Vitamins, Meat, Vegetables, Minerals

Yesterday Lew and I watched one of the best-known episodes of I Love Lucy... Vitameatavegamin! So funny!

After it was over, Lew and I talked about how timeless some of these older shows are. Although there are some technological differences, the storylines still resonate. Human nature doesn't really change.

Most of the modern-day sitcoms are -- how should I say it -- crass. We have a couple that we watch, The Middle and Last Man Standing, but that's it.

Thank goodness for TV Land!

(Postscript: By the way, the real title of the Vitameatavegamin episode is "Lucy Does a TV Commercial".)

(Post-postscript: Google!)

Putting Up the Tree

Lew put up our Christmas tree today. Jerry and Kurt helped!

Jerry: "I'll get this box emptied out!"

Kurt: "Looking good so far!"

Kurt: "Ahhhh, I'm ready for my nap...."

 

The lights are on the tree but we still have to get out the ornaments. I wonder if we'll get some "help" then, too! :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Lew and I went to Matt, Emily, Eli, and Adam's house for our Thanksgiving dinner. Below are some photos for your viewing enjoyment.

Happy Thanksgiving

Emily, our beautiful hostess!

About our turkey.

Yum.....!

Matt photo bombs his dad and Uncle Wayne.

Eli wore his Gronkowski shirt.

Eli hiding from Tia!

Tia and Eli take a selfie.

Grampa and Adam.

Adam eventually wore his Brady shirt.

Brothers :)

Karma, because I had to include a photo of a cat.

 

Dad 177: Happy Thanksgiving

(I entered several phone contacts into the TracFone yesterday, so that part of Dad's prep is done. Enjoy his post! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! From the warm Northeast. It is, however, raining and is supposed to continue storming for the rest of the day. Lucky it's not snow. The wind doth blow also! Tomorrow should be a storm-free day. Just in time for Thanksgiving.

We're looking forward to tomorrow when we spend some time at daughter Deb's for another fine Thanksgiving day meal and visit. Hope all out there enjoy their day. It is that time of the year that should bring out the best in all of us.

I'm spending the rest of the week in preparation for my trip to Illinois with TracFone in hand. I'm planning to post next week from the Midwest. I don't have a lot to say today, so I'll close this short effort by saying:

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

The First Snow

It was snowing when I woke up this morning.

Ack!

It wasn't a heavy snowfall... just annoying enough to mess up the morning commute. But still....

Ack!

(Postscript: "Ack!" is what Cathy says when frustrated, annoyed, etcetera. "Cathy" as in the comic strip.)

Sometimes it Pays to Stay Up Late

When the Patriots trailed the Broncos at halftime last night by a score of 24-0, Lew was ready to go to sleep.

He asked me if I wanted to leave the game on.

I decided, "Why not?"  I was going to do some reading anyway.

Unless you pay absolutely no attention to football, you know that my decision was a good one!  I'm still in shock that the Pats came back to win the game.

My nervous system was a little discombobulated during the overtime, so sleep didn't come easily afterward. (But falling asleep would have been even harder if they had lost!)

I have been surprisingly productive today, given my late night.  Happy times!

Photos

Grampa Lew took a picture of Adam yesterday. So sweet!

 

And because I like to torture my readers with pictures of my cats:

Kurt is asleep. Jerry is looking around!

I guess I took too long to empty the dryer!

 

I don't have a photo of her, but "Happy Birthday" to my baby sister Debbie!

Harvest Fest

Our church had its annual craft fair today. We had a nice variety of crafters and vendors. There were also some games and activities for kids. It was a good time!

On days like today, I am reminded of how talented people can be. Quilting, jewelry-making, gourmet cupcakes....

I am so impressed by these folks....

Especially since I can't do any of this stuff!

Officially a Crazy Cat Lady

Jerry and Kurt both enjoy the red laser dot. Sometimes they just swipe at it, but other times they want to chase it.

For chasing, I usually just wave the dot back and forth in the living room. (I am seated while I do this.) Kurt will do more 180-degree turns than Jerry, but Jerry is the one that really needs the exercise! So in order to get Jerry to chase a little longer, I have started to run through a larger portion of the house with him. The turns aren't as sharp, and he seems to like that better.

As I run along with Jerry, I am usually saying, "Let's chase it! Let's chase it!" in my talking-to-the-cats voice.

We just had a red laser dot session. I think I chased the red dot (for more than a few seconds) before I realized that Jerry had stopped. Yes, I was chasing the dot all by myself! What have I become???

We love our kitties!

Scope and Fone

Regular readers of this blog must be on the edge of their seats wondering about two things. I will reveal all now:

My colonoscopy. I survived my colonoscopy prep and arrived on time for my test yesterday morning. Lew accompanied me. The test itself was actually a wonderful experience. The "sleepy drug" lady helped me get comfortable before the test started. The next thing I knew someone was saying my name and telling me my test was over! Test results: All is well. (Note to self for next colonoscopy: Attempting to eat a normal meal right after the test is a terrible idea.)

Dad's TracFone. We returned to the place of purchase and explained that the serial number on the packaging does not match the phone itself. The store preferred to just do a return of the phone and issue a new one. The best part was that one of their workers took care of the activation process for us! Customer service at its best.

After our TracFone adventure, Dad treated me to lunch at Friendly's. Unlike that of yesterday, this dining decision was a wonderful idea! :)

Dad 176: A Technological Trial

(36 minutes, 41 seconds. Significance? Revealed below. Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! Another cold, sunny day in the Northeast. It makes me think of what is coming weatherwise. I can say I am not a great fan of winter weather. But bring it on!!

I am planning a trip to Eureka, Illinois in a couple weeks to visit family and be in attendance at performances at Eureka College. Looking forward to it. I hope to get a firsthand look at the town neighboring Eureka. The town: Washington, Illinois.

In preparation for my trip I purchased a TracFone. (Spouse will not be on the trip. I do not wish to use our cell phone as she uses it for texting. I know nothing about texting.) After purchasing the phone the next step was to activate the device.

I first looked at activation by computer. With my technology skills this seemed hopeless. So I attempted to activate TracFone by using our landline. This also ended in failure. So I called a real "human being." Suffice it to say after nearly an hour, I still had not activated my phone.

The last thing I was told follows: All necessary information would be sent directly to my new Fone from his computer. Our conversation ended and my phone still has not been activated.

It is now in Lew and Tracy's possession. Hope they get it working.

I did manage to call 911 on my new TracFone prior to activation. I was embarrassed as I told the person it was a mistake. He was very understanding. Stay tuned to see if the TracFone ever becomes activated.

One quick note about last Saturday. We said our final goodbyes to sister Jean. Jean's granddaughter Rev. Heather Henson did a superb job at the service. I sang a song with sister Deborah. I embarrassed myself as I sang 'through my tears.' We celebrated Zack's 13th birthday in the evening. A day with varying emotions.

Enough bloviating for now. I hope to improve my blog next week. Stay tuned.

Sooo.... Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

(Postscript: Tracy here. The time in my above introduction represents how long I spent on the phone myself with the TracFone people! I discovered that the serial number on the phone itself doesn't match the serial number on the packaging. Of course, the package is what gets scanned into the system at the store. The next step is for Dad and I to return to the store tomorrow to get it all straightened out. I am hopeful!)

I Wish I Could Eat Cake

My niece Kelsey is 20 years old today!  I can hardly believe it.

Kelsey has a tender heart and is reaching out to a nearby town that was hit by the tornadoes.  We are all so proud of her.  Her Aunt Debbie (my sister) said it quite well on Facebook:

Sending huge "Happy Birthday" wishes to my beautiful niece Kelsey in Illinois today. She is spending her birthday week showing her generosity and good heart by helping the families in her neighboring town of Washington who lost everything in the devastating tornado that went through there on Sunday. God Bless you Kelsey and the other EC students who are giving to others this week.

Happy Birthday, Kelsey!

(Postscript:  "EC" is Eureka College.)

(Post-postscript:  I doubt that anyone wants a running commentary of my colonoscopy prep-day.  Let's just say that in the end everything will come out okay....  All puns intended.)

The Day Before the Day Before

With so many devastating things happening in our country (tornadoes) and the world (typhoons), I am somewhat hesitant to mention what has been on my mind today:

Tomorrow.

I'm not really worried about tomorrow; I'm just not looking forward to it. The reason: my first colonoscopy is Wednesday.

My "colonically-knowledgeable" readers will be able to deduce what I will spend tomorrow doing: The "clean out" drugs are on the kitchen counter. The clear liquids are in the refrigerator. I am ready.

Bring. It. On.

(Postscript: I made up the term "colonically-knowledgeable" all by myself.)

(Post-postscript: Colonoscopy... one of the joys of turning 50.)

Party Pictures

I took two photos at Zack's birthday party last night. Both were to document a gift that Lew and I gave him....

This past summer, Zack raved about a certain item he used at our home. He even gave a thorough review of all its great qualities. So it was only fitting to present him with his own supply.

And, yes, he was excited!

Zack and I designed this sign together.

A Memorable Day

My grandmother (as in Derf's mother) would have been 100 years old today.

My nephew Zack was born 13 years ago today. (He weighed 10 pounds 4 ounces at that time!)

I learned that Heidi's husband's birthday is also today. Heidi is the daughter of my cousin Kathy.

And today we said our final goodbyes to Aunt Jean. Her granddaughter Heather (also Kathy's daughter) officiated at the memorial service and at the graveside. It was a beautiful celebration of my aunt's life!

Cake and ice cream for Zack will cap off our evening.

A wide range of emotions today. Precious family time. God is good!

NaNoWriMo No More

I have written a few thousand words of my novel, but there is no way I will get to 50,000 by the end of November.

I thought that I could just set aside a few days for writing only. For various reasons, none of those days have worked out so far. There are just too many things going on.

Therefore, I have abandoned my NaNoWriMo quest for this year. But that doesn't mean I'm abandoning my novel. I'm just taking the pressure off regarding the 50,000 words by November 30th.

Perhaps the creative juices will flow more freely now that I'm acknowledging my own reality!

Your Call Is Important to Us

When trying to straighten out an issue today over the phone, I got put on hold.

For over 30 minutes.

I checked my e-mail while I waited.

My patience finally ran out, so I hung up and called again.

This second call was much more satisfying.

I think it helped to tell them that they had kept me on hold for so long before, because they put me through to the correct person right away!

(Postscript: My all-time favorite canned message regarding being put on hold was, "While you are on hold, you will experience silence." This was by a department of the federal government, of course! I wonder if they still say this.)

Dad 175: Sister Jean's Brand New Home

(We miss you, Aunt Jean! Enjoy Dad's post. ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! Coming to you today from the great Northeast. The sun is bright and the thermometer is low. It is a cold day. Probably in the 30s all day. May warm up to close to 50 in a couple days. Here's hoping!

Well, our local football season is over as Josh's team lost in the semi-finals of the state playoffs. I figured out that the season was over when I looked at the clock and we were behind 7-0 after only 17 seconds had been played. A real bad omen. A great season came to a quick end. Now waiting for baseball season.

Probably most of you know that sister Jean's earthly struggles are now over. Complications, as a result of colon cancer, finally took their toll. She transitioned to her new home last Saturday.

Thanks go to her caregivers allowing her to rest comfortably and without pain during her final days. Also a great thank you to my niece Kathy and her husband Gordon for their care throughout the ordeal.

This Saturday, November 16, will be a full day of activity for our family. This will be the day that we say our final goodbyes to sister Jean. It is very fitting that her granddaughter, Rev. Heather Henson, will lead us in this transition.

This same day (the 16th) marks the 100th birthday of our mother. After all the ceremonies are over we will celebrate grandson Zack's 13th birthday. He was born on his great-grandmother's birthdate! Josh was also born on his great-grandmother's birthday -- but on his father's side. Kind of easy to remember their birthdates. Quite unique!

Saturday is sure to have its range of emotions. Just writing this causes me to have several different emotions. I've written enough.

Soo....

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

 

COOL!

Busy day today, so I will acknowledge only one thing:

Today is 11/12/13.

We will have 12/13/14 next year. And after that? Well, it's going to be a long wait until 01/02/03... as in 2103!

Long Weekend Word Count

Lew had the day off due to the Veterans Day holiday. Seeing that he is a veteran himself, Lew's day off was appropriate. (Thank you for your service, Sweetie!)

We had breakfast out with some friends, did our grocery shopping, and went to see the movie Ender's Game. We both read the book Ender's Game a couple years ago, so we were excited when we heard they were making a movie based on it. In our opinion, the movie stuck to the major story of the book pretty well. We enjoyed it.

Words I wrote of my novel during this three-day weekend: Zero. Lew has a way of distracting me, so yeah, I'll blame my non-productivity on him!

God Is With Me Everywhere

We use a program called Godly Play for our children's church. We have several volunteers involved, so I am scheduled to lead it only once every six or seven weeks.

Today was my Sunday. Lew is technically my assistant, but I have granted him special "one of us should listen to the sermon" status. That means he stays in church with the big people!

Debbie and Zack helped me out today. They are both more adept at working with the children than I am! I taught the lesson, and Zack and Debbie... well, they did everything else (games, coloring, keeping track of the kids, etc.)

The lesson was about the Israelites' exile to Babylon. And it was also about their return back to Jerusalem. That covers a lot of years! Fortunately, the main point for the children was simple: God is with us everywhere.

Thank you, God, for being with me EVERYWHERE!

Aunt Jean

Aunt Jean went to be with Jesus around 2:00 this morning. We rejoice that she is in her heavenly home, free from all earthly pain and suffering. We will miss her here, though!

Yesterday I wrote about my "life verse." My aunt definitely had a life verse (verses actually), and if you knew her, then you already know the verses. She wrote the reference at the bottom of every card, every letter, every e-mail... every piece of correspondence that she ever sent. Even her e-mail address contained the reference. (And I wouldn't be surprised if she put it below her signature on her tax return.)

Of course, I am talking about Proverbs 3:5,6. "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths." (NKJV)

Thank you, Aunt Jean, for your love and testimony. Peace, joy, and love to you forever!

 

Pottery 2 of 2: Verse

The other pottery piece that I painted was a trivet.

I recently chose the first part of Isaiah 30:15 to be my "life verse." (Yes, it only took me 50 years to decide!)

My new trivet will remind me of my verse. I did a (kind of) mathematical representation of it.

I love my verse and my trivet!

My trivet (bordered by my kitchen countertop)

 

Pottery 1 of 2: Lace

Krista and I went back to Glazey Days a couple Saturdays ago and painted more pottery. I made two things, which I will spread out over two separate blog posts. (I believe the term is "milking it." I'm always desperate for post ideas.)

The first piece I did was a small platter. The lady at the shop taught me a technique using lace: First paint the base coat. Then lay the lace on the piece and paint over it with the same base color so that it's covered really, really well, with the lace securely "attached" to the piece. Let it dry. (We helped it along with a blow dryer!) Then paint over it again with a second color (which was of the green persuasion, in my case). While it's still wet, carefully peel off the lace.

Below is a photo of my piece after the glazing and firing processes. (Sorry, the light glared in a couple spots in the picture.)

I think my platter turned out great!

 

Dad 174: Sox, Josh, Pats, Jean, Candy

(Thinking about the Red Sox winning still makes me smile. Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! Coming to you today from the sunny/cloudy Northeast. A real Fall day here. Makes me think about what the weather will be like in the not-so-distant future. Say it isn't so! Come what may – I am ready! Really!

Well the northeast corner of the country is still quite happy with the result of the World Series win by the Red Sox. Now we'll wait to see how many of the bearded ones will be returning for the defense of the crown. We'll enjoy it for the near future anyway. A great season!

I'm pleased to say that Josh's football team will be playing in the semi-finals of the playoffs this week. We are hoping for the upset, which we all believe is possible. Stay tuned for the results. Go Josh's Team!

The Patriots continue with another win. Also watched family friend Andy Studebaker and the Indianapolis Colts win in a serious comeback to edge out Houston. Go Colts, unless your opponent is Brady and the Patriots.

Sister Jean continues in a non-responsive state as she draws nearer to her transition to her new home. Please pray for a painless and peaceful transition. Thanks... your prayers are welcomed.

Halloween has passed and we had the same number of trick-or-treaters that show up each year. That would be none. Our candy has now been consumed, so back to our routine of eating and exercising responsibly. Hope it works out to our advantage. We'll see. So....

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

The Great Cat Caper

A year ago August I wrote about Jerry's New Trick in which he would get stuck between our headboard and the wall.

For many months we had a comforter stuffed up on the top so that he wouldn't be able to do his trick.

We are now using the comforter on our bed.  We thought we were safe from the trick, because Jerry is much, much, much, much, much larger than he was a year ago August.

Silly us.

This morning he was walking along the top of our headboard and decided to do a nosedive behind it.  I tried to intervene, but it all happened so fast.

I couldn't reach him at first, so I got Dad to come upstairs to help me.  Jerry eventually wiggled to a spot where I could get to him.  I had to stand on the bed and reach over the top of the headboard in order to "fish" him out.

I don't think he will do this again.

Here's a very "artsy" photo that I took during the adventure.

A Very Bad Start

NaNoWriMo has started.

In order to get to 50,000 words by the end of November, I need to average 1,667 words per day.

So after four days I should be at 6,668 words.

I am at 854.

That's a word shortage of 5,814.

Conclusion:  I should be working on my novel instead of posting on my blog!  (Hopefully I can report some great progress tomorrow.)

Daylight Savings Time Ends

Setting the clocks back gave us an extra hour of sleep last night -- for those that wished to take advantage of it, anyway.

But setting the clocks back has a long term effect that is not worth that extra hour of sleep: It gets dark out earlier!

And when it's dark, I get sleepy. I can't help it.

So a lot of good that extra hour of sleep last night did me. It's not even 7:00 p.m. yet, and I want to go night-night!

So... Night-night, everybody!

A Night of Theatre

Lew and I went on a date tonight! Here's what we did:

 

The kids did a super job! It was worth the price of admission. I'm so glad we went.

My left thumb made it into the above picture! :)

 

Chocolate Bars: The Breakfast of Champions

Dad bought a bunch of Halloween candy a few days ago. I filled a large bowl so that I would have some on our side of the house.... You know, for when all the trick-or-treaters came.

If I said I did not eat any of the candy prior to Halloween, would you believe me? (I'm not saying that, by the way.)

Halloween was last night, and guess how many trick-or-treaters we had? Dad, Mom, Lew, and I all predicted the correct number! And that number: zero. The location of our house is not conducive to the casual trick-or-treater.

So why did I fill a big bowl with candy? Buahahahahaha! Do you really have to ask?!