Dancing Birds and other oddities

I have worked on a post several different times today, never quite finishing the intended medical report. I don't know...it's almost as if I wasn't meant to sit at my computer all day and pour forth my extremely heartfelt but generally shallow knowledge, do ya know what I mean?

*sigh*

Nolan tried the ol' "I'm sick" ploy, this morning. But when it became clear that he had no temperature and had, indeed, scoped out a morning full of Lego-play, Ma got tough and made him do school. He skipped supper last night, something I thought unusual, given the attractive, frozen pizza. He's complained of a stomach ache and a headache, so I was preparing for the worst. The night passed uneventfully, though he claimed he'd hardly slept.

Nolan did drag a sleeping bag downstairs and lay under it, on the couch (I break out into a sweat, just thinking about it). But as long as he gets his work done, I'll try and ignore the total overkill on prophylactic measures.

Then, after returning from a two hour trip to get the new lenses in my glasses (stopped at a resale shop :-) we were watching the news when a version of THIS came on:


So, I thought, "Hey, why not skip the boring medical report (just for now, you're not getting off the hook PERM-anently) and post a video of a dancing cockatoo?" Be sure and watch to the very end.

It works for me.
 

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The Huge Dilemma

So MANY things coalescing, here at the Hoytstead.

Jason will be home from college, this Friday night!

Also, the time of librariness crept up on us, unawares. This wouldn't be too bad, but because of the whole economy meltdown, we've been coordinating this every-two-months endeavor with grocery shopping for that week,

BUT,

Derek's birthday is next week, which means he has to pick out his birthday meal and dessert THIS MORNING, as we've (read that, I've) decided 'twould be best to go to-day.

Oh, it may SEEM like trivia to the rest of society, but to the young perfectionist turning 18, it is no small decision. Especially when you thought there were days left for the choosing.

It has to be a REALLY GREAT MEAL. Something NOT COMMON. Something so good (and troublesome) that Ma hardly ever bothers to make it.

Ma finally came up with the suggestion of meatball subs, such as we have at family camp (they're really not that hard to make, but the kids don't have to KNOW that).

Derek finally caved with the addition of optional mushrooms.

That was the main dish, now for the dessert!

*intense discussions necessitating trained arbitrators, football refs and diplomats from 7 different countries*

Halle-LU-jah, 'tis decided! Almond Joy Cake.

Can you say, "YUMMO?"
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The Trevor Report: I am happy to say that Trevor is much, much better. He is eating pert near normally and hasn't lain listlessly on the couch for two whole days.

I was getting a little concerned, as he was eating minute amounts and had gotten quite lethargic.

He came down with it last Wednesday, and by Thursday or Friday, his fever was gone and I told him, trying to be an encouragement, "All we have to do is get through one more night, and I'll bet you'll be feeling a lot better!"

"I'm not wohwied about getting thwough the night..."

*blinks*

"What do you mean? You're worried about getting through the day?"

"Yes."

I thought that was kinda weird for a little kid of 7 to say. He felt bad. And after he said that, I started getting a little worried...but he seems pretty OK, now.

So far, no one else has gotten sick. And that makes it a good day to go to the libraries.
 

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Life in the Yard

Lots going on, in the Hoytdom. I still have to report on the cardio appointments of yesterday. Suffice it to say that no one is dying of heart problems, at this moment.

For now, however, Ma has a hankerin' to look at somethin' purdy :-)

The daffodils be abloomin'


Even the buds are beauteous


Violet, peeking out amidst last fall's weed debris


Small purple trees are popping up...grape hyacinths are weird, but pretty.

 

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Happy Birthday to Ardith

Well now, folks, Ardith turns 26 years old, today. A momentous occasion, I do believe. She is actually PAST the quarter century mark!

I thought about sharing a lot of gory birth details, but I would hesitate to embarrass my own dear offspring. Suffice it to say, she came a little earlier than expected...one week before the due date, and about 5 minutes after the midwife arrived.

Not that I blame her or anything.

Really.


Happy Birthday to Ardith, even though I don't have your present, yet, ma chère.

Welcome to the world, Baby Girl!
 

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Dark Was the Night...

...and lonely the hour, when three Hoyt peoples awakened.

'Twas the dreaded day of cardiology appointments for two of los childros, in Iowa City.

Even now, as they ate their knock-off shredded wheat, echos and other forms of cardio testing were being prepared for the hapless Sweet-Carolyn and Derek-Me-Lad.

Brave Ma, had decided not to get up at 4:00, but to sleep in until 4:03. Alas, it was not to be. Sometime in the early morning, after tortured dreams of church cleaning, our matronic Ma awakened early, stomach tightening into knottishness as she waited for el alarmo to ringo.

After interminable minutes, she heard the tell-tale squeak of the stair. Hmmm. It was the high school senior, stealthily creakng down the stair. She knew it must be 3:45. She had 15 more minutes to sleep!

After a leisurely 9, she packed it in, sleep-wise, turning off her alarm so as not to awaken the already awake husband.

Surely, turning off the alarm early had saved a minute part of its battery. O Ma...even in the wee hours of morning, you've done your part to go green, and save the planet!

In preparation for the 2 1/2 hour journey, Ma carefully goes over her supplies:

--Diet Cokes? check
--Cooler with Ice blob? check
--Straws? check
--CHOCOLATE? check
--Spicy Avocado Pringles Chips? (foil for pop) check
--Paperback book, A Beautiful Mind (autobiography)? check
--Crossword puzzles? check
--Industrial-sized purse to hold everything? check

All systems appear ready for 5:15 lift-off...
 

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The Miscellany of Life

I haven't updated on my mom, recently, but there has been some improvement. She now feeds herself for all meals, which she takes sitting in the kitchen.
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As to "The Great Hoyt Sinkhole," it took 14 wheelbarrow loads to fill. Now we wait through days of forecasted rain, to see how many smaller sinkholes develop from the mother sinkhole. In addition, I plan to clean out the eaves trough above, which has been dripping over the side.

Ethan was a great help to me in filling the wheelbarrow. And though I realize my "female loads" may be smaller than "MANLY" loads, the adjusted loadage came closer to 10 real loads, as opposed to the 6 that someone might possibly have suggested.

In addition to filling holes yesterday, I gathered up bricks and stone and made a new walkway/border by the porch. It's all been carefully documented with photos, but needs the test of time over several weeks to see if it will remain viable.

At the last minute, I put all of my impatients into the ground on the west side. Even if we get a frost, they should not be harmed.

So basically, I worked like a mad-person out-of-doors. A most fulfilling but exhausting day. Can you get a hangover from hard work? Probably just the sun and heat.
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In case we've ever wondered that some people have too much time on their hands, you can observe the "first ever Google alphabet," derived from satellite images.

Personally, I think "r" and "z" are dicey, but some are quite excellent.

One assumes that those who identified the letters can also read.
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I go now, to cut hair, after which I will no doubt need additional pain relievers.
 

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Lessons in Landscaping

Every once in a while, something comes along that makes an already biggish job, that much harder.

You may have seen the hole on yesterday's blog. The hole that mysteriously showed up when I was tracking down a rose root.

WELL, last night, in bed, I decided to widen the hole, just so I could see what I was dealing with.
And there it is.

I threw Ethan and the shovel into the picture to give you some perspective...

*huge sigh*

I'll be lucky just to get this filled in, today.

Loren thinks that when we bought the house and they were pouring cement for....something, they must have had extra and just dumped it. The ground, being soft, the center of the cement sunk down in and voilà, Ma has about 10 wheelbarrow loads to fill that baby up.

It's not that I'm complaining. Any more than usual, that is. I feel that as long as we LEARN something from this experience, it will not fall into the category of total-randomness-that-took-place-years-ago-to-make-my-life-hard-right-now.

And so, what can we learn?

1) Men should not be allowed to indiscriminately plop leftover cement anywhere. At anytime.

2) If someone says, "We can just dump this cement/leftover pesticide/nuclear waste, and cover it up, no problem," please get a second opinion. Make sure the second opinion is of the female persuasion.

Thus ends today's "Lessons in Landscaping." We foresee the potential for many more, in the future.

Have a nice day, and don't fall into any holes.
 

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Oh Me oh My

I is tired!

Been workin' da land, most all day long.

Beautiful weather, despite a persistent wind. It was enough to dry you from marrow, out, or as we like to say in Master Gardening circles, dissicating.

The Herb Garden Project proceeds apace, with a few planned and unplanned changes.

First of all, I was following up on a rugosa rose root, when my shovel suddenly pushed into empty space.


The first thought was an animal burrow, but then it became apparent we had more of a cavern-like opening...

Water from the hose was utilized. Large chunks of the clayish soil were thrown in...

As well as some broken bricks.
Here is Trevor. (the three young boys all vied for turns, and perhaps I let Trevor do too much, this day. His fever has recurred)

At some point when the foundation was dug for this section, there was extra cement left over, and it was tossed into the ground right about here. Flooding in later years washed out a large hole beneath the cement, so we have our work cut out for us to fill this baby up!

On the totally humble and non-whining-for-attention side, here is an example of what happens when you don't cover your arms while transplanting an established rugosa rose.
Taken with my left hand, which means I be ambi-meek :-D
 

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Brief Reportage

While the macaroni and cheese water heats up, we take a gander into the fascinating life of Ma...

The Trevor Report: I am happy to report the lad is better. While he awoke with a fever of 101.2, that has now returned to normal. No more nausea. A few bits of food and just enough energy to ride his bike for a bit. He also sat on the porch to watch his dear maman with her...

Herb Garden Project: still in the initial stages of removing plants and landscaping rocks--known to others in the family as "miscellaneous piles of dead-common stones." Most "green" projects involve a lot of dirty work. Suffice it to say that two-thirds of the needed transplanting is finished. Still a fair amount of work to do before I can start rearranging and amending the soil for el gardeno herbo. Many old bricks and stones lay willy-nilly in the grass, even as we speak.

The Diet Report: This is a real joke, at the moment, but I say we all need to laugh, no? Nothing concrete will take place until after I return from the Monday-of-early-rising-doom-visit-to-the-cardiologist, during which I will need several cokes to stay awake. Today and yesterday I ate Doritos with Diet Coke, and yes, I enjoyed it. These will once again become verboten--not that it will do any good, since it didn't, last time--but I think it's important to set a good example to the younger crowd. Examples of things you give up for no apparent benefit.

The scratched arm report: ONCE AGAIN, Ma has gone and done it, as in, moved a large prickly rose bush with gloves but no long sleeves. I'm thinking of asking my education coordinator whether I can get volunteer hour credit for these dried and bloody lines on my arms. After all, though acquired on the home front and not a public service project, they do serve as examples to the general public as how not to move rose bushes. Perhaps a small booth at the fair...

The mac-n-cheese report: After sensing a burning smell, and noticing a charred black patch on the pan, I can deduce that something was set aflame under the burner while I sat in a semi stupor before the computer. I'm not sure, but I think this counts as a scientific discovery, which just goes to show how well I can multitask.

Thus ends today's reportage, so far.

Have a good day.

Eat something with cheese in it.
 

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Earth Day Adventures With Ma

Today on Adventures With Ma, we take into consideration that it is Earth Day. Not that this was particularly planned, but we do think it profitable for exploitation.

This year marks a new project for Ma, that of developing an herb garden.

Simmering on the back burner for lo, these many years, the time seemed propitious in that the awful heat pump, for which she had planted a Rugosa Rose as a cloaking device, had gone and croaked.

Apres the heat pump went el fritzo, it was removed, leaving a noxious cement pad.
Notice the Lily of the Valley coming up on three sides of the cement pad? Ma planted these, also, to hide the hideous base of the heat pump. Things were just starting to fill in quite nicely...but now, they will be removed. More on this, later.

Deciding the day appropriate for shopping, Ma made her way to the little strip mall, which houses a grocery and her beloved Goodwill store. Upon reaching the sidewalk, Ma was accosted by an elderly gentleman with a cane, "Hey Lady..." who proceeded to inform her that his insurance people had told him to ALWAYS walk from the parking lot to the sidewalk where the yellow lines connect.
Otherwise, if you are hit while NOT walking on the yellow lines, your insurance will not pay.

This assumes several things: 1) that you might live after being hit by a car in a parking lot, and 2) all pedestrians NOT walking on the yellow liney things are fair game to the rest of us in cars.

Ma thanked the man and went into the Goodwill store, where coincidentally enough, she bought less than ever before.

See the nice trunk full of 100 dollars of groceries? See the eco-friendly bags?
Ma has finally gotten with it because: 1) She is tired of the accumulating plastic sacks in her kitchen drawer, 2) Ma heard tell of a state that may start charging 50 cents per plastic bag, and 3) She did get quite disgusted with all the sacks she saw caught on fencing while driving back from Indiana.

Upon returning home, our evergreen Ma checked in on the little Trevor-tyke, who had thrown up earlier in the day. He repeated said performance while she was gone, with less waste, so we do think he is trying to go easy on the environment.
The poor lad is worn out and now has a fever. His older brother Nolan performed several good deeds by bringing down a fan to cool his sweaty brow, and our heroic 10-year-old also read to the sickie.

On an unrelated note, Ma determined to make a very low hassle, easy-on-the-stomach supper, for everyone.

Gazing out at the potential herbal haven, we see that earlier in the day, Ma has dug out the paving stones that had been in front of the steps. She also, with almost herculean efforts, dug out the Rugosa Rose and moved it to another part of the Hoyt Estate. Helping in the above work was that eagarest of all beavers, Ethan.
It is planned that the cement slab will be moved to the front of the steps, barring any unfortunate experiences with hernias or the like.

As if that were not enough activity for Ma on Earth Day, she also removed a splinter from the thumb of a suffering 14-year-old.
Not to worry, though. Carolyn acquired this wound while weeding her ferny Yarrow, so that too, was a celebration of earth day.

We wish everyone fond memories of the holiday.

May you dig in the dirt and utilize cloth bags. May you not ralph, but if you do, please try to stay as clean as possible and think earth-friendly thoughts.

And that's all,

of Earth Day Adventures With Ma.
 

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A Beautiful Day

Even though the wind is still semi-howlish, the sun is out and it's gonna be a beautiful day.

First off, I don't have to go anywhere! Leaves me free to resume my normal activities of sitting around, eating chocolate, and causing trouble over the Internet.

Secondly, we have good news from el sonno numero uno. Jason has another co-op with Rockwell Collins, to extend from this summer into the first semester of the next school year. He'll be working up until Christmas, basically, then go back and finish his junior year, next spring. He's very happy with how this has all worked out. And Rockwell feels the same about having him back.

Thirdly, I have this great link I've been wanting to share, and this looks like a good day fer it! It comes from Anna, in Cedar Rapids. Anna graduated with a major in math education, the same year as Ardith. So Anna sent me this article that describes how chocolate can help you with math.

Is there anything the cacao bean cannot do? If this is true, my brain blood flow must be a veritable gushing waterfall. If it weren't for the tandem quality of humility, I could be tempted toward feelings of superiority.

But that is another subject. The message here is pretty clear: GO OUT AND EAT CHOCOLATE. ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE TO CRAM FOR A TEST (this message comes to you just in time for preparations for finals, Kendra).

I'm sure there was something else good, out there, but just to let you know I don't live my life totally immersed in euphoria, I'll share a little happening amongst the two youngest boys.

Yesterday, while I had taken three children and myself to the eye doctor, Nolan, in an uncharacteristic fit of benevolence, gave a large box of toys to Trevor. Some of these things were outright gifts, some were Nolan's for which he was now extending "sharing rights" to his youngest bro.

While applauding his generosity, I KNEW this would have bad consequences. As I'm sure you can guess, Nolan now wants one or two gift items back. But I've let him know this will NOT be happening. One hopes the whole experience will prompt the benefits of thinking before acting.

On a lighter note, I had chickpeas soaking overnight, thus, the dawning of another hummusy day in Hoytland.

Let's all go out, make it a great day, and eat something derived from beans, shall we?
 

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Monday, Monday...so Glasses to Me

I took the three kids who were getting new glasses over to the eye doctor, having managed to work in a make-up appointment for me, at the same time. Looks like I'll be getting an upgrade to the reading section of my trifocals.

Ethan has now fallen victim to the myopic heritage of his parents, but we'll wait to plaster his picture all over the blog until I can trim his bushy flat top, a bit.

Just as soon as I work up the energy. Energy being in short supply, right about now. I slog through each day, but never have seemed to regain 'good feelings' of before the great cough of January/February, 2009.

Perhaps that iron pill I took today will help. All those changes I made earlier: cutting out the Benadryl, cutting out chips and pop, cutting out bagels and 50% of my bread...doesn't seem to have born much fruit. Or perhaps the progress to weight loss was truncated with the onset of coughingness.

ANYWAY, I'll have to start a new Long Road Back to Ma pretty soon, because just continuing out the former one would bring the stunning results of a net loss of five pounds over 20 weeks, which seems rather pathetic.

But first I need to get through the next seven days, which involves an early morning wake-up on Monday (27th) to get Derek and Carolyn down to their cardiology appointments in Iowa City. 4:00 is the intended time of arising, so that should be really fun and necessitate one or two of the formerly forbidden diet Cokes on the way down.

In the meanwhile, we shall continue plowing through the week, because that is what we must do!

Now, for your enjoyment and amusement, here is a picture of my family when I was a little nipper...
...excuse the poor quality, but I was taking it off an old photo at Mom's house, and had to go over to a bright window since my flash no longer works, not that it's a great problem or anything, infringing on my taking indoor pictures of say...the kids or birthdays or important stuff to note for posterity.

You can see Mom and Dad on the left and right, respectively. That is my oldest brother, Doug, in between them. Straight down is the next in age, brother Solly, and then off to the right is my sister Nancy. Down in front is my youngest oldest brother, Tim, and that is me on the left, in the plaid dress with the rather severe bangs :-D

I was the youngest of the clan. It must have been taken around my kindergarten year, or shortly before, since I got glasses, the summer preceding 1st grade. Actually, I could have been 4, since my brother, Tim, doesn't have glasses in this picture, either.

Don't I look alert?

Alert and smug. Yep, that was me.
 

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Saturday, Saturday

Has been a nice combination of busy and slow.

Loren mentioned a trip to Menard's, and would I like to go with him? Well, Menard's may not be the same as Goodwill, but the store still has its useful points. And after being away from home for a week, a trip to Waterloo and back is a good place for husband and wife to have non-kid-interrupted talk over a subject or ten.

Menard's is as close as it comes to heaven on earth for a guy like Loren. So many parts. So many possibilities.

I meandered off to the garden section and picked up a few things for the herb haven I'll be establishing this year...*crosses fingers*...and coming back down the aisle, what did I discover but Dove's Dark Chocolates on sale! It seemed providential.

Also acquired pour moi: garden gloves. Then I looked around at bathroom stuffs, since Loren wants to get another one "finished" before the end of school. My continual complaint in that department is the shocking scarcity of toilets that have a smooth, straight slope coming down from the bowl. Why the original, totally male-engineered and absolutely FLAWED design of tubular shape has endured, lo, these many years, is unfathomable. Those sides make cleaning a real chore, but I guess that didn't cross the minds of those inventors. I did find one, which was at least 100 dollars more in price.

This would never have happened if women were in charge of the world.

After Menard's, el hubbo and I visited Wal*Mart where they, as Menard's, lacked cabbage plants. Ah well, 'tis early, yet. I was trying to mollify the Trevor-lad, but he can wait to plant his beloved vegetable pick for the year.

A trip to Arby's completed the morning, and we headed home with plumbing and plant booty.

Home.

I feel compelled to reiterate that is is SO--GOOD---TO---BE---BACK.
 

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Workin' da Land an' Plantin'

It's that time of year again. After catching up on laundry and grocery shopping yesterday (and almost replacing lost sleep), weather and circumstances combined to allow for work in the garden.

Here is Nolan, digging up the section for his "Green Arrow" peas.
I dug the section in back of him, and started the section he is working on, then left him to complete things.

Now comes time to drop the little dried pea seeds into the furrows, under the watchful shadow of big brother, Ethan.


Ethan got his potatoes into the ground a good two weeks ago, and worked so hard and fast that I didn't get out in time to take his picture. So now, most of the early vegetables are planted, and this weekend promises rain.

In between supervising and helping Nolan, I was able to dig up half of another bed and plant radishes, beets and mache (pronounced mahsh), the latter also being called "corn salad" or "lamb's lettuce." It's a European green becoming more popular in the United States, and we all know what a happenin' kinda person is Ma :-D

It's supposed to have a nutty, sweet taste. Course, they probably said the same thing about tofu.

Anyway, it felt good to be outside in the sunshine, working the beautiful, black soil and thinking, "THIS could be the year I actually make something of this garden!"

I also notice my Rattlesnake Master, rescued from the ditch, is coming up. I am so excited! It makes me feel powerful just thinking about it growing out there...
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Concerning Mom, I talked to my sister today and things are going along. Nancy is trying to get Mom up, to make sure she doesn't fall back into that staying in bed all day routine, which we think came about due to the effects of an antibiotic.

At any rate, some men came over from Mom's church to work outside in yard cleanup, and Nancy was out chatting for a bit, and when she went back inside, Mom had made her own way to the bathroom without any help, heh, heh. Those mild-mannered Mennonite ladies...you just have to watch out for them, they are tricksey!

Hope everyone out there is able to enjoy the beautiful spring weather God has given us. Assuming you don't live in Colorado, that is.
 

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Viva Susan Boyle!

You can't possibly have missed the extraordinary clip that's been shooting around the news sites, this week.

I find it quite refreshing and inspiring. Let's hear it for middle-aged, non-glam women...SOMEDAY WE COULD RULE THE WORLD!!!

For myself, an operatic career after the kids are gone is NOT out of the question, hee, hee. By then I'll be 61 and the shock value alone will be worth it.

In the meantime, I'll be concentrating on the things God has given me to do at this moment. Such as the family, homeschooling and perhaps getting a few seeds into the ground, later today.

And eating chocolate.

Coming soon: Ma's Tried and True Techniques For Staying Awake on Road Trips.
 

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Trevorism

The following conversation took place after returning from shopping. I took the three youngest with me and at Wal*Mart, splurged on a cheap dollar-calculator for each.

Trevor has been hard at work ever since, entering every number he can find in the house to discover all kinds of wonderful facts about adding, subracting and just where he stands in the universe.

Trevor: "Mommy, does this calculatoh have one, oh two mothohbohds?"

Ma: "Well...*ahem*...I'm not sure it has a motherboard, at all. You can go ask Derek, but I think that calculator's too little to have a motherboard."

Trevor: "Then, does it have a baby-bohd?"

*blinks*
 

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Yes, Sharon...

I am safely home :-)

And now I know you got back safely from Chicago.

I arrived last night around 11pm, our time. And despite downing the equivalent of four cans of diet coke, I still slept, last night.

Now to catch up...
 

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Still in Indiana...

...but starting home, tomorrow.

I was all set. Bags were in the car. I was finishing up washing the dust off a few thousand glass/china knick-knacks in Mom's living room, while waiting for my sister to get back from teaching. Siblings were calling to say goodbye, since they knew I had planned to leave.

And then I got this nagging thought that reminded me of several compelling reasons to stay for one more day. And it just seemed the right thing to do.

Anyway, things are moving along, in certain regards. Nancy rented a special air mattress, the kind that changes pressure at regular intervals to prevent bedsores in people who are mostly bedridden. Mom already has a few red spots and we were getting concerned. The aides who came over yesterday and today also stressed the importance of prevention.

So that's being put into use, even as we speak.

Interestingly enough, Mom has been up a couple of times today. Once to sit in the wheelchair for a couple hours, once to sit in the wheel chair again, for the minutes it took to fix up the pressure mattress, and another time or two to use the little girl's room :-)

And what was amazing to me, was that this last time, I was basically just holding her hand and she was walk/shuffling on her own, with her other hand against various supports, like walls, tables, etc.

That was something of a small breakthrough, I thought!

Physically, I think she appears to be gaining some strength. But her solitary way of life may have to change. And since she wishes to remain at home--at least those were her thoughts before all this happened--extension of professional watch care is being considered.

Tomorrow is a doctor's appointment, and I thought it would be good to attend. Plus, it is going to take two people to get her ready, particularly wheelchair conveyance, so that is another reason for me to stay over. I'm definitely driving back after the appointment, however. Loren told me to be sure and take the time I needed in my stay, out here (I wanted to let people know that, so nobody thinks Ma is off larking about. There's not a day I haven't wanted to go home).

On less earthshaking notes, I have run out of chocolate, just now scrounging up the last odd piece from the bottom of my purse. Also, I am trying to decide which of my four shirts that I've already worn twice, to wear to the doctor's appointment tomorrow. One really hates to harbor offensive smells when trying to appear like a mature offspring of the young doctor's elderly patient.

Another odd thing...many of the same newscasters who were on the telly 15 years ago when we lived out thisaway, are still reporting news and sports! It was like going back into the twilight zone.

Almost as strange as trying to call home on Mom's dial phone.
 

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Easter in the East

At one time, Indiana was considered "out west," but when you live in Iowa, Indiana is to the east.

More profound statements, later.

How did Ma spend Easter Sunday?

As has been usual for the past few days, I got Mom awake and ready for the morning, which includes a blood glucose test before breakfast. This morning I did my first bad prick, requiring a second one, which then worked. Gotta feel guilty for that.

Mom was starting to drift off towards the end of breakfast, so once she was settled in to sleep, I started in on cleaning the bathroom.

I got that done and a load of towels started. Then got a bit more dusting-type stuff done before needing to take care of Mom, who was now awake. The dishes got washed in there somewheres, and as I looked forward to Sharon and Kendra coming up in half an hour, I went down to the basement to put the load in the dryer, only to find water all over the laundry room floor.

The sump pump had conked out at a rather crucial time, although I did not know that at the time. All I could tell for sure was that the water had somehow ended up on the floor, including some bleach which I'd added to the load.

Carefully folding up my dark sleeves and dark pant legs, I grabbed a towel and started mopping up into a basin. Six half-basin loads later, I had worked my way over to the sump and by some magic (I probably bumped something) the stupid thing kicked on and magically drained all the rest of the water.

If I were mechanically minded, I probably could have pulled on some doohickey and started it without the hassle of so much mopping, but that wouldn't have given me all that exercise and shaky legs.

It basically worked out though, and before long Sharon and Kendra dropped in, after which some merriment ensued, which included finding out from their Aunt Nancy what a bad kid I was as a child.

What can I say? I must have blocke all that out...

We got Mom up in the wheel chair to come out and sit with us at the table. She usually eats just morning and evening, but had a little snack, although now I know not to give her anything with BBQ in it!

Sometimes it seems amazing that I haven't permanently injured someone with my ignorance.

We had a nice visit before Sharon had to take Kendra back to college, before heading off to Ohare airport to pick up some friends, who were returning from spring break.

These young people are so ambitious when it comes to driving long hours and then going to work the next day.

Just give me a good old fashioned mop job and I can be happy. It may be hard on the back, but it does get the fingernails clean, and we can't say the same thing about driving to Chicago and back, now can we...

Tomorrow the nursing aide comes in the morning to stay for several hours. I guess it will be good ol' Ma showing her around. I hope I don't mess up! I am glad I came the end of last week so I could see the routine. Nancy has to return to teaching this week and I get to transition the professionals, heh, heh.

My brother Doug and I sat down with Mom this evening and tried to get a sense of what she knows about her situation. Mom does not really understand what has happened, though she does realize she's spending a lot of time in bed. She recognizes people and smiled at Sharon and Kendra, but how much is registering...I do not know.

We also tried to explain about the aide coming in tomorrow.

On another note, I TRIED to call home around 8:15-8:30 their time, but received no answer. The logical conclusion is that they are all out whooping it up while the Ma is away. Fear not, guys! I'll be home on Tuesday night and things will get back to the old boring routine we all know and love.

One more thing...I've decided living by yourself is not all that great.
 

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Anyways....

...it only took about half an hour to get on by dial-up!

If I get really brave, after posting, I could check my email, though technically I already have today. I called home and when Derek answered, I had him pull up the tabs on my computer and check my email for me. Sounds convoluted, but it was definitely faster than this, heh, heh.

Sorry to be out of circulation for a bit, but aside from the very slow dial-up connection and not wanting to tie up the phone line during the day, I need to check on Mom fairly often and it just hasn't been convenient to post. However, this last time I couldn't get back to sleep, so that must be a sign to bother people over the Internet :-)

I am glad to be out here (hopefully) helping out, but I do miss my family, very much.

Mom still rests and sleeps a lot, but we did have some good things happen these past two days. On Friday, Nancy and I were able to get Mom sitting up in a chair,beside her bed, for around 30 minutes. We took advantage of this time to completely change the linens and give Mom a good freshening up with the waterless cleanser from the pharmacy. Even so, being brought up a certain way, we still felt compelled to do some rinsing off. Guess we are old-fashioned. Nancy was also able to comb and braid Mom's hair. We assume that made her feel some better.

Today was another milestone in that we got Mom up again, this time in a wheel chair and out to the living room. Soon after that occurred, Mom's pastor stopped by and so he was able to visit a bit.

Mom was tolerating the new position so well, that she had a snack, dozed in the wheelchair for quite a while, and then we moved her out to the kitchen for supper, later. There is a TV on the table and Mom and I got to watch Lawrence Welk while dining on grilled cheese and her famous pineapple jello salad, the later of which Nancy had made out of sugar free jello.

There is one pill that she takes twice a day, which is VERY LARGE. It now has to be broken up in four pieces and ground into a powder and mixed with yogurt. That process in itself takes (me) about 15 minutes, and everything has to be prepared and set up before helping Mom to eat. She can do very will with cut up hand-held food like sandwiches or toast, but needs help with the other stuff.

At this point there is not a lot of communication from her, though she will answer in short phrases, unless she is extremely tired.

Speaking of which, we had her up in the wheelchair for so long that she kinda conked out when it came to bedtime. But with a helpful suggestion from Nancy, Mom turned herself over on her left side to sleep, for the first time in a couple weeks. I imagine Mom has gotten tired of laying on her back, much of the time, and it's supposed to be good to change positions. Changing positions has been hampered, however, by a very sore right hip and also lingering soreness in her neck. The neck pain seems to be getting better, from comparisons to before I arrived.

Perhaps a dry recital of symptoms, you say? Well, I have a hard time finding a humorous spin, at the moment.

Anyway, God doesn't say we have to laugh, all the time.

But there have been some good accomplishments, as in the sitting up, described above.

Another bright spot will be Sharon and Kendra driving up from Warsaw, tomorrow, around 1:00. It will be good to see my girls! Sharon is fixing food for a little Easter celebration, I guess, and I will be so glad to see them, I don't even care if she doesn't bring something of a chocolate nature!

Besides, I still have a nearly full bag of Dove's in my purse.

I do think Mom will enjoy seeing two of her grandkids.

Also, my brother Doug will be coming over to visit later in the afternoon, so it will be fairly full day. I imagine we might get Mom up out of bed for some of that visiting.

Sorry if there are typos or less communication. Working under certain constrictions, as just evidenced by the little box that popped up, "Do you wish to stay online?"

Mercy....Ma had best publish without delay..
 

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Greetings From Indiana :-)

Ma arrived safely in the Hoosier state, former stomping grounds to the youngest of the Baker clan.

No travel problems, just the odd bit of tag with a semi or too, and supreme self-control exhibited when one passes a semi too slowly and the car behind you tears around on the right.

I really need a few flip up cards for the back window. Things like: "I don't apologize for going the speed limit," and, "If you give me five more seconds, I'll pull back into the right lane and you won't have to do those death-defying swervy maneuvers that are only impressing yourself."

Think I can get that last one on a bumper sticker?

My sister, Nancy, ran me through the routine last evening...the blood glucose checks, the medication, the adjusting of pillows, and lots more of the meticulous care she's been giving Mom. Not sure I can remember everything, but Nancy will be coming back later this morning before anything major has to happen.

The two of us did manage to get Mom into a sitting position on the bed for a few minutes after supper last night, as well as attempting to have her stand. You can't do that very well with only one adult. In general, Mom is fairly weak and sleeps a lot.

As for myself, one never sleeps quite as well when away from home, especially on the first night. Especially after the equivalent of several diet Cokes, the last of which was a real whopper from McDonald's, and by the way, one should really make it a point to find a rest stop before coming within 50 miles of Chicago, otherwise one might possibly have a long, torturous wait until getting onto the Indiana toll road and pull screaming into the first rest plaza with tires smoking and yelling, "OUTTA MY WAY!!! WHERE IS THE RESTROOM???!!!"

Also on the sleep inhibiting-front, did you know that they have trash trucks that come around at 4:30 in the morning?? With half a dozen flashing lights on the back?

This is just a tiny suggestion, but perhaps, if one didn't start trash pick-up in the wee hours of the morning, there wouldn't be a need for flashing lights on the back of the truck that is so noisy it wakes up perfectly respectable peoples!!

I'm just sayin'.

Later.
 

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Late Again

So, what else is new?

Looks like Ma will...*gulp*...be getting off a tad later than expected....*slurp*...as I snarf my breakfast...*glug*...and check the ol' email.

I think it was measuring out all those various vitamins into separate mini ziplocks that put me behind schedule.

The menus are planned, the school lessons written out, the kids' medical insurance cards left with Loren and hopefully I didn't forget anything else important...
 

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Ma's Mom

I've been hesitant to write a lot about my mom's health, since she faithfully reads the blog (or did, before she became ill)

But I would covet your prayers for my mother.

An incident occurred a couple weeks ago during which she was found to have very low blood sugar (she is diabetic). You may remember my asking prayer for her.

She is still struggling to get back the strength and mobility that she had before whatever happened, happened.

I have a brother and sister who live in the area, and they have checked in regularly with Mom over the years. And that close proximity is a very good thing, since they've had a fair amount to do these past weeks, in connection with caring for Mom.

Another brother drove out from Virginia to visit and helped for several days, and now I am planning to drive out to Indiana in a day or so. Expecting to be there over Easter weekend and a couple days after, at this point.

My sister has been providing pretty much round-the-clock care for days, so this will help to spell her, allow me to visit with Mom, and just see how things are goin'.

Anyways, I'd appreciate your prayers for safe travel, for me to be of some worthwhile help, and most of all,

please pray for my Mom.
 

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3 Shopping Weeks Until Ardith's Birthday...

...and the only possibility, so far, is a cat.

I'm sensing a little apathy in the gift suggestion box.

Not to worry, though. There is still time and Ma will keep all venues open, as I'm certain the ideas will be pouring in at any virtual moment.

In the meantime, I've been harking back to the past for those surefire gifts of yore. Here are several things I've come up with:

--paint by number sets
--macrame kit
--chia pets

Let me know if any of you have some/all of these items in your attics. I have several tons of old computer parts I would be more than willing to swap. FREE SHIPPING!

And then, there is always that old Tandy computer sitting up in our attic. 'Twould make her a LOVELY gift in itself. In a totally retro and super cool way. I'd be willing to bet that most of her associates at work do not have a Tandy, and this would be a guaranteed way to make them all insanely jealous. Tell me what you think about that, won't you?
___________________

Moving to the other end of the progeny spectrum, Nolan has discovered constructing words with Legos.



As long as he likes giving orders to himself, I have a few others he might want to consider...
 

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Iowa Comes in Second.....

...in the list of happiest states, financially. Nebraska was first, but Iowa was second! Pretty stinkin' great, I'd say.

The Midwest. We may not be all that exciting, but...anyway....
______________

On another note, Ardith's birthday is coming up the end of this month, and Ma is putting out a request for gift ideas.

In the past there have been books. Lots of books. And once Loren and I took her out to eat, followed by a concert.

However, nothing special comes to mind, this year (I mean, let's face it, Riverdance is WAY outta the budget), so I'm open to suggestions.

Feel free to post (reasonable) suggestions here on the blog, or email me with details of book possibilities, or specifics that we don't want to mention due to spoiling the whole element of surprise.
 

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Time for April Snow...

...and Ma's Legumial Model of Precipitation.

Let's face it, this is nuts.
Branches, heavy with wet snow, bend down to touch the earth, literally begging for a whiff of global warming.

Church was canceled this morning, due to the roads getting bad and more snow on the way. And while the call came shortly before we were to leave, it was still late, in that Ma had already used the jaws-of-life to don her pantyhose. Naturally, one cannot employ the same technique for exiting said hose. The undonning of hose involves a branch of quantum physics, specifically the Copenhagen Interpretation, which states that pantyhose do not exist until you can feel the pain of peeling them off, each corpuscle of fat having been contained in its own individual hole of the hosiery weave.

But getting back to today's snow, I noticed the robins were still hoppin' about.
I feel sorry for them, so naively cheerful and so hoping for a worm.

It was a long night. The rain started sometime after 11:00, driven against the east windows with a haphazard rhythm that defied sleep.

That's when the whole legume model of precip came to mind. Isn't it awesome how the dead of night makes these philosophical questions crystal clear?

Anyway, it occurred to Ma that the driving rain sounded very much like lentils and split peas being thrown at the window. Every once in a while a chick pea would come along with an especially loud smack....chick peas, representing sleet. I imagine it goes without saying that these were uncooked chick peas. Who ever heard of soft chick peas making a smacking sound, after all?

It's important to keep scientific models logical and no, I am not obsessed with food.

The evening wasn't a total loss, however, as I went downstairs and finished another book, a memoir (I tend to gravitate to memoirs since they provide the illusion that my life is normal).

So, what with developing new scientific models, reading, and getting a modicum of repose, the night passed and the rain/sleet changed over to snow.

Which brings us to naptime.
 

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As the Electron Turns

I did something today I haven't done in a long, long time.

Went grocery shopping on a Saturday morning.

Yes folks, pretty exciting stuff! But that's not all.

Two boys had their hair cut, and the clippers only threatened to quit 4 or 5 times; another real gift to Ma. I must say though, my guys look pretty sharp. Especially when one considers that their haircuts are totally free.

Next time I will definitely perform the honors without socks. Socks are basically hair magnets, and I figure that if enough people wore socks without shoes while cutting hair, we'd probably throw the earth into another orbit. Not only that, but if these same people cut hair with socks on and shoes off, AND all jumped up and down at the same time, we could very likely visit Mars without having to bother making a special spaceship or anything.

Just something to think about.

(and you thought I wasn't scientifically-minded...)

Time for another Slipper Report: Wal*Mart STILL has not put "my" slippers on sale. I feel I've been fairly patient, waiting since pre-Christmas, checking and checking, with nary a nasty comment to clerk or manager. However, my old slippers have severe problems, in that they are hemorrhaging foam from their soles in a rather alarming fashion.

It's really not for myself that I want to acquire new slippers, but rather for the sake of offering rest and respite to a well-worn pair of fleece footwear that came from the Stuck-in-Rochester-post-transplant-2004 era.

Wal*Mart did contain a balm to my weary soul in the fact that it had discounted Dove's Dark Chocolates by one dollar per bag. The logical consequence of this savings led to buying more chocolate.

I like to think I'm helping to keep balance in the world.

Go ahead and consider Ma shallow. She doesn't care. It's all a ruse to keep people off the scent of my real activities, which may or may not include experiments in altering earth's gravitational force.
 

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Weekend Adventures With Ma (part 2)

In today's selection of Weekend Adventures With Ma, we see she is joined by son number duo.

A wonderful afternoon of beauteous music had been planned, but first, there was the little matter of Sunday morning church. Ma availed herself of the opportunity to consult experts of her religious order for directions, with hopes of getting to the concert hall in a timely manner.

However, timeliness was not an issue, as every part of the service ended promptly or even ahead of schedule.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime event.

As a consequence, the matter of taking an extra car was made somewhat moot, and there may have been time to return home, eat and still proceed to the afternoon concert.

And yet, any chance to drive the Green Dragon Lady Lincoln should not be scorned, and it---was---not.

Looking for a chance to eat their packed lunch, the musical duo searched for a park in which to scoff their humble foodstuffs. Alas, it was not to be found, but a nearby Casey's did offer up fuel for the green steed, ably paid for by the door prize Ma had won so handily the previous day.

Ma and Derek-son proceeded to that epitome of culture, the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, where they lunched and munched in the parking lot, all the while discussing many things of great intellectual import.

Upon entering the great hall, the ears of all were accosted by heavenly music, most sweet.
The string quartet provided just the atmosphere needed to prepare one's mind for the musical feast ahead.

And what a feast it was! Gorgeous beyond expectations. Amazing male vocal skills combined with the PAC's superb acoustics to take each listener to the heights of ethereal wonderment. As soon as the first tones wafted out from the stage, a magical sense of surprise, awe and supreme pleasure overwhelmed the senses.

It was so lovely, Ma cried.

Even the Derek-lad, skeptical son of the king-of-all-skeptics, was moved.

All parts of the program were enjoyed, from the Latin Da Pacem to the the lush chords of Shenandoah. And to Ma's surprise, an Islamic piece, Zikr, was mesmerizing to the point of nearly transporting her plump and weeping frame to another continent, entirely.

One other piece, concerning daybreak, created an exquisite and shimmery sun-rising effect by the multitude of pitches it employed.

In short, Ma and son were enchanted and thrilled.

Despite a less than full house, audience appreciation was great enough to induce two returns to the stage and one encore, which was the following...


Nothing above can fully convey Cantus' enthralling impression, but it may give a small and succulent taste to the listener.

If ever a Cantus concert opportunity comes your way, Ma recommends them with unreserved zeal.

Go. Listen. Be amazed and blessed.

And that's all,

about Weekend Adventures With Ma (part 2)
 

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Weekend Adventures With Ma (part 1)

Today on Adventures with Ma, we drift back to the previous weekend, which was filled to the brim with hoopla and fun.

On Saturday, Ma and her faithful Master Gardener sidekick, Melinda, headed up to Clear Lake, to the North Iowa Landfill for what promised to be an interesting series of workshops entitled, "Greening Your Garden." Ma pondered the irony of traveling to a "green" workshop astride the Green Dragon Lady Lincoln-of-power-and-largeness...

Knowing the misdirections often given by Mapquest, Ma made what she thought to be a canny decision and searched Google maps, instead. Armed with this supposedly accurate data and extra time, our horticultural duo proceeded northward.

After 50 minutes of driving, it appeared they would arrive some 25 minutes early. This was taking into account the ill assumption that Google maps were without error, which they were not.

Fortunately, Ma had her old but reliable cell phone with her, and after contacting the workshop leader--whose number our hero had had the good sense to bring with her--Ma and Melinda arrived only 5 minutes late....

Way to keep a low profile, MA!

Still, it was a goodsome time of information, with many free materials!!


There was also FOOD. Ma had brought along granola bars, but they were not needed.
The cucumber slices on crackers with cream cheese were most yummy!

The last activity of the day was a hands-on project, making wind chimes out of recycled silverware.
Ma is nothing, if not a good sport.

Then it was time for the door prize drawings. There were three, and the first two went to other people. The last and BIGGEST prize would be the refunding of the entry fee of $10.00. Guess who won??!!!
Oh yes, 'twas our intrepid green person, Ma, herself!

Ma was most happy. Costs had been meticulously calculated for the weekend. She would need that prize to pay for gas used while getting lost.

Five o'clock and time to go home. The two Master Gardener Interns headed out to their vehicle with all their loot, and then Ma accidentally set off the car alarm!

Way to keep a low profile, AGAIN, Ma!

Thinking she could find a back way out through the gravel roads, Ma traveled a different direction, which promptly turned into a dead end. This meant she had to turn around and head back past the landfill...

...but she did stop to take a picture of the requisite seagulls which make their abode near landfills, in the absence of seascapes.


All proceeded smoothly after that point, and our two weary workshopees returned home amidst snowfall.

And that's all,

about Weekend Adventures With Ma (part one)
 

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Short Dream-Tales - 1

Cynthia was a woman of less than average height who harbored immense dreams.

On particularly dreadful days, she dreamed of cooking up huge batches of hummus and hiking off to the woods.

A wood was essential for perpetuating the type of gloom and isolation one needs for inspiration to get out of a slump.

In that woods would be a cabin, equipped with cable TV and high speed Internet, as well as vast supplies of dark chocolate laid in to a mouse-proof larder.

Getting away from society is one thing; foregoing the opportunity to laugh at it, quite another. And besides, one can only wander among dripping trees in the middle of an all-day rain for so long, before the whole idea of getting back to nature becomes remarkably akin to growing moss on one's shirt.

So the technology was a must in case of inclement weather, and the chocolate, being transcendent of all atmospheric occurrences, simply existed for the sole purpose of giving joy to those in need.

But getting back to Cynthia, she soon wised-up, finished the chick peas and fixed lunch for her family, instead.
 

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A Pox on April Fool's Day

And it's only morning.

Of course, with kids in the house, one expects a certain amount of tomfoolery on this noted occasion. And I am very thankful that it does not entail actual physical, comedy-type pranks, such as buckets of water over doorways or affixing your little brother to the ceiling fan to "watch him fly."

(another reason not to fix the kitchen ceiling fan)

Mostly what's going on here are many, many, MANY random questions involving neutron stars and butterflies that sting, etc, followed by sudden outcries of, "APRIL FOOL!!"

I am getting too old for this.
 

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