Early Christmas!

Hello everyone!

Today was an exciting one - I got to open a Christmas present early, and it is my gorgeous new outfit/present from Carol & Ken. Then I got to talk with them on the phone about how much I love it! You can see it in the picture on my lap during my conversation with them.

I also got to meet Isla (eye-la), Betty & Doug's new puppy. She is a flat coated retriever, rumored to hit around 50 pounds when full grown but presently a petite 14 pounds at 10 weeks. She was a hit with other residents around me.

In a few more weeks I get to meet my new great grandson, Joseph Ray. He is the son of Maggie & Marc, and they are bringing him here for me to meet! Pictures to follow....right now I only have those that are up on my wall behind me - it will be great to get some of me holding him.

Our residence is quite festive with lots of Christmas decorations around. We get lots of young adult and children singing groups caroling us each day. Homemade goodies abound this time of year; nothing like having a homemade cookie in front of the fireplace!

Season's Greetings

The season is starting around here! Above this note is a picture of me in front of the Christmas tree in the living room where I live. As you can see there isn't any snow and we are enjoying a string of great weather days presently.

Saturday a group of children stopped by to sing carols for us, and then we did Christmas crafts with a family in our recreation room. My room is decorated for Christmas and I have a new bauble on the tree outside my bedroom that reminds me of snowflakes!

The best news is that Marc & Maggie will be introducing me to their son, Joseph, in about 4 weeks. He will only be around 3 months by then, so totally holdable and cuddly. I am really looking forward to this visit. The pictures I have of them will take on even more meaning, I am sure.

Thanksgiving

I am truly blessed this Thanksgiving. I got to see pictures of the family celebration AND I got to see pictures of my latest great grandson. He is beautiful. I am hoping to meet him in person shortly.

The weather here has turned gray and rainy. We have had much rain and some winds, but there is still some color left on the trees. I am thankful for a warm and kind residence, and for the visits I get regularly.

I am a great grandmother again!

The most terrific news came this week - my grandson Marc and his wife, Maggie, have a new son, Joseph Ray. All are doing well, and this makes me a great grandmother several times over! I will see pictures of him soon. The entire clan is gathering in Boulder for Thanksgiving and I am promised many pictures from this event.

Fall truly is in the air. The leaves continue to be red and yellow - even those right outside my window. The kids at the Montessori school across the street from where I live came over dressed in costume for Halloween. They are so cute and fun to see. My understanding is that they will be back on Halloween for their candy!

Much of the rain has returned here - it can be dreary but I know it makes the spring and summer blossoms so beautiful.

Autumn Colors

The colors of autumn are really around. The leaves are rapidly turning and I am enjoying them every day. This picture is taken stepping out of the front door of my residence. As you will note, paramedics reside just across the street from us, a welcome location that has been used several times by people at my residence.

I am well and really looking forward to the arrival of another great grandchild! Won't be long now!

Fall is here!

From this picture you begin to get a sense of the fall leaves in my area. They are beginning to drop as well as turn fall colors. This after a good several weeks of great summer weather in September! La Nina keeps this area cooler and wetter while some of you have had extra hot and dry to contend with! Put it this way - this isn't Tucson!

I had a nice visit with all 3 of my sons today, Randy & Ken by phone, Doug (& Betty) in person. Things are beginning to look like Halloween here and the Montessori kids from across the street will be visiting us in their costumes soon!

A visit from one of my out of town sons

I have had a wonderful visit from Carol and Ken this weekend. After two scrumptious Pumpkin Lattes and fun chats, I have wonderful thoughts about their visit. Here is a picture of Ken with me at my residence.

We talked about the upcoming birth of my second great grandson and also how nice it will be to see pictures of him soon. The leaves are looking like fall is in the air. We hope you all enjoy your fall where you may be too.

Happy Birthday to me!

I can't believe it - I am turning 97!

All three of my sons have given me wonderful gifts. The picture is of me and the flowers Joan & Randy sent to me at my residence. Also, I got beautiful clothes from both Carol & Ken, and Betty & Doug. I had a chocolate cake with coconut icing, lemonade, and had a great sunny and warm visit on the porch outside my residence. It was nice. The leftovers are being eaten by staff now.

I was wished a Happy Birthday by a really good friend and neighbor, Helen, and it was fun to talk with Randy today as well as Betty & Doug.

So Tucson is having monsoons and I am here under a "burn ban." But it only gets to around 85 most days. The sun is out and the sky is gorgeous blue. I enjoy being outdoors and seeing it all while it is so pretty and warm.

Summer in our garden

I am enjoying the pea-patch behind our building. The sun is shining, skies are blue and the temperature is quite nice. Here is a picture of myself in this area. There were green and red tomatoes, zucchini squash and many different but very pretty flowers growing.

Know this wonderful weather won't be around for all year, but really enjoying it presently.

Talking on the phone

Saturday I enjoyed my visit with Betty & Doug outside in the beautiful sunshine. The trees were really green, and the flowers all ablaze with color. Everyone was outside enjoying the sunny weather! Summer is truly here in the Seattle area. We are expecting weather like this for more days in the week to come.

I got to talk with Randy, and left a phone message for Carol & Ken - we have a new canine in residence presently named Cricket. An older golden retriever, Cricket loves to greet us residents and visitors alike. It is fun to have Cricket around!

New Chair!

I am posting a picture of me in my new wheel chair. To say it is luxurious isn't giving it just due, I think. It has a high back with a pillow. The back can be adjusted to fit me - sleeping in this chair is NO problem! It has lovely wheels and a set of 2 safety wheels behind them in case the chair ever tips. It has great brakes, and I sit on a custom pad made just for this chair. The staff where I live love it and I am sure I will too!

Summer has finally come up here. We are having long strings of sunny, nice weather days, and there is even a "burn ban" that only occurs when it doesn't and isn't going to rain for many days. Betty & Doug come and visit me often, and I am doing well. Please come see me if ever in the area!

Voting is always something I like to participate in, and this time the ballot is about social services for veterans in Washington, so of course it is important to me! This picture is taken with Doug helping me complete the ballot - Betty & Doug bring it over and after I have completed it they mail it in for me.

I have been having some physical therapy for increasing my upper body strength, and the plan is to get me a new wheelchair soon (my old one has broken....). My new room, while smaller, is welcoming and I still enjoy visits. Please do come by and see me if you are ever in my area.

Had a great visit with Doug & Betty in person and Carol & Ken, Randy on the phone. Betty took this picture of me as I was readying to talk to Randy.

My new room is quite comfortable and I am well attended to. In fact, they come looking for me if I am visiting with people too long in my room to make sure I am okay. It is a warm and cozy room, with an angel wind chime just outside my window, so I have an angel watching over me all of the time!

I love visits so come anytime!

A great visit!

I recently had a great visit with Carol & Ken at my residence. This picture (while it caught me with my eyes closed!) was taken while my son Ken was visiting. We had a nice chat.

Then on the following Wednesday Betty & Doug came by with new clothes to put in my closet - always a welcome addition! I can even dress festively for the 4th of July now!

My afternoon that day was a wonderful drive through the beautiful trees and flowers that are now out and lovely to look at. I always enjoy these rides!

My neighbors and I will line up in front of my place for the July 4th parade that goes right by our residence. Hope you all have a safe and fun 4th of July!

Moved!

I have moved from one room to another in my residence. While smaller, it allows me to have more vigilance by the staff when I need them. I am happy and adjusting to the room well. The staff is tremendous! There are more residents now that play bridge so we are investigating starting up a bridge playing time! Do come and see me!

Memorial day has come and gone, but I wanted to speak about Marc a bit. He was a most wonderful person, dedicated not only to me but to his family. And he was a military man. He deserves the honors this day brought to our military family. I remember him fondly and will treasure his memory always.

Fun photos!

I spent the morning reminiscing with Betty & Doug over some great photos they found in a box of mine that were from days gone by. From photos of my cousins to me as a baby with my parents (see the photo) we spent some quality time reviewing who was who and I remembered many of them! Great times! I am well and ready for the sun to be out more than one day at a time. The promise is that the weather will be quite nice the rest of this week. I certainly hope so!

Happy Mother's Day!

Today I enjoyed a visit from Betty & Doug, who brought me the flowers you see me holding in this picture. They are silk ones and will grace my door for a few weeks.

I also enjoyed a great conversation with one of my other sons, Randy. He is wishing for rain where he is - we would be glad to send him some if we could!

Tomorrow I will wear the lovely outfit that Carol and Ken gave me for Mother's Day - it is azure blue. The staff here at my residence is keeping it safe for tomorrow for me to wear. With the weather to be sunny on Mother's Day, I am looking forward to feeling the sun and being outdoors enjoying the trees that are now blooming as well as the flowers!

This weekend was a glorious one up here! We had bright sunshine each day. It is the real first sense of spring we have had up here and the flowers (note the above picture) were brilliant! Betty & Doug visited on Saturday and took me for a ride to see these flowers. I had a wonderful conversation with both Randy and Ken & Carol, so it really was a nice day.

Happy Easter!

I had a fun Easter! I got to wear the lovely peach outfit that Carol & Ken had brought to me the week before for Easter. Lots of compliments on it! I also got some tulips from Betty & Doug for Easter and they are lovely. So colorful and bright - they were on my table for lunch and dinner.

While I didn't get a chance to talk with either Randy or Ken on Easter, we tried. I got caught up on the happenings in many of my grandchildren's lives through Betty & Doug, however, and I am excited to know that another great grandchild is coming my way. I hope to see that baby soon after it is born!

It was a gray day here on Easter, but the day before it was spectacular so the picture is from one of the fields of tulips north of me that are now in full bloom. They are quite spectacular. I hope you all had a great day with your loved ones; come see me soon!

Ken & Carol visited me this past weekend. They brought me a beautiful peach colored outfit to wear and announced to me that I would be a great grandmother again as they are going to be grandparents in October. YEA!!!! The weather was good sometimes; not so good sometimes. I had a wonderful chat with Randy and Doug & Betty will be by to see me on Easter Sunday. It was so great to see Ken and Carol - I look forward to them returning in June!

Spring in the Northwest

Spring has come to the Northwest! The flowers in Betty & Doug's backyard are blooming and the tulip festival celebrations start in a week. And the sun is out more than it was a week ago.

I am doing well overall. I actually got called a "card shark" by the new manager after playing poker with her the other evening. And the nurse is asking that I teach her bridge tricks soon. I enjoy talking with the staff and reminiscing with my fellow residents. The movies we watch and the music we play are from our "good ol days" and we get lots from them, remembering when we heard them before and what we were doing then.

The weather is to be clear for awhile and I am looking forward to Ken and Carol visiting me in a few weeks.

Good times!

As a blogger my assistant is remiss in posting, but will ask her to be a bit more prompt. So much has happened since the last posting. My health is fine - I am actually gaining a bit of weight and do enjoy my residence!

Today I talked with Randy and Joan. It was a fun conversation; we covered everything from children to the massive earthquake in Japan and how it has ramifications for everyone. Don't worry, I am high and dry here. However, today has been quite rainy! We had a couple of days of great sunshine, but not today. The up side to this is that there is plenty of water for the daffodils and tulips - and they are emerging! Betty & Doug took me on a ride to see them and we plan to go out again to see their spectacular show.

We did fun stuff for Valentines, also Fat Tuesday, and now it is on to Easter (you can see from the picture that my Easter wreath is up). We have had some fun events, including a chance to talk about our life long loves and what the season means to us.

Turns out that our new weekend director is the daughter of a friend of Betty's. While they give us lots of TLC it doesn't hurt to have this extra connection.

Do come and see me - I have a sleeper bed in my apartment and you are welcome to use it.

Happy New Year! Christmas is over and Betty & Doug came by to put away my Christmas decorations in my room. It is cold but sunny presently. There is snow on the ground, but not too much. I have had the opportunity to talk with Randy and know that Carol and Ken are in Tucson for the New Year.

I wish you all the best in the year to come!