Lunch Out

My sister, Mom, and I had lunch at Scott's Seafood on the River today. I wasn't sure about Mom's ability make it through what is always a leisurely lunch experience, but she did just fine. Mom and Pam had Cioppino and a fancy Salmon dish (respectively) and I had the grilled Sole -- just like the last couple of times I ate there. They really do a great job of preparing it and it almost melts in your mouth.

We had just had a family meeting about what the future holds for Mom. Her Lymphoma is worsening and she is starting to feel some discomfort. She has decided that she does not choose to treat it or take any action to bring it back into remission. She will accept whatever devices or medications that will help her to feel more comfortable. Merrill Gardens is going to up the level of her assistance within the next couple of weeks. She is getting a sort of corset for her leg which (we hope) will lessen the swelling she currently experiences and she will need help putting it on in the morning and taking it off at night. We aren't sure what will happen next or how quickly the disease will progress, but we are getting ready for whatever comes.

In the meantime we had a lovely lunch on the Sacramento River.

What a Day!

I'm feeling overwhelmed today. This is more journaling than blogging, I guess.

This morning we had people come to install a new floor in our master bathroom. Things have been harum skarum for the last month with the shelves, medicine cabinet etc. out while I stripped wallpaper, prepped, and painted. We took the toilet out yesterday (on the front porch looking like a very tasteless garden ornament), part of the sink is in the hallway, shelves are blocking part of our closet, and stuff is generally stacked all over the house. I was so looking forward to being able to put it all back where it belongs and where I can find things. I got home from a morning meeting to find no workmen, no nothing. Turns out when they removed the old lino and the underlayer they found severe dry rot damage. A contractor comes tomorrow to give us a bid on what is going to be a much bigger project.

As I was absorbing this I went to take lunch to somebody in my FA group who has had surgery and moved (her family did the honors) while she was in the rehab facility. We had thought to provide meals for about a week until she will be able to do for herself with some shopping help. When I saw the kitchen she shares with a roomate, I'm not sure that she will be able to prepare meals even after she settles in. This, too, is going to be a bigger project than expected.

RIP Wondermouse

The Boss Lady is gone.

Shortly after Lesley left for college a kitten appeared on our side gate. She was a ball of white fur with smoky lavender smudges on her her nose, tail, and two feet. She demanded to be brought in the house and quickly took over control of the older cats who lived with us at that time -- and all of the people. We named her Beatrice because she acted so like a little princess.

Through the years, as she got her grown up coloring, it became obvious that she was a Siamese and Tortie mix -- with the sassy and chatty personality that tends to go with both breeds. She was always a small cat who ruled the larger cats in our household. In the summer of 2009 I blogged about her waking me up in the middle of the night to scoop out her box.

A few months ago she decided that the trip to our bed was just too much for her and she has been sleeping in her chair in our family room. Three weeks ago she was getting on the dining table and jumping to the kitchen counter -- slowly and painfully, but managing. Just Friday she came into the kitchen as soon as she heard me opening a can of tuna (I drain the water into little bowls and the cats have their treat).

Suddenly last night she was unable to make it even to the laundry room to urinate. She used the family room rug and couldn't get back onto her chair. I cleaned up the spot (cat owners often have carpet shampoo handy) and put her back on her chair. She whimpered when I picked her up and couldn't get comfortable on the chair. When I sat down by the chair and stroked her head she failed to purr for the first time. She was simply miserable.

We knew that the time had come. Luckily our vet is open and staffed on weekends for emergency services. When we decided to take her in we learned that she has lost over a pound in the past couple of weeks despite the steroids she was taking. We knew she was in pain and was ready to give up. She lay quietly while the vet gave her an injection and simply went to sleep.

We hope that as she moves on to the next of her nine lives she will give another family as much laughter and love as she has given ours.

RIP Beatrice Jean Charlotte Wondermouse Doig We will always cherish your memory.

The Wondermouse

Our elderly cat queen is obviously failing these days. We have seen a decline for months, but it seems to be going faster. She is still eating (result of the steroids mostly) and she can still get around a bit. She has taken to using the laundry room floor as her litter box (not such a big deal, we just have to clean up after her) and has decided that she is no longer a lap cat.

The younger cats are quite dismayed at her bathroom habits. They are ladies and gentlemen and try to cover up her gaffes by tossing sand out of the kitty box and scraping it over the wet spots.

She also has stopped cleaning herself properly and looks like a mangy old stray. She is nearly 100 in cat years, so I suppose she has earned the right to let herself go.

I'm visiting the vet with one of her younger sisters next week and will have a talk with Dr. E about how to know when it is time to let her go. We have lost many pets over the years, but it is always a sad thing to face.

Farmer's Market in the Park

For the past month I have mostly missed my precious big-farmers-market-under-the-freeway on Sunday mornings. Twice I have gone to the much smaller Tuesday Market at Fremont Park. This is just a small market (12-15 booths) in a one block park in an older downtown neighborhood. Parking can be an issue if you aren't able to walk more than a block, but I am able and I found a decent place each time. The prices are also a bit higher than the Sunday market. (Office workers have more money to spend? Who knows.) They do have gorgeous long beans with a few purple beans mixed in that I don't see under the freeway.

This morning the park playground was full of cute little kids and cute young moms. There were more kids and moms around the fountain in the middle of the park enjoying a sunny Sacramento day. This is an urban area with smallish Victorian high water bungalows. Not so much parking that one would choose to drive to that park. These young families had to walk to get there -- so they lived nearby. It is so nice to see young families living so close to downtown.

I don't know about schools in the area, but if there are enough kids the schools will be there. It is so nice to see our downtown/midtown as a place to raise a family. Sacramento has lots of neighborhood parks and they are one of the very nicest things about this small city.

Vet visits and more vet visits

We have had a close relationship with our vet this month. The Wondermouse has been in for a check up and a check back and the Red Prince for a check up.

The first visit found a little issue with Beatrice Jean Charlotte Wondermouse Doig's pancreas and she got put on a steroid for a few weeks. A check back showed that it hadn't gotten better but no worse, so we are keeping her on the drug. She is quite thrilled. It is given in a sweetened "tuna flavor" suspension liquid and she demands it each morning. She is our 19-year-old boss lady and she tells me if she isn't getting her morning fix. Everything else is pretty good considering her rather advanced age.

The Red Prince, at age four, was pronounced healthy and really quite gorgeous. He is a good size and weight and was even fairly calm with Dr. Elliott. The ladies in the office said he has "soulful eyes", and I would agree.

So I have a young lady-killer male cat and an aged druggie female. Whoda thought?

Life is Bizzzz-eeee

In my Soroptimist Club we have slogans. One of our older ladies -- long retired -- says "Life is Bizzz-eee!" and mine has echoed hers lately. My 12-step (addicted to food) program requires 3 meetings a week, then I have workouts and family needs, and my social life has simply been busier than usual. I hadn't realized that I had failed to blog for almost two months. In that time we have had my Mother's 90th birthday (pictures included), a trip to Santa Barbara for a 50th anniversary party, and several other adventures. We also have a new pet, and I will say more about that in another post.

All five of Mom's grandchildren were at the party, held at Nancy and Ryan's house. One husband and one boyfriend weren't able to make it and were missed. There was one great grandchild. The day was lovely (we have had a very nice summer) and people stayed mostly outside.

As I write this I am reminded why I need to blog. I get out of the habit of writing so very quickly. I try to journal in a book but it isn't the same for me. As a Journalism major, I learned to think at the typewriter (computer these days). I need that keyboard to do this. Taking the time to sit at the keyboard and write must be part of my discipline.

Time to Look My Age

It had been threatening for days like storm clouds that don't do anything. Wednesday morning I woke up and the storm had arrived. There it was in all of its glory. A Prom Zit! It glowed in its new home just above my mouth.

You know the kind -- you have chosen the perfect dress/shoes/jewelry. You are having your hair done up fancy and putting polish on your nails. You are ready to have the whole fairy princess thing going and you are going to look so amazing. Then, the morning of that special day, IT arrives. An alien presence, a toxic growth. It might as well be a big neon sign sitting on your chin, or your cheek, or the middle of your nose screaming "Look at me!" Despite all of the finery, it is bound to be the first thing people see when they see you. No amount of pancake makeup or blemish cream will help. You do try -- so much concealer and powder that it looks like you applied papier mache to your face -- yet it dominates.

Well, I really thought at nearly 67 I had moved past that. Yes, I have sagging jawline and flabby arms and a bigger nose that I had in my youth (I swear, it is bigger) and my wrinkles have advanced to drapes and gathers. However, I should be past the Prom Zit stage of life, shouldn't I?

I put alcohol and pasty white stuff on it (Alex said I looked silly) and it does seem to be drying up. I guess it was sent to me as a reminder that when I wish I could look like I did 50 years ago, I might be forgetting that the indignities of youth seemed as serious then as the issues of the gold-plated years seem now.

He is Back

Our Avocat is home and safe. We don't know where he went, but he shoed up on our front porch yesterday morning, perfectly fine. He has had some sort of catly adventure and we are certain he looked like a hero.

Missing Pet

One of our cats is missing. Not one of the pampered felines who live in our house, but our favorite among the small feral colony. We haven't seen him for several days and we are worried.

Avocat is our favorite feral, and the favorite of our neighbor. He is a fearless boy who wanders far from his safe back yard and has been known to pick a fight with a raccoon. He is the only feral who shows affection toward us and asks to be petted and played with. He is the close companion of the little calico who tends to be shy. He is our Harry's brother and we think he also may be the father. There is a strong resemblance in both looks and personality.

He could be locked in somebody's garage (we have two houses standing currently empty on our street), or he could have been hit by a car, or he could have finally found a mean old raccoon who decided to fight back. We hope he is safe, but you have to be ready to lose ferals without any warning. We are missing him.

New Pet Stamp

The Post Office unveiled a new stamp today. The ceremony here in Sacramento was held at an almost dead shopping mall. I was working at the Friends of the Sacramento Shelter booth for three hours. Our group has cats - animals that tend to like neither crowds nor noise -- and we took only pictures of critters available for adoption. We were right next to two groups who did have animals, however.

Leaps and Bounds had four beautiful rabbits, all of whom were litter box trained. There was a bonded pair of whites, a sweet brown bunny who looked almost like a jackrabbit, and a gorgeous black girl named Diva. Rabbits make great pets and will work for people who are allergic to or have an aversion to cats and dogs. (Les and Tim, if you happen to read this.....)

The Sacramento SPCA brought three dogs: One cutie who was small and shaggy and white; a very pretty female brindle boxer with a white chest and nose, and Buddy. Buddy is part Mastiff and part German Shepherd (at least that is what the volunteers suspect). He is very big, and very gentle, and very friendly. He likes to lean against the person who is caring for him. The cute little white thing found someone who will adopt her after the proper papers are processed. There was interest in the boxer. And we think Buddy may also have found a home.

There were also Doxy races, and Cocker Spaniels who had been rescued at the Cocker booth, and various other pooches just visiting. The Post Office had a booth reminding people to protect their letter carrier from their dog. All in all a good day for people like me who simply love pets.

Kittens: Handed off in good shape

The volunteer from Yolo County SPCA who specializes in orphan kittens (not yet weaned) collected the babies late yesterday afternoon. They will be cared for by her until they are ready to be moved to the SPCA facility to be shown for adoption. SPCAs -- unlike city/county animal shelters -- don't have to take all animals and are not usually forced to kill adoptable pets. The babies are safe and will eventually find good homes.

When they came to us two of them them were listless and they were all just crawling about. One little boy was so frightened that he hissed at us and said "touch me and I'll beat you up!" when we got near him. In just 48 hours they were walking and running and climbing and wrestling with one another. They played with toys. They climbed our legs and purred whenever we were in the room. They were round and funny, just as kittens should be. They will continue to gain and change at an amazing pace under Lydia's care.

I am grateful for the kindness and caring of a homeless man who had nothing, but bothered to save the life of five fuzzy babies.

Kittens: Second Day

Everybody made it past the first 24+ hours and they seem to be thriving. Last time we did this -- over 20 years ago -- all three pulled through and the two that we knew about led long and very pampered lives and made great pets.

The tuxedo cat and the tortie dilute with the funny face (patch of orange sherbet right across the nose) seem to be doing best. While I was trying to feed the calico who seems to be the runt tonight the patch-faced tortie climbed up my leg, purred at me, and tried to wrestle the bottle from the smaller kitten. She's a round little thing and something of a piggy-cat.

Everyone except the grey tabby seems to have found his/her legs in the last day and it is going to be a challenge keeping them in the bathroom when we go in and out. Since there doesn't seem to be an available volunteer from the orphan kitten project (part of UC Davis Vet School) we may have them for a bit longer than expected. They are really cute and having them won't be a bad thing.

Do understand, however, if I'm acting a bit barmy. Like baby people, baby kittens require a feeding every four hours, so I will be sleeping in short stretches for a couple of weeks. Luckily, they grow out of the 2:00 am feeding sooner than human infants.

A Lesson

We are feeding Mary's feral colony near the Sac City Animal Shelter while she is gone for a long weekend. When we arrived today there was a homeless man sitting on a wall near the colony. I made sure we locked the car because my purse was to be left in the car.

As I filled the food bowls and Alex filled the water dishes, he approached us. I presumed he would be asking for a handout. He carried a cracked, bathroom-style trash can. Strange. Alex called me over.

He showed me the trash can and these precious babies, five of them, were in the can. He had been waiting for the people who feed the cats. He told us he had seen somebody dump them off because the shelter was closed. He said he would be glad to care for them, but he "didn't have the resources", and asked if we would take them. We did, of course, and brought them home.

I picked up some kitten formula and a bottle and we will keep them in our bathroom until they can be transferred to the orphan kitten people -- maybe tomorrow or maybe the day after. We are hoping they will all make it through the night. The alarm will be set to waken us every four hours to feed them.

Had this very kind man who made me feel so apprehensive not collected them into his trash can and waited for us to arrive, they would all have surely died. I think they have a good chance now. Based on our past experience with hand-fed cats, they are going to make somebody wonderful companions.

My Kingdom for a Peanut Butter Cup

Alex and I had been shopping this afternoon. He had something at Coldwater Creek he wanted me to buy with a recent gift certificate, so we both went to Arden Faire. Stores like CC provide comfy seating for men who get stuck shopping with their wives (or choose to go, in this case) so it was nice for both of us. The skirt he had found was lovely and will go with of few of my tops and -- if I may say so -- looked great on me. Sometimes he likes something that just doesn't go with my body type, but this one hit a home run. We arrived home in great spirits.

Then we noticed the car parked blocking our driveway. A young woman had been to the park and had not been particularly careful about where she put her car. We stopped our car, clicked to open the garage door (so she would know we were waiting) and sat quietly. She was chatting on her cell phone while holding it up to her ear and buckling a child into the back seat. OK. She had to get the child secured and we could wait. Then she walked around the car and did something in the other side -- still holding the phone and talking and ignoring us. Not a sheepish smile or a just-a-minute sign or a wave. Just talked to her friend and took her time. Then she got in and drove away, phone still held to her ear. She did slow down as she passed us and gave us the dirtiest stare I have seen in a long time -- the facial equivalent of a rude hand sign.

We were astounded! I was so irritated I wanted to go eat peanut butter, or M&Ms, or any one of the things I really cannot eat. Instead I made a phone call to a friend and vented. We still can't figure out why she was so hostile toward us. I guess we distracted her and unreasonably felt that we should be allowed to put our car in the garage. How dare we!?!

Hot Water

A new hot water heater was installed in our house today. The old one still worked, but the pilot light sometimes went out (and I had to lie on the floor in the laundry room -- not one of our better places) to relight it, and the water tended to run out before my hair was rinsed. The old heater was 26 years old -- can you imagine? -- and we decided to replace it before it absolutely quit on us. We've been through that no-hot-water-for-two-days thing before, and didn't want to go there again.

The old heater was not quite installed up to the current code and the slightly upgraded model heater, plus installation, plus the code upgrades (one thing still has to be done, but we will do it ourselves) came to about the cost to replace our wall oven and range top. Now I'm glad to have the security of a newer water heater, but can you think of anything less exciting to spend over $1000 on? Most appliances are fun to replace because the new one always does something cool the old one didn't do. Water heaters: not so much. They basically sit in a closet and heat water.

You will find me very clean for a while. I'm taking lots of hot showers to make sure I get my money's worth. Oh, and the floor of our laundry room/cat bathroom got mopped. The cats think they got an upgrade.

Travelin' Woman

This has been a great week all week. It was capped off by visiting four counties (including Sacramento) in the last two days.

Yesterday we were in El Dorado Hills (El Dorado County) for a memorial service. This county has gently rolling hills and oak trees. El Dorado Hills is sort of new-development-meets-the-edge-of-gold-county, but the hills themselves are lovely and there is still enough open country to make it a nice change.

Today I was up before dawn and off to Grass Valley for an 8:00 am meeting. When I left Sacramento at 6:00 (yes, in the morning) the night sky was just turning a sort of navy blue and things were starting to emerge from the shadows. I was driving east and thought it would be nice to see the sun rise. Things got lighter during the first 20 minutes or so of my drive. By the time I hit Placer County the sky had lightened and I presumed the sun had come up behind the trees that lined the edge of the freeway. I figured I had missed the sunrise or that it had been a real non-event. I turned off 80 onto 49 and headed north into Nevada County. About 10 minutes into that stretch the sky suddenly looked like somebody had splashed gold paint on the clouds. Luckily it was horse country then (fewer trees) so I got the full effect. I really expected angels to descend. It was absolutely glorious for about three minutes, then it was just a nice, sunny day.

Sacramento County is mostly flat, city and farmland. El Dorado is rolling hills. Placer is foothill country, with the start of the tall trees. Nevada County really feels like you are in the Sierras. The towns (Grass Valley and Nevada City) are the sort of charming small town we like to picture, but which rarely exist. I spent some time just kicking around Grass Valley after my meeting because I was expected back at a friend's house in Auburn (Placer County) about noon. It is an old town built on fairly steep hillsides. The whole day felt like a mini vacation.

Hives, Day 2

They are better. They are definitely better!

Mom and Pam and I went out to Roseville today for a bit of shopping, then I came home and did all of my normal weighing and cooking and even some grocery shopping without a stitch of itch. This evening, however, a few more itchies and spotchies showed up. I haven't had enough to need to take the Prednisone, but there are blotches on my neck and back. The fingers are still crossed that they will go away without more serious drugs.

Hives!

I have developed an allergy to penicillin. Aaaargh!

Two weeks into the treatment for the sinus infection I began having first an itch (not too big a problem) then hives. I was realllly itchy this afternoon. Then, as I was getting ready to pop into the shower I noticed the telltale pink splotches and hives it is. I'm to take Benadryl and Zyrtec and hope that that works. Just in case, He called in a prescription for prednizone. One of the possible side effects of the pred is weight gain. There are tons of others, of course.

You take one drug to get rid of the condition, then another to get rid of a condition caused by that drug. There is a lesson to be learned her somewhere.

In the meantime, I may be a splotchy mess for a while.

Cocoa -- With Pictures

The pictures I took of our beautiful guest really don't do her justice. She looks almost like a black cat. In fact, her fur could probably be described as mahogany. It's almost the same color as my hair.

She is feeling well as she recovers from her surgery. Her preference would be for us to stay in the bathroom with her and hold and pet her all day. When we leave she tries to escape. She is also a somewhat chatty little girl. Tomorrow I think I'll put her in the carrier and give the family room a try or two. She can hiss at the big kitties and let them know she is secretly a very ferocious cat. She has already had a chance to try her growl out on the Red Prince and he can't figure out what he has done wrong.

Cocoa

Not the light color of hot chocolate, but cocoa beans. Her fur is actually about the same dark, reddish-brown color as mine. She is approximately nine months old and when they performed her neutering operation today they had to abort five babies. Maybe that's why somebody dumped her. She is very beautiful and very sweet and very friendly. She would be quite content to curl up in your lap, purr, and just be with you. Aaawww!

After she recoups here, she will be snapped up quickly and I'm thinking we will miss her. We expect to have her for just a week.

She wandered into the Towe Ford Museum this morning and they called our Kitty Social Worker. I understand that the museum director is considering taking her already. Good choice. We think she may be a pure Havana Brown.

Another Lovely Spring Day

When I went outside to take trash to the container and the spent daffodils to the green waste bin the sun was mild and warm and felt so very good. I just leaned up against the side of the house and closed my eyes and soaked it all in. It was really great.

Once again, as I type this, the playground is full of beautiful little children. Their happy screams (squeaks, really) and very busy activity reminds me of a popular bird feeder. The people watching them are not wearing jackets today. They must also be liking the spring sun.

Alex is feeling great today. Up and about, had his first cup of hot coffee in two days -- and a peanut butter sandwich.

Himself is Much Improved

After all of the drama and gore yesterday, Alex greeted today not even showing much swelling in his cheek -- far less than when the offending tooth created an abscess recently. I was expecting to be married to a guy who looks like Alvin the Chipmunk. He is eating a bit, and not what I expected him to want. We have pudding and ice cream and applesauce, but he chose the refried beans (lunch) and cottage cheese (dinner). Didn't eat much of either of them, so he may emerge from this a skinnier husband. He is still taking it easy and sleeping a great deal.

The Bella Mafiosa has been spending much time in his lap, purring and comforting him. It's hard to want to move when you are holding a snuggling cat.

We have a little local scandal that is proving quite interesting to my Curves coffee/tea buds. Our City building permit office has issued permits and failed to collect fees from some prominent Sacramentans. At least two of the incidents come directly under the auspices of the son of a long-time City Councilman who happens to work for the building department (wonder how he got his job?). Everybody is claiming that they know nothing about the situation. The Councilman is a close ally of Mayor Hoopster. The City Attorney is spearheading the investigation. The City Attorney has been at odds with the Basketball-Player-we-call-Mayor for some time because he thinks he is still a professional athlete and can do whatever he darn well pleases and she begs to differ. This is almost as good as San Diego politics!

Hee Haw or CSI

Alex had a tooth extracted today. It was a molar he has been having trouble with for some time now. There was a root canal a couple of years ago, an infection a few months back, and he and our dentist finally decided it needed to come out. His brother told him that if he had a front tooth pulled he could be on "Hee Haw".

The procedure was quite smooth and he was in and out in less than an hour. All went well. Until we got home. For some reason the bleeding that was supposed to last up to three hours lasted longer and the gauze dressings that were supposed to be changed each half-hour needed to be changed about every 15-20 minutes. I wrote the times down, just like timing labor pains. I left him only briefly to get more gauze pads and tea bags. Tea bags? Yup. He needed regular tea for the tannic acid. You moisten a tea bag and clamp it over the hole in the mouth and it helps to stop the bleeding. His tea-drinking wife doesn't have regular old tea in the house.

The bleeding finally did stop. In the meantime, however, we had blood all over his clothes, the family room and kitchen, the floor, even a bit on the chair. If a Crime Scene team were looking for mass murderers in our neighborhood, they would never believe we are innocent.

He is better tonight. Risked a couple of pudding cups at dinner (one chocolate and one butterscotch). I will put a towel over his pillow for the next two nights. And -- oh, yes -- he will avoid operating heavy equipment for another 12 hours or so.

Spring Sprung a Leak

We have had a few days of temps in the low 70s -- really glorious spring weather. This evening the wind came up and some clouds blew over and Mark Finan (our Channel 3 weather man) tells us that winter is back. Snow in the Sierras, rain in the valley predicted.

Although we have lots of critters, there are no Groundhogs in Sacramento, so we never know what to expect. Our weather in March/April and October/early November is very unpredictable. Two days ago I attended a meeting where several of the women were wearing cropped pants and sandals. Hope they kept their sweaters and cords handy.

I am pleased that cooler weather will lengthen the bloom season of our azaleas, grateful that we aren't going into the long hot summer early, and aware of the fact that California doesn't have enough water and all of the rain and snow are a good thing. I'm also glad that I filled my gas tank yesterday. I hate to do that when it is raining.

Tuesday

It strikes me that my life is really very routine, and I am grateful for that.

This morning I attended an FA (Food Addicts) meeting, had my half hour meditation, ate my three planned meals, finished some laundry, visited with my Mom (and returned her little bit of laundry all clean), talked on the phone, had a friend drop by, took a nap (lovely), read, and watched television. How boring. How nice to have so little excitement. Not a crisis in sight. The weather continues to be pleasant. My cats behave as well as cats can be expected to behave. My husband ditto -- maybe even better in his case. Life is calm and good.

Excited or Angry

MSN asks us f we are excited or angry over the passage of the Health Care legislation. I voted excited, of course. I think that more needs to be done, but our guys in Washington took a giant step today. The majority of the respondents, however, voted in the "angry" column. Some of my friends would have been among those votes (if they even bothered).

Most of the people I talk to did feel that something needed to be done. I have several friends who aren't quite old enough for Medicare, who lost jobs this down economy, and who are currently without health insurance. One friend had a super high deductible until she hit Medicare last year. These people worked hard most of their lives and did nothing personally to cause the economy to crash. Those who didn't want the legislation to pass tend to be people who have the same great CalPERS insurance Alex and I have or Medicare and a good supplement. I'm not quite sure why it's OK for the taxpayers to pay for our insurance, but not for that of people who were unlucky in the private sector.

Maybe only Republicans and rich folk vote in those polls. As for me, I'm very pleased that we have joined several countries much further advanced than the United States in saying that we care about all of our citizens. Alex's Aunts and Uncles in Scotland get great care on the public plan. May we all be just as lucky.

More Spring

Our house, as I am sure I have mentioned, looks onto a green belt. Just outside our window is a playground. Today was Pocket Area Little League Picture Day and we had a great view of the event. Lots of cute kids, young families, and happy noises made our office a nice place to be. This morning the tents were set up at about 8 am, and the kids started arriving not much later. One picture shows the orange team playing on the playground, the other the blue team lining up ready to have their pictures taken. The dog-walker is an elderly lady who lives across the park. Both she and her (equally elderly) dog walk very slowly. She is out there twice a day, rain or shine, caring for her best buddy. I think she is pretty cute too.

The azaleas are from the first shrub to bloom each year. Previews of coming flowers are showing on the other plants and there will be a riot of reds, pinks, and oranges in about a week if the weather holds. The daisies and dandelions in the grass just show that spring really is everywhere you look, even if you don't plant anything.

A Closet Clothes-tastropy

Today's big project was starting to sort through my spring/summer clothes to see what fits, what I will keep, what needs replacing, etc. I don't really think I'm going to have to buy anything. Shoes, maybe. My summer shoes are pretty old and ratty. The big issue will be getting rid of about half my closet. I'm a clothes hoarder! I try things on and they really don't fit or flatter and I still can't bring myself to get rid of them. I set aside a small pile for Goodwill and there are still probably 30 tee shirts left. Nobody needs that many tee shirts!

I have pants and shorts that bag, tops that look like I stole them from the rag bag, and I still can't get myself to discard them. They are about as chic as a disco suit (and some are nearly as old) but I'm attached. Some of them aren't even good enough to donate to the thrift store, but I still hang on. I remind myself that if I try to store all of these things in my closet and drawers I won't be able to find the good stuff, and yet they stay.

I think the clothing thing is a symptom of my life. I just can't get rid of things that don't work for me any more. If I can get past the polo shirt with the big stain on the front and the baggy lavender shorts (Alex says they take a crease beautifully) maybe I can get the office organized. Or, maybe not.

Another Great Spring Day

A friend and I met for a picnic in Crocker Park today, then went over to the museum to see the exhibit of the family possessions -- said to feature Aimie's jewelry. What can I tell you? We're ladies and always ready to look at jewelry. There were actually only three brooches on display (I'm sure she had lots more than that) but there were dresses, shoes, and bonnets from the turn of the century and some household furnishings. The lady at the front desk said that articles in the Bee and other media mentions misrepresented the collection. They all made it sound mostly about the jewels.

There was one black lace dress described as an "afternoon dress" that I would have loved to have. It was really quite formal for afternoons, and I would have to have the servants to go along with it. This lady wasn't mopping the floor or cleaning the oven.

It was a great day for a picnic. There were even a few people in shorts in the park. I didn't think it was quite that warm -- maybe if you were careful to stay out of the shade. I think it must have been a Furlough Friday (State employees are furloughed two Fridays a month, without pay, to save the State a bit of money and it feels like a Saturday on those Fridays) There seemed to be quite a few people there. Maybe they are just all out of work and the parks are free. We didn't see a singe person in an afternoon dress.

A Visit with the Doctor

I saw my allergist today and we talked about this sinus thing. He isn't in the office full-time any more (a little older than I am, it's time for him to retire) but tries to be in during allergy season and that is right now. I'm to continue to take the anti-inflamatories and to add a generic antibiotic (horse pills) every twelve hours with food for three weeks. I haven't had to take antibios for years and had forgotten how much you have to schedule your life around them.

A more frightening part of our discussion was the talk about asthma inhalers. I rarely have to use my Advair inhaler these days, but he is advising his patients not to use them any more. These popular and very well advertised drugs have been found to cause asthma to worsen, not to improve. It makes one wonder what the FDA is doing with its time.

You can't buy groceries with.....

When I got ready to leave the house this morning to work out/have tea with my Curves buds/go grocery shopping I grabbed my purse and a plastic bag with the scoopings from the litter box and my car keys and a water bottle. I made a quick stop at the trash can outside the garage, tossed the soiled litter, and hopped into the car. Something made me look to my right, and there on the car seat was (you guessed it) a sand-filled plastic bag. Ick! Can you picture my surprise if I had arrived at my destination with that in tow? Can't imagine the clerk at Bel Air or Brad at Peet's accepting cat droppings for my veggies or a cup of tea. Luckily we do bag and tie our trash, so the purse was just fine. I was also feeling grateful that we have our own trash can and I didn't have to fish through a community dumpster.

I have just been a space cadet lately. Started my corned beef about an hour later that I planned (undercooking it by half an hour actually works very well and it tasted great)so we ate a bit late, had a couple of phone conversations today that I'm sure convinced friends I am losing it, and generally acted as though I have had too much green beer. Unfortunately, it's just too much ibuprofen.

I did wear a great deal of green today, including my shamrock socks. No green beer, but we did have great Irish food for dinner. Alex got corned beef twice this week and he is in hog heaven. When I was a child corned beef wasn't just for St. Pat's. My Dad loved it and we had it often. It's hard to find these days, except in March.

Soroptimist Service

Tonight was the night that my Soroptimist Club gives away money. From 27 grant applications we selected the nine that we thought most deserving. While it would be nice to fund all of the non-profit projects presented to us, our funds are finite. It is always nice to hear what these great groups will be doing with the money we raised through the crab feed, golf tournament, and a garage sale. Most of the funds will be used to help women and children.

Cynthia and I shared a table with a couple representing the Discovery Museum and Science Center. Our money provides scholarships for girls to attend their science camp (boys in science programs greatly outnumber the girls) but we also learned that they are getting ready to build a new facility near the Sacramento River. The base will be a fantastic old WPA building that Alex and I have been talking about for years. It has sat empty in the 30+ years we have lived in Sacramento. Now it will be a science center and museum for children that will include a planetarium and all sorts of wonderful things.

There were six other great local groups and two international ones represented. Money is tight, but volunteers are still working to keep charity and the arts alive.

Spring has Sprung

Today was really a lovely day. Neighbors were out front in tee shirts or polo shirts. Dogs were truly enjoying their walks in the sun. It was expected to be about 70 degrees by late afternoon and I do think the thermometer really did make that number.

Spring begins officially on Sunday, but it may have snuck in a few days early in Sacramento.

If the weather is this nice tomorrow I AM going to make time to sit on the patio and read a book for a while.

Ouch, it hurts!

Now that Mom seems to be getting better, I have managed to acquire a really nasty sinus infection. Yes, I do have an appointment with my allergist (who is an expert in these things) on Thursday, but I'm hoping it abates a bit before then. Most of the time it's a dull ache (wakes me up at night) but from time to time it hits about 8 1/2 on that 1-10 pain scale they talk about in medical facilities. The only pain I can compare it with would be childbirth. After labor pains you get a baby. Today and last night were pretty bad. Since it is manifesting itself in my left ear, I'm thinking a really smashing pair of earrings would be appropriate.

Rain

Winter is reminding us that she is still here in all of her cold, wet glory. It rained today, and rained, and rained. I spent the day with my big, fluffy fleece top over workout clothes and under my raincoat. No coat inside, but I was out quite a bit. The hair, overdue for a cut, was tucked under a baseball cap. Such an attractive look.

I did venture to Davis this afternoon for that much needed salon appointment and decided to go quite a bit shorter. The new coif is chin-length, tapering to just a squidge longer in the back. It rained all the way to Davis (Kristin cuts hair there and she is worth the trip. I keep thinking that maybe if she cuts my hair I will look like a 1950s movie star as she does. So far it hasn't quite worked out, but I do get great haircuts.) and all of the way home. Traffic at 5:00 back into the City was nasty and I can't quite figure out why. There surely aren't that many people who live in Sacramento and work in Davis. Cows maybe, but they don't drive.

WalMart

I'm not sure what it is about men that makes them want to wear the same old thing even though they have perfectly nice clothing in their closets or drawers. I've tried buying Alex cool henleys and Eddie Bauer "sweatshirt sweaters" to wear around the house, but he persists in wearing an aged navy blue sweatshirt that is frayed at the collar and cuffs. He dresses as though he gets his supper at the soup kitchen.

His birthday is next week and I really have no idea what to buy him. In an effort come up with something he will actually use, I went shopping for an old fashioned sweatshirt that is at least not falling apart. Nobody seems to carry such a garment any more. Finally I ended up at WalMart.

Now, I am not usually much of a WalMart shopper. Last time I was there was in December -- I had been told it was the place to buy a bike for our Christmas Child. That time I just popped in, bought the bike, and popped back out. This time I wandered around a bit. You really could simply move into WalMart. You can buy anything there! You can put together a coordinated Easter Basket with matching M&Ms, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Peeps, and stuffed animals. They have things arranged by color in yellow, pink, blue, and lime green. Can you imagine? I will still probably prefer Target for my basic everything store, but you never know. After all, WalMart does have old-fashioned crew neck sweatshirts in navy, grey, and burgundy.

Short Note

Today my life seemed very involved in health issues.

I spent the middle slice of the afternoon taking my Mother to Kaiser. She is supposed to go weekly because they are trying to get her blood pressure medication just right. For the past two weeks she has had a terrible cold and hasn't left her apartment (Merrill Gardens staff brings her a food tray or I take her soup or something). She also has not been taking her medications because she just hasn't felt like it. Her blood pressure (systolic) was down from 180 to 158. It makes me wonder if she wouldn't be better off just dispensing with all medication.

I also have an appointment next week with my own allergist. I've had a sinus infection, the second in about six months, that is causing me a lot of facial pain. My own PCP can give me something for it, but Dr. Cloninger is something of a specialist in sinus issues, so I will wait until he can see me. I'm hoping he can fix it so that it won't come back again. In the meantime, if you see me and my mind doesn't seem to be tracking -- it probably isn't.

My reaction to the whole day -- I really wanted a chocolate chip cookie.

Spring

The images that accompany these words are: camellias and vincas from our front yard, the king of the feral colony surveying his domain from our roof, and the three torties taking the sun from inside the patio door. It has been cold but dry here for several days now. Spring has come, even if you need a coat to enjoy it.

Spring and fall are both beautiful times of year in this very green city. I could do without the often hot summers, but these two seasons make me so glad we have spent a large part of our lives here. We also have good restaurants, a substantial local arts scene, and lots of parks. We are known as the City of Trees and the Camellia is the signature flower. Unfortunately, we are also famous for perhaps the most dysfunctional legislature in the world. Guess you can't have everything.

Fruit

Had you told me at the beginning of 2009 that I would come to think of fruit as a wonderful dessert, I'd have told you that you were nuts. Chocolate cake, almost any kind of pie, brownies, creme brulee -- they are desserts! In a pinch I would mix peanut butter with Splenda (the non-sugar sweetener makes it perfectly OK) and nuts and dried fruit and eat it with a spoon. Store-bought cookies are dessert in a pinch. Ice cream certainly works.

I haven't had those things in ages. They do still sound good, but not that good. A perfect pear, some melon, even an apple (I used to practically dislike raw apples) sound quite good to me. I had some Kiwi tonight, and can't say that it is my favorite. It's good for me -- lots of potassium -- but is missing something. In just a few months we will have really good peaches, plums, and nectarines. White nectarines are worthy of the fanciest restaurant to me these days.

Alex still gets the richer stuff. He recently bought three packages of brownie mix and I made one for dessert Thursday evening. It made a good sized pan. The extras got frozen and he had a little zipper bag of them tonight. Blueberries, bananas, or oranges for breakfast and other fruits for lunch and dinner really are great!

Friday

Pam's second day here held no great adventures, no wild animals, just lunch with my Curves buddies -- Don't be silly! Of course they aren't wild animals! -- and shopping for books before a visit to Mom. All a great experience.

My friends were honoring one of us who turned 69 today. I think I may be the second youngest among this group of ladies who are just what I want to be when I grow up. They look great, have a wonderful time, and are strong intelligent women. They are dealing with life's little and not-so-little issues with courage and humor. When all of your friends are over 60 you accept that they won't always remember the word they are looking for and, if you can find the word for your bud, you know what she means anyway. You grow comfortable with the way you look. You enjoy a bit of bling and can carry off a rhinestone-studded shirt with a certain aplomb. You don't have to wear goofy hats and certain colored dresses to demonstrate that you really no longer give a hang -- but you know you can wear them and get away with it for the first time since you were about 10. I LIKE being a little old lady.

Visitor Inside and One Outside

My Sister is here for her monthly visit to Mom. Pam, Alex, and I were sitting finishing dinner when we heard a crash from the back yard. I looked out the window, but couldn't see what had fallen -- knocked over by one of the feral cats who call our back yard home. A few minutes later we heard the sound of something being moved around back there. There had been talk of a 7 to 9 burglar in our area, so we were more than mildly curious.

I flipped on the patio lights and tried once more to see what was causing the disturbance. Suddenly a face appeared just outside the window near the table. A large round face wearing a black Halloween mask. A furry face with pointed ears attached to a good sized body.

We prefer that they not hang out in our back yard (although we know they do) so I bravely ventured out there, armed with my trusty broom. One doesn't accost wild animals unarmed. By the time I reached the patio the four legged bandit was gone. We will have to remember to feed the ferals earlier so that no food remains to attract nocturnal visitors.

Spring, then not

This morning we had sunshine and "it's almost spring" type weather. I took pictures (to be downloaded tomorrow) of cats in the sun, and flowers -- you know the drill. Then this afternoon the clouds darkened, a bit of thunder was heard, and the heavens opened. Maybe Ma Nature just isn't quite ready. Still and all, the Dogwoods are blooming, the daffs are out, and spring can't be far behind. I know I'm about ready. We need a nice long spring before the heat of summer.

La Traviata

This is a very late blog and, since it's nearly midnight, may well not make sense. Every night (except I can take Sundays off) -- that was my vow.

We went to the opera tonight. This production, number two in this year's series, was La Traviata. I must confess to having mixed feelings about operatic music delivered via CD or radio or whatever. I do like to go to the opera. I think I need the theatre to make it all happen for me. This evening we saw an excellent production. Even though I knew Violetta was going to die at the end, I was on the edge of my seat and dropped a tear or two.

Opera attracts a mostly older crowd, but there were a few young couples in attendance. One 30ish guy in the row behind us had on a tux and his wife/date was wearing a smashing red cocktail dress. In previous years we saw folks in jeans. Not so far this year. I think with the economy in the tank people are looking for something to make them feel special. Our seats are in the second balcony so I can only suppose that hose in the grand tier and on the floor get really gussied up.

Getting Ready for April 15

OK. This daily bit is harder than I thought it might be. I was so certain that there would be something funny, or a gem of wisdom, or some treasure each day that I would want to put into words.

Not so much. Most of my days are really rather routine and dull.

This morning we met with our tax guy. Jim and Alex chatted about lots of things, but taxes were never mentioned. We had all sorts of documents saved and sorted for him to take away and I also had a similar bag of stuff for Mom's taxes. It is in his hands now. When he returns all of our information we will just have to sign, possibly write a check, and send it all off to the IRS.

I don't mind paying taxes. I know that so many people think we are taxed unfairly, but we really do get a lot for our money. We have local and national security, good roads, some of the best water (here in Sacramento) in the country, schools, parks, and emergency services. Even after taxes, Alex and I are in no danger of starving or sleeping on the streets. I'm grateful for that.

Sun!

We had the most glorious afternoon. The sky was brilliant blue and the sun was highlighting all of those gorgeous dogwood trees. I should have borrowed Alex's camera to take a picture. Morning, of course, was stormy and wet (I ran around in my rubber garden shoes all day) and everything is looking mighty green.

When the sun comes out, even if it is still very cold, I want to step into crop pants, tee shirts, and sandals.

Mom continues to improve in very small increments. She was ordering Beef Stroganoff for dinner this evening with carrot salad -- and I would suppose noodles or rice or something. I think she is sort of enjoying the whole room service part of this. I know I would love to have her food choices. Her kitchen has a small dining table with two white wicker arm chairs, so she gets to eat in solitary splendor and in her robe.

Crab Feed

Tonight was the annual Soroptimist/Kiwanis Crab Feed. In past years we fed as many as 675 people. Numbers have been down the last two years and this year's event was not a sell out. Nevertheless, we probably hosted between 550 and 600 people for crab, pasta, salad, and a cookie dessert.

My tables were neither big eaters nor drinkers this year. One small Asian woman did eat a good bit of crab, but nothing amazing. We Doigs also followed our personal tradition by not winning any of the raffle prizes. My friend Joanne, a long-time tea drinker, won the Starbucks gift basket. I had hoped to win the gas barbecue (we really don't have room for a 42" television, the big prize) but somebody else took it home. That's probably a good thing. My purist husband thinks that barbecue is best when charcoal is used. I'm the one who wants the gas machine and barbecue really isn't a woman's place anyway. I would probably forget myself and go on a grilling frenzy if it were easy to start the flames.

Thursday Evening

This will be very short. Mom was not feeling well at all today. She isn't accustomed to having colds and she is almost 90. Sometimes I wonder if this thing so many of have had this winter is really the famous H1N1 and we just don't have enough sense to realize it. We are hoping she will be much better by early next week.

Also, I can think of no amusing spin on this one. I certainly understand why they ask people visiting senior residences not to do so if they have any sort of illness.

We Are Doing Better

The antibiotics and the thermoses of tea and the absolute rest are working their magic. Mom is feeling better today. The people at Merrill Gardens are bringing her meals (such as they are) to her. I had envisioned taking food over for lunch and for dinner, but I am absolutely not needed.

Lesson learned: When I reach a certain age I will hope to remember that moving to a Senior Facility is a great choice. I will hope to have enough money left to do so. I hope to be there while I can still enjoy the jazz concerts, and the classes, and all of the special little things they have access to. Yep. Everybody is old, but I will be old too. There are couples as well as singles at MG. Everyone has a real apartment, not just a room. I'm sure I will miss the freedom to come and go as I please, but you lose that freedom even if you stay in your own home after your driving days are past.

A Mom Monday

We had a bit of a scare this morning. Mom called at about 8:30 and told me I needed to get to her apartment now because she thought she had pneumonia. Never a thing to ignore, you pay close attention to pneumonia when an 89-year-old woman is involved.

I moved fast. I didn't so much dress as I covered my body: Jeans, a sweatshirt, tennies, and a baseball hat to cover hair that was yet to be washed. No makeup adorned this 66 years young face (the whole eyebrows and lashes look was just not there). Luckily my teeth had been brushed before the call.

When I got to Merrill Gardens she sounded terrible and felt like she just might be joining daddy sooner rather than later. I requested a visit from the nurse at the facility office and got on the phone to Kaiser while we waited for her. At this point I wasn't sure whether to load Mom in the car or call 911.

The nurse arrived while I was on the phone to Kaiser and kept telling me she needed to go to the doctor.

"You need to take her to the doctor"
"I'm on hold for Kaiser now"
"You need to take her to the doctor"
"Yes, I'm trying to call them"
"She needs to go to the doctor"
"I'm holding for Kaiser"
"Does she have Kaiser?"
"NO. I am just calling them and sitting in the queue because I'm hoping they can give me the number for a Sutter Doctor." (Well, no I didn't say that, but I felt like it.)

We did get an appointment late morning with a very nice young doctor, who told us that she just has a really bad cold, a bit of bronchitis or sinusitis, and needs to rest. She gave Mom prescriptions for an antibiotic, cough medicine, and an albuterol inhaler "just in case". I brought her home and made a grocery run for chicken broth ("I don't want food") and a loaf of bread.

Note that the dogwood and tulip trees are blooming here and I cheerfully pointed them out to her all the way home. She was about as uninterested in those trees as a person can be and probably was ready to strangle her daughter.

She's going to feel really lousy for a couple of days but will probably recover from the cold long before she recovers from the shame of being seen with me in public with my morning face.

Closet Enhancement

I went shopping today and had a great new experience. An FA friend runs a shopping service from her home. She shops thrift stores for her clients, you make an appointment, and she puts together several outfits for you to try. Some work and some don't. If something doesn't come together on you she will pull out another garment and try it. She asks that you be willing to try something that isn't your usual style. She refuses to sell her clients anything that doesn't look good on them. She likes to shop and always looks smashing herself.

When I got there she had six outfits put together for me and three dresses to try. Some of the pants just didn't fit, but I had something similar at home, so tops worked. There was one blouse I really liked that just didn't cut it (rats!). One dress that she liked on me didn't suit my needs. In the end I came home with five sweaters, a gorgeous white blouse, three little knit tops, two jackets, dressy grey slacks, and a dress -- for $150. Many of the brands were for stores I wouldn't ordinarily think of , like J Crew and Banana Republic, but they were not age inappropriate. She tells me it's time to start thinking outside the box when I buy clothing.

I know I could do this on my own if I simply trusted my taste and was willing to take the time to check out the thrift stores. In the meantime, this Second Hand Rose is going to be looking chic, and is grateful for Carol's fashion sense and time.

Day Three

Another mostly uneventful day.

My dear husband has been trying to get the Shingles Vaccine, as prescribed by his doctor. We (I) made the requisite calls to Medicare then to Anthem Blue Cross and then to MedCo (drug provider for CalPERS) to find out where he should be getting this vaccine/where they will pay for all or most of it. We were directed to the Walgreen Pharmacy in our neighborhood, told that they don't actually have the serum yet, redirected to the Bel Air Pharmacy, and he was told that none of the paperwork he was given by the doctor suffices and that he needs a regular prescription. He called the doctor and asked that a prescription be mailed to him. Nothing. He called the doctor's office again and asked for a phone call. Nothing. Repeat call and repeat nothing. He finally went there and made an in-person fuss (as only a seventy-something man with nothing better to do can make one). Turns out that Dr. B's assistant FAXED the prescription to the pharmacy February 9 but they didn't know how to get hold of Alex so nobody told him. He was out when the doc's office called today and I explained to them that Alex really does not relate to electronic methods. They need to call or mail him the information.

Sacramento is a company town. Lots of us have CalPERS insurance and any doctor's office should have the information relating to us at their fingertips -- or at least in their files. Much as I love my computer, not everyone communicates this way. If you want to reach the geezer set you have to use Ma Bell or USPS. Now I do sound like a grumpy little old lady, don't I?

Day Two

Daily. I said daily and I nearly forgot today. Nothing in the rules says that I have to write a lot.

Today it suddenly seemed to be spring. As I drove to my meeting the dogwood was in bloom beside the freeway. The blossoms just popped overnight. The clouds of white and pink were like gifts all along my route. The camellias are also finally out and I'm thinking the azaleas can't be far behind.

I stopped at the mall on the way home. When I got out of the car I realized that I was too warm in my coat and I left it in the trunk of the car. I wish we could export some of this lovely weather to the east coast.

Lenten Promise

No, I'm not Roman Catholic. No schmoot on my forehead today. Lent just seems to be a good time to promise to do something or do without something. I'm already doing without eating everything I don't need to maintain and a host of other things. What to do?

It was suggested that I blog daily for the 40 days. Gulp. Here we go. I have been meaning to do this for a long time.

This was a busy day -- started out by taking Mom to Kaiser for an earlyish appointment (which took all morning) and will end with a Chieftains concert with the McCarrolls at the Modavi Center.

Mom's blood pressure is fine now, but her pulse is low (after 88 it's patch, patch, patch) so she is changing medication yet again. I find myself wondering why they always start you with the full three months prescription, then you end out tossing two-and-a-half-months worth if it doesn't work out. Got to buy stock in some drug companies. They have to be making a fortune just on what we flush down the toilet. My Mother is amazingly patient with the whole system. I'm sure she would rather be doing something fun rather than spending time at Kaiser.

Letter -- Part Two

I majored in Journalism and wrote advertising copy as a brand new college grad. I do know better. I really do!

However, I wrote that annual letter, printed out a bunch of copies, and stuck 30-some in sealed envelopes without waiting 24 hours or having somebody else read it. As soon as I was done and I picked up that leftover copy I saw several things I should edit/delete. Aaargh! I'm not starting over -- too lazy to address new envelopes.

When you blog or post on Facebook you can be excused some awkward wording, a typo or two, a bit of redundancy. When the printed word is involved, however, we need to be more careful.

Chalk this one up as a learning experience.

Those Annual Letters

We really love getting annual Christmas letters. There are so many old friends from school or work that we rarely see, and the annual card/letter is the only way we know what is going on with them. Well, now there is Facebook, but the letters have more detail.

A few years ago the holidays were very busy and we didn't get cards, letters, or anything out. We decided to send out an "annual report" in January. Having received letters from friends more as Valentines than Christmas cards, we know that those are the ones you really have time to read and digest properly. Last year we didn't even send those. I'm not quite sure what happened, but we completely blew it.

Today I sat down and composed the letter for 2009. We all did some travelling, but there were few real changes this year. Mom moved to Sacramento -- and that had more impact on our lives than anything else. I lost 50 pounds, but that had less effect than I thought it might, so I didn't include that bit. All of us are doing pretty much what we did last year at this time.

I realized how hard it has become for me to write and I need to rectify that problem. I am going to play columnist and try to blog more often even if I don't really have much to say. Like any good journalist, I ought to be able to fill space even if nothing much is happening.

A Tribute to Young Mothers

My office window looks onto a park and the playground is roughly 100 feet from our house. As a result, on sunny days we can hear young children playing -- a truly joyful sound. We bought this house 30+ years ago largely because of that playground. At the time the girls were five and two-and-a-half. It proved to be the perfect gathering place for young moms and preschool children. We met neighbors and made good friendships at the playground. I'm still so glad it is there.

Last night at dusk -- the end of several overcast and damp days -- I looked out and noticed a stroller at the playground. A young mom was there watching her young person play on the slide and climbing equipment. I was a bit surprised, then remembered how it felt when a little one has been confined to the house for too many days. I'm guessing she needed a few minutes of fresh air action to settle him/her (it's hard to tell when they are all bundled up) for supper and bedtime.

It's early yet, but today looks sunnier and I expect young parents and not-so-young grandparents will be out enjoying that sunshine later in the day. Raising children isn't easy. You don't always do things quite the way you had planned and the outcome is not guaranteed. It's the best and most important job in the world, however. Mom's (and child-caring dads) definitely have executive qualities. They have to plan ahead, think creatively, and always have a Plan B -- and C, D, etc. They have to have patience and faith. They don't get raises or promotions if they do a good job.

Sometimes I think that if I had just worked all of the time at a paying job I would be far more financially secure. I would not, however, be richer. I'm lucky to be blessed with amazing grown children. I have friends who were probably better parents than I was who are not so fortunate.

Here is to the moms and dads who go out in the cold to take the children to the playground, who attend games and recitals, who act as tot-taxis, who are there when the school/team/youth organization needs them. Whose rewards tend to be sticky. I think it is much harder now than when my girls were growing up. Hang in there guys. The future of our world depends on you.

PS. As I finish this I begin to hear happy screams. There is a father (grandfather?) out there pushing two children -- about 3 or 4 I think -- on the swings. It really is cool to live next to a playground!

Tasks for a Rainy Day

It has been cold and damp outside and staying in is a treat. Since I am in the house I have finally been getting things in de-holiday condition. The tree went down, in its box, and was carted into the garage yesterday. It's really too big for the box and the box broke open (despite about 40 yards of strapping tape), so I stuffed it back in and tied it with some rope left over from Mom's move last summer. Boy Scouts are taught to tie proper knots. I hope that Girl Scouts and Camp Fire are now teaching that same skill. We ladies have to have talents in all sorts of areas these days.

I've also had a few extra laundry loads this week (part of being a member of the sandwich generation) and I can tell you that there isn't a much better activity on a cold day than folding laundry. It smells nice and it's warm. Now I'm off to the living room to move furniture.

Our Little Buddy is Gone

Yesterday our little foster kitty, Todd, went to an adoption event and never really came home.

A nice young couple (reminds me of Nancy and Ryan, and Les and Tim) came to the event especially to meet him and fell in love with him. They already have two lady cats and were anxious to add out little guy to their family. Mary (our cat social worker) brought him to me and I delivered him to their home without even bringing him inside our house. Like anything painful, these things are best done as quickly as possible. He now has a wonderful forever home and we have a little hole in our family.

When we take the fosters into our house, we know they will be leaving us. Sometimes it's in a couple of weeks -- and those are easy and joyful. A few times it has been a couple of months -- and those were bittersweet. This time we had had him for six months and he really had become one of our family. I miss him when I come in from the garage and he isn't waiting to greet me, or when he doesn't help me while I eat breakfast and attempt to read the newspaper. Our other cats obviously are aware of his absence and my reaction and are trying to comfort me. When you live with animals they can tell when you are sad and they really do try to help.

We have decided to take a time out for a month or so. There is a kitten needing a foster home now, but Alex and I and our furry kids need the break. I'm sure in a month or so Mary will call and say that there is a cat or kitten who really needs a home, and we will open ours to it once again. In the meantime, our sadness is tempered with the knowledge that we did a little something to help one small and very dear animal. We know that we passed an affectionate and trusting little guy on to a young couple who will love and care for him and whose lives he will leave a little bit richer.

I often wish I had the means or the talent to make a huge difference in the world, but I tell myself that if each of us can make a small difference -- within the scope of our ability -- we can collectively do even more than a Bill Gates or Warren Buffett.

A Well-Lived Life

This has been one of those weeks -- busy-ness without much accomplishment. The high point of our week was a funeral. It was a truly uplifting experience and I'm glad we could be there.

Ralph Amato was the uncle of our son-in-law, Tim. Toward the end of his life he was the custodian at a school. I didn't have the privilege of knowing him well, but he was always a very sweet and friendly man. He was the sort of person you couldn't help liking.

The priest who officiated obviously knew and liked him as well. He talked about his patience with the children (who aren't always easy to work with) and the fact that he had a "simple heart". He didn't leave a large house or a fancy car or a lot of fancy electronic equipment or a big stock portfolio. He wasn't accorded great honors. He didn't wield power in business or politics. His wealth was in being loved -- and in being missed. Marty (Tim's mom) said his death leaves a hole in her heart. Her husband, Gary, just said "He was a really good guy." I got the impression that a lot of people felt that way about him.

His life should be a reminder to us all that success can best be measured by how much you enrich the lives of other people. I hope that I can remember that lesson.

During the service the priest said that he is now the custodian at a school for cherubim. Seems like a fitting reward for someone who was a good guy.

It was a Good Day

We had been worrying about Nancy and a lump under her arm. She spent hours with the doctors today and learned that she is feeling scar tissue. They did an untrasound to double check and it really isn't anything to worry about. I wonder if a new pair of shoes will turn up in her closet by the end of the week.

On the household front, we have a new vacuum cleaner (nothing pricey or posh, just new). It is a Hoover, a pretty sagey green, and it actually picks up dirt and kitty hair on the first pass. I cleaned the family room rug in less than five minutes. We had known that the old one was on its last legs because it really seemed weak and it sounded like an elephant in labor every time we used it. Still, I had no idea how bad it was until I vacuumed with the new one. Amazing! I may actually have to clean house now.

And, if Jan is reading this, tell Bruce that it doesn't even take seven passes. Such a concept!

Post Holiday Chores

It is January second and I'm starting to take down the Christmas decorations. Not the tree. I'm letting myself leave it up for another week or so. It transforms our living room and I'm just not ready to let it go. This year I got nice plastic totes from Costco to replace many of the cardboard boxes that have lived on our garage shelves for years. We will be able to see what's in there and they will keep things more dust-free.

Last night I had a purple bath with floating stars (don't you just love Lush?) and had the little silver anglaspel (rotating Christmas trees powered by a tea light) to heighten the mood. The little luxuries are the best! The anglaspel gets put away until next year. The Christmas red towels are in the washer as I write and will go into the lovely new totes when they come out of the dryer.

Part of the beauty of real flowers is in the fact that they last such a short time. I think the holiday season is like that also. Just one month out of the year keeps our holiday traditions always fresh and precious.

A New Beginning

New year's Day is like a clean sheet of paper, or a clean room -- full of possibilities.

I found that I met only one of my goals for 2009 (albeit one that will probably give me more years to meet goals) and I'm hoping the 2010 goals are more realistic. One thing not mentioned in my profile is that my 12-step program involves a lot of meditation and self-searching. Sometimes it is very painful. Lately I have been dealing with some hard realizations and one of my tasks is simply to get over them. The past is the past and we need to give up old hurts and resentments and regrets. We can't change what we did or didn't do and we need not to beat ourselves up over things that happened years ago -- not even things that happened yesterday. This sounds like a downer. It isn't really. Bringing some of "our stuff" to the surface helps us deal with it so that it is no longer coloring everything that happens in our lives.

I start this year in much better health than last year with all of my doctor numbers in the healthy range. I'm happier with my appearance, though that wasn't the motivator for the weight loss. I have begun the journey of self-discovery. I am asking to change certain habits and instincts. I'm hoping to be of use in 2009. I want to bring my home to the physical state that ensures if anything happens to me my daughters will not have a mess to clear.

There are all of those possibilities out there. I just need to learn to reach out and take them.