Mandatory Fun

Every time we get the family crew together I end up planning little activities and games that have come to be known as mandatory fun! It doesn't matter how dorky or stupid the game is everyone has to participate at least once. It starts out with a few complaints and "I can't believe you are making us do this" but then it turns into fun. I am thankful that my family is willing to put up with these times because they mean a lot to me. It is one time we are all sitting around the table together and laughing. This year we have decorated cookies, played Imagineiff..., Pictionary, and Pop Five. People are allowed to wander off as the game goes on but for the most part everyone stays. It has been a fabulous holiday family time!

Texture

Recently I have been going through old pictures of my family. Specifically when I was a cute little girl who morphed into an awkward teen etc. (You know how it goes and I know you all have those pictures of yourself in your background that you just look at and go...I don't believe it...or much stronger language.) Anyhow, after looking at the pictures for awhile I started to notice the backgrounds. I realized that it's the background that adds texture to our lives..it's those little details that we don't think about that add up to be important. One small background detail for me was the paper bag sculptures that my dad used to make. We would grocery shop at the commissary once a month and we would have tons of paper bags. My dad would make little people, turkey's, reindeers and other little animals. In the pictures we would have all these 3-4 feet high paper bag people and animals in the background. I realize now how special those were.

Celebrate!

Ok...the cat is so freakin upset to be in a Santa hat and cape. He is trying to be tolerant of us for tormenting him in what we think is such a cute way. Good thing he can't talk or we would get an earful! Happy Holidays!

4 more days!

Is this the most beautiful picture? As I was doing my countdown list for Saturday when the family begins to arrive, I discovered this picture from the wedding this summer. I think the picture is fabulous and it just happened because we were taking pictures on the beach after the wedding. Ahh...so many fun family times! Remembering the wedding and family fun surrounding it is one of those stress release times to hold on to in the rush of the holidays. I sort of breathe and think of the beach and family and friends! Ahhhhhhh!

Feeling bad

I was feeling bad because I haven't blogged today until I realized that no one that I follow blogged either. Looks like we are all playing catch up! Only 5 more days until Saturday! I'm more excited about Saturday than I am about actual Christmas!

and counting.....

Six more days until Saturday!

Count Down

I'm on the count down for the beginning of my Christmas! Saturday I will see Nicole, Monika, Clay, Sheila, Dan, Pat, and Gail for drinks at the Rio. The opening toast will mark the beginning of my Christmas celebration. Good friends, good food, good times, good health and lots of fun and love. Meanwhile I have divided up this week with chores and baking etc to get ready for two weeks worth of company. I am lucky enough this year to have three different sets of company visiting grandpa and us. It will be so much fun to see everyone. Today it's clean sheets and buying the last Christmas present......Woot!

Drumming

I joined a new drumming group this evening. Natalie and Gail are in the group with me. It appears to be a fun group of about 8 people who are willing to meet at the Double Rainbow Ranch twice a month to drum. It's sort of a yoga Buddhist retreat place that is half way between Boulder and Longmont. We learned root and accompaniment rhythms which we used in structured and nonstructured patterns. There was a meditation drum period along with just plain fun. It will be the one activity to save my sanity with elder care.

Did I mention that I have to take it down a notch for the meditation part. I'm so frickin excited to be out of the house that I sort of am like a bull in the china shop. Kind of like dancing at Deadwood. Hmmm...I'll work on that coool!

Impulse Buy

The fountain is our new impulse buy. Going Christmas shopping is fun because we always come home with stuff for us too! Ours isn't on the nice table as shown in the picture but it's pretty cool anyhow. The fountain even has lights so it's lit at night. I love impulse buying...it's the way I got the singing Frogs too!

Elliptical

Since I've been hibernating at home and haven't been able to go to the gym lately we bought an elliptical machine. This has consumed our lives in the past couple of weeks whenever we have a few moments. I've been trying out machines in every store I can find. Sort of fun to run into a store, throw off your coat and begin to jump from elliptical machine to elliptical machine. It's amazing how personal preference varies from person to person where elliptical machines go. Some people swear by treadmills but I am trying to protect my knees so I'm sticking with the elliptical. The other day I came home with the number of a machine that I thought I could be happy with for exercising. So far it turns out to be a good buy (not here yet so we'll see once it arrives if it's what we think!). (Lot of punctuation there but you get the gist.) It was two hundred dollars cheaper online than in the store with...yes...with free shipping!!!!!!! So of course we ordered it. Now the reality has set in and I am trying to figure out how I'm going to be able to get it down the basement stairs. Maybe I can carry it piece by piece to assemble in the basement. Hey...I've lost three pounds just ordering this thing....it's working already!

Catzilla

We are working hard to get some seasonal decorations up around the house. Every year we put this little village under the tree with a train that circles the village. So far things are going great until Catzilla stalks through the room. So far Catzilla has a fondness for the sheep and the hay bales! I can imagine the little people cowering in fear as the cat stalker approaches and begins swiping villagers!

Pictures from the Past

For Christmas this year we are sending a picture frame to grandma with a chip that has pictures from the past loaded on it. This has turned into a much bigger project than we expected. First we keep getting sidetracked by old picture albums and then we have to scan pictures to put on the computer before they can be loaded on a chip. Actually, Dan's doing most of the work since I have been sidetracked with grandpa but it is fascinating. Tonight we spent about an hour previewing the first batch of pictures. It was so much fun. Lots of memories and goofy times. I'll get a picture up sooner or later to go with this blog. "Were we really that thin?" "Did we really have that much hair?" "Oh, I forgot about that!" "Where was that taken?" "What year do you think that was?" "HaHaHa......"

December

It's frickin December and I haven't even been thinking about Christmas. Since we celebrate Christmas here I better get crackin or no one is going to be very happy! I swear my whole life has been centering around Grandpa and his medical needs. Maybe I can give everyone surgical tape and bandages for their stockings. Start whispering loudly with suggestions since I am not thinking too clearly this year. Tis the season and I'm just floating along.

Trying...really trying!

Lately I have spent some time with a few people who are not always very nice to those around them. (Is that a diplomatic way of saying that?) Usually I get all upset when I spend time with them and this year I am trying very hard to not put my expectations of behavior on them and just to accept them the way they are. It's hard to voice my own opinion without pissing the hell out of them but I just can't sit there and let them expound utter absurdities. I have figured out that I can usually handle about 1 hour 15 minutes before I start to go for the juggler! So....you are safe around me for about 1 hour 14 minutes and then if you are an asshole you better leave!...or at least let me wander off!

Important Information

For the last couple of weeks my dad has been in out of the hospital and nursing home. He is 92 and we've run into declining health etc. One thing I've noticed is that every place he goes has a series of questions that they use to see how coherent a patient is functioning. It usually goes something like this....What is your name? How old are you? When is your birthday? What day is it? What year is it? What holiday is close by? Where do you live? Who is the president? Pop was able to answer all of the above except the last one. Maybe he's happier not knowing!

Wild Cat

It snowed last night which was exciting but we thought that the cat would be freaked out. Wrong! The cat thought it was fantastic...he went running around the whole yard and doing circles and playing in the snow. We were totally taken by surprise...sometimes I think Gizmo is more dog than cat!

Another surprise today was that Nicole sent us the most beautiful petite flowers from Costa Rica. We ended up with 72 instead of 36 and we are thrilled. We have them all over the house and it brings a smile to my face each time I enter a different room! Yea Nicole!

Graduation Weekend!

Went to Ohio this weekend to attend Connie's graduation in nursing from Wright State University. There were the appropriate hassles getting out of town, airport delays, parking problems and crowds but I was just happy to be seeing family and friends! (Of course it was more wearing on the way back than on the way there!) (I tell you some people are freakin nuts at the airport and have no clue!!!!!!...and I'm talking about passengers ..not workers!) The graduation was wonderful. We had plastic neon clappers that lit up and made noise when you waved them to cheer her on. It was outrageous without being obnoxious! Just the right touch to cheer on the graduate. After the ceremony we went to the airport to pick up Nicole (who flew in for the lunch...cool!) and ate lunch at a sports bar and cheered on Ohio State. Loved being in the family crowd for the celebration and the excitement of the game! It just made the day more perfect! (The clappers came in handy once again as we cheered each touchdown!) from the graduation we went to Richard and Joan's and hung out on the property. Went for a midnight walk through the fields and along the stream. The moon was bright enough that we didn't need a flashlight which was wonderful! Ohio is such a lush and beautiful part of the country and you don't appreciate it until you are away for awhile. Sunday before we flew back to sunny Colorado we were lucky enough to see Richard destroy his deck. They are going to be building a sunroom and walkway around the house so the old deck and cement has to go. What is it that we like to see things torn up? Anyhow it was fabulous to see the deck disappear and the tractor pulling the posts etc. At one point the entire back end of the tractor was off the ground because the front loader couldn't lift the cement! We loved it even though it was probably kind of dangerous! From there it was back to the airport to start the trek home and complete the circle with the repeat airport hassles etc. It was great to spend a few days with family and just see everyone again! It was a terrific early Thanksgiving present and graduation celebration!

Over myself

I am so over myself with this tooth problem now. With all the serious illnesses and difficulties that other people have ...losing a tooth is no big deal. I know it took me awhile to get to this point....first time for me and all the pain and stuff. I guess it's like this in life where your first time experiences for anything seem so major until you can put them into true perspective. I'm still in pain and have a long way to go until I get a new tooth (but thankfully I can get a new tooth).

I'm moving on to the rest of my life now!

cadaver bone

The dental surgery did not go well...or it did go well depending on how you want to look at it. Once the surgeon was inside he realized that the tooth was cracked all the way down the root. This meant that the surgery had to stop and become an extraction instead. Because the infection has been going on for some time the bone around the tooth was compromised. Through it all the surgeon filled it up with cadaver bone so in a couple of months I can get a tooth implant. Oh...fun....but at lest now i can start to heal.

Colorado Mornings

Colorado mornings are some of the best in the whole world! The sun is bright, clear blue skies, and a hint of crisp cool air. Just a great way to drink something hot and start your day!

Christopher Moore

I love Christopher Moore books! In fact I think I am finishing the last one of the currently published books. He has such a wickedly fun weird sense of humor which I can relate to. It's also fun to start to see characters intertwine in his books. Now I will just have to sit and wait and watch for more of his books to be published! It's the same way with the Kim Harrison vampire series. I have been anxiously waiting for her next book which was to be out in October but looks like it will now be December. I even went as far as to preorder it! (sort of got tired of going into Borders looking at the shelves in hope! and then spending all my money on other books.) Ahhhh....any good book suggestions out there while I'm waiting for my current two favorite authors to publish another book?

Teaching Peace

I attended a fundraiser the other evening for Teaching Peace. I could talk about the terrific art gallery or the fabulous desserts or even the funky wine but....what really got me was a statement that I heard. This is an organization that supports alternatives in the criminal justice system. It's a place for people to learn from each other and to grow and hopefully interrupt a pathway that might become a repeat offender. Anyhow, the quote that I heard is attributed to Bev Title and it goes something like this: "We may not be able to change the world but we can kick ass in our own little corner of it." This quote has stuck with me and I keep thinking about it. It's very motivating to remind ourselves to take one step at a time. Do what you can in your own neighborhood or even household and someday the light of peace will spread! Peace is not a passive action but rather an active action. We must choose peace for it to happen!

Politically Correct

Have you ever noticed that there are times that it is just more fun to politically incorrect? I don't mean to be insensitive but let's be real....there are times when you just can't help it. Maybe I should just stop here before I give examples from my life that will be guaranteed to piss off most of my friends unless they have enough drugs or alcohol in their systems to laugh at just about anything.

On another note...sort of...I've spent enough time at the nursing home that I am beginning to be able to imitate different residents. Hmmm...maybe that is politically incorrect too.

Magic Bullet

To go along with my dental dilemma I have dug out the brand new Magic Bullet that I was saving for grandpa. It's a table top mini size blender that does everything! I am amazed and can't wait to try some of the new recipes. (I sold the real blender at a yard sale a couple of years ago when I got overly excited when I realized that people would give you money for your stuff so when I ran out of objects I went through the house and dragged appliances etc outside....oops...who would know that you need things like blenders, toasters, can openers etc?) Anyhow, since I have a feeling that eating for the first part of next week is going to be slightly difficult I got into the stash of Christmas presents and now it's mine! I'm thinking that frozen drinks would be nice and could double for painkillers....something like the Purple Haze?????

Had no idea

I had no idea that the dental drama could get any worse until it did. I finally made it into the dentist...who was fabulous with me because I'm Nicole's mom...but then he had to refer me to a specialist. The dentist literally walked me to the specialist's office and asked them to take super good care of me because he knew my daughter (so having kids can pay off some days?) The specialists were wonderful and fit me into an already packed schedule but then that's where the trouble started plus my pain pills were starting to wear off and it's not like you can say...hold it...I have to take more pain pills (from two years ago) when you are sitting in the chair. The biggest problem was that no one could figure out where the pain was coming from (other than my mouth and jaw) so everyone had to poke, prod, and tap everything. None of this hurt until around 7 o'clock at night after I was home!!!!! The x rays are taken on the computer now and the dental assistants were having trouble fitting the camera in my mouth so I ended up with 3 assistants taking turns taking x rays. At this point the tears started silently rolling down the sides of my cheeks. Bottom line is that I am set up for oral surgery on Monday morning. It appears that the tooth that I had a root canal done on two years ago is reinfected. It didn't really show up on the xray because the actual root canal looks good. It's an infection between the roots...this is not good! If the tooth is cracked then they will have to pull it and I'll be looking at a tooth implant. It was hard to diagnose because it was putting pressure on the side of the jaw and not on the tooth itself. Oh lucky me! I was sent home with prescriptions for antibiotics and pain pills and an appointment to come back on Monday. What I couldn't believe is that around 7 pm the pain set in and it was one of the worse pains I have ever had. It sort of took the 1 to 10 pain chart to a new level! You know those little face picture charts to indicate pain...well...mine was this little face with the wiry hair poking out everywhere with the mouth wide open, the eyes wide open and the hands pulling the hair from the head. Not very zen... of feeling and going through the pain. I was ready to have Dan get a pair of pliers and just pull the sucker! I survived the night and now I'm a little afraid to be tooo far away from my pain pills and antibiotics...but the dentist promised that by Wednesday most of the pain would be gone. Sooooooo..... I will have surgery on Monday and go to Connie's graduation on Thursday in Ohio. Great...I'll be the swollen bruised one in the pictures. Looks like it's a great excuse to eat all of the cake I want!....maybe even drink on the plane!

huh?

You would think we live in a war zone or something this morning! Somehow there is a standoff with a car hijacker or something (no details really yet) and they have closed two schools close by and now we have helicopters flying over head etc. It's sort of driving the cats nuts.

In other less exciting news...I finally have a dental appointment this afternoon....hopefully the police swat team stuff will be finished by then! I am in so much pain that I am actually excited about going to the dentist! This is also the former dentist that I like!!!! and not the one I was forced to go see due to insurance changes.

Dental Drama

Dental drama
Current mood: hurting

The dental drama has been going on for a few days now. There's good and bad to it. It all started about two days ago when I felt a twinge in my lower right jaw. Now I've had a root canal in the general area so I'm thinking no big deal...just phantom pain right...well noooooo. By Friday morning I was in major pain! You know the pain had to bad when I even left burrito breakfast...after all nothing interferes with Friday morning burritos at Santiago's! I just knew that I hurt so bad I needed to do something. I went to the dentist office (the one I had to change to when my insurance changed....sort of like the dentist from Little Shop of Horrors) and explained that I was in pain. The receptionist looked right at me and said...we don't take walk ins....now I'm a patient for at least two years..so like WTF. In pain I'm trying to be very nice and explain I'm not just a walk in...I'm a patient without an appointment. In my mind there is a difference...in hers there wasn't. Through the conversation I am finALLY TOLD THAT I AM NO LONGER ON THE ROSTER AND THEY CAN'T SEE ME! Well I did what everyone in the country has to do...I went home and called my insurance company. Turns out that my retirement plan changed insurance and actually upgraded my dental insurance so now I can go to ANY dentist!!!!!!!! Now I'm in pain but very happy because even though my favorite dentist has retired, I can now go to his partner. (Who doesn't happen to work on Fridays but Hey....what's a little pain when you get to go back to the guy you like?! ..that and a little Hydrocodone and ice cubes will get you through the weekend.) I even made it back to burritos before everyone left. BTW...this should make Nat's singing recital this Sunday interesting!

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