Time is a story. Oh, what a glory!
A minute? I'm agin it.
An hour? Makes me dour.
A second? Has to be reckoned.
A day? In May, tra la.
A month? The man who lisps takes his rifle and "hunths".
A year? Oh, dear!
Time is a story. Oh, what a glory!
I was going through Joan's papers to gather what I need to do her taxes.
I came across an approximate date of her lung surgery. To find the exact date, I got down my 2004 diary. In the back was this poem I wrote while working at the
Wingate Inn. Gave me a chuckle!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
FRIENDSHIP AND CHOCOLATE-LOVING SQUIRRELS
Last night I went to visit an old friend. (Penny and I had gone our separate ways some years back due to changes in our life styles). Penny fell last year and broke two bones in her upper leg. It has been a long recuperation. I went last night with dinner and dessert for us. We spent time catching up on what has been going on in our lives. When I was getting ready to leave Penny said, "Let's not let so much time pass between visits". I was very touched by this. I've missed Penny and am glad we have re-kindled our friendship!
Now to the squirrel. I bought frozen pizza and a chocolate cake to take to Penny's.
I have a large freezer bag. I put the pizzas and cake in the bag, unzipped one corner to let the cold air in and set it on the back porch.
I arrived at Penny's and took the pizzas out and guess what I found? One corner of the box.........and a corner of the cake was gone!! My pet* squirrel had climbed into the cooler bag, ate some cake and left. How she did this without tipping the bag over is beyond me! I asked Penny if it was alright if I cut off the corner. "Yep". So I did and we ate some cake and neither of us have had any adverse reactions. Except.............I keep wanting to perch on the top of my chair!
*Pet - I have a bird feeder which is squirrel-proof. Yes, it really is. I see the squirrel out my window, perched on the back porch post, looking longingly at the feeder. I can just see her mind going like crazy, trying to figure out a way to get at the seeds. I started to feel sorry for her. We feed the birds but don't want to feed the squirrels. They are one of God's creatures, too! So I throw out all bread crusts and old apples to feed the critter.
Now to get on my box and lament. I am very concerned about the warm weather we are having. It upsets me to hear the newscasters applauding this and wishing for more. This is not natural and I fear what effects it will have on this earth.
Now to the squirrel. I bought frozen pizza and a chocolate cake to take to Penny's.
I have a large freezer bag. I put the pizzas and cake in the bag, unzipped one corner to let the cold air in and set it on the back porch.
I arrived at Penny's and took the pizzas out and guess what I found? One corner of the box.........and a corner of the cake was gone!! My pet* squirrel had climbed into the cooler bag, ate some cake and left. How she did this without tipping the bag over is beyond me! I asked Penny if it was alright if I cut off the corner. "Yep". So I did and we ate some cake and neither of us have had any adverse reactions. Except.............I keep wanting to perch on the top of my chair!
*Pet - I have a bird feeder which is squirrel-proof. Yes, it really is. I see the squirrel out my window, perched on the back porch post, looking longingly at the feeder. I can just see her mind going like crazy, trying to figure out a way to get at the seeds. I started to feel sorry for her. We feed the birds but don't want to feed the squirrels. They are one of God's creatures, too! So I throw out all bread crusts and old apples to feed the critter.
Now to get on my box and lament. I am very concerned about the warm weather we are having. It upsets me to hear the newscasters applauding this and wishing for more. This is not natural and I fear what effects it will have on this earth.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
More Judi and Tom Walton
A few blogs back I talked about Tom Walton's column and my e-mail to him about a comment my mother made about new clothes.
Yesterday Tom's column consisted of people who responded to that column. And.........there was the name Judi Pittaway and my e-mail to him! I've made the big time! If you would like to read the article, do this... 1. got to toledoblade. com. 2. In search put "TomWalton's column".
3. click on "Many people have..........closets" and you will see my name!
How about that!!
Yesterday Tom's column consisted of people who responded to that column. And.........there was the name Judi Pittaway and my e-mail to him! I've made the big time! If you would like to read the article, do this... 1. got to toledoblade. com. 2. In search put "TomWalton's column".
3. click on "Many people have..........closets" and you will see my name!
How about that!!
Monday, January 16, 2012
Putting My House in Order
When Joan went into the hospital I knew she would never be able to live by herself again. With the help of four very dear friends we sold Joan's mobile home and her furnishings. I was able to deal with Joan's bills, etc. It was made easier because Joan could communicate with me but still was a task that was not simple. After Joan died I continued to
take care of her affairs, many times stumbling through because she wasn't here to help me.
Sister Susi and I decided to make it as easy as possible for our executors. There was the possibility that I would die suddenly and my executrix would have no one to talk to about
my affairs.
I met with Jo Ann, my exec, last week and we went through a lot of stuff - things I remembered were difficult for me to do for Joan. Now I am happy to say that my house is in order. What a
load off my mind.
Did you know that no one can cancel your telephone, electricity, gas, cable, etc. without having Power of Attorney papers faxed to the utility companies? Why is that? I suppose it's to prevent a person getting back at someone by disconnecting all their utilities.
Got anyone you want to mess with? Here's a way!
take care of her affairs, many times stumbling through because she wasn't here to help me.
Sister Susi and I decided to make it as easy as possible for our executors. There was the possibility that I would die suddenly and my executrix would have no one to talk to about
my affairs.
I met with Jo Ann, my exec, last week and we went through a lot of stuff - things I remembered were difficult for me to do for Joan. Now I am happy to say that my house is in order. What a
load off my mind.
Did you know that no one can cancel your telephone, electricity, gas, cable, etc. without having Power of Attorney papers faxed to the utility companies? Why is that? I suppose it's to prevent a person getting back at someone by disconnecting all their utilities.
Got anyone you want to mess with? Here's a way!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Judi and Tom Walton
Thomas Walton is the retired editor and vice president of the Toledo Blade. He writes a column in the Blade every other Monday. I do not subscribe to the Blade but get to read Tom's column because a friend gladly shares them with me.
His latest subject concerned old clothes vs new. He said he would rather wear his jeans that are 15 years old than the new chinos his wife buys for him. One time he found a pair of trousers in the back of the closet that had S&H green stamps in the pocket.
At the end of Tom's column there are the words, "Contact him at...." and gives his e-mail address.
I have written to him in the past (about the demise of White Castle's and "Six in a bag for a buck") so wrote him again about "old clothes".
This is my e-mail.
hi, tom. i read your article about old clothes. i want to tell you what my mother said about NEW clothes. mom bought a pants suit (this was in the late 70's). i would pick her up to go to dinner and notice she was not wearing the suit. i asked her why. mom answered, "it doesn't fit my bends".
(Notice the absence of capital letters? That's because I don't use caps in my e-mails. I do use them in my blog when I feel like it).
Lo and behold, Tom wrote back! He said, "Thanks for a good laugh. I know exactly what your mother meant. My mom used to say , 'It doesn't give where I take' ".
His column, my e-mail and his reply will be pasted on a page in my new 2012 diary.
Have a glorious day, my four faithful readers, especially my dear friend, Marilyn in chilly
Sarasota, FL. Temperature there yesterday was 51!!! BRRRRRRRRRR!!
His latest subject concerned old clothes vs new. He said he would rather wear his jeans that are 15 years old than the new chinos his wife buys for him. One time he found a pair of trousers in the back of the closet that had S&H green stamps in the pocket.
At the end of Tom's column there are the words, "Contact him at...." and gives his e-mail address.
I have written to him in the past (about the demise of White Castle's and "Six in a bag for a buck") so wrote him again about "old clothes".
This is my e-mail.
hi, tom. i read your article about old clothes. i want to tell you what my mother said about NEW clothes. mom bought a pants suit (this was in the late 70's). i would pick her up to go to dinner and notice she was not wearing the suit. i asked her why. mom answered, "it doesn't fit my bends".
(Notice the absence of capital letters? That's because I don't use caps in my e-mails. I do use them in my blog when I feel like it).
Lo and behold, Tom wrote back! He said, "Thanks for a good laugh. I know exactly what your mother meant. My mom used to say , 'It doesn't give where I take' ".
His column, my e-mail and his reply will be pasted on a page in my new 2012 diary.
Have a glorious day, my four faithful readers, especially my dear friend, Marilyn in chilly
Sarasota, FL. Temperature there yesterday was 51!!! BRRRRRRRRRR!!
Monday, January 2, 2012
Marlene and Jim
I have a dear friend, Marlene, who's husband, Jim, has dementia. I have watched him go down hill, memory-wise, this past year and a half. Marlene calls me to "dump". She needs someone to talk to and to say whatever she is feeling, knowing that I will never criticize her, no matter what.
Some of Jim's life is very sad. Because he doesn't remember, he asks the same question every 15 minutes until, whatever he is asking takes place. Marlene patiently answers the same question over and over, then calls me and screams!
Monday always meant that Jim golfed and Marlene went to her quilt group. On Monday Jim asks Marlene what day it is so he can take the right pills in his pillbox. When he hears it's Monday, he tells Marlene he's going to go golfing. He said that this morning! It was 20 degrees out! And, Marlene has told him he cannot drive anymore, doctors orders.
Surprisingly, there is humor. Jim suffered a heart attack this past summer. Marlene, with the encouragement of her children, opted not to have the surgery the doctor suggested for Jim. Because of the dementia, Marlene was afraid that Jim would be way too confused and would not remember to do the things you need to do after this kind of surgery. The doctor gave Jim
nitroglycerin patches that are to be attached to his body and removed 12 hours later.
Marlene, the one with her mind still intact, puts the patches on Jim every morning and takes them off every night. BUT..............more than once Jim or Marlene finds two of the patches on
Jim. When she tells me this and we both laugh I ask her, "Who's got dementia?!?"
Jim forgets what the patches are for ( because he has insisted since June that he DID NOT have a heart attack) and when Marlene says they are nitroglycerin, he says, "You are trying to blow me up", then grins.
Some of Jim's life is very sad. Because he doesn't remember, he asks the same question every 15 minutes until, whatever he is asking takes place. Marlene patiently answers the same question over and over, then calls me and screams!
Monday always meant that Jim golfed and Marlene went to her quilt group. On Monday Jim asks Marlene what day it is so he can take the right pills in his pillbox. When he hears it's Monday, he tells Marlene he's going to go golfing. He said that this morning! It was 20 degrees out! And, Marlene has told him he cannot drive anymore, doctors orders.
Surprisingly, there is humor. Jim suffered a heart attack this past summer. Marlene, with the encouragement of her children, opted not to have the surgery the doctor suggested for Jim. Because of the dementia, Marlene was afraid that Jim would be way too confused and would not remember to do the things you need to do after this kind of surgery. The doctor gave Jim
nitroglycerin patches that are to be attached to his body and removed 12 hours later.
Marlene, the one with her mind still intact, puts the patches on Jim every morning and takes them off every night. BUT..............more than once Jim or Marlene finds two of the patches on
Jim. When she tells me this and we both laugh I ask her, "Who's got dementia?!?"
Jim forgets what the patches are for ( because he has insisted since June that he DID NOT have a heart attack) and when Marlene says they are nitroglycerin, he says, "You are trying to blow me up", then grins.
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