Let's hear it for Netflix instant play!

Kevin came over last night and hooked up my new Roku to the downstairs TV so now I can watch the Instant Play movies on Netflix. I got into that at Scott's house and it seems ideal for having the kids over and also for me when I don't have a new DVD. I've been too busy today to watch it, but the quilting frame is downstairs and I plan on watching something good while I'm down there quilting! I want to keep my cable TV for the few things I want to watch, but most of it is pretty useless as far as I'm concerned.

Oh, and tonight Sandra explained to me what Skype is. I first heard the word a few weeks ago. I guess I am really behind the times--her laptop is wired for it.

I've been thinking today what a great time of life I am in. I have so many interesting things to do, and I love my house and the people in my life. If I just didn't have the money thing hanging over me. I've lived the manna method before, and it always works, but I really don't like it!

What do you think about cholesterol?

OK, here's what I'm thinking. I have a hunch that even if I let my cholesterol go higher, it will not be a problem for me. My triglycerides have been high forever. My cardiologist says the best thing I can do for my heart is keep my insulin under control. I have been reading some online articles that talk about our over-emphasis on cholesterol, and actually some conditions that are exacerbated by the cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, which I have been on for quite a few years.

I'm thinking I want to quit my cholesterol medications--tricor and vytorin (zocor and zetia) and see what happens. Some doctors say that in women my age, using these drugs actually increase the risk of diabetes and polyneuropathy (which started after I had been on statins a few years--also my pre-diabetes diagnosis came later.) I still have more research to do, but I am getting to be suspicious of pharmaceutical claims and actually do believe that there is a lot of bogus research out there, funded by drug companies, to make money. (Does D & C 89: 4 ring a bell?) A lot of what I'm reading is making sense. I don't want to invite an early death; on the other hand, I am not obsessed with living long past my prime, either.

I won't just suddenly quit them all, I'll work with my doctor, but there are ways to tell my heart health independently of my blood lipids! My cardiologist acknowledged that there isn't a definite connection; or at least there are plenty of exceptions in using cholesterol to predict coronary heart disease. Besides, I have dilated cardiomyopathy. That is my quota of life-threatening conditions!

Opinions, anyone?

It was great to be in Houston

On August 10 I flew to Houston for my first look at new grandson Benjamin Atticus, and a really nice visit with Scott and Amy. They made me feel so welcome. I stayed only a couple of days, but with their busy schedule I think it was long enough. They are very involved with a school boundary re-zoning that will affect their kids. It was very fun to see what they were doing in the community. Benjamin is really a cutey, with big blue eyes like his dad, and definitely a chubby round Peterson face. He is so darling, and seems pretty easy-going, as well. Lots of people at his house to pick him up and smile at him!

I was able to see everyone but Nicole, who I haven't seen for ages, but Adam, Grace and Emma, as well as the younger kids, were there. It has been hard to be involved and maintain relationships at such a distance, but they are wonderful kids and I think Scott and Amy are doing so many good things for them.

Houston in August is not the most pleasant place, but with an air-conditioned house, car, and restaurants, I was happy. Scott took me to a couple of really good restaurants. He knows eating out is one of my big delights! And he made sure I had a big diet Coke every morning there for me when I got up. He's the one who got me started on DC about 25 years ago, and I haven't gotten over it yet!

I took my camera but didn't take any photos--shame on me. I'm hoping Amy will send me some. (The ones above came from Amy's facebook!)

Kevin took me to the airport and picked me up. I was about an hour late getting to the pick-up area. We circled over the Great Salt Lake for a really long time waiting for the landing strip or an open gate or something. Not a bad flight. I told Scott and Amy they made a big mistake being so nice to me. I will probably want to go back to visit them again!

I don't know how someone (me) who is retired without anything to do has so much to do! I run out of day before I run out of projects. I'm really having fun!

High School Reunion--50 years

Backing up a bit chronologically, I need to report that my high school reunion in Bozeman on the 24th and 25th of July was really, really fun. I was able to connect with a group of friends I hadn't seen for over 40 years, and many I hadn't seen at all since graduation.

The one on the far right, Peggy Benson Evans, has joined the Church. I was very excited.

But how did they all get so old! I was surprised to learn that over 30 of us have died already, including 2 girls that I was very close to as a teen-ager. It was funny to see the guys I was so crazy about--now they are pretty much fat and balding and not particularly interesting. I visited with everybody. It was nice to see that the "hot shots" didn't need to be so 'hot" any more. Everyone has grown up a lot!! Like 50 years worth, maybe?? We had a buffet dinner one night, and this was the pig we ate. It was delicious!!





My sweet sister Sandra went with me and we had a joyous ride up, discovering a super wonderful ice cream shop in Idaho Falls (Reed's Dairy) and having a great time chatting away. She knew at least by name many of the kids that were there. Some of them had siblings her age, and others we both knew because of our parents' relationships with other couples through 4-H, square dancing, neighbors, or just living in a farm/ranch world of Bozeman and Belgrade. We heard some good things about our brother Monty's teaching in Belgrade. He was a super teacher and much appreciated.

We brought Jessica Banna and a friend back with us so they could go to EFY at the U of U. They were fun, giggly girls. Reminded me of days long gone by...

Next reunion in 5 years. Get ready, Sandra! We'll do this again.

Saturday is a special day...

Today was really fun, picking up Parker and Abby this morning, going to the Bean Museum with them and Kevin's gang and Marina, then lunch at Brick Oven, a little fabric shopping at Jo-Ann's, the Cafe Rio at Kevin's and Hale Centre Theatre with the Lusvardis, Bob Bezzant, Joleen and Andrew and wife. It was a very funny play: Over the River and Through the Woods.

Tonight I posted a bunch of travel photos from my major trips this spring and summer on Facebook. Wow, what a super spring/summer I have had!!!






It's late, I'm tired, have to prepare the SS lesson in the morning.
Ciao for now.

Fun evening tonight

Tonight the Utah Stuarts met Ben and Sarah for dinner at the Loco Lizard in Park City. Charlie made the rounds of the table, with everyone wanting to kiss those cheeks and see his big smile. He was very impressive in his amiability! Eli is growing into a real boy. I had a very short conversation with him about his Mr. Potato Head. He was a little more reserved than Charlie, but good-natured and agreeable in spite of his disappointment with his crayons that were basically non-functional. So nice to see the Seversons!!

I ran a few errands today but didn't get much else done. Well, I did reposition the carpet in the living room and tidy up the furniture arrangement a bit. Tomorrow I'll have Micah, Parker and Abby for a few hours. We're going to meet the Kevin Petersons at the Bean Museum, which is always fun.

It's late. I have been watching Monk and sewing. I have all the pieces cut for six blocks to take with me to Houston. I will need probably 3 more blocks of some kind. I think I'll wait to lay these out before I decide whether to do more of the same or introduce an alternate design.

I have to admit it's somewhat bittersweet to be with the Stuarts. I love them and enjoy being part of the family, but I want my sweet David to be there with us.

Ciao for now.

Superfun 36 hours

I have had the best time! Wednesday morning Carrie brought the kids over for breakfast. We had sweet potato pancakes, bacon and eggs, and it was really fun. They are such a cute bunch of kids, and it was nice to just sit and visit with Carrie for awhile.

After they left it was time for me to start on dinner for Andy's family. Amanda is finally feeling a little better--as long as I didn't fix anything for dinner that would make her barf--and so we had cantaloup and pollo mascado (otherwise known as "chewed up chicken") and corn on the cob and chips and beans. I made a crazy chocolate cake for dessert. It didn't get done in the middle, but fortunately the Peterson family (all of us) kind of likes it that way.

Maddy, Joel and Abe stayed overnight with me for the first time. We watched something wild in which people try to do a difficult obstacle course that has big balls and trapeze and mud underneath that they drop into when they miss. The kids quite like it but I cannot remember the name of it. Then we watched "Matilda" which they had brought over from their home collection. I had some treats for them, like Skittles and popcorn, which were Abe's primary interest, and the kids had made beds on the chairs in the living room and put some pillows on the floor for Abe. They were all super comfy, they said.

I let them watch TV for awhile and Maddy read. I went to bed and they pretty much settled down before I went to sleep. They woke up about 9 am (!) after which I woke up, got up and made crepes for them for breakfast. Best of all, they volunteered to weed my back yard, specifically the brick walk, a job that has been on my to-do list since before the cruise! They did a super good job and had a lot of fun doing it. I think if I play my cards right I might have some good helpers for the rest of the season. After they left it was cool enough for me to sit out on the deck for awhile, and it was really, really nice. As the weather gets cooler I'll probably do that a lot more often.

I am getting rid of my home phone line. I hardly ever get calls on it anyway. Only surveys and political solicitations. At least I don't ever get bill collectors any more! That is great!

Tonight I finished another star for my newest quilt project.

Remembering the Baltic Cruise

Today I can finally cross off "Label the photos" from my to-do list. Leah sent me the pictures she took and asked "where were we in this one?" and I had my own 100+ to go through and label. I discovered too late that once I started labeling them they reordered themselves, and I had counted on their position in the line to help me make sure I placed them correctly.

Well, after sorting them by "details" which included dates and helped with my own shots, and double-checking them against the originals that Leah sent, I finally have them all filed correctly (I hope) according to country. Now my to-do list includes "Mail CD to Leah."

And so now, of course, I have an excuse to upload a few of my favorites. I have long ago given up on having other people thrilled to see my travel photos, even though I love seeing other people's, but in case you're interested, there are definitely more where these came from. I loved having a digital camera (thanks to my wonderful kids for the best Christmas gift ever!) and was able to get rid of or fix a number of shots that in former times would have gone into my collection of the "worst amateur photos ever taken" of which I have a bejillion, at least, from all over the world!

I'm still learning how to do this, so photos and descriptions might get scrambled. I'll do my best!

We loved the open air fruit and vegetable markets. In Denmark I finally got my batch of fresh peas, which I absolutely loved, although the two photos are in Helsinki. You can see the wind was blowing on the pier at Tallinn, Estonia, and the beautiful ceiling in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg was indescribably gorgeous--it would have to be seen to be believed. Bottom right is the facade of the old city in Rostock, Germany, a short train ride from Warnemunde, where we docked for a day.

This ambitious young mother (or nanny) had altogether five little ones out with this triple stroller for 3, and she was wearing stilleto heels, besides. This was also in Rostock old town.

Both Leah and I frankly enjoyed mingling with the "locals" more than we liked the tourist spots, so our visits to Roskilde (Denmark) and Warnemunde/Rostock (Germany) were highlights. In Rostock we went to a TJMax store that had incredible bargains, but we controlled ourselves.

I would love to go back to St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Tallinn, and Gdansk. A cruise was nice to get a little taste, but these 4 places could use at least a week or more to experience their loveliness.

So Libby, now I can also do a travel report on OUR trip, too!

Crazy for quilting!

I started another quilt today. I'm making one for Ina's little Magdalena. I will do just the top and then add the batting and back for both of these and do the quilting. I'm having lots of fun. So far I have watched 6 seasons of Monk while I've worked, and today got the first disk for season 7.

This is the quilt top I just finished for Lily. Now the hard part--quilting it!

This is the roast pig we ate at my reunion dinner. I don't want any snide comments about its being one of my high school friends!

Just what I need--another way to spend my time!

Ya know, this might be fun!!!

More experimenting--Sorry!

So can I do a label for the photos? I think I might be able to...

This is in Rostock, Germany Old Town.

It's a hard-knock life!

This is Leah and Judy enjoying the Ploughman's lunch on the cruise ship.

This is the circular stairway from the piazza to the 7th floor on the cruise ship.

The cathedral is the Cathedral of the Spilt Blood in St. Petersburg, Russia. The second is from the ossuary that Libby and I went to in Kutna Hora, Czech republic. Every bone in the human body is included in this chandelier.

Some people thought I couldn't do it by myself...

So after actually downloading a few photos to the computer this morning, which was incredibly easy (did I do something wrong?) I decided to follow Libby's suggestion and establish a blog site. I don't know who would be interested in my wanderings and musings, but hey, whatever, maybe somebody will pop in now and then.

I couldn't figure out how to post anything after setting up my profile, but apparently I clicked on a right button somewhere, because here I am! This is not to say I will ever find this posting frame again, but then, you never know.

Reader beware...! I now have a place to show off my travel photos (providing I figure out how to do it) but I assume they are optional, so the only people who will look at them are those who are interested.

I have no idea how often or extensively I will use this blog site. I follow people who make entries only occasionally, (and not nearly enough, and that means you, Andy) to perhaps once a week (yes, Libby, that is much better than only occasionally) to frequently (Sarah Severson, you clearly love to blog).

I may or may not change my photo--it's how I look to myself, so keep that in mind and ignore that it was taken many years ago.

One last thing--I think it is a sad day when electronic media have replaced the well-worded hand-written personal letters of the olden days, but oh, well, whatever, I have to get over it.

Aren't you just so excited that I will be publicly sharing my exciting life??

Ciao for now.