This one's for Chuck!

Physical Therapy is still a 'happening thing' in the process of exercising my right knee back to reality. I've gone from three visits a week to two visits a week, and the physical therapist is great. The time flies by as she gives a directive, and we chat the whole time that I am following her plan to rehabilitate my right knee. I was sharing with her that my brother had been up for the weekend and it had been a nice visit...except for my living room furniture. My couch and chair are recliners which are not the easiest chairs from which to stand up...out of the sitting position and up on your feet! As Paul likes to demonstrate in quite the theatrical way, "It's like trying to get out of a peach basket."

So, my 'PT' buddie offered an extra chair of hers, and if I wanted it, it was mine. Yesterday, as she walked in, she told me that her husband was on his way over with the chair on the pickup truck. As he put the chair through the door, and there was snow-white stuffing popping out of the top of the chair..she raised her voice a bit and asked,"What happened??"

"It fell off the back of the truck."

"Oh, great!" she says.

"It happened kind of fast. There was nothing I could do. Thank God there was not a car behind me."

In an effort to bring some levity into the situation, I reminised about the time that my good friend, Chuck, enlisted help in moving a piano to his house. At last, his wife was going to get a piano. It had always been on her wish list, and one day she encountered a situation where if she moved it, she could have it. The piano- moving posse of 4 strong men hoisted the prized piece of musical furniture onto the truck and set out on the 20 minute ride. All was going well until the curve ...which also happened to be an incline...and some scientific force took over, and just like a Laurel and Hardy moment...the piano flew off of the truck. Some very loud keyboard sounds hit the ground, and those were its last sounds. It broke up into many pieces. As did the four guys, I'm sure!!

Can you imagine the scenario that occurred when he arrived home[by himself...no need for the other three to witness the response to], "So, Where's the piano?"

"Back on Half Acre Road. It didn't make it up the curve."

"Are you serious???"

"I am sorry to say...affirmative!!"

"And grateful to be on a country road with no one behind me."

It became one of those stories that was funny in retrospect. At least that was what I said to the couple [on my porch] arguing about the chair that dove off the back of a truck.

Pointless to discuss it further...it wasn't going to bring it back....isn't that right, Chuck?

Government...gone AWOL way too much!.

I watched President Obama nominate his candidate, Sonya Sotomayer, for Supreme Court Justice, and listened as she spoke.

Highly qualified, Sonya has struggled through life with more than a few mountains to climb, and graduated from Princeton and Yale. And the many prosecutor and judge positions that she has in experience speaks for itself. My two questions are:
1. Why must she be scrutinized beyond the norm by the party not in office, and, oh, she'll probably get the job because they don't have the number of votes to stop it?

2. The nomination was submitted now so that the process could be completed before Congress leaves for their August recess, thus enabling her to begin as a Supreme Court Justice October 1st. Why don't our elected and appointed government people work more than they do?

Just curious....what do you think?

I was watching The View, and they got into a discussion about what happens after this life. Not speaking about religion, rather what thoughts cross your mind when you think of the hereafter.

1. Do you believe there is a heaven or hell?

2. How about reincarnation?

3. Are you among the people who believe that there is still an element of communication between people who are here and those who have passed along before us?

My thoughts?

1. Heaven ...yes Complete with dogs and cats! Hell...not so sure.

2. Maybe. I joke sometimes that I must have done something terrible in a former life to have such stinko 'luck' that I do. And I have met and/or seen people who look very much like people in my lifetime who have already left us.

3. Definitely. Too many coincidences have ocurred that suggest being thought of by those who have preceeded us.

The question of the day is...

Every day as a part of my mom's 'agenda', we ask her questions to keep her mind active and alert. It kind of evolved from the day that I asked her, " Are you okay?"

And she said, "I'm file!! [instead of 'I'm fine!"]

Then when I asked her, "What's 7+4?"

She answered eleven, but slurred the 'L' sound.

That was April of 07 [with a stroke ocurring within minutes],

and now [in 09] she'll look right at me and say, "I'm file!!"

And a couple of exchanges follow:

What's 7+4? Eleven

Do you know what day it is? I think it's Tuesday.

How about what month? May?

We have expanded our conversational thinking. Nic has been encouraging her to recognize those yellow birds as 'finches'. Sometimes Flo would say "Cinches."

To give a clue...I said " Those fooking ------. " We had her saying finches.

Then a couple of days ago, when she was in the bathroom getting dressed, I heard Nic ask her, "Flo, what do you call those yellow birds outside the living room window?"

And I heard Flo proudly say, " Yellow birds!!"

When we ask what are the tiny, tiny, birds called and I have begun 'humming' as a clue, ...

She'll say 'tiny birds"...I'll say 'Mom, I'm humming to give you a clue..."Oh, is that what you call that??

Last new question has been, " Okay Flo, who is the president of the United States, and it is not Bush."

She would answer, "Taft." No, not Taft.

So in a Password kind of help, I said, Mom, it's not O' Mama....it's....

Her reply: "O'Papa!"

Always an adventure.

One never knows...do one?

A story from" This is one for the book" :

April 15, 2007 about 1:15 in the afternoon

The news wasn’t good for Flo [my mom] . In the hospital’s ER, the physician showed us the CAT scan that shouted out, “STROKE’. She was admitted upstairs to a room, and many thought that 95 was the end of the road. A very fast timeline:
- recovered enough to be sent for rehab at a local nursing home
- an unhappy patient, she got an infection, and back to the hospital
-more rehab…then rehab time was up…and she was about to be transferred to the regular part of the nursing home, referred to as ‘the peepee and Pine-Sol wing’.
Gracie [wonderdog] was the hit of the nursing home, and the only entertainment loved by all! She was very protective of Mom.
I don’t know how it came to be that I was taken seriously enough about bringing her up to my house. I do understand why family and friends were apprehensive because of Flo’s condition [right side of her body not working well] and my RA. A ramp/deck was built, home care and a hospital bed were arranged, and when an ad appeared in the classified section of the local newspaper about a used van with a wheelchair lift- well… I took as a ‘sign’!
I purchased the van, named it "The Flomobile" thinking I would drive there and get her, but was met with opposition from my brother.
What if you have car trouble?
Suppose you have a flat tire?
Is she going to be sitting on the side of the road in the heat of the day
awaiting AAA to arrive?
There was nothing to be gained by arguing about this and I did see his point,
and so I arranged an ambulance ride for everyone’s peace of mind. In the wee small hours of the morning, my good friends drove me about 35 minutes and a couple of towns away to ride with the ‘chariot’ that was to move my mother in a peaceful and safe way from the nursing home to my home. I had to ride with her because I am her peace of mind. So, off we go…into the wild blue yonder…a 6 hour drive…into the sun.
One of the 2 young men drove, and the other one went back to sleep on the way down so that he could drive on the way back.
I rode shotgun.

It had been awhile since I got to look out the window and enjoy the sights of the trip because I am the only driver in my house. And I can hold a conversation with the best of ‘em! We were sailing along…[on Moonlight Bay] no.…during the day…

Talking, working on the crossword puzzle that I had brought with me, sipping some bottled water, on the Pennsylvania Turnpike amidst the big rigs, when ‘thud-ddd-dThe driver quickly maneuvered the ambulance away from the concrete guardrail, across the right hand lane, and onto the shoulder of the road.
“What was that?” yells the ‘napping medic’…I mean…the no longer napping medic!!
A blow-out! The ambulance!
So, who sat on the side of the road awaiting AAA?
Me.
Watching those big trucks whoosh by and rock the vehicle, while I am text messaging my brother, “We’re going to be later than planned…you won’t believe this, but, “The ambulance is on the side of the road with a blown tire and we are waiting for AAA!!! Who would have thought of that?
It was great fodder for my AARP Safe Driving classes about where to stand and what to do [like be sure to have your cell phone and AAA Card with you in case it is needed…yes, it was my AAA that got the tire changed!!! ] I was later reimbursed for the AAA Call.
Back on the road, the rest of the trip went smoother [thankfully].
The medics went for lunch while I went into the nursing home and found my brother and Flo.

She and her 'biddies' were finishing a celebratory luncheon. Her bags were packed. Mom and I boarded , and away we went. We talked all the way home, all was well, and the leader of the ‘homecare crew’ was waiting for us as we rolled up to the deck. A calm and confident nurse helped Mom into bed, and I fell into bed, thinking,
“Thank ya Jesus!”
And here we are - a year and a half later-

Mom is happy getting a perm, eating 'Turtles', and betting on the reality shows!! Flo’s still winning, and I haven’t won yet. The reality pools, that is…
She absolutely loves, loves, loves the dog.
Gracie and Flo have a bond that is so much fun to watch. She tells her, "I love you to pieces!"

She is entertained by the birds, especially the hummingbirds.

What does she love the most?

Ahh-hh A massage! Ohmmmmm.

You don't get those in the nursing home!!

The odds against this were unbelievable!

Flo and I are sitting here on a rainy Saturday waiting for The Preakness horse race to begin. My son has placed our tiny bets on the horses that we think 'sound good', but our only wish really is that no horse falls down or gets hurt. So, in thinking about times in life when the unexpected happened, when you never would have believed that something would occur.....reminds me of a time that exactly met those set of circumstances.

It goes back to when my good friend Cathy[who's the mother of 3 boys] and I [with my 'one of a kind] used to hang out together. We and the 4 boys would go places like The Baseball Hall of Fame, SU basketball games, picnics, Wendy's, back to school clothes shopping, etc.

One afternoon, Cathy called on the phone and said that she could not understand why the bank had sent her a notice of 'insufficient funds'. She was sure that there was a balance sufficient to cover the checks that had been written along with some left over. I asked if she had called the bank. In going over the deposits with the bank, they had no record of her last deposit of $400.

Even though the records showed that $4oo was consistently deposited every Friday, the last one was not there. They told her that if she brought the deposit receipt into the bank, they would credit her account.

"Do you have the receipt?" [I asked]

"I have cleaned out my pocketbook, my car, my basket of bills and other stuff, and NO I didn't find it. There are $400 deposit receipts, but not with the right date. That's a lot of money to 'misplace' and I know that I went to the bank that day. I have to say that it could be anywhere because I know that I've been known to use the receipts as bookmarks or to write notes on."

Here's the 'long shot' part:

I said, "Hey Cathy, you left a note on my door the other day, and I'm thinking that it had the rectangular shape of a bank receipt. Let me see if it is on my table with some of the other things needing to be filed."

It was!! And it had the correct date!!

And she took it to the bank, and they credited her account!!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!

Evidently, the account number had been entered incorrectly. It was off by one number!!

Whew! How's that for beating the odds?

And the lesson to be learned, besides the one about having a regular place to save the receipts, is to always look at the account number to be sure that it is your account number.

And I started coding the date into my deposits and/or payments.

Like a May 6th payment would be $405.06 !

Ta-da!

Passing along some fun...

My son and his girlfriend stopped by on Mother's Day for a visit. While they were here, he fixed a few things for me, brought presents and a card that was 'out of the park' great, and shared a website that he knew I would like. It is : sporcle.com

It has many, different, short, brain quizzes for people who like to pass some time, and sharpen their skills in an effort to ward off Alzheimer's!


The second site is amazing! It is a music site that is free. You type in the artist or song you enjoy listening to and it will play a mixture of songs from your choice as well as some that are similar to the artist or the time frame.

It is: pandora.com


I think you're going to like them!!!

I'm sensing that you are not...

Words of wisdom from my mom's friend Gladys: Sometimes you have to get outside just to 'blow the stink off you.' After being indoors for most of the week, the four of us [Flo, Nic, Gracie, and yours truly] rolled into the car today for a ride in pursuit of Gladys' de-stink-tion!

We saw much...a Finger Lake's beautiful water, cows, horses, birds, amazing spring trees in total blooms of many colors, flowers, waterfalls, Gracie's ears straight back,

We heard sounds...the waterfalls' rushing waters, people talking, the drone of lawnmowers, the wind blowing in the window and rattling a plastic bag in the car [the open window because Grace would not forego sticking her face out of the window and into the wind!].

Ahh-h the aromas and fragrances of...lilacs, a chicken barbeque in progress, air rushing at your face, newly overturned earth recently plowed by farmers.

Taste? We didn't stop for anything while on the ride, but at home, we enjoyed a bowl of fresh strawberries, blueberries, bananas, topped off with a bit of whipped cream. Hours later, Flo and I munched on popcorn and drank some cold iced tea...mmm...while watching Michael J Fox's Special on Optimism.

The sense of touch... wicker [ holding onto the the dog's bed on my lap and the curls around her collar so that she wouldn't fall out].

I'm thinking that most of the time, we could be more aware of our surroundings.

Here's a great example:

For about 5 summers, I was the director of The Summer Fun Club at the YMCA for kids 5-7 years old. It was a combo of swimming lessons, arts and crafts, and field trips from 10-3 Mon.-Fri. And we did have fun.

I was working on the next field trip on the schedule. The phone conversation went something like this:

"Hi! I'm calling to schedule a field trip for 5-7 year old kids. The nature trails and museum that you have will be both exercise and education. I know that I have always enjoyed communing with nature on your 5 trails and I want the kids to get outdoors and have that experience, too."

"Great! Let me look at the schedule. Do you want the blind guide?"

"What? ...What did you say?"

"One of our guides is blind. She has a separate schedule."

"I apologize... I thought you must have been kidding! How does she do that?"

"Assissting her is her working guide dog. This tour is different from the others in that the tour is experienced from the perspectives of sound, smell, and touch."

"Wow! Sign us up for that tour. It will be something very different and unforgettable for the kids. And me, too. I love to learn with them."

It was pretty cool. She would listen and identify the birds by their sound. The trees were identified by the feel of the bark, and other features were pointed out by their smell.

We learned to use more than our sense of sight.

A very eclectic experience, and one that I'll never forget.

So, how about you?

Have you placed your nose up close and personal to a ''hyacinth'' and then breathed in through your nose? mmm...a rose? lilacs? sheets dried on a clothesline, chocolate, coffee, sauce cooking,

Do you take a moment to enjoy the tastes of your meals or snacks? rice krispy treats, a cold orange, a fresh strawberry

Do you know how soft a dog's ears are? flower petals, your pillow, shampoo lather, a baby's face,

Listen to silence? bird calls, train whistles, the wind, hummingbird wings in flight, cackling laughter, geese in a V formation honking to each other,

And lastly... O say can you see? What do you see?

Have you ever watched a cat's ears move independently? lightening?

What are some of your favorite sights, smells, sounds, etc.?

Hmm...ingbird!!!!

H IS FOR HUMMINGBIRD....

And he's ba-a-ck!

Wahoo!

The cartoon says, "Dad! Dad! There's a feeder! Can we stop?"

I was reading Jo's blog about trying to find her camera and having no luck. I passed along that regardless of religious beliefs, that she should get St Anthony on the job. Nic had just come over, and I said outloud, " Hey, St Anthony...a hummingbird please? The feeder has been out there for a week, and friends of mine have had them return to their feeder. "

We were eating supper, and Nic yells out, "Hummingbird!"And there it was feeding right in front of us on the other side of the picture window.

Wahoo! Nic couldn't believe that within 20 minutes of summoning St Anthony for help, there it was ! I rest my case!

Tony has helped me many, many times. [That's St. Anthony...but I'm on a first name basis with him!]

A gravy recipe from my grandmother...

I was watching a commercial on television which showed delicious- looking gravy being poured over a prepared plate of cooked turkey meat. It reminded me of an occasion...

Many years ago, we were in the kitchen of very good friends [an adopted family of ours]. They had cooked a turkey dinner, and were about to make the gravy. The delicious aromas were wafting through the air. Making conversation, I shared that when my mom made gravy, she used the potato water to add with some flour before adding it to the turkey juices. Flo had been passed this info from her mom.

After discovering that the potato water was still in the pot, it was decided...

" Okay...let's give it a whirl!!"

The tupperware gravy shaker was placed on the chopping block, and first the potato water was poured into it followed by some flour. The top was secured, and the contents were shaken like a mixed drink. After which, the top burst off and the white, pasty mixture flew everywhere...onto the cabinets, the windows, the floor, and the faces and hair of all who were standing in the kitchen. Can you imagine the element of surprise...not to mention how the kitchen looked...ceiling, walls, appliances, etc. but especially to be looking at each other with that white gooey mixture in our hair, on our faces, and on our clothes. It was quite an experience, if I do say so myself!!

What happened? What went wrong?

I called Flo on the phone. We tried to figure out what went wrong and it was determined that the potato water should have been at room temperature.

Laughter with tears rolling down our faces. I can still picture it! It was far out...as we would say in those days!!

In a word...speechless!

Every so often during my working days, we would have a conference day. The agenda varied from working on curriculum, learning new programs, and/or gathering to listen to a guest speaker. Some days were good; some were bad...and some were unforgettable.

Unforgettable...that's what he was...

In 1976, we had a guest speaker whose name I do not remember. He spoke in a very high voice which he said was the result of the swine flu vaccination that he had gotten. That being said, the presentation began, and his speech would be forever remembered in my mind not because of the pitch of his voice and how he spoke...but by the content and practice exercises he shared with us.

There were probably 100 of us seated at tables of 8-10 in the auditorium of the high school. The topic must have had something to do with our 'reactions to bad behavior in school situations.' And the main idea was probably a "Pick your battles" plan. If we reacted to every single example of inappropriate behavior in the course of a day, there wouldn't be enough educating going on. [he said].

Take for example...bad language.

He told us that when we reacted to bad language in majorly punitive ways, that it actually gave more power to the word and the situation. He said, "Take for example, the word 'suck' as in 'That sucks!"

There was a measurable gasp from the audience. He certainly had everyone's attention after shouting that phrase out loud and clear[and in that high pitched voice!]. If people weren't paying attention, they were all certainly focused in that moment.

And then he said that if we 'de-sensitize' the word, that it would lose its power.

"Let's practice".

Going clockwise around the room, we were to stand up, one table at a time, and shout, "That sucks!!"
I was a relatively new teacher to the district, and I have to say that it was really amusing to some, horrifying to others, and gut wrenching to the administration that hired this man [I'm sure!]. To watch ten tables of [educated and professional] people get up -one table at a time-

and desensitize "That sucks" was certainly a kodak moment.

After the speech, everyone was already signed up for a couple of sessions to attend in classrooms throughout the building on a variety of topics. Lunch was served in the middle of the day in the cafeteria. And then, one more session.

And at the end of the day, I was in the speaker's last session in a classroom. Everyone must have looked like 'the light at the end of the work week' was in sight, and he asked if anyone would be upset if we veered off schedule and spent the last 45 minutes...square dancing.

Yep! Square dancing!

No one slept through that last instruction, for sure.

This post, in no way, is meant to condone the use of bad language.

But... in the spirit of this post, I found this clip-art that is certainly worth sharing. So, stand up at your computer, and shout....

Not complaining...just stating facts.

I would post more often, but I don't really have a lot going on at the moment. It's difficult to put a humorous spin on everyday, ordinary stuff. I am progressing in physical therapy, and yet I know I have a ways to go. My next dr. appt is May 19, and so then... it will be 90 days that I've been sidelined. Thank God the weather is more promising, and I hope to get out...by hook or by crook!!

In Idol, Dancin', Amaz Race, and Celeb Apprentice pools , I'm out of all of them. Flo is still in 3 of them. She is a luckier person than I am.

Playing Scrabble online with relatives and friends keeps me sane...I think.

Playing Hearts and Solitaire on the computer helps , too.

My microwave croaked, and has already been replaced thanks to Nic. No microwave in the house, for me, was a crisis!!! If you have a good memory, you understand that better. Perspective is everything!

See what I mean? That's why I revert to funny stories from the past. Yet, I don't want to bore people with too many stories from long ago. So, the two choices are: it's boring stuff[SSDD} that's current, or interim stories from the past for now. Or a little bit of both. Whatever!! What to do?