Snap Crackle Pop

I saw a cartoon the other day that showed two old geezers sitting on a bench. One says to the other," You know I never had these aches and pains when Nixon was in office."

Well, I never had them when Clinton was in office either. But right now believe me I've got aches and pains. My (insert any joint) hurts like I've been crumpled up and crammed into a trunk for a week. Jim wakes up in the morning to the sounds of my fingers, elbows, neck, back, and ankles popping and crackling before I am even out of bed.

This only happens when it's cold and damp. While I can't stand for long periods of time at any time of the year, come winter ...well, lets just say I get a lot of, crocheting and reading done! This past few months I've crocheted so many scarves, neck warmers, and capelets I'm considering opening an Etsy store like Fab Grandma.

Normally, if I'm going to complain, it is about my feet. I am a diabetic and have some nerve damage in both feet. I use gel soles and creams and lotions and am about to check out orthotics. Sometimes it feels like I'm walking on rocks all the time.


It makes me empathize with other creatures who have foot problems like this guy. Believe it or not he's wearing protective booties because he has bad feet too.I'm not sure if they are orthotics but they have to feel better than walking on all those cold stones bare web footed.

For the past few years my sore spots have risen to the level of my knees more often. I've been a bit slower getting in and out of the car and genuflecting in church is a bit of a penance. I never buy anything from the bottom shelf in the supermarket, no matter how good the price, because if I get down to get it, I need to ask some stranger to haul me back up! Still, I have to thank my lucky stars that no matter how sore they may get, they still bend in the right direction. At least they did the last time I looked.


Today's post is brought to you by my hips-both of them! Most of my owies are on the right side so I am careful to not stretch too high, turn quickly or put stress on those joints. On Saturday, however, I was trying to be a good co-pilot while Jim was doing a bit of Pay-It-Forward. He joined my father and several members of Old Newsie's church in helping to clean up the property of an elderly lady who was being threatened with fines she couldn't afford and nineteen days in jail if the lot was not cleared.

While he was gone, I decided to be a good RV co-pilot, after all, I'm not helpless! I would take on at least half of a huge task he had planned to do before theland clearing project came up. Without having to use a ladder or stretch too much, I could put the "shiny stuff" on the lower section of the RV in preparation for our trip to Arizona next week. Then Jim would only have to do the top half.

We had gotten six months of South Dakota wheat chaff, Nebraska corn silk, and Oklahoma mud scrubbed off the motor home the day before, so the timing was almost perfect -almost. It started to cool down from the balmy 78 degrees we'd had here in New Mexico for a few days and by the time I got around to the shady side of the rig it was just plain cold. I could feel my right hip beginning to twinge but I didn't want to quit.

Then I slipped - and pulled a muscle in my left hip!


No, those are not my hips! I couldn't find a picture that did mine justice so I had to borrow some from a dancer.


So now I'm in a ridiculous situation. I can't figure out which side to limp on and my almost 86 year old father has to help me out of the car. What's worse, while he's being very solicitous, I'm just positive Jim is storing up all the things he's going to tell me about how dumb I was for conversation starters all the way to Tucson!

See ya down the road,
Yarntangler

Welcome to the Family

Today was touching! I watched all day as a handsome young man became the 44th President.

My impression, as he awaited the calling of his name before the swearing in, was of a normally smiling man trying to accept the fact that we had asked him to lead us into a new era. He wore such a serious expression as he composed himself for an entrance unlike any he's ever made. He knew that when he exited that stage his life would be changed forever.


He stepped through the door and there it was - the confident smile we have come to expect.

I laughed for both him and his wife (while they managed not to crack up) when the most important 35 words he would ever say were misspoken by the Justice administering his oath of office. Like the totally absurd thing that happens at the most meticulously planned wedding, it will be a source of reality for him -useful as he goes down the road

I'm sure that tiny incident put the day in perspective for him. The day might be life altering but hopefully he can keep a sense of humor at the ready. The next several years are going to need all the lighter moments he can get!

He ran to his friend's side when the senator became ill and graciously prefaced his remarks with his concern at the luncheon.

He walked despite the real threat to his security. He walked, and grinned, and waved to those people who waited not just hours but decades to see him take that walk.

He stayed right there and watched every one of those proud high school kids march past him so they would understand they were important to him. He knew he would be late for the balls but so what? Those kids washed cars and sold candy and roses and did every sort of fund raising so they could be a part of his day - our day. He honored them by seeing them all, waving, even dancing to their music.

I enjoyed watching him check frequently to ensure that his wife and their children were comfortable and able to see what was happening. I smiled when he became concerned that his wife's feet might be hurting, knowing she had several hours to go. I smiled even more when she apparently told him not to worry about it. Her feet will not be allowed to be an issue until tomorrow!

From all I've seen and heard Barack Obama is a good husband and daddy. He cares about the ordinary things. I think he's going to take those qualities to work with him too. He cares.

God Bless you, President Obama.
See ya down the road - please wave.
Yarntangler

He's My Dad!

Hey everybody ! He did it! My Dad finally got a blog started! I know it's going to be terrific because he has some wonderful stories to tell. As a professional journalist for 50+ years he also knows how to tell them.

Okay, so he has a few glitchy moments but that could be because he's having some vision problems that tend to get in the way of his learning to use a computer in this manner. Then there are the new words he is not finding in his dictionary (circa 1947); BLOG for instance!

So please do me a favor and take a cyber trip on over and see what he comes up with for a few posts. And leave him a comment-please! You'll get a kick out of Newsie's Lucid Moments.

See ya down the road (soon),
Yarntangler

For Bev

"Friends are like smakerals of fun. You can never have too many." Pooh


My friend is sick and I have to leave her. I wish I could stay and make the pain that she is about to face go away. But I can't do that . All I can do is pray that she has a speedy recovery because she is the person who probably taught Pooh that phrase, "smakerals of fun".

So tomorrow we will drive away and set off for our next adventure but a piece of me will stay right here in site 106 hoping she will soon be back on top.

See ya down the road,
Yarntangler

Tovah Put it all in Perspective

We were supposed to leave Coffeyville, Kansas and go to Tulsa, Oklahoma on Monday,December 22 to spend Christmas with our friends, Bev and Jim and Margie. We planned to have the motor home checked out and get new tires before leaving Tulsa by January 3rd. Simple plan-right?

Yeah, ri-i-i-i-ght!

First the Jeep got a bad cold on Saturday, December 20th; so cold it totally froze up when the temperature dropped to nine degrees.

Then Geezerguy got a little cold on the Sunday, the 21st.

Then, on Monday, the 22nd, the Jeep Doctor said he was busy for a couple of days.

Then, Wednesday, the 24th, in the morning, the the Jeep got well - well after $419.00 worth of medicine -entailing the surgical implanting of a new radiator.

Then, in the afternoon, Geezerguy got a big cold and a little fever but he hooked up the Jeep to the Winnebago and we started down the road for Tulsa.

Then about five minutes after we left, the motor home got a little bit sick- actually it got a fever too. It got so much fever it overheated.

Then Geezerguy turned around and took us back to where we started in Coffeyville.

Then Geezerguy got a really big cold but it was nothing compared to the pain in his "..." caused by the motor home.

Then Geezerguy went to bed on Christmas eve and slept until 3:30 on Christmas afternoon. Mostly because he was really really sick. But I think he stayed asleep because he could hear his wallet crying from hunger. He didn't want to cause it any more pain by starting any engines on Christmas Day.

Then the Winnebago got better after the Winnebago doctor surgically implanted a new thermostat on the afternoon of Friday, the 26th; medicine only $120.00

Then Geezerguy got a little better and he hooked up the Jeep to the Winnebago and drove to Tulsa on the morning of Saturday, the 27th.

Then, on Sunday, the 28th, we went out for a belated dinner with Bev and Margie. Then Bev drove us all around Tulsa to see the sights. Then I got a little sore throat before we came home.

Then on Monday,the 29th, Geezerguy arranged to take the motor home to the new Winnebago doctor for a routine checkup on Tuesday, the 30th. Geezerguy was beginning to feel better.

Then I got a really really bad cold and went to bed on Monday afternoon.

Then Geezerguy decided to change the Winnebago appointment on Tuesday to Wednesday because I was too sick to get up. Then he made some really delicious pork stew. I slept until 1:00 in the afternoon.

Then on Wednesday, the 31st, we took the Winnebago to the Doctor for it's routine checkup and went for breakfast. When we got back the Doctor said we need new tie rods and assorted thingies that go with them. Some other nice doctor in Dallas is going to send them to Tulsa for us. Then they will surgically implant them next week. All we have to do in return is give them $1400.00! Geezerguy's wallet was really moaning then. Then we decided not to remind the wallet about the tire doctor.

Then I began to feel a little better because I'm sure not going to any doctor!

Then we stayed up to see the New Year in and slept until about 10:00.

Then we had a wonderful corned beef and cabbage dinner that Margie made.

Then we helped Clancy launch her brand new blog called Postcards From Clancy.

Then we started to get ready for bed. Then I remembered I hadn't written my New Years Resolutions blog. So I got up again and came out to do that. That's when I found out it was already January 2nd and I'd missed writing resolutions.

Then I remembered something I read just after I got up on New Year's Day in a featured blog. On her Blog of Note, The Gold Puppy, Reya told us of her little niece's resolution. It seems when asked what she would resolve for 2009, Tovah replied,"...to eat more cake"!

And so to everyone I love, particularly, Rob, Jeff, and Noel, who all have birthdays this week, I say, let's join Tovah this year and eat more cake!

Then, I'll see ya down the road,
Yarntangler