Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Courtesy of Suzanne

A Century of Scouting

I've been aware for a period of time that it is the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America. That's pretty amazing for a youth organization. What's even more incredible, for me, is that for over 50 of those years I've either been involved in scouting or close to it. I was a Cub Scout, Boy Scout, and Explorer. We didn't have Venture Scouts until I was an adult, not Tiger Cubs. I've served as a Cubmaster (Ventura, CA), Assistant Scoutmaster (Lawton, OK, Cedar Rapids, IA, & Bloomington, IN), a Webloes Den Leader (Cedar Rapids, IA), 11-year old Scout leader (Bloomington, IN), and a Commissioner (Cedar Rapids, IA & Bloomington, IN). Today JoAnn serves as a Wolf Den Leader. Our son-in-laws and daughters have served and continue to serve in a variety of capacities.

I was going through my patches (see below) and realized that over those 50 plus years I still had my 50-year camporee patch from Abilene, Texas (I was 14), my 75 year Chartered Partner patch, bolo tie, and district patch from Cedar Rapids, IA (you can figure my age out) and now the 100th Anniversary patch from Las Vegas. I almost forgot the LDS Church's 75th anniversary celebration, also while we lived in Cedar Rapids. In all that time I can still recite the Scout law and oath as they appeared in my 1952 Scout Handbook. It has impacted my life, and that of our children, and now grandchildren, in very positive ways. Now, if I'm fortunate I will also be able to achieve the 125 year patch to add to my collection.

Whisper Gets Comfortable

Our cat, Whisper, or affectionately known by the kids as "Devil Cat" is becoming more and more mellow around us. Of course she still likes to nip at my hands when I'm petting or my toes when I'm teasing. She likes to be where we are and if only one of us is home she likes to lay right where we are working. More than once I've had to clean a space off of my work area so she could lay down - usually right in the middle of where I need to work. I know, we could pick her up and move her, but she doesn't usually stay long. However when she falls asleep, it can be a while. Last evening I was working at the computer desk in JoAnn's quilt room when Whisper waltzed in, jumped up on the printer and promptly got comfortable. Thankfully I didn't need to print anything. When I was done I just left her there asleep.

Wordless Wednesday

A Sunday Morning Walk

      I was going to title this "Desert Beauty," but as I thought about it I realized there is very little beautiful abut the desert in September. That is probably inaccurate, so suffie it to say, that as long as I'm restricted to walking in my neighborhood I am enjoying its man-made beauty. I try to get out for my first walk about 6 to 6:30 am, before the sun peaks over the eastern mountains. Usually I make it. Then I go out again about 8:30 am or 9 with JoAnn, again between 11:30 and 1:00, then about 4:30 and finally around 7 pm. I don't go far, but I'm increasing my distance a little every day.

I've come to appreciate the beauty of our neighborhood. For example, I didn't know we had Monarch butterflies. Nor did I know we had caterpillars. I've seen just a few butterflies and only one scrawny caterpillar, but still, those were new to me. We have desert finches which we enjoy, mourning doves, and a variety of desert birds, but we don't have near the variety of song birds we had in Iowa and Indiana.

What we do have are plants that bloom year round and a park near our home that is green 12 months out of the year. I don't want to know how much water they put on the grass, but it has to be a lot. I was struck by their beauty this morning as I walked and thought I would share that beauty.

This is close to our home, directly across from the park. I don't usually walk
on this side of the street, but this morning, with the sun striking the plants
it just took my breath away.

The sage blooms about every 6 weeks spring through fall and we never quit
enjoying its beauty.

The park, directly across the street is a small neighborhood park, and is also
a magnet from about 6:30 in the morning until will after dark. I've never seen
such a busy park. This is the north end.

Lantana on the corner of a neighborhood.

A Quilting Grandma

I've thought about this post for a long time and now that I'm flat on my back I've got time to write it. JoAnn is busy on quilting projects for our family. She loves to quilt and I enjoy watching her look for just the right pattern and then her creativity comes into bloom as she takes the pattern and changes it to fit what she wants to do. I've watched her do it so many times it has become second nature to her and to me. Yet, this week as I watched her go through literally dozens of quilt magazines looking for the just right pattern I was amazed a her ability to put it all together. She even asks my advice on colors sometimes. I always give it, but I'm never quite sure how helpful it might be. She listens politely, brings more material out, we look at it again, and finally she arrives at the colors and patterns that she knows will work for that person.

Right now she has moved from the quilting room to what I call the quilting annex, which is the dining room table. Since we never eat in there I think it is a great location. You can see from the photo below she has it all set up for her work. I've never noticed the ironing board down low before and right next to the table, but it seems to work. She is working on small blocks.

Quilting keeps JoAnn busy, requires her mind to be thinking, and she knows she is making something that will be well received. What more can you ask than that. It is the best mental health activity I think she can do. And the rewards are great. I remember when she made blankets for a family that had triplets. They weren't supposed to know where the blankets came from, but they knew and thanked JoAnn for it. Seeing someone smile when they get that quilt is awfully special.

Regardless of age. . .

Wordless Wednesday

Lightning, Thunder, and Even a Little Rain

We are experiencing what we affectionately call a midwestern day. The kind of day that we frequently experienced in the Midwest and especially Indiana that would lead to multiple days of rain, dreary cloud cover, and feelings of depression.

In Las Vegas, however, days typically only last a few hours and find them exhilarating. As we prepared for our morning walk, we heard thunder, and then saw lightning, and the patter patter rain on our patio roof. It was a beautiful summer rain that just wet things down rather than flooding things out. In Las Vegas these light rains are infrequent and scattered throughout the valley. Today the summer rain has come in the form of two storms which allowed us to get a walk in between the storms. JoAnn has just reported to me that it is pouring once again.

We define a summer storm as any rain that brings thunder and lightning and does not flood our patio. We describe a downpour is anything that does let our patio. We enjoy both kinds of storms, but summer storm allows us to sit outside and watch the rain.

That’s the weather news from Las Vegas today. We hope you are having a gorgeous, sunny, and pleasant day.

We don't see this weather map very often!

Day 5, 25 more days to go. . .

It has been an interesting five days since my surgery. I am averaging 20 hours a day on my back and the remainder of the time either sitting up for short 20 minute blocks or going for walks. The going for walks, short as they may be, I find to be invigorating and rewarding. I’m encouraged by the doctor, to either lay on my back or to walk. My spine (lumbar vertebrae), my S1 nerve, and the muscle tissue all need to heal. Sitting is discouraged because it does not promote the healing process.

As I have adjusted to spending a lot of time on my back I have discovered just how little there is to watch on television. I came home on Thursday afternoon and JoAnn made a bed for me on the floor in the family room so I could watch television. By Saturday evening I realized that I’d had enough television to last me for several months. That included football, baseball, and movies.

So the question was, what do I do with my time? The last time I had the surgery, some 22 years ago, I edited a book. And I do have a book contract waiting for me. So today JoAnn helped me set my computer up adjacent to the bed. I can contort myself into a number of positions and almost see the screen comfortably, which is not the least bit helpful. The keyboard, however, wasn’t quite as accommodating. The keyboards of 20+ years ago were far heavier and easier to keep on my lap. Visualize this if you can: I am laying on my back with my head on a pillow and a firm king size pillow under my knees so that my knees are raised with my hips and feet touching the bed. Now I put a keyboard on my lap and try to type from there, but the new keyboards are so light that I can’t get them to sit still. Before I allowed that to become a major frustration I remembered that I had dictation software. We set it up and now I am able to dictate my blog. Of course that is not without frustration, but as I learn the software it will be easier. I couldn’t find the printed copy of the manual so I transferred the electronic copy to my iPad and I have it at my side when I need it.

Then there are the diversions that occur during the course of the day as JoAnn does such a great job of taking care of me. She has just brought me a second piece of wonderful flat bread that she found in the freezer and it’s far too good to pass up.

Only 25 more days of laying on my back and I’ve got to figure out how not to go stark raving mad. More importantly, I need to find ways to not impose myself so much on JoAnn’s daily routine.

The only sad thing is that I’ve yet to see any brown sugar brownies. But it’s a long month, so I may see some yet…

Classic Monday

Just a little reminder of our spring trip to North Carolina to visit David & Krissie. Our 20-hour tour of the outer banks was awesome - especially all the ferry rides we took.

Mars Strikes Again

Wednesday morning we were sitting in the hospital, me in my gown, and JoAnn just waiting for them to wheel me off for surgery. They had just taken my blood pressure and it has been a little high due to my pain. It was down to 138 so as we were talking I turned to JoAnn and said "I am at 138, how about you." Note how I cleverly neglected to mention what the 138 related to. I figure after all these years she should know exactly what I'm talking about. Back to the conversation.

"I am at 138, how about you."

"I'm 154."

"Your blood pressure is 154!?" I say with a certain amount of concern.

"Blood pressure? I thought you were talking about weight."

And so you have it - Venus and Mars remain in different orbits.

Wordless Wednesday