Dedicated to Grandma Ruth

     My grandma died today.  I'm sad.  It's not just because she was my last grandparent alive (although that is a huge milestone), but she was a classy lady, through and through.  She was a teacher, my mom was a teacher, and I know I have their teacher blood in me.  I feel glum, too, because I missed her 95th birthday this past summer due to my surgery.  I justified it by saying that I was missing her 95th birthday celebration in order for me to have my own 95th birthday celebration when it's my turn.  I pray I make it as long as she did.  95 years!  What a wonderful, long life.  I dedicate this post to my Grandma Ruth.  I love you, and I will miss you and our weekend chats. 

     I wrote the following this past Saturday, the 26th.

     Belinda and I just had dinner at Applebee’s and dessert at Cold Stone courtesy of the varsity volleyball team.  I received a very nice card with two gift cards during the banquet this past Tuesday night.  Thank you, ladies! 
    Tonight was more of an anniversary than our actual anniversary.  On that night...

Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving!

    I do not like to start this with sad news, and I am thankful for the 95 years my Grandma has given us so far, but this past week she had a heart attack, survived, and then she had a stroke. She is back in the hospital now (she went back to her home for one night between the two), and I am hoping I will get to talk to her this morning.  Mom and Dad are there with her, so they are not coming here as originally planned.  For a long time, I regularly called Grandma on the weekends.  Her memory has been nearly non-existent for years now, so I would tell her who I was and do most of the talking.  She is, as Mom would always say, though, "great in the moment."  The conversations were one-sided because I did most of the talking, but it was wonderful to hear her voice and visit with her.  This time, she will only be listening, though, and maybe not so well at that, so I am feeling a mix of thankfulness and sadness today.  She is my last surviving grandparent.  Sigh.  The rest of this post is from B's and my time up at the cabin, and as it turns out that was the last time we would get to go up there.  The cabin has been sold.  Sigh again.

    In other news, happy news, Belinda and I are celebrating our 21st wedding anniversary today, and Bev, Curt, Erica, and Emily made it here to celebrate Thanksgiving with us! 

11-12-11
    Had a great night’s rest up here.  Belinda and I have always slept (unless Amanda and Eric kick us downstairs) up on the loft where the hot air from the fireplace joins us when we first settle into bed.  As the night goes on, it gets cooler and even more cozy. 
    The big news up here at the cabin is that the cabin is...

When the Air Hit My Brain

    Belinda and I are up at the cabin... alone.  The fire in the fireplace is going, crackling.  The propane heater is aglow with a wavy orange “heat wave” look.  I am sitting next to the propane heater in a recliner.  B is over by the fireplace.  I’m listening to Telephone by Electric Light Orchestra.  It’s so peaceful.  No teenagers (no offense).  No students.  No work.  No stress.  Peace.  Quiet.  Calm. 
    It’s good for my brain.  Speaking of my brain, it continues to...

Picking up where I left off on 11-8-11...   

    Next time I write, I want to relay how I earned two birdies during Bruce’s legendary round of 71.  Those two birdies helped me shoot an adjusted 83.

Until next time...

11-11-11 (aka next time)

Happy Veterans Day!

Hidden Valley-Hole #7-Birdie #11 of 2011 and Sixth Post-Surgery Birdie


    Whoa!  I am writing about my eleventh birdie this season on the eleventh day of the eleventh month in the year 2011.  Cool!  Not often I get a birdie on this hole either.  I bet it’s not often anyone gets a birdie on this hole.  I remember Matt (last name) getting a par on this hole after striking his drive out of bounds, and I’ve watched many players sling their balls over that fence, too, me included.  Then he crushed a monster of a drive, made an approach that landed his ball within putting distance and made the putt.  Wow!  Basically, he eagled it after making one bad swing.
    For my birdie, I went left on my drive.  Then I stayed on the left side again, but ended up...

Another Volleyball Update

11-8-11
    I am sitting in our living room watching The Biggest Loser.  I was going to go to the church tonight to learn about the changes in the mass.  I went to the garage, however, opened the door, and saw that I had no vehicle.  Oh yeah, Belinda took the van to her class’s play tonight, and she left early to prepare.  Then Danielle took the truck to go watch that same play.  So, James and I just finished cleaning up the kitchen, and since I am stuck here I’m watching my favorite show and catching up on some writing.
    First, another volleyball update.  It’s all over now, including varsity’s season.  I am so proud of those girls.  They ended their season in style, taking a rival to five games in the district championship match, the first time they were able to do that (take them to five games) this season.  They also, (and this is the best part) embarrassed...

Bruce and the Promised Land

10-29-11
    Bruce, C.J., and I played again today.  My seasonal membership ends on Halloween, so this is the last weekend I can play for “free," but the weather is getting colder, too.  We got in eighteen holes, and the weather was decent.  It got cooler and brrreezier as the round came to an end, but it was nice.  The leaves are falling off the trees more and more now.  Some are halfway done, some are nearly done, and a few are only beginning to change and start dropping their leaves.  While walking along the fairway on hole #14 looking for C.J.’s putter cover, I saw a fun sight.  We were playing #15, but we detoured to go look for it, and C.J. did find it.  The fun sight was...