November 30, 2011. Canyon Lake, Texas. The Waiting Room.

I was by far the youngest person in the waiting room room of a dermatologist  office.    It was fascinating to observe the interaction and the conversations all afternoon.   Ken and I arrived early for his appointment with the surgeon, who was going to cut off the cancer on his nose.  It was diagnosed in Jackson but we were leaving too soon to make an appointment in Mississippi so after many phone calls, Ken arranged to have the surgery in San Antonio.  It was complicated as a Pathologist  and a plastic surgeon were required to be available.

My corner seat allowed me to observe everyone in the room and I was careful to keep my nose buried in my book so I did not engage in any conversation, but everyone in the room talked to each other all afternoon.   For over four hours I watched and listened to all these old folks who were also having cancers removed.   They had just met but they shared their life stories, told of their careers, discussed the state of their activities, observed the additional traffic these days but never talked about their health or their skin cancers.   They were all cheerful and grateful even though it was a long afternoon.  I just wished they would keep quiet so I could read.  I was not looking forward to the next twenty years of Dermatologists offices.

November 29, 2011. Canyon Lake, Texas. Basketball.

This afternoon we will attend two basketball games, one for Abigail and one for Sarah.  I am very excited. One thing I will look for is how much they have changed since last year.  Children grow at different rates and sometimes the youth who was the star last year is clumsy now so it will be interesting to see the team members.  Basketball is a wonderful game because the game changes as the child grows and skill level improves.  High school basketball is actually a more interesting game than at the professional level and is especially fascinating with middle school kids such as Abigail and Sarah.

I will be a typical grandmother and will cheer them on but I also will evaluate the play of all the other girls. Once you are a PE teacher,  you are always a PE teacher and I will evaluate the coaches too.  But I will keep this all to myself and spend my time smiling  and enjoying the play and of course, hoping the girls win!!

November 28, 2011. Canyon Lake, Texas. The Sunny Day.

It is a beautiful day at the lake in Texas.  The sun is shining and the temperature is seventy degrees.  The lake is calm.  Soon, I will go for a walk around the loop by the house.   A bright sunny day, followed by an overcast windy day looks especially appealing.   One summer, Ken and I worked in Arizona at a camp, where every day the sun was shining.  After a bit, we never even noticed the sun, we just stayed out of the direct sun and searched for shade at every opportunity.   Soon we returned to Ontario where a bright sunny day was appreciated, especially in the autumn colors.

Our life here at the lake is pleasant, especially as we are only forty-five minutes from David and Suzanne and the girls.  Yesterday we spent a wonderful but unremarkable day with the family in San Antonio.  I watched an episode of Antiques Roadshow with David.  The girls quietly got their school work ready while Abigail studied with a friend and Sarah watched the movie Titanic.  Mostly we sat in the lovely living room chatting and sipping wine, everyone coming in and out through out the day.   Allison and Samantha opened and put up many Christmas decorations.  Dinner was in the kitchen, eating left over ribs and chicken and sausage, along with salad.   Nothing fancy but delightful.   David served us a new port.

Ken says that every day is a Thanksgiving Day for us, but the days we spend with the family make us extra grateful for another Thanksgiving Day.

November 27, 2011. Canyon Lake. The Tudor Secret.

It is another rollicking historical novel, written by C.W. Gortner, the author of The Last Queen. I enjoyed it thoroughly.  Now I must refresh my memory about the sixteenth century.  I have studied English history but not for a long time and it is clear there are lapses in my knowledge. The mid century was a particularly difficult time for England, before Elizabeth became Queen, with the Tower of London in it's hay day.

Two characters in the book did become responsible for the Elizabethan intelligence system, thought to be one of the best ever in the world.  I knew this, so it was interesting to see them as main people in the book.  The protagonist is purely fiction but the others were based and named for real people, playing their own parts.   The whole book is one fast moving, interesting spy story, taking place in 1653.  Once again, I am so grateful I was born in 1937, and not 1637.  Now I must read some real history to learn what really happened!!

November 26, 2011. Canyon Lake, Texas. The Remote.

How times change.   From 1958 until 1968, we did not own a television set.   We were perfectly happy.  If something good was on TV, such as a hockey game, we were asked by friends to come to their home to watch the game.   Today, we carry our own satellite dish with us, including the remote control and the box.   Each home now has a new thin television set.

Today, we drove from the ranch to the lake house.  Ken set up the TV system and it worked like a charm, actually the first time it worked well the first time he turned it on.  But he was irritated to realize that he left the remote control at the ranch, so he called Dish TV and they are sending us a new one  by overnight courier.  We both laughed that we can not function without the remote.  How times change.

November 25, 2011. Harper, Texas. The Bunk House.

The wheels are all in motion.  The small house is being built by the Mennonites in Temple, Texas and will be delivered to the Kerrville store on Monday.   The place is 12x34.   Chris, the carpenter, will finish the interior,  and will install insulation, wood ceiling, beaded board on the walls, plus a full bathroom and the electricity and plumbing.  He will work on the house in Kerrville.  When complete, the building will be brought to the ranch and installed in it's rightful place, just behind the fire pit.

In addition, Allen Tascht, the septic man from Harper,  will put in the septic system and attach the water.  He already pushed over two trees to make way for the little house.

We hope it can be delivered before we leave for Mexico.  We will tell Robbie, our good neighbor, the proper location, just in case we can not be here when it arrives.  I would hate to have them leave it in the wrong place!!

Loren, our builder, recommend these buildings and assured us it would be cheaper than having it built on sight.   I am sure he was right.  Now it is up to all the players to do their part.  We have started all the balls rolling by ordering the work and signing over the deposit cheques.   We hope for the best.

Replacing the Carriage House