Changes

Saturday morning. 

I woke up about 5:30 and Himself wasn't up yet so I plumped my pillows and snuggled up in my great lovely bed and listened to my favorite all-night radio station.  Lanny doesn't sleep in very often and is such a light sleeper  that on a weekend, I will stay in bed or try not to make any noise so that he can sleep late(r). 

I am a good 'snoozer' tho.  I can lay in my bed and listen to the radio and doze off and on.  I was thinking I would have to get up soon because on Sunday mornings, the radio station airs Church services.  The sermons get lively and the hymns more so. 

But for now, the Health talk show talked on and I lay there thinking, planning my retirement from work about mid-March.  I was recognizing all the changes that will be coming my way and I was telling myself that I will just take life one day at a time, look for fun and adventure, enjoy my family, not worry about the future. 

Then I remembered it was Saturday!  and I relaxed and went back to sleep.

About 8:30 Himself patted my shoulder and woke me up.

I crawled out of bed shaking the sleep out of my head, plopped on the couch and told my dream . . .

"You and I were on a porch of a our new house.  There were busy streets running every which way. I looked down off the porch and there was a mouse family, a father and a mother and a nest of baby mice." 

I said I think this dream has to do with my upcoming retirement and all the changes ahead.  Himself laughed and said he could see that . . . except for the mice.  He wasn't sure what that had to do with anything. 

I have enjoyed recalling that dream today as I have gone about my business.  The more I think about it, the more I think the mice family represent my family.

I wonder if my sub-conscience was problem-solving -- balancing retirement, travel, adventures with my children and grandchildren.  If so, I think it will be a pleasant problem to have  and to solve.  I am really starting to let go of my work identity and beginning to look forward to creating or finding my new 'retired' identity.   Look out Fun and Adventure!

Doctors

I've seen more doctors since November 1 than in all of the last 5 years.  First I had to get rid of those cataracts.  Jeesh, they were bothering me.  I spent my days at work tilting my head trying to see around the corners -- or 'curtains' if you will.   Now both eyes are done and I have my new eye glass lenses and all is good. 

Next up, tomorrow night, I am going for a sleep test.  I go out to the hospital at 9 pm and try to sleep.  This is going to go well, I'm pretty sure (raising my eyebrow).   Usually I don't sleep until 11:30 or midnight.  Since I really have zero idea of how this sleep test is going to work, I have my doubts but I'm trying to keep an open mind. 

I did go on-line and look around a bit; it may take me an hour just to 'wired'.  It may take 60 minutes to get me hooked up to all the sensors. 

I don't doubt that if I get to sleep the Sleep Therapist will acknowledge that I snore.  I doubt that I may get to sleep at all.

After the sleep test, if we get that all sorted out, I want Dr. Walker to test my thyroid.  Since I had my gall bladder out five years ago, my metabolism has slowed down to a crawl.  Of course, part of that may be the fact that I sit at my desk for 7 hours and 55 minutes every day at work.  As Dr. Walker described it "we get more sedentary every year". 

That's about to change!  (see retirement posts : ) 

But a couple of  Saturdays ago, Alice and I went to Winterset and met Beth, Kate, K'Lea and Jane.  K'Lea and Jane both take thyroid medicine.  They described some symptoms that I might share . . . so it won't hurt to have blood work done and check my thyroid.  Granny had thyroid problems too. I think Aunt Beth doctors for thyroid. 

I am glad we have doctors. 

I am glad I don't mind going to doctors.

I do not like having Reasons for going.

Does that make any sense? 

High Noon

There was a haze in the air when I took this photo.  
Maybe there were forest fires out west which caused the sun to be red.
This was taken June 2013.  I have forgotten why the sun was red.
I do know that it is now "High Noon".

high noon

 

noun: high noon; plural noun: high noons

1. 1.

   midday.
2. 2.

   an event or confrontation that is likely to decide the final outcome of a situation.

 

It is High Noon in the Hofmeister household.

It is time to decide the final outcome of the situation.

It is time to decide when I retire and leave my current situation.

 

It is not as easy as one might expect. 

It is not as easy as I had expected.

 

"I can't wait until I retire!"

"When I retire I'll do this!  I'll do that!"

"I can't wait until I retire!"

 

Then the time comes and the thoughts begin . . .

 

Will I have enough money?

I hear that someone retires and then has health issues!

Can I be in the same room with my dear husband, 24/7?

Will I become lazy and sleep until noon?

Will I be less active and put on (more) weight?

What will I do with my time?

Will I sell my house?  Live in a shoe?  Winter down south? 

 

I am meeting with IPERS this week. 
     (nope!  postponed until January 24 due to possible inclement weather.)

I have checked on Social Security.

We have moved one investment fund; should we move others?
We are checking our funds, checking them twice and compounding Interest. 

Will 'work' miss me when I go?  lol.  that doesn't matter!

 

What changes are ahead, around the bend, down the road? 

 

This Nana is going to fasten her seatbelt.  I'll hang on tight!  I'm ready to roam, to travel, explore!  Expect an announcement anytime soon!

Update.  Expect an announcement after January 24, 2014.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 



Child's Play

A favorite thing is to move around the yard and house

and see what my Little Ones have been up too. 

 

Look, here!  I had a snow angel visit. 

Or was that Peter Pan? 

 

A little girl sat and played with the tool box. 

Yes! 

This is an equal opportunity household! 

 

Children had the blocks and the Army / Fantasy men engaged.

Wait -- is that a Football Bowl? 

Army vs Fantasy? 

If it isn't, it should be.   

 

 

 

Is this a grilled sandwich.

Yes? 

Would that be called 'toast'?  : )

 

Wonder what this guy's story is? 

uh huh!  Like we are going to believe that. 

Get ahold of yourself Construction Man! : ( 

Our children are growing up;

 they are playing grownup games. 

oh oh!  too bad!  so sad!

 

Claudia is resting now but she was 'out on the town' over the holidays.

She was accompanying little girls here and there. 

She was well-met and very sociable. 

 

 

Oh my gosh. 

Stand back!   

This really is a Barbie Bad Hair Day. 

 

 

Upstairs in the playhouse, fortunes have been made and lost. 

 

Restaurant M M G

Maddie, Meriam and Gabby

formerly Morghan, Maddie and Gabby.

 

(sobbing onto my shoulder). . . Little Morghan's grow up into teenagers!) 

Little Miss Organization has been writing Work Procedures . . .  or is this a thermal imaging station for cashing checks and verifying credit cards.

hmmm - Times Change . . .

 

 Is my order up?

A Dollar hamburger and fries. 

Yes!

Times do change -- 

but some things never change.

Pass the catsup please : )

 

The Year of the Needle

My cataracts were removed, one in November and one in December 2013.  The week of Christmas, I got my new glasses.  I can see again! 

 

I haven't done much sewing or crocheting for the last 4 or 5 years.  Now that I can see again, I am ready to roll! 

 

I bought this little loom and flashy 'yarn' two months ago.  They have been in a bag on the chair ever since.  I got them out last Thursday and couldn't remember what to do; how to start. oh my.  oh gosh!   I had had about 10 minutes worth of instruction when I bought it but now I was at a loss. 

 

 

 

So guess what?  I got on You Tube and watched a demonstration.  Really? 

Then I sat down and worked on it for a couple of hours.  I am making a scarf.  It will be an Infinity Scarf when I am done with it.  I don't really have the instructions to finish it up that way --  but I'm going to make it happen. 

  

When this scarf is done and hanging around my neck, I'm going upstairs with my new garage sale 'American Girl' type doll and I'm going to sew up a storm. Sewing will keep me warm in January and February.  I have doll patterns and I have boxes and drawers full of fabric pieces and remnants.  I've got granddaughters who need new clothes for their dolls and want to learn to sew.  We are gonna get it done.  Send me your daughters.  : )

 

Friday evening we had three girls and a boy. 

We had 2 different looms, 3 zillion little rubber bands.

We had curiosity, desire and motivation. 

We gotter done. 

 

We sat on the floor and while I tried to figure out how to use the looms, Maddie and Audri went to work and built the rubber band bracelets with their own little fingers.  They had learned that at school.  They didn't need a loom.  They taught Hannah 'how to' too and they were all off and running.  Well, mass producing, really. 

 

 

 

Today, with Audri and Maddie staying over and time to study, Maddie figured out the single loom and the double loom.  We/she didn't master the triple loom yet. 

I'm not quite sure about the looms at all but I'll keep practicing.  I think it is just as easy to make the bracelets with your fingers. 

hmm, what colors shall I use?

As the day wore on we tried the 12-peg round loom, crocheting and this evening, I tried 'no hook' crochet -- crocheting with just my hands.

Maddie started a blanket.
It is to stay here for when Maddie is here, Maddie said.   

Yes! 

This means that Maddie will stay with me some more before she is too big.

(Which of you (any of you?) remember your last time staying at your Gramma Hof's or Granny and Gramps?  ah, it will be interesting if you can remember . . . )

Meanwhile, back at the house, I have taken over Maddie's blanket.  She told me I could work on it . . . but did she know I might finish it before she comes back? 

 

I have it worked out that if she does mind,

I'll just help her start the next. 

I have more red yarn.

 

 

We were good this way.  Crochet awhile.

Trade off and use the loom.

Maddie is versatile and goes with the flow. 

Nana does too. 

 

 

Yes, this definitely, is

The Year of the Needle

 

Holiday Food

To say we had food this Christmas season is an understatement. 

 

 

 

There was Cookie Day.

 

I think the production line cranked out about 300

 beautiful, frosted, creative sugar cookies. 

 

Maddie got up early and baked all morning. 

Then she got serious.  

She started to frost and decorate. 

 

These cookies are too pretty to eat!

 

 Morghan joined us and helped for awhile : )

She's happier than this pic shows -- Nana didn't get a good photo.

 

 Maddie and Hannah persevered. 

 

 

They worked right through the Sugar Cookies

and moved into the Gingerbread House phase. 

 

From Gingerbread, they moved to silly!

Let's just say they got a little hyper . . . okay, we'll call it creative! 

 

Sitting around our house, or for dessert after Christmas dinner or even just wrapped up and sent home --  we had Banana Cream pie, Chocolate Pie with home-made whipped cream, Dad's Kringle, the old chocolate chip banana/maraschino cherry bread and don't forget the cinnamon and caramel rolls.

 

We haven't even mentioned Christmas Dinner.

 

Ham, potatoes and gravy.

Kristy's 7-layer salad.

Erica's corn/mac bake. 

Deviled eggs, dinner rolls, relish and meat and cheese trays. 

 

 

 

I heard Audri go back for seconds and all she wanted was Aunt Erica's corn.

 

 

I don't know how much these boys really ate but they did sit up to the dining room table for a bit.  I saw Jack going back for some ham.  I'm pretty sure they had a little chocolate along the line.  And a coke.  Or two. 

 

 

On Saturday we had Runza day.

 

We browned ground beef and onions and grated cabbage.

We made lovely bread dough and wrapped it all

 up together into what we call Runzas. 

 

I know Morghan Grace and her Mama and

Aunt Kristy and Aunt Johanna like Runzas. 

I don't know if the rest of the grandchildren do

but Nana and PaPa do! 

 

And I enjoyed Runza Day. 

I'm writing it on the calendar for next year!

 

Laundry room - Updated

Our washer went up in smoke in November.  We pulled it out to get ready to have a new one delivered and Himself said, "Girl."  "Girl!  The wallpaper has to go."  It is unstuck from the wall.  Girl said "No, no! I want it!" But after looking the situation over and finding that, indeed, the 30-year old paper was at the end of its life, the "I love my laundry room" wallpaper went. 

 

 

The big old enamel topped sink went too.  It took up the back corner of the laundry room for 35 years and was never hooked to water that I know of.  So it is out and will be repurposed at the cabin!  What a clever plan!  And removal of that sink caused me to clean out corners and Himself to take out shelves precariously hung and  balanced.  Removal of all that let us hang a bracket for the iron and ironing board and made for a better corner for the vacuum sweeper.

 

Hollyhock Green Pittsburg paint replaced the old wallpaper.  The photo above does NOT do the Hollyhock justice.  It is so cheery and pretty! 

 

I love looking at our jars of home-canned tomatoes and pickles.

There's nothing prettier; Himself did these all on his own.

 

We have three double-door cupboards hanging above our washer and dryer so there is still plenty of storage. 

 

Who needs a pencil sharpener?  I have to warn you, it is an old-fashioned manual sharpener.  Himself gifted us with a new electric sharpener a few years back.  This manual crank might be obsolete but on the other hand you could say to a child "when I went to school, this is what we had to use!" 

Now we have this lovely new front-loader (next bigger model to the little one at the cabin) and our old dryer.  You can get a better feel for the Hollyhock green, there above the washer. 

If we weren't so honest (gosh darn, dang it!) we could have had a second washer just like this.  I'm sure it would have caught up to us tho and we would have been billed for it. 

We ordered a washer on line, the Des Moines store didn't have it but the store across town did have one.  The second store said they had to cancel the first ordered washer in order to charge us for the second ordered washer.  OK.  Fair Enough. 

We got credit for the first credit card charge and copies of all the paper work.  The second store delivered and installed a washer.  We are up and running! 

Two weeks later, the first store called and said "we will deliver your washer tomorrow".  Hmmm.  Okay.  We slept on that . . . and then Himself called the first store the next day and said, "uh, don't deliver that washer.  We already have one."  It was the right thing to do, of course . . . just tempting! 

We are not done with the Laundry Room.  We still need to move all my clothes out of the shelving system on the other side of the room and paint the rest of the walls.  Maybe we will get that done now, with Christmas and New Years behind us.

Happy New Year!

Bathroom Update

Our Powder Room, built and furnished about 1980, has never been updated.  It is my fault.  I love my little foil-papered brown-fixtured Powder Room.  It was beginning to show its age though.  It was time to do something.  There were a few areas of the wallpaper that were scuffed and even one 4" area ripped, where a child had pulled away the loose seam of the paper. 

The toilet had been leaking and Himself had worked at it several times but the day came he pulled the toilet and knew he had to replace some parts of the drain. 

The toilet is brown.  You cannot buy a brown toilet anymore.  This beautiful thing of the 1970s is no longer. 

I told Himself, when he threatened me with a new white toilet, if you put in a white toilet the whole bathroom will have to be redown.  New sink.  Ne wallpaper.  New vanity.  So rather than do that, he went to work.

He pulled the toilet.  Since the toilet was out, we pulled out the old linoleum flooring and installed some beautiful new-fangled brown marbled tiles.  Wow!  With that, I knew it was time to update the rest of the room. 

The 2-lantern light fixture looked dated.  I'd been studying on what to do about that light fixture even before the toilet repair and the new floor.  Then our son-in-law gifted us with a very nice new fixture.  That gift set off a chain of events.

 

I took down the Angel picture and the glass/gold shelves that held more angel figurines.  I had come across a dark frame and duck picture that I always liked while cleaning out the corner of the laundry room.  I found another hand-made frame back there too and having scoped out She-Nae's Repurposing Shop uptown and admiring an empty frame with some glass bead 'art', I changed out the wall decorations.  I still need to do some tweaking but we are getting there. 

 

Himself, meanwhile, had freshened up the walls with a new coat of paint. 

 

I want a darker bow to top off the glass beads and need to realign the ducks.

 

I had picked up some craft paint out to the big W store, 3 or 4 little bottles of acrylic.  I got out the water color brushes and went to work.  I painted in the missing wallpaper.  I did!  It took me all of 30 minutes then I challenged Himself to point out where the repairs had been made.  He couldn't -- and I can't either.  Slick!  The scuffs and tears have disappeared.  All right, all right.  I get it that the foil paper is still old and out of date but dang it.  It still looks good and I still like it. 

 

And doesn't that new light fixture just set everything off.  Thank you, Dana!

 I'm not quite satisfied with the wrought iron sculpture on the left side of the mirror but I have an idea that I think will make it all better. 

There!  I worked on the art work a bit today and hung a little brass mirror. 

This is better; this is getting close to pleasing my eye. 

I'll keep tweaking. 



They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway.

They say there's always magic in the air.

 

 

Seven children and five adults planned to go but we ended up eight children and four adults and all that went ended up acting like children as we all watched and believed in the Magic. 

'They say there's magic in the air.'

We believed Wendy and her brothers could fly and that Peter Pan was real and that Tinker Bell would lose her magic . . .

 

I was afraid The Boys (our boys -- not 'The Boys' from Peter Pan)

would be too old to go to the 'Theater'. 

They did go but they thought they were too old.

They pretended they were too old.   

They weren't, really. 

 

 

Even some little girls thought they were 'too old' to go to Peter Pan but I could tell they were caught up in the story and the drama.  I could tell they were engrossed.  Until the lights came up, anyway. 

 

 

We got there early and waited to be seated. 

 

Some little girls were more excited about it than the big girls.

Miss Isabella's first visit to the Playhouse was fun and exciting!

Miss Audri Lu wasn't acting blasé either. 

 

We did have good will and smiles. 

 

 

and some 'just plain' exuberance! 

 

Even though we were at the very top, in the very last two rows, 

we still had good seats.  It is not a humongous theater. 

 

Because Aunt Hannah had the flu, Maddie asked her friend Casey to go so as as to use the ticket.  I think these three 'tweeny' girls enjoyed Peter Pan but maybe just couldn't always admit it. 

 

 

These two little girls made no bones about it.

They LOVED Peter Pan and the Theater. 

Little Bella cried and cried when it was time to go home. 

Oh, poor sweet baby.  Nana will take you again!

 

 

oh my.

Thank goodness.

These boys had these apparatuses

 to keep them content

while waiting for the Curtain

 to Go Up!

 

 

Oh Yes.

Oh Ho!

Who's on there?

What do you see?

Look at me : )

 

Bella #Loved The Theater! 

So did Miss Morghan Grace.

She just didn't show it
or dress in character.

This time : )