The Party Gift Highlights

It would be really hard for me to say what my FAVORITE thing was about my surprise party. But, the GIFTS would have to be right at the top of my list.

My 91-yo Aunt Adda gave me a tablecloth she embroidered for me!!

Sandy gave me a project bag -- WITH A PROJECT INSIDE. (see what she did there?)...

Jackie gave me the perfect set of mugs for my new house...(with fresh flowers, they served as the centerpieces)

Jackie also gave me the perfect Singer Sewing Machine jigsaw puzzle.

Linda P., gave me a quilted wall hanging (see the perfect colors?)

My young friend Anne -- who came all the way from Cedar Rapids -- gave me a beautifully wrapped EMPTY BOX...and we could not stop laughing...

 

Of course, everybody in that room knows how hard I'm working to GET RID OF STUFF right now...preparing for our move into town. So, an empty box was the perfect thing... 

Anne was also responsible for the entertainment portion of the party...and THAT was a hoot!!

My Party and THE FOOD..!!

After I got over the initial SHOCK...it was TIME TO EAT...This is something my people do exceedingly well. We're all good cooks...and, for my party, they brought their A GAME...

Jackie and Sandy were behind the scenes in the kitchen...setting up the buffet line...

We had the perfect brunch...cheesy hashbrowns and breakfast casseroles.

A nod to my 60's coming-of-age -- remember cream cheese mints?

How about an actual punch bowl?  With a frozen ring in the middle?

No party is complete without Jeanne's green salad...

Sandy actually ROLLED the silver ware..!

We also had fresh fruit, homemade cinnamon rolls...

My niece Amy couldn't come inside -- but she stopped by to...

Wish me a Happy Birthday

She explained that she couldn't come inside.

Because her husband has Covid...(he's doing fine)

She was missed...but I soo appreciated her special visit.

For dessert, we had PIE and cupcakes!!

And a giant birthday cookie.  The centerpieces were fresh flowers in zebra mugs!

The food was amazing....

But -- wait -- these girls have actually planned some ENTERTAINMENT..!!

Happy Birthday To Me!!

So, to review -- last year I was planning a BIG BASH for my March birthday -- but my party got Corona-Cancelled...

So, I moved my celebration online -- and YOU, MY BLOG READERS -- stepped up in a magnificent way. This last year, I've had several occasions when I went back into those birthday emails and I was buoyed by your kind words...

This year, 2021, has had a rocky start. John's been diagnosed with Alzheimer's.  I can't leave him alone...and it's been a difficult transition for both of us. I tried a daycare program, but he hated it.

Anyway -- with all that's been happening -- I hadn't given much thought to my birthday.

But, several weeks ago, Deena called and told me to pencil in Saturday, March 27th. She'd made arrangements with Calvin to take care of John...and she was taking me on a "Birthday Adventure".

YES...PLEASE....

When the actual day of my adventure came around, I couldn't even remember what time she told me she'd be picking me up...so, when she arrived at 9:30, I was just getting out of the shower!

But I got dressed VERY QUICKLY...and was soon ready to go.

Calvin arrived five minutes before Deena did...so John was set for the day.

Deena had an actual BLINDFOLD (sequins, of course!)...and I had no idea where we were headed or what we'd be doing...

A Sewing Retreat Memory

I got an email  from my young friend, Anne. She wrote to say she cuts up old bathtowels and makes mini-handtowels for her family. In this time of germ phobia, its such a great idea!! And way better than one shared towel hanging in the bathroom...and that reminded me of Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat Center.

TMBC went there in 2018 for our first (and so far, ONLY) official Sewing RETREAT

It seems unbelievably luxurious now to think about spending three days and two nights together -- AWAY from our own homes and beloved people...(yes, sarcasm)...

Although this picture doesn't show it -- the Retreat had a system of mini terrycloth handtowels in their bathrooms.  (GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE, ANNE).  We were told to use a fresh one every time we washed our hands...and simply drop it in the basket they provided.

The other FABULOUS idea at the Retreat Center was their system for using cloth napkins.  At the beginning of your stay, you selected a napkin, and a napkin RING...and you used it throughout your visit....always placing it in one of the cubbies when the meal was finished.  You'd use the same napkin for your entire stay.  BRILLIANT!!

One of the BEST things about the Retreat was that somebody else did all the cooking!!

I liked it so much -- the next year -- Mary, Rhonda and Deanna came FOR A WHOLE WEEK.

Oh, yeah, this is a fun thing to think about. And...fingers crossed...maybe one day soon -- we can start to plan our next Retreat!!

Morning Brew

Hey -- if you haven't already subscribed to the Morning Brew --  just do it!  It provides me with a smile at least once every morning.  AND, the other big benefit is that I understand a lot of stuff that goes on in the world that I would otherwise have NO INTEREST in...

And the writing is EXCELLENT...

Here's a portion of Thursday's edition:

************

On Tuesday, a gargantuan cargo ship named the Ever Given ran aground in the busy Suez Canal, blocking maritime traffic from entering or exiting the crucial shipping highway. If you're wondering how a ship that weighs 220,000 tons and is the size of the Empire State Building ended up sideways, canal officials say high winds from a sandstorm restricted visibility around the time the ship got stuck. 

It couldn't be in a worse spot

The Suez Canal, which connects the Red Sea and the Mediterranean through Egypt, is the carotid artery of the global shipping system. Around 10% of worldwide shipping traffic flows through its narrow waters, including roughly 5% of globally traded crude oil. In 2019, nearly 19,000 ships transporting 1.2 billion tons of cargo passed through the canal, generating $5.6 billion in revenue for Egypt last year. Only the Panama Canal has a similar amount of traffic. 

• The Ever Given's ill-timed perpendicular park job is acting like a Wendy's Baconator to global trade's circulatory system, creating massive traffic snarls on either side. 

As of last night, over 100 ships were stuck at each end of the 120-mile canal, putting even more pressure on the global shipping industry that was already out of whack from the pandemic.

 **********

See what I mean?  It's just soooo good!!  

Alzheimer's Poem

Alzheimer's is a tough road....one that nobody wants to travel.

And people do not know how to deal with it. I get that. Sometimes, when you don't know what to say, or what to do -- it's just easier to say (and do) nothing...

I get that, too. Hey -- I'VE DONE THAT MYSELF in many situations. And, that's okay. Sometimes, it's actually preferable. Because honestly -- I DON'T NEED one more person telling me how sorry they are for me, because this will go on for years....

Really? Does anybody think I don't know that??

There are a few things I've learned that help me. A Lot.

The first thing is try to see this situation from John's point of view. Holy Cow...some days, it must feel like he's landed on Mars and nobody gave him a map. It's painful for me when he can't find the door to the bathroom (which has not moved in 40 years) -- but what must that be like for him? To be lost in the house he's lived in for 40 years? He can't drive, he can't do any of the things he used to love to do...he cannot get himself dressed...

So, when I get exasperated, I just think what it must be like for John.

I want to do my best for John. But I do get impatient...or bitchy....I am always sorry afterwards, because I know he can't help it. But, a very helpful thing is I try to imagine that there is a video camera in our house, recording everything....every word I say....every action I take while caring for John. Like I'm on a reality television show....and I will be judged.

I've joined several support groups -- and this poem comes up fairly often...

Do not ask me to remember,
Don’t try to make me understand,
Let me rest and know you’re with me,
Kiss my cheek and hold my hand.
I’m confused beyond your concept,
I am sad and sick and lost.
All I know is that I need you
To be with me at all cost.
Do not lose your patience with me,
Do not scold or curse or cry.
I can’t help the way I’m acting,
Can’t be different though I try.
Just remember that I need you,
That the best of me is gone,
Please don’t fail to stand beside me,
Love me ’til my life is done.
– Owen Darnell

 

My Personal Covid-versary

The media has been making a big deal about this being our "covid-versary". It's been ONE YEAR of a world-wide lock-down. And who would've ever predicted that? An invisible germ brought the whole world to its knees...and it's really hard to find any light in the dark cloud of this Coronavirus...which has cast a shadow on every single minute of our lives for over a year...

But, in my little corner of the world -- between the 2020 pandemic and John's dementia -- the silver lining is that my house has never been in better shape.

The surprise benefit of this last year is that I've had the time to seriously deep-clean my house. I also Frankensewed every damn thing -- I cut up t-shirts and old towels -- I made quilts, sheet sets, modified swimsuits....

In the beginning, there was a lot of cooking. When I realized I couldn't buy yeast -- I was determined to bake bread! For months, I followed Michael Symon's daily Facebook recipes. Although I enjoyed experimenting with new recipes, and I loved getting the Every Plate meal kits delivered to the house -- John was not a fan of trying new food. So I was actually EATING MORE...

(But I learned that I can buy an excellent Thai Sweet Chili Sauce in a big bottle at HyVee.)

After the intense sewing and cooking -- I spent weeks refinishing a vintage buffet. I wanted to have something permanent and tangible from 2020. For the rest of my life, every time I open a drawer to get a napkin, I will remember...or, at least, I hope I do....

While waiting for the varnish to dry between coats -- I started to clean out every drawer in our bedroom. I hauled scores of garbage bags to the Goodwill. I donated all the clothes we will never wear again. Don't ask me why John had three suits -- but they are all gone. And, as it turns out, I don't need 11 winter coats or 17 bath robes. Ugh. I actually donated a dozen pairs of perfectly good dress pants that fit me. BECAUSE I DECIDED I HAD TOO MANY CLOTHES FOR ONE PERSON...

THEN, I started to burn through the 40 year accumulation of paper that lived in file cabinets, desk drawers, and boxes in the basement. WHAT WERE WE THINKING?? Decades of electric bills and manuals for appliances that died years ago...thousands of pages went up in smoke...

Then, too, the really big thing? The TELEVISION WATCHING has been intense -- and has changed forever. Besides my usual crappy BRAVO shows, the Law and Order marathons and HGTV, I discovered Netflix!! OMG....WHO KNEW? I might be a little late to the party -- but streaming has changed my life... (my favorite binge series is Last Tango In Halifax)...

If my 2020 life was a television show, it would be a cross between Sewing with Nancy, Chopped, Swedish Death Cleaning and Survivor.