Friday night with the girls (& Justin, too!)

Rachael & I made it into Plainville (CT) a little after 9 PM Friday night. Heather and Jenn (and her two little ones, Lindsay and Justin) met us at Sam's place. We ordered chinese food and got caught up...

...and then they brought out an ice-cream birthday cake (yes, we celebrated my 50th once more! Thanks again for the great gift, guys!). The entertainment of the evening was watching Sam's pug, Murphy, and his buddy, Seamus, play together... as only pugs can play!

Murphy - all tuckered out on Heather's lap...

Sam with Murphy & Seamus.

Day 30 ~ sunshine & blue skies

It is absolutely gorgeous today! Forecast is for temps to hit 70 degrees and the windows in my office are clean & sparkly! Ever since I started working here, I've had to look through some particularly grimy windows but yesterday, we noticed that the windows were being washed...and today, we can all enjoy the beautiful view, even though we won't be able to enjoy the warm temps outside. Yes, it's a good day. Tomorrow, I'll be seeing all three of my children: we are stopping to visit with Davy on the way though CT and then, in the afternoon, Stacey will be coming in for the shower for Jacquie.

Day 31 ~ all packed & ready to go

I feel like I am going to forget something really important...here is what is in the car:

• Jacquie's gown
• Stacey's dress
• assorted sewing items (thread, needles, straight pins, etc.)
• two gifts for the shower - and they are big & bulky...
• about a dozen birch logs for the reception tables
• digital camera
• cake for the shower (ok - it's not in the car, it's at home - waiting to be picked up since it's going to be quite warm during the day tomorrow and I don't want to leave it in the car all day and then find a puddle of frosting...)

I think I've got the most essential items...

cake preview

Rachael came over tonight and after her softball practice and driving practice, she & I decorated Jacquie's cake. We are both perfectionists when it comes to making the 'perfect rose' so there were lots of 'bad' roses that were dumped back into the bowl! Here are our best ones...

Day 32 (& 31, 30, 29 & 28!)

I'm not sure how much time I'll be able to devote to this blog over the next few days, so I will let you know now what is on the schedule:
Day 32 - Wed. 3/29 - decorating the cake for Jacquie's shower with Rachael (watch for posted pictures)
Day 31 - Thurs. 3/30 - packing the car for the trip to CT & NH
Day 30 - Fri. 3/31 - driving with Rachael up to see Sam & Jenn & Heather (I hope!) & sleep over at Sam's place
Day 29 - Sat. 4/1 - driving rest of way to NH (after a brief stop to see Davy & pick up a rocking chair); final fitting for Jacquie's gown, pin hem of Stacey's dress, marathon wedding details discussion; celebrate with Jacquie, her friends & Stacey & a couple of my old friends at shower Sat. nite
Day 28 - Sun. 4/2 - head back to PA (it's gonna be a looooong trip!)

the cake is in the oven...

Yes, I remembered to buy cocoa on the way home from work tonight...and then I stopped to see Mom and drop off some more clothes for her. She asked if I found the dishes she told me about a few days ago. Yes, I found them, Mom. Growing up, my mom and grandma had a habit of showing me different pieces of their prized dish collection...there must have been 3 or 4 dish cabinets in the house...and they also had a habit of writing the history of each dish ("from Ella Poust, bought about 1880") on a slip of tablet paper and secreting it away inside the teapot or taping it to the bottom of a plate. The other day my mom said, "Your grandma always said she wanted you to have the tea leaf dishes." OK - where are they, I asked...I didn't remember ever seeing any dishes like that. "They're out in the dry sink in the shanty," mom says. That's Pennsylvania-eeze for "look in the cabinet in the room behind the kitchen."
OK - so I go to mom's house and literally crawl over a myriad of thrown-outs and odds & ends to the cabinet situated in the back corner of the room, pry open the doors and discover a set of dishes that I never knew existed. Here they are - minus the 8 or 10 dinner plates and a half dozen cups & saucers. They are in pretty good shape, too, considering they are about 120 years old. I am thinking I will display them in my kitchen in the space above my cabinets. They've been hidden in the dark for too long - they deserve to be seen and admired...

Day 33 ~ another day....

Yes, the key is organization and preparation...
I wasn't prepared last night, however. I was going to bake the chocolate cake for Jacquie's shower and put the layers in the freezer. Tomorrow night, Rachael will be coming over to help me decorate it. I planned my evening to fit the cake mixing in between a couple of TV shows I like to watch...but when I pulled out my ingredients for the cake, I did not have any Hershey's cocoa! WHAT!??!? How can this happen?
Fooey! I can't remember using the very last bit of cocoa - usually there is about a quarter of a cup left in the tin...and that is the signal to buy more cocoa. What is happening to my mind? (No comments, please...)
By the time I discovered that I had no cocoa, it was almost 9 PM - and in our little burg, the local Weis store closes by 7 - I kid you not...
So....the baking will commence tonight - a little off schedule, but manageable.

Day 34 ~ workout

It can't get much easier! From work, all I have to do is cross the street, climb a set of stairs and I am standing at the door of a workout center. It has treadmills, machines to work the legs, the arms, and anything else you want. A friend persuaded me to go with her today at lunchtime. OK - I'll join - I'll have a buddy to go with. And I felt really good after I got back.

Day 35 ~ clippings

My mom never threw anything away. Most people her age didn't. She was born in 1918 on a farm where you used everything you had and saved what you didn't use because you might find a use for it tomorrow, next month, or next year. What you see here is maybe one-tenth of one percent of the newspaper clippings, papers, letters, cards, announcements, programs, church bulletins, and other assorted paper items that she collected in drawers, bags, shelves, and other cubby-holes in her house. Last night, I brought home a shopping bag filled with stuff that I wanted to go through (just in case I found a one-of-a-kind photo or momento). Instead, I found obituary notices, birth and wedding announcements, notices of "barn-raisings" and prize fish catches. This was my mom's life: cataloging the rhythm of her life through brittle snips of newspaper print. Did she ever look at the clippings again? Sure, she did! She used them to remember a wedding anniversary party, the birth of the neighbor girl, the time when daddy was featured in a local news story...This kept her mind sharp, even when her body was failing her. She can still tell you how old her Aunt Clara (her namesake) would be on her next birthday...

Day 36 ~ catch-up day

Things have been a little nutty for the past few weeks so, this morning, Steve & I devoted a few hours to housework: he tackled cleaning the bathroom ( ! ) and I put away all of the clean clothes that were piled in about 3 clothes baskets and 2 large hampers. Then I got out the vacuum but, when I turned it on, there was a horrible smell of burning rubber! Hmmm...a screwdriver was located and some disassembly was performed, which produced a broken belt...another hmmm....So out came the backup vacuum (we have backups for most everything in this house!) and the cleaning job was completed. Steve then went golfing (it was a balmy afternoon) and I headed up to mom's house to clear out a few more things. This time, it was the Lane cedar chest (do they even make cedar chests anymore?!?) that she got in 1951...and will eventually go to Stacey to store her treasures. What kind of treasures did my mom have tucked away? Well, there was a petrified piece of her wedding cake from 1954, a receipt for her wedding dress ($10.95), a variety of special birthday cards, old sweaters, dried flowers and scraps of memories since faded.
NOTE: To answer my own question about whether or not Lane continues to make cedar chests, I started searching the internet for an answer. What I found was a recall regarding their locks. Apparently, a number of children were being trapped inside these chests because the latch automatically locks when the top is closed. Luckily, there is a number to call at Lane who is offering replacement locks. I will be calling first thing in the morning...

Day 37 ~ RSVP update

Jacquie called tonight & we went over the list of people who have RSVP'd so far... tomorrow is the "please let us know by..." date and we have received only a 50% response. 60 invitations were mailed out; we have not heard from 30. Now Jacquie and Dan will have to call or email these people to find out if they are planning to come...Why don't people have the courtesy to respond, I wonder? We've found it to be a problem for the wedding shower this weekend, too. You feel funny calling and asking...but we'd kinda like to know! It's not that big of an issue with Jacquie & Dan's wedding since it's a pretty informal affair with a buffet dinner and casual seating arrangements...but we still need to know how many tables to set up/how many chairs to cover/how many favors to buy/etc...

Day 38 ~ OK - let's get back to business!!

Wedding prep is back on my calendar...this weekend, I'll be organizing the things I will be taking up to NH next weekend. Rachael will be coming along and I might have to pick up Stacey, too, if she doesn't find a ride so I have to prioritize what to take and what I can wait to bring on the weekend of the wedding. Jacquie & Dan are working on the contents of the program (order of the service, music, etc.) so I can get it printed soon. When I return, I have to concentrate on finishing my dress, hemming (and altering, if necessary) Stacey's dress, ordering the linens for the reception tables, finishing the stones for the tables and getting scrapbooking materials together for everyone to use at the reception. The big question will soon be: will the ceremony be outside (as we planned) or inside (depending on the weather....)? If it is inside, it will be in front of the fireplace in the lodge (see above). It will be wonderful no matter where it is...

recovering...

Steve is back at work today - but he's only functioning at about 50%. He has had nothing in his stomach except saltines and Gatorade since Tuesday night so he's a little light-headed and weak but he's all excited about the 5+ pounds he's lost through this ordeal...

Day 39 ~ sick as a...

Poor Steve. We stopped to get a bite to eat last night after we dropped off Caleb at school. Steve got some bad chicken. Steve got sick this morning. Really sick. He threw up...more than once. He's still in bed. Yes, he is sick as a dawg! Feel better, honey!

Day 40 ~ a little quiz

1. Who is older, me or the state of Alaska?
Answer: Me. Alaska became a state in 1959 and I was born in 1956.
2. Which is older, me or the Ten Commandments?
Answer: Ha ha....just checking to see if you were paying attention.
3. A little tougher? Me or Disneyland?
Answer: Both are 50 years old, but Disneyland opened in December 1955 and I was born in March of 1956, so Disneyland is older.
4. How about me or the first publication of Winnie the Pooh?
Answer: Winnie the Pooh was first published in 1928.
5. Me or Leggo Toy Bricks?
Answer: Me. Leggo toy bricks came out in 1958.
6. Me or Hula Hoops?
Answer: Me. Hula hoops were patented in 1958.
7. Me or the invention of the TV remote control?
Answer: The same age. Both came out in 1956.
8. Who is older, me or GI Joe?
Answer: Me. The GI Joe Action figure was first produced in 1964.
9. Me or the first modern credit card?
Answer: The first modern credit card heated up in 1950.
10. Me or The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Suess?
Answer: Me. The Cat in the Hat was first published in 1957.
11. Me or Polaroid cameras?
Answer: Polaroid cameras, 1947.
12. Me or the discovery of DNA?
Answer: DNA. It was discovered in 1953.
13. Me or the pocket calculator?
Answer: Me. The pocket calculator didn't arrive until 1972. We used adding machines...or pencil and paper!!
14. Me or the PG13 movie rating?
Answer: Me - the PG13 rating came out in 1984.
15. Me or when Velcro was first introduced?
Answer: We both arrived the same year, 1956!

This quiz is solely meant for the private use, entertainment and amusement of baby-boomers and their friends everywhere. Any unauthorized use without the express written permission of baby-boomers throughout the world is prohibited. (See quiz in its entirety at http://www.joegenius.com/article.php?id=20&accept=1)

Day 41 ~ : )

I had always considered anyone aged 50 and over as someone on the downside of life...nearing the end of a career, certainly middle-aged...yeah, right! Here I am - on the eve of my 50th birthday, considering what I bring to my middle-aged years. It certainly has been an interesting life! Twenty years spent in Connecticut and three marvelous children...and then some unforseen circumstances and a fortunate turn of events brought me back to Steve and a life here in a community near family and old friends. I could never have planned this life - but it's a ride I am continuing to enjoy and savor.

pieces of the past

This is one of the pieces of my past that was always present in the living room at my mom & dad's house. It's Grandpa's bookcase (it still has the delivery label with his name and address on the back) - but it never held books. It always contained grandma's knick-knacks and mom's collectibles (we found a souvenier plate from the 1964 New York World's Fair and a glass cup with "Hazel" etched on it - something our grandma brought back from the county fair in 1917). Now it's in my dining room.

When we removed the piles of magazines and rolls of maps of PA fishing streams and stacks of family photographs, we found this beauty of a table hiding underneath. I had to turn on my sisterly charm to talk my brother into letting me bring this home...big sisters sometimes do have clout!

Day 42 ~ Room 206

That's where my mom is living now. She's no longer at the farm ~ where a knock on the front door would initiate a shout of "Come on in! The door's open!" That door is now closed and locked. But memories will remain in the minds of all who came through that door. The things I will remember? My most vivid ones are the smell of smoke from my dad's pipe, the bark of the beagle penned up down by the garden, my mom's apron wet from washing dishes, the whistling tea pot full of hot water for daddy's mug of tea and milk, watching my brother carefully lifting the flat rocks in the creek behind the house and seeing the crayfish scurry away, and the whisper of the breeze through the maple tree in the side yard.

Day 43 ~ memories to sort

This morning, I dropped Rachael off at softball practice at 8:00 a.m. and then I headed up to mom's house to meet my brother to start the inevitable job of clearing out the house of the most valuable things. Value is relative, of course. Looking around, I saw so many things that reminded me of the life my parents shared in this house. The history of the place is typical rural PA. My great-grandfather built this two-story farm house in the late 18oos. My grandfather was their only child; he married and continued to live and farm there; when my mother married, my dad moved in with his new wife and his in-laws, and when my brother and I were born, it became a house of three generations living in relatively calm co-existance. As you can imagine, the collected clutter of 150 years has accumulated and we must now decide what to keep and what to sell and what to throw away.

Day 44 ~ another day

Mom looked even better tonight when I stopped in to see her. Sometimes a difficult decision is made for you and you have no choice but to accept it and move on. That's easy to say but difficult to experience. This was a stressful week for us, for my mom and myself and my brother. I woke up this morning with some frightening-looking blood-shot eyes. I have no other explanation for them other than lack of sleep. My mom, on the other hand, looked rested, relaxed...and anxious for her transfer to the nursing home unit in the morning.
Steve returns from his golf trip tonight and Rachael will be coming over for the weekend. Things will be getting back to normal...

Day 45 ~ relief

I stopped to see my mom at the hospital after work tonight and I was so relieved to see how good she looked! This was such a good decision! She is relaxed and content, her shortness of breath has disappeared and she seems happy. She no longer has to struggle to get to the bathroom or into bed. Now there are two or three nurses with strong backs and the knowledge of the proper way to transfer non-ambulatory patients to help her with that. She spoke with the social worker from the skilled unit today and mentioned that her friend Agnes was living there. The social worker is looking into the possibility of putting my mom in with Agnes when she moves over to the unit - probably on Saturday. Wouldn't that be a wonderful situation?

Day 46 ~ coffee please

Once the decision was made to get Mom admitted to the hospital, things started falling into place. Arrangements were make, people were notified, appointments were confirmed. We gave her a day to prepare herself for the move...and she was ready. She realized that it was, indeed, time for her to go. She made calls herself to let her friends and others know that she was going to be going into a nursing home. By the time the ambulance arrived at her door tonight, she was looking forward to the process of allowing others to take care of her needs completely. She no longer had to endure a daily routine of stress and pain. But first, we had to endure the lengthy process of getting her admitted to the hospital. Briefly: we arrived at the hospital at 6:45 pm., she was seen by 2 doctors, blood was drawn, x-rays were taken, charts were checked, and we waited and waited and waited and waited. She was finally admitted around 11 pm. and was taken to her room at midnight. But, wait! We had to then provide a litany of information that was entered into a laptop computer at her bedside. This took an additional hour. I finally got home - at 1:30 am.

Day 47 ~ it's time

My mom & I have been having this discussion for months, now. With her declining health, I have been talking to her about how to determine when she will have to leave her home to go to a nursing facility. She said that she wanted to stay at her home as long as possible. I understood that. But now is the time for her to leave. Her sight is gone. Her mobility is gone. And she needs constant supervision. Today, she admitted that she needed to make a change. Finally. Tomorrow she will be going to either the hospital or to the skilled care facility. She needs to go before she falls, before it's too late. And I will be assured that she is getting the care she needs.

Day 48 ~ ...a bag for me

After all, I will need to have somewhere to put my emergency sewing kit and my tissues!

Dress # 3 ... mine

Please keep in mind that this is only pinned together...nothing is sewn. That's why it looks bumpy and it has only one arm! I just wanted to make sure it fit Dee Dee...which is now my size (that was quite a reality-check when I adjusted her nuts & bolts from Stacey's size 7 - or 9, if she eats breakfast - to mine). I think it will look ok...and be comfortable. That's the goal...to be comfortable.

Day 49 ~ the final big one...

It's all finished, boxed up and ready to be mailed tomorrow...my last BIG job for Globe. Kind of ironic, too, is the fact that it is Insiders' Guide to the Twin Cities, which was one of the first books I worked on as a new editor at Globe 4 years ago. Funny...huh?

Steve left for his golf trip early this morning. He is trying to get over a beast of a cold he got earlier in the week. Poor guy was dragging yesterday when he was trying to pack his suitcase...no energy...lots of coughing, etc. I'm sure his energy level will improve dramatically as he & his golfing buddies find themselves in South Carolina later on this afternoon...let me check the weather down there for today...let's see...aw, gee! It's 66 down in Florence, SC right now (9:45 a.m.) and the forecast is a high of 85 degrees today. I have a feeling that the warm weather will make him feel so much better! After all, he is planning to play 36 holes a day/every day this week! (Why? I ask...why?!)

Day 50 ~ ...as in 50 more days until...

I have big plans for the coming week. Once I get this job sent back to Globe on Monday, I can concentrate on working on some unfinished details, like:

• (finally) doing the final hand stitching on Jacquie's gown top (the waistband and parts of the lining need to be secured)
• pressing the gown's hem and satin border
• cutting the storage box (for the gown) down to size
• storing the gown (and the slip and Jacquie's bustier!) in the box in prep for transport up to NH on the 31st
• making another bag for Stacey like the one I made for Anna
• taking photos (360 degree views!) of Stacey's dress to send to Dan's mom, along with Anna's bag
• starting my dress...(yes, I really must get that started!)

Day 51 ~ TGIF

What a week this has been!

• Monday: Starting first day on a new job
• Tuesday: Deciding to resign from major proofreading job availability
• Wednesday: Accepting more responsibilities in new job
• Thursday: Caleb's birthday festivities
• Friday: Moving to new office/training for additional duties

Plan for the weekend:

• Getting Steve packed for his golf trip
• Finishing final proofreading job : (
• Collapsing

...sounds like a plan.

Day 52 ~ celebration...

The picture is a little fuzzy...but here is the birthday boy with Stephanie. We came back to the house after dinner at Red Lobster to cut the cake and open cards (Caleb refused to "make a scene" at the restaurant by opening his cards and calling attention to the fact that today was his birthday!). We had a very nice evening. Happy 19th, Caleb!

Day 53 ~ getting ready for the birthday boy

Caleb turns 19 tomorrow. So that means a cake (the Hershey's cocoa one, of course) is baked tonight. The frosting is chocolate and peanut butter, his 2 favorite flavors. But the addition of the peanut butter gives the icing a funny consistency and the petals of the roses I tried to make would not cooperate - so he's getting stars on top instead.

Day 54 ~ I can't do this...

...nope, I am not going to be able to work a full-time job and still be able to continue my proofreading on the side. There just are not enough hours in a day (well, there are, but my body thinks it should be sleeping during those hours...). When I was working at the church, I had at least three, wonderful, golden hours - between 3:00 and 6:00 p.m. - when I could do a good chunk of proofreading, throw in some laundry, get dinner started...
Alas. Those golden hours no longer exist. No matter what I do, I can't find them! I must let Globe know that I can't take any more big jobs. I still hope I can fit in those fun, little books that I could do over a weekend, or even maybe a bigger project...now and then...(I would really miss them...).

Day 55 ~ First day at Human Resources

Well, I survived the day...it went very well. First, a lovely little pot of yellow mums greeted me when I walked into the office - a quite wonderful gift from my friends at the church, wishing me well on my first day. Most of my time was spent trouble-shooting problems with the computer: email, printer, calendar access, etc. Hopefully, we'll get some positive results tomorrow! During my one (whole!) hour lunch break, I walked over to the church...and discovered that there is a triple funeral scheduled for this weekend (terrible car accident). So they will be dealing with that extra work this week. They have my new phone number! Call me, B!

Day 56 ~ One monster Mounds bar!

Rachael & I decided to make a Mounds cake today...it was quite simple, really. You just take a chocolate cake mix, follow the instructions on the box & bake it in a 9 x 13 inch pan. While it is baking, heat in a pan: 24 large marshmallows, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk until the marshmallows are melted and then add a 14 oz. bag coconut. Spread on top of the cake while it's still warm. Then heat 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup milk and 1 stick margarine until boiling then stir in 1 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Pour slowly over the cake. Let cool. What do you have? One huge Mounds Bar!

Day 57 ~ the past is the present...

My work is on schedule so I have calmed down a bit about the deadline. Rachael is with us this weekend and she was hoping to hang out with her brother. He decided, however, not to come home since he will be coming home next Wednesday for spring break. So, we decided to take a drive up to campus and take him to dinner. I always smile when we head up that driveway to North Hall, since that is the building that Steve & I first met in 1976 - 30 years ago - and coincidently, is where Caleb is living as a freshman at Lock Haven. When I walk into the lobby of North, go up the elevator, walk down the halls, I don't even have to close my eyes to remember the things that happened in '76. 1976 - when we were very young. And I met this guy...

Day 58 ~ last day at the church

Today was my last day as St. Mark's secretary. Everyone was so kind, so generous with their praises and wishes of good luck in my new job. I have met so many people at St. Mark's who are now my friends and I am grateful for that. I promised to return each month (at least) for their noon lunch and fellowship. I look forward to that but I am sad that I will not be seeing those familiar faces every day.

Day 59 ~ I am feeling a bit overwhelmed...

No, I don't know how to say it. The word "No." I can't do it. I should, I know. But I didn't. Even though I knew it was going to be a bad time to accept another proofreading job...but I said yes. This monster is due on the 14th. So that means I have to finish it by the 12th so I can mail it the 13th. So...in 10 days, I have to proofread 400 pages (that's 40 pages per day). Also during those 10 days, I will be:

1. starting a new full-time job (Monday, the 6th)

2. welcoming Caleb back home for spring break (Wednesday, the 8th)

3. helping Steve get ready for his golf trip (he's leaving Sunday, the 12th)

With all of these interruptions, I am a little worried about keeping to my timetable. Stressed? Me? Ha! I laugh in the face of stress! I THRIVE on stress!

I really must learn how to say "No."

Day 60 ~ (or IT'S ONLY TWO MONTHS AWAY!!!)

Stacey is planning a shower for her sister for the weekend of 3/31 - 4/2 at the camp in New Hampshire (that's one month from today). I'll be taking the gown and Stacey's dress with me (and Rachael, too, I hope!); Stacey's dress will be pinned up and brought back to be hemmed. Jacquie's gown will stay in NH (what? I'll have to entrust its safety to someone else? I don't know...I just don't know!). While I am there, I have lots to do! Let's see...for starters, we will need to talk about table seating arrangements (by then, all of the RSVPs will be returned....) and decorations (indoor and outdoor), & the food and cake (no, I am not decorating it! They want angel food cake with fresh fruit...at least that was what they were talking about at Christmastime). Today is 3/1. When I see 4/1 on the calendar, I will be with my girls in NH, finalizing the details, anticipating the culmination of all of our planning and preparation. I can't wait!