"HOW THINGS ARE MADE DAY" WITH THE KIDS

"THE KIDS" - that would be my niece SHELBY who is all grown up now and a mom to three - GRACE (13), NORA (12) and DEREK (9). The other two "KIDS", SADIE (9) and HAZEL (6), are children of my other niece, LESLIE. They all live in MD, so SHELBY was kind enough to drive all of them to YORK, PA to meet me. 

I had a FULL DAY of FUN planned with AUNT JOAN.

My initial thought was to take them to the HARLEY-DAVIDSON factory to see a MOTORCYCLE being made, but their age restriction is 12, so THAT was out.

I then thought we should see PRETZELS being made, but the closest one doesn't do tours on Fridays. Next time....... 

In this area of the country there are SO MANY options to see how something is made - I settled on the following three:

• VIOLINS and Other String Instruments
• ICE CREAM
• SOAP

We started out at 11 AM with LUNCH.  Feed the kids so they don't get CRANKY, right?! 

Then a quick stop at THE HAINES SHOE HOUSE, which was visible from the highway back in the 1970's when I was in college.  

Remember this nursery rhyme??........

"There was an old woman who lived in a shoe.

She had so many children, she didn't know what to do.

She gave them some broth without any bread;

And whipped them all soundly and put them to bed."

I never realized how NASTY this poem is until we all looked it up on Google together. YIKES!!

Several fun, individual GAMES are available outdoors.

And OF COURSE - the DOG HOUSE caught my eye.......

On to our first small company visit - BLUETT BROS. VIOLINS.

CLICK the ARROW below to hear the lovely sound from one of his hand-crafted violins!!

NEXT - THE TURKEY HILL EXPERIENCE, where the "KIDS" had multiple opportunities to learn a little something and to burn off some of their HIGH ENERGY. 

Milking a COW was OH SO MUCH FUN for SADIE and HAZEL!

HAZEL - our "HAZEL-NUT"!!!!

Fun times VIDEOTAPING a COMMERCIAL......

The HIGHLIGHT OF THE WHOLE DAY of course, was each CREATING AND EATING their own flavor of ice cream!!!

Our final stop was at the SUNRISE SOAP COMPANY, with locations in York, Lancaster and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. 

Each of us picked a SOAP MOLD, a FRAGRANCE and a COLOR for our soap. Once mixed and poured into the molds, they went into the freezer for 20 minutes. We were each THRILLED with our results!! 

For a ladies event, a more detailed tour of their soap-making process is also available.

Can you imagine a more fun-filled day than this? Well, I already have the next day planned in my head!! Thanks for taking the time to join our excursion through these photos.

AUNT JOAN

30 BOOKS I'VE REALLY ENJOYED IN THE PAST FEW YEARS

A friend asked me today for a few book suggestions - so CONNIE, here you go!! 

I owe a debt of gratitude to the 4 BOOK CLUBS that I attend each month, because most of these were introduced to me through them. It's quite fun to read "outside of your normal comfort zone". Especially if it's GOOD WRITING. And the book discussions often bring to light a perspective I would have missed on my own, which I'm thankful for.

All of the following, I'd rate out of 5, either a 4 ("I really liked it") or 5 ("It was amazing").  Thank you Goodreads.com for this rating system!

OK CONNIE, this should keep you busy for a few weeks..........

1. America's First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie
2. Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross
3. Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
4. Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
5. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
6. The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman
7. The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery
8. Mrs. Kennedy and Me by Clint Hill and Lisa McCubbin
9. Five Presidents by Clint Hill and Lisa McCubbin
10. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
11. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
12. The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
13. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
14. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
15. The Tender Bar by JR Moehringer
16. The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
17. Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
18. The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens
19. The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tassaro
20. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
21. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
22. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
23. The Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
24. The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure
25. I Always Loved You by Robin Oliveira
26. The Last Painting of Sarah de Vos by Dominic Smith
27. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
28. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
29. The Valley of Amazement by Amy Tan
30. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

JOAN

BOOK - "FAHRENHEIT 451" by RAY BRADBURY (1951)

This book is for my upcoming BOOK CLUB discussion and my reaction after reading it was a BIG surprise.  I totally enjoyed it and am not sure I'd say the same if I had been required to read it in high school or college. But today, especially with my love for books, it was a GREAT read. So much of what he described 66 YEARS AGO, rings true today.

From the author, RAY BRADBURY (1920-2012) - 

• "So my love of books is so intense that I finally have done - what? I have written a book about a man falling in love with books."

• "I've always believed in quick writing, so that I could get things out before I had time to think about them. I wanted to be true to whatever inner logic there was in myself. I didn't want to be true to any one group of people in the world. I wanted to be true to my own anger. I've always been afraid of belonging to groups. I don't want to be a Democrat or a Republican or a Communist or a Fascist, or - just an all-American. I wanted to be, as far as I can be, myself and find out what I think, and get it out in the open and then intellectualize about it. And see what I think."

The book's INTRODUCTION was written by NEIL GAIMAN in 2013. The following few lines really caught my eye - 

• "And fiction gives us empathy: it puts us inside the minds of other people, gives us the gift of seeing the world through their eyes. Fiction is a lie that tells us true things, over and over."

To give you a feel for BRADBURY's WRITING, I'll share several passages that made me stop to read them a 2nd AND/OR a 3rd TIME. So brilliant. Thought-provoking. And remember, this book was published 66 YEARS AGO!! - 

Pg 5

     "Well," she said, "I'm seventeen and I'm crazy.  My uncle says the two always go together."

Pg 55

     "With school turning out more runners jumpers, racers, tinkerers, grabbers, snatchers, fliers, and swimmers, instead of examiners, critics, knowers, and imaginative creators, the word 'intellectual,' of course, became the swear word it deserved to be." 

Pg 71

     "I don't talk things, sir," said Faber. " I talk the meaning of things. I sit here and know I'm alive."

Pg 137

     "This dark land rising was like that day in his childhood, swimming, when from nowhere the largest wave in the history of remembering slammed him down in salt mud and green darkness, water burning mouth and nose, retching his stomach, screaming!  Too much water!"

Pg 146

     "But that's the wonderful thing about man; he never gets so discouraged or disgusted that he gives up doing it all over again, because he knows very well it is important and worth the doing."

Pg 149

     "When I was a boy my grandfather died, and he was a sculptor. ........ And when he died, I suddenly realized I wasn't crying for him at all, but for all the things he did. I cried because he would never do them again, he would never carve another piece of wood or help us raise doves and pigeons in the back yard or play the violin the way he did, or tell us jokes the way he did. He was part of us and when he died, all the actions stopped dead and there was no one to do them just the way he did. He was an individual. He was an important man. I've never gotten over his death."

Pg 149

     "Everyone must leave something behind when he dies, my grandfather said. A child or a book or a painting or a house or a wall built or a pair of shoes made. Or a garden planted. Something your hand touched some way so your soul has somewhere to go when you die, and when people look at that tree or that flower you planted, you're there."

Pg 150

     "I hate a Roman named Status Quo' he said to me. 'Stuff your eyes with wonder,' he said, 'live as if you'd drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It's more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories."

OK, so what do you think???

JOAN

PS - Awards aplenty for this book - 

• Hugo Award for Best Novel (1954)
• Prometheus Hall of Fame Award (1984)
• Geffen Award for Best Translated SF Book (2002)
• California Book Award Silver Medal for Fiction (1953)

TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE

OMG!!!  Does THIS ever bring back childhood memories!!

I opened an email today from CROWN PUBLISHING titled "A BRIEF HISTORY OF TUNA CASSEROLE" <----- (click on the orange type to read the article)

This brought back VIVID memories of 7th or 8th grade HOME ECONOMICS class at TE (Tredyffrin-Easttown) Junior High School in Berwyn, PA, when the teacher passed out a menu for TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE. We made it in class, I fell in LOVE with it and from that point on, I TORTURED my family with it as often as I was allowed to make it.  

"TORTURED" you wonder??

I remember one night when my parents were going out and I was to babysit my two younger sisters - they both PLEADED with my mother - "PLEASE DON'T LET HER MAKE US TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE FOR DINNER!!!".  

I'll have to ask them sometime whether or not they ever have a craving for it........

JOAN

IN 1971 I SAW A UFO - I REALLY DID!!

I've been watching a show on the HISTORY CHANNEL called "ANCIENT ALIENS: DECLASSIFIED" - exploring the history of ANCIENT ASTRONAUTS (ANCIENT ALIENS) and UFO SIGHTINGS - not only in the UNITED STATES, but all over the WORLD! 

I HIGHLY recommend this program if you have an interest in such things.

Last week they spoke about THE ROSWELL UFO INCIDENT in NEW MEXICO and also the "RUSSIAN ROSWELL INCIDENT". Who knew there were also a number of SIGHTINGS and UFO CRASHES in RUSSIA?

This week they are focusing on the FOUNDING FATHERS OF THE UNITED STATES, many of whom were FREEMASONS - A SECRET SOCIETY founded on a combination of SCIENTIFIC and SPIRITUAL BELIEFS. 

So, curiosity led me to look up information on FREEMASONS and how I could become a MEMBER, only to find out it's a MEN ONLY GROUP. But there IS a CO-FREEMASON organization that allows women. More research on my horizon......

BACK TO THE FOUNDING FATHERS - 

GEORGE WASHINGTON and THOMAS JEFFERSON worked on the planning of the city of WASHINGTON, DC. This show pointed out a number of interesting facts to substantiate that the city's design incorporated many FREEMASON symbols. 

Some believe that WASHINGTON and JEFFERSON also designed the city's roads to be built in a STAR SHAPE, in the very center of the 10 mile square city, so that EXTRATERRESTRIALS might see it and know that THIS (Washington, DC) is the capital of the WORLD".

One fact that caught my attention is that the WASHINGTON MONUMENT is the largest OBELISK in the world. Situated next to a reflecting pool, the MONUMENT points UP to the STARS (PARTICULAR STARS I might add.......) and then DOWN thru the EARTH in the reflection.

GEORGE WASHINGTON believed in EXTRATERRESTRIALS and actually had a few "VISIONS" in 1777 while in VALLEY FORGE, PA - only a few miles from where I grew up. 

I digress...... 

Yes, Yes, Yes....... BACK to my PERSONAL UFO sighting........

I was in my first year of college in AUBURN UNIVERSITY in ALABAMA. My best friend in high school, PATTY came to visit me in JANUARY 1971. We were riding along a back country road with my friend JEFF, in his VOLKSWAGEN BUG. I was in the back seat, leaning my head back and looking up at the sky. To the left of us was open field with a line of trees at the edge. Along the top of the treeline there was a big bright light hovering above the trees, moving quite slowly (at the same speed as our car), so it could NOT be an airplane. I finally yelled, "STOP THE CAR - I SEE A UFO!!" 

We JUMPED out of the car and saw the bright light above the trees, but it stopped, changed direction and shot off away from us at an incredible speed and disappeared. 

I SWEAR - TRUE STORY!!!

I diligently watched the skies over the next few years, recounting my experience to friends, but no one else had seen one at that time. Sightings WERE being reported all over the United States. 

So, tell me - have YOU ever seen a UFO (or an EXTRATERRESTRIAL)??

JOAN

BOOK - "FIVE PRESIDENTS" by CLINT HILL and LISA McCUBBIN (Nonfiction)

WHAT A BOOK!! And I LOVE the cover. CLINT HILL is probably in his 30's or 40's in this photo. What a fascinating career he had in the SECRET SERVICE, working for all 5 of these Presidents.

I joined a NON-FICTION BOOK CLUB because I normally didn't read non-fiction and wanted to be exposed to some things I wouldn't normally gravitate towards. Several years ago my Sorority Alumni Book Club read "MRS. KENNEDY AND ME", also co-authored by CLINT HILL and LISA McCUBBIN and we all LOVED IT!  

If you don't know CLINT HILL by name, you would certainly know him as the man who climbed onto the back of the limousine that PRESIDENT and MRS. KENNEDY were riding in when PRESIDENT KENNEDY was assassinated in Dallas, Texas.

CLINT HILL gives you a detailed accounting of the steady pressure he was under as a SECRET SERVICE AGENT - to protect the life of the President, Vice President and/or The First Lady. He was constantly planning for the next "outing" - was always on the lookout for strange movements or people who looked out of place or threatening and the stress finally took it's toll in his 40's. As co-authors, he and LISA McCUBBIN beautifully describe his life's work, his daily routine (that wasn't really "routine" at all) and the pressures he faced as a dedicated employee and protector.

Besides learning about CLINT HILL'S life, I also really enjoyed learning more about each of the 5 Presidents from his "insider perspective". Several things fascinated me about these 5 Presidents - including what they each had in common: 

1. During EVERY Presidency, there was SOCIAL and/or POLITICAL UNREST.
2. Every PRESIDENT had an enormous EGO - a NEED for adoration.
3. Many PRESIDENTS spent more time at his "ALTERNATE WHITE HOUSE" than at the actual White House in Washington, DC.
4. They all seem to love GOLF.

SOCIAL/POLITICAL UNREST

THE 1950's - EISENHOWER

Pg 52

"The fear of nuclear war was ever present, hovering like fog in every American's mind, and Eisenhower realized that maintaining our military strength was imperative to sustaining freedom in pursuit of world peace."

THE 1960's - KENNEDY

Pg 85

"Many American's believed war with the Soviet Union was inevitable. Additionally, racial tensions were mounting - especially throughout the South - as the civil rights movement was coming to the forefront."

Pg 129

"Nowhere was the tension greater than in Birmingham, Alabama, where Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. had organized a series of marches."

THE 1960's - JOHNSON

Pg 230

"Everywhere you turned there was violence and killing."

Pg 282

"In less than twenty-four hours our nation's capital had turned into a war zone, and similar scenes were playing out in Chicago, Boston, Memphis, Nashville, and Detroit. So many military personnel were brought to D.C. that we were housing some of them in the hallways of the Executive Office Building, adjacent to the White House."

Pg 289

"It felt like our country was unraveling at the seams."

Pg 293

"It felt like hatred and violence had taken the helm, thrusting our civilized society into a downward spiral."

THE 1960's - NIXON

Pg 325

"When Richard M. Nixon took office, America was a nation divided, with turbulence in our cities, ongoing protests against the Vietnam War, and still reeling from the assassinations of two more of our leaders."

THE 1970's - FORD

Pg 417

"One thing for sure: Ford's honeymoon period had come to an end, and from that point on, he would be the target of outrage and protests - an additional challenge for the agents on his protective detail."

EGO

Pg 29

EISENHOWER - "In response to the tremendous outpouring of affection, President Eisenhower rose up out of his seat and stood so the people could see him better, his arms outstretched, waving with his hat in his hand."

Pg 145

KENNEDY - "President and Mrs. Kennedy waved to the enthusiastic crowd, and when a group behind the fence line beckoned them to come closer, sure enough, President Kennedy strode toward them with Mrs. Kennedy following behind."

Pg 239

JOHNSON - "He stood on the running board reaching out to shake hands, grinning and shaking his head with glee at the response, and then, suddenly, he hauled himself up to the roof of the car and sat on the roof so the people could see him better."

Pg 332

NIXON - ".... his actions showed me that this president - like all the others I'd seen thus far - had an ego that needed to be stroked so badly that the man was willing to take calculated risks - risks that might cost him his life."

Pg 431

"The five presidents I had the privilege to serve could not have been more different....Yet there was one thing they all had in common: an enormous ego."

"ALTERNATE WHITE HOUSE"

Pg 91

KENNEDY - "The home at 1095 North Ocean Boulevard in Palm Beach that would be known as the Winter White House was actually owned by the president's father, Ambassador Joseph Kennedy. ......just another place for the family to gather: their warm-weather getaway."

Pg 105

KENNEDY - "Just as Ambassador Kennedy's residence in Palm Beach became the Winter White House, the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, became the Summer White House."

Pg 219

JOHNSON - "Each president deals with the stress of the office in his own way. Lyndon Johnson found relaxation at the LBJ Ranch, and in 1965 alone he spent more than 110 days there - nearly a third of the year."

NOTABLES

Pg 1

"Eisenhower initiated America's interstate highway system, which created an abundance of jobs as roads and bridges were constructed across the country."

Pg 40

EISENHOWER - "For me, it was a fascinating learning experience to see how heads of state and governments worked together for the betterment of all their people. I was pleased to see the respect each had for one another, knowing they all had different philosophies, but also realizing that if these men did not work together toward a common goal, the result could be the end of humanity as we knew it."

Pg 336

"Raised a Quaker, Nixon was deeply religious....."

Pg 342

"This was the crux of the message he was going to give to the leaders of the countries he visited on this trip: We, the United States, will support you, but you must fight your own battles in protecting your homeland. No more Vietnams. This would become the basis of the "Nixon Doctrine"."

Pg 413

CLINT HILL - "Secret Service agents are supposed to be tough - and we were - but when your mother dies, even the strongest of men need someone to lean on."

Pg 414

".....on August 9, Vice President Gerald Ford would then be sworn in - the first person to become President of the United States not through the process of election but rather as an appointee."

And I have to say that I now realize that the world and the United States has always been in turmoil - there has always been conflict - there has always been fear of the actions from other countries - there have always been BIG challenges - and we are fortunate that men and women take risks to keep the rest of us safe from harm.

One last quote about the NEWS - 

THE 1960's

Pg 276

"Certainly, it is more dramatic to show policeman and rioters locked in combat than to show men trying to cooperate with one another. The face of hatred and of bigotry comes through much more clearly - no matter what its color. The face of tolerance, I seem to find, is rarely newsworthy."

JOAN

WOLF SANCTUARY VISIT

Who knew that there is a WOLF SANCTUARY in LITITZ, PA within an hour of my house?! 

Well, I did and actually had it on my "60 THINGS TO DO AND SEE IN MY 60's" list. In January some friends and I visited the SANCTUARY and I thought you might enjoy seeing some of the photos I took of the WOLVES - although their website has a much more beautiful selection of WOLF photos, I have to admit. 

What a great experience for children AND adults. On 80 acres, for the past 30 years, one family has provided shelter and care for the WOLVES and has created an educational destination for the community and afar. There is no government or corporate financial support - they exist merely on donations from people like us.

This first group of WOLVES have been together for many years and from what we were told, they won't let any new wolves join their pack.

Isn't this one a handsome WOLF? Looks like you could "cuddle" him, but I would caution you to drop that thought.......

It was COLD, drizzly and a bit sloppy and slippery the day we visited. To see all of the wolves, we had to climb a pretty steep hill. With a bad knee and hip, it was challenging and tiring for me, BUT I made it to the top and most importantly back down to the bottom without a fall!! Ok, I was holding onto the fence as I creeped down the hill........

This one, one of the Volunteer favorites, is ready for something to eat!  Notice him scratching at the fencing to get the Volunteer's attention.

Tickets are nominally priced and private tours are the norm. The day we went, unexpectedly there were too many people there for any private tours, but the volunteers, who stood in front of each den, were enthusiastic and offered wonderful information about each of the wolves - about their habits, their history and their individual personalities. Each volunteer is PASSIONATE about the care of these WOLVES and knows every one of them by name.

I highly recommend a day here if you love animals, the outdoors and learning new things. It's also a beautiful drive out in the COUNTRYSIDE of LANCASTER COUNTY.

JOAN
PS On our way out, I noticed this OLD gasoline pump that must have been from "back-in-the-day" - 32 CENTS PER GALLON?!!

BOOK REVIEW - THE LIFE WE BURY by ALLEN ESKENS (NO SPOILERS)

It's not often that I read TWO BOOKS IN A ROW that I'd rate a 5 out of 5...... 

LOVED LOVED LOVED this book - "THE LIFE WE BURY" by ALLEN ESKENS (you can follow him on FACEBOOK too). 

From the first page, I was hooked and literally couldn't put it down. Only 300 pages - I finished it in 2 days. Easy-to-read and follow, FULL of SUSPENSE, and INTRIGUE - HEARTWARMING and FRIGHTFUL with many twists and turns. This author can write!

All of the characters are believable and well developed. I finished the book wanting nothing more - it was "JUST RIGHT"..........

Excited that it won THE EDGAR AWARD (2015), which in case you aren't aware, is for BEST WRITTEN MYSTERY. Very well deserved. Here are the other awards it's received:

• Anthony Award Nominee for Best First Novel (2015)
• Minnesota Book Award Nominee for Genre Fiction (2015)
• Thriller Award Nominee (2015)
• Barry Award Winner (2015)

My Book Club is going to really enjoy the discussion next month.  Naturally I don't want to spoil the story for you so I will only share a few excerpts to give you a flavor for the author's writing style (magnificent!):

Pg 7 (actually the first page of the story)

"Oddly enough my high-school guidance counselor never mentioned the word "college" in any of our meetings. Maybe she could smell the funk of hopelessness that clung to my second-hand clothing. Maybe she had heard that I started working at a dive bar called the Piedmont Club the day after I turned eighteen. Or - and this is where I'd place my bet - maybe she knew who my mother was and figured that no one can change the sound of an echo."

Pg 10

"My mother and my brother lived two hours south of the Twin Cities, but even a brief visit to my mom's place could be like a walk through a thistle patch."

Pg 38

"I have to get to class," she said, skirting past me, her shoulder brushing lightly against my arm as she went by. Then she paused at the door, or at least I think she paused. Maybe she was reconsidering my invitation. Maybe she was toying with me. Or, maybe - probably - my imagination was playing a trick on me and she didn't pause at all.

Pg 201

"Confession..." I said the word quietly to myself as a thought began forming, a dark and reckless thought, a thought that would follow me home and poke at me with the persistence of a petulant child."

TRUST ME - you WON'T be disappointed if you pick up this AWARD-WINNING BOOK and treat yourself to several hours of wonderful WRITING and STORY-TELLING.

JOAN

BOOK REVIEW - "THE LAST PAINTING OF SARA DE VOS" (NO SPOILERS)

This book is WONDERFUL - I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it!!

INTRIGUE, MYSTERY, ROMANCE, DECEIT, ART, FORGERY - and the story itself is MASTERFULLY CRAFTED.

I hope you can mentally visualize paintings by the DUTCH MASTERS, but if not, it helps to use GOOGLE to look up ones mentioned in the book. I did that for many that I was not familiar with.

Set in the mid-1600's, late 1950's and the year 2000, the story jumps back and forth, but it isn't confusing at all. The book was so good that I didn't want it to end. I immediately re-read it chronologically, which gave me a different perspective - but I preferred the way the author wrote it.  Of course!!

Naturally I don't want to spoil the story for anyone, so I'll stop here but I WILL share a few excerpts that "grabbed me".........

Pg 139

"Betting on a flower's future blooming always seemed to him like betting on the motion of clouds."

Pg 183

"As a patent attorney I follow the history of inventions. The guy who filed the first zipper patent in the nineteenth century called it the Automatic, Continuous Clothing Closure. For obvious reasons that name never caught on..."

Pg 205

"She was sixteen and being courted by the local boys. My husband was forever finding ribbons tied to the fence-post as a sign of some secret love promise."

Pg 212

"How remarkable, she thinks, the way paintings trap light and time. Father Barry used to call it starlight, the passage of pigments on canvas across the centuries."

Pg 219

"An open mouth was a sign of sexual availability in Dutch culture at the time. A signifier of sorts."

Pg 234

"Wasn't the promise of immense wealth a cryogenic cloister in which to grow old? Couldn't decades of eating the best foods, taking the best vacations, and sleeping in the finest beds prevent the slumping of the frame and the spackling of the skin? All these years, she has kept him in his forties."

Pg 262

"You carry grudges and regrets for decades, tend them like gravesite vigils, then even after you lay them down they linger on the periphery, waiting to ambush you all over again."

ENJOY!!

JOAN

MY TOTAL HIP REPLACEMENT

I'm AMAZED. And GRATEFUL.

THURSDAY, APRIL 20th (2 weeks ago today)

5:45AM - Arrived at the Surgical Center (thanks to my sister JANE!!)

6:30AM - Hip replacement surgery (35 minutes!!)

11:30AM - I walked across the room with a walker. 

What I was most afraid of was getting sick from the anesthesia (big-time personal and family history of this), but the anesthesiologist "hooked me up" with plenty of precautions and it worked! My doctor and his surgical team visited me before noon to say that the operation was a huge success. There was no cartilage left - YIKES! - all arthritis was removed, loose ligaments tightened and a new hip in place. 

The nursing staff (and JANE) cared for me so kindly and skillfully. I couldn't have been more thankful. The Surgical Center has only 12 rooms - all private, large and beautifully, soothingly decorated.

THE NEXT DAY - FRIDAY, APRIL 21st

Discharged. Are you kidding me?!!

In the 1960's when my father had his hip replaced, the surgery was 8 HOURS long and he was in the hospital for days and then transferred to a rehab center for WEEKS of physical therapy.

No physical therapy for me. This is a new concept for sure. My doctor (GOD BLESS HIM) wants the new hip to heal slowly and gently. I LOVE this approach. I was told to go home and pretend that I'm snowed in, resuming normal household activities as I feel prepared to. Bend no more than 90 degrees at the hip and walk, walk, walk around the house. Followup in 18 days.

My sister ELLEN brought me home and stayed for several days to wait on me hand and foot (and HIP). What a Godsend!

NOW for more of the humbling part of this experience........

After reading this book recommended by 2 friends, I began VISUALIZING my recovery and NOT the surgery itself.

My VISUALIZATION included not only comfortable walking, but I MENTALLY SURROUNDED MYSELF with LOVE from FAMILY and FRIENDS. Boy oh boy, did I ever do an UNBELIEVABLE job of CREATING MY OWN REALITY. Family and friends appeared DAILY with food, gifts, flowers, emails, cards, phone calls, visits........ To say that I have been OVERWHELMED, would be an understatement.

THANK YOU TO GOD AND UNIVERSE, THE POWERS OF POSITIVE THINKING, TO LOVE and FAMILY and FRIENDS!!

Starting off with a TEA PARTY and TEA SANDWICHES FOR TWO........

HEALTHY LUNCHES and GIRLFRIEND time. The perfect medicine to speed my HEALING.

POPCORN, FLOWERS and ALEXIA picked up my new prescription glasses. (CLOVER!!!!)

My BIRTHDAY was back in February, but since we didn't have an opportunity to celebrate it then, these Girls INSISTED!!  One week out from surgery and we are PARTYING.

And we added one more FRIEND to the party that day..........

And then one more........!!!

A delicious visit from a local ITALIAN CHEF and his wife - friends of mine. Nice friends to have, eh??

And more FLOWERS!!!!

And CHOCOLATE!!!  Don't you love the message in the box "SHARING IS OPTIONAL".

CLOVER!!!, stayed with my friend DIANE and her husband Michael and their 10 YEAR OLD GOLDEN, HUNTER. They celebrated CLOVER!!!'s 2nd BIRTHDAY while she was there.  Diane said, "Only ONE dog showed up for the party, but CLOVER!!! had a good time anyway."

Naturally I'm anxious to get back to my passion of TRAVEL. But the furthest I've traveled in the past 2 weeks is my MAILBOX........  BABY STEPS, right?

JOAN

CLOVER!!! AND I HAD A FUN DAY YESTERDAY

We got up early (I LOVE being retired!) to be at the car wash when they open at 8 am. A SPRING DETAIL was sorely needed!  It's the first time that CLOVER!!!'s been to the car wash - we had to wait for 90 minutes - boy oh boy was I impressed. She was SUCH a good girl with the people and one other dog (who was NOT on a leash - oh my!!)

A CLEAN CAR!! Unfortunately it won't last long - dog hair is ALWAYS flying off of CLOVER!!!........

NEXT STOP - 

STARBUCKS for a HOT CHOCOLATE. For ME. If you're on Facebook, you may have seen these recent photos of CLOVER!!! having enjoyed the other half of my STARBUCKS HOT CHOCOLATE when I was out of the car for a VERY short while........... not enough chocolate to do any harm, thankfully. 

And yes, the CHARLES BELFOURE book here, "HOUSE OF THIEVES" was a GREAT read and survived the hot chocolate spill. His previous book, "THE PARIS ARCHITECT", is one of my all-time favorites! I can't wait for his next one.......

Does she look GUILTY or what?!! Notice that she won't give me ANY EYE CONTACT.......

Today, the STARBUCKS BARISTA asked, "Would you like a FREE PUPPUCINNO?"

I had to ask "WHAT IS THAT?"

"It's WHIPPED CREAM in a cup - for your dog."  

"YES, PLEASE!!"

Have you heard of this??? Naturally CLOVER!!! LOVED it......

NEXT STOP - 

CVS for my 4TH ATTEMPT at a decent PASSPORT PHOTO. UGH. I never realized how vain I am, but seriously, the 3 previous attempts were ATROCIOUS. Goodness, do I really look like that?!!  Their fluorescent lighting and old cameras - I mean think about it - the photo is gonna be with me for the next 10 YEARS, so I don't want to CRINGE every time I show it! 

Well, I wouldn't say "SUCCESS", but at least this time we got one that is better than the previous attempts. And NO!!!!, I'm NOT going to share ANY of them here on this Blog post!

NEXT STOP - 

OUR GROOMER - for CLOVER!!!'s BATH and MANI/PEDI. She loves MELANIE and her mom, DONNA!! The family is very involved with local dog rescues and they truly love all canines.  

Just starting her business, MELANIE is all set up in the family home. Because of her size, CLOVER!!! gets her BATH in the bathtub upstairs. They said that yesterday, when MELANIE let her off of the leash, CLOVER!!! ran up the stairs and was waiting INSIDE THE TUB, when MELANIE got there. I would say SHE LIKES IT, wouldn't you?!

Photo credit - Melanie Werbos

Photo credit - Melanie Werbos

When I came to pick her up, MELANIE, DONNA, and CLOVER!!! were all waiting on their front porch, enjoying the gorgeous day we had. How cute is she with MELANIE'S handmade EASTER EGG bandanna?! Always "Holiday" appropriate. 

Photo credit - Melanie Werbos

Of course, WE highly recommend MELANIE. Ask me for her phone number if you'd like to give her a go!

HAPPY EASTER!!!

JOAN

MYSTERIES IN LIFE - AND DEATH

A non-smoking friend of mine was shockingly diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer a year and a half ago. She had the best care possible, but a week ago it was determined that the treatments were no longer working. She was sent home with Hospice Care. I was BLESSED, not only to have had many fun times together over the past 15 years, but to also have had time with her twice this past week. 

Sharing a love of reading, she and I regularly exchanged books with each other. The morphine was keeping her very sedated, so her husband suggested that I read to her. It calmed her quite a bit, for which he was thankful.

My visits were emotionally hard after leaving. It's simply heartbreaking when someone and the family is going through this "LETTING GO".  It's so final.

Before my MOM passed away in 1999, she told me that she would be certain to communicate with me from "THE OTHER SIDE", but that I would have to "PAY ATTENTION", because naturally she wasn't sure how it was going to work. I've had many instances since then when I feel certain that she's succeeded.

For instance, I had a dream last night....... my MOM and DAD (both deceased, yet in fairly regular contact with me spiritually) were both in it. In my dream, I couldn't figure out why they were visiting. They were telling me that they had been working on some SPECIAL TRAVEL PROGRAMS to wonderful, far away, obscure places - where LIFE is SIMPLE and CAREFREE.  

"SIMPLE" was made clear as we spoke while my mom showered (odd, but you know how dreams are.....). She was still wearing a batik cotton dress in the shower. She soaped up the dress on herself after she washed her hair, saying it was so she was most efficient in cleaning up.

This morning when I opened my eyes, my first thought was that perhaps my friend had passed away overnight. 

I showered, dressed and went downstairs. The first thing I did was check my texts. She DID in fact pass away peacefully, late last night. WOW. 

I have been "COMMUNICATED WITH" in unique ways (several times in dreams) when someone has passed, therefore I strongly believe in the mighty power of our spiritual lives. I choose to believe that my MOM and DAD APPEARED in my dreams last night to let me know that my friend is being well taken care of in her "TRAVELS".........  very comforting.

A "HIGH FIVE" and sincere THANK YOU to GOD, the UNIVERSE and my TEAM of ANGELS for the ABUNDANT GIFTS I receive EVERY DAY.

PEACE,

JOAN