Bill Babysits

Friday night Bill and I babysat for the twins while Jennifer and Jeremy went out for dinner. I was not able to take pictures, batteries went dead in the camera. So pictures below are a few days old. But Bill did an outstanding job of first holding Claire, then later on rocking Jake to sleep. He used a soft blanket to hold Jake and Jake just snuggled up, relaxed and closed his eyes while I walked, held, rocked Claire, who did NOT want to give in to sleep. Then Bill gave me the blanket to snuggle up Claire with, and it was like turning a switch. She was out like a light in seconds. I think I'll take Bill to babysit with me more often!!
Friday, January 29, the twins were officially 4 months old. They had gone to pediatrician earlier in the week, Jake is 13 lb 8 oz, and 23.5 inches long, Claire is 13 lb and 25 inches long. Jake had already passed Claire in weight a few weeks ago when they went to doctor for Jake's reflux problem. He is definitely catching up. Also, they are both getting on up there on the comparison charts, Claire higher than Jake (girl vs. boy charts). In other words, Jake is no longer in the ZERO range for height and weight. Jake is also very laid back and relaxed still, most of the time, and Claire still likes a steady routine, and woe to whoever disturbs it!

The dishwasher saga is still on-going, the installer got tied up Friday and was not able to get to Conroe to install, so the new dishwasher is still sitting in my kitchen, and I'm still washing dishes by hand. But hope springs eternal that next week it will get installed.
The floor saga of dirty grout in the new bathroom tiles also continues, with Viking Floors sending out a rep to take a look at it on Tuesday to see what might be going on.
Next issue to tackle will be a leak in the pool tiles where grout is cracked water is seeping out into ground around pool.

Avatar

Avatar: Awesome, 'nuf said.

OK, here is some more info. I was indifferent to seeing it, but a few of my friends saw it and said it was really terrific. Bill and I decided we should see it, just because.... and if we were going to see it, we wanted to see the 3D version. Thursday afternoon, 1:00 p.m. was a good time, the theater was nearly empty, we got perfect seats in the center of the theater, and walked in right as it started. A few minutes later (261 minutes to be exact), it was OVER and I wasn't ready to leave. Part Star Wars, part Dances with Wolves, part Lion King, and even part Medicine Man (all favorite movies of mine); and yet totally unique, and so much more than I was expecting. I would see it again, and I kept my 3D glasses, just in case...

Retired Activities

This has been a full week of retirement activities. Monday, Bill and I went flying. The weather was perfect, blue sky, cool temps, and we started out toward Lufkin for lunch at the airport diner. Unfortunately the air was bumpy even at 3500 feet. I felt like I was fighting the airplane, so we flew over Lake Livingston, then returned over Lake Conroe back to Hooks. I got to help put gas in the plane. NOTE the per gallon price!!

Lake Conroe with dam in the lower part of the picture.

Self serve gas pumps.

Tuesday I had lunch with Debbie and Marilyn both very recently retired, and Lillie. We met at the Pea (Black Eyed Pea) and reveled in how wonderful being retired is. Then caught up on children/grandchildren, and promised ourselves to do it again.
I carried a ZIP IT purse that Bill bought in San Francisco and gave me for Christmas. If you don't know what this is, check out the link, it really is a purse made of a really loooonnnnng zipper. After lunch, I stopped at the grocery store. Can't buy too much when it has to fit in the trunk of the Miata.

Wednesday, I got to twin sit. Jake now outweighs Claire! A few weeks ago, Jennifer took babies to pediatrician and Jake weighed 11 lb. 13 oz, and Claire weighed 11lb 12 oz. He is heavy, feels like picking up a barbell. I had a wonderful time, Jennifer got to get out of the house, then put her feet up for awhile, and I go to hold and feed and diaper babies. I offered to bring Bill over some evening to babysit so Jennifer and Jeremy could have dinner out.

Thursday, Bill and I are going to see Avatar, at 1:00 p.m. I just love the retired life!!

Friday, the dishwasher saga will come to an end with the installation of the new dishwasher. More on that entire process in future blog.

Favorite Toothbrush and Kitty Watering Bowl

My Mom said she likes reading about my favorite things, so here are a few more. First, my Sonicare toothbrush. I bought one years ago on the advice of my dental hygienist. I LOVE it, and not because I have less plaque when I visit the dentist. I love it because I can multitask while brushing my teeth (I just hated to spend 2-4 minutes just standing at the sink while brushing my teeth). Anything you can do with one hand, you can do while you brush your teeth, EXCEPT talk on the phone. The brushing hand just needs to move slowly over and around the teeth, and the other hand can do stuff. I walk around the house opening or closing the blinds (a.m. or p.m.), putting a dish into the dishwasher (or I will be able to once I get my new one installed!), booting the laptop, even playing Solitaire! When I was working and always in a hurry in the mornings, I could brush my teeth in the shower while shaving my legs. OK, so that is a bit excessive, but I could if I had to. So if you are still manually brushing your teeth, think about what else you could be doing during that time. OK, I have lots more time now, but I still hate standing at the sink; and the Sonicare does a lot better job on my teeth than I would by myself.



Another favorite thing for me and the kitties is the Drinkwell pet fountain, the kitties own private drinking water fall. I have used this one for years, and actually have 2 of them now, one for upstairs and one for downstairs. I can fill the reservoir and not think about it for about a month. My cats don't play with the water, they are older cats, but I have seen kittens play in it when I had kittens. I empty it all out and clean all the parts every second time I fill the reservoir, just to rub off any slime and clean out kitty hair. So it makes my life easier and the cats seem to prefer it to the toilet...

Lunch!!

Lunch is often the highlight of the day, whether working or retired. When working, it is a nice break; when retired, it is a chance to socialize with friends who still work. I have enjoyed meeting Amy and other former work colleagues for lunch at a restaurant or having them to my house. With nice weather, it will even be more fun to have them to the house to sit outside and eat. Also, it is fun for me to serve a decent meal every so often!

Ashley, Jennifer and Alicia at my house for lunch. Note how cute and young they all are!!

Alicia, she was an elementary student when I was teaching at Ben Milam Elementary.

Amy, always looking cute and well put-together.
ME! Typical at home attire, jeans and t-shirt, and I never got around to putting on make-up. Not the I intended to, but.... next time I'm meeting the youngsters away from the house, I better make an effort to look presentable.
Lunch at home by myself is also a relaxing time. Today the weather was just perfect, so after the lap swim at the rec center, I sat outside and shared lunch with Tipper the cat.

A Word about WalMart

We all make snide comments about WalMart: the WalMart shopper look -woman or man, how we are all going to be WalMart greeters when we get old and feeble, the cars holding up traffic in the parking lot waiting for a space 3 spaces closer, and the appearance of Christmas items before Labor Day, that sort of thing. Yet we probably all shop at WalMart, I certainly do. They have a wide selection, reasonable prices, and you can return anything.
Today I wanted to buy a snorkel for my lap swim at the Conroe Rec Center. I have not been able to master the technique of freestyle swimming and breathing, and after watching a potential triathalon trainee work on her technique, I decided to not waste my time. Also, there are several old geezers, er, gentlemen, swimming with snorkels. After all, I'm in it for the exercise, not to impress anyone with my swimming style.
I went straight to Academy, my sports and outdoor center, but alas, they had NO swimming aids, not fins, snorkels, floats, googles, nothing. After all, even in Texas most of us don't start swimming til at least April!!
So I drove straight across the street to the local WalMart, thinking that January was about the right time of the year for WalMart to start displaying swimming stuff. Guess what, I was right! I actually found stockers putting out swimming stuff in a cleared aisle. There was box filled with swimming mask/snorkel packages. And while I was there, I selected a birthday present for a one-year old and my Dove liquid bath soap (cheaper than I can get it at Kroger's). Bought it, got my friendly WalMart associate to loan me scissors to cut open the package, and I was off to the pool. Snorkel worked great. Thanks, WalMart.

Some good products...

First off, I got to babysit the twins again yesterday. Jake has started "talking", and he and I carried on a great conversation, with him cooing and smiling at me. Of course, as soon as that camera appears, he clams up and just stares at it. So no real good pictures. Claire is really holding her head up well now when on her tummy on the boppy pillow. Jake is dealing with acid reflux, and Jennifer bought a large wedge pillow with a velcro baby harness holder kind of thing to hold him up at a higher angle so he doesn't spit up so much after eating. No pictures of that yet, I was real busy with babies and didn't have opportunities to take pictures of it.

Jake

Claire

Now for one of my most favorite products - the Schick Quattro razor for women. I just love this razor. I got it in a gift pack with soap and lotion from Amy at a retirement party last May. I used it and really liked it, until I checked the price of new razor blades - and decided I could keep on using my disposable razors for a lot less cost, seeing as how I'm on a fixed income and all... But, I had to admit that the legs were a lot smoother after using the Schick than after using a disposable razor. And since I'm an everyday leg shaver woman, I really like smooth legs. (Oh, I gave up shaving my legs during my feminist semester college, until the weather warmed up and legs were exposed again, and ever since, they've been shaved every day.) So I shelled out the bucks to by replacement blades, planning to go as long as I could on a blade before replacing it. WELL, here is the AMAZING part: I didn't replace the blade til December, and only then because I felt after 6 months I should replace it. So even though the blades are more expensive, if you only use 2 of them a year... Plus with the white strips that help the "glide", you don't need any shaving cream or soap or anything. You can just get your legs wet and shave away. So I am sold on the Schick Quattro for women razor.


Another product I'm happy with is ZEP Professional Strength Hardwood and Laminate floor cleaner. My new office has a beautiful new laminate floor in it, with a high gloss finish. Several of the reviews I had read about this floor mentioned that it got "spotty" and was hard to clean. I had the same problem, the floor got some water spots on it, and regular laminate floor cleaner merely smeared and left streaks. I tried the ZEP and a microfiber towel, and the spots cleaned right up, with no smears or streaks.



I love the bathroom tile I had put in last September, but after returning home from being twins' house for a few days in October, a few areas of grout lines had discolored. I have no idea how/why, and it is sort of random over the bathroom floor, and it hasn't gotten any worse. I have tried grout cleaner from Home Depot, Tilex mold and mildew remover, and Clorox bleach, using a tooth brush to scrub the areas each time. No luck.
I finally took some pictures and went to Viking Floors on Hwy 105 West, where I got the tile from, and asked the very nice manager who had initially done the measurements at my house. She recommended some professional strength grout cleaner that has an acid in it, and it seems to be doing the trick, although it may require several applications or more vigorous scrubbing, or more time. It also requires knee pads and gloves. So the verdict is still out on this product, but if it works, I'll let it be known.

Haiti... and other service opportunities

Like millions of people, I am glued to the news from Haiti. Not all day long, but I listen to GMA each morning and ABC news in the evening. I like Diane Sawyer, and enjoyed seeing her and Robin Roberts together again, even in the midst of the destruction in Haiti. This story has grabbed my attention like hurricanes Katrina and Ike, as opposed to the tsunami or earthquakes in China or other more distant parts of the world. Perhaps because it is closer to home, geographically speaking. But maybe more so because I am not working, and have more time to watch the news, and more mental energy to expend worrying about it. I sent my $10 text message to the Red Cross (and to think, I never texted until hurricane Ike took out voice cell service, and all we could do was text). I gave more money to the tsunami relief funds, and to a hurricane Katrina victim that was a relative of a work colleague. But now, being on a fixed income and all, I don't feel I can be as financially responsive as when I was working. But they don't want blankets or clothes or shoes, and besides I had cleaned out most of that stuff last summer when I cleaned my closets.

I feel like I am on the edge of something life-changing that involves some kind of meaningful service. I hesitated to offer my home to Katrina victims, and have toyed with the idea of sheltering homeless CISD students. I don't have the strength to volunteer in a hospital or nursing home. And I don't want to fall into a black hole by getting overly emotionally involved with someone else's problems that cannot be helped. Habitat for Humanity is a good option, I just haven't made the effort to check into it.

A desire to help somewhere has been growing and developing for the past few years. Now with more time, and events in Haiti, this desire is coming more to the forefront of my mind. No, I'm not heading to Haiti, but I may start by grabbing a paintbrush at a Habitat House, someday.
For now, in the immediate future, I plan to apply my desire to serve to Claire and Jake.

Claire

Jake

Teddy and Snuggles, the cats need me too, I give them treats!!

The Chill is Gone...

I survived the big chill! Actually, although the overnight temps dropped below freezing (down to the teens for two nights) the daytime temps rose above freezing, helped along by brilliant sunshine every day. I did have a fire each night, which made the living room feel warm and cozy. However, toward the end of the evening, there were chunks of unburned wood smoldering and smoking. I tried to keep the fire alive to burn these remnants by cracking a window to increase the draft, and finally pointed a fan at the fireplace. Neither worked well, so I just finally closed the glass doors to keep the smokey smell inside the fireplace, and there was no lingering odor at all.



The next morning after the first freezing night, my neighbor's sprinkler pop-off valve had popped off and water was filling her front yard and running into mine. I loaned her my rubber boots and she got it shut off. My pipes were all OK, but I had forgotten about emptying the courtyard fountain, even though the weatherman had told me to. The water was frozen and the pump had shut down. I unplugged it, and checked the depth of the ice (note redness of my finger in picture below). Then I used a hammer to crack the ice into chunks and scooped it out. I also bailed the rest of the water out to keep the concrete from cracking. The pool pump just ran all the time, plus the pool is salt, so that kept any pool water lines from freezing.



Finally, I did get out to go visit the twins. I got to have some floor time with them, then put Claire in her crib. By the time I rocked Jake a few minutes, Claire was asleep. I laid Jake in his crib, and left the nursery. A few minutes later I peaked in and they were both asleep! Jennifer has done a great job getting the babies into a routine of cribs are for sleeping.

Now the freeze is over, hopefully til next December/January, and the weeds and bugs are gone. In a month or so the courtyard will be ready for new plants, and the grass will start greening up. Gotta love these Texas winters!

The Big Chill

The temps are dropping, the big chill, maybe up to 72 hours sub-freezing temperatures, is now upon us. Tonight down to mid-twenties, Friday and Saturday night into the teens. Daytime temps may stay below freezing til Sunday. But today the sun is shining bright, and even with the wind it doesn't feel like freezing. VERY COLD, yes, but tolerable (if you don't have to be out in it more than a few minutes).
I did meet Amy, Ashley, Alicia, Hilda, Jennifer, and Ryan (all from CISD TLC) for lunch today at Pie-in-the-Sky, a great Conroe restaurant. Cute decor, sandwiches, salads, hot meals and of course lots of pie, the dessert kind, not the pizza kind. It was great to hear about all the trials and tribulations of work projects and personalities (aka gossip) and I no more miss it than a toothache. Again, I am right where I want to be - retired!!

Now to my freeze preparations. After visiting 2 hardware stores and WalMart, and not being able to find any pipe wrap or faucet covers, I resorted to what Bill and Channel 13 weatherman Tim told me to do. I wrapped my outdoor faucets with towels and duct tape. This is NOT a redneck solution, this is suburban single woman solution, since it is only temporary, and I will wash the towels before I use them again. I, of course, did not have any duct tape (I know, this is a major sin, which I have now confessed and rectified while at WalMart). My duct tape picture is below, but notice the label on it? Duck tape??? Of course, this is from WalMart, but I swear I always thought it was really duct tape, like you taped up AC ducts with. But what do I know, I didn't even own any til yesterday.

I also set the pool pump to run continuously, and dumped more salt in the pool (thinking this would keep water from freezing, after all, TxDOT uses salt on the roads, don't they?
Finally, I chopped more wood and hauled it into the garage and house. A roaring fire will at least make the house look warmer.

Tonight I will watch the National Championship football game on Bill's big screen TV and wear my UT snuggie that I got from Jake and Claire for Christmas. Hook 'Em Horns!!


Finally, I have laid in a supply of frozen pizza and TV dinners and have no plans to leave the house during the freeze. I also got some hamburgers so if the power goes off, I can throw those on the grill. I also have my generator gassed up ready to run electric heaters if power goes out. I can survive 72 hours of freezing temperatures, but this just reaffirms my life plan to never live north of Willis!!

Back into the Swim of things...

Upon my return from Texarkana Monday evening, I noticed the dishwasher had standing water in it, soap still in the dispenser, dishes not clean, and when I started it again, it just sort of clicked its way through the cycles. Although current dishwasher is 10 years old or more and VERY loud, and I would love to have newer and quieter one, I still fretted about having to buy a new dishwasher being on a fixed income and all. (I kept reminding myself it was only a dishwasher, not the furnace, since freezing weather is coming in 2 days; besides I had purchased a HOME WARRANTY last year that covered things like the furnace.) This morning just as I was about to leave on my quest for a new dishwasher (one that could be delivered TODAY if possible, since I had a pile of dirty dishes), it dawned on me.... DUH Home Warranty???? I called, and it does cover dishwashers. I pay $60 for the service call, and it will be fixed (still loud, but working) or it will be REPLACED!! Probably not with a GE Profile $1000 dishwasher, but a new one that works. Sears does the repair work, and even though they can't come out til next Tuesday, I am eager to try out my home warranty, and for $60, I can wash a few dishes til then.

I don't even own a drain rack for handwashing dishes, so after I washed them I put them back into the dishwasher to drain.


Since I didn't have to hunt for a new dishwasher today, I called Lillie and we met at the Conroe Rec Center for my first day of lap swim. There are 2 pools, the 85^ pool and the 82^ pool. I chose the warmer one. The 4 month senior membership (the lady at the desk carded me to verify I was over 55... heartwarming) was $72, I bought googles for $10, and left my number for a swim instructor to call. I want an hour of help so I can actually swim freestyle and breathe without drowning myself. Although there was a guy in the lane next to me swimming with a snorkel. So if all else fails... a snorkeling I will go. I kicked and sidestroked and backstroked and did a "hold your breath" freestyle for an hour, while Lillie walked with an aquajogger down the next lane. She said she will go back with me tomorrow.


After swimming and dry clothes and lunch (at the Senior Buffett at Incredible Pizza, $4.33 including drink and tax), and wasted trips to Home Depot, Lowes, and WalMart searching for faucet covers for the upcoming freeze, I came back home to prepare in other ways. I split wood for my fireplace. I actually was able to split one cut log into 5 chunks. I missed the wedge on one stroke, lost hold of the sledge hammer, and the wooden handle bounced up and rapped my shin, just below the knee. Still hurts to walk. Another miss nearly put the hammer into my toes, but I dodged that one. If I had to split wood to keep the kitchen fires burning, I would either starve or burn so many calories I'd be skinny anyway. Plus if I had to pluck my own chicken, I would become a vegetarian and still be skinny. But these pieces will go up in the fireplace these next few freezing nights. I better go chop more wood tomorrow.

Family Gatherings - Weddings and Funerals

Extended families that are also geographically spread out rarely get together, except at weddings and funerals. And this past New Year's Day weekend found me traveling up to Texarkana with my nephew Blaine and his girlfriend Erin to the funeral of Mildred Brummell, my brother-in-law's mother. It would have been OK if I had not gone, and if I was still working I probably would not have. But I have time, it is my sister's husband's mother, I also know his sister, and perhaps even more importantly, as I get older I find myself going to more funerals. Maybe because I more of my peers are losing parents or their spouses, or maybe because I would want people to come to my funeral.
Someone once would not tell me where a funeral was being held (it was out of town and I only wanted to send flowers), but I guess they thought I would for some reason not be welcome. No one better not ever tell any person they can't come to my funeral, I welcome them all. And I guess I wouldn't really care, after all, but I want my family to think I had friends who would miss me when I'm gone.
So my sister's husband's family gathered at a family cemetary, Riley's Cemetary, out in the country. I wandered around as they reminesced about various individuals buried there, and how they were all related. I even found some headstones dating to the Civil War era. So it was a time for remembering, connecting, sharing, mourning by a group of family and friends brought together for a few joyfully sad hours.

JanMa at the hotel the morning before the services.
Erin, nephew Blaire, and nephew Blaine, belongs to Erin.
Richard's sister JoAnn and her husband, daughter, son-in-law and grandson.

The family cemetary where many Brummells, including Richard's father and now his mother, are buried.



A new marker to honor an ancestor who served during the Civil War.

A very old marker, with no engraving of any kind that I could see. I checked the Riley Cemetary grave's listings, and couldn't find this marker listed.