Decorations On Guitars; St. Nicholas' Day; Christmas Play; ROBINS!

December 6, 2014.

Today is St. Nicholas Day, December 6. 

It is also the day that our Mom, Josephine Toth Banko, Gram B, was born, in 1915. If she were still living, she would be ninety-nine ---- 99 ---- years old! 

Bill and Jennifer picked me up at 5:10 p.m. last evening (Dec 5) to go to Vespers at church, and right after that, the Christmas Play would be put on by the Teen Group. During Vespers all the Teen Group (almost twenty of them) sat in the two front pews, in the Nave. They looked wonderful to me! Our eighteen-year-old Veronica was on the end of one pew, right across the middle aisle, from me! Lovable Veronica! 

It was very nice to be at church. I was in pain, though, with my hips from "the exercise" that I gave them the evening before (Dec 4) when we went to the Art Exhibit of a songwriter, who had spent so much time decorating many old guitars with beads, buttons, little tiny mirrors, and all sorts of little items. I stood around those decorated guitars, making a camera shoot so I could look at those decorated items, more than once. I couldn't take myself away from all those old guitars so thoroughly decorated. Each one also had some thoughts written on a small sheet of paper. 

About "the exercise," I was really hoping that it wouldn't get worse! But this morning it feels a little better, thank goodness! It was pure pain for quite a few hours afterward. There's still some pain, but not like yesterday.

I just took a look at the outdoors from my front door, and most of the leaves are gone from the trees, leaves are blowing 'all over the place' with such gusty winds. The biggest thrill was that there were so many birds between the backyard (which I didn't look at) and the place across the street! The neighbors have a round tree on their front lawn that is so magnificent. So many birds love to fly around the tree, and use it for 'parties' and 'conventions'. 

This morning I thought they were blackbirds, and I just stood there watching them flying to and fro, away, then they came back again and again. They would be flying up above the front lawn here, up over the front door to the roof probably, and as they flew over, I suddenly saw the color of their breasts!

Golly, it is December 6, St. Nicholas' Day, and they must be celebrating, because these lovely exciting birds turned out to be ROBINS! Robin Redbreasts! I can hardly believe it. Did they come back for spring, or what? Are they all testing the area so they can stay here now? The weather has been unusual this year, and they probably think it's almost spring and time to get their nests going. 

Or, could they be flying south from northern areas, and took a nice place to relax for a half hour? I am truly flabbergasted. I dearly love to see the birds return.  

Back to the Christmas Play at church, it was about St. Nicholas, a bishop from Myra, who would secretly put coins in shoes after bedtime, depositing coins for young ladies who desperately needed dowries so they could get married. It was a very moving little Christmas Play, and the Teen Group were so good at playing their parts. Near the end of the play, they sang, first the girls, then the boys, and my eyes teared up quite a bit. It was so lovely. Our Veronica was playing "grandma" to one girl, and I would certainly love to see Veronica in a play again, as she grows older. She was very good.  

After the Play, there was a very enjoyable Snack Time of many kinds of hummus and many different kinds of chips. There was also a plate of veggies for dipping, but I think the chips were so interesting that they won over. 

I'll see you at the Corner Post ...

A Stop at the Doctor's; Elderberries and Apples; Ice Fishing.

October 30, 2014.

A Stop at the Doctor's; Elderberries and Apples; Ice Fishing.

Hello, dear people, may you have a wonderful weekend.

I had been in the hospital, and when I came home there was talk of an appointment to see my family doctor and he would see how I am doing. But for some reason he wasn't going to be in, this week, so the nurse said to come anyway this morning, and she went over my case quite a bit. Another nurse was going to go over it, too, so I had two little separate visits right then and there in the same room. The appointment was at 8 a.m., and I am so glad that my son was my chauffeur.                              

My son knows much more than I do, about all that the nurses talked about, because I listen closely but can't take notes while I'm listening. I hadn't eaten breakfast because I had an idea that she would take my blood test, and sure enough, she took two vials full. They want to see what's going on in my system. I also gave a urine sample.  

Since I had to wake up quite early this morning, I went to lie on the bed at noon, and had a power nap. Then this afternoon, about three o'clock, I had another short nap. It seems that I have been needing naps. The discovery of 'short power naps' really helps one to manage the whole day. 

I'm doing a load of my laundry at the moment, and just had a little meal of hamburg and vegetables. I can't have any bun with it, and am munching on a rice cake with elderberry jelly on half, the other half seemed to want hummus. I also had a teaspoon of peanut butter. I love that elderberry jelly! Did you know that elderberries are very nutritious? You can make jam and jelly, elderberry juice, and wine. When we would go to our grandparents' farm, we would admire all the elderberry blossoms as we went down the farm driveway. The bushes grew along the whole length of the driveway. Then when the berries were ripe, we would help to pick them. I've always loved the elderberry bushes, the blossoms, and the jam. Grandma would give us a piece of home made bread with jam on it as we were leaving for home ~ I always think of that. 

  

Back to the subject ~ with my problem of having not enough potassium ~ the nurse said that possibly I would be given a prescription to take potassium every day, but I'd have to wait until the blood test shows something. I have some papers telling about which food gives more potassium. This is quite surprising: raw apples and applesauce have low potassium, apple juice has moderate potassium, and dried, cooked apples have high potassium content. Now, I don't know if that was dried AND cooked apples, or dried apples and/or cooked apples. I have been cooking my apple pieces during the last couple of months, and I feel lucky doing that! They had seemed to satisfy me more than fresh pieces of apple.  

It's going to be 58˚cold this weekend, they say. I keep wondering who "they" is. They seem to give correct weather reports, then you find out that something other has been lingering around. I hope the winter will be a nice one. Now up in the north, like NY and PA and WI, they always  have nice winters that are cold, very cold, windy, very windy, and the residents LOVE to get their snowmobiles and ice-fishing poles out of storage. Can you imagine that lakes up there freeze so thick that vehicles, even trucks, can go out on the ice to the owners' fishing huts? They get out of their trucks, go into their small fishing huts and drill a little hole in the ice so they can put their saws in the hole and enlarge it just so. Then they hang onto their fishing poles and drink favorite beverages. They often take lunches with them, too. Some people fish alone, and some have small groups in those tiny fishing huts to do a little socializing and maybe some politicizing. 

Isn't it amazing that I can be talking of one subject, and in the blink of an eye I am completely on another tale, memory, idea, or thought? 

I'll see you at the Corner Post ...

Another Hospital Visit? Home Again; Beautiful Flying geese.

Friday, October 24, 2014. 

Another Hospital Visit? Home Again; Beautiful Flying Geese.

I must admit that some of the stay in the hospital was a good rest for me. I didn't watch much TV, nor read anything, and I did a lot of napping and dozing. There is always someone gently knocking on the door and coming in, for various, sundry, and necessary activities, shots, questioning, taking vital checks, and many more reasons.  

There are several interruptions of one's sleep every night. You just fall back asleep after the necessary thing is done. 

Even in the daytime, you can doze off to sleep, or just lie in the bed and rest, look out the window, or very often, take a real nap. 

There were a few nurses that I liked very much. All of the nurses were doing their jobs well, and each and every one of them was very kind, attentive, and caring. 

There was a lot done in the little time that I was there. When I was taken to the Emergency Room, honestly, I was quite scared, because I didn't know why I had been so nauseous, so very tired so often in the day, and because I didn't know what was happening to my body. Now I feel more knowledgeable, and I am so grateful that I could come back home.  

My potassium had gone so low, the magnesium also, and  the sodium. That could lead so quickly to having trouble with the heart. We must try to take good care of our bodies. If you are not feeling well, and are very tired for no reason, or you have nausea very often, or any strange changes, then quickly hie to the doctor and find out what is wrong.

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This evening as I was looking out the front door, I enjoyed looking at the blue sky and the thickening of the vapor trails up there. Sometimes there are so many vapor trails that they make criss-crosses, some designs, sometimes straight long lines are made. Once in a while I can see so very, very far off in the distance up very high, a new vapor trail of an airplane that is only a dot way up there ...  

All of a sudden, there came quite low, a small flock of geese with their beautiful calls. There were about twelve geese flying in a single line, flapping their wings as usual, every goose flapping its wings to match the flapping of the second goose from it. That seems to be a way to produce the perfect stream of air around them, that eases the work that they must do to fly for a long time.  

It's always so pleasant to look at the sky, no matter what it shows.  

I'll see you at the Corner Post ... 

The Colonoscopy Outpatient Place; Nighty-Night.

Thursday, October 9, 2014. 

We arrived just before our appointment time, and waited a little while, then were called up to the receptionist's counter, and I filled out some papers. Then we were taken to the little room (Bill went in with me in the first little room). As we began the very short trek, the nurse said, "Prepare to stay for four hours!" Apparently the doctor was working on another patient, while I was filling out papers and answering questions to the woman who came in and asked me so many questions of my medical events, etcetera, then another one came in and asked me some more. After this one, Bill had to leave the room while I changed completely ~ not from Grannamae to a princess, but clothed to you-know what. 

When I was finished changing, Bill could come back in. The second girl had gone to get the paraphernalia for giving me anaesthesia. It really took quite a while for all of this, and then the doctor came in ask if I had any questions. I did have a few, he answered, seems very polite and knowledgeable. He left the room, and the woman called Sierra came in to roll my single little bed into the 'procedure room', and there was a lot MORE paraphernalia with thin tubes and other similar pieces. She wanted to find a place to prick with the needle for the 'nighty-night' medicine, and pricked the back of my left hand. Three little groans for those pricks, - it was awful! She took that one out, asked me to hold down the cotton, ran to get a bandaid, and so much for that hand. 

She took my right hand, poked around with her finger, 'slapped' my hand to make the veins or arteries stand out, and finally found a place by the knob on the outside of my wrist ~ oh, my gosh ~ THAT one hurt even more! Well, that one was a good place to put the 'nighty-night' kind of slightly thick liquid. I said to her that the needle felt thicker than the usual needle, and she said that the med is a  bit thicker. 

Then the other girl went on my left side while the one on the right was going to put it in, and the girl on the left was talking with me and I was talking with her, and I was, of course, looking at her face. We talked only about one minute or less, and her face began to get so blurry! All of a sudden, zing! - nothing after that.

The next thing I knew, was that Bill and one of the ladies were saying something, and Bill looked at me and said a couple of words, and I saw another lady or two. We were back in my cozy little room ~ they must have trolleyed my cot back into my room, and I didn't even know it! I would have liked the ride.  

The doctor came in and talked with us, showing me the eight little photos of what my colon looks like, told me that my whole colon has diverticulitis! No wonder I hadn't been feeling well for a few weeks! Because of that 'nighty-night' potion, I don't remember now very much of what the doctor said. He left the room to get on with his work.  

Finally after a couple of minutes, the nurses  said that I could get up and sit on the side of the bed. I did that, 'with a little help from my friends', and finally I was all right. Couldn't even remember any dreams, but I know that I had been very happy in 'that place'. They helped me to get down off the cot, and they all went out behind the curtain, while I put my garments back on. I was wobbly. I am so glad that I didn't fall down. I sat down on the chair, and put slacks on, then my shoes. The nurses talked with us for a few minutes, then it was time to go. It turned out to be quite a long time in there. 

Bill had to hold my hand because I was sincerely wobbly, like almost falling over. That potion was strong.  

We got out to the car, and he asked me if I needed anything from the grocery store; yes, I did, and I was really glad he asked. We went to the nearest Krogers, asked if I'd want to sit in the car, and I said no, that I thought I could manage standing up and walking. But he still had to hold my hand. When we got into the store, I could hang onto the cart. He fetched everything I needed (not very many items) and he took me home. He stayed for a little while to put a new battery in the smoke alarm, but the battery that I had was a very old battery. I didn't realize that.

He went to Rite Aid to get a new one. After he returned and put the battery in, he went home, very tired. My Hero.    

There you have it ~ another interesting (?) event in the life of Grannamae. I think that I have had enough of hospital 'events'.  

I'll see you at the Corner Post ...

What A Gorgeous Day! A Few Other Thoughts.

Monday, September 22, 2014.

This morning the sky was so blue!  It was such a lovely azure color of the whole sky, with not a cloud in sight; my oh my, how beautiful. 

This afternoon I went to see what the Mailman left, and there were about eight or nine fluffy little white clouds scattered all over that astonishing azure sky. The Mailman did not leave those clouds, they just came to see what he was putting in everyone's mailbox. 

Late this afternoon, I went out to check on my big azure sky ~ the western sky was a lighter color, and the clouds were all gone. The outdoor temperature is seventy-seven degrees.  

The announcer on the radio just said that Autumn is going to Fall this evening at approximately 9:29 p.m. I had been wondering exactly when Autumn WOULD Fall. 

I've been getting quite tired recently, and have taken a nap a few times this past week. This afternoon I lay down for a little while, and it turned out to be about forty minutes. I'm happy that my six-month check-up at my family physician will take place on Wednesday. I would like to know what is going on with this 'sixty-six-year-old' body! 

I am going to wash the dishes now, and settle in for a more relaxed evening.  

Last evening I watched Miss Marple in A/The Caribbean Mystery, and it was quite interesting and enjoyable. When I was in my twenties, I read many of Agatha Christie mysteries, enjoyed them very much! I was on a binge for mystery novels. Miss Marple was a  character in Christie's mysteries.  

When I went to a rural school for fifth and sixth grades, I would go to the little-town little-library to borrow and read all the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales, and Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales. Now, that  was a binge, too! Before that, in earlier grades at a school, I read all the Bobbsey Twins books!  

Some of Hans Christian Andersen's quotes: 

Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale.

Where words fail, music speaks. 

That's the nice thing about the world, my friend: People.

No one's ever really alone. 

Just living is not enough ... One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.

(Thank you very much, Hans!) 

I'll see you at the Corner Post ...

Rain and Thunder Are Forecast; A Few Other Items.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014.
Raina and Thunder Are Forecast; A Few Other Items.

Good evening, my darlings! I hope all is well with you! 

The forecast for the next day or two is for rain, possibly thunderstorms. There were storms over Arkansas but they seemed to lose their strength. 

I am so happy that the hurricane in part of Arizona has moved away a little. Some of our family lives there. I hope the storm dissipates!

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Esther and Nathaniel are supposed to fly home to Denver tomorrow. May you have a very safe flight, Esther! Our prayers are with you, and I am so happy that you and Nathaniel could visit Grandma Marion and Grandpa. I hope you have been taking photos of the four generations while you are there, too, don't forget !!!

Also, a grandchild is leaving NYC tomorrow, to fly to the Mideast: may you have a very safe journey, a happy couple of months there, and then the flight back home. Our prayers are with you! 

First Lady Michele came to visit St. Jude's Hospital in Memphis late this afternoon -- her flight was delayed, so she was a little late.  

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I was thinking today of how I enjoyed attending games, performances, and many different similar events, to see my grandchildren playing in sports, running, singing, playing instruments, performing on school stages, and more. This makes grandparents so happy. And, of course, I think of how I attended so many similar doings at our children's school. It was very often that I went to BRCS to see many of these happenings. I felt so relaxed at that school! Seeing your kids or your grandkids doing all those activities makes anyone so proud and happy about their offspring. 

I went to evening adult classes at BRCS, to learn how to paint. I think it was about 1966. That was such a joy! 

I also remember that I learned some Hispanic / Spanish from a female student from Mexico, in a daytime class. It was so enjoyable for me to learn! 

In later years, I went to Scranton University to learn about linguistics, and then happily took a semester of Spanish I. 

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I've touched on several subjects, didn't I? I'll talk about one more. There was in the fridge, less than a pint of broth, and I decided to make a little soup a couple of hours ago. I cut part of a carrot into strips, 1/3 cup of fresh tomato, cut up some of those tasty, very small, sweet peppers (about five or six of them), added some seasonings; simmered it for a while, then added 1/3 cup of cooked chicken breast, heated the soup for a few more minutes. It was time to taste it. Oh, it's so delicious! I'll enjoy the soup later this week.  

Have a restful night's sleep! 

I'll see you at the Corner Post ...

One of My Drawings; Rainless THUNDER.

September 6, 2014.

One of My Drawings; Rainless THUNDER.

And a few more items: Chore Guy; West Nile Fever deaths; new cookies; trying to listen to radio Garrison Keillor and TV Lawrence Welk at the same time. 

Hi, dearest ones! I hope all of you are having a very nice weekend!  

I was browsing in one of my journal notebooks in the last several minutes, and came across this short paragraph: 

[ I drew four similar pictures of “The yellow-throated loop-the-loop telling his pachyderm friend MakOOMba all about his flight to Sardinia the past summer.” It is cute – for the children. ]     

I have a question: WHICH FOUR CHILDREN RECEIVED THESE PICTURES? I would really love to see those four works I drew and colored. In the journal just a couple of days before, there was a sentence saying that when we (Gram B and I) had gone to a drugstore to pick up her medication, I bought some crayons to use in my drawing something for my grandchildren. This took place in the middle of February, 1993. I was staying with Gram B because of her chemotherapy and her being so sick. 

Rainless THUNDER: This is some story! The sun was shining, I was in the kitchen and the blinds were closed because of such heat outdoors. I almost never open the blinds because I cannot see much anyway. I heard a noise like someone throwing lumber into a pick-up truck. It was very sunny and bright when I glanced at the window. I kept hearing the lumber being thrown every few seconds, for about five times, and wondered who is loading lumber in the neighborhood, and how much lumber.   

I continued what I was doing, and then I heard in the distance, a soft rolling thunder. I quickly went to the back window, and was really shocked to see a very dark area on the horizon to the east. "Oooh," I thought, "that looks like a bad storm." But then I realized that the lumber-throwing sound was very close claps of thunder right over the neighbor's house.  They didn't sound like thunder, but WERE! 

Within seconds, more thunder was rolling in, closer and closer. As I looked out toward the north, it was quite dark and looked rainy. It is forecast that we have thunderstorms and rain before one a.m. tonight.  

Right now I am listening to the radio and the TV, Garrison Keillor and Lawrence Welk. Why don't these media people ask me what time they should put the programs on?  

There have been two deaths in Mississippi from the West Nile virus. Mosquitoes are apparently quite dangerous. Some computer research will tell you about how to avoid them. Some mosquitoes like certain colors, certain odors and fragrances, and there are some things that they don't like.  

One of the Chore Guys in my family lives not too far from me. A family is quite lucky to have fix-it people in their families. All four sons are 'fix-it people' and got it from their Dad. I am so grateful that my Chore Guy fixed some things this morning, like the kitchen faucet, and the mailbox. The mailbox had been "in an accident" when someone was texting as he/she passed by our place, and knocked the mailbox down. There was quite some damage to it, but of course the mystery person didn't notify us that it was his/her fault. We had it repaired by an outsider, once, and the fix-it person repaired it a couple of months after that. Today he came to do some other repairs to make the little door stay in place.  

I like very much to concoct recipes for some foods that I eat, like soup, and cookies. Do you ever do this? New cookies are great! "Try it, you'll like it!", as they say in some advertisements. 

I'll see you at the Corner Post ...