December | 2013 | Gift of RA

Archive for December, 2013

Early Happy New Year!

December 30, 2013

I had a wonderful trip to Toronto over Christmas and planned to write a post or two about it. We came home 1:30 Friday morning and the next thing I know, I am hit with the flu. The past weekend was horrendous, now I am beginning to feel a little more human, but still tired. I haven’t gotten much sleep this weekend and I need to have a nap or two to catch up. I haven’t forgotten about posting blogs, just have not been with it – the cough syrup makes me rather spacey, though it does help the cough. So bear with me for a couple or 3 days and I will tell you how much fun we had in Toronto with our niece and her family.

We arrived just after the ice storm hit and it snowed on Christmas. It was really cold, -12 to -28 celsius.

di have some neat pictures from my sister Ellen I will share with you. She writes great captions.

Maybe it’s warmer in a footprint?

Winter Scape

Tags:Christmas, Cough, Cough medicine, Ellen, Toronto
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Snow – Part 2

December 21, 2013

I took pictures of Mom’s room on my phone camera – have no idea how to download them. So I had the camera since I was taking pictures of the snow and decided to take pictures of Mom’s house.

it’s a long, wide one story house with a white picket fence.

This is Eddie and his Volvo, the best way to get around on sloppy roads. No way would I take the Versa out in the weather.

This is looking into Mom’s room from the hall – the bathroom is just across the hall.

This is Mom’s new hospital bed, I put up the quilted hanging I did for her 85th birthday. I had put up the two hangings on the bed to cover the circuit breaker panel, but it didn’t work out too well, so I brought them home.

She has windows that face to the front. If you count windows on the outside, hers is right by the front door on the left.

At the other end of the bed is a set of shelves above the foot of the bed. There is the picture of the two of them on their both anniversary. On the lower shelf is a picture of Dad.

We put her butterfly rug by her bed, she designed it herself as well as hooking it.

Across from the bed is her dresser and she has a photo with the three of us girls and Eddie, also taken on the 50th anniversary.

There are a couple of high shelves above the dresser.

I did a closeup of the bureau to show the photo and also the pretty bear Luzma brought her.

When we came home, the snow was mostly gone except for the flowerbeds.

Even the stream looks a bit different.

Some rain has fallen, but it is mostly toolie rain.

Still a bit of interest here; glad I took pictures of the snow.

That was our adventure yesterday in the white stuff. Glad Eddie didn’t drive all the way to Mukilteo to work, it made me apprehensive because of the other turkeys on the road.

Tags:adult family home, breaker panel, Eddie, Mom, Snow, white picket fence
Posted in Photos | 2 Comments »

Snow This Morning!!!!!

December 20, 2013

We’ve been hearing about snow in other parts of the country, now we can say we have snow too – or did have snow. It is late afternoon and the temperature warmed up enough that a lot of the snow is gone – seems to have stayed in the dirt and mulch in the flowerbeds. The weather people kept saying it was going to snow last night but nothing showed up until about 5 a.m., just as Eddie was ready to go to work. He decided it wasn’t worth dealing with the highways and other drivers – I was very glad he decided not to go. We probably had about 2″ of snow – more than enough for me. I even remembered to take some pictures before it was gone.

I took this out the bathroom window, I wanted to show snow on the leaves before the wind started to blow.

Looking to the right of the window, the lilac tree and on the right, the outside stairs.

This is to the left of the window.

This is straight out the window toward the hedge by the street.

I still was in my nightie and bare feet, so I took the next few from the back door – not quite daylight.

You can see a bit of Eric’s lights across the way – looks more impressive in the dark.

I had trouble taking photos out the window with the flash – so I took a picture of the window to see the view.

The ding room window.

We went out about 10:30 or so – Eddie drove his Volvo.

Not the brightest morning I’ve ever seen.

The log slices looked different with an inch or two of snow.

My little stream looks a little strange.

Another angle.

Looking back to the house – the side walk was slushy and also crunchy.

Part 2 coming in the next post.

Tags:Eddie, Snow, Volvo, Window
Posted in Photos | 6 Comments »

The Only Snow I’ve Seen This Year

December 15, 2013

Most of the country has been dealing with a lot of snow lately. We had (to us) really cold weather but nothing on the ground except some frost. If it is snowy or icy here, we have so many hills to navigate – if I can’t get up and down the hospital hill, I won’t be going anywhere. True, I don’t have all wheel drive as Eddie does in his Volvo, so I stay put until the roads out of here are passable for me. Does put a crimp in things for me, but I would rather be inside and warm rather than trying to explain to Eddie why I am in a ditch somewhere and the has had its carriage work rearranged.

Call me chicken if you want, twice I have been stuck on a hill in the snow and had to be recued. The first time I remember was on the hill of Myers Way – stuck in the middle and going sideways. I was really scared, the cars were coming down the hill and I was across both lanes. A guy in a Jeep came by and he and his friend pushed the car to the side and took me home. Later, Dad drove me over to pick up the when the road was clear.

The second time I managed to get up the hospital hill from Ambaum but couldn’t get across the top. Dad came out and rescued me. Another time I had rented a car to visit here and couldn’t get up the hospital hill, so I parked in the parking lot on Ambaum and Bob Allen came down to get me. Ever since then, I don’t drive in snow unless I get caught when I am out somewhere.

So thanks to my sister Ellen, I have some pictures of snow. They from the first snowfall in Ocean Grove, New Jersey.

I think these are houses near the shore.

This is on the new boardwalk, the pavillion

This always amazes me, snow on the sand by the water.

Ellen isn’t the only one out very early in the morning.

The sun is beginning to come up and the sky is beautiful

I am quite happy to see snow this way, no desire to be in it. One thing about working from home, I can still do things as long as the electricity stays on. Once that’s gone, no computer, radio or anything – especially no lights. We can at least light a fire in the fireplace and huddle in front of it. I can also write with pen and paper and read, so I am not completely at a loss for something to do. Of course, it is lovely to watch the snow fall and later the sparkly fresh snow crèches and is beautiful. It is always interesting to see what tracks have been made – humans and creatures.

We are going to Toronto for christmas and I wouldn’t be surprised if they have snow. it will probably be cold, so I am thinking wooleys, gloves and things to keep me warm. Maybe we will not have to deal with it at all. We had a several hour layover on our way to Jerusalem the last time – lovely sunny day, absolutely perfect. Now we’ll see the opposite. Our niece and her family are there and we are really looking forward to seeing them again after almost 14 years.

Eddie called his sister in Jerusalem yesterday morning, they were hit by the snow storm that covered a lot of the Middle East. How her son made it up the hill to open the shop, I have no idea. They don’t have central heating, usually kerosene heaters. Since their apartment block is made of concrete, it can get cold and damp in the winter, so it isn’t easy for them to keep warm at the moment.

Snow is on the way for Ellen again, it will be interesting to see the photos from that.

Thank You Ellen for your lovely photos, I enjoy each one you send me.

Tags:all wheel drive, Ellen, Family, hospital hill, Jeep, Jerusalem, Middle East, Ocean Grove New Jersey, Snow, Toronto
Posted in Photos | Leave a Comment »

Time Is An Illusion

December 12, 2013

Ever since we went back to Standard time, I feel as if time goes by much more slowly now. I look at the clock at times and think I am late, yet I find I have plenty of time. Other times it feels as if the days move more slowly. I know there are still 60 seconds in every hour and 24 hours in a day – wonder what is happening.

I will admit this past week or more has moved too swiftly for orders that 2 clients want for the middle of December. Fortunately one is in and on its way, the other I still am not sure about. If she gets on her horse and provides info, vector art and Illustrator, we can do those. These are nail biters and I don’t like when they happen. I prefer much more time so no one is feeling anxious – most especially me.

I’m still working this cartoon out – I am a sucker for cats, so that’s why I put it in.

I started thinking about this when I would be doing something and have to check the clock – then find out very time had gone by. That seemed odd because so often time flies when I am concentrating on something. Lately I have been telling myself “There’s plenty of time” when I am feeling rushed and not sure I will there on time. (That is a whole different subject). Other times I will decide “I’ll get there when I get there” and not get so antsy. Hmmm, have I been programming myself without realizing it? Certainly wouldn’t be the first time!

I was looking at the phrase Time Is An Illusion – amazing what came up about it. Leigh Brasington wrote this in the New Yorker around 2005 –

Time, as we know it, is only an illusion. We usually think of time as having three parts – Past, Present, Future. But what is the Past – only a collection of memories. We can’t experience the Past, we can only remember it. And we can only remember it in the Present (furthermore, our memories are noticeably unreliable). There is no objective thing that we call the Past; it can’t be measured in any way; our only contact with it is in the Present. And what is the Future – only a mental construct in the Present. We can’t experience the Future until it “becomes” the Present. Until then it only a hope and dream.

As I have been learning more metaphysical things, time isn’t linear as we think. It is more vertical and everything is happening right now. I have to admit, I have this still simmering on the back burner, it’s how I process things. I have always been taught it is linear, that Past, Present and Future come one after the next. To wrap my brain around a completely opposite view takes more time, but I am working on the idea things I have been taught from a very age may not always be true.

I am learning more about my past lives – only bits and pieces right now. We tend to think our existence has only been in this world – to think in terms of being from another world before we came here takes a long simmer on the burner. I haven’t quite grasped it yet and there isn’t much information about my former world, so it is still an idea and not quite real. No, I haven’t gone off the deep end – I am not even sure I should write this right now. To some it is in the realm of Woo Woo, Goofball and Hocus Pocus.

In that case, how about a little humor about it?

Then I found another one that is completely off topic but reminds me a lot of my husband.

He is so much happier with his Mac Pro now. We have spent so much money repairing and debugging that Dell laptop. He was so frustrated with it at times that he was ready to throw it out the window.

I will admit this post has taken a lot longer than usual, by now I am not even sure what I had in mind in the first place. It may seem rather disjointed, it does happen with a post once in a while.

Tags:Clock, Earth, goofball, Hocus Pocus, other worlds, past lives, Present, slowing time, Time, Time Tracking, Vector graphics, Woo Woo
Posted in Musings | Leave a Comment »

Brrrrrrr!!!!!!!

December 10, 2013

Before anyone puts their knickers in a twist, I know there are parts of the country and around the world who are having worse and colder weather than Seattle. The point is, I live in Seattle and it is my tush that is getting cold. I’m sure 18 degrees at night and high 20’s during the day is a heat wave to some – for me is it bloody cold. It is dry cold, so my nose is not only stuffy, it is dry and I can’t seem to blow my nose to clear it.

The bonus of this cold is that the sun is shining and it is beautifully clear – also why it is so cold. We have had some gorgeous sunsets and I would love to put some of them here – it was too cold at that time of day and freeze my butt for pictures. Yes, call me a wimp, but I prefer being warm and comfortable. However, I do have some sunsets from other times I will post.

It has been this cold since last Monday. I will admit the mountains were gorgeous Monday morning, so clear and topped with more snow. I’ve noticed I’ve been up early enough to see the sunrise on them, they look pink, like strawberry ice cream. Plus the sky has been just a lovely, though not quite as vivid as sunset.

Maybe if the wind wasn’t so cold, it wouldn’t be so uncomfortable. When I am in the sun, it is more comfortable, but not with the wind. There is something about winter sun that relaxes me and I go to sleep, especially riding in the car. We have opened the shades during the day to let the sun in to warm the living room. Once it goes down, so do the shades. They really help keep the house warm.

However, I have spent the week going out and keeping as warm as possible. I must admit, I was really tired and draggy on Monday after Thanksgiving – why is a mystery. We had a quiet meal with a boneless turkey ball. Plus eating it for several meals. I came back from my adjustment with Dr. Cheryl and had a nap – felt a lot better after that.

Tuesday John came to do the trimming and pruning in the yard – boy was it cold for them. I went to see Mom in the morning and had a good visit. Well, visit isn’t quite how I would term it. I read more of the D. E. Stevenson book to her. She was glad to see me and enjoyed the cookies I brought.

I came back for lunch then had a last-minute appointment with the dentist – I have had a sore on my tongue for two weeks and it has been so hard to eat and painful all the time. Usually they are gone in a few days but this one kept hanging on and not getting better. He took a picture of it and saw something there, he thinks I may have bitten it in the night. He suggested not wearing my night guard for a few days. By George, it was a lot better in 2 or 3 days.

Would you believe the inside of my cheek is bothering me now? I haven’t worn my night guard since I saw him – now when the assistant calls I can tell her the tongue is doing much better but now it is my cheek.

John and his crew were gone by the time I got back – yet I had passed his truck on the curve by the Shorewood sign. We found out later he had run out of diesel and he had to have someone come and start it for him. Actually, he said that 1/4 tank on a hill is like having no fuel whatsoever. An expensive lesson for him. Took him 3 hours before he could leave.

Wednesday was Kent Breakfast Club, and I left right after because Patti was coming to give me the sample I asked about. I was supposed to call when I came home from Mom, but I forgot and had to see the dentist. I had a few minutes before she came, so I put some of the slices in the stream pattern in the small bed. Eddie had not been happy to see the pile of slices on the porch – when I told him what I planned to do with them, he said he hadn’t planned on spreading slices. I asked him what made him think he had to do it.

When he came home, he helped with the other two beds and it was done very quickly. I think he likes the idea now. It was cold doing it in the morning, but by afternoon is was a little better. I also want to put a rock piece there too – like this:

All I have to do is find fairly large rocks, glue them together and I am set.

Or maybe something a little more exotic:

It would add a little interest if I did one of the last two.

Last night the weather man talked about possible snow – you guessed it, nothing happened overnight. They get all excited and talk as if it is a foregone conclusion; I have learned to take it with a pound of salt. I can remember a time when the weatherman said it would snow but not much – it dumped on us about 2 feet.

it’s still cold, but supposed to warm up in the 40’s and rain. We had frost the first part of the week but then it was so cold and dry there was not frost anywhere. My hair either sticks flat to my head or flies around all over the place. Warmer temperatures and rain sound very good to me right now.

Tags:Cold, D.E. Stevenson, dentist, Home, Olympics at sunrise, pruning, Seattle, Thanksgiving, tongue, weather man
Posted in Musings | 4 Comments »

Farewell Old Friends

December 8, 2013

The cherry tree to the right of the garage was always referred to as “the little cherry tree”. It was a pollinator for the two big cherry trees espaliered up against the garage. We always called them Royal Anne cherries – these days they call them Rainier cherries. I can remember going down the side-walk, stop, pull a low branch down and eat them until I was full. We used to get a lot of cherries when I was growing up, the birds always ate the little cherry tree bare before we had a chance to have any.

This is the tree being trimmed and ready to be cut down. I would have had a better picture but I had just gotten out of the shower and couldn’t very well go out in the cold with nothing on but a camera. So I looked through my very dirty bedroom window for a shot, then cleaned a space so it wasn’t quite so dirty. Good by little cherry tree.

A couple of days later, I had a good shot of the corner with the cherry and apple trees gone. A little bare at the moment. You can see in the foreground what is left of the trunk.

Mom and Dad had to cut the big cherry trees because they were pushing the garage over – it had a decided list to the right as I looked at from the street. Shortly after we came to live with Mom, we had the garage fixed and never did have any cherries from the little tree. Now the little cherry tree is gone,; poor love, it was looking so sad and sickly. This round of pruning involved the little cherry tree, the McIntosh apple tree behind it ( poor things had been hidden in the hedge and was at a 90 degree angle looking for sun. We also cut the apple tree in the corner – gorgeous blossoms but not very good eating apples.

We also cut down the two big cherry trees on the north side of the yard – they too were looking sickly and sad, plus we were never able to eat any cherries. Those two were cut down as well. However, I am happy to report they are not gone completely.

This is all that’s left of the two trees – I need to take a picture from the garage to show the view all the way to the front.

I asked John to cut them in slices for me – he had already put the trunks in the truck and was sweet to take them out and cut them up for me. I put some in the bed with the pink dogwood, made it look as if it is a stream. Unfortunately the other two beds just have them around the edge. I would love to find a cool pattern to arrange them in rather than just in a line. I am open to suggestions.

I am pleased with the way the little stream came out – maybe make a little more curve in it.

This is to the left of the other picture – I could see these three slices in the corner.

In the bed by the back porch, I just put them around the edge of the bed, not all that cool. Maybe a swirl or something like that for this one – I am drawing a blank on this.

By the garage it is also just around the edges. Hmmmm,maybe some kind of spiral or sunburst? Fortunately I don’t have to come up with something right now this moment.

Now we don’t have the other bush that seemed to take over the front door and the window. the one on the other side went when we had to have a tunnel flue replaced. Not sure what will go in there, but it will be something small and low maintenance.

We have our view back – at least as much as we can cut. I told John to go as far down the hill as could and cut as low as possible.

Speaking of the view, it was so foggy all day on thanksgiving that I didn’t know if it would ever clear up. Then I noticed some sun and then it cleared for us, but not for people below us.

This is one of those times when it looks as if we are all alone on a mountain top and between us and the other side is whipped cream.

This always fascinates me when it happens. Thanksgiving turned into a lovely late afternoon sunset and whipped cream.

And some where in between the whipped cream and the pruning, we had one of these:

Certainly can’t beat that!

Tags:apple tree, Cherry, espaliered, Fruit, McIntosh, Mom and Dad, Rainier cherry, Tree
Posted in Emotions | 1 Comment »

Bon Voyage Debye!

December 1, 2013

Yes, it says Bittersweet – Brandy bought it from those owners. No proper picture with her sign, may have to take one myself to make it accurate.

Gives you an idea of the inside. Both side walls are brick – a very old building. Now you know where I go every Wednesday morning.

Debye and Sal are on their way to San Diego area for who knows how long.

Wednesday at Breakfast Club was Debye’s last day – she and Sal will be leaving to move her to around Carlsbad – near San Diego. That means we don’t have a massage therapist in the club, though she is working to have Michelle come and join us. Michelle is Debye’s massage therapist. I know Michelle from the Holistic Chamber networking group not too long after I moved here. We met at her Whole Life Center; she and I talked about some promotional things, but nothing came of it because she had such an upheaval in her life for quite a while.

It is hard to say goodbye, Debye is a close friend, partner, teacher and mentor for me. What is so cool is that she learned a lot from me. This morning’s meeting was about what we are thankful for and it was wonderful to hear how much this club means to all of us. It is not the usual networking group, so new people either think it’s great or are a bit put off by us. We have a lot of fun, laugh and there isn’t that push to get people to buy that I have often found in other networking groups. We have a structure but not the “have to’s” that so many have – we like to get to know each other first.

I saw Debye on Monday after seeing Dr. Cheryl. I had time between appointments to buy Debye some lovely roses. What do you get for the woman who is packing up her life in her van? They are leaving Sunday, so there is time to enjoy them while they last.

Instead of a massage, she and Sal worked with his lasers, they apparently were using four at a time and really worked all over me. I didn’t feel much – at first it was like a small pinching pain on my upper thigh, otherwise I didn’t feel anything. I was very relaxed and allowed my mind to quiet and concentrate on the breaths between. Sal is also a medical intuitive, so her checked me over and had a couple of things to tell me. I was a bit woozy when I got up from the table – not unusual – and was given water and told to drink a lot when I came home.

I was a bit uncomfortable that night and woke up feeling rather stiff and uncomfortable in the morning. A hot shower helped and I was better by the time I left to go visit Mom. This morning I was doing pretty well – I realized I felt lighter. With 43 years of RA, it probably will take a while to work through it.

This morning, instead of the usual 5 minute and 15 minute speakers, it was suggested we spend the time talking about what we are thankful for – seemed to cover mostly the group and how much it means to all of us.

Debye asked to go first because she had things she wanted to say to the group. She thanked everyone in the club and handed out Pyrite or Fool’s Gold. It has some very interesting properties, so I want to check them out online. She also had a gift for 3 people, Judith and myself because we saw her nearly every week since Debye joined the club. She gave us Selenite, mine looks like flowers, Judith had one that had long, slender clear crystals. The third was for Dr. Cheryl – Debye had space in her office and they have referred clients to each other.

I decided to just copy Carri’s minutes on what we were thankful for – it’s a shortened version but you will no doubt get the gist of it.

Judith B-Thanks Nick for fixing gutters. Thanks GRATEFUL FOR: Debye for your care.

Vickie B-Ditto, Ditto!

Dr.Cheryl B-Thankful for everyone. Blessings in life on planet.

Carol B-Thanks for personal growth. Was so scared she sat entire time for first talk.

Dick D-Met Pat and invited to Breakfast Club. Exciting time-offered services and used referrals.

Brandy D-Had hard pregnancy. He never stopped moving. Thanks for using Down Home Catering.

Dave G-Thanks, Julia.

Lee K-Considers all of us her friend. It’s hard to ask for help. We have given her confidence. When she broke hip,received cards, emails, flowers and rides. Thanks!

Barrie L-Thanks to Pat for helping with Jon’s last accident. Thanks to Judith for helping son. Moving from 35 year home to retirement home.

Julia L-Thanks for being member.

Carri M-She is Thankful, Grateful and Blessed. Grateful to live in the Northwest and see Mt Rainier. Thankful for technology that found breast cancer when so small. Surgery scheduled for 1/17. Asked for positive thoughts and prayers.

Pat M-Appreciates everyone!

Al O-Thanks to the entire club. Was part of initial information 20 years ago in April. One constant has been the club’s support of his career.

Debye P-This is her last meeting. Handed out “fools gold” as a token to remember her by. Rocks can boost vitality. Helps you conquer anything.

Darrell S-Wife wants him out of house. John W gave him turkey feathers for fly fishing. 3 gifts_Judith, Lee and Dr Berry.

Randy S-Thanks to group-you are all friends.
John VZ-Thanks for being among you, He see’s beauty.He has something to offer, like all of us.

I thought I would be very drippy saying goodbye to Debye and thanking everyone for all they have done and been for me. Maybe I just shut my mouth before it got to that point.

Tags:Breakfast Club, California, Debye, goodbyes, group, Health, Massage, medical intuitive, Michelle, San Diego, thankfulness
Posted in Emotions | Leave a Comment »

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Gift of RA

Archive for December, 2013

Early Happy New Year!

Snow – Part 2

Snow This Morning!!!!!

The Only Snow I’ve Seen This Year

Time Is An Illusion

Brrrrrrr!!!!!!!

Farewell Old Friends

Gift of RA on Facebook!

Catless In Seattle

Kitchen Remodel

Lee Kaplanian

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Catless In Seattle

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