A Simple Sunday Lunch With Good Friends...

Some of our favorite people came to visit us last Sunday. We had a nice lunch and caught up on things. Though not nearly as long as we wished, it was good to see and spend at least a few hours with our former neighbors and friends.

Lunch was simple with some homemade minestrone soup, turkey and provolone sandwiches, and lots of fresh fruit. Of course there were cupcakes and cookies.

Babers really like the icing on the cakes. Yummmmmmm.

Half-Pint the Amazing mom relaxing.

Superstar

Spidy and Superstar

A Visit with "Ike"

On Saturday, September 13th, we were anticipating Hurricane Ike to become a tropical depression and head to St Louis. I could feel it coming. The air was still, heavy, warm, sultry. I had been checking on my friend in Texas who was in the direct path of the storm after it came ashore. And, my cousin and family in Little Rock was smacked by their rude visitor that caused death, damage to crops, and sparked gas hikes.

Old Ike blew through St Louis with 40-50 mph winds and heavy rains (4-5 inches where we live). There were flash floods in many areas that just couldn't handle the rains, the ground already saturated with previous rains and flooding. This has been the wettest year on record for Missouri. The sewers flooded, roads washed out, devastation all along the rivers that crested above flood stage and some still rising. Three lives were lost in the flash floods and one woman killed when a tree fell on her.

Last night I told Him what had been on my mind for several days. We are very lucky. Other than a few small, dead branches blown off some old trees in our yard and a slushy yard, we were unaffected. We didn't lose power. Our streets didn't flood. Our basement remained dry when others in the neighborhood suffered backed-up sewers.

We've all heard about and have seen photos/videos of the aftermath of "Ike." It seems there are natural disaster around us, world-over, everyday. And, I have to say I feel very lucky.

Booooooooorrrrrrrrrrrriiiinnnnnggg!

Yeah, yeah, I haven't been posting. So alright, already. It is just that it's so boring around here there isn't anything to say. I've been cooking, cleaning, and fussing in the yard. I've been walking the dog (and a bit more) and riding my bike more around the neighborhood--to save gas and to improve my health. There are fewer trips to the store and less running around. There is the making of soaps and candles, and getting ready for the Fall and Holiday markets. There are the neighborhood activities, National Night Out picnic in the street, block meetings, neighborhood association meetings, art fair meetings and volunteer recruiting for the annual fair. . .

He has been publishing and printing and database upkeep; yard work, repair work around the house, painting and mending woodwork. He walks and he rides bikes and is staying in shape. He has traveled to IL to help his mother.

Together we dine, read books (You, Staying Young and You, the Owners Manual) and watch TV, with NetFlix our best friend we await the new season. (The Olympics and politics seem to be dominating our evenings--blasted politics.) We go out a couple times of months with Kate'n Jim.

That's pretty much it, did I bore you too much? Even so, I'll try hard to keep in touch.

By the way, did you hear about the 83 year old woman who talked herself out of a speeding ticket by telling the young officer that she had to get there before she forgot where she was going?

Aging and the Thermostat

I'm here to admit that we have noticed a tolerance for the Missouri summer, more this year than all our years prior. I mean, last summer most my entries complained about the heat. The thermostat was always set on 68-70 degrees in the house. I ran around the house with as little on as possible. It has been different this year. Although we still don't like the heat and humidity of midwest summers, it has been more tolerable. We keep the thermostat at a fairly constant 77 degrees with the fan on to move the air around. Interesting.

It has long been understood that elderly people are less sensitive to heat than the younger population. They perspire less and are more likely to have health problems requiring medications that can impair the body's response to heat. While I don't relish the thought of placing myself in the category of the elderly, it seems to be a fact that I cannot deny. So, I'm reminding you: Please check on the elderly during extreme heat and cold. (It'll be nice to see you.)

I saw men whom thirty years had changed but slightly; but their wives had
grown old. These were good women; it is very wearing to be good.

- Life on the Mississippi

My trip to the Natural State

I chose to drive to Little Rock, Arkansas, rather than take a train or fly. I figured that the cost of two tanks of gas in the Corolla was less expensive than a plane ticket and car rental, less expensive than an Amtrak fare (plus the train left at 9 pm and arrived in LR at 3:30 a.m.; who wants to be left at the train station at 3:30 a.m. in a strange town). Driving myself gave me freedom and an adventure. So that's what I did.

My cousin lives with her family just outside Little Rock in a small town called Alexander. They live in the forested hills called 'Diamond Hills,' so named because of the countless crystals that litter the ground. Each time it rains, a fresh supply of small crystals become apparent. Dig a little deeper and one might find more and bigger crystals. Cool.

The crystals I found in the yard were no where as big as the one shown here, but together with my cousins, we found a few small ones after a rain and I brought them home with me. I also brought home a stack of pretty rocks that are now displayed in my yard--souvenirs of my trip to the Natural State.

We spent most of our time talking about everything: when we were young, wearing each other's clothes, old boyfriends, school, yackety-yack, morning til night. It was great.

Things to do on Monday...

I woke up in an energetic mood Monday morning and decided to whip up a batch of soap after cleaning the kitchen. I was going at this with zest and was ready to start mixing the soap, when at 10:40 AM, I remembered I had a 10:30 appointment with the podiatrist (another story). I called the office, "come on over," they said, so I zipped out the door without washing my feet--sorry, doc.

Now I'm on my way back home, see, when I come across a small dog, a toy schnauzer mix puppy, bouncing around in the middle of the street just as happy as can be. No owners in sight. Other people on the street don't recognize the pup--no tags, dirty, but just as cute as can be. Well, you know me; I'm unable to pass by a stray dog.

Long story short: I spent the day trying to find puppy's owners. I took him to the Humane Society to check for chip--no chip. I couldn't leave the dog at the pound so I took it back home, gave it a bath, treated the fleas, groomed and fed him. I began looking for the owners, putting signs up in the neighborhood, posting on the neighborhood mail-list, dog-park list, etc. Greta (my 12 y.o. GS) was not happy, neither was He. STRESS! CUTE!

Before this gets too boring, it wasn't until just after 8:00 P.M. that puppy and owners were reunited but not without a lecture from me on the care and treatment of pets, microchipping, name tags with owner information, flea treatment, grooming, etc. Surprisingly, they thanked me and drove away without calling me a "nosey #*^%#@\."

Now, I'm really tired, my foot hurts, the house is a mess, Greta is mad at me, and He is lecturing. Oh well, tomorrow is another day.

Things to do on Tuesday: Clean kitchen, make soap.

Happy 80th Birthday!

Last Saturday we drove to Carbondale, IL, to celebrate His mom's 80th birthday. There was a lot of food and drink and all that stuff. We swam, played horseshoes, talked and ate. Not everyone was there. Some of the grandchildren didn't make it due to work, etc., so not everyone in the family is represented in the pictures.