Monday, January 1, 2024

Inspired

 I should be working: menial tasks of cleaning around the house, grading papers for University #1, course developing for University #2, more decluttering and organizing work, etc., etc., ad nauseum. Plainly said with emphasis, I don’t wanna.  Not now, at least.

Today, on this first day of the New Year 2024 (can you believe it), I gave myself a delightful surprise. When I woke up this morning (sans alarm), I realized the dogs should go outside before I take a shower and get ready for the day...Lord knows I have no time for a dog accident to clean up. With bathrobe and slippers on, I called the dogs to come (which they usually do gratefully). We have a night light on the stair landing, so I didn’t turn other lights on. The delightful surprise was that upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, I realized I’d left the Christmas tree lights on all night. There was our tree, blazing in glorious colorful lights and shiny ornaments. It caused me to stop and remember that today is not just another day. I believe every day should be special like that. It also reminded me of Christmas mornings when I was a kid. As soon as we woke up, we’d run to the Christmas tree. It was always lit up with a bunch of presents under it. What a lucky kid I was!

I’m leaving things decorated until next weekend. Some people retire their decorations as early as Christmas Day, but people like me (who decorate in middle of December), are not quite ready to see it all go. Once Christmas is gone, the dreariness of winter takes over. It’s OK, I’m not a person who gets depressed in winter. The cold winter can be a wonderful time for adventure because the snakes are hibernating and it’s easier to see the poison ivy. The woods can be magical in winter, especially when there are icicles hanging off the cliffs and there are animal tracks in the snow.

This morning, because I took time to admire our humble tree, I noted that we have several ornaments of ballet dancers and ballet shoes. When I was young, tap dancing was my thing…I could write a whole blog post about those experiences. I was definitely never into ballet, but for some reason, all my kids wanted to do ballet. Emily, especially, was very good at it. I took the girls to see The Nutcracker nearly every Christmas. Who couldn’t love the music and costumes?






Miss Catherine’s parents took her to see The Nutcracker in Lexington. There was a shortened performance just for young children, perfect for Catherine’s first live performing arts experience. In advance of the big night, Sarah showed her YouTube videos of ballet dancers. She quickly caught on to the concept of dancing (spinning, leaping, kicking) and ballerina girls. At the tender age of two, she was completely thrilled by the theater and performance…perhaps a little bit too thrilled. From what Sarah told me, it sounds like she wanted to participate rather than sit and watch. Catherine became so disruptive that they left the theater very early in the first half. Well, that happens with toddlers. It was an experiment. For Christmas, Santa brough Catherine a leotard and slippers so that she can pretend to be a ballerina. 


Catherine might get to take a pre-school dance class next year. Oh, but it is next year! It’s more accurate to say that she might get to take a class later this year! 😊That might be a very good way for Sarah to spend time with the new baby while Catherine is busy learning to make friends, stand in a line, take turns, listen, and follow instructions. Those are all good things for young children to learn.  

Thursday, December 28, 2023

Blessed Holiday

 Christmas 2024 is all but a wrap. Sarah and Catherine, Emily, and Erin all came home for the holiday. What a treat for this old KY Lady to be all of us together with my girls for a holiday - that was the best present of any. I like to leave decorations up until after New Year’s Day. It seems that people who get things decorated early are ever so speedy to get them all put away again. 

Auntie Em 💖

Reading new books in the new tent

Catherine "learning" music from her mommy

More learning music

so many candy canes

Auntie Erin plays on and off with the lights

Candyland - Catherine knows colors and can count.  The concept of board game is not quite there yet. 

We visited the park to see the lights. Catherine gets a ride.

Catherine loves hot chocolate.


Erin is engaged – she and Tanner made the commitment about a week before Christmas. There is another wedding to be planned, although Emily has most of her planning completed. Emily is a go-get-‘em type of person…can’t say that she inherited that gene from me. I’m a how-much-longer-can-I-procrastinate type of person, mostly.

Showing off those beautiful rocks

Sarah’s baby belly is getting bigger and rounder (my excitement is growing as well). The baby is due in early April. The plan is that I will stay with Miss Catherine during the birth and hang around until Sarah can manage a baby and toddler without help. Catherine will have to learn to share her parents’ attention…as all children with siblings do. I remember all too well when Sarah realized what it meant to have two newborn babies in the house – she was eight years old when Erin and Emily were born. I was busy with one baby (or perhaps both…it’s all such a blur) when Sarah said ever so sadly to me, “You’re just never going to have time to do anything with me again.” I admitted to her that it was going to be a long while, probably. It made me feel guilty and sad, but there was no point in lying about it.

Someone starts his physical therapy tomorrow (to recover from his rotator cuff surgery earlier this month). He survived it, but it’s been pretty rough for him so far. He will return to work next week if he can drive. I’ll take him to a vacant parking lot this weekend so he can experiment with how it will be to drive with only his right arm.

Someone will be recovering, and I will be busy getting courses ready to open for Spring semester at college #2. College #1 has a session in progress…I’m still working that job but thinking about leaving that position this year. The student population has changed a lot since they merged with two other college systems. Not only that, they keep asking me to do more tasks as part of my job with absolutely no increase in pay. It’s to the point that it feels like charity work for the amount of time I’m required to put in. For college #1, I need to create a course for teaching the basics of Python. I’m looking forward to this one, but it’s stressful figuring out how to plan things out. As an experienced IT person and coder, it’s hard for me to gage how quickly or slowly an inexperienced and average person will learn their first coding language (not to mention, I’ve never taught a coding language). I will have to rely on the publisher’s recommendations for this first iteration of the course.  

With the start of January begins the dreariest season.  Don’t get me wrong, I love some aspects of winter. But for me, winter is just the time of anticipating the more desirable seasons. My focus (so as to distract from the dark dreariness) will be getting more fit and getting this house in better shape. Lord knows that me and this house are in great need of vast improvements. Fortunately, the weather can be delightfully variable in the Ohio River valley. Even in the bleakest winter, we can occasionally get sunny days with weather in the 50s.  Hope springs eternal for those days.

Erin loving on our zoo (they don't mind the cold)



Saturday, December 9, 2023

Death by Pot Roast

 It has crossed my mind many times over that I could kill Someone with pot roast.  Someone is a hard-core carnivore in every sense of the word. I like to put a roast in the crock pot in the morning. Dump in a chunk of meat, onion soup mix, ketchup (or tomato juice), chopped-up carrots and potatoes, a stalk of celery because it makes it smell extra good, and use the setting for low heat. It cooks all day long while the house is empty (except for our sweet dogs). When I come home, I can smell that wonderful aroma before I even open the door.

Early in our marriage, I learned that Someone always eats in one meal whatever amount of pot roast that’s cooked. We can have leftover vegetables, but the meat is never enough that some will be left over for another day. I even bought a larger crock pot so I could cook larger roasts, and then it just got ridiculous. Nobody should eat that much meat in one week, let alone one meal.

Someone is well aware of the fat content in a beef roast. He doesn’t care. It’s why he runs (he says). He can just eat whatever with no consequences because he runs. I don’t think it works like that, but what do I know? At this point, I just make pot roast a few times a year. Of course, it’s a simple task and Someone could make his own damn pot roast, but in his mind, a crock pot is a black box device that requires two x chromosomes to divine.


Someone is about to have rotator cuff surgery (Monday afternoon). He will not be running again for many weeks. He’s been stressing so much that…I might have to start drinking again. No, just kidding, but Lord, he’s driving me crazy with all the stressing out he’s doing. We are very different types of people, or maybe I’m just better at appearing chill to the outside world when my inner world is walking a tightrope. Right now, and for the past week, his entire world is revolving around this surgery and his recovery. For whatever weird reason, he even took off half this week so that he has extra free time to worry about it all. 



To say I’m ignoring it would not be true. Of course, I have to be involved. I’m taking him to the hospital and bringing him home. He won’t be able to drive for weeks. I’ll have to take him to physical therapy several times a week and to his follow-up doctor appointment. I won’t be able to go anywhere until he’s managing himself, but fortunately I can work remotely. And here we are on the brink of Christmas. I still have shopping to do, and decorating, and presents to wrap and ship.  It’s a lot…and I have only two days of freedom left. That’s what’s on my mind, far more so than his shoulder.

So, enough blogging for now. I’m out of here soon to go Christmas shopping and dog walking…and there’s a basketball game on TV at noon that I want to watch. Just maybe, I’ll go hit a small bucket of golf balls today. We have unseasonably warm weather today – we can’t let that go to waste!


Friday, December 1, 2023

Family Expansion

 Baby Catherine is now a toddler, some two years old, plus a month. Time has flown by and she is starting to talk in a way that I can understand her some of the time. I got to babysit her for several days last month while her mommy went away to a conference. It was great fun to spend so much time with her. Sarah wants her to call me Grandmother, but she usually calls me Grandmothee, which is close enough and rather endearing (to be fair, everything about her is endearing 😊).



While I was visiting, Catherine’s Daddy stopped in with a pizza for lunch to share with all of us. Catherine loves pizza. He asked her how many pieces she wanted to eat. She replied, “One at a time.” The little munchkin ate three pieces! She’s a hearty eater and a healthy girl. What a blessing that is!

Sarah and her spouse are expecting another baby in April. Again, the gender will be unknown until birth…that’s the plan. Drat it!!  I want to know! Patience is not my virtue. So, another grandbaby is one way our family is expanding. Catherine will be a big sister.

Emily is getting married next May. Logan proposed on the Fourth of July. We are thrilled for them; they have a lot in common, I think. They seem very smitten with each (as it should be), he’s very good to her, so that’s good enough for me. Emily, Sarah, Erin, Catherine, and I were all together in Lexington when Emily tried on wedding dresses and selected one. That was delightful for me and once she had the dress, it all seemed more real.

Congratulations to Logan and Emily

Erin is on the cusp of getting engaged.  We think it will happen very soon (like, before the end of the year). It’s exciting to think that in a family with no sons, we will soon have three son-in-laws…sons-in-law?? I am pleased. Erin and Tanner have been dating since high school. He has been over many (many) times when Erin and Emily invited friends over. They went to dances together. He already feels like family. Erin said she hopes to have a wedding in fall, 2024. Two weddings in one year!!

Soon to all be part of our family 💕💕


Sunday, March 12, 2023

Changing priorities

 Little Miss Catherine will soon be 17 months old. With time speeding by as it does, Catherine has developed into a delightful toddler. I got to stay with her and her daddy a few days while her mommy (Sarah) went away for a business trip.  How lucky for me that I only live 90 minutes away and her parents allow me into their home to be part of this little miracle’s life. I was on spring break so Sarah’s trip was perfect timing for me.



Little Catherine

afternoon recharging

Catherine is just starting to say some words - most distinctly are no, more, and bad. She communicates well by nodding yes and shaking her head no. She blows kisses and waves bye-bye. We had the best time reading books, pretending to cook with kitchen utensils, an empty salt shaker, and measuring cups. We played with a ball and with her other toys. She has a great affinity for music boxes. 

Miss Catherine left me with a wonderful memory. She woke up early one morning and ran over to my bed. I heard her thump on the wood floor with her little feet – running – thump, thump, thump, thump – short but very fast little steps. I lay in my bed pretending to be asleep, hoping she might return to her own bed and go back to sleep. She stood there. I could hear her sucking her pacifier and breathing. Then, she hooted a few times…something like an owl or a dove. It made me smile. I pulled her up into the bed with me and she snuggled up against me. I put the blanket over her and she lay there quietly for 10 minutes or so. She had brought a stuffed bird with her, which she began playing with (I pretended to be asleep).  The bird pecked my arm and my face. Then Catherine began poking my eyes and running her fingers through my hair. Then, ever so gently, she started tracing the lines on my face. That made me smile, and as soon as I did that, she grabbed my nose and gave it a hard twist. That made me laugh out loud. As soon as I did that, she giggled. So much for going back to sleep - playtime was on!

Her giggles are infectious, but oh my, she is coming up on terrible two which, for my own girls, started around 18 months. When Catherine doesn’t have something she wants, she gets mad and then she cries unconsolably. The best solution I found was to show her something interesting or to change venue (take her to a different room).  I try to be a good grandmother/entertainment director. 

We had spring last week – unseasonably warm temperature and sunshine. The Bradford Pear trees exploded into bloom. I know they are bad for our environment and terrible invasive, but their blooms are truly stunning! The magnolias and daffodils bloomed, and now the redbud trees are showing their purple. But for now, we are back into winter until late next week.  So much for spring. Someone and I even played a round of golf one evening while spring was here. It was wonderful to get out to the course again, but so crowded that afternoon. We only got 13 holes in before it got too dark to finish the round.

Early March @ 74 degrees F - a winter gift

The semester is chugging along. I’ve cut back hours at University #2 which has improved my work/life balance. Lately, I’ve been thinking about returning to part-time at University #1. I enjoy the work and the people there, but I want my time to be more flexible. By going part-time, I won’t have to go to campus unless I want to, or if they have some kind of training or event. As long as I keep my students happy, my hours would be whenever I work, day or night, and wherever I am. It sounds great except that the adjunct pay is very sucky. I have already committed for Fall 2023 semester (full-time), so there is plenty of time to think about things. Life is short, and getting shorter.   

Mick and Gracie are getting along very well these days. Mick has started paying more attention to Gracie, in a good way, I think. He still will not play with her, but he no longer avoids her. When I am working at my desk, they sleep side-by-side against my chair. 

Co-inhabitants of my home: Someone, Mick, and Gracie on a very warm winter day

  

Saturday, January 21, 2023

Heart expansion

I’m delighted to report that we (Someone and I) have adopted a new dog – meet Mick. Mick is an 8-year-old border collie. He’s incredibly smart and playful, trained extremely well, and an outstandingly good boy. Gracie is learning to tolerate him, thanks to her training last summer (we sent her to charm school for a few weeks) and time she has spent with Leo, Erin’s dog. 

Mick

Good boy, Mick!

Rare photo of Emily with Gracie

Mick seems to be happy living with us. Mick and Gracie share their love of walks. I (and sometimes both Someone and I) take them on a walk every day for at least 30 minutes. It’s their favorite thing to do. Gracie is 12 and starting to lose her hearing so I think at some point, she will be grateful to have a companion who can hear. 

We are a month into winter at this point. Other than that cold snap we experienced when we returned from Florida in December, winter has been incredibly mild (like, 40 to 60 degrees most days). I’m grateful for mild winters because these cold months can be such a long haul! I can be happy outside in the cold if there’s no wind and I’m dressed warm enough.  I love tromping through the woods in the cold winter because the poison ivy is much less of a factor (leaves and vines are much easier to see) and the snakes are all hibernating. Just writing these words makes me want to saddle up my dogs tomorrow and go for a nice long hike!

Someone and I drove over to visit baby Catherine today (and her parents, of course). We didn’t stay long, but long enough for that sweet baby to work her magic on me. Catherine is about 15 months now, so she’s asserting herself more and becoming more vocal about things she likes and wants. She loves books and has a lot of them. She shared some of her favorite pages with me. Her special affinity is for moths and butterflies, spiders, snakes, ducks, and cats. She also recognizes the letter V. When it came time for us to leave, Catherine walked us to the door. I hugged Sarah and our son-in-law, kissed the top of baby’s head, and told her good-bye. She looked up at me with those gigantic eyes and reached up to me, so of course, I picked her up. How could I resist? Then, she clutched me as if she didn’t want me to go. My heart completely melted in that moment. That was seven hours ago, and I’m still thinking about it. That grandbaby!!

Sarah with Catherine

sweet baby
sweetness overload



Sunday, December 25, 2022

winding down 2022

So much for me writing more often in 2022 – that did not happen. Life has been busy…like so busy, especially these past five months. With eight classes going on at University #1 and no fewer than six at University #2 in their sessions, things have been a bit chaotic for me with trying to keep up with things. 

So now it’s winter break for both universities. I have one week before all hell breaks loose again. It may even be worse hell this time because even though I only have six classes for University #1, two are brand new for me. I still have to design and build these courses – procrastination is my middle name. I told them I would do ONE new class, but they assigned two new classes and now there are enough students enrolled in them, so they will go live January 9, ready or not. These are both business classes. Even though I majored in business, and for God’s sake, even got a freakin’ doctorate in business, I really do hate business. I know business and money makes the world go ‘round, but I don’t have much interest in it. 

Enough about work. Here we are – Christmas Day! I would wish a Merry Christmas to the entire world, but I know life for much (if not most) of the world is quite tragic in one way or another. The world has always had evil people, but there seems to be so much more evil and greed than there used to be. Standards for ethical behavior have relaxed. It causes me to wonder if the trend, the downslide, will continue. God has blessed me with the best possible life. Great health, family, pets, work, shelter, and enough to eat. Life doesn't get much better than that!

Baby Catherine is a delight. She is now 14 months old, walking, jabbering, and doing new things every time I see her. She has a marvelous sense of humor, and she LOVES books. She can entertain herself with books for quite a while, but she also loves being read to. Sarah went to a conference for four days in November and I had privilege to stay with Catherine and her daddy, who, I might add, was a tremendous help. I didn’t realize baby Catherine was capable of eating as much as she eats. Her dad set me straight and convinced me to offer her double of what I was putting on her plate. It makes me smile to think about her and to think I might get to see her again this week.


Sweet baby Catherine

Someone and I took a brief (4-day) vacation to Daytona Beach, Florida last week. We had great flights down and back – direct and on time!  Flights that are on time are especially wonderful. We played 36 holes of golf the first two days we were there, in weather that was partly sunny and mid-70s degrees. On the third day, the rain poured and we drove north (out of the rain) to Jacksonville to visit my mother. She seemed to be doing much better as compared to last summer when the girls and I visited her. We took her to lunch and shopping a little bit. It was nice to visit her and my brother who lives nearby. We headed back to our motel in Daytona, but stopped in St Augustine for a walk around the fort there and a walk through the historic district. I liked it but Someone was bored. Someone doesn’t enjoy random adventure. The weather cleared by the time we returned to Daytona. 

Daytona Beach - view from our motel balcony

On our last day of vacation, we were going to play golf. BUT, we learned that Space X had two launches scheduled for that day. We drove south and spent the day at Kennedy Space Center. It was the first time either of us had visited and we were both impressed with the exhibits. We did a simulation of taking off in a space shuttle – that was fun and exhilarating…but in reality, I would be too claustrophobic to strap into a space shuttle…I think so, anyway.  The first launch was postponed for another day. The second launch was moved forward a few hours. We caught a bus to the Banana Creek observation area, 6 miles from the launch pad. The launch was pushed back again, but finally it launched just a few minutes before the cut-off for cancelling the launch. It was FABULOUS!  The most amazing thing to me was how bright it was from so far away, and also, that the rocket had disappeared from sight before we ever heard the rumble of the take-off. Space X launched two communication satellites for the O3B network on that rocket.  The network provides broadband Internet access. 

Someone and I at Kennedy Space Center

Launch pads are about 6 miles away (across the water)

I hope we get to see a rocket launch again someday. There is plenty to see at the space center. I'd like to go back and see more of it. From the Banana Creek observation area, you can see launch pads for NASA, Space Force, and Space X. 

When we got back to Kentucky, the temperature dropped to near zero. We’ve had a blast of winter in time for Christmas but in a few days, we are warming back up to the 60s. Hooray for that!  I like winter, but not a lot of winter, and definitely not frigid cold. It has been so cold that Gracie would only go outside when absolutely necessary. I love my dog. 

Our Gracie