John’s Grandmother arrived from Ireland (click link) in April of 1895.
Sunday, March 10 I don’t even remember what we did this day. I have been working up something to give at CWU in Jennifer Lipton’s Remote Sensing class. I worked on finalizing some changes to the web pages for the 2012 greetings to warn people not to view with Internet Explorer or Opera.
Monday, Mar 11 John left for White Heron, 7:30 a.m. I worked on requests from past students and talking to folks in need of something or just someone to talk to. I spent time on my talk for tomorrow, and handling concerns by the farrier to come early, with John not home yet, and then finding out I had to include a visit to the hospital in my schedule tomorrow. The message got botched and I was not informed. (Found out later in the week, it was on my cell phone and I had not seen the message of a voice mail notification).
Tuesday, Mar 12 LONG, LONG day. I have almost forgotten. Bye to John 7:30 a.m.; after a fast breakfast, I left at 9:00 a.m., for a 9:30 to 10:45 meeting with Emeriti Geographers at Copper Kettle; on to 11:00 a.m. KVCH hospital for Pulmonary Function Test; then for a fast bite to eat and on to Grocery Outlet for special cheap cat food for the ferals, then to CWU to get ready for a presentation at 2:00, arriving at 1:20, but talking to a friend whose husband has terminal cancer. Yes, I know that last was a run-on sentence. Then it was time for my PowerPoint (PPT) about the Jobs list I moderate (570 people who get announcements of job possibilities). It’s called Northwest Geography Jobs (and is a Google Group), but it covers jobs all over the U.S. The event I attended was Jen Lipton’s Final poster presentations (29 students) for Remote Sensing, and I reviewed them all with her. Finally, with 4 minutes to go, I gave out a page of instructions and a fast PPT on what I needed in an e-mail from them to put them on the jobs announcements list, if interested. There were already six people in the class who were members, and the first person to discuss his poster was all dressed up. Told the class he went to an interview today for a job he received from the list. That made me very happy.
Wednesday, Mar 13. John was off at 7:30 a.m. but accidentally rushed out without his cell phone and wallet (hence, no driver’s license or money for a donut or box of apples). Luckily, he had no problems or need for either. I went to the food bank soup kitchen, played, and sang with two others. Then off to exercise class.
Thursday, Mar 14 This was a rude awakening from a call from a wrong number at 5:45 a.m., and then at 6:40 a.m. from person in the music group who spent 3 hours in ER with heart palpitations and wasn’t going to be playing with us today. We were at Rehab with only a handful of instruments: Banjo, two fiddles, viola, but we had quite a following from the residents (two of whom got up and danced with their walkers). The staff was thrilled and cheering them and us on. Most of the morning was spent working on challenges, and a late afternoon call from my friend that her husband died this morning at 6:00 a.m. Got gas in my car and picked up Shay’s thyroid meds on my way home. John had KVTR (horse group) tonight, with a good guest speaker on horse nutrition.
Friday, Mar 15 Worked on much stuff, mostly getting a sympathy letter with pictures of my memories of my friend who died, and his Brittanys (from us), and got it in the mail to his family. He was one of our main readers of the blog from the beginning of it, but has been too ill the past 2 months to get to the computer. Also, had a message from my cousin’s daughter from GA that she was in Seattle, and wanted to drive by Granny’s house. John had learned from the vineyard owner that the Smith Tower (on which our carpenter-Granddad worked) has an observation deck – so I found that info on the web and passed that along with the location of the old house. I left for a noon scholarship luncheon. It was in the Psychology Building on the north of campus. We had pizza, salad, brownies, and a crème soda (long time since I had that; pretty good). Then exercise.
Saturday, Mar 16 Busy day. Went to 66th Anniversary party at Bar 14 for our neighbors, Lorene and Bob Swedberg, with many family and friends from the valley and around WA. I visited with several friends who’d known them both more than 66 yrs (they are my friends too, through my exercise class). March is also both their birthdays. Food was good, and many people from the community and family were there. Food included roast beef, turkey, ham, Swedish meat balls, Teriyaki meatballs, two yummy cakes, (I only had a piece of one). Then by the St. Patrick’s Day party in downtown Ellensburg, where a number of friends performed music, and dancing. Friends who play stringed instruments (or Celtic drum, a Bodhrán) in two different groups, Celtic music, and the Ellensburg Women’s Chorus. From there, rushed home, and took off across the valley with John to a pot-luck birthday celebration at 5:00. At 8:00 it was dark and windy. The outside cats hadn’t been fed but the horses had been; therefore, John’s time outside was brief. This blog’s work was put off, and so will be late.
Sunday, Mar 17. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! In 1965, I went through the area in Scotland where he was raised. Or so some say. Today, John and I
are going to a Bluegrass Jam session at the Swauk-Teanaway Grange and will take along some Irish music to sing and play (see below).
The other good news is I will release the long awaited 2012 Greetings from us today. It will be at this link-location, later tonight (our time), so for you all back in the east, you’ll be receiving it tomorrow.
I will send a notice to folks, in bcc, which often makes it come as SPAM, so be on the lookout for it in your SPAM folder. It’s coming from our Cedaridge account, or just check the above link when you get a chance. Warning it is long if you follow all the links. A lot happened in 2012!
We left for town before 1:00 and picked up some (expensive) sunflower seeds, on our way to the Grange Bluegrass Jam session, where I took my camera and tripod, 2 of our apples to share, and my microphone setup. It went really well, but I had my Tylenol along to take half way through, and was so busy, I forgot till I got home (and was hurting bad); probably got more exercise than on an “exercise” day. I was getting up to move the microphone to people (those who would allow it), and my camera was set up on a tripod, but couldn’t get everyone in the circle into the view, so I kept having to rearrange it and stop between songs. That also makes for not so long videos, which is nice. Up and down I got, and then back to sit on the side of the circle to play and sing, if I knew the song lyrics. Interesting and fun afternoon.
Thankfully, it was too cold and too windy (gusts highest today were 40 mph this afternoon) for John to work on his plum tree planting, so he accompanied me and helped carry stuff, load the bird seed (50#), and cut the apples, reload all the stuff for the home trip. I brought home some leftover cake (actually frosted brownies) and cookies from last night’s Grange chili feed they left for us and our audience to enjoy today. Pretty neat. Our apples were a hit. We are down to 4 here, so John will have to stop and buy another box tomorrow on his way home from pruning. Tonight, I’m hoping to finish a letter of reference for one of my former students (will go out tomorrow), finish this blog, and get the 2012 greetings emailed. I think I have one more addition to the reunion page, after finishing a lot of the other pages this morning. I’m adding warnings to the top of all pages not to use Internet Explorer or Opera as a browser to view, as the font sizes are way wrong and makes a huge mess (literally). Sending this off to John now for his embellishments.
Hope your week was great.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan