Gotta See This!

Before I get into the work for the day I have to blog about how gorgeous it is outside! Winter has been threatening to come, but up until yesterday it was all just talk and bluff. Yesterday it rained and overnight it turned to snow. The trees and shrubs are all standing very still. Dressed in their winter finery, they are careful not to move lest they disturb their lacy fairy-like dresses! Snow is piled up on branches and limbs like so much frosting on an elegant wedding cake. It is breath takingly beautiful--I hope this little kiddy camera does it justice.

In other news, Thursday was my recording session for the audio version of Sassy Pants Makes Amends. I think this recording is going to be much better than the one I did at the Tate headquarters. If there was so much as a rustle of paper the sound guy would stop me and we would begin at the sentence before the rustle and go from there. If I read "it is" as "it's" I would have to do it again! Whew! I thought it would take one hour...it took t.h.r.e.e. hours! At the end my back was screaming at me for being upright and attentive for so long. Got a bit of a rest and lunch and then back into the fray. I had a doc appt., which ended up taking another three hours--most of that just waiting in uncomfortable chairs.

In addition to the sound man, the receptionist/project manager sat in on the recording to help catch anything he missed. She was so taken with it all that she gave me a referral to a TV show where they read kids stories--and they are always on the lookout for local artists to read their own works. Yay!! Exposure!

I asked David if he had anything to add; his response was that he could not think and change batteries at the same time! I can tell you that our car has started to growl at us. Then it started steering like truck without power steering. Transmission and power steering--two essentials. Took it in to the shop (kind of like going to the acute care clinic!) and they found the power steering had sprung a leak somewhere and sprayed on a belt which added to the disturbing noises. They filled up the power steering fluid and it drives so much more smoothly! They left the belt until they have had a more complete once over to find the source of the leak. Don't know if they wiped off the belt or what but it is much quieter, topped up the fluids so the transmission is no longer growling--we will see what  a more extensive exam will reveal. But the quick lookie-loo was only $35; worth it to not drive like a truck. I do not want to change cars!! (Insert distressed face). My little brother told me about Lucas Stop Leak for oil, there is one for power steering and one for transmission--if you have a leak, they have a stopper. He says it's really good stuff! I think we will try it. He keeps a bottle of each in the trunk--but he lives in Florida!

Mom is doing well for how she is. Her eyes have continued to deteriorate--she sees very little. She has stopped coming down the stairs for coffee. Not sure if it is because of her eyes or to avoid David! My brother Jim suggested we look into having someone come help her with bathing. She became so angry...it was a serious scene! When I tried to help her understand his line of thinking she lit in on me. After a bit David called a halt and she hasn't been down since! I have called her a couple times, but she hasn't been down. Brother Denny has taken over her "job" of getting the mail now that we have snow and ice.

Youngest bro., Dale (Babe) is still doing long haul trucking and trying to care for his wife at the same time. Over the holidays she ended up in ICU with renal failure. She is home now; her sisters did watch over her for a while until she was out of the woods. She has a friend who calls on her who is a nurse and knows when it is time to get help! She is still not well--sleeping upwards of 20 hours a day. Needless to say we asked them to stay put and not come to Mom's 90th birthday dinner. Mom refuses to have a birthday bash since most of her friends have died. The one who is still living goes to Florida during the winter so no big deals allowed. BUT I put my foot down. This is her 90th! We are going to do it up big--no expense spared. We are going to take her out to Keiser's for fish and that is that! She laughed and agreed to go but it will be just us kids that are here locally. Brother #3, Tom is still working out in Iowa.)

That about wraps things up; if we think of something else that's of interest we will blog again! Until the next time...

Blessings, Carol