Random Is As Random Does

Today I made it to the hospital in time to talk with the doctor. So far, they have removed two quarts of fluid from my dad each day he has been in the hospital. From what I've seen, they walk out with at least that much blood, too. The good news is, he should be home sometime this weekend.

I fondled my new sewing machine today. Even took a picture of it. A picture which refuses to post. I hate that.

Let's see...

What HAVE I been doing since I haven't had a computer? Not as much as one would think. I've done some hand sewing, and have five lovely stitched pears. I have no idea what I shall ever do with them, but they worked up quickly and easily out of thrifted napkins.

Everyday this week I have paused to remember what I was doing at this time LAST week. Last Thursday THGGM and I shopped in all the varied and interesting shops in downtown Traverse City. We've gone there enough over the years that I now seek out certain shop owners. There is a toy store with the nicest lady who stocks discontinued toys and games along with other interesting things. Things like the REAL Brio toys. Someday I hope to spend a lot of money in her store. I think she hopes so, too.

"Hope" is my word for the year.

Having no computer left me a little more time for reading. I've read Elizabeth Goudge's "Gentian Hill" for the second time. Somehow, the first time through I missed all of the history. Made me want to look up more on Admiral Nelson. I finished "Letter's to a Young Poet" by Rainer Maria Rilke. That one has been on my list for some time. It did not disappoint.

Presently I am reading Anne Bronte's "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall". Considering just how much I HATED "Wuthering Heights" this Bronte sister is to me the much better writer. Heathcliff and Cathy were such nasty excuses for human beings. I would not be surprised to find out that Anne Bronte wrote a book in which one of her characters tore a post from the earth and beat some sense into them (some might question whether i am truly a pacifist i suppose).

My dishwasher broke last night. Or, something connected to it did. Something that keeps water from running out from underneath it and into the basement. I have a hard time thinking of a dishwasher as a necessity. There are just two of us living here, and we barely do what could be called 'cooking'. Still. I need to whine about it a little bit. We've lived for years at a time without a dryer. Many months without a washing machine. I like line-drying clothes and THGGM likes to 'people watch' at laundry mats. I have a design book that shows the broken dishwasher of an artist. She keeps her craft supplies in hers. I'm eyeing that space differently now. I had a stern talk with my stove and refrigerator today. I really do need those.

I'm supposed to call someone before five. I cannot remember who.

Not remembering. Is it being 50? How tired I am? The early stages of Alzheimer's? On the second day my dad was in the hospital, Daughter and I took Jonge and Famke to visit my mom at the nursing home. As I pulled into the parking lot, I told her I was surprised to find a parking place, as it is always so busy on Friday. As I was parking, she looked at me and said "You do realize that it is Tuesday today."

I'm also annoyed by little things. LOTS of little things. Particularly those twirly things that have fallen off the trees in our yard. If they would be content to remain outside, I could make peace with them. But they insist on coming inside to look for opportunities to twirl around in here.

Little do they know, twirling around inside is something I do, and with wild abandon.

Oh! And those gracious people at Dell DID replace the key that I had inadvertently sucked up in my vacuum on that rare day of days that the fuzzies in my keyboard annoyed me. In fact, they did it by giving me an entirely new keyboard. A new modem too. Dell. They are good people. Not at first, but if you can get through to someone who knows more English than "We will ship you a new power cord" when that could not POSSIBLY be the correct response to the question you are asking, well, then you get to the good people who honor things like warranties.

Truly. I am blessed. I'm very aware of that.