Friday night wine tasting . . . straight from the Napa vineyards

• Grant took a trip to Napa Valley a over Memorial Day weekend. We had the pleasure as always of babysitting Magi, the grand-dog. He had a great time. I'd say the weather was delightful since it was northern California, but actually because it is inland it was warmer than San Francisco (with the added bonus of sunshine). No - it was a little unseasonable Nashville temp: 90! But, to the point, he went to several wineries, his favorite being one on Sunday, arranged by his wine tour guide of Saturday. The owner set aside 3-4 hours for an individual tour and lots of food and wine. Grant loved it! So much that he joined the winery (Tres Sabores) "wine a quarter" club and would really like to go out again for their yearly party.

• So, on Friday night, Grant came over after dinner to drop off Magi for us to dogsit on Saturday and brought over one of the bottles (red) that he brought home from Tres Sabores. Together we drank the bottle and watch a Netflex movie we had called Children of Men. It's a utopian piece that was originally a novel by the well-thought-of mystery writer P.D. James. Grant and I recommend it and Bill thinks it's too depressing. But all 3 of us agreed on the wine : winner!

• The next morning Grant ran in a 5K race in which he had raised over $500, enough money to send 25 kids to school for a year in Kenya. That actually ties in well with the movie.

Why do we say Happy Memorial Day . . . happy that we are free, but, why must we take up arms to keep the world at peace?

Oldest Confederate cemetary in Franklin

I am my brother's keeper . . .

I've been shedding a few myself lately . . .

My cousin Kyle sent me an email with pictures of the The Teardrop Memorial pictured above. The point made in the email was that this memorial hadn't gotten a lot of attention in the media even though it was a fairly impressive gift to us from the Russians in memory of those who died in the 9/11 terrorist attack. The following is some information about it:

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Variously known as "The Tear of Grief," "The Teardrop Memorial," and "The Memorial at Harbor View Park" — as well as by its official name, "To the Struggle Against World Terrorism" — this monument to the victims of 9/11 was built by Russian artist Zurab Tsereteli on the waterfront of Bayonne Harbor, New Jersey and publicly dedicated on September 11, 2006. It was, in the words of Vladimir Putin, "a gift from the Russian people."

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The monument comprises a 100-foot-tall bronze tower with a jagged split down the middle and a 40-foot-long stainless steel teardrop suspended in the gap. It stands on an 11-sided slab of black marble carved with the names of every person who died in the September 11 attack, as well as the victims of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

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The brightly lit memorial is visible even at night from the Statue of Liberty, Battery Park, the Staten Island Ferry, and other locations around the Hudson River. Though not well known in the United States, Zurab Tsereteli is renowned for his work in Russia, as well as public sculptures he has erected all around the world. He reportedly spent $12 million of his own money to complete the Bayonne Harbor monument.

Two finishers who didn't come in 2nd to last place . . .

This new picture in from the Music City Marathon of

Grant and Keri crossing their finish line.

April 25, 2009

Okay, I named my last post correctly . . .

Mine that Bird in last place and Mine that Bird in first place ---------------> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I ragged on my horse in the title of the last post because, much as I wanted my horse to win, I knew he wouldn't. I'm just not lucky. And after I Want Revenge scratched this a.m., Friesan Fire was the Favorite, and the Favorite hasn't won the Derby in a long time (I don't believe). * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

So, to make a long, miserable story short: my horse came in 2nd to LAST, and the horse with the worst odds, 50-1, Mine That Bird, came in FIRST. Well, congratulations to Bird. The best thing I liked about the typical dumb press interviews with his trainers was when they kept referring to his 21-hr. drive to the Derby (from AZ) with his broken foot and when finally asked what he would say if his horse won the Derby, he said "Maybe we could start talking about something other than (and you know he wanted to say damn) drive over here." A $2 bet on him would have paid $103. But, the Bird is gelded. Isn't that strange? I'll have to research the why on that one! Grant's horse, Pioneerof the Nile, came in 2nd and paid $8.40.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Oooooh, Erin just called to say she bet on Mine That Bird and won, but I couldn't understand how much she said. I'll have to find out later. I usually have trouble hearing what people are saying on cell phones compared to my regular home phone. She did say that every year she will play the horses that have the real high odds just in case they come in. She's getting her PhD in Math so she thinks like that. Of course, I've told Bill quite a few times that that would be a good thing to do, but figure I only have one bet with Grant.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

But, still, quite a race; always good to shock the horsy crowd. They said it was the 2nd biggest

upset in Derby history, whatever that means (I guess the odds). "With Musket Man taking third and Papa Clem fourth, the triple had handicappers blinking in disbelief with a payoff of $41,500.60. The superfecta returned a staggering $557,006.40." Hmmmm, I wonder if my kids bet the right 4 horses. Now that's one bet I'll take: bet I would have gotten a phone call on that!

GO Friesan Fire, you miserable disgrace of a horse!

It's less than 4 hours until the 135th run for the roses, this year's Kentucky Derby. And where might the VandeWater children be? That's right, in Louisville, betting their hard-earned $$$ on the horses. They tell me, however, that they always make $$$ or break even on the Derby. Grant called a bit ago for my bet and I'm putting a whole $20 on Friesan Fire - $10 to win and $10 to place. I'm sure I'll lose; I only win when I haven't actually put real money on a Derby horse. And of course the kids don't go to the Preakness or the Belmont. Meanwhile it's raining here, so I'm hoping for a nice, sloppy track to slow down some of the horses that have only run on synthetic (not my horse and one of the reasons I picked him yesterday and could find no reason to discard him today).

I picked the picture from the Derby's website to show the twin steeples on the left because it reminded me of our Batman building in Nashville. And the roses on the right because they are so beautiful that I thought I'd highlight a little info on them.

From the website: In 1904 the red rose became the official flower of the Kentucky Derby. The tradition was strengthened when, in 1925, New York sports columnist Bill Corum, later the president of Churchill Downs, dubbed the Kentucky Derby the "Run for the Roses." The garland as it exists today was first introduced in 1932 for the 58th running won by Burgoo King.

Burgoo King ???!!! Still want to eat HAMburgers from that place? :>

Kroger (grocery store) has been the official florist since 1987, and each year 400 roses go into the garland with a single rose in the middle pointing upward to symbolize the struggle and heart that goes into reaching the winner's circle. I would assume that means struggle and heart of all involved: owner, trainer, jockey, horse, and racing fans everywhere. The garland is made at one of the local Kroger stores each year and is put on display the night before for fans to view. Sounds like a mini Rose Parade to me as I would love to see both!

So, here's why I'm "voting for" (what I used to say before I was a money placer):

• his jockey is wearing green, my favorite color
• he isn't one of the horses that has only run on a synthetic track; it is a sloppy track today
• his pedigree is down from Seattle Slew, a Triple Crown winner
• his trainer was the trainer of Eight Belles, the filly who broke her legs and had to be put down immediately following the Derby last year; Larry Jones has also already announced his retirement after this year's Derby; the jockey, Gabriel Saez, rode Eight Belles and Jones has stuck with him which shows a lot of character to me as well
• he's a pretty horse :>

Happy Derby Day to all!

Atta Boy!

Yesterday was Nashville's (about 9th) Music City Marathon. Unlike some cities that only host a marathon, Nashville runs a half marathon as well, and both Grant and Keri ran in it - and finished happily, I'm happy to say. Although Grant said 40,000 runners were there, the paper today said 31,200 of which 25,500 ran in the half marathon. One 26-year-old young man, who ran in the half marathon, died, the first ever death in the event for the city. How tragic for the family, who has asked that his name and the circumstances of the death be kept private. They did say it was not heat-related although this was the "hottest" marathon ever with tempatures some 15 degrees above normal for this time of the year. The paper made much of the heat, noting its effects on runners, even experienced ones. Now I wonder what the ideal temperature is for running a marathon.

* * * * *

This was Grant's first marathon; he only began running a few months ago. His time was insignificant as he chose to run with Keri to make it more fun and could have finished faster if running alone. He said that he wasn't really aware of what an "event" it was until Thursday night before the race when he realized how many people ran in it and how far away they traveled from to do so. Also, he said, the bands that played along the running route made it so much fun and made the time go by quickly.

* * * * *

I chose the two pictures from The Tennessean above because Grant said one of the greatest sights along the route was when he crested a hill and could see the thousands of people running in the race and because, if we had gone, the picture on the right was the viewing spot I had chosen from a map showing the route as possibly a nice shady place to watch from. Turns out I would have been right, and there would have been room to set up a couple of chairs except the fact that there are no chairs makes me wonder if that was a road blocked off to traffic. Anyway, the race started at 7 a.m., with staggered times, and Grant and Keri finished around 9:30 which is just about when I'm drinking my 2nd cup of coffee. Besides Grant is big enough to do what he wants without Mom and Dad saying "atta boy!" I believe. Nevertheless, job well done, Grant and Keri.

We all looked nice on Easter . . . promise.

Happy Easter! Everyone looked nice in their Easter go-to-church clothes. I should have taken a picture as soon as they got here. Erin is still dressed in her church duds. But David and Grant decided they were going to play frisbee golf with some friends, so they changed into their "play" clothes before they left.

**********

At any rate, it was the 5 of us for dinner. We had a yummy spiral-sliced ham, scalloped potatoes, green beans almondine, fresh pineapple, deviled eggs, ripe olives and sweet pickles, biscuits, and pineapple upside down cake for dessert. In other words, the usual (for us).

**********

I told David that next year it's some family games after Easter dinner! Please! Bill and I didn't go to all that work to just have them run off. We know they like to be outside with their friends on a nice day, but a couple of days ought to be with family - like Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter. And maybe Mother's and Father's Day. And Halloween. And Memorial Day. And 4th of July. And Earth Day. And Saint Patrick's Day. You get the picture.

*********

We had also been with them on Good Friday for Erin's birthday dinner. We were going to chow down at Taste of Tokyo in Hillsboro Village (Vanderbilt area), but when Bill and I got to the door we looked inside and it was empty. Empty as in no tables, chairs, etc. The kids arrived shortly thereafter and said we could go right next door to a restaurant called Jackson's. It's so nice that they are wealthy enough to have eaten out at half the restaurants in Nashville! We have built-in restaurant critics when we need them. Anyway, it was tasty and we had arrived early so when finished, Grant went to his church (West End Community Church) and Bill, Erin and I went to her Lutheran church, which was on the way home for us.

*********

I honestly can't remember ever going to a Good Friday service. I mentioned this to Mike and he said, as he remembers, in our day, they were held in the afternoon. Probably true as most people had Good Friday off. I don't know if it just wasn't a big thing in the Methodist Church or just too much hassle for Mom to get 4 children ready for church 2 times in 1 weekend. I swear I don't think it was a big thing in the Methodist Church because I don't remember much about people going when we went to Stow Methodist. Bill liked this service because the minister dressed up as a Roman soldier and talked about the events leading up to hanging Jesus on the cross from the Roman soldier's point of view. It was a very dark and depressing service, which, as I mentioned to Erin on the way out, makes people so happy to go to Easter service. Too bad I couldn't go to Easter service. But when I have to prepare a big dinner, that's all I have energy for. Could be the Lyrica I take for my chronic pain. Makes people tired. Need to take a nap. Zzzzzzz . . . .

Sadly, we're not going green at the VandeH20's

TIMBER! After 12 years at this address, our beautiful juniper tree finally grew too large for our rather small backyard. In 1996, it was probably about 1/4 of the size it was before it met it's demise this April. I didn't want to cut it down because the birds loved it, and we loved the birds (we're getting old, you know - into our bird watching years :>). But it also closed off the v iew of our backyard from our sunporch. For instance, now we can see the beautiful doublefile viburnum and pink dogwood and spirea in the corner with some white iris soon to be in bloom.

And we have sodded the whole dogpen area (inside the crummy looking, but does the job chic ken wire fence) so it now has grass again. The next step will be to decide what to do with the whole area underneath where the tree was. We had mulched that area a few times, and we left that stump since I think I'll move my birdbath over there and just sit it on the stump. At any rate, all in good time, all in good time.

Rome wasn't built in a day and that is about the pace at which these homeowners move. We are getting new countertops next week, though, and I'll take before and after pictures. We're replacing beige with, well, more beige! But, it's bye bye grout!

I bet we're the first street in Franklin to have one of these babies:

Isn't it cute?

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That's our next door neighbor's, Ken's, new Smart Car.

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We saw them several years ago in Holland, but they aren't all the rage in Williamson County (still home of the SUV but crossing over :-) ).

* * * * * * * *

But Ken is evidently an early adopter because he was willing to go to Atlanta to get one. He's from California, so he believes in recycling and other things that Wmson. Co. hasn't heard of yet either. I'll say it for the last time: I don't think they're very many in Williamson County if not seeing any others on the roads is any indication!

Notice who doesn't get to play? Bill said I could be the groupie.

More February Delights

Well, this worked out: having the boys' birthdays so close that we could get away with combining their expensive dinner out this year. We like to go to Margot's in East Nashville, a small chef-owned restaurant with a limited menu that changes with a decent degree of frequency. And look at the yummy desserts. Grant got the one on the right, and I forget exactly what it was 6 weeks later. But I got the one on the left because it was meringue layers and buttercream chocolate in the middle. Kind of light but decadent at the same time. The only other thing I remember is that I got the fish of the evening, which was skate. It was very good, but just take my word for it because if you look it up in wikipedia, you won't want to eat it as it looks like a stingray or an underwater bat. The waitress said it's what some unscrupulous places might sell as scallops.

You'll notice that in front of Margot's (looks like a dive, doesn't it?) is a little of the white stuff that we see so seldom in Nashville. How nice! After dinner we went back to Dave and Erin's and play that rock band game on the Wii that everyone (except me) loves so much. Erin is a regular Ringo Starr-Buddy Rich-Keith Moon-you get the point. And who knew that Dave could sing? I've never heard him sing in my lifetime until the other life. Worth the price of admission (which was quite a bit actually). Bill and Grant could play the guitars. I took a couple of mediocre pictures because the boys always yell at me when I photograph them. They probably have blogophobia. I can't say that I blame them, but I try not to say anything about them other than in passing. Haven't you noticed? On to Springtime now. It's March Madness, you know.

Saturday Night Smackdown . . . at the 7 count, but, then, who's counting? ME for one!

It's going to take a lotta $$$ to CURA our ACURA because she's'a pretty sick'a puppy after being smacked in the fanny last night on our way to Bridge Club.

This is the 7th time we've been hit since we moved here in 1991. This time was 5 minutes from home, yielding onto Cool Springs Blvd. from Carothers. Only the 21 yr. old girl (with her friend) in her 2-month-old Jeep didn't yield. She hit us pretty hard; her car did a 90-degree turn and sustained a pretty decent amount of damage to her front end (driver side door wouldn't open, etc.). When I originally got a cell phone, I immediately programmed every police force nearby into it and since we live by the mall, the Franklin police came within 5 minutes. It still took 50 min. to get us back on the way to bridge club. Lucky for cell phones, I could call our hostess and tell her why we would be late. Also lucky for cell phones, the driver called her mom, and she came to give her daughter moral support (hopefully not holy hell).

The nice thing is Bill had previously encountered a woman in a grocery store parking lot, resulting in a small, no-fault dent in the bumper of the Acura which we didn't want to pay for because it would have cost $1000 (since that's the least you can pay for body work these days). I had just said "wait, we'll get hit." So, last night, 1 second after impact, I didn't ask Bill if he was OK, I just said "well, you just got your bumper fixed." Not the best way to do it though.

But, we're in good hands, the girl - Kelsey Owen - she has Allstate.

A word to the wise . . . and you know who you are

• I got my hair cut yesterday at our favorite low-price shop, Great Clips, because we are so much poorer than our children (not) who would never get their hair cut there. Of course, I do appreciate it when they look good as they do when they have full beards or are clean-shaved.
• At any rate, this little story is about AML (acute myeloid leukemia) cancer, which her daughter had when she was 15 (she is now 23). As Wikipedia defines it:
• Acute myeloid leukemia (AML), also known as acute myelogenous leukemia, is a cancer of the myeloid line of white blood cells, characterized by the rapid proliferation of abnormal cells which accumulate in the bone marrow and interfere with the production of normal blood cells. AML is the most common acute leukemia affecting adults, and its incidence increases with age. Although AML is a relatively rare disease, accounting for approximately 1.2% of cancer deaths in the United States,[1] its incidence is expected to increase as the population ages. The symptoms of AML are caused by replacement of normal bone marrow with leukemic cells, resulting in a drop in red blood cells, platelets, and normal white blood cells. These symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, easy bruising and bleeding, and increased risk of infection. Although several risk factors for AML have been identified, the specific cause of AML remains unclear. As an acute leukemia, AML progresses rapidly and is typically fatal within weeks or months if left untreated.
• My stylist, Debby, told me they took her to St. Jude's and they believe that hospital is why she is alive today because in the year they were there she could have died 4 times. She went into remission quickly but then took 164 days for her immune system to come back. During that time she got aspergillus (fungal) infection in her right lung, which was lucky because you have three lobes on the right and only two on the left. So I guess they had to remove one. Anyway, my mom had an aspergillus lung infection a couple of year's ago.
• Another at any rate, MDS, myelodysplastic syndromes (formerly known as "preleukemia") are a diverse collection of hematological conditions united by ineffective production (or dysplasia) of myeloid blood cells and risk of transformation to acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Anemia requiring chronic blood transfusion is frequently present. Myelodysplastic syndromes are bone marrow stem cell disorders resulting in disorderly and ineffective hematopoiesis (blood production) manifested by irreversible quantitative and qualitative defects in hematopoietic (blood-forming) cells. The median age of diagnosis is between 60 and 75.
• As thankful as we are to places like St. Jude's, and M.D. Anderson, and UCLA, who work so hard to save lives, I am so glad that we now have a president in office willing to make stem cell research available. Onward into the 21st centure - if the cure doesn't come from the United States, it will come from Europe, and with our economy at such a low point, we need any leg up that we can get.
• Obama, if fact, recently told Democrats at a private meeting that he will sign an executive order to reverse the executive order signed by George Bush in 2001 which limited embryonic stem cell research. He told House Democrats he wants to work with the House and Senate to ensure his executive order on stem cell research has teeth. "God gave us (the) power to make smart decisions to cure diseases, to alleviate suffering," the president said.
• I know that I have signed my driver's license to donate my usable organs when I die. I think that if I was a usable embryonic stem cell that no one wanted to parent, I would want to be a part of curing someone's disease. Wouldn't you?

Doggy Day Care - we get to be Granddogparents again today

Our baby Magi was returned to us last night. We just want to say thank you for all the amazing support we received from the community. We got tons of calls giving us ideas, advice, support, and potential sightings. There were even people who drove around looking for her who we had never met!! And then last night when the founder posted on craigslist we got even more calls and emails helping us put the pieces together. We may not have found her without all of you, so THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts - and Magi's too!!!

That is the post that went out this morning on Craigslist.

I suggested to Grant last night that she spend the day with us, people she loves and who love her rather than home alone while he works and so she is here. She still wants to play ball but seems a little more tired than normal and has not played with Mojo as usual. Grant said she was smelly so we have given her a bath. That is the royal we. Bill is the bather in the family. I am the blogger. And now it's time for me to get something other than blogging done . .

All's well that ends well to quote my dad . . . by it was hell on wheels for awhile

Magi's Great Adventure

• This seemingly gloriously happy picture is located on over 125 posters stapled on telephone poles all over East Nashville with the words "LOST' and "REWARD" on it. That's because dear Magi left her new home on Thursday, January 29 at 2 p.m. when a mover left a door open and she said "I don't want to live here; I liked the old place." Or maybe she just wanted to explore the new grounds; and, when someone she didn't know chased her, she got spooked and ran and didn't know her way back home.
• Fast forward - I wouldn't care to guess how many streets searched, dire-dog-scenarios imagined, dog-finder/shelter websites visited, and prayers lifted up - to this evening at 8:30 p.m. when the phone call came that Bill and I had been awaiting. Except that we weren't expecting it at that moment for some reason except for the reason that that's just how those things always work, they come when you least expect them. Grant just said "All the glory be to God. I have her here with me." I just started screaming "Oh my God, Oh my God, OMG into the phone and finally, "get on the other line" to Bill.
• As much of the mystery that we may ever know is that she finally wandered up onto the right person's back porch about a mile from Grant's and about 1/2 mile farther north in the area that 2 people had spotted her in on Friday. Bill and I never hit that street although we looked in that area for several hours today based on the hope that the Friday spottings were correct. Grant said he must have gone up and down that street several times and even turned around in the man's driveway once. I really wish we had just to see if we would have found her. Or if she was still in hiding. Which she may have been based on no more sightings on Sat. or Sun. But, my guess is, she's not talking. Grant said there is more to the story, but he'll call us later as he had so many phone calls to make. This is true because when I drove around hanging flyers with him Friday, he had tons of phone calls from friends calling to see what was up with the dog search. Don't these people have to work, I wondered?
• The thing I'm waiting to have answered is that he said he got a call from a friend who said there was a posting on Craigslist of a Found Welsh Corgi. The listing said:
• FOUND: Female Pembroke Corgi Gentle; loves tennis balls; cuddles on couch; just wandered to my back door Monday; no tags; collared
• Now, we worried a lot about her losing her collar - hence her tag with her phone number on it - but never the scenario of just losing the tag. How did that happen? Again, I don't think she's talking. Also, I registered her as lost on http://www.petfinder.com/ and they sent me an email notifying me that there was a Found Welsh Corgi listing on Craigslist for a Welsh Corgi within an hour of it going up. Now, how cool is that??? I'm going to have to go on their site some more to see if they said they did that. I was totally surprised.
• All, I can say is that we all fear having lost children; well, lost "man's best friend" ain't no picnic neither. Especially when you really need your best friend.

A good-looking family

My youngest brother, his wife and 3 children. The one in the middle (and I won't name names here for privacy issues) just graduated from high school in this picture taken last May I imagine. She is now at college in Toledo. Ah, to have my family young again and to be paying those college tuitions once more. No thanks!.

From "there is no red America or blue America, but the United States of America" to Inaugeration 2009 and Happy Birthday David

Every 4 years on January 20th we have an inaugeration. But every year on this day, David has a birthday. This year he was 32. Good heavens! We celebrated on Sunday night by watching the football playoff games and getting takeout from our favorite Italian restaurant, Carrabba's.

This was an especially special inaugeration, needless to say. Not only has my candidate won - for the first time in YEARS, but also due to the significance of electing the first African American to the Presidency. WOW. Of course, during the time everyone was campaigning for him, the country was going to hell in a hand basket, so he has inherited the worst mess in my lifetime. So he has the dichotemy of possessing the nation's highest expectations in the economy's lowest point since the Great Depression.

As David Letterman, the late night talk show host, is always saying, the money is all gone, a bunch of old men have stolen all the money. Or, all the money - and I guess I'm talking house values and the stock market - was all a house of cards - or a house built out of straw - it wasn't real and it collapsed. All our earnings of the past 10 years are gone and who knows how long it will take to come back.

But, Bill and I voted for Ross Perot who talked some 12 or 16 years ago about the danger of the jobs going overseas and the growing deficit and no one paid any attention, but it made sense to us. So, when I hear people interviewed on TV talk about buying a Ford now instead of a Honda because it's an American car, I think, yeah, and do you know it might be made in Mexico whereas the Honda might be made in Ohio? So, just which purchase better helps the U.S.? It's not always so clear cut. Especially when the U.S. corporate executives are so often overpaid compared to their Japanese counterparts. And just what was Bush (and McCain) thinking when he told us the economy was A-OK just minutes before it wasn't? And what happened to Reagan trickle down? And an editorial I read by George Will that said there were more people moved out of the lower class into the middle class or something like that. Hmmm. This whole thing is sooo confushing. Well when I figure it out, I'll get back to you.

But, as usual I digress. Today David is attending the Vanderbilt vs. Univ. of Tenn. basketball game as a birthday present with his brother Grant. And Barack Obama is attending 10 inaugeral balls in our nation's capitol and then heading back to his new home, the White House. Tomorrow the task of digging out from the mess we're in begins. They'll be plenty of Republicans to argue with - all of the ones from Tennessee to be sure. Tomorrow I just have to go to the dentist for a crown and a filling. Ouch!

Buying Byers . . . the story of an Ebay addiction

• 

A recent personal situation caused me such psychic pain and sadness that I turned to Ebay and collecting Byers Choice figures to keep from thinking about everything that was bothering me. Was this dysfunctional or healthy (considering I couldn't take off for our home in the Hampton's). It's sort of like the recent government Wall Street bailout. When people say, "well, that didn't work" the government's response is "well, you don't know how much worse off we would be if we hadn't done it." So, while I still have been sad, I think it distracted me to an extent. Who knows? If I hadn't spent a couple of weeks doing this, I might be in the looney bin by now. See, coulda been worse.

I will take the fifth on the number I bought, but I decided to stop before Bill got really perturbed. As it was, he was just annoyed. But, I've never been "tough" and when life gets "tough" I generally don't do well. So, what are those healthy and unhealthy coping mechanisms we learned about in college Pysch I? Eating too much. Drinking too much. Crying. Being irritable. Depressed. Wanting to commit homicide. And just how much would therapy have cost? Probably more than I spent on the Byers and I would have only been told what I already know: there isn't anything you can do about the curve balls life throws you, except one day at a time, one step at a time, one deep breath at a time. Whatever you can manage. So, I save on therapy and have the Byers figures to boot.

I do sort of get addicted to things on my computer. Like Napstering during its day, digital photography, this blog, a page on Facebook, some games, shopping, and Ebay from time to time. Not to mention just plain surfing, finding interesting tidbits here and there , looking up information for people (still the librarian in me). However, THAT being said, additionally, I am stimulating the MADE IN THE U.S.A. economy because the Byers Choice figures are actually hand-made in Pennsylvania. Isn't that amazing? So it's an American arts and craft product and some one must support it! Even if they don't need it and said they'd never buy any more tchotchkes (yiddish for knick knacks).

Anyway, they've been arriving every few days or so, thereby double stimulating the economy by making sure the U.S. postal service has lots of work too. So, how do you cope when the going gets rough? And/or how are you stimulating this down-in-the-mouth economy?

Have yourself a merry little Christmas . . .

Left to right:

Dave and Erin, a lovely picture of part of a large nativity that graces the mantel of some friends of ours from our December bridge club party, and Magi and Grant from our Christmas dinner and gift opening party at our house on Monday night December 22. Dave and Erin headed to Atlanta on Tuesday night. We spent Christmas day entertaining my dear friend Mary from years together at the library and her husband, eating spiral-sliced ham and other goodies. Afterwards we played Scattergories and dominoes. Bill and ended the evening sleepily watching Letterman and Ferguson before heading to bed after midnight. We were indeed jolly old elves!

Ann Helen (DeLanghe) VandeWater . . . June 3, 1915 - December 21, 2008

• I wanted to post yesterday that Bill's mother died on Sunday, December 21 at 2:00 a.m.
• We were going through some pictures and found this lovely picture of her that we had never seen before. Wasn't she beautiful? I took this photo on my camera using sepia settings (that I just found) since the picture was probably taken around 1935 and included the figures from our Christmas nativity because she was a devout Catholic so it seemed appropriate.

When she first move her, she lived in Nashville in a high rise one-bedroom apartment with meals provided. Then we moved her to a studio apartment on Cool Springs Blvd. closer to us as she got older and finally to a nursing home also in Franklin. While here she progressed from cane to walker to wheelchair. Her mind gradually deteriorated. She had a terrible time adjusting in the years after Bill's dad died (1973) since he had done everything. But while in East Moline there were relatives to help out, mostly Rink Olson, her sister's husband, until he died, and then Mary Ann Lapaczonek, her niece by Cy's sister Toots. And then, of course, us. But the Belgian relatives and all their descendants, who are about as Belgian as we are, are all great people, and Bill and I look forward to seeing them again at the funeral.

Bill had taken a trip with his mom (by plane) back to East Moline, maybe 6 or 7 years ago, so that is the last time she was there. Together they visited Ann's remaining sister Helen (she had 4 sisters and her poor father was a farmer named Achiel but called John in America) and nieces and nephews. What I meant to imply was that her father probably wished for a boy to help with the hard work of a farm.

Ann definitely lost her hearing, but she never lost her smile. She lived 93 good years and died peacefully with no pain in her sleep of plain-old, old age.

Her funeral will be in East Moline in January, I believe the weekend of the 10th.

-

A plug for our Late Late Night boy

Bill likes Craig Ferguson because he's funny. I like him because he's sexy and funny, and I believe I said that in the right order. He's coming to TPAC (TN Performing Arts Center) in Jan. but I don't think we'll pay 100 bucks to see him as a little speck on the stage when we can see him for free every week night for free. For real. In reading the blurb on him, I thought I'd post this because I promise this will be a funny book. I don't know about the novel. Really: In April 2006, Ferguson debuted his first novel entitled Between The Bridge and The River, which became a critically acclaimed bestseller. Since coming into his own on the The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and winning his first Emmy nomination in 2006, Craig achieved a personal milestone in February 2008 when he was sworn in as a US Citizen. Soon after, Craig hosted the White House Correspondence Dinner, where critics raved of his witty and comical deliverance speech to the 3,000 attendees who included political journalists, celebrities, and Washington's power players. In Fall of 2009 Harper Collins is set to publish a memoir by Craig Ferguson American On Purpose - a moving and achingly funny memoir of living the American dream as he journeys from a small town in Scotland to the entertainment capital of the world. American on Purpose reads as if Ferguson had snorted Angela's Ashes," says David Hirshey, Senior Vice President and Executive Editor. "It will make you laugh, cry, and sing The Star Spangled Banner with a Scottish burr."

Tennessee is not Palm Springs, but it's not Northeastern Ohio either

• My Christmas card had a picture of several poinsettias and a pansy on it this year, which may seem odd in a traditional Currier & Ives sense. Pansies and a one-horse open sleigh - hey? Well, one of the most odd sights for me when we moved here from Ohio in November 1991 was that people planted pansies in the fall and, in fact, they are blooming in my "garden" currently.

• I always use the term "garden" loosely since I love love love gardens, but I don't love love love to garden. And I don't fertilize enough, so to have 3 pansies blooming at once is a rare treat.

• But I never tire of the sweet faces on pansies and the many colors. I'm like a kid in a candy store when the pansy flats are at Lowe's and Home Depot. (See, I don't even go to the proper garden stores or nurseries, mainly because there aren't any near to me.)

• All that to say while we had the lovely snow the other day, today we tied the all time high of 73 degrees for Dec. 19. Of course, the high for Sunday when the boys are going to the Titans game is predicted to be 38 degrees so that's how it goes around here. I was able to get out for 2 walks with Bill and Mojo today because when it is too cold it aggravates my face pain too much. Sad, but true, exercise in general aggravates it.

• Well, time for David Letterman and after that Craig-yum-Ferguson. Late night laughter is the best medicine of all! Right after pansies blooming in December on a spring-like day.

Doh! or in Matt Groening's case: Dough$$$

I meant to post this yesterday since December 17, 1989 was the first episode of the Simpsons, an episode called Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire. There's no reason to believe the 20th anniversary won't be rolling around next year of this phenomenally popular 6th grade - adult cartoon comedy hit. It (well, House and Dancing with the Stars) is the only show that is constantly TIVO'd at our house (recorded in case you might miss an episode or even a rerun). Must be a male thing because while I recognize the cleverness of the writing, I just sometimes get too much Homer.

At any rate, if you love the Simpsons and want to get ready for your 20th anniversary party (which you might want to hold in some other month than the one Christmas is in), the website to find out all things Simpson's is http://www.snpp.com/ (Springfield Nuclear Power Plant). The picture in the upper left shows the Simpsons as they first appeared on shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show, also on the Fox Network in 1987. "Wikipedia it" if interested. :-)

We'll probably be watching the Simpsons on Christmas . . . sigh. I'll let you know. This may not be our best Christmas anyway. But it will be Mojo's first Christmas. We're so pathetic we're even thinking of decorating him. Tastefully.

From our house to your house . . . even though I know it's trite