Feeling Lazy

It's a bright sunny day, and the outdoor thermometer says 90. It probably would be a good day for a walk outside, but my "get up and go" got up and went early in the afternoon. I don't know where my energy went, but it has definitely left the building.

I was fine this morning. After doing our morning podcast, we hit the grocery store to stock up on a few more things that had dwindled before our trip. It was a good day for sales on things I needed - after swiping my debit card for just over $60, I checked the receipt and saw that we had saved $41 and change. Not a bad shopping trip!

After the purchases were put away, I got to the cleaning. The bathroom was cleaned, the floors were vacuumed, and the dusting was done. By then I was glad I had picked up something from the deli for lunch! I also cut up some watermelon for dessert. After watching The Chew at noon, I did the necessary food prep on the groceries........cut up cheese for snacks, picked grapes off the stems so we can reach in the fridge and grab a handful, and sliced green peppers.

And since then - nothing. I have no desire whatsoever to get out of my chair. I know it would do me good to put on my walking shoes and get outside. Maybe I'll convince myself before supper time!

For everyone who's been following the Saga of the Laundry Room, here's the latest update. About a week before we went to Grain Valley, the plumbing people told us with any luck - and everything going right - the facilities should be working by Wednesday, June 11. No one was surprised when we headed to Grain Valley on the 15th and the new laundry room wasn't done.

We came back Sunday, June 22. When we left, the new machines were in place. That was it. Some progress had been made while we were gone. The new washers had been tested. And one started making noise once clothes were actually added. So it was unplugged, sent back, and replaced with another front-load washer. The three top-load washers were set up to cost $1.50 per load; the one front-load washer was set up to cost $1.

The dryers (which all cost $1) were checked out. They seemed to dry well, but they didn't shut off after 45 minutes as expected. They finally realized they were running for 1:15 and needed the timers re-set. I felt like the apartment manager and the maintenance guy were more gray every time I saw them this week! Since the "old" laundry facilities were still hooked up, I opted to do laundry in those machines rather than venture into the unknown downstairs.

The old washers and dryers were removed yesterday. And from what I understand, as of noon today everything had been properly regulated, with 3 new washers working - all for $1.50 each, instead of different costs for different models. And all four dryers are working and now shutting off after 45 minutes. Hopefully it won't take long to get that replacement washer delivered and installed, and we'll be to normal........whatever that is!!

And in the meantime, the maintenance guy is taking the next two weeks off as vacation. I can't say I blame him! This has been a pain for everyone. The two old laundry rooms need to be cleaned up, then the exercise equipment moved to the one on second floor and the beauty shop equipment moved to the third floor. Anyone want to take bets on how long it will be before that happens???

Specs

The other day I went down to Mom's apartment for something. When I walked in, she was sitting in her favorite easy chair, looking at her computer. Her nose was wrinkled into several different directions at once. I asked her what the problem was, and she told me that her glasses needed to be tightened and straightened. Being concerned that her nose not permanently stay in that position (remember when you used to make a face or cross your eyes and your elders would warn that you might freeze in that position?), I agreed to ferry her to the optometrist's office to get the glasses fixed.

We just came back from that little chore, and her glasses are fitting much better. I know we'll be back again - she has plastic frames, and the bridge is a little too big for her face. But it's a close drive, and a few of the employees are casual friends. It's always fun to catch up.

The trip to get the glasses fixed brought back memories of my getting glasses for the first time. I'd been saying for awhile that I thought I needed glasses. Since I'd played with Mom's glasses since I was little, the folks didn't pay much attention. They thought it was just the IDEA of glasses that I liked. In the spring of my 7th grade year, one of the local 4-H clubs sponsored a vision check at school. It wasn't fancy, just a chair in the music room with the perfunctory eye chart placed 20 feet away.  No big deal.

Except - I couldn't see a lot of it. They checked one eye, then the other, and then the two together. And Mom and Dad got a card from them saying it was imperative they take me in for an eye exam. That basic eye check showed me at 20/60 in the right eye and 20/100 in the left eye. Those numbers turned out to be generous.

Not long after summer break started, I went for my first eye exam. At that time, the local optometrist's office was just half a block off the square, in a basement office. The doctor was a really nice man, thorough and gentle - a real change of pace from the dentist we used! The only oddity I ever found in his personality was that he always talked about his product in a two-syllable word. He commented frequently about my needing to get gah-lohsses. As long as I knew him, the word "glasses" was stretched into two syllables. Mom could tell it amused me, and I was admonished to never lose it and laugh in his office. Quite a feat - I wasn't the most "PC" person as a teen!!

I went through several pair of gah-lohsses during junior high, high school, and college. Sometimes a prescription would only last a year before needing to be stronger....when the prescription managed to last two years, then the frames were held together with adhesive tape. I was not a quiet, delicate person.

Even throughout my adult life, I've considered myself lucky if I'm able to keep the same prescription for two years. I'd love to see how much money I've invested in eyeglasses over the years..........or maybe not, it might just be too sad! By my mid-40's I was in bi-focals, and I've now had tri-focals for nearly ten years. There are days I'm still not used to them! I tried contacts once, but I was allergic to the contact solution (even the hypoallergenic solution) and couldn't wear them.

Of course, I have three offspring who have eye issues. Two wear contacts, and the other is fortunate enough to not have to wear glasses all the time. We've gone from the basic plastic frames of my early teen years to the edgy wirerims of the early '70's....to the gigantic oversized glasses of the '80's. Those were a trip - my eyesight was so bad by then that those large lenses gave me the effect of seeing the world through a fancy camera equipped with a fish-eye lens! I had no depth perception whatsoever, and very little peripheral vision. I was glad when the '80's fashions were a thing of the past!

When the eye doctor with the gah-lohsses built a fancy new house at the edge of town, it was quite the event. He and his wife had the main part of the house, and there was a mother-in-law wing built on each end of the house for their mothers. Whenever we would drive by, Mom would comment that I had probably financially underwritten at least one of those wings! It's a distinct possibility.

Sweet Peas

We found so many fun things to do last week while we were house sitting for the kids. We were fortunate that almost everything we found to do had no cost - we paid $8 for one parking garage, and that was it. So many of the places we visited had beautiful flower gardens. I really enjoyed walking through them.

I do miss the flowers we had at the house. We had many plants that bloomed yearly - grape hyacinth, tulips, daffodils, wild violets, star of bethlehem, surprise lilies, elephant bush, morning glories. During our years there we also had lilacs, roses, snowball bush, and peonies. Most of those met their demise during upgrades to the house.

Every spring I would hit the garden center sales around Mother's Day and buy blossoming flowers to put in pots in the yard. In earlier years I would have hanging baskets on the front porch - once we put new siding on the house, I decided that keeping the siding in good shape was more important than hanging baskets. I always enjoyed petunias, impatiens, flowering moss - and when nothing else worked, I could always fall back on marigolds. I had such a soft spot for the flowers that were part of my life on the farm.

We had quite a large yard on the farm, so there was plenty of room for flowers. In the back yard where there had once been a small chickenhouse, Mom put in a flower garden that stayed pretty robust. There were all different kinds of flowers back there, but I have the strongest memory of orange oriental poppies.

There were a couple of rose of sharon bushes in the back yard, too. I remember the fun my cousins and I had pulling the blossoms off and playing with them - if you put two blossoms together at the stem end and held them together with a bobby pin, they would make a fancy southern lady. Who needed a doll to play with?

Dad was always having "good ideas". Sometimes they were - sometimes, not so much. When I was little, we had a milk truck that traveled the neighborhood and picked up milk from the farms with milk cows. Unlike today's large dairy farms, at that time a farmer could have a contract with the dairy and just sell a milk can or two of milk a week. It was a little extra income. Once the cows were milked, the milk was strained through a cloth, then put through a separator to separate the milk from the cream before being put in the milk can.

After we were no longer selling milk, Dad repurposed the cream separator into a flower planter. This was also in the back yard, usually filled with flowering moss. Along the north side of the house we had deep purple iris, and there were corn lilies along the road.

When I was small, Mom brought home a start for a lilac bush from one of Dad's aunts who lived in Coloma. That start was planted on the south side of the house, next to the cellar. That bush just grew and spread and had gorgeous fragrant blossoms. I loved it.

In the front yard we had more of Dad's "good ideas" - in front of the porch were four automobile tires that were filled with flowers.......and about halfway between the house and the edge of the yard were four more tires filled with flowers. These were good homes for petunias and marigolds, which came back year after year.

During my adolescent years I wanted to have my own flower garden. I picked out an assortment of flower seeds - probably from the Capper's Weekly paper or Grit magazine - and waited anxiously forthem to arrive. The folks helped me roughly measure off and get the flower bed ready. It was fun to watch the flowers come up and bloom - I enjoyed the pink cosmos, bachelor buttons, and asters. I don't remember what else was in that seed order, but I think there were about eight different varieties.

Of all the flowers we had in the yard, I think the sweet peas were Mom's favorite. Sweet peas resemble garden peas when they come up (and they would come up year after year), and ours were along the fence between the yard and the barn lot. The plants loved to climb up the fence, twining around the wire until they budded and bloomed. And when they bloomed, they were evidently a real taste treat - the cows loved reaching over the fence and eating them down to the ground. Rarely did we get to see the delicate pink blossoms for very long - those cows had great radar. And Mom had a pretty short fuse when it came to the cows and her sweet peas - the things she would say to and about those cows were never very complimentary.

Back To Routine

We're settled back in the apartment and our routine. It's good to be home, but we thoroughly enjoyed our time house sitting and turtle sitting while the kids took their cruise. The turtle was a good source of entertainment - I guess I wasn't expecting much, but she always seemed glad to see me when I went in to feed her. She seemed like she was missing her usual buddy. I'd walk in the door, and she'd swim to the side of the aquarium, poke her head up out of the water, and watch intently as I got her food ready. I was a little surprised to realize she had a personality.

We spent our days exploring the KC Metro area. I have a much clearer picture now of where things are and how to get around. We took a walk around the local neighborhood every  morning, then headed out on our adventures. We appreciated how easy everything was to access - we were just blocks from shopping, from multiple grocery stores, from restaurants. At home, we're in a small town with a few eating options, only one grocery store, and limited general shopping.

My favorite discovery of the week was the Nelson-Atkins Museum. The drive there was scenic and easily navigated. We could see the University of Missouri-Kansas City campus, Brush Creek, and other recognizable spots from the lawn of the Museum. We spent a bit of time going through some of the exhibits - others were left for another time. We enjoyed a picnic lunch outside......the outdoor sculpture will be explored on another trip.

One of the aspects of our time there was discovering parts of my kids' lives that I'm normally not a part of. Not only did we stay at older daughter's home, but we explored Burr Oak Woods - a local conservation area with a great nature center and walking trails that she and her kids use. We explored some of the area around son's home, finding and driving around some beautiful lakes that are just a few blocks from his spot. And younger daughter invited us to have lunch with her downtown, then took us to her office area.

After seeing her office, I really don't know how she gets any work done - it would be tough for me! She's on the 30th floor and has a cubicle on the southwest corner of that floor.....and the cubicle has windows looking both to the north and to the west. On a clear day she can see Kansas City International Airport in one direction and the Kansas Speedway in the other. She overlooks the Missouri River and the Downtown Airport and can follow the line of the River to the west to the building where her brother-in-law works. Pretty awesome. One KCI landing pattern goes by her window, and there are frequently helicopters flying by. I definitely would have trouble pulling myself back inside to work!!

We discovered how close some things are to one another, and how easy (relatively speaking) the Metro area is to navigate. By the end of the week we also realized that we'd had enough of converging highways and traffic! We opted to stay at the house all day on Saturday. It was a good day to straighten up, do our laundry, and get organized for packing on Sunday.

The grand finale on Sunday was attending the 9-year-old granddaughter's dance recital in Liberty. She's very active in her dance studio and was onstage six or seven times (at least) during the recital. She had her first solo this year, which was very impressive. Being a grandma, it bothered me when I noticed during her ballet number that her slippers were not tied. I'm not sure how that happened, but I was glad when the number was over and she was still on her feet!

I went up to the dressing room during intermission so she would know we were there. Once she was dressed for her first second-half number, she went back to the auditorium with me so she could see Grandpa. She just turned 9 last week, and we can see a big change in her during the past year. She's a lot more outgoing and conversant. And she's growing up way too fast!

We were glad to be home by 5 on Sunday night and got the car unloaded. By the time I unpacked the kitchen items, then the bathroom items, I was feeling pooped. I pulled my clothes out so I could put the suitcases and laundry bags where they belonged, but the clothes stayed where they were until Monday morning. Hubby started our time back home with an 8:30 dental appointment yesterday morning. As soon as he was home, I made the necessary trip to the grocery store. And with everything I picked up yesterday, I could almost make another trip today. It'll take a bit for the kitchen to recover from our time away.

It's nice to be back home, but I'd take a re-run of this past week again in a heartbeat. We only scratched the surface of "Discovering KC".

Ahhh-h-h-h!

It's a sunny, beautiful Friday - not a bad day for Friday the 13th. I went to a church garage sale with a friend this morning, then did some cleaning. It's been a nice day. And the good news is that we're on a mini-vacation next week. I've started making somewhat of a packing list. But since we'll just be going to Older Daughter's house and will have easy access to shopping, it's not the end of the world if we forget anything.

Even though we don't have a lot actually planned for next week, it feels good to know we have some days to do fun things. We've gone through the "things to do in Kansas City web sites and have a list of some places we'd like to visit. When I was looking up addresses, I realized that the things we're interested in are actually grouped in clusters. That will make it handy. We're looking forward to seeing some new places.

When I was a kid, I couldn't wait to grow up and be able to see different places. The summers got so long out there on the farm. Sometimes I would retreat to that place in my mind that was much more entertaining than reality. I would get my suitcase out and pack it for my "trip". There were a few times that I kept the clothes in the suitcase and dressed from it for a few days - until I got tired of not really being anywhere except my own bedroom.

Last year when we stayed in Grain Valley and babysat the grandkids, I realized that Older Daughter and her hubby's bed was built for someone taller than this short Granny. The first night we were there, I had to get a bit creative to get into bed. The next day, I found a solution - a family heirloom lovingly referred to as "the stump".

It's called "the stump", because that's exactly what it is - a piece of a tree stump. This was brought into the house by my maternal grandfather when my mother was just two years old (her 89-year-old brother remembers the event). My grandmother was really short, and they were living in a house that must have been a challenge for her.

For years, wherever my grandparents moved, the stump went with them. One time when they were moving, Grandma sold the stump in their moving sale. I'm not sure how long it was gone from the family, but several years later the next owner was moving and selling off their belongings, and Grandma reclaimed the stump.

When Grandma had to leave her retirement apartment and go to the nursing home, the stump came to live with Mom. Then when mom moved from the farm to her apartment, it came to live with me. When the kids and I moved back to Carroll County in 1993, the stump came along. When Hubby and I first started dating, he enjoyed Easter lunch with Mom and me in my apartment. When he made the mistake of admiring the stump, he immediately had two short women tell him in unisom, "You can't have it!" The irony of that is that Hubby's 6'3". He hardly needed the stump for any reason.

When Older Daughter moved to her first house, the stump went to live with her. Her son used it when he was smaller - he's now well outgrown his Mom. And now the Whirlwind stands on it when she helps cook. I'm really glad Daughter has the stump. It's carrying on a long (almost 82 year) family tradition. And because that family tradition is carried on, I can move the stump to her bedroom next week so I have an easy way to climb into bed.

Cabin Fever

This afternoon I was overcome with a bout of Cabin Fever. I shouldn't be surprised - I haven't been out of the building since Monday afternoon, unless you count walking from one back door to the other yesterday evening when Mom was locking up the building. I occasionally like to join her and we can catch up while I trail around after her.

Monday afternoon we got out just long enough to pick up some postage stamps and an ice cream cone. Tuesday was dark and rainy, and I was fine with staying in. Hubby had to get out for a dental appointment. Yesterday was pretty quiet and I felt no urge or need to get out. I did trail Mom while she locked up last night, because I thought perhaps I really should get outside the apartment at some point. I'd picked up our mail in the morning, but that was the extent of venturing out.

This morning was dark and rainy again. And poor hubby had to get out for another early morning appointment - this time his semi-annual checkup with the V.A. Mobile Unit. He was gone longer than I expected. They were pretty busy out there. He came home all in one piece, just in time to help me get the second load of laundry out of the dryer.

Earlier this afternoon, I hit that point that I just needed to see some different scenery. Hubby had seen all he wanted to for this day, so I went to the local store and shopped around. Mostly I was just killing time, but as always I zeroed in on the clearance rack. And I found a couple of tops marked down to $5.99 each that will work with just about anything.......and especially the black maxi skirt I got a few days ago. I'm starting to look at things with the thought of traveling and comfort on the plane.......if I could just go in my jammies, I probably would!

I always get somewhat conflicted when I think about flying and what to wear.......you want to be comfortable on the long flights, but you also need to be wearing something that allows you to move quickly when you have to change planes on a tight time schedule. Then I think about wearing something that's easy for going through security.......and then my head starts to spin trying to correlate all that.

If you want to be comfortable on the plane, you start thinking about loose clothing, nothing with a tight waistline or fabric that doesn't move with you. It can be chilly on the plane sometimes, so want to dress appropriately for that - then again, I've been stuck on a tarmac with the air on the plane not working.

If you have to change planes on a tight schedule, then you need to be able to move fast. And that makes my mind wander toward comfy workout pants or jeans and walking shoes. Absolutely perfect......for changing planes. Not for being comfortable on the plane OR for going through security.

When you go through security, you have to take your shoes off and send them through the x-ray machine with your carry-on baggage and purse. If you're like me and don't have all your original working parts, you then brace yourself for setting off the machine and being pulled aside for the more in-depth security screen. By the time you're through with that and cleared for departure, you have one of two scenarios:  either your stuff is all piled up on the floor near where your in-depth security screen happened and you have to gather it all up as quickly as you can and get out of everyone's way, or your poor spouse is loaded down with both his own stuff and yours, not able to move or get his own shoes back on. Either way, this scenario calls for shoes you can slip into easily....in the summertime, that would be sandals or flip-flops.

So you see my dilemma:  how do I dress for flying? If I weren't dragging a small carry-on bag with three to four days' worth of clothes, plus everything else I need for the trip, I could just bring extra changes of clothes and change for the situation. Picture it (as Sophia Patrillo used to say):  enter the airport wearing something comfortable and sandals.....go through security and find a rest room to change anything that needs to be switched out before you get on the plane.

The next step wouldn't be quite at easy - Between 30 and 45 minutes before landing, you would need to go into the facilities on the plane and somehow figure out how to change from your comfy flying clothes to your "moving fast clothes" and your walking shoes. I'm not sure that's even logistically possible, but maybe if you're short and very flexible you could pull it off. :)

Once you've done the plane-to-plane dash, there would need to be a change back into the comfy flying clothes. Where you do that depends on how fast you've moved during the plane change........hopefully there would be enough time left to duck in the rest room and change before getting on the plane. Otherwise, you would need to do the reverse of the plane facilities yoga moves once the plane is back in the air!

Thinking about all that gives me pause - by that time, I would be more than ready for the drink cart to come down the aisle! So since I can't carry all these extra clothes for the different parts of the trip - and since I definitely wouldn't be able to change clothes in the plane bathroom! - I will need to find some workable compromise for my travel wardrobe. Wish me luck.

The Waiting Game

As far as I know, we're still playing the Waiting Game for the new laundry facilities here in the building. And the reason? The reason for most everything in Missouri - the weather! Since it was gray and drippy most of the day yesterday, the stuff used to seal the cracks between the new pieces of sheetrock wouldn't dry. And since it wouldn't dry, the painting couldn't be done. I haven't checked on the progress today, but hopefully painting is being done so appliances can be put in place. I'll need to do laundry tomorrow, regardless of whether the new space is ready or not.

I'm not sure anyone was getting out much yesterday. It didn't rain all day, but it stayed overcast, breezy, and pretty cool. I had a true lack of motivation all day. My son called in the afternoon and we chatted for awhile, ending the call when Mom stopped by to visit. We chatted for about half an hour, then I returned a call to my younger daughter. After that call, my apathetic self decided it was too late in the afternoon to start anything. And that is the sad explanation I have for not doing a blog yesterday!

Today was a little more productive. I filled the morning with little chores that needed to be done. Plus, we had our first experience with the fire alarm going off in the building. I was doing some clean-up in the bathroom when I started hearing a strange noise. I had the window up in the bedroom and wasn't for sure if the noise was inside or out. It finally dawned on me that it might be the fire alarm when hubby came in and told me that we needed to leave the apartment.

We went out to the end of the hallway (right outside our apartment) and waited for the all-clear. It took about 10-15 minutes, then the fire doors between the sections of units were opened and we were told we could go home. I don't know if it was a late breakfast or early lunch, but it was smoke in an apartment on second floor. I'm waiting for the time when I burn something on the stove. It's even happened to the people in the office.

It's comforting to know that there are not only smoke detectors in each unit, but there's also a flashing light and buzzer-style alarm. But from the comments of the people who were caught in the shower this morning, it doesn't sound like you can hear the alarm when the shower is running! I know it would be redundant and expensive, but it might have worked better to install a second alarm in each bathroom.....just in case it's ever more than just burned food!

I checked in with older daughter this afternoon. She's in heavy cleaning mode, in preparation for an early (EARLY!) Saturday morning departure for their vacation cruise. The Whirlwind went to Day Care today, so at least she didn't have "help" with her cleaning. I think they're all looking forward to their vacation, and we're looking forward to spending some time in the "big city" house sitting (and turtle sitting) for them.

Monday - Laundry Day??

The new laundry room down on first floor is progressing and should be ready for use in a few days. Most everyone will be glad when it's operational. A few are still resisting.

We're still down to two functional washers and two functional dryers, not all together. To say it's making for chaos in the laundry room is an understatement.......especially when you have several married couples in the building with at least one working spouse who opt to do laundry on the weekend. Then you have others who don't want one thing to ever change, regardless of the reason why. Some days you'd swear it was a building full of kindergarteners!

I realize that sounds kind of harsh - but my mother taught me to be truthful. Tact doesn't always enter into the conversation! The best way I've found to deal with the laundry is to roll with the punches and know that we'll have a new functioning laundry room with four new washers and four new dryers. They should all work, they are all together for those few couples who catch up on laundry on the weekends, and they're far away from most of the apartments that noise shouldn't be a problem. And anyway, they're new machines and shouldn't be noisy for a good while.

The middle of last week it got really hectic. I don't think I walked past the laundry room a single time on Thursday when it was quiet. Building chatter said there was a time or two with several baskets of laundry lined up - some waiting to be washed, others waiting to be dried. Some people were washing in the second floor washer and hauling their wet clothes up to be dried. It didn't take me long to decide that we could just keep using the sheets on the bed, there was no way I was going to try to "muscle in".

Friday was even crazier when one working couple was catching up on their weeks' worth of laundry after four long work days. Then there were the "Friday IS laundry day" believers. From what I heard, I was really glad I was out of the line of fire that day!

The weekend stayed really busy up there - then in what was a strange turn of events, this afternoon was quiet. I was astonished. I did see someone in there this morning - there are several who have cleaning ladies who do their laundry, and that's often on Monday. Since the window of opportunity was wide open, I jumped in - I grabbed the sheets off the bed and started them washing. It was all good.

Over this coming weekend we will be traveling to Grain Valley to house sit (and turtle sit) for a little over a week. But with any luck, I'll be able to break in the new facilities with our weekly laundry before we go.

Mmm . . . Cookies!

Since I was little, I've felt that there may well be an extensive labyrinth existing inside my brain. It surprises me sometimes how something  - a sight, a sound, or even a smell - can trigger a vivid memory inside my head. Today, it was lunch. I fixed one of my favorite foods, one that I hadn't had for a long time. I made fried potatoes with a little bit of onion. The kitchen smelled so good.

Fried potatoes was a staple when I was a kid, and I loved them. In a continuing refining of what I eat on a regular basis, I've relegated potatoes to being an occasional treat rather than being a staple. It makes me enjoy and appreciate them more. I've enjoyed getting acquainted with the newer varieties of potatoes available now, especially the Yukon Gold.

As those potatoes and onions cooked and the apartment filled with the fragrance, I was reliving vivid moments of food scents from my childhood. And suddenly, instead of smelling frying potatoes and onions.....I was smelling cookies.

For many years, the town where I live now (where we shopped weekly when I was a kid) was home to a cookie factory......Banner Cookies. As you came off the square and started south on Main Street, you started to smell the aroma of fresh-baked cookies. The fragrance hung in the air at least to the first set of railroad tracks. The scent was so strong, you could even smell it on the weekends.

Anybody who was in Carrollton during that same time frame knows exactly what I'm talking about. The cookie factory closed quite some time ago; the building became a different business and now sits empty. But when I moved back home in late 1993, in my mind I could still smell those cookies when I drove down South Main. The kids would get amused at my always saying I could smell baking cookies. They couldn't smell anything close to that.

For several years in the summer, Mom's homemaker's club would take a day and come to Carrollton and tour different businesses and facilities. Since it was summer, many of the ladies would bring their kids with them. One summer the cookie factory was on the tour list. It was fascinating  to go through the facility and see the different steps necessary for creating those delectable cookies. As the tour ended, we each got a cookie fresh off the belt.

They made many different varieties of cookies at that factory; they were all so good. And as with any factory-type business, there were occasional "product fails". That's where the local public was the winner. The factory kept a supply of wax-lined brown paper bags that would hold five pounds of cookies. They would be loaded up with the broke or misshapen cookies, and we could stop by the office of the cookie factory and buy one of these bags for $1.

There were all flavors of broken cookies inside, and often more whole cookies than broken ones. Almost always in the bottom of the bag would be an entire package of cookies, helping the bag hit that five-pound mark. And then there were the crumbs. Being a product of my environment (don't waste anything), I would put the crumbs to good use. Nothing tastes yummier than a bowl of cookie crumbs covered in milk.

I probably wouldn't get by with that in today's health-conscious world. I can't imagine my kids letting the grandkids eat a bowl of cookie crumbs and milk. But when I was a kid, that was a real taste treat.....especially with whole milk from the cow in the pasture. Talk about the good old days!

And The Answer Is.......Thursday!

I've been totally lost today - all day. Not that I've developed much of a routine since we moved into the apartment, but what little there's been went out the window this week. We enjoyed that visit with Older Daughter and her kids on Tuesday, as well as our shopping trip yesterday. What tripped my brain into some alternate universe was doing our laundry yesterday when I have been doing it on Thursday.

As a result, I've been totally discombobulated today! I'm not sure how many times I've had to stop and check what day it is. I finally set the timer to remind me to go to my haircut appointment. But the problem was that I set it for the wrong time. I have to at least partly blame Hubby. Normally he's very good at helping me. This morning he mentioned my appointment and said something about it being at 1:30.

And what he said stayed in my befuddled brain. We enjoyed our lunch, I washed up the dishes, and then relaxed with my favorite TV show. I knew the timer should go off about ten minutes before I needed to leave, so I wasn't paying much attention to the clock. I decided to use a commercial break to powder my nose and brush my teeth. I glanced at the clock as I got up, and luckily everything clicked back into place - my haircut appointment was in ten minutes.

Oops. I grabbed some shoes and my purse and headed to the vehicle. The shop is close enough that I can walk to it, if I give myself enough time. I walked in the door at one minute before one. Talk about cutting it close. I'd like to think that my brain will straighten itself out before the day is over. But the end of my afternoon will most likely derail itself too......Younger Daughter left work at noon and is working from home this afternoon so their air conditioner can be checked for the season. She called as usual on her way home from work - except she called at noon instead of 5 pm.

It's getting later in the afternoon, so I think I'll just throw in the towel. Instead of worry about what day it really is, I'll just forge ahead in blissful ignorance and enjoy the rest of the day. I know not to worry about whether or not I'm showing signs of aging. What I'm showing is signs of retirement - and not in that day-to-day work world where I had to adhere to a strict schedule.  Nobody ever said relaxation would be easy!

Goofy Jokes

We're still basking in the memories of the 5-year-old Whirlwind's visit yesterday. Hubby and her brother had a good visit while we girls checked out a new local boutique - the brother is a lot more animated in a one-on-one situation. In a group, he's pretty quiet.

One of the entertaining things we were all charmed with yesterday - individually - was a joke that the 5-year-old thought was hilarious (it was a bathroom joke). It was pretty funny, and after we heard it four or five times it was pretty well ingrained in all our minds.

This morning I was reminded on Facebook that Hubby's niece is putting together a 365-day desktop calendar of goofy jokes. She put out a last-minute call for jokes. And since the Whirlwind's joke was so fresh in my mind, I sent Hubby's niece a Facebook message - giving the Whirlwind credit, so hopefully it will be her name that appears on the calendar.

We had some stormy weather last night. We had a fan on as we slept, and it was raining so hard that the sound woke me up above the fan noise. The wind was blowing as well - there were a lot of little sticks and leaves blown off the trees. We had something over two inches of rain, and there was water standing in the fields as we traveled to Marshall this morning. Even though there hadn't been much rain lately, what we got last night came down to hard and fast that it couldn't soak into the ground.

We had a good shopping trip, grabbed food at a local restaurant, and were home by noon. The laundry facilities are getting more and more "iffy" as time goes on. It makes finding an opportunity to do laundry a real challenge. We noticed as we came home that the laundry room was completely empty, so I grabbed ours out of the apartment and started washing. It went smoothly - and it seemed strange to find everything empty after people being lined up most of yesterday waiting for the machines.

So, shopping's done and laundry's done. I have a haircut appointment tomorrow, but that's the only thing on the calendar. I've said it before, and I'm sure I'll say it again (probably multiple times!) - for being retired, we sure do seem to keep busy!

Summer Break

Gotta love summer break, when my older daughter is footloose and fancy free from her teaching schedule. It gives her time to not only catch up on things at home but also her visits. Grandson got to drive down from Grain Valley today, with Mom and the Whirlwind in the vehicle. It was his longest drive so far. Now parents of a training driver have to keep and sign a log of driving hours for the DMV.

They've been gone for about an hour, and Grandpa and I are resting from all the hubbub that the Whirlwind can bring about! We met them at the local burger place and enjoyed lunch together. When they came in the door, the Whirlwind bounced over to me with a hug and an, "I missed you!" I told her that I missed her too, even though we'd just seen her two days ago.

The Whirlwind is usually too busy talking to eat.....we began to wonder if we could ever get to our ice cream. But my sandwich arrived late, so I was able to get her to match me bite for bite, and we finished together just as the ice cream got to the table.

We came back to our apartment and enjoyed the afternoon together. Daughter, Whirlwind, Mom and I walked uptown to visit a new boutique in town. We enjoyed finding a few treasures. We had a fun afternoon of visiting, coloring pictures, and playing. The Whirlwind and Grandpa developed a game of "who gets to sit on the sofa" - and our new sofa withstood a lot of bouncing on and off (the Whirlwind......Grandpa really didn't bounce any).

The last time these three came down was right after Christmas. And that was the trip when the Whirlwind got carsick when they hit Waverly. This time, everything went fine. That was a relief. They're headed out on a cruise in about ten days, so we're all crossing our fingers that she doesn't get seasick. She sounds excited, though she truly doesn't have a concept of what's happening except for a big boat with a water park on it.

So we had a fun day, and now we're settling in for a quiet and relaxing weekend. I always feel good when Daughter comes to see us. Often she catches a nap while we interact with the kids. She didn't nap today, but she got very comfortable for awhile. I figure it's just that comfort of being at Mom's house that relaxes her. It's a good feeling.

And speaking of relaxing.......I'll be back another day!

Dancing

Yesterday was the 5-year-old whirlwind's annual dance recital. We made ourselves presentable and headed to Independence yesterday afternoon. I mis-gauged our driving time, resulting in our arriving at William Chrisman High School ahead of the diva and her family. Turns out they were running a little late.....because someone who is 5 was playing with markers and got marker ink all over herself just at time to leave. Oops! This does not make for a happy mama.

We were already inside the entrance for the auditorium when we saw them walking across the parking lot. I was able to slide up and open the door for the diva and her mommy. It just feels so good when she brightens up, then runs to hug and say, “I missed you!” That's been her thing ever since we stayed with the kids last summer. Now every time she sees us, we're greeted with, “I miss you”. I guess we must have done something right!

After my hug, she edged around me to run and hug Grandpa as well – while I was making a quick attempt at removing the “I'm not happy” look off my older daughter's face. She filled me in regarding the marker debacle and then headed backstage because she was supposed to be a Room Mom – I'm sure she was expected earlier than when they arrived, adding to her anxiety. The diva did manage to tell me, “Mama made me come in my jammies”.  I don't know if she got marker on her clothes as well or not, but I suspect that may have happened.

I think daughter got along okay corraling the little dancers backstage. She said about half of them left at Intermission. The little bitty dancers don't have to stay to participate in the finale. We left at intermission as well. We thoroughly enjoyed the first half of the recital. The opening number was fantastic – a throw-back to the World War II era with great music and a patriotic theme.

Presentation #7 was the Whirlwind's group. They danced to “I'm A Believer”. The dimples were showing from the stage to Row F, and her big smile was glowing. She's really “into” wanting to do things the right way, and so her focus is usually at the side of the stage and her instructor instead of looking at the audience. Her instructor made a really sweet comment on Facebook about the Whirlwind last night – she said, “I love her smile and her happy heart.” And that sums her up so well.

We had a wonderful time in the audience with her Dad and brother, and her Dad's mom, brother, niece, and sister. The other grandma had been to Cher's concert in Kansas City the night prior to the recital, so I got to see her concert photos. She'd had a great time.

By ducking out at intermission, we were able to be home shortly after 8. So I have really no excuse for why I slept in this morning. But it felt good to get a little extra sleep– and then I was glad to wake up from a crazy dream where I was still a kid at home (though an older kid), and I had come home to find Mom had changed up my room by putting up new curtains and moving things around......but she hadn't cleaned up her mess. Even though I had come home tired, I had to clean up the mess before I could relax.

In reality, my Mom is really a clean freak. Anyone who knows her would know she would never ever make a mess and leave it for someone else to clean up. So probably Sigmund Freud would have a hey-day interpreting that dream. My explanation – I was sound asleep and dreaming and it means absolutely nothing!

.