Rain and Ice

If there is one thing we don't like in February, it is rain! It started sometime last night and this morning there was a thin sheet on everything. It rained off and on all day, Grand Forks reported 3/8th inch. We had 39 F so it finally quite freezing but that wasn't enough for the ice to melt. We closed the museum today and I probably won't go in tomorrow either. There will be no walking outside for me until it quits raining! A friend told me that her husband insisted on going out even after she told him she wouldn't be able to help him if he fell. He would not pay any attention to her, what man does! He ended up falling and had to crawl back into the house! Ardmore put on his spiked boots so he could go out to the shop.

There is a new strain of staph virus that is going around and our granddaughter Leah has become a victim two times now. Today she went to the doctor and was told she would have some problems with this as she is susceptible to it. She was put on antibiotics. We are all concerned that it comes under control.

Our son, James is busy doing some air force business in Maryland and called tonight. I wonder if this weather will end up there too. He is in the Civil Air Patrol and went flying in LA on Saturday. He does this fairly often as training. His favorite place to fly is over the ocean. There is less traffic and he loves to fly the coastal area.

Brian starred in the play, A Compulsive Line on Saturday. It is a play about people who have compulsive disorders and was designed in the format of the play A Chorus Line. He played the part of the director. I get very discouraged when I am so far away from our family and can't attend things like this. At least this isn't the turn of the Twentieth century when one would never see or talk to their children when they moved to another country. We at least can talk every day and even go on Skyp and talk face to face. Pity the pioneer, who knowing they would probably never see them again, still sent their children to the New Land with hopes that their life would be better.

On a techie note, we changed internet providers today. We were both thrilled to see how much faster it is surfing the web. Fun!

Walking in the winter

Seeing as how it "looked" like it was much warmer according to http://www.wunderground.com/ I decided to head out for a walk. 7 mile an hour wind at 29 above couldn't be too bad right? Wrong! In our sheltered yard the wind was just a light breeze, by the time I got halfway down the driveway there were thoughts of going in for more clothes. Commitment is tough in the winter but one must endure so endurance it was, a mile and half of endurance in northwest winds. I walked south so first the right side was freezing and coming back the left side froze. Hot chocolate, marshmallows and a cookie in the recliner was a delight!

Last night I finished reading the first of Stephenie Meyers' Twilight Series. Leah finished and had raved about it, plus several of my younger friends had also given it high marks, so I though, why not. It was fun to read, definitely young adult fiction but that didn't keep me from enjoying it. I had read Meyer's science fiction book The Host last fall and thought it was quite thought provoking. I see it is number 4 on the New York Times Best Seller list.

I have also downloaded the audio book Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. Blink is about our immediate reaction to anything and how we are affected by the reaction, i.e. cognitive reaction. I heard him talk on the CBC Radio podcast The Next Chapter and was very impressed by him. (Another plus for my iPod, I would never think of listening to this program due to the time it is on the radio.)

Now it is time to move on to a new book. Hum, do I have time right now with all that is going on at the museum? I do have two on the shelf right now that may be interesting. Full Speed by Janet Evanovich and Charlotte Hughes, plus A Christmas to Remember by Thomas Kinkade and Katherine Spencer.I know that Christmas has come and gone, but I live in Minnesota where right now Christmas doesn't like it was so long ago.

Well it is time to go ride the bike and then ice the knee, it has been quite sore today for some reason.

Dinner on Wednesday

I decided that I was hungry for something good with lots of vegetables tonight. I don't do a lot of cooking any more. When I get home from work, Ardmore tells me he is not hungry because he has been eating all day! Go figure, retired and winter, what does he do?

Well I cut up two chicken breasts into bite size pieces, cubed a green pepper and chopped an onion,and some carrots, added a little OO to the pan and put the vegies on one side and chicken on the other and sauteed them. Seasoned the chicken with stir fry seasoning and Chinese 5 spice and everything with salt and pepper. After they were done, you add about 2 cups of fresh broccoli and cauliflower and cover for about three minutes. Take a can of Swanson's chicken broth, add 2 tbsp corn starch and some soy sauce, blend and add to mixture,continue cooking and stirring frequently until it starts to thicken. Add about a cup of fresh spinach and turn off the skillet. Check and stir every once in a while. I served it over Jasmine rice. One could add celery, garlic, and mushrooms. I was too lazy to go chop more or downstairs to the pantry for mushrooms. It is good and of course, healthy!

I finally got our computer camera to work and was able to visit with James face to face on Skype. I called Ardmore down to talk too. Needless to say, he was impressed. James had just moved to a house and took the camera around and gave us a tour. Fun!

Michelle is in finals week, we have had a couple of short phone visits. So far she said it as gone fairly well. She has quite a bit of things that need to be done during this week so I don't call her, just let her call me.

Little Damen is walking more and more now. Breanne said he is also starting to talk. I can imagine what a talker he is going to be when he starts. He loves to hear his voice and will suddenly start screaming to hear the sound of it. I really feel like I am missing so much by not being there but at least we can call and talk. Now if I could only get them to have a camera for Josh's computer we could talk face to face.:>)

Yesterday I went to see my os. I have been having some problems with my hip on the side that I had the knee replaced. He said it is bursitis. He also felt I was doing too much.I would be so bored if I didn't do the things I do. He then said I had to make a choice, either slow down or accept the pain. Humm. Everything was in good shape otherwise, which was very good to be told. Well not quite true, he did tell me my other knee was bone on bone, but I am not going there as I don't have any pain to speak of.

15 days Since Surgery

15 days since surgery! Today was my first excursion day out of the house since I came home. Ardmore was going to go to the store and I had our taxes ready to file so we headed to H & R Block. Farm taxes are always a lot of work to prepare for. One needs car mileage and then the sales of commodities, government payments, etc. plus all of the expenses accrued during the year, such as seed, fertilizer, chemicals, fuel, insurance, machinery purchased, hired, or rented, etc. I use Excel to track our input and output, as we are not big farmers and own only about 800 acres. We do not need to hire an accountant to keep track of our expenses, we can do it ourselves. Thus said, today was file day. It is always a relief to be done but frustrating to see how much we usually end up paying. Then it was off to Nelson's Cafe for a dinner of hot pork sandwiches and a salad.

Another thing that is hard is that one can't lay on their side at first. One must have pillows between your legs so you maintain a separation between your hips. You then roll onto your side and make sure the knees are in a safe position. One night I was extremely tired and fell asleep on my side, waking up two hours later very stiff and with a sore back. I don't do that any more.

Little things are really a nuisance. I love dark chocolate chips and keep a Ziploc bag of chips with a half package of graham crackers in a cotton carry all by the bed. It is amazing how satisfying a few chips are because one can savor a couple for quite a while, and the calories are not out of sight. I have dropped the bag so many times, it has driven me insane. Thank goodness for the reacher. Then tonight after I went to bed and started watching a movie I reached for the back and it was upside down. The chips had fallen out, and the bag was not zipped shut. I don't think the reacher was designed to pick up individual chocolate chips! I will have to get the vacuum and clean them up sometime tomorrow. I also think I will put them in the bag that zips so if it falls again I won't have that problem.

James called tonight. James is our youngest. A 2nd Lieutenant in the Air Force stationed at the LA Air Force base. He had so much news. He had broke up with his latest girl friend, again. Usually, he just wants me to listen, so I do. Tonight was no different. He is also discouraged with his job, it is not what he really wanted to do in the Air Force. He has wanted to fly in the Air Force since he was 6 or 7 and has not been able to do that. He presently works with the satellite systems. Well, this coming Friday, he begins working on his master's degree in Space Systems. He was very excited about this. We talked for about an hour about all sorts of things. One's children and grandchildren are such a source of joy.

Friends can make the time so much easier to bear. On the second day of my being home, my visiting teachers came over with a strawberry-hot fudge sundae. Yum! Our visit went by way to fast but I tired quickly also, which they recognized. Then on Sunday, my friend, Roxann brought dinner while Ardmore was gone doing some church service. She and I enjoyed her delicious lasagna, salad and rice krispie bars. We have so many memories as her son and James were best friends along with two other neighbor boys. These four boys fished, hunted, snowmobiled and four-wheeled their years through school. A inseperable quartet of wonderful young boys and great men now that they have grown.

Enough!