Checking In

It has been 2 months since I published a post to my blog.  And I have been absent from reading blogs.  My apologies to my readers who visit and wonder where I am.

Gaps in my blogging have happened a number of times previously since I started writing in 2009.  I will admit this is the most uninspired I have ever been since I have started.  September and October were pretty busy with a variety of commitments.  The chances of getting a blog post published were pretty low.  So maybe that is all that is going on. Does that mean I am quitting?  No - I cannot honestly say I am done with blogging.  And I still take pictures to save and share on my blog at some point.  But I have clearly slipped into a different level of participation for the near future.

But to give you a few snippets of what has passed this way while I have been gone from my blog.

COVID

I finally managed to catch covid in September.  I was pretty bummed, as I am sooo careful but luckily I got tested early and got the “magic pills” - the antiviral medication - in time to turn the infection off rapidly.  My husband caught it from me and he also got the antiviral medication quickly as well.  I struggled with some lingering fatigue for a week or two, but that finally lifted.  I feel very fortunate that I got this pesky and dangerous virus after medical science figured out ways to minimize and manage it. 

THE ESK REQUEST

So this conversation happened during a recent visit - while I was knitting ...

Esk:  Grandma is that for me?

Grandma:  No, Esk.  This is a shawl and little girls don’t wear shawls.

Esk: Grandma, will you make me a sweater?

Grandma: (sputtering and surprised) Sure, Esk!  I thought maybe you had out grown ... uhh ... or maybe lost interest or whatever ... uhh, .... so what color?

Esk: (and Grandma at the same time) Pink and Purple

 I set aside the two “promises” I made to myself this year: 1) finish the 5 works in progress I had sitting idle for too long and 2) avoid purchasing any new yarn because my stash is too big.  Unfortunately there is a significant lack of pink and purple in my stash, so yarn was purchased. And I launched into project number 6 - a sweater for Esk.

CLEANING OUT

In an effort to jump start my general malaise, I fell back on a tried and true method of refocusing my perspective: paring down my stuff.  Downsizing always makes me feel better.  Expanding the space around me by reducing the clutter usually sparks enthusiasm for other endeavors.  So far it hasn’t sparked much of anything, but it has felt good to exercise that “enough” muscle - getting my belongings and life expectations down to “enough.” 

CHANGE OF SEASONS

I am happy the weather is finally cooling down.  Of the 4 seasons, summer is my least favorite. I will miss that fresh produce that comes with late summer - but that is pretty much it.  Heat and humidity are not my friends.  Love that January time after the hubbub of Christmas has passed and the really cold weather sets in and a chance of a winter snow storm increases.

That’s all for now guys.  I can’t promise when I will be back again.  But I will try to keep in touch with bloggers whose commenting function allow me to leave a comment.  

My Twinkling 2021 New Year Star

Without a doubt, this charming little star, Eskarina, was the sparkle in an otherwise disappointing year! So I am going to drop all these pictures right here - at the start of 2022!

One of our Google Duo video phone calls together. The purple hat and frame
in her picture is a phone software program that you can use to decorate
your picture.

Special cookie that grandma bought.  Just  LOADED with icing (sugar.).  She loves
coming to grandma’s house.  I wonder why.  Ha!

First day of Pre-Kindergarden school - 3 year old class!! 
It is hard to wrap my head around how much growth she
has experienced since her birth in 2018!

Her 3 year old school picture.  

Bath time at Grandma’s house.  Bubble baths are the bomb!

Swim lessons - she loves those googles.

Sun glasses indoors.  It is all about the fashion!  And don’t forget the lipstick!!

And these two!!!!!  I love seeing them together.  This little chap is my sister’s grandson - so cousins they are.  They run, and dance, and play together with not one word of disagreement between them. This is a wonderful family relationship that remains with them for their whole lives! 

My two best girls - my daughter and my grand daughter
 at story time during one sleep-over visit last year.

While much has been lost in past Decembers, my small 3 year old twinkling star keeps the sad thoughts away when she is around.  

Commenting on the Comments

I rarely respond to comments and questions on my blog now that I use the Pop Up commenting.  I can’t reply in real time on the same post unless I choose to add a separate comment of my own to my post.  I am not sure if that method of reply would be seen since most people never look backwards on the blogs they follow.  Then I got to thinking ... why not have a “Reply Post” that follows the main post a few days later.  So here is my Reply Post.  We will see how this goes.

”Have you made a date [to see Esk] with dear Eskarina and her parents?”  YES!!  I should have mentioned that in my previous post.  In fact, the date was scheduled on my calendar the very first moment I snagged the first shot date!!  I went right to my calendar and counted out the days and marked my “Liberation Day” in bold red print. And there will be a blog post, Michelle, when it happens. “Liberation Day” is April 20 around 12:30 pm (yes I know the time as well) -  not that I am counting the minutes or anything.   However, she goes to day care during the workweek so we are holding off our reunion until the weekend when we have a “Sleep over at Grandma’s" condo all planned on April 23.  It will be joyous in the extreme.  I hope I can get through the first hour of the visit without crying.  Even in the Google Video calls with her - which do happen frequently - I can see that she has grown and matured.  During one of those video calls Esk asked me if I could show her the toys and her bed at my house through the phone 😢.  As I "walked her” on the phone into the guest room, I was fighting tears. While it is lovely she remembered these things and wanted to see them again,  it made me so sad that the only way we could do that was through a cell phone.   And although I am looking forward to seeing her parents as well, I know they are just as eager to have some time to themselves - even if it is just to get some sleep.  😄

And as for Aja!  She is definitely a female, Cynthia.  And I can assure you that the difference between female and male cats is like different solar systems.  The males (we have had 9 of those) are the party, party, party animals.  Pretty much happy-go-lucky!  More dog-like than cat-like.  The females (we have had 2 counting Aja) are the business end of the species.  It is nature’s way of assuring that kittens will survive.  Even in the wild, the female lions are the hunters and the male lions are the “figure heads” who wait for the meal to be brought down by their female mates. The true power is in the female.  It is probably true of most mammals.  It is just more evident in animals like cats - who are unlikely to hide their true nature.

I also learned some interesting things about orange female cats yesterday.  Orange females are relatively rare. This info came from another female orange cat owner who asked if Aja’s personality was “spicy.”  Why, funny you should ask.  Yes!  What a perfect description of her personality.  Spicy. This informal source said spicy personalities are a common trait of orange females.  So off I went to Google to do a little research.  Yes,  pretty much all sources agree - about 81% of ginger cats are male.  Ginger females carry the orange gene on both X chromosomes.  Both her parents had to be orange according to the sources I read.  But the “spicy” personality observation was not supported.  In fact, it was suggested be  the reverse.  While the strongest influence on personality tends to be early socialization, males tend to be the “spicier” of the two.  That observation does not appear to be based on any science like the color of the fur.  You can’t help but wonder, however, ... since there is only observational evidence on personality, maybe there is something to it - just not proven.  Everyone agrees, however, that orange cats are very friendly.  And Aja is.  She just doesn’t always know how to contain that joyous feeling at times.

Terra, Leigh, Marie and Lefty, thank you for your kind comments on the crochet.  I am definitely a novice in crochet.  The actual stitches aren’t hard but knowing where to begin and end rows still is sometimes a mystery.  Last year I started a crochet blanket and got about 5 inches done when I discovered the blanket was getting wider.  Obviously I had been unintentionally increasing on the edges.  I ripped it all out and decided crochet just wasn’t for me.  Then I discovered the Annie’s Club Kits - I liked the patterns and each kit came with video assistance. You could see quite clearly where the hook needed to go to begin or end.  While the cost of the total Kit is pretty high for what is acrylic yarn, the assistance and knowledge building more than make up for the cost.  And when you commented on the colors in the blanket I had to smile. I like browns and tans also, but there are no browns and tans in the blanket.  I tried so hard to capture the colors and failed miserably.  The colors are in the plum family with a pop of turquoise for contrast.  Even the professional pictures that came with the directions don’t show the colors correctly.

Finally to my walking friend, Karen, Happy One.  I think of you often and how lucky you are to have such a beautiful place to walk every single day (for 6 miles - yes, folks, she walks 6 miles every day - my hero!)  While our move to this condo was perfect in many ways, walking paths or even just sidewalks are in short supply in Elkridge.  It is not Columbia, where the developers were following the vision of James Rouse with pedestrian friendly neighborhoods. And Sandy, your idea for audio books while walking is something I used to do when I was on my own walk.  It does pass the time.  I am trying to get out later in the evening by myself when he has gone to bed.  He is an early to bed (7:00 pm) but late to sleep (10:00 pm) person - listening to his audio books for a few hours before sleeping.  With the longer days this works ok.  I get in a short walk around my condo development. (boring, but walking). But I miss wandering around randomly and spontaneously like Happy One does. 

Not sure how this worked for you guys.  I feel like I closed the loop on the last post with responses.  I probably won’t be back blogging again until I see Esk - in the flesh - on the 23rd - with a box of tissues in my hand and my other arm around her slim little body.    

Stay well all! 

Just for fun!!

My grand daughter calls me (with her mother or father's help and their cell phone) several times a week.  It is one of the highlights of my day.  It is always Google Video call so we can see each other on our cell phones.  One of the features on the video calls is adding fun cartoon features to your own image.  And recently I discovered you can take a picture of those images.  

So here are some video shots that we have done recently. 

Great fun! 

Enjoy.

Yes - that is me as a Turkey!  Esk has a circus hat on.

Memories of Halloween

Halloween 2020 was bound to be different from any previous Halloween of my memory.  It was my grand daughter's first Halloween - or rather the first one she would be able to participate in. 

Her parents planned a party at home for her - a small family gathering, just me and her grandfather and her Aunt.  We came done up in witch hats and blinking light necklaces and wrapped Halloween cookies for her treat bag.

My two beautiful ladies - Esk and my daughter!

Her mom made the cutest Halloween cake - from scratch, no less.  Cute as could be and very delicious. (Low in calories, too.  Not!)

Her parents had a Halloween blow up figure in the back yard, a scavenger hunt in the house for Halloween goodies and a yummy dinner of barbecue ribs. 

She was dressed as a ballerina! 

Even her dog Rags had a costume - devil wings - that he wore for only about 2 minutes because he was sort of terrorized by them and we couldn't leave them on when we saw his reaction.  Poor boy.  For such a big imposing bully (English Bulldog), he is secretly not imposing at all.

I love this picture of my son and his daughter. 

He is such a good guy and it warms my heart totally to see him gently nurturing such a beautiful child.  

And Halloween just wouldn't be Halloween unless you visited a neighbor and greeted them with a "Trick or Treat."  Their few neighbors live on 6 or more acre plots - just visible from their own property and trick or treating was a rare occurrence. No other children live on that lane.  

Esk came with a small bag of treats for the neighbors!!

But one neighbor - an elderly couple who seem to have struck up a neighborly relationship with the younger new comers on the lane (my son and his wife) invited this little person, my dear Esk,  to make a trick or treat visit to them.  So we all walked down the lane in the late afternoon to visit and get a piece of candy.   So much fun.  More fun than canvasing a townhouse development or apartment project where the neighbors are on top of each other and the candy haul would become too heavy for those little arms to carry.  

The candy dish was on the bottom step.

And how much fun it was to see the neighbors encourage Esk to take more candy (in fact take the whole bowl - of about 20 pieces) while she had mother's words of repeating in her head, "Esk, when you visit you take just one piece."  You can be sure Esk walked away with all the pieces!

And the adults got to visit for a short time while Esk picked candy one piece at a time.  It was so much fun.

Esk was not frightened at all by the images moving on her walls.  She loves the Halloween cartoons and stories so much.  

Some day things might go back to normal, but for now, making new memories (safe and socially distant memories) is what it is all about.

Her Trick or Treat bag!

 

Pictures, pictures, pictures.

As promised - pictures from the second family

 Christmas gathering!!  

Nothing but pictures.

Another Cover Girl Shot 

She is a beauty!  

Back shot of the dress!!

Gift Opening Time - Esk and Will

Will's sweater - my niece checking it out.
She is pregnant with her second child.
A girl!!

The sit and spin was a hit!

Grandma will definitely get one of these for the condo!!

And now for some "grand parents" shots!

My sister and my brother-in-law trying to set up
an indoor tent!  Too funny to watch real time.

Ah - the challenges!

Still more effort!

Finally!  A rocket ship tent!  The kids loved it.

My Christmas tree at home on Christmas Eve - waiting for Ms. Esk.

Sunday Brain Dump: Walk, Tears, Comments

Sunday Brain Dump: Peeping Tom, Tears, Comments

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I promised to swing back to the blog on Sundays (even though the A-2-Z Challenge skips Sundays),  to give a walking update!  I will give that update.  BUT ... I discovered that my fingers began itching to write about some non-Challenge topics.   I felt stifled ... like mouth gagged and hands tied because I already wrote and scheduled all these other posts!!!  

So it is Sunday and now that the gag is off - here is what came bubbling out:

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Walking in My Neighborhood and the Peeping Tom

Think - hamster in a wheel.  

Think - treadmill without TV.
Think - circular track camouflaged as a neighborhood. 

Think - mental torture masquerading as a healthy activity.  

That is what walking in my immediate neighborhood is to me.  When I am desperate and time is short - I am left with no choice.

So here is what is good about my neighborhood walk:

• Safe - in a boring kind of way: no traffic, no scary people, no crime.
• No uneven surfaces.  I am not new to falling on public sidewalks.  Not a graceful fall either.  Pretty much a 'fall-flat-on-your-face" fall.  Not once unfortunately.  I can count 3 times.   On the up side - falling is never boring.
• Always available - even at night when it is dark - the boring areas is well lighted.
• Gently hilly.
• Neighbors/friends ... we visit.
• Can be interesting in a "peeping tom kind of way" - not that I walk up to windows and look in.    But if you have your blinds up, lights on, and it is night, guess what.  I can see in!  Really ... the walk is boring - nothing to see outside.  Inside views ... who knows.  Of course, there really is nothing to see inside either.  I live in a 55+ community, and we are not partying nude with loud music and mixed drinks!  But if there is something to see from the side walk, I will look. 

Here is what is bad about it:

• Boring.
• Very boring.
• Intensely boring (unless someone has their shades up, then it is only 'very boring.')

This unintentional walking track, however, is used by a lot of the residents.  One morning as I was getting into my car, I stopped a couple who regularly walks this route around the development.  I smiled and offered a casual greeting, "Nice morning for a walk!"  They agreed.  So I continued, "So how many times around do you go," thinking they probably didn't go this route for distance - just a few times around till their exercise time was up.  They quickly responded, "Nine times around is a mile."  Oh my.  They worked out the distance.  They knew exactly.  Okay, then!  And how boring - it was morning ... so peeping in windows for them!

I decided to skip my walking stats - except to say I have not yet reach 10,000 steps in one day.  That is actually my first goal.  There are other goals waiting in the wings - if I don't die before that.

I am adding some incentive to my steps by tracking them on the Walking4Fun website.  This site has a number of well known walking trails - one is the Appalachian Trail.  It tracks your step count against a number of well known walking trails - one being the Appalachian Trail.  Below is the map of the trail with the start marked with an S.  My marker is pretty much hidden by the start marker.  Guess I have just a few more steps to take before I even show up on the map!  Ha.

Walking4Fun - AP Trail

"Make the Babies Cry" Wednesday

Oh, so you didn't know there was such a day?  There is!

I visit my grand daughter in day care almost every Wednesday.

In the beginning she looked at me with that unblinking stare ... like she had never set eyes on me before.  Ok, I get it.  She isn't going to just give away smiley greetings (like some babies do) without you earning that smile.  I respect that!  She has standards.  I agree - you can't smile at every Tom, Dick or Harry that crosses your path!   Yea for a female who knows her own mind!!

Time passes, I see her most weekends.  I see her most Wednesdays.  She warms up after the initial visual assessment of my worth (like always), and we play and she smiles and laughs, and life is good.

About a month ago, I walked into day care - she took one look at me and her face resolved into red blotches, tears, and crying!   uh ... Okay ... so not exactly the welcome I was going for.  But after she pulled out of it, the visit was fabulous.  When I visit her house, or she visits my house - we have no tears. But ok. Maybe having a bad day in day care.

The next time I came - same reaction - only this time she gets her good friend, a little boy in her group, crying too. Now they both are crying.  And not just little whimpers - No, these are dramatic heart felt sobs, with head down to the floor in total despair.

Oh.My.God!  What ever could the care givers be thinking!!!

Seriously, folks.  I am not making this stuff up.

But, I am not an easy person to deter!  This is my grand baby - probably my only grand baby!!! I will persevere.  (Actually - stubborn and persistent is a good description.)

So last Wednesday I visited again.  By now I have labeled this day of the week, "Make the Babies Cry" Wednesday!!

I arrive at the day care and peek from the hallway into the infants room.  I see Eskarina standing in the middle of the room.  She is fine.  She spots me.  Nothing.  I enter.  Nothing.  I move closer - the face gets red, tears form, crying starts.  (In my brain: damn, damn, damn.).  I whip out my phone and take this picture:

 

*Sigh*

Thankfully it didn't last long and the caregiver didn't need to pick her up to comfort her.   She got control of herself and then I snapped this picture.

A slight improvement I guess.  I'll take thumb over tears.

We shortly got to this.  Much better.  The visit was successful.  

So mark your calendars folks, and remember me on "Make the Babies Cry Wednesdays" around 11:00 am - when I am out in day care making babies cry.  (See?  Retirement can be interesting.)


Commenting Drama

Finally, as regular readers know, I had problems with commenting on some blogs and some readers had problems commenting on my blog.  I made an adjustment to my browser and the problems are fixed - at least from my perspective.

The details of that problem and the fix - can be found at this location on my blog.  If you have similar problems, please check out my post and the link located within my post that instructs you on a possible correction.

The past week I changed my commenting feature back to Embedded Comments and Comment Moderation.  Responding to comment on my blog is easier with Embedded Comments and I really enjoy the 'conversation' with readers.  And I have noticed some other annoying problems as well (caused by trouble makers - with no life of their own except to cause problems for others)  - and I need to put back Comment Moderation.

Please send me an email if you are having problems leaving a comment on this blog.

Thanks all.