Sophie's Story

           Willow turns three years old today. Most mornings she walks onto my lap and tilts her head to get a scratch before settling down for a quick nap or cuddle session. This morning after she settled into my lap, I reflected on how she came to live with us.          Three years ago, in July, a woman from church needed someone to take care of a kitten she recently adopted. Because the kitten was so small, it meant the kitten would need to stay in the home of whoever was caring for her. The woman and her family were going on a trip over the Independence Day weekend. She had planned to pick up the kitten after her trip, but the family she was adopting from wanted the kitten in her new home before the holiday. Someone put her in contact with me as someone who might be able to help.          We had just lost our beloved Scamp a little more than a month before. For the first time in 25 years I had no cat to ...

           In the interests of fair disclosure, I have absolutely no ideas to write about today. All I have are a series of small things that alone aren't enough to write about. I hope you will enjoy this hodge podge of topics.          Lately C has had a craving for beans. When he was growing up he ate pinto beans and cornbread. In the south, it's cooked with fatback. It think fatback is like bacon with a lot of fat and very little meat. It was salty which flavoured the beans. I've tried several times to cook beans all unsuccessful. I finally decided to try again. Since I'm never organized enough to do an overnight soak with the beans, I used a quicker method. After sorting and rinsing the beans, I put them in a pot of water to boil. I let them boil for ten minutes. Then I turned the heat off and let them set for an hour in the water. When the hour was over I drained the beans, rinsed them and rinsed out the pot. I put them back in...

           Yesterday we went for our first bike ride of the season on the Cannon Valley Trail. We got there later than usual because we wanted it to warm up a little bit before we rode.          We had planned to start out in Red Wing and bike to the midpoint at Welch. Due to construction on the trail we were not able to do this. We had to start at Welch and bike toward Cannon Falls. It wasn't going to be a problem.          We got to Welch and unloaded out bikes. My job is to tie on our trail passes and put our water bottles and other things in their proper places while C puts the bike rack in the trunk. C brought out our helmets. I put on my helmet and instantly knew there was a problem. I had my hair tied back as usual and it was up too high. I removed the elastic hair tie and retied my hair lower. I think I got a piece of the scarf I had tied around my hair. Also the knot from the scarf was in the wrong ...

           At the end of last year's riding season, C fell off his bike. It happened when the front wheel of his bike tapped the back wheel of mine tipping him off the edge of the trail into the grass. It was scary for me as I didn't know in the moment what had happened. I was scared he had a stoke or other serious medical issue.  Fortunately he was able to get back up with assistance and ride the last mile to the car. His bike had some minor damage and a few days later his shoulder started to ache. Nothing was broken and it healed slowly over the winter.          We are not sure why it happened. C never rides behind me and never directly behind me. That is a rule that we have. How he managed to be directly behind me is something he has pondered for weeks. It's still a mystery.          C decided, because of this accident, that we are going to get helmets and wear them when we ride. Until now we hadn't ...

           A quick check the the VP of Education confirmed what I had already guessed. As of May 1, I have been a member of Small Town Toastmasters for 25 years. I may possibly be the first person in the history of the club to reach that milestone.          In honor of that achievement, I thought I'd share a few memories and things from the last two and a half decades.          Few people know that this was not my first time in Toastmasters. My first club was in Albert Lea. I discovered it through a woman who was a few years ahead of me in high school. The club met in a law office conference room and consisted of lawyers, legal secretaries and a court reporter. I was the only person not employed in the legal profession. The only memory I have of that club was the time meeting coincided with the announcement of the verdict in the O.J. Simpson trial. A TV was rolled into our meeting room and the lawyers watche...

            For me, one of the best days of the week is Thursday. That is the day I go over to visit my Dad.           My siblings and I decided it would be a good idea if my sister and I visited our parents every week. (My brother lives further away and was travelling for his job so we excused him.) Since Thursday was the day I had off most often, it became my regular visiting day.          The routine we had when Mom died naturally altered.  At first it felt strange not going up to memory care to say hi to her and to help her eat lunch if she wanted to eat. We had an hour or so of extra time with nothing to fill it.           At first we spent it talking. I would make myself a cup of tea and we'd visit until it was time to make lunch. Sometimes the conversation would get teary if we talked about Mom. My brother gave Dad a copy of the picture we used in her obitu...

             Several weeks ago C and I went to see an exhibit at the history museum. It was an exhibit that showcased her life starting from her childhood and following her through her life and career.  I was interested in seeing the exhibit because I always enjoy learning more about the lives of women who do things. The exhibit was very good. I also liked the exhibit of cookbooks put out by churches and other groups for fundraising purposes.           The exhibit showed the kitchen where she recorded her first shows. You could open up doors and cupboards and little little bits of trivia related to the show. One of the things that struck me was that she seemed to be very down to earth. It also showed how she and her husband, Paul, worked together on her cookbooks and her show. They had a wonderful partnership that was really nice to see.          Several days ago The French Chef, Julia Child's...

                  One of the things I'm grateful for is that I grew up in a time before computers and the internet. I was fortunate to have avoided the pitfalls caused by social media and the trend of videotaping things so your mistakes and bad times can never be forgotten.           I'm especially grateful for YouTube. That site has been one of the most useful sites I know.           I started watching things on YouTube back during the pandemic. Washington National Cathedral had a short morning prayer program every weekday morning. The organists at the Tabernacle in Salt Lake City would give an online recital once a week called Piping Up. Since I like pipe organ music I tuned in faithfully.          From there I started branching out. I liked to watch videos about history, fashion and the United Kingdom's Royal Family. I found an Orthodox Jewish doctor ...

           Coming home after the end of a 12 hour shift on Friday the 13th, C and I were sideswiped on the interstate. Our car spun into the oncoming traffic before C was able to guide the car onto the side of the road. Stunned and in shock we sat there for several minutes before we were able to call a tow truck and highway patrol. The driver of another car had seen the accident and called highway patrol too, but wasn't able to get the license plate number of the car that hit us and then sped away. Thankfully we were not hit during the spin or as we sat at the side of the road. We are pretty sure the car that hit us was speeding and most likely didn't have it's headlights on.          It wasn't safe for us to get out of the car to see how badly it was damaged. When the tow truck arrived we were able to get out. I went to look at the car. It was better than I expected. The back fender was damaged along with a side panel and a bit of ...

           On Sunday I decided to spend part of my day cooking. There were a few things that I wanted to make to prepare for the coming week. All of them were things that I had not made before. I enjoy trying out new recipes. Today I'd like to share how my food turned out.          The first thing I made was white bean soup. I've always wanted to try making a bean soup with dry beans. Most of the recipes I found required ham which I don't eat. I try one recipe many years ago. It turned out very bland and I threw it away. This one had lots of spices in it. I thought it would be worth a try. I had everything except celery and a bay leaf. I left the celery out as C doesn't like it. An online search told me that I could use sage in place of the bay leaf. Knowing that C likes sage, I put some in the soup.           I decided that it would be best to let the soup cook in the crockpot on low. As the day went o...

           The winter storm  that was predicted to hit our area is definitely here. These days you never really know if a storm is going to come or be as severe as predicted. We already have several inches on the ground and the snowfall is continuing to be heavy.           C and I bought everything we might need yesterday. The stores were crowded with people shopping for supplies. Costco was very busy as well, it looked like people thought they would be snowed in for weeks by the amount of food and other supplies I saw in many of the carts. C and I enjoyed some pizza in the food court while we watched the line of shoppers head toward the exit doors with their purchases.          Days like this are a precious gift to an introvert like me. I get to stay home all day and get some needed down time. I can relax. I have an entire day to do almost whatever I want.          One of ...

           The swimsuit that I bought shortly after we got married no longer fits the way I would like it to fit. It's not bad, I could still wear it, but I wanted to get a new one. Something a bit more flattering to my figure. Something cuter.           I started out by ordering something online. When it arrived I tried it on. Despite carefully following the sizing guidelines, it didn't fit. That meant only one thing. I would have to return it and shop for another one in a store. I don't like shopping for clothes with so I knew that this was not going to be fun. However, there was no other way. I didn't want to keep ordering things.          Part of the challenge I have with swimsuits is that a traditional one piece doesn't work for me. I need a bit more coverage on the bottom. I also don't like to show a lot of skin, so traditional two piece suits don't work either. The best ones are the kind that hav...

           One of the things my mother always told me was that I was a messy kid. For some reason putting things away was not something I cared about. Mom tried to teach me to put things away by hiding toys that I didn't put away. (I thought we might find  two lost dolls when we cleared the house after my parents moved out, but I think she may have thrown them away.) Once my brother got into high school, he moved to a bedroom downstairs and my sister and I got our own rooms. My sister is much more organized than I am and was getting irritated by all my piles of stuff.          It got a little better when I got older. I lived in the dorm when I was in college. Out of respect for my roommates and people visiting, I kept things put away. It helped that I tended to have less stuff to leave around.          Once I got a place of my own, I kept things fairly tidy. The fact that I didn't have much helped a lot...

           This week I started a month long break from Facebook. This is the second year I've done it as part of my observance of the season of Lent. I remember how good it felt last year and how I planned to limit my use of that platform. After the month was over I slowly went back to my old habit of mindless scrolling.          Last year I remember it being hard to stop looking at it. I had to hide the links on my phone so it would be harder to get to it. Over time it got easier.           This year it seems to be no problem at all. One thing I knew I needed to do was find something to replace the time I spent scrolling. I haven't found a new knitting project to start yet and I didn't want to spend my time staring at You Tube videos. I was looking for something on a the shelf under my coffee table when I found a book of word search puzzles.           I opened it and saw t...

           Hi! This is Barnaby. I'm a handsome, fluffy, white and orange cat. I want to write about how much I love my humans.          My humans are Sophie and C. They are very good to me. I love them very much.          They have a lot of toys for Willow and me. I like to play with the toys. My favourite toy is this ball that rolls all by itself. It has a tail that I can chase. Sometimes I grab the tail. It runs on batteries and sometimes needs to be plugged in. One of the things I like about it is that it stops when I get tired of playing with it. I was playing with it a few weeks ago and it stopped, but I can't find it and neither can my humans. I hope we find it toon. I miss it.          I have other toys to play with. I like balls and springs. Every morning I bring a ball to Sophie so she can throw it to me. The rule is I have to bring the ball back to her and set it on the cou...

           We were eating breakfast last week when both of us noticed a strange smell in the kitchen. It was that warm plastic/electrical smell that always bodes trouble. After some wandering around, we confirmed that the smell was coming  from the microwave. The smoke coming out of the vent after I heated a cup of tea confirmed our suspicions.           After checking the plug to make make sure there were no sparks, C prudently unplugged it. Our plans for the next day had changed. We were going to go microwave shopping.          I use the term shopping loosely because we weren't really going to go to different stores. There is one locally owned appliance store down the street and that's where we went. We have bought things from them before. We prefer to patronize the smaller businesses when we can. It may cost slightly more but the customer service is better. If we have a problem with our purchase...

                Mom's memorial service took place yesterday. A small group of us gathered to pray and give thanks for having Mom in our lives. It was a good service as would have been expected from my siblings who planned it. There was a lot of singing which I found amusing as Mom in her younger years didn't like music. It was only when she got older that she enjoyed listening to songs and singing although she would admit she didn't sing very well.               I did the first reading which was a compromise. My brother immediately vetoed the two choices I made. While I didn't really think the psalm he chose was the best one, I was not willing to fight with him about it. We'd had way too much contention in our family over the years and I decided I wasn't going to be the source of any more.               The minister gave a good sermon using information my siblings...

           It's cold outside, the thermometer on our furnace thermostat says it's -13 degrees. It's been cold like this for the past several days. You'd never know it by looking outside. The sun is shining and I think the wind is pretty minimal. Most people don't like weather like this. I don't mind it at all.          I went to college in North Dakota. It was a long time ago, but I remember a lot of below zero days there. I also remember it being windy most of the time. I learned to wear warm clothes especially a scarf if I had to be outside. I also learned  to shortcut through buildings as much as possible to get to my classes. As long as I was dressed properly, I knew I'd be all right. As long as I had what I needed I didn't need to be scared of weather like this.          There is another reason why I'm not bothered cold weather. It's a godsend for introverts like me. Most people don't want to go ou...

           A few years ago a friend gave me a two pound cake of chunky yarn for my birthday.  It is lovely yarn with shades of purple and lavender running to white and then a pale green. The problem was I had no idea what to do with it. It was too much yarn for some projects and not enough yarn for other projects. It sat in the bag it came in for months while I waited for inspiration.           One day scrolling aimlessly though patterns, I found the right one. It was a blanket. This was perfect because, in this case, size does not matter. The stitch pattern was easy and would look good with the varied colours in the yarn. The only thing I needed was the correct size and type of needles.           I wanted to make the blanket a size in between the choices offered in the pattern so I deliberately cast on the wrong number of stitches. It took me while to figure out the pattern as I wasn't follow...

           I think several of my friends are either hurt, puzzled or upset with me. I've had several offers to talk and got some really good chocolate and bouquets of flowers. I enjoy the flowers and the chocolate, but haven't taken up anyone on the offer to talk. This really baffles some people because I lost my Mom, the woman who gave birth to me and the person who took care of me when I was younger. The fact that I'm not devastated is something they don't understand.          What most of the people in my life don't know is that my mother had Alzheimer's Disease. Most people know what that is. It means that someone who has it loses their memory. What they may not understand is that it is degenerative. That's a fancy way for saying that a person with this condition is going to get worse. The decline may be slow or fast, but it is a decline and nothing is going to stop it. (Although there are a few drugs with more on the horizon th...

           The snow is falling softly outside. I am nice and warm inside with a fresh cup of tea.  The brisket is in the crockpot. C and the cats are sleeping.           Normally I would be going around the house taking down the old calendars and putting new ones up. Between work and and all the other things going on during the holidays, we never got around to buying new ones. I had already decided to stop buying page a day calendars. There aren't any new ones that interest me.          I haven't even written down the things I want to do in the new year yet. The time that I would have spent on this task was devoted to writing my mom's obituary and answering condolence messages. I'm honestly not sure if I want to write a "resolution list" this year. Last year I did pretty good starting out and then all the good habits that I wanted to get into fell by the wayside.  The planner I bought to track...