MrsDoF's Dear Ones

a pile of credit card offers, all cut into pieces

Today, I kept the shredder quite busy.

two days ago, those bins were full of quilt material
yesterday, I donated a basket of fabrics to the Mennonite Women’s group at church

In boxes taken from the closet, there were bank statements from a closed account at a bank no longer in business.
Twelve years ago, we spent bunches of money for school registrations and for groceries at Eagle Market and the meat shop….three adolescent sons in the house then.
It’s kind of nice to know the kittycats had their very first checkup and shots on September 22, 1995.  The cancelled check says the expense was $70 for the both of them.
Piles of papers became fluff taken to the town re-cycle bins.

Yesterday’s doctor’s report says all should be well, yet Oscar is still not moving much.  He’s eating canned food, but ignoring a buffet of dry bits in bowls.  He has decided a guitar case is a fine place to take a nap.

Ah, well, he’s not bothering me.  I’ve got more work to do.
I have to get the bins empty again.

~~love and Huggs, Diane

Taking a break from the clearing of the Study Room.
Time for the dust to settle, while I type a bit.

Yes, indeedy, much of yesterday, I was pulling boxes of fabric out of the closet, looking over papers and report cards from 1994, tossing old issues of the magazines National Geographic and Smithsonian into a blue bin for re-cycle.

My break yesterday was to take Oscar to the doctor.  He was listless all weekend, would not touch any dry food, although he gobbled up all the 9 Lives chicken & tuna I would put into the bowl at regular intervals.  At the pet hospital, he got a free claw trim (so the nurse wouldn’t get scratched), a shot of B vitamins and one of antibiotics in his hip, and had to be shaved in a spot to stick a vein for a vial of blood.
Just got off the phone with the elder Dr. Bussan (the younger Dr. Bussan was in oldest son Joe’s chemistry classes at ISU).
The lab report for our kittycat is within normal ranges on all his bloodwork.
Apparently, he’s got the summer blahs, same as the rest of us.

At Nils recommendation,
I ordered the book The Summer of the Marco Polo.
Even though I read all the information (ie: Shipping Address) three times before I clicked checkout, the purchase statement reads like my mother-in-law might be getting that particular copy.
I’m thinking I might order another just to be sure I get to enjoy it!  Better two than none, plus the opportunity for gift giving.

My cd of Alison Krauss is playing Missing You.
No more sitting still—I gotta get up and dance.

~~love and Huggs, Diane

My car hasn’t moved since Tuesday, when I brought home $63 worth of groceries from Kroger.
This isn’t to say it is broken, or that I am housebound.

No, indeed, it means I’ve been doing errands on my bicycle.

Husband and I went out for breakfast one morning before he had to be at the job to unlock the door for the computer Lab.
I’ve been out on the Trail alone a few times, I fetched more yarn of a certain color from the storeroom at the Senior Center.
I returned books to the library, and carried papers to be Notarized to an office (consider me a Certified Teacher’s Assistant!)

Also, Oscar and I have developed a routine of walking down the cul-de-sac each morning and afternoon.  He usually stays close to our house, only goes alone a little way to the north.  There are dogs in yards for two directions, so he avoids them.

However, with me walking, he will stay right along the curb about 10 feet behind me.  When we get to the tree at the bottom, he will sniff and sniff out of curiosity, then I’ll call his name and he races back up the street then circles around again.
When we get back inside the house, he takes a long drink of water, then flops down on the little rug by the kitchen door.
This morning, I picked him up and put him in his bed, where he slept for 3 hours.
Old cat and almost old lady make neighbors smile.

The job search has stalled.  I have Apps out, but nobody calls about an interview.  One post was advertised as being open until 4pm today, so we shall see.

Meanwhile, Husband has renewed his request for me to clear out the study to make room for exercise equipment.

It really is time for us to work our baby-boomer bodies better.

There is no longer a need for daycare items to be piled hither and yon.  And my craft supplies need some organization so instead of searching bags and boxes, I can use my time for creativity.

He says being able to hop on a cross-trainer for 20 minutes, then stroll directly down the hall to our own bathroom and shower would be a much nicer way to exercise than a gym membership.
Packing a bag, driving 15 minutes, changing clothes, waiting a turn for a machine, worrying about the sanitary status of the locker room, driving home is getting stale.

I can understand what he’s trying to say.  When I am a TA reading a child’s evaluation, I know what it meant when there was a note “does not adjust to transitions well” because that box would be marked for me every time.

All the years we’ve been in this house.

Nothing is permanent.

Nothing is permanent
Nothing will last forever
Nothing is permanent

Rain falls and turns to mud
And then it dries and blows away, away
Grass grows in yards of green
And then it gets too tall and causes worry

Need leads to satisfied
Which doesn’t last so long and well
You know

All things, always change
And change is fast if it’s not slow

Nothing is permanent
Nothing will last forever
Nothing is permanent

Where was the neighborhood
Before they marked off all the streets and roads
Who came to live here first
And does it really matter
I don’t think so
New stores of few design
Look old and dated long before they fall
Buildings of any sort are just lean-tos and that’s all

Nothing is permanent
Nothing will last forever
Nothing is permanent
Finch Brave Combo

So what am I doing sitting here typing?

~~love and Huggs, Diane

When my son Chris went back to Ohio with me last year, he mentioned that it seems I make the trip mainly to please my mom, what with the Alumni Banquet, and all the relatives, and whatever is going on at church.
Pretty much what I did when I was growing up.

This year was no different.
The weekend was with People, with a capital P.

My brother drove in from Virginia.  He needed to be listened to.
Having a gunman go wacko in the next building was quite a crisis.

Although it has been a couple years since Uncle Charlie passed on, Aunt Ruth is a grieving widow.  She was glad for David and me as distractions.

My mom had been invited to a high school graduation party, and had listed me as her companion.  I barely remember the twin boys who were celebrating, but the food and guests were great.  We all caught up on all sorts of news.

Then out to my sister Denise’s house.
She served watermelon, and gave me an early birthday gift.

Then Mom and I went to the W Big Box Store, where I wanted to look over the yarn section, and she needed bananas.  Don’t get me started about how important this fruit is for my mother.
If you know her in real life, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Anyway, ever since she broke her ankle, she walks with a cane.  I told her that the craft department is probably way back in the corner, so we should get a wheelchair (thoughtfully provided in all WallyWorld stores).
She won’t do this, says she’ll be fine.
Rather than split up, then meet later, she wants to see the yarn shelves, too.

A whole bunch of old resentments bubbled to the surface, but I figured I’m only with her a couple days a year, just go along.

We did have a good time choosing a type of camouflage yarn so I can crochet an afghan for my nephew’s wedding gift.  The kid is quite an outdoors-man, and his dad says “anything camouflage” will be just fine.  This is actually called amazon.

During Sunday School, I got to meet the lady who is the Fellowship Class hostess.  She does donuts and coffee in the Christian Church kitchen same as I do at ours here in Normal.  I loved sitting down as a visitor on the other side of the counter.

We had quite a few laughs over very similar situations!!

Evening service was quite familiar to me, almost the same as the times of my youth.
Even the same song leader for 30 years!

There were some folks I missed during my visit.
I don’t stay long enough, I guess.
As Ben Franklin said, Fish and Visitors stink after 3 days.

I left Monday morning, but didn’t get on the road until I made a stop at Riesbeck’s Grocery in St. Clairsville and bought 6 boxes of 100 count Red Rose teabags, and a container of homemade raisin cookies at the bakery.  These items cannot be obtained locally!

As I mentioned the other day, the drive took 10 uneventful, downright boring, hours.

Husband also wrote a little something here.

For the rest of this week I’ve been catching up the laundry, reading, and a teeth-cleaning at the dentist.

Life goes on as usual.

~~love and Huggs, Diane

After our naps, we got ready for the MFHS Alumni Banquet.

Again this year, I bought my blue tops at the thrift store.  Even had a friend along, who helped with advice.
My pants were on sale from Penney’s, and I should be able to wear them to work as well.

My mom said I looked nice enough for the dinner.  She still thinks like the daughter is a reflection on her as a mother.

I promised no speech this year, I was going to just enjoy.

We used Mom’s car because of her Handicap tag.  She’s had it for a few years now, ever since she tripped in the garden and broke her ankle.  She still has pins in there, which makes it interesting for Security at the airport.

It turned out to be useless.  Even though we were 40 minutes early, all the handicapped parking places were taken.  Using her cane, Mom was able to walk several extra steps from the spot where she did park.
Going inside, David said he felt like he was visiting an old folks home.

I noticed that the new planning committee had asked for the tables to be rearranged.  Instead of a few long tables, and a large area for dancing, there were smaller tables, with breaks in between.
The walking space was wide enough to accommodate walkers and wheelchairs.  The area for dancing was less than half it had been in years past, even though the band is booked until Midnight.

The name tags were in alphabetical order, rather than by year of graduation.  I had to look over the whole table to find anybody else from my class.  There were two others.
Whew! there have been times when I am the only member.

Anita and Diane, MFHS Class of 1974

my brother, David MFHS Class of 1993

from here, either my hands or the camera went terribly wrong
the rest of the pictures that evening are blurry and dark

Each seat had a program for the evening’s activities, a school historical story page, and a beautiful 2-sided color copies of pictures taken from an airplane of the new educational complex and the football stadium.

I was impressed with how much attention to detail was going on!
The new committee definitely jumped in with spirit!

The buffet food was quite tasty, as usual.
We moved through quickly, with plenty for all.

The program included a speech from the current superintendent of schools.  He’s a fella who graduated with my sister Denise, so I still want to call up stories of the old days.
No way, teenager is hard enough the first time around.

One of my favorite parts is the Roll Call of classes.
We stand up when our year of graduation is spoken.  There were soooo many members from classes in the 1950s.

The oldest guy there was from the Class of 1935, and a special award went to a guy who has had Alumni Banquet Perfect Attendance for 63 years.

The 50 year class donation contributed for a room at the new high school building.  I hope really comfortable chairs are installed.  I’ve worked some time in our high school here, and I can tell ya, the seats can give quite a backache.

We finished the evening with singing the Alma Mater song, written in the 1930s.  It’s a good thing the words were printed in the program, and we sang without instrumental accompaniment.

The band was warming up, but we usually don’t stay to dance.

Since her eye surgery last fall, Mom isn’t allowed to drive after sundown.  David drove us home using her car and gas.

Back at the house, I pulled out my knitting loom (whaat!—you thought I had left it behind?) and worked on an adult size hat while we were watching tv.  We all love NUMB3Rs.  Both Mom and David took quite an interest in the looping and hook.

They went off to their beds.  Since I was on the couch, I stayed up until I tied off the completed hat.  I left it lying on the coffee table.

In the morning, I find Mom on the back porch in her robe, with the new hat on her head.  She said it was nice to keep away the chill, and she should be able to use it next winter while she is shoveling snow, and can she keep it?
Well, yeah, I made it to give away, so I can give it to you.

Sleeping that night was difficult.
Mom’s house is on the side of a hill, and the front picture window is big and the curtains are not used often enough to be reliable.  The full moon began shining on my face at about 1:30am.  I changed ends of the couch, so that position worked for an hour and a half, until the moon came round again.

Also, Mom has 7 clocks which make noise.
The Tick-Tocking is worse than the alligator in Peter Pan.  The cuckoo calls the number on the hour, and one at the half hour.  The kitchen clock has seagulls and a foghorn.  Something in the dining room plays The Dance of the Sugar Plum fairy.

AarrrgggHh!!!

Plus, I’d had been gone almost 3 days, I was missing Husband.
If I’m gonna be awake in the middle of the night, I should be able to hear him breathing beside me.  Maybe wake him up for something more interesting than a cuckoo clock.

Sometimes I wonder about me….

~~love and Huggs, Diane

Has it really been a week since I left for Ohio?

Last Friday was devoted to being with Family.

My brother had come up from Virginia, the first time he left that area since April 16.  He had to keep going to his job in foodservice, there were still some students on campus, delivery trucks, etc.  There was much loss of food, due to expiration dates passing and no customers buying.

As an employee, he took advantage of counselling services, but he says that being with unconditional love of family helped bunches.

He wanted to get something which says our high school name on it, so we went to a sporting goods store downtown.  The colors are purple and white, quite different from the maroon and orange of the university.

Mom bought him a ball cap, I got him a hoodie.

We spoil our caboose kid.

With David doing the driving, we went up the hill to see the new educational complex, and down by the river to the remodeled football stadium.

Then across the river and way way up to a new shopping complex called The Highlands.

We used up a bunch of time in Cabela’s.
It is so big there were school busses bringing kids on a field trip.

My purchases were a magnet, key carabiner, and postcards.
I got a little change back from a $10.

Even this room was a bit over my price range.

Lunch at an Eat-n-Park, which has a nice salad bar and quite delicious hot turkey sandwich, with spuds and gravy over all.

Back at mom’s house, all three of us had a necessary nap.

~~love and Huggs, Diane