Breakthrough Day......

   Grandson, Zach, came over on Monday to help me with various tasks that are too difficult for me.  He dug holes for my first 2 rose bushes.  This area is the rose capital of America.  This park is full of wonderful rose plants.  Soon I will have my own beautiful roses. 
     We worked a little on setting up the back deck to have "atmosphere"---a ceramic, mosaic bistro table with red chairs, plants and a duck fountain.  I will post pictures when it is all in order later in the week.
      The greatest task he helped me with was formally setting up my teaching studio. There were still several boxes sitting around and everything generally messy.  Where did it all go?   In the bathroom, of course.  My studio is actually intended to be a master bedroom with a very large bathroom.  All that space is great for storage for the time being.  
      I was now ready to greet my first full time student Monday afternoon.  Her mom stayed for the first lesson.  I felt confident that she sensed a professional, serene learning environment.  Hopefully she will recommend me to her friends.  And they to their friends.  And they to their friends.  Well, you get the idea.  

       Wall hanging liked by Zach.  It features famous landmarks of Portland.  He has been to most of these locations.  He, also, has one of these hanging in his bedroom. I didn't know that when I selected this particular hanging for my studio.  I have a basic  "black and white" color scheme.  
        So, Monday, I bounced (sort of) out of bed by 9AM.  Drove over to pick up Zach.  We worked from 10:30 to 3:30.  Drove him the 15 minute ride home.  Had my lesson at 4:30.  Collapsed onto the couch around 5:30. I think I did go for a 30 minute walk.  
       Monday morning was following a "work spurt" on Sunday late afternoon and evening (till midnight) involving laundry, cleaning up the kitchen, dishes, stretching exercises, taking out the garbage.  And that was following a morning at church service and 2 hours exploring grocery selections at one of the local stores.  (I am still amazed and uneducated with all the ethnics food items that are available here.   Northern Wisconsin was mostly cheese, potatoes, hardy veggies, meats and desserts.  Maybe not that sparse, but not this abundant and varied.) 
        Today, after water aerobics, I was totally content to stay inside my little air conditioned home.  The thermometer soared into the low 90's this afternoon.  Every so often I would stand on the porch just to experience the heat and then slide back into the coolness inside.  Tomorrow is suppose to be even hotter.  The interesting weather feature here is that the heat doesn't set in until the afternoon.  Usually the mornings are cool and cloudy, which "burns off" as the hours past.  Late afternoon is the hottest time of the day.   This was a great day to catch up on sorting out a bunch of paperwork and watching a little TV.  

        This has been a good 3 "breakthrough" days in the life of Grandma G.

        "Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or if both will do equally well."  ( Ecclesiastes 11:6)
         

Birthday Weekend......



          This is a 2 sisters B-day weekend for 2 granddaughters in Wisconsin.  Today-Saturday- is the oldest sister's 8th B-day.  Tomorrow-Sunday- is the younger sister's 6th B-day.  (The youngest sister has to wait until May 5 for her golden 5th B-day.)

            

          
          With me living so far away Grandma G has to settle for phone visits with the Birthday girls.  That doesn't keep me from celebrating here, though.  
           After water aerobics I was planning to have a grandson come over to help put my studio into order.  His younger brother was going to be playing in a middle school football game in the afternoon.   I opted to go to the game since the day was so beautiful and the other grandma would drive the 20 minute trip.  Work can wait another day.

 

 

 

Columbia River

 

      On the way home we ladies stopped at a small Thai restaurant.  A happy surprise....It happened that the owner was a lady that Carole worked with 12 years ago.  They remembered each other and chatted away while we decided our dinner choices. 

 

 

A Thai meal fit for queens

Thai iced tea, sticky rice, stir fry, rice noodles

spring rolls with peanut sauce, coconut ice cream

 

YUM! 

 

              ________________________________________________________

 

        And yesterday, Friday?   Well, as long as you asked.  This is how that went.   Thursday night was very rainy--and into Friday morning.  The weather site said it would ease up as the day went on. 

I took the car back to the repair shop late morning.  The piercing squeal had started again the day before and continued on for part of the drive.   Then stopped--like it did 2 weeks ago. 

        The kind mechanics said they didn't know how long the "check up" would be since they needed to investigate another problem as well.  SO.....off I went to walk a couple blocks to the mall---for MALL THERAPY.  Walking around, hanging out, watching other folks, snacking at the food court and, oh ya, spending money.  I passed up a lot of clearance racks, but did find 2 pairs of  foot wear suitable for the rainy Pacific Northwest winter. 

        Three hours later it was back to the car repair.  The squealing noise was, indeed, a rock that found its way into something.  But the brake pads and rotors (?)  need replacing soon.  Also have to bring it back for them to check out a middle  gasket that probably needs replacing.  I asked the fellow working on the car if he thought that I will have a reliable car when all this is done.  He said , yes. 

Hopefully he know what he is talking about.   (Remember, you did ask how Friday went, didn't you?)

         Earlier in the week I was considering going to a singles evening at the local Christian center.  By late afternoon I was feeling a bit insecure and already had plenty of MALL THERAPY and auto mechanic exchange so decided NOT to go.  There will be the first Friday evening of Oct. coming up in a few weeks anyway.  Maybe then.   

 

       This has been a good 2 "rainy/sunny" Pacific Northwest days in the life of Grandma G.

  

      "In the way of righteousness there is life; along that path is immortality."   (Proverbs 12:28)





Reason to Get my studio in Order......

        I received a phone call from an unknown number this rainy afternoon.  The lady said the local hair salon owner told her about me.  Her daughter is eager to take piano lessons!  Will I take her as a student?  Yeah!!  My first full time school age student here in Vancouver!!  She will start Monday after school. 
       My studio is somewhat ready and somewhat messy and somewhat disorganized.  Now I have motivation to put it in order!!   Here's to several more students as word of a great teacher gets out.

        I did some work in there today, but for a different reason.  I faxed my tax info to my accountant in Wisconsin.  I have used the fax only twice since moving out here so there was some fussing before it was set up and working.  BUT, now tax filing will be done before the extension deadline arrives.

       I attended water aerobics this morning.  During our hot top soak time we ladies discussed and worried about Medicare supplements and what Obamacare will mean for us when January comes.  I am still new and perplexed about health insurance--and all insurances--with having to study them,  figure them out and decide on my own. (I don't like ANY references, directions, explanations that are over 2 paragraphs long.)   It's nice to have our "chat room" at the pool to talk things over and hear other ladies' experiences. 

         The most difficult aspect of living alone for me and not having a "go to work" job is boredom.  It's not that there aren't several projects to be done (and don't get done), but that there is a low level of energy flow.  I think being around others stimulates one's energy levels and the day passes more quickly and efficiently.  It's not fun to fix food and eat alone.  Or to list projects, then have to rehearse to one self which are more important  and tell oneself to do them.  (SIGH)   And there are so many sit down tasks that one's buns get squished.  But I know there are lots and lots of folks, women and men, who live this situation day after day, year after year.   The challenge is to formulate and live out positive, productive days.  It is a learning experience.  Yes, it is.
A good one that will regulate my senior years.  "Keep on keeping on."

                                          AUTUMN IN WISCONSIN:
                                       (because it is rainy here)

 

 

       This has been a good  "first piano student" day in the life of Grandma G.

 

         "Let us fear [reverence] the Lord our God, who gives autumn and spring rains in season, who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest." (Jeremiah 5:24)

 

Two Rare Occurrences.....

      Two highly unusual events happened the past two days.   Oh, My!

     Monday night I went to bed to the sound of a thousand tiny mice scurrying  along my roof.  Then airplanes flew very low and loud across the night sky.  Soon flashes of light shone through the drapes.   WHAT?   A thunderstorm.  An actual thunder and lightening storm here in VC.  The first one I have experienced in the year I have moved out here.  The show went on for about an hour.  It was rather comforting and cozy.  This storm was tame compared to it's big brothers and sisters back in the mid West where hard winds accompany them; the bolts of lightening much fiercer and the rumble of thunder  a freight train travelling for miles across the sky.  This was cozy and comforting. 
     We have had rain here for the past 3 nights.  Yes, nights.  The nights are wet, the mornings cloudy and the afternoons sunny.  Sounds like a fairy tale.  True, though.  Makes for beautiful roses, mums and dahlias.   


      The other rare event?  This one you will have a hard time guessing.  Guess I will tell you.  I finished my tax info for 2012.  Told you you'd have a hard time guessing.  I had a hard time getting this all together.  I did file for an extension last April.  This is the one thing in my life where I am totally ADD.  So now the info can go to my patient accountant back in Park Falls and the rest is up to him.  Hope HE gets it in before the extension runs out.  This should be the last year that it is so overwhelming since I won't have to include business taxes.  I think. 

     Hammer in the morning, hammer in the evening, hammer at suppertime. Hammerhead sharks, Hammertoes.  What's all the hammering about?  Grandma G has developed a.....hammertoe.  No, it's not a new invention.  It's a highly annoying, aggravating, somewhat painful toe with a locked up joint and tense ligament that hampers one's enjoyment of walking.   Just thought you'd want to know about that.  No picture, please. 

    

  I still have a goal of building up enough endurance and health to join the elite senior hiking group that meets once a month for hikes.  I have a way to go before I can complete the "easy hikes" of 4-5 miles.  I 'll need to hammer out the present toe condition. 

     Did you hear that past, present and future walked into a coffee shop at the same time.  It was tense. 

    



          I have been investing in various items to add ambiance to my deck.  Two heavy items are still sitting in my car, waiting for someone strong enough to get them out and carry them to the deck.  It is a project in progress.  Pictures when it is finished. 

       You may have caught on that the past 2 days have not been high adrenalin days.  But "ordinary" days are what most of life is about.  After several months spanning 2 years of "unordinary", it is soothing, though uncertain, to start having ordinary days again. 

 

Just so things don't get  too ordinary....

 

         This has been a good 2 "rare occurrence" days in the life of Grandma G. 

 

         "All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast."

(Proverbs 15:15)

      

Help! I've lost 8 days......

Diego and Grandma G
July, 2013

    The year from Sept 1,2012 thru Sept 1, 2013 has past.  365 days.  I kept a record to count how many days of rain, clouds, sun, snow, fog and hail.  A young friend, Diego, from Wisconsin had asked me, "Just how much DOES it rain in Washington?".  I have the grand totals.  HOWEVER......I seem to have lost 8 days.  I thought I was faithful to record the weather for each day, but have missed some along the way. 
    Diego hopes to come visit here in Washington some day, but doesn't want to live here.  He LIKES the snow and cold. 


                                     

        GRAND TALLY

        SUN: 171&1/2 DAYS
        CLOUDY: 93 DAYS
        RAIN: 90 DAYS
        FOG: 1 DAY
        HAIL: 1/2 DAY
        SNOW: 1 DAY         EQUALS  357 DAYS

         SINCE IT SNOWED 1 DAY WEST OF HERE I ADD THAT AND AM DIVIDING THE 7 DAYS BY 3 (LOOSELY) .

         SUN: PLUS 3 DAYS = 174&1/2
         CLOUDY: PLUS 3 DAYS = 96
         RAIN: PLUS 1 DAY = 91
         FOG:  1 DAY
         HAIL:1 DAY
         SNOW: 2 DAYS       EQUALS   365 DAYS
     
       NOT A BAD TALLY.  LOOKS LIKE SUN DOMINATES.
       AND SNOW DAYS ARE FEW. 

      WISCONSIN: SNOW LATE SEPTEMBER THRU MID MAY

           WHERE DO YOU WANT TO LIVE??

_____________________________________

                               LABOR DAY WEEKEND......

          Means family time--for me anyway.   After church on Sunday and a nap early afternoon I drove to Debbie's and took extra clothing along to stay overnight.  (Keys and Jake had gone to San Francisco for a few days to hang out and do touristy things.)
           Sunday we just hung out and went for a late dinner.  Monday we decided to go where I have been wanting to go all summer.  The Vancouver Farmers' Market.  The actual market was small, but we encountered something much bigger. 

       A COMIC-CON GATHERING  

 

enjoying a gyro

 

 

TWO SUPER HEROES TAKE ON VC.....

 

          

 

 

        Along with the Comic-Con convention was an AA  convention with several information booths as well.  That made for an interesting mix of society. 

 

       This was a fun, high adrenalin experience, but as we left the park and headed home we were  not quite sure where WE fit into the whole scheme of universal existence. 

 

        There was more family day as Schmidt family folk started making plans for a few day reunion at the Grand Canyon sometime this fall.  Yeah!

 

         I headed back to my senior living later in the day, content with "family time" and happy to be back to the quiet of my little home.  NAP TIME.   

 

       This has been a good Labor Day weekend in the life of  Grandma G. 

 

       "Blessed are all who fear [reverence] the Lord, who walk in his ways.  You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours."  (Psalm 128: 1 & 2)