Good Call

Yesterday was a hugely disappointing day. We had some serious appointments Allison and I, and when the snow situation became clear that it was bigger than us, I had to make the unpopular call-we're not going. If you've ever dealt with an angry teenager, then you know that yesterday was very cold here in the northeast, and I don't mean out on the porch. Yeesh. It's hard to explain to someone who doesn't drive yet that getting in the car on sheets of ice is not necessarily something you can control throughout a four hour trip. You may encounter situations that are completely dangerous and possibly life-threatening, not to mention expensive. So, the chill here goes on. We are still getting snow too, so it is basically a double-header. When we knew the trip south was off, Jerry saved the day and took me to dinner at the local dive, I mean restaurant. I don't mean dive actually in a bad way. It is the kind of dive that is comfortable. The food is good, the staff is friendly and laid back, and the clientele is just really, really relaxed. It was just what I needed after dealing with the wrath of Gidget. They have a salad bar, which is harder to find here than you would think. Mostly you will find comfort food, which was definitely on my list of things to eat. But salad was a nice pre-course. We relaxed, ran into a few local friends, and came home early enough to watch a little TV and relax. The ride to and from the restaurant (Vrooman's) was quite beautiful. The moon luminated all the new snow, and I could see that the poker run, which is scheduled for today in Caroga lake, is going to be a rousing success. It was postponed from the beginning of the month because of low snow levels. Well, that problem has been solved. There are snowmobiles everywhere. We have a goal for next year. Snowmobile. The truth is if you wanted to get to Canada, some 200 miles north, you could travel there on a trail all the way. I think that is an adventure I would love to try. But for right now, just getting to Vrooman's was enough of an adventure for me. The roads were bad, and that is here where road cleaning is second nature. We don't have bad roads when it snow. They are just "on it". Not so last night. It was quite bad, and still falling. I was relieved that I made the safe call, unfortunate as the consequences were. But coming down the road and seeing the house with the "white lights" on the porch (don't mention the word Christmas-they are NOT Christmas lights) was very heartening. Just a warm welcome on a snowy night. Way better than being wrapped around some tree on the side of the Thruway, which by the way, was closed in Harriman at around 4 PM. Good call. Good call.

Snow Day

There are differing opinions here, of course, but the snowfall is somewhere between eight and ten inches and is quite possibly the prettiest snowfall I have ever seen. It is heavy, wet snow, and has attached itself to every tiny branch out there. It's as if each tree was wrapped in cotton. Just beautiful. Jerry is out moving it around as we speak. And the icing on this snow cake is that school was closed. CLOSED! This is big news, as they dont' often close. The difference being that this is only the first part of a three part anticipated storm. The second half is due this afternoon, and the third and strongest storm is expected to come through sometime during the night into Thursday morning. So for right now, the snow has stopped, but it's just a brief reprieve. But to see this, I could watch forever. It is beautiful. I was supposed to head into Albany today for Arts In New York Day, which is a designated day for meeting with your legislators to beg for funds for the arts. It required representation from our theatre, because money is the key to our success. The Glove Theatre seems to be the poor relation in the upstate money pits. For some reason, we do not get the kind of money that is being tossed around to other theaters. I was going to change that. But now, with ten inches on the ground and the news media reporting "multiple accidents" on the roads, I have made an executive decision. Not going. I will be on the phone trying to reschedule those meetings, and hopefully, they will allow that. But getting on the road in this kind of mess, with another mess right behind it, is way more than I need to get involved in. Dedication is one thing, stupidity is another. Bailey is outside loving this white stuff. Jake took one look at the door and came back in, and Daphne is still sleeping. Allison checked out the school situation at 6 AM and we haven't seen her since. This is my kind of day. I'm still working on the knitted socks, and I'm in the home stretch. I should be done today. Enjoy your weather, whatever it is.

Memorable Senior Moments

As you can see from the sidebar, I have added a new topic to the blog. Memorable Senior Moments came about when Dan, who was sitting across the room from Jerry, asked "do you often wear different shoes?" Because of the destinct design on the bottom of Jerry's white sneakers (tread design and color blocks made it easy to see that they were different)Dan was able to see that clearly, the two sneakers Jerry had on, and had been wearing since the first part of the morning, some two hours before, were obviously, different shoes. The only similarity, and understandable from Jerry's vantage point, was that both sneakers were white and similarly broken in. They were definitely not the same style, and must have felt sort of different on each foot, but he had not noticed. I found this to be particularly humerous, and felt no shame in pointing a finger and saying "you've got to be kidding me, you didn't notice that?" In the interested of saving SOME of Jerry's dignity, I of course would not have posted this faux pax online, except that not two days later I suffered a similar indignity, albeit privately, but nonetheless a Senior Moment. I got dressed Friday morning and shoved my feet into my most favorite canadian shearly boots with suede fringe and gum soles. These boots are COMFORTABLE and WARM, both criteria necessary for me to even consider wearing them. As I've said before, my fashion slave days are long over. If I could wear these boots underneath formalwear, I would do so, and I am not done yet making that call. Beware-it may become an option further down the line, but again, I digress. So here I am, with my comfortable boots on, ready to go to work, and they just don't feel RIGHT. I was a little disturbed, thinking "damn, are they getting old and feeling worn down?" I wore them for another 20 minutes or so when I realized that I should use the facilities before I head down the mountain and go to work. As I was sitting in the bathroom, with a full vantage point of my feet for more than the cursory glance, it became glaring apparent that I had put the shoes on backwards. Not toe-to-back or back-to-front (that would have been REALLY scary) but side to side. Left shoe on right foot, right shoe on left foot. Now I realize that the only way this could possibly have gotten by me is that they were symetrically wrong. I am so in tune to symmetrical that I was unable to even watch the OJ trial on TV because the pictures hanging on the wall behind Judge Ito were hanging crooked. It was too much for me; but yet again, I digress. This symmetrical faux pax was frightening in its implications. How long could I have gone with this shoe problem before I realized it, and what could be next? Leaving the house in my pajamas? Wearing my SLIPPERS to work? Senior Moments are a frightening thing. You have to experience it more than once to realize the possibilities of humiliation and confusion. At that point I decided that we should post these moments,one: to share for posterity, and two: to keep some kind of a record for our own edification. If the column to the right gets to be longer than the blog itself, I guess it is time to seek medical attention, or some type of assistance. Clearly, we are in this together, as our moments occurred not three days apart. Are we losing it simultaneously? I sure hope so. As usual, my competitive nature has kicked in and now we are keeping a pretty scary score-who is losing it faster. In the meantime, you can enjoy our mutual humiliation. As Bette Davis said, "Getting Old is not for sissies". Boy ain't that the truth! I am proud to announce that today, I am fully dressed and wearing my shoes on the right feet. I think. If you find me wandering down on Main Street, just point me towards home, I'm sure it'll come back to me eventually.

Snowshoes

I am hearing that this weekend is supposed to be spectacularly beautiful, and that outdoor activities are highly recommended. I think it is time we pull out the showshoes and get on a trail. That is, after all, why we moved here. Fresh air and exercise. My exercise these days has been limited to running up and down the stairs at the theatre, and truthfully, that is not enough. I want to get out in the brisk and clear air and breath it in. We have nothing at the theatre this weekend-nothing! That hasn't happened in awhile, and so we should take advantage. I was at the Lions meeting yesterday and had a lovely time. As I said, I was invited to speak about my journey to the theatre and the area here, and I managed to get through it without freaking out. When I think back to my youth, I am hard pressed to remember that I used to be shy. That's right, shy. I used to blush horribly if someone asked me to speak to a group other than my known circle. I would be tongue tied and shaky. Not a great public speaker. And now, well, I'm not sure when it happened but I can safely say that shy is not a word used to describe me. That's a good thing. I am much happier being comfortable with people, and speaking what's on my mind. Shy is a waste of time. It is a beautiful and cold morning, and if you stand on the porch for awhile you can smell spring in the air. Even though it is a long ways off, there is a musky smell that is the foliage coming back to life. A moldy kind of smell that comes from the ground up through the trees. I love it. Jake and Bailey have been working their way over to the grove of trees across the street. They can smell it too. Daphne can only smell what's cooking for dinner. She is outside so little that she will only come out when the deck is clear and the sun is shining-maybe May or June. I'm almost done with the socks I have been knitting for Jackie since, well, way back. I decided that any time I sit to watch the olympics I must be knitting. My own personal olympic dream. and so, the socks are getting done. by the time I head south next weekend, I will have them with me for the ceremonial hand off. Possibly a medal ceremony? Some pageantry for the Mom who finished knitting the socks? Nah. I loved knitting them, and now I am on to the next project-my kimono sweater. There's still a week left to go in the olympics. I think I can finish the kimono sweater as well. Pictures to follow. Enjoy the weather-whatever it is.

The Lions Club

Today I have been invited to speak to the Lions Club about myself,the theatre and our hopes for the community. It seems kind of presumptuous to me to be speaking about our hopes for the community, because I am the community's newest member. But, I was asked, so I will speak. I guess my biggest hope for the community I work in is that they will wake up and see the gem that is the Glove Theatre, and start to really support it so that it can not only survive, but flourish. That's it in a nutshell. Get out and support the arts! We'll see. Next week is Arts Day in Albany. That's a day when administrators and community activists come to Albany to meet with their legislators and vie for the few dollars that are left in the budget. Hoping to get a few dollars thrown our way, I am going to Albany too. I figure if I throw myself in front of our local politicians, who have all been to the Glove at one time or another, they will see me, and see the needs of the Theatre. It's worth a shot. We've been pretty tied into the Olympics, and last night was no exception. The men's skating program was fabulous and heartbreaking. When you see someone who is clearly ready for the Olympics lose it on account of nerves, it is such a heart wrenching moment. And of course, there are those who nail it and get their moment = it is a thrill to watch. So that's today's plan. We're off and running on hump day, and I'm looking forward to a weekend of no show at the Glove. Just quiet. That's a switch.

Fat Tuesday

It's been awhile since I've blogged-sorry! We had a show last weekend that was well received by those who saw it-but not enough people saw it-it is a tough road here getting people out to the theatre, especially when the weather is saying "hunker down-stay home!" If I could have stayed home I would have. The temps were hovering around 3 or 4 degrees, and it was COLD standing backstage in our evening-wear. But we put on a great show-and that's our goal. This past weekend my cousin Mark and his honey Trish came for a visit-we had a ball, as always. We go way back. Some of my fondest childhood memories include Mark and his band of brothers. His only sister was so much younger than me (isn't everyone?) that I have pictures of her in my mind, but not so many memories. We had a great time and have vowed to make this happen more often. I am so blessed with a large family, and even more blessed that we make the effort to stay in touch. It's the key to my happiness! Thanks guys. The show fell all weekend, but all in all we only accumulated another three or four inches. Nothing to sneeze at-but we're about twenty inches below average this winter. Driving to Newburgh yesterday afternoon to pick up Allie, I saw that the Catskills are actually down to the grass. Wow. That's remarkable for February. We still have snow on the ground. The skiers are still going at it down the road, and I still have time to become some kind of Alpine participant. I have really been watching them closely this year, and quite sure I want to get on skiis. We'll see. Watching the Olympics I have been quite inspired. This is a reason to get to the gym! All that spandex is enough to get you off oreos for sure. It is for me anyway. The pump thing is working remarkably well. The alarms on it, for me, are the ticket to success. I am warned long before I get too low, or too high. I'm working on it. I think my endocrinologist will be quite pleased. I am. and proud of myself. I have been taking all the information from the nutritionist and applying it to me. It is working. That being said, the Fat Tuesday tradition is pancakes for dinner. So, for today, I will be having the maple syrup that was sap trapped down the road-thanks Dave. It's worth the extra insulin.

Only 115 days until Saratoga Springs Tour de Cure

that's right. 115 days. If you are interested in participating in the Diabetes Foundation's biggest fundraiser, consider becoming a member of Team Blue Line Farm. We will be at Saratoga high School with the hundreds of other cyclists (I wish I could say thousands, but that is a downstate number) and will welcome any participants here at the cabin for a weekend of laughs. It is a beautiful ride through Saratoga Springs and the state park. I have begun my training already (have you ever seen the stairs to the second floor at the theatre? I have legs like a bull.) I am also looking forward to this event, because in June, all the snow will be gone. We can only hope right? This Valentine's Day Jerry and I will celebrate our EIGHTH wedding anniversary. It is so hard to believe the events that have gone by in those eight years. I look at our pictures and am shocked at how young our kids were. And now they are all growing up into their own persons. I am amazed at the blessing we have, and the celebrations we have shared. Eight years goes by fast. A lifetime goes by fast-fill it with good experiences and happy memories. Thank you Jerry. Happy Valentine's Day to everyone! Isn't it a fun holiday? Even if you have no "sweetheart", everyone is someone's valentine. It's just a day to share your love-parents, siblings, co-workers (well, OK, I can draw that line too) but really, just a day to celebrate our hearts and all they hold. And no gifts are necessary, just a pretty little card and some sentiment. No cooking, no big deal. Just I love you ( or really, really like you) and have a nice day. Perfect. And right on the heels of that, President's Day. A day off. IT JUST DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS DOES IT? Bear with me, I'm feeling a little blessed today. I choose to run with it. Have a great weekend.

Caroga Updates !!!

Hey....Just found this picture of Tastee Freeze on the Internet..... This is the one from Shore Rd in Port Washington. WOW

I don't know if I posted these Sap Line Photos so here they are ( Again?)

I have Not been up to Dave's to work with Him running Lines, Fred has been seen in the area helping out. I see Fred's car there every time I pass Dave's house on my way down the mountain heading into town . We have had a Very Busy Week or two rehearsing at the Glove Theatre for this weekends show " Love Is!" Lets clear that up...Jen's Rehearsing....I'm just support..... I'm helping out with the sound, getting food and drink, cleaning and making sure that lights are out and that Jen is driven to & from so that she can listen to her Music. Jen is doing a great job , I don't know how she learns those songs and dances.

Tonight is Opening Night, Jen's resting as we have become Night Owls , coming home late from our time at the Glove..

Weather reports , south of us about to get SNOW......I hear up to 2 Feet in Washington DC... South of Albany , not so much or none. How is it that We move up here and You get the Snow down there?

That's about it for Now...... , Til Next Time Gang.......Jerry

( P.S. Jen & I are on FaceBook)

Rambling on. . .

There is a new dusting of snow on the ground, and the moon behind the pine trees is absolutely stunning this morning. These are the moments I am so grateful to be living here. . . there is nothing like a crisp winter morning to satisfy the thirsty soul. The suet baskets in the front yard are actually crowded with finches. Where have they been feeding while we were not paying attention? I don't know, but they are lousy with good cheer these days-lots of thank you chirping going on, even at this early hour. Bailey has taken to sleeping in the recliner by the pellet stove. He likes his warmth. So that's where I find him in the morning when I wake up with Allison. He doesn't get UP until she is almost ready to leave, because he knows he's not going outside until 6:30; AFTER the bus is gone. We are humiliating Allison enough by still having our white lights on the porch. OK, call them what you want, white lights, Christmas lights. They're still up. So her humiliation is already in the upper ranges, we don't need to let Bailey out while the bus is here-he would insist on getting on the bus, then I would have to go out and get him in my pajamas-we just don't want to go there. So as soon as the bus goes down the street, he knows he's allowed out. He does the perimeter check, pees a little and then it's back on the porch to come in. It's too cold these days for exploring, and he likes to wait for Jake. I've been sorting through ice skates and getting the urge to get out there in the great outdoors before it all melts. I'm sure I have plenty of time, but the fact that Feb. 1 has arrived and I have not done nearly the things I was hoping to this winter is a little daunting. We must get moving. Today is my first nutrition class at the hospital. Four hours talking about food. I can't imagine a more boring topic. I hope I am proven wrong. We'll see. It's hell week at the theatre. Performances on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We have a week of rehearsal, tech night and dress rehearsal, and we're hosting a founder's day program on Wednesday. I don't think I'll be skating THIS week, but my skates are at the ready. Get out there and see the moon. It's gorgeous!

the second annual great walleye challenge

Today is the second annual Great Walleye Challenge on the Sacandaga Lake. Being of a competitive nature, I am disappointed that we have not registered for this lucrative fishing contest. It is held the last Saturday in January, and I am giving formal notice that NEXT year, we will be registered. It features prizes and giveaways in excess of $45,000, and is limited to 1500 registrants, which gives you odds of winning at, well, nevermind that, the odds are good. They have $1000 prizes every hour, from 9 am to 3 PM. After that, the ATV's and Fishing shacks are raffeled off. What do you say boys? Next year? I know better than to put that challenge out to the girls, because, much to my chagrin, I have not raised any "outdoorswomen". This is not for lack of trying. I dragged them all through the girl scouts, family camping trips and Mother-Daughter camping trips. I was the camping Mother for all our scouting expeditions, and still, I have mall queens. How did this happen? I have no qualified answer for that. I do see that both girls have taken on Camping in Montauk, and will allow that as a possible activity. And camping in campers is allowed on occasion. Having LIVED in a trailer for a short period of time (my other life), I can tell you that this does not qualify as Outdoorswoman activity. It can be a viable activity for vacationing and enjoying the great outdoors while still luxuriating in foam mattresses and microwaves, but if you want to qualify as "outdoorswoman" you must unzip your shelter to get in and out. A zipper qualifies you. That being said, ice fishing is an activity that interests me. I want to be on that lake, cutting holes in the ice with an auger, dropping my line, and possibly qualifying for those prizes. Just having the satisfaction of PARTICIPATING in this great annual trek to the solidly frozen Sacandaga Lake is what I am after. Although I am truthfully thankful that I have NOT registered for THIS years contest, because it is eleven BELOW today. That's right, the thermometer on the porch is not broken, it is registering in the BELOW range. Which means, those fisherpersons who ARE registered are going to freeze their collective ARSES off while fishing for the illusive walleye. Thank GOD we're not registered. But consider this a challenge for NEXT year. I will, by then, have the appropriate clothing and accoutrements for ice fishing, and will have practiced a bit on the Caroga lakes, and will be ready for the challenge. Consider this the line drawn in the sand. You have a year's notice boys. Make sure there are no conflicts for the last saturday in January,2011. Any other takers? We'll put you up for the weekend. I dare ya. I double dog dare ya.

Tapping Maple Trees For Sap

Well Gang it's been a few days since my last post so here Goes . We have been Tapping Maple trees for the last week or so, off & on depending on the weather.

Fred in the Green 3/4 coat, Dave in the sweat shirt

No Snow shoes today, we had a warm day which melted the snow a bit, then refroze and made it easy to walk on

Dave placing tubing into his mouth to warm up tubing so it slides on to tap with ease.

Dave's Tractor ,our ride back into the woods, Guessing about a mile or more

It's very cold here , On My Front Porch , 2 Below but the sun is shining . We had a small snow storm yesterday with high winds and lots of SNOW DEVILS. No real snow to report, maybe 3 inches in last 24 hrs.

I had Jury duty the other day for the 1st time ever...there a couple hours and whole group excused... We are at the theatre rehearsing for a show next weekend in Feb. "Love Is!"

I have lucked out and running sound.....NO SINGING for ME!!!! Jen & a great Cast taking care of that. So much talent!....

That's about it for Now......Til Next time ........Jerry

Got Snow?

It was over 50 degrees here on Tuesday, and we were loving it. Much of the snow did melt, but our base is so substantial that melting snow takes weeks, not days. So, we're only down to about 12 inches here or there, and its falling from the sky again. We're supposed to get sub-zero temps this weekend, and it looks like winter is back. Actually, I don't mind so much. The spring thaw means MUD, like you've never seen before. I did take my car to the car wash last week, because it was impossible to see out the rear window. I spent the 8 bucks to get it washed (it's not like long island, they don't even go INSIDE the car-just a hose down on the outside) and by the time I got the 4.4 miles to the house, it was filthy again. Yuck. It all brings us one step closer to nice days, but what a dirty process it is. Jerry has gone into Johnstown today for Jury Duty. He was actually a bit excited because he had never experienced the law from THIS side of the box. We both realize he will most likely be disqualified due to his former career, but he wanted in anyway. Truthfully, I think he does miss the law a bit. Just the day-to-day tidyness of it all. You're either guilty, or you're not. Not alot of gray area there. Now, in our lives, there is nothing BUT gray. "What do we want to do today?" "Eh, I don't know" See? Gray. "Should we stay in or go out?" More gray. "What do you think of him/her?" Interestingly gray. There are many unknowns in our new lives. That's what makes it fun. But, as with today, occasionally we do miss the routine of it all. I think that is why I'm at the theatre too. Even though this routine is NOTHING like the routine of the PD, it is still a responsibility and a place where people are generally expecting something from me. If we didn't have that, I would rise to those low expectations like a pro. My personality is such that R&R could become a way of life very easily. I'm just not that motivated anymore to do something I don't love. So, doing something I love keeps me going at a pace much more healthy than reverse. When it stops being a thrill, it will stop being my job. I'm just so fortunate to have that choice. And don't I know it! So today, Jerry is playing down at the courthouse-which by the way is the oldest "functional" courthouse in the country. Built in 1772, it is a beautiful brick structure that has a fantastic cupola and sits right in the center of the town square. A small building with a big history. Jerry is reading a homicide novel - I don't think that will help his cause as an "Objective" juror. Not alot of homicides here though. Who knows? The town square in Johnstown is a lovely park where there is a small band shell, a fountain and lovely benches and walkways. Small by Long Island standards, it is just perfect for here. Even the dogs are allowed. Dogs are allowed pretty much everywhere here. Occasionally you'll see a stray fellow walking along the street without a human companion, and no one things twice. Most likely he's on his way home from SOMEWHERE. They ride without restraint in the back of a pickup and wait outside a store while you step in and shop. They are part of the landscape. Our dogs are not so well behaved that I could travel them in the back of a pickup. I ask myself the question, which came first? The well behaved dog, or the pickup truck? Do you just let them up and assume they'll stay? That could be a painful mistake for the dog, and I don't think I would want that responsibility hanging over my head. But when I see man's best friend riding along in someone's truck bed I have to admit, I'm a little jealous. Would Bailey or Jake stay in the back if they saw something interesting on the side of the road? I'm not so sure. And Daphne? She doesn't do trucks. She's more of a red sporty convertible type. As the snow piles up outside, I'll just think on those lazy summer days hanging in the town square and watching the dogs drive by. Am I bored and lonely? Is this cabin fever today? That's a gray area.

Ice Shanty onto East caroga Lake

Well Gang we had busy weekend , Jackie & Katie along with Blue came up to visit. We had shows going on at the Glove and I helped Dave & Fred to Launch an Ice Shanty and run more sap lines in the woods at the rear of Dave's property. This is the shanty being pulled out onto East Caroga Lake by Dave's son, Eric using a 4 wheeler

Ahhhh..... Fred who is always a help but never seems to get into any of my photos.....Got you!

Dave & Eric hooking shanty up to 4 wheeler

Dave

That's Me helping out.

We later headed into the woods at the rear of Dave's camp and ran more lines for Maple Sap. If you look close you will see Dave off my right shoulder behind the trees. It does not look too bad as the sun was shining and not too cold...snow was too deep to walk without snow shoes. I had lot of fun with these two guys. Going back for more in the next few days...... I did not bring my camera so not many photo's. This is at least a mile & 1/2 in the woods , Fred & I rode in on a 4 wheeler, Dave used his tractor

Brian this is not too far off that logging road that you hunted on for the 1st time , rear of Dave's property, where old tree stand was.

Again Had a Great time with Jackie & Katie ........So much more to come!

Having the times of our Lives!!!!!

Walter , Mike, Nicole ,Payton, Brian & Ashly we Miss You!!!! Come Back soon.

As I type we are having a heat wave...almost 50 and they say we will hit 58 today.

Til Next time Gang......Jerry

Here and Gone

How fast the weekends go when we have visitors. Jackie and her friend (and our friend too) Katie were here and we had a lovely visit. It is always so nice to see our family, and so hard to watch them leave. It's always a bummer when Sunday morning rolls around. I guess the Amish do have it right in many ways-just stay within the community and never leave. It certainly solves the traveling family issues. We had our last show at the theatre yesterday, the final production of "The Cocktail Hour" We've instituted a Sunday Senior discount ticket, and attendance reflected that it was a good idea. That made me happy. Today is a breakfast meeting at the local diner with members of the fund raising committee. It seems that the New Year has started off strong, with great Board member participation. I guess there were alot of resolutions out there. Hopefully, we'll benefit from that. Then it's back to the house at 2 PM for more pump training-today the "sensor" comes and we hook that up. Aaarrrgh. I'm a little uptight about that, but doing well with the pump otherwise. we heard from Jerry's co-worker who has been retired since October. He said he's never been so busy. I get that. How did we fit in real jobs? I don't know. Happy Monday. Miss ya girls. Daphne is despondent. Her Blue Man is gone. Come back soon, hear?

Wish You Were Here. . .

Resolve

When you have three dogs, you are lucky in that ONE of them will fit your immediate need. Want to snuggle? Daphne's your girl. She likes a huddle with the best of them. Looking to communicate? Jake will carry on a conversation if you want to engage in earth shaking barking. He likes to talk. If you ask him a question, he will bark the answer. The earth will shake, and you will have his voice. Deep from his diaphragm his opinion will come. When it comes to morning people, Bailey is the one I love to be with. He wakes with you and stays with you throughout all the morning rituals. He sits next to you while you make the coffee, he moves with you through the house while you open the shades and make the water rounds. He is right by your side when you go anywhere. And when you're ready to open the door and check out the weather, he is the first one out. He doesn't go far, as he likes to wait for Jake to head out into the field, but he will linger there on the porch, sniffing around and checking out the wildlife just beyond. The picture here is Bailey on the back porch looking out over the field. He is enjoying the dawn and waiting for his buddy to run with him. He and Daphne both slept in the living room last night. I have a sneaking suspicion Daphne is starting to accept Bailey. It's almost a year on Feb. 5 that he has been with us, and it has taken her this long to say "OK, he can stay". Even then, he is on thin ice. At any given moment, she may change her mind. but they are becoming uneasy allies. She still snaps at him when he tries to move around past her, but she doesn't jump up and nip at his legs. It's just a verbal assault-"Watch out Pal, I'm still in charge!" He is cautious, but slowly will continue on his way. Not hiding in the corner or fearful she'll kill him. He almost has her number. Almost. Speaking of numbers, the number here today is about three inches. Fluffy, light and still coming. This is snow shoe snow. I would like to get out there, but today at the theatre is full up, and I am due at the hospital at 1:30 for a diabetes education class. Not one to let the grass grow under my feet, it's been twenty plus years since my diagnosis and I am finally going to an "education" class. Nutritionally, I could use a little help. As someone who feels that cheese doodles are one of the four food groups (cheese=dairy=no problems) I am finally recognizing that education is the key to my success. I cannot do it alone. Those are scary words for someone who takes pride in independence. And so, off I go to be educated. This class WILL have tests. They are called Hemoglobin A1C. It is the test that all diabetics fear-the A1C. It busts you every time you let your guard down. It keeps you from being the queen of denial. It lets the world know "yes, she ate mallomars this month." Not a fan of resolutions, I think it's time to make a "goal" for myself. So, here it is, in writing. Don't hold me to it, but I'm giving it my best shot. To say I'm motivated is putting it mildly. I have alot of future to participate in!

Monday Trauma-I need to get over it

After many false starts, the new insulin pump arrived on Friday. The nurse showed up this morning ready to train me on all the little quirks of a new pump. One of them being the needle insertion set that comes with it. I'm not a happy camper. Suffice it to say that THIS new insertion set is twice the length (approx 2 inches) of the old insertion set. I am not a fan of needles. Even the diabetic needle, which everyone says is "small", is enough to send me over the edge. This thing is massive in my eyes. I was hyperventilating as I inserted it (into my belly-which has plenty of inches to pinch) but all went well. I have to change the sight every 72 hours, so I am good till Thursday. By Wednesday night, I'll be having PTSD. I have learned the first half of this pump-sensor program. Monday of next week, the nurse comes back with the sensor. As of right now, the pump and the blood sugar tester communicate, which means I don't have to spend any time entering that information into the pump-it just reads it electronically. Next week, the sensor will read it electronically and pump automatically. Quite cool really, if you can remove yourself from the personal facts of this is all CONNECTED to me, so electronically or not, I'm still participating on a needle level, which I haven't quite wrapped my head around. Call me a coward. It fits appropriately. We had quite a successful weekend at the theatre. "The Cocktail Hour" was well received by the community, and will be having its second weekend run this upcoming Friday. We're all happy that everything went off like a well-oiled machine. Quite a great accmplishment. I was happy to see my dear friend Maryellen and her husband Jimmy - they rode up from Windham on Sunday and stayed for the matinee. It is always such a kick to show someone around the theatre, because in truth, it is an amazing place. After the show, we went out with the cast and Director for dinner at a local italian restaurant. It was a busy and happy weekend. And today is a school holiday, so Allison is home catching up on her zzzzzz's. I'm off to the grocery while Jerry plows a few more inches of party cloudy. It's all good.

Just a Little Update

Well Gang I'm Back after not posting for a few days. Being Retired is a lot of work. Not sure how we got everything done before we retired.. Jen and I have given a lot of volunteer time down at the theatre and that takes up a lot of our time. I helped out with scenery and working on the very old oil burner in the last few weeks. Also starting to learn a little lighting and sound. Jen's been doing all of the stuff she does best which seems to be everything, Running the office , writing , singing and I'm sure 20 or 30 other tasks. Jen loves it and I believe she is the best thing that has happen to the Glove Theatre in 20 or more years. Tonight is the start of a play called, "Cocktail Hour" , it runs 3 times this weekend and again next weekend. The best part is that Jen nor I have any parts in the play, we just have to help out opening and closing along with all the chores needed in between. It's a lot of fun and it good to give back and help out. Weather has turned warmer here, expecting 40 here today and Saturday, the snow is melting fast. Ali and the dogs all doing well , Life is good, Having the times of our Lives. Lets all keep the people of Haiti in our Prayers. We miss all of our Friends and Family , Hope to see you soon. That's it for now, Til Next time Gang....Jerry

Cabin Fever and paint colors.

Sometime between 2 and 3 AM, something got in my eye. I am now suffering with a scratched cornea, and wondering if I got out the offending spec of dust, and I'm just sore, or its still in there doing more damage. Not sure yet. I was supposed to get my new insulin pump yesterday, and they never came. I called last night at 5:30 before we left for the theatre, and of course, it was postponed to TODAY. I really do love when they do that to you. It's bad enough that the delivery will be sometime between 8 AM and 7 PM, but could they at least GET THE DAY RIGHT? As you can tell, my mood is less than special this morning. We are coming up on a big show at the Glove, and of course the furnace is giving us some diva attitude. This sucks. I have no time and no patience for inoperable furnaces. Especially when the darn thing is almost 100 years old and being nursed along much in the same way I am-gently, but cautiously optimistic. I am feeling much like an old furnace this morning. Jerry has gone down to the theatre because me discussing the options of furnace repair with the oil burner guy is just too ludicrous for words-me who feels a car should be purchased because it still has a casette deck. My standards are pretty low when it comes to mechanics. In addition, my eye is really hurting, and I'm on the fence about going to the doctor to have him look at it and tell me what I already know. It hurts. The sunlight, which is intermittent at best, is hurting it too, which leads me to believe it is corneal related. The dogs are all settling into new sleep dynamics. Bailey has taken the couch. Right near the pellet stove. Smart dog. Jake is now sleeping on the floor by my side of the bed. His own bed is four feet away, and I'm not sure why he's not sleeping there, but he starts out by me. Daphne of course has her spot at the bottom of our bed, and guards it fiercely. I sometimes have to reacquaint her with the bottom of the bed, as she is passively moving up towards my pillow. Sorry dog. No way. I don't mind the bottom of the bed, I do mind sharing my pillow. I'm getting that cabin fever bug. I look around our house and am starting to feel up to the task of completing many of the renovations that we put on hold in the fall. I guess enough time has passed and I am interested in finishing up. Unfortunately the living room is waiting on window replacement and fireplace structure building, all of which must be put off until the warmer weather. Missing windows doesn't work when the outside temp is 5 degrees. And of course, these structural changes must happen before we can complete the interior enhancements. So fixing the living room is out. Our room is fabulous so no decorating there. . . Painting the hallway may be the next project. We've had swatches hanging on the wall for a few months now, and I think I may be ready to make a decision. I used to make decisions much more readily, before I had to run it by Jerry. There are alot of concessions one must make when taking on a partnership. One of them is that painting and redecorating cannot be started willy nilly without regard to your partner's tastes or desires. I feel this is a very worthwhile concession. Usually. Occasionally we butt heads and must have decorating negotiations that rival Custer and the Sioux Indians. Sometimes, there must be blood. I think that the hallway paint color is going to be an easy one that we both agree on. We have no wallpaper in the house, and I understand that is coming back into vogue. Neither one of us is a big fan of the guest room. It was done back when it was a vacation room. Now, it's a guest room for our visiting weekenders. I think it could be upgraded. I'm thinking Wallpaper. Now this could be a war. I'll keep you posted.

Miscellaneous musings. . .

Of course, I'm not the one moving it around on a daily basis, but I never tire of this white stuff that is falling from the sky. We had a little more of it today, the "glistening" kind. "glistening" snow is hard to describe, but you know it when you see it. It almost looks artificial, but it has to be really, really cold in order to glisten. So that is MY temperature update. Jerry will elaborate later, I'm sure. . . We've been spending alot of time at the theatre, more than usual actually. This upcoming weekend is the opening of the first play of our 2010 season-The Cocktail Hour. It is a play written by AR Gurney and is really quite funny. The set is absolutely beautiful, thanks to the hard working crew at the theatre (now consisting of my Guy-Jerry) He is an amazing asset to the theatre crew and really gets in there and gets it done. I will have pictures as the week progresses, but it is quite amazing. The Tech rehearsal was today and I was thoroughly impressed. Of course tickets are available and anyone seeking to come this far north for some serious entertainment at a great price should contact me. We'll get you good seats! We had a late lunch with the cast and crew at a local italian restaurant compliments of the Director. All in all, a really nice group of people who have worked so hard for this production. So when Friday night rolls around, keep us all in your thoughts. We need some good karma coming our way. . . We came home from this late lunch with two gallons of ice cream. Serious ice cream. There is alot of dairy farming here, and the ice cream is amazing. So amazing that eating it in January is totally understandable. Not normally something I would do, but. . . when in Rome. . . Chocolate chip for me, coffee for Jerry. I also forgot to mention that I am receiving my new insulin pump on Tuesday. It is a new model that calculates your blood sugar (from a sensor planted somewhere on your body) through the pump and then gives you the appropriate amount of insulin. It should take away alot of the guesswork, and the sensor actually STOPS the pump from delivering insulin if your blood sugar goes low-which is the real concern. I seem to have alot of lows during the night, which I am unaware of. (Jerry says alot of things happen during the night that I am unaware of. . . ha ha ha, he's a funny guy) These low blood sugars cause headaches, fries some brain cells, etc., so we are trying to get that under control. TMI? Sorry. It's just an amazing electronic that hopefully will take away some of the guess work for me. I'm sneaking in those sugar fixes (like chocolate chip ice cream) before the pump gets here and I'm busted. Of course, life busts you, so that is a silly little trick of mine, but hey, I'm human. So, that's our news. What's news with you? Keep in touch-we love to hear from you.