Normal Stuff

Ron got home from camp Thursday about 20 minutes before I got home from Em's. I was so happy to see him, and that's the nicest feeling. A lot of people -- married people -- don't get all fuzzy and warm inside, and they certainly don't want to rush to share a kiss and hug. It's true that I like being alone -- always have, always will-- just not so much in this house, but I love it when Ron's around.

While at camp, Ron read all the info about dialysis. He understands now how difficult choosing a modality will be, if indeed he is a candidate for all of them. At home? At a center? Peritoneal? Hemo at home? Each has pros and cons.

Em was a bear Thursday. She got 3 or 4 time outs. Her cold was bothering her and she was a Jekyl and Hyde with her emotions. About the only thing we agreed on was we had to get out of the house so I proposed we go for a ride. She liked that idea so much she willingly got dressed. We ended up at Target's, and I let her lose in the toy department, with me close on her heels. There were 5 kids there, and it seemed that the moms/grandmoms with them had the same idea I did: Something to do at the tail-end of a long winter.

Em's been wanting to go to the park, and I've been telling her that the "man" locks the park during winter. It's a lie, of course, but there is nothing there but dirty snow and on warmer, sunny days, lots and lots of mud. It's not ready for us to go play.

Yesterday was monthly grocery shopping. I went to Price Chopper in Catskill. 20 miles south to Catskill or 20-25 miles north to Albany makes little difference. The store had few people in it so I was in and out in just over an hour. We will eat for another month!

Today is kind of a cleaning day. I dusted, cleaned the bathroom and stripped the bed. I vacuumed with the big vacuum Wednesday and used the cordless electric broom a couple of times since then. I won't vacuum today.

Michele is bringing Em here tomorrow so I can have her overnight. Monday is not a usual Ember-care day, but Pam is busy so I'm "it." Thing is, with Michele's new hours at work, Monday is a day she has to leave at 7 AM, way too early for me to get there in time, so Em will stay here from Sunday to Monday instead.

It will be a miracle if I don't sink into the mud in the backyard. It seems worse this year. Certainly everything is wetter because we had so much snow that is now melting. The slate sidewalk from the driveway to the stairs sunk quite a bit this past year, so it is under water every day, unless it's cold, then it's ice. One could lose a shoe -- if not a foot!! -- in the mud where we park the vehicles. I am so looking forward to everything melting and then drying up.

Weather - It's been chilly this week, partly cloudy and partly sunny. Today it's breezy and sunny with a temp of low 30s.

Gas prices - They've been stable at $1.95 in Glenmont to $2.05 in town.

Exercise - I haven't done much the past 10 days. My aches and pains caught up with me and I didn't have exercise in me.

Life lessons - There is one lesson I've learned, that being not to get my hopes up unrealistically high so that any disappointment doesn't hurt as much. Tony had given me personal news a couple of weeks ago that made me happy for him, but the plans didn't come to fruition. I hadn't hung my hat on a positive outcome so I wasn't down in the dumps about it.

Monday...

Ron's gone to camp. Probably a good thing because we need a break from one another. He wouldn't agree, I'm sure, but then he thinks that pretty much couples should be together as much as possible. I need space to BREATH and be who I am when I'm alone.

The painting is finished upstairs unless Ron decides to do the gun room. He won't. LOL In the past two years I've painted and done some wallpapering in the spare bedroom (a/k/a computer room); painted our bedroom; painted the clock room; painted the upstairs hallway, which runs from front to the back of the house; and downstairs painted the extension on the TV room. This morning I finished cleaning it all -- vacuumed and washed floors. A lot of floors. All well worth the effort because it looks good.

The rest of today is mine. I will play Pogo games, watch TV, read, knit, write emails.

Tomorrow is an Em day.

Weather - It's cold and very windy but the sun is out. We had flurkles yesterday but up on the mountain where we go for Sunday dinner it was snowing and accumulating to many inches.

Winter's End?? and Pictures of Em

It is coming -- the end of winter. Granted, we're due 3-6 inches of snow/slush starting this afternoon, and it is still very cold, BUT.... the sun (when it's not hidden by clouds) climbs higher in the sky each day and it lingers for minutes more each day. There's also something in the air that says spring.

Last week without taking care of Ember and no doc appointments for Ron was a vacation. I finished painting the clock room, and 99% of the stuff -- there will always be Ron's stuff ::sigh:: -- has been put back in it. To finish upstairs requires a bit more paint on the hallway ceiling where Ron fixed the falling plaster, putting away everything that is not needed for daily living and then cleaning.

Next project will be the kitchen pantry. That is something for which I definitely have to be in the mood to do.

Saturday, Valentine's Day, Ron and I went to dinner at Pancho Villa's, up on the mountain in Tannersville. It was very crowded with the ski crowd and other tourists. Luckily we got a table immediately because we were just 2 people. The food was terrific!! We both love Mexican and couldn't have asked for better food. Next time we go, though, we won't go on a holiday ski weekend and hopefully the service will be a bit better.

Em & family returned from Florida Saturday evening. They had a wonderful time. Em was so happy to talk to me Sunday morning when I called her, but she was very disappointed when she found out I was not driving up to see her right away. I saw her Tuesday when I took care of her. She was extremely loving and huggy/kissy, often coming to me during the day to cuddle, hug and kiss.

At the end of this post are pics of Em in Florida. The very last one is a typical Drama Queen Ember. They were in the airport waiting for the plane home, and Em was pissed because she wanted to go on THAT plane, though THAT plane was going to Pittsburgh not Albany.

It's difficult to believe that Em will only be 3 years old next month. She often looks much older.

Today is an at-home day, other than running a few errands around town this morning. After a little bit of dusting, some cordless electric broom vacuuming and general picking up, the rest of the day has been mine and will be mine, except for making supper. :--( I hate to cook!

Weather - Last week was great. High temps; lots of sunshine. This week is cold and today we may get snow.

Gas Prices - They continue to go up. Sunoco in town is at $2.09.

Exercise - I've been true to exercise by treadmilling. Usually do 20-25 minutes a day.

Life lessons - I've changed the name of my blog. Life changes and lessons sounded sooooo serious. It's been changed to Cobwebs from the Cellar. It is a very suitable name.

Em in The Snow

Swinging on the backyard swing in the middle of winter. It wasn't easy.

The pink ball ready to slide down the snowbank.

Em happy with the castle she built.

Mannnn....

Last post was over two weeks ago. I am a lazy son of a gun or maybe I just have nothing special to say!

The past two weeks have been filled with fairly normal activities, though, thankfully, there have been no doc appointments for either Ron or me.

I brought Ember down for an overnight last Thursday into Friday. She loves being here. What a wonderful feeling it is to know she is glad to visit us. We did a lot of playing. This big ole' house is good for that. Hide 'n seek is particularly fun. So is running: kitchen to dining room to front hall back into kitchen ... and around and around. Sometimes I'd take a break and hide behind the dining room door and Em would continue running, thinking I was just out of sight. Can't deny it's fun teasing kids sometimes. :--)

Thursday was so very cold -- below zero wind chill -- that we didn't go out to play. Friday, though, was warmer so after lunch we bundled up and played outside for an hour. She looked like a round pink ball in her snow pants, winter jacket, hat, hood and mittens. She had a great time but it was a lot of work walking through the backyard because of the depth of the snow and the icy crust on the top. Every two feet, Em would fall down and often need a helping hand getting back up.

Tony came down after work and had supper with us before he and Em left. He was taking her home to his house because Saturday night she had to spend with her mom in order to get up early Sunday morning and make it to the airport to catch the plane to Florida. Not quite 3 years old, and she's flying on a "big airpane."

So my darling Ember Rois is out of state, and I have no child care responsibilities for another week. I'm enjoying the reprieve. I feel fully retired again. I'm sleeping in. I'm watching the Today Show. I'm painting the clock room (almost done with that project). I'm playing Pogo games. I'm blogging!

Thursday I'm meeting the girls from Banking for dinner.

Friday I'm meeting Barbara for lunch in Saugerties.

Saturday is Valentine's Day. Ron said something about going out to dinner. Think I'll take him up on the idea.

Weather - This week has been warm... in the low 40s. Snow is melting like an ice cube left in the sun.

Gas prices - They've gone up to $2.05 in town at the Sunoco station.

Exercise - I've been very good, treadmilling most days for at least 20 minutes.

Life lessons - I can't eat what I want without exercising or I'll gain weight. I can't eat what I want even if I exercise and expect to lose weight. ::sigh:: Why not? If the powers that be invented ice cream, why can't it be enjoyed in quantities that are satisfying?

I Am Here

Here but down in the dumps. That's why I haven't written in over two weeks.

As is usual, we've been busy doing life things. I've had Em two times each of the past two weeks. I've also painted more of the clock room, though the past four or five days I haven't worked in there. Ron had an endoscopy. All is well down there. We had a bunch of snow on a Wednesday -- don't remember if it was the week of January 19 or January 26.

I had Em today and she's coming down here for an overnight Thursday into Friday this week. On Sunday, she, her mom and maternal grandmother fly to Tampa, FL, to visit relatives. Em's all excited and each plane she sees claims it as her own.

Em's been bumped up to a booster seat from a infant/toddler car seat, and she is tickled pink. It is soooooo much easier getting her in and out of the car.

Spring is coming. The folks around here who tap maples for sap to make maple syrup are starting the initial work, and a lot of work it is. Running and maintaining the lines for 600+ taps is a lot of work. The sap isn't running yet, but ya gotta be ready for it and there is no way to tell ahead of time when that will happen.

Gas Prices - Gas prices are rising. Cumberland in Glenmont was $1.95 this morning. Why is it going up?

Weather - We continue with our typical northeast winter. It's been cold. We've had a lot of snow. There is a lot of ice in the driveway.

Exercise - I've been doing a lot of treadmilling and feeling better for it.

Life lessons - I should have gone on an anti-depressant a couple of weeks ago because I am struggling this winter, but I didn't and I am paying for it now. Oh well...