Travel Prep Day

    You know,  those cards with beautiful winter scenes of sunshine and glistening, sparkling, shimmering, shining snow?  Are you aware of how that beautiful scene gets that way?  I know  the card company will often dump on a bunch of sparkling glitter to make you think the snow is glistening, sparkling, shimmering, shining.  But do you know how it REALLY gets that way?  It takes snow...sunshine...and...and...and...zero degree weather.  That's right.  Card companies won't tell you that.  But I know because when it gets REALLY beautiful outside it is too COLD to go outside.  You can observe this on pictures of the Arctic Circle or Antarctica.  Park Falls, Wisconsin is somewhere in between.  Anyway, we are forecast to enjoy global warming today and soar up to 40 degrees.  (I have noticed there is NO "degree" symbol on the computer keyboard.  Computer nerds are so smart, they don't live in places where a "degree" symbol is a way of life.) 

    Today I clean up, pack up, cheer up, and head up (actually down) to Wausau to fly out to Vancouver, WA tomorrow.  Yeah!  One knows that she is in her senior years when even with all that to look forward to, she needs to pray for energy and enthusiasm to get out of bed and get ready.  More later when I am at my son's home in Wausau and officially consider myself on WINTER BREAK!

     11:30PM    I am still in Park Falls!    My day didn't unfold the way I planned.  I was in the middle of  getting started with the day when my brother-in-law, Joe, rang the back door.  He was a little startled when I answered with my winter coat on.  I briefly explained that the back porch is COLD.
     We sat and talked for 2 hours.  Either he didn't notice or he didn't mind that I was still in my pajamas and housecoat.  Don't most folks dress that way at 11AM on Sat?  Before he left I asked  if he still kept in contact with my cousin who lives in Madison.  He is actually more like a brother/cousin since we grew up together for several years, though he is 10 years younger.  I haven't talked with him for over 20 years and would like to extend a hello and goodbye before I move out west.  Joe said he would try to contact him.  Perhaps this spring we could meet up.
    Since I needed to leave by 3PM to arrive in Wausau before dark and I hadn't started cleaning up or packing up, though I was cheered up, I decided it was better to reschedule leaving until tomorrow morning. 

Tyler and Logan helping Grandma G
off to the airport 

    About 4PM Lou called to invite me to the China Beijing for dinner with him and Al's family.  I agreed and continued packing.  Packing is a bit complicated since I can't lift a large packed suitcase.  That means taking out the empty suitcase, setting it on the backseat, carrying out small amounts to pack out there and finally closing the zipper.  I discovered that is the essential step--closing the zipper.  Actually, Burt discovered that is the essential step.  Before my Christmas flight I had the suitcase conveniently situated on the back seat.  When we got to the airport he let me out by the door since there was fresh snow, then went to park the car and bring in my suitcase.  It took him a little longer than I thought it should and his face was a bit disturbed looking when he came in.  He coolly explained that some of my items might be wet because he didn't know the suitcase wasn't zipped  when he grabbed it out of the car.  Some things landed in the snow.  Oh.   I bet he learned his lesson to make sure Mom's suitcase is closed before grabbing it out of the car.
    Al's family, Lou and I had an enjoyable dinner and then I returned home to finish preparing to leave.  The furnace was making a high pitched noise so I called Al who works for a heating company.  He checked it out and determined it was alright, though it might need attention soon.
     
    This was a good "glad there was time to alter my schedule" day in the life of Grandma G.
    "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."
(Proverbs 16:9)