National Novel Writing Month

On the first of November, I will begin writing as part of National Novel Writing Month.  My goal is 50,000 words!  Last March, someone invaded our home, and stole two laptops...mine and my daughter's.  All my writing was on my Asus laptop.  I hadn't the foresight to back it up on disc.  So my stories are long gone.  My novella of a mother who leaves husband and daughter for warmer climates.  She meets some interesting new people and reads books on DVD to make some money.  Eventually husband and daughter come visit  her, and after a while she returns home to a find yellow ribbons on every silver maple in her yard!  I started writing a novel of a total totalitarian anti-feminist government, but my main character was stymied at every turn.   Perhaps the thief figured out how to get the main character out of her predicament!  One year, when spring began to tease with sunshine but still-nippy, weather, I wrote the poem "The Sun."  It was a poem of hope--that spring would warm the coldness that I felt deep within my soul.  I grieved for my lost writing but was encouraged when my daughter spoke up.  "You write so fast, you will have new stories in no time."   I look forward to November 1st, the official first day of legal writing!  Let the writing begin!

Henry, our Halloween visitor

I stuffed the sweatshirt with pillows, and the legs of the pants with old towels.  Gathering the sweatshirt, pants, athletic shoes and the smiling pumpkin head, I headed to the front porch. After assembling the parts, I stepped back to critique my work.  The wind nearly tore off my hat, so I secured a scarf around "Henry" the pumpkin man's neck to hold on his head..  He smiled at me, as if to say "Tomorrow, on Halloween eve, I will welcome the trick or treaters." I headed into the house to make dinner and then checked to see how Henry was doing.   Bats in the belfry!  He was headless.  I rushed outside to find his head in a bush!  This time around, I stuck the visor of his cap (he likes to wear his hat backward) down his sweatshirt.  Only time will tell.  I poured bags of goodies into the bowl and placed the bowl on the hutch (out of the reach of the dogs).  We are ready.  Happy Halloween!

Every year at Halloween, Henry the pumpkin man comes to visit.

Blue Skies on the Island

We are home

Three  dreamlike days. A drive 280 miles north to the ferry parking lot.  Unloading bikes and luggage, buying tickets for the ferry to the island.  The seas were rough that day, and spray glistened on the windows.  No one braved the open upper deck.  All rode below as the boat went up and down.   Once the ferry docked,  my husband and I rode our bikes to the hotel and after wandering a bit, found the front desk.  Our room overlooked Lake Huron.  We relaxed in our bright, cheerful room and the strode to the dining room for dinner.  700 or so people dine on any given night.  After dinner, we explored the hotel.  The next morning was misty but warm, so the two of us browsed the shops.  We met a woman who lives in St. Ignace but her inlaws live on the island.  After lunch, my husband and I rode our bicycles in the heart of  the island  We visited the golf course, new condos, the houses on the bluff.  This morning, we watched a gorgeous sunrise.  A beautiful day to ride on leaf covered paths around the island.  Back in the downtown area, we waited for the ferry that would take us across Lake Huron to the mainland where our car and luggage waited.  And then a safe trip home.

Exploring the Island

On the island

Tomorrow we are driving 300 miles to Mackinac City.  We will park the van and take the ferry to Mackinac Island in Lake Huron.  Once on the island, we will hop aboard a horse drawn wagon and ride to the hotel.  We have visited the island before, but this will be our first overnight visit.  We plan to dine at the hotel, ride our bikes around the 8-mile perimeter of the island if the weather permits, browse the shops.  It will be fun to photograph the lake and the scenery.   A special time to relax and enjoy each other's company....just the two of us.

In sickness and in health

I really need to work on empathy with regard to people and their illnesses.  My friend whines on facebook, "I have a cold.  I'm tired.  My stomach and head hurts."  My husband woke me up this morning, "I think I want to go to the hospital."  So I dressed, ate and drove him to the hospital. His EKG shows a difference from his previous EKG, unexplained valleys.   Tomorrow he will have a stress test and if he passes, he will come home.  After a couple hours at the hospital, my husband said, "You can go home if you want to."  And I did want to.  I don't want to spend  my days off sitting up at the hospital.  He is stable, I am 10 minutes away.  I think of our wedding promises many years ago, "in sickness and in health" and I feel that my husband deserves someone more comforting and understanding.

Home Again

I returned home  last evening after spending a few days at my parents' home.  My dad went on a vacation and I visited with my mother.  I had not spent the night at my childhood home since I married 37 years ago.  I was very comfortable except for the lack of internet access, but octogenerians have little use for wifi.  Before he drove off, my father went around the house showing me how to close blinds, turn on night lights and lamps.  Funny though, he did not mention that my mother's power chair is plugged into a wall outlet that works by a switch.  So the first morning, my mother's aide noticed that the chair didn't work.  Eventually a light bulb went off in my head and I realized that that when I turned off the switch for the lamp, I had turned off the power to her  chair.  I learned how to give an insulin injection, screw on the needle, take off 2 caps, dial to the proper dosage, slowly depress the plunger.  Not so scary after all.  I tried to find items to interest my mother--a guest book from her 60th wedding anniversary, children's fairy tales, Beatrix Potter stories, Scrabble, china teasets,  a photo book.  I made meals that were easy to swallow.  Chicken noodle soup, stuffed peppers, pot roast, eggs on toast.  We talked and talked.  We watched vapor trails in the blue sky, the small maple tree sway in the breeze, a tandem reclining bicycle with two wheels in the front, one in the back and a colorful flag.   We watched two young men load a motor scooter in a station wagon and take off with the hatch up.  We observed joggers and bicyclists.  We watched the neighbor and his two boys come home after school.  I tried to figure out this dementia, where at times my mother is spot on, and other times where she combines two different thoughts.  I laughed when she cracked a joke and sighed in relief when she safely traversed from her chair to the bathroom, around the kitchen or to her bedroom.

Getting ready for Costa Rica

My niece is studying massage therapy in Costa Rica.  She leaves next month.  My sister, daughter and I are going down for a week to keep her company.  And sightsee!  I've been doing some research.  Along with enjoying the restaurants and shops, I would enjoy visiting the butterfly farms, volcano, and parks.  I came home from work one day, and my passport had arrived!  The next day, my absentee ballot was delivered.  I will be in San Jose the day of the election.  I still need to buy some colones.  A close call at work.  A customer ordered six pink and white arrangements for a baby shower today.  She called yesterday to ask how the flowers would be packed for transport.  I told her, and then decided to go check the arrangements. When I went into the cooler, I found that the designer had made only one arrangement!  Our designer  immediately made the other five--it took an hour.  I can only imagine what would have happened if the customer had come in and there had been only one arrangement.  It would not have been a good start to the work day for me!  The owner of the flower shop signed a lease on a space for the new branch store.  The building has to be renovated...new carpet, linoleum and recessed lighting.  The cooler has to be installed.  So it will probably be six weeks before it opens.  It's been 5 months since the former branch store was closed and my thoughts and focus are on other things--my parents, husband, hapkido and my daughters' graduation and wedding.

Congratulations!

After more than five years, my daughter will graduate from the university with a marketing degree in December!  She has worked hard and long, persevered in spite of setbacks, and now the prize, her degree, is in sight!  Congratulations!  Soon she will be embarking on new adventures,  different apartment, new job, unfamiliar city.  She will "spread her wings and fly."  An accomplishment to celebrate!

Playing with technology

I spent many hours writing a story on my Android tablet, only to discover that the free app that I was using had several bugs.  After researching online, I purchased a replacement app.  However, I now have to learn how to download the program.  It looks to me that I am downloading a trial version and that I have three or four copies of it.  How do I place an icon on the tablet, so that I click on it?  I need help!  I called to make an appointment with tech service, and for $9.99 I will get some assistance.  I was reading about a blogger who uses several apps for his site.  How did he become an expert?   She told me that he learned  by playing with his Android tablet.    Technology can be a "boon or bane" to borrow my friend's words.  Downright frustrating if you ask me.  Documents that disappear, wireless that goes out unexpectedly, browers that don't respond, photos that refuse to be cropped...