Gift of RA

Wednesday was our 48th wedding anniversary!  It still seems unreal after all this time.  Not sure why I didn’t think I would be married this long to the same man – my parents were married almost 60 years.  Eddie’s parents were married about the same number of years, so we come from great examples.  It doesn’t seem that long, it is as if our marriage is broken into chapters.  The earlier the chapter, the more it feels I read it in a book or someone told me about it.  Yet I have photos of those years and as I look back at myself, I see myself differently.  More kindly than I felt at the time.

We decided to try a new Chinese restaurant in Southcenter.  They have Dim Sum and Eddie was delighted with the page of greens.  We tried a few things and had enough to bring home.  I kinda wish I had ordered the dumplings, maybe next time.  It was different and except for the noise, we enjoyed it.  We have become sticks-in-mud lately, more homebodies that going and doing all the time.

I find myself looking in the mirror but all I see is someone’s grandmother hiding my own face.  Where did she come from?  Will she ever go away? I don’t feel old, more about 30 or so, ready to start my life now that I have finally grown up.  I’m glad I have copies of my journal for the years I wrote it – maybe time to go back and read it again.  I remember several people saying what an interesting life I had – if you just read the journal.  There was a whole lot I didn’t put in, too depressing.

Would yu believe we had 2 days in the low 70’s with sun and warmth.  It went back to rain again by Friday and we won’t really see sun until mid-week or later.  Even so, the flowers are blooming, the lilacs are out, the Rhodos, azaleas – all kinds of blossoms.  We have what looks like white and pink snow on the ground because the flowering fruit trees are losing petals as the leaves come out.  We have little nubs on the branches of the fig tree – not many leaves yet.  I haven’t been out to check the fruit trees, though we have lots of blossoms on the blueberries.  A little more sun and warmth will help tremendously.

The downstairs bathroom is done.  Eddie is waiting until tomorrow to use it because he wants to be sure the shower door has curd.  He could use it now if he wants.  Now it needs to be furnished – we have some brown towels and I gave him my bathmats.  Then we found Soft Scrub, toilet brush, squeegee and glass cleaner – the door is transparent glass.  We need to check for new towels and mats, plus waste basket.

I have my car back – we picked it up on Monday afternoon.  I’m so glad to have it back, that stupid Kia Optima has the emergency brake right where I need room to get my foot out so I can leave the car.  Otherwise it’s fine but I much prefer my own car.  It feels so good, so familiar – I know where things are in it – none of this trying to figure out what happened to something in a strange car.

I had a wonderful show on Tuesday with Jamie and Diane Osborne – they were a delight to interview.  This week I have a good friend Diane Kolb as my guest.  She is the Executive Director of Children’s Country Home for medically fragile children.  All my shows are in the archives at 1150kknw.com – just look for my show in the list.

We sold our lot in Ocean Shores, Monday we need to have our signatures notarized and send back the title papers.  We haven’t really made a profit on it, but now we don’t have property taxes, club dues that keep going up and sewer fees.  The whole point of buying it was to have a piece of Washington State while we weren’t living here.  Now it really isn’t necessary, it has become an expense we don’t need at this point in our lives.  We hope to be getting the check soon, it goes into our house fund .

It has been interesting  having Eddie home most of them.  He keeps forgetting I didn’t retire, he gives me that hurt “How dare you leave me” look.  Then he wants to know when I will be home.  He has been working contacts and seeing what is possible – it takes time and he wants it settled right now.  Sometimes being a scenic route is better than a point A to B by the shortest route.  He likes to be doing, accomplishing things and making a difference; I doubt he will ever be happy sitting and watching tv.  The difference this time is he didn’t have something to go into as he left the previous job.  There are a couple of good possibilities, but it takes patience and that’s hard for him.

You could call this a weekly round-up of my life.  I have a project or two in the works, not quite ready to talk about them yet.  I haven’t taken much in the way of pictures of the flowers.  However, my sisters Ellen and Candy have been sending lovely photos.  I think they are both a bit warmer than here.

It definitely helps to roll with the punches some weeks.  This was one of them.  Monday we spent the day here together, I was working on a new order for shirts, another one for lapel pins, plus I do a donation of pens for Children’s Country Home every year and show prep for Tuesday’s show.  And of course, I helped Eddie with some of his things.  We don’t know what the weather will do – if I said rain, it would be the most accurate.

Tuesday I went to do my show and then came home – Eddie was here working on his emails and his Kaplanian Report.  Also, we see Brad when he needs to do some work before his sub contractor comes.  Wednesday he was here with the plumber – now there is a toilet that works and a sink with a small leak.  Still waiting for the shower door – they found a crack at the bottom and had to do it over.  We hope it will be here this week.

Wednesday was Breakfast Club and Eddie had an appointment with a friend to tour his company.  After Breakfast Club I went to see Dr. Cheryl and whenever to Jerry’s Rock and Gem for some healing stones for a special friend.  Joan had been on my show a few weeks earlier and I asked her advice for my friend.  She suggested several stones, plus a red suede drawstring bag for them.  When I came home, Eddie was here – he was back by 10:30 or 11.  He also talked to his friend about knowing anyone is looking to hire.  We sent him Eddie’s resume.

It has been the oddest thing, I have been needing cat naps to stay awake – no idea what that is about because I sleep well at night.  I had a cat nap before I saw Cheryl, then I fall asleep in my chair, waiting for the doc, waiting to pick up the car, etc.  Sometimes it is a liedown on the bed.  Yesterday was the first time in a while I didn’t feel the need to nap.

Thursday Eddie spent all day at Joint Base Lewis McChord for the Defense Symposium.  I planned to spend the day by myself, but then texted my friend to see if she had a few minutes because I had a special gift for her.  She invited me to lunch at Salty’s in Redondo Beach and it was lovely.  We had some sun which was a delight.  We had a lovely time and she was pleased with the stones I gave her.  I don’t know how WooWoo or Hocus Pocus she is, but I explained about them and said I wanted her to be around a long time.

Thursday was one of those usual days when we had at least four seasons in one day.  In the morning was fog and when I went to have lunch, the sun had come out.  It was a lovely afternoon, but I could see dark clouds from the south.  I arrived home just before the rain started – very heavy rain, thunder and lightning, hail in some places and high winds.  Unfortunately Eddie got stuck in it as he was driving home – rain so hard he couldn’t see.  I was uneasy about him in all that weather – what a welcome sight when he came in the door.

We had more rain, lightning and thunder overnight – some lost electricity but we were fine.  Friday morning we went to pick up my car at 10 – Eddie hates the  Toyota.  It was so good to see my car back together again, I had missed driving it.  We had a lunch date with Danielle, she used to be with Andy but had received a better off with someone else.  She had talked to Eddie on the phone to tell him what is happening and she was interested in having him do procedures manual and later some training.  She has not quite divested from Andy and needs to set things up with the new group, so it will be a bit before she is ready for Eddie to help her.  He will be able to do things at home rather than going up to Arlington where she lives.

She has had quite a year or more, new husband, new baby, new house and still making money with and for her clients.  She is about 32 and I really enjoyed being with her – Eddie wanted us to meet.

We left Nordstrom in south center and Eddie noticed the check engine light was on, a little flashing light where it shows what gear you are in and also the anti-skid light was lit.  Not a comfortable feeling.  So we called Pat’s,  they said to come back and they would put it on the computer.  Well, we spent quite a while there and it turned out a sensor needed changing.  We are back in a rental – only had my car 4 hours.  This time it’s a Kia Optima, a nicer car and more convenient.  They can get the part and will install it on Monday.

Friday was such an uncomfortable day, I was so stiff, sore and unbendable – I felt trapped in a cage.  I had been doing pretty well, so I wasn’t sure what was happening.  I have had many days lately when I have felt heavy, awkward and clumsy.  It is depressing, that’s for sure.

Hope this doesn’t too much of a downer – I prefer to be positive.