A new year just begun

I have been thru a whole saga with my glasses. At the end of the summer, my eyes were bothering me. I went to my usual eye doc, and he was on vacation and I saw his young associate. Long story short, I'm on my 4th set of lenses, and my eyes still hurt. I went there tonight, and the latest set that just came in made my right eye blurry. They had me see the eye doc, and in two minutes he figured out that there had been a transposition in the original order! He assures me that the order that goes out tomorrow will be correct, and he will have them put a rush on it. The moral is, don't see associates, stick with the doc that you know. 

I got a letter from Aetna that they are no longer affiliated with Kennedy, the hospital that I go to for everything, and where I planned to get my other knee done! And my ortho only operates out of Kennedy! Aetna states that they are still negotiating with Kennedy, so hopefully they'll resolve their issues. 

We have birthdays in January- nephew Jim, great nephew Zachary, and my late friend Linda. The anniversary of Linda's passing is also in January. 

Tomorrow is Heather and Ed's 11th anniversary! They are so good together, and such good parents to Eddie and Julianna. 

Mom Mary Jane, Steph and Dan have all been sick for over a week. Mom is going to the doctor tomorrow to see if it's viral or if she needs meds. 

When Sam passed, I kept all her jeans, about 15 pairs. They've been sitting in a pile on the laundry room table for 14 months, and this week I finally sat and cut them up the side seams and around the center seams, which gave me a big pile. Now I'm cutting up the jeans into 6 inch squares. Eventually when I need a denim quilt, I'll have the denim ready. And a stack or two of 6 inch squares will take up a lot less room that a stack of jeans. 

It's cold! It was 25 when I was on the way to work this morning, and only went up to maybe 35. 

And so starts 2013!
Holly

Another year over...

2012 is almost over, only another hour or so left to go. The older I get, the faster the years go by. 

2012 had some big milestones. June 27 I got my new right knee. July 30 I had a cardiac ablation and got rid of my atrial fib, hopefully permanently. 

In the spring, Ben got a transfer that he'd requested- to Seattle! They truly hated Texas, both the climate and the atmosphere, so they were delighted. They lived in the city for a month, then moved to an apartment in Mill Creek. Manda started running, and did a 5K, which totally impressed us all. 

In September we had a big early 90th birthday party for Mom Florence at Scotland Run. We managed to get all 6 of her grandchildren and spouses there, and almost all of her great grandchildren. 

In October we all journeyed to W. Va. to see our nephew David marry his lovely Juliette. 

In December our sweet Cliffie cat passed away. Mom Florence's Sheba passed early this fall. We are all still heartbroken.

In 2012 I read 145 books. 80 of them were mine, mostly on the Kindle or the Nook. Also this year, I got an iPad 2. Recently Ralph decided he'd like one also, so we got an iPad 4 that I use, and he uses the iPad 2. When I go to Heather and Ed's house, I hand Eddie the iPad- he says I'm the best grammy ever!

I just totalled up the yarn I used in 2012. 28.6 pounds of yarn! That's a lot of afghans! I spent most of the year crocheting, as my sewing mojo was still missing in action. The mojo suddenly returned home this week, and I've made several burp clothes, and a dozen flannel supersized receiving blankets. 

I spent this afternoon opening up over a dozen pairs of jeans that were Sam's. This evening I started cutting them into six inch squares. A stack of squares will take up a lot less space than a stack of jeans. When I need another jeans quilt, I'll just have to sew the squares together. 

While I've been sewing and crocheting all week, I've been catching up on shows that I've DVR'd. I watched the whole season so far of Nashville, and I'm working on Once Upon a Time. The amount of commercials that I'm fast forwarding thru is amazing. 

We usually dog sit on NYE, but Steph and Dan are both under the weather, so they're staying in. The house is so quiet! We went out for an early dinner, then settled in for the night. 

Happy New Year!
Holly

Merry Christmas to all!

We had multiple celebrations for Christmas. We had Thanksmas when Ben and Manda were home for Thanksgiving. We celebrated at Heather and Ed's, and they made a lovely meal. That was a busy week- Thanksgiving, Thanksmas, Joe and Ali's baby shower. Fun and exhausting.

We had a family celebration last Saturday at Steph and Dan's. We had a vegetarian meal of baked ziti, veggies and dessert, with more gifts. Having our get together early freed up Heather and Ed to go to his sister's today, and Steph and Dan to start new traditions of their own. 

We did something different today- we had all the Oehrls over for brunch. I made the Brunch casserole, a french toast casserole, and a fruit compote. Mike and Donna brought a big dish of various kinds of bacon and sausage. I assembled everything last night, and just had to pop them into the oven this morning. 

We had a big surprise for Mom. Ralph and I, Mike and Donna, and John and Morgan put together and got her a Bose CD player with a multi CD changer. She's been wanting one. She was speechless. 

Ralph and I relaxed the rest of the day, and had brunch leftovers for dinner. I texted with Manda. They are in Nebraska, with several inches of snow. I spoke to Heather this evening, and saw Steph on facebook. Everyone had a good Christmas. 

We haven't heard anything about the results of Mom Florence's wrist xray, so we're assuming it was negative. She spent the day at Sharon's for yet another Christmas celebration. 

Joe and Ali's baby boy is due in about 3 weeks. The poor girl is huge! Mike and Donna are so excited to be first time grandparents, and we're so happy for them. The baby will be Mom Mary Jane's third great grandchild.

The house feels so empty without Cliffie. Amazing how one (formerly) ten pound cat can be such a presence. She was well loved and will be sorely missed. 

And to all a good night!
Holly

Ho Freakin' Ho

Yesterday was not a good day. Cliffie cat had been steadily declining, and yeterday she started not being able to walk straight. Ralph called the vet and left a message that we'd need an appointment for this morning to release her to cross the Rainbow Bridge. He laid down on the floor with her and loved her, and she passed peacefully a little while later. 

It's amazing how quickly cats can go down. Thanksgiving she was fine, or appeared so. the labs the vet did a week later when she suddenly dropped a lot of weight said liver failure. We're grateful for the time we had with her- she lived in the garage, in a heated little house for years, and in our house for almost a year. She was a sweet girl who tolerated the dogs well. 

Then last night the phone rang. When I saw the Assisted Living on the caller ID, my heart sank. Florence fell when opening her apartment door, and landed on her wrist. The nurse was calling her doc for an order for an xray, and they put ice on it for comfort. The xray will be done right at the asst living this morning, to rule out a fracture.

I'm ready for something good to happen!
Holly

I know, I know

I know I haven't posted in a month. A combination of reasons, one of which is my glasses. The first lenses were awful, hurt my eyes terrible. They reordered them, and the new ones were OK for distance, terrible for on the computer or reading the paper. Since I have to be on the computer at work, I wasn't on as much at home- my eyes felt strained all the time. I went back today, and the bifocals were set to low, so they ordered yet another set of lenses for me. I haven't even been reading very much!

Three and a half school days, then Christmas break! We have birthdays in December- Ed, David, Megan, Kamee and Heather, my school friend Doris. 

Thanksgiving was wonderful. We had Manda and Ben home, and Mom lent them her car for the visit, which worked out great. We had Thanksgiving dinner at Donna and Mike's. Friday was a day of rest and wrapping and knitting lessons. Saturday was Thanksmas at Heather and Ed's, and Sunday was Joe and Ali's baby shower. Manda and Ben left right from the shower for the airport and back to Mill Creek. They leave this Friday night for Omaha, to spend Christmas with the Briles. 

Last week we had our cookie-less Cookie Swap dinner. We went to Riverwinds, which is a beautiful place right on the Delaware River in Deptford. It was great to catch up with Franny, Carol, Kamee and Sandy. 

We're having our family Christmas this Saturday at Steph and Dan's. That frees up Heather, Ed and the kids to spend Christmas Day with the O"Flynns, and Steph and Dan to have a chill day. Christmas morning Mike, Donna, Mom, Jake and whoever is around are coming here for breakfast. 

Heather, Steph, Julianna and I had a Lancaster day on Saturday. We're really late with it this year, but it wasn't as crowded as we were afraid it would be. We got a lot of shopping done, and had some bonding time. 

I think my quilting mojo has returned from it's long journey to who knows where! I made a couple of small Christmas gifts, and enjoyed doing them.I'm also still crocheting, and fooling around with knitting. 

Cliffie has been sick, which is heartbreaking. All those years in the garage she was perfectly healthy, a year inside and she's sick. Labs were good, but she was put on an antibiotic. Ralph and I wonder if she had a TIA- she's just not herself, and is so thin. She doesn't appear to be in any pain, and Ralph watches her very closely. 

And the beat goes on!

Halfway thru November!

I can't believe November is halfway gone, and Thanksgiving is in a week! Once Halloween is over, the year flies by. We just had a three day weekend, and I had such a bad cold that I didn't enjoy it, I just slept all day for 2 days. I still have a cough from it.

I sewed! I found great fabric at Joann's that is made up of 4 inch flannel squares already sewn together. So it was a matter of putting batting and backing with it and quilting it together. It's for my future great-nephew Joseph. 

I picked up my new glasses lenses today, hopefully they got it right this time. So far so good.

Ralph dug out all the reel-to-reel tapes that he sent to his family and they sent back, when he was overseas in the SeaBees. He's transferring them to CD's. It's amazing that they are still playable after more than 40 years. 

Manda and Ben get in on Monday night! We're doing our usual Thanksgiving dinner at Mike and Donna's. Then Saturday will be Thanksmas at Heather and Ed's, where we'll do gifts with them. Sunday is the baby shower for Joseph and Ali, then they fly out Sunday evening. 

Manda is bringing the supplies to teach me how to knit socks! I'm very excited by that. I need something to frustrate me! 

The time change is terrible. It's nice to leave when the sun is up, but it's dark by 5 pm. 

And so it goes!
Holly

It's November!

Hurricane Sandy has left, and the cleanup is ongoing. The shore is a real mess, and I hope the people who lived there have good insurance. Ed worked long hours all week for the power company. 

Our district missed two days, and some missed three or four. For the first time in over 100 years, the NJ Teacher's Convention is cancelled! It's always held in AC the second Thursday and Friday. Since AC is such a mess, it's cancelled. 

Our district did the smart thing, and we have school next week, as does the town I live in. We already have off every holiday known to mankind, and some that I swear they make up, so we're always the last district to get out in the summer. Adding the two hurricane days would have brought us up to the next to the last day in June. As it is, we're off Tuesday for Election Day, even tho the kids can't vote, and next Monday for Veteran's Day. 

Yesterday we went to Bob Evans for breakfast- I had a coupon. From there we went to AC Moore, since I had used up the last of the yarn I had for baby afghans. I hit the last day of a 30% off all yarn sale, and stocked up. Then I came home and took a nap!

Last night daylight savings time ended, so for a while I'll be getting up after it gets light. The downside is that it will be dark by suppertime. 

And now that it's November, it's time to think about Thanksgiving and Thanksmas. This year Manda and Ben come to us for Thanksgiving, and go to Nebraska for Christmas. So we'll have Thanksmas the Saturday after Thanksgiving and exchange gifts with them, and have a family meal. Also that weekend, on Sunday, is the baby shower for Joe and Ali. 

And Manda agreed to teach me how to knit socks while she's home! I'm excited. When I told Barbara, she invited herself down for a lesson. She's knitted forever, but is just learning socks, and she's stuck. 

So November is going to be busy!
Holly