.  Not good.  Guru Gene figures out the problem, just add the area code to all numbers.  It is working like a phone.  And we are getting our old number on 9/11, my Mom's 95 birthday.

There are numerous programs on TNT we enjoy, Major Crimes, Perception, Burn Notice and Rizzoli and Isles just to name a few.  TNT does do drama.  I can no longer see any TNT programming unless I subscribe to a tv service or buy boxed sets.  That is not going to happen.  I lived without HBO forever and gave up the Hallmark channel when we switched to Uverse.   A small price to pay considering the first month of no Uverse tv or phone pays for all the equipment we purchased, porting of phone and one years phone service.

I am sure there are a few challenges still ahead but for now I have survived 2 years without Hallmark and day five without TNT.

Birthday of His Mom's Baby Boy

Today is Husband's birthday.  Yesterday we visited his 98 year old mom. Mom is in bed in a deep sleep like state when we first arrive.  She is fully dressed and covered with a spread.  Husband goes to the nurse's station and asks if they plan to take his mom to lunch.  While the aides always attempt to wake her, Mom does not always wake up enough to go to meals.  Yes, the young aide would get her up and bring her to the lunch room.  The aide suggests we wait in the dining room while she prepares Husband's mom.

About 25 minutes later a bleary eyed Mom shuffles into the dining room.   The walker is no longer enough support.  The aide is nearby to stabilize if needs arise.  Mom is directed away from her usual table to her chair at the table where they sat us.  Mom no longer wears glasses because hers are broken.  New glasses cannot be made as Mom is unable to communicate which vision is better.  Her optometrist died suddenly so his records of the last prescription are lost.  When she finally gets close enough to recognize our faces, she reaches for our hands.  Kissing our hands she collapses in tears as the aide helps lower her into the chair.

A second aide comes around to check on Mom after the activity of walking to the dining room.  It is obvious Mom is in physical pain.  This aide walks away while saying over her shoulder she would get the nurse to bring some pain medicines.  The nurse arrives in a timely manner with the meds.  Nurse inquires to Mom as to who this is visiting today.  Mom, as so many times before, identifies Husband as "my baby boy".  When the nurse states, "So he is the youngest!" Mom Adcock corrects her with a frown and a negative nod.  Mom almost immediately falls back into a sleep like mode while sitting at the lunch table waiting to be served.

Mom has never been a person to talk much.  Neither were Husband, his dad nor his brother.  So sitting in silence at the dining table is really not a new situation for us.  It is painful to watch Husband attempt to engage Mom in conversation.  Mom's mind does not process much these days.  He asks the month.  She shakes her head.  He tells her it is September.  He asks what month is to follow.  She responds, "October".  "When is your birthday", he asks.  Her response is dead on correct.  Inquiring about her age on the next birthday gets an answer that is only off by a year.  Then he looks in his Mom's eyes and tells her tomorrow is his birthday.  A slight smile crosses her face as she leans over and quietly wishes him, her baby boy, a happy birthday.

Some days little gestures make the best gifts.  

Blogger on Vacation

This summer in the blogosphere has been sort of quite for me.  The blogs I visit most frequently that generate weekly 'assignments' or suggestions of subjects for writing have been on sabbatical.  Several have been on actual go to some place on road trips.  Others have had to good sense to just spend time away from digital devices preferring human interaction.  Imagine that.  Human interaction.  Not one of my strong points, unfortunately.  This summer I have been around more people on a daily basis than fits my comfort zone.

It is true that I enjoy joining in activities at church.  love being with my family from son to grandsons, Mom and aunts, sisters and their families.  Having a meals with friends in Texas as well as domino nights with friends in Missouri have been blessings.  Today has been a quite day of further research into different phone services and entertainment options.  We even sat for probably an hour revisiting our past vacations via bluetooth connections to our TV.  There are some great shots when viewed on an 46" screen.

We did not do the traditional out into the wilds vacations of years past this year.  The vacation for this year was documented earlier.  You can visit those posts here and here.   I would like to share a few of the pictures from the Northeast 2005 fall trip.  We followed the Ohio River almost to the point where the Lewis and Clark expedition originated.  Our son said his parents were the only two people that would not start at the St. Louis location.  Yep, Son, we are a little left of center!  We left the Ohio River, traversed Ohio north then skirted Lake Erie.  From there we headed for Niagara Falls.  Next to the Poconos via New York's Finger Lakes region.  A week in the Poconos included side trips to Amish Country and Dingman Falls areas.

From the Poconos we bypassed New York City to the north and headed for Cape Cod.  A week of touring the Cape in mid October yielded wonderful sights including the last whale watching tour of the season.  Our week concluded with the Kennedy Library and onto Ogunquit, Maine.  A walk along the Marginal Way was a spiritual connection with Native Americans from millennium past.  The beauty of Acadia National Park was another of our bucket list check points accomplished on this trip.  Back across Maine, across the tips of New Hampshire and Vermont just in time for falling snow.

We had 5 days left to make it back to Missouri and my job.  That meant more Interstate travel than either of us want to do in a Jeep Wrangler.  We traded the fun of "blue highways' for time in Philadelphia, Gettysburg and Valley Forge.  Today we revisited this trip by enjoying the dozens of pictures we made during the adventure of a lifetime trip!  Here is just a few for my blogger friends to enjoy.

Ohio River near Metropolis, IL

Blurry Niagara Falls at night.

Pennsylvania Amish Country.

Harvest Moon clammers, Cape Cod.

Cape Cod near Marconi Transmission site. 

Evening cloud reflections, Swan River, Cape Cod, next to our room.

Incoming tide, along the Marginal Way walkway, Ogunquit, Maine.

Along roadside, Bar Harbor, Maine

Gettysburg sunset.

Cranberry bog, Cape Cod, Mass.

Humpback whale off Cape Cod, Mass.

Dingman Falls, Pennsylvania.

Bridges over the Susquehanna River, Harrisburg, PA.