November 7, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. Dress/Nightshirt.

Last Friday Christina and Molly stopped by after school. We started this habit last Spring. I still had boxes and boxes of chocolate treats, left over from Ken, is I invited Molly to come for a treat or two. We all three enjoyed this short visit. And Molly always took a treat home for Kate. I still have one box of goodies so I invited them to come on Friday. Also I had my list of questions for Christina. They were coming after 3:00. I read all morning, still wearing my night shirt and long robe. I intended to shower and dress after lunch. But the AC man called to say he was on the way. By now it was 2:15. Just as he was leaving, Lanny the yard man came to the door to chat. I had not seen him since my arrival so he wanted to be sure I was all right. He is a very nice young man. He wanted to chat. His only daughter is being married this weekend so he was excited and wanted to tell me everything. I enjoyed our conversation but by the time he left it was almost three o'clock. I rushed into the shower and hoped that Christina and Molly would not arrive with me in the shower. I got lucky but I knew I needed to dress quickly. I put on a pair of light weight blue and white stripped pants. I looked at the shelves of T shirts and spotted a shirt that seemed to be blue and white. I had no recollection of ever seeing that shirt but I put it on because it matched my pants. But the shirt came just above my knees. I have another long shirt that I wear with pants so I put it on. But I did not remember buying that shirt/dress. I could not find the second nightshirt given to me by Suzanne and David last Christmas, so when Kashina was working on Sunday, I asked her about my nightshirt. She immediately went to the shelves with the shirts. But it was in the laundry. The dress I wore when Christina and Molly came over was actually that lost nightshirt. It was certainly comfortable. When I put it on I thought it was blue and white to match my pants. Turns out is is black and white. I am wearing it now. Next time Kashina folds the laundry she will put that nightshirt in the proper drawer. I got fooled.

November 6, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. Good News/Bad News.

My day did not start out well in the Radiology Department of Baptist Hospital. I was on a cot while the technician was checking my glucose level, which was too high to take the test. I asked him to take it again. It went down a bit. I continued to will the number down and asked him to take it again. Bingo. My numbers were low enough to proceed with my scans. But now I have the bad news that my glucose level is high. Next he tried to put in an IV to inject the dye for the test but he was unable to accomplish the task at my elbow. Next he tried my hand, which actually hurts. But he finally got it done. The rest of the test was routine. Next I met Dr. Sheehan, my Oncologist, after having my blood drawn at the lab. The report was excellent. My scan is unchanged from the last one. So all is well. My blood counts are also fine. David calls me cured. I am now on a 6 month schedule for scans. And the good doctor finally agreed to think about me shedding some weight. Up until now, she did not want to hear losing pounds as it is too hard on the body. She wanted me with no stress. Now she agrees to have me, very slowly, reduce my big body. And I do not need to see her until next May, when I will be less fat. I must do something about my glucose level. My solution is to reduce weight and increase walking. Dr. S. was not concerned actually. She thought I looked great. So good news with the scan and bad news with the glucose level. Nothing is perfect.

November 5, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. Christmas.

I like to plan ahead. Today, Bradley installed the outside lights. He forgot to set the timer so they did not go on tonight but tomorrow he will turn on the timer so tomorrow evening my entrance will new bright and cheery. Christina unplugged her lights until Thanksgiving, which makes sense.. The Christmas cards are signed and the address labels attached to the envelopes. Tomorrow I begin to address the envelopes. The bags for the girls and Christina have been done and are in my closet awaiting the delivery. Goodies have been ordered for the Texas and Mississippi families. I send them food from several different catalogues. I like to give gifts that keep coming such as the fruit of the month boxes. At the end of the dining table I have set out items that I need to take to Ontario, things I might forget at the last minute, such as gloves and wool socks. The day to board the plane will come quickly, especially at this busy time of the year so I want to be ready without being rushed. And rumor has it that new flannel sheets will be on the bed of the guest room I will be using in Ancaster. I will be warm and cosy during my visit. Christmas is coming and I will be ready.

November 4, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. Devotion.

When I turned 70, I decided to write a simple blog. I wrote it for the grandchildren would find about us, after we were dead and gone. I knew my grandmother well but as I got older, I had many questions that I should have asked while she was alive. So I wrote the blog for my heirs. At the end of the first year, Regina offered to bind the years writings. And she always made three copies, one for me and one each to the two families. Betty S. worked her magic to be sure the pages were in the correct order. When I retired, Betty told Christina what needed to be done, and Christina has been doing that task ever since. It was always my intention to write the blog for ten years but I was encouraged to keep it going, which I have done. In just a few days I will receive a package containing three copies of my blog from 2018. Christina will have sent the information and Regina will bind it. That is devotion by both Christina and Regina. This will be 12 years of binding. I turn 82 in just a few weeks. I have not worked with Regina for several years but she still performs that task for me. I call that devotion and I am grateful.

November 3, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. " Margarita's Gridiron Adventure."

Margarita Jurovic is the author of of this book. I have not read the book but I watched her interviewed on the PBS program called Conversations. I was charmed by the whole thing so I will get the book. Margarita is from Slovenia. She has two masters degree and a law degree. Her advisor in Slovenia suggested that she might do well to study in the US. As her professor had contacts with the U.of Mississippi law school in Jackson, she thought it a good idea. She expected to be here for 6 months, then return to Slovenia to work. But she stayed two years and completed her PhD in law along with this book. Her main professor and advisor here was also a big football fan so he and his wife took her with them to games. Her first game was between 7 and * year olds. The professor's grandson was on the team. She was terrified with the violence and commented that in Slovenia it would be child abuse. She said that her legs were shaking the whole time. But she came in learn the culture of football, so she wrote the book. Because her professor was well connected she was able to stand on the side lines along with the teams. She watched many college and high school games but only one professional game, played by the Saints which she did not enjoy. David and I have had many discussions over the past years over the future of football. David thinks there is no future. The concussions are too severe as are the injuries. I think the game as it is played is not much fun due to all the flags. Almost every play at both college and pro games have a penalty. So the games are tedious. But Margarita learned to love the game. She was charming during the interview. Marshall Ramsey, the host of the show, enjoyed the book so I feel sure I will enjoy it too, which is all about the culture of football as seen by a young lady from Slovenia.

November 2, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. Alterations.

Last Spring, Kashina and I shopped at Target. I needed more light weight casual tops and pants. As I would not try on the garments, I purchased by size, at least until I got home. The tops were fine. A couple were too big but better too big then too small. As I was already wearing shorts, I never put on the long pants until now. One pair I purchased was so casual that the bottoms were just cut off at the bottom. And two pair were too long, so on Wednesday, Kashina and I went to my favorite seamstress, the one who is almost always closed. A couple of years ago, she and I had a conversation about retiring bit by bit, but last year her hours were impossible. Fortunately I laundered the both pair before I went to take them for alterations just in case they had shrunk. I am always so impressed with this lady. She keeps a comfortable couch in her store so if necessary you must wait, at least you would be comfortable. But what impresses me the most is the 12 foot rack of clothes that she either has altered or will be doing soon. And she has many fancy gowns all set for the holiday season. I asked her about the fancy clothes on the rack and she told me that the biggest part of her business is making and altering prom dresses and wedding gowns. That would scare me to death. She asked me to try on the pants, which I did and discovered that the black pants had shrunk so much they did not need shortening. But the beige pair was shorter when I first tried them on, but still needed cutting off and hemming. We will pick them up next Wednesday and will be ready for me to wear. I paid her $10. I am so impressed with this lady who works all day at her needles and her machines, of which she has three. And I always wonder how they charge so little money. But I am also grateful. and I do not intend to have a discussion with her about her cost. And I hope she stays open regular hours. Last year her hours were ridiculous but this year she took so much heat she is keeping longer hours. Once I had a conversation with Barbara at The Road Kill Cafe. I urged her to raise her prices on the menu. She doubled the prices. From then on, Ken has admonished me to shut my mouth. And I had taken his advice once again.

November 1, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. 42nd Street.

I had never seen 42nd Street. I knew all about it, had read the reviews of the revival and knew a movie was made from the revival, but I never was able to see it in real life. The reason I was so impressed with the show was the amount of tap dancing, which I love. Finally, I saw the movie on PBS on Masterpiece Theater. I loved every minute. Ken would have hated it. He never enjoyed tap dancing and this musical is full of tap dancing. And the dancing was superb. PBS fooled me. I thought the two and a half show was part of the fund raiser so expected to get my dinner during their sales pitches. But I did not realize until the movie started that Masterpiece is not a fund raiser so I was very late getting dinner. But my time was well spent as I enjoyed the whole thing. I have no idea who played in the movie but they were good. Now I have finally seen 42nd Street. Lots of well known songs were in the show. The singing was good too. People are so talented. Next up for me is Carousel, another show I have not seen. And I must watch to see when PBS puts on The King and I, which they will be doing soon. It almost makes me send PBS some money. I certainly was pleased to watch 42nd Street.