Oh, Christmas Tree

 

I could not find a picture with all five of us kids. I suspect we were much older and wiser in this picture than when the great shopping journey was so exciting. I was 12 and just into junior high - note buttons to hold skirt up - it was so embarrassing but my tragic pleas were to no avail.

Oh, Christmas Tree

No, I do not have my Christmas Tree up and glowing - but when I do dishes I am forced (by Jennifer) to think of Christmas as she gave me some dish type detergent that smell like - are you ready? - "Iowa Pine". One does not exactly associate Iowa with the smell of pine trees so I cannot state that my dishwater smells exactly like Iowa Pine but it most certainly smells like pine.
Which all has brought back memories of the pine tree in our front yard - just to the right of the steps that led to the front porch - that pine was no more than 8-10 feet
tall and never grew more than 1/4 of an inch a year if even that. But it was our pine tree! Did we decorate it for Christmas? - no! Nobody decorated outside their homes.
"Us five kids" did have an annual contest as we headed down Grand Avenue to do our Christmas shopping downtown. Each of us was trying to be the first to spot a Christmas tree inside a home. If it was your year to sit by a car window you had a better chance, of course. No doubt there were many tense moments trying to determine who had really been the first to spy the give away lights.
Speaking of Christmas shopping, my Dad gave each of us sixty cents to buy the needed six Christmas presents in either Kreske's(now K-mart) or Woolworth's Dime store. This, of course, took several hours of sneaking around with the treasures we would later wrap as secretly as possible - with wrappings and ribbons on the diningroom table and one sister and three brothers trying to sneak peak.
It is rather hard to describe how exciting it all was.

A Historic Day!!

It is hard to believe that fifty-two years ago Shellie made a grand entrance into this world. At some point during that particular Sunday I was laughing like a fool while Russ and Dick were chasing a mouse around the house. That mouse even ran across the living room curtain rod in its effort to escape their clutches. I do believe that it was successful eventually.
Anyhow, late afternoon I became quite aware that labor had started and we headed for the hospital (Karen had arrived in two hours - thus time seemed of importance.) Once there I had to be wheelchaired to the "labor room" - but still feeling just fine I sort of jumped out of the wheelchair and climbed up onto the "labor bed" quite easily. I did tell the nurse that my doctor should be called. Maybe ten or fifteen minutes later a nurse came in to check my roommate and I suggested that she should check me while there as I knew there was major progress underway. She did a quick check and dashed out of the room hollering "call Dr. Jenks" and someone came and rushed me into the delivery room. Dr. J was there very soon after but was chatting with the nurses (as he scrubbed up ) and I said, "Dr. Jenks, you had better get over here!" and over he came and very soon after Shellie arrived. My labor had been all of 45 minutes.
As you all well know, Shellie has yet to slow down - what a wonderful spirit she has - and how seldom there is a dull moment when she is around. Happiest of birthdays Shellie - and many, many thanks for so many joyful memories. To say that I love you barely touches the surface.

The Perfect Pest

No doubt, you have all heard of "The Perfect Guest" - well, the perfect pest spent the weekend with me. Can you guess who that would be?

1. A lover of Sherlock Holmes - and Dr. Watson, I presume!

2. Loves sleeping in!

3. Shares my love of Peter Pan! and almost loves opera as much as I do.

4. Plies me with peanut brittle!

5. Could easily eat me out of house and home but mostly brings own food - all very
healthy!

6. Has two adorable boys that were both elsewhere for the weekend.

7. You are right! The perfect pest is Jennifer!!!!!

Jen and I had a great time doing mostly nothing but goof off and chat about this and that and these and those. It has been a very wonderful weekend.

So I went to a teaparty

- a "Teaparty Patriots" Board meeting that is. It seemed to me that the best way to learn about the local "Teaparty" group was to just sit-in on a board meeting and listen and observe. One observation - it is one of the youngest groups I have been around for many years. I thought that was quite wonderful. Overall, I was impressed with the entire bunch. There was not a bit of rabid ravings. Nor were they a bunch of citizens that sat there and just listened to their leaders. Since I want something better for my grandchildren and great granchildren I feel very strongly that I should not just sit back and watch our country destroy itself - which in my mind has been going on for several years and is now accelerating at a scary pace. Enuf of my thoughts - just wanted you to know that I went out in the dark of night all by myself because I do care about the future.

Younger and more foolish days!

 

Last summer, after watching Terry spin this way and that in my cul de sac I just had to try - even though some of my neighbors were in complete panic. Well, as you can see, I successfully managed to get one foot up in the air (well, slightly up in the air) and I did not break either hip.

P.S. These rather ancient pictures are due to Picasso and I finally getting along better.

Gavin, Terry and I were atudying spiders

 

Actually, Terry and I were having a joyous time checking out spiders on the internet when Gavin decided he should join us. (Whatever Terry does, Gavin wants to do!) This was taken mid-summer.

How could I forget?

Last Saturday I spent one of the all time great evenings in my life - laughing like an idiot for two plus hours while John Cleese held a full house wrapped around his little finger - and all of his other fingers including his thumbs. I had anticipated a delightful time - it was super fragilelisticly delightful. Truly beyond description - which probably is fortunate for you as there is no way trying to quote him would do justice to being there.

The Pomegranate and I

Ah, yes - such fun! A friend gave me three pomegranates. Now that they are near the top of "really good for you foods" list I was delighted to have them. Truthfully, I have sort of ignored the things for many years and truly wondered why Rich would attack them with such joyous gusto.
I still wonder at the joyous gusto, but did attack mine this mroning and have found all the lovely little non-seeds inside them and have a cup and a half of the non-seeds freezing for future reference. I do marvel at the amazing construction of a pomegranate - really quite beautiful and so protective of the non-seeds.
We are now up to nine or ten assorted family members that plan to be here for Thanksgiving dinner. The question may be " What will we have other than pomegranate non-seeds? Who knows? Turkey in some form, Gay is bringing a vegetarian dish and a fruit salad - and Jennifer's pumpkin cheese cake, of course. Certainly, we will all be ready for a wild hearts game or crazy rummy or whatever. Anyhow, the invitation remains open - the more the merrier.

Coming Event

How about Thnaksgiving Dinner at Mom/Gramcie's house? It is my hope that most, if not all of you, can be here. Call me an idiot, but I really want to throw a turkey in the oven and clean my house. On top of that, Jennifer has promised that she will produce the pumpkin cheese cake she wrote about in her blog last month. Oh, yes, I can also assure the vegetarians that they will not go home hungry. I hope I have covered all bases. It would be ever so nifty if all - or at least most - of you could be here. Love you all - M-G