New Quilt

This is for the new GREAT granddaughter we're expecting in the spring. She will be the daughter of Destiny, Bobby's granddaughter.

I Finally Have Started A...

...STASH!!!

I think probably only Amy will appreciate this, and you can believe me, it is a very big deal.

I have thought lately how interesting the vocabulary is for my new hobby. We have "stashes" and I am now substitute teaching to support my expensive "habit". hmmmm

OK as to my inchoate stash, it includes three light white or off-white prints, one light green, one medium lavender and one dark lavender. So, four lights, one medium and one dark.

I love them. My local quilt shop had a inventory reduction sale this week and it includes fabrics 30% off the regular price unless you buy the rest of the bolt, then it's 40% off. I bought four "rest of the bolts", and two yardage pieces.

So, now I am officially "in" the hobby. hum hum hum

Brothers and Sisters

Since my last post was rather negative, I thought I'd leave this positive thought before Christmas (today is Christmas Eve). I am in the process of re-meeting brothers and a sister I haven't known or seen for -- ok now, how long is it? Maybe since 1958 -- so that makes, uh... (not good at this) about what? 52 years? Something like that. Now that I have done math, I'm ready for a nap. Here's the good news. These are wonderful people! I know I'm going to love them.

Fathers

My "biological" father, Bob Brown, died last week. That term always seems a little strange to me because, what else would a father be, but biological? Fast on the heels of that thought always comes the answer: the kind who takes care of you, supports you, stays there for you and never betrays you, that's what else a father would be. My "first" father did none of those things. My "real" father--the one who married my mother with two little children--did. I'm thankful for my dad, he's the one who sits at the head of a rather large collection of children, grandchildren and one tiny but darling great grandchild.--his GREAT GREAT granddaughter. I have spotty memories of Bob Brown before the divorce from my mother. One of my strongest memories, however, is of my mother the night before their divorce was final. She was very upset and crying and we were at my aunt Shirley's home (Bob Brown's sister). I was about 5 at the time. Bob was going to get married the next day--the minute the divorce was final. Bob's sister, Shirley, had told him if there was ever a choice to be made, she would choose my brother and me over him, she stuck to her word over the years. We scarcely saw him after that. Oh, we'd see him occasionally, but visits were sporadic. When I was 15 and Bobby (my brother) was 12, we were visiting our Martin grandparents in Mesa, AZ, and he called and wanted to see us. He took us to lunch. He was expecting a really big deal "reunion" event, but it just didn't happen that way. We ate, he took us back to our parents, and that was that. I spent a part of a summer with him and his second wife and met their children. I remember I studied them and couldn't figure out what made them better than us... ...and eventually I got my answer, nothing. He left his second wife after finding a third. I remember my grandmother Amy Brown (Bob's mother) told me that Bob's second wife was, of course, broken hearted that her husband would leave her for another woman and said something like she couldn't believe he would do that to her. Grandma just told her, of course you knew he would. As she related that story to me, I was thinking that I'd like to be able to connect with my siblings from that marriage, and Grandma said that she thought that would be a good thing. Bob's oldest son by his second wife, was resistant to my overtures of friendship, and I never tried again. I recently reconnected with Margaret, my sister. She's a little older (less than a year) than my sister Michele. I hope we stay in touch. I don't know whether or not the boys even remember me. Maybe if Margaret and I continue to communicate, maybe even visit, I can eventually meet her brothers again. Bob was always glad to see me if I happened to be in his neighborhood and visited--an occurrence that didn't happen often--maybe three or four times over the years. It seemed that he knew he had abdicated his title didn't expect anything from me. His wife, however, always seemed a little peeved that we didn't call, write, visit, etc. more frequently--after all he was our "dad". He was not my "dad". He was the biological father. Bob's second wife, Dorothy, was -- well, I got on with her pretty well. As I grew older, I realized that we pay our whole lives for some of our mistakes as young people. Not all mistakes have such permanent and negative consequences, but some do. She must have been a really good lady because I liked her despite everything (maybe I was the really good lady because I liked her despite everything). I don't know. My grandmother Amy Brown always tried to stay close to us, and my mother tried over the years to encourage us to be close with her. I think it was the right thing, and even then I realized it must be difficult for my mother and I was glad she did it. I believe a child can never have too many grandparents! Just before my first marriage, Bob took me to lunch one afternoon in Mesa (I was staying with Grandma Brown prior to my wedding). He attempted to explain why he left our family for his second wife. After listening for a few minutes, all I could see was that none of it was his fault and he was the victim of a young marriage to a woman he didn't get along with, so he followed his heart--right out of his family. I interrupted him and told him that whatever happened to him and my mother and his wife was in the past and should stay there, and I didn't care to hear any more excuses. What is the adequate excuse for leaving your family? for years of non-communication with your children? for complete estrangement from them? So, when Marilyn called last week and told me my "dad" had died, my only response was, "oh." She continued to talk and let me know he would really want me to be there, and she really thought I should come--I just said I couldn't get away. I would have loved to see the four children from his second marriage, though (actually, I'm not positive they were all there, come to think of it.) His legacy is that he made two families and left them both. He then married a woman with five children and chose to adopt them. That just seems a little scummy to me.

Grampy's Argyle Quilt

I really like how this came out. He liked it, too.

The pillowcase that goes with it is hanging over my shoulder. The main fabric of the pillowcase is what I used for quilt backing. It has words about traveling and Route 66. The black occasional blocks are of scenes along Route 66, including 40s-50s cars. The diagonal line is gold rope.

Argyle

I just finished a quilt top for Grampy. The fabrics are brown/beige/ecru and blue, and the diagonal lines (that's the thing that makes it argyle) are gold rope. The reason I chose argyle is that when Grammy started kntting (yep, I was there) she knitted socks. At first, she tried knitting the whole thing as a flat piece and sewing a seam to join the sides. She didn't like that at all; I think she only made one pair like that and didn't give them to anyone. Then she tried using three needles and was able to knit the sock as a whole (like a tube) as she went. She was very proud when she "got" the heel part--it was pretty cool. She made many pairs of argyle socks for Grampy. So, that's why I decided to make his quilt as an argyle-type. I really think it turned out nicely, and is just the right size to use while he's sleeping on his recliner. I bought enough backing fabric so I can make a pillow case also. I used occasional blocks cut from a Route 66 fabric with old 40s and 50s cars and Route 66 signs. I'm hoping to get it quilted next week so I can give it to him while I'm on my way to Austin to the tiny girl's first birthday party next Saturday. We're going down on Friday; I'd better get busy!

Better Landmark Quilt for Me

OK, I know I published a picture of a quilt I made recently--one based on Baltimore blocks. However, I wasn't happy with the way it looked and wasn't really looking forward to showing it to my group at the local quilt shop. I took it to the Houston International Quilt Festival with me to show Amy and she didn't like the look of it either. She told me what was the matter with it--the blocks between the Baltimore blocks detracted from the handwork I had done on the Baltimore blocks. Yep, that's what was wrong with it--but it was already completely sewn--everything was done except for the quilting. She said I could rip it apart and redo it. Say what? Yep, that's what she said. She said it again--and reminded me that I didn't really like how it looked either. I said I probably would give it to the Goodwill or some such, and she said it would be a real shame because of all the months I worked on the appliques. She said I SHOULD rip it apart and redo it. Mercy! Well, I sat down very early on Sunday morning at her house and started unpinning, folding the backing and the batting, then I started on the outer border--ripping one stitch at a time... Torture, for sure. I can't believe it, but I actually did some other things that day. I did some things in the kitchen with Karie, played with Buttercup, loaded and unloaded the dishwasher--but still by about 10:00 pm I unstitched the last stitch. My poor aching hands, back, arms, eyes, everything! Really...

Amy had a good idea of what would look great, and I had to admit it sounded wonderful. So, on Monday, Amy and I went to her local quilt shop and shopped. I found some great fabrics and spent the rest of the day designing, laying it out on graph paper, cutting the new fabrics, and doubting the process mightily.

Impossible! On Tuesday I sewed the new blocks together, then laid the whole thing out on the floor--with Buttercup's help, of course--she had many suggestions for improvements (smile), and then I started sewing. By the end of the day, it was completely re-made and I LOVED it. Everything I didn't like before was remedied--Amy was absolutely right about the whole thing. Now this is my Landmark quilt top--my Baltimore. You can compare it to the picture in the previous "Landmark Quilt" post. I love this!!!

Kitty Cat Quilt for Cheli

I finished my sister, Cheli's., quilt. I chose a cat pattern because Cheli is a cat person, and has always had numerous. I also made a fairly small quilt because she doesn't get cold much--but sometimes her legs do. So basically it's a lap quilt. I love it.

The pattern is called "Arnie" and it's from Bunny Hill Designs.

The Handwork Gene

I have been trying to think where my handwork gene came from. Grammy knitted and her mother, Nana (Reta Rasmussen Beaman) made all her own clothes during the Great Depression--including her underwear. She also made fitted sheets long before they were available commercially. I remember seeing her mother, Ma (Martha Jensen Rasmussen) doing handwork, but I don't remember what she was making.

My other grandmother, Amy Slade Brown, made quilts--she cut the pieces with scissors and sewed them together by hand, as everyone did then--also her sister, Waitie (we called her Nantie). Grandma Amy also crocheted--she taught me how--and she also embroidered beautiful cut work. I wish I had a set of one of her pillow cases.

So, I guess the question is not where my handwork gene came from, but rather, what took me so long. Actually, I have been making things by hand for a long time--I sewed for my kids, made quilts when we lived in Utah (br-r-r-r-r), and crocheted an afghan one year (I had seen something I liked and thought I might be able to figure out how to make it--and I did.)

In retrospect, I see that I have always done this, but didn't have the freedom, time or patience to do it day after day. One thing I am really looking forward to is going to the International Quilt Show in Houston next month with my daughter and one of Bobby's cousins. My daughter Amy clearly got the handwork gene. I guess I always thought I just didn't get this trait, but only did handwork out of necessity. Since it seems to have been all over our family tree prior to me, I have to assume many of my progeny will inherit it, too. Probably many of Bob's too.

If you think you don't have it, you might be wrong. :)

A Real Milestone Quilt-top

I just finished a quilt top that was quite difficult to make. The patterns came from a group of quilts made in Baltimore a couple of hundred years ago--they're called "Baltimore Quilts." The particular ones I made were from a pattern book called "Baltimore Basics" and consist of 12 different designs. They're traditionally made of dark greens and reds--I used more vivid reds and greens as well as some golds and blues--it is my quilt, after all. The technique used is hand applique--and the particular applique I did mostly was "needle-turn." I learned how to make two different types of flowers as well as a few other methods of actually getting the patterns on the fabric. Initially I had planned to use 13 blocks so I used one pattern twice--putting cherries on one and flowers on the other, so they don't really look the same. I ended up using 12 blocks so I put my least favorite on a pillow. Now that I have the quilt top done and the "sandwich" completed, I'll quilt it. I'm not sure what I'll do with it yet. Here it is:

As you can see, the appliqued blocks are interspersed with a plain fabric block.

Patience

In April, I was in a quilt shop in Tulsa and saw a pattern that really caught my eye, and I wanted to make it. Well, the truth is that I wished I could make it, but was pretty sure I couldn't, because it was quite detailed and looked complicated. Along with seeing it, I also immediately knew who I would give it to, and I wanted to try, so I dived in. I spent the rest of the day picking out fabrics--you can see there are many different fabrics in it--and wondering about my audacity thinking I could pull this off. Here's the picture of it--completed--and I am happy to say that it turned out almost as good as I had hoped.

There are many appliques on this. Some of them were done by machine and some by hand. I can see on this quilt the early ones and those I did as I improved techniques. There are also MANY small pieces--quilt-making seems to be art of taking large pieces of fabric, cutting them up into really small pieces and then sewing them back together again. While I am making something for someone specifically, I think about that person constantly while I am working on it. It brings that person close to me in ways I had not expected. I have begun a new quilt that is made entirely of appliques. Rather, each block has a large applique on it. In the beginning, I had the same fears about this new one. Would I finish it? Could I finish it? Would I drive myself crazy trying to do all these appliques? Could I even do them in the first place? Well, I have six blocks completed, and I can see improvement in my technique with each block.

One of the things I am learning about myself is that I seem to be able to work endlessly on something that goes really slowly, and enjoy the work itself. I believe this is called patience, and I am as surprised as everyone else that I am developing it.

I have noticed the quiet inside my mind while I'm busy working on a piece. I'm not thinking about "hurry and finish this". When I make a mistake (often), I simply pick out the stitches and re-work the piece without frustration or anger. If I have re-stitched many times on a particular edge and it is starting to fray, I pick out the entire piece, recut it and start over--just trying to make it look as beautiful as I can--incredible, I know.

I am making new friends as I attend various quilt-making classes; I am learning many new things; I have joined the local quilters' guild; I have things to do and places to go on my calendar (I actually have a calendar). I can also look at a week ahead with nothing on the calendar and look forward to being at home.

Altogether, I would say this is a very fulfilling time in my life.

Four Generations

OK--Here we are!

Avery couldn't quite figure out why we were outside in the hot summer sun sitting down like we knew what we were doing!!

Visitors!

This has been a wonderful week! My daughter, granddaughter, two grandsons and GREAT granddaughter have been up from Texas (and she is truly GREAT). I just sit and look at whichever is in front of me at the time and wallow in wonderfulness.

Also, my granddaughter who lives close by has been staying here so she can play with her cousins.

I have just loved this week.

--oh, and that's some baby, I'll tell you.

Two

This is the second quilt I have made for Avery. I can't wait to see them in a few days!!

One

One--that's all you need if that one is the best, cutest, most wonderful and cherubic tiny angel EVER!!

One is how many great grandchildren I have. Yep, she's enough and terrific enough to be the only one. How I love her!

Work

Well, I worked for four days. I mean I WORKED for four days. I am still an occasional part-time person at a clinic near here, and they needed a person, and asked me to fill in. I am so over working!! I believe I have found my niche in life--finally--and it's being retired, sewing, baking breads, cooking, spending time with grandchildren, WHATEVER I WANT. However, on the other hand (and, of course, there's always another hand) my new interests involve the purchase of consumables. Now that means that we have a problem, Houston. Bobby's hobbies were really expensive to set up (ham radio), but largely, he gets on famously on what he already has purchased. Me, well, that's where the consumable part comes in. I buy, I use, I need more, I buy, I use, etc. You see the problem. So, the smallish allowances we "allow" ourselves, is great for Bobby, he can save up a few months and have a great sum, but I keep running out of "stuff" and need more. hmmm... So, the working thing will be wonderful in a week or so when the money hits my checking account! But not so much while I was doing it. I have a plan to substitute teach this coming school year to feed my many and varied addictions. bummer...

Tempus Fugit

Indeed! My little Scott would have been 40 today. Man I'm old...

T-shirt Quilt

Amy asked me to post this t-shirt quilt I made. I attended a class offered by our local quilt shop teaching how to make a t-shirt quilt. I was intrigued by the idea so went to the class.

Bobby wasn't too keen on the idea of cutting up his t-shirts so I just used mine and pieced a quilt to fit the twin- and full-sized mattresses upstairs in our "hotel".

When I got home and showed him what I had done, he liked it so well, he asked me to make it for our bed (which it did not fit--we sleep on a queen-sized bed).

At that point he was all for cutting up some of his t-shirts and doing it up right. So that's what I did, with the results above.

Alisa will recognize the sashing pieces from her quilt. Amy might recognize the bottom row of sashing from the lining of our quilt bags. The border and backing were purchased specifically for this quilt.

One interesting thing about this quilt is that instead of a batting, the instructions called for fusible fleece (who knew there was such a thing?), so that's what I used. It was very easy to use and required one less layer to manage, and I plan to use that method in the future.

I am looking forward to Amy and her boys being here in July--in fact I can hardly wait! We plan to take a class on the use of our new sergers, and hopefully some other terrific things we might think of.

That's all I know for now...

GREAT Weekend!!

I attended Alisa's (cum laude) high school graduation, saw my Kare-bear, my boys from St. Louis, Dylan and Jeremy, as well as three daughters and a son and his little daughter, my Calysta! It was a wonderful weekend. The other person I saw was this little tiny very precious and darling angel!!!

And here's information for all those doting grandmothers out there: In case you were wondering, the great grandbaby is as precious, wonderful, darling and lovable as the grandbabies! --and why not, they're the babies of your equally wonderful, etc. grandchildren.

Newest Toy--new Janome serger

Honestly, I can't think of anything I don't have--that I wanted. Best news: Amy is coming this summer and bringing her serger. We're going to take a class and see what we can do together with them. I'm pretty excited to learn how to operate this very complicated machine. Who else has one? What can you tell me about them? Help!!

Avery

I can't think of anything more fun than spending time with a new member of my family. My (only) great grandchild Avery is a winner!!

Calysta's Quilt

Well, I finished it! As you can see, it's has a checkerboard pattern on the back, and the alternating diamonds on the front. As I believe I said before, Calysta assisted me in picking out the fabrics and color scheme.

A Word about Monsters...

Calysta has spent yesterday and most of today at our home with Mark; Christy is here, too. Today Calysta decided she needed to have a clean work surface as her desk gets pretty "crowded".

She worked on it for about an hour--maybe more. It was quite a long time, especially for such a little girl.

Later Mark and she went out for a while. We noticed the note after they left. It was the highest point in our week, for sure.

Note the exclamation points: they're hearts and the dots below are tiny hearts!!

A little while ago, I need some Scotch tape and there it lay, on her desk. Well, I braved the danger and borrowed it--I think I got away with it because I haven't seen any monsters yet.

When I replaced it, you can be sure I put it back right where she had it...

Something new

I'm making a checkerboard-type quilt for Calysta. It will be composed of alternating squares of these two blocks. The backing will be checkered black and white--the same fabric as the borders of each block. I took her to the store and let her pick out her colors. Her two new favorite colors are black and white--then red and blue. I just completed a T-shirt quilt top and as soon as it is quilted, I'll show that, too. It has the fronts (and some backs) of T-shirts that we have obtained over the time we've known each other (Bobby and I). later...

Interests, Hobbies, Fads, Obsessions...

So, I don't know what I am developing, but I am gaining great interest in a few things: quilt-making, cooking, breadmaking to name a few. These are things I enjoyed in my previous life BW (before work). In my new life PW (post-work, of course--keep up, please), I am returning to things I have always loved. I have taken the opportunity to ponder cooking and my relationship to it. For a reason I think I understand, I have always been reluctant to admit that I enjoyed--maybe even loved--preparing food. The reason, I think, is that my mother hated to cook--and she was really verbal about that, as I'm sure you all remember. Somehow it seemed as though I was not permitted to love something that my own mother hated. I realize that's wrong-thinking and maybe a little stupid, but there it is. Since living a few months PW I realize that since I have the time, I really love watching cooking shows, poring through cookbooks and www.foodnetwork.com recipes as well as others. I have chosen to do this. Bobby says between me and the food network he'll soon lose his feet--there could be worse things I guess--I could have studied famous bank robberies and formed a gang; I could have decided to do "street work"; I could have taken up interior decorating (he would have REALLY hated that, because it's a very expensive hobby). But, no, I was drawn to cooking, breadmaking and quilts. My grandmother Amy Brown made Bobby (my little brother, not my husband, of course--please keep up!) a quilt pieced of 1" squares!! I remember this quilt, and he wouldn't allow me to put it on my bed. I loved that quilt, too. Her sister (what was her name?) made a quilt top for me--hand-pieced it, too--that I quilted many years ago and it has long since worn out. I remember going to Relief Society work meetings and watching the sisters sitting at the quilt frames working. When I was really small, we played under the quilts--it was like playing in a fort--but after I got a little bigger--maybe around 10--they began to teach me how to quilt, too. I really loved that. So, I guess I have been doing this for many years. As my children were growing up, I made a few quilts, but they were utilitarian and made because we were living in the Rocky Mountains, and it was COLD. Although, I have to say, I enjoyed the process. Some of those quilts are still living, I think. So, that's what I'm doing now. Amy encouraged me to join my local quilting groups, and I did that. I have enrolled in a few groups, including the Norman Area Quilters' Guild. I am loving this. Have a great day, all. We have blowing snow outside today the first day of Spring!! I'm hibernating, making bread, preparing a supper dish for a neighbor who had surgery yesterday, and cutting out pieces for my Mystery Quilt group in two weeks. So, I'm having a good, quiet and productive day.

The PJs

Allie's PJs consist of the tops, bottoms and a headband--I think they figured that every princess needs a tiara--even while she's sleeping...

OK That's Done!

Good to have it completed! Now I can start on the PJs for the Princess of Arizona...

Skype

We got a webcam that Bobby uses with his Echolink (Internet-based Ham Radio application) and has a lot of fun with. I have used it on my PC, too, and talked to Allie and Eric. If anyone else has a webcam available to them, you can go to skype.com and download it. I'd love to talk to AND SEE any of my family. Soon I'm going to get my own webcam to go on my monitor--it's fat at the top and Bobby's doesn't clip to it--I have to hold it or try to clip it to something at the precisely correct angle--it's very awkward. Is anybody else interested? Bob, I think we might be able to do a conference call that way.

One-third complete

This is the new Fun & Done quilt I am making. It will fit on a twin or double bed. The long side of this part is the width--so I have eight more rows to go.

PJs for the Princess of Arizona

Well, here's the fabric, Allie. I couldn't find red hearts because they had sold out of their Valentine's material. So, I got pink fabric with Princess crowns. I think you will look wonderful--and sleep like a princess.

Another Fun & Done! Quilt--this one's special.

Here's a picture of the pieces--there are 960 of them (10 blocks X 12 rows)--each block has eight pieces. (Is 8 X 12 = 96?) There will be 120 blocks--I'm pretty sure 10 X 12 = 120!

Better

Well, some of the most commonly used words in the articles on gout were "acute", "temporary" and "short-lasting". That has been the case. By yesterday (Friday) my foot had quit hurting and I spent the day (and last night) ridding myself of all the stored-up water. By today, I feel pretty normal. So, if this just doesn't recur frequently, I'll be fine with this. Much to do today. I'm going to work on the new quilt--still cutting squares, strips and triangles. I'm going to make bread and grind some more wheat. Everybody have a good weekend--enjoy!

Uric Acid - Urate Crystals - Gout

I remember Grammy telling me she had been told she had gout and wondered how that could happen since she didn't eat red meat and didn't drink. Well, I have done some research on the subject and gout or uric acid can be caused by a number of things, including the fact that your mother had it, and the use of thiazide diuretics. Well, those are my things, I guess. I woke up this morning at 4:30 with excruciating pain in the base of my right big toe. damn. I went to the Mayo Clinic and typed in gout--as I was suspicious about this. Yep. There they were in black and white--my symptoms to a "T". The good news is that they last a short time. It's most common in men, but women after menopause get it, especially if their mothers had it. I wonder which mother had it first. I would not be surprised if my great grandmother had it (Martha). damn. The link if anyone is interested is: http://mayoclinic.com/health/gout/DS00090 That's my good news for the day. I'm sulking, irritated, sleepy and must get ready for my quilting class today. Hopefully I can just forget about this and enjoy it--my class, not the pain in my foot.

Avery

I spent 1 1/2 weeks with my great granddaughter. I watched (held) her for a week at her apartment while her mommy taught school in Austin, then we went to the Dub home in Houston where she stayed with us (she's still there, in fact) and I got to continue the holding. I sure love that tiny girl. She's such a little princess--and exactly what I would have expected one of my babies to look like. I don't know how many women are fortunate enough to become great grandmothers, but I can tell you this is a superb state of being. I love my tiny Avery.

Fun and (we're actually) Done!

Hard to believe, but this should be the last of the Fun & Done blogs--probably. We finished it this afternoon. It was pretty labor-intensive, but that's because we did it in two days. A person working at a reasonable pace could probably finish it in a couple of weeks. But since Bobby and I are heading home tomorrow, we had a deadline.

I understand that it has been snowing in Norman, and only got to 34 degrees today. Yikes!

Five Generations!

This is a first for our family! Five generations together. What a deal!

December '09

December started out in a funk. We had just had Jeff's funeral and buried him. My life is somehow smaller than it was because of it. I need to put something else in the place where he was, and I don't know how. Of course, in December Avery Danielle was born! That actually trumped everything else, good and bad that could have possibly happened. Karie did well, and that's something to be thankful for. So, Amy has her girls and both in good shape. There could be nothing in the world better than that for us. The day after Thanksgiving, Calysta and I brought my little 3' Christmas tree down from the upstairs closet where it lives (decorated and lighted). We put it in the front window. She chose a few other Christmas things she wanted to bring down and we did that too. That was a fun day for her and me too. Christmas Eve we were expecting Jennie and her family to be here for the holiday. We were visited by a historic cold and snowstorm. So, the W's stayed in a little town 35 miles south of us, safe and warm as they should have been. They made it up Christmas morning--when we had our aebelskivers together. Later on Calysta came over and we had present opening--and aebelskivers-- again. It was a very good time. So, as it turns out, many things transpired during 2009, some good, some great, some bad, some terrible--altogether probably an average year--except for Buttercup coming. We'll be going this month to visit Karie and her little Buttercup! --a new generation--I'm still trying to wrap my head around that.

November '09

I have to say, it's really difficult to write a post every single day. I was going to try to get through last year by doing a rough summary of a month every day. Sheesh. November was dreadful. It started out great. We went to Arizona to see Eric graduate from the University of Phoenix. After that, we went to the Grand Canyon to fulfill an item on our "Bucket List". However, while we were there, we got word that my young brother, Jeff, had died suddenly in Texas. What terrible news! When I look at our pictures from the Grand Canyon, I just remember how lonely and lost I felt that Jeff had died. It's strange that I should have felt lonely, as I was surrounded by people, but a real niche in my life--the one my brother had filled--was empty. I still miss him, and I'm sure I always will. I remember his asthma-filled nights when he was little and we lived in San Diego. I was so afraid he would die--he was very sick with it. After he stopped having attacks, I just always assumed he would outlive me--he was 10 years younger, after all. I didn't even see him that often, but I knew he was there, and he might call me, or I might call him and we would renew that connection easily. It's a big loss, and not only for me, but for the whole family, too. Thanksgiving was OK. I made dinner; Mark and Calysta came over, as did Bobby's son Ricky and also Destiny. Her family had gone to the other grandparents' home, but she stayed home and came to our house. Mark helped prepare our dinner, and I enjoyed that. Altogether it was a good day... ...but a pretty dreadful month.

October '09

Well, the thing about October is that Bobby was getting better and better. He finally was able to walk around without his cane--it's hanging on a hook in the bedroom where it has been since. I worked a day training to do patient charging at the clinic where I signed up to do occasional part-time work. After that, we couldn't get together and I didn't work again until December--sweet. Toward the end of the month, Bobby's short-term disability ran out and he decided not to have it extended, but to return to work. So, on the 27th, Monday, he went to work. He went to his HR office and did the paperwork to get back to work. Then he went out to the shop and talked to his boss. The boss said he didn't have much for him to do--they had had a lay-off while he was out and lots of folks were gone. He went around a while longer and finally said, "Never mind, I'm going home." The boss said he thought that was smart; Bobby went back to the HR office and told them to cancel the paperwork--he was retiring. He was home before lunch -- RETIRED! It was a great day!

September '09

September was all about Bobby recuperating from surgery. He couldn't walk very well, so we got him a cane--that helped a lot. He was in quite a bit of pain down his leg--he was wondering where the advantage was in having the surgery in the first place--there were days he could barely get to the kitchen from the bedroom to eat breakfast. As time passed, he began to feel better. He told his doctor he was questioning the wisdom of having the surgery and was told that it would take longer than 3-4 weeks. He was also told that he was progressing well, even though he still had a lot of pain. That was some comfort to him. Not too much happened to me directly. I was just really enjoying not having to get up and go to work every day. I was sewing and cooking a lot. mmm

August '09

August was a wonderful month. I retired; I had visits from Amy and Christy who live far away--including their boys; Calysta and I spent a week in Houston with Amy; we took the train back to Norman from Ft Worth--an adventure! It was also a troubling month. Bobby had surgery on the bulging disc in his lower back; he convalesced at home for several weeks afterward; he had to use a cane to get around for a while--we weren't sure he would ever be able to walk very far without his cane...

July '09

July was a fairly eventful month, mostly for unpleasantness. For Bobby, it was a lower lumbar disc bulging, as we found out--it was encroaching on the spinal column and the resulting pinch in the nerve was sending immense pain down his left leg. He could barely walk. By the end of July, he was unable to complete a day's work, and went to work one day, turned around and came home. He arrived about time for me to leave for my work--the hospital--so I took him to the ER there. By the end of the day, we knew he wouldn't be back at work any time soon. His MRI showed the bulge in the L5 disc, and our family doc referred him to a neurosurgeon. Yikes! Surgery was scheduled for mid-August. I was eager to get retired, and had started really looking forward to two daughters coming (Amy and Christy). They wanted to give me a retirement party and actually having them come was the best part of my month--just thinking about it.

June '09

In June I'm sure I was thinking about my grandfather Ralph Beaman, Flag Day, and the cemetery where he's buried in San Diego overlooking the swan pond. "Gramps" was buried on Flag Day, his favorite holiday. It was in 1963. Scott was born in June 1970, so he would have been 39 last year. Last June I was on the countdown to retirement.

May '09

In May last year, my weight got a little low and it just happened that I was at my doctor's office where I was told that I really should keep my weight above 125. Well, I decided not to follow that exactly, but instead to keep it between 120 and 125--and I have done that. The main thing I remember about May was that I went to Arizona to see Jared and Ragan's graduations. They both looked great in caps/gowns and, in Jared's case the cowl. Mark and Calysta came with me in a rental car. I think I really like that mode of travel. It was a great trip and I enjoyed seeing the Arizona contingent of the family. I was getting "short-timer's" disease at work--it was really hard to concentrate on anything. One thing: in March my boss was fired--they eliminated her position--and from then on, there was little to no stress at work. Not too bad for the last few months! In May, I gave my resignation so they could post my position for replacement. That felt wonderful. I guess all in all, May was pretty good.

April '09

Last year in April our friend died. I was at work when I got the email telling our group of friends that he was gone. It seems that every memory I have somehow has a component of me being at work. April was also the month my younger brother, Jeff was born. I also had a baby (Wendy) in April. So, I guess for me it was a month of comings and goings. I guess it was a pretty eventful month--good and bad--and WARM. I can't wait for warm this year!

March '09

Last year I was thinking about Grammy being gone for a year. It made me remember the loss I felt when she died, not only of my mother, but also of her mother. Losing loved ones is a difficult life event, and one would think that after much experience with it we would get better at it. Not so... In March I hadn't yet learned that the generations would shift by the end of the year...and of course, I had only 5 more months until I would retire! I thought that would be the big news of the year--I didn't yet know I would have a darling Buttercup. In March I was planning to go to Arizona for Jared and Ragan's graduations.

February '09

Last February was all about Nana's diamond. Daddy brought it up to Norman and I had it mounted in a beautiful setting reminiscent of Nana's ring that I first saw as a little girl on her finger. I was six months away from retirement and wondering if the time would ever arrive.

January '09

Well, what I remember most about last January is that I could finally say, "I'm going to retire this year!" It was music to my ears every time I said it--which was fairly often, as I recall. The winter was mild and I felt as though we had dodged the big cold bullet. Although we had some storms and icy roads, they were generally short-lived. As the month ended and the last of the winter storms had passed, I realized that I would never have to drive to work again in ice and snow. It was a wonderful thing. Bobby turned 67 toward the end of the month, but still didn't really want to retire. He noted that his usual winter maladies--sinus infections, sore and scratchy throat, congested breathing--had not materialized. He felt that it was due to the mild winter. He had started having trouble with sciatic pain running down his left leg. It's a long time ago, and by now not important, but that's what I recall about January 2009.

Wrap-up

So, I read in Jenna's blog that everyone is doing a summary or wrap-up of the year just past. I hadn't thought of that. I'll make an attempt, but really, I barely remember what happened last week... Now, what was I saying? I'll take this up tomorrow for sure.