A special day

Today is for John.

It's always be his birthday.

He is always missed.

Not quite Thanksgiving

Margaret came for me yesterday afternoon, and she's been cooking all day today.  I've done a little helping - mostly what I can do sitting down.  Then I did the last part of making the dressing - adding the seasonings and stirring and tasting.  I mentioned that I was hungry for a steak, so she got some for us tonight.  Jesse cooked them on the grill - and a lovely medium-rare steak was SO good.

The big news here was a phone call from Sarah (the youngest grandchild) telling me that her Carson had literally gotten down on one knee and proposed to her - ring and all.  I don't think the wedding will be too soon, but they've been together for a while, so no hurry.  We're all excited for the two of them. 

Love and Food

It's gotten to be late November and time for Thanksgiving.

This is one of my favorite holidays and I hate that it has gotten passed over with all the emphasis on Christmas.  And that's really all about shopping, spending money, and commercialism. The radio station playing in the lobby of The Terrace started playing Christmas music on the day after Halloween!  I asked them to turn it off, but of course, that didn't happen.  Sigh...

The traditional Southern Thanksgiving meal is one of my favorites.  It's a lot of work, but since everything is the same each year, there's really not much mental work involved.  I love the turkey, dressing, country ham, cranberries (in all forms), squash casserole, green beans, potatoes (white and sweet), gravy, mincemeat pie, pumpkin pie, and whatever else shows up.

And then there's the family and friends who gather to share in the bounty.  When the girls married, shared holidays with other families, had children, and traditions of their own to develop, John and I started having our celebration on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.  The getting-together was the important thing, not a specific day or date.

The number to feed has always been variable.  It depends on which family members are able to come.  So we started inviting friends to join us.  Since there is always SO much food, the number of mouths isn't important.  Plus we never try to all sit down at the same table at the same time.

For this family, the holiday is about Love (and food)!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sunday Six

1. I've slept well the two nights since that last "Sleepless in Chattanooga" night.
2. Sue asked me about making the Christmas thing with the mothballs in a tank of water that bounced up and down like snowballs, using the mixture of baking soda and vinegar to make the carbonation bubbles.  I hadn't thought of that in a zillion years.  Did anybody else do that?  Do you remember the formula?
3. That terrible line of thunderstorms roared through here last evening, with only about 0.25" of rain.  It was fast, and nothing severe here. I just learned tonight that there was an F1 tornado in the Nashville area last night.  Wow!
4. It did get cold overnight, but turned out to be a nice sunny day.
5. It's supposed to be near freezing in the morning when I leave for the Y.  So I guess I'll have to scrape the windshield.  I hate doing that.  I think I'll try the spray bottle of alcohol if there's frost.
6. Thinking ahead to Thanksgiving, my friend posted pictures of her table already set for dinner.  That couldn't happen in our family!  For starters, we have our Thanksgiving dinner on the Saturday following Thanksgiving Day.  And, our dinner is never for a finite number of people.  Our celebration has always been with the family who can be there in person, plus an assortment of good friends who are able to be with us. It's probably my favorite holiday for sharing.

Tough night

Four hours sleep, in spurts,

Just doesn't get the job done.

Hope better tonight.

Bridge

I played duplicate last night.  For a change, my partner and I did well.  With 10 pairs and 18 boards, we came in 2nd and had a couple of high boards - all for 0.56 MP!  Nothing much else going on.

Five for Friday

• The pool felt really good this morning.  And coffee with my buddies is always a treat.
• I did a couple of errands while I was out - post office, and checking on my Comcast account. They keep telling us that the building is going to switch to our local fiberoptic provider (which we had before I moved here).  It is so much better - and I wish that would happen sometime.
• I'm going to have to start bringing the bird feeders in again.  Some critter cleaned them out last night.  I don't know what, though.  It couldn't have been a raccoon because the feeders weren't knocked off their hooks or disturbed in any way - just empty.  A mystery!
• The folks here at the Terrace have put up a Wall of Honor across from the dining room, with photos of our veterans, back in the day, in their uniforms.  There's a special party tomorrow morning to honor them.  We even have a woman who served in the Air Force during WW2.
• I've placed a pick-up order from my local Walmart and will pick it up in the morning.  I absolutely LOVE this service, and haven't been in the store in several months.  Plus there's no charge!

Tuesday weather

I woke up about 4 and couldn't go back to sleep.  I got up about 5, ate some cereal, and headed for the chair.  To my surprise, I slept hard until after 8!  I really had to make myself get up, get dressed, and go to Silver Sneakers.

We had a lovely hard rain this morning - nothing severe or windy, but an inch in the rain gauge.  The temperature dropped about 15* during the day.  According to the weatherman tonight, there were severe storms with very high winds and some damage in the counties just north of us. I'm glad we didn't get any of that.

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Yorkshire Pudding is a blog I follow. His post today about the "Paradise Papers" and paying (or not paying) taxes is super.  Check it out.

Good start to the week

At the suggestion of a friend, I got some Icy-Hot patches to try for symptomatic relief for my back pain.  I didn't have much pain yesterday when I first tried one, but one time does not a solution make.  On the other hand, it's almost impossible to put a sticky patch on your own lower back - especially when one arm doesn't work very well.  So I don't know if it's something I want to try again (unless I can find some kind soul to apply it for me - LOL).

Monday night is for duplicate.  Partner and I wound up in the middle - not too bad, but no Master Points.

I had a year-end appointment with my financial counsellor this morning.  She is great, and is doing such a good job with managing my assets.  I'm really pleased with the way she/the firm are handling things.  They're not only keeping me solvent, but continuing to grow my "nest egg".  It's certainly comforting to me (and the girls) to know that I can live out my life without any money problems or being a financial burden on the kids.

Sunday Stealing

First Things First

{1} First thing you would do/buy if you won the lottery: First thing I could call my financial advisor and arrange for an attorney. Of course, I would have to buy a ticket first.
{2} First person you call when you get amazing news: My daughters.
{3} First thing you do when you've had a bad day: Head for my chair and some knitting.
{4} First movie you went to without your parents: That was probably 70+ years ago - I have no idea.
{5} First sport you played (Little League-style or in school): Never played sports in school, except when required in gym class.
{6} First major injury: Severed artery from a broken bowl.
{7} First product I use in the shower: Body wash.
{8} First apartment or house on your own (away from you parents!): When John and I moved into the apartment on Garrett St.
{9} First Roommate(s): John
{10} First Time Living Away from Home: Summer away from home working at a resort hotel in Colorado.
{11} First magazine subscription: Jack & Jill
{12} First real piece of jewelry you owned: My wedding ring.
{13} First time staying home alone: I have no idea.
{14} First thing I reach for in the fridge: Ice
{15} First car accident or traffic violation: Rear ended by a truck.

Bonus:  Toilet paper, over or under? Over.  

Five for Friday

1. Obviously it's been a very quiet week.
2. Margaret came over last Saturday to get the transportable plants off my deck, to put in her greenhouse.  We were due to get a frost Sunday night. It did frost, and the tender stuff that was left got shriveled.
3. I played duplicate Monday night with a different party.  We did fairly well, but the scorekeeper screwed something up, and the results never got posted.  Oh, well - maybe next week.
4. My back pain has gotten bad enough that I've made an appointment to see the spine doctor.  Earliest available time is on 8 December.  We'll make it work until then.
5. I substituted at duplicate this afternoon.  The scores got posted, but we didn't win any master points.  Oh, well...

Sunday Stealing - Halloween version

ghost: what would you like on your tombstone? I don't plan on having one - maybe just a lovely tree.
dracula: are you afraid of aging? or death? Not really - maybe just the process.
nosferatu: what, as a child, did you imagine went bump in the night? I don't remember anything.
godzilla: what do you do when you are angry? are you ever destructive? I used to occasionally throw things.  Now I just shout obscenities.
the blob: do you collect anything? if so, what & why? Over the years, I have collected owls, penguins, and flamingoes.  Now, I'm working on getting rid of thing.
zombie: when was the last time you trusted your gut? was it successful? I think when I decided to put some of John's ashes at the base of a new tree in the Sculpture Fields.
mothra: what is something dangerous that attracts or fascinates you? I'm not into anything dangerous.
king kong: what are some questionable choices you've made lately? I'm sure there have been some, but nothing comes to mind.
alien: what is your strangest feature? My feet (yuck!)
cthulhu: do you like the ocean? why or why not? I LOVE the ocean.
nessie: have you ever felt invisible to people -- the feeling of not existing? I'd like to be invisible sometime, just to eavesdrop.
mutant spider: what is one of your biggest fears? Being totally dependent on others.
werewolf: if you could change into any nonhuman animal and back at will, what animal would you change into and why? A pet belonging to any of my daughters.
golem: if you could make up an imaginary friend, what would they be like and why? Three others to play bridge with.
leprechaun: what is your "pot of gold" (or white whale, if you'd rather) My wonderful family.
sharktopus: what is something you've done that was ridiculous or a bad decision? Can't think of one specifically.
robot: what is a habit you do without thinking? I can knit socks without thinking much about it.

Logistics

The roofers are still banging - but it's not been loud enough for me to resort to ear plugs (yet!).  They still have the parking lot blocked off, but...  This morning, I had no problem getting to my car to go to the Y.  I had placed an order at Walmart for pickup, and hadn't decided how I was going to go about getting it into my apartment.  When I got home, the no-parking-sign for my parking lot was still up, but the barrier was down.  So I pulled up outside my usual door, and took the groceries and my swim bag in and just left them inside the door.  Then I moved my car back to a place near the front of the building, came in, and picked up my stuff (in two trips) to take to the apartment.

Explanation:  My apartment is on the first floor, but the first and second floors were additions added to the rear of the building, on the slope below the larger building.  There are only six apartments on each hallway, and each floor is stepped down, so there is no-one above or below each floor.  This makes the "main" floor, with the main entrance, dining room, etc., on the 3rd floor.  The main part of the building is quite long with something like 24 apartments on the 4th and 5th floors and about 15 apartments plus the Memory Wing on the 3rd floor. 

Glorious autumn!

It was a lovely fall day here.  The music of the day, though, was of men stomping around over my head, with accompaniment by lots of banging.  It's definitely music, though, because they're putting on a new roof.  This means no more leaking in my shower, and that I should be able to put my car back where I want it before too long.  We're supposed to have beautiful weather all week, so maybe that means no weather delays in the roofing.
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I have to give an attaboy to our Senator Bob Corker.  I never voted for him, and seldom agree with him on policy.  But  he has made Tennessee proud in the last few weeks, with his honesty, patriotism, and honor.

Everyday Miscellany

I haven't been writing much - things have been definitely quiet (not that that's a bad thing), and it would just be monotonous.

The big event of the past week was the beginning of new roofing happening here at The Terrace.  It's been badly needed, so it's a good thing.  However, things do get messed up.  Friday, when I got home from swimming, the parking area nearest my door had been roped off, with no parking inside. Finding a new place to put my car, that was even remotely convenient to a door to the building, was a challenge.  I finally found a place fairly near the front door.  And there my car remains.

We're supposed to get a lot of rain overnight and all day tomorrow.  I'm going to play hooky tomorrow and just stay home all day.  It's would be farther to get to my car in the rain. I'm not comfortable driving in the rain under the best of circumstances - and certainly not in the dark.

My bridge partner is out of town for two weeks, so I'm not going to play duplicate tomorrow night.

I'm getting a lot of knitting done.  I'm about 2/3 of the way through with a summer-weight sweater for myself, and then I'm going to start on some baby sweaters.

I'm even getting some reading done.  I've just finished a new Joanna Brady book (thanks, Kate), and am currently about half-way through an Ivan Doig book I hadn't read before, The Bartender.

Jean is doing well after her accident.  The stitches have been removed and hopefully the scar will fade with time.

Sunday Stealing

Have you ever eaten at restaurant and you realized you forgot your money? Nope
True or false-you can pat your head and rub your tummy at the same time. Of course.
Do you prefer to drink out of cans or bottles? Neither - I'd rather drink out of a glass, with ice.
Do your socks match today? Almost always.
What was the last book you read? Would you recommend it? The latest by J. A. Jance.  She writes a good police procedural.
Are you currently borrowing something from someone? No
Write an extremely random statement. I don't do "random" very well.
Are there any major holidays you don’t celebrate? I don't make a big deal out of holidays.
What is one thing you will never understand? Why people can't get along.
Have you ever stepped on a bee? Hasn't everybody?
What helps you wake up in the morning? I'm a morning person - I just wake up.
What did you have for breakfast this morning? Cereal, banana, with milk.
What is your favorite thing in your room? Computer? TV? Knitting?
Who was your first kiss with? Probably Edward.
Do you worry about small things? Never sweat the small stuff!

First "real" day of Fall

Glad we're getting some cooler temperatures.  Ours changed dramatically last night when a cold front came through.  We got an inch of rain here overnight, and today is clear and crisp - highs to be only in the 60s!  I got to wear a jacket this morning.

I had placed a pickup order at Walmart for this morning, so got that on the way home from the Y/coffee.  That's the greatest thing since sliced bread!  Y'all know how I hate shopping, so being able to order what I want online and then just pick it up outside the store is fabulous for me!

I Skyped with Jean last night.  She looks (and feels) so much better.  Her eyes are still black, and the color is moving down her face, but the swelling is down considerably.  I may have said - the cut across her forehead was about 4" long, in a V-shape from the outside of one eyebrow to the outside of the other - really awful looking - lots of stitches.  Since a plastic surgeon did the repair, it should heal fairly well, though.

We did a little better at duplicate tonight - came in third out of 9 pairs, and earned a quarter of a master point.

Friday Miscellany

• It's finally cooling off, with lower humidity.  It almost feels like fall.
• And speaking of "fall", Jean had a monster one yesterday.  No concussion, but a huge laceration across her forehead.  Fortunately, after the ambulance ride, a plastic surgeon stitched her up in the ER. The black eyes are a lovely addition.  Poor baby!
• The new owners of The Terrace have contracted with roofers, and they're due to start work on Monday. They brought shingles in this afternoon on a fork lift outside my apartments.  They moved most of my stuff out of the way, but managed to knock off the bluebird house. I'll have to ask the makers for some repairs.
• Margaret is going to the ballgame in Knoxville tomorrow and coming by here for supper on her way home.  It looks like we're going to meet up with Missy and Renna.  Crazy!

Hurricane Nate

Four inches of rain,
But no severe winds, so far.
This is a good thing.

Conversation starters

If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time? Probably waste it the same way I do now.
What’s your favorite piece of clothing you own / owned? I'd wear "soft clothes" all the time, if I could.
What hobby would you get into if time and money weren’t an issue? Travelling first class.
What would your perfect room look like? About like my cave does now - maybe a little bit larger, with reachable shelving for my knitting and computer stuff.
How often do you play sports? ROFLMAO!!!
What fictional place would you most like to go? I can't think of one.  There are too many real places I'd like to go.
What job would you be terrible at? Anything connected with sports.
When was the last time you climbed a tree? I guess I might have done that maybe 70+ years ago.
If you could turn any activity into an Olympic sport, what would you have a good chance at winning medal for? Sitting.
What skill would you like to master? I'd like to be a better bridge player.
What would be the most amazing adventure to go on? Getting to all the places I've wanted to see - or just travel around the world.
If you had unlimited funds to build a house that you would live in for the rest of your life, what would the finished house be like? It would be one with a full-time staff and driver.
What state or country do you never want to go back to? I've never had a bad trip, but there are still places I'd like to see.
What songs have you completely memorized? Lots of them.
What do you consider to be your best find? Probably finding John.
Are you usually early or late? Almost pathologically early.
What pets did you have while you were growing up? My family had a couple of dachshunds, and a terrier mix over the year.
When people come to you for help, what do they usually want help with? Knitting.
What takes up too much of your time? Computer, knitting, TV (but not TOO much).
What do you wish you knew more about? There's always something new to learn.
What would be your first question after waking up from being cryogenically frozen for 100 years? I wonder why I did this.