Typhoid...Debby?

I went to the doctor today because I've had a cold and I've been hacking up a lung. (is that too graphic?) Anyway, when I checked in, they actually made me wear a surgical mask. They said it was a new policy if someone had a cough or fever. I dutifully put on the stupid mask. I also noticed I was the ONLY person in the whole complex to actually put it on. Every other person had them in their hands so they could cough unencumbered. I felt like an idiot. Oh, well. At least they can't say I made anyone sick. I followed the rules.I think I get points for that somewhere. I'll survive this cold by the way...

Anyway...

Steve and Beth and the kids got home yesterday from their week stay in Oregon. We all spent a few days at the coast, and they spent some time with Beth's family in Scio (about 30 minutes away from us). We got a lot of shopping done. Well - they got a lot of shopping done. I spent most of my time avoiding the stores.

I spent a lot of time staring at my beautiful grandkids. They really are amazing. They are all such different little people! Each of them have a unique personality. Madeline is 13 now and turning into such a beauty. She already went to her first middle school dance. I'm not ready for this yet.

The big news in Oregon is our football "Civil" war between Oregon State and U of Oregon on Thursday. I've had kids at both schools, but I tend to favor U of Oregon. Rumor has it that the game will be shown on ESPN...woohoo Oregon is big time now. I'm fairly certain I will actually watch the game. I've gotten to the point where I recognize several of the players now. I didn't think I'd ever say that.

I wonder if any of the players will be wearing surgical masks?

Twilight-New Moon

Amy and Kerry along with a friend, hosted a movie night with a local theatre in Vancouver. They rented the entire facility for a preview showing of the new movie from the Twilight series. It was fun going to this place because they have 'living room' type seating as well as the fact they will come to you, take your food order - then bring it to you. What could be better?

The movie was good. I have to say I liked it. Of course when one of the main characters took off his shirt (and he has CLEARLY been working out!) the mostly female group went a little wild. Also the fact that this series has strong connections with the northwest is fun, too.

At one point the main characters break up. The guy decides (on his own) it's in every one's best interest for them to be apart. The fact that he is a vampire I'm sure has some bearing on that decision. The female has no recourse. He made the decision and she must live with it the best she can. She doesn't do well. The director did a good job of showing her emotional breakdown over a period of months. Her self-imposed isolation is her way of dealing with loss. She is suicidal and takes unusual risks, because she doesn't care what the outcome is. But then slowly she begins to come out of her shell and tries valiantly to make connections with friends and perhaps a new love-interest, but He is never far from her thoughts.

Of course at the end, he realizes what an idiot he has been and they get back together (not before she saves his butt) -this is still Hollywood and fiction after all. As with most series of this type you are left wanting more. I'm afraid I've been sucked in.

Angst, never-ending love, drama and a little comedy thrown in to keep it interesting. Yup...someone has the formula.

The Girls and the Boys...

Kerry pointed out last night that I rarely talk about her and Amy in my blog. I do of course, but I've never focused on them as subjects. Actually, I never have focused on any of my children. I was thinking about that on the a drive home from Vancouver last night where we went to see a movie after watching Ben's school play. He did a FABULOUS job by the way - he's very poised on stage. He had one of the largest speaking parts and had his lines down better than anyone else. Amy said he learned his lines all himself, without any help. He's a self-starter. That's good. Very good.

I've worked on short outlines in my head for each of my kids, rather like what I did about my brothers - but I've never been able to put them down on paper. They are way too complex to confine to a few pages. For the most part, my life with my brothers took place when I was a child and young mother. We moved away from California at that time and my times with them from that point have been infrequent and always as 'the visiting sibling', never in context as being a part of my normal day-to-day routine. The stories and memories are not complete of course, but they are still somewhat compartmentalized. (is that making sense? probably not...)

My kids stories change from day-to-day. What seems terribly important today may not even be a part of the story as a whole in a few months or years. Perhaps if I can look at them in smaller time increments I'll be better able to capsulize them. I'll have to consider that idea. As for today, they will have to be content with the knowledge that their mom loves them with all her heart. She is proud of the things they have overcome, and of their achievements. She tends to forget the times when their choices may not have been in line with the ones she would have chosen for them. She is constantly in wonder at what will happen next with them and wants only happiness for them. She is in a constant state of 'hope' for them. To this point, they have done pretty great. Life has a way of throwing curve balls at us. We'll just have to wait for the next chapters to unfold.

Always....

Fixed Enough...

OK, thanks to my son Kevin I've quit tearing out my hair. He sent me to a website that will do your conversions for free then they send them back to you. Good enough for now.

I had a flu-thing over the weekend so I'm not up to snuff yet, but I'll get back to my painting soon. Steve says the eyes are not right yet either on my painting of Ceddie, so I'll work on those. Sometimes you just have to step away from something to see the value in it. I was close to tossing the whole thing and throwing my paints out along with my computer. I don't deal with frustration well. The older I get the less tolerance I have. I suppose we should enjoy the crumbs along with the cookies.

I did a little Christmas shopping yesterday. I really hate Christmas shopping...have I ever mentioned that? I do it...but I hate it. I only have 16 more people to worry about. Maybe I should get a calendar out and allot each person a day here and there and focus on one at a time.

Nahhhhhhhhhh!

Technology Stinks

I'm still wrestling with my .mp3/.wav problem. I downloaded a couple different "free" programs. For the most part they work but with the words "trial program' spoken about every 10 seconds in my .mp3 file. That doesn't help the music flow. I will win this fight.

Anyone got any suggestions?

I had a reader this morning from the Netherlands. I wonder what prompted the search that brought up my blog. Very interesting. Technology is great...until you want it to do something you can't make it do.

Ah well...

Bliss at the Beach Boy

I'm frustrated with technology today. I used to have a program that would change .wav files into .mp3 files. I lost the program when my computer crashed several months ago. I can't for the life of me remember the name of the program or from what site I got it. Grrrrrrr.

I'm working on a painting of my grandson Ceddie. He was about 2 at the time. It was just before his family moved to Pittsburgh for Steve to go to school...a last Oregon coast get away. I just can't get his eyes right to save me. I'm going to put it away for a few days and then look at it again. I want to do paintings of each of my grandkids as soon as I can decide which age I want to paint them at. They are all adorable, so its a tough decision...

Here's my work in progress....

What do ya think? I need criticism...

Tornados? In Oregon?

Yes its true. We had another tornado in Oregon. This time it was on the Oregon coast, about a mile from my house. I had heard that there was one but I didn't really expect much damage. I decided it would be a good idea though to go check my house. So yesterday I drove out. There was no real damage to my house other than a little water in the basement and some flashing clocks (apparently the power went out). So I decided since I was there to do a little scouting around. I arrived at the photographed scenes above about the same time as news vans from the local major news stations. I think we were all a little surprised. Usually these reports are much-ado-about-nothing.

One house is almost completely distroyed. Another sustained major deck damage in that the second floor deck is now sitting in the driveway on its side. There were many broken windows and much debris had been tossed about. Wow. Can you say "global warming"?

Joe

My brother Jim - our family patriarch, called me earlier this week to tell me that my self-imposed ban on writing was not acceptable. He said he actually likes to read what I write. I'm not sure why because my thoughts are usually disjointed and my facts just a tad-bit off. Respecting my elders (oh I am SO going to pay for that one...) has always been important to me so I will comply.

When I was speaking to Jim, my nephew Joe popped in to visit his dad, so I spoke to him for a few moments. I whined a little about my big brother giving me grief about not writing and he mentioned that his dad had talked to them about my blog and encouraged them to read it. He artfully side-stepped the question about whether he actually had read it. Joe should run for public office. I mentioned one of the stories I ALWAYS tell about Joe when the family gets together. To me it was hilarious, poignant - has all the elements that a family story should. I know Joe wishes I would forget it.

Joe was one of those little kids who was always in his own world. I suspect that imaginary world involved a lot of big trucks, tractors, and perhaps a super-hero or two. We'll never know. He wasn't big on sharing his world with the casual acquaintance. One day I actually thought I was getting a glimpse into the caring person he would become.

He was perhaps 4 or 5 years old. He had been wandering around my parents large yard and playing. I was watching from the window and at one point saw that he had picked up what appeared from my vantage point, to be a rolly-poly bug. As I watched he gently cradled the bug in his hands and spoke to it tenderly. I couldn't hear the words but the body language was clear. He was speaking terms of endearment to the little creature. He smiled as he talked to her and with one finger gently petted her. He laughed as she walked up his arm. My heart was so full thinking of all the tenderness and care I was seeing. I was misting up at the sweetness and joy in his face. He continued to play with the bug for several more moments.

Then he dropped the bug on the concrete and smashed it with the toe of his shoe, grinding it well into the driveway.

Could you hear a needle scratching across a record right then? I sure could. He turned, still smiling and wandered off to play something else. For me as an observer, it was one of those 'huh???" moments.

Joe is grown now and a dad. He's a good dad and the care and love he shows his children is evident. He and his beautiful wife Leslie have three great kids; Nate, Evan and Elizabeth. Evan and Elizabeth have taken over the title my brother Dave and I have carried all our lives. Evan and Lizzie are now "The Twins".

I'm proud of Joe. He's a hard worker and a good dad. He didn't turn out to be a serial killer like I had worried after the 'bug incident'.

I'm just kidding about that last part of course.

Really.

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