HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD!

Dad absolutely shocked me last night when I telephoned to wish him a happy birthday.  (His actual birthday is today, but he's taking his taxes to the accountant, getting a haircut, and going to his birthday dinner in a restaurant.  The Professor and I are attending a play tonight, so I wasn't sure I could catch the busy octogenarian.) 

Anyhow, returning to the telephone call, Dad was quite pleased when I wished him a happy birthday.  This man has bemoaned  and wanted to ignore every birthday since he turned 39 when I was a little girl.  Last night he told me that now he treasures each birthday.  Of course, this is a much, much better philosophy, but I still have a bit of the feeling that the world turned upside down or space aliens may have taken over my father.

Dad's improved attitude emboldened me to ask Dad how his older brother felt about having a younger brother Dad's age.  Dad actually laughed and replied that Uncle B. misses the youthful days Dad is currently enjoying.

Finally, after all these years, we can genuinely celebrate Dad's birthdays.

I'm sorry I've been gone so long.  Somehow "the winter of our discontent," if the phrase is taken entirely out of context, seems to fit SAD.

On a more happy note, my sciatica hasn't bothered me since we returned from our visit to Oklahoma City in late December.  Evidently long car rides exacerbate sciatica because of the long periods of just sitting.  However, my new medicine is good enough that, as long as I stay in the metro area, I forget that I have sciatica.

It's amazing how much you can appreciate the absence of pain.

I'll keep this short today because I need to work on my guild's challenge quilt in order to be able to pin it tomorrow when I'm in Overland Park.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR ILTFLINTHILLS!

News About the Cobblestone Block Workshop Quilt

Last year I had difficulty in persuading our minister to let me show the finished Cobblestone Block Workshop quilt during the announcements at church.  (The quilt was a group project for the church to give to a child staying at the Rose Brooks Center.)  Yesterday the minister called me up to arrange to show the quilt at both services on Sunday.  Am I pleased!

Now if I can just complete the quilting and binding in time for Sunday . . . .

Tremor3258 had to stay home from work yesterday because he had a fever and chills.  I hope he feels better today.  Marisol had a doctor's and a dentist's appointment over in Overland Park today, so I have no car in which to drive to Liberty and check on him.  If he's still sick tomorrow, I plan on going up there after my annual mammogram, which is first thing in the morning.  If poor Tremor3258 is going to be sick, I'm glad he's living in not-too-far Liberty and not in St. Leonard.

Minor Good News and Some Much Worse Bad News

The good news is that my brother-in-law, who lives in the part of the country served by the Philadelphia mint, just sent me about seven state quarters.  Except for a Philadelphia-series North Dakota quarter, my collection is now complete through the Wyoming quarters, inclusive.

The bad news is that my brother-in-law is still having problems with his hip, which was operated upon not too long ago.  Apparently there is a tear in the hip somewhere; now my brother-in-law faces even more surgery.  Poor guy!  He's had a painful autumn, and winter doesn't look as though it will be an improvement.

ESL	ESL	ESL
ESL	KISSA:	ESL
ESL	THE UPDATE	ESL
ESL	ESL	ESL

On Saturday we were out in the miserable weather when my next-door neighbor telephoned me.  He wanted to know whether he and his wife could bring Kissa inside their home for awhile for what is best described as a play date.  Of course, I said yes after I warned them that Kissa has claws.

The Professor and I are extremely pleased that Kissa is so popular in the neighborhood that people are actually inviting her over.  She is a sweetheart.

Why were we out in the miserable weather?  The Professor, Marisol, Tremor3258, and I were all "helping" IMO and Iltflinthills look at new cars.  Their truck is rather old, and IMO worries about Iltflinthills driving around in an unreliable vehicle.  When we set out, the plan was only to look.  However, by the end of the afternoon, Iltflinthills and IMO (partly) owned a brand-new Nissan Versa sedan.

The photo we took is rather dark, but I really like the car they bought.  If it lives up to the reliability Consumer Reports predicted the Nissan Versa should have, Iltflinthills and IMO should have practical transportation which, even if they should have children, last them many years.

The car has a manual transmission, so I am already asking them if one of them will teach me to drive it when the weather improves.  (I had two one-hour lessons in a manual about thirty years ago, and I remember almost nothing.)  Iltflinthills and IMO are considering my request, but I think they find it rather frightening.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARISOL!

Perhaps I am most proud of Marisol on her twentieth birthday for her gift suggestion to her brother upon his request.  Marisol asked Tremor3258 to make a charitable donation in her name.  He did, and she was quite pleased.

Marisol's Birthday to Remember

Yes!  That's the Helen Thomas standing next to Marisol after the luncheon the Women's Foundation of Greater Kansas City held today at the Hyatt Regency Hotel at Crown Center.

This year I peaked as far as gift ideas go.  Poor Marisol will never receive a birthday present as great as she did this year.

Devoted readers may remember my excitement earlier this week when Marisol and I moved off the waiting list for tickets to actual ticketdom for the Women's Foundation of Greater Kansas City's luncheon.  Even though today is not Marisol's real birthday, she and I pretended it was.

Before the luncheon, we bought a copy of Helen Thomas's new book, so Marisol could have it autographed after the meal. 

There were about 1200 people in the audience at the luncheon.  To be honest, I felt a little out of place with all the wealthy philanthropists at our table.  Fortunately, Marisol is always at home in any situation, so the fact that most of the people had donated thousands of dollars to charity and we haven't didn't bother her a bit.

Marisol and I really enjoyed listening to Helen Thomas.  I particularly enjoyed the serious part of her talk, but most of the audience was perhaps a bit cool towards her political statements, so Helen Thomas soon changed her speech to more of a humorous one.  That woman is amazing.  Just think of the doors she helped open for the rest of us, and her demeanor would never suggest that she is 87 years old.

We felt it was such a privilege to be there.

Marisol ran out of the banquet room as soon as the luncheon ended in order to get a good place in the book-signing line.  I followed at a more leisurely and less athletic pace and discovered Marisol was in second place in line.  (I have a feeling that Marisol is always going to be successful in obtaining what she really wants.) 

The lady in front of us had three books for Helen Thomas to sign, two of which were for her granddaughters.  (I thought those books were going to become treasured gifts.)  Helen Thomas has always come across as a fearless, feisty woman on television, but she was incredibly kind, gracious, and charming while she was signing books.

When Marisol's turn came, Marisol mentioned to Helen Thomas that Helen Thomas was Marisol's 20th birthday gift.  My goodness!  That was all it took for Helen Thomas to write a page-long personalization in Marisol's book.  (OK, Helen Thomas has large handwriting.)  I asked for permission to photograph them, imaging that Marisol would lean over the table and I would snap a photo.  However, Helen Thomas stood up for the photograph (which I felt a little bad about because she is 87), Marisol somehow instantly relocated to Helen Thomas's side of the table, and I quickly pushed the button on Marisol's camera.  Fortunately, the photograph isn't horrible, so Marisol can show it to her friends without embarrassment.

There were many people in the book signing line, but Helen Thomas made all of us feel as though we were important to her and she had plenty of time to give to speak with each of us.  She is a real lady, which is something I don't think I had ever heard before.

Helen Thomas has been at the White House ever since I can remember, so she has sort of been a fixture in my life.  I guess it's obvious that I enjoyed Marisol's gift as much as she did.

When we left the Hyatt Regency Hotel's parking garage, Marisol mentioned that even though she hasn't really been showing it on the outside, she had been so excited about hearing Helen Thomas speak today that she (Marisol) has had trouble sleeping all week.  The Professor and I are glad that we figured out something that Marisol really liked.

After we received the news that we could get tickets to the luncheon featuring Helen Thomas, Marisol and I realized that her at-home wardrobe of mainly T-shirts and jeans was woefully inadequate.  That night we drove to Macy's and bought her a black-pinstriped suit at 60% off.  (The suit was already marked down 50%, and I had a coupon which gave us an additional 20% discount.)  Now I don't have to worry about what Marisol's big Christmas present will be.

Marisol looks eerily older (as in grown-up) in the suit, which needs to be shortened.  She needs to hold still long enough for me to mark the pants.

However, speaking of Macy's, I now have to boycott not only the Macy's but all the stores at Independence Center, which is a huge mall.  It was dark when Marisol and I arrived there. Very unsafe!  Once we stepped out of the car, we realized that about half the lights in the parking lot were not on.  One of the clerks in Macy's told me that the mall was responsible for that situation, so I waited until yesterday to telephone them.

The woman I spoke with on the phone considered me a moron because I just couldn't understand the parking lot was dark because they were replacing the lights.  I kept trying to voice my safety concerns, which she completely ignored.  When I asked why they didn't replace the lights one at a time in order to provide a safer environment for the customers and employees, the woman all but laughed at me.  Therefore, I told her I was boycotting Independence Center until the parking lot lights are all on.  If you live near the mall, please join me in my protest.

Yesterday Marisol and I spent all day at Tremor3258's house.  I painted three walls in his bedroom, so now I only have three more left.  (If the sum of walls seems odd, remember that I always put two topcoats of paint on.)  Marisol played Nintendo and then baked some delicious chocolate chip bars.

When Tremor3258 returned home from work, he took both Marisol and me out for a nice pizza dinner as a thank-you for the painting.  One of the walls I finished has two windows, so tonight he should be able to put up two of the three blinds in his bedroom.  That should help with the cold weather and privacy.

Marisol and I Made It Off the Waiting List!

We're Going to Hear Helen Thomas Speak Next Week!