April 30, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Wind.

Just when I was about to go for a walk on Friday, the wind whipped up.  It was gusting hard so too dangerous to be out alone walking outside on the roadway covered with trees.  The reservoir had waves which is unusual.  When we first moved into this house, a set of wind chimes were hanging in the courtyard out front.  Unfortunately, the area is protected so the chimes never moved.  This year, Ken moved the chimes down by the gazebo so we could hear them.  The water side has more wind than the street.  Ever since Friday afternoon, those wind chimes have been in continuous action.  They sound beautiful.

All day Saturday the wind blew hard.  No boats were on the water and no walking for me.  And the wind chimes were busy.  By evening,  the winds were stronger along with thunder and lightning and rain.  By the time we went to bed, the wind chimes sounded like an organ.  Constant sounds and very loud.   I was wondering what the neighbors felt about the chimes.  Even with the wind blowing hard, I could clearly hear their lovely sound.

Today, when we arrived at our designated restaurant Anjou with it's wonderful French food,  the manager commended us for coming out on a miserable morning.  I did not tell him that we were Canadians.  Evidently many folks had called to cancel their reservation.  The day was not terrible but the rain was still falling but not so much wind.  It never crossed our minds to cancel.  Molly would have missed eating her fill of mussels.

Tonight, the wind chimes are quiet, the first time since Friday.  We dodged some bullets.  No tornadoes and no electric outage.  Life is good.

April 29, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Carol E.

Carol E. was working for Chevy Chase Savings and Loan, in the department that helped people who were having difficulties with the bank.  Adrea was an agent in the office.  She came to tell me that I needed to talk to this lady who helped her solve her problem.  Andrea was an excellent agent because her attention to detail was just what a manager wanted, but she knew that she was not easy to deal with so when she told me how helpful Carol was in helping, I knew I needed to talk with her.  Adrea even asked if she was interested in changing jobs.

As was my custom, I interviewed her even though I had no job.  Carol was energetic and enthusiastic in the interview.  I liked her.   She moved with her 4 children and her husband to Maryland from the islands so the children could attend better schools and more opportunities.  Soon I have an opening so  she came to work with us.   She is still working there now.  Her spunk and enthusiasm has always been  enormous and helpful to the office as is her attention to detail.

Once upon a time, Carol E was at the doctor for a check up.  He told her she had high blood pressure and cholesterol and needed medication.  She asked if there was another way and was told that if she exercised and lost 20 pounds she might get her numbers looking better.  So she did.  She started running and running and running.  She has run many marathons.  It is her attitude that was always the key.  When things went wrong in her life which they did,  she just buckled down and plowed along, smiling all the way.   She is a good lady and a pleasure to work with for all those years.  And she is still at it today.  Hats off to Carol E.

April 28, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Meal Habits.

Being adaptable is the key to success as you get old.  For instance, the nature of our meals is peculiar.  Ken has a type of Parkinson's Disease.  He has difficulty swallowing so he eats slowly.  And he often has ear infections which affects his hearing.  When he chews his food, he can not hear so he can either chew or listen, but not at the same time.  It is easier for him to eat alone.

When my bones were hurting, sitting in a hard wood chair was difficult for any period of time, so it was easier, when we did not have company,  for me to sit in a comfortable living room chair.  We started this in Nova Scotia, with Ken sitting at the dining table and me in the adjacent living room.    We have continued the practice.  Here in Mississippi, Ken eats at the table in the breakfast room and I in my reading chair in the living room.  And we both read while we eat.

Sometimes, when my eyes are weary, I watch TV.  Today at lunch, I discovered three channels right beside each other devoted to dogs and other pets.  Who knew?  The program I saw was all about selecting a dog from a shelter.  Three families wanted the same dog and 3 experts made the decision.  Goodness.  How many people would ever watch that show?  I guess our meal time habits are just as odd as the TV shows.    But we have age as an excuse.

April 27, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Hockey.

Everything you could ever want in a round of hockey playoffs occurred.  The games were competitive, in fact 18 games ended playing an overtime, a record for the league.  And some of our favorites won their series.  Washington beat Toronto.  Edmonton beat San Jose.  Ottawa won as did Pittsburgh.  But the most surprising win was the sweep of the Chicago team by the Nashville Predators.  No one predicted that.  In fact, I picked Chicago to win the cup.

Now the second round has begun.  Last evening the Predators beat St. Louis, and Edmonton beat the Sharks.  But tonight I have a problem.  Because we have been going to the farm since 1973, we cheer for the Pittsburgh teams.  In football we always cheer for the Steelers and the same in hockey.  We cheer for the Pittsburgh Penguins.  The are a fast team, plus they have Sidney Crosby who comes from Cole Harbour, just outside Halifax.  So we like to watch them win.

But now Pittsburgh is playing Washington.  For 40 years, we have cheered for the Caps as we lived just outside DC.  So who should I root for in this series?  I have a problem.  Our closest team is the Nashville Predators so we certainly will cheer for them  Poor Washington has been so pathetic in playoffs that I would kind of like to see them win this series.  But I love to watch the Penguins play.  I think I will be neutral and just watch their games.  But I will cheer hard for the Predators.  They are our team now!!

April 26, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Storms.

A loud noise comes over the television, followed by a man telling us a storm is predicted in our area.  A severe storm they say.  Even though we are watching the Predators hockey game, they take over every channel.  And they text information to you too.  We are instructed to go to the weather channel to keep track of the progress of the storm.  And when the storm is approaching our area, we are told to go to the lowest part of the house and stay in the center of the building.

On Saturday while I was at the play, a storm came through our area.  Ken had stayed home but he reported very little rain and not a lot of lightning.  When I came into the house he told me that the power was out.  The energy company sends us text messages telling what happened and saying the estimated time for restoration.  The system is pleasant and does not leave us guessing about when we will get out of the dark.  When the lights came on, I went to turn on the hockey game but our upstairs set would not work so we went to the lower lever TV which was working fine.

On Sunday, Ken did everything he could think of to get the TV to work, but no luck so I called AT&T.  They remotely checked our system and finally decided that our box was fried.  They would sent us a new box on Tuesday.  Our instructions were to return the old one by taking it to UPS who would sent it back.   Today we did as we were told.  I was in the UPS store for one minute.  The young man gave me the tracking number and he did the rest at no charge to me.  The whole process was efficient.   Now I hope this new storm does not interfere with our systems this time.  Ken did not even notice the storm was severe on Saturday.  This time it is supposed to be a big one.  I can already hear the wind.  So here we go.

April 25, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. This Week.

This week we have no medical appointments which is a good thing.  Our week will be quiet but pleasant.  Monday afternoon Lourdes came to cook.   She stops at the grocery store on the way and she always keeps garlic, onions, potatoes and carrots in the fridge, so as soon as she walks in the house, she starts to cook.  From then on our house smells heavenly.  When she departs three hours later, she leaves  several dishes cooling on the counter to be eaten through the week.  We will be well fed.

This morning, Tuesday,  Elizabeth usually arrives at 9:30.  When she is not here, I know something has happened.  Today, when walking to her car, she fainted.  Fortunately, her neighbor saw her so took her to the hospital. After an MRI, it turns out a kidney stone was lodged and causing pain.  The good doctor broke up the stone and it has passed so now she is home.  Elizabeth. in addition to cleaning the house, also drives me on errands, but this week, Ken must accompany me on my rounds.  I must go to the bank and the grocery store tomorrow.  We are out of berries.

Wednesday afternoon Christina will arrive and work with Ken.  We are hoping she will learn the system so will be able to take over if Ken no longer wishes to deal with our accounting.  The rest of the week we will putter.  Ken today has installed a hummingbird feeder in the front walkway and filled the other feeders.  Those birds keep him hopping.  Usually, Elizabeth changes the sheets but today I I took on that task.  Every day I look after the kitchen.  I normally arrange the dinners and load the dishwasher, tasks that I have not been doing for many years.  I do not cook but I move around the food, and make decisions about what we will eat and when.  During the day I read in between chores.  Mississippi and the Civil War is what I am reading.  One book deals with the home front and the other book tells of the actual battles.  Our week will be quiet but pleasant, just like every other week in Mississippi.

April 24, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Christmas Lights.

Christmas is a long time away but today we ordered Christmas lights to be installed and ready just after Thanksgiving.  Ken has always done a wonderful job installing Christmas lights on our houses.   His concept was easy:  more lights were better.  The last time he decorated at the farm he included the old farm house, the top house and the barn.  People came from far and wide to see the lights.  It looked magical.

Two weeks before Christmas, Ken complained about our lack of lights and remembered that in San Antonio, many lights are installed by a company so Ken wondered if anyone could do it here in the Jackson area.   I suggested I call our lighting man Bradley who installed our exterior lights front and back.   But it was too close to Christmas so we decided to get organized for Christmas 2017.

Today we met with Bradley and we are all set.  He installs Christmas lights as part of his business.   In early November he will install lights for Christina and the girls and also for us.  Then the day after Thanksgiving he will come and plug in the lights and turn them on.  The lights will be on a timer.  In early January, he will come and collect the lights and store them for the next season.  No fuss or muss for us.  This is truly a wonderful world.



















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April 23, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Birthday Celebration.

Babalu is a favorite restaurant of Christina so we celebrated there for her birthday this morning for our family Brunch.    While we were there, several other tables were given sparkles, stuck out of a bottle, all celebrating a birthday of a child.  Kate and Mary Frances had told the hostess that we were celebrating their Mother's birthday, so we wondered if we would get the sparkle treatment.  Sure enough, with dessert came the bottle of sparkles.  We all loved it but Molly loved it best.  Our celebration was complete.

Babalu is a restaurant in Fondren, a neighborhood in Jackson.    Even though we live in Madison, the drive is easy, about 20 minutes.  Andrew always joked that any place in Jackson takes 15 minutes, which from their home would be true but from our home it takes 20.  But the traffic is light.  Fondren is a funky little place full of restaurants, churches,  antique stores and art galleries.  We like the variety.  We certainly all enjoyed the festivities today, celebrating Christina's birthday.  I even remembered to give her a present.

April 22, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. The Play.

Linda commented to me at the end of the play that she had no idea Mary Frances could be so nasty.  
I agreed.  Our quiet, friendly granddaughter was wonderful in her part as the wolf, Fenris Ulf, in the play "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe".  She was wicked in her role.

Jackson Prep Players performed the play.  We attended their first performance this afternoon and it was splendid.  The drama department is excellent and the head was the Director of the play.  Clearly he has vast experience.  The play is excellent for a school production with it's large cast of characters.  And the play is well known so even the children, of which there were many,  were aware of the story.  The players are talented.  I suspect many of the students attending the school are there because of the excellence of the dramatic arts.  Certainly it was a factor in the choice of Mary Frances.  

The play is from the book by C.S.Lewis, dramatized by Joseph Robinette.  The play follows the story line of the book.  Again, most young people have also seen the movie.  This production was top drawer with no major errors.  I suspect most of the players were pleased with the production.

The scene was sweet.  After the performance, the actors came out to the vestibule so the folks from the audience could take pictures.  When I looked over, five little girls were waiting in line to have Mary Frances sign their booklet along side her picture.  

Tonight they perform the play again, and also Monday evening.  Tuesday is their final show which will be for the students of the whole school.  Hats off to these young artists.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

April 21, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Planning.

Our flights to San Antonio have been done, as has our trip to Nova Scotia.   And I arranged a rental car in San Antonio.  I have been doing good work the past few days.  Now I must contact Mr. Gaskell, the driver of the shuttle,  to pick us up at the airport.   I must also get in touch with Steven, the mechanic, to pick up the truck and make sure it is running properly.

While we are here,  Ken and I have invited our friends on a boat trip on the Reservoir.  A big boat can be rented and we have selected lunch on Saturday May 20.  I have ordered box lunches which Christina will pick up.  In addition, we have decided to have our pre Christmas party at the Yacht Club just down the road.  I have reserved the board room and the veranda and paid a deposit.  When we return in November I will decide on the food.  I always select the date as close to my birthday as possible but I never tell people it is my birthday.  This year,  being as I will turn 80, I might admit it and invite people to my 80th birthday party.  Worth celebrating.

I have been rolling along,  getting all our ducks in a row.  Nice to have everything in place.  Now we have several weeks in our lovely home to relax and enjoy ourselves.  Having all the planning behind you is always a good thing.

April 20, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Showers.

Every time I get in the shower I am grateful for plumbers, especially North American plumbers.  Perhaps it is because I did not grow up with showers.  We used the bathtub to get clean.  My generation must be the last people who lived without showers, at least in North America..   They never knew the joy of washing hair in the tub and putting their head under the running water.  But now when I shower, the water is always warm and the water pressure is adequate.  Now another requirement is hand holds.  Ken and I will not stay in a motel room that does not have safety bars in the shower.

The first time we visited Ireland when Andrew's soccer team toured and competed at tournaments, we stayed with the families who were hosting the team.  Our visit was splendid but we came home wishing that good North American plumbers would move to Ireland and fix their plumbing, which was primitive.    The next time we were there ten years later, all plumbing problems had ended.

When we moved into our Mississippi home, no shower worked well.  Wendy's shower did not function at all so she used our shower once, but the taps barely worked and the water pressure was so weak you had trouble rinsing your hair.  But the plumbers came and after two days, our problems were over.  Now Ken and I have the pleasure of using our perfect shower.  And we are grateful.

April 19, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Getting Smart.

Ken and I have been talking about how we would get to San Antonio driving in our new Subaru.  I can not drive at all and Ken has trouble with his legs if he drives much over an hour at a time so we have been laughing about how many days it would take us to drive the 10 hours to the lake house in Texas.   I have been wondering to myself that we should fly but then we have the problem with a vehicle.  This afternoon, Ken asked if we might be smart to buy a used 4 wheel drive vehicle to leave in San Antonio and fly to Texas.

Then we came to our senses.    We will rent a car for the 5 weeks we will be in Texas.  And we will fly from Jackson to San Antonio.  Unfortunately, we must change planes in Houston.  But this afternoon I ordered our flights.  We leave Jackson on May 21st.  And we used our AmEx points.

Ken has been having trouble finding a good flight to Halifax from San Antonio.  There are no direct flights but Ken was sure he could find a better way than flying through Newark.  Finally, he suggested this morning that I could talk to the travel department at American Express Platinum.  We have never used their services…until today.  I got on the phone with a nice man named Ron.  He has made all our arrangements.  We leave San Antonio on June 27, and stay overnight in Newark at the Airport Marriott., then fly to Halifax the next day.   We used United points to help defray the cost.  So now we are set.  Ken is no longer stressed and we pay American Express Platinum $39 per ticket.  Worth every penny.  So we are certainly getting old but we also are getting smart.

April 18, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Josie.

Josie sends me two cards every year, one for Easter and one for Thanksgiving.    And she always takes the time to write a note.  Her card on Saturday was telling me how proud she was of her grandchildren, telling of graduations and college acceptances.    I was delighted to hear of their progress but I was especially proud of Josie and her children.

Many times when you look at a person you see only the dress and manor with no clue how difficult life had been for them.  We have all seen it.  A person who appears to be living a wonderful life when in reality, times are difficult.  Josie was a young woman living in a big house with four young children and her attorney husband.  Then her husband died.  Josie sold their big house and moved into a small rental and took a job as a receptionist.  She got the boys involved in scouting.  And she raised those children well.  They have all become responsible adults.  Josie deserves to be pleased with her grandchildren.  And I never heard a word of complaint from her.

Josie was of an age when she could retire.  When I pressed to ask why she was continuing to work, I was told that when she first was eligible for Social Security,  she received her cheques and deposited them in the back.  Several years later, she was told that she was being overpaid and she needed to pay back the extra money, so she worked out an arrangement whereby she could pay back the government a bit each month.   Although she was old enough to retire, she needed a pay cheque.  I shut my mouth about having her retired.  Again she said nothing about her difficulties.  She just did her duty.

Our committee at the office wanted to buy a fancy coffee machine.  I objected because the machine needed high maintenance.  Josie heard and assured me that the machine would be properly cleaned.  Every morning she was early to work and for the rest of her working days, that coffee machine never broke down, thanks to Josie.  Her hours were from 8 to 4, but most days she was at work by 7, getting the office ready for the day, removing cups from the conference rooms and of course, attending to the coffee machines.  Hats off to Josie who alway kept a positive attitude.  Life was not easy for Josie but you would have never known.

April 17, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Surprise Surprise.

Who would have ever thought that the Nashville Predators have beaten the Chicago Blackhawks two games in a row.  And Chicago has not scored a goal.  In fact, the Predators goalie has had two assists, which is more than any Chicago player.    Chicago with it's high powered offense was expected to sweep the series.    But Chicago has a habit of coming back and winning the series.  Tonight they play again, this time in Nashville where it will be noisy.  The series is not over.

The wise men of hockey were also predicting that the Washington Capitals would sweep the Toronto Maple Leafs in their series.  Instead, the Maple Leafs have won two games, for one to Washington.   Toronto has not been in a playoff game for many years so the whole city is alive with enthusiasm.  Thousands of folks were outside the stadium watching the game on a big screen.    The crowd went crazy when the Leafs won the game.   They just might win the series.  We will see.

I am always pleased that I do not gamble.  Trying to predict who will win and who will lose is not easy.  But it is fun, especially if you were from Toronto.  Keep your seat.  More is coming.

April 16, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. An Easter Feast.

The setting was perfect.   The Creath family along Ken and I and another friend Sue enjoyed our Easter dinner sitting on the large back porch overlooking the yard and pool.  The temperature at 78 made us comfortable and there were no bugs.  The back yard was at Linda's home.    She wanted us all to gather at her home for Easter, but son Nelson and daughter Christina felt it was too much work so they convinced her to have us dine casually, which we did.   We used paper products which made it easier for everyone.

The food was unusual and delicious.    I am used to eating lamb for Easter but dining outdoors using paper plates made that impossible.  We ate a chicken pasta caesar salad, made by Katey and a large tossed salad prepared by Linda.   Along with hot bread our dinner eaten at 1:30 was delightful and unusual.

For dessert we ate chocolate cake and ice cream, eaten sitting around the breakfast table.  I was not aware but this meal was also a birthday celebration for both Nelson and Christina.  We sang and they opened presents from Linda.

I am a scrooge with Easter gifts and bunnies so I took no gifts for anyone, which was a mistake.  Ken and I left with a large fancy chocolate egg from Katey and a chocolate cross from Linda, presented in a pretty bag.  Once again, I was an uncouth Canadian.  Next year I will do better.  Our Easter feast was delicious and different, which always pleases us.  Hats off to Linda.

April 15, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Heritage.

Ken has been having lots of fun tracing his ancestry.  He reports that the internet has gotten better and better over the past few years.  And he has looked at other relatives too. One of Irene's ancestor lived in Nova Scotia.   On Ken's mothers side, he has been able to trace the family back many hundreds of years.  Up till the past few years, he has said he was of Irish, Scottish descent.  But he found relatives  on his family tree who were English, French and Dutch.  Horrors.

Today on the internet he received the results of his saliva test telling his heritage, which turns out to be 75% Scots/Irish, 23% Scandinavian and 2% Sardinian.  Now how did that Italian person get into his family genes?  Very interesting.

Ancestry.com provides the service.  You pay them money and they give you instructions.  After you send in your saliva, the lab checks your genetics and sends you the results.  It is all high tech and fancy.  Also fun.  Even ten years ago, this technology was unavailable.  But not anymore.  What a wonderful world we live in.

April 14, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Easter Customs.

One thing I love on the morning of Good Friday is being able to stay in bed.  For years, I attended  Sun Rise  Service at a local park.  The  churches would gather together for a group service and the Salvation Army Band and Songsters were always asked to take part.   The drill was always the same whether I was in Canada or Maryland.  I recall many mornings being cold and damp, so we were always ready to go inside for the breakfast served by the ladies of the church.   This morning while I was in bed watching the sunrise, I was pleased to be almost 80, where I could stay snuggled in my warm bed.

Rabbits and Easter eggs were never part of my upbringing.  And we did not buy new fancy clothes.  Easter was a religious, joyous event.    When the boys were a bit older, I realized that more was expected of us at Easter, so we had Easter Egg Hunts and chocolate rabbits and Easter gifts.  We always ate ham at Easter too although I do not know why.   One Easter we were staying with David and Suzanne and the girls.  For the first time, I realized how Easter should really be celebrated in the United States.  My children were deprived.

I have reverted to my old ways of not being fancy at Easter.  I have purchased no chocolate bunnies or eggs.  But I still treat Easter as a joyous event at the heart of the Christian faith.  That is enough for me.  My grandchildren may not be pleased with my Easter Customs but they will understand that chocolate rabbits have nothing to do with Easter, at least in my life.

April 13, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Playoffs.

I love playoffs.  There is something about the building to the championship that appeals to me.  And I enjoy the extra effort shown by the players.  Last evening, the hockey playoff season started.  I know who I want to win.

I have no faith in the Capitals to win the cup or to even get into the final.  In the past, they fold in the second round.  Tonight when their game started against the Maple Leafs, the Caps. were quickly down two goals.  The game is now tied.

Through the season, I have enjoyed watching the Chicago team.  They skate fast and play hard but they are now down one goal to the Nashville Predators, a team that always surprises us.  I predict that Chicago will win in the west, eventually.

Last year, the Pittsburgh team won the Stanley Cup.  They are a fine team but have been beset by injuries.  I still think they will beat the Capitals again and will go on to play for the championship.  I predict Chicago will win the Cup.

I would love to see the Washington Capitals go on to win this year.  They have an excellent team.  During the season, they play fast and they have fun, but in the playoffs they look like stilts trying to skate.  They try too hard and get tight.  I have no faith they will win.

Last year, no Canadian team got into the playoffs.  This year, 5 made it.  But three Canadian teams lost last evening so it may be a short lived playoff season.  When I went to bed last night, Edmonton was ahead 2 goals but I saw today they lost by one goal to SJ.They were a team that just might be able to get beyond the first round but maybe not.  I will enjoy keeping track of the series even though I will not watch whole games.    Too much sitting.  I love those playoffs.

April 12, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Spring.

Elizabeth loves the Spring.  The thing she likes about it is the hopefulness.  And the variety in the greens.  The wildflowers are popping up everywhere.  And she says that every day more flowers come up in her garden.   "Spring is my favorite time of year," says Elizabeth.

Birds are everywhere.  Ken has refilled every feeder.  I know that we should not feed the birds when we are not here all year.  The birds become dependent on our seeds, then we stop feeding them.  But we like to watch them up so close.   The problem with birds in the Spring is that they move on and fly north.  When we arrived, we saw many white birds in the middle of the reservoir diving for dinner.  Every day I watched and every day I tried to find out their name.  I knew they were terns but I could never figure out what type, even with the binoculars.  They were too far away.  Now they are gone.

We still have the large white birds with the black tips on their wings.  I also have no clue what they are but at least they are still here.  Again they stay well out in the middle of the reservoir.   A pair of Canada Geese nested beside our dock.  We see them paddling around with their three goslings up and down the shore.  One of the geese has taken to sitting on top of the gazebo on the lower deck watching us while we sit on the deck.  It is a pretty sight.

The trees are now in full leaf.  Even the Lazarus tree provides shade.   Spring is an exciting time of the year.  And it is pleasant too.  Not too hot or not too cold.  I am enjoying my Springtime in Mississippi.

April 11, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Madison, Mississippi. The wash Out.

Last week we had a big storm.  A very big storm with lots and lots of rain, up to 12 inches over night.  Rice Road was flooded the next day and several folks were evacuated from their homes in boats, but there was little damage.  Trees were not down, just lots of small branches and leaves.  And we never lost power.

We live on a bluff so the next morning Ken inspected our back yard to see the damage.  We were fine but our neighbors in the big house had a washout.  A big washout.  Until this afternoon, I had not gone down to see the damage.  What a mess.

The neighbors home was built with a two car garage.  The home is grand.  The owners are young for this neighborhood and have lived there for 6 years.  Before they moved in, they built a 4 car garage  into the side of the bluff.  On the lower level is an apartment with a lovely half circle porch overlooking the water.   Shrubs and ground cover  went to the edge of the water.  On the other side was a set of stairs going down to their dock, which came from the main house as well as the garage.

Right now, the earth has disappeared from in front of the balcony of the new construction.  The stairs are barely standing but everything is gone.  If we have another heavy rain more soil will erode and the next thing to go would be the balcony.  It appears that work has started to make repairs.  I just hope they complete the construction soon.  The wash out looks ominous.

April 10, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Miss. Tomlinson.

The other day I was looking through my old writing case and came upon letters written to me over the years from Miss Tomlinson.   The letters are short, many written on a card and span many years.   I must have saved a dozen letters from her out of the many I eceived.  I have notes about Andrew's birth and from just before she died.  Her image in my mind brought back a huge number, reminding me of my grandmother and more importantly, old time teachers.

Miss. Tomlinson lived in Peterborough, Ontario, where we also lived for 5 years.   She taught my brother in the fourth grade as well as Sunday school and she became a dear friend of my grandmother.  They were cut from the same cloth: both well educated and literary, true proper Victorian ladies but spirited   I do not know where they met but probably at The Salvation Army, where my father was in charge of the Corps.  My grandmother and Miss. Tomlinson exchanged letters every month until my grandmother died.   She always spoke of my grandmother as "my drear friend Mrs. Houghton".

Miss. Tomlinson was of an age when the only job for an unmarried clever lady was to be a teacher or a nurse.   She chose teaching.  Perhaps that was why we kept attached all those years because I became a teacher too.   From reading her notes, I could tell we had discussed our latest books and journeys.  She was a well read lady even when she was old.  When she was mostly house bound, she loved me to tell her what we had gone and done.  She was quite a lady.  And she loved the children.

I am reading Van Loones Lives, a book she gave to me when she died and wanted me to read.  I am finally doing as I was told.  She was an old fashioned gracious lady.  And she loved teaching.  I was so pleased to re-read her wise words.   She was one of a vanished kind.

April 9, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Neighbors.

Our neighbors on the left side are pleasant friendly people.  But we do not see them much.  Since we moved in two years ago I have seen them 5 times, two of them were when I took over pecans for Christmas.   Another was when she brought us half an ice cream cake to welcome us to the neighborhood.    One problem is our schedule.  They spend 6 months in North Carolina while we are only here spring and fall.

Friday,  I was just heading out for my walk when they pulled into their driveway.  She was her normal friendly soul and we chatted.  She promised that soon she would invite us over for a glass of wine.    I laughed because she had said that before but I told her it would be lovely.  Yesterday I received a text invitation.  On short notice, she was inviting neighbors over for a drink on Sunday at 5:00.

The event was lovely as is their home.  We got to know 5 new neighbors so we were pleased.  It was interesting to note that everyone was born and raised in Mississippi, which is very different from Maryland and DC where people are from all over the country.  And they were all interesting people.

When we moved to Bethesda I noted quickly that when folks had lived in Bethesda for a long time, their social calendar was full.  They were not interested in making new friends.  They had no time.  We made good friends and we were active socially but always with people who had settled in Bethesda recently.  The same is true with Jackson people except we are an exception.  Very few people move to Jackson.  At our age, we do not want much of a social life so we are fine but it is interesting to note that two years after we moved into the neighborhood, we are meeting neighbors for the first at a social event.  The event was pleasant but I noted that their living room looks right out onto our deck.  I must remember not to go out in skimpy clothes!!

April 8, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Linda D.

Linda is a friend of mine and has been since 1972.  But in addition, she has been important to my life in several different ways.  She and her husband and 2 children lived across the street from us in our first home in Bethesda.  Billy played with the boys and Linda and I played tennis together.  After 3 years they moved to Rock Creek Hills  in Kensington but we still got together.  I was in graduate school while Linda spent  a lot of time at Columbia Country Club.  We operated in different worlds but we were good friends.

Then one day Linda called me to say that her friend Robin, who was a real estate agent, had just listed a big split level house in poor condition in Rock Creel hills in Kensington.  She thought we should buy it.  Ken and I were not even thinking about a bigger house, but to humor her I went to look at it.  I told Ken how awful it looked.  Our Bethesda house was charming and in excellent condition while the new house was a wreck.  But when Ken saw it we decided to buy it and we did.  We fixed it up and it turned out to be a wonderful family home.  Linda was responsible for getting us in the door.

Two years later, I was finishing graduate school so I was thinking about a job.  Linda knew this.  Linda and her husband had purchased a summer property in Maine.  Linda wanted to renovate.  Her husband did not.  Linda invited me out for lunch.  We drank a liter of wine.  During the lunch, she suggested we get our real estate license together and work for the same company.  She wanted to sell three houses a year so she could pay for the Maine house.   And she thought I might like to do the same.  We filled out our applications right then and there and we took the class together.

The next thing we did was interview brokers to see where we wanted to work.  Neither of us were prepared to have anyone dictate to us our hours or responsibilities so most of the brokers we rejected. But we selected a small firm, Thomas and Kelly.  After a few months, I suggested to Ken that if I did my job well, I could contribute to the family coffer which I did.  I went on to have a full blown and lucrative career in real estate, while Linda continued to sell three or four houses a year.  But Linda was responsible for me getting into the real estate business.

Linda retired the same year as me and they still spend summers in Maine.  Linda and I are good friends except I never see her.  But I have always been grateful for her contributions to my life and the life of my family.  No telling what I would have done without her.

April 7, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Playoffs.

This is an exciting time.  Tonight the women's Gold medal championship in hockey between Canada and the US is being played.  The score is tied at 2 all.  At the same time, the world championship men's curling is being played between Canada and some other country.  We can not watch it on our TV, which is irritating.

At the same time, in the NHL world, right now,  the Montreal Canadians are playing the Tampa Bay Lightning.  If Tampa Bay does not win, they are finished for the season and they are out of the playoffs.  Montreal has nothing to work for other than pride because they are in the playoffs and they have won their division.  A the moment, Tampa Bay is winning.  Toronto must win one more game to get into the playoffs.  They have games on Saturday and Sunday .  Surely they will win at least one game.  We want them in the playoffs.

In addition, the baseball season has started so every night if I wish, I could watch baseball.  Yesterday, Toronto won their first game.  I follow the teams in Toronto, Washington and Pittsburg.  And I have already watched and enjoyed a bit of The Masters golf tournament.  High drama for the rest of the weekend.

Now we look forward to the playoffs in both hockey and basketball.  I only pay attention to the San Antonio Spurs.  But we will watch lots of hockey, hoping that the Washington Capitals get past the second round.   Indeed, this is a very exciting time of the year in the world of sports.

April 6, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Bird Feeders.

When we arrived here from Mexico we had none.   For two years we have lived without them but now we have four, two at the front and two in the back.   Everywhere we have lived we have enjoyed bird feeders.   Ken has set them up where I could watch and he was the one to fill them with seeds.  With binoculars at hand and the bird book close by, we began our education of identification.   Even at the condo in Mississippi we installed a feeder in the bushes in front of the window.  We could sit on our patio and see the birds only 6 feet in front of us, but only if we stayed very still.

We brought that feeder with us but it was put into the garage and we forgot all about it.  Ken ordered a small feeder for the front close to the fountain.  It took two days for the birds to find it.  Now the little birds not only eat the seeds but they take a drink at the top level of the fountain.  I can watch from the kitchen windows.  Then Ken remembered that we brought a feeder with us and found it and installed it to the right of the walk.  I know the birds are eating at the feeder but so far I have not seen them.  One wood thrush was eating berries beside the feeder.  Pretty bird.

"This feeder is bigger than I thought it would be," said Ken when he opened the box.  They attach to the deck railing and swing out over the foliage below.  Clever and new to us.  But big.  Yesterday he installed the one and today another one came for the other side.  So far the birds have not discovered the food. Or perhaps they are too close to the house.  We will see.  But for sure, we will enjoy watching the birds at our bird feeders.  Another one of life's simple pleasures.

April 5, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. The Lazarus Tree.

The first time we looked out the window at the reservoir we noticed many trees between us and the water.  It was early March so most trees already had their leaves,  but one tree had no leaves at all.  Ken immediately noted that that tree was dead and would need to be taken down.  I agreed.  The tree looked dead.  

We settled on our purchase in early April.  The next time we looked carefully out the window we noticed leaves coming on our dead tree.  Our tree was coming to life.  Ever since, Ken has called the tree The Lazarus Tree.   The type of tree was not familiar to us so the first man who came to give us an estimate on tree trimming told us the type of tree but we have forgotten.  We forget to ask our yard man who maintains the property what this tree is called.  Several folks visiting us have asked about the tree.  We always say it is a Lazarus Tree and carry on with the conversation.  They do not even look puzzled.

Just now, the leaves are beginning to open up on The Lazarus Tree.  It is a pretty southern  tree and we like it.  We are certainly glad we did not take it down because that tree is very much alive.  The leaves come late and are late loosing their leaves in the autumn so we have a long time when we have morning shade from the trees.  The Lazarus Tree along with all the others 32 trees are pretty and practical.   Perfect for The South.

April 4, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Where Can It Be?

Both Ken and I remember buying a bottle of stuff when we bought the fountain.  The instructions from the owner was to use it on a regular basis.  Of course, we forgot.    When we arrived here from Mexico, Ken noticed algae in the fountain so he looked on line to order a bottle,  but fortunately, he remembered.  We talked and both agreed.  We bought a bottle and it must still be in the house.

Ken looked in all the reasonable places.  Then he searched in the ridiculous places but no avail.  He could not find that bottle.  We have several drawers and cabinets that are empty so he searched again but this time in every empty drawers and cabinets along with everyplace else.  And I looked.  I looked in the places I felt sure we would have put that stupid bottle but my best efforts were in vain.  I could not find that bottle.  Ken was ready to give up and order another bottle, which was not such a big deal as the cost of a new bottle came to $12.  He decided to wait another day.

In the middle of the night, Ken came to the kitchen to clean out his ears with warm vinegar.  He keeps his stuff beside the sink.  He turned on the lights right over the sink.  They are bright and we seldom turn on those lights.   In plain sight, on the counter beside the coffee maker was the lost bottle.   All along, our lost bottle was in plain view.  We remembered the conversation about where we should put that bottle so we would remember but neither of us recalled putting the bottle beside the door to the garage.   Ken had searched the garage and workshop.  We think what happened was that Ken intended to keep the bottle in his workshop and put it by the back door but it never moved.  Now we are keeping it there for the next time.    It is a marvel to me how we actually saw that bottle every day but we never saw it.    It was hiding in plain view.

April 3, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. The Storm.

What a storm.  Even for Mississippi it was a big one.  But the best part is our house, which is perfect in a big storm.  The lightning flashes across the water making the whole lake light up.   On the water side you see only windows so we can watch the storms come and go.  This storm last evening and all night ended up as a series of intense storms that swept through one after another.  Beginning at 8:00 pm, we would have 30 minutes or so of intense rain, lightning, thunder and wind.  Then a lull followed by another storm even bigger than the last.  And it continues all night until 7:00.

The wind in this house is the best part.  It is loud and it roars.  The sounds come and go.  Just when you think the wind has stopped, the next roar can be heard.  I have never heard anything like it.  It is worth being here during a storm just so you can heard the wind.

The rain was torrential.  Rice Road was flooded this morning with water on both sides of the road as well.  Places around us had 12 inches of rain last night.  But we were high and dry in our home.  Much to my surprise we never lost power.  We had flashlights ready and close at hand.   The best place to be during a storm is at home and the best house to be in is our home.  It is a perfect spot to ride out the storms.

April 2, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Technology.

Modern technology is wonderful, except when something doesn't work.   Then we wonder how we ever functioned before the item first landed in our lap.  The fact that is interesting to me is what a short amount of time these items have become indispensable.   Take texting for instance.  For years we talked on the phone connected to the wall.  Then we got car phones, which soon became cell phones.  And we talked on our cell phones all the time.  Next up was texting.  Now the young folks seldom talk on the phone but they text all day long.    Not being able to text to a friend is irritating.

I am thinking about technology because my iPad died.  I have ordered a new one which will be delivered tomorrow.  Then I must go to the Apple store to get it set up, which is not easy because Ken must drive.  I was foolish.   Before my iPad died I should have ordered a new one.  My iPad was not working totally properly but I was never sure it was the operator, not the machine.  But now the five year old machine will not turn on, which is irritating.

 I can read my e mails on my phone or computer, but neither pleases me, so I want my new fancy iPad which is faster and brighter and where I can sit in my comfortable couch to read and respond in comfort.   And I am opening my own account.  In order to facilitate the paying of the bill, we have had only one bill which is payed by Ken.  But for some reason, all my ordered books became co-mingled with Ken's books so most of the time I can not even find my down loaded books.  This time I will have my own account where our books can not possibly get mixed together.  In the future, when my iPad begins to act up, I am going to just order another one immediately.  Living without my iPad for even a week is just too difficult for this old lady.   I need modern technology!!

April 1, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. The Musicale.

Imagine your talented friends and relatives are asked to your home to sing and play.  Then you invite other friends and relatives to come and hear the music.  In addition, goodies are set out on the dining table before and after the concert.  This adds up to a spectacular musical experience at the home of Eleanor and Jim, their third Musicale but the first one for us.  In the past we were out of town.   The evening was quite remarkable.  Amazing really.

Several things impressed me. The quality of the musicians was high.  We had singers and guitar players, one violin player and three playing the piano, ten items in all.  The organization was impressive.  The tables were set up in the living room, library and dining room.  And the goodies set out on the dining table were delicious.  Many many people had come for the Musical, by rough count around 100.  In total, the evening was impressive.   It makes me think we should all be holding musical events in our homes.  Being so close to the musicians was delightful.  I was thrilled with the whole evening.  Now I look forward to the next one.