WEEKEND MISCELLANEA

A DOZEN UNRELATED photos for you this morning, a way to reduce the cache of pictures waiting in the wings.

Headed somewhere with Diane and Roger, when Mr. Bob still had his license to drive.

This place was never open, but every time we were in Alameda, it intrigued me. I love small.

Nothing this good can be considered junk food. 

Sometimes we take our slice of pie home, but it's always included somehow.

I wonder why I find this so much preferable to "Be strong", but I do.

Diane and Roger waiting for us to go to Sunday breakfast. We find that a friendship flourishes with pre-arranged meetings.

A back view of the Manor. We live in the "high rise" behind the lit part of the building.

 We went to a culinary school in New Orleans where we were told, "If you're cooking electric, there's only one thing to do.........move."
Unrelated to New Orleans, I've found no better recipe for chicken wings and I miss being able to produce them.

A view from the hospital window of Susan indulging in a very hard-to-break habit.

The cousins in a rare get-together.

Bob, the Bear and Mr. Bob on Hallowe'en.

Those were the days, my friends, when at least we were unaware that we were sick.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

DIPPING INTO MY STASH of accumulated photos, these prompted today's entry for neither rhyme nor reason.

In my weakened condition, I'm having trouble getting back into our high bed when I get up at night so the past two nights I've slept in that new La-Z-Boy......the one that looks (and is) geriatric. And I don't need a blanket when I wear this ridiculously outsized robe. I'm glad I kept it.

Were we ever this young? I wish I'd kept that vest and that large spectacles were still in style. 

All along I've been saying, "Yes, we sold the shop 9 years ago" and this morning I realized that it's nearing the 11 year mark. Time flies whether you're having fun or not. I'm glad it's still there (in a different location. The corner where it stood for 17 years is about to become a Starbucks much to the town's sorrow.) And I don't miss the responsibility of it one little bit. Not at all. 

I think this was taken on our last day at the shop. Maureen made the aprons for us. Amelia and Jessica are now quite grown up; the older one in college, I think. It was her letter to the local paper that resulted in her parents buying the store.

Our monthly newsletter was named, "Silhouettes", my reading glasses are called "Silhouettes", I buy clothes from a company with the same name. My earliest childhood book was illustrated with that art form. It's an important word in my life.

And that's your weekend "nothing" report. I forgot to take pictures of getting my haircut and permanent this week and going out to lunch twice with friends. I may be slipping. 

MELANGE

THE PAST 24 HOURS have been a bit of a blur. Try to piece some sense out of this.

• my staples removed by a wonderful doctor (with Susan's help)
• drainage tubes yanked out (causing my eyes to get big as saucers)
• Mr. Bob getting weaker and weaker
• when we hurried him to the doctor's it was discovered he'd lost 9 pounds in less than a week.
• he's extremely dehydrated
• at the moment he's being hydrated by IV at the oncologist's
• Susan's with him
• I stayed behind for delivery of a La-Z-Boy chair that supposedly will propel me from a sitting position across the room.
• found i could easily rise without the new feature
• I'm seated so high that it feels like I'm on a royal throne. Keep your eyes open for a tiara
• If Mr. Bob's legs are still weak at the end of dehydration, he's to be taken to the ER
• Thank God for text messaging
• I may opt to go through life flat on one side.....it's sort of like getting wrinkles.......proof of what you've been through
• will keep you posted

MANOR GRAB BAG

I'M SENDING YOU a minor Manor grab bag of photos today, beginning with a detail from the garden beds outside the front doors. The plan was to have marigolds in yellows and oranges, but God interfered and here and there, one can see a Johnny-jump-up, volunteering from last Spring's planting. I love that kind of surprise. Thank you, Father-Mother God!

"Retired is being twice tired, I've thought

First tired of working,Then tired of not."

                                                                    ~Richard Armour

Kerima, center, is part of the Manor staff. Twice a year we welcome 6 interns from a college who are studying the field of social work. They're with us for six months and helpful in all sorts of ways. We've already requested Philip's services in the library, doing some of the lifting and heavy work.


"I've been attending lots of seminars in my retirement.  They're called naps. "
                                        ~Merri Brownworth

Because we're lucky enough to be in the independent living area of the Manor, we've really not much idea of what goes on over in the Health Center and were surprised to see this scene on our way to our car in the parking lot. It must have been Wheelchair Laundry Day.


"The challenge of retirement is how to spend time without spending money."
                               ~Author Unknown

Friday afternoons wine and cheese are served. We like it best during the summer when we can sit on the patio. Jack Frost plays his harmonica, the musical among us sing, "D" sometimes can't keep from dancing; the music in her soul cries to express itself and she does an inspirational job.



"Don't simply retire from something; have something to retire to."
                                           ~Harry Emerson Fosdick

Speaking of the Frosts, this is Jack and Joanne's dog, Lola, our only resident dog. She guards their quarters fiercely (at least the bark sounds powerful from the other side of the door) and gets to go for walks throughout the day, garnering treats along the way.


"Retire from work, but not from life."
                                           ~M.K. Soni

Dulcinea is the only bird within our walls. When Mr. Bob first met her, she nipped him, but Mama Nancy convinced us it was just a kiss. In her previous life, Nancy taught Special Needs kids and ESL.


"Retirement is like a long vacation in Las Vegas.  The goal is to enjoy it the fullest, but not so fully that you run out of money. "                                                                                  
                                                      ~ Jonathan Clements


                                                            The last of today's offerings...... treats.....available every day in our tea room. Temptation lurks and I try to look the other way, but sometimes give in to the delicacies. Alongside this case are coffee, tea, ice water and juice as well as a bowl of fruit.
Aren't we the lucky ones?


"I enjoy waking up and not having to go to work.  So I do it three or four times a day."  ~Gene Perret

LET'S EAT

THIS PHOTO still tickles me no end. It was taken in the play area of our youngest grandson. He, at the time, was taken with imaginary culinary activity. By now he's gone on to other things.

Having shared that with you, it's time to get on with today which consists of

1. Being interviewed by 2 young students in the Tea Room.
2. Driving Mr. Bob to a post-op appointment with the doctor.
3. Back to the Manor for dinner (a choice between Ham & Macaroni Aul Gratin and Apple Cider Chicken)
4. Co-host a session of the Manor Book Group.
5. Attend an hour's worth of a Library Committee meeting.
6. Try to find Carlos in his office to discuss the results of the recent television survey.
7. Supper......Taco Tuesday........hooway! Remember to take my bottle of Tapatio.
8. 6:15 p.m. Play Bingo!
9. Remember to call Gloria about having double-booked on Thursday morning.

SHADES OF BEIGE

Not at the zoo but out in the wild in Cambria, CA

Ingenuity

California hills in the summertime

Usually a tea drinker, when I indulge in coffee,
I make coffee candy out of it, by adding cream and sugar.

More lights than needed, if you ask me.

I don't totally understand cupcakes.

The bears are baffled. So are we, with boxes yet to be unpacked and we've been at the Manor for nearly two years.

Barns fascinate, for some reason or other.

An unfulfilled dream was to have a shoe house contest at the store. It never happened, but Chris made this out of an antique baby shoe.

Mr. Bob always pointed out this little structure when we started out on a road trip. It burned in a recent wildfire. We've no idea of what purpose it served.

???

AS I WAS helping myself to a cup of water in the Tea Room yesterday, one of the interns said to me, "Have you heard about them closing the borders?"

Feeling quite alarmed, I replied that I hadn't listened to any news broadcasts that day and was it both the Canadian and the Mexican borders?

Turns out she was referring to the chain of bookstores and I stood there wondering if it was merely a chance interpretation or if it was a sign that my mind is getting old.

RAIN PREDICTED

I'M HEADING OUT into the world. By myself, leaving Mr. Bob to enjoy doing nothing which is one of his heart's desires. He's finished the photo album for 2010 which was a job that hung over his head for too long, but it's part of the job description of his volunteer job of photographer / historian. He took on the task in a weak moment.

Recently the cushions had been put on the patio chairs during some very pleasant weather and then it rained the other night. Another storm is expected this afternoon, or put in another way, we're expecting rain. The media, after reporting a drought, screams "Storm watch, storm watch!" with the first prediction of rain. Frankly, I'm glad that we don't live up the hill where the burned terrain releases mud which slides down the mountain when the rain comes down hard.

So I shall try to get back home with freshly curled hair before it rains. Hardly worth blogging about, huh? 

Oh, wait. Look across the patio and over the lawn and you can see the library window, with Susan's giant snowflake hanging in the center. With the advent of Spring, we've taken it down, to be used again next winter. 

G'bye.

SKIN DEEP

ERNESTO has been in charge of my head for upward of 12 years. Keeping an appointment at his salon is uplifting. He's the eldest of 8 children and if I ever would be inclined to write a book, which certainly is not on my TO DO list, it would be about his family. He regales me with tales of his childhood that would translate well to the page. We laugh a lot in the process of my becoming more presentable than when I walked in the door. I've been known to say that I'm "gorgeous" on Wednesdays and it goes downhill from there until it's time for my weekly maintenance again.

But here's the problem. A regular 8 o'clock appointment was tricky enough to keep when we lived in our old house. But now that we're further away.......six miles, to be exact, it's tempting to get dressed and go down the hall to the elevator where I punch the LL button (the basement, otherwise known as the Lower Level) where right across from the elevator is the Manor Salon. There, Jeanne awaits. And she does quite an acceptable job of transformation. Judy, on the right above, cuts Mr. Bob's hair. How easy it is to take advantage of the services offered here.

But every month or so, I find my way back up the hill to Nuovo Salon where Ernesto welcomes me back and makes me laugh. After a haircut or a permanent, I go back home and for the next 4 weeks I face the dilemma of loyalty versus convenience.

I wonder if that's related to what it feels like to have two lovers?

10 QUESTIONS

1. Does he have a good marriage?
2. Is he going straight home or stopping for errands?
3. Is he good to his wife?
4. Is his wife good to him?
5. How long has he been married?
6. Is he mindful of being on time?
7. Does his watch run fast or slow?
8. Does he like his job?
9. How many miles does he have on his car?
10. Would he in a million years dream of being the subject of a blog?

MONDAY MORNING

MR. BOB climbed out of bed this morning and into his recliner to be ready for the person who comes to draw blood to check his protime. That's the test to see how quickly one's blood clots when one is taking a blood thinner. When I arose an hour later this is what I found:


The technician had never shown up to take the test.

And I? For a while now I've wanted to show you our bedroom ceiling, but never remember to take my camera to bed. Some friends once gifted us with a clock that projects the time and the temperature onto the ceiling, which in and of itself is novel. Mr. Bob was the one who was most intrigued with the numbers of 1:11and 2:22 and then we began to watch for the time and the temperature when they matched which didn't get seen very often.

This morning I lay there waiting and darned if when the numbers approached matching, the temperature didn't show a rise. All I wanted was to snuggle in and return to the arms of Morpheus, but for the sake of the blog, I persisted and it finally paid off.

If that isn't pathetic, I don't know what is. I hope the rest of the week holds more interesting things.

And as I wrote that last sentence, there came a knock on the door:

Let the week begin.

CURIOSITY

It was in January that I snapped this picture. The term "community style" piqued my interest. I wondered what it meant. Lacking someone to ask, I suppose the obvious thing to do would be to call one of the listed telephone numbers. Both Mr. Bob and I are challenged by accents over the telephone. How many times can you ask, "What?" or "Would you repeat that?" So I didn't call.

In looking through our photos, deciding what should be written about today, I came upon this picture and I had one of those lightbulb-above-the-head moments when I suddenly remembered that I have Google at my fingertips. So often that happens after I've been wondering about something for a long time. I think it must be a generational thing for those of us coming from the Encyclopedia Age.

If you are perplexed by the term "community style", I suggest you go here and be enlightened. That is, if your curiosity matches mine.
And I hope it does.

One time we were attending an Elderhostel program. Registration usually takes place in the late afternoon. Participants get settled in their lodging place, usually a hotel; dinner is enjoyed and after the meal that first evening, people introduce themselves, telling a little about what makes them tick. I'll never forget one man who when asked about his hobbies, gave a one-word answer.
"Curiosity", he said.

Footnote: Elderhostel recently changed its name to "Road Scholar". Clever, huh? I think they're appealing to a wider audience. Recently I called their headquarters to ask what the minimum age is to participate and was told that it's now 40. I highly recommend looking into what they offer. I'll save you the trouble of Googling it.
Try this.

WEEKLY REPORT

I promise, this won't be a regular feature, but enough minor stuff happened last week with accompanying pictures that it's the subject for today.

Mr. Bob takes coumadin which helps to guard against strokes or heart attacks. If I understand it correctly, it's a blood thinner so it requires frequent blood tests to guard against his blood getting too thin. At the Manor we can arrange for a technician to come to the room to draw blood. In the beginning, it's a

little startling to hear a soft knock on the door while it's still dark in the morning and then, because we are past the age of being able to leap out of bed, the next sound is a turn of the lock. "Good morning, Mr. Humphrey", is next and then the routine blood test. Last week, Babette had an assistant with her and since I was scheduled for lab work, too, Mr. Bob and I soon went back to bed with a cotton ball taped to the crook of our elbows.

It was time for the car to be serviced which means sitting in a dreary waiting room for hours upon end. This time I didn't initiate conversation with any of the waiting men. At the end of 2 1/2 hours, new brakes had been put on our car and as we went to pay and collect the car, I said to this man, "Goodbye and good luck" and he said, "It's taking hours to get a lightbulb".

Our Manor shop is open on Tuesday and Saturday, from 9:30 until 11. There we can purchase supplies and snacks and greeting cards. The basket on the end of the table contains the Alaska pins our kids brought to distribute to residents and staff. Problem was,  when they were offered, many folks declined, not needing one more thing to clutter their lives.

One of the women at the Manor heads up a chapter of the Crones which meets once a month. We've gotten the okay for Mr. Bob to attend the meeting next month long enough to take a group picture. He can be known as a "Crony", temporarily.

We went to the Glendale Galleria for a computer lesson at the Apple Store. I usually always admire their window displays. This one shows some of the applications available. Among the ones I have and use are the Huffington Post, CBS Sunday Morning, New York Times, Today Show, Rachel Maddow, a flashlight and numerous others. That's Mr. Bob on the outside, looking in. Below, a passer-by checks out the other display window, which features a hot air balloon carrying a laptop through the air.

And that's pretty much it for the week's activities. One more thing: Lisa, upon reading the entry, TMI, the other day, asked for a photo of my Valentine poinsettia technique. I only cut 1 bract to show the heart shape because this plant is going to be long gone by Feb. 14, but it gives you a general idea.