Yesterday---lunch with my old hometown girlfriends. We all started kindergarten together and on through elementary and high school. We came from a small school and small class. I have written of these fabulous women before.
We’ve known each other for 65 years now and have shared many good and bad times and yet, there are a couple of girls that I don’t know very well. It seems strange to me that after all we have been through, I would have that feeling. I guess they are just quieter about their lives than I am. I am always spilling my guts about what is going on and I’m sure at times the group gets tired of my yammering, but…they always give me all their support and love. At least it is good that I am learning to know them now.
We worry about each other, we cry with each other, we get angry when one of us has had an injustice placed on them. AND that is what is so great about this group of friends---we are always there for each other. Whether we were/are the very closest and best friends or just more casual friends. We listen to each other vent---we give our support and let that person know how much we love them and we keep it to ourselves. What is that saying? “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas?” I feel the same way about this group, “What happens with the girlfriends, stays with the girlfriends.” I oughta get a T-shirt with that printed on it.
While some of us were enjoying a weekend up north at "A's" cottage, I noticed that someone had put a new roll of toilet paper on the roller. The paper was hanging down the back of the roll instead of coming up over the top and in front. I immediately went downstairs and demanded to know, "Who put the toilet paper on wrong?" Come to find out, yesterday "B" took a show of hands of the 9 of us to see, "who puts the toilet paper so the paper comes over the top and who puts it on so the sheets fall behind the roll?" It was unanimous--over the top of the roll, sheets hanging in front. She's the one who had put the new roll on at the cottage. She, however, after I yelled about it, has changed. She said that she had changed the toilet paper rolls at home and her husband came out of the bathroom and said, "We've been married 49 years and I've never seen the toilet paper like that!" Perhaps that spiced up their marriage? Change is good. HAH.
Anyway--that is one of the more weighty problems we have voted on and solved. We are all about getting together, the third Thursday of every month and discussing the problems of the world and we all seem to feel the same way about things.
==================
As I drove from here to where we had lunch yesterday, I drove through the country and town where I used to live. I stopped in my old hometown for a few minutes to pick up a gift certificate at the hair salon for my step-mother and I looked up the main street--to the top of the hill--and remembered many a parade where our band marched down that hill and that street. I could almost see us in our uniforms, strutting along, high stepping in time to the march we were playing. I envisioned all this while I hobbled across the street and just shook my head. I can barely make it across the street now, let alone have to march down it. Damn the years!!!
I continued on my way, along roads and streets where I took driver's training in high school; where I drag raced another friend; where I sat snuggled under my boyfriend's right arm as we drove to the movie theatre.
After lunch, I drove those same roads back to the farm I was born on (where my son lives now), the farm I lived on in my adult years (where my daughter lives now), to the family farm (where my step mother lives). I was filled with such nostalgia as I drove along; looking out at the home I used to live in, the woods I played in as a child, the fields I roamed. Everytime I drive out there, I get so homesick! I so want to move back to my roots. Since I have moved from my home, I have never felt at home again. It has been 20 years and I have lived in 5 different homes and I have never felt "at home." It is as if I am living in a motel and waiting until I can pack up and go home again. And...it's not going to happen.
How thankful I am that my family still owns the three farms and still lives there--I can go home again...if only for a day...and that is got to be good enough.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
You Did Good
Judy 70-Ellen 65 -Dianne 60 - Susan 57I thought all of you would pick B. But it IS D--my sister Susan born when I was almost 13. Most people think that B and I look alike. Actually the two in the middle are our step-sisters. Our two farm land's touched. Their Dad moved out from Detroit during WWII and our Dad taught him how to farm. We've played with them all our lives.
Their Dad died the day after Christmas 1969, our Mother died March 1970 and their Mother and our Dad got married July 1971. They had known each other for 30+ years--had been close friends in the same card club, taking vacations together, all of it. It just made sense that they marry.
Ellen used to cry because she wanted to be my sister and...now we are :-)
Guess
I have nothing to write about today, so---guess which one is my sister.
If I am the one on the left A, and going to the right, B,C,D, guess which one is my sister. Click on it to make it larger if you can't see it very well.
If I am the one on the left A, and going to the right, B,C,D, guess which one is my sister. Click on it to make it larger if you can't see it very well.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
He Wins!
Fred's chiropractor wins the race.
He told Fred that his back is all in place and Fred has been without pain for almost a week, so he doesn't have to go back.
WAAHH--I was having back spasms yesterday when I went in to my Doc, so bad he couldn't work on me until the therapist took me to a back room and stretched my muscles out. Then I got my adjustment and have to go back tomorrow.
The thing of it is, Fred only has his problem for a couple of weeks before he went in and I have had mine for almost two years. Although I have had chiropractic adjustment, massage therapy and physical therapy over the last year, mine will never get better. All I can hope for is a tolerable amount of pain. I will always have pain when I walk or try and do physical work like vacuuming and other house work and outdoor work on my yard. I won't be able to do too much without suffering for days afterwards.
The disc in my back is permanently damaged. Surgery would do no good. This causes the muscles from my back to my hip to tighten up which causes pain in my hip/groin/thigh/knee. I have very little pain in my back--most of my constant pain is in my groin and thigh. The chiropractic adjustments help keep this muscle, called the psoas (so as) looser, but not entirely as it should be.
I will always have this pain and probably have to go in for chiropractic treatments at least once or twice a month to keep me at any tolerable pain level.
This is depressing! To know that I will live the rest of my life like this! To know that if I ever get to the ocean, I won't be able to walk across the sandy, unlevel beach to get to the water's edge without pain...without having to stop several times. To know that cleaning house has to be done a bit at a time on a daily basis to stay at a tolerable pain level. To know that I can no longer plant flowers in my garden because I can't bend over, nor rake leaves, nor shovel snow. To know that I can't go grocery shopping nor walk any distance. I cannot do anything that causes any strain on my back and thus tightens that DAMN PSOAS MUSCLE!!! And of coruse, even walking causes strain on the back. SHIT!!! FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. I am not going to get any better!!!!
============
It is a sunny day today--the last one in quite a time by the looks of the weather forecast. I stopped at the storage unit yesterday and brought back the plastic boxes that contain the lighted garland for the porch railing and the big lighted balls that hang from the porch roof. This afternoon I am going to put them up and get the electrical cords all set up and plugged in. I won't turn on the lights until the day after Thanksgiving, but I need to get them up while it is still warm outside. I also have lighted candles that I put in every window and I can do that today too.
Then the day after Thanksgiving, I can put up the Christmas decorations inside and put up the Christmas tree that last weekend of November. It all tires out my back, so I do a little bit, then sit and rest, then do a little bit more. GAWD--I feel eighty years old!!! Then I take all the empty boxes back to the storage unit until after Christmas. Which is a chore as I can't get all the boxes in my car in one "run". So I have to bring some home, put the stuff up, take back those empty boxes, get more boxes. All that lifting and moving and putting up strains my back too.
I don't know why I do all of it. None of the kids come here to see the decorated house. I don't have company come in--the house is too small for more than four people plus us. DAMN--I wish I had a bigger house, but then, I couldn't take care of a bigger house, so............
=============
Are we having fun yet?
He told Fred that his back is all in place and Fred has been without pain for almost a week, so he doesn't have to go back.
WAAHH--I was having back spasms yesterday when I went in to my Doc, so bad he couldn't work on me until the therapist took me to a back room and stretched my muscles out. Then I got my adjustment and have to go back tomorrow.
The thing of it is, Fred only has his problem for a couple of weeks before he went in and I have had mine for almost two years. Although I have had chiropractic adjustment, massage therapy and physical therapy over the last year, mine will never get better. All I can hope for is a tolerable amount of pain. I will always have pain when I walk or try and do physical work like vacuuming and other house work and outdoor work on my yard. I won't be able to do too much without suffering for days afterwards.
The disc in my back is permanently damaged. Surgery would do no good. This causes the muscles from my back to my hip to tighten up which causes pain in my hip/groin/thigh/knee. I have very little pain in my back--most of my constant pain is in my groin and thigh. The chiropractic adjustments help keep this muscle, called the psoas (so as) looser, but not entirely as it should be.
I will always have this pain and probably have to go in for chiropractic treatments at least once or twice a month to keep me at any tolerable pain level.
This is depressing! To know that I will live the rest of my life like this! To know that if I ever get to the ocean, I won't be able to walk across the sandy, unlevel beach to get to the water's edge without pain...without having to stop several times. To know that cleaning house has to be done a bit at a time on a daily basis to stay at a tolerable pain level. To know that I can no longer plant flowers in my garden because I can't bend over, nor rake leaves, nor shovel snow. To know that I can't go grocery shopping nor walk any distance. I cannot do anything that causes any strain on my back and thus tightens that DAMN PSOAS MUSCLE!!! And of coruse, even walking causes strain on the back. SHIT!!! FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. I am not going to get any better!!!!
============
It is a sunny day today--the last one in quite a time by the looks of the weather forecast. I stopped at the storage unit yesterday and brought back the plastic boxes that contain the lighted garland for the porch railing and the big lighted balls that hang from the porch roof. This afternoon I am going to put them up and get the electrical cords all set up and plugged in. I won't turn on the lights until the day after Thanksgiving, but I need to get them up while it is still warm outside. I also have lighted candles that I put in every window and I can do that today too.
Then the day after Thanksgiving, I can put up the Christmas decorations inside and put up the Christmas tree that last weekend of November. It all tires out my back, so I do a little bit, then sit and rest, then do a little bit more. GAWD--I feel eighty years old!!! Then I take all the empty boxes back to the storage unit until after Christmas. Which is a chore as I can't get all the boxes in my car in one "run". So I have to bring some home, put the stuff up, take back those empty boxes, get more boxes. All that lifting and moving and putting up strains my back too.
I don't know why I do all of it. None of the kids come here to see the decorated house. I don't have company come in--the house is too small for more than four people plus us. DAMN--I wish I had a bigger house, but then, I couldn't take care of a bigger house, so............
=============
Are we having fun yet?
Monday, November 16, 2009
Snoop
I will admit...I am a snoop. Having lived out in the country with the nearest neighbor 1/2 mile away, since moving to a "community" I have to tell you, any movement from neighboring houses has me standing off to the side of my kitchen window and peeking through the curtain.
Our neighbors--kids in their 40's, have lived apart for most of the summer. She worked nights and slept days, he worked days, so he only came home on the weekends. I had heard rumors that they were having "trouble", but I figured it would straighten itself out with their working schedules. They wouldn't see each other anyway, so why split up?
One Saturday, a couple of weeks ago, I saw them outside, raking leaves together and laughing and even kissing and I thought all was well and i was glad. Yesterday I saw something quite different.
He was hauling boxes out of the house and putting them in the back of his pick-up truck. He was out in the shed and taking the snow blower and his saws and heavier stuff like that and putting it in the back of his truck. In late afternoon, he got in the truck and drove away.
I almost cried. This is sad for me. We really liked him. He came over in the winter and blew the snow out of our drive for us. Neither Fred nor I can shovel snow, so "next door neighbor" was a big help to us...and now...he's gone.
Neither one of them look particularly sad. She was even helping him load up his stuff. The minute he was gone from the area, she was on her phone, in her car and gone for the rest of the evening.
I think it was her idea. I don't think either one of them can afford to live on their own--they are in bankruptcy.
I wish she'd rake up her leaves. If she is going to live alone, she's got to learn to take care of the place. He always did such a good job.
Oh well--enough gossip. I am just sad. Don't know if I am sad because they have split up or if I am sad because I can't figure out who is going to get the snow out of my driveway this winter.
That's probably the real reason I'm sad. Not only am I a snoop, but a hard hearted bitch only worrying how their break up is going to effect me!!
Our neighbors--kids in their 40's, have lived apart for most of the summer. She worked nights and slept days, he worked days, so he only came home on the weekends. I had heard rumors that they were having "trouble", but I figured it would straighten itself out with their working schedules. They wouldn't see each other anyway, so why split up?
One Saturday, a couple of weeks ago, I saw them outside, raking leaves together and laughing and even kissing and I thought all was well and i was glad. Yesterday I saw something quite different.
He was hauling boxes out of the house and putting them in the back of his pick-up truck. He was out in the shed and taking the snow blower and his saws and heavier stuff like that and putting it in the back of his truck. In late afternoon, he got in the truck and drove away.
I almost cried. This is sad for me. We really liked him. He came over in the winter and blew the snow out of our drive for us. Neither Fred nor I can shovel snow, so "next door neighbor" was a big help to us...and now...he's gone.
Neither one of them look particularly sad. She was even helping him load up his stuff. The minute he was gone from the area, she was on her phone, in her car and gone for the rest of the evening.
I think it was her idea. I don't think either one of them can afford to live on their own--they are in bankruptcy.
I wish she'd rake up her leaves. If she is going to live alone, she's got to learn to take care of the place. He always did such a good job.
Oh well--enough gossip. I am just sad. Don't know if I am sad because they have split up or if I am sad because I can't figure out who is going to get the snow out of my driveway this winter.
That's probably the real reason I'm sad. Not only am I a snoop, but a hard hearted bitch only worrying how their break up is going to effect me!!
Friday, November 13, 2009
Friday
I remember when Friday's were a joyous day for me. Off work and a whole 2 days to get my housework and yard work done and enjoy.
Now, Fridays, are just like any other day. I am retired and every day is a Friday or a vacation day. I can't do all my house work in one day and I now have a man that comes and mows the lawn and takes up my leaves, Both of the above reasons are because I have a bad back and hip.
I do housework everyday--usually one room a day. Today it was the last room to clean--the computer/den/library. I washed windows and dusted and shined and put away and vacuumed. Now I can relax and enjoy football games tomorrow on TV and work on the cross stitch tree skirt for my sister's Christmas gift.
My life is not very exciting anymore and glad for that I am. When I worked, there was always something stressful happening at the office...now I can work at my computer when I want to.
I have a schedule or a routine now and I like that. It is the same routine I had when I lived in my 9 room house and had 4 children and a husband to take care of. I did it then to stay ahead of the game, I do it now to baby along my back and hip.
Monday: Laundry and clean the bedroom.
Tuesday: Clean the bathroom, wash towels and rugs.
Wednesday: Clean the kitchen, mop the floor.
Thursday: Clean the living room; dust and vacuum
Friday: Clean the den; dust and vacuum.
It may take a week, but it gets it all done and at least one room is totally clean on any given day.
===============
Today I went to Staples and bought some mailing boxes. I have a child's sweater and four hats for the charities that I knit/crochet for and they are ready to be mailed. This month's charity is warm clothing for children at an Indian Reservation in South Dakota. It isn't much, but it gives me a place to use the things I crochet while I am sitting idly watching TV. I can't just watch TV, sitting in my chair. I have to have my hands busy. So...this is a great outlet for me.
=============
I am trying not to stress out by the small amount of leaves that have blown on my lawn. I don't think the yardman is coming again this year, so I just have to ignore the leaves and know that soon snow will cover them and I won't see them and yet...it truly bugs the heck out of me to see them. I was going out to rake up what I could, but by the time I walked back to the shed and got the rake and yard bag out, my hip was screaming and I was having back spasms. So...there is nothing I can do. It sure would help if my neighbor would rake her leaves so they don't continue to blow on my lawn, but she is too busy gallivanting all over the county with her girlfriends. We have had nice 60 degree days and perfect for yard work, but not her...
==========
Enough bitching--have a great weekend.
Now, Fridays, are just like any other day. I am retired and every day is a Friday or a vacation day. I can't do all my house work in one day and I now have a man that comes and mows the lawn and takes up my leaves, Both of the above reasons are because I have a bad back and hip.
I do housework everyday--usually one room a day. Today it was the last room to clean--the computer/den/library. I washed windows and dusted and shined and put away and vacuumed. Now I can relax and enjoy football games tomorrow on TV and work on the cross stitch tree skirt for my sister's Christmas gift.
My life is not very exciting anymore and glad for that I am. When I worked, there was always something stressful happening at the office...now I can work at my computer when I want to.
I have a schedule or a routine now and I like that. It is the same routine I had when I lived in my 9 room house and had 4 children and a husband to take care of. I did it then to stay ahead of the game, I do it now to baby along my back and hip.
Monday: Laundry and clean the bedroom.
Tuesday: Clean the bathroom, wash towels and rugs.
Wednesday: Clean the kitchen, mop the floor.
Thursday: Clean the living room; dust and vacuum
Friday: Clean the den; dust and vacuum.
It may take a week, but it gets it all done and at least one room is totally clean on any given day.
===============
Today I went to Staples and bought some mailing boxes. I have a child's sweater and four hats for the charities that I knit/crochet for and they are ready to be mailed. This month's charity is warm clothing for children at an Indian Reservation in South Dakota. It isn't much, but it gives me a place to use the things I crochet while I am sitting idly watching TV. I can't just watch TV, sitting in my chair. I have to have my hands busy. So...this is a great outlet for me.
=============
I am trying not to stress out by the small amount of leaves that have blown on my lawn. I don't think the yardman is coming again this year, so I just have to ignore the leaves and know that soon snow will cover them and I won't see them and yet...it truly bugs the heck out of me to see them. I was going out to rake up what I could, but by the time I walked back to the shed and got the rake and yard bag out, my hip was screaming and I was having back spasms. So...there is nothing I can do. It sure would help if my neighbor would rake her leaves so they don't continue to blow on my lawn, but she is too busy gallivanting all over the county with her girlfriends. We have had nice 60 degree days and perfect for yard work, but not her...
==========
Enough bitching--have a great weekend.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Apology Accepted
I received this e-mail from my daughter:
"Sorry for yelling last week. Was up all night with Alex, have a badly sprained jaw (from a roundhouse kick from Alex) and have been working so much that I don't know if I'm coming or going. Was dying to get a few minutes of shut-eye and had just about 40 minutes to do so. It's not like me to yell..I think this job is making me a total freak. Sorry again. 8-)"
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Has anyone heard about THE toy for this year called Zhu Zhu Pets? It is an animated hamster and has it's own tunnels to go through and a wheel and a bed, etc. All stores are sold out--it sells for around $10.00 in the stores. I can get is on Amazon for $61.00!!! Can you believe that?
I finally found a website where I can get all the stuff and the animal was only 20.00, but good grief!!!
=========
Gotta go mop the kitchen--ach, my aching back.
"Sorry for yelling last week. Was up all night with Alex, have a badly sprained jaw (from a roundhouse kick from Alex) and have been working so much that I don't know if I'm coming or going. Was dying to get a few minutes of shut-eye and had just about 40 minutes to do so. It's not like me to yell..I think this job is making me a total freak. Sorry again. 8-)"
================
Has anyone heard about THE toy for this year called Zhu Zhu Pets? It is an animated hamster and has it's own tunnels to go through and a wheel and a bed, etc. All stores are sold out--it sells for around $10.00 in the stores. I can get is on Amazon for $61.00!!! Can you believe that?
I finally found a website where I can get all the stuff and the animal was only 20.00, but good grief!!!
=========
Gotta go mop the kitchen--ach, my aching back.
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