Winter Books

Our Book Club at church was reading The Book Thief which I'd wanted to read for quite awhile. Although I knew I couldn't go to club that month, I still read it. It was World War II Nazi Germany narrated by Death. The main character is a girl whose habit of stealing books kept her alive physically and emotionally. It was very well-done although the narrator Death was a little off-putting. But, it is a German book that was translated and after reading Kafka's Metamorphosis (in German, I might add, so thought I was mis-translating when the main character turned into an insect), I can expect anything in German literature.

That was followed by The Good Earth by Pearl Buck. While others enjoyed re-reading a classic they'd read 30-40 years ago, I did not. I loved it when I read it as a teenager, but just became angry at the role of women in that culture in that time. I couldn't get past that and couldn't enjoy it.

Next, was the very light Redbird at Christmas by Fannie Flagg. This was about a Chicago man who goes to Alabama to live, for his health. (It reminded me to get my reservations for Spring Break. . .the book takes place close to Perdido Key where we like to vacation.) There are many loveable characters, but most of us in Book Club thought the end was hurried. And, although we'd have enjoyed a sequel, we had the feeling Fannie Flagg either didn't want to write anymore about them or her editor didn't want anymore. But, take away the last chapter and it could have been another Mitford Series set in southern Alabama rather than North Carolina.

January's book club selection was Moonflower Vine by Jetta Carleton a "rediscovered classic". It is a fictional memoir about a family with four daughters in rural southwest Missouri in the early 1900's. Each section is told from a different family member's point of view---some events are repeated, but I really liked how the author moved the story forward while reflecting the various points of view rather than rehashing the same event six times. The family's story, like the moonflower, gradually unfolds.

Just for fun, I read the Spellman Files by Liza Lutz---a witty, crazy book about a family of private investigators who can't help but spy on each other. It was fun, but I'm not sure I can handle more of the same in the next book---there are only so many times I can read about them taking a hammer to each others' tail lights and head lights.

Now, I'm reading Sarah's Key for Book Club. Although I'm a little "tired" of Nazi era books, this one takes place in Paris. I'm not very far along, but I really enjoy the double story line---Sarah, a young Jewish girl in Vichy France and Julia Jarmond an American journalist living in Paris in the 21st century researching an event most Parisians want to forget about.

Is it February, yet?

This year, I decided not to succumb to "Winter Blues" in January. I had a plan and I was going to attack January head-on. I was going to fill my calendar with an activity each day, write my goals at the top, go on "outings/dates" with Dave, meet new people, go out to lunch with friends and try a blue light each morning (for S.A.D).

Above are the Mosses---Linda and I went on a crazy Jefferson County Backroads adventure in the fall, but Jerry was really my cousin whom I wanted to meet---4th cousins on Long/Reiter/Tyrey side of the family. But, I also had lunch with an old friend Glenda who was in town and with my teacher friends "BArnwell TeacherS".

Dave and I went on outings---we saw Avatar and visited the Mo. History Museum.

I read some "fun" books---didn't make me think too much---haven't read Sarah's Key yet but it's my next Book Club selection.
I watched and fed my birds. . .

Sat under my "blue light" at breakfasts. . .


And played with Eli. Minutes after this photo was taken, I began a painful journey which resulted in an ER visit and 2 days in St. Luke's Hospital.

After 6 different tests (not counting blood work), the diagnosis was "Inflamed Duodenum", a condition that has me home-bound, bored, depressed and oh, so ready for February. . .or March. . .or April. But, until last Thursday, I think I was winning my battle of January Blues.

Happy Birthday Little Brother!

Sometimes it's hard to believe you are over 13. . . .
Or over 10 for that matter.
But, then I see how good you are with your grand nieces and nephews. . .
And realize, you're getting more like Dad each day.
Happy Birthday, Jim!

Good-bye, Mom

It's been two years since Mom died. Her last 24 hours said a lot about her life. She was taken to a beautiful home for hospice care ---The Cedars. Jane, Jim and I had visited many nursing homes and decided that this was one close to my home that I would feel comfortable visiting regularly.
It had a lovely area outside each room for socializing or relaxing. Although Mother knew she was going to a nursing home, this was not the one she had chosen. We think she came through the halls, saw the luxury and thought, "I can't afford this. I've got to go."
Her room was a little stark, but clean, well-lit and a single room which we thought was important. Mother no sooner got there than she looked up and said, "Where's my walker?" We'd left it at the hospital, and she wanted what she'd paid for.
She had her Kleenex box with all of her necessities. Her children were all with her---we felt like we had made a good choice taking her to the Cedars. We discussed what we were going to do the next day----get her house ready to put on the market which she had wanted us to do. We had her favorite charity Emmaus House coming out to help us clean out.
We kissed her good-bye and told her we'd be back after dinner, but when we returned she was sound asleep. Although she was asleep, we told her we'd be back the next afternoon after we worked out at the lake on Saturday. She died Saturday morning before we went to the lake, less than 24 hours after she had left the hospital.

We think she died happy that we were all three working together on a project, enjoying each others company. . .and that room was too expensive!

Fatherhood

As my dear nephew Doug is approaching fatherhood for the first time, I'm reminded of my Dad. . . He was in Shanghai when I was born---the photo above was when I was 13 days old and was sent to my father overseas.
Although I don't remember the exact details of my sisters' birth, I do know he went out for cigarettes and wasn't there when she was born either. In his defense, Dads weren't allowed in the delivery rooms of hospitals back then. The typical image was of them smoking and pacing in the hospital waiting room while their wife delivered. Then, the nurse would come in, and announce,"It's a girl!" Here's a brief video showing a new hospital in 1950's with the fathers.
The photo above is Jane when she was an infant----she honestly had to have a hair cut before she was a month old. I don't think we've ever had a baby in our family born with so much hair---most are pretty bald.
I do remember the birth of my brother. . .I was 10 years old. Mom went to the hospital "for rest". If you knew Mom, she was a little high-strung. Jim was born in January---I'm sure the fear of bad weather and bad roads, had her anxiety pretty high. So, Dad took her to the hospital on his way to work. . .you guessed it, she went into labor while Dad was at work (on the night shift). He came by the hospital the next morning to see how Mom was and discovered Jim had been born! So, although Dads were not usually in the delivery room, they were usually in the waiting room. . .but, not Dad. And Mom never let him forget it.
I'm sorry I don't have any photos of Jim as a baby (Mom probably sent them all to him), this was the best I could do. Yes, that's me in the Laverne and Shirley sweater. My sister Jane (Doug's mother) is beside me---are we not a lovely pair? Mom and Dad are behind us. This was taken in "the rathskeller" which was in the basement. I don't know why we called it that---it might have been because St. Louis has such a German community. It was like a family room, but in the basement.

So, Doug, we hope you are present for the birth of your baby. . .don't continue Grandpa's tradition!

2010 Resolutions

One resolution going back to 2008, I intend to keep again:

-Buy locally or as close to home as possible. In 2008, this was to help the environment---cut down on transportation costs. In 2009, it was to help our local economy. In 2010 it's all of those and because locally-grown food is just healthier and fresher. Leah and I joined Fair Shares which helped a lot with this and expanded the foods we eat (the photo above is one week's food). When was the last time you had lamb sausage, goat cheese, kale, collards, jerusalem artichokes? I don't think I'd eaten any of those, but really enjoyed the variety in our diet.
-Go on a "date" at least once every two weeks with Dave. We are retired, but often get in a rut. Although we have various church activities during the week and go to Wellbridge, our health club, we need to make going to a movie, the theater, a museum, or a day-trip more of a priority. The first week in January, we went to see Avatar, so we're off to a good start. By the way, it is a wonderful film which really needs to be seen in 3-D.-Get together with cousins---meet some of them for the first time. My genealogy interest has introduced me to all sorts of cousins from England to California, from Michigan to Texas that I've never met, but I want to see more of my first cousins, too. Last summer, Dave and I met with Kay Buxton and Dave Werner---old friends AND a cousin. Below is Rick Gannon who is helping me with some research at the High Ridge Library. (His great grandfather Jeptha and my great grandfather Thomas were brothers---Click here for more information about them)
-Get together with "old friends". These are defined as people we knew before we moved back to St. Louis in 1978. Below is Glenda whom I haven't seen in almost 40 years---we found each other on Facebook and I had so much fun meeting her for lunch. I wish her all of the best as she heads back to Colorado Springs.

-Write on the calendar each month various areas of the our house and garden that need my concentrated attention. For example: January is magazines, catalogues, first floor floor files.

-Learn how to restore photos with Photoshop. I have several that I'd love to improve the quality on. Above is Theodore Graham (brother of my g-g-g grandmother) and below is my g-g grandfather William Reed [Farncombe].
So far, I'm doing great---but, I have to write everything on the calendar before I forget. . .

2009 New Year's Resolutions Re-visited.

My 2009 Resolutions---revisited

-Shop more at Aldis. I put it on the calendar and I DID shop at Aldis at least once a month!

-Gift cards and $$$. I did well with this although I did spend more than $5 on the grandchildren's birthday and Christmas gifts. But, mostly I did give money and gift cards.

-Buy used, borrow it, sell it. Go to Goodwill, garage sales, the library at least once a month. Have a Garage Sale to sell what I don’t need. Again, I was successful----I went to the library and had a garage sale!

-Use it up until May. I did well with this, too! My freezer got so low that I cleaned it out. It helped that we didn't re-join Sam's.

-I won’t be buying any greeting cards---I’ll use my stock pile or make my own---I have plenty of scrapbook paper and stickers! I wasn't so successful with this---I never did make very many greeting cards---just not my thing unless I'm with several friends who can give me ideas.

-Set up a schedule for cleaning out. This will help me get ready for a garage sale and clean out paper clutter.
January—get rid of magazines
February---clean out 1st floor cabinets
March---clean out drawers
April---clean out the garage
May---clean out closets and clothes
June---clean out a basement storage area
July---clean out file cabinets
August---clean out books
September---clean out bathrooms and medicines
October---“help” Dave with his desk area
November---clean up garden and yard
December---cull Christmas ornaments and decorations.

This was very successful---I intend to write monthly resolutions on my calendar again---it really helped keep me focused, but I don't really think I finished any of those chores---so, this resolution will be repeated.

New Year's Food

We started off the day with my "2010" breakfast! (bacon, blueberry pancakes and sausage)

The black-eyed peas, ham and cornbread are Southern traditions. Kim Delaney posted on Facebook that the "black-eyed peas represent pennies, the cornbread represents gold and the greens represent dollars." We didn't have collard greens but we did have a spinach salad to represent the greens.

This is actually a "poor meal" because some believe that if you eat a "poor meal" on New Year's Day the rest of the year will be rich!

According to Snopes.com, pork is important because pig's eat by rooting forward (chickens scratch backwards and cows eat standing still) and that will move you forward toward your goals.
The above meal was actually our New Year's Eve dinner. Empress Chicken from Hunan and Peking Restaurant with green tea and fortune cookie. The fortune wasn't that terrific---I was hoping for something like, "You need to be in a warmer climate," or "Your investments will double" or "You will have a prosperous and healthy new year."

So, I'll send those wishes out to you---May you have a prosperous and healthy new year in a warmer climate!

Deja Vu Christmas Part Two

We continue with Morgan Christmas traditions also. My favorite is meeting new family members. Above Rachel and her children meet Anna Warren. Below Aunt Reebs gets a little one on one time in 2009.

Christmas 1975, shows Dave meeting Dale Thomas Morgan below.

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I am sure not many other families have this tradition. . .we gave our daughters our old "vanity plates". Below is Harry Morgan getting old license plates for Christmas in 1975! Todd is obviously impressed.

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Like many families, the children can hardly wait to assemble elaborate adventure toys. Roman is above in 2009; Rebecca, Scott, Todd, Karen and Harry are below in 1975.

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And, we had MANY musical toys (belonging to Lewises this year). Above is Eli and Todd Warren in 2009; below is Rachel and Harry Morgan in 1978.

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Our Wii, in 2009, was a popular activity for those over the age of 4!

In 1975, Harry Morgan is playing an exciting video game---is that Pong?

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Finally, I had to include Davis's clown costume; Dale's (below) in 1989 was technically not at Christmas, but I do see a pattern.