Category: Life

I’ll be going down to my Uncle’s Memorial Service today. There I will see my  family, as we all gather to say our farewells to my wonderful Uncle.

You know, Uncle George was, perhaps the only family member who everyone loved. He was so gentle, kind and giving, that everyone loved him.

I’ve written some memories to share and I have been practicing. Mostly I have been practicing so that when I speak I won’t break down and cry.

Uncle George was really important to me and I loved him so much. I probably didn’t tell him near enough, but I know he knew.

On Christmas I got to speak to him for the last time. He wished me a Merry Christmas and told me that he loved me. It was a wonderful gift.

So wish me luck and say a prayer that I’ll make it through today without too many tears.

I went skiing today. Yes, skiing. Not only did I go skiing, but I actually skied on the black diamond trails. This means I had to work at getting down the slopes without killing myself. It was fun, however, and I felt good and tired after my runs on the mountain.

We’re starting looking for new furniture for our family room. Both Hubby and I need new chairs. His must be king size, as he is very tall, and mine must have room for three dachshunds and myself. So far, we have not found the perfect chairs, but the hunt goes on.

Hubby and I went out for some Chinese food at lunch. It was a different restaurant, actually owned by a lovely Vietnamese family, and the food is good. I ate only half of my lunch and brought the other half home for Hubby to have for lunch tomorrow.

Sunday is my much loved Uncle’s Memorial Service. I will be speaking at it, sharing my loving memories of a man who made such a difference in my life. My cousin Janet is feeling pretty blue about this, as she has been really close to her Dad. We will get through it, as we all come together to say farewell to this wonderful man.

It’s cold and due to get colder by Sunday. Brrrrr!

Here are the results for yesterdays poll.

The Great Jacket Poll
The jacket is great but…

1. Is fabulous on you. Keep it! 87.8% – 36 votes
2. Is much better for a younger woman. Mandy is a lucky girl! 12.2% – 5 votes

total votes: 41

So guess what? I’m going to keep it, but if Mandy or my sister want to borrow it, well I am open to that too!

I thank you all for your comments and suggestions. I will remember to lose the turtleneck and go with a camisole.

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Hubby saw the Nuerologist today and we got a good report. Yes it was a stroke, but now we know what he must do to prevent another one. Take his high blood pressure medication, and control his diabetes. Oh, and exercise! Yes, the doctor wants to see him back out on the slopes skiing when he feels ready, and continue to work out.

We just loved this doctor. He was so good, so thorough and easily explained a very complicated problem.

After we went and had lunch, and for the first time in a couple of weeks I felt relaxed. Unfortunately we both got a touch of food poisoning, so I’m afraid our once favorite Chinese restaurant is now going to be a thing of the past.

We shopped for groceries, came home and put them away. We walked the dogs, and made a stomach easy dinner.

Thank’s everyone for voting!!!

A package arrived today from my friends in Sydney, Australia. Two surprises were inside for me. I was thrilled because I didn’t expect this. After all, I have never personally met Bernie & Louise, but we have become friends by sharing our lives on our blogs.

It’s a strange thing, isn’t it, how close you can become to people that you have never met, but read over time.

I started thinking about this as the day went on. You see, as we write our blogs, and share our lives, our sadness’s and our happiness’s, we do develop friendships that are not stifled by the miles that separate us.

What a wonderful thing that is.

You learn so much about about other countries, traditions, cultures and see the most beautiful pictures too! But best of all, you begin to understand that as different as we all are, we share some very basic things.

The love of our families and friends. The enjoyment of the world around us, and the beauty of the nature where we live. By sharing these things we see just how much we are alike.

So if you are a stranger reading me for the first time, welcome!!! I hope you will take some time, read more and check back.

And for those of you who already know me, thanks for being such good and faithful readers.

There are no strangers here, just new friends!

While we were on our cruise we had a cabin steward named, Dennis. Each day Dennis came and cleaned our cabin, made the bed, tidied up, and emptied our trash. In the evenings he came and turned the beds down and put chocolate on our pillows.

All I can say after 5 days back in the real world is: I should have left my laundry on the ship and packed Dennis in my suitcase and brought him home!

Today I started the long process of going through our stuff and getting things back in order.

Now I wasn’t really into doing that, in fact the first hour or so of the morning I sat drinking coffee, watching the snow fall,

and viewing “What Not To Wear” on TLC-TV. Then guilt began to plague me and I got dressed and actually started to put things away.

Do you know how many catalogs came in the mail at the end of November? I had 15 catalogs that came while we were gone, plus all of the magazines that we subscribe to.

After a while I decided that I wanted to make soup with the turkey broth that I’d made yesterday. I thought long and hard about making a healthy soup, so this eventually led me to go out to the grocery store to pick up some fresh carrots and escarole.

While I was out running errands it continued to snow. When I got home, I enjoyed the first of the season snowfall which had collected on our patio table.

The soup began simmering on the stove when my cell phone rang. It was my cousin telling me that my Uncle is not well and will be in the hospital longer then we had first thought. I am so worried about him!

Then the phone rang again and it was Hubby telling me that his skiing partner had fallen and injured his shoulder. (He did, in fact, break his upper arm!)

By the end of the day the temperatures had dipped and black ice is on our driveway. No worries. We have no where to go, and are safe and snug for the night.

Tonight I plan to do nothing more than veg out watching the TV and perhaps read some more of my book.

And if Hubby is very lucky I may turn down the bed and put chocolate on his pillow!

It was back to reality today here in New Hampshire. While Hubby was up early to go and tackle a mountain skiing, I stayed home with the dogs, doing laundry, putting things away and trying to keep Arnie and Greta apart.

I finally decided to put Arnie in his crate at the other end of the house and close the door, so I could have some peace. At noon I put Greta in the guest room and let him out for a few hours then switched them again in the late afternoon. Currently Arnie is out again, but shortly he will be put to bed for the night and Greta will come back out.

We’ve had heavy rain here at the house, while in the mountains where Hubby was skiing they had several inches of snow. He came home shortly after noon with sore legs, and a big smile on his face!

I’m having the hardest time getting back into this whole cooking routine. Last night the pork chops were tough as shoe leather. Tonight, the rice wasn’t quite done. Maybe by Thursday, which is our Thanksgiving, I can pull it all together and make a really good meal.

Wednesday morning is my day of reckoning! I return to Weight Watchers. I’m nervous and worried, but I tell myself that I should just not become too upset. After all, I had a wonderful time and since I have returned home I have been very careful what I have been eating. It will come off, just like it did before.

Still……

Hubby and I were up at 6:30 this morning, dressed and with coffee in hand made our way down town to the polling station to vote. When we arrived there was already a line of people standing outside waiting to get in.

Promptly at 7 AM they opened the doors and things went very quickly after that. I voted and so did Hubby and then we placed our ballots in the ballot box and came back home for breakfast.

I raced out at 8:45 for Bible Study and then was back home by 10:30 with the mail in hand.

Hubby was still working on screening the porch windows, painting and also re-screening the door to the green house. This occupied almost his entire day. He did manage to get my garden soil turned for next year with fresh fertilizer.

Meanwhile I decided to wash down all my counter tops with bleach. This took me from just after lunch until dinner. I have a lot of counter tops in this house and they all needed to be cleared and washed and reorganized!

Kimmy and Sarah came over after school and I shared a cup of tea with them until it started getting late and then sent them on their way.

I made dinner, fed the dogs and now at nearly 7 PM I am ready to just put on my pajamas and slippers and read.

I’m tired of all the political speculation and all the “spin talk”. I just want it to be over, so I sure am looking forward to tomorrow morning.

I also have Weight Watchers to go to and I’m hoping that I once again have done well. I sure have been working hard on that.