Today

Everything is frosty and cold today. The sun shining in the window... is deceiving. I love how the snow sparkles on days like this. Stepping out the door...dressed in layers. My clothing covered by a warm winter coat, knitted hat, scarf, warm boots, and mittens for my hands, that never seem to get cold. I hurry to the car, that has been sitting in the garage for 12 days...hoping that it will start. With the push of a button...the car starts and I push another button for my seat warmer. (am I spoiled or what?) Back in the house for a few minutes to gather things that I deem necessary...water, phone, blanket,box of cookies, and me...here I go for the first time since bad weather hit. I drive miles down the highway... to really let the car warm up....then turn around and head for the bridge that will lead me to the store. When I walk in ...the fellow in the produce dept. is there apologizing for the empty shelves in the produce dept. He tells me that they haven't had a delivery since Sunday. I tell him that I appreciate what they have and proceed on to shop. There's a lot in the produce dept...we are so spoiled by so many choices....I remember the day when we only had one or two kinds of lettuce to choose from. Now we have many different kinds in bags and out...potatoes of all types and colors....onions of red and white and yellow...fruit from all over the country...fresh and some in jars. If one couldn't get by on what was there today...something is wrong with the way we live. I wander around the store...keeping with my list except for spinach and a nice cheddar cheese that I know Joe likes. The checker is so polite and asks if I need help out to the car. I don't usually ask for help, but today I know that I will have to carry these bags and bags into the house, because of Joe's surgery...I say yes to the help. A man called Tom comes running...he's always there to help...I tell him that I'm sorry he has to go out on a day like this, but I really need the help this morning. He smiles and says, "No bother...I'm glad to do it." He fills the trunk with lots of bags and tells me Happy New Year. I smile as I leave...what a nice service.

Joe has requested a big juicy hamburger for his lunch and I pull into McDonald's and buy us two big ones and fries. I checked out the dentist office and the therapy place to see if they are shoveled out...and they were. Driving home, I think to myself...I love small town stores. The people who work there are so pleasant and almost know what you need before you do. They anticipate helping people. I wouldn't have felt the same warm feeling that I had this morning, in a big store in Rockford. I know we pay a little more...but we get a lot more care in this little store right here in our town.

Joe is getting along really great. This morning the therapist took him out to the garage and let him get into the car. (the passenger side...He's not driving till the Dr. says!) She brought him a quad cane and he's to practice using it. Not quite as easy as the walker. He calls the walker his car. He has a denim pocket in the front of the walker where he can carry the phone, and anything else that he needs. He has one of those grabber things in each spot where he is...and was trying to pinch my butt as we walked down the hall. This morning he was dancing around...and I told him to not get silly and fall down. He thinks I've lost my sense of humor :) Jill comes one more day and then we go to the Ogle County Therapy in town.It's amazing to  me that a man of 77 yrs can  have a hip replaced on the 26th of Dec. and today the 8th of Jan..... to feel like he does. As I said...I'm amazed.

Well, now I have to get my felt supplies out to start making my little felt critters for next year's Christmas tree. Why don't you pop over to Claudia's... and read about this project. It should be so  much fun to see what everyone does with these patterns. It doesn't take much sewing talent...in fact you can glue these together. Her blog address is.....http://mockingbirdhillcottage.com/   Aren't they cute? They could be used for a little gift to tuck in with a card, or a child's present. I have a little woodland tree, that I am going to leave up all year...these will be perfect for it.I love the fact that they don't look Christmasy  I downloaded the first two patterns and I'm so anxious to start. Why don't you chase away those winter doldrums and join us?
Balisha