Sunday, March 17, Actually, Happy St. Patrick’s Day, 2013. We went to the music jam at the Grange. I took my recording point and shoot camera – more below. The weekend event of gargantuan proportion was the mailing of the link to my 2012 “Greetings” pages. Finally, after struggling with email construction of recipients, just before midnight I sent it. Right away a few emails bounced, so I had to wait until the next day to sort through the problems.
Monday, Mar 18 John left at 7:30 a.m., and I stayed put. I have aching muscles, especially aching quadriceps femoris [“four-headed muscle of the femur”], from getting up and down, running all around at the Grange taking videos, moving a microphone, and sitting and playing. My mission today involved rebuilding the email list of recipients of my belated 2012 greetings, and realizing that somehow when combining names into lists, I failed to get 88 copies sent. How did I realize that? I decided to put a note on Facebook that it was out and if a person didn’t receive it, to let me know, or check their SPAM file. Several people whose first names alphabetically followed “Jennifer” were affected. So the Julies, Jims, . . . , through Kellys, had to be sent today. I finished the letter for a scholarship nomination reference for a former student who was graduated in 2009. Always something.
Tuesday, Mar 19 John was off at 7:30 a.m., but I slept in, because I’m still recovering from sore muscles from running around this past Friday, Sat., and Sun. Have had a few neat responses from the 2012 newsletter. Tonight, I did go in to Royal Vista to play and sing with The Connections.
I got home just before 8 to a wonderful chicken and veggie dinner — breast meat seasoned with lemon juice, pepper and a no-salt seasoning. The veggies were a combo of frozen carrots John put up from the Columbia Basin, cashews, peppers, and onions, in a sweet brown sugar sauce. Then he made a special open-face parmesan covered toast (broiled, actually).
Wednesday, Mar 20 John stayed home today; weather was lousy, but the main reason he didn’t go prune was the winegrower is driving to the “wet side” of Wash. to participate in a wine event. With slush on the Pass and rain in Puget Sound lowland, that’s not going to be fun. Meeting and greeting those interested in wine is important to his business, so he goes frequently. Evelyn and I went to sing and play at the Food Bank Soup Kitchen. Nice to meet a new volunteer server, one of the students from the class I went to last week, saw her poster presentation, and also to hear she is applying for a special internship this summer in Arizona that she found from the jobs list. I went by the hospital for an INR blood check. That came out fine, 2.1, so I don’t have to return for a month. I went to SAIL exercise, but wanted to take it easy because of my sore quad muscles. I helped a little lady who is unstable on her feet. The lady who made the knitted scarves I have been getting over the past few months, brought in some little booties for adults. Most had fluffy balls of yarn on them, but one pair was plain and my color (blue), so I brought it home. Put it on top of my wool socks and inside my flannel slippers, and I have had happy feet all afternoon and evening. Very nice treat. And free at that. Brought home two pieces of banana nut bread, that we had for dessert with Butter Pecan ice cream. Probably don’t need the calories, as I have gained a little weight since fall. John worked outside in non-cooperating weather — sunny, windy, rain, snow, cloudy, and repeat in phases. I drove through the same thing.
Thursday, Mar 21 Most mornings are still frosty so John starts the car to get the windshield clear, feeds horses, and than starts for White Heron about 7:35. It is at least sunny today, but the wind is still blowing. Dry Creek today for me, playing and singing music. We had new “Coca Cola” chairs without arms, and they were much appreciated. As you heard last month, they got rid of all the non-armed wooden dining room chairs, replacing with arms for all in the building. We have to have no arms in order to play our instruments. We asked for folding chairs, but they cannot have them in the facility because they are considered “dangerous” (a response to liability and regulatory issues). However, armless chairs are a musician’s friend and we had told them we would no longer come if they could not provide acceptable chairs. They brought these from the Coca-Cola Room (whatever that is) and they are perfect for us. Try a search with, coca-cola chairs, using ‘images’ and see all the stuff that comes up. Who knew? All interesting things, but the ones we used
were the “retro” model, square bottom, red leather/plastic, and metal legs. Found one on the web for $129. (such links may not last, so order yours now)
Friday, Mar 22 The ground was thinly covered in white this AM. I have been doing taxes, dishes, clothes, and paying bills. Not going to town today. John arrived home, tired and wind chilled, but it is actually worse here (el., 2,240 feet) than where he was pruning at 900 feet. Photos here as things will be during the next 2 to 3 weeks: White Heron seasonal images.
Click on these in the link to see larger photos:
1st column, 4th photo – pruned vines;
2nd column, last photo – between the winery and the house;
2nd column, top photo – view south with “Death Camas” blooming
The following link has photos from our dry inland area.
On the low valley benches it is “pink tip” time – the Apricots have just started to push out their buds. The grape vines, however, show no sign of life. It has been cold thus far but soon, when cut, there will be sap flowing from the wound. At home, John is not going to plant the plum trees until tomorrow. This afternoon the wind is blowing in 33 mph gusts, sustained 24 mph and going to 22° tonight. He is going to go out (in the sun) to separate rocks from dirt. The former to go into a walkway and the latter into an additional space for Strawberries and Yellow Summer Squash.
Saturday, Mar 23 Going in the afternoon to a Celebration of Life for my long time Geography colleague, Marty Kaatz. When I get home, we will call John’s cousin, Ethel Reynolds, to wish her a happy 95th birthday. There is a big shindig planned, starting at 11:00 a.m. [PA time] at the apartment complex where she lives in Brookville, PA. John was born in the Brookville Hospital because that’s where his mother was! The home town of Clarion (16 miles farther west) did not have a hospital and the norms of the time were strongly encouraging hospital births. We checked an internet site that says in the United States home births declined from 50% in 1938 to fewer than 1% in 1955. John’s two older brothers were born in the early ’30s while his sister and John were early ’40s babies.
Sunday, Mar 24 A full obituary for our good Jim Carvo will appear soon in the Yakima paper. He has been friends with us and two of our Brittanys since 1998. He and his wife came to visit me in the ICU in Yakima in 2009-10, and then to the nursing home, he brought Brittany Brigitte (for visits in the chair next to my bed). Nancy and John will always have special love for him, and his wife, Rosy. Milly (Brittany) stays behind to comfort Rosy, along with Jim’s ornamental special chickens.
Hope your week was great.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan