Sophie's Story

        Helen, one of the long time members of the Small Town Toastmasters club, had been in poor health for much of the past year. I know that it was heart related and I think had something to do with an autoimmune disorder which was a recent diagnosis. She was being treated at the Mayo Clinic and had been in and out of the hospital there. The last time she was at a meeting she said that she was still weak, but felt like she was turning a corner.    So it was a surprise when I heard that she had gone back to Rochester. Then Marette, another Toastmaster, stepped by my pharmacy to tell me that Helen was home and in hospice. I knew what that meant. Nearly everyone knows what that means. Everything that could be done for Helen had been nothing and nothing was working. Helen and her family had decided it was time to allow nature to take its course.    I sent as message to Sandra, our club president. Marette had told her already. We decided to send Helen a card. Sandra wanted to do somethin

        It's 2:51 PM. Santa is somewhere in Africa right now. Yule Log is not on yet. I'm not due anyplace for about three hours. I have just had a nice chocolate chip cookie. Time to write a column    I spent the morning at my parents' house. They've just moved to a senior apartment about 15 minutes away from where I live. I try to visit them once a week as does my sister. Due to a falling out that happened about 16 years ago my sibs and I had not seen or spoken to each other until earlier this year. Now that our parents are getting older and needing help, we are tentatively starting to work together. It's awkward, but we are all trying.    I think some healing is starting to take place. Slow healing, but healing nonetheless. That's all right. These things take time. I'm not sure if my siblings and I will continue to have a relationship with each other once our parents are no longer around, but I don't care. We are patching things up now and that's

     Christmas Eve is seven days from today and I'm not ready. I have one present I need to buy. I have a scarf I need to finish and ship. I've baked cookies but haven't made a plate to give to anyone, yet. I have little presents for my coworkers and am now wondering if I got enough. I realized that said presents need to be packaged somehow. I'm not sure if I have little gift bags or anything appropriate.   We're getting the tree today. Hopefully we can get it decorated tonight because tomorrow I work all day.    I'm really not ready. Did I mention I haven't sent out any Christmas cards either?    We've been invited out for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I'm supposed to bring a dessert to Christmas Day dinner. I have  no idea what I'm going to bring. When we have Christmas dinner at home my dessert is Christmas cookies. I don't think that will work for a dinner with friends. I'm not sure if I'm going to squeeze in a little Yule Log

      The last time I got my eyes checked, I got the unwelcome news that my prescription has changed. Again. This is one thing I dislike about having vision that needs correction. Almost every year from the time I started needing glasses, my prescription has changed.    This means that almost every year, I need to pick out a new pair of frames. I hate picking out new frames. It's almost as bad as clothes shopping.   For many years,  I made things a little easier by choosing two different sets of frames and alternating between them. That way I didn't have to choose a new pair. It saved a little money and a lot of aggravation. For the past two years, I've needed bifocals. I get progressive bifocals which are easier for me to deal with. That also means that I can't use the frames that I used to because they are just too small. The "sweet spot", the area that I need to look through most of the time at work would be too small.    Last year I found the perfect frame

           After returning from visiting my parents in their new apartment, C said, "Let's go to Red Wing." It was later in the afternoon but still nice outside. We had gone walking on our usual path for the last week. Both of us wanted a change.    We put on our coats and walking shoes and drove to Red Wing. In the summer and fall it's a pretty drive. The leaves are off the trees so it is not so picturesque. I brought a book along that I read out loud during the drive. One we got into town we found a place to park.   We walked away from the downtown area passing several stores with gaily decorated windows that beckoned you to go inside and shop. We headed up a small hill. There were four churches within a two block area. I noticed a plaque on one of the churches. I like reading plaques because many times you can learn things. I learned that Hamline University is the oldest university in the state of Minnesota. Founded in 1854, it was originally located in Red Wing. T

     A few nights ago the movie "An Affair to Remember" was on TV. It was close to the beginning of the movie. Since there was nothing better to watch and C had never seen the movie, we watched it. I had seen the movie many times. In fact I had been obsessed with it thanks to another movie, "Sleepless in Seattle", many years ago. (I also had a small temporary crush on Cary Grant.) It was an interesting experience to watch it again after so many years.     If you haven't seen the movie and want to see it, I recommend you stop reading now. Some of what I'm going to write about will give away pieces of the plot. If that kind of thing doesn't bother you, keep reading.    The movie is about a man and a woman (Nickie and Terry) who fall in love during a cruise from Europe to New York.  Both are involved with other people who have been providing them financial support. They agree to give each other six months to break off their current relationships and start n