Isn't January EVER going to end????

 This past week has seemed unusually long – maybe because I spent much of it in bed trying to knock this cold.  Normally, I wouldn’t be so solicitous towards a common virus but I am scheduled for my bladder surgery on the 31^st and I REALLY want it to happen.  If I am coughing up a lung, anesthesia will cancel me.  SO, I have taken longer naps, I cancelled one of my days at the refugee office, I have medicated myself.  I honestly don’t know if anything has worked because I am still coughing and blowing my nose.  I guess I will show up on Tuesday at 5:00 am(!!!!) at the hospital and see what anesthesia says…..

Speaking of doctors, Steve passed his stress test.  Emily sent me the photos she took of Steve and me for our mission application and, with that, all of the on-line mission application forms are now complete.  We are just waiting for a visit tomorrow with a possible renter for the house.  (rent money would mean being able to pay a bit more per month for mission expenses and we would need to change that part of the application form) Having someone rent has really not been on our radar – we thought we would have Sarah or Elise live here.  But, now that is not looking realistic.  On Monday, I happened to mention to a music colleague that we were going to be gone for two years and she called me Wednesday to inquire about maybe renting to her.  She would be quite perfect (I would be able to keep the grand piano in the house for her to use) so stay tuned for further information about this…..

Here is the photo of Steve and me

 

Here is an “out-take”

 

Speaking of music – I started two new cello students this week.  TWO!  And, yes, they know I am leaving in a few months.  Columbia only has three cello teachers (well, you could count the MU cello professor but I don’t believe she teaches anyone but college students) – and one of the three, while a fine cellist and conductor, doesn’t really know how to teach – especially beginners.  So, really there are just two -  Mary M. and me -  and Mary’s studio is full.  So, here I am with 21 students!

From Steve’s parent’s belongings, he found a really cool artifact – an actual newspaper from 1945 announcing the surrender of Japan.  We bought a shadowbox, I painted it to match the other framed WW2 items hanging in the family room, and here it is…..

 

 

I finished the first of four T-shirt quilts and started on the second last night as we watched an episode of Foyle’s War on Netflix. 

This week, I pulled down a tub from the attic labeled “Jeanne’s Scrapbooks” and, boy, it is FULL of stuff from my childhood.  Thankfully, it is already organized into three-ring binders and envelopes (labeled 2^nd grade, 3^rd grade, etc) but there is SO MUCH!  And, the years and temperature fluctuations have not been kind.  I will need to “re-package” what I feel is worth saving and, hopefully, my posterity will be grateful I did.  A project for February…..

Weather has turned chilly – what January should be – but we walk the dogs every morning, nevertheless.  I posted this picture on social media.  

 

  Sadie is so funny.  She is VERY excited to go on a walk while we are in the house but, once we are actually outside, she is indifferent at best and downright plant-her-bottom-stubbornly-not-going-anywhere at the worst.  Unless we veer from our usual walk routine (either half a block down or half a block up the street – poor arthritic Trissy cannot handle much more) and go into the park across the street.  Then, she becomes a completely different dog.  Excited, alert, leading the way kind of dog.  So funny.

The sun finally came out on a chilly Saturday as Steve and I made a visit to the Amish – supposedly to get just two items.  Well, that is never the case with the Amish stores and we came home with lots of booty.  Including six for a dollar KIND bars from the out-of-code grocery store and three jars of chocolate coconut ice cream topping.  Mmmmmmm

January continues...

It was a week of dreary, cloudy, and spring-like temperatures reaching into the 60's!

Monday - Elise, Steve, and I drove to St. Louis that afternoon to see the Southerlands - Joe and Vicki were there, Quinn needed his birthday gifts, and we needed some Larkin time.

Tuesday - Steve turned 64.  We ate chicken cordon bleu, potato wedges, asparagus, and went to Culvers for dessert.  He opened his gifts on Sunday.  I didn't take a photo :(

Wednesday - I picked up my glazed pottery.

 The one with the holes are for orchids.  The domed one with the bird on top is a butter dish for me - to keep gluten-free.  The little pieces in front are my attempt at throwing small items .....much more challenging than I thought.  Maybe you can see a slight pattern on the blue plate?  I tried a wax design but the glaze ran into it, darn it.  It is serving very nicely under a plant pot now.

Thursday - Steve had his mission physical.  I took my stress test and passed.

Friday - we took the truck to Walmart for an oil change and walked to Culvers for lunch.  It is two-mile round trip so we walked off all the delicious cheeseburgers we ate, right?   We finished Sherlock that night.  Zowie, what an ending!

Saturday - a temple day.

Sunday - I surrendered to the chest cold I started to get on Thursday and stayed home from church to sleep.  Hope it did some good.  As I lay in bed, though, my mind just keeps whirring round and round about stuff that needs to be done before we leave to wherever on our mission.  For example:  I have 31 houseplants I will need to get rid of.  THIRTY-ONE!!!!!  Anyone want a plant????

A Week of celebrating,examining, watching, and anticipating

 

We celebrated Melanie's birthday last Sunday evening - the day before her actual birthday. 

Tuesday, the day after her actual birthday, she and several church friends went to see "Sing" at the theater with a visit to Coldstone afterwards.  Elise and I didn't go to the movie but we definitely got the ice cream! 

This week was the beginning of all the medical visits we need before submitting papers for our mission.  I saw the dentist on Monday and the doctor on Tuesday.  One of the issues I wanted to bring up with the doctor was my knee which, although it doesn't hurt any more, is still swollen.  This is two months after the urgent care incident and continuing physical therapy exercises.  So, I finally got an X-ray and an orthopedic consult.  The X-ray showed a small amount of arthritis but no other abnormalities so I guess I will know more after this coming week. 

I also saw a urologist on Thursday.  This was in follow-up regarding my bladder pain - possible interstitial cystitis - blood in my urine from the fall.  I had a CT scan in late December and, on Thursday, I had a cystoscopy which, along with the CT, confirmed that I have a bladder stone!  A rather large one.  Way back in 1999, when I had my hysterectomy, the doctor took a little stitch in my bladder to help with too-many-babies leakage.  Well, just like the stone in the oyster eventually creates a pearl, this little stitch attracted calcium and, over the succeeding eighteen years, a lovely bladder stone was formed.  I will have an out-patient procedure to have the stitch removed and the stone pulverized by laser.  My secret hope is that this stone is causing the irritation of my bladder lining and, once it is gone, I can return to eating acidic foods - including CHOCOLATE!!!

Steve and I are not "binge watchers" of anything but I suppose you could say we were this week on Sherlock.  We are now just awaiting the final episode of the current season.  Boy, it has been an emotional roller coaster with that one!  We also watched "Gattica" and "Les Miserables".  All this because, since Friday, we have been home bound due to the "ice storm" that was supposed to wreak havoc upon Columbia.  Schools, government, buses, and tons of other services shut down on Friday but, no freezing rain fell.  I cancelled a single adult eagle watch activity and an MMCO performance on Saturday due to the forecast but again, no freezing rain fell.  We were to travel to St. Louis today for Larkin's baby blessing but cancelled that based upon the forecast Saturday evening and, yet again, no freezing rain fell overnight.  We thought surely our church meetings would be cancelled but there was no need.  They were cut back to just one hour because not enough people came to man the Primary and other second and third hour meetings.   Now, there were areas in Missouri that got hammered by freezing rain.  St. Louis was one of them.  But, when the temperatures rise a bit, the rain then helps melt the ice so Emily's ward DID have meetings today and they blessed Larkin without Grandpa Steve and Uncle Steven.  Sigh.  But, by the time we all realized we COULD have gone, it was too late.  Steven has been literally camping out at the television station and he was in no shape to drive.  SO, we made it through the great ice storm of 2017 that never happened. Missouri weather is really crazy.  Temperatures reached 70 degrees on Wednesday!  I worked out in the yard that day.  Then the weekend.  And, we are expecting warm weather again this coming week. 


  

Happy 2017!

We have snowmen all over the house to greet the year!

  I think they channeled the weather because we got about 2 inches of snow on Thursday.

 

Steve and I have been catching up on old episodes of Sherlock and we actually watched three this past week.  We still have two to go before we can start to watch season four.   We also went to the theater to see Moana.  We both loved it.  And, I also watched Batman vs. Superman this week. It could have been shorter, I think.  And, I need to have a discussion with Steven and Elise regarding the plot so I am kind of "meh" about it.  At least I got to work on projects while I watched. I made snowmen out of these white baby hats and I am making four T-shirt quilts (for me, Steve, Sarah, Steven/Tamara). 

 My sister Judy was in the hospital last week - hopefully she was discharged either yesterday or today to a rehab facility to get stronger.  Evidently a bout with the flu knocked her flat - and at age 81, that is not good. 

I am doing my part to stay healthy - I got a shingles shot on Friday. 

December - Chapter 5

Christmas Eve was our traditional one – we enjoyed a Bethlehem dinner, we read the story of the nativity from Luke, and we watched Scrooge.  Katie Kinder was a houseguest.  She is a 30-year old woman whose mother I used to visit teach back in the early 2000’s.  Her mother is now gone, as is her grandmother.  Her brother is up in Wisconsin.  And her only two other relatives – an aunt in Columbia and an uncle in Jefferson City – don’t communicate with her. 

Christmas Day was lovely.  It was a quiet morning with a delicious brunch followed by church at 1:00.  Steven sang “Were You There” in a men’s quartet that I accompanied.  Sarah sang “Still, Still, Still” in a women’s choir where I played a cello obbligato.  It was a really nice service.

After meetings, Katie posed with Steve and me before joining other friends for the rest of the day.   

 (foot surgery is the reason for the crutches)

Emily and Joe and kids arrived around 5:30 as did our missionaries – Elders Seamons and Kingsbury – and we had Christmas dinner at 6:00.   

 Elder Seamons is a huge Pokeman fan so Noah was in HEAVEN with someone to converse with.

 

 notice the white church ornament on the tree?  It was my St. Charles purchase this year.

 

 

 our feast took up all the  surfaces of the kitchen!

 

 Here we all are feasting.  Look who is doing his stink-eye!

 

vehicle pile-up in the Heilig Meyers village.  Thanks, Mr. Stink-eye!

 Adorable Larkin!

In the week between Christmas and New Year, we took down our poor dehydrated tree and started to put away other holiday décor.  Steve and I drove down to Eagle Bluffs by the Missouri River to check it out and we saw the famous burr oak (one of the largest in Missouri).  




  I rounded up a crew – including missionaries – 

 
to work on the refugee storage unit.  I believe it hadn’t been organized since the last time we tackled it back in August.  Here is a before and after.


 

 New Year’s Eve temperatures were relatively mild so we had a fire out in the pit and cooked brats. 
 
  We played games and watched “Finding Dory”.  It was a small group -  just Melanie and Elise.  Sarah was going to join us but ended up driving to a dance in Kansas City with YSA friends so part of our New Year’s Eve celebrations included driving to Sarah’s apartment to walk Bones and Lily.  We celebrated 2017 by greeting the sunrise (in the Menard’s parking lot because it has the best east-facing view – open fields and woods) and talking about the past year and our hopes and goals for the new one.  2017 is going to be an exciting one!

December - Chapter 4

The usual request to put together a musical program for Candlelight Lodge’s Christmas program came late this year – in fact, I thought maybe I was off the hook.  Alas, no.  Not having as strong of a high school string player connection, I decided to utilize the vocal talents of the Slade family again.  And, since Tamara and Carina were in town, I also asked the Kitchen family.  We provided some string trio prelude/gathering music and then the Lambson-Kitchen-Slade family choir provided some lovely carols for the program.  

 

 

 In addition Tamara and I each played a solo piece on our instruments.  (I reprised my Sacrament meeting number).  This all happened on Friday, December 23^rd.

Friday evening, Steve and I did our annual drive around and look at lights.  We made a point to stop by the Holyoak’s home because Melissa had borrowed some instruments and antique toys from me and Katherine Eschrich to decorate her themed trees for the Symphony Society’s Holiday Home Tour.  She and Claudine Barner really went all out and her home was just gorgeous!

  

 The music-themed tree

a close-up of the music tree.  This is a violin-in-need-of-repair that Katherine owns

 the toy-themed tree