Day slipped away

 

My room with a view

   It rained all day yesterday til a brilliantly black cosmos studded sky presented for our only walk at 9pm   All my hours were spent on a screen, mostly fiddling with passwords and trying to land A’s mail on his phone. It ,involved Google. Still can’t claim to comprehend that my platform. Only the watched a tv news and Midwives; what a good show; I’m sick Iran as Lucy with Charlie Brown’s football— My takeaways.

      One thing I didn’t do was my blogs. Forgot til late then fell asleep. We’ll See what comes from a Sunnier day. 

      Ordered Ergofoot slippers for L and L this weekend. Feeling quite charitable, but that’s vanity. Especially since I wish I had done so sooner and often for my poor niece. Her mom this is the first time in years, if ever, she’s received a gift.  Shows how lax Lady Bountiful really is.

Sprouts

On the dog park trail yesterday 

     Nothing to say today. 

Flora

Curb decor. What? Your guess good as mine

     Another dreary but warmer day. Plenty to do. Just do it 

S is in Lisbon with a Friend 

Total surprise to me

Seems like the place to be

Ho hum

: 

Pot hole season,

 along yesterday’s long walk

  

     Yet another dull day, thankfully not cold.   I’d better clean house today and tomorrow since pest inspector is expected Saturday. That’s this morning’s big accomplishment; made a dreaded appointment. 

Homeward bound

A good allegory from the pocket park

     I rather like having fowl in the ‘hood. Especially since they’re not next-door to me. L said some girls came around selling their eggs yesterday.  I missed them. She also said the eggs had not been washed and were quite filthy.  The girls replied that they also had a turkey back ther, and blaming it for the dirt. 

    Guess iwould prefer some from C, but although she has offered none have ever appeared. Future gifts I suppose.  

     Just returned from Very long walk with Red. We met and talked with many neighbors.  JW with Westies, Stewie and Sprocket suggested a self driving Tesla might be a good car for elder people. Sounds good to me.  Young Caleb discussed nightcrawlers with me.  T and P stopped as they drove by during a sun shower, And young JS with his mom also said hello from the car, and she told us sun showers are also called a monkey‘s wedding in one of the countries her husband travels too. Very interesting

     More pictures from the hood tomorrow, but they won’t match the ones JW showed me from the island light house off Crescent Beach,  Cable Elizabeth. He had just returned home from repairing tiles on the roof after an overnight, sleeping on the second floor. 

Neighbor

 

Sign of Spring today—Mr L on his bike

High Tide Expected?

Old folks at home

    I got my brown twill pants hemmed last night and am wearing them now. Comfy. Yikes, high water mark, but I’m thrilled to be able to thread a needle and sew at all. 

    Spent some time yesterday afternoon reading the graphic novel,  The Hedge Knight. Writing and story can be a bit bolixed. The HBO series followed the story closely, and that helps. Most certainly  like the art work.  The object evokes the wonder of its construction for me Do to Do, conception to distribution with particular curiosity about it its rendering and printing processes. I wonder whether Eric or Ian would like a copy?

      Nola and Red had a fight over a dog chew last night, so she went home early. Yes of course she provoked, if you wondering.  C gets so embarrassed. I really do worry for Red’s safety. I hope this doesn’t curtail our visits.  

Holding space for later

3-11-23

I love these men at work pics

May have already posted them.  Yeah.

See 1-14-26 for two more in series. 

     Nothing more to say yet today

     It’s a month since A’s accident, and his recovery is remarkably good and quick. Back to worrying about taxes and overworking his broken wrist on keyboard. I especially like his short dog walks. Can’t keep a good man down

Backwards

   

Birthday Boy, #86

   Today’s pic of the Birthday Boy and commentary on nothingness fit this day, as yesterday turned very active, as noted somewhat on my other blog 

     I am disappointed that I couldn’t get the Matrix on sale yesterday; would have been a wonderful twist of fate, but I trust JP’s judgment. “It’s crusty. We’ll pass.”  And Darius made that lengthy Nighthawk installation more bearable.

     We spent the early afternoon at Market Basket getting cake, Rock Row walking Red, and pick up at Chic Filet.  E called after his am trials and we had a wonderful chat covering just about everything we could think about.  He was also getting CF for lunch.  His gift arrived soon after we hung up, a clever mug that made us LOL:  “Don’t make me repeat myself.  -History”

    The evening after speaking with S was spent tv watching the Artemis splashdownC arriving with Nola as the  astronauts disembarked from the choppers.  Felt like I’ve seen a dozen of them, but it never gets old and always makes me feel proud to be an American.

     All in all a very active day.  

      Not crazy about the cake this time:  beautiful decoration but not a true checkerboard inside:  they cut and reassembled two layers rather than poured the chocolate and vanilla with separators.  Mom taught me how, so I know authentic….

I’ve made better checkerboards

Monday, Monday

Can’t trust that day.

 Can’t trust me, either, 

to pay attention to A’s birthday yet.

     But now it’s Friday, very early. Week—time—passes so quickly.  Odd I don’t recall any of it immediately.  Each day’s events erased by its successor. Ah yes: noticing the repeating/habitual ones jump into focus if I give them a mo’.  Like making tea, wiping up spills, swiping away crumbs, translating German words, patting the dog—on and on.  Is this what “living in the moment” is? Or self observation, self-remembering?  Brrr!  I really am nothing, Jan J!

   

Another town

   

Vapor trails

     Red went to his groomer today 2 miles down the road in Gorham. He looks and smells very good. A and I went grocery shopping. So exhausting this age. Especially after putting away the grub at home. So I went back to sleep until 130 when it was time to pick up the boy. He Looks and smells better, of course. We took a little walk around Gorham and when we got home more issues.  A had a letter from Dr about blacking out concern of the police officer who handled his case. We’ll see what comes of it  Then issues about unreceived Tax documents from the accountant. Problem therefore, for two hours chasing tech answers  Done for the evening though I guess 

Relics

;

Too high. Mid-sidewalk for fifty years. 

3 or 4 of them. Folks stumble, 

But no falls so far. 

      Very pleasant German webinar yesterday. 

    Roll back the day:  bedtime with cpap and Red, who jumps off after 10 minutes; brush teeth, mine and Red’s; visit with C and Nola; prep nap; cans to curb; put away clean dry clothes plus up and down stairs twice; some tv news; dog walk; fix/eat supper plus prep; forgot so took am pills; dog walk; A’s shower, he got me with H2O; nap; laundry to washer in basement; two hour webinar; dog walk; reading; friend and sib texts several times throughout day starting am; photographed snow twice; phone calls for pendant;  dog walk; newspaper, yes on Soduko; prayers s and blogs; GI issues unresolved; up about 7 am with usual morning tasks; woke at 4:40, Red barking. Tuesday, a day in an old lady’s life. Old ladies are relics too.

Less tea but too much candy lately; C’s Jordan almonds down to 6, will be gone in an hour. Gummy bears opened and into the breach!

No blue today

 

April 7, 2026. Spring in Maine

    Can you believe it?  At least it’s pretty and not not windy cold. Red won’t go out though he got a short walk before it started. Most of the morning chasing down. A’s lost med pendant and calendar appointments. Hmmm. Long phone holds with provider again. I hate those. 

     DJ safely back in OH, said, “man, I’m beat”

Blue skies

      

Still life 2,with candle, today

     Always welcome, even with continued chill and breezes. Snow 50% chance predicted tomorrow, but somehow I don’t mind that. Of course you don’t see them here  

Still life 1, with candle

I like the lighting in this, but

 prefer the symmetry of the second

Happy Easter

 

My dear Asian neighbor’s display last night

S’s Sarasota Easter decs

  The weather is still grey and rainy, but there’s a welcome gladness of Easter in my heart despite also our lack of plans, such as Church or dinners. I do look forward to seeing C tonight and hearing about her family festivities.  Been receiving greetings and gifts and images all morning, including the card and Jordan almonds from sea last night and the tulips and banana bread from L this morning.

    I feel so relieved that the missing navigator flyer was rescued alive. I will be so much more relieved when the Iran war is done. Then if Congress could stop their hostilities, hallelujah!

Around the corner

 

Red’s favorite yard

    I am grateful that we awoke to sunshine today and robins everywhere. There’s hope for spring yet.

    Another heck of a busy day, just minor tasks that can become quite annoying when they pile up.  Another new ire: US cellular is ending my landline and proposes replacing it with an another cell phone. No, no. So chasing that down by phone and finally in the store as well as calling Spectrum for their options, which I think we will take. The new wrinkle is all the hidden fees and the running for payment rather than talk to an agent ie $65 for a spec tech and Is it? seven dollars to pay a bill online to US cellular now. Outrageous. 

  Three walkies today that’s good

Drear all week

Ian’s picture, from his Va spring break trip

   And I lost my draft post just finished, dozed off and must have hit something wrong, dang it!

   Cold spring. No sunshine, precip, low temps predicted for a week. We three are so sleepy we can’t stand it this morning. 

    Pleasantly busy yesterday. Nurse P and OT C visits for A.  They dismissed him because he’s doing so well. We three then went grocery shopping. He managed to well, red stayed in the car but walked after we put groceries in boot. I was and have been achy chronically plus terrible lower GI problems; makes me feel testy, reactive.

   Got title sent off and contacted Horace Mann. Left message to Off M re who transported A and how to pay, but haven’t heard back. Guess I won’t think about insurances again until the next round. 

   Spoke to Liz. Tillie escaped and rolled in poo. L said “tell her she’s a sh-head.  I had to throw her in the shower.” lol

    Finally spoke to I after phone tag all day. He’s remarkably uncommunicative or unobservant of his own life.  Still good to hear that beautiful voice of his.

  To do today:  laundry, rainy dog walks, a couple of business phone calls. 

Takes one to know

Just before heading home last night

I love her hand made mohair dress

 More later. Or not. 

  It was a lovely visit, just one screaming session from me, not her. Same prompt:  stop talking about world horrors. And share the air. 

 Again,  I am fascinated by that dress she made and is wearing. The skirt floats so pretty. 

April Fool

That’s me. 4-1-2017 Ojo Caliente Spa, NM

So fat!

 The sweet and the noisy. What a combination.  S?

  What did I mean by that?  I must have been interrupted. 

   I think S left today after Webinar. I remember hurriedly preparing meals,  one for her about 7:15, one for A at 5:15.

   Called out two newbie comments, one was GIG doing chakras, the other seeming to equate  holy denying with automatism. Hope I was correct  

    Can’t recall daytime activities. Was this the day L visited after kindly walking Red?

Another busy day

   

Fu

     Started with a rainy trip to the doctors office to review a condition. He’s doing very well   OT, daughter, webinar lunch prep, all converged at the same time, 1 o’clock. Wow. Red is very confused With Miss Kitty in the house.

    R can be downright undiplomatic if not downright rude at times, declaring others’ opinions to be lies.  Must admit I jumped in on E’s side when that happened today regarding “objective/subjective,” partly because a rift between them would sadden me greatly.

    Then how rude was , yelling at S to stop the on and on about  world evil via “poor Dubai” during C’s visit when the initial topic was  innocent Dubai Chocolate.  She is aware of monologue tendency. She said, “I don’t have anyone to talk to at home.”  

     She was so sweet and helpful. Took her dad out to bank, PO, pharmacy, a good outing for him. She cuddled on my lap when she needed a nap. She advised me about health problems we share .

Jour ordinaire

 

Home small, crammed, familiar. Familiar is a comfort.

     Automaton. Cast out that line and reel it back, same events as yesterday. Business calls.  Dog walk, happily greet neighbors and gossip about Islamic corp Maria’s house—remain a bnb or harbor immigrant relatives?  K says noisy so far eg slamming doors circa midnight.  Hard arthritis pain all joints, trying out S’s large heating pad. A’s OK today, no med pros coming in til tomorrow then doubles every day plus S and Fu. 

Cas

The boys (& girls) are back in town

 

Spring???  afternoon in the park

   The cold hasn’t kept them indoors. And it is cold despite what the temperature says or the sunshine hints; it’s that chill wind again

It’s late, I'm reaching

 

Good dogs, Cyrus and Timmy, 12-22– 2005

      That many years ago!  Gone but not forgotten. 

And that’s it for todsy

Spring wonders

Yesterday’s surprise.  Looks like two dogs out there. 

Another one of nature’s natural surprising sculptures on the last of the snow.

. 

    Red had two nice walks today and I didn’t take him on either one. J Took him out this afternoon, and this morning G and L walked him a good long way while I worked on A’s personal grooming prior to doc visit. Good outings for us all. Bright sunlight tho cold winds. Napping also feels good to us all after ChicFilet redux, yum. No cooking tonight. Red, especially enjoyed rip-and-shredding the pup cup after licking out all the whipped cream.  You know I call him Mr. Ripanshredder

    Sis D had another ablation today and is recovering well, she says 

  I will facilitate PSC meeting tonight o Orage, psychological  essay 8, Are we awake?

Looks like I missed again

 

Portland in town

     Gray day. Red and I took a short walk up the hill. We approached, nervously I admit, then passed 5-6 overly happy—high?—probably homeless people, male and females, 20s-30s,  at the corner, just as they left a bearded older looking compadre sitting on a carton playing flicking a lighter to a small piece of diamond shaped mesh. We all exchanged cordial greetings.

       A few feet around the corner a man in a black ski cap was folded on a single stoop step, bare forearm and spread open tanne hand holding/protecting all his worldly possessions, a blue and black backpack. Sleeping hard in an apparently habitual  posture and place at 2:30 pm in a usually frigid city.  Of course I felt pity. As I walked past him, I had the urge to dig out a dollar, no, make it a fiver, and slip it under his open hand, or,  safer? , his backpack.  But no.  Might not be safe for me on my wobbly pins with little leashed Red to encounter God knows what. And a beautiful well dressed young woman passed us just at that moment with a small hello to let us know she was there, as we were unaware of her before. So Red and I walked on, wondering at the variety of folk on God’s planet. 

     

Never know

Snow bunnies today

Never know what you will see on a walk.

And it’s amazing what effects weather can create.

OK by Red

Snow balls or snow sculptures might be a better denomination, but I like bunnies best; maybe because they are so white, small, and multitudinous.

Tilt

 

How the day feels

 Kundabuffer, perceive everything upside down, or perhaps lopsided. That’s how today felt, so cold and busy, tiny pelty snow sized like sand grains. All day. So many petty tasks and contacts exhaust me. Like being hit by the tiny snow. But what else, what really better?  It’s purposeful, like when I’ve transformed myself into a housekeeper for Eric’s sake, without his asking, of course. Mostly I have a gap, of missing people I love.  The harder I feel I work for them, the more I push them away rather than relax into love of them. Upside down! Is there something I need to learn?

Another Snow Day

 

Not pretty, just en route as snowfall starts 

   I’m either tired or bored. Body feels too quiet alternating with arthritis aches. Red hasn’t eaten a day, won’t eat, and his tummy is rumbling, and he’s sleeping all day. No newspaper today: annoying.  We’ve had the tv on 5-6 hours, too long if entertaining ad maybe informative shows—Sedona ufos, Peter Doocey, basketball.  Need to read, don’t want to, though. Did take Red for a walk around the block just as the snow started, a bene for us both. I’m grateful I don’t need to go the hospital today. And the answer to boredom is, do something.

Computer frustration

 

No you can’t

     Two hours repeating the process, after a week waiting for this ok and no time to try for another week So glad to see you so glad to see you always so glad to see you. Of course no human voice can to, just text conversation with someone who essentially repeated the online, ineffective instructions. Might be time to get A a new typewriter and dump his computer altogether. Old School. He said no.   

     I just lost my whole whinge that completed this post, damn it. Computer frustration again. 

      May as well skip the litany of complaints about losing passwords and inability to access Mac and Android mail functions due to Oldmfr’s inability that to keep up with tech so-called advances. 

     I feel like I have been rudely thrust into a world that is far too complicated.

     Good thing was, we called L this morning and also talked with M.  Felt normal.  That’s good. Must admit I’m still a bit hurt no sub phoned A  except C called yesterday to tell us about L’s fall. I did enjoy our text threads though. So never hold a grudge is the axiom du jour. 

What to say

 

Y and daughters sent flowers too

      So much happening every day. Forgetting to blog or work. More later.  

         Well, more certainly turned 

     As I walked Red on Harsbrg., with neighbor G, he playing with a leashed dog in its front yard, I got a cel call from sis C. Sis L fell in parking lot AGAIN and niece M took her to hospital or er, probable broken or dislocated shoulder. 

  

Text thread:

Sis LD:  Man it’s been a bad 2 weeks for us. Is Mercury in retrograde? 

ME:  It has been and it’s settled today ready to turn back tomorrow. Today is spring equinox I heard.  The mercury effects still last about two more weeks.

niece M: Love that for us

So L is waiting for a head CT and care plan for her dislocated shoulder. Also her BP is abnormally high which is expected with pain but the new heart arrhythmia she is exhibiting is worrisome. They are doing a cardiac work up. I'll update y'all as we go. 

BRO:  Well, let us know if they find anything.

Niece M:  Will do

BRO:  no I mean anything

Sis C:  I'm so thankful M is there

Niece M:  She says they won't find anything especially her heart hahaha 

BRO:  😊

Sis C;  Or brain

Niece M:  Ok now that's just mean she says she ain't no scarecrow lol

Sis C:  Sure she is more the tin man type

ME:  😀 glad her shoulder is not broken, but dislocated. May have been time to find all those other symptoms like the arrhythmia. those are easily treated generally.

Tell her to stay out of that damn parking lot😖

And thank you M for being there

Niece M:  Well we have no definitive answers at the moment but going with at the least dislocation BC her shoulder is so not where it should be 

Sis LD:  I hate parking lots myself.  They just teach up and trip you, (she broke her kneecap last month)

Niece M:  Waiting on labs and imaging results to start getting answers and a care plan 

ME:  You do have recent experience with that, D.  And yes, as I think of it. ALLAN’s accident was in a parking lot too just via a car.

Niece M:  Well all of you are grounded lol and no thanks needed. I'm glad I could get to her and be with her

ME:  Me too, M, and thanks again

Niece M:  Well that's 3 parking lots so we've had enough of that 

Sis LD: Yes, thanks Magen, 

Niece M:  😊

ME:  New family rule: all James stay out of parking lots

Niece M :  Agreed

Sis C 👍

BRO:  It’s it’s not the parking lot fault you have to pick your feet up not shuffle because that’s when you trip. Of course getting old doesn’t help.😏

ME:  oh, stop making sense 

Niece M: 😂

BRO :  All you old mfers 

Niece M: Well I think I have her talked into using the cooter scooter for the foreseeable future 😉

ME:  shall I take that as my new middle name?Oldmfer?  Kind of exclusive I’d say.

BRO:  yep.  Mine too

     The text Exchanges continue with discussion of walking devices, walking Tilly, and treatment plans including the new cardio concern But I’ll stop here.  It’s a good sample of how the Sibs communicate and express caring for each other, niece M. Included in locus Sis L.

Missed another day

   

E sent beautiful flowers to his dad

     A came home from hospital yesterday. Now we are setting up insurance claims and follow up appointments.  He seems to be recuperating OK.  Crazy how many other people we know are not well  KA had a cancer surgery today. Neighbor L has stomach problems after the kind actions of Monday. Sis D just got over her flu B. Our girl S called  around 3 AM with downed power lines to house   She handled it well, but we went into panic mode initially. 

So when is mercury out of retrograde?!!