Limping Along

My knee is still in very bad shape, even after a course of prednisone. I love that drug -- it makes every other joint feel really good, but I fear surgery is the only hope for the knee. I have an appointment for an evaluation with a surgeon on December 19, the earliest appointment I could get. In the meanwhile, I scoot around the house in my desk chair, limp along with a cane or walker, and bide my time.  So, it looks like I'm slowed down for the rest of the year.

As I slow down, the pace of life picks up. Frantic Friday is a case in point. The Ozark football team ended their run toward a state championship by losing the semi-final playoff. It was heartbreaking, but they had maybe the best season Ozark has ever had, at least the best in many years. The game was played in Independence, Missouri, but I didn't attend. Instead, I sat waiting up for the team bus to get home with its load of downhearted, tired, and smelly boys. They got in at 2:30 AM and Logan was in bed by 3. And up again at 5:30 so he could attend a speech and debate tournament. I guess he does well running on empty, because he finalled for the first time in Extemporaneous Speech. I think he's going to really grow into this event. He got home from the speech tournament around 8 PM after a long exhausting day.

Ben got out of bed early Saturday morning, around 1:30 AM, before Logan had arrived home from the football game. He had gone to bed around 7 on Friday evening to rest up before all the excitement of the Leonid meteor showers. I had sprung for an early Christmas present of a pair of binoculars. Equipped with them, a sleeping bag, and flashlight, Ben departed for his overnight backyard adventure. He returned to the warmth of his home (after being locked outside, oops) as Logan got ready to leave early Saturday morning for the speech tournament.  Ben finished up his Saturday events by marching in the Ozark Annual Christmas Parade just as Logan returned from the speech tournament. Busy night, busy day, dizzy grandma.

Sunday was a very welcome day of rest, except for the sewing storm I found myself in the middle of (nothing new about that!). The announcement of an expected baby set my fabric frenzy in motion, and I couldn't stop until I had finished a quilt top for a baby that isn't even expected until May.

And I keep making table runners.

Hanging On, But Not Looking Good

 I watch the Dogwood tree in front of my house very closely. For several years now, I've taken pictures of it on November 8. Here's a link to those previous years, and here's what it looks like now. .

Most of the leaves are still on the tree, many are still green. It leafed out three weeks earlier than any previous year, and it seems to be hanging on to them much longer.

But, something is wrong with it. Leaves are curling and dying and buds are dropping. Maybe it is stressed from the long, dry, and hot season. I hope it will be all right.

I kind of feel the say way. My unoperated knee is causing me serious mobility problems and lots of pain. I fear I will have to have surgery in the very near future. I can't decide if I'd rather avoid it, or get it over with.

We are coming up on a big weekend for Ozark's football team. Saturday they play round 4 of the playoffs. If they prevail, they will play round 5 on November 16. Two round 5 winners play for the championship on November 23 in St. Louis. Saturday's came is at Lee's Summit West. Logan will go to a speech and debate tournament on Friday wearing a suit that is too small and just about worn out. Guess what's on his Christmas wish list!

Ben will attend a GLADE reunion at the Bull Shoals field station on Saturday. And me? Not much, just limping around the house, a bit of sewing, some reading, picking at house work.

I'm pretty pleased with the election results at a state and national level. Locally, I wish things could be a little different, but certain factions are deeply entrenched and change is nearly impossible. I find that the most difficult aspect of living in this part of the country. I take comfort in seeking out like-minded friends.

Catching Up

 

September's Table Topper

October

November

Three more to go and this series of table runners for each month will be complete (I started with March earlier this year). I'm pretty confident I'll get through them, but not so sure I'll remember to use them next year. Anyhow, I'll have a nice collection. I'm so wary of cutesy quilty things that I hesitate to make or use anything less than a full bed-sized quilt. But, I'm also getting to a point where it is difficult for me to manage the bulk of a large quilt. So, I see a future of wall hangings, table runners, baby and lap quilts. Be warned.

Football and marching season are extended this year because of an amazing winning season for the Ozark Tigers. Last night's first playoff game was another rout -- 42-7 with Ozark scoring all their goals in the first half. The JV got play time again and Logan was in on defense for the last two plays. The grandma in the stands has learned pretty well how to buffer the cold and scarcely minds sitting in her warm layered cocoon while the game unfolds and the band marches on. The band is performing well this year -- placing higher in competitions than in previous years and bettering their ranking with each performance. It's a really young band -- 50% freshmen -- so they should see lots of success in the coming years. The percussion section (including Ben) scored best overall percussion performance in the last competition -- the first time they have scored a first in Ben's high school band career -- nice way to finish.

The next playoff game is Monday evening. I have a wee bit of ambivalence about all of this -- it's fun to win, but I am ready for the season to end. I'd love to have all of us home at the same time so we can have dinner together in the evening. During the season, Logan has practices after school and doesn't get home till 7 -- Ben has practices in the evening and leaves the house at 6. So, I run a taxi service and a short order restaurant.

Because we weren't home for last night's trick or treaters,  I left a huge bag of candy on the porch with a note to take three pieces each. I estimate there were 500 pieces of candy, so that should have been enough for around 165 kids -- I think we typically get somewhere close to 100. When we got home, the bag was predictably empty, but I'd love to know how long it lasted and how honorable the kids were. I'm thinking about repeating the experiment next year, but staying at home and observing on a game camera.

A stomach flu virus swept through the house and our bodies last week. I am not a good nurse, nor a patient patient. Ben missed a day of school for only the second time in his high school career. Logan was also out one day -- his first high school absence. They were both back in full swing within 24 hours, attending school, practices, and scarfing down what ever they could find to eat because you can bet I wasn't leaving the comfort of my bed (and nearby bathroom) to fix for them. I lingered for three days before I felt human. I'm still dealing with dental woes and have had an eye virus. I'm sick of all this!

While I lay abed last Thursday, Ben was inducted into the National Honor Society, with Grandpa Steve attending the ceremony. I wish I could have been there, I'm so proud of him.

Buying Thyme

I needed some thyme. I had decided to make 40 Cloves of Garlic roasted chicken for dinner and the recipe said to lay fresh thyme over the chicken. Simple enough, the car was in the garage, it was early in the day, I'd just run to the grocery store get some thyme and while I was at it, I would go into Springfield to my favorite store for produce and load up on some fresh veggies.
On the way to the store, I had to stop for a "wide load" exiting the freeway. A huge (maybe 40 foot long and seriously more than one lane wide) beautiful boat was in tow. This was not a "let's go wakeboarding on Table Rock Lake boat." This was a "let's go to the ocean because I've never been to Bora Bora in October" boat. And it had taken the off ramp to Ozark which is 1,000 miles from the ocean.
I had to see where it was going, so I made a U-turn and fell in behind the trailing escort car. The leading pilot car cleared the road and I joined the caravan, meandering over back roads (NN for you locals) and back to the highway some miles later (Highway 60, eastbound). I gave up, its destination would remain a mystery.

But boats! The sight and thought of boats inspired a revery of good times we had on our boat. Outstanding in my memory was an autumn day when we all decided to play hooky from our daily routines. We kept the kids out of school, called in sick to work, and headed for the river. We traveled down the Sacramento River with the boys either on wakeboards or in tubes the whole way. It was a glorious day, just like the recent autumn day when I followed the boat in tow.
Autumn! I drifted back to the present and looked around at the glorious fall color. I wandered and wondered over more back roads taking in the splendor of it all and then headed for home.

And I forgot all about buying thyme.

Imprisoned or Liberated?

Captor or Emancipator?

It's Saturday. One might be inclined to think of Saturday as a kick-back kind of day; but not for Ben and Logan. Logan is participating in day two of the first Speech and Debate tournament of the season. Yesterday, day one, he had to forgo the varsity football game at Webb City (Ozark lost their first game of the season after a seven game winning streak, probably because JV team member #68 was not on the sidelines to spur them on), to participate until 11:00 PM in the S&D gig. This morning he left the house at 6:25 AM for the second day of the tourney. He is expected home around 8:00 PM. 

Ben left the house this morning at  9:45 AM, taking the car. He's going to a band competition at Reed Springs and is expected home around 12:45 AM. He took the car so I don't have to pick him up all bleary-eyed in the middle of the night. Also means I can have a glass of wine with dinner because I don't have to worry about driving kids around in the evening.

So, there you have it. I'm a free agent until Logan returns at 8:00. But, I don't have a car, so I'm a captive free agent. But, I can have a drink of wine, so I'm a libating captive free agent. 

BTW, the picture is of Ben in his concert dress outfit complete with scraggly beard, hair combed a la Ben, jacket sleeves way too short (one scrunched up even shorter) and mismatched blue suit trousers because the choir was unable to supply tux trousers for such a tall skinny kid. I think he's gorgeous.

Game Time

G

Grandpa Steve and Julia walk with Ben on his "Senior Walk" during the pre-game ceremony at tonight's football game. The announcer kind of stumbled over Ben's announcement: "Benjamin Maples, son of uh, grandson of Melody Moore and Steve Maples." No mention of Julia who was walking with him. I sat in the stands, freezing to death while trying to coax a reluctant camera to perform; I never did get the key moment shot. 

T

The star marimba player awaits the downbeat for the Star Spangled Banner. It was very cool, "the rockets' red glare" was accompanied by fireworks and a second blast occurred at the finale. That's pretty fancy for a small town.

Here's the certificate Ben received. I couldn't be prouder of him, but sometimes his school embarrasses me.  The wording on the certificate makes no sense, Ozark High School This certifies that Benjamin Maples Senior Night Award for the 2011-2012 School Year. Besides making no sense, the year is wrong -- we are in the 2012-2013 school year.

Here's the football Logan presented to my walker. Normally, I sit at the top of the stands in the handicapped area. But tonight, I left my walker in that spot and walked all the way down to the field level so I could take a picture of Ben and the Senior Walk. I had not returned to my walker when Logan came looking for me with this memento. In case you can't read my blurry photo, it says: "Ozark High School Tigers I dedicate this game to you. Dear Grandma, Thank you for all you do. Love, Logan P.S. Make me some cookies when I get home. I'm pretty sure he doesn't have a girlfriend else the football would have gone to her instead of me.

I lasted until the Ozark Tigers scored their first touchdown against Nixa and left when the score was 7-0. I just can't take the cold and 41 degrees is cold when it's damp and windy.

Reunion Part 4

Colleen and Valery made it all happen. Colleen hosted at her home in El Dorado Hills and prepared fabulous food including a yummy ham and a barbecued turkey (I think husband Andy fixed it, whoever did it, it was the yummiest turkey I've ever had). Valery organized, invited the folks, and made more yummy food, including the standard Blair clam dip.

 

 Brother Rick and his bride, Kathy came down from Napa, abandoning their six goats and a goose for the day. They call their place Toad Ranch, but I wonder if it shouldn't be Goat Acres instead.

Antwan, the son of Maria who is the daughter of Mary Ann by her second husband. My brother was Mary Ann's first husband. Our family would be rather small if it weren't for our proclivity for sweeping in shirt-tail relations. I'm so grateful for that and so glad Antwan is a part of our family. And yes, Antwan is tall, and yes, he does play basketball (for Sierra College).

Three of my grandsons, Colleen's youngest three, Robby, Billy, and Danny.

The whole fan-damily (as my father would say). In the back row from the left: Brittany (Billy's girlfriend) Billy, Danny, Michael (son of Lynette, my brother Mickey's daughter) Antwan (son of Maria, the daughter of brother Mickey's ex-wife) Stephen (second son of Lynette). Front row from the left: Andy (Colleen's husband), Colleen, Stephanie (Michael's wife), Lynette holding her grandaughter Haley (Haley is the daughter of Stephen and Ashley in the red blouse. Behind Lynette is her sister Maria (Antwan's mom) next to Maria is Maria and Lynette's mom, Mary Ann (my brother was her first husband). I'm standing next to Ashley, Valery is in front of me holding Stephen and Ashley's son Jacob. Next to me is Joe Steiner, third husband of Mary Ann and a keeper). My sister-in-law Kathy Felch is next to my brother, Rick Blair. In front of them, the threesome holding hands are Kim, the wife of my nephew Jason (he is the son [adopted as a new-born] raised by Rick and his ex-wife). Jason is holding hands with his birth mother Dianne. Kneeling in the front, Robby Barton, Colleen's youngest son, holds his fat pug, Chomper. Next to Robby is a girl who's name I didn't catch. She is the daughter of Mike, a friend of Colleen's husband Andy. Mike took the photograph -- thanks Mike!

Jason and his birth mother Dianne. Jason was adopted at birth by my brother and his wife. Last year Jason began a search for his birth mother and scored when he found Dianne who was fifteen years old when Jason was born. She never had any other children. Finding each other was a fairy tale story beyond imagination. They can't look at each without shedding tears of joy and neither can anyone else. Can you see the resemblance? Particularly in the mouth and dimples. Brother Rick is so supportive of this reunion that it adds yet another dimension of joy.

My niece, Lynette, daughter of my brother (deceased) Mickey, and Mary Ann (now married to Joe Steiner) and her grandson Jacob (my great great nephew -- or is that great grand-nephew?). He was an amazing precocious, charming, and energetic little boy nearly four years old (October 11).