Big News!

Last Wednesday as I was coming back from a Fritz walk, Ella - the building manager called me in and asked if I was the one who wanted a first floor apartment so I could grow things outside....I have never been a gardener - and I sort of said no, it wasn't me...but if a first floor apartment was available I would love to be considered...Ask and Ye shall receive!! Where I am now faces a really busy street - across from the fire station and a very busy tattoo parlor (which is interesting, I must say) also on a bus route and the library is across the street. All of this makes for a lot of noise!! Since I also get the morning sun, the windows are open a lot and the dust and dirt that gets in is dreadful....The new place will face the parking lot on the front of the building.. #108, it is. There is a fairly tall privacy hedge...and I will probably move in the last weekend in June....The lady who lived there had been there for 8 years or so, so they will be replacing the floors and generally cleaning it up before I can get in there....I will have a small patio so I can sit outside and I can build a fence out there for Fritz...Needless to say, I am thrilled and so are my family. Now they can knock on my sliding door instead of going through the rig-a-ma-role they have to do now. Pretty darned exciting, Huh???

Busy Week

The day I last talked with you, I decided to return some books at the library across the street...so I braved the traffic and crossed the streets necessary to get there and went on the side walk when all of a sudden I tripped over a rise in the sidewalk seam and down I went! Of course I had Fritz with me, and, bless his heart, he stayed right with me. I tried to get up but couldn't - there was nothing to hang on to...I got out my phone to call someone and then realized anyone I would want to call couldn't help me...they all work or are too far away - and I did NOT want to do the 911 thing..Finally a lady came along and asked if I was all-right,,,Duh!! and then a man came along and between them they got me erect again. One of them took my books to the '"return bin" and then after I decided I was okay to walk, the man took me to the apartment building...what nice people they were!!! Gosh, I hate it when that happens...I am no delicate flower and my body gets quite an impact when I go down....Lucky there were no broken bones...huge scrape on my knee, which is still ugly today....I should have fractured my knee...I have been told that I have unusually dense bones....I believe it.

So....that sort of benched me for the most part of the week...felt wobbly and dizzy....promised my family I would go to the Dr. if it continued another day ....and, whatta ya know?...I was fine by Thursday. It was bingo night here in the building so I took my quarter collection and went down...I have won nearly every time I go....and this time I won twice. Had to share both times so we each got a whole $1.50 each time.... I have started to apologize whenever I yell bingo. They tease me a lot.

Friday, Jocelyn called and invited me to go along with her and Dian to "the river"....She has a good friend who has a home on the Naches River....and is very generous whenever a friend wants to get away from it all. It is hardly a cabin....it is a real house! Filled with lots of furniture...a complete kitchen, two baths - one with a Jacuzzi tub....a couple of TVs ....nice porch in back so we can sit out and watch the river go by..Lots of outdoor equipment....a computer....a jillion books and magazines....a jillion cookbooks....lots of "doo dahs"....you could spend all day looking at everything....anyhow, we had a great time.....ate....read....they sun-tanned....beautiful weather. We brought her dog along, a Chesapeake Terrier..named Casey... she doesn't really like to ride in the car but once she got in she was fine....except she had a dreadful odor. She is really territorial so we had to leave our dogs at home - but in spite of the fact she is almost the size of a small horse, she is a dear....

So...I had to hustle to find a dog sitter for Fritz and called on a woman on my floor who really loves him.....and, yippee!, she said yes. I asked what she would charge for this and she said not to worry about it....I did worry, tho'....when I got back Fritz was home...and I went down to Carol's to thank her and generally find out how it went...Of course it went fine. She said Fritz didn't want to stay in her apartment, so she brought him "home" after the 5 or 6 walks they took every day....and he was happy with that - even overnight! I decided she was going to get some sort of "thank you"...so I bought a small bouquet of flowers and a card from Fritz..and when I knew she was going to be gone, placed that by her door.....She was most appreciative and, best of all didn't throw it back in my face.

Yesterday I had lunch with two old friends I bet I hadn't seen in 20 years..Oh my, that was wonderful. We talked and talked, and talked some more.....I surely hope it won't be 20 years before I see either one of them again....One was 86 years old! She gets around with the help of a walker....she is mentally alert (aside from some short term memory problems - which I have as well. The other one is younger than both of us and she and her husband settled in Mesa, AZ. but are seriously thinking about moving back up here. I sure hope they do...Both were in Sweet Adelines with me. I can't get over how great that was!!!

Have to walk Fritz before I head out to volunteer....

Life is Amazing!

Guess what Fritz and I saw this morning.....a bald eagle!! My first thought was that I wished Mort could have seen it....it was so close. I stopped and watched it with my mouth hanging open - like the eagle was a rock star or something. The crows were having fits, of course....and they finally chased him out of the tree and they flew up and down the river and right back to the original tree. I loved it! Then, one of the mama ducks came out with her five ducklings...and a couple male ducks decided to fight her and, boy oh boy did they ever chase her.....She won, however and soon herded her babies back to safety. All this during the first 10 minutes of our walk....What a treat!

Mother's Day was truly wonderful....it usually is, actually.....we had a brunch at Dian's house with sausage rolls, Eggs Benedict, hash browns, strawberry waffles...yum!! Everyone was there except Brooke who had to work...so Jocelyn brought Grayson and, of course no one could keep their hands off him. He weighs close to 15 pounds now.....quite a load to pack around. We were able to "skype" Susie and she got to see Grayson and Dian with her magnificent weight loss...I tell ya' that skype is a wonderful thing....while we were talking to Susie, Jeff was skyping with his niece, Cassidy... and we were able to shout out to her....the amazing thing is that she is in Egypt!!! The weather was perfect....shirt-sleeve, actually. Then, after I got home, dropped Fritz off and went on over to Jocelyn's for a delicious salmon dinner....which Greg (Grayson's daddy) cooked for us and his mom and brother came over too. It was wonderful!

Being a mother is by far the most wonderful thing for me - in spite of the fact that when I had five kids I often thought perhaps I was mentally ill. I am so glad I have lived to see them as responsible, caring, and sensitive people. AND they are surely wonderful to their mama!!

Beautiful Day!!

Boy - is it ever nice out!!! Fritz & I just finished our afternoon walk - I bet it is close to 60 degrees this afternoon. Would that it lasts!!

It has been a quiet week...bingo, last Thursday - I won twice...felt the need to apologize...I think I have won at least once every time I have gone down. Granted, it is all so $1.50 most of the time, but at least that pays for my laundry...:-)

In my quest to wean myself away from frozen dinners, I have decided to cook instead.....at least try to....So far I have done a pork chop, spuds and green beans....and shrimp with al fredo pasta.....Of course I made this vow a couple weeks ago, so you can see I am not vigilant about this. I got a flyer in the mail from Win Co with some killer deals and coupons...so Monday night Jocelyn and I went down there. This is a HUGE store with a HUGE parking lot and it was packed. I loaded up, believe me! Such fun.....but where to put it all???? Not too bright on my part. The sale started Monday morning and they were already out of some things by the time we got there....It is absolutely insane down there! I have never seen so many people in one place....made me want to yell "fire!!" - of course that would have jammed up the parking lot and that wouldn't be cool. They have about a dozen or so check-out stands and the lines all nearly reached to the back of the store...I think in square feet this place would equal Costco..and of course we have to do our own bagging - which isn't so bad...they have a good system where you (or whomever is with you) can bag while she is toting up your stuff. And...the person behind you does not have to wait until you are finished before she can start.

Needless to say, I was a bit pooped after that jaunt!

Not much else going on...Mother's Day coming up....don't know what - if anything - they are planning.....I am sure something will happen - I KNOW I raised them right! :-)