[ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/That_Was_The_Week_That_Was ]
What a week this has been, full of fun things and no new medical issues. I’m also feeling better and doing more.
Sunday was spent recovering from the week before and the day of celebration before. You have heard some of the things about the retirement party, but things kept changing as I tried to reconstruct the people there from memory. I finally stopped, thinking I was done, but I should have waited to see the pictures that the new geographer at CWU (Megan) took for us. She even took movies of the beginning speakers, including a short little piece from me, about how we got interested and involved in the geography of wine. But, there are lots of pictures and there I was reminded of some people I knew were there and others I did not see. The time was filled (after the talks) with greeting folks from my past. I may still not be through with the list, but I now have a count of 109 people who were there. The oldest friends there were from 1974 and our job at the Univ. of Idaho in Geography. One of them was a total surprise. As already mentioned, some of the students from my first quarter here (1988) came over to celebrate (from the west side of WA). Many past students from the 1990s were there, and a number in this Century, plus their parents in one case. Everyone there was a special highlight of my day.
Thanks also to all the donors who gave to the scholarship fund in my name. Few could believe the total that it reached, $2535. I received names and addresses so that I may send a thank you card, but I’m only told the total amount donated to the fund, not any individual amounts. So when I get thank you notes out, I will be responding only to the thought and not the amount. I will say, the advancement officer in charge of the College of the Sciences funding was surprised at the turnout at the celebration and also at how many $$ would be generated for the special award, The Distinguished Service Award, for students in Geography and the graduate Resource Management program.
All-in-all, the retirement fling went amazingly well – others did all the work, and I think everyone enjoyed themselves at the party. I certainly did. Turns out the potted flower I couldn’t identify last blog we picked up at school and found it is a Calla Lily. It is so beautiful (big yellow blooms), and we have searched the web and found how to care for them, and to winter them. I think we will leave in a sunny window as a potted plant as long as possible, and then hopefully plant it in the spring.
Monday was the time set aside with an appointment to take Rhu, the 19-week old puppy we have been raising, to the vet for his Rabies shot, another puppy vaccine, and for his blood work for a titer to see if he had immunity from Parvovirus. He passed the test, but we didn’t know the results until the next afternoon. We had set up delivery of him to his new home after we knew he was cleared.
Monday afternoon, I was walking down the hall and heard a sound coming in the bedroom window. It was a meow. John went to look and said it was a little orange kitty. John had heard a similar sound out near the barn. We don’t know if there was a litter there and the owls or coyotes picked all but him off or what. But, John came back in the house to get gloves in case he was “wild.” He went back out and he was no longer under the window (inside the backyard). A little later John heard him again, and found him on the outside of the fence headed toward the compost pile but still missed a catch, but about an hour later — success. Once picked up he is a quiet kitty. We think he was close to starvation.
He wasn’t taking a drink or food at first, but he has a full set of teeth. He cannot be more than 8 weeks old, and maybe less. We put a towel and papers in a crate and put it in our washroom on top of the washer where we can talk to him and feed and water him. We started with milk and finally pushed his face into it, and he began drinking. We only had a can of Tuna in the house, but he was happy to eat that. However, we bought some cat food Wednesday, kitten food Thursday, and he absolutely loves the moist kitten food (turkey). He has a full tummy now. We have named him Sunshine, and are calling him Sunny, or sweetie, or kitty.
Tuesday’s big excitement was packing Rhu in a crate, carrying his baggage containing his food, milk bone treats (large and small), his “bone”, his “Rhu’s Shoe”, and his “Big Mac” squeaky toy. It was a great meeting, a little rocky at first because it was a new and strange environment with two little boys and a big black (female) dog in the house. He was nervous and shy at first, but as the time went by, and we moved to the backyard, he began to warm up and play with the kids, and to sit in new laps. They invited us for supper, and we stayed. By the time we left, puppy Rhu was adjusting quite well.
Wednesday’s events were going to CWU Geography to pick up some flowers left there Saturday after the party, and to pick up the memory book Marilyn compiled with emailed comments before the party and then some entered by hand at the party. There were some wonderful stories from each person who contributed, and it will bring joy (and maybe tears) in the future re-reads of them. I have read them all once thus far. If you are reading this blog, and were one to send or write an entry, please accept my thanks.
Thursday brought our normal playing at the nursing home, followed by a trip to the hospital, Out Patient Services, for a changing of the dressing and flushing of my PICC line. I have to do that weekly until it is removed. Next Monday is the time for blood lab draws and a blood culture to see if the bacteria are all gone.
Friday. We moved kitty Sunny to the front porch and yard. He ate a big serving of kitten food and then departed. We did not see where he went and he has not returned. It rained starting at 2:00 a.m. last night, and the temps didn’t get too cold, only 55, but he has not returned. We hope he will when he gets hungry again. It’s now Saturday, and he is still not in sight. I have some pictures of him on John’s shoulder.. a favorite place he had found.
Afternoon Friday found us traveling in the ’89 Ford truck to west of Yakima to friends taking some 6 x 6’ chain link panels for their new Golden puppy they get Sunday. They invited us for dinner (great), and I was pleased to be able to eat a full meal with friends, finally after all these months. Then we listened to a surround sound music system and saw a DVD of the reuniting of The Eagles (Hell Freezes Over – 1994). We’re old enough to have enjoyed them in the 1970s.
Saturday – and no kitty in sight. We keep hoping he will return. Otherwise we have a new bag of kitty food, and three cans of the special stuff.
Saturday morning we finished up stamping. folding and taping the Kittitas Valley Trail Riders Newsletter that John cobbles together each month. We are up to 50 households, so it is a major undertaking. He has been writing and working on it a little for the past several days, and gathering information from members and the President.
Friday and Saturday mornings we hit some garage sales, not many, but we got some good stuff. We ran into friends and visited as well. This is getting to be addictive. We got nice men’s shirts for 25¢, and a pipe wrench for a buck, some socks and a pillow for 10 cents each and a nice pillow for 50¢, that goes in my passenger seat of John’s car, nicely and comfortably. We found a special gift for a friend, a nice wooden Scandinavian horse napkin holder from Poulsbo, WA. I got a new CD holder for the other car (John’s) to put the CDs we have gotten at yard sales recently: Shelby Lynne, Trisha Yearwood, and Leanne Rimes. They have remained in his car for playing. Then another place I found a vest and a nice shirt for me for a quarter each. The last sale we attended was not too far from our house, and we bought a HUGE umbrella for a buck. It came into use at a potluck Saturday afternoon, for the Resource Management welcoming one, at our Geography Chair’s house.
For the party, he fixed a smoked turkey, grilled garden veggies, and everyone brought side dishes. Another geography faculty member brought his apple press, and people brought apples, which were cleaned, chopped, and pressed into fresh juice. A little was consumed there and much went home with the guests. A good time was had by all, despite the intermittent rain that kept bees and yellow jackets away. It did not dampen our spirits. A couple of students made homemade fresh tomato salsa, and was that ever good, both of them. Someone brought a peach cobbler to die for, and another brought yummy “brownies” made of toll house cookie dough. There was plenty of potato salad, chicken salad, and macaroni salad to add to a plate, with the smoked turkey, grilled brats, and grilled veggies. Yum.
Sunday is likely to be cool and wet, so a lazy day for us, but maybe a day to catch up on dirty dishes and clothes. I still have all my thank you notes to write.
We will try to post this Saturday night, because nothing is on the schedule for Sunday and I’m out of things to say. John will think this is much too long, but I had a lot to tell you all.
Best to all who continue to follow the blog, and thanks to John for continuing to post it.
Nancy