Wednesday, March 08, 2017

Wednesday-9:45am

Good Morning!
Only the remnants of the biggest snow banks are left right now near me in town here.  We've had thunderstorms, ice, drizzly rain, snow, and wild winds.  Gone from the warmth of the 50s to single digits.  Never know from day to day what it's going to be like--winter or spring.
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I did get the small table and the bird feeder out on the patio.
Since the first faux-spring when the grouse went nutty I have only seen two nervous grouse come by.  There's a few rabbits, but no Chester.  Can always depend on the flocks of sparrows to appreciate the easy meals, though.  ;)
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Once I could see enough to DO something again (as long as it is not detail work), I started putting the double-sided tape on the backs of card parts we had previously cut out.  I got all these taped and ready to go!  Using little empty boxes to hold and separate them.  Went through six rolls of Scrappy Tape--almost seven!  :) 
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McFamily went down to Minneapolis for Dagan's heart and pacemaker check-ups.  Dagan will need a new battery in about a year for his pacemaker.  Was soooo pleased to hear that Dagan is doing the very best of all of their Fontan patients--tada!  He doesn't have any subsequent health issues.  Others have had liver and other problems cropping up, but Dagan's doing fine.  So, they want to start doing some tests and gathering information next year so that they have a baseline for him.  Plus, since it is a small select group of people, just to have more information for comparison...kind of like for a Fontan study, you know?  So, very good news!
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 They stopped at Ikea on the way home.  For me, they picked up a floor mat to cover the buckling, tearing linoleum (awesome!)...   
...a long, red shoe horn (my new black shoes crumple terribly in the heel).. 
...and two more boxes for storage that I haven't put together yet.  Sweet!
If you can see the boxes in the studio mess--LOL!
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Since this is my birthday month you won't be the least surprised to know I ordered myself some pens.  (It's almost always pens, inks, and/or paper.)
Yes, those are the reading glasses from Costco.  And below are the gaudy pick pair of reading glasses lent to me by the eye doctor.  (Explain in a minute.)  I got a TWSBI ECO (front one), an amber colored Pilot Cavalier, and two Lamy Al-Stars!! 
I had a TWSBI Mini I bought just a few years ago (you can see the comparison in size to the ECO on the left) and a Cavalier I bought maybe 20 years ago (the baby blue one on the right).  Love both of them!  You can see the new amber Cavalier is larger than they used to make them. 
I have my two old Lamy Safaris (around 35 years old) but I have never owned a Lamy Al-Star (aluminum version).  Since I replaced the old worn-wide nibs on my old Safaris I have been loving my Lamys again.  (The Safaris were the first nicer fountain pens I ever bought.)  Now I have the blue-green and the pacific Al-Stars!  Whoohoo!  Aren't they pretty colors?
The funny part is that I spent a lot of time trying to unscrew the TWSBI ECO and couldn't do it.  Had Leah try when she was here yesterday.  Turns out--it doesn't come apart--LOL!  Apparently, you have to fill the ECO with the plunger.  Can't fill it with the syringe like I am used to doing with all my pens.  
Between me not being able to see close up and Leah not knowing anything about fountain pens and taking my uninformed word for it--well, it was pretty darn funny that we spent all that time trying to take a pen apart that was (as far as we can tell now) in one solid piece.  Maybe you had to be there.  One of those ass-u-me situations--LOL!
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The wild pink glasses--LOL!  Since when I am in my chair I can no longer read the old McLap on the laptop table because it is out of the 8-12 inch range, Dr. Dye lent me this pink pair that will help me see a little farther out so that I can now see McLap.  (But of course, then I can't see the TV with the glasses on--ROFL!)  But these seem to be more of a 10-14 inch range or maybe a little farther.  
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I am still having trouble with some double-vision and eyes not focusing together quite right--but Dr. Dye said that there are special lenses to help with the double vision if it doesn't go away as my eyes heal up (and my old brain adjusts-LOL!).
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Will be nice when I get glasses where I can see everywhere at once just moving my eyes up and down my lenses (tri-focals).  I go back on the 29th--day after my birthday.  Oh, and I didn't make the appointment I had for the follow-up on Monday (wasn't feeling well-IBS) but made it there yesterday instead.  Ian woke up with a cough and cold yesterday so he stayed home with Aaron (Leah's brother)...and by last night Leah was sick, too.  Hope they are feeling better soon.
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Okay--I usually keep my blogs time sensitive from my previous posts and in chronological order...but I forgot I had taken a video of Ian one afternoon a couple weeks ago when he and Leah were here after an eye doctor visit.  Just some snacktime at the table at Gramma's house.  Oh, the lights he was watching are the colored twinkly lights around the patio door that I kept up since Christmas.  (And they will stay up all year round just because Gramma likes them--LOL!)
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And now for the big news!!
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Drum roll please!
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There is going to be an addition to McFamily come the end of August!!!  :) :) :)
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Leah gave me the okay yesterday to make it public.  Ian will have a baby brother or sister this year.  Now that is exciting!!
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And, that news kind of leads me to the second bit of news.
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We were thinking about Annie, their super-super-shy cat.  Since I was saying if I got another cat I wanted an older one...Dagan and Leah asked what I would think about taking Annie.  It would be on a trial basis--because we want Annie to be happy.  She's already scared of Ian...well, of everybody...and now with another little human on the horizon...
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  Annie had originally been rescued from the streets--was pregnant or had just had kittens.  A older lady Dagan worked with got Sammy and Annie and had them for a few years.  They needed to find a home for them and that's when Dagan and Leah took them.  Annie is somewhere around eight years old--already fixed and declawed (rules here).  It's just mainly if she would like it here.  I've checked with the vet about getting another cat and they said it was okay.  I will double-check online before we move her, though.  
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Dagan has to catch Annie and put her in the basement when they have company otherwise she won't eat or drink or go to the bathroom and just hides under their bed the entire time.  She still runs away from everybody, doesn't like to be picked up (doesn't hiss or fight--kind of goes limp in resignation if she can't push away, but escapes at the first opportunity).  She will voluntarily accept what Dagan calls "drive by petting" where if you are sitting in a chair she will walk under your hand for a pet.  Took a couple of years before she would let me do drive-bys.  :)
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With another baby coming they are just worried about how Annie will handle it and if they'll hardly ever see her, you know?  We all are hoping that she would really like a nice quiet home better...and she already knows me...but you never know with cats.  Annie has only known being a shadow in a busy house and she might be more freaked out being center of attention, you know?  The plan is for Annie to try it out and we'll see how she does.  Not until April or May.  I want to have my new glasses and be used to them--plus I want to have the new shelves Leah is going to install in the pantry and bathroom first (better organized cat stuff and not a lot of scary drill noise when Annie is here--LOL!). 
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   So, that's what's happening up here.  I can see better to write (but not close/detail work), still have headaches and can't spend a lot of time online, but will have new glasses by April.  New McFamily baby on the way, Dagan's top dog of the Fontan kids, and Annie coming over this spring to see if she likes living with this old lady.  It's a gorgeous, sunny, cold (17 degrees) day.  My frig/freezer is quiet and cold.  I have a clear mat over the bad spot on kitchen floor.  Even have some of my French Vanilla International Cafe cans in the cupboard.  Life is good!  Getting better as the year goes on.  ;)  
Till next time...
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"How we spend out days is, of course, how we spend our lives."
Annie Dillard

20 comments:

Zue said...

Hi Rita
Glad to see back and up and running.
Congratulations on the baby news....so thrilling for you all!
Will be so nice for Ian to have a sibling to play with.
X

GrandmaG said...

Wow! That is great news! Congrats to Ian and mom and dad :) I know you'll love having a second grandchild just as much as you love and enjoy Ian. Hope Annie does well at your home. If so, she's one lucky kitty!

Anonymous said...

Wonderful news about your new grandbaby & prospective grandkitty!!

ChicagoLady said...

I could have sworn you said they came to fix the tile, is my mind playing tricks on me?

Congrats to Dagan & Leah!

DJan said...

I am so glad to hear all this good news, Rita. I love the idea of Annie being in a safe place with you and congratulations to all about the new addition to come! It is all good news indeed. Sending you lots of big hugs and hope your eyes get sorted out sooner rather than later. :-)

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

Congratulation to Leah and McFamily, and hopefully to Annie and you, too. Don't be surprised if Annie runs and hides when you pull out your camera. Karma was a rare breed, and Annie is more like my two boys.

Gosh, I hope your eye problems improve soon and you can finally see again without having headaches. I'm so glad I only need glasses for when I drive. I don't think I could deal with bi or tri focals.

That is one BIG shoe horn.

Janie Junebug said...

I love hearing you laugh at the beginning of the video. Ian will be a great big brother. He speaks so clearly.

Love,
Janie

Unknown said...

Wow, what wonderful news about the check-up for Dagan and the new baby coming!!!! You have truly made my day! Good luck with the scaredy cat, sometimes they turn out to be the best. She is a lucky kitty to have you. Love, Osa

Divers and Sundry said...

Congrats on the family news! How exciting! I hope their cat likes your place. It sounds like it'd be a good solution.

Sparrows are fun to watch, even if they are common birds. We like them :)

I _love_ the pink glasses. The Lamy Safari name sounds familiar; I'm sure that's one my husband has. I'll have to ask him about the others. He likes big/fat pens -can't manage the skinny ones at all.

I hope you see steady improvement in your eyes. Headaches make it tough :(

Jon said...

I think we are all eagerly waiting for winter to end. It was 68 degrees here yesterday, but today the temperature has dropped drastically - and snow is expected tomorrow!!!

It will certainly take time for your eyes to heal, but you seem to be making good progress and I'm glad that you're starting to resume your craft work.

I think it would be great if you could "adopt" Annie. I hope her trial visit to your home will be successful. She would undoubtedly be much happier and more relaxed in a quiet atmosphere - away from a lot of people and commotion.

Sherry Ellis said...

How exciting that Ian is going to be a big brother! That's great news! (I'd be happy to send an autographed copy of my book, That Baby Woke Me Up, AGAIN, as a gift. If you'd like one for him, contact me at sherry.a.ellis@gmail.com.)

Jo-Anne the crazy lady said...

A new baby in the family is so exciting and I bet Ian will love being a big brother

froebelsternchen said...

Amazing news dear Rita!! ♥♥♥

Serena Lewis said...

Poor Chester...wherever he is, I hope he's okay but that's probably wishful thinking. :(

We're having lovely cool mornings but the days are still quite warm...a bearable heat though.

Good that you are able to do stuff again and great news about Dagan and his health. I'll bet he was pleased to hear he was 'top dog'. hehe

The mat will work well if it's like the standard computer mats. We use them in our carpeted areas and they work great with castor-style computer chairs, like your one. Does it have plastic nubs/spikes on the underside like ours do? If so, I'd only be concerned about the spikes damaging the flooring. The shoe horn will no doubt make life a bit easier.

I'm very keen to hear what you think of the TWSBI Eco...that's where the full barrel is filled with ink, right? I found this video on YouTube about how to disassemble and reassemble the TWSBI Eco if you want to check it out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri6CkkkFYAA Not sure if you would still have to fill it up via the piston technique because I'm assuming you syringe-fill your pens from the nib end? It might come in handy for cleaning purposes though.

I hope Leah and Ian recover quickly.

CONGRATULATIONS to McFamily!!! A second Grandchild for you too. How exciting! Wishing Leah all the best with her pregnancy. :)

I hope Annie settles in well for you Rita...I'm sure a she will be happier in a quieter home even if she takes a while to settle in. It sounds like a win-win for everyone.

I hope you enjoy a beautiful weekend without headaches.

Love and hugs xo















Harvest Moon by Hand said...

I'm glad that you're able to have your bird feeder out again this year.

Congratulations on the great news! What a joy that will be for Ian to have a little brother or sister.

It sounds like Annie would benefit from a quieter home. She may come out of her shell a bit more if she could spend her days watching the wildlife. We had a cat that showed up at our farm many years ago. Long story short, we ended up giving her to a family member who didn't have any other pets or kids. The cat thrived and lived for a very long time; came out of her shell; and didn't hide any more. It was a good transition and choice.

Hope your vision improves soon and that the double-vision goes away. That must be frustrating.

Hope you have a relaxing weekend!

Far Side of Fifty said...

Congrats Grandma! Hope you get to sew for a girl!! But Ian would probably love a baby brother! I hope it all works out with Annie...at least she knows you! :)

Feral Turtle said...

Awe that sweet little guy!! Oh my, that is big news. Congratulations to McFamily and congrats to you Rita. How exciting. I hope Annie will love her new home. She couldn't come to a better place!

Lady Fi said...

Another addition to the family. That IS such good news! Hope you are well.

My name is Erika. said...

Your weather sounds like ours. One day sixty degrees-the next day -9. Today a blizzard. Sorry I am late stopping by but I've been down with a nice old head cold. And congrats on the new addition coming to your family. That is exciting news with everything else going on. Enjoy those new pens and have a great birthday when it comes. Hugs-Erika

Jenny Woolf said...

Congratulations to everyone in this post! Dagan for doing so well with the heart, then there is the new baby idea! !hurrah! You are doing well despite the niggles, and Ian is great just because he is a cutie! It sounds as if it will help them if Annie gets to like it in your place, and it does sound as if you will be able to provide her with a more settled environment. I hope it works!