CLAY AND WATTLES

Saturday

First! Happy Birthday, Morgan - my beautiful niece - here with brother Benjamin, my handsome nephew. (I think she looks like Ann Margaret!)

The day started off cold and rainy. I ventured out for a haircut, then Paul and I got the light fixture put up in the kitchen. I held out and held it up pretty well; but if we need another fixture there, it will be something simpler! But the light! It's so bright again and especially with one eye seeing white-whites and color-colors. I may actually have to deep clean in there!

After doing little things around the house I lay down for a nap, under Mama's afghan, and Oscar cozied up next to me. He's a great foot warmer, or back warmer. When I woke about an hour and a half later, the sun was out. So I invited Paul to go with me to Walmart and he did. I always like when he goes - he's a good loader/unloader and makes all that transporting easier. As well as company - we discuss types of cheese to buy, whether a Marie Callender Chicken Pot Pie will be good for dinner, the price of Cokes - important things like that.

I did a swap with him - if he'd unload from the truck and take it all in, I'd put it up, plus I'd walk Oscar. It was a deal. O and I walked over to school. He's about got the meaning of the word "car" when I call it out as one approaches. We get on the shoulder of the road and "stay" till it goes by. He has no idea what traffic could do. I shudder. Anyway, it was a nice, brisk, crisp walk around primary school and back. And Paul had put everything away when I got home!

I heated leftovers from John B's (McCrory's to eat last night). He had ordered pork tenderloin and we expected, oh, three or four round "dollars" but it was a whole pork tenderloin about the size I'd cook for us that would last through dinner and a couple of BBQs! Wow! He had eaten about half last night, and had the rest tonight. I had my chicken pilaf and corn casserole again, and there's still enough for another meal.

We're going to Amy's tomorrow after church. She had called - this was her long 3-day weekend - and had caught up on her sleep. She'd called twice and left messages; I figured it was time for her to have Mom and Dad over, so we invited ourselves. Of course, we'll take her somewhere to eat.

Talked to Sher earlier this morning; she was nearly on base and headed to the gym for the treadmill workout. She'd finally got to give Bailey a bath; he's taking medicine for a yeast infection and should have a bath twice a week. Okaaaay... He's twice the size of Oskie and Sher hasn't tried the trick of getting in the tub with him yet. Who knew dogs have yeast infection? His back looked as if he had dandruff, and it's yeast, the vet said.

Mike was to return to the doctor yesterday about his wrist, but I haven't heard what he said about continuing therapy, returning to work... Mike asked me earlier this week when we're "coming home." We need to go sometime soon.

Eye doing great. Last night wasn't the best - night lights/head lights. I'm sure everything being noticeably unfocused was extra worrisome, too. But my eye hasn't been as "tired" as it was a couple days last week. No air blowing in it; not on computer so much either. The "sharpness" of the vision seems to be improving daily.

Bitty hanging out on the back of a chair... She's way overdue for a brushing out and there is a huge wad on her chest I'll have to cut off... Oscar is one thing to groom - she is quite another... She doesn't appreciate or enjoy it.

Oscar with one of his "babies." I had put all his babies up off the floor so I could vacuum and next time I looked, he'd gotten them all off the little stool in the kitchen and had dragged his blankie into his kennel, lying on it. But here he's in my lap, listening with great interest to the car auction on Speed with Paul.

As I was putting a pillow case on my "knee" pillow, I noticed it is threadbare; it's already frayed around the opening. This is one I use constantly and Mama Nick had done this zigzag stitching around the hem years ago. I'm not sure how I happen to have this; maybe it was a gift at some time. This time I didn't put it back on the pillow. Mama Nick is 90 and at one time she was able to sew and do things like this. I don't have much of her handiwork - actually this may be it. (I have a couple of quilts her mother, Mother Ruth, had pieced and some of the pieces I remember in dresses Mama Nick wore. So this goes in the linen closet now. Heirloom: a family possession handed down from generation to generation. Heir: a person ... inheriting the tradition, talent, etc., of a predecessor. Loom: the art or the process of weaving. Her sewing machine; her creativity. The green thread on the white pillow case... Her hands... Her gift...