The Mighty Adventures of Sissy and Grandma G......

                                                                           

  

        A funny thing happened on the way to Trader Joe's.  I abruptly obtained my Washington driver's license----after a mere 9 months delay because of "fear of the unknown".  But that was Wednesday's  adventure. 

 

       Tuesday started the days of mighty adventures.  After a late start--I worked on the blog; Sissy slept in until noon--- we headed out to "tool around".  First stop (after a quick turn into the mall for Sissy to meet with a couple friends) was to a local credit union to establish an IRA to transfer funds for me from Wisconsin to here.  We had an informative chat with the tellers and then proceeded to fill out necessary paperwork.  Got that done!  And further info on how to complete the transfer.  One step closer to being an established senior lady citizen of the PNW. 

      Then is was onto an early salad dinner at Sweet tomatoes a little across town. 

      Time for after dinner entertainment!  At a local theater. (If you are in the PNW don't declare you are "going to the show".  It's "the movies"

                                                                                                                 

 WHAT BETTER WAY TO VIEW.........

 IRON MAN 3

 

       Finally its time for home and root beer floats



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       Wednesday I started the day with making pea soup while Sissy slept a little later.  A phone call from her mom sent her to the grocery to buy ingredients for Chinese coleslaw and then a brief drive to deliver the made up salad to her work place.  That gave me time to finish the pea soup before our afternoon of "tooling". 

       We headed out with the plan of a leisurely shopping spree at Trader Joe's a bit to the south of us. But....on the way we came across the WA DOL.  I was telling Sissy that getting my WA driver's license was on my "must do very soon" list.  So we swung in just to make inquiries of what that involved and would I need to take a driving test.  Sissy was all set to coach me on that. 

       Turned out all they wanted was a check from me.   And proof of my WI license, a quick eye exam and mug shot.  And I am transformed into a Washington citizen.  In and out in 15 minutes. 

 



 

          Ever so quickly it was time for my first WA driving test.....

 AT TRADER JOE'S

          We found several healthy grocery items to buy before heading back home to cook supper "in" that evening.  Sissy made a trip to her house while I cooked pasta and stuffed chicken breasts, with salad and previously made, frozen carrot cake. 
          She left for home around 8PM with a promise of coming on Thursday morning for one more important adventure. 

GRANDMA G HAS GONE TECHY.......

 

OUT WITH THE DINOSAUR PHONE

AND IN WITH THE NEW HIGH TECH......

 

       I will never, ever get lost again.....unless I lose my handy dandy do everything smart phone, or drop it or forget to charge the battery.   Great photos are coming soon.

       Word got around to my children within the hour that mom has gone mad----I mean modern.  Burt sent a text message---"Test text message from Burt" Mom reply: "What are you testing? Speed?  Accuracy?  Intelligence? Correct mom?" Burt reply: "Comprehension" Mom reply: "WHAT?  I don't understand."  Burt reply: "Test completed"  Seems the smart phone is smart after all. 

 

PERFECT WAY TO END MIGHTY ADVENTURES.....

 



A SERVING OF DEEP FRIED PNW ASPARAGUS....

 

       This has been a good 3 " Sissy/Grandma G mighty adventures" days in the life of Grandma G.

 

       "But Ruth replied,.....Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay.  Your people will be my people and your God my God." (Ruth 1:16)



       

Picture stroll of past 3 days...

WHAT'S NEW AND OLD AT THE SAME TIME?
COULDN'T RESIST THIS ONE....GREAT FOR LEFTIES OR RIGHTIES.....

 40 YEAR OLD BOOK

TREASURES FROM A GARAGE SALE.....

 

NEW... PREPARING RICE NOODLES

OLD....PREPARING RICE KRISPIE BARS

WE HAD A POT LUCK LUNCH AT CHURCH....ALL THE BARS WERE EATEN!

 

OLD.....OUR PASTOR TURNING 50

NEW.....LOTS OF ADVENTURES AHEAD

 

 

OLD....PAINFUL FOOT

NEW.....NEATLY TAPED NOT SO PAINFUL FOOT

 

NEW.....VIEWING BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS NEVER GETS.... OLD 

 

 Young tulip tree

 

 

ROSES ABOUND....

 

NEW....AND ALWAYS NEW.......
PICTURES OF GRANDKIDS

 

 
 

EDDY AND AUTUMN

     Saturday was busy grocery shopping and "wish" shopping for deck furniture, doing laundry, cooking stir fry and making rice krispie bars (I've yet to make them without ending up with sticky stuff all over the place).   No water aerobics for a week (can't get the foot tape wet).   

 

    Sunday was a blessed church service and fun pot luck.  The afternoon caught being lonesome so went back "wish" shopping for deck furniture and more groceries. 

 

    Monday was "lets get at it" day to settle finances, make appointments, give one piano lesson, do an hour's stretches and 20 minute walk. 

    THEN.... Angie and little dog, Bentley, surprised me when coming over at 7PM to stay the night and "tool around" on Tuesday.  Yay!   

 

    This has been 3 good "new yet old" days in the life of Grandma G.

 

     "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come!"

(2 Corinthians 5:17)

 

 

 

 

 



Mall lunch/breakfast at Valerie's...

   
On Thursday I had to take the car in for an alignment.  It would take at least 2 hours.  What to do for that time?  The car shop is 2 blocks from the mall.  That's what to do.  The other grandma works at a store there so I thought having lunch at the food court with her would be a good bonding time for us. 

 

VIEW OF MT. HOOD FROM THE VC MALL

       After lunch a little shopping time for summer Capri's to complete my wardrobe  filled out my mall time. 

       Arriving back home I realized I still wasn't feeling well so tried to nap awhile.  That didn't work, but some TV on demand of the series "North America" passed the afternoon for me.  And then the movie Gifted Hands, the true story of Ben Carson, a noted brain surgeon helped fill the time while I did an hour's worth of stretches.    

 

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     Friday morning brought a date of taking out a special needs friend for breakfast--

Breakfast At Valerie's.  Valerie's is famous for their LARGE portion meals.  Donald and I decided to share a cheese omelet made of......SIX eggs.  Donald's portion was 3/4 and mine 1/4......just right for both of us.  I enjoyed getting to know more about Donald.  He is aware he is autistic and compulsive/obsessive.  He lives on his own with the help of caregivers.  He is quite intelligent.  He told me of his Amtrak trip to the south and Midwest several years ago.  He visited relatives in southern Indiana and rode through southern Wisconsin and Minnesota.  Donald attends the small church I belong to. 

      Later in the morning we stopped at a garage sale near his house.  He was helping out with the sale.  I browsed my first VC garage sale and spent a whopping $5.00 on some very useful items.   

 

      It turned out to be a geographically well planned day since the foot doctor I was scheduled to see had his office 3 blocks from Donald's house. 

      Turns out, also, that the pain in my foot is from an irritated, swollen nerve.  The doctor told me off various treatment options and then taped the foot and gave me inserts to put in my shoe to relieve pressure on the affected nerve.  I am to return in 2 weeks to see if there is improvement of the nerve.  Already the taping has given me relief.  I am eager to get a well foot so I can go walking in this beautiful PNW weather. 

       I am eager, as well, for a trip back and forth to Wisconsin 2 times in July for 12 year old grandson/Grandma G trips.  I am having a hard time remembering that there are plans and reservations to be made NOW.  There are only 3 weeks until the fun begins.  Yeah!

 

      This has been a good two "eat out" days in the life of Grandma G.

 

      "Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him."  (Psalms 34:8)



Senior Dental Challenge.......

  

   Monday was a mildly traumatic, yet victorious day.  I had to find my way to a dental clinic on the other side of the city.  I am still insecure about driving in unfamiliar territory.  But found the way alright in about 25 minutes.  The area of town is called Salmon Creek.  The dentist has never been a favorite place for me to go.  Experiencing it at a new dentist in a new part of town raised my senior anxiety levels a wee bit.  The fun part is that I am going back next week for some "deep cleaning"---heavy duty, extreme in the roots cleaning.  Come join me.  

  
       Tuesday morning was a welcome time of ladies' water aerobics and hot tub soak time.  AHHH.....
Socializing in the hot tub is where it is at for us senior ladies---hot soak, good conversation, latest goings on, where to plan one's next trip, stories of yesteryear, and struggles to remember what we were talking about. 
       The weather has been very warm and sunny. Need for the air conditioner.  Great for an evening walk,

Tulip Tree Time

Roses all around

Portland is the Rose Capitol of America

 

 

       Between Tuesday and today I finished up dishes that were meant to be washed on Saturday and also finished the cleaning and dusting left undone over the weekend.  Now, the challenge is to keep an orderly senior household.  I use to blame my messy house on the kids, but now I figure it was me all that time.  (I think the kids did contribute to the mess.)

           I actually was a bit sick today with headache and stomach ache, so puttzing around the house was a challenge.  This evening at Bible study I found out there are others not feeling well.

 

         This has been a good 3 "tending to business" days in the life of Grandma G.

 

         "A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones."  (Proverbs 15:30)



         

A Plethera of PNW.......

  PNW living has gotten so interactive I've had no time to blog!  Yeah!  Not that I don't have time to blog, but YEAH that my roots are starting to get.....rooted. 
 
    Friday I was scheduled to see a podiatrist to find the cause and learn of a cure for my painful right foot.  But.... shortly before the time to leave my doorbell rang.  Two ladies walking by noticed (a perk of "park" living) that the back left tire on my car was low.  Not wanting to drive very far not knowing how that tire was going to behave I stopped at a nearby car repair shop.  Several hours later I had missed the podiatrist appointment and had spent $1,227 on 4 new tires, back shocks, front CV joints replaced, a promise of an alignment, and the discovery that the floor of the front passenger side was 90% rusted through.  AH, Wisconsin salted roads.   OH, and WA license plates.
MOUNTAIN MAMA GRANDMA G

RETIRED TO HANG ON A WALL IN MY HOUSE

 

 

      Saturday was the unofficial start of summer---June 1.  What better way to celebrate than to do water aerobics, laundry, sweep, vacuum, give a large artificial fern plant a bath, and wipe up ALL the floors.  ALL the floors, except for one, are pressed wood.  WHOA!  That's too much like work.  Nice to have clean floors. 

         But, come 9PM all was at rest to watch my first Starlight Rose Festival parade telecast from Portland.  The Rose Festival goes for 2 weeks. 

 

          On Sunday, after a blessed church service, I was invited to a BBQ  at the pastor's home.  Got to experience "Islander" cuisine and great socializing.

 Green bananas with onions in coconut milk

    "Smoothie" of ripe bananas, half & half, Sprite and ice,   YUM....

 

       What's better than one afternoon party?   Two parties. 

Jake's 12th B-day was May 29.  So we had a gathering at Deb's.  Also watched the movie, Impossible.  The story of a family of 5 torn apart during the 2004 tsunami--the incredible happening of them finding each other still alive.  Must see movie.

     

   Jake will have his 12 year old Grandma G trip in July.  We are going to Oconomowoc to hang out with Wisconsin cousins. 

 

     This has been a good 3 plethora of PNW days in the life of Grandma G.

 

      "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."  (John 10:10)