Keeping track

Today, I’ll start with a photo (the left one, below) sent to me by our bass guitar player, Sharon Jenson, from her husband, Jack — The view is of the Northeast Face of Mount Rainier and the White River Valley from 6,960 feet high Silver Queen Mountain (pictured above) near Crystal Ski Area. Jack likes to ski, and Crystal Mountain is the largest ski resort in the State and accessible from the Seattle area. Seattle is to the right from this line between the mountain tops.Silver Queen is 13.5 miles from the peak of Mount Rainier. A National Park road goes along the left of the river to about as far as it shows, then crosses and splits, going to 2 access points. The green hump in the middle with snow covering the top is called Goat Island Mountain. John has worked on trails within this area, including one coming up from the western base of the Ski Area. It reaches two small lakes, and is called Crystal Lakes Trail.
On the right (above), Rascal Cat is stalking Doug, the Douglas Squirrel having a breakfast of Black Oil Sunflower seeds. Doug is on the board, upper left. The squirrels are cute, small, noisy, and a pain. They store black walnuts in our insulation in the shed, and compete with John for his Carpathian walnuts, which we enjoy so much and don’t wish to share with him. Once they cleaned walnuts under the hood of one of our vehicles.

Monday, Jan 7

Awoke, still coughing. I will go to town today for a few errands, but our Silver Sneakers class doesn’t resume until Jan 14, so I will finish up the photos from the Chinese New Years’ party, put on a flash drive, and take by to the AAC for their records. I did that and captured the ones from their camera too. Found one with John in it that I missed. A bunch went outside to burn the paper on which they had written 2018/2019 notes. This seems to be a 3rd day event for the new year.

I drove by the Flying J to pick up boots and winter shoes Ann Draper gave me. I did need to go out the back patio door just before dark and my slippers have a hole in the bottom, so I used the black shoes. They were perfect, fit perfectly, and supported my foot in the yard and on the gravel. I’m anxious to try on the felt lined winter boots and the other green shoes. I’m sure they will be awesome, but I really don’t want to take all, or if so, I want her to let me know if she ever wants them returned. Upon follow-up contact, she told me to keep them all.
In return I gave her husband a pair of YakTrax I had so he could descend Manastash Trail when he was coming downhill on slippery slopes as a few days prior.

I see the new Dr. Kim, cardiologist, Tuesday. I have been working tonight to organize all my questions. I summarized values from a Basic Metabolic Panel. I don’t have records back to Nov 2017 to compare with the Uric Acid blood test from then. I have been working on medical record history from lab tests back to Mar 2018, at the local hospital KVH.

Tuesday, Jan 8

About an hour before heading out the door for Yakima, we got a call. The Heart Center had a cancellation – could we fill that slot? We said yes, and drove just a bit aggressively, as the roads were in good shape. We were lucky with the lights at 16th Avenue intersections. Got there 2 minutes early, rather than 2 minutes late. I had called to tell them how close we were and that we expected to get there just on time.

It was snowing here, and on the tops of the ridges, but slowed down for a small time, and then started back more. We got to Yakima with 2 inches of snow having fallen, and still snowing; Roads were wet. We made it in time, and while the travel both ways was unpleasant, the doctor’s visit was encouraging. I weighed the least I have weighed in a doctor’s office since June 2017. That was with my clothes on, but without shoes. I’m 5 pounds less than when we were married almost 50 years ago.

Below the photo will show why I am happy my doctors are not in Seattle, but instead in Yakima. Afternoon at the Pass. Often, when trucks skid and “jack-knife” like this one, other vehicles make contact. Then the road closes for a couple of hours while tow trucks clear the highway and police investigate.
This driver got off easy, and was soon on her/his way.
This is why we don’t schedule anything on the west side of the Cascade Crest from November to March.

.
.
.

Wednesday, Jan 9

Mid-week we had fog, snow, and sleet. Some images resulted that are beautiful; here’s my favorite.Photo of Ellensburg CWU campus highlighted by Barge Hall; captured by EvieMae Scheutz from near her Auntie Gaye’s home on Craig’s Hill.

We left for the Old Geographer’s meeting at Hearthstone, this morning. Roads were pretty slick (worse near town because of last night’s sleet there). Just north of the Kittitas Hwy, a car was off the road (at Ferguson) from a failed turn. It was in a deeper ditch than we went in 4 years ago, and therefore at an acute angle. I wasn’t comfortable on the leaning side into the ditch (passenger side). At least the ditch didn’t have slimy water in it as it does this year, and we missed hitting a culvert by only a foot. That story was in a blog long ago, found here:

Click on the link and go to Tuesday to find the details of the ditch plunge.

2015 Ended in the Ditch

Today, we made it safely and so did several others (one walking, Mary Ann). Lillian, Ken, Carla, and Dee with daughter Cory. We call this the Emeritus Meeting, but two of the prior CWU professors have passed through the snowy gates, and we had 3 spouses and a daughter. [John thinks it funny that the term emeritus comes from Latin, and at the time of the Roman Legions, it meant a soldier too old or lame to be useful. In education, it means retired with distinguished service.]

Laurie at Hearthstone provided coffee and hot water for tea or Hot Chocolate. Thanks to Crystal, Activities Director, for setting it up. John and I brought cookies: chocolate chip and macaroons.

I cancelled all the rest of my normal Wednesday activities (going to Food Bank for music and SAIL exercise after), and we came home for me to rest and get well.

I washed some dishes and processed some photos, and have a few more yet to do. Talked to a couple of offices to set up and confirm future appointments. Set up a refill on a prescription for me and discussed halving pills and separating them, and not putting them all back in the same container. I hate that, even though I’m grateful for them to half pills for me that are not scored for easy breaking in half.

Am sending photos up to Google Photos for the White Heron Raclette event to get them all stored at one link for people to see.

I succeeded and you can click on this link:

Photos from Raclette at White Heron, 1-5-19

Thursday, Jan 10

Going in to Meadows Place today, probably just with the music and my camera. I won’t join the group but sit in the front row of the audience so as not to risk talking or singing; either starts me coughing. Others in the group will handle the announcing and song intros. We also may have too many people for the crescent circle.

Below on Friday is the description for this video of today’s music presentation for the folks in the Meadows Place Assisted Living Home. All there were pleased with the program.

It was interesting to have a couple of audience members, the gentleman from his walker, dancing in the rear of the audience.
Click the following link to see them dancing in the first song.

Video here starts near 8 minutes. Pull the button back to the left to start at the beginning.

Fiddlers & Friends at Meadows Place

Friday, Jan 11

I delivered some stuff with John’s help to Kittitas. Both deliveries were appreciated, but the results are found above, constructed by my friend EvieMae Scheutz, who transferred my 25 recordings yesterday into a complete video of our yesterday’s music. I was unable to do my usual “leading” so I carried in the music for 3 players, copies for the audience, and sat in the front row of the audience to take videos of the presentation. Evie manufactured them into one recording of the entire day, capturing the best 54 minutes of music.

I came home to recuperate and work on organization, and John did a few chores outside and inside. The cold and fog is not pleasant, and it is to last all week.

My organizing concentrated on records, and file folder copies of receipts. I made some progress, freeing up space in legal filing cabinets to house my data, and threw away (recycled) some educational materials left over from years of teaching. So much more yet to do. I boxed up some tapes with urban geography information to give to the prof now teaching the course. They have taken out the VCR players in the classrooms, and so I hope if some are usable historically, then they can be converted to DVDs. Projectors for color slides and overhead projectors for transparencies have also disappeared from academia.

Saturday, Jan 12

We got out of here before 9:00 to head to town for several errands. Most importantly, was looking for a pair of bedroom slippers for John and for me because both our soles have holes.

We began at the Methodist Church Community Clothing Store, but they had no slippers. However, I found a pair of men’s boots that fit me, John found an orange work shirt and a scarf, and then for me he found some more colorful (pink with purple) slippers with a higher back kind of like a boot, so when the cold air circulates on the floor in our house they may keep my legs a little warmer.
I have plenty of clothes, so I wasn’t looking at the clothes on the women’s side, but John was checking out things and found a small jacket with gorgeous embroidery on it.
I didn’t try it on, but I got it anyway, knowing I could give it to one of my friends. (Once home, I put it on. It is just a bit small, but I can wear it with a white blouse and not button.) Everything there is free. You are allowed 10 items (only two of the same thing) once a month for the family. We left with 7 items total and happily thanked everyone. I knew one of the volunteers there today, from the FISH food bank. When I walked in, (only my 2nd time there), I did not carry my Photo ID, but she recognized me and there was one other person in the “store” who knew me from playing music at Pacifica. John did have his, and that would have worked or I could have gone back to the car. My first time there was to obtain Christmas tops (you have seen through December blogs) to wear at music events and exercise classes.

This shows the long tops folded over, but such don’t seem helpful.
On to the Goodwill store, to check, but we found nothing that would work. Much of Goodwill is the same packaged products found at regular retail outlets, and at similar prices. Maybe ½ of the stuff is re-purposed donations.

From there we checked out the early morning sale at Super 1. We went primarily for sausage (in rolls). It was claimed to be $3/roll off regular price, but more like $1.25. We eat a lot with brunches. Also Navel oranges were on sale. I hope they are better than the last bunch. We ate one, cooked with one, and threw 2 out.

Last stop was the best, Bi-Mart, where we accidentally on the way out, found men’s slippers in John’s and my size for 50% off. We weren’t even planning to look there for them, but went instead to get stuff for my cough & congestion: Tussin DM and Fisherman’s Friend cough drops. John also buys his disposable razors there. With the 50% mark down I also bought some colorful socks with a loose top. Belts were 20% off and John found one he liked.

We came home to have brunch, using the sausage we just bought.

Now working on projects.

Ending with views in ArizonaThese were taken by Celia Slatta (AKA Missy Piecuch to us as our student a while ago at CWU)

She went with her family (hubby and children) over Christmas break and shared these with me, for us to put in our blog. I saw the sunset and asked for permission to use it. She sent me the other as one of her favorites.

Sunday, Jan 13

We will be posting the blog this afternoon, but not including any other activities of this day.

Hope your week was fine.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Monday, Dec 31

Today, I found that using Costco Pharmacy using Good RX (cash payment), will not be allowed if the medication is covered by a medical plan. If my insurance will cover it, I have to use it. That will not work. It’s better to stay local at Safeway, as long as they will offer the cash price as they have been doing.

I went to the lab at our hospital for all three doctors’ blood draws. Today, our AAC was closed, so I did not go for my 11:00 class, Silver Sneakers. Instead, I went by the food bank for the Senior Nutrition lunch and joined two people there today I know from the senior center. We had a very good pulled pork sandwich and gingerbread. I passed on the salad because of mostly spinach, but did have some cheese & macaroni with little smokies. I gave Mary Ann most of my smokies because I had a lot of the pulled pork.

Checked Goodwill to see if any Christmas tops are on sale. Found a vest and a sweatshirt for $1.49 each. Vest is red and white with snowy trees and snowmen. You’ll see it later on Wednesday.
Went to Rite Aid for the Magnesium BOGO for 3 bottles of Nature’s Bounty 500mg, with 200 tablets. I drove by and picked up boxes from a friend’s house along with a half dozen emptied egg cartons to give to a friend with 5 chickens.

Tuesday, Jan 1 HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The photo below greeted me this morning from my friend Evie, in Kittitas, from her photography composure, combining several firework displays her neighbors sent into the dark sky last night. Fireworks (composite of several exposures), 2019 by EvieMae Scheutz (not at her original resolution).

This morning I slept in longer than recently. True, we were up late with fireworks disturbing our dog. We were done field trialing and hunting when she was a puppy. We failed as puppy parents and she doesn’t like loud sharp noises.

I’m on a hunt for my winter boots. I think they are still in the house somewhere. I really need them before Saturday’s Raclette.

We each did chores around here today. John worked outside on feeding the horses and wildlife (birds, deer, and Douglas squirrel on both sides of the house, and John was out working with firewood. In getting wood to take to the Raclette, he sorted out some of the Cottonwood and carried it up to the county road. There is a sign: “Free fire wood” on a fence post and a passing neighbor will soon carry it away. We don’t need it, and hope someone does. There are about 2 wheel-barrow loads there, and another to go up.

I washed a load of clothes, am ready to wash dishes after I add the dirtied dishes from tonight, and I have started the process of printing an additional page and cover (got those printed). John has to remove staples from last year’s Jan/Feb audience music, and then I must add a last page and exchange for a new front cover list page. Then he will re-staple them for me. Finally, tonight I finished setting up the new music after he removed all the staples. They await his stapling tomorrow morning.

I worked on many other projects today as well, on the computer and with clothing, plus arranging my stops in town for tomorrow, while I’m there for two other events.

I can go to bed as soon as the dishwasher stops. I will cut the power and let it dry with the door partly open. John thinks dishwashers should be designed to stop, open the door six inches, and air dry.

Wednesday, Jan 2

I stopped at Kristen’s off Thomas Rd. to pick up stuff from her porch before 11:00 on my way to play music at the FISH Food Bank. We had quite a crowd of players and large audience too.FISH Food bank-Nancy and Evelyn taken by Kevin

Above has me in my newest winter vest, but it was a bit too small, so I gave it to my friend Sharon in the KV F&F group, whom it will fit better.

Using the GoodRX cash price, I picked up John’s Tamsulosin at Safeway (90 tablets), with two refills left, and I met Evie outside Fred Meyer to transfer my package to her.
Called Rachel at hospital lab. She sent out all the labs to all three doctors… Stone, Wood, and Kim.

Thursday, Jan 3

Culligan service tech came at 9:30 to replace four filters under our sink. The final filter is a reverse osmosis unit, then there is a small tank that stores a couple of gallons of pure water. We use 2 liter soda bottles to have some stored, and smaller bottles to carry as desired.

I compiled all the music for Jan-Feb 2019 for my book and for Charlie’s & Gerald’s book, and put audience copies in my carrier.

I left early to play at Rehab but called the hospital to see about my lab record reports. I had requested copies of my recent 12/31 medical records from Cle Elum this morning, but found they were flooded from a water pipe breakage, and not able to have patients in the building or to have certain staff members working in their offices (e.g., Ed in Medical Records), so I found out he had come down to Ellensburg to put in his work day. I was able to pick up the reports today.

Evaluated my boots picked up on loan from friend in Thorp, Kathie. Started the cleaning process. Mice had used the boots as a hiding place for their stolen dog food pellets. They’re thinsulate-lined, steel toed, and fairly lightweight.

Friday, Jan 4

Scheduled to go to AAC for Chinese New Year at the senior center. It’s the year of the pig. We were served a split-pea soup, more like a stew, with lots of ham, carrots, and potatoes as part of it. I’m sorry I did not take a photo of a bowl of the soup, except I did take a few pix with people eating. Those pictures are not processed yet, and will have to be in a future blog. But here we are.Good report by phone, received from my Wenatchee doctor on thyroid tests I had done 12/31.

I got John more chocolate brownies with frosting and eclairs for his birthday. He is fixing baked chicken, rice with chicken / mushroom /onion gravy, and just cut the next to last of the large Honey Crisp apples. We had sour cream/cheddar potato chips on the side. Pretty tasty.

Afternoon, grabbed boots from neighbor Joanie’s house.

Saturday, Jan 5

John had taken some Salmon from the freezer and baked it this morning. It is wrapped in heavy-duty aluminum foil, and in a metal pan. This will sit next to the fire at the Raclette.
Get ready to leave at 10:15 for White Heron. A couple of days ago John got the wood in the car.

Pictorial and video views with text on our 2019 (for 2018’s pruning efforts) Raclette, put on for the pruners and their family each year. Below are some of this year’s views (mostly different from the past), and links back to previous years for important information about a Raclette and the surrounding geology and viticulture of White Heron, owned by Phyllis and Cameron Fries.

Their winery web page is found here:

White Heron Cellars

For our White Heron histories with lots of explanation through the years, you’re invited to view other years, below.

So here is this year: Most of the photos I will store elsewhere and give the link to attendees (and to you next week).
The sausages go in a cast iron pan. First, cuttings from the vines line the bottom, then about ½ bottle of wine is added. The iron cookware sits on a rock next to the flame and coals. The fire was started about 10:30. Coals, but not the fire, will go under the cheese.
The bottom picture above has deserts and veggies with dip. Pruner Tom makes a birthday cake. It is a carrot cake loaded with walnuts. The veggies came from Margaret and Mark Amara she made a wonderful artichoke dip.

Histories:

2014 Raclette

2015 Raclette

2016 Raclette

2017 Raclette

And now January 5th, for the 2018 pruning – last spring:

Greeting from their Collie, Altesse to Eric

Only 8 seconds Lynne & John plates: potato & sausage

About the following: you won’t be able to reach it. I still can from my laptop but the video was created here, so it will affect others differently around the world, trying to use the You Tube version, that was blocked by copyright.
The music was playing on a player behind me, Hotel California – Eagles, and YouTube catch music copyrights. It’s rather amazing the technology they must have. And it is only a total of 13 seconds.
Hi Nancy & John Hultquist, Due to a copyright claim, your YouTube video has been blocked. This means that your video can no longer be played on YouTube.
Video title: 13 seconds Cameron serves Lynne 
Copyrighted content: Hotel California -Eagles
Claimed by: WMG
Here was the basic photo. The music was coming from my left.Note the hot coals between the fresh Cottonwood logs.
Cameron is directing (scrapping) melted cheese onto Lynne’s potatoes. They were cooked in the same manner as the sausages.
This next one shows the green cottonwood holders John cut and took over, and this is him being served by 2nd server, Phil.

8 seconds Phil serves John

Here are views of the circle pruners, spouses, and friends.One of the dogs is above, left. Other animals were involved but the chickens kept a greater distance.White Heron’s cat in Linda’s Lap and also later in Nancy’s.

Near the end, we had several flocks of geese fly over; viewed through apricot branches.Canada Geese (difficult to see on viewer)

At 4:00 pm we were the first to leave. It was dark when we got home at 5:15.

Sunday, Jan 6

I have spent most of my time today working on photos and videos from the Raclette yesterday, and need to finish this so I can also work on the photos and videos from the Chinese New Year Celebration on Friday at the AAC.

John’s been doing mostly outside chores in the sunny daylight. Parts of our county are fairly clear. Most of WA, especially the western part is stormy. This morning, over 300,000 were without power from a storm that came in from over the Pacific Ocean. Snowing from Canada to Mexico in the mountains. The same pattern is expected through the week; we will get cooler with snow.

Temps (5 mi south at the airport) went up to our high 42°, at 12:53 p.m. down to 41°, at 1:53 p.m., 41°, and down to 40 at 3:53 p.m. headed to 27° for a low. There was a 40% chance of rain or snow this afternoon and this evening, but we have seen none yet. Snoqualmie Summit is a mess of snow, slush, and ice. Chains are required except on all wheel drive vehicles. The road is still open both ways. Bet that won’t last all night.

John got the Stihl chainsaw started today and cut for 15 minutes out front, went around into the back yard, behind the fence, started again, and came in to tell me what was going on and help me with a satellite image question, and went back out to move and stack the cut pieces. He is working on trunks of Pines left over from the fire-wise work a couple years ago.

Hope your week was fine.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Item #1: Tater-tots narrowly escape
My favorite comic, again

The ‘dryer sheet’ image is unrelated to the comic.

Item #2:Donkey & Elephant
With U. S. politicians much in the news, I wondered why one party has a donkey and the other has an elephant as symbols.
A few years ago I read about how our image of Santa Claus developed and learned of the cartoonist Thomas Nast and the publication Harper’s Weekly.
I don’t recall reading that Mr. Nast was involved in setting the political and social views of the time, 1862-1886, but now I see that was also true. Thomas was born in Landau, Germany, as his father was a trombonist in the Bavarian 9th regiment band.
His Wikipedia entry is here. It has a photo of him and over a dozen of his cartoons. There is also an odd ending to his life and career.
Donkey & Elephant story link

Item #3: $675
The good news is we just saved $675 X 2 = $1,350. Plus other expenses.
Happy 2019 from Cathay Pacific

Further good news is that we won’t be traveling in the Equatorial region in August. Actually, it likely will be hotter here, but plants will need water. Anyway, you can decide whether for you, this would be good or bad.

Item #4: Flying plywood

This isn’t the first of “flying plywood.” In 1947 a very large plane flew a short distance. It was made mostly of Birch, although called the Spruce Goose.
Hughes H-4 Hercules, 1947

This week’s story is from Brampton Ont., near Toronto.
Plywood, meet windshield
“Just moments after watching a piece of plywood soar through the air and smash into her windshield, Jaspreet Sran stopped, stepped out of her car and assessed the damage.
Praise be to Ms. Sran!

This story brings memories. While in high school a friend had a Jeep and was pulling an old trailer loaded with top-soil. The entire wheel/axle structure under the trailer collapsed going around a bend.
#2: I was pulling a small trailer with wood in it, heading down a long hill toward Moscow, ID. The trailer started to sway but came out of that if I went a little faster. Then it started to sway again. So, a little faster. Short version: pieces of lumber started to lift out of the trailer and sail off the road and down an enbankment. No one got hurt, no damage, except a few scrapes on the wood. Neat! Don’t try this.
#3: Just a few months after Nancy got her new Forester we went to Moses Lake; 80 miles east of EBRG. I was driving in somewhat heavy traffic with many vehicles behind, including a big rig. I was in the center lane and from a Pick-up in the right lane, a large cardboard box lifted off, came our way and landed about 100 feet in front of the Forester. There were a couple of seconds to watch it, and look around and in the mirrors. At 70 mph one goes 102 feet in 1 second.
By the time the box hit the pavement I had decided it was empty, and of the several possibilities, it was the best thing to hit. It made a nice sound, but no damage.

Consider what a fully autonomous car should/could/would do in such a situation?

Item #5: If you see a derelict van

Note to friend Caitlin: Northwest Butterflies
Put a selection of your excess specimens in an old van, remove all personal info, park the van miles from anywhere, and walk away.

Story behind mysterious butterfly collection still baffling for Manitoba Museum, caught in California a century ago.

Item #6: Bloom time

Our plant in the living room has been blooming. It is near a south-facing window. I give it a quarter turn every few days and water on the weekend.

And that, for this week, is the not so nasty news.
John

Monday, Dec 24
We took care of things at home and left a little after noon to be at Cle Elum for a chest x-ray for John before 1:00 p.m. followed by a visit with Dr. Wood. We took a form to give to the lab regarding our getting a CD with the two x-rays from Nov 20 and Dec 24.

Also, we took John’s Red Blood Cell (RBC) graphs for questions. The results of that was that he’s fine for the condition he is in. He has had a low red blood cell count (RBC) for years and thus most of the numbers coming from a Blood-draw investigation are skewed. The Doctor had Nurse Diane pull medical records from the old NextMD database. (She knows the old system, he does not.) Doctor Wood thinks the Hemoglobin (Hgb) is more indicative of health than the RBC. Hgb is just a little low, while RBCs are way out on the tail of low. Anyway, not much has changed in 10 years and John keeps pumping out new red cells as fast as he destroys them.

Lunch for us in Cle Elum was at Burger King for two crispy chicken sandwiches.

I had planned to deliver Thomas the Train items to Miles in Roslyn, but some at home were sick and his dad heads the P.O. in S. Cle Elum, so we just delivered it there and got to see some of Miles old train art work.Miles’ dad Stefan in S. Cle Elum PO w/ gift and art workHere’s Miles opening his gift Christmas eve, and my original picture of the gift when I got it in September this year.

Here’s his mom Jen’s message that she sent on Christmas morning.

Merry Christmas, Nancy and John!! Miles opened his gift from you last night and loved it! He filled the cup up with milk and put cookies in the bowl and we watched a Christmas movie!

Our drive home from Cle Elum was filled with views of snowed on evergreens.These are selected views from our trip home to Ellensburg. Probably would have been more colorful on a sunny day. If the mountains don’t get more snow there will be news reports about the irrigation season’s lack of water. Snow “water equivalent” gets measured in many places, then converted to a basin-wide report. Seems it is either too much, or too little – never just right.

Also on the way home, I called our friend in Marquette, MI, Fred Joyal, whose birthday is today, and sang happy birthday to him. We had a nice conversation until we got to a stop where we had to leave the car. Fun times and memories. We have known them since the early seventies in Iowa, where we were in grad school together. We usually see them yearly when they make the trek to Spokane, WA to visit family. Last year was the first in a while we didn’t meet for lunch.

Nothing at all happening at the AAC all this week so no SAIL.

We went by Pacifica Senior Living and I picked up our music Terri ran off for me because copies keep disappearing with the residents, and I was running short. She was kind enough to offer to make copies. We will use these next year again. It’s our music every December.

Came home to find a video coming from my friend Allie from Persia, gift for my friends the Eberharts, four of whom are front & center in this video. Allie took this at the Veterans’ Day celebration back in November.

Now I have more videos to share, as she is out of CWU on winter break, and has had time to transcribe them. This was the last and she sent several more, which I need to add to the list to send those who will be interested in all the videos she took and the photos she, John, and others took.

That’s yet to come, but this is the culminating song, acapella:

Our National Anthem, Veterans’ Day Celebration (AAC), 11-9-18

I took care of the morning cat shenanigans of Czar and Rascal, and found the back old XP computer turned on, apparently by Czar when exploring the house last night. I turned it off and replenished the water and food on top of the bunk bed for whoever decides to visit (of the two male cats). John has fed horses, shoveled around the front and back, and cleaned snow off the car and truck that are not under a roof.

Sent off the count collection for Thursday @ Hearthstone for KV F&F, sending along the Jan/Feb playlist completed to attach with reminder to look for 2018’s January – February music.Annie (Brittany) shares bed with Czar (new to being in the house).

Tuesday, Dec 25 MERRY CHRISTMAS!This lovely home belongs to our cousin Susan Wilkins Sykes & John in Tampa, FL. It was built in 1910 and restored by them. This came on the front of their Christmas card.
Susan was in our wedding party when she was 13.
Thanks to all those who sent us postal cards and also electronic ones. We have enjoyed them all but not replied to everyone.

We slept in, except for my getting up to usher the cats out different doors at 5:00 a.m. – one out the front door and the other out the back patio door. They each return through the doggie door when ready.

John started the morning with an order to Amazon for a few things for each of us (including party mix for the cats). They will be delivered in our mailbox late Thursday afternoon.

We had a nice telephone conversation with cousin Pat Berlin in Brookville, PA where they have no snow. Today is her birthday. Yesterday, we spoke to her mom Ethel (100 yrs old), and she was over at Pat’s for Christmas dinner.

This afternoon about 12:50 p.m., we drove the ¼ mile to the neighbors. We had a large clear plastic domed cake pan with two half cakes enclosed: one a Boston Cream Pie and the other a carrot cake. I think most people had a sliver of each, but we were quite full (not needing any supper tonight) because of a full table of food, including tender ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, creamed peas, Jell-O with fruit, rolls, carrots, celery, and scalloped potatoes by Ron from his daughter Jessie’s recipe. We had 8 people around the dining room table. Beverages: Milk, Hawaiian punch, and Apple juice (we brought).Tony, Nancy, Louaine; Ken, Stacy, Bob, Nancy, John, Tony, Louaine

We left and came home to feed the awaiting animals.

Wednesday, Dec 26

Fixed my salad with John’s help to take for lunch.

I left a little early to get there in time to set up music stands and chairs. We played music at the Food Bank. I forgot to take my fork, croutons, and pills because I had them in my red bag I always carry there and on to the AAC, but today, I wasn’t going there afterwards, so didn’t pack it. I had my salad, and used their silverware, had a cup of fruit, fruit punch, and dessert. Fortunately, I had my music and my violin, voice, my tote bag of bells to hand out for people to play (including clients, servers, and players). So, it went all right. I wore a different shirt for the season’s end.

I came home because there was no SAIL exercise following today with the AAC closed and went to Celia’s for a 3:00 haircut. She has cut my hair since 1988 when I arrived in town.

Thursday, Dec 27

Changed our joint foot Dr. appointment on Jan 14 to 1:45 p.m. so I don’t have to miss the 11:00 a.m. Silver Sneakers exercise class, which didn’t exist 3 months ago when the appointment was made.

Called about a refill of Atorvastatin at Safeway. Normally at Costco, it’s too far to travel before Saturday, so I called Norman Wood’s nurse to send a prescription to Safeway in Ellensburg. We’ll pick it up today, when in town for music at Hearthstone.

John is going in with me to take care of shopping needs while I play music. I drove and he helped me load in my stuff: guitar stand for Sharon, music for 3 players and audience, violin, and camera. I needed to rearrange the chairs that were too closely spaced and put some in front of their large Christmas tree.

John went to Fred Meyer to get some PowerAde Zero (69 ₵ each) and 2-liter Pepsi colas for (88 ₵ each). Best prices in town. I do not like shopping at that store except for special prices on things we need. Walmart, Safeway, and now Winco are low on the scale for shopping experiences. Other named stores that others like are not in our area, so we have no experience at all.

Gas was $2.73/gal at Circle K. John also went shopping for Christmas markdowns. He found a gold mine at a couple of places (Bi-Mart, Goodwill). Bi-Mart had packages of chocolate kisses and large Christmas puppy tins with 3 bags of special popcorn. Those were marked at 50% off. He stopped at Goodwill, and found a set of 4 plates, saucers, and soup bowls with holly & berries around the edges, for 75% off, plus they gave him a free shopping bag to carry them away in, because they had no boxes. The total cost with tax was only $3.00. I need to go back and see if there are any Christmas tops in my size on sale.

We had a bunch of folks show up at Hearthstone, today: Nancy, Gerald, Charlie, Charlotte, Sharon, Evie, Dean, Manord, Anne, Kevin, Amy, Haley, Laura, Maury & Marilyn. We enjoyed a nice, involved and appreciative audience with a volunteer serving Key Lime pie and coffee/tea to the residents and some for us at the end. There was one piece left for John, when he returned.

The only thing about my video, which makes me want to include it, is that it starts before we start playing the December music while we are still practicing and we do Chinese Breakdown about three songs in: starts with Wedding Bells, Tennessee Waltz, and then goes to the regular program.

Kittitas Valley Fiddlers & Friends, 12-27-18, Hearthstone

Evie’s video of the same day is much better than mine taken from the grand piano top. She was concerned about facing the outside light, but I don’t think it is that bad, and having her tripod and editing abilities makes her work much more professional.

Christmas Fiddling at Hearthstone by EvieMae Schuetz

I drove by Safeway and picked up my Atorvastatin.

Friday, Dec 28

I began the morning at 5:00 a.m. dealing with the two inside cats and then laid back down until 8:30. After a cup of coffee, I turned on my computer and removed the old external Drive and hooked up my Christmas present to me, a 4 TB external Drive WD Elements to see if I can back up everything on my computer today, almost the end of the year 2018, so I can clean it up to load my new software to catch up on my taxes, store stuff for 2019, while trying to be more discriminatory about the stuff I keep on my C drive.

I used all but 3.5 TB of space, and got all documents, pictures, desktop, backups from June 5th reset off my Dell, still have some things that have not been moved from my old Toshiba, that are tax-related. I’ll move those with a flash drive to the new external disk.

I went by Kittitas and picked up from a fence a clock/radio from Jessica. It’s replacing the one we broke recently, and it was freely given through the Buy Nothing FB site. What’s so very neat, is that she’s the one who gave me the two Thomas the Train items in September to give to my little friend Miles, you have seen and heard about above. Now, I can thank her for both! And, share his pictures near a steam engine and train, and the video of his singing from last week’s blog.

We didn’t have any shelled walnuts to make some candied walnuts to take Cheryle, her mom, whom you heard about last week. It was snowing hard when I left. On my way, I visited in front of Megan, Kevan, and Lyndie’s house on Fairview with them and Clyde, their dog. They were wishing for more snow. I need to tell them to go to Cle Elum along the Teanaway River off Lambert Road. Yesterday, while Sharon was playing music with us, Jack Jenson stayed home at their house there, near Seaton Rd, and cross-country skied all around their property for a good time.

On my way home from Kittitas, I came No. 81 Rd, and turned onto Brickmill Rd. east of Fairview. It’s confined there and the fields on either side of the road are not within spacious viewing. As I came by a barn and corral, not going the speed limit, suddenly a doe jumped a fence, onto the road, and came across in front of me. I slammed on the brakes, and luckily there was no snow or ice on the road, and she made it across safely. I can assure you it gave me a burst of high blood pressure. I slowed down until I got to where I could see both sides of the road and landscape clearly. The snow stopped for my return trip, but now at 3:30, it has started again.

I have been catching up on various chores and John is napping once I’m home to answer the phone. I just got off the phone with a gal at CWU in the Foundation about our scholarship we donate each year to two student recipients (a grad and an undergrad) for their service recognition to CWU and the broader community.

I have unloaded the dishwasher and reloaded it, but it’s not ready to start yet.

Late afternoon, 4:15 p.m., I had a call from the scheduler at the Yakima Heart Center, that she was checking to find out if my blood was normally drawn at the KVH lab (hospital) in Ellensburg, because she had a message from Dr. Antony Kim I needed to have the lab tests (BMP & Uric Acid) sometime next week, before my January 8th appointment. She was going to FAX the request to the lab. I told her I was scheduled to go in Dec 31 for my standing order. She was going to fax it “right now.” I waited about 10 minutes and called the lab to see if it had arrived. It had not, so I talked with Michael in the lab, and he said, to call in the morning between 7:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to see if it had made it in.

Several weeks ago, when I realized we were running out of time to prepare for my follow-up visit to Dr. Kim, I contacted the nurse (via email) of my previous cardiologist who retired, to find out the name or contact of the new doctor’s nurse so I could tell her the story, and get the recent information from my PCP and annual physical visit in November. After 9 years I had developed good communications with the 1st doctor Kim and his nurse. The new Dr. Kim and his nurse have not, and likely never will, develop a similar relationship with me. For team #1, I was a medical miracle. For the new team, I’m a patient that is functioning well.

As far as the new doctor knew, he had seen me a month or so ago, and I had been scheduled for an echocardiogram, which he was going to evaluate at a January appointment. A lot has happened since that visit with visits to other doctors and various blood tests taken, and I knew I should be due for some labs that were not ordered, as well as for some that were requested by my visit to an endocrinologist regarding medication interactions. I have those to be drawn Monday as well. I’m feeling fine, but I wanted to have all the cards on the table for him to evaluate before I walk in the door. Obviously, I’m anxious to learn about the echocardiogram. He was not expecting any problems because he thought I was doing well, but it is something that should be done on a regular basis.

This bit about watching out for yourself is essential when dealing with multiple doctors. My previous cardiologist used to applaud me for being involved in the process. I hope this one will also. John always attends all my visits as I do with him.

Saturday, Dec 29

We will not be picking up the barrels today from the house at the corner of Wilson Creek & Alford Road. She will call us when they have a chance to move them to the end of the drive and put on their flatbed truck.

I called the KVH lab at 10:15 and talked to Ephram about yesterday’s discussion with Michael about the FAX from Yakima. The good news is that the order is there. He told me to do the regular drill Monday at the lab to have my standing order fulfilled and request the FAXed orders from my cardiologist, which will be in the filing folder, not in the computer. I have to remember to have all labs sent to all three doctors.

I fetched an emailed document from my neighbor, then printed it. John was shoveling slush off the front concrete, so I handed the papers to him, to give to Kenny, heading down the driveway.

We had a nice omelet and home fried potatoes for brunch, and now John’s out cutting a fresh tree. We’ll take seasoned firewood to the White Heron Raclette next Saturday but the setup there also needs two short green logs placed a foot apart. In between these goes coals from the fire, and becomes the place of the melting of the cheese. Expect photos next week.
A side benefit of cutting a tree is that its buds, now at ground level, become browse for the deer. The entire tip is normal food for them that becomes scarce as winter putters on.

I’m working on multiple projects.

There were several things of interest in the mail. An informative envelope of pictures and explanation of members of John’s family, provided by sister Peggy, who went to a special family reunion recently. Photos mostly of the kids, grandkids, and great grandchildren of John & Peggy’s brother Ken, who died of heart and stroke problems before any of the great grandkids came along.

Also in the mail was a note from our secondary medical insurance provider for our 2019 monthly fee. Surprised me a lot to check and find out it will decrease by $16/month. Maybe I should wait a day and re-read that. Other mailings are from organizations wanting their yearly membership fees, and the normal credit card statement for another, which includes an insurance payment I have to sort out because of our change of emails last year that apparently didn’t get changed with the credit card from American Express.

Sunday, Dec 30

I moved some pix from the old external hard drive to the new, so I could finish the blog.

My morning blood pressure riser happened in the back “computer” room with an encounter between the male cats. Czar wanted access to the top bunk bed, where Rascal was resting. I found him there and yelled, but instead of coming down the way he went up, he jumped onto the desk with the old computer, and couldn’t get by the computer chair to get out of the room, so went back up toward the bed and Rascal was not happy. When I screamed, it brought John back to retrieve Czar and put him outside. My BP went to 144/79,; even that was probably down from my slow walk back to the den from the rear of our L-shaped house.

Sunny and windy here today. John, Annie, and Czar have walked around the pasture together and fed the horses, plus filled the heated horse trough.

We just fixed brunch, and I am sure no one in Kittitas County, or probably in the United States (World?) experienced the contents we did: Omelet (Roast beef, mushroom, yellow pepper, onion, eggs, and cheese), turkey sausage, and a piece of toasted English Muffin bread with apricot jam.

Things are not going right.
John took a can of sunflower seeds out back for the birds, and hit the support on the way up, dropping the whole can. In picking it up, lots of older shells got incorporated. The birds will have to sort it out.

He wanted to cut more wood. Annie is back in the house from being with him, so he planned to return her to the yard when he was ready to fire up the chainsaw. I haven’t heard it yet, but it may be because of our wind and distance he is from the house.
But, the reason I didn’t hear any noise is because he’s been unable to get the saw started. It started yesterday.

He had taken it last summer to Washington Tractor because it was difficult to start, and when it started right up, they did not examine it for problems.

He thinks it could be a too-wide spark plug gap, old fuel, or dirty fuel. If we get some nice weather (doesn’t look like it); he will work on the issue. We don’t need the wood, and he can find other ways to pass the time.

He is reading a book about very sad times. It is very depressing.
He just finished a fun one about the history of Seattle. He needs to crack the walnuts, a chore usually saved for mid-winter – and here we are.Final wish for the New 2019 Year to start this week:

Our New Year’s Wish for 2019 from John & Nancy

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

From Friday Dec 14, which didn’t make it into last week’s blog.Top left is on the special recognition board this December at the AAC honoring the Volunteer of the month. In that photo David (a Veteran himself) is the MC interviewing Ed at the Veterans’ Day program 2018. David Douglas (married to Katrina the Director of the Ellensburg Adult Activity Center [our senior center], has been our Santa Claus at Christmas parties for as many years as I can remember. In this photo above on the bottom, Sandra Zech, Vice Chair representing the Adult Activity Center Senior Advisory Commission, nominates the two of them as providing a wonderful experience for all the members of the center, and Connie Bright, looks on from the right to add another commission member to the thanks, and Pat Carney was talking from the audience (another commissioner) but with a broken leg.

That happened at the end of David’s message about his mom, where he was leaving as Santa to visit her at her home on her birthday today. She was unable to come to the annual Christmas party as usual.Santa Douglas about his Mom (Inspirational video)

On the left, are Mr. & Mrs. Santa Claus in 2017 with Nancy and Connie, and right this year, 2018 because Katrina was needed to work in the kitchen, she did not don her Mrs. Santa Claus identity.

The AAC did a nice job of making individual Christmas cards from mine and their photos with members taken with Santa, printed and put into a Christmas Card magnetic frame for one’s refrigerator door. A cute idea appreciated by many.

Monday, Dec 17

Sunday night we published at 10:17 p.m., but I stayed up late working on things needing completed before today.

I got out the schedule for Pacifica today to KV F&F, and have received good feedback from those able (or unable) to be there.

Our farrier, David Hazlett, arrived at 10:00, so I had his check ready and we spoke on my way out the driveway. The fog was terrible, and even though my car was parked under a shed, the back wall is open, and the windshield had frozen ice, blocking my view. I had the defroster on, but David went to his truck and got a large scraper and cleaned it off. I was grateful. I had to drive 20 mph to town because of the limited visibility even through a clean windshield.

I was on my way to Silver Sneakers class today at 11:00 a.m. at the AAC. It was a challenging class and we all got a good workout.

I picked up feed bags from back room, delivered last Friday during the Christmas party, and brought some chocolate frosted chocolate cookies home to John. We have been enjoying them as an afternoon treat (after heating them). Eaten with John’s candied walnuts is a real treat.

I took my flash drive with photos I took at the party Friday to share with the AAC for their records and entries on their Facebook site. While there, I got a few of those taken on the AAC camera. I will combine those in the future and move to a Google Photos link I can share with all the members I have emails for, and also for those who could not come to the celebration. I will eventually put the link in this blog, when it is completed.

While in town, I picked up my CWU Emeritus parking sticker replacement that expires Dec 31, 2018. This was the only retirement gift I received from CWU after 22 years of service. Luckily, John’s Crosstrek is in the system and connected to it as well, so we can drive either car to campus for lectures.

Yakima Heart Center Nurse Colleen called at 4:00 p.m. She is trying to get me in next week to see Dr. Kim before the end of the year. This week is pretty full. We didn’t get in until Jan 8th (Tuesday) at 11:30, but that will work just fine; too much happening the last week of the year.

Late last night, I put in an order for a friend for a package from Amazon, and it will be delivered Friday, this week.

We are going tonight to a Christmas concert by the Ellensburg High School Choruses. I learned of this last Friday from the conductor of the Bella Voce Choir who came to our AAC Christmas party to sing, and you have been given in last week’s blog video links to all their songs that I made. The last one was an invitation to the concert tonight at Morgan Performing Arts Center.

The concert tonight was free to the community, entitled A Winter Holiday Celebration, and presented by the Director of the Choral Department, Gay Ott, with Sara Pope, Accompanist, and Kara Hunnicutt, Orchestra Director, along with 6 choirs: Jazz Choir, In Vox Choir, Bella Voce Choir, Chamber Choir, the Combined EHS Choirs, and ending with the Combined 9-12 Choirs & Community Members, for the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah. I have sung that all my life, as well as the song, O Holy Night, which we began with, while the orchestra set up. The orchestra has 12 violins, 4 violas, 5 cellos, and 4 bass fiddles.

I joined the combined choirs on stage. John took the following photo from the audience. Choir members all had on blue robes; others are audience members. Combined Choirs Ellensburg High School & Audience – Hallelujah Chorus

This was filmed by Todd Weber. He recorded the whole event, individually, for each choir.

If you are interested, here is the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Singing the Hallelujah Chorus with an Orchestra. It’s a lovely and magnificent production.

Mormon Tabernacle Choir – the Hallelujah Chorus

Tuesday, Dec 18

Started early with rain all night keeping us from sleeping soundly, and awaking to thick fog for our trip to see my Endocrinologist in Wenatchee, Dr. Lisa Stone. Check-in time 11:05. We were a few minutes late, weather related. But the sun came out for the majority of our trip after we came down from Ryegrass and crossed the Columbia River at Vantage. The office is 26 miles north of us, but we had to drive 80 miles to get there.

While we saw both ends of a rainbow (a good sign), my pictures are not worth printing. So, I will make a collage of some of the views we had, mostly of columnar basalt and the Columbia River.Top photo is the Rock Island Dam on the Columbia River. Bottom photo shows the basalt cliffs and Talus slopes.Top photo shows incredible angles of columnar basalt. The lower photo has a high-density orchard, basalt cliffs, and one of the patches of fog/clouds hanging around the Valley.
It was a fruitful visit (pun intended).

Video-1 of Dr. Stone’s explanation of my Thyroid blood tests

Video-2 of Dr. Stone’s explanation of my Thyroid blood tests

My doctor’s explanation of how she broke her wrist hanging Christmas lights

My favorite images of the day at the new office on the edge of the hospital complex. Tongue Depressor trees – with entrance/exit caution sign I love.

From that meeting we took a drive through the hospital complex and made our way across the river to Costco for lunch and a few items. We had a good trip home, as the fog in our valley had lifted.

I was late yesterday sending out the note for music at Pacifica on Thursday, but as of Tuesday afternoon, I have 12 people planning to be there. That’s the fastest return I have had in history. Makes my job so much easier for planning the number of chairs to request.

Wednesday, Dec 19

Worked on things this morning, including making my salad to take for my lunch. Thanks to John for cutting me the generous amount of smoked turkey and a Honeycrisp apple to add to my bowl. We played about 40 minutes of music and provided bells for the audience to ring. I left a little early to get there in time to set up music stands and chairs.

They enjoyed themselves too. You can hear one song below, complete with singing accompaniment from Lyndsey, our photographer, who took a short break from her check-in duties. You probably heard her last week singing as well. I know how difficult it is to videotape songs a person knows, having been there myself behind the camera. It’s difficult not to sing along. With her good voice, it only adds to the scene.

Here was today’s song recorded. I think we did it last week as well, but different people are in this rendition and you get a view of the audience too, many of whom had bells at the Senior Nutrition table upfront on the other side of the building from us.

Silver Bells 12-19-18 at FISH Food Bank Lunch

Here’s a few lunch bunch musicians + Nancy & Mrs. Peggy Claus

After that excitement at the Food Bank, and retrieving my bells from the players and audience, I drove to the AAC for my SAIL exercise class.

Nancy before SAIL and with Carolyn after SAIL exercise class. I’m wearing a sweater given to me by my friend, Anne Engels.

I returned home to a beautiful sunset up Naneum Road:Order above coming up from Rader Rd on Naneum, viewing the sunset, is top down 2-1-3 in the collage.Once home, I saw our view from the patio toward Mt. Rainier.

Checked out completion of John’s roof over the back patio door. This replaces a previous, lower, Rube Goldberg standalone thing; both meant to protect the new sliding glass doors. The entire back of the house needs to be refurbished, and covered with fire resistant fiber-cement siding.

Thursday, Dec 20

John left at 7:40 a.m. for bottling at White Heron. He’ll call at noon, and be coming home, but I will be gone before he arrives to play music at Pacifica.

This morning I got a phone call from Mike at Habitat Store that he could not locate a chuck-key to put drill bits in John’s drill (he lost it somewhere in the yard, garage, or barn on a building project).

I called at Valley Vision this morning about a credit received for John in the mail yesterday, which happened now with a follow-up from July for John Hultquist $163.47 credit to Visa account from an incorrect decision by Kaiser Permanente in June, that John had not met his deductible and we had to pay for his bill. I told them at the time that his deductible was paid up, but they said it wasn’t and we owed the money. So I had no choice but to pay. This Dec 15, Kaiser sent a refund to the eye doctor’s clinic and they credited our account.

Christy looked into it this morning, when I questioned it and said it was just sent and that sometimes payments come in as much as a year later, from Kaiser (and before that, Group Health). That seems very strange to me, but I’m happy to have the credit be applied to our account. Yet, it truly is a weird accounting practice.

I also had a payment for our Distinguished Service Geography Scholarship come through without the proper receipt, so have been checking on that. Thus far, no one has responded to my requests by phone or email. Guess they took off for Christmas break, entirely. Accounting and paying bills is a full-time job and I still have to get ready to go for music at Pacifica today.

Another Kristy in my life today (customer rep at Knudson’s), for the missing part of John’s drill. When he calls at noon, I need to find out where the drill is stored so I can pick up the right tool this afternoon. Prices are from $3 to $9.99. I picked up the most expensive but John says he thinks it is not the right one (I got the one for a 5/8” drill). I’ll take the drill in to find the correct fit. Turns out it was the cheapest one, for a 3/8” drill.

Set up gifting a glass butter dish to a person on the Buy Nothing East Ellensburg/Kittitas Facebook site. Turns out I’ll deliver it tomorrow, and she plans to give me a package of her homemade peanut brittle. I believe that’s called a win-win situation.

We had 12 folks show up at PACIFICA, today: Nancy, Charlie, Evie, Amy, Anne, Charlotte, Manord, Maury & Marilyn, Laura, Dean, Renee (cello). We were accompanied by a huge, involved, and appreciative audience.

I thought I was starting with a full battery, but it only recorded for 38 minutes and stopped.

Music only through Holly Jolly Christmas; 7 songs left

I’ll try to get the whole program our last time this year, this Thursday at Hearthstone. I wish I knew where my tripod got misplaced. I own two of them, and when I need one, have no clue where they are hidden. Story of my life.

Friday, Dec 21

First order of the day, a delivery of 14.83 tons of gravel by Dale Charlton, local kid grown up. The street north of us is named for his family. He claims to be the Mayor of Dog Town, a low part of Ellensburg, considered less than attractive by the pretentious folks of the city.John and Annie visiting with Dale about our neighborhood and the neighbors.

I began in Kittitas, delivering the gift to the lady who wanted the butter dish I offered, in exchange for the best story about a recent recollection or find of something important from their past.Here I delivered a gift bag with the butter dish and some of John’s Candied Carpathian Walnuts to Cheryle, who was wearing a blouse like her mom’s favorite work blouse she found at a thrift store that matched it, after her mom’s disintegrated with age. That was the story she told me that cinched the transfer. She was thrilled it was exactly what she wanted. I’m happy it has a good home. In return thanks, she gave me 2 packages of Peanut Brittle, a wonderful memory from my distant past. We had a nice visit, and I met her two cats and daughter.

On my way to Ellensburg I stopped at the hardware place to exchange the Chuck Key – 3/8″ drill size. John made a list for other things – nails, and fasteners, including a 10′ roll of metal hanger strap.

Saturday, Dec 22

Staying home today to work on projects inside and outside. We needed to catch up on sleep, with poor John keeping himself (and me) awake much of the night coughing. Finally, this morning I had him take a dose of Tussin DM, much to his regret. I hope he will continue, because I think the first dose helped.

My chores have been cleaning up email, working on the blog, and unloading and reloading the dishwasher. He has gotten the paper, fed the horses, and birds. I fed the cats and maintained peace in the family between the two inside / outside male (fixed) cats, who are leery of one another.

I need to check the gasoline prices at the Cle Elum station where the prices have been much less. We will be going to the doctor Monday, there, for John’s follow-up chest X-ray from Nov 20. That one seemed a bit “cloudy” and likely showed lung irritation he is now experiencing. I hope he doesn’t have Pneumonia as I did earlier this year. He will have the X-ray and then we’ll see his doctor for an interpretation at 1:15 p.m. Christmas eve. We must remember to take the paperwork which will be returned to Vanessa at the KVH hospital where she will put the two X-rays on a CD and send to us in the mail, so we can compare them, and try to understand what the techs and doctors sees.

I need to work on the blog, and after it is finished, I need to organize the photos and videos from the recent AAC activities to send to the members whose email addresses I have. Many of them are pictured in them, and several who had conflicts will get to see what they missed.

Snowing now, and we may have over an inch in the morning (we didn’t get but about an inch, but there was still enough that John used a push broom to clear places.

Cats are all fed and bedded down.

Czar our newest cat found his way in the house through the doggie door, and has taken over Annie’s blanket and quilt bed on the den floor. Quite the well-adjusted cat from a year ago.

Sunday, Dec 23

Jennifer Lipton (Geographer at CWU) is a good friend. This is her 6-yr old son, Miles. The ukulele is his dad’s (Stefan).
She put this on Facebook months ago; I could see it but not share—she shared this link for my Christmas present. It’s really worth watching. This kid is talented.

Miles, 6 yrs old, composed and sings an original spontaneous ballad about an old tremendous steam train moving through the woodland forest. (Don’t miss clicking on Miles, 6 yrs old to hear his song.)

Jen Lipton’s son, Miles, rode the Shay #7 Steam Train through the Redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains near the Town of Felton, California

I’m planning to take Miles a Christmas Gift tomorrow of a cup and bowl from Thomas the Train. I have had it for him for some time, and we are going to the doctor in Cle Elum, which is only 5 miles up the road to their house in Roslyn, so we can drop it off.

John fixed us a tasty brunch today of blueberry-pecan pancakes, with peaches atop, and sausage on the side.

Hope your week was fine.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

{picture from web}
Here we are at “astronomical” winter in the Northern Hemisphere, and so we have a few winter items.

Item #1: Solstice
Our Sun’s energy strikes the surface of Earth head-on at only one point, but that’s just a mathematical thing.
In reality there is quite a large area where intense solar energy strikes the surface. Thankfully that area moves under those rays, both because Earth spins, like a top, and moves forward, like a race car on an oval track.
December Solstice on the Naneum Fan is today, Friday, December 21, at 2:23 pm. Unless you are in the PST Zone, your time will vary.
Our sunrise was at 7:45:28, and sunset at 4:16:09.
If you are on the Tropic of Capricorn – south Gracemere, Queensland, AU is there; 23°26′12.6″. Don’t wait. It (the T of C) is moving northward at the rate of 50 feet per year.
But back to that head-on one and only single point: Over the past couple of weeks, that point has been drifting south – slowly. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow it hardly moves at all.
The fine folks in Gracemere might get the idea that the Noon sun was at the same place above them for a couple of weeks. The Sun would appear to be standing still in the Noon sky. And that is the meaning of “solstice”, or “sunstede” (old English).
After today, the point will begin (slowly at first) to move back north. Daylight hours will increase for the next 6 months.

Item #2: What was he thinking

The photo is of a small child feeding a reindeer. The people of Siberia know cold.
A few places went down to -56°F this week.
Apparently the folks in Spain do not.
“… lost a glove in my sleep and just in five minutes my hand was frozen.”
When in Spain, stay in Spain

Item #3: Literate Elk

One of our geographer colleagues lives 25 miles west of us, closer to the higher slopes and forests of the Cascade Mountains. Winter has settled on the mountains and snow is accumulating.
Jennfer lives in the small town of Roslyn – setting of the fictional town of Cicely, Alaska, and the TV program Northern Exposure (1990-95).
Elk move off the higher elevations during this time of year. In exchange for covering much of their winter range with highways and urban development, the State of WA has feeding locations. Some elk go that-a-way. One herd goes its merry way to the south and east and the lower slopes of the nearby Columbia River.
Sometimes this trek of many miles requires direction. As you can see from Jen’s photo, this elk seems to need a “go left” or “go right” sign, because the one she is looking at doesn’t help much.

Item #4: musical highlights

I may be the only person west of the Atlantic Ocean that had not seen this action.
When doing trail work, many folks wear rubber-faced gloves. They work well in gripping tools, say an axe, that might go flying if the handle gets wet.
Perhaps those playing in a band might want to consider wearing gloves.

the wayward bass drum beater

Who knew?

Item #5: Don’t get hit with one of these

It’s summer in Sydney
Western Washington has just had strong winds and trees fell on houses, power lines came down, and the lights went out. What fun. It happens so much over there that unless it is your house and your lights, the rest of WA doesn’t pay much attention.

We saw some large hail while living in Iowa, and it did a lot of damage. It did not look like a cauliflower, however.

And that, for this week, is the not so nasty news.
John

Monday, Dec 10

Another Sunday night we were up late getting the blog published at 11:17 p.m. Too many videos taking time, but I figured the end was worth it, for everyone’s viewing pleasure.

Today’s schedule changed abruptly at 9:00 a.m. with a call from Katrina at the AAC, cancelling the Silver Sneakers class today at 11:00 a.m. because the instructor was ill.

I had planned several stops in town for errands, but will postpone those until tomorrow when I must go in for a mammogram.

Tuesday, Dec 11

Our package expected yesterday from Amazon to be delivered by our carrier was not. Because of the overload of Amazon deliveries by the post office, they have had to hire additional help just for packages. Our package was not delivered until 8:20 p.m. (long after the gate was shut) and the driver did not know we were expecting it in our mailbox and it would have fit, (we get it every 5 weeks), and there was no notice put in the box either. We learned of it on line from an email. I told the Post Mistress I would come by to pick it up.
I did not know I would have to stand for 22 minutes in one line and not be allowed to pick it up at the first door before the counters. I was not happy about that at all. At least my package was there from my early morning call. A lady in front of me had the same thing happen, but her package was not in the building that they could find. I wish I’d had my camera. It’s no wonder they couldn’t find hers. Boxes were piled to the ceiling behind the counters (3 agents).

This was the email we received. I wonder if we had left the gate open if they would have driven it in to our house.

Hi John and Nancy,
Sorry we missed you. USPS tried to deliver your package today but didn’t want to leave it unattended. 
Please look for a notice of attempted delivery or contact USPS for the next steps:

(again, there was no notice in the mailbox)

I went by Super 1 for my Entresto prescription pick up and received two for John that we had not ordered. No clue why, but I just paid for them (both 90-day refills), and wondered why. Our recent exam might have triggered this, but why? They have never done automatic refills on either of us in the past.

I went back to the hospital today for a 12:45 check-in for a 1:00 mammogram. While there I picked up a CD with both images for two chest x-rays done on me in Feb & March. I will hear back in a couple of weeks about the mammogram results. I actually heard in Saturday’s mail that it was fine and negative is good.

Checked by Bi-Mart, but did not win anything for our membership number.

Went to Rite Aid for a special BOGO (“Buy One, Get One” free) item on 200#, Nature Bounty 500 mg tablets Magnesium jar for $12.99. Unfortunately, they only had 3 bottles, and am not allowed to pay in advance, but can give me a rain check on more. So, they rang up one at half price, and I will receive a call to come back for the other at ½ price. I wonder if I can buy a couple more bottles at that time with the BOGO applied.

Wednesday, Dec 12

I left earlier than usual today, and it was a good thing because the roads were icy all the way to town, and most of the time I did not exceed 20 mph. Got there and found a parking space, before 11:30, when a friend was coming by to retrieve 2 boxes of quite old Christmas cards with a bowling theme. These were bought on sale, maybe 15 years ago. Our bowling lanes are now closed, and all bowlers have to go to Yakima or elsewhere to bowl. Our friends are excellent bowlers. I should have made a copy of the card (we had 2 boxes of 20 each to share). It was Santa Claus rolling a ball toward the tenpins. Ten-pin bowling has experience a decline since 1990. I was a bowler through our stay in Idaho, but got away from it when I moved to WA. The lanes in Moscow, ID closed after we left, and my friend and a bowler on my team got the wall plaque that designated me as having the highest women’s series (676) in sanctioned league bowling for the lifetime of those lanes. I grew up across the street in Atlanta, GA from the Broadview Shopping Mall on Piedmont Rd, and started working there before I had a the necessary (then) social security card, so they paid me in merchandise: bowling shirts, bowling ball, bags, etc. That lasted several years. I got all my bowling free.

We started a little earlier today than usual and played longer, with much audience participation. I didn’t have many people at the start to use my camera to video, but then we did get a few captures.

A Holly Jolly Christmas at FISH Food Bank Dec 12, 2018

Silver Bells

Jingle Bells

Go Tell it on the Mountain

Joy to the World

After that musical activity and eating my lunch at the Food Bank, I drove to the AAC for my SAIL exercise class.

After class, I asked Meagen to take this photo. Carolyn is in our class, and you will see her again on Friday, at the Christmas party. Nancy and Carolyn after SAIL exercise class.

Been working on music for tomorrow most of the evening with breaks to keep the inside male cats separated, and spent some time cleaning up in the kitchen. Also worked on email necessities.

Also fiddled with some other Christmas clothing tops given to me.

Thursday, Dec 13

Meadows Place Assisted Living was our venue today. I need to finish getting the audience copies packed. I found out last night one of my colored copies went out with a person. Dang, that puts us down to 12 copies. I may start with the newer version of which I only have 12 copies.

Sad news from a former friend who now is in Wisconsin, but who have owned Brittanys from us for years. Molly Friesen, 12 years, died after fighting congestive heart failure for 9 months. This picture by their Christmas tree is lovely; Molly is regally gorgeous. She was a sister to Tobie, and I drove them to the Spokane Airport to meet Paul. They were little puppies so they were allowed to ride on the plane in front of his seat (in a carry-on container); to a new home in Wisconsin.

Friday, Dec 14

Call from Confluence Health for (December 18) Tuesday, 11:05 appointment with Dr. Lisa Stone, in Wenatchee. A different building but only a mile less than before (~75).

This morning I got ready to go to the AAC for the 2018 Christmas Party; always a fun time. Here’s the overview of the day, from the Ellensburg Adult Activity Center (AAC), our local senior center.I needed to wrap a gift for exchange. I had a Christmas coffee cup in a little gift box and John had made a bunch of Candied Carpathian walnuts from those he grew last year. I added 8 ounces in a Ziploc bag into the package. My gift ended up going to a friend, so that was nice. Here she is unwrapping and checking to see what she got. Karen, opening my gift and Santa admiring Believe in Santa mug.

But, I’m ahead of the story.

I dressed in pajamas for the contest at this year’s Christmas Party. The theme was a Charlie Brown (Snoopy) Christmas.
My principal reason for going was to be the main photographer while the staff put on the lunch, games, competition, and gift exchange for us.

I was not in on the plans for the musical entertainment. I saw a group coming in the front door and got a photo, not the best, but Roxanne got a better one I think on the AAC’s camera. I’m taking my flash drive along and will trade them the photos I got in exchange for the ones they took.

I talked to a couple of the gals from the Ellensburg High School (EHS) choir and found out what they planned to do, so I positioned myself over near the edge (in hindsight, I probably should have gotten on the other side, where the piano did not override some of the individual voices on duets). However, I did have a good perspective of the group, the soloists, and the audience.

Below are my captures of their program. Excuse the glitches in the videography, as I do not have an easy way to edit.

We received a great performance from the Bella Voce (Italian for Beautiful Voices) choir of young women, singing for us at the beginning of our Christmas party. The conductor is Gay Ott, and the program consisted of 10 songs, as follows: I have entered the YouTube link for each song in the program. It took me an hour to upload each couple minutes of song segment, because I was using my largest resolution camera that I normally only use for still photos.

Choir: A Festive Noel

1- A Festive Noel, Ellensburg High School Bella Voce Choir

Choir: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

2- Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, EHS Bella Voce Choir

Lydia & Olivia: White Christmas

3 -White Christmas

Brea, Maggie, Emma: O Come Emmanuel

4- O Come Emmanuel !

Lydia, Shaedyn: When Christmas Comes to Town

5- When Christmas Comes to Town

Taylor, Kenya: Sisters

6- Sisters

Kaela, Lauren: Baby, It’s Cold Outside

7- Baby, It’s Cold Outside

Lydia, Chloe, Lili, Olivia: Mary, Did You Know

8- Mary, Did You Know

Choir: Christmastime is Here

9- Christmastime is Here

Choir: Mr. Santa

10- Mr. Santa

Thanks & Invitation to EHS Christmas Concerts: 12-17 & 18

11- Invitation to the EHS Choirs’ Christmas Program

Back to the party, after we enjoyed a great lunch with the singers. We were served ham, scalloped potatoes, steamed veggies, and a peppermint brownie, plus eggnog if wanted.
[ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eggnog#Etymology_and_origins ]

Then we went on with the gift exchange and the pajamas competition.
I received a gift of a Christmas towel and a package of candy. John will eat the candy, ’cause I’m not a fan of Raspberries. I guess I will use the towel. Here is a photo of the contents of the long narrow gift bag, which I guess was meant for a whiskey or wine bottle? Raspberry & Dark chocolate Chips on white “thins” & the snowflake towel.

Part of the event was optionally dressing in pajamas for an event to compete for the best. I wore my jammies, participated, and was awarded a 2nd place. The top was given to me from a gal named Mita, in Kittitas. I was very happy with the first place winner, Jacquie Davis, being someone I have known since CWU times. The 3rd place person was Carolyn (you saw her yesterday with me in our SAIL exercise class).

Here are pix not well in focus, but they do show the placements. Top three: Jacquie, Nancy, Carolyn-winner Jacquie w/antlers gift

Afterwards, we were invited to pose with Santa Claus for photos. This has been a yearly tradition for some years now; I’m sure he is happy I lost some weight.

Saturday, Dec 15

Today is our play date at Briarwood Commons Retirement center.

They always fix us a fantastic food spread, but this Christmas Smorgasbord overwhelmed all past efforts:Menu: Potato salad, veggie plate/dip, deviled eggs, sausage & cheeses, crackers, cherry whipped cream salad, mandarin orange Jell-O, Crockpot (1) Smokies in BBQ sauce, (2) Swedish meatballs. Huge Dessert table. Thanks to leaders, Lee & Jo Ellen, but all the donators, Betty, Connie, Marilyn. Beverages included hot Apple Cider, Raspberry & something iced, and water.

Thanks to all the players and singers for entertaining: Marilyn, Maury, Kevin, Gerald, Dean (Pat), Nancy, Amy (Haley), Tim, and Sandy. Especially a big thanks to all our wonderful audience of singers.Nancy & Haley in a musical Christmas vest she will grow into. Photo on my camera by Amy Davison.

I was given the vest by Anne Engels in my search for Christmas tops, but it is way too small. So I decided to give it to our little mascot for her future use. These photos were taken after we, the Kittitas Valley Fiddlers and Friends, played Christmas music at our usual 3rd Saturday gig at Briarwood Commons, and ate before going home.

Sunday, Dec 16

It’s been a week since we found Rascal with a hurt back leg. We don’t see the problem, so it is likely a muscle pull from climbing. He is back with us now and able to jump to his favorite spots for his sleeping and eating. The other good thing is that the two inside male cats are co-existing. Rascal still seems a bit put-out that there is a new cat in the house. Outside, Sue is becoming increasing friendly. Woody – no.

John’s been out to shovel a little snow that fell last night, feed the horses, and I have fed all the cats.

I’m slowly working on unloading the dishwasher, and John fixed us a treat for brunch – an egg, sausage, served with a blueberry pancake with our strawberries. I worked on the blog and other things this afternoon, sending videos from Friday to YouTube.

John kept the Sunflower seeds topped off for the birds. In the afternoon, with quail there, a small hawk came, and all flew off. We don’t know if the encounter was successful for the hawk, or not. Horses are fed. He’ll be editing my work soon.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan