ELECTION: The fabulous Doorbell Queen, our own LIZ, is nearing this week's election. Sending powerful good-luck and get-out-the-vote vibes from around the intertubes!! Passing the chocolate; chilling the champagne.
WEATHER: It rained all night, the first real rain of the season (which started in July)! This amount of rain might be meh news elsewhere, but we sure need it.
WILDLIFE: Due to the rain, The Man dressed in office clothes instead of his usual bicycling clothes (dry weather means he rides to work), and the dog was so confused that she just decided to wait on the bed for his imminent return. Minerva the cat is going to the vet today! She's the one we can catch, and daughter is taking her. It's probably no biggie, a lump that doesn't seem to bother her -- but she hasn't met our vet since she was adopted.
What's the report from your neighborhood?
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W/AW: It's Toy Disappearance Day here. The Baboos' rooms have finally gotten in such disarray that I can't handle it. I am disappearing never/seldom used toys, which ensures that they will be missed 0.45 seconds after Baboo arrival this afternoon.
AW: Finally have some energy to do something productive, after two weeks of family trauma-induced lethargy.
W: Mini's beloved Giraffe (if you're a FB friend, he appears in many photos) disappeared, all on his own, yesterday. Mr E was certain he had been left at church. I was working elsewhere yesterday and didn't accompany them home. Mr. E went to church last night to look. Mini fell asleep clutching a far inferior stuffed animals, tear tracks on her face. I went back to church today, distrusting Mr. E's detective abilities. No giraffe. I decided he must be at home after all. I moved one blanket on the couch, and there he was. Sigh. Mini will be a very happy girl after school.
W: Sweet got a 3-week progress report for her math grade: 60. The grade wouldn't bother me so much, if she knew what she was doing. But she's not getting it. Conference with teacher and special ed teacher sometime this week.
Eye doctor appointment for Sweet tomorrow. Hoping for enough cooperation that they will be able to help her.
Oh, and GO, LIZ, GO! The pixies are pulling for you! Keep us updated, as you can!
Yay, for Giraffe's homecoming! The disappearing of lesser items is a good thing, and glad you are feeling up to tackling the disarray.
Kids integrate the basics of math in different ways; here's hoping for some good suggestions from the teacher and special ed teacher. I remember liking Montessori-based approaches -- making it visual and tactile. It is also easy to work simple math into everyday things -- cooking, shopping, putting numbers to everyday tasks.
GO, LIZ!
Yes, she can do quite well with "manipulatives," and part of what the special ed teacher has been doing is teaching her strategies to make visuals where there are none (ie, draw circles on your paper to represent the items). The word problems are throwing her: "Felix is 5. His brother Alex is two years younger. Their brother Ted is one year younger than Alex. How old is Ted?" Maybe it's just me, but that seems hard for first grade.
Word problems in 1st grade seems a little much to me. But it is EASY if she can work it out with beans or something -- once she is set on "younger" being the same as "minus." (The strategy of drawing circles is good.)
I just ran out to a local market, and saw the guy who used to do BBQ in the parking lot there, until these stupid neighbors complained about the smoke. But anyway, he's setting up a food truck so he can feed the masses without bothering stupid neighbors (there is a food truck event weekly in our town, and others) -- and when I asked about his daughter (who helps), he was so proud and reported she's in HS now and doing great! Love my town.
Go LIZ!!!!!!!!!
--Neighbor Lady
Daughter took one very traumatized cat to the vet. The poor thing made ghastly demonic sounds and tried to bite her way through the metal front of the cage, but we did succeed in closing the cage on the second attempt. Those long rose-gardening gloves came in handy again.
This is our friendly cat, the one people are allowed to pet. The one who was purring behind my back on my desk chair, not long ago.
GO LIZ!!!!!! We're cheering for you!!!
I'm glad the giraffe was found esperanza. We had a similar tragedy with a much-loved bunny once. Oh the woe!!! Bunny was found, also on the couch, but squooshed between the cushions.
I hope the vet appt went well today for Minerva.
I had our kitty back at the vet for blood work today. One test that was way out of whack is now closer to normal with daily sub-Q fluids, so we'll be continuing with that. She's really good about it, so I don't mind.
((((KLee))))
W: it's dark by 5:40 pm now. I really dislike DST quite a lot.
So much love to KLee and her family, who lost KLee's mom today. xoxoxoxo
((((KLee)))
(((KLee)))
Thank you all for the good wishes. Going to sleep now to wake up in time to be first in line to vote.
Oh, and I smashed my toe but kept on canvassing. Taped it up for tomorrow. Badly bruised, but not broken.
Did anyone mention that LIZ is a ROCK STAR? "Eh, just a flesh wound..."
I forgot, too much excitement today. Minerva the cat is fine, and she even behaved well at the vet -- it's just a benign cyst, nothing that needs to come out unless it develops a problem.
Sue, glad your kitteh is doing better! (and is a good patient.)
Ouchie Liz - but wow, you ARE a rock star!
So much love KLee...xooxoxo
I'm glad Minerva is okay. And a benign cyst - yay!!
Oh, Klee! I'm so sorry to hear about your mom.
(((((KLee and family)))))))
sending lots of love
--Neighbor Lady
Thank you, everyone. I guess you all saw through the Book of Faces that we most Mama yesterday. She fought a good fight, but in the end the damage from the chemo overdose was too much for her to fight off. She spent 9 days in the medical ICU here, and things were looking okay until Saturday when her kidneys started to fail.
I was able to hold her hand until she passed. She (we hope) wasn't in pain anymore, and she was surrounded by people who loved her. Now, we all just have to try and find some way to go on without her.
Thank you. Thank you for all the support through her diagnosis and illness, thank you for always being encouraging and helpful.
The hardest part will be picking Offspring up from the airport in a little bit and seeing her grief. I hope I'm strong enough to be a support for her.
All my love and thanks,
Klee
*lost* Mama, not most Mama. I have never understood that expression, "we LOST someone" until yesterday. Only, I'm the one who is lost, and so are all of the others who loved her. I just don't know how to contemplate a world without her in it.
(((KLee))) wishing there was something we could do from afar to ease your hurt. You and Offspring hug each other for us.
((( KLee ))) and ((( Offspring ))) and ((( everybody))).
It's been 12 years since my dad died, and sometimes I still cry. But mostly, I feel like he is still with me, safe in my heart, where I can hear his jokes and his takes on things, and feel his love. Your mom will always be there in ways that matter -- even if it doesn't feel that way right now. xoxoxo
(((KLee))) Sending all the love and hugs. xoxoxoxo
AW: Sweet ROCKED the eye exam. Rightfully angry with the nurse who did the puff-of-air thing WITHOUT TELLING HER about it. But, she recovered nicely. Politely and adorably answered the eye doctor's questions re: age, school, grade, etc. (This is HUGE, and she would not have done so a year ago). Was fascinated by the equipment. Answered exam questions quickly and decisively, which I never manage to do. (which is better 1 or 2? 1 or 2?). And...she doesn't need glasses. Yet.
W: Then why did she fail the vision screening so abominably at the pediatrician's office? And why is she having difficulty copying things from the board at school? This is my new overthinking opportunity.
Yay, Sweet! She IS doing great!
Maybe she had an off day at the ped's? Dunno about the copying -- can she do that at home? It seems possible it could be distractions in the classroom environment, and/or maybe that she has a relative weakness in processing what she sees and making it happen on paper. The teachers might have ideas, but it can't hurt to do some practicing of copying at home. xoxo
W: I lost.
AW: so did Eugene Delgaudio. This is a better outcome for the world than the other way around.
W: cold comfort
On the plus side, I walked the equivalent of a half-marathon today.
Sending all my love to KLee.
Liz, you are a warrior and my role model. 725 votes, people. This is what happens when voters do not show up.
At least that jackass Delgaudio is looking for something new to do.
xoxo
Many, many hugs to Liz. (I just went to the election site to check results, shouted, "DANGIT!" and raced here.) You fought a good fight, friend.
Go Sweet!!!
So much love Liz. You are indeed a warrior!!!
(((Liz)))
Thank you for changing the tone and political topics of conversation in your neck of the woods.
I truly believe you running will have a ripple effect of good things.
--Neighbor Lady
Thank you everyone!
So sorry, Liz. You've done good work.
Let's hear some good news from the Canadian Pixies, eh?
AW: Retail therapy, thrift store version (duh. We *are* talking about me) was a much needed outing today.
AW: the special ed resource teacher at Sweet's school is simply the best. She's going above and beyond what is required, just to make sure Sweet can succeed. Regular teacher also working very hard to help. Conference was good, hopefully the math grade will improve accordingly.
AW: someone brought supper for us. W: I'm the only one that ate it. Baboos were unimpressed with casserole like substance. Mr. E is off in Houston visiting a sick person. AW: leftovers!
W: so tired
Yay for retail therapy of all sorts! And good teacher meetings and casseroles!
In the Good News from Canada department, I give you: Our new PM and his Cabinet. Seriously, I grinned all day yesterday (when I wasn't shedding tears of joy during the swearing in ceremony).
Some highlights:
1. Two young Inuit girls (7 or 8 years old, I'd guess) performed an Inuit throat singing piece at the ceremony. They started giggling and had to start over. It was adorable and they did enough of the piece to let us know they are REALLY good.
2. Some awesome appointments in the cabinet. And by awesome, I mean, a little brilliant.
3. The new PM stopped in his office before the first meeting of his cabinet to have a Go@gle H@angout chat with five classrooms of children.
4. We have a Ministry of Science again!!!
As our PM has said many times "Sunny ways, friends. Sunny ways."
Blow that new wind southward, Sue!
I was just coming here to rejoice about the same thing as Sue! We've been so excited. It's such a relief to have a government that isn't in opposition to science. They added "and Climate Change" to the name of the Environment department. And we have a return of the mandatory long-form census, and actually useful data! I'm just so happy.
Yes, QWP!! I'm so happy about the long-form census. It cost the former government (or rather, it cost us the tax-payers) $22 billion to get rid of the census in favour of the voluntary "family survey." Unbelievable!
YAY! Yes on blowing that wind southward. An hooray for science, and for a real census!
I lost a comment somewhere, but it was an observation by a friend on the book of visages that "Because it's 2015" was a brilliant response.
I just found out that at the tres chic and expensive natural grocery -- in its spiffy new annex that features flowers, cheese, wine, salad bar, pastries, prepared foods, they also have chair massages beginning at noon daily in the floral section. Chair.Massages.
Am now weighing whether fighting the tiny crowded parking lot with death-wish SUV's would be worth it, and if so, what time is least likely to be insane?
Chair massage! Nice! I would try after the lunch rush - maybe 1:00 or 1:30 - might be less busy then.
AW: nice evening with two girlfriends. We don't see each other enough, but when we do it's always fun.
Am still exhaustipated.
YAY CANADA!!
Yay for an evening with friends!
There, there, Liz. Have some bon-bons. You're still my favorite candidate!
(I do not include members of the Freak Show Caucus in the category of "candidate." You think you've heard it all, and then somebody starts talking about pyramids...)
AW: Son and his girlfriend are coming for dinner!! It's gotten harder to see them, because now he works a long distance in the opposite direction, plus night classes.
GF has gone vegetarian, prompting questions (fish? = no; dairy? = YES PLEASE!), so a fab quiche it is.
W: Even though I have modest standards, and my son is still the one who can leave a trail of detrius in his wake if he's here working on a project, there is this mental list of Must Do For Company! My inner house elf is not so enthusiastic as she used to be.
I have a bunch of Thank You Notes to write and...I just can't get started. This post is here to get me started.
Miss Demeanor says it would be OK to print a generic sentiment on cards, and add the name plus whatever in your own writing. Seriously! xoxo
(((Liz))) Agreed re: thank you cards as described by Miss Demeanor. :)
Mmm...quiche. Funny, my inner house elf is having the same troubles.
The Man has taken over the taming of the cat fur in the front of the house. (Minerva may *look* lazy, but she is very productive in the shedding sector.) The entire list of must-do's is therefore done, except quiche assembly!
My inner house elf has those same problems, chronically.
I think my inner house elf must have gotten smothered many years ago under one of the random piles of crap in my house, 'cause I haven't seen that b!itch in YEARS.
Mama's service went well. There were hordes of people, and by hordes, I mean the entire building was full -- it was standing room only in the chapel, and people had to stand outside on the porch. Cars were parking along the highway because the funeral home AND the large church next door's lots were full. It was very heartwarming to see how many lives she's touched along the way. I still can't believe that she's gone. I didn't want to go to sleep at all Monday night because when I woke up that morning, I had a mother, and that night, I didn't. I didn't want it to be another day, and one without her in it.
Offspring is taking it very hard, as can be expected. Her very sweet boyfriend has been a total rock for her through it, though I know it had to be painful as he lost his own grandmother only a year or so ago to pancreatic cancer.
To make matters even worse, it seems our school district has no bereavement plan in place, so since I was out of sick time and personal day, I didn't get paid for the 4 days missed. I have an email in to HR because I don't trust my butthole of a boss when he tells me that there's nothing he could do. A work friend who came even told me that he had the unmitigated gall to show up, but because he was late, he couldn't get inside. I am SO glad that I did not see him because I totally would have lost it. He left before I could get through the throng, and that was indeed a blessing. Still has yet to even ONCE ask how I'm doing or express sympathy. Mom got sick in April. She was in the hospital AT LEAST 13 times since June. Never once did he ask me how she was doing, or is there anything we can do for you or your family?, and he has the temerity to COME TO HER FUNERAL. So beyond mad, I can't even tell.
Just tired, mad, sad, and just missing Mama so, so damn much.
KLee
((( KLee ))) Oh, sister. I'm glad that there was such a large and loving turnout to remember your mom. So good that your daughter also has the sweet BF to lean on. Grief can be rough, especially in the first while, so be easy on yourself. xoxo
Speechless about the lack of bereavement days! Especially since the need to take days can really add up during an illness like your mom's cancer. Someone in my old office went through that exactly when his wife was dying; we adopted a policy that allowed other staff to donate vacation days to a co-worker in need. (We already had a policy for 3 bereavement days, which isn't really enough but it is something.)
Cluesticks to the boss. It's to the good that he scooted his shameful butt out of there promptly. Powerful "do the right thing" thought waves for HR. xoxo
Ugh, your boss, KLee. I want to put something with unpleasant effects in his coffee. I'm so glad the service was such a tribute to your mom--it can be amazing to realize how deep and wide the lives of those we love stretch.
And yes, sending extra compassion to HR. Good move on your part, to contact them directly. It couldn't hurt to ask.
Sending you a virtual casserole and lots of hugs.
(((KLee))) I'm so glad the service was well-attended and that so many came out to honour her memory. Except the butt-hole boss - he should have done the right thing and stayed away. I'm glad you've been in touch with HR and hope they can work something out for you.
Sending love and hugs. And the posse for the boss, of course.
((((KLee)))) Hugs and love.
Sending compassion vibes for HR to grab on to.
But glad that there was so much visible love from the community to surround you during this hard hard time.
--Neighbor Lady
(((KLee))) So glad the funeral was well attended by loving people.
(((KLee))) I'm so sorry about your mom, and about your butthole boss making an awful time so much worse. I could kick him, honestly. (Is it bad that it's a little satisfying that he couldn't get into the building?) I really hope that HR has something in place, because a lack of bereavement days is absolutely terrible.
Just found out that one of my dad's first cousins died. The celebration of life is 11/18, in the southern part of the state. That week is looking jam-packed with events -- cousin's b-d, husband's b-d also, something due for work. But I've got the flight and a train lined up to get there.
Cousin Jim was the funniest guy! I never got to spend all that much time with him, but he was instant friends with everybody, and he teased me about my do-good work in a charming way. My Dad was the oldest cousin, and he and Jim had a mutual admiration society going. There is this wonderful photo of them at my Dad's big 70th birthday party -- Dad holding this giant bunch of helium balloons, and Jim right beside him, both of them looking happy as clams and chuckling over some bad joke.
There is a wonderful story about Jim and another cousin. Both ended up in Vietnam during that war -- and they ran into each other overseas, totally by accident! Decades later, you could see them both light up at that memory.
kathya. I'm so sorry for your loss, but I love your happy reminiscences!
hugs to you and yours,
Neighbor Lady
Oh, Kathy.... So sorry. I wish there was something I could say that would make it better. I hope you're able to enjoy your time with your family while saying goodbye. You have my deepest sympathy.
I'm so sorry kathy. Sending love and hugs - that's a very full week ahead.
Thanks, friends, for the hugs and love.
And thanks, Sue, for hosting next week.
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