Nearly Fearless Famke

Famke has such an innocent look about her.

Today she seemed afraid of something, and kept approaching me with uplifted hands saying "Up!" Of course, that all ended when I picked up Kado and proceeded to feed him his bottle. THEN all fear was pushed aside as she ascended the steps, then stopped at the very top to turn around.

She also thought it was great sport to stick her limbs through the rails. Notice that I am MUCH closer in THESE pictures.

That happened after she removed her sweater, and as Jonge tried to get her to put it back on she kept inching closer to the top of the steps in her desire to avoid him by backing up.

What is it with two year olds and their great fear of dead bugs, but NO FEAR at all to balancing precariously on high things?

Today, I could actually HEAR what is left of my hair turning grey.

Tuesday?

Yes. Yes it is Tuesday.
Let's see.., what's new in my corner of the world?
Hmm.
I'm still trying to figure out my camera.
THGGM has hung mirrors all over the house, which is how I happened to catch a picture of myself trying to figure out my camera.
For the past several days, what I've mostly been doing is trying to 'break in' my shoes for Youngest Son's wedding.
Maybe it would have been wiser to just have REALLY sore feet on Saturday.
But, no. I'm going for really really sore feet everyday this week.
Lest I seem TOO whine, it's really only one foot that is sore. But, it's not such a good idea to walk around wearing just one high heeled shoe.
Next up will be practicing putting on panty hose. I HATE them. But, THGGM has decreed that I MUST wear them. And, I did promise myself that I would wear them to the weddings of all three of my children. Then, NEVER AGAIN.
In just two more days it will be THGGM's birthday! We are having a BIG dinner! Well actually, it's called a rehearsal dinner and he will be paying for it - but I'm excited about it anyway!
Yesterday I went for my annual eye doctor's appointment. Of course, it had been almost five years since I've gone. Time sure does fly when you are well on your way to getting very old. I went because my dad told me that I had too, and I promised him that I would. My distance vision was still about the same but my close up vision was awful. I knew that already. The doctor wants me to REALLY REALLY try to get used to my progressive bi-focals. He recommended a different kind, but even with my insurance, it would have cost three hundred dollars to go that route. SO, my next option will be to have two pair of glasses, one for distance and one for reading. Just for fun I should probably learn to read braille now.
Today I had a wonderful time with Jonge and Famke (pictures in the post below). After naps we played outside. It was very cool and pleasant in their backyard. Kado had a change in his formula. He cried. He NEVER cries, so it was sad. It only lasted a few minutes, but when he sticks his bottom lip out? Oh, my. It just breaks my heart.
Oh. And being the stubborn person that I am, I do not want to turn the heat on until October. It's still a balmy 62 in here, which shall be great for sleeping!
I'm reading a biography about the Alcott's. Interesting stuff. I'm learning a lot about Transcendentalists. And had you heard that Master Piece Theatre is doing a piece on Louisa May Alcott? I believe it is going to be on December 28. I'd look it up for you if I wasn't so tired. Google it. There were some nice trailers on the website.
So, I think that when I'm done with the biography I shall re-read Little Women. And then maybe Little Men. And while I'm at it, The Eight Cousins.
Did I mention that I love fall? I LOVE fall! Really really!

Fall

I love fall.

The cooler weather.

Wind.

Red maple leaves.
Grape arbors.

The smell of grapes.

The taste of grapes.

Weird weedy plants that grow extremely tall.


Cute little girl with a red nose from the cold.

Little boy, growing like a weed, although not as fast as this one!

A baby that can spit.

I love fall.

Vintage Me

Simply HAD to post again, to push down that picture of the toilet in the post below.

You may think that these are my latest thrift store finds.

If you thought that, you are wrong.

My sister and I spent last evening sorting through things at my dad's condo.

She came across these three vintage Pyrex bowls and the tablecloth.

I do not remember my mom having these.

But, as I am sure you know, I LOVE THEM!!!

And, I did do a fair amount of thrift shopping over the weekend. I've posted about that on my Simply Thrift blog www.simplythrift.blogspot.com

Judy Plumbs the Depths

Okay. This is NOT funny.

It was just two weeks ago, also on Monday, when the horrible pretty pink toilet episode happened.

Notice that I am getting rather handy with jimmy-ing toilets.

This time I tied the doo-hickey up with "It's A Boy!" ribbon, and weighted it down with the new doo-hickey purchased recently for repairing the toilet.

Thankfully, nothing flooded. I just happened to hear water running, and was quite certain that I was the only one home.

By following the sound it was easy to ascertain what the problem was.

Or so I thought.

My thought was that THGGM, who worked in this bathroom all weekend - painting the walls, scraping and painting the floor, and installing a new shower head - had simply not correctly fixed the toilet.

But, since talking to him, he assures me that he did NOT touch the toilet. It hasn't worked in almost a year now.

Why, today, did it decide to suddenly turn itself on full blast?

I do not know.

(insert frustrated sound here)

Saturday Morning Fun

Today involved an early morning visit with Jonge, Famke, and Kado.

Pake hadn't seen them in a few days.

He can hold a lot of them!

Even the wiggly girl with FIVE binkies.

I found this nicely illustrated children's cookbook.

Soon, I shall have to resume cooking.

Yum. Something with apples, maybe?

Christmas Is in THREE Months

The Girl with Five Binkies

Famke is extremely good at being two years old.

She is especially fond of her brothers.

And also, her binky.

Although one binky is not enough.

For awhile, it was two. One in her mouth and one in her hand.

But, her collection has grown.

Now, she is HAPPY to hold on to Kado's binkies, too.

Kado doesn't like his.

This makes Famke very pleased!

Excitement for My Friday Morning

When THGGM left for work this morning, I looked at my clock and noticed - nothing.

The power was out.

THGGM remembered hearing a garbage truck roar by, and even that he thought he saw a 'flash'.

He did.

Of course, as well-intentioned as we are, we still do not have cell-phones.

So, no phones. We shall have to remedy this soon. I cannot keep writing posts about how we need to get cell-phones. No.

As you can see in the lower picture yellow tape was tied - very carefully - on to the two wires that were actually dangling in the road. I prefer dangling participles to dangling wires any day.

This of course changed my 'quiet morning at home' plans to even quieter at home plans. I drank my lukewarm coffee and sat by an eastern window reading through my Susan Branch "Autumn" book. Of course I also watched power company workmen do dangerous stuff, like go up in cherry pickers and touch scary high voltage-y things.

I still need to figure out how to open the garage door when there is no power.

Basking in the glow of knowing how to turn off the water to the pretty pink bathroom just isn't enough household knowledge, or so it would seem.

Anyway.., in under two hours it was all back to normal. Except for a large pile of branches on the side of the house.

My trash hauling company is Ever-Kept, with the lovely sub-title "Two Calvin grads putting their degrees to waste" which I find extremely clever. It wasn't them. It was one of the other trash hauling companies. The one that DRIVES TOO FAST.

Old Picture Old Memories

Found this picture among my dad's belongings.

It's of his parents with their first born.

If you are ever sorting through someone else's pictures, please remember to ALWAYS check BEHIND the pictures in a picture frame.

We haven't done that, yet. I'm just loading all of the framed pictures into a container which we plan to go through when we have our family Christmas party this year.

If we started going through pictures now we would NEVER get the work done.

Anyway.., I never knew my grandma as she passed away just months before I was born.

But I remember my grandpa VERY well. He died when I was eleven. Forty years ago, and I can STILL hear his voice in my head. Especially his prayers. And how he did not ever pronounce his Js even though a large majority of his family had names beginning with J.

Yes. I think I would still answer to what sounded like "Hugh' dy".

Well of course I would answer. He was always passing out chocolate bars. The good kind. My parents insisted that I refuse, but occasionally he would slip them into my pocket.

This is probably why to this day I prefer clothes with pockets.

Also, probably why his diabetes was passed on to me.

Hmmm.

Kado

I'm sure you find this hard to believe, but I just cannot get enough of this boy!

Well Now

In my previous life, the one I can barely remember anymore, Tuesdays were spent going to the nursing home to visit my mom - with my dad.

I liked to go on Tuesday because of the hymn sing in the afternoon. My mom can still sing the old hymns and it always did us good to see her enjoying herself.

So today I ventured out alone, just a short time after writing the post below. That should have been a clue. Something embarrassing was bound to happen.

And, of course, it did.

They were already singing when I came in. I found my mom, sitting with two other ladies at a table. She didn't seem to recognize me at first, but she was trying to steal the hymnbook from either of the two ladies at her table. They can't give her one anymore, as she likes to rip them up. When I whispered in her ear that she didn't need a hymnbook because she already knows all the words to all the songs in it, she lit up and immediately recognized me (well sort of, she introduced me to one of her intended victims as her sister).

I think I've written here before about how singing hymns at the nursing home has nearly done me in before. But I seemed to be doing okay. Mom and I shared our little secrets. She seemed happy. But, she seemed more interested in chatting with me while everyone around us sang, and those closest protected their hymnbooks.

While the 'special music' was singing she inquired about the health of several family members, mentioning them by name. We sang Amazing Grace and by the last verse she had decided to join in.

Then it happened. The next song sung was "In the Garden". This song was played at my dad's funeral last month. At the funeral it was a beautiful rendition sung by Jim Nabors. The nursing home singers sounded more Mayberry - GOOBER Pyle. And my mom? She joined in with wild abandon. Okay, maybe not 'wild abandon' but she did indeed join in and sang every word of all the verses in perfect pitch alto. And I just lost it. Sobs. I didn't actually crawl under the table and roll around in a fetal position, but it didn't seem out of the question to end up so.

Maybe I haven't mentioned this here yet, but from the very moment my dad died I have not been able to cry. Not at all. Not even a teensy little bit. I felt sad - but nothing even remotely resembling crying would come out of me.

I tried hard to hold it together. We haven't told my mom that dad died, because she would not be able to remember it and would have to be told again and again - feeling it each time like it was the first time she heard. Or, so it would seem.

The concern in her eyes when she noticed me crying was immediate. She might not remember exactly who I am, or why I wouldn't have brought dad with me, but she did recognize emotion, and began rubbing my arm and saying, "It's okay. It's okay. It's okay."

There were more songs sung after that, and I tried to pull myself together. I was doing rather well, I thought, until several people approached me who hadn't heard that my dad had died and inquired about how he was doing.

I snuck away to a nearby bathroom and that's when I realized why I do not cry in public. I totally lack the ability to cry tears. Obviously, I MAKE tears, they just have no avenue for spillage. They drain down the insides of my cheeks and cause my lips to swell until my mouth resembles the bill of a large lipstick-wearing duck. It's unsightly, and only served to make me cry all the more. And, instead of making me feel better, crying only makes me feel even more miserable.

Let it be said that I tried my best. The very kind lady who had given my dad the story about the man visiting his wife at a nursing home was there today. I was able to tell her how much it had meant to him, and that his oldest grand daughter had read it at the funeral.

My mom and I had a very nice visit at the coffee/cookie time after the hymn sing. I was able to drive home okay, although with blurried stinging eyes and lips flopping around over my chin.

All afternoon I had this incredible feeling that my dad was there. There was a point at the nursing home that I was certain that if I turned around he would have been sitting there quietly. Like he always did.

(I wish there were a script for this.)

Another Post?

Yes. I have been posting a lot lately, haven't I?

This one will not have any pictures, just to grab your attention.

In the posts below you will find MANY pictures. That is because I purchased additional storage for them. I was closely watching my free storage dwindling down to almost nothing and realized that if I wanted to catch my memories in pictures on this blog, I would have to do something about that. So I did.

Not that anyone has asked, but I thought I would give you a random update on my life.

I know that weird things happen to everyone (please say 'yes') but I had a few odd ones over the weekend. I shall choose to share only two. This is because I can only remember two, not that more weird stuff didn't happen to me. And, I need to take a shower and go places and do things, so I cannot take the time to think of what those other things were.

Friday night THGGM and I had blood plasma donations. Since I had spent the day at home I didn't take a shower until late in the afternoon. In an effort to 'hurry' which is something that I have almost forgotten how to do, I did not blow dry the back of my head. It's important to note that the hair at the back of my head can become quite curly if the atmospheric conditions align in a particular way. Which apparently they did.

To donate plasma one reclines on a very comfortable bed. After an hour in this position the hair on the back of ones head does tend to flatten. Atleast, this is what THGGM points out to me when we leave. "Floof the back of your hair" he will say as he walks out the door behind me.

Last Friday, my donation went much quicker than his. As I was walking out I remembered his words of advice. I reached back to rake my fingers quickly through my hair only to discover that the unfloofed back of my hair was a tightly coiled mass of curls. I nearly flipped myself over backwards.

I'm sure I left a few people wondering "What was THAT about? Did she really MEAN to do that?"

I did not.

It was extremely embarrassing.

From the plasma place we went to Micheal's. We each had a 50% off coupon to use. What this actually means is that EVERYTHING at Michael's is all ready ON sale, so one must hunt to find the small amount of things NOT on sale or NOT already deemed beyond the reach of the coupon.

We went our separate ways. THGGM found the vinyl quote that he later put on our fireplace (picture below). I couldn't seem to find anything except for some ribbon already so cheap that it seemed like a waste to use a coupon for it.

So I went exploring. There was one particular aisle that didn't have much on sale. This aisle had bags of artificial fruit, wreaths made of artificial fruit and mesh bags of balls wrapped in string, fibre, feathers and what-not. I picked up a bag of the balls.

Remember, I am still embarrassed about almost pulling myself over backwards in front of a room full of strangers.

Here in the aisle at the Michael's I frequent nearly twice each week I embarrassed myself. Again. All in the same HOUR. It seems I could at least S P R E A D O U T my embarrassing moments by a day or two. But, NO.

What happened, you wonder? I wonder, too.

It seemed that once I decided that I did NOT want to purchase a bag of interesting balls I could NOT put the bag down.

NO. I could NOT.

This was due to the simple fact that the mesh bag had somehow gotten entangled with a button on my shirt. There I stood wearing the bag like some giant weird brooch.

Had I danced around with my arms over my head - which I did NOT do - the bag would have still remained attached to the front of my shirt.

I could not untangle it.

Please remember here that I cannot see ANYTHING unless I hold it directly in front of my eyes. The bag was tangled on a low button. There was NO WAY I was going to hold that bag up to my eyes and expose my ample stomach, which has not seen the light of day since 1978.

Of course, THGGM was nowhere to be found. And, how much traveling would YOU want to do with a mesh bag full of decorative balls attached to the front of you? Not far is my guess.

I made a quick decision to sacrifice the button and gave the bag a good hard yank.

Color me thankful that I wasn't in the aisle with the mesh bags full of glass marbles.

(and people wonder why I find it so extremely difficult to leave my house)

Fun Day Monday!

Today was a humid and rainy Monday. Most of the day was spent inside. But, for about an hour in the late afternoon we ALL managed to get out side. No large hawk flew at my head, no snakes, toads or bunnies were seen.

And Kado's favorite game? It's called "Raise your hand if you love Beppe!"

Project Accomplished!

The nine framed bird prints are hung!
The only really frustrating part was when THGGM realized that even though HE had measured and marked EVERYTHING correctly, mass-produced inexpensive frames do not have their back hangers fussed about. That's where he ran into a bit of trouble. But, being us and all that, he hung them anyway with a sigh and an "Oh, well!"
And, I have to admit, it doesn't look too bad!

He also used a 50% off Michael's Craft store coupon to buy the vinyl quote that he put on the fire place. It's a Thomas Hood quote. One with which our hearts agree!

And soon I will be re-doing all of my paper 'candles' this way! Ripped and pulled just a bit and tied with a ribbon. SO unbelievably easy, and it looks MUCH better than my first few attempts!

Now. Next on my list - finish writing "Thank-You's".

I need a call button that I can push and yell - "I've fallen behind and I can't catch up!"

Hmm. Now THERE'S a thought!

Shower for Soon To Be Daughter-in-law Two

Today was the day and my home was the setting for a bridal shower for Youngest Daughter-in-law to be.

I think I managed to get a picture of everyone in attendance.

Youngest Niece is on the left.

The bride to be is on the right.


Oldest Sister came all the way from Kalamazoo.

Oldest Niece came from Indiana.

We are a devoted family!

We can be a bit over-whelming at times. Hopefully we were not too scary for Youngest Daughter-in-law to be and her sister and mom.

On the right is Middle Niece. She is NOT wearing a flowered dress. No. That would be the center piece on the coffee table.

Famke LOVED the shower. There was CANDY.

Peanuts and candy corn.

Daughter had to ration the candy. Famke is a serious candy fan.

And, cake.

There was cake, too.

And other delicious food too numerous to mention!

On the left is Youngest Daughter-in-law to be's mom.

In the middle is Older Sister and her first grand child, Great-Nephew.

Oldest Daughter-in-law is on the right!

And, we even let a boy come to our shower!

Great Nephew.

He is six months old, and a BIG bundle of joy!

The wedding is less than two weeks away!

I am SOOO excited!

(can you tell?)

Birthday Card

From my dad to my mom when they were dating.

All through their married life, my dad signed all of his cards, John "A".

So as not to confuse him with all of the other John's she knows?

Working On a Project

I do not have the time to be doing this now, but, I am.

THGGM has been helpful. By helpful I mean that he is saying helpful things like, "Are you done yet?"

The entire thing was his idea. Actually, it was sort of my idea a looooong time ago, but with different pictures, smaller frames, local non-exotic birds, etc.

But, tonight, when he noticed that I ALMOST went stark raving bonkers about the whole thing, he stepped in with his manly tape measure and lined up everything as close to perfect as we get around here.

Presently, all nine of them have been properly framed and are laying on the living room floor while we adjust the grid.

Now, if we can just get them to all hang properly.

Oh, and there's the question of should we or should we not put things in front of them, and maybe we should have gone with twelve instead of nine...

The nine frames were on sale last week at Michael's. $3.99 a piece. The paper, also on sale for .49 is from Martha Stewart and is called bamboo. The book of famous bird artists was a .50 thrift find. The most expensive single item was the tacky spray adhesive.

Now, here's hoping that it WORKS. Even if it only looks somewhat like what I have in my head, I'll be pleased.

But if they are all crookedy and wonky looking, I just may melt down. Again.

I WON!

Quinn, from http://www.qcreport.blogspot.com/ thinks that I'm funny!

So funny that she sent me her book!

I read a proofed copy that she so generously mailed to me earlier this year, so I already knew that I LOVED it.

Quinn is VERY funny.













In an effort to promote her book, I brought it along to my blood plasma donation tonight.




This blurb on the back of the book? I read it and thought that this name seemed very familiar.

Then I remembered! I've seen him at Barnes and Noble when they were promoting Grand Rapids writers.

Now back to Quinn and her book. It's very good.

Although I have to tell you. When I was apprenticing with the senior librarian at church, a Eugenia Price novel was donated to us. The librarian showed me how she had filled in the cleavage of the buxom young girl on the cover by putting a wee bit o' lace under the clear contact paper. For this cover I was picturing something in say.., oh.., perhaps boiled wool in a lovely off-white.

I won't be donating my copy to any libraries. Just so you know.

Purchase a copy if you like to laugh out loud. And skip over the chapter about her rescue dog. Okay. YOU don't have to skip over it. But, I fear that I look a touch crazy laughing hysterically one minute, and before my donation is over I'm sobbing all over my nice new shiny book with MY name in it.

Such a Sweetheart

Yesterday, this boy slept most of the day.

Today? Not so much.

He LOVES to smile, except when he sees my camera.

Then he just waits in anticipation of the flash, which on nice sunny days like today, does not appear.

He giggles for Pake, but not for me.

I get soft coos and lots of nuzzling.

Kado has a wide array of faces.

He is just TOO fun!

I'm having lots of fun with this one!

I was a wee bit concerned that with a 2 year old and a 3 1/2 year old there just would not be the time to lavish on this one.

But, there is PLENTY of time!

Everyone seems to be thriving and happy.

I know. I know!

So many pictures today.

But, just so you know, I think I took just as many pictures of the grape vine in the backyard as I did of the grand kids.

Fun times. They will grow up SO quickly. This I know full well.