Inadvertent Pet Training

I’ve noticed that we can do the simplest things only a few times, and our pets will pick up on them very quickly. Suddenly that simple thing is an indication of something that will happen or should happen.

The most obvious and common example of this would be dogs and walks. My husband cannot put on his shoes or a hat without our dogs going absolutely nuts. To them this indicates a walk. Of course, there are times when this is not what he intended. However, once the dogs are excited, he often hates to disappoint them so off they go on a walk. Somehow we’ve managed to teach our cats to beg whenever we barbeque. Whenever they smell something on the grill, especially salmon, they hang out on the patio. It started when we gave little samples to the older, skinny cat, and then had to include the other cat to be fair. Now they expect some of our dinner; they meow and put their paws on our chairs. Sigh.

Speaking of this older cat, apparently I have also taught her the joys of dinner in bed. Mandy is 17 years old and has hyperthyroidism. She is on medication and has trouble keeping the weight on. It all started when I became concerned about the amount of leftover food in her bowl. At night we lock the cats into the guest bathroom to prevent them from waking us up in the wee hours of the morning. The bathroom has a cat box, cat beds, and water bowls. I decided to place Mandy’s food bowl on the counter next to her bed. She gobbled up the remaining food that night and every other night that I did this. In fact, she thought that this was such a great idea that she began going into the bathroom earlier in the evening, meowing at me. It became quite clear that I was supposed to bring her dinner and put her in her bed. Actually, this cat has us trained quite well. Over the years she has developed a very loud and annoying meow. She uses this when she wants to go out, or come in, or go out again. I guess it’s true that dogs have owners and cats have staff.

NOT WHAT WE PLANNED

I REALLY wanted to go camping! My husband wanted to wait a week but I was itching to get out of town and into the mountains. I put together what I could on Thursday night then Bob went shopping, found a pet sitter, and straightened up the house on Friday while I worked. We were on the road shortly before 6 p.m. Not too bad.

After about 2 ½ hours we approached the small town of Stanley. In the distance clouds stretched across the sky, some looking very ominous. We took a left turn onto Highway 75 and pressed on another half hour to our favorite campground, located across the highway on the Salmon River. To our delight, the campground wasn’t full at all. We managed to claim a lovely campsite right next to the river, a site that I had eyed on previous trips. Now, we are masters of late, just-before-dark camp setups and this was no exception. A few drops of rain fell as we attached the rain fly. Next, we managed to get the shelter assembled over the picnic table just before the real rain fell. I cooked our mac and cheese under the cover in my raincoat, but it worked out. Dinner about 10 p.m. and we were mostly dry. And, of course, everything tastes better when you’re camping.

By the time we were ready to go to bed, the clouds had moved on and there were stars, lots of stars. When you live in a city you can forget what stars look like. There was no moon so the thousands of stars sparkled like tiny jewels against the coal black sky. Breathtaking. It would have been lovely to have removed the rain fly and gazed through the netting at the top of our tent but we’re not that crazy. Storms can move in quickly. We compromised by partially opening the door and window of the tent. We fell asleep looking at the stars and listening to the sound of the Salmon River rushing by.

I awoke to sun streaming through the tent but it didn’t last long. When I began cooking our scrambled eggs over the camp stove it was raining. By the time we had washed our dishes, the clouds were gone and the sun was once again shining. We looked over area maps, our chairs facing the river. Periodically groups of matching rafts floated by with smiling occupants, wearing matching life vests, who waved at us. We waved back from our perfect campsite.

Shortly after noon we headed off in our van for an afternoon adventure (little did we know). Not too far down the road we crossed a bridge construction area. Bob turned around and pulled over, frustrated that he could not find Slate Creek Road. He got out, walked through the construction and found the small dirt road. He hopped back in the van and we headed down a rather bumpy road. We had been down much worse roads but not in our Quest with its low clearance. Bob used to have a ’69 VW van which he took everywhere. Our current van is not really made for back roads so he drove very slowly. We hit one bad bump and kept going. Up ahead the snow capped White Cloud Mountains came into view. Absolutely beautiful! As we drove I looked for good photo angles; the green grass and trees provided great framing. There was no place to pull over easily so I thought I’d wait until later. We passed a couple of ranches, and waved at a guy camped near the road, then headed to the top.

I hopped out to check out the trailhead. I turned around to find Bob checking the ground instead. There was a trail of fluid coming from our car. To our dismay we found out it was transmission fluid. Bob started up the car but the transmission had already failed. We rolled down the road about ¼ mile to the campsite we had seen and met Mike. He was a very friendly guy and eager to help us. We tried to maneuver to van to where they could actually get under it (very low clearance). Mike pulled out his collection of tools and tubes with the hope of repairing the damaged pan. Lots of discussion. We learned that his camper actually had a dead battery. Make that two dead batteries; he was charging one with a solar panel but since it was cloudy (again) the process was slow. Mike said that he was camped in that location for a couple of weeks. He helped keep the nearby hot springs tub clean, and enjoyed hiking to the local lakes. It was finally decided that he would ride his motorcycle to the nearest town. The driver of a passing car (headed to the hot springs) recognized Mike. She gave him the name and number of the tow truck driver in Challis (over 40 miles away). Mike headed out to find a phone in Clayton, the nearest town, to call this guy in Challis. Bob and I headed up the trail to check out the hot springs.

Before we returned to the camp, Mike was back. He offered us a beer while we waited and visited. The tow truck arrived. Eddie hooked up our van with the skill that comes from lots of experience. Mike declined our offer of gas money but asked for our phone number so he could hear the rest of the story. Eddie drove very slowly down the 7-mile road, sharing his knowledge of the area. While Bob and Eddie chatted, I went over in my mind what we could do next. Once we got to the highway, Eddie checked underneath the van and determined that the damage to the pan was too great for him to repair. He could have taken us back to our campsite but there was no cell phone service and no way to contact anyone. There was no way to get back to Boise or to Challis from there. We opted to go to Challis. As we drove into town we spotted my goddaughter’s bright blue car parked in front of a trailer in the Forest Service compound. (She works as a seasonal.) We stopped at the repair shop. Eddie said we might be able to ride back to Boise with his daughter, if he got her car fixed, either the next day or Monday. He could not even order the part until Monday so the van would not be repaired at least until Tuesday. Stuck in Challis!

We walked over to the trailer where Maritza’s (my goddaughter) car was parked. Bob knocked. A short time later a young woman answered the door, Maritza’s roommate. She was able to find out for us that Maritza was in the field until Tuesday evening. She welcomed us in to rest while we figured out what to do. Called our pet sitter (at least Challis has cell service). We chatted a while with Maya and learned that she was an archeologist. Her car was in the shop but she offered to find a car to drive us to our campsite. Maya walked over to Maritza’s boss’s place, borrowed his station wagon, and then drove us 40+ miles to the campground. We broke camp in record time, just as the sun was setting. It just killed me to have to give up such a great campsite! Maya drove us back to our van in Challis where we unloaded our stuff, then drove us to a motel room, where we dropped off our clothes, and then drove us back to her place where we cooked our hamburgers at about 10 p.m. She wouldn’t take any money either!

We walked over to a very basic motel room with cheap wood paneling, and mattresses with springs poking through. Our heads hit the pillows after midnight. Beginning about 5 a.m. the big truck diesel engines, belonging to the miners staying next to us, began to roar. Their owners yelled to each other, in order to be heard over the noise of the engines. We tried to go back to sleep for a while. Breakfast was cereal and milk, pulled from the cooler in our van. We walked to a quick stop/gas station to get a cup of coffee. We hung out there for a while looking for 1A cars (our county designation) with space in them, hoping to hitch a ride to Boise. No luck. Walked to another gas station then to the city park. Bob made a call to a church friend, Judy, to let her know that he might not be there to help with Vacation Bible School; he talked to her husband, Ron, a bit. I left messages for a couple of my coworkers. We finally decided to get some lunch stuff out of our car plus any items we would be taking back to Boise (just in case we suddenly found a ride). Maya had offered her place as a hangout so we trudged over there with our stuff. While visiting with Maya, Ron called us and offered to pick us up. “Are you sure?” I asked. He decided to take our Honda instead of his little truck, so another call was made to the pet sitter to let him into our house to find car keys. More calls (luckily the batteries held out).

Bob and I sat and read our books in front of Maya’s trailer while Ron filled our gas tank and drove nearly 4 hours to pick us up. What a welcome sight! We loaded up the car, thanked Maya and we were on our way with Bob driving. By the time we reached Lower Stanley we were ready for dinner. We enjoyed good food, good company and a fantastic view of the Salmon River and the Sawtooth Mountains from the deck of a restaurant. From there we headed home, arriving about 11:30 p.m. and very grateful to be there.

Although it certainly wasn’t the weekend we had planned, we definitely had an interesting time. We experienced the kindness and generosity of complete strangers. And our friend, Ron, was our hero! I got back for work and Bob made it to Vacation Bible School. And we get to go back to Challis soon to retrieve our van. . .but no more back roads for it. I think Bob needs a jeep!

Truly an Empty Nester Now

I can’t believe it’s been an entire year since I’ve recorded my thoughts. What a long dry spell! I guess I need to be inspired again.

Returning to the focus of this blog, I can now say I am truly an empty nester. My baby graduated from college in May. Unlike many of her classmates, she did not return home. Since she attended school across the country and there are no jobs for her here, she elected to find a summer sublet while job hunting. Of course, since she is unemployed she is not totally self sufficient; we have been helping her out. I don’t know who is more anxious, her or us, about finding that permanent job.

Although we have seen our daughters several times in the past year, the last time they were actually at home was last August. That makes for a quiet house. I confess that I miss having them here. There are certainly nice aspects to being back to just the two of us. Now we can do what we want without having to worry about the girls’ schedules. We’ve kind of forgotten what that is like. At times we see some event in the paper and say, hey, let’s do that. However, I do miss the kid activities sometimes—all those dance performances and competitions. I’m adjusting though. I am rediscovering the kid within.

Take Time to Play

I like to break up my work day by eating my lunch away from my desk (unlike my coworkers). This is also my opportunity to read for about a half an hour, something I really look forward to. Recently, I finished a book called BREAKFAST EPIPHANIES by David Anderson. The author is a pastor and each chapter is a short inspirational story. Several of his stories really struck me.

David Anderson attended the funeral of a man who was a mentor to him, a fellow pastor. One of the attendees shared a story about how she had arrived at church early one Sunday and found the pastor (a man in his sixties) on a swing in the church playground, swinging away and not the least bit embarrassed about it. After the funeral the author visited the nearest playground and followed his mentor's lead. He realized that there was a message there for him. In another chapter he discusses sabbaticals; he believes that everyone needs one. We should not work all the time.

These stories caught my attention because I have realized lately that my life is way too serious. I work about 35 hours a week. I volunteer at my own church. My yard is an acre so there are always things to do. There is laundry. Plants to water. A house to clean. Mail piles up. E-mails need to be read and answered. I go to bed and it starts all over again.

We all need to play. I've tried do more fun things lately. We went for a long bike ride on Memorial Day. Last weekend we went to a Greek food festival and to a local event called Art & Roses. We went to see the movie "Up". The stormy weather this weekend has put a damper on outdoor activities but I'll find something tomorrow. I've got to work at playing!

Thinking of Nancy

This past week the Living the Questions group at our church finished a study on the Bible and homosexuality. It had been 20 years since we last did a study on this issue. Several people in the group have family members who are gay or lesbian and a number of us have gay friends. After our first meeting, one of the group members brought a friend who belongs to another church but often attends one of our women's groups. Halfway through our session this friend, I'll call her Nancy, felt comfortable enough with us to share that she is a lesbian. She told us that she was approached by some fellow church members about becoming a deacon in their church. She felt she had to turn this down because her church does not allow homosexuals to be deacons. Nancy said that she hadn't done anything but that she is not considered good enough simply because of who she is. This is very painful for her since she feels called to serve and would very much like to serve her church. Over the weeks, this painful subject came up over and over. Nancy's input gave our discussions a whole new perspective and we appreciated her candor. She related a meeting with a GLBT group (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender) where a woman exclaimed with tears of joy, "God loves me!" Nancy realized that this was the first time in this woman's 50+ years of life that she had felt this way. How sad. Perhaps those of us who profess to be followers of Jesus need to work a bit harder at emulating his love rather than trying to judge our fellow human beings.

If the Shoe Fits. . .

I am not a shoe person. I do have members of my family who could be described this way, including my oldest daughter. On her Christmas list was a sparkly pair of green shoes that could be purchased online. I bought them for her. They are a lot of fun and look great on her. However, that is not me.

My approach to shoes is to buy what I need and that’s it. I will keep shoes for years. In fact, I own shoes and boots that are older than my daughters. That doesn’t mean that I don’t care how they look. I appreciate a stylish pair of shoes—I just don’t get terribly excited about them. Now, as I’m getting older, I appreciate a well fitting pair of shoes, especially ones with good arch supports. Comfort is everything. Pretty shoes are no good if they hurt your feet.

It seems that I have been forced to focus on shoes these past couple of months. My shoes all seem to be dying at once. The dances we’re learning in my tap class seem to be getting faster and faster and my shoes were inadequate. I had looked around at the few dance shops in town about a year ago but didn’t find anything suitable. The steps requiring us to go up on our heels hurt my feet. However, when I realized that something was beginning to poke into the ball of my foot, that was it. I bought new tap shoes.

Next was the hiking boots. I bought my good old leather hiking boots at REI in Berkeley over 25 years ago. Good quality boots. The only problem was that they were never fully broken in, even after all those years of use. Still hard as a rock, instead of the boot giving, my foot did. If I didn’t get a blister, I would at least have red spots on my feet. After two summers of saying that I was never wearing those boots again, I finally did something about it. Bob was looking at sandals at REI and suggested that I try on boots. It took me a week to decide but after climbing on their little rock with the handrail to truly try them out, I selected a great pair of boots made with synthetic materials. Now, if those boots will last 25 years, I’ll be set!

Last night I went square dancing with shoes that are probably 30 years old. Something was beginning to poke through the heel, so I couldn’t really put my entire weight on it. Old, white, dirty square dance shoes. What was I thinking? Why was I still wearing them? Today, I found the little square dance shop that is located in someone’s home (the only place available in Boise) and I bought a pair of black dance shoes. They were even on sale!

I’m not done yet. I have been trying to replace the brown shoes I wear to work. They are to the point where I hesitate to wear them when it rains. Still looking. However, I have found some great casual shoes on sale during my search. Who knows? I might actually begin to enjoy shoe shopping. But probably not.

Happy Birthday Barbie!

Today is Barbie's 50th birthday so I want to celebrate her special day. After all, I grew up with Barbie. I didn't have the very first Barbie with the ponytail. My sister and I had the Barbies with the bubble hairdo. Hers was blonde and mine was brunette (apparently to match our own haircolors). My sister's wore the well known black and white striped bathing suit; I think my doll's was red and white. I had the first Ken doll, the one with the blonde fuzzy hair that rubbed off after a period of time. My sister had a Midge and Allan. We both had Skipper plus I had Scooter and Ricky. We didn't have multiple Barbies, a concept that my daughters find hard to understand. The idea was to buy outfits and accessories for your doll. Actually, I only owned a few official Barbie outfits for all of my dolls. However, one Christmas my grandmother gave my sister and me each an entire collection of Barbie-size clothes, handmade by someone she knew. We were in heaven. I saved my dolls for my daughters but they had a hard time competing with the new Barbies. There were so many different versions, I couldn't keep track. Instead of buying outfits, they just got a new doll for each theme. Once our girls could sleep in bunkbeds together, we turned the other bedroom into a playroom. The large Barbie dollhouse, made by my father for me and my sister many years ago, was moved into that room. The girls' Barbie dolls led very busy lives, judging by the look of the room; very often we couldn't find the floor. Gradually, Barbie and friends lost out to other interests and they now reside in boxes. I haven't quite forgotten my love for Barbie. Every Christmas I buy the latest Hallmark Barbie ornament for my Christmas tree and for a little while I am that little girl again.

Empty Nest Again

Early on Sunday our nest emptied once again. We drove our youngest daughter to the airport for her trip back to Boston. From there we headed out in the dark towards Sun Valley. We have had an inversion in Boise and hadn't seen the sun in a while so as we moved up through the muck into the sun, it was glorious. Brilliant blue sky and sparkling snow. We enjoyed an afternoon of cross country skiing with our friends, recovered at their condo, then headed out for pizza.

Through the afternoon and into the evening, I periodically got phone calls from Erin as she dealt with a cancelled flight, rebooked, and waited and waited. She called me once she reached the Boston airport but forgot to call when she reached her room. Worried, I called her and found she was back safely. Sigh.

This time saying goodbye to her was different. In the past I always knew that I would see her again at the next break. This time we don't know where she'll be next summer because she hopes to get an internship. Returning home to Boise makes no sense because there are no jobs here for her. I don't know when I'll see her again. It made the goodbye more difficult. The short trip to Sun Valley was a wonderful break; I realized that it is time for us to live our own lives.

The Dawn of Hope

I really couldn't let today go by without comment. The eyes of the entire world were on Washington D.C today. The number of people around the Capitol mall was incredible. I had to work today so all I could do was attempt to follow the inauguration via the internet feed on my computer. The daughter of a friend was there in the crowd so I was able to look at her photos on Facebook. What a historic event! People of multiple races, ages, and backgrounds were there. So much hope is being placed on one man. No mortal could possibly live up to the expectations. Our country has overwhelming problems; the economy seems to be collapsing. I too hope that Barack Obama can begin to turn things around. I hope people give him a chance. Although lacking in experience, he's a brilliant man with the power to inspire. I hope he's up to this tremendous challenge. I will be praying for him and our country. I will dare to hope.

I'm Being Read!

Today I received an e-mail from someone on my Christmas card list. This is someone with whom I exchange Christmas cards/letters every year but we haven't seen each other in years. She had to tell me that she had finally read my blog--all of it. Wow. Somehow I'm always surprised when somebody tells me that they've read my blog, even when it's one of my daughters. As I write my blog I have to remind myself that someone might actually read it; it's such a lonely exercise. Now, I suppose that if I always got comments like my daughter does on her livejournal blog, that would be a different matter. So, to whomever may be reading this, I'll try to make it worthwhile.

Holiday Reflections

I'm not really sure that I'm ready for the holidays to be over, for a number of reasons. The lights and decorations are so cheerful. I really love the way Christmas lights reflect off the snow. . . or through the snow. When the lights disappear, we are just left with the cold of January. The best part of the holiday season is time spent with family. It becomes even more important now that I'm an empty nester. Bob and I have no family in the state of Idaho, just each other.

On November 19, Bob flew to Florida to stay with his mom then drive her up to North Carolina. She had a stroke in April and is unable to travel alone. I flew to Raleigh on Nov. 21. It was an uneventful, fairly quick trip. Laura and Ian picked me up at the airport. (Her hair was streaked with turquoise this time - at least she warned me.) Laura and I got up early the next morning so she could go to the barn and ride Rocket. It was freezing out, especially for Raleigh! I watched Laura ride, took photos, and tried to keep warm. Her young instructor was there, too, and I got to see her jump. This is something Laura really loves, so I'm glad she found a place to ride. That evening the two of us went to see the new movie "Twilight". It was true to the book (which Laura had asked me to read) and very entertaining. On Sunday Laura and I attended her church (Ian slept in). Afterwards, we went out to lunch with the young adult group, a nice bunch of people. Laura and Ian both had to work on Monday so I tagged along with Laura - sort of a "take your mom to work day". I was a bit surprised that her boss was so willing to have me there. Most of the time I sat next to her at her computer and watched her work. I was even recruited to help test a game for a short time, a group test. That was fun although I'm not a video game player and had no idea how to use the controls. Laura, her boss, a female friend from the art department (one of the few other women) and I went to lunch. All in all, an interesting day. It was a nice few days, good mother/daughter time which I treasured because it happens so seldom anymore. Shortly after we returned to their home, Bob and his mom arrived.

Laura picked up her sister, Erin, at the airport on Wednesday afternoon. Finally we were all together. Thanksgiving was a whirlwind of activity with food preparation and figuring out how to seat 10 people in their little dining area. This was a huge change for me. It was the first time in 20 years that I did not have to make Thanksgiving dinner. Of course, I helped and offered advice, but this was Laura's show. She was hosting her first holiday meal in their own home, a big deal. She was nervous, but it came off well. Her childhood friend, Liz, who is attending graduate school at NC State was present, too, and was a great help. They had two small turkeys and the two of them worked on them together, Laura learning from Liz who had done it before. They had fun working together. Laura's inlaws, and Bob's brother, George, also came to dinner. It was a special time with everyone together.

We were able to stay until Monday when Erin and I flew off in our own directions while Bob and his mother headed back to Florida. It was hard to see my mother-in-law moving so slowly and struggling in frustration to do what she used to do easily. However, I was pleased to see her determination and progress, amazing for someone 85 years old. It was hard to say goodbye to her since I don't know when I'll get to see her again.

Erin arrived in Boise on December 18 for her Christmas break then Laura and Ian followed 2 days later. The week went so quickly! Although they arrived late on Saturday (actually early on Sunday), and we all got to bed late, everybody was up bright and early for our special church service. The choir, with Bob as a bass, sang a cantata which was lovely. I contributed to the service by assisting with the reading for the lighting of the Advent candles (including an angel costume and thank goodness no photos were taken). On Tuesday night we all went to the Idaho Botanical Garden's "Winter Garden a Glow". We had attended this event years ago but this was a totally different experience. The lights were plentiful and beautiful plus we were able to warm ourselves by the small warming barrels and sip hot chocolate. My camera didn't like the cold temperature but I was able to get some great photos. Afterwards, we enjoyed a late dinner at Applebee's.

I had to work on Christmas Eve day but that evening we ordered our traditional Chinese takeout. We decided to attended the late service at church. It had begun to snow earlier in the evening so the attendance was low. It was a nice, quiet, reflective service, and the drive back in the snow was lovely, although a bit wet. Christmas Day was spent at home, opening gifts, eating, and just enjoying each others' company. We did go out later in the evening to look at Christmas lights, our last chance.

On Friday afternoon we rented snowshoes from REI and headed up to Bogus Basin. Ian had never been on snowshoes before so he was really excited. We nixed Bob's idea of walking along the XC ski trails and headed off on snowshoe trails instead, which included very steep ups and downs. The snow was fresh powder, just wonderful, and decorated the trees surrounding us. We spent about 2 hours out, and got back just before dark, and just when we were getting a bit tired. It was a good family activity and lots of fun.

Laura and Ian left early the next morning. It was hard to say goodbye this time since we don't know when we'll see them again. Laura said they'll come out next Thanksgiving but that's so far off. I sure hope we see them before that. It's hard to have them so far away. Thank goodness for e-mails, cell phones, and instant messaging. Erin will be here until January 18 so we aren't back to being empty nesters again yet.

Back to Blogging

Well, it's been a while since I've done this. My daughter, Laura, complained yesterday that I hadn't updated my blog in a long time. I pointed out that she hadn't posted on hers for even longer (like a couple of years). In typical fashion, she responded maybe 10 minutes later (instant message) with a link to her new blog which included a new post containing photos. She was at work but said she was bored. Apparently.

Okay, so I guess I've been challenged. I suppose the problem is that I feel like I need to post something related to a particular subject instead of just rambling. Something coherent. I feel like I've been a bit brain dead lately. Then the sun came out today and as I was driving to the Y after work, I realized that the rain and clouds had slowed me down. Good thing I don't live in Seattle.

My last post was in June. I was not an empty nester at that point (my excuse?) since my college student daughter was home for the summer. It seems like the summer began late and then finished way too quickly. I worked in the yard and the squirrels ate my corn again. We took a vacation in Glacier National Park (beautiful) and attended an out of town family wedding. My daughter went back to Boston in September, having never found a summer job. And here it is the middle of November. What happened?

I hope to defog my brain and post more often. I feel a need to do something creative, too. Don't know what that will be. We'll see. . .

A Kind Word

Yesterday I received a call at the church where I work from a man seeking help. Now, this is not a new thing; I often get such calls. However, I don't receive as many as I did when we were handing out $10 gift cards. The church was overwhelmed and we had to stop. A new policy is being put into place which includes restrictions limiting help to people living in the area immediately surrounding the church. David is from out of state and got stuck here with no funds due to a medical condition. I had to tell him we couldn't help him. He had received similar replies from many other churches and agencies. I tried to give him suggestions. I thought that was the end of it. Some time later he called me back, seeking more suggestions. And I believe he called me back once or twice more.

David said that I was the only one who was nice to him - the only one! He made calls and visits to many agencies and churches, and his contacts included pastors. This makes me so sad. How much effort does it take to say a kind word to a person in need? What is the cost of a little compassion for a fellow human being? Has this community seen so many hurting people that we are becoming jaded? Already? With the state of the economy, I'd say that we are just seeing the tip of the iceburg. It's going to get a lot worse. Yesterday, a woman stopped by looking for help with gas. I couldn't help her either. She works full-time at a convenience store for minimum wage. She said that she and her coworkers are having a hard time affording gas. This minimum wage worker was no kid - middle-aged and nicely dressed. All I could give her was my sympathy.

David called me again today, desperate. The help he had hoped to get from another church hadn't come through. I gave him a couple more phone numbers. He called back - no luck. I was out of ideas so I called my friend, Judy, for suggestions. She didn't know where else to call but told me she'd call him personally and help him. (David called me back to say thanks.) Judy called me tonight to tell me that her husband had taken David to the store for food (he hadn't eaten for 3-4 days) plus some needed laundry supplies and other items. Ron listened to his long, sad story. On top of that, Judy's mom donated $100 of her own. And Judy is still trying to figure out what we can do to help David. Judy positively overflows with compassion for others. I wish it would rub off on others in this community. We may not be able to personally help everybody who needs it but a kind word and the willingness to listen comes cheap.

One Down, One to Go

Recently we went to visit our daughter and son-in-law in Raleigh. Later, I realized that it was a first - the first time we stayed with our child in her home. Both of them now have permanent jobs which they like. We were there while our son-in-law was baptized and they joined a local church. We met their coworkers and friends. And we happened to be present for a very big step in their young married lives - they put an offer on a house. Both sets of parents toured and checked over the house. We all sat and waited with the realtor to find out if the offer would be accepted. Success! Such an exciting time. I wish we could be there to celebrate with them when they move in. Unfortunately, we won't be back until Thanksgiving. However, I am developing a pile, which is gradually growing, of all her things that we will be sending to her this summer via Uhaul and a friend. I am looking forward to more space in our house, attic, and garage. Really looking forward to it.

Daughter number one is on her way in the adult world. We are proud of her. One down and one to go.

Community Ed

One of my goals, as an empty nester, was to take some classes for fun and to expand my horizons. A few nights ago I took the first step. Our local school district offers community ed classes in the evenings, taught by volunteers for a nominal fee to cover expenses. These classes cover everything imaginable from belly dancing to computers to bird watching - you name it. I signed up for dutch oven cooking and Bob signed up to learn more about the senior volunteer program. I think I got the better deal because they fed us - and well! Although I have done some dutch oven cooking, I gathered more info, and recipes from a husband, wife and their 14-year-old son who cook competitively. They served us a chicken casserole, lasagna, and pineapple upside down cake. Yum! Now I'm inspired to start cooking outside again (after all of the snow melts). And I think I'll sign up for more classes on other subjects.

From Lionhead Lodge

Over the years, our rapidly changing technology has dramatically altered the way movies are made. I am especially aware of this since I have a daughter with a degree in visual effects. We now watch the movie credits all the way to the end. It is really amazing what movie makers can achieve.

However, less than a century ago, movies were silent. There is certain charm to the films from that time. And in some cases, these films were amazing in their own right. About a week ago we attended the Nell Shipman Film Festival at the Egyptian Theatre in Boise. We experienced a showing of her short film "White Water" and the full length feature, "The Grub Stake" complete with organ accompaniment by a professional theatre organist from New York on one of the few original theatre organs left in the country. What a special evening! Nell Shipman was an amazing woman - writer, actress, co-director, editor. The truly incredible part is that these films were filmed in northern Idaho at Priest Lake in the 1920s, much of it during the winter. This was wild country at that time. She had a large menagerie of animals which she used in her films. There were no stunt men or special effects. Nell canoed down rivers, fell in, and clung to rocks; she jumped into the frozen lake, multiple times (along with her reluctant son); she trudged up and down snow covered mountains; she climbed up rock walls. Nell Shipman was a true film pioneer.

It's a Small World

Sometimes I just have to step back and marvel at our ability to communicate with each other, whether it's from one state to another or across the world. When I was in college I made occassional long distance phone calls home via the phone in my room and sometimes I wrote letters (a lost art). Tonight I was simultaneously communicating with both my daughters. I was instant messaging the daughter in the Netherlands, an 8 hour time difference (yes, she stays up late). At the same time I was talking to the other daughter in Raleigh, NC on a cell phone then we moved on to e-mail and instant message to discuss something. At the same time I was instant messaging my son-in-law while I was talking to my daughter on the phone (his wife) and trying to help him connect with his sister-in-law in Europe. Now they all take this for granted but I can hardly keep up with this. You don't have to look back many years to realize how amazing this is. Our world is getting smaller all the time.

My baby is off to Europe!

As I write this, my younger daughter is on a plane over the Atlantic between Boston and Amsterdam. What a mix of emotions I'm feeling. I'm excited for her but also concerned for her safety. She will be spending a semester at her college's castle, "Kasteel Well". They will take classes Monday through Thursday then will be free to travel on the weekends. What an adventure! It will be strange not receiving her cell phone calls at all hours. I'm really back to being an empty nester now.

55

Most years my birthday gets lost in the holiday craziness. December birthdays are like that. However, this year was different, partly because my birthday was on a Saturday. Bob had given me a gift certificate for a spa on my previous birthday but I hadn't used it yet. I decided that it would be a perfect way to begin my day. It was a cold, gray day but the spa was warm and inviting. I had an hour massage followed by a half hour spa facial. Ahhh - very relaxing. (I think I'll return at a later date.) Not wanting to undo the effects of the massage, I returned home to spend a quiet day there. I worked on Christmas cards, especially the ones going to the east coast. This year all of my family remembered my birthday and sent nice gifts that actually arrived before my birthday. The most special one was from my hubby; years ago he gave me a star garnet and he had it set in a necklace - beautiful! Laura and Ian gave me a cozy robe that she embroidered. One sister gave me a colorful scarf that she knit herself and the other sister gave me a soft white turtleneck. (Erin brought me her gift when she returned from college - a colorful "nose" glasses holder which I use daily). In the evening we went to the Olive Garden where I ordered my favorite - the portobello mushroom ravioli. Afterwards, we headed to Edwards Cinema where I now qualify as a senior citizen. Sigh, yes I am 55 years old. (How did that happen?) I figured that I might as well take advantage of one of the few benefits of growing older. We saw "The Golden Compass" - very entertaining. We returned home late and celebrated with birthday cake, chocolate, of course!

Normal Thanksgiving

Now that Christmas is fast approaching, I think I'll reflect on Thanksgiving. Yeah, I'm a bit behind again - oh well. It really is true that everything is relative. In the past it seemed a bit lonely at Thanksgiving when it was just the four of us, when there were no grandparents joining us. However, after last year when it was just the two of us, going back to four seemed like a much fuller table.

Our son-in-law, Ian, was supposed to come, too, but since he had a new job with no vacation yet, he was unable to be here. Laura doesn't get paid vacation with her job so she just told her boss she was leaving for about 10 days (although she really wanted to say she was leaving forever). It was so nice to have her here for that long. We really didn't want to fly Erin out here for just a few days for such a high cost. However, when we found it was going to cost almost as much to fly her to her grandmother's in Florida as it would to bring her home, we pulled out the well worn credit card and bought her a ticket. She said she really wanted a "normal" Thanksgiving.

I have learned that a normal Thanksgiving requires that I fix exactly the same dishes that I've been making for years. The turkey is always stuffed with a bread dressing and barbequed on our Weber. We started this when we first moved here and discovered that the oven was too small. Now we wouldn't have it any other way. The meal also includes mashed potatoes, gravy (if I can get it right), green bean casserole, cranberry jello salad, bisquits, and pumpkin pie.

It was wonderful to be together, if only for a few days. On Friday evening the four of us went to our local Festival of Trees, a great way to get into the Christmas spirit.