December 31, 2017. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. My Shoes.

Help can be found in the most unexpected places.  When I was walking to our room last evening, I could hear a clunking from one shoe.  The soles are rubber.  There should have been no clunk.  When I took off my shoe I realized that most of the sole had come unattached and the clunking sound was the heel hitting the floor.  I was irritated because I brought only one pair of shoes.  In one week, we will move to our condo where we have multiple shoes in the locker.  Ken also could not find a pair of sandals in Mississippi.  We laughed and suggested that we both might need to visit a shoe store even though both of us own enough shoes.

This morning, on the way home from breakfast at the Mall, we stopped by to have our picture taken for our membership cards.  The young lady was pleasant so I asked if she had glue and showed her my shoe. She assureds me that the maintenance man had a glue that would fix anything so she called him for help.  We were to sit and wait for five minutes.  The Mexican minute was worth it.  The young man took my shoes, removed the old glue and installed a new bunch of glue.  Now my shoes are perfect.  And Ken has decided he will wear his  shoes all week, for he never gets in the water.  Some days you just get lucky.

December 30, 2017. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. The Journey.

We were just about to b hoard our flight from Dallas to Puerto Vallarta and were already at the front of the line to pre board when the lady said we were in for an hour delay due to mechanical problems.  The brakes needed to be replaced.  So we sat down.  Our lay over in Dallas was to be just over 2 hours which was perfect to get us from one gate to another.  I had been delighted and surprised when  we had been on time with every step occurred at just the right time.

Instead  of an hour,  we were delayed for three hours.  Not a soul complained which I thought was amazing.  No whines from either children or adults but for us, 5 hours sitting at the gate was difficult. When we were told we would wait another two hours, I went to buy food, which turned out to be chicken tenders and French fries at McDonalds.  Ken and I did well with the wait and during the flight.  Our service was excellent and the food was good and we arrived in good health and spirits.

But our brains were not functioning well.  Ken was unable to pull up my wee web log but we got here which is the most important part.  And I organized our place.  We are staying for a week at the Hotel/Time Share where we are in easy read h of many restaurants.  We will enjoy ourselves.

December 29, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. White Pelicans.

Ken identified them first.  In fact he spotted them early this morning and came to tell me about the large flock of white birds in the center of the reservoir.  They were wheeling around in the air and landing on the water.  Another huge flock of ducks were with them, harassing them for their food.  When I first saw them I thought they were snow geese but when they came closer to the shore, Ken could tell they were white pelicans.  I was excited.

In Mexico on the west coast we have many many brown pelicans and some white ones too.  But I had never seen a white pelicans even though I have looked long and hard.  My friend Pat, a birder from Toronto, spotted some in Puerto Vallarta at the same time as I was there, but I missed them.  Now I have seen a huge flock.  There must have been several hundred along with many ducks.  I never was able to identify the ducks.  I needed my friend Alice Anne or Pat to figure them out.

White pelicans are bigger than brown, and they do not dive for their food.  They eat off the top of the water.  The browns dive from a high height which is exciting to watch.  The white pelicans are beautiful and are wonderful flyers.  I wonder why they came here?  We have never seen them here before.   But now I can rest easy because I have now seen a white pelican, right from my own living room.  Amazing.

December 28, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. The Shopping Trip.

Kate tried on 50 garments.  Mary Frances tried on 6.  Molly eagerly kept bringing Kate clothes to try on, while Christina and I sat and evaluated.  We all had a great day.  For their Christmas gift, Ken and I gave Kate and Mary Frances a shopping expedition.  Last year we did the same thing and it was a big hit.  We also learned that the Thursday after Christmas is a wonderful day to shop because everyplace was having sales.  Of course, this year we went shopping the Thursday after Christmas and yes, we did very well with the prices.

Last year Molly stayed with Linda but this year Linda is still recovering from a cold so Molly came with us.   She turned out to be a big help.  But before we left home, I told Molly that she could select one object to buy as she already had received her Christmas gift.   But she was much more interested in selecting clothes for Kate than in choosing for herself.  In fact, after we visited three stores and the girls were finished their shopping, Molly still had not selected anything to take home.  But she decided she wanted a fleece and fuzzy jacket just like the one Kate bought and was wearing.  So back we went and finally bought a garment for Molly.   I was so cheap I reminded the clerk that their policy was that if you bought a second of the same garment, the next one was 40% less than the sales price.  And she did.

When all the clothes were put in the car, we went for lunch, a new restaurant called 356.  Delicious.  Kate returned home with 8 garments and Mary Frances 6.  The next activity was to be a fashion show.    Great fun shopping with your grandchildren.  And they loved it too.

December 27, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Brodie.

Brodie was a classmate of Ken's at U. of Toronto.  He and Ken could not have been more unlike both in their background and personalities.  But they were good friends.  He and his family were friends of mine too.  Brodie lived in residence downtown but his parents lived just north of 401 and he used his family home as a place to have parties.  His parents had emigrated to Canada from England before their 3 children were born and they lived in the same large home from the beginning.  Brodie was the youngest child.  Brodies father was a neurologist/psychiatrist.  And he was  eccentric, as was Brodie.  Getting to know that family was an eye opener as to how the other world lived.

Brodie was hosting a dinner party at his parents house.  I offered to go early to help.  I had been to their home many times so I knew his mother.  When I arrived, I asked to set the table.  I had no idea who had set up the tables but when I arrived all three tables were in place, along with white linen cloths.  The party was a seated party for 36.  Three tables were to be used, one in the enclosed glass porch, one in the living room and the dining room table.   Mrs. E. opened a buffet and lifted out a set of sterling silver, which I used.  I asked if we should use the stainless kitchen cutlery for the rest, but she quickly removed a second set of silver, which I used.  Then there was another.   I noticed yet another set in the buffet, that we did not need to use.  I had never seen so much sterling silver in one house in my life.  And we used the crystal and the good china.  Brodie had hired someone to come after the party so no cleanup was required.  All those years ago, when I was in my early 20's, I learned how to really throw a big party with all the fine objects.

Brodies parents lived 2 blocks north of highway 401.  The highway needed to be expanded so the government was busily buying the properties, including Brodies parents home.  But the father would not sell, even though the price for the sale kept going up.  Finally, every other house between them and the 401 had been bulldozed, yet they still stayed.  Then the construction began and it became difficult to access the house.  And there were no street lights.  Brodies parents were not young.  Finally, the 3 children sat down with the father and convinced him to take the offer.  But the father was not pleased.  We did have one final party at the house but parking was difficult due to all the mud.  Watching the whole story which took over 2 years was interesting.  I was always grateful for knowing Brodie and his family.

December 26, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Christmas Trees.

We bought our Christmas tree when the trees first arrived in the lots.  Ken put it outside in a bucket of water to keep it fresh, until we were ready to set it up, which was right after Thanksgiving.   We had our first real tree the last year we were in Galveston, which was Christmas 1969.  My friend Martha made us decorations and then right after Christmas, I bought decorations on sale at a very nice store in town, decorations I have used ever since.

In the early years of buying a tree we would all go together to select the perfect tree, but Ken is so exacting with his choice that the boys and I refused to accompany Ken when buying the tree so he happily went alone.  Over the years, he realized that the tree farms trim their trees so every tree is perfect.  Ken learned to bring home a tree still wrapped in mesh because it was so easy to carry.  Ken got smart over time.

Ken took responsibility to set up the tree and put on the lights.  My task was to put on the decorations.  And Ken lit up the outside of our house.  There has never been enough exterior lights for Ken.  Our houses glowed at Christmas.   I have chatted with many women about Christmas customs and tasks and everyone has told me that the lady of the house puts lights on the tree.  Both Suzanne and Christina put the lights on the tree, but not me.

Removing the decorations is always the task of the mother.  Very often, when we were away after Christmas, I would ask Elvia, our housekeeper, to remove the decorations and she did.  After many years, I discovered that she did not enjoy the task so I stopped asking her.   Putting decorations out is much more exciting than removing them.

Today, I removed all our Christmas decorations from the house.  It took me thirty minutes.  Pretty nice.

December 25, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Gratitude.

The concept of being grateful requires constant reminders.  Even me, who is by nature optimistic will catch myself with wishing something that is impossible.  But I quickly return to being grateful for what we are doing.  We have spent many many Christmas Days, and every one has been wonderful.  The good thing is I can recall so many of those days which gives me great pleasure.   Our days are quieter now but no less pleasant.

Since Andrew died, Christina and the girls have come to our home mid afternoon  on Christmas Day to open gifts.  Then we go to our neighborhood Chinese restaurant for our Christmas dinner.  Christina orders the food ahead of time so we just arrive and the food flows to our table.  The friendly lady owner is always thrilled to see us each year.  And neither Christina nor I have any cooking and cleanup.  I just read another story about Chinese food and Christmas and the Jews, which has been happening for a long time.   As my heritage showed almost 2 % Jewish, I qualify to eat Chinese food on Christmas Day.  In past years,  I did not know about my heritage so we just ate Chinese food for fun but now we are merely following the old Jewish custom.  How times change.

Gratitude is a state of mind.  I am fortunate to have many things to be grateful for, from family and friends to homes and travel.  Now I am grateful for having had yet another Merry Christmas.

December 24, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Traditions.

Christina's mother Linda, takes all her family and us for a Japanese dinner on Christmas Eve.  It is a wonderful tradition.  Son Peter and family are in town from Boston for Christmas and son Nelson and family live here in Jackson, so all the children and grandchildren and us as extended family gather for a feast.  The event is festive and exciting.   The church service is held at 4:00.  Everyone attends together, then we meet at the restaurant at 6:00.   Christina picks us up to take us to the restaurant. Nelson preorders the food so the minute we arrive, the food starts coming.  No decisions.  We can just talk and eat.

The truth is that Linda does not really like Japanese food but she knows that for her children and grandchildren, it is their favorite food, so she goes along with their desires.  Unfortunately, tonight Linda was not feeling well so she missed the event, as did daughter in law Bethany.  But the rest of us had a swell time.   Kate, Mary Frances and Sophie sat at the end of the table interspersed with the adults while the three young children sat at the other end.  It made for some interesting conversations.    I feel fortunate to be invited to the Creath family Christmas Eve feast.  Great food and good company makes for a lovely evening.   And a wonderful tradition.

December 23, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Harold Arlen.

"Over The Rainbow,"  "Stormy Weather,"  "One For My Baby," "My Shining Hour,":  I know them all and so does everyone.  But I did not know they were all written by Harold Arlen.  But now I know because I am reading a biography of him written by Walter Rimler who also wrote a biography of George Gershwin, which I read.  I enjoy reading biographies for many reasons.  I like to learn how people became successful.  And I am basically nosy, so I enjoy see how people lead their lives.

Many years ago in Vancouver,  we would often go walking after dinner.  Twilight had descended so the interior lights in the houses were on but the shades were yet not pulled.  My Mother was irritated when folks pulled their drapes because if they did, she could not look into their living room.  We called her "Nosy Rosie".   She just laughed.  Ken has commented many times that one reason I was a successful real estate agent was because I was basically nosy.  I enjoyed getting to know everything about the buyers and sellers when I worked to help them buy or sell a house.  And I enjoyed seeing the homes.  After all, for the period of time my clients worked with me, I knew more about them than their siblings.   And I think that is the reason I enjoy biographies.  Basically, I am nosy and I am certainly enjoying the Harold Arlen book.

December 22, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Christmas Preparations.

The key to enjoying Christmas is to plan ahead.   In years past, I would have all shopping completed well ahead of December.  I enjoyed shopping for gifts for family and friends but I hated the crowds.   That left me with time to attend social events without the anxiety of a long list of items needing attention.  What is funny now with my life is that I still get everything done long ahead of time, but now we have few social events to attend.  What I do is find new concerts for Christmas on TV.  In other words, I am looking for things to do rather than as in the past of feeling somewhat in a panic to get at the end of my to do list.  I laugh at myself.

We will have a lovely Christmas in Mississippi.  Tomorrow I will take a small gift of nuts to my neighbors.   Christmas Eve we have been invited by Linda Creath to dinner at a Japanese restaurant.  The whole family of the Creath will be there along with Ken and me.  Christmas day Ken and I will open our gifts at home by ourselves.  Then Christina and the girls will arrive to open their gifts before we eat our Christmas feast in the Chinese restaurant just down the road.  We are following the example of the Jews.  So Ken and I will enjoy our non frantic Christmas.  And we will be happy for all our happy memories.

December 21, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Things to Amuse.

Ken does not like to have a toilet paper roll on his left side so he has purchased those nifty items that hold extra rolls while the roll itself is stuck out an arm at the top.  I like them too.   He has purchased them in every bathroom where the toilet paper roll is on the wall on the left side.   For this house, this year he ordered two, one for the bathroom in his office and one in our master bathroom.   But I find the roll attached to the wall on the left side easier for me so I always use the old fashioned roll.

We go through a lot of toilet paper and I have always thought that Ken used it up.  But right in front of my eyes was an investigation into who uses the most toilet paper.    Once I realized that Ken always uses the fancy new fixture and I the roll on the wall, I kept track of who used what.  A new roll went onto both fixtures.  I watched to see what was happening.  Of course, Ken had no idea of my experiment and never will.  But to my great surprise, my roll needed replacement much sooner than Ken's.  In fact, I use toilet paper at twice the rate of Ken.  What a surprise.  The moral of the story is that it does not take much to keep me amused.

December 20, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. The Appointments.

Everything was in order when we checked in at the Imaging Department at 3:30.  Kate drove us and we were early.  The receptionist had difficulty finding our names in the computer which surprised me but I was patient, fortunately.   After she asked us our birthdates, she finally found us, only to tell us that our appointment was for 9:00 this morning.  I assured her that we were told 3:30 but when I looked at my pocket calendar, the 9:00 time was bold as day.  Whoops.

But we got lucky.  We were both able to have our procedure immediately and at the same time while in the morning we were to be seen 30 minutes apart.  Evidently they had several cancellations this afternoon so Ken had his echo cardiogram and I the sonogram of my carotid arteries done very quickly.  We ended up getting home 65 minutes after we left.  

I must admit that I never did admit to the receptionist about my mistake.  When we got home I checked my big calendar and sure enough, 9:00 was the correct time.  Both Kate and I got fooled.  And I have yet another reason to be humble.

December 19, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. The Scans.

This morning, Kate drove me to my appointment with the Oncologist.  She was more anxious to hear the results than me so while we were waiting,  we speculated about the results.   The scans were taken yesterday so we knew the doctor would have a copy of the results, which we suggested could show more cancer spots in my bones,  smaller spots that were there 6 weeks ago, or no change at all.   And we wanted to see the results of the blood work, taken this morning.

Well, we got lucky.  No additional cancer spots on the scan.  And smaller spots than 2 weeks ago scan.  The Ibrance is again working.    My blood counts are not normal but are not terrible.  So I am good to go.  When in Mexico, I must check my blood counts once a month and report back to her.  And that is all.  We have an appointment for new scans the day after we return.   I already have 3 months of Ibrance to take with me.  Kate was thrilled to hear the results and so was I.

These scans are invaluable but I would wish to never have another.   I thought when we returned from Texas that I would be able to talk the good doctor into a once a year scans but the cancer had returned so that was not an option.  I had seen 6 clear scans.  Now I am back to the same drill, which I would just as soon not do.   But I put up with them because so much information is gleaned from the scans.  Now we go to Mexico with no scans.  I will enjoy.

December 18, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Buckley Birthdays.

You must admit it is unusual to have four birthdays in a family of 5.   One could ask,"What happened to Norm?"   First comes father Dave on the 18th, followed by daughter Wendy on the 19th, then mother Irene on the 20th and finally son Kenny on the 22nd.  All in December.    Now they always celebrate the birthdays together, which has become a lovely tradition.  Last year for Dave's 85th birthday everyone came from far and wide to celebrate together.  This year, Ken stayed in Vancouver.  Yesterday,  the family joined together for dinner at the home of Dave and Irene which has been their custom.   Pretty nifty for the family to gather together just a week before Christmas.  And a great idea to celebrate the four birthdays on the one day.  So efficient.

Many years ago, Ken and I arrived at the Buckley home for Christmas to discover that Irene had just given birth to Kenny.  Hospital visitation was over but Ken, the medical student, had a stethoscope and a white lab coat so Dave and Ken went to the hospital to see Irene and the baby.  No one at the hospital said a word to them even though it was late.   We at home soon got a blow by blow description of the beautiful baby Kenny.  Irene was somewhat surprised when they arrived.  My parents were at the home as well so it was an exciting time.  We are all still celebrating,  except we are in Mississippi and Vancouver and Montreal and Bankok.    

Hats off to the Buckley Family for starting this most unusual celebration.   Some year soon we will join them.

December 17, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. North American Rivers.

North America has been blessed with it's rivers.  From my high school geography classes to my travels in Canada and the US, I have marveled at the rivers.  One of my goals has been to travel the great rivers.  It is on my bucket list.   So far, we have only travelled down the St. Lawrence River, but only from Montreal.  That was 1963.  Not much progress has been made.

When we were both retired, Ken, knowing of my interest, looked up modes of travel on the great rivers.  It turned out to be impossible.  No-one was running cruises in North America.  But not any more.  The American Cruise Line gives trips on the Ohio, the Mississippi and the Snake.  We have booked ourselves down the whole Mississippi River from St.Paul to New Orleans.  We have started to be serious with my quest.

The other night when I was downstairs doing my exercises with the weights, I found a TV show about the Hudson River.  I always watch TV to distract me.  Did you know that BYU has their own channel?  Surprise to me but here it was, a program called "On the Edge of the World".   Starting in New York, they went right up, giving interesting history and facts about the Hudson river.  I loved it.  Once upon a time, Ken and I took the train from DC to Halifax.  The most interesting section was the part from New York to Montreal, where the train runs beside the river.  The journey was spectacular.  Clearly, the railroad company got the best real estate.  The American Cruise Line runs a short cruise up the river from New York but it is short, a total of 5 days up and back.  I guess if we want to for further we must hire a boat with a driver.  Perhaps we could get on the Erie Canal and get to the Great Lakes.  Now that would be a trip.  I think I am dreaming but I did love the show.  The Hudson River is again clean.  Progress.  I want to go!!

December 16, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. The Orange Drink.

Yesterday I spilled a whole glass of my orange drink, the one I drink every day to keep me regular.  Even since I have been required to take chemo therapy, I must consume the orange drink every day.  Up until now, I have never spilled it but yesterday I really did a job.  Orange drink was all over the table, the floor and the quilt on the floor in front of Ken's chair.   Everything on the table got wet too. The glass was big and full and after it spilled, the glass was empty so the orange drink was everywhere.  Kept me humble at least for while.

Since we have returned to Mississippi, I have started to use a tall plastic glass for my orange drink.  The base of the glass is heavy but the bottom is smaller than the top and I have thought several times that I could easily tip it over.  And I did.  In the past and in Nova Scotia I use a disposable cup and from now on I will put the big heavy glass back in the cupboard and use a red disposable cup.  I have should known that Murphy's Law would kick in.   I knew I was living dangerously.  But no more.  It took me thirty minutes to clean up the mess, which included washing the quilt and drying everything on the table.    Grrr.  

December 15, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Christmas Music.

You may have seen the video of the fight over the baby Jesus at a church pageant.  The preschool class was singing Away In The Manger, while 6 of the children were sitting pretending to be the shepherd, wise men and Mary and Joseph, with of course, a doll in the manger.  One of the shepherd, who was 2, decided to pick up the baby Jesus and dance with the doll.  Mary would have none of that.  She was 3, so she got up and pulled the doll back and put it in the manger.  But again the 2 year old picked up the doll again and danced around.  Then there was a scuffle for control of the baby Jesus, until finally, one mother came and retrieved the 2 year old.  All the while, the rest of the class continued through all the verses, singing away as if nothing was happening.   It was charming. And very funny.

The music on TV has started.  The Mormon choir presented their concert on TV tonight from Salt Lake City.  Wonderful choir and interesting concert with a guest tenor who was Spanish.  He had a big voice and also narrated The Little Match Girl.  I am sure the concert will be repeated on PBS.  For musicians, Christmas is a busy time.  The choir members sang with no music so they had memorized all the words and their parts.  Ken was impressed with their memories.

Tomorrow evening at 7:00 the choir of Mississippi College will present their Festival of Lights, held in the chapel on campus.  That is the school that Kate attends so perhaps she will be at the concert.  I heard their concert of last year and it was excellent so I am looking forward to the program tomorrow.  The choir is small, about 30 but they sing with great beauty and style.

Every day I check to see what music is coming on TV.    I do love Christmas music.

December 14, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Appointments.

Every time we see a doctor we are forced to make another appointment in the next week.  It must be a rule.  Ken had another procedure with the skin surgeon to have two more cancers removed from his legs.  The stitches were removed on his forehead too.  He will have one big scar and one small scar, which Ken says is no problem.   Now we must come back in two weeks to have the stitches removed in the legs.   He is again holding ice packs on the two wound for 10 minutes of every waking hour.  And he must keep his legs up and elevated.

This afternoon we both had appointments with the Cardiologist, Dr. Cotton.  We like him.  But now we must have another appointment before leaving for Mexico to have two tests: an echo cardio gram for Ken and an ultrasound of the right carotid artery for me.  So our days will be filled with more appointments.

Fortunately, Kate is home from University so we have hired her to drive us.   Having grandchildren is always a blessing, but having a granddaughter who is willing to drive us is a true blessing.  And we get to visit with her too.  Kate picked us up this morning at 6:30 in order for Ken to make his 7:00 appointment.  She waited with us and drove us home.  This afternoon, she came back at 1:45 to get us to our appointment at 2:30.   On the way home we stopped for prescriptions.  Next week I have appointments on 4 different days and Kate will drive me each time.  With the surgery on both legs, Ken would have difficulty driving me but Kate is saving the day.  Ken and I are fortunate to have Kate so willing to help.   I feel pampered and I like it.

December 13, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. My Breakfast Chair.

The window to the lake is beside me.  My chair is in the corner.  All morning, the sun shines on the side of my chair.  Depending on the time of the day, the sun warms my left arm and gives my magazines bright light which makes reading easy.   As the morning advances, the sun leaves my magazines but still keeps me warm.   Having breakfast in that chair is one or the quiet pleasures of my day.

Fortunately, I discovered early in my life  that small pleasures give great pleasure.  As I am old, the small pleasures are especially important.   Starting my day having breakfast in the sun is a wonderful way to start the day.  Sometimes I read in that chair all morning and only leave to get another cup of tea.

Another small pleasures today was an unexpected call from my friend Wendy.  She just called to say hello.   And I enjoy opening Christmas cards.  Ken and I spend most of our time at home but we have enough simple pleasure that we are kept happy with ourselves and each other.  But my days begin eating breakfast in my corner chair enjoying the sun and the light.   It is one of the pleasures of my day.

December 12, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Lost Friends.

I wonder what she looks like now?  I would love to talk with her.  Mary was the adopted child of Salvation Army officers, Major and Mrs. Martin.   They were stationed in two of the cities where we lived, Calgary and Vancouver and we saw a lot of Mary.  When we moved to Toronto, Mary visited us several times, always staying with us.  My sister Carol, Mary and I were good buddies.  And then we lost her.

Mary's parents were older when they adopted Mary.  They did not fit the mould of a Salvation Army officer.  They were quiet and gentle.  They loved Mary and she loved them back.  Major and Mrs. Martin were appointed to Vancouver to be a visiting evangelist in BC, which I always thought was interesting because neither was a good speaker.   They would spend a week at a corps and hold meetings.  One of the things he did was paint.  It was odd.  While he painted, Mary sang and played the piano.  In between verses, he would speak while he painted.  Mary never complained and seemed happy to help her parents.  I would have hated it.  Because her parents were often away, Mary stayed with us and had a lot of fun.

Mary was the same age as Carol and when she turned 16, she was given a mini minor auto.  We three had a wonderful time in that little car.  I have no idea how her parents could afford that car but they did.  Mary was multi talented.  She sang beautifully and she played the piano well.   She did well at school and became a nurse.  We were not aware, but she visited us so she could see her boyfriend Don, who was also the son of SA officers.  I went to school with Don in Toronto and he never seemed appealing to me but Mary married him after he finished medical school.  They moved to St. Catherines and he became an authority in athletic medicine. and opened his practice.  For a few years, we exchanged Christmas cards and then everything stopped.  Don and Mary had several children,  but at a young age, despite being thin and fit, Don died of a heart attack.  My sister tried hard to keep in touch with Mary but she did not seem interested.  Her Salvation Army was behind her.  But we had such fun together over the years that I do not really understand.   Mary is another long lost friend and I miss her.

December 11, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Oxford.

Diane and Gary have made good use of their time in Mississippi.  Every morning we chat over coffee, their second cup and our first.  We rise late while they are still waking up on Maryland time.  Then they are off to explore.  Today they drove to Oxford, Mississippi, the home of The University of Mississippi and Willian Faulkner.  The town itself is charming with a stately center square.  On one corner sits one of the 10 best bookstores in the US,  called Square Books, certainly worth a visit in it's own right.   They drove around the campus and ate a delicious lunch at one of several 4 star restaurants in town.

Oxford is about a two hour drive from Jackson so it was a long day.  Gary missed his nap.  But they arrived home just in time before dark so we had time to chat before our dinner made by Lourdes, our Cuban cook.   They leave tomorrow morning so they will need to return to Mississippi in order to see Natchez and the Mississippi shore.  But they covered a lot of ground.  A short visit to the Mississippi Craft Center yesterday made them appreciate Mississippi artisans.  The quality of the work is amazing.  Now we hope they will return another year.  We enjoyed their company and of course, Diana is a huge help at home.   Gary changed a light bulb too, which we appreciated.  They might even visit us in Nova Scotia next summer.  And they both like our home here in Mississippi.  They approve of our lifestyle here.  Their visit was enjoyed by all.

December 10, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. A Full Day.

What a day.  For breakfast, Diane cooked canadian bacon and scrambled eggs.  Actually, it was mid morning before we got mobile and ate.   Immediately, Gary, Diana and I went to the pharmacy to pick up Ken's prescriptions.  Then it was off for lunch in the country at the wonderful Sutherland home.  Eleanor graciously invited us so Diana and Gary could see their home.  Greta Barbour and John  were there too along with Christina and the girls so we sat down to a beatifically decorated table as a party of 14 with the children at one end and the adults at the other.   Christmas decorations were everywhere and the home looked beautiful.

Eleanor is an excellent cook.  We ate chicken and artichokes and salad with chocolate mousse for dessert.  What a meal.   Before lunch we drank spiced tea and egg nog in the living room.  After lunch we enjoyed the fire in the living room while  continuing our conversation.  Our visit was delightful.  Good food and good conversation is a fine combination.  Ken again missed the event.

Our neighbors on Roses Bluff had invited us for a glass of wine for 5:00 tonight.   They had enjoyed chatting with Gary and Diana at the party last evening so they asked us to come and see their home and visit.  Sandy and Archie are good neighbors but we overlap here briefly throughout the year.  Our visit was short but sweet.  We left with a wonderful chocolate dessert, made by Sandy, which was our Christmas gift for the season.

We four finally sat down for dinner at 8:00.  The day was full and we were all happy.

December 9, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. The Best Laid Plans.

Poor Ken.  Last evening at dinner we discovered that he was bleeding from the wound from the surgery on Thursday morning.  We all read the instructions sent home, telling what to do when bleeding starts,  and at first the bleeding seemed to stop so he went to bed.  But the bleeding got worse through the night.  By morning he was in a mess.  Diana removed the bandages to find where the blood was coming from, and cleaned up the dried blood which was everywhere.  And I called the doctor.

We followed his instructions but the bleeding did not stop so the good doctor met us in his clinic at 10:00.   The problem was that I can not drive and Ken can not see through the blood coming down his face.  Diana and Gary helped.  Their plan was to see the Delta and the BB King Museum so they drove us to the office.  While driving there, I contacted Kate, who then kindly picked us up to bring us home.  The timing was perfect.  Ken was coming out just as Kate was driving up.

The final instructions from the doctor was for Ken to stay quietly for two days, using ice compresses for ten minutes of every waking hour.  Ken informed the doctor that we were hosting a party that night.  "I do not think so," said the doctor.   Ken of course, thought that he would be fine for a short time but when we left for the party, Ken was taking a nap, so we quietly slipped out of the house.  When we returned at 9:30, he was still in bed.  His plan was to come to our party but life turned a corner and he stayed home.   We missed him, but what can you do.   The best laid plans...

December 8, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Dinner.

Tonight we ate dinner in our home with Gary and Diana, along with Christina, Kate, Mary Frances and Molly.  We were a jolly group of eight.  In truth, Ken was not able to finish dinner with us because the bleeding from his surgery started bleeding so he was forced to elevate his head and keep ice packs over the wound.  Kate, the nurse in training tended to him.  After all she is the most experienced nurse at the table.  Ken commented to me that Kate has different hands than she did a few years ago when she was helping do something else.  Ken said that she already has the hands of a nurse, which is interesting.

When I invited Christina for dinner, she asked me what she could bring.   I said nothing.  "For dinner we are eating ham and whatever else Diana decides to eat," said I.  Diana is an excellent cook and a generous soul so I knew she would not mind helping.  Diana and Gary also shopped for the vegetables and salad.  For dinner we ate cheesy potatoes, broccoli and a salad all made by Diana.  The dinner was delicious just as I knew it would be.  Kate remembered having dinner with the Dittos at their country home in Artemas.  She even recalled what we all ate.  What Kate most remembered was that Diana was a wonderful look, which she is.

Mary Frances has her biography on her mind.  To help, Gary regaled us  with stories from work dealing with me.    I have no idea whether or not MF can use any of the stories but they made us all laugh.   This was a special dinner with special people.   Everyone enjoyed themselves except poor Ken who was in bed trying to get the bleeding to stop.   Nothing is easy.

December 7, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. The Weather.

Snow is falling in San Antonio, enough to build up of snow on the cars.  Perhaps tomorrow they will be able to build a Texas snowman.  Ottawa has had no snow yet this year, and San Antonio has already had it's first snow.  Of course, by Sunday it will be 70 so the snow will be gone.  Suzanne sent pictures of their yard with the snow covering the deck and the bushes.  I wonder what the cold weather will do to David's garden?

Here in Mississippi, the outside temperature at our home is 41 degrees with a low coming of 26.  And we also are supposed to get snow slush mixture over night.  This weather is crazy.  My friends in Maryland tell me that it is snowing as we speak.  Winter is coming early this year.

Tonight, on the weather channel, the temperature was warmer in Liverpool, NS than in San Antonio.  Gary and Diana arrived safe and sound this evening.  And the GPS got them to our home.  Clever lady.   We have been talking since their arrival.  Happy times.  But crazy weather.

December 6, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. 80 Years Old.

No Big 0 Party this year as we held when I was 70,  but I celebrated anyway.  I have had a wonderful birthday.  From flowers delivered to the door to boxes of goodies arriving on my doorstep, I have been lavished with love and affection.  Christina came with the girls after school to bring me my favorite cake, the cranberry cake she has baked for us  from the first year she moved to Washington.  And the e mails and text messages have warmed my heart, along with the phone calls.  I have enjoyed myself every minute of my birthday.

For lunch we dined at a new Japanese restaurant, called the Edo.  A few weeks ago, I had spotted it on Ridgewood Road,  right at the end of a small strip mall, and requested to Ken that the next time we were going out for lunch to try that new place.  Of course, we could not remember exactly where we had been driving, but Ken found it.   The food is excellent.  The Mississippi family also enjoys Japanese food so we will return with them soon.  And this evening we watched part of a hockey game while eating our light supper. The Caps beat the Blackhawks, which always pleases me.  While switching channels, we also saw some Aerial Ireland, a reminder of our visits there.  Beautiful scenery.

For my birthday in 2014, no doctor was suggesting I would likely celebrate my 80Th birthday, so my birthday today is especially sweet.  Here I am, definitely not fading away.  And I am still walking and talking.  Pretty nifty.

December 5, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Company.

Company is coming.   We are excited.  They land at 5:45 pm on Thursday and will rent a car and drive to our house.  Getting from the airport to our house is a bit complicated so I suggested they use the GPS.  I could not begin to give directions.  Last Christmas, I received their card, saying that the writer of the card was definitely going to see us in 2017.  But they did not come to Nova Scotia and they did not come to Texas so as the year began to be over, I wondered if I would read the same note on their card.  No.  They will arrive on Thursday for a long weekend, staying in our home.

They selected this time period so they can attend my birthday party on Saturday night.  Every year around this time, we have a party.  We invite our Mississippi friends and their children.  The party is always right around my birthday but I never say a word about it.  But this year, the party is to start the Christmas season, and for my 80Th birthday.  And Gary and Diana will be there.  We are holding the party at the Yacht Club, just down the road.   Everything is set.  Company is coming and the party is coming.  We are excited.

December 4, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. The Serviceman.

When he called to say he would be at our home in 30 minutes, I detected an interesting Mississippi accent.  And when I suggested he call if he got lost, he laughed and said that if he gets lost, he will find a boat and come in the backyard.  I laughed and awaited his arrival.  And I knew I wanted to hear him talk.  His accent was so strong I could barely understand him on the phone.

When he arrived, he went straight to the fridge.  I tried to get him to talk to me about the problem but he said almost nothing.  He just got to work while I waited for an opportunity.When he had completed his task, I asked again what was the matter and he gave me a detailed explanation.  I did not actually care.  I just wanted to hear him talk.  It was delightful.   Once he started to talk to me,  I could not get him to stop.  We talked Mississippi politics.  And we talked insurance fraud.

He has his own company and he makes repairs for a home owners warranty company, which is why I got to him.  Last year we took out a warranty and this was the first time to need anything repaired.  He told me lots of stories of people who wanted him to say that the air conditioner must replaced, when it really only needs a coil.  He said he has been offered many bribes which he refuses and reports it to the warranty company.  "Cheats are everywhere", says he.    We must have chatted for 20 minutes.  It was such fun listening to his accent. which is country white Mississippi talk.  I wish I could mimic his accent.  Andrew could have done it in a heart beat.    But not me.  Listening to him talk was worth the price of admission.  Plus now my fridge is repaired. Today I won in every direction.

December 3, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Neighborhood Party.

Every Christmas, our subdivision holds a Christmas party.  Folks tell me it is lovely.  But we have never gone and I can not figure out why.  It is easy because the people with odd numbered numbers take a dish and the next year it switches.  And you are supposed to take something to drink.  This is the third year that we have stayed home even though we are in town and with no other appointments. We just do not go which makes us very unsocial.

Part of it was practical.  It is dark when we would be going which is difficult because we can not see where we are going.  Tonight the party is being held three houses away from us so we could easily walk.  I did think about asking the neighbors across the street so we could walk with them, with me holding their arm, but company arrived at their house yesterday so they probably will not be attending.  The first year that we lived here the party was held on a cove at the other end of the neighborhood and getting in and out with the car would have been difficult.  We drove by a few days prior to the party.  Getting in and out was difficult in the day light without being full of other cars so we decided to stay home.  And my immune system makes life difficult, so mostly we decide to stay home.

We have lots of excuses.  Ken has trouble hearing in noisy crowds so conversations are difficult.  But I suspect that we have gotten out of the habit of going to social events.  When my immune system was non inexistent, we turned down most invitations.  We have just gotten into the habit I think.  I read an article this week telling advice on how to be happy when retired.  One item on their list was to accept every invitation and attend every party.  We have broken the rules.  But we are happy anyway.  I actually like staying home.

December 2, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Winter.

Mississippi is chilly.  Outside right now the temperature is 55 degrees.   In the middle of the night it will go down as far as 45.  So it is chilly.  I have put flannel sheets on our bed so we are cosy at night.  I actually mailed the sheets from the ranch in Texas.  We sold the ranch including the contents but we had listed stuff we could take.   Along with a few objects of sentimental reasons, I brought the flannel sheets we used in the top house.  I liked them.  Ken thought I was nuts.  But now he is happy to have those flannel sheets on our bed.  

And I have borrowed Ken's long sleeved flannel night shirt.  He has two the same kind, which is made of the black watch tartan.  Handsome.  They sat on a high shelf so I rescued one for myself.  He has yet to switch to long sleeved night shirts although he has several.  When he saw me wearing it tonight, he suggested we should take it to Nova Scotia, where he spends lots of time feeling chilly.

Everyone wears boots here even though it is not cold and there is no snow.   Tomorrow at brunch I will note that most people both young and old,  in the restaurant will be wearing boots.  Lots will be lined with fleece.  Our three grandchildren wear boots all the time.   Molly did admit when I asked that yes, sometimes her feet sweat.  Fashion begins early.   I wear no boots.  But I have more coats and jackets that I will ever use.   I am all set at home with my flannel sheets and gown.  I am set for winter in Mississippi.  I actually feel chilly too.

December 1, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. The News.

My goodness.  Every time I turn around, some other famous person has been fired, mostly for bad  behavior of a sexual nature.  The news has gotten interesting.  The question to ask is why is this happening now?   The suggestion seems to be that social media is the reason.  Secrets can no longer be kept hidden.   In the olden days, facts of behavior were rumors but those facts never hit the press.  It was known that an attractive woman should never be alone with Ted Kennedy,  and that FDR and JFK had affairs.  Also LBJ.   Even Cokie Roberts agreed that Conyers was a bad actor for the past 20 yers.  And of course the ladies who tried to tell the world about Bill Clinton were castigated and an attempt made to make them foolish and promiscuous.   The press covered all that behavior hidden.

And the Congress evidently had a slush fund to pay off folks who were blowing the whistle.  Who knew?

My friend Marilyn  and I decided that we were both not beautiful, and so received no sexual aggressive behavior directed our way.  Both of us worked along men our whole life but never experienced attacks.  Now I am learning that we were in the minority...or maybe not.

The company, L&F, in order to protect their workers, always kept at least 2 walls in every office to be windows, so no one could say after the fact of what went on inside the office.  It was smart.  Both men and women must protect themselves from those who make mischief.  And of course, what about the assumption of innocence until proven guilty?   That has gone out the window.  We live in interesting times.  The news are never dull these days.

November 30, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. My Ethnicity.

On both of sides of my family I was led to believe that we were English.  The Houghtons for several generations lived on the north side of London.  And the Buckley family came from Yorkshire.    But it turns out I am must more interesting than that.  This is the modern world.  Ken ordered a pack from Heritage.com.  I used two long sticks covered with cotton.  Then I swabbed the inside of each cheek. Next I broke off the tip and sent them to the lab which I had placed into tiny vials full of fluid.  Today,  the results came to Ken on the email.  Pretty nifty system.

Who knew I was 8.8% Scandinavian.  And I was 1.5% Ashkenazi Jew.  Also 1% East Asian and .9% From the Baltic.   I am English, but only 36.5%.  The rest, 51.3% Scottish and Welsh.   So in the past, the Vikings got together with some ancestor.  Also the Moguls.  Fascinating stuff.  This is all high tech stuff.  Gill had herself tested too and they suggested to her that she had 4% Neanderthal, which is more than most.   She also received more genetic information.  Our test is for the business of your ancestry, not the genetic make up, which is what Gill did.  It is still interesting.

Ken had his test a few months ago.  His surprise was the amount of Scandinavian which was 15%.  The rest was Scottish and Irish with a small % of English.   And 1% Sardinian.  He has subsequently found a relative who came from Italy, undoubtedly Sardinia.

No Irish in me.  Now I must say I hail from Scotland and Wales which is much more interesting than saying England.   Ken has had trouble finding Buckleys and Houghtons in the records.  Now he will look in Scotland and Wales to find my ancestors.   My ethnicity is complicated.   And much more interesting.  To be accurate, in the future I will say my family came from Scotland, Wales and England.  That will be my story.  Nifty.

November 29, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. PBS.

I love the PBS specials.   They show them during the two weeks of fundraising, which I hate.  But I do enjoy some of the specials.   For two Mondays,  I have missed Antiques Roadshow because the stations were raising money.   But I was able to watch the Three Texas Tenors.  In fact I got to watch them more than once.  They are great.  There is a whole world of entertainment that I know nothing about so I enjoy the peek into another world.  The tenors are excellent.  I loved the show.

Holiday Inn was also shown.  I did not know that a revival had been done on Broadway recently and lasted quite a awhile.  That show was an old Irving Berlin show, famous for the Christmas song, "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas".   The film of the new edition was terrific, full of dancing and singing.There was supposed to be a Frank Sinatra special but it got bumped for yet another Three Tenors.  Same show just repeated.  I guess the fund raising must have gone well when the tenors are singing.

David Foster and Friends was also just super.  I watched through the whole show.  I must admit that I switch to the hockey game when the spiel for raising money comes on but I know how long they take before switching from hockey to the show.    But these past two weeks I have enjoyed listening to new voices.  Hats off to PBS and their specials.

November 28, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Cheaters.

Poor Elizabeth.  The first call she took today was from her bank, telling her that she had no money in her account.   Now she is a careful soul so she knew something was wrong.  Evidently, someone had pulled all her money from her account.  Some one had cheated her.   Elizabeth helps us in our home.  She keeps our house clean and she drives me on errands when Ken is not able.   She owns her own cleaning service so stealing all her money is a blow to her, but the worst part is that the cheaters somehow had access to all her numbers.  In other words, they stole her identity.  What a hassle for her.  Most of the day she spent visiting the police to file charges and closing her account  and then opening another account in another bank.  Such a waste of time.  Then she must go through the process of getting her funds back which is never  easy.

Years ago, my friend Nancy had her identity stolen.  Her cheaters were professional.  They opened new accounts and bought lots of stuff.   It took awhile to find out the problem because the cheaters were smart.  They did not remove cash, at least not until they knew the officials were on their tail.  Poor Nancy spent months trying to sort it out.  All her identity numbers were replaced but by then her credit was messed up so she was forced to try to get the records straight.  After months of work, she thought everything had been put to right, until she received a letter complaining about her credit.  Maddening.  But she had no choice.

Our world of communications is wonderful as is our ability to pay for objects we wish to buy.  But in the modern world, hackers spend all their time causing mischief and stealing money.  It is not good.  I just hope that Elizabeth was not dealing with true professionals.  But no matter, she must persevere.   Cheaters are such a nuisance.

February 27, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. A True Story.

Chapter One:  At home in San Antonio, the driveway was full of cars and someone needed to get out. Allison was asked to move the Subaru and she did.   But when she backed up and turn so the other driver could get out, she backed into the mail box.  The mail box is made of mortar and bricks and the bumper hit the bottom two rows of bricks so eventually the mailbox would fall over.  Poor Allison had no idea how she turned into the mailbox as she must have turned the car right around, but she did.  We had arrived just a few days after the mailbox incident so many comments headed Allison's way.  The joking was good natured and she took it in good part, but we all took part in the ribbing Allison received.

While we were there, a man came to the door, saying that he was doing work for a neighbor and that David needed his help.  So the next day, he rebuilt it and it looks good.  Except he left all his stuff in David's wheelbarrow which he assure David he would come the next day to clear up his mess, which he never did.  That is the end of chapter one.

Chapter Two:  A few days ago. David was backing out of the driveway in his white truck.   On the left side of the driveway is a brick wall, covering the trash cans.   If you are parked directly in front of the garage, it is necessary to turn around the wall to get to the main driveway.   Two other cars were in the parking area but David had plenty of space to get around the wall.  He had done it hundreds of time.  But this time he backed into the wall and knocked it down.  Not the whole wall.  Just many bricks.   Well you know how pleased everyone was for David to hit the wall.  He said the same thing as Allison had said, which was "I did not notice".   He was as surprised as Allison.   He thinks it was funny and I do too.  Clearly, he was not paying attention.  David is now the target of all the jokes.  Now they need that little man, the stone mason, who can lay brinks.   But David is irritated that he did not do what he said he would do to clean up his mess.   And perhaps they did not keep his card.  But the wall must go up, one way or another.   It certainly keeps you humble.

November 26, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Objects.

Every object in a home has a history, usually known to only one person, the lady of the house.  I receive much pleasure by using those objects and remembering where they came from and how the object became part of the home.  The other evening we used Aunt Miriam's silver and enjoyed them.  Today when I went for a walk, I wore my blue jacket, which kept me warm.  I call it my walking jacket, even though it has never actually been mine.   I took it from Andrew's closet many years ago.

One Christmas when the boys were in high school, I gave the jacket to Andrew for Christmas.  The fabric is made of sweat pants material.  The jacket comes to the middle of my legs so I bought it because it would be long enough for Andrew.  It is navy blue and has buttons down the front and has no collar.  It also can be pulled tight at the bottom and around the waist.  And it has big pockets.  Andrew thanked me for the jacket and hung it in his closet.  And he never wore it.  Not ever.  When I asked about the jacket, he assured me that the jacket was fine and that he would certainly wear it.  But he never did.

One day, after he went to college, I needed a jacket that would cover my bottom when I went walking so I borrowed the blue jacket.   It is warm and comfortable but not heavy so the jacket got transferred to my coat closet. I have been wearing it for walks ever since and that was a long time ago.   The jacket is still not fancy or stylish, which is probably why Andrew would never wear it.  Now there is not another person in the world would ever know or care about that old blue jacket, but I know.  And that pleases me.

November 25, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Traditions.

The older I get, the more I like traditions.  Simple things, like drinking our sparkling juice from the silver glasses at our Thanksgiving dinner at Linda's home.  I suspect those goblets were used by her parents and grandparents Thanksgiving dinners too.   Lovely tradition.

And last evening, we used Aunt Miriam's silver.  I have no idea where she got that silver because she was a Salvation Army officer her whole life but when she died, I ended up with her silver.  I use it when ever we sit at the dining table and is a fine memory of my Aunt Miriam.  I like that even though she and I were never close.  She was a nurse and became a superintendent of Grace Hospitals, ending up in charge of all women services in Canada for the Salvation Army.  And she was a bit of a snob.  Once when Ken was an intern and I happened to be at Grace Hospital,  she introduced me to the head of the medical board as Mrs. Doctor Ken Dickie, thus totally obliterating my real name.  But she wanted that doctor to know that she had a niece who was married to a doctor.  I just laughed.  That was not a tradition that lasted.

Hockey Night in Canada has been a tradition with us for our whole life.  Once I  listening on the radio.  Then eventually on the television, after my sister bought us a set with her first paycheck.  We have been watching ever since, except when we lived in Texas when no hockey was on TV.  Now there is a whole hockey channel so I can watch every night.  But Saturday tradition stays alive.  Tonight we are watching the Leafs play the Capitols.   Our traditions continue of watching Hockey Night in Canada, except it is shown in the US too.   PS.  The Caps are winning.

November 24, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. 10 Years Old.

Today is Molly's birthday.  She is now 10 years old.  Molly announced to Christina that as she is now into double digits,  she is close to a teenager, so she needed a big girl bedroom.  No more pink little girl walls.  Molly's birthday gift from Christina was to paint her walls a soft gray, appropriate for a big girl.  In addition,  Molly received a new bedspread, to get rid of her animal quilt.  And I shopped for her at The Mississippi Craft Center, just down the road from us.   I had such fun, buying her lovely objects, perfect for a big girl room, all hand made by Mississippi artisans.

We gave her a beautiful small hanging shelf, made of several types of wood.  It is perfect for her small treasures and will serve her for a lifetime.   All the rest of the gifts were breakable to be used on her shelf or dresser.  She loved them all.

Her birthday dinner we held at our home.  Pizza was Molly's choice.  Linda came for the celebration. And Christina baked a cranberry almond cake, Molly's favorite, and mine too.  Our party for seven was splendid.  When everyone left, the kitchen was clean.  We do appreciate Kate and Mary Frances, who are both good helpers.  Molly left us a happy 10 year old, where tomorrow she will place her new objects into her new big girl bedroom.   Before our meal, we each silently gave our own thanks to God for our good food, and for our Molly.  For one night, we became Quakers.  Being 10 is special and we all celebrated it together.

November 23, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is the best holiday in the year, because you have few decisions.  People go home to be with extended family and eat turkey.   Before dinner, folks watch the parade, followed by the dog show.   Before and after dinner, people watch football.  Oops.   This year, many people are boycotting the NFL.  What will they do now I wonder.

Today we celebrated in the home of Linda Creath, Christina's Mother.  Also around the table were Nelson and Katey Creath, and their children Harrison and Sophie.  And of course, Kate, Mary Frances and Molly were there too.  We had a lovely time.  Instead of saying a blessing, Nelson read Psalm 100, a tradition from Katey's grandmother's home, which her family has adopted.  

Katey and Christina orchestrated the dinner.  Linda really wanted everyone at her home for Thanksgiving, so in order to lighten her load, Christina and Katey brought all the food.   The grandchildren waited on the table and helped with the clean up.  Linda set the table while I did nothing, which is one of the advantages of old age.   Once again, we enjoyed the benefits of family.  The food was wonderful of course,  as was the conversation.   Thanksgiving feasts are the best meal of the year.  

Linda has a dog named Bella.  She likes to be with the people so Katey hooked the dogs leash around her waist and the dog followed her everywhere she went.  The dog was happy and stayed close by Katey.  We did not even know the dog was following Katey,  Bella stayed so close to her.  It was a clever trick.  Bella was no bother to anyone and was happy as a clam.

November 22, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Feeling Good.

Why do we feel good when our favorite teams win?  It makes no real sense.  Our income is not affected nor is our health, but for some reason,  I always feel good when my teams win.  In DC, the elevator conversation the morning after a Redskins loss was gloomy,  The whole town was covered with a wet blanket.   But when they won, the town was elated.

Little things often make me feel good.  When I shake out the amount of tablets into my hand to be placed into my pill box which turns out to be the right number, I am elated.  Silly but true.  Once a week, the small convenience store sold good rye bread.  The store was run by an older handicapped lady, and was located directly across from our apartment over the hardware store.  After I returned from school, every Wednesday I stopped to buy a loaf of their good bread.  I was disappointed if they had sold out and elated when I walked up the stairs with the bread.  Silly but true.  In truth, it did not matter a bit to me if we ate that bread.

Today we ate lunch with Christina and the girls.  They indulge us by going out for lunch with us.  We were celebrating the start of the festive season.  And we ate at an excellent Italian restaurant.  We enjoyed our lunch and felt good about it.  I thing our family felt the same.  Simple things make me feel good.

My observation over my life is that the little things in life bring great pleasure and make me feel good.  For instance, the Nashville Predators have won 7 of their last 8 games.  It makes no real difference in my life, but it makes me feel good.   Interesting.

November 21, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. The Benefits.

The surgery and recovery for both of us was traumatic.  But three things were of benefit.  The first good thing that happened was the kindnesses of our landlords.  We had just moved into the second floor of a home in North Toronto, owned by the older folks living on the first floor.  They were kindness personified.  She made nourishing soups for Ken and encouraged him to sit in the sun in the garden.  She would often leave dinner for us on the stairs.    They were from Hungary and were Jewish and she took over Ken's care.  To this day, I remember their kindnesses and smile.

Our friend Dave S. was a travel agent.   I have no idea whose idea it was, but to assist Ken's recovery, Dave booked us on a freighter cruise from Montreal, stopping in Bermuda and at least a dozen Caribbean Islands.   The trip was wonderful.  Ken even enjoyed swimming in the beautiful warm water.  After I had completed my teaching job for the summer, we took the train to Montreal to board our ship.  We have yet to take another freighter cruise but at the time it was perfect.  The good food and sea air helped Ken to gain weight.   And we loved the islands.

The third benefit of Ken's surgery was the decision to take his residency in Texas.  The Internist recommend to Ken to move someplace warm.  "Your health will be better in warm air", said he, so we decided to move to Galveston, where we lived for 6 years and loved.   Today at lunch, Ken and I discussed where we might have gone  for his residency, had Ken not had the surgery.  No telling of course, but certainly Texas got into our blood.

Trials come to everyone but gold can always be found if you look carefully.  And we did.

November 20, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Adversity.

I will not bore anyone with my list of events that were not to my liking.  But surely, my list is longer than the average bear.  I count 12 situations that caused me difficulty.  Even I was surprised. at it's number.  The most important fact is that both Ken and I survived.  And I have been able to help others through difficult times so every difficulty came with an upside.

My system of dealing with adversity has not changed over the years.  I will use the second incident as an example.  Ken graduated from medical school in 1963.  He was to intern at St. Michaels Hospital in Toronto.  One the first day of his internship, he asked his room mate to listen to his chest.   He was seen by the specialist.  He was to be admitted immediately to the hospital but first he came home to get me.

When my  Mother and I returned from a wedding, Ken was at our apartment.  I was to take him to the hospital to get him admitted for observation.  Ken had major surgery and was in the hospital for 3 weeks, followed by 6 weeks recovery at home.  I was teaching folk dance for the summer so every day I stopped by the hospital after work and stayed until bedtime.  Ken was uncomfortable in the hospital and even more so at home.   We battled on.  But it was not an easy time.

My solution was to deal with Ken's illness only when there was something I could do to be helpful.  The rest of the time I kept my focus on my task at hand.  I did not allow Ken's dire situation to overtake my life.  I did everything I could to be helpful but when there was nothing I could do, I turned to other activities.   This required discipline.  But it worked.  Tomorrow I will tell of the benefits accrued from that surgery and recovery.

November 19, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Christmas Spirit.

Our outside lights are shining brightly, which has put me in the Christmas Spirit.   I read through the cards from Christmas 2016 and enjoyed them thoroughly.  But I still wish folks would say their full name.  I have several "Sue and Bill", and several names I can not read due to poor writing.  Eventually, I figured them all out and checked off my list.  My observation is that many people have stopped sending Christmas cards, which I think is a shame.  I do receive many electronic cards, which I enjoy too but the best is rereading last years cards.  Now my question is...why don't those old friends send cards?  Are they lazy or cheap, and do they not wish to say hello to me once a year?  

In addition, I am beginning to put out decorations.   The limited number of boxes are on the dining room table, ready to be placed around the house.  All the rest of my decorations were distributed between the two families but I have a few that I used in the condo.  The good thing about owning just a few decorations is that it takes 30 minutes to put ALL the decorations out.  Molly is having her birthday dinner here on Friday so I want to surprise her.

My Christmas cards for 2017 are out and ready to be written.  I remember many years when my cards went out in the new year, but I have plenty of time now so I am getting organized.  First I stick on the return address label.  Next I sign the cards and address the envelopes.  Finally I write a note to everyone.  I am getting geared up, ready to start.  The Christmas Spirit has descended.

November 18, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Christmas Lights.

Ken loves outdoor Christmas lights in our homes.  "The more the merrier," said Ken.   But since he has become somewhat infirm, our home the last two nights has gone without the bright lights of Christmas that he loves.   Last Spring, when Bradley the outside lighting man was here,  I asked if he would consider putting up Christmas lights for us.  He laughed and said that his winter business is installing Christmas lights for people just like us, so he already had a program.  Ken and I booked him on the spot.  And in addition, we asked him to go by and make a plan for Christina and the girls.

Just before we left for Texas, he came with his book and we discussed our options.  He uses all white lights so I asked him to add colored lights for Molly.  And we signed a two year contract.  He uses his own lights and he installs and takes down and stores everything.  The biggest expense is the first year so he insists on a two year commitment from us, which seemed fair.  In addition, we wanted the lights installed to be turned on right after Thanksgiving.    That was the plan.  We were happy and so were Christina and the girls.

This week Bradley came by to install our outdoor lights.  He will return with 5 wreaths for the windows.  The lights are great.  We decided to turn them on immediately and not wait until Thanksgiving.  But the best part is that the girls are excited with their lights.  He outlined their whole roof as well as blanketing the hedge with colored lights.  Molly is thrilled.  And so is Ken.

November 17, 207. Madison, Mississippi. Adversity.

Mary Frances would like me to tell her if I had significant adversity in my life.  I just laughed.  Then I made a list.  If you were to ask me if I had been lucky in my life I would have said yes.  I have been fortunate.  But my list of adversity is long so what am I missing?  MF also would like to know how I coped, so I have been thinking about that.  I had good role models in my mother and grandmother.

My grandmother Houghton had 5 children.  Her first grandchild died when he was 8, from some childhood infection.  Any time she spoke about that grandchild she spoke about how grateful she was that they all had him for that period of time.  No moaning or groaning or feeling sorry for herself.   I have a picture with her with that child on the bathroom wall in Nova Scotia so I see it all the time, which reminds me to be grateful.

A Salvation Army officer was visiting our home.  She was not typical in that she was glum.  She was married and had no children and she and her husband were stationed in Vancouver.  After she left, I asked Mother why she was so unpleasant.  My mother told me that years ago, her baby died during delivery and she had never gotten over it.  My Mother commented that the lady wore the death of her child like a crown of thorns, constantly reminding herself of what she had lost.   My mother was not impressed.  And I remembered and learned to put adversity behind you, and be grateful.

November 16, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Mr.&Mrs.St.Denis.

The Mr. and Mrs. St. Denis lived next door to us in Vancouver.   They were splendid neighbors.  He was a Presbyterian minister and my Mother and Mr. St.Denis sparred often concerning beliefs.   The Presbyterians had different ideas from the Salvation Army so their discussions were always lively.  I don't know if the organization still keeps this idea but one item was the prohibition of women preaching in the Presbyterian church,  where as the Salvation Army was way ahead of the curve.  My Mother was a better preacher than my Father, according to my Father.   Another bone of contention was predestination.   They discussed.  They never argued.

They kept a key to our house.  Many times after walking home from school I would realize that I had forgotten my key.  I also always needed to go to the bathroom.  I would knock on their back door.  When the door was opened, I would burst into their home and run directly to their bathroom.  Then I would get the key.  It became a joke, whenever I knocked on their door even if I was there to borrow a cup of flour.

One afternoon, Mother and I were having tea with them, along with a parishioner.   She wanted to tell Mr. St. Denis about another member of the church who was not doing well.   She described the lady and said she had a lump on her neck, which she showed with her hand.  "This poor lady has a concubine on her neck", is what she said.  No one smiled or said not a word, but finally,  my Mother agreed with her that having a concubine on the ladies neck would certainly not be good.   Everyone at the table behaved themselves until the lady left.   We have joked about it ever since.

Mr. and Mrs. St. Denis had no children of their own and always enjoyed our family.  They remain vivid in my mind, even though we moved in 1953.  We loved them and they loved us.   Good neighbors indeed.

November 15, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. The Human Parade.

Watching people today was similar to watching people walk up and down the beach, except today everyone was wearing clothes.   As we were waiting for Ken to see the Internist, I started to look at all the people passing by.  Ken was looking at his phone.  Soon I interrupted him so he could watch too and we did.  We guessed the weight of the people walking by and we tried to figure out what was the matter with them.  We were in the Medical Pavilion of the Mississippi Medical Center so everyone I saw was visiting the doctor.

On the beach, I seldom see anyone over weight.  Perhaps fat people stay out of a bathing suit.  But at the medical Center today we saw many obese people.   We saw folks who needed an extra wide wheel chair.  We saw many couple who were both huge.  On the other hand, I saw lots and lots of normal people and some who were skinny.   But at least 30% of the people who walked past us  as we waited weighed too much.  I immediately decided to get rid of my excess flesh but so far have done nothing about it.

The conclusion, after watching all these people,  is the same one I came to after watching the walkers on the beach.   Being too skinny is not good, nor is being fat.  But erring on the side of slim is better than being too heavy.   This is true whether or not a person is wearing clothes.   But the amazing thing to me is that so many people are just right.   The human parade is unfailingly a marvel.

November 14, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Children.

Sunday at brunch,  half the tables at Babalu held children.  As we were leaving, families arrived on their way from church.  And all the folks arriving had children with them, dressed up in their Sunday best and looking like angels.  I noted to Ken how pleasant it was in Jackson to always see lots of children.  Where ever we go, we see children, and we like that.

In Nova Scotia at Western Head, most residents are retired so the only children we see are visitors.  Even in town or restaurants we do not see many children and I miss them.  It was not until Sunday morning that I noticed how different Mississippi is from Nova Scotia.  I have not seen the statistics but I bet the number of babies born per people is higher in Mississippi than in Nova Scotia.

Families in the south are important so having babies is desirable.  Also most folks who live here were born here so extended families are close at hand to help.   Most people attend church in Jackson, where the activities for children is extensive.  I expect raising children in Jackson is easier than many other places in North America.  Whatever the reasons, watching the children in the restaurants brings me great pleasure.  One other point:  children are taught to be polite in Mississippi which is another reason seeing the children is pleasant.  This is one more reason we enjoy living here in Mississippi.

November 13, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Beauty.

I was fortunate to be born not beautiful.   There was nothing the matter with how I looked when I was young but I certainly was not beautiful.  Most folks would not consider this an asset but I learned that I was not going to get ahead in life with my looks.  Of course I was taught that "beauty is only skin deep", and that "what you put into your head is more important that what you put on your face".  I learned early that my personality, energy, enthusiasm and intellect would stand me in good stead...and I was correct.

At high school in Toronto, my friend Mary was beautiful and talented.  She was a top student and she was the end chair in the orchestra in the violin section.  Her hair was white blond and her skin was clear.  She was beautiful and she was my friend.  But I would not trade for her life.  She never dated.  Every weekend she was asked out a dozen times but she always refused.  The boys wanted to go out with her to brag, not to be with her.  It had happened once so she never did it again.   I on the other hand had an active social life.  I have always wondered what happened to her.

Looking old has given me no stress.  I looked fine at 80 just as I did at 60 or 40 but people struggle with their looks as they get older and go to great lengths to stay younger with the result that they look ridiculous.  The beauty at 20 is not the beauty at 60 but as I was not beautiful at 20 and I felt fine, I had no problem with how I looked at 60 or 80.   You can see, not being born beautiful was a major asset to me.  It was true when I was young and is true now that I am old.  I am just OK.

November 12, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Decisions.

My friend Sarah T. set up my blog after a question from me.   When I was reading through the Buckley?Houghton archives the previous summer, I came upon a letter written by my Grandmother Houghton, and sent to my mother.  In the letter, my grandmother describes her feeling of freedom.  She was on the train from Vancouver to Winnipeg to join her daughter, my Aunt Miriam, shortly after the death of Grandpa Houghton.  All she was taking was one small trunk.   She was overjoyed.  I wished I could ask her about one hundred questions but of course, by then she had died and even though she lived with us for part of each year, I did not ask the right questions.   After I told Sarah my goal, my question to Sarah was how could I do it.  And she figured it out.  I am still using the same system.

My goal with my wee web log was to allow the 7 grandchildren to find out how Ken and I got from here to there.  Now they may never be inquisitive enough to care but I had wished my grandmother had kept her comings and goings so I could have picker her brain.  My son David thinks that no one will ever read my blog in the future and I agree.  But if anyone wanted to know, they would be able to get to know us through my blog.  The goal for the blog was for 10 years.

Now comes the decision.  My 80th birthday is coming up, on December 6, which is the 10th anniversary of my blog and I think the grandchildren will be able to figure us out.  But what has happened in the past 10 years is that friends and family read my blog as a way to find out where we are and what we are doing.  In addition, I am older than most of my friends, so I am urged to keep going  as a way to help others to figure out how to handle the journey through my old age.  Today, my friend Phyllis suggested that another 10 years should be in order.  So I must make a decision.  And soon.  I will soon be 80.

November 11, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Ken.

Friends always ask me about Ken, subtly suggesting that I seldom mention him in my wee web logs and that perhaps I should say something about his general health and welfare.  Tonight is the time.

When people ask me about Ken I always say that he is fine.  But of course he is not fine at all.  I really mean that considering his diseases, he is fine.  Ken objects when he hear me say that he is fine but he is not sure  what I could or should say.  His Parkinson's disease he thinks is progressing but he says he handles it better.  His symptoms are his lack of balance.   To compensate, he uses the walker 100% of the time both inside and out.  And he is careful.  His lung disease gets no better.  His coughing continues unabated.   His left shoulder is almost frozen and hurts.  For some reason he has pain in some place every now and then, so he uses lots of Ibuprofen.

On the other hand, he retains his sense of humor.  And he never complains.  His head works well and he gets things done around the house and yard, which pleases him.  Fortunately, he is able to drive although he is waiting for the autonomous automobiles.  He still does all our accounting and investments so he keeps his head churning.  And you know he orders all our stuff on line.

Today Ken filled all the bird feeders and hung them in the yard including the humming bird feeder.  We have several feeders both front and back so it is quite a task.  Earlier in the week he cleaned the fountain.  He reads and listens to audio books all the time.  In between bouts of activities, he takes short rests.  So I would say that he is fine, getting things done and doing as well as he is able.  And he enjoys our life together.  He never expected to be 81 so he is pleased.  Now he says he is heading to 100.  So Ken is fine.  That is my story and I will stick with it.

November 10, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. The Moon.

Something good comes from everything, if you look hard enough.  Last evening, I went to bed a bit earlier than normal, but I stayed awake.  My legs were not hurting.  I just stayed on duty, so I reviewed all the reasons why I was still awake.  And nothing made sense.  I had no coffee at lunch.  Ken had given me a box of dark chocolate truffles so perhaps I ate one or two late in the day, thus keeping me awake from the caffeine in the chocolate.  And I made lists in my mind of things I needed to do before the end of the year.  I was not restless.  I was just awake.

At 2:00 I opened my eyes and looked out to the lake.  From my spot in the bed, without even sitting up, I look at the reservoir, filtered through the trees.  I spotted a bright light in the sky and finally decided that I was looking at a half moon.  It was bright and beautiful, with the moonlight making a path across the water.  I wandered around the house in the dark looking for the best view.  Since we have no hot tub here in Mississippi, we never get to see the night sky but here I was watching keenly as the moon shone in the night sky.  The sight was magnificent and certainly worth staying awake.

After spending time looking at the moon and the water, I took 2 Ibuprofen, drank a glass of water, visited the bathroom and went to bed.  And promptly went to sleep.   Magic.

November 9, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Appointments.

I have learned that one appointment with a doctor always leads to another appointment.   By now I should be ready but I am not.  This week is a perfect example.  My expectation was that my three appointments were check ups and I would be finished.  But not so quick.  I have an additional appointment with the Oncologist to check my blood levels. after I have been on Ibrance for two weeks.  And today, a routine check with the eye surgeon had led me to meet him again in a week.

My right high showed high pressures so he cut two stitches from the surgery, plus give me a needle in the eye socket.  Now I must return in a week to check my pressures again.   The eye surgeon has changed his practice and now is affiliated with a large group on N.State Street near Baptist Hospital.  I like him so followed to his new office.  But it is hike to get there so although I appreciate his expertise, I do not really want to visit him so often.

The same has been true for Ken.  At the Dermatologist last week she took 4 biopsies.  Two are malignant so Ken must make an appointment with a surgeon.  In turn he will require Ken to return at least twice after the surgery.  The appointments are never ending apparently.   But what can you do?  We just grin and bear it and are actually grateful for the care we receive from these good doctors.   If we had our druthers, we would enjoy ourselves at home in stead of attending our unending string of appointments.  Amazing really.

November 8, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Television.

I often hear folks say that they never watch television.   My response to myself is to think that they are missing a lot.  With so many stations available, much you see is junk and not worth watching, but if you look carefully,  you can find gems.

When we first arrived, I watched Aerial America on the Smithsonian channel.  They give a history of the state in addition to the present situation.  And the pictures are incredible.  I watched Connecticut and learned more than I ever knew about the place.  The next day I watched Aerial New Zealand  which was really beautiful and a reminder of our visit in 2014.

Tonight for an hour I watched the National Geographic station, which was showing a year on the most northerly island of Japan, Haikido.  The history, the animals and the people were all presented, in beautiful photographs.  The hour was magical.

My friend Marilyn is pretty much housebound but she is enjoying herself with her television and her books and her friends.  Without television, life would be more difficult for her.  The same is true for me.  I use  television when I need a break for my eyes.  And I am never disappointed with what I find.    A few days ago I watched and listened to a bit of an old fashioned hour of gospel music, where I found of all places on PBS.  I loved it.  All my favorite old gospel songs were there for me to sing along.  When people tell me that television is terrible just know they are wrong.  But you must search for the gems.

November 7, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Ibrance.

Here we go again.  My scans came back with  cancer spots on my bones so I am once again beginning a series of Ibrance.    It worked before so one could expect it will again.  The spots are small but definitely seen in the scans, which I had yesterday.    After the scans I had a conversation with the technician, the same young man who took the scans in the past.  My question to him was, "How many times are we going to meet like this?"  He laughed and said, "probably many."  and we both laughed.  In my mind, I was thinking that I could talk Dr. Sheehan into just one scan a year, but now that I have more cancer in the bones, I am sure I will see that young man again.

The issue with Ibrance is the impact on blood cells.  It was not until I stopped Ibrance that my blood counts went up, so now I must, once again,  limit my time in public.  But we do not go out much anyway.   My routine will be drawing blood regularly and to have more frequent scans.  Already I must see the Oncologist in two weeks to check my blood counts.  And just before we go to Mexico I must have a scan.  And tonight I begin Ibrance, my old friend.

My observation of the doctors and nurses is that they expect the cancer to come back, which is why they insist on scans regularly.  Just last week I was discussing it with Christina.  The doctors were right.  And here we go again.  Now that I have down that path before, I feel sure life will be easier.  I am counting on it.

November 6, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Braun Genius.

Even I can not believe it.  I am the proud owner of a Braun Oral B Genius Toothbrush.   So far I have not used it properly because I just clean my teeth.  But when I figure out the system, I will be able to have my tooth brushing prowess recorded in my cell phone, where it will tell me if I properly brushed in all four quadrants.  And for the proper times too.

Ken ordered me a new electric toothbrush on line.   He ordered the newest and the best.  When the box arrived, I removed all parts and laid them out on the counter by my sink.  And I tried to read the direction.   First thing was the number of pieces to assemble.  And the directions were so small that I could not read the words, so I gave up.  Sometime through the night, my toothbrush was assembled for me and I brushed my teeth.   I could not find one of the pieces I had seen on the counter so I asked Ken.  He told me that the round white device has been attached to the mirror in front of my sink.  When I brush, I must stand in front of this device, into which I must place my cell phone.  Ken reports that if you lean over, a pink signal on the side of this round cell phone holder will alert you to stand up.

When I have finished brushing, I am to check the app. in my phone to find out if I have done a good job with my teeth.  Now I will soon be 80 and have been adequately brushing all my life.  Now I will be told that I must do a better job.  Perhaps this might just be a bit too much information for this old lady, even if I do like the sound of owning a genius toothbrush!!

November 5, 2017. Madison, Texas. Pleasure.

I hope the girls enjoy our brunches as much as we do.  I always suspect that they are humoring us and are just being polite.   Ken and I enjoy seeing the girls and Christina every Sunday and they in turn seem to enjoy going to fancy restaurants and eating good food.  And we have a good time too.

Today we had brunch at Anjou, the french restaurant in the Renaissance.  Excellent service and good food along with white linen table cloths are generally a hit.  Today was the first brunch since we have arrived so we all felt festive.  As Mary Frances was not in the vote to select Anjou, we have asked her to select next weeks brunch.  Her ideas are generally excellent so I will be interested with her selection.

Today, Kate reported on her practical nursing education.  Last week she learned and practiced inserting catheters.  But only on rubber dummies.  Still, she told us that the attempt ended with water spewing everywhere.   She was grateful it was not on a real person.  Next week she will spend 3 day at Baptist Hospital.  They tell her that she will actually be doing things on real people.  She is excited, and nervous.  So far she has given shots to an orange and withdrawn fake insulin from a bottle.  She reported a bent needle which is not good.

Mary Frances is feeling good about University next year.  Her application to Princeton has been submitted.  They will respond on December 15.  She has been accepted into the scholars program at Mississippi State.  The first acceptance is the best because a student can relax and then make real choices.  If MF does not get into Princeton. she will apply to other schools but at the moment, she will sit tight and try to pay no attention to University.

Molly is taking gymnastics.  She loves it and can actually do a cartwheel.  The young man who teaches the class is enthusiastic and encouraging and makes everything lots of fun.  And she will play basketball this winter at school.  Molly likes to be active.

Today was the first of our weekly family brunches.  The tradition is a good one to all, but perhaps most to the oldsters.  We enjoy them the most.  They bring us great pleasure.

November 4, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. The Mails. The Freezer.

Never put anything in the freezer without printing on the outside describing the contents.   Just this minute I removed from the freezer a heavy plastic box.  The top was frozen and was difficult to get open.  I could not imagine what was in that heavy box.  I had not even noticed the box until now because it had been on the bottom of the freezer.  No words were on the top.  Finally, I was able to open the box and remembered what it was:  Cookies in small packages.  Ken ordered two big boxes of cookies, normally put into vending machines.  We ate a package on a regular basis and when we left I put the extra packages into a plastic box and put them in the bottom of the freezer.   And I forgot all about it.  Also on the bottom of the freezer are several plastic bags full of food without labels.  I have no clue what is in those bags.  In order to find out, I must thaw them.   I should know better.

The mail is still covering our bar area.  It is the last of our mail to receive attention.  First I threw out all the advertising materials, which took me a long time.   Ken sorted the important mail and moved the letters that needed attention and took them downstairs to his office.  My magazines are stacked beside my reading chair.  But there is still two layers of mail covering the counter of the bar.   I am waiting for Ken to do something with the mail, but if he does not, I think I will merely make one big pile.  Of course I might also read each letter to decide what to do with it.  We have been away since late in May so the mails pile up.  Christina opens our mail and tells us if anything needs attention immediately but we still review the other stuff.   My deadline is Sunday evening.  I hate looking at the house as if we have just returned with mail covering the counter.   By Sunday night, all the mail will be put away and everything in the freezer will be known to me.  Only then will I able to enjoy this house.  No doubt about it.  I am a tad compulsive.

November 3, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Grand Day.

Molly was so excited.  Today was Grandparents Day at her school, Christ Covenant School.  Each grade prepared a song or two to present to the grandparents and Molly wanted to be sure she has the words memorized.  From Kindergarten to the fifth grade, the children performed.  The whole morning was impressive.   Some songs were funny and quick while others had a more serious tone.  After the hour long program, each child accompanied their grandparent to meet the teach and to see examples of the work done in the classroom.

I had attended grandparents days in the past, both in Mississippi,  Maryland and Texas.  They are all wonderful.  The purpose of the day is to show the work of the students and to have the grandparents donate funds to the school.  Fortunately, the whole fund raising theme is low keyed.  At the beginning of the program,  a speaker reminded us of the envelopes on the center of the tables.  And he told us the projects that needed to be funded.  The schools have probably figured out that the grandparents have more money than the parents, so the school asks for donations.  No pressure but the purpose of the day is to raise money I think.  But it was a well done event and I enjoyed the morning at the school.

The best part was going out to lunch with Molly, Kate and Christina.  Parents are not invited but I can not drive so Christina took me.  And Kate had just come home from college so she joined in our lunch.  We asked Molly for her recommendation and she selected an elegant Chinese restaurant at the Renaissance.  Now that was really fun.   That child has good taste in restaurants!!