So grateful to be getting older!

I'm feeling a bit nostalgic today so I'm taking a detour from my usual posts--few as there have been recently.

Thirty years ago yesterday, I was in congestive heart failure, more ill than I was willing to admit even to myself.  My mitral valve was so stenotic that the left atrium of my heart was enlarged and there was extreme pressure in the pulmonary veins coming from my lungs.  I could not walk a flight of stairs without stopping to rest and even though I had been teaching until a couple of days earlier, I had found myself resting against the walls as I worked with my students.  It wasn't until I looked back that I realized how close I had been to death.

I am so grateful I live in the time I do, because a talented team of people led by a gifted surgeon gave me another chance.  This is like my second birthday and I can't help but celebrate.  Thirty years ago my husband could have been left alone with a 5-year-old and a 14-year-old.  Now they are grown up, successful, and have given me six fabulous grandchildren.  Oh, what I would have missed!

In August there will be another celebration because I needed that surgeon and his team again ten years later.  That time, I knew the kind of trouble I was in.  But that is a story for another day.  Today I am remembering the gift from 30 years ago and feeling grateful for each and every day.

Golfing and Computing

I've had a couple of reminders lately that I'm not exactly a spring chicken. Sometimes when I glance in the mirror, I see myself as I feel--adult, capable, but ....youthful. Then, life gives me a small reminder that while I may be adult and (mostly) capable.....ah

I've had my second golf lesson. The young man helping me was very sweet and gave me lots of positive reinforcement about what I was doing. However, the next day I had a sore muscle or two in places where I didn't realize I had muscles. I guess that happens to new golfers no matter what the age and I count any muscle usage as helpful. Next time we're going to try using a wood. Oh dear, I hope I can find the proper muscles for that.

I had another lesson about the ins and outs of my MacBook Pro. They are very helpful and there are many shortcuts and tricks that I would never have known about without the Apple Store's experts. The Apple word processing program is called Pages, and it is another reason I felt my age.

I learned to TYPE--on a manual typewriter. Later, I was thrilled to work on electric typewriters, and when I worked at the college I had an IBM Selectric, with a correction key. That was SO cool. I got so I would type along, realize I'd made a mistake and correct it without looking away from my copy. The error was lifted and replaced, slicker than slick.

WORD PROCESSING came along later, while I was teaching, and it was terrific. You could see everything before you had to put it to paper. Correcting was a snap.

But the word processing software got more complex. As I have fought with various programs, Microsoft Word for Windows has made me the craziest. It tried to give me way more help than I wanted. Pages is at least as "helpful." I was telling my Apple instructor how frustrating that can be for a person who typed, and the woman having a lesson across the counter heard me and seconded my comment. As it turns out, she was just a couple of years older and understood completely. If I want to make a list by using tabs, I think I should be able to. Apparently, if an item on my list is longer than the others, that confuses the program. I should ask the Pages software to insert a list. Then request that it stop using a list when I'm ready to go back to the paragraph form.

I know that the youngsters who grew up word processing don't understand my struggle. That's okay, there's still plenty I don't understand either.

Another Anniversary

I borrowed this meme from another blogger who had saved it from Valentine's Day. It seems kind of appropriately fun for our anniversary. Last year, about this time, my post was also about our upcoming anniversary. Funny how little time seems to have passed.

♥ What are your middle names?
Mine is Anne, his is an initial (honest).

♥ How long have you been together?
Nearly forever. Married Feb. 23, 1968 (42 years ago).

♥ How long did you know each other before you started dating?
About 4 years.

♥ Who asked who out?
He asked me, always...it was another time.

♥ How old are each of you?
I'm 61, he's 60.

♥ Whose siblings do/ did you see the most?
Both really, they all live pretty close.

♥ Do you have any children together?
Two intelligent, terrific sons.

♥ What about pets?
Nope.

♥ Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
Can't think of a specific situation, we've gone through quite a bit together.

♥ Did you go to the same school?
Yes, high school and college.

♥ Are you from the same home town?
Four miles apart.

♥ Who is the smartest?
Good question, and one we "debate" often. We have very different skill sets.

♥ Who is the most sensitive?
To what? Sometimes I think it's me, sometimes it must be him.

♥ Where do you eat out most as a couple?
We alternate. He's a steak lover, I like a big bowl of soup.

♥ Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
Italy.

♥ Who has the worst temper?
He does. I'm more of a sulker.

♥ Who does the cooking?
Me. His only food domain is outdoors (grills, dutch ovens, fire).

♥ Who is more social?
It depends on the surroundings and where we feel comfortable. I tend to talk to total strangers more, so maybe it's me.

♥Who is the neat Freak?
I wouldn't say either of us. He lets clutter accumulate, I keep it contained. When he cleans, he really cleans. I may just mop the kitchen floor when its needed, rather than mop the hall and entry way at the same time.

♥ Who is the more stubborn?
He would say I am. I would say I am...persistent.

♥ Who hogs the bed?
Neither, but that's why we have a big bed.

♥ Who wakes up earlier?
Him, without fail. Our bio clocks work on different schedules.

♥ Where was your first date?
No idea. We did stuff together and with friends all the time.

♥ Who has the bigger family?
Oddly enough they are the same: both have 4 siblings.

♥ Do you get flowers often?
No, only on rare occasions.

♥ How do you spend the holidays?
We visit the grandkids whenever possible. It's the pits to have them on opposite coasts.

♥ Who is more jealous?
Neither, why would we be?

♥ How long did it take to get serious?
Not too long. He was serious before I was though.

♥ Who eats more?
He does, but many days when he is working he only eats one meal a day.

♥ Who does/ did the laundry?
Me, although he can and does if he needs to.

♥ Who’s better with the computer?
Depends. He's a PC and I'm a Mac.

♥ Who drives when you are together?
Always him. He can't bear not being in control.

We are prime examples of opposites attracting, and we've had some mighty fine battles. But, we have never considered not being together. I have a magnet on my fridge that sort of sums us up:

He chuckled when he saw it too....

Products I've doomed

I've doomed quite a number of products, simply by liking them. It's just a sad fact that I am now resigned to accept. If companies knew that when I buy something repeatedly, they are in trouble, it would probably be worthwhile to keep things away from me. A few years ago, hubby and I actually made a list of things we have liked that disappeared from the shelves. I don't remember all the things on our list then, but it is still growing.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love potato chips of all kinds. Years ago we unintentionally encouraged the demise of Eagle Potato Chips, but more recently I'm responsible for the loss of Lay's Dill Pickle flavor. They were soooo yummy and I miss them.

Costco has been recipient of my jinx with a number of products: Kirkland Roast Beef in a can (wonderful for sandwiches), dried peaches and dried strawberries (don't remember the brand names but they were so good), and fresh bran muffins.

I am amazed that I can still buy TAB (the first diet cola), but maybe it is safe because I drink it less now that they have started to add Aspartame to its formula. Coca Cola got lucky--or smart.

Mom and I were talking about this yesterday and she mentioned a number of products she has loved that have not disappeared, but have changed until they are mere shadows of their former selves. A post for another day.

Happy Birthday Lindsey

My youngest grandchild is 4 years old today. The time is going by incredibly fast.We were able to spend the Labor Day weekend with her family (Grandpa hadn't see their new house), and we enjoyed it immensely. We took a day to visit the San Diego Zoo, and she is always willing to pose for the camera.She looks angelic, sweet, and pretty enough to be on magazine covers.

But watch out for the twinkle in her eyes and big smile on her face....she can also be a ball of fire.She loves fancy princess dresses and tiaras, lip gloss, shoes, make believe games, pre school, jumping, running, dancing, and riding her bike (training wheels don't slow her down).

Happy birthday, princess. We love you.

Camping with Grandsons

We had a terrific time playing with our three grandsons for a week. Our camp offered lots of fun hiking and exploring. Notice on this hike that the photographer was trailing--that's generally the case, especially uphill. My brain is willing, but the body requires several rest stops.
Grandpa knew where to go and we ended up in a lovely meadow.

Naturally, one cannot possibly camp without making S'Mores over a fire. Who cares if they are messy, they're required.
We also caught a few fish, played games, went for rides on the ATV (with helmet), practiced our target shooting, ate lots of good food, got a bit dirty, talked, and laughed a lot.

We took a day to visit Bryce Canyon National Park. Hubby and I hadn't been for many years and the boys not at all. It is still an amazing place!

Some of the formations are called HooDoos and we thought this one looked like two people standing on a precipice.
It was a fun time with three wonderful kids who don't get to see each other very often. We were sorry to have to send them back to their parents and sisters.
The three younger grandkids are our granddaughters (8, 5, and 3). We'll soon need to find a way to do something fun to get them together too. Darn these sons who end up on different coasts. The boys (and grandpa) are already planning to camp again next summer.

Panic on the Zuiderdam

I'm not sure how many people who occasionally read this have cruised, nor am I sure how different cruise lines handle luggage, but this experience gave a serious panic attack to a normally calm traveler--me.

We dock in Vancouver during the night. In order to make leaving the ship organized and efficient, they ask that you set your luggage outside your stateroom the night before. They have already provided color-coded tags and paperwork so your suitcases get to the correct bus or airport.

We gave thought to what we'd need to carry, packed, put the luggage in the hall, and peacefully slept our last night on the ship.

At 6:00 the next morning we woke to clean up and leave the ship. MY PANTS WERE GONE! In hubby's packing zeal, he'd taken the britches I was planning to wear. It was my fault because I hadn't made it clear to him and they weren't with the rest of my clothes, but knowing that didn't stop the helpless panic. I knew the ship's shops were not opening that morning. I called the office and was told they could not get to our luggage; it was crated for transport. If I hadn't had a shirt, I could have used my pajama top and my jacket and been okay, but no pants?! The bottoms to my pjs were short, and very pj-looking.

Then the office told me that they had a collection of left-behind clothing and I could come and look. I threw on the robe that came with our stateroom and went down three decks to the front office. There was a pair of women's capris, but they were at least 4 sizes too big and wouldn't have stayed on without a belt. There were some white stretch pants, but they were very thin like long underwear. And there was a pair of blue scrub-type pants, just a couple of sizes big, and with an elastic waist. I was saved.

With the top I had planned to wear, they actually matched, and with the top out and my jacket on, it wasn't too obvious that they were kind of baggy.
I was saved from severe embarrassment holding up oversized denim capris, and probably no one even knew what we had done. Thank goodness that some people accidentally leave clothes for those of us who send too many away. It was a rocky end to a lovely trip, but all's well that ends well.

More Alaska Cruising

One of our shore excursions took us by "motor coach" into the Yukon Territory, then we rode the very scenic narrow gauge railroad back down. It was a fascinating journey, hearing about the gold rush and seeing where people actually traveled in the quest for wealth. This was one our our stops: Emerald Lake.

This strange place is call Tormented Valley because it looks unlike any other place. The guide told us they sometimes film science fiction movies using it, because it's different enough to look like another planet.
I admit that I don't remember the name of this lake (there are so many), but it was so calm that I got a beautiful reflection picture from inside the bus.
Our last shore excursion took us to this gorgeous Cirque. That is a steep-sided, half open valley where a glacier once began. We were very lucky to get a sunshiny day, but it is so difficult to get the majesty and size of everything from a 2-dimensional photo. Clicking to enlarge will help, but one truly has to be there.
We spent a day on the ship while visiting Glacier Bay. It is so cool (pun intended) to be close to these rivers of ice. I was taking the pictures from Deck 10 so you have to enlarge the picture to see some kayakers. Every so often we'd hear the cracking sound and hurry to look, but the park rangers on board told us that meant we had missed the ice falling: you could see it before you could hear it.
Those of us who had brought binoculars enjoyed watching several large brown bears wandering along the edge of the water. The biggest one had an interesting black and brown coloration.
Hubby's sister wanted to show her family how pretty the inside atrium of the ship was, so we took a few (this one with her dad and sister hiding behind). She has MS, but she got along beautifully and loved everything about the cruise--her first.
I've spoken to a number of people who have done way more cruises than we have, but I've not met anyone who didn't love the Alaskan Inside Passage. If you like magnificent scenery, it is one to try.

Cruising the Inland Passage

When we arranged our cruise, we opted to fly to Seattle and take the "motor coach" (bus) to Vancouver. Of course ships leave from Seattle, but to get the specific date and tour we wanted, this was our choice. We actually arrived in Seattle the day before and stayed in a lovely hotel, because we did not want to worry about airline delays or tight schedules. We spent some time the next morning in the SeaTac Airport waiting for our turn to be called.I'm cheating with the chronology a little because this picture wasn't taken at the Vancouver dock, but it does show our ship, the Zuiderdam--along with hubby and his two sisters.
Holland America really knows how to take care of its guests. My father-in-law celebrated his 82nd birthday and, without our saying anything, he was brought a birthday cake and fussed over and sang to.
The dining room option was nice. They had two formal nights when we dressed up, but the food every night was fabulous. This picture is a little dark because of the light from the window (stern of the ship), but that's okay because I didn't ask permission from the family to put their pictures in here anyway. If a dining room was a bit too...serious....there was always the more laid-back buffet, or the grill, or the taco bar, etc.
This cruise took us up into what is called the Tracy Arm. It was just beautiful with the glacier and all the mini icebergs. The ice in the bottom of the glaciers is very blue because of the pressure from above. Something about the way the crystals change and oxygen is forced out.
Our first shore excursion was in Juneau. Of course we had to visit the Mendenhall glacier. There is a trail that leads clear out to the ice, but we didn't have quite enough time to walk it. All the pictures can be bigger with a click, if you enlarge the one below, you can see some people in a canoe. If you enlarge the glacier above, you get a much better look at the blue ice.
We had to take our whale-watching dinner cruise. That was very exciting because we saw humpbacks bubble-net feeding. The person narrating the trip said she had been doing these excursions for three years and this was the first time she had seen that behavior. Hubby and I were lucky enough to have seen it before on an earlier trip, but it was just as cool the second time. We also caught a very young whale playing near the surface. It wasn't at all shy and gave us a lively show. It is, however, very difficult to have the camera pointed at the right place at the right time. Hubby did get a little video of the youngster.

I think that's enough for today. I'm driving back home tomorrow, then I'll have some time to share some more of our trip.

North, to Alaska

This afternoon we're flying to Seattle: hubby and I, his parents, and two of his sisters. Hubby's brother is in charge of the garden, and his other sister is making progress fighting off the effects of her stroke. She is doing better all the time, but there is a long and tedious road ahead.

We stay in Seattle tonight, then travel to Vancouver where we board the Holland America Zuiderdam headed for Alaska. It seems a little callous to have fun when family members are struggling, but this has been planned for months and hubby's hospitalized sister insisted we not change plans. Maybe she'll have good surprises for us when we get back.

We're not taking computers because it's iffy as whether we could get them to work on the ship's system, so I'll be quiet until we get back. I hope to return with beautiful pictures and fun stories. I'll catch up after Independence Day.

More inadequate appreciation of Mom

Here are more photos of the dresses I know were made by my mother.  At the time, I just accepted that she would put together something for me.  I suppose, as an ordinary, self-absorbed teenager, the fact that she was darn good at it flew right by me....whoosh.

The young man with me was a classmate and also part of the cast of Showboat.  The white dress was fabulous.

I decided to put a couple more dress pictures in, even though my eyes seem to be closed in the pictures.  Appreciate the dresses, not me.  This one had a collar of sequins.  I have again cropped out my date--not because he wasn't a nice guy, but my romantic history is not the point here.

Mom must have made this suit too, probably just to wear with the boots.  I sang "These Boots are Made for Walking" at some event.  I know I'd ham it up a lot more now than I did then.  Oh the confidence and wisdom of age--if we could have that and the youth and beauty at the same time.  Watch out.
This dress is another one I remember.  It was a pretty brocade with fake fur on the sleeves.
I really liked this dress because there are at least two pictures of me wearing it.  This was after our wedding and the birth of our son, so it must have been for a sibling's  special prom or something.  Oh my gosh, we are so young and skinny!

Is everyone tired of my memory lane yet?  I haven't found too many more pictures among grandma's slides showing more cool clothes, but I know there is a killer red dress somewhere.  Maybe I'm almost finished.

Underappreciated Mother

I hurried back through the many slide copies to find a few that I could quickly recognize as me.  I wanted to put them in a better order, but loading pictures so they turn out where I want them seems to be beyond my technical ability.

On the left is a dress for Pioneer Day, which is a very big deal in the place where I grew up.  I must have been involved in some special performance.

I don't know what dance the red dress was for,  but I did crop out the guy I was dating at the time.   I have several more shots with he and I together.

I think the orange suit was for something  like an interview for a beauty pageant or something.  I needed to look polished and respectable, but stylish.

The blue shift with ruffles and the lavender dress remain a mystery in my memory.  I have a corsage in one, so it must have been a dance.  But, my hair was up in the other so it was also obviously for something I thought important.  Those shapeless dresses were cool in the mid-sixties.

This very young me was for my first big dance.  The high school held a "post prom" the day after the real deal, especially for junior high students.  I was in 7th grade and had a date with a boy in my class.

This last shot is a real keeper although I don't remember why we took it.  It is my sisters and I with my grandmother, who passed away when she was far too young.  As near as I can figure, I was about 18 (which would make my sisters 16 and 14--give or take a year).  

I am pretty sure than my mom made most of these clothes.  I'll have to show them to her and see how many she remembers--probably more than I do.

I do know that I took her for granted.  I don't now.