Confessions of a Grandma

 It's been a while since I have posted anything and even my reading your posts is falling by the wayside. I am in Florida now. I have a yard where little attention was spent on landscaping for the past years so I am slowly and (somewhat) methodically addressing that. I also volunteer to work at the pollinator garden and the edible garden I helped install at the UU grounds and I took over the volunteer job of cleaning out the overgrown community garden by my neighborhood mailboxes. The neighbor who was doing that got sick and could no longer attend to it. It's a bigger job than I'd thought at first -- not only overgrown with weeds, but the plants that are wanted there are in life and death competition for each others' spaces. And two walks a day, morning and evening, so Levi can keep up with addiction to canine social media and a daily rousing came of stick or ball midday take up another chunk of my time. I have a weekly meditation group that I co-facilitate, and my own ...

 I have always been a walker. Now that I have a high energy dog there is no excuse for not getting out there. And the weather is not an interfering factor here. Early morning and early evening are our preferred times so even when it gets hot we should be okay. We can get quite a long walk going around the neighborhood, greeting neighbors out working in their yards or walking their own dogs. But the landscape changes quickly just beyond the confines of the housing developments. It could be described as natural Florida or as sites of future housing developments. I do prefer the first option. And I really enjoy being out in natural areas so I often opt to head to a nature setting. I would have liked to put a picture here. Unfortunately my iPhone has made a unilateral decision. It will no longer be sending my photos to my computer. Why? I have no idea. However, we may be walking along happily enough -- me listening to the birds or trying to identify wildflowers and other plants while L...

 We went shopping for a new couch. I liked this one, the first store we went to. Of course it would be an impulse to buy the first one so we trekked around to other stores -- something we liked more, a better deal? No surprise that we ended up going back to that first store the next day and purchasing that couch for our living room. Also a matching love seat for the den where we watch TV. Because I had replaced my old love seat with two recliners. We couldn't keep three households worth of furniture after all. Well, my recliner was not big enough to accommodate both Levi and me. Poor boy had to watch TV from his bed on the floor. There! This is much better! Spoiled much? The little tail on the floor belongs to his toy squirrel, Buddy. It's like having a toddler with the need to be picking up toys or risk tripping over them. But his very favorite play thing is that bathmat that can be found anywhere but the bathroom floor.

 I went for a walk on Sunday afternoon and noticed there was a pile of white paper bags in the driveway at the end of our street. I mentioned to Don that our neighbors were going to line their drive with luminaria. He'd never seen that done before -- thought it was something made up for the movies! It turns out, at dusk, the couple lined the whole street with the bags and put tealights in each one. They lit the candles after the sun set.  It was a beautiful sight: Even more beautiful with the backstory we learned. The family that lived in the house across from ours (moved to a new house just after we moved in) have a severely handicapped son. His dad lined the street with luminaria every Christmas Eve as a special gift. There are eight houses on the street and in thepast year five of them have changed hands (!) since last Christmas, but the tradition was honored still.

  No matter where your name falls on the list. Happy Christmas.

 The UU church I attend in Florida had a cookie decorating/carol singing gathering this past weekend. I made some sugar cookies on Saturday morning. I don't remember if I blogged about making cookies last Christmas. Don had asked me to make some Christmas cookies so I made the cookies I associate with the season -- rugelach and Scottish shortbread. Don was startled since he meant sugar cookies shaped liked Christmas decorations and decorated with icing and sprinkles. I no longer have cookie cutters so I just made roundish cookies and took them to the gathering to decorate. There were also sweater cookies to purchase that could be decorated -- ugly sweater contests ate not part of my traditions though. I'm on the upper left.  There were about a dozen of us decorating cookies. Don was quite pleased with sugar and Day-Glo icing. Quite a few more people came for the carol singing but I left before that started. It's one of those situations where the congregation pays me to just...

 I found Christmas decorations. I have downsized each year for a few years now. I have some candles in the windows and a few other touches around the house. I do have some Santas, but angels are a theme as well. A gift from my niece. A gift from my friend, Donna. I made paper cut trees a few years ago. I found this fungus on a forest walk and turned it into an angel. I bought this in a craft shop and choose to call it a Santa.  No fireplace so the old stereo will do.

  Our puppy turned one in October. He is such a sweet boy -- playful, super friendly, affectionate. My friends and family were all flabbergasted that I got a dog. It was Don's idea and he thought Absolutely Not would make a fine name but he named him Levi after his paternal grandfather. I've lived with dogs before, but they were never "my" dog. Levi is definitely my dog. People constantly stop me on the street to remark about my handsome companion. Sometimes he can be a little naughty, like when he steals the bathmat and plays keep-away. It's all part of the routine.

Monday morning fog did not deter the pickle ball players. Who knew that sandhill cranes were fans? But here they are watching from the sidelines.  

 Thanksgiving here in my house was very quiet. It was a beautiful day and Levi and I had a great long walk. I made myself a bowl of popcorn and watched an old movie -- Death of a Salesman with Dustin Hoffman and a young looking John Malkovich. I had made the traditional dinner ten days before because it's one of Don's favorites. He has been having a great deal of pain and had an infected tooth. His teeth have been a source of misery for him for a long time and he has been focused on getting implants. The Thursday before Thanksgiving he started the process and had all his teeth pulled. Now he wishes he hadn't done it and wants everyone to know to take care of the teeth they have right from the beginning. I rarely follow his way of thinking! He seems to have some kind of sequencing problem to my way of thinking. Anyway our TD dinner was mashed sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce. I did attend a very beautiful, peace-oriented, and hope-filled Thanksgiving service that was the w...

   “We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.”                                                                                                     -Thornton Wilder (1897-1975) May your hearts be filled with gratitude. May thankfulness shine a light on your table. And may your Thanksgiving illuminate the world. May you have kindness and peace  on this Thanksgiving Day.

 Slowly, slowly, we are getting settled in our new home in Florida. We are getting rid of some of the old furniture that I had down here and replacing with new. Don is still trying to find homes for all his stuff -- tools and collectibles and books galore so the boxes are not disappearing as quickly as I would like, but progress is being made. There is yard work to do and a few fix-ups to take care of and many new neighbors to meet. Large screened lanai. Shady corner lot. Somewhat out of control shrubs The front door. *** Levi is very happy. He runs around in the yard and I take him for walks at least twice a day. He has met many dog friends. Everyone seems to know Levi. As my grandson Dane once said, "If you want to be in a celebrity entourage, take Levi for a walk."

 On September 29, I had the closing on my condo. Everything that was not going to the buyers was out and packed in the ABF moving truck which had by the been taken over to the storage units. Don thought it would take him until Wednesday to finish packing the truck with the help of his son. It took him until late Thursday with Chris' help and mine. Kevin was supposed to help load as well but he was in a mountain bike accident and wrecked his shoulder the week before. That added driving him to doctor appointments to my to do list and dong some shopping for him plus jobs around the house that might need two functioning upper limbs.  We stayed with Kevin on Friday night after the closing and then had a suite in an extended stay place for the coming week. This was the worst possible time to have to get a room because the prices balloon during leaf peeping season if you can even find a room at all. But it was close to the storage units where we were working and it was dog friendly. ...

https://www.agdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/bg-honeybees_pollinator-003.jpg  I am just a busy bee these days.The ABF (load it yourself and they drive) arrived and we are loading it up over the weekend. Then it will go to Don's storage unit and be loaded some more. I had already packed quite a bit but there is still what we need to carry on a bit of normal life -- cooking, cleaning, laundry, bathing, dressing, all that kind of stuff. And the dog still insists on attention and exercise. Then Kevin was in a mountain biking accident and wrecked his right shoulder. I did a cooking marathon to take him homemade comfort foods. I took care of his shopping list and did some cleaning for him. He hurt his left arm as well so it's hard for him to do things around the house and he can't drive so I will be taking him doctor appointments on Monday and Tuesday. Don's son is helping with the heavy lifting. Don has doctor appointments on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. His kidney ...

 My brother holds a gathering at his home every year about this time. It was yesterday and it was a great time with family -- even a cousin who drove all the way from Rochester, NY -- but that's not what this post is about. My brother's place is at the edge of a National Forest area which includes Texas Falls. Dane said he had never been there before. Amy said she had never been there either although I am pretty certain we took her there when she was a kid. We left the party for a little while and made the half mile trip to see it. We viewed from above. There is a walking trail but we were making a brief visit.  Some inviting pools but seimming is not allowed. Dane (unguarded moment) We remarked about how late the fall leaves show seems to be this year. Usually there are way more signs that color will erupt in all kinds of fall glory, but it's still pretty green here.

  Saturday morning I woke up unable to settle into the idea of packing/cleaning. I decided to take a trip to "surprise" my daughter and grandkids. Levi and I packed up some travel supplies and headed out in the car. They live about 70 miles south of us, takes about 90 minutes. Everyone was still asleep when we got there! They are all night owls/second shift workers. Dane, of course, is a typical teen-ager with hormone disrupted circadian rhythm and a back-at-school social life to adjust to. Levi and I went for a walk. They were up and moving around when we got back. Their little town is already starting to decorate for Halloween! I am a total minimalist when it comes to holiday decorations so this seemed completely over the top to me. Levi either didn't notice or didn't have an opinion one way or the other. Dane and I went into Rutland to do some shopping for school supplies. We took a walk around the downtown area -- so changed in some ways since I lived there but un...

 I have just in the past week or so started seeing those first tinges of changing leaves. It seems late because I used to be aware of the beginning changes in early to mid August -- a sure sign of a new school year beginning. Maybe I am finally just not that tuned in to the school calendars anymore. Other fun is ahead, though.  My condo is under contract and if all goes well, we will be heading south the first of October. So let the fun begin of all the paperwork involved in selling. Let the fun begin of checking off items from my to-do list -- one added for everyone checked seems to be the trend right now. Let the fun of social events begin since my family and friends seem to believe I am planning to fall off the face of the earth. Or perhaps be blown out to sea in a hurricane.  Don't forget the great fun of packing and the knowledge that unpacking awaits. It's funny that friends in Florida say won't you be glad to only have a hurricane to worry about instead of those te...

Late last December, Don started experiencing severe pain in his leg (thigh) and in his lower back. When it happened that he tried to stand and ended up falling to the floor, barely missing hitting his head on the corner of a marble table top we made a trip to the Sarasota hospital emergency room. He was there for six hours, had an Xray on his back, never actually saw a doctor but was give five days worth of pain medications -- no explanation of what might be causing the pain. A few days later he went to the ER again but was told to go see his doctor and sent home. A doctor visit resulted in five more days of pain medication, no other follow-up. The leg pain is most likely nerve damage from his years of working construction. The lower back and side pain -- related to work history? Shameless bid for pain meds? When we returned to Vermont, Don went back to his regular doctor. I told him to ask about a kidney stone but he was told, "unlikely since the pain was intermittent." A se...

Levi is still a puppy at ten months old, but he is almost full grown at 40 pounds. Saturday night our next door neighbor had some company and one of the guys had this tiny bulldog puppy. I'll bet it didn't weigh more than five pounds, if that, and it was 7 weeks old. Don caught sight of it in the yard and had to go out to see and that meant Levi was going to follow. The two dogs sniffed at each other and started playing. They ran around chasing and jumping. Levi is very gentle. He let that little guy climb all over him. After about a half hour we took the dogs in to respective homes. An hour later this little one was at the back deck.   Can Levi come out and play some more? Don whined about getting a puppy for three years. Now Levi wants one of his own! This puppy thing is a slippery slope!

 My sister and I went to the pie social fundraiser for the Rokeby Museum .  A beautiful sunny Sunday when we left, a sudden deluge before we even got five miles from home. Nevertheless, we kept on going and the rain stopped shortly after we arrived. We had our pieces of pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream each and listened to some folk musicians who were able to set up.   We toured the museum and grounds. The home was owned by fervent abolitionists who were involved in the underground railway. There was history of the Robinson family and their activities, of the underground railroad through Vermont, and slavery in the United States. Funny . . . I did not see one thing about the fabulous work skills program that the Florida Education Board and the lovely Ron DeSantis are talking about. (Excuse me while I go spit out the bile that came up to my throat just then.) My sister belongs to the 251 Club -- a loosely organized but enduring group dedicated to making a visit t...