Wednesday, February 28, 2018

This and that for February

February has flown by. I'm not sure what I've been doing, but I must have been busy for me to reach the end of the month so quickly. Here are a few things that I remember.

--I took a trip to visit my mother with my sister. During the visit we got a chance to spend some time with friends who raise goats. When not during their climbing and jumping hijinks, goats like to be petted just like any other animal. 
My goat friend sticking her nose through the fence looking for some petting.















--Ward and I spent an afternoon exploring the neighborhood. It turns out that Ward's ancestors had a large farm not far from our house. There are even roads named after them. His grandmother did some research years ago that found out that much of her mother's family was born close to here, but Ward did not remember anything about it. It was fun to discover a family connection to our new area. I may have to stop calling it new soon. We've been here over a year.
It was pretty fun to find these intersecting road signs because Ward's Great Grandmother Gillis married Mr. Perry, his great grandfather. 

There are still several large farms in the area.


--And speaking of Ward, he had surgery on his wrist this week and is going to be on light duty for a while.
Ward decided that his light duty should involve working a puzzle. 


--As you know, we got new windows last week. Now we have to do some painting and cleaning around them, but they look much better already.
A picture of one our old windows that seems to give a new meaning to "picture window". 

--Overall the weather is definitely warming and the yard is responding to this. Birds are singing and leaves are emerging. We're not out of the woods yet as far as snow and cold weather go, but it's been nice to have some warmer days sprinkled in here and there.
A few forsythia are starting to bud. They will probably freeze, but I give them credit for trying.

The crocus I planted last fall are coming up. Yea!


I guess if you fill in the rest of the month with all the regular things like work, grocery shopping, and taxes (how could I forget tax prep?) maybe that's enough to fill February. Tomorrow we get a fresh new month to fill up. It's great how that keeps happening. :)




Sunday, February 25, 2018

Thankful Sunday--February 28,2018

I am thankful for 
new windows.

We knew when we moved into this house that it needed new windows. Especially the big bow window in the living room with its rotten wood and difficult windows to open and close. And as an extra aggravation, that window let in the intense afternoon sun from a southern exposure causing fading floors and a room too hot to be in sometimes.

But that all changed this week with the installation of new windows. We are looking forward to a cooler room (it was too hot sometimes even when there were freezing temperatures outside), minimal color fading, and no rotten wood. So for these beautiful new windows, I am thankful.


Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Understanding changes.

My mother with her mother at high school graduation.
This picture made my mother smile during my last visit.
Recently, a doctor told me that we often leave life as we come in--not being able to do many things. A reversal of things, so to speak. As an infant, we are fed, bathed, and cuddled until we learn to take care of ourselves. This is a long process that happens step by step. For some elderly, the reverse happens. The ability to take care of themselves slowly leaves step by step. They eventually need help with eating, bathing, and walking. In many ways, they are much like an infant.

That is what is happening to my mother. Each time I visit her, I find that she needs help with something else. She has progressed to the point where she needs help with nearly every aspect of her daily life including moving, eating, and talking. And at each visit, I am saddened to not see the mother I once knew. The intelligent, hard-working woman who was always helping someone.

But that sadness does not persist. Partly, because I now view her changes as a normal part of life thanks to the wise words from the doctor. And partly, even though she interacts differently, she lets us know that she is still the same person that she has always been. For example, once a nurse, always a nurse.* She still watches all interactions between the residents and the staff with eagle eyes and gets attention when she sees someone who needs help. She doesn't talk much, but she uses non-verbal communication like a pro. When my sister and I were having a photo session with her, she rolled her eyes with the best of them as our antics got sillier and sillier. Much like she used to when we were younger. She still enjoys singing hymns and will sometimes sing along even though she may have only said a few words the rest of the day. And the list goes on.

However, the most important reason I don't remain upset is that my mother is still happy. Her life has changed drastically, but she still finds pleasure in her every day life. She enjoys a good piece of cornbread and crisp slice of bacon. She enjoys a friendly hello and a warm smile. She enjoys a soft sweater and a new hairdo. And she enjoys the feel of warm sunshine. Those are things that also make me happy.

Years ago when I first heard about dementia and how it robbed people of their mind and abilities, I thought it was the most horrible thing that could happen to someone. I could barely let the thought of it enter my mind before I had to banish it because I found it so upsetting. But my mother has shown me differently. She has taught me there is value to life even when it is not lived in a big way. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't grieve for the mother I once knew, but I am more accepting than I ever thought I could be. Thanks, Mom, for teaching me another important lesson in life.

*My mother retired as a nurse from the very hospital unit she is now living in. Some of the people she trained are now caring for her.

Note: This post is focused on mother, but I had similar experiences with my father. Another day, I will tell you about his last years.





Monday, February 19, 2018

President's Day


PRESIDENTS' DAY QUIZ
How much do you know about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln whom we honor on President's Day? See if you learn something after taking this quiz like I did when I put it together.

The statements below apply to either Washington or Lincoln.
  1. _____ Stood 6'2” tall.
      2. _____ His mother was born in what is now the state of West Virginia.
  1. _____ Used his hat to carry important papers.
  1. _____ The first president to wear a beard.
  1. _____ Had three hoe cakes and tea most mornings for breakfast.
  1. _____ Introduced the mule to America.
  1. _____ Had red hair when he was young.
  1. _____ His formal education was only 18 months.
  1. _____ He patented a system to alter buoyancy of steamboats.
   10.  _____ Had no biological children

Bonus: Both Washington and Lincoln were born in February. What days are their birthdays on?
Answers:

PRESIDENTS' DAY QUIZ
Answers

1. Washington-- Stood 6'2” tall.
     Washington and Lincoln were both tall for their time. Washington stood at 6'2” tall and Lincoln towered at 6'4” tall.

2. Lincoln-- His mother was born in what is now the state of West Virginia.
      Lincoln's mother, Nancy Hanks, was born in what is now Mineral County, WV. She died when he was nine years old. You can visit a replica of the cabin she was born in as well as a memorial marker there. 

3. Lincoln-- Used his hat to carry important papers.
     Lincoln's hat was more than a fashion statement. He also used it to carry important papers. If you want to see one of his top hats, visit the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. 

4. Lincoln-- The first president to wear a beard. 
      The story goes that Lincoln received a letter from an 11 year old New York girl, Grace Bedell, who suggested that his thin face would look better with a beard. He grew a beard soon after that. Who knows? It may have helped him win the election. Other presidents with beards were Grant, Hayes, Garfield, and Harrison. Truman supposedly grew a beard while he was on vacation. 

5. Washington-- Had three hoe cakes and tea most mornings for breakfast.
      Hoe cakes were made from cornmeal and were originally baked on a hoe.

6. Washington-- Introduced the mule to America.
     Washington was looking for something that might work better than a horse for work around the farm. The mule, which is a cross between a male donkey and a female horse, seemed to fit the bill. 

7.  Washington-- Had red hair when he was young.
     Washington had red hair when he was young and contrary to popular belief, he never wore a wig. However, he did powder his hair which was fashionable at the time. 

8. Lincoln-- His formal education was only 18 months.
     Lincoln only went to school a few weeks here and there when he was not working. However, he always had a book in his hand including when he was plowing a field. 

9. Lincoln-- He patented a system to alter buoyancy of steamboats.
     His device was never manufactured, but he is the only US president to hold a patent. 

10. Washington-- Had no biological children.
     However, he raised two step-children from his wife, Martha, and helped raise two of his step grandchildren when their father, John, died. Lincoln was the father of four boys of which only one survived into adulthood.

Bonus: Both Washington and Lincoln were born in February. What days are their birthdays on?

Lincoln: February 12
Washington: February 22

Sources:









This post is a blast from the past and originally appeared here February 20, 2012


Sunday, February 18, 2018

Thankful Sunday

I am thankful for my fig.

Soon, we will see things growing again outside, but we're not there yet. But we are there with a plant I have inside. I got a small fig plant late last summer from an acquaintance. Even though I was unfamiliar with growing figs, I was excited by the possibilities.  I transferred it from the yogurt container it was in into a bigger pot and promptly watched the two leaves it had fall off. I brought it inside for the winter with high hopes even though it looked dead. And I was not disappointed. Last week, seemingly out of nowhere, it showed signs of life with a small shoot and leaf. Wow, what a great surprise to see that tender, new growth.

So as I watch the snow and sleet fall outside, I am thankful for this little fig tree and the hope of things to come.



Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!

In honor of Valentine's Day, I'm going to rerun a post I did several years ago about a Valentine party I went to when Wally was in 3rd grade. It was one of a series of posts of observations about different behaviors between boys and girls. I enjoy the stories involved, so I think I'll run the series again. Here's the first installment.

Boys vs. Girls--Wally's Valentine Party

Boys vs. Girls—You Choose 


 Before I had kids, I thought that each child was an individual, and didn't believe much in gender stereotypes in children. Little boys ran and jumped a lot because that's the kind of games they were taught. Little girls played with dolls because that was the kind of toys they were given. I thought that if all kids, regardless of gender, were exposed to the same things they would have the same tendencies. Then I spent some time in the real world of kids and figured out that I was wrong. Possibly there were some differences between boys and girls. From time to time, I'm going to share some of my experiences that led me to this conclusion. However, so as to not bias you, I'm going to let you guess, who are the boys in the stories and who are the girls.



 Today's Story 

http://s3.amazonaws.com/rapgenius/10-251.jpgThe Event: Wally's Third Grade Valentine Party

The Scene: The kids were seated around tables and had naturally grouped themselves into two groups with all boys on one side and all girls on the other side.

The Action: One group was carefully reading each Valentine and talking about who liked whom. The other group was seeing how many Red Hot cinnamon candies they could stuff in their mouth before their mouth burned too much. 

You choose: Which group was the boys and which was the girls?



Thursday, February 1, 2018

On My Nightstand

If you're like me, there's always more out there to read than you can get around to. And it doesn't help that these days, reading is often sleep inducing for me. However, that doesn't mean that I don't try to keep up. Here are the books I'm currently reading, browsing, looking at the pictures in, and sleeping with.



From Bottom to Top:

1. The Beginner's Guide to Starting a Garden by Sally Roth
I first got this book from the library, but liked it enough that I asked for it for Christmas. It is basically landscaping with common plants that people often give away. It has designs and tips for beds and gardens that seem practical and I could make. We have several beds that need reworked in our yard and I thought this would be a great reference.

2. The Edible Garden, a Sunset book by Hazel White and Janet Sanchez
I received a gift certificate for Christmas to an edible landscape company. I have a tree in mind that I want to get, but wanted to do some more research before I made any decisions. So when I ran across this book at the library, I brought it home for more study.

3. The Family Handyman
I brought home this magazine from the library because it had an article on a deck makeover, a project that we want to do at some point.

4. Laughter, the Best Medicine II, Reader's Digest
Remember this feature in Reader's Digest? I guess it's still there, actually, but I'm not sure since I haven't seen a Reader's Digest in a while. Anyway, I picked this book up at a used book sale to have some light, quick reading. It's the perfect bathroom reader or easy reading to go to sleep by.

5. The Beautiful, Edible Garden by Leslie Bennett and Stefani Bittner
Another book I checked out from the library to do a little more research before I decide what to buy with my gift certificate for edible plants.

6. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
This is the book I read last month for my book club and needs to taken back to the library. The club agreed that it was a good book and enjoyed it. The basic story has a golem and a jinni stranded in New York City in 1899 without their typical masters and abilities. There are many levels to the story from the golem and jinni trying to survive in the human world anonymously to commentary on the immigration experience. It provided a lot of discussion for my club.

7. Why We Sleep by Matthew Wallace
This is a current popular book by Matthew Wallace, PhD, a sleep researcher. His goal with the book is to help people understand what sleep is and how important it is to our health and well being. I've just started the book, but I am already learning a lot.

8. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
This is my book club's selection for February. The book itself got very good reviews and the Netflix series based on it has won a lot of awards. I may the last person around to read it; so far I find it engaging.

Are you a read-one-book-until-it's-finished kind of person or a read-several-books-at-once sometimes finishing one of them kind of person? What does your nightstand look like?