The gang has gone out to lunch and I'm awaiting the first day of workmen to start basement repairs.

We began married life with a VW bug and a Westphalia camper. Both were terribnle to get started in NY state winters. I hated shopping for Christmas trees with the camper. BUT, holidays were splendid. Each winter we bought a new used Westphalia and used it the following summer for holidays, then sold it at a price which paid not only for the vehicle but for the holiday as well. They sure were popular! One guy came from England, arrived at the airport, came to our house with his family, picked up the car (paying cash) and left that evening for South America with his van filled with kids and guitars! We gave hi8m our little propane cooker as a bonus. When DD was about 4, we traveled to Nova Scvotia and beyond. We saw moose and picked blueberries, watch ocean fish and birds and had a terrific time. When we drove back Sarah cried and cried. It turned out that she thought the VW camper was our new home and thought we'd live in it forever. In early highschool DS came home all depressed because all the boys at the private school drove their own sports cars. DH had a great talk with him anbd said: "I bet your classmates don't have a VW camper though! Would you rather go on trips together to far off places in the camper or have a sports car in the city?" Hands down he voted for the camper. The camper in Little Miss Sunshine is almost as much fun as ours were...but not quite!

OK, back to business here. Sorry I can't participate as much as I'd like!

I love the pot chosen for that... whatever it is... something juicy looking that is not native to Maine. ;).

I love skunks, too. I think they're an absolute marvel of adaptation. They're pretty active here all winter long (it gets COLD here) and they pretty mind their own business. They cruise around, looking for "leftovers", grubs, and they seem to coexist nicely with a variety of other species. So a "too nosey" dog/cat gets nailed every so often? the way I see it, they probably deserved it! But I like animals.

LOL about VW buses. A good friend of mine had one, too. We nicknamed it the "hippie bus", it was one of those pop up rigs, too. It was fun to make a new screen thingy for it!

Cindy, there's a lot of work surrounding a death, isn't there? My late aunt was a stickler for attention to detail and had EVERYTHING in order when she died... I have saved several of her notes to me and one of them says this: "It's not easy getting off this planet". Was she ever right!

Apparently, Mum flipped out this morning. She assaulted people and threw things (!!) I've been told. She has been transferred to a geriatric unit at a hospital for "observation". I spoke with the admitting nurse and asked them to check her urine and her level of hydration. I told them about her urostomy and told them to contact their staff stoma nurse ASAP. I told them about her hearing aids (one is broken again!) and that they should have her entire hearing aid kit transferred with her... . I asked if I should go right down or let them handle it (worried that seeing might make her more upset). I gave them some advice on how to handle her and what topics of conversation will often change her focus. I KNEW this would happen; predicted it to my brother after the last meeting... to the DAY. I have NO confidence in any of the medical field, in fact I tend to regard most of them with disdain now; what a sad commentary on what I've encountered thusfar with respect to care for infirm elderly. Deanne, I hope Deb. is holding up well! I feel myself degenerating into "poor company" once more. :/

I struggled through the bolsters today, WILLING myself into the zen space sewing can provide me. I made several very foolish, "amateur" mistakes before settling into the zone. It wasn't a particularly good day, but by the end of tomorrow I'll closer to finishing 2 odious jobs and will be better prepared to focus on Mum's most recent crisis.

Somehow painting "man" doors doesn't seem very appealing right now. :)

I figure as soon as I find something soothing to occupy me the "social worker du jour" will call and want to discuss Mum...

Hi Everyone,
Haven't read all of the posts from the last thread. Couldn't get the tread to open due to the slowness of my dial-up.

My little sister, from Arizona, breezed through her surgery last Wednesday. I called the hospital a few times while she was in. She calls daily just to check in. We are waiting for the pathology report. I honestly didn't expect her to do this well.

Last Thursday my DD broke her foot. She was walking down her hallway when her knee gave out. She has degenerative bone disease in both knees. She then crawled into the living room, after laying in the hall for an hour, and called me from her cell phone. Her DH was out doing errands, after work, and left his cell phone in the car. I called for an ambulance because we are 30 minutes away. The medics, firetruck and police arrived and they had to use the ladder from the firetruck to to climb up onto the roof. Her front door was locked and she lives on the second floor. They were able to get in through one of the windows. DSIL arrived as they were putting her in the ambulance. She said that all her neighbors were hanging out on the sidewalk. The police had blocked off the road. There she was in excruciating pain-NO BRA, etc. She was more upset about what she was wearing and all the spectators than about her foot. I spent Tuesday with her because DSIL had to work. My DH and I are taking her to the doctors tomorrow. The bone was actually twisted and the Dr. called it a Spiral Break.

DH and I are driving up to northern PA to visit my sister on Saturday. We'll be spending the weekend at their farm. My brother lives up there too so it will be a nice family reunion.

Saturday was the first day of sun that we have had in 5 days. DH and I drove up to Well-Sweep Herb Farm. They were having their Customer Appreciation Day. Plants 20% off and free lunch. I picked up 9 plants. 2 Heucherellas, Heuchera, Hosta, Obedient Plant, Meadow Sweet, Variegated Jacob's Ladder, Variegated Fleece Flower and a Perennial Geranium.

Chelone-I hope your mum is doing better. If I was in your situation I'd probably have blown a fuse by now. By the way-I'm a sewer too. I often get the sewing bug...

If I don't have time to post before I go away I hope everyone has a great week-end.

Mariann

Mariann, that's NOT the kind of SPIRAL this thread needs! So sorry for DD and now I think her DH needs no reminding about carrying his cell phone with him?

Today promises to be busy here...but I'm not sure yet how!

Later!
'bug

Here are a few photos from the farm yesterday.

Catching butterflies:
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DSIL cleaning eaves:
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Frog
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