Hither and yon

Yesterday, Gianna was reading a story that she wrote, and when she came to a part where her main character looked out the window at the "gleaming snow," she paused and said, "I love the word gleaming." I think she loves the delicious sound of the GL blending with the long sound of E that culminates in the hum of MING.

I can appreciate Gianna's pause to admire a favorite word because I have many words that I love. They are gifts to me. Here are a few:

#54 hither and yon
#55 nimbus
#56 glorious
#57 gurlesque
#58 kettle and mug
#59 aeolian
#60 spurtle and putz
#62 caesura

I could go on and on but let me just add that it's gift
#63 to hear a granddaughter's pause to admire a word.

And another gift is
#64 a lengthy phone conversation with my son's wife about kids, school, books, TV, friends and life.

The First Day of Spring

Stormy weather all night that continues into this morning makes our upcoming vacation all the more appealing. Not to say, I don't enjoy the rain. Here are the gifts I'm grateful for on the first day of spring:

#39 snuggling under a down comforter on a stormy night;
#40 electrical power;
#41 witnessing the athleticism of my loved ones: daughters-in-law, granddaughters and grandsons (am I the only one who gets a rush of pleasure from seeing graceful, strong bodies in action?)
#42 the utter delight of the birthday girl--Gianna is 11!
#43 a toddler in my lap enjoying a middle school production of "Annie" (did I mention that she gently stroked the backs of my hands which were holding her in place on my lap?)
#44 catching and releasing a sweet gray mouse brought into the house by our huntress cat;
#45 fertilizing the roses and strawberries with Cindy's help in the pouring rain;
#46 drinking hot tea while wrapped in blankets after fertilizing the roses and strawberries in the pouring rain.
#47 a conversation with my daughter at the kitchen counter during a lull in the kid party action;
#48 Cindy's delight in Kohl's coupons and the bargains she wangles out of those coupons.
#49 hot greasy fries from MacDonalds;
#50 homemade ice cream sundaes;
#51 screaming "Go Madam O" at roller derby as she skated skillfully around and around the rink.
#52 receiving the drawing of a shark by Athan.

It's blustery and raining sheets outside, but it's a warm spring day in my heart.

More Gifts

The point of the 1000 gifts exercise is to notice the blessings in one's life and to let that noticing do wondrous work. When the fragility of each day is so apparent in the devastation in Japan, it feels like a privilege to notice and be grateful:

#22 yummy black tea (Keemun) in the morning with half-and-half and stevia;
#23 spiral notebooks in all sizes with lined pages;
#24 Facebook postings from family near and far that are rich with life details;
#25 a partner with superb attention to detail and diligence in managing our taxes;
#26 weeding, weeding, weeding;
#27 a lay Buddhist monk who has been my guide regarding the mysteries of life for 25 years;
#28 Sangha buddies to practice with;
#29 an Oprah Winfrey show about camping in Yosemite that was laugh-out-loud funny;
#30 Skype and spontaneous calls from my brother and sister-in-law;
#31 super wonderful audio book narrators;
#32 a dependable old Subaru Legacy;
#33 neighbor kids' voices and laughter as they wait for the bus;
#34 the unsettling of and adjustment to Daylight Savings;
#35 the rush of anticipation each time I think about our upcoming vacation;
#36 reading and tutoring the literature assigned to my grandson for 11th grade English class;
#37 listening to my son-in-law's enthusiasm (and angst) as he embarks on a new career direction;
#38 Acorn slippers

Packing for a Cruise

We don't leave for our Mexico cruise for a couple of weeks, but since we pack away seasonal clothes, we decided to bring down the boxes with shorts, tanks, and summer wear this weekend so that we could start thinking about what to bring on the trip. Now that airlines charge for luggage that is not carried on, we wanted to be thoughtful about what and how much we packed.

It wasn't long before clothes were spread all over the bed, and we were struggling into shorts that were too tight for our winter pudgy bodies. We stood before the full length mirror trying to find the best angle, wishing to see someone slimmer and more tan. Pastey white legs stretched from swim suits and belly fat hung over the edges of hip huggers. It was depressing to say the least. Cindy vowed to exercise for the next 10 days and I started an immediate fast.

Then we tried on dress-up clothes for formal night. We each found fancy outfits that totally changed our mood and made us wish we were headed for the gala evening as fast as possible. Dressed to the hilt, having also chosen fitting accessories, we stood side-by-side in front of the mirror, grinning. We knew we would look great for the last evening aboard ship and maybe if we stuck to our plan to exercise and diet, most of the other clothes would fit OK too.

When we looked back at the pile of chosen clothes on the bed, we also knew we would by paying extra for luggage.

Gifts:
#22 the lovely irridescent green skirt and top I bought for way too much money in Hawaii a few years ago, which looks good terrific when I've gained a few pounds;
#23 the wherewithall it took to save for this trip and the fact that it's almost here after a year and half of saving.
# 24 a body that actually will respond to 10 days of exercise and dieting to shape up a bit so I can wear my favorite shorts comfortably.
#25 dear Cindy who says all the right things when I'm feeling fat.

1000 Gifts

I'm joining my daughter, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter in listing the gifts --the multitude of blessings--that are a part of my life on a daily basis. The value of thanksgiving--of expressing gratitude--is the rapidity with which hit erases poverty mind. In a flash, the heart swells with tenderness. In her book, One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are, Ann Voskamp calls it a dare list--daring to acknowledge the grace in one's life.

Let my list begin:

#1 bird song at dawn
#2 hot baths and ibuprophen
#3 sweet messages, handwritten and electronic, from my partner
#4 someone who balances my checkbook
#5 granddaughters who greet me with genuine enthusiasm
#6 a phone call from a friend I haven't heard from in a while
#7 reading poetry as the sun rises over Table Mountain
#8 three exceptional yoga instructors, Cherie, Christian, Dee
#9 texts and email from my sons
#10 sharing confidences with my daughter
#11 the DVR that records my favorite TV programs
#12 pink blossoms on 3 ornamental plum trees again a back drop of blue sky
#13 aching muscles, the result of shoveling bark
#14 enjoying the lovely results of shoveling bark around new plantings
#15 the talking tail of my cat
#16 morning fog rolling into the meadow from the reservoir
#17 the steady tick of the burl clock our neighbor gave us.
#18 the rolling fire trail around our mobile home park that offers a place to exercise, constantly changing vistas, and innumerable wildlife sightings.

Fig Jam

Last weekend, five-year-old Nell labeled 3 dozen jars of newly made fig jam. While that's the remarkable fact, here's the delicious fact.

I was the recipient of one of those jars, and I've been indulging every since: fig jam on biscuits; fig jam on peanut butter sandwiches; fig jam on pancakes. And I confess to a simply eating a few spoonfuls of fig jam right out of the jar.

Fig jam is my favorite and has been since back in 1974 in South Carolina when Mrs. Suggs, Grandma Harrelson's neighbor, supplied our family with a year's supply of fig jam. I think I was the only one to get addicted. The problem is fig jam is not something you can buy in the store, at least not a variety that calls to my taste buds. So I am happy indeed that there is now a fig tree and jam maker in the family. The supply of fig jam will no doubt be endless.

Pay Off

On August 10, 2010, we paid off the mortgage on our home!

I've heard that in the 1950s, people used to have mortgage burning parties to celebrate the pay off date! We went to Baskin Robbins for hot fudge sundaes.

The moment was sweet and deserved a delicious acknowledgment. It had been a long haul though not the 30 years that are so often part of a home mortgage deal. We bought the place 10 years ago, in a moment of necessity AND impulsive enthusiasm. We planned to stay no more than 5 years. The interest was exorbitant--14.9%-- but in the moment we ignored the significance of that number. Soon however, we began trying to refinance. That proved impossible for a number of reason, the primary one being we had sneaked into our mortgage during a tiny window when getting financing to buy a mobile was relatively easy. But that window slammed shut quickly, and by the time we were ready to refinance, there was no one lending. It actually took us several tries to realize this was the case. We have 3 files labeled: refinance with the year we applied. Once we got so close we could taste the relief, but it bombed.

Three months ago, we knew we had to do something. We are on a fixed income with barely any discretionary money, and we were pouring money down the bottomless well of interest, getting no where fast. We came up with a plan to sell our house and use the equity to pay off the loan and buy a mobile of lesser value. It was that decision that launched us into a wild ride that included many side trips--talking with trusted advisers and researching a myriad of options. Once we started to think more creatively, the solution emerged. We took a giant leap that admittedly involves some scrabbling on the other side, but we are singing joyfully and hopefully.

The mortgage is paid, and in one year, we will have also paid off our credit card debt. We have to work hard for one more year to manage the choices we made, but we are not giving our money to the interest monster any more, and our house is OURS! We've fallen in love with it again and look forward to the rainbows that so often appear in our meadow.

New Door

Cindy got me a door for my birthday. The back door to our home opens into my office and the room is one of the darkest in the house. I wanted more light and thought a door with windows would help so she gifted me with just such a door. Then she enlisted the STAR family helper to install the door: Michael Tippett. It was an all day project because, of course, there were unforseen problems like termite damage to the beams under the door jam. But Michael got the door in and now I have much more light and a lovely smooth working door.
Thank you Cindy & Michael.
Old Door








Michael cutting away termite damage.

New Door!!

Plenty of Time

When I volunteered to drive Huck and Nell to the Oakland airport, I allowed myself plenty of time to get there for the 1:30 pm check-in. After dropping a work project off at the Junction, I made my way up Phoenix Lake Road, driving first through rain, then sleet, and finally softly falling snowflakes. My Subaru negotiated Belleview Road fine. Culley loaded the kids and their baggage in the car, and we were on our way before 9am

Huck and Nell are veteran travelers and great in the car. They took turns listening to stories on the iPod. Huck skillfully set up the story that Nell wanted to hear when it was her turn. The child who was not listening chatted with me. We got to Tracy where we made a pit stop. We all used the rest room and stretched our legs before getting back in the car for the last leg of the journey. It was 10:30.

As we came down off the Altamont Pass, traffic slowed to a crawl and then to a complete standstill. About that time, I got a text from Andrea, saying she was on BART after taxiing around SFO for an hour, but she was sure she would be in Oakland on time. I texted back that we were stuck in traffic in Livermore.

Forty-five minutes later, we had gone less than a mile, so I called Cindy and asked her to see if she could find out what was going on. Using the Internet, she discovered that a big rig had overturned near Livermore, effectively closing all four lanes. The advice was to take an alternate route. But how could I do that when there weren't any off ramps and I was surrounded by green hills where cows were peacefully grazing oblivious to my plight? Every time one of the lanes started moving, Nell suggested, "Why don't you get in that line, Dearma?" The kids made a game of shouting at the trucks and cars to get moving, and though it didn't work, it was entertaining.

At 1pm, we finally crawled past the scattered debris from the big rig, plus a burnt out hull of a van and gathered speed. It was raining pretty hard and I needed a rest-room again, but time was of the essence. I drove fast (for me). By the time I hit 880, it was imperative that I stop for a bathroom. I took the first exit, saying, "I have to go to the bathroom. I'm feeling sick!"

"How can you get sick because you have to go to the bathroom?" asked Huck.

Good question! But my legs were trembling violently and I had a raging headache. I was sick! Maybe toxins were leaking back into my blood stream from my kidneys. I don't know. I just had to get to a bathroom. "Look for a restroom, you guys," I said.

"Try that dress shop, Dearma," said Huck. I pulled into a parking place and waddled into the store, but the clerk was immune to my desperation and directed me across the shopping center parking lot to a Starbucks.

When I got back in the car, Huck said, "That's weird. People always have bathrooms where they work."

At Starbucks, I begged to go in front of a woman who just going into the bathroom, and she graciously let me. While I was relieving my bladder, Andrea called. I told her what was happening and said I thought I was close to the Airport. I left the bathroom still buttoning my pants and ran for the car on firm legs, the headache GONE!

"Now I have to get back on the freeway," I said as I started the car.

"It's that way," said Huck helpfully, pointing back the way we'd come.

I could only turn right out of the parking lot, which was the wrong way, so I immediately flipped a U-turn around a cement divider and sailed into a left turn lane squeaking through the signal as it turned red.

"Now you have to go that way," said Nell pointing right. She knew what she was talking about because a half block later there was a sign for the on-ramp to the freeway. I thought the Airport exit was coming up, but I had not seen any signs yet. Then suddenly there it was: "Oakland International Airport-1 mile."

"Put all your stuff in your bags, kids," I directed. "And grab your coats. When we get there, Mommy is going to get you out and you will have to run to catch the plane."

I drove the Airport ingress road at 70 miles an hour through the pouring rain, scanning signs for Terminal 1- United. "Look for your mommy," I shouted.

"There she is," yelled Huck!

I pulled over and leaped out to get the luggage from the back as Andrea got the kids. "Can you wait and see if we make it?" she asked.

"Yes," I said as they disappeared through the door, Nell running as fast as she could while hiking up her drooping jeans.

That's when I remembered that the kids' passports were in my coat pocket. I yanked on the passenger door. Locked! I ran around to the driver's side, reached across and pulled them from my coat and ran after Andrea, leaving the car running, lights on and windshield wipers slapping. I could see her half way up the sloping runway on her way to the security station. I yelled, "Andrea! Andrea!" She heard me on the second call, and I waved the passports. We ran toward each other. I passed them off and then turned and ran back to my car, where a green and black vested parking Nazi stood frowning at my car. I got in, my heart pounding and breath ragged, and pulled away as the attendant honked her obnoxious horn at me.

I drove the departure circle 3 times at a leisurely pace, scanning the United door each time I passed. As I came around the fourth time, my phone chimed. "We made it!" read the text message.

A big smile! I moved over to the freeway access lanes, and as I left the airport, a second chime came through. "Thanks, Mom!" wrote Culley.

Can I just say that Huck and Nell are simply amazing: cooperative, patient, helpful, and smart. I will always have plenty of time for them.

Knitting

After watching Andrea knit several gifts for people, including cute little socks for Juniper, I was inspired to learn to knit. I inquired about classes at the local yarn shop, By Hand Yarn, and learned that an ultra beginner class was being offered the second Saturday in January. After writing "Learn to Knit" on my 2010 goals, I emailed Anna Mae to see if she wanted to go with me. I hate going new places by myself and knew that Anna Mae is generally eager to try anything new, so I thought she would make a good companion. She emailed back in a matter of minutes, saying, "Yes!" So I signed us up.

We got there more than an half hour early, and it was a good thing because the teacher said it was the largest beginner class she had ever taught. I guess others made learning to knit a new year's resolution too. Our teacher Candice helped us select yarn and needles. We took our seats at the table, and she cast on the first row for us and then quickly showed us how to do the basic knit stitch. By the time other members of the class arrived, we were already knitting a second row.

Anna Mae zoomed along, knitting a loose relaxed stitch and chatting with the other women at our table. Meanwhile, I sat in deep concentration knitting tight, uniformed stitches that I counted at the end of each row to ensure that I still had the requisite 25 stitches. The teacher stopped by periodically to offer encouragement and suggestions. By the end of class, we were both immensely satisfied with our progress and envisioning future projects. I saw myself making 30 or 40 scarves, and Anna Mae was already in the throes of designing knit dresses for Clare and herself.

Time will tell how we do, but I can happily report that I sat knitting before bed last night, while my tea steeped this morning, and also later in the car when I got to meditation before the hall was unlocked. I'm making headway with my little scarf and getting a tad bit more relaxed with my stitch. Maybe someday I'll look and feel the part of a knitting grandmother

Hopping

We interrupted our routine at Wallys to go hopping. At least that's what Cindy called it. First, we hopped among stores: trying on clothes at Marshalls, purusing the Dollar Store, choosing new shower curtain and towels at Bed, Bath & Beyond for the bathroom Becky is painting while we are gone; and going to Penney's which carries our favorite underwear brand (since the closing of Mervyns and Gottschalks at home, we had been able to replace the ratty things accumulating in our drawers).

Then we went for a late lunch at Applebee's. From there we hopped to the movie theater for an early show: Invictus. The last time we came to Wally's, we saw Morgan Freeman in The Bucket List. We were happy to see him again this time. He made a superb Nelson Mandella. The movie was wonderful in weepy, happy kind of way.

Then we hopped back the Applebees for dessert. Chocolate Lava Cake! Our FAVE!! While we were there we decided to go back to the theater to see The Blind Side. It was a cute movie with a parallel theme to Invictus and also based on a true story.

On the way back to Wally's, we talked about how popular true stories are in the movies these days, just like non-fiction books and I guess reality TV. We also realized it was the first time either of us had done a double feature at the theater in a VERY long time.

Vacations offer lots of room for spontaneous hopping from place to place. FUN for sure!

How We Play

We have fallen into a sweet little routine over here in Nevada. I get up early each morning and go for a long walk before heading to water aerobics while Cindy sleeps in. After breakfast, we do a little sightseeing in the nearby town of Genoa or over in Minden. We come back to the condo for lunch, after which I take a nap and Cindy goes to one of the small local casinos. (Lady Luck accompanies her; once again she's won enough to pay for our vacation.) After my nap, I do some writing until she comes back and we fix dinner. Our evenings have two parts. First, we work on a memorial project that we are doing for Ashley. Then we click on our little gas fireplace and curl up to read for a few hours. After I fall asleep, Cindy has a little bowl of ice cream and checks her email.

The next day it starts all over.

There is more to the season . . .

For many years, I struggled with the commercialism around Christmas, wishing I could find a way to circumvent the hype and overspending. Instead of improving the situation, I found that my angst about it seemed to make me at best a reluctant participant and at worst a grouch, bordering on curmudgeon.

But this year something shifted. Maybe it's been coming on for years under the influence of Cindy who loves Christmas and who I now see grasped a deeper meaning than I could muster. She loves to GIVE! And she loves to spend time with friends and family. For some reason, I fully absorbed her attitude this year, and we have enjoyed a full month of "Christmas" --wonderful times with family and the deep satisfaction of giving--not only carefully conceived and chosen gifts, but also homebaked cookies and lots of hugs.

This year, I enjoyed my grandchildren's anticipation and pleasure upon opening their gifts at our party. I enjoyed sharing a meal with friends. I enjoyed watching Cindy's delight in spending time with her family, especially her parents. I truly enjoyed the sight of her handing out gifts in her new Tweety pajamas and plaid scarf on Christmas morning, and I enjoyed the bedlam in the afternoon when everyone was passing out and opening gifts.

And I admit, I enjoyed receiving too. When you wish for something and then open a package and the wished for thing sits in your hands! WHOA! It does feel GREAT!

I get it! That's what the giving part of the season is about: fullfilling wishes and witnessing pleasure.

Unusual Stars

During the week before Christmas, I've been blessed by the appearance of many unusual stars. First there were the three stars who performed in a play at the Chapel in the Pines --a funny and joyful adaptation of the Christmas story called "The Unusual Star." This delightful performance turned on the love and made my eyes see unusual stars everywhere. The first star-- who I might have otherwise missed-- was stagehand Cody working in the dark to rearrange sets for the play in which his three siblings were performing.




















Then there was the neighbor who came when called and who managed to finally straighten the tree!





















It wasn't hard to miss this happy bass player! But what was unusual about this star was the joy he so clearly finds when playing music.












There is also the wonder of color-coordination: this Papa with his baby's bottom are truly star material!













Little yogini Nell shines under the bright tutelage of yoga star brother John.


















And all week I've been enjoying the aroma of baking cookies. Cindy is--without a doubt-- the Christmas Cookie Queen. She brings sweetness and light to the holiday every single year with hundreds of cookies. She is a most unusual star!








Merry Christmas to all!

No Cabin Fever Here!

Despite the drawbacks of snow at lower elevations, such as the crushing weight upon the oleander hedge that I have clutivated to be tall and graceful

and getting soaking wet trying to free the hedge from ice and snow,

and the belated rescue of tender geraniums from the unaccoustmed cold,

I am thoroughly enjoying staying at home to avoid the mess out there on the roads. No cabin fever yet, in part I'm sure to the Internet. I love my never-ending connection to others via email, Facebook, Bloglines, and Meehive.

And then there is snuggling under a blanket with a cup of hot tea and reading. I've read two books of poetry, Alison Luterman's See How We Almost Fly and Kay Ryan's Say Uncle, plus a daily dose from the Complete Works of Emily Dickinson. I read one full murder mystery by Kathy Reichs and started a second by Ellen Hart and I'm making my way through This Child Will be Great, a biography of Liberia's President Ellen SirLeaf. More snuggling to watch TV! One night, we watched 3 hours of the first season of ER compliments of Netflix, and we are keeping up with our regular programming too.

I've also done some work . . . finishing one freelance project and making a dent in another. We've gone for a walk everyday, albeit shorter than usual, and I've made muffins and addressed Christmas cards and taken care of some phone business that has been languishing on my to-do list. Today, I'm baking bread.

No cabin fever yet . . . wonder how long it will take before I want to go somewhere? Could be next spring.

It's Beginning to Feel a Lot Like Christmas

Quite unintentionally, I've found myself launched into the Christmas season.

It all started on Friday when I accompanied the Tippetts to a program at the Gallo Center: "An Irish Christmas!" Thinking I was going simply as an extra pair of hands to help with the children, I wasn't expecting to be utterly delighted by the program of Irish musicians on accordion, violin, drum, and some kind of bagpipe like horn. Three female vocalist sang Christmas songs right into my heart, and the Irish dancers pounded the wooden stage with irresistible rhythm. The kids were rapt for an hour and so was I.

Saturday started with Mary Autumn's birthday brunch, where we all feasted on a delicious frozen dish made by August, frozen bananas made creamy by pushing them through the juicer and then topping them with chocolate sauce or in my case Nutella. The kids were giddy with anticipation, thinking about putting their boots out at bedtime in preparation for St. Nicholas Day on Sunday. I heard that they had trouble going to sleep and were peaking through cracks in the wooden framing upstairs in the hope of catching a glimpse of St. Nick.

Sunday was the Advent Spiral at the Waldorf School. We waited, shivering despite heavy coats, hats, and gloves for admission to the darkened room at the appointed hour of 4pm. The room was warm and packed with parents and grandparents who sang Christmas carols softly as each child walked the spiral to the center, tipped their candle for lighting, and then made the return trip out to place their light on the spiral. You couldn't miss Huckle's clear, high voice singing "Away in the Manger," and when it was his turn, he moved briskly for this was his 2nd year walking the spiral. Nell was more tentative holding Miss Beth's hand as she walked and looking out into the audience to see where Mom and Dad might be. Once her candle was lit, she gained confidence for the return trip.

Monday morning it started snowing in Jamestown at 7:10 and didn't stop until after 10. It was so cold that the snow did not melt, so we spent a most unusual day for our low elevation in a winter wonderland. We drank a lot of hot tea and I made muffins and we kept the radio tuned to KVML all day, listening to road reports and Christmas music, while we worked on our gift lists, did some online ordering, and then began addressing envelopes for our cards. And of course we took a walk in the snow.

I like having Christmas sneak up on my like this. It feels all warm and tingly and real.

Patricia's iPhone

This is my new iPhone! As a friend on Facebook writes: "Beware of buying a phone that is smarter than you." I'm still not sure what it's doing in my bag.

I started toying with the idea of getting an iPhone several months ago. When I posted the thought on Facebook, I got 20+ comments from folks who said "Go for it!" IPhone users love them.

Then Cindy's Blackberry died, so she got the iPhone. We could only afford one, and I had to face the fact that she uses her phone WAY more than I use mine. I really didn't mind. In truth, I was a little afraid to get something quite so racy. We agreed that I could get one in December when we expected to have a little extra cash. In the meantime, I helped her figure out some of the basics on her iPhone, and then the novelty wore off and the surge of "wanting" faded away.

But my iPhone was on the list of things to get with the extra money in December, so Cindy set December 2nd as the date to go to AT&T. I woke yesterday with a bit of trepidation. "Why," I thought, "do I need an iPhone?" But it was too late. Cindy was in motion and we were going. She even got up early, so we could be there when the doors opened.

An hour later, I was walking out of the store with my new phone, not sure whether to laugh or cry. I got into my car and the Mirimba ring sounded. I fumbled for my bag, found the phone, and tapped the screen.

"Hi," said Cindy. "I wanted to be your first call! Are you excited?"

Well, I'm not sure if that's the word I'd use, but I sat in my car outside the ATT shop and played with my new phone for awhile. First, I called JL to confirm some plans for later in the day. Then I called up my email, and there was a message from Culley that I replied to. "Whoa," I thought. "This is pretty cool."

By the time I got home, I was stoked. I downloaded some applications and got the correct software so I could take pictures with my phone. I'm on a roll. Oh, and I put some iPhone accessories on my Christmas list.

Disconnected

For seven days we were without Internet service. What an eye-opening experience. The last time I went for an extended time without Internet was when I was at a writer's retreat for a month in Northern Minnesota. I only got online once at the library during the whole month. While we were in Mexico, we did not have Internet at our living quarters, but nearby coffee shops had free wireless access, and it was fun to spend time online in these outdoor cafes munching delicious food prepared by others and sipping caffeinated drinks. We even had Internet service on our Alaskan cruise, albeit expensive service, but a means by which to connect daily to the world!

So seven days without service brought up a lot of stuff, most significantly the habit of mind I've acquired related to being connected to a world wide web. The impulse to get online arises frequently all day long, most obviously in terms of checking email and Facebook, but also for dozens of other reasons as well:

My betta fish is sick, so I head to the computer to look up sick betta. Whoa, not possible. I need to do billing for my freelance business. Oops! Online accounting service is not accessible. I'm going to an unfamiliar location in Modesto. No Map Quest. I can't get to my online class or review my grandson's essay for his literature class to email to him in time for class the next day. I'm writing a "Get Well" card and realize I'm not sure of the spelling of a word. Normally, I'd head for the online dictionary. Nope have to lug out the heavy weight Merriam Webster hardback.

Unable to get online at home, we grabbed laptops and headed for places with Internet access. Starbucks was the first destination! What a zoo. First, there are many steps involved in getting a Starbucks account, including buying a product card with at least $5 and then navigating the account application before actually getting to "free" wifi. Then there is contending with helpful patrons who want to continue the conversation AFTER you are finally happily online and only want to focus on the 200+ email in your inbox. Then there is the piped in music (not my preferred genre) and the surrounding young adult conversations and the guy trying to sell someone life insurance. The library was an option only if we stayed in our car because they were closed for the week, but we had one low battery so that didn't last long. We headed to relatives and got slightly caught up on the most important tasks in our online lives, but this involved 30 minutes of driving both ways. SIGH! We were frustrated to say the least. We just wanted our cozy connection at home.

The upside?? Well, there was one. I got all kinds of chores done: all the hand-washing, putting away spring/summer clothes and organizing closets and drawers, more yard work than I've done in the last 3 months, lots of handwritten notes I've been meaning to do, and I read three books. (I read all the time, but the Internet definitely competes with reading time.)

We are back online thanks to the patient perseverance of the techs at Mother Lode Internet who had to troubleshoot problems both with their tower and our hardware. The moral of the story? After a week of being disconnected, we've decided to reserve one full day a month for being off line and one day a week during which we can check in for an hour but must refrain from all other access. We want to maintain our practice in being disconnected.

Coincidence

Isn't coincidence a fascinating thing?

Yesterday was my son's birthday, Oct 29 and I had a doctor appointment to get the results of biopsy of two small growths on my thyroid. As I sat in the waiting room, I recalled another visit to the same doctor EXACTLY nine years before on my son's birthday, when I was told that a strange rash on one of my breasts could be cancer. Happily, both instances of possible cancer were NOT the dread disease!

Today, is the birthday of Cindy's best friend Becky. I just read on Facebook that today is also the birthday of Cindy's sister's best friend, Gina!

Like I said, coincidence is fascinating!

Lucky Date Night

This week for date night, we decided to take advantage of a coupon that Cindy had recieved in the mail for two free dinners at Blackoak Casino. When we arrived, Cindy presented her coupon and got a complimentary scratcher which she immediately scratched to discover that she had won $500.

Obviously we were happy diners. We chose to sit at the sports bar with all the guys watching college football rather than wait 50 minutes for a table. The place was packed because of the dinner promotional. We sipped our drinks while waiting for our meals and fantasized about where we would live if we didn't have a million reasons why we would never leave where we do live. The impetus for this conversation was all the college towns playing across the big screen over the bar making us think about places across the country.

On the way home, we stopped at Blockbuster to pick up the movie that our friend Becky chose for her birthday celebration dinner at our house tomorrow. When I stepped to the counter, the clerk said, "I have this left over free coupon, so your movie is free tonight."

Guess the stars were aligned in our favor tonight. All in all it was fun and different and definitely lucky date night.