Busy Week.

Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.

I had my appointment with the orthopod this week. This is him.

He said he thinks I have a slipped (herniated) disc. I had x-rays that showed arthritis in both knees (right is worse but I didn't go in for that). Also have slight scoliosis (probably from carrying my purse on the same shoulder for 40 years) and arthritis developing in my spine. "Nothing is jumping out" at him, though, so I have an MRI scheduled for Wednesday.

DS2 has been renovating the yard. Weeding, repairing. I also did some finishing up in the fairy garden. The retainer is finally done (which is probably what aggravated my back/leg problems). Am excited, though, 'cause it looks good. There's nothing more exciting to a gardener than a clean slate.

It actually looks a little better than this now. I was able to fill in the bed before the rains started. I've planned hollyhocks and sweet peas here (although they may not grow well because there isn't all-day sun). Toward the back yard will be aesclepias for the Monarchs. And as soon as Costco gets in their recycled tire mulch I'll finish the floor.

Ordered some perennials from Annie's Annuals for the front yard. Two geum, a lupine and three apricot poppies. For now, though, they have to wait patiently for warmer temps and a let-up in the rain (can they hang in my window until March?)


Today was Hump Day at school. As of 3:10 this afternoon my school year is half over. Hope the rest of the year goes by as quickly as the first half.

I've lost over 10 pounds.

No decision other than to emotionally remove myself from the difficult situation for now. Felt better once I realized it is OK to not give a rip.

DS1 and DIL due tomorrow for a visit.

Taking Monday off to drive my dad for a biopsy of something growing on a nerve in his back.

Saw Princess and the Frog this week (after my ortho appointment). It may be my new favorite Disney animated movie.

Enjoyed a therapeutic phone conversation with an old friend afterward. Can't say enough for good friends.

Dark Times.

This week is not going so well.

Hoping to have some time in the garden this weekend. Or to do some scrapbooking. Maybe taking down the Christmas decorations.

Stitching is out for the time being because the dog is very interested in whatever I do when I sit in that particular chair (ie. slobber all over everything).

Hanging in there is about all I can manage right now.

Oops.

Apparently yesterday was my blogoversary.

Four years.

I really need to get my times in balance. Some time here. Some time on facebook. They both have value to me but so far I haven't developed good habits with either.

Don't know why I think that should be different than anything else, though. Eighteen years and I still don't have good habits with school chores. We'll have been in this house 36 years in March and I still don't have good habits with housework and yardwork. And I have a ton (literally!) of scrapbooks, papers, stickers and photographs that I really do want to meld together into a history (honest!). Not to mention the collection of stitchery charts and supplies, fabric and patterns and other craft supplies that I want to see develop into something of beauty.

Sigh.

Still OK.

Sunset yesterday from our back fence.

School is going OK. With a couple of exceptions, students are behaving OK.

Got my car serviced. I've had the same mechanic for 25 years and trust him completely. I asked him to check the brake rotors because the car rattled whenever I put on the brakes. I needed all new rotors. And a new battery. And new wipers. And new shocks, but those will have to wait until the next servicing. Another major bump on my credit card, but I feel safer. So it's OK.

Still wrestling with some dark, difficult feelings and a difficult decision, but nothing will happen for a couple of years anyway, so it's OK.

Got an appointment with an orthopod to get my achy hips checked out. Came recommended by two people, on of whom said, "He has no bedside manner at all but really knows his stuff." I just want answers, not a boyfriend, so that's OK.

Dodger is almost a year old and has really calmed down. That is very OK.

I'm so grateful to my friends. My school friends, my blog friends, my facebook friends. Thank you for being my friends. You are all so much better than OK.

It was OK.

I'll be happy with that.

2009

Happy to see you go.

December 31, 2009

Actually, I've been trying today to reflect on the past year and find the positives. Here are some I've come up with.


For all his faults and expense, Dodger is really a very nice dog. The older he gets, the easier he is to live with. He's very loving and he does want to please.



I finished redecorating my room and still love it. I continue to tweak issues but overall it is working well for me.

I ordered three brugmansia rooted cuttings from Kartuz Greenhouses last spring (or was it summer? I forget.) They have grown into very promising plants, already almost two feet tall. I'm optimistic that they will form a "wall" separating the fairy garden from the work area that I've planned.


I got a new principal this year. She is an old friend (we started teaching at this school together 18 years ago) with a "get it done" attitude. It's refreshing, although, as I told her, I'm not sure I have the energy to have my butt kicked into excellence again.

I completed a small McKenna Ryan piece for my daughter-in-law for Christmas. My "new" Bernina (I've had it three years+ but have so rarely used it that I feel like it's new) did a great job; not a single skipped stitch or wad of thread under the piece. Such a unique experience.


(oops, I forgot to take a picture before I gave it to her. This is the promo picture from McKenna Ryan's Pine Needles site.)

Enjoyed escaping reality into two terrific movies this year. Star Trek earlier in the year and Avatar in the last week.



Also enjoyed escaping reality by visiting Disneyland. To celebrate the opening of The Princess and the Frog (which I have not seen yet) they have had a spectacular new show called "Tiana's Showboat Jubilee." Like a dose of pure energy!



Facebook! What a fun place to hang out. I feel so fortunate to connect up with old friends of my sons (Loren, Warren, Shelly, Kevin, Cameron and others who have now become my friends, too), old friends from here (Chiloe, Sam, Missy and Paige) and new friends from a variety of places (Carrie Sue, Lillian, Michael) whom I may have completely missed out on if we had not corresponded on Facebook. (It would, however, probably be a good idea to lose the addiction to FarmVille, Fish Isle, Happy Aquarium, Happy Pets...)


What Went Right Today?

Shopping expedition went splendidly. B&N had ONE copy of The Art of Avatar left for me. With our membership I got it at a 30% discount. Also bought three British cross stitch magazines. Don't really need new charts but look forward to the inspiration as the new year begins.

Next stop, Salzer's. B&N did not have the Avatar score but Salzer's did. Very nice youngster looked it up and they, too, had one left. Someone had hidden it in another slot but Nice Youngster was onto the trick and flipped back until he found it for me. Had a very nice conversation about the movie (during which I convinced him that he would not even notice it was a two-hour-and-forty-minute movie).

Then over to the restaurant supply where I found a skinny brush with which to clean my drink straws. Still amazed that I can't buy these anywhere.

Home Depot was the next place on my list. Got a dozen blocks for the fairy garden.


January 2, 2010

Had a quiet New Year's Eve here at home with my Avatar score and magazines. Watched Anderson and Kathy bring down the ball in NY then hit the sheets in CA (EST close enough for me).

New Year's Day was a trip to Simi for the traditional German good-luck-in-the-new-year saurkraut dinner. My Sister and BIL did the cooking this year and it was delicious. Sadly, my stomach is getting old and I left most of my dinner on the plate (which, now that I think of it, is probably something to cheer, not lament).

I spent the night at my folks' house so that I could to to lunch today with my SIL at her friend's house. The three of us are all gardeners and it was great inspiration to enjoy her garden tour. I look forward to getting my garden whipped into shape so that I can reciprocate.

Not quite buried.

A little afraid of 2010.

2009 looked so promising. By August of 2008 I was happily pronouncing that 2008-2009 was going to be my year!

Never tempt the fates.

I stopped by because I noticed a few old friends continue to drop by. I appreciate your friendship.

Although I am currently enduring a cold (at least, I THINK it's just a cold), my internist pronounced me, "on paper, in great health." Still have over 100 pounds to lose, still have high blood pressure. But the drugs that control the BP are still in the lower ranges. My bad cholesterol is a little high, but my good is so high that my "risk ratio" of the two is in the low-average range. No diabetes (always surprised me since I feel like chocolate is my primary food group sometimes.)

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and new year. I'm hoping 2010 sees us all in an upswing.

In and then out.

I haven't been coming here because I'm a downer. Even to myself.

I injured my hip (or back) last summer doing my room renovation and just when I think it's getting better, get into a situation where I have to climb a step or two and I'm back in pain again. Will have to make doctor's appointments next week and am not looking forward to having this be the focus of my life.

Our condo still hasn't sold. We have gone through what was left of our savings paying property taxes on it and the lot on which we had hoped to build our primary residence two years ago. We are having to face the reality that our dream is dead. Again, many thanks Bush/Cheney.

I was heartbroken when my older son told us that he and his wife are going through the paces to move to Japan next fall. Even more heartbroken that I cannot not find any words to encourage this descendant of Founding Fathers to stay in his country. There is simply nothing for him here but an educational system with no future and a healthcare system under which two healthy people in their 30s cannot afford to start a family.

The dog walks funny with one leg shorter than the other but is otherwise strong and sassy. I hope he lives long enough for me to pay off the bills for his summer surgeries.

Overall my students are fine this year (except for sixth period where one of the gruesome foursome threw a chair last week). Their breastfeeder parents are driving me mad. I'm amazed some of these kids ever learned to walk.

Sincerely hope anyone who stops by is doing better than I.

It's been a while.

Just dropped in for an update.

I'm reminded of the old serials. "In our last episode..."

In my last episode, I had just returned from a solo vacation in Utah. This wrapped up a challenging summer during which I tripped from caring for an injured dog to three-day-a-week Grand Jury duty to trying to fix up a nest for myself at home.

In this week's episode...


Dodger seems to have recovered pretty well from his broken legs. So, well, in fact, that my husband has a hard time walking him. He isn't very well trained (the husband, not the dog) and doesn't INSIST that the dog behave himself on walks. So, the dog pulls DH around with those new-and-improved legs of his. Anyway, as you can see, he is back to his old self.

The Grand Jury experience ended with a half-day on the last day. In the last case we heard (and we heard over 200 cases) testimony included what had become our favorite line: These aren't my pants. We said goodbye over Black Angus burgers. I'm still facebook friends with a couple of the jurors but - as in most lifeboat situations - don't really expect to see any of these people again.

I'm very pleased with how my room turned out and will now bore you silly with my before and after pictures.


This space...

and this space...

...now look like this.



My work space has moved to the other side of the utility cabinet like this:

And continues around the corner into my scrapbook work space.


This space


now looks like this

and like this

I've really needed an "operations central" space, a space to leave my purse and tote overnight. A space to keep my glasses, keys and watch together so that I don't waste ten minutes every morning trying to track them down. And a space to keep the flotsam, stuff that I intend to deliver to family members the next time I see them. That's what these boxes are for. I have one for my parents, one each for my brother and sister and their families, and one for my son and his wife. So far this has worked out beautifully. As long as I can remember to check the boxes on my way to the car, I can get the stuff to its rightful owners.

Chiloe, see my fairy? I love the way she looks here and am still grateful to you for introducing me to Nimue.

This space (over the new scrapbooking area)


now looks like this.

I haven't finished filling and arranging the cabinets, yet, but I'm really enjoying having My Pretty Things behind glass where they aren't being covered in dust.

I must take this moment to brag unashamedly. I did virtually all the work on this room myself. My son did help me hang the corner cabinet (yeah, IKEA!) because I couldn't see the bolt holes in this oddly shaped box. He also painted the space over the cabinets on the other wall because I couldn't reach it. Everything else I did and I'm especially proud of these cabinets. I think they look fantastic, especially against that gorgeous green.

A few things I like a LOT:

I really like the way my white fairy house looks against this green paint. (I do wish, though, that the person who made this had been more careful with the mounting hardware. The wall screws are on the level but the hardware is not so it hangs a tad crooked.)

I finally got my hummingbird framed. The original of this piece by Kory Fluckiger of Ogden, Utah, took my breath away when I first saw it. There was no way I could afford the original, so I had to wait not-so-patiently for it to sell, then for Kory to make prints. I was lucky, though, to have communicated with him early so that I scored the first in the limited edition. As always, I wish I was a better photographer. This photo does neither the art nor the framing justice (the mat is a gorgeous green, not that washed-out taupe).

I love this shelf inside the utility cabinet.

All of my chargers are together and their nasty cords tucked away.

There is plenty of room in this cabinet for my warmies, my binders of audiobooks and photo cds, my Disneyland lanyards and pins - just all kinds of goodies.

For storage...


...I used these white, assembly-required storage units throughout the room. These are stacked underneath and supporting the scrapbook workspace. There's another stack on the side of the bed serving as a nightstand. LOTS of storage. In fact, I have empty drawers! I covered most of them with glass so now I don't have to worry about where I set my water glass.

Finally, I love my Disney prints (although, sadly, because of the cabinets I ran out of wall space for my Disneyland 50th print by Thomas Kinkade.) I was able to use my Tinkerbell print (I framed it myself using the cover of a book on faeries. I messed up the mats, but fell in love with the wonky arrangement so left it that way.) The other piece is an original by my daughter-in-law. You might recognize a stylized Minnie Mouse with a distinct Japanese flair. I am so inspired by this piece, and flattered that my DIL would take the time to create something so intricate for me.

And that completes the tour. The puppy hangs out with me a lot in here and - since the day I cleaned the carpets two weeks ago - has defiled the carpet by grinding two snails sneaked in from the garden and throwing up on it four times. Other than that, the room is working out perfectly for me.

There are a few things still to do.


I've decided to take this window out of here. I'll replace some of the dried out used-to-be-pink rosebuds and replace them with autumn flowers, then hang the whole thing in the family room.

Bragging again, but I love the way my birdies turned out. Design by Valerie Pfieffer.


I won this watercolor of Matilija Poppies for $60 - framed - at a Democratic Party auction a few years ago. When I finish Firefly Faeries, the poppies will move down into the empty space and the Faeries will preside over the room from the upper space.


There's also a space for this when it's completed:

All things considered, I'm pretty proud of what I accomplished this summer in spite of all the pitfalls.

Please help me think good thoughts for the year to come.

Disney Rush

Anyone who can't understand a Disney Geek going over and over and over? Here it is. Wonderful fan video.