After Christmas

"What do we look forward to now?' the child inside asks. Not packing away all this red and green stuff scattered about. Putting away the nativity scene for another year. And there is all that dust hanging out on every surface. The leftover cakes and turkey are about as appealing as a hungover Nick Nolte.

I can play board games with grandson (He is so competitive that he usually wins) or dollhouse with granddaughter. We only have a couple more years before this will be appealing to her.

Anyway I'm going to get my hair styled and look for a sunny attitude in Florida pretty soon.
Winter is such a drag.

I am looking forward to visiting friends in Tulsa Town!

There she is our courthouse all decked out in her jewels

for the holidays. The luminaries are added by our CARTI as a

fund raiser and in memory of lots of fine folks that are no

longer part of our lives.

The beauty of the scene makes you take a deep breath and

hope the snow will fall

Holidays are a happenin'

Everything is happening so fast! Grant was here briefly, then gone. You always miss your loved ones more right after they leave. Here we are in the middle of the holidays and I'm not ready. Things are looking up though. Dean didn't kill me for buying a doll house in at least a thousand pieces that he took three days to assemble. It is almost big enough for the kid to move into. It'll be great for Barbie to live in. He muttered and made me promise never to do that again. I promised. (Haven't pulled out the box that holds grandson's razor scooter. I'm afraid to see how many parts it contains.) I told him that it would all be worth it when he sees the look on their face. Makes you feel like you're a true Santa!

This last semester of college kicked my butt. It seems to have rained a lot making it difficult to get to UCA (over an hour from Searcy). The classes were enjoyable but the homework was hellacious. I struggled and finally dropped one class. Anyway the last exam was Tuesday and my big community project is finished.

Time to chill and enjoy. What we need right now is a good snow.

Happy Holidays!

Scarry Moment

Dean got sick on me---I thought he was having a stroke! Rushed him to the E.R. and he spent a few days getting checked out in the hospital but we think it was a reaction to medication (zylocaine) used in a procedure. He seems fine now but it makes you realize that some of your loved ones won't always be with you. It is scarry.

I am not a good caregiver to the infirmed. I want them to get up and get well, damnit!

Tough Girls Wear Pink

So why do my eyes leak while marching with all this pink in the Susan Komen parade? Its not just this particular parade. I am moved at all parades. It is so touching having all these people cheer for the paraders.

I take the accolades to heart.

I am not a survivor....check on me ten years from now!

Meanwhile please make sure this little cutie marches on!

Tough Girls Wear Pink

Bend Over All

Bend, Oregon-Home of Grant & Rainie Carson is like a progressive city- a town with a pedicure. Only 20 years ago it was filled with lumber companies and workers that spit tobacco on the streets. Today it thrives with a population of active sports enthusiasts-biking and kayaking in the summer and snowboarding/sking in the mountains a few miles from the high desert community. Everyone is outside. The singer Joan Baez performed at an outside concert this past weekend.
Unfortunately we can't do it all.

This past weekend we went south to see Crater Lake and on to raft on the the Roque River and camping in the Redwood Forest -magnificent ! On the return to Bend, we headed up Hwy 101 from northern California back to Oregon coast. The parks in Oregon are much superior to those in California-more natural beauty; more spacious.

Were loving the new Rialta for traveling like turtle with our own shell.

How come doughnuts and garage sales go hand in hand? I promised Jesse to check out the garage sales this morning and even though we both woke up a little late for truly getting the good stuff, we checked out a few. Friday mornings are the best before the goodies are picked over and those people that are involved in the 'work week' jump in there on Saturday.

Had to go by Daylight Doughnuts and took some to Mother between stops.

I bought a basket of home grown tomatoes.
Jesse bought a pair of red stilletos with rhinestones on the straps and long red ribbons to tie around the ankles. She looks like she is trying to walk on stilts but is determined to master " the walk".

Why is the people of my age seek good food and her age seeks life's courtiere challenges?
It is always fun to spend a day with my precious granddaughter.

Here it is, my RV that I bought from a dealer in Portland sight unseen but I am intimately acquainted with its features. I have wanted this for years! Since it is only 22 feet long, it should be very flexible for me and Dean and a 3/4 bed to include the grandkids on some excursions.

We pick it up in Portland, OR on our way to visit Grant later this month and there is so much beautiful country to see in the mountains and on the coast.

The great thing is that we don't have to get a motel room or stay with friends or family. We will be equipped like a turtle with our own little shelter.

I am so excited!

Taking a walk through the neighborhood I couldn't help but be seduced by the wonderful smells of summer blossoms. The boulevarde has magnolias, sweet smelling. Reminds me of a perfune I dosed behind along my neck when I was very young and inclined to add fragrances to my body. In the early spring we have the yellow jasmine, daffadils and those wonderful hyacinths that are almost too sweet smelling to bring into the house (but we do it anyway). I have two fairly young hydrangea bushes and I an anxious for them to mature so that I can replace the silk ones in my basket with real blossoms. These wonderful plants generously bloom all summer long.

Okay, it's not California or Florida where they have blossoms all year long, but I think we appreciate our plants more here in zone 7. I love the rich spring and summer smells and colors.

We that live in the southern states have the greatest life of all.
We can be silly, sentimental or serious. It's all okay.

This afternoon I am going to tour Heritage Village where the Historical Society has brought together a turn of century community including farm house, farm implement buildings, blacksmith shop, train depot, general store all surronded by heirloom plants and cedar shaving pathways. It will remind me of my grandparents farm and how Bigmama would wring over us kids trampling her flowers. We'll drag Mother along and later she will be glad she went. It is getting her out of the chair that's the difficult part.

I was sugared, kneaded and heated all in the name of massage therapy! Never had sugar rubbed all over my body before. It was large granules soaked in orange-vanilla oil and with no one available to lick it off, I headed to the shower. That was followed by a one hour massage. Every knot worked out and the body purified, I was instructed to drink lots of water the rest of the day.

Dean thought I had been treated like a ham---the sugar-cured kind. I intended to spend the rest of the day doing nothing but it didn't quite work out that way.
Earlier in the day we had gone to work out and came home to move large pieces of furniture. I knew if i got a strain the massage could work it out.

Last week I actually went to work at a real job and got stressed a few times. A good reason to not do that again for awhile.
Anyway I am making an effort to stay supple and 'chilled out' for the remainder of this day and avoiding any stressful events. I think of it like a economic plan for emotional well being.

We went to Mountain View and listened to to pickin' n singin' on the courthouse square. Lots of folks from all different states were there. Mother went with us and we stayed overnight at a Bed n' Breakfast. Rained in Searcy all weekend. We plan to go see Star Trek movie this afternoon.

After working at hospital last week, it seems odd to have spare time..maybe some housework is in order. I gained three pounds since I didn't get to work out last week. I'm thinking seriously about going vegetarian (except for hot dogs).

I recall a joke about risking one good eye and the song "one-eyed purple people eater". Anyway the reason for the one-eyed reference is that I had cataract surgery in L.R. this morning and they covered it with a patch which I go back to have off tomorrow. The surgery was a snap---no discomfort at all. Of course my head is still numb from my eye to the top of my crown on the right side. It feels real odd to scratch your head and not feel anything.

Between teeth implants and eye surgery, I feel as if I am making regular events of out-patient surgery. Looking on the bright side, I should be able to eat and see both by year end!

Today I did it! I met with the publisher of Searcy Living and she agreed for me to write for the magazine starting with the website. I'm going to be an official writer My first article will be about Searcy's farmer market.
Gotta get to work...

To my Tulsa friends,
Remember the 'head vases' that I had in my bookcase. The population gradually expanded. I named each one for the person that gifted them to me and a few I bought myself. I have Brenda and Susan from my Springer friends.

The are in a row above the glass window in the bathroom. They greet me daily. Each is unique. Added to the prime and proper group is Carmen Miranda that sang the banana song in the 50's. My daughter-in-law took it from her mother's house for me.

"Yes, we have no bananas!" By the way, that could happen. In my studies I have learned about a fungus that wiped out one variety of banana. (All our bananas come from Central and South America.) Another banana disease is coming from east to west and may eventually wipe out the Cavendish banana.

I could tell you about coffee or the lies on the food packaging, but I'll keep that to myself for now.

It is really difficult to balance family obligations to obligations to self. We are lucky to have them but don't we allow them to errode us accommodators?

Sometimes when we're tired, we need to hibernate but that is not who we are. Obligation is a very real thing. Family can be a religion. A sense of belonging to something bigger than ourselves. How lonely we would be if we didn't have those ingrates!

Dean is bathing Happy (our sqeeky little Maltese). Most of the time I wish we didn't have her but I know she is company to Dean while I'm running around in the world.

I'm trying to write a paper for class and she is running around barking. She isn't trustworthy. She chews things up, will poop and pee if given access to the carpet and runs away if she gets loose. Only thing is she won't really run away. She just stays out of catching range. I'm giving her until she turns two. Folks tell me that it takes longer for small dogs to mature. She will be two in July. Wonder how a ten pound dog would taste barbequed!

It was a windy week...I guess that is why if flew by so quickly. We have been really busy planning and planting around the new fountains in the boulevard. I am also responsible to plan the CARTI luncheon at the Country Club and still going to classes two days a week. The biggest problem there is the reading assignments with bad eyes (soon to be repaired).

The spring flowers right outside my windows by my computer desk are awesome! (to use the most frequently used word to explain anything good) jonquils, daisies and dianthesis fill the bed with color and I see the roses reaching out to grab the white fence. How can you not love spring?

Dean died eggs with Jesse, her friend Alexis and Chris on Friday and had a little egg hunt. Before that we satisfied Chris with a crawdad search in the creek. Got them going with chocolate chip pancakes and kept them going with lots of ice cream. No wonder they hate to leave Grandma's house. I know how to spoil them good and proper.

Saturday

Attended Susan G. Komen workshop with friend, Pam. Good panel discussion from specialists at UAMS and some self improvement type workshops. Went shopping afterwards. Bought a new leather sectional for the Living Room. Trying to help the economy
It was nice day but my butt got tired of sitting. I hadn't spent a day hanging out with a friend for some time. It was good.

Back home Dean told me about Chris's games and how they won another tournament. He loves to see the kids play sports.

Got all dolled up in my red hat and purple suit to joint the Methodist women for Lenten Brunch.

We have a sunny spring day andDean is tilling up a garden at Mother's house.
Good news is that Searcy is hosting a Farmer's Market at Spring Park. No shipped in produce, just good locally grown. I am ready to switch from carnivore to herbivore and lighten the load around my middle.

Don't know where this week went but I have one more month of school and many more final assignments.

Gotta go pull some weeds!

Back to UCA

Back to classes. First class, Theories of Religion, was interesting. We are studying Islamic women and the meaning of the veil. Second class the instructor was MIA. Third class (Food Writing) was okay.
The best thing about today was the spectacular show of flowers on the campus grounds. The azaleas in full bloom, the tulips were the biggest I have ever seen and the beds of them were absolutely gorgeous.
Back of my head is a buzzing fly that should get ready to go down!

Finale to Spring Break Week

A trip to the Little Red River on a perfect spring day gave us in trout for dinner and a chance to romp in nature. Granny went along and enjoyed getting to see springtime unfold. Chris caught a fish. Jesse did artwork on the dock. I enjoyed a stroll through the wildflowers-yellow, pink and purple.
Not enough time to do all the things we had planned this week but a chance to hang out. I was tired when Paul picked up the kids to head for another ball practice. I was ready for a rest. Fifteen minutes later I am missing the ruccus and the laughter.

Spring break objective: Keep those kids busy! We tried those punch out wooden kits that were labelled for assmbly by ages 3+ (shark) and 8+ (carousel). I couldn't even understand the instructions, so Dean took over and got the shark together. We trashed the carousel after Jesse and I both ended up frustrated.
Half dead long brown night crawlers have appeared this week under my dining table, on the couch and in the living room. Don't know how they got there. The kids just took one back outside and are trying to revive it. I guess if they do it will be adopted and given a name.
The sun finally came out and everything is putting on its spring colors. Love it!

Spring Break

My spring break from UCA conicides with Jesse and Chris's spring break. We decided to stay in Searcy and have adventures and chill time. Yesterday we went to an unusual shop downtown and to the Underground Cafe where they tried indoor rock climbing. It was rather stormy outside and the inside of this old building is rather dark and yuppie. The ice cream was good.

Today we are going to see The Race to Witch Mountain with one of Chris' classmates. Rain is predicted the rest of the week, so most of our adventures will be inside stuff.

Forty-two years ago Paul was born and the earth is a better place for it! His life is full and always has been. I remember him being wide awake looking around with his big eyes from the first moments.

Enjoy this spring day!

66-two thirds of a century, you fool!

Not quit drooling but close to it after two titanium implants. The price of progress which will gain me greater chewing ability (for life, they say) with completion of renovation of the mouth in four months.

That is not the only construction happening around here. A new roof is going on to the house. We watch for a workman to tumble off the steep pitched, rain drenched surface. So far they are sure footed.

Chris (six year old grandson) is starting in the big leagues of pitching machines and so far this weekend has 4 rvi's, 2 hits, 3 stolen bases and his team no losses. Stacking up to be an exciting season.