The Ends of March

Spring is on its way and now things start moving in high gear.  It is
time for yard work, playing outside, and bike riding.  Today I'm
staying inside all day to try to get ready for it all. 



This past week has been busy with little things that take up the days.
Monday my mom and I took her friend to Two River's Casino where my mom
won 80 dollars and then had fun putting all of it back into the
machine.  This week is early dismissal for school children so I picked
up my friend Shelby from her 5th grade classroom for the past two
days.  We went to the museum to see a real Monet, Degas and Modigliani
in Spokane yet.  She was bored but we did that and then went to the
IMAX to see Mysteries of the Nile.  It might save me a trip to Egypt
because I'm waiting for things to be more safe in that area until I
plan a trip.



Tomorrow my mom and I are heading to Seattle for Sara's wedding.
Kristen, Aileen's daughter from U of I may ride with us and we will all
become part of the 414 people who have indicated they plan to be
there.  I'm calling it Linda's wedding as she will be having the time
of her life.  The wedding begins at 12 and lasts into the wee hours.  I
don't expect to be there that long but I will have to stay out of
Linda's view so she won't notice who's left.  She says she'll be taking
notes but I doubt she will find individuals in that crowd. 

It's Time to Dye Eggs

Nothing Meaningful

The tumbleweeds are a reminder from Warden and besides they are sort of fascinating. My friend, Sandra sent the photo as well as several more of the back yard also full of tumbleweeds.

Of course the comments I received could top that tumbleweed story. Here's what Carol, my WSU friend had to add.

When I lived in the Tri-cities, there was a picture in the paper that outstripped your photo-- This woman's house had the WHOLE FRONT covered with tumbleweeds up to and over the roof. She had to go out the back door. Neighbors helped clear it away.

Interesting you should mention potty training-- did you know you can hire a professional potty trainer? $165/hr or $800 or so/wk. There's a market for them because parents today are short on time and patience for such activities-- big selling point is the big savings on diapers, pullups and whatever else is being worn these days.

And I loved her potty training suggestion. I will definitely let Anna Marie and Brett know about this. However I don't think Spokane has the market for this yet. I certainly wouldn't be interested in starting that business unless I could get Shari's 2 and a half hour training system down pat.

My birthday was uneventful but very nice. I love hearing from everyone and I guess I love getting cards also. I had a party with Lucas and that was great since he can sing to me and he did know it wasn't his birthday. I suppose he could figure out there weren't enough toys to open. David, one of my former blind students, never forgets to wish me happy birthday and I've known him for 30 years since he was two. I wish I had his memory.

Today I went out to start the Honda and the door was ajar leaving the interior light on and the battery dead. The cables were hanging right there in the garage so I called Cyd and Dave directed me while I got the car started. I'm pleased to know how to do that since I've watched but never actually opened a hood or looked under it.

I'm taking my mom to a cribbage group this morning and this is a new addition to her program. She sounds up for it so we'll see how it goes. She always asks if I'm going too and I usually always have an answer for that and today it is investment club. I'm not going with any promising stocks in mind but I hope someone will vote to buy something.

I'm going to stop now before I use the word meaningful. When I reread the last blog I discovered I began and ended with that word.

Warden Tumbleweeds March 12

Arla Can Blog, But Why?

It is difficult to keep writing the same mundane trivia each day and make something meaningful out of it. I guess the trick is not to make it anything meaningful so I am doing a good job of blogging. As my friend, Mary, says, "Why would someone write down everything they do everyday?" Of course she answered that by reading everything in the blog and then asked, "Why would anyone read it?"

So I write for no reason except to generate comments. So far I have had very few comments. I do know someone reads this however because I get reminders that I haven't written much lately. Today I am 64 and it sounds very old but I feel very young most of the time. I did not feel young on Friday when Lucas, Anna Marie and I went to the Big Horn Sports Show. Lucas hopped on an All Terrain Vehicle, grabbed the handlebars and made engine sounds. Then he refused to touch the 10 foot high stuffed bear, went on to fish for trout in a tank, and next watched dock dogs jump in a pool after a bait. Running from one end of the fairgrounds to the other made me exhausted after 90 minutes but Lucas and his mom were good for an hour longer.

Lucas is nearly 30 months old now and looks like some three year olds. Grandma thinks it's time for him to be potty trained. At his daycare he follows a toilet training regime that includes rewards of gummy bears and stickers. At his house and my house each bathroom has a potty chair. That's about as far as the training has gone. I can't remember the exact protocol for training so I survey every friend and acquaintance I meet regarding the best method for training. I then report these facts to the parents on a regular basis. Brett keeps asking why I continue to give them training methods I've accumulated in this fashion when they have already told me they weren't going to begin his toilet training until he's three. They think the laid-back method that just unfolds due to age will be the best. I know this but I can't help bringing up the subject on a regular basis during each visit. I ran into Cyd's friend, Shari at Costco last week and she was able to potty train her two boys in 2 and a half hours just using this special book which she offered to loan me as it is now out of print. It is going to be very difficult for me to give up this surveying and initiating conversation regarding this topic. There might be lots more of this subject on the blog spot.

My mom and I drove to Moscow yesterday to take Kristen (Aileen's daughter) and her sister to their sorority after Spring Vacation. The Wheatland Express bus followed up down there but I know it was fun for us to ride with these young ladies. The fields are green, the small towns are empty and the traffic is sparse. We went through Garfield and Oakesdale and saw no people at all. My mom liked the birds, the clouds and the green. We talked a lot but mostly we had the same conversation 12 times. I think she was getting tired after 4 hours in the car but generally she loves riding places. I'm betting that she doesn't look at her calendar today to remember she had a baby so many years ago. We went to a school play at Ferris High School on Saturday and she asked me if I went to school there.

Today Barbara Bowling phoned as her birthday is March 20th so she never forgets mine and I always remember hers and especially I remember how much I envied the fact that she was older than I. No more, now I gloat about that whenever I have the chance. I really appreciate the people who remember this day as I find it more difficult to remember anything.

I'm going to a Habitat for Humanity meeting later today. I've worked on the Blitz build for several years but this new committee I'm joining interviews and selects families eligible for a new home. It only meets a few times a year so I should like that. I also met with a Services for the Blind counselor today to express my interest in doing contract work with blind individuals from time to time. It wouldn't be anything steady which is certainly a good thing but when they need extra help it could be something meaningful for me to do occasionally.

Maybe Rain

That is the big news around here today. I am ready to forget a high maintenance lawn and go for a natural, sustainable, environmentally correct landscape. All that edging and manicuring is just too much anyway with or without water.

Spring has me shopping for the perfect summer wardrobe. I got carried away by my relatives in Seattle and impulsively bought some unusual clothes. When I tried them on after I got home I wondered what I was thinking. The big purchase was the Lucky jeans that only go halfway up to my waist. I guess you could let the rest hang out but
it didn't seem very comfortable. I can stop and return them on my next trip past University Village. The other things have already been returned here.

Brett is in Florida this week so Anna Marie, Lucas and I have had dinner together the past two nights. I shouldn't include Lucas as he doesn't really think much of meals. He is too busy fixing his stuff. It is nice enough for him to be outside now and that fresh air takes a lot out of him which is nice for the rest of us. He likes to use the paint brushes from the garage but first he sands the area and then he (pretend) paints. He also holds up the yardstick to get a measure of things. I now have the job of redoing the garage to make it a toy tool place with the Roundup placed higher.

Alberta is liking the warm weather also and has stopped wearing her sweatshirts. She is enjoying the birds and the cards. Monday we went to Costco and she bought a bag of chocolate Easter eggs, trail mix, and cream puffs. I don't think she was considering the doctor's recommendation to cut down on sweets.

I talked to Charlie on the phone one day last week and he likes his new job so far. He still works at the hospital one day a week. In April there will be a big birthday bash for Taylor. Betty reports that Katie and John bought a new house in Liberty Lake. They don't waste any time making their moves.

My Wednesday routine is serving the Senior Lunch with my mom. I'll go grocery shopping and then Lucas will be here from 5-7 until we leave for his house and he heads for bed. His mom will be finished with her night class about 9. I hope it pours down rain but so far nothing like that is happening.

Cyd is 40

It really does give you a wake up call when your daughter reaches 40. Everything is downhill from here. I guess it's been downhill for a while now. I said I wasn't leaving town again and now here I'm going to Cyd's for two days. Nancy is driving up from Medford tomorrow and I'm leaving here after I drop my mom off at bridge. We should both arrive at Cyd's about the same time. Barb is coming on Friday afternoon and then the real shopping, eating and gossiping will begin. I think we have plans for a dinner out on Saturday night for the actual celebration.

We will all leave early Sunday so we can be home early too. Brett is leaving for Tampa early Monday morning so I get to have Lucas spend Sunday night with me. That takes lots of preparation so that I have things in order for his needs. He can be very demanding at times and I want to have backup items in place. That way by morning I can be the one who was in charge.

My mom is feeling much better and that is good. She is very confused about which day it is and what is happening next. Today she was sure she was to play pinochle at 4 when yesterday she just did that and it only happens once a week. I went in her house while she was at bingo and gathered up three sacks of garbage. Mostly it was junk mail, old monthly calendars and stored up magazines.

I'm not hearing from the Chiwawa people. I wonder how the visit went with Regina. I read in the church bulletin that Jack Hardy died and I didn't hear about his funeral. I've been trying to get Charlie to see how he likes the new job.

How to Write a Blog

Every day I have to ask myself this question and everyday I try a new approach to see what I can do. You perhaps noticed that one day I had three of the same blog on a page and then another day I sent a blog by email and it didn't show up within 5 hours so I wrote another one right on the blogger site. It showed up immediately and then the next day there was the one I had emailed the day before. It makes for a lot of time wasted but the most fun for me is seeing how this all works. I'm so happy I can delete and edit.

Maybe I have the picture posting down now. I took several rolls of film with a disposable camera when I was in Peru and they didn't show much. Lately others from the group have shared their photos and they make Macchu Picchu look great like it should.

(There maybe a second posting of this popping up at some later date)

Macchu Picchu February 2005

Finally Friday

Lucas got his first timeout from Grandma last night when he spent the night. When we got in bed he started hitting me so I asked him to please stop, I grabbed his hands and he kept flailing them at me. I picked him up and stood him in the corner, telling him timeout. He stood there quietly like he knew what to do and then when I said he could come back to bed he cried. I tried to tell him this hurts me more than it hurts you.

We had a good evening aside from that incident. He did wake up at 4:30 and we finally got out of bed at 5:30 but he knows he has to get up as he has work to do. He likes to build and fix things and has a little saw and hammer that keep him busy.

My mom has had a good week and her cold is getting better. On Monday I offered to take her to the doctor and she refused and then after we got home she phoned me about 3 and said she did want to go to the doctor. He checked her out and said her lungs were fine so gave us a prescription for antibiotics if she doesn't get well in a few more days. She is getting better however. She hasn't missed any cards, bingo or lunches and we are set to go to the Nile Queen's Party tomorrow.

Today the sun is shining and I have a free day to do whatever I want. I think it will be a clean the house and then go for a bike ride day. Tonight is the symphony and it's not my turn to drive. I go with 3 other women and that makes it fun.

Memorabilia Mama

My mom has saved every piece of mail she has ever received, every sales slip she's ever had, and every newspaper article that pertained to anyone she ever knew. I am slowly inheriting all of this special stuff and sometimes it is fun seeing what is old that is suddenly new again. About a year ago I came across the birth announcement for my cousin Judy from her parents. It was a cute, handwritten card that Judy glanced at and then threw away. I only mention it now because Judy is trying to make a case that I am incorrectly remembering past events. The event to be exact is the time we went boating in August of 1964. I have recently seen these specific photos so I've spent the past two days trying to locate them. My filing system is lacking but I'm attempting to put things in order so I can retrieve them for an occasion such as this. I did come up with an old letter from Judy that has nothing to do with boating but it will have to be used to maybe make her think she should not be questioning my memory since I have concrete evidence (when I can find it and I will).
September 6, 1960
Dear Arla and Jane,
Here I am in the big city of Chicago. It's like walking into a dream world. Just got off the phone, what a riot--my folks probably shit about the bars-too bad. This town is really neat tho'. All types of people, places, things to do. Like I said, this is one of the nicer apartment districts. Our apartment is real nice. No checking in or out. Alot of the old tenants are still here and no one checks on us so it's just like living in our own apartment.
Karen, from Minnesota, is in 2nd year dress design. Real cute, quite a bit of money, clothes, and loves to drink. Rosalie, from CA, is sort of cute, rather well off money-wise, and has a good head. I think we'll all get along real well.
I about stood on my head when I found out you have to be 18 to drink in Illinois. There are millions of neat bars close by. The one Karen, this med student, and I went to hear Dixieland Jazz. It was really crowded-people standing all over. There's quite a few young kids around. We went to this guys pad last nite that he has with 3 or 4 others before we went to Catfish Row. It was really modern and stereo, and the most equipped bar I've ever seen.
The stores are neat too. Real neat clothes. My folks said I could spend the $350 I made on clothes-watch them die when I do. You guys should just come here. It's really hard to believe. Lake Michigan is only 1/2 block away. We can see it real well between these two gorgeous modern buildings. The fire escape door is right in our room-very handy late at nite. Only thing-school tomorrow. It's so hot-I can't stand the thought. It was 97 degrees today and I guess that's really hot for Chicago.
We all want to lose weight so we're cooking our own meals. I'm sure I'll be so slim at Xmas you won't know me. Well, I must hang out the window and dig Chicago. Write soon, Later, Judy

Lucas

photos
Originally uploaded by arlal.

Here he is waiting for Grandma wearing his Peruvian sweater with the llama.

The Night Before

photos
Originally uploaded by arlal.

Arla, Nancy, Judy and the Bride

It was a wedding but are they married?

The Portland Wedding was an extravaganza. You could tell by the months of preparation, the columns and marble at the site, and the amount of fancy dressed guests. It would be difficult to calculate the amount of hours spent just to search for the perfect dresses for the bridal party alone. They all surfaced that night in off white and beige which matched exactly the flowers on the table and the gift bags with tulip bulbs.
The ceremony itself was brief. I heard no vows spoken by anyone but the person who married them declared them married "by the power you have given me". The Washington State Superior Court Judge next to me was skeptical but she also likes controversy. She had just been to a wedding in India and that ceremony lasted for three days.
The celebration began quickly with drink, food, speeches and finally dancing. I spent the entire evening visiting with about three people and then it was suddenly time to leave. I met one person who had met Bill Clinton several times and then George Bush once, I visited with my cousin's wife, and had a few random conversations with the aunts, uncles and cousins and then everyone began getting cabs to leave.
We spent several hours that day at a spa where seven of us had ourselves glamored up for the big event. The bride had two stylists curling her long, red hair while another massaged her hands. The junior bridesmaid had curls held to the top of her head with 42 bobbi pins.
The best part of the weekend for me was being downtown in Portland. Downtown means having a doorman at the hotel, walking to Peet's for coffee and then shopping at Nordstrom's only a few blocks away.
The really best part of the weekend was having Lucas at the airport to meet me when I arrived home. I wish I could put his photo here but I can't figure out the photo thing now. I've spent an hour or two trying yesterday and nothing worked. As soon as I can I hope to add photos.