Old Age Day by Day November 7, 2012

We stayed up late last night to watch the election returns.  We're relieved and happy Obama won.  Now comes the hard part, as everyone is saying.  I'm really hoping the two parties find a way to cooperate for the good of the country.  We'll see.

I spent two hours at the dentist getting a new crown, and managed to bite my tongue badly, so it is swollen and painful.  The site of the crown was throbbing yesterday, but is fine today.  Now I've got to manage to not have the temporary crown fall off for two weeks.  I'm chewing with my left side, which is doubly important since the tongue on the right side is sore.  I realize that really was two hours of surgery, with the dentist and tech working hard and me having to try to remain calm.  Not pleasant, but necessary.  You can see why "Marathon Man" is a genuine horror film.  Luckily, my new dentist is very sweet and careful and kind.  No torture.

Today my granddaughter and I are heading to a bookstore when I pick her up.  I promised last week.  I also have two new board games to play.  One is about fairy tales and the other about finding puppies.  Do I know my granddaughter, or what?!

Old Age Day by Day November 6, 2012

We've already voted, and the sorrow of the day is upon me.  People's intentions are mostly good, and their view of the world is something they have a right to.  We are a divided country.  I'm reading "Team of Rivals" about Lincoln and his cabinet, and it feels right now similar to that political atmosphere, when the nation literally divided itself.  People sincerely believe differently, though most politicians are only about power.  Our hearts are in the right place, whether we are worrying about fetal rights, or our environment, budget concerns or raising everybody up.  We are battered bloody by the media and the lobbyists and the pundits.  The money could solve most of our problems, but it has dissolved into ads and hate.  We are one nation, and we need each other.  Our land is too big, our problems are too big, to be dealt with by the states.  We need the guidance and embracing arm of federal government.  But we don't want to believe it.  We think we can take care of ourselves, whereas our species is all about cooperation and interdependence.  My heart goes out to every person in this nation, struggling, confused and hopeful.

Old Age Day by Day November 5, 2012

We had a good weekend and now have business to get down to!  Our friends from Illinois are coming to visit, so slipcovers (covered in dog hair) must be washed, groceries bought, and other chores accomplished, so we can look like we keep a neat house.  Our female dog has a couple of things that must be checked out at the vet, and that is worrisome.  The weather is still beautiful, but the forecast is for rain and lousy weather while are friends are here.  It figures.  I finally heard from my friend in New York, and though power has been a big issue, and her son-in-law has been unable to get to work in the city, everyone's fine, including her ninety something mother in Virginia.  She's in Colorado babysitting her baby grandson while her daughter begins work again.  What a tough transition that is, especially as he's only 4 months old.  My friend is a terrific grandmother and she has six grandchildren, in three different states, so she is one busy gal.

I had a long talk with my granddaughter on the phone last night.  I sure miss her, but luckily, she is a talkalot, so the phone really helps.  She was a green fairy for Halloween and my daughter sent pictures, and she looks sparkly and happy.  I'm going to try to remember to be shiny green and sparkly myself this week. 

Old Age Day by Day November 4, 2012

I got up today an hour earlier than I needed to, due to the time change.  Oh, well.  I even set the alarm, without registering that it was going to be totally inaccurate.  I'm going to meditation this morning, so I can't go back to bed, and it's sunny and beautiful, so I don't feel too sorry for myself.  A childhood friend sent me a 1950s photo of the tiny town where we lived as kids.  It could be right out of "To Kill a Mockingbird" or "The Help".  Of course, I didn't even live in the town, per se, we lived right outside on a road off the main highway.  Behind our house were woods that went on and on.  I took the school bus into town, and biked there.  Though there was no destination really.  There was a drug store, the school, but no real place to land, so you had to be visiting a friend to even bother.  The movie theater had closed down, never to re-open, and the VFW and Masonic buildings were for our parents.  We went to church, and vacation Bible school.  There were dances at the K-12 school in the auditorium/stage/basketball court.  But most dances happened in people's homes.  Shopping was an all day event in Richmond, with a meal at the Hot Shoppe cafeteria.  That's when I learned to be very decisive very quickly, because if you weren't agreeable, your time was up and we were in the boy's department for my brother or my mother was looking at linens in Tallheimers.  To this day, I can always find something to buy; I'm flexible.  She who hesitates is lost.   No ideas of the perfect shoes or insistence on a certain color of coat.  I choose from what's available and in my size.  My mother sewed most of our clothes, so she was in no panic to outfit me.  Underwear and shoes and socks.  Those were about the only items she needed to buy.  To my dismay!  When I grew up, I was prepared for living in Fiji, where there were no stores with anything in my size.  I wore what I brought, and bought a sewing machine.  So I know how to do without a place to shop.  And now, even when I have all the time in the world to look, after about twenty minutes I feel the urge to wrap it up, pick out something, and leave.  Mom would be so proud.

Old Age Day by Day November 3, 2012

I read this morning in the paper about an elephant named Koshik who can say audible words in Korean (since he's in a zoo in South Korea).  This has been confirmed by independent German scientists.  He began verbalizing when two other elephants were relocated and he was lonely.  He speaks to his trainers.  He uses his trunk in his mouth to make the sounds.  This one story is worth more to me than anything about the election, economy or our culture of famous untalented persons.  Joy arises in me from the knowledge that an elephant is taking the initiative in bridging the species gap.  His trainers did not teach him this.  He figured it out by himself.  The article says in 1983, some Russian elephants could speak 20 Russian phrases, but there was no scientific study done to confirm it.  Talk about the struggle to suvive and adaptability!

Hopefully, Koshik will dictate poems next, and also come out with a statement on world peace and intraspecies cooperation.  He will speak up for the rainforests and plains and rivers.  I, for one, will be waiting and listening.

Old Age Day by Day November 2, 2012

Images of the storm back east are disturbing.  I was saying to a friend this morning that it looks like a sci fi movie - "Day After Tomorrow".  She wondered if it would occur to anyone that states NEED the federal government, and can't do things on their own.  And we both wondered about climate change.  Is it still a no-no as a topic for this election, except for Mayor Bloomberg?  So many things not open for discussion:  gun control, environmental issues, drones, Afganistan, schools.  Instead, the unborn have center stage and promises of jobs in an economy that no longer operates in the old way.  Neither candidate is honest, but at least one doesn't promise the moon.  Beware of strangers offering you candy.

Old Age Day by Day November 1, 2012

Wow!  Goodbye October.  Hello November.  October certainly went out with a bang here.  A huge world series parade in the city, with a million fans, Halloween, with millions of sugar addicted children, and a rainstorm at night to cap it all off.  We had a few more trick or treaters than we usually do, but still there are many dum-dum lollipops now ziplocked away in our pantry.  I had a nice time with my granddaughter sewing a felt cat with her new sewing kit, and then we watched that oscar contender, Dora and the Puppy Party.  Five stars, at least.  She was Pippi Longstocking.  I tried to call my granddaughter in Oregon, but no luck.  I hope I get a photo of her as the green fairy. 

Now, as the pumpkins are already here, it's easy to refocus on Thanksgiving.  Banish the black cats and put out the pilgrims and indians.  I'm thinking turkey already.

My friend and I are talking a walk this morning, then having lunch.  We've not seen each other in a while, due to commitments and my bad cold.  It will be good to catch up, though at the rate time is flying, it may be impossible1