A Quiet Day

My little cat is sitting hopefully in front of the door, hoping to entice us into letting her go outside. Since it is after nine and dark and cold, I am going to make her stay in. My neighbor (Doris) called awhile ago and said one of the neighborhood cats was lying bleeding in the yard and the owners weren't home yet. All she could do was to cover it with a blanket and keep an eye on it until they came back. It makes me wonder if there is some wild animal out there attacking cats, since a cat named George has disappeared and we now presume him to have met an untimely end. If I let my cat out and she doesn't come back I will be out there all night looking for her. So in she stays, like it or not. I hope the neighbor cat will make it- she is a beautiful white cat with long fluffy fur.
We read in the paper that people with cats (or a cat) have a longer life -about ten years- than people who have no cats. Isn't that interesting? It seems that cat people are less likely to have heart attacks.
In eleven days my sweet little great-granddaughter will be three months old. Time has flown by and every day we offer thanks for the gift of that wonderful girl. She has given both her great-grandpa and me a new lease on life. Now we aspire to be around for at least ten years or more.
Today was a pretty quiet day for us, getting up late and just goofing off, going over income tax papers and writing out checks to pay bills and trying out a frozen dinner that cooked in the slow cooker all day and wasn't bad. We had some left over so it is now cooling in the refrigerator.
Good-night to all - keep in touch!

Don't stand on the stove

What to blog about tonight? It is easy to slip up now and then and skip a night, but I like to jot down at least what we did for the day and to thus keep in touch with everyone. So although we had a very quiet day, we had an enjoyable one and had a nice dinner of split pea soup. Now we are listening to the radio and heard to our alarm that the stoves installed by Sears, which include the stove in the Cotati house and the stove here in my house, were not properly anchored and will tip over causing severe injuries. The warning is to not lean on them, not lean on the open oven door and not to stand on them. It seems that Sears has been sued by people who have been badly burned or injured by tipping stoves. Something to think about, that's for sure. We heard about it on the Ron Howard Show on channel 1350.
Our big job for today was clipping the cats claws, which she usually struggles against with all of her might, but today she was quite amenable and only yowled a couple of times. It helps with the clawing of the furniture.
Another beautiful day up here, and we saw our first butterfly of the spring, a big black and yellow one. Another sign that spring is on the way.
Take care and keep in touch.

A Perfect Day

Today was a delightful day. We went on a short day-trip to Armstrong Woods Park, and strolled down the walking trail to the Parson Tree, a 351-foot tall old redwood, over 1,000 years old. It was like being in another world, hushed and shaded. The walking path was smooth and springy, and I had no trouble walking along it at all. We saw old, twisted roots of mammoth trees that had uprooted themselves and fallen long ago, and trees that have fallen only recently. There were other people walking the trail as well, but we all walked with hushed voices and marveled at the scene. It seems an unbelievable shame for the parks to be closed. It isn't a done deal, but it could happen.

After our walk, we had lunch in a little deli and restaurant in Guerneville, and got home by 2:00 with plenty of time for a nap before time to cook dinner. To cap off a perfect day, the fried chicken I prepared turned out very good and we had a nice dinner topped off with chocolate ice cream. And as they say in children's stories, "and so to bed." And that's where I am going. Good night, and keep in touch. Kiss little April for me.

Waiting for the debate

This is Tuesday and we are just sitting around waiting for the Deocratic debate to start. It should be a good one this time. I hurried dinner along and we finished by five, and so the table is cleared and we are ready. I tried a new recipe for mini meatloaves and didn't like how it turned out but luckily Bill generally eats whatever I put in front of him, and he actually said he liked it. I have a bunch left over, so he probably will get to eat it again before long. I wish I liked to cook, but that is a talent I have never cultivated, and it is pretty late to start now.

When I worked in the Post Office I used to sort mail by hand for the first hour of the shift, and it could get pretty boring. One day i discovered that my co-worker in the cubicle next to me had a large repertoire of poems memorized and she would recite portions to me as she sorted. I tried to retalliate and it got quite challenging. I would memorize a part of a poem after I got home from work and would be ready the next day. I particularly like the verse following:

The splendour falls on castle walls and snowy summits old in story
The long light shakes across the lake and the wild cataract leaps in glory!
Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying!
Answer echoes, answer, dying, dying, dying.
Oh hark, oh hear, how thin and clear
And thinner, clearer farther going
Near and far, from cliff and scar,
The horns of elfland faintly blowing.

I seem to remember that our supervisor didn't quite appreciate our recitations.

Well, the hour of six approacheth, and the debate will be on. Will let you know how I liked it.














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A bonus day

Yesterday we had a wild and wet spring storm, which reminded me of a poem I read a long time ago:
Whenever the moon and stars are set
Whenever the wind is high
All night long in the dark and wet
A man goes riding by.
Late at night, when the fires are out
Why does he gallop and gallop about?

We don't have thunder very often, but the lashing rain and tossing tree branches are spectacular to watch. Our house sits on a little hillock, so we have the sensation of being in a tree house and we can see down to the little creek that runs below our place and watch as it gets higher and faster moving. Sometimes the road below the house floods out and cars can't get through. Doesn't happen very often, though.
Today it was warm and sunny. A few fluffy white clouds floated across the sky, but mainly it was bright and warm all day. Bill went food shopping and I took the opportunity to clean house and do laundry, Why do we get so much done when we are alone in the house?
Were you as bored with the Oscars as I was? I watched the whole thing and for the life of me I couldn't dredge up any interest in it at all. Mostly I think the commercials were tedious.
As you can see, today was pretty much a day like most others. But to old timers like us, each day is a bonus.

Another Day

We went to a very pleasant water board meeting, small but very amiable. Years ago, when we moved up here, the room used to be full of people, and the discussions sometimes became heated indeed. Today there were only ten people in attendance, five members of the board, and five homeowners. I served on the water board for a number of years and enjoyed it immensely. We did have our moments of concern when a problem arose, but as I was the treasurer, my duties were not very strenuous. I used to drive up to the post office to pick up the mail, stop in at the general store for a piece of pizza, pick up my grandson from the charter school, and go on home. My fall and injury in 2002 put an end to all of that, not being able to drive a car anymore. I remember those days fondly.
We had a power failure this morning and so we rushed around pulling plugs and shutting down our electric heaters, but the power came on again within the hour, and now we have a fire in the stove and are drinking mugs of ovaltine and munching on cookies. I remembered to thank my husband profusely for the fire and the ovaltine, and he has offered to make dinner. I must he making progress. We will see. Who knows? I might be able to retire altogether from the chores of housekeeping.
It is raining hard outside and there have been warnings about high wind and heavy rain for this evening and tomorrow morning. Did I say spring was coming? On a day like today, I wonder.

Yesterday was a most enjoyable day. We took a short trip down to Cotati to see how everything is going down there, and enjoyed the green hills, new lambs and calves in the fields and the acacia trees in full bloom. Daffodils are everywhere and the creeks and streams are high. All was fine down there and we had a Chinese take-home lunch of cashew chicken, rice and vegetables. We got to take the leftovers home and ate them for dinner. So I didn't have to cook a thing. A treat for me.
Tonight we are having split pea soup, which is simmering on the stove at this moment. I am trying to follow the dietary guideline of having beans or legumes at least twice a week. The advice to have five servings of fruit and vegetables every day is a little harder to follow.
Did you watch the debate last night? I made sure I was parked in front of the TV at five o'clock, and thought they both were pretty good. Hillary still looked like she would have wanted to be a cheer leader, and seemed a little too much controlled, but they were both easy to understand. I guess we will have Obama as our candidate, though, he somehow seems to have the magic touch. There is no way to tell ahead of time which one will be most effective.
I wonder if other people spend as much time as I do looking for things? I particularly am prone to mislay my glasses and hearing aids. Then after I have searched for them in vain, I will find them somewhere in plain sight, right where I left them. I searched all morning for my reading glasses and then when I went to get something out of my purse, there they were!
Tomorrow is the annual meeting of the Austin Creek Homeowners Association, and I am going to go, thanks to my neighbor who is going to give me a ride. We used to ride our bicycles down there, but that was long ago. Take care, keep in touch.

Ode to the Big Guy

It has been suggested that I don't properly appreciate my husband's sterling qualities. But no, that is not true. The following poem which I wrote a few years ago, still holds true, with a change or two. Read it and see what you think.
Ode to the Big Guy
Blessings on you, Macho Guy
We march together, you and I
You are husband, I am wife.
Till death do us part, we are bonded for life.
With my frizzy curls and your thinning hair
We are opposites but still a pair.
I am the eyes with which you see
You are the brain that thinks for me.
My memory is gone, you aare legally blind
But when you lead, I follow behind.
Your strong hand pulls me from ny chair
When I fall down, I'm glad you're there.
You follow me from spot to spot
"Are you too cold? Åre you too hot?
Did you take your pills? Do you want some tea?"
You anxiously hover over me.
Ying and Yang, Jeckel and Hyde
For 62 years we've been sid by side.
I need you and you need me
Neither of us is ever free.
Like two boats at anchor, riding high,
We float together, you and I.
They called you "Moose" in days gone by
A tall and strong and handsome guy.
Chased by women, it is known
And you did some chasing of your own.
You thought the game of love was fun
You were fleet of foot and you always won.
Well, you could run but you couldn't hide
And I wove my net and cast it wide
And though you struggled to be free
I pulled you in and you married me.
Sixty-two years on April 6. Seems like yesterday.

How am I doing?

Just for fun, I took an IQ test yesterday, and to my surprise I got a score of 117. Not enough for the Mensa society, which requires a score of 132, but better than I had expected. (the average score is 100.) It was an easy test, and I enjoyed taking it. As is usual in such tests, there were a couple of questions I couldn't answer, but I skipped those. They are put there purposely and sometimes people take an inordinate amount of time trying to figure them out. As an old test taker, I usually can spot them right away.
The happiest days of my life were spent studying with my granddaughter for her MFT license test, which she passed, I am proud to say. There are tricks to all tests, and the one she had to take is no exception. Many people take that test over and over again, and never pass it. So I am proud of her accomplishment.
I took the test partly to see if my mental capacity was diminished due to my age. A large percentage of elderly people develop either dementia or alzheimers, or both. My father had Alzheimers when he was my age, and the burden of caring for him fell upon my mother, and she had a hard time controlling him. Every stage of Alzheimers is difficult for the caregiver. If it happens to me, I hope my family will just put me in a safe place, and let me be. I don't want anyone to have to give up their life to keep me safe. I won't know the difference anyway. But I rather doubt that it will happen. More likely I will be prey to a heart attack, which carried off both of my parents. My father was 87, my mother 96. She was mentally sharp right up to the end.
I think blogging is addictive. I love to get comments and it is a good way to keep in touch. So please keep the comments coming!

Well, I tried

I decided to try the positive approach. After 62 years of picking up after my husband, I thought I ought to at least try to train him. Not that he is all that bad. He is just the usual normal male, who thinks it is his wife's duty to keep the house tidy, present him with tasty meals and do the dishes, laundry and shopping in a timely fashion. I waited for him to do something for which I could lavishly praise him and plant the seed of compliance in his mind.
I waited for quite a while, but finally I got my chance. He brought me a glass of wine. Just like that, out of the blue, without my asking, he appeared in front of me holding out a glass of wine.
"Thank you," I gushed "How thoughtful. How did you know I was thirsty for a glass of wine?"
"Of course I knew," he replied, "You always want a glass of wine."
I was somewhat taken aback and made the mistake of becoming defensive. "I don't ALWAYS want a glass of wine," I protested.
"Name one time when you didn't" he retorted. He had me there. I couldn't think of a single time I had refused a glass of wine.
Well, there would be other chances. When he went into the bathroom, I hoped he would put down the seat and cover. That would be a major triumph. But when he came out again and I checked, the cover was still up and the water was running in the sink. What would you have done? What I did, of course. I put down the toilet seat and turned off the water. I didn't want to nag or start an argument so I did what I always do. I kept my mouth shut.
I waited all day for a chance to praise him. He left his shoes and chair in the middle of the room. He left his milk glass and saucer on the table and fell asleep in his chair with the sliding glass door open a couple of inches and the electric heater on. I naturally picked up the dishes, put the shoes and chair away and shut the door. He didn't comment on my activity, being asleep, but when he woke up he asked where his shoes were. He grumbled that he was going to put them on again and had left them where they were as a convenience. I haven't given up exactly, but I may have a long wait. I think it is easier to train a dog. They at least listen and wag their tales. With husbands you can't even tell if they notice.

How to train a husband

Today I read a review of a book which urges wives to train their husbands as they would train a pet, a dog for example. The advice is to forgo the negative comments and try positive reinforcement, as did Pavlov with his famous dog experiments. One can imagine a scenario like this in any domestic habitat.
Husband is reclining in his favorite chair, watching TV. He has placed his coffee cup on the floor, spilling coffee on the rug and now he picks the cup up, places it on the windowsill and smears up the spilled coffee with his handkerchief.
Wife: Oh, thank you, honey. That was sweet of you. Would you like more coffee?
Husband is watching TV and doesn't answer. She doesn't expect him to. She only offered more coffee to get his attention. She realizes that her first effort has come to naught, but she will try again.
The phone rings and husband answers. After a moment of conversation, he gets up and rummages around under the cushion of the chair, retreiving a pair of socks.
Wife: Well, you found those socks. Thank you, sweetheart. I've been looking for those socks all morning.
Husband still does not respond. Does he hear her? Who knows?
Husband puts on socks and shoes, leaving sllippers in the middle of the floor. He goes to hall closet, gets his golf clubs and heads for the front door, leaving closet door open and his jacket on the floor. As he is leaving, he calls back over his shoulder, "I'm going to play a few rounds. Be home in time for dinner."
Wife picks up slippers, hangs up jacket, shuts closet door, takes cup to kitchen, gets out stain remover for coffee on rug, and strolls down the path to close the yard gate. As she enters the house again, a bystander might have heard her mutter to herself, "It might work with dogs. I quit. There's got to be a better way." Indeed, but the question is what? When some woman discovers the answer to the dilemma, I hope she lets the rest of us know what it is.

A social visit

Yesterday proved to be a most pleasant day, and both my husband and I enjoyed ourselves immensely. On the surface, it would seem a most dreary prospect to be visiting one's primary doctor, but in our isolated situation, any excuse to get out of the house is seized upon with enthusiasm. So when the nurse from the clinic requested that my husband come in for a visit with his doctor, we arranged for a ride with our daughter and off we went. I needed to have a blood test taken, so I went along and we were ushered into the office of our genial and handsome young doctor together (a major mistake.)
It would be helpful here to explain that my husband views all questions, regarding his health or anything else, as being of earthshaking importance. He carefully considers whether he is going to answer, and when he has decided to respond, he carefully considers what his answer will be. It takes quite a while. I, on the other hand, being of an impatient nature, answer immediately and usually answer for my husband as well. The following conversation is typical:
Doctor, "Why are you here?" shuffling through the file. "Do you have a problem?"
Husband, "No. I had a bladder infection."
Doctor, "Do you still have it? Have you any symptoms?'"
Husband, "No"
Doctor, "How did you know you had an infection?"
My husband considered that for a while,, and I could stand it no longer. "He went to his urologist and the urologist told him he had an infection. He got a prescription for it."
Doctor "Have you had a baldder infection before?"
Husband, thinking carefully "I had a yeast infection in my navel once."
This caused me to burst into a fit of laughter, which I tried to control without success. I try to keep track of my husband's numerous ailments, but had never thought to look into his navel. Actually, since we have separate bedrooms, neither of us sees much of the other anymore. And it is just as well. Neither of us is any prize. My husband used to be a hunk but time has taken its toll on both of us. Still, we do once in awhile get a glimpse of a naked body on the way from the bathroom to the bedroom, but we try not to linger for a longer look.
It was a fairly long conference, and I am happy to say that we left our doctor and his assistant laughing, and I wrote down my blog spot. I hope my doctor reads it. Doctor, I love you. You take me just as I am, and encourage me to enjoy life, and I really will try to live to be a hundred.

Silly songs

A silly song popped into my head, and it won't go away. It goes like this "What makes a lady of eighty go out on the loose, what makes a gander meander in search of a goose, it's not the season, the reason is plain as the moon, it's just Elmer's Tune." This song surfaced in the early 1940's, along with some other pretty silly songs. Does anyone else remember "Pistol Packing Mama" or Mairzie Dotes and Dozy Dotes and Little Lambsy Divy? The Andrews Sisters sang their hearts out with "The Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy from Company B". I think it was because we were in the midst of a war, and needed to be silly once in a while. The romantic songs were melodic but uncomplicated, and could be remembered after being heard a time or two. I particularly remember "Kiss me once, and kiss me twice, it's been a long, long time." We were encouraged to pine our hearts out over our beloveds who were fighting for us overseas. We sang mournfully that "they're either too young or too old," and wrote letters to whoever we could think of and cherished their answering letters back to us.
Modern day songs just don't do it for old-timers like me. Not only do I not get it, but I can't hum the melody or remember the lyrics. Is it even music? Sometimes I wonder.

Spring is just around the corner

The weather has been cold, but everywhere we look, we see signs of spring. The acacia trees are in bloom, narcissus plants are open, my daphne bush is in bloom and the tulips are coming up. Along the road, pussywillows are open and even the California poppies are beginning to bloom. It seems to have happened in just a few days, even though it is only the first week of February. Without question, it will be an early spring.
We took a walk today, up the hill for a change. As everywhere, there were tree branches and tree leaves everywhere, The roofs will all have to be cleaned off sooner or later, although no one wants to get up there and do it. My neighbor's flat roof is absolutely covered.
I am almost done with a pretty blue blanket that I have been knitting. When I am done, I want to try to crochet a small one and see if it goes faster than knitting. It will be something new for me.
As before, keep in touch.

An unexpected visit

We had a surprise visit from a pair of smiling, sincere missionaries from the Jehovah's Witnesses group this morning, and because it was so cold and they were so eager, we invited them in. How they keep smiling and keep knocking on doors I really don't know. Most people simply slam the door in their faces and turn them away. They earnestly gave me a couple of pamphlets to read and assured me that God loves me and is watching over me at all times. I explained that I am a skeptic and have pursued many ideas in my time, and even hauled out a picure of Swami Chinmayananda to show them. But they know what they know and there was no changing either their beliefs or mine. I do think they probably walked away shaking their heads over a sinner like myself and perhaps even recited a prayer or two in my behalf. It reminded me of the two very presentable young Mormons who came to my door in Larkspur, and treated me to a lesson in the Mormon religion. I remember that I gave them sandwiches and milk, and they came again a couple of times after that. (Probably for the snack.)
Dreadful news about the tornados. Everytime I turn on the news the list of casualties has grown longer. I suppose the fundamentalists would say that it is the will of God. We have earthquakes and forest fires, but for sheer destruction a tornado has no equal. There is no telling when they will come or where they will touch down.
We are munching on popcorn and listening to a book tape. Our new electric heater came today, so we are warm and cozy. Our little cat likes to cuddle right up to the side of the heater and almost jam her head under it. Like all cats, she likes to be warm at all times.
Feel free to comment. I look forward to hearing from you.

I watched a pretty good football game tonight - the Superbowl- and was quiet entertained by the action, except for the commercials. Since the New York Giants were the underdogs, I was pleased when they won. Since the winning touchdown was made in the last minute of the game, it was quite exciting. It reminded me of the times when Joe Montana of the 49ers would pull a win out of the hat in the last moments of a game. I have never attended a game in the stadium, preferring to watch from the warmth and comfort of my living room, with snacks and liquid refreshments close at hand. I did go to a baseball game at Candlestick Park one time, and nearly froze to death. My neighbot and I covered ourselves with an old blanket and peered out of holes that we cut into it, but we shivered and suffered through the whole game. The fact that we couldn't find our car afterward didn't help either. I understand that people paid in the thousands of dollars for seats at today's game. Well, to each his own.
When I was in college in l941, back in Wisconsin, I was on the staff of the College newspaper, which was printed once a week. As part of my assignment, I wrote up the captions for the photographs of the football team. Oh, what an assignment! It meant that I got to go to every game, and got to confer with the quarterback when it came time to write the captions. Besides this pleasure, I was hired to babysit his little sister whenever the need arose. Needless to say, I developed quite a crush on the young man. It was not reciprocated, however. He had eyes only for one of the cheerleaders. It wasn't a particularly successful team, but they tried mightily.
I always regretted that I didn't get to graduate from that college. I was recruited in my last year to go out into the teaching field, due to a severe shortage of teachers. I consented to go, but found that I didn't like teaching anyway, and found myself a place in the defense industry. I went back to college later in life and graduated when I was 65.
Isn't it interesting how so many memories of times past come back so vividly? I can still see the cafeteria in the basement of that college, and remember the delicious meal the art teacher treated me to one afternoon. She took pity on me when she learned that I had no money and nothing to eat. She urged me to eat the skin of my beked potato and so I did. It was good.

Income taxes and books

To my vast relief, I have finished my income tax forms and only owe a little bit in taxes. I successfully navigated the dreaded alternative minimum tax form, and calculated my taxable social security. It is easy now, as I have only retirement income to deal with, but I am still glad to have it done with. When my neighbor called me this morning, I told her to consider me dead for the day, but to my surprise I was done by noon. I guess I will go ahead and send it in early, even though it is against my principles to send the government money early. When I get a refund, they don't send me any interest. But the amount is so small, it really doesn't matter.

We are listening to a really good book tape about Fort Pillow, held by the Union army during the Civil War. The Confederates are about to attack it, and we are enjoying the drama that is unfolding. We don't always finish all of the books but we will no doubt finish this.

Way back when, before we had radios, television, movies or computers, our basic means of entertainment was by reading. Our parents didn't encourage this habit, as it interfered with our chores, but we found ways of getting around this impediment. I still remember the thrill of getting a library card. What wonders were displayed before my eyes! Rows and rows of books. I thought I was in heaven.