The start of the second full week of November

 TERRY

We did "good" yesterday.  Terry got out of bed, stood by the walker and then, with me holding the belt but not helping, walked to the living room.  She did some exercises by the couch and then rested.  Later, when she was ready to go back into the bedroom she took the walker and walked back.  I think that is the best she has done and I will look forward to the next days as she continues to work at getting her legs back.  I could also mention that in the last three days she has used the commode only so I would say maybe I should return some of the pullups etc that we have in the closet!  Progress, for sure.

I am beginning to think I am a hopeless case.  About a week ago I ordered ink for the printer and thought I would save some money so I ordered ink containers that had been refilled.  They were like 60% of the cost.  Well over the last week much of the print outs I have done just were not right and the color just did not work.  I was upset with myself for ordering the refills.  Well yesterday I took the color cartridge out to see if I had not cleaned the face enough as they came with a small eraser to clean before you installed.  Well well the clear plastic was still on the face!!!!!!!!   I peeled that off and wow I had color!  I still can not believe I did such a stupid thing.  Now the tab was a dark color so it blended into the black cartridge but still I can not think of any reason to miss that except---I won't go there.

I looks like there will be no tennis for a few days as rain comes from the hurricane.  It is supposed to be wet for several days.  Hopefully there will not be high winds but it could happen.  I went to the store last night to get some things just in case and I would say the people around here are not worried as the store was almost empty at 8:00 PM and I did not see ANY bare shelves.  Things are supposed to pick up this afternoon so we will see.  

I am making progress on some things that I like to do for the holiday season.  I am having a difficult time with the computer as I think it needs to be cleaned up but I was able to finish some things and order what I wanted.  I am thinking I might cave in to Christmas and give money this year.  I love to search for presents and order them but there is just so much going on here I may not do that this year.  

As December approaches I think of Mom a lot.  She so loved to work on the church Christmas program as it was a time she got to make decisions and play the piano.  I am not sure I ever forgave her for the hours and hours we had to sit in church on December Saturdays as we practiced the Christmas program!

Something just came to me this morning.  I love to give presents and actually Dad was that way too.  There were times when the presents were pretty scarce but even in times when there was almost no money there always were some presents.  I remember hearing Mom wrap presents late at night and then the next day there would be stacks of presents above the kitchen cupboards.  There was an unwritten rule that we could NOT touch any of them but guess what happened when both Mom and Dad were gone?  There was shaking, rattling and more and I do not remember if we were ever able to guess what they were.  IF I remember right they did not have them labeled as to who they went to but I could be wrong about that.  At the same time it would not be unheard of to open Dad's cupboard which was on the south wall next to the window.  We would carefully try to see if there was anything in there.  As I think about it we were not all that nice of kids but maybe normal too!

As Thanksgiving approaches I certainly remember lefsa making.  Mom would take at least 2 Saturdays and make it.  After she cooked the batter she would then cover it with a dishtowel and set it on the washing machine in the entry way to cool a bit.  After a short time we would fire up the lefsa grill and we were on a roll.  It would not be unusual to get maybe 75% finished and the dough would start sticking to the rolling pin.  At some point Mom would just give up and then turn on the oven.  She would roll out the last bit of batter on corn meal and they would bake in the oven until they were crisp.  As they came out of the oven they would be thin flat and about 20" across.  There were times when we had many of those hard lefsa.  Mom would then stack them in the landing where it was cool, or cold, and there they were be until Thanksgiving.  It was there that it was hard to go up and down the stairs without breaking a piece off as one went by.  I do not remember if there was any left by the time Thanksgiving came around.  Of course Mom always saved the soft ones for Turkey day.  As us kids put butter and then rolled up the lefsa Dad rolled his up and then would put a chunk of butter on it before he took a bit!  The best--that was when we were frying them as Mom usually allowed us to eat a warm one off the grill.  Oh my, my mouth waters when I think of it.  I think my kids now make lefsa for Thanksgiving and Chrismas.  Just to keep things straight the REAL lefsa does NOT have potatoes in!!!!!!!   I think we were the only ones in the world that make potatoeless lefsa!  By the way that is a NEW word in case someone did not know!

As the clock nears 8:00 AM I am about finished for the day.  I actually made a real breakfast this morning as I had not done that for a long time.  It was hash browns, eggs and sausage.  I may have eaten enough for the entire day!  I am just now sipping the last of the FP so it is time to go on to other things.