Picnic

Yesterday I picked up es and headed to our house.  We stopped and played at the park, where es jumped off the bottom step of the stairs up to the play structure.  She was so excited and pleased with her new skill, probably the result of her tumbling class.  The drop was maybe a foot, and she usually fell on her knees or bottom, but she always brushed off her hands, smiled and ran around to the other end of the structure to climb up and do it again.  When the preschool children came to the playground es joined in, waving at some of them and continuing her climbing and jumping.  We had planned to visit the library, but it was closed for a staff development workshop.

A couple of weeks ago after we visited the park and library we walked on over to Safeway to buy some chocolate chip cookies.  She noticed some tables outside the Subway shop and wanted to sit down, but I said no since we hadn't bought anything there.  So this time we went in the shop and bought a turkey sandwich, barbecue chips, a cookie and milk.  We took our lunch outside and sat at one of the tables to eat in spite of the gusty cool wind.  What fun!  Naturally es ate very little turkey but enjoyed the chips and cookie and milk.  Grandma spoiled her a bit.

At our house we read and built with Tinker Toys.  I brought out the child-size broom Randy had uncovered in the garage, and she helped him sweep the deck.  Although she was in bed for 40 minutes or so, she showed no signs of going to sleep, so I took her home about 4:15 so I'd have time to make an early supper before Randy had to go to choir.

Free time?

You might think that I would write a post each morning.  After all, I'm not watching e now, so I must have lots of free time, right?  Yes, and no.  So far this week I have quilted "Fractured" diagonally in one direction and need to decide if that is sufficient.  I have taught two students.  I have worked on the new socks.  I have written more of Dad's story.  I have practiced piano and organ.  I have walked each day, done laundry, shopped for groceries.  Last night I accompanied the Lenten service then choir practice.  Today I will practice organ, then pick up es for Grandma and Grandpa time.

Ironing

Wednesday afternoon I set up the ironing board in the blue room and pressed some shirts.  Then I ironed the backing for Fractured.  Thursday I began to pin-baste the layers together so that quilting can begin!  This quilt top was finished in the fall of 2014, before I began my travels to Phoenix, so it's been a while since I worked on it, even though it's one of my favorite works in progress (WIP).  Two other WIP are waiting to be pinned and quilted.  Friday afternoon I finished the pinning and peeled away the tape holding the backing in place on the carpet.  Slow but steady progress is being made.

More papers into the blue bin

For many years now I have helped Rod, a tenor soloist, learn the music needed for his church choir as well as other choirs in which he has sung.  At first he would bring me copies of songs; more recently he would scan the music then email the songs, and I would print them.  He usually asked me to record each song several times, perhaps the tenor line alone, then tenor with soprano, and tenor with bass, and the accompaniment, or some other combination.  In the early years I recorded on cassette tapes, not the most convenient for rehearsing, but that's what I had.  Now I use a digital recorder  and email mp3 files to him.  He uploads the songs to his iPod and listens/practices as he hikes or whatever.

When I last saw him I asked if he wanted any of these copies of his songs, some of which date back to 2010.  He replied that he had not looked through or filed the last bunch of songs I returned to him, so he wouldn't take these.  Thus I emptied two more binders, and three inches of paper went into the blue bin today.

One month old

Already ec is one month old!  He has gained over 2 pounds since birth, is eating and sleeping well, and stays awake for longer periods.  es likes to show him toys and "play" with him.  When I held him Thursday, he felt so light!  I guess I was comparing him to es's thirty pounds.

E is looking ahead to her return to work, not looking forward to work but thinking and planning for that time.  While her leave is a generous sixteen weeks, four of those are now gone.  It looks like es will begin day care three days a week in July.  So for about three weeks in June I will watch both children daily, then ec alone three days and both children two days a week.  My goal is to provide ec with the same (perhaps similar would be a more accurate term) individual care I gave es for her first year.

Who lived there?

One of my favorite activities is genealogy, discovering more about my family history.  This week the speaker at the East Bay Genealogical Society discussed city directories (not telephone books) and how they can help the researcher.  In the past I have found relatives listed in various books, confirming addresses and occupations, and even one family member who told me he didn't remember living at that address.  (A mystery!)  After the meeting I came home and began to research the previous owners of our new house.  We had a couple of clippings from the realtor indicating the first owner so I started with that name and found some information online.

Yesterday I stopped by our main library and looked through some city directories to see if I could find more.  The house was built in 1900, according to information the realtor gave us, but the 1900 directory did not list the owner as I expected.   OK, perhaps the house was not yet finished or occupied when the directory was printed.  The 1901 directory listed the owner with a different address but in town.  He and his wife appear in the 1902 volume.  Eureka!  I didn't check every year, but he and his wife were also listed in the 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, and 1915 editions.  However in the 1916 directory, the wife appeared under her own name and was identified as the widow of Ezekiel.  Using other sources I found the husband had died in 1916; the wife survived till 1930.

By using United States census reports, I learned the house was rented by a different family in 1920;  perhaps the widow was living with one of her sons and wanted rental income.  Another family had moved in by 1930 (for $41.50 a month).  The 1940 census revealed the house was owned by a widow from Texas; I don't know when her family bought the house, perhaps her husband was still alive when they moved some time after April 1935 (information shown on the census).  The value of the house was shown as $3000.  The sellers provided a rough history of their family in the house, beginning in the mid-1950's; the 1950 census will be available for study in 2022.

With these clues it will be possible to learn even more about previous residents of our new home.  My next step will be to look at telephone directories at the library.  Because their pages are brittle, early phone books are kept in locked cabinets.  Our library does not have reverse directories, so I can't just look up the address, but now I have names to work with.  I will compile a list of those I want to check, then have fun!

Socks

Many years ago, perhaps 50 or even more, I learned how to knit.  My dad's mother taught me, giving me a pattern for knitted slippers from which I knit several pairs to give as presents.  Since then I've made numerous scarves, afghans, even a couple of sweaters.  Two years ago, when I was about to head to Phoenix for e's birth, I decided to learn how to knit socks, to have a portable project to occupy my hands.  Amanda Jean Nyberg, writer of the crazymomquilts blog, offered a free sock pattern that looked doable for a beginner, so I downloaded it.  Then I stopped in at a local yarn shop, bought a skein of a lovely variegated (self-striping) blue yarn and circular needles, and cast on 60 stitches.  It took two or three tries before I moved past the first couple of rows, but finally I was on my way, knitting from the top of the cuff toward the toe.  As I sat in the NICU waiting room then at home with E, that first sock took shape.

I liked the blue striped pair so much, that when I realized there was enough yarn left to make one more sock, I went back to the yarn shop and was fortunate to find another skein of that blue.  So now I have three pairs.  I just finished my fourth pair, of pink, turquoise, purple and orange. When my sister saw me working on them, she asked if she could have them.  Yesterday I put them in the mail to her.  Now I have started the fifth pair, with muted red, blue, yellow, black flecked with metallic.  How they sparkle!  I'm not a super-fast knitter, but that's OK.  It's very rewarding to see the sock grow.  And to think it's just yarn looping in and out, almost like magic.

Paper into the blue bin

For many years I have enjoyed clipping recipes and articles from magazines and newspapers.  Recipes generally were put into a binder kept in the kitchen.  Other clippings were filed away in folders kept in file boxes.  Four large boxes have lived in a cut-out space under our bathroom counter for many years.  As part of the moving preparations, I have begun sorting through these boxes.  Yesterday I finished the second box, managing to eliminate one box of papers.  Yea, me!  Of course, there are some loose papers now that need to be reconsidered.  For example, programs of events I accompanied, words to hymns, receipts from plane tickets.  Some of these will probably be tossed, others kept.  I would like to recycle another box of papers, or even two.  Perhaps that's only a dream.  But it feels so good to have made this much progress!

Cousins

K's sister and her children drove up Thursday night; her husband was flying in last night.  EK and little ones took them to Fairyland, where a good time was had by all.  i didn't remember that the three little pigs lived there; e got a kick out of their three houses.  I cooked ribs and potato salad and took dinner over; we had planned for E et al to come to our house before we knew Maegan was coming.  I so enjoyed seeing e with her two cousins, one of whom is older, the other younger.  I wonder how e2 will fit in with the girls; will he ignore them or try to dominate?

I've been off daily e care for three weeks now.  While I have appreciated my looser schedule, it feels like the time is slipping through my fingers.

A day with e

Yesterday e spent the day with us.  I picked her up about 10:30 and drove back home.  We walked to the park, and I hoped we would have some time before the pre-school brought their children out to play.  I was wrong.  But the older ones were mostly careful when near e, and she seemed to enjoy watching them.  When three boys were spinning the wheel, she pointed out that they were not taking turns.  She was not as agile or as quick as the four- and five-year-olds, but she was confident climbing the steps and going down the slide.  I think she looks forward to the day when she can maneuver down the corkscrew; now she stops at the opening in the rail, looks at this form, and says, " I might fall."

We found some new books at the library.  Her favorite was A Well-mannered Young Wolf, by Jean Leroy.  Since one of her favorite stories is " The Three Pigs" I am not surprised she chose this book about a wolf that tried to accommodate his prey's last wish.

We stopped at Safeway for chocolate chip cookies, which she told me are her daddy's favorite, then went home for lunch.  Next, after reading five books to her, I put e in bed, hoping she would nap.  She entertained herself for an hour before shouting for me.  I got her up and read Babar's Children to her; did you know Pom, Flora, and Alexander were triplets?  Since Randy had early choir rehearsal, I needed to take e home so I could make supper.  When we arrived at her house and I began to unbuckle her from her car seat, she cried, saying she wanted to go back to my house.  What??  That was a surprise.  After several minutes she calmed down, and I took her inside, where she happily embraced her mom.

Home again

Monday morning, after a walk in the misty air, I watched CNN with Dad for little bit.  Claudia made risotto with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes for lunch, and we finished the carrot cake as well as the cheesecake.  We chatted more about the new house and Suzanne's upcoming move.  Then I left about 2:30 for Cynthia's.  As we stood near the door, Dad said, "You've been a good daughter" and something about seeing each other in heaven.  I know he must have been thinking about his illness and its possible outcome.  It is difficult to know how to talk about it.  I want to be hopeful, yet I know the prognosis is not good.

That night Cynthia and Bob took me out for my customary breaded pork tenderloin, unseen here on the west coast.  Tuesday morning Cyn stayed home from work to keep me company till I left about 10 for the airport.  As we talked about Social Security, arthritis and such, she commented on how funny it sounded, for us to be old enough to be concerned with these aspects of aging.

Randy picked me up at the airport, and I was back home, almost as if I'd never been away.  Wednesday I did laundry, stopped by to see E and the children, shopped for groceries, and went to a movie with Dena.  We saw Ordinary People, winner of the Oscar for Best Picture of 1980.  I had recently thought about this film, wanting to see it again, so when the local theater included it in its classic films series, I jumped on the chance.  Choir practice after supper, then to bed.

Full house

Saturday morning Claudia made blueberry pancakes and sausage for breakfast, then I took a walk.  Margaret helped Claudia make boeuf bourguignon, or beef stew, and carrot cake for lunch, while John and I tried to figure out why Dad's webcam wouldn't work anymore.  After extensive research and trying different things, we decided to just buy a new webcam, which we did that afternoon.  We all talked and laughed a lot.  Cynthia and Bob came for lunch, we bought and installed the new camera (which worked fine), and C, B, J and M left about 4:30.  J and M wanted to be closer to the airport for their flight Sunday morning; I will do the same thing this afternoon, return to Cynthia's before my flight Tuesday.

Sunday I attended First Presbyterian Church with Dad and Claudia, noting several similarities to the Lutheran liturgy.  Speaking of which, I hope my substitute was not confused by a couple of changes we put in for Lent.  After a lunch of roast chicken, I worked on my knitting for a long time.  Supper consisted of leftovers, then we watched "Victoria."

I think maybe one less day here would have been just a tad better, though I enjoyed the time I had alone with Dad and Claudia.  I may return Easter week.

Chilly Midwest

Travel Thursday went smoothly.  I woke up before my alarm, set to ring at 4:15, was at the airport by 4:50, through security very quickly, and at the gate in plenty of time for the 6:05 flight.  Oh, how I love living so close to the airport!  We had almost an hour delay in Phoenix, but when we arrived in Indianapolis the snow flurries had stopped; temperature hovered around 30 degrees, with a cloudy sky.  I picked up my car, a black Kia Forte, and drove to Cynthia and Bob's, where we enjoyed chatting.  When they were ready to go to bed, I went upstairs also, and although it was only 6:30 Pacific time, I climbed into bed and fell asleep almost immediately.

Friday morning, after breakfast, I reviewed my notes for the teleconference with the attorney, then drove to Dad's.  John and Margaret had arrived the day before, so I was glad to see them.  After my phone call and lunch, J, M and I drove to Hoopeston (about 25 miles away) to see relatives and visit the cemetery where Mom is buried.  As we drove we continued the conversation Dad had started earlier about cremation versus burial.  Claudia prepared a delicious ham for dinner, with green beans, scalloped potatoes, and cheesecake.

This and that

Yesterday Anita and I walked for an hour at Arrowhead Marsh near the airport.  The sun warmed the air, but a brisk breeze chilled me, so my sweater and hat were on then off then on again.  I began packing for my trip to Dad's; I leave very early tomorrow, and today will be busy.  I stitched a long strip of batting to the side of a large piece so it will be big enough for "Fractured."  Last night several people met to brainstorm what the music ministry at Trinity might look like as we attempt to reach out to both the congregation and the community.

E is doing well with both children.  The baby is eating and sleeping regularly, and e is helping her mom.  K has come home relatively early, which helps.  This afternoon I will drive E and the children to the pediatrician for the baby's follow-up appointment.  Tomorrow E has her post-partum check.

I finished the first sock of a new pair and have started the second.  It will be good to have a small project to work on while traveling.  I read about a sock-knitting competition called Sock Madness that coincides with basketball's March Madness.  Competitors receive a new pattern and have two weeks to finish the pair of socks before the next pattern arrives in their email.  Each of the seven patterns is progressively harder.  Pictures must be submitted and prizes are awarded.  Looking at previous years' patterns, I can't imagine how someone finds time to do the intricate work required.  Of course, I'm a newbie when it comes to knitting socks.  It takes me about a month to knit just a single sock!  Perhaps if I didn't cook or clean or practice or do anything else, I could make a pair in two weeks.