Hi Everyone! Yes, I am still alive and have some updates for you! I just got back from Arizona last night visiting Kaye and her family and spending some time with Mom while she is there. We had a very nice visit!! Mom is there until this weekend. I got home last night to snow here in Portland. I was supposed to go into work today but, since I wasn't on shift, blew it off to stay home and get caught up after being away. (Steve said I was playing hookey!)

Great Grammie with 14 month-old Ethan! He stole all of our hearts!

The visit in Mesa was just wonderful! Mom got there on the 14th and I joined her on the 20th. Kaye and Mike's two sons took the day off on Wednesday the 21st and went with us to Quartsite to see Uncle Pete and Aunt Janet! We had a bit of a delay since I forgot my passport for geting out of Mexico and had to wait for Fex Ex to deliver it. Ugh! Steve was nice to get it sent off for me. I thought of it just as I was landing...oops!

We had a wonderful time with the Felins! Uncle Pete entertained us with his new toy Segway. Even I can ride that thing. Its really fun. I can just imagine him tooling around Quartsite with folks running to take cover when they see him coming!!

Uncle Pete and Great- Grand-Nephew Ethan!

Danielle, (Nate's wife) having fun on Uncle Pete's Segway! She's a natural cruiser!

Uncle Pete took us all out to lunch and then to the Big Event! There was a huge Flea Market in Quartsite the day we were there. We wandered around looking for something fur-lined that Uncle Pete wanted...didn't find it though.

The "kids" headed back to Mesa and Mom and Kaye and I said good-bye to Pete and Janet and headed to Yuma. (2 hours south of Quartsite.) We spent the night there and went into Mexico across the border in California at Algodones. We wandered around and shopped some, getting pestered at every turn by people selling their wares. I bought a yard decoration of a bird. We were laughing that I paid $14 for a couple of rocks! It's really fun, though. (I put it out in the snow today here in Portland. I hope it doesn't crack!)

Nate and Ethan. So serious, guys?!

Nate, Kaye and Mom in front of Officer Peterson's home!

We got back to Mesa late Thursday night and headed over to meet Nate (Kaye's oldest son) and Danielle' to tour an olive grove. We enjoyed our afternoon and then headed over to Nate's home. They have such a charming home in a beautiful development. Danielle stays home with Ethan and is currently 5 months pregnant with baby no. 2! Her due date is June 30th so I'm hoping for June 28th which is Dad's birthday. It could happen!

Kaye's son Chris treated us to dinner at The Outback that evening. They all sure treated us like royalty!

Kaye's "boys" Chris (21) and Nate (24). The waitress thought they were twins so they posed for us! (You'd better stretch a little more Nate if you want to look as tall as your little brother.)

Girl's Day Out! Kaye, Danielle, Mom and me. (Can you even tell Danielle is 5 months along?!)
On Saturday it was girl's day out! Mom, Kaye, Danielle, Danielle's mom Donna and I all went out for a pedicure and asian food. We basically indulged ourselves all afternoon while the guys had the "chore" of keeping care of 14 month-old Ethan. Except for Danielle getting a break, the rest of the women - Great Grammie, Grammie, Nona, and Auntie Sandi, would have enjoyed having Ethan with us!

Four of us showing off our toes!! Can you guess which "little piggies" belong to whom?

On Sunday after church, Kaye and Mom and I went to visit Kaye's friends Gene and Loraine whose home sits on a former grapefruit orchard. Every time we are in Arizona this time of year, these folks let us come and pick all the grapefruit we want!! It was like old times when Dad used to come with us and we could pick all we could use in a matter of minutes since the fruit is so big. I brought home a second suitcase full of grapefruit and lemons. Yum! Nothing like that wonderful fresh fruit!! It didn't get smooshed in the commute, but I did have a friendly note from the airline that they inspected my bag. I guess the delicious smell of citrus was just too compelling for TSA to pass it up!

"Lemon Tree - very pretty!" Ok - it's grapefruit, but you get the idea. Ahhh! The smell! The taste! The sunshine!!! Kaye and Mom were posing for the blog.

Mom is staying until Saturday although the snowy weather forecast may persuade her to linger in the sunshine a little longer. Here are some pics of the snow in Spokane...would you want to return home if you had a choice?

Mom's Driveway in the sunshine.

Twilight on the front lawn. Beautiful blue snow scene. Spokane had 6 feet of snow!!

Hope this finds you all well and enjoying winter. We are all doing well and looking ahead to new things in 2009. I am hoping to go to the Grand Canyon and to Washington D.C. this year and to Florida to see Tyson. In the back of my mind is Hawaii and Chicago. Ahh...so many places and so little time. I'll try to do a better job of keeping in touch via the blog. Stay warm however you can! See you next time.

Blessings!

It's really winter here today. We had to get Goldman to come over and shovel the sidewalks for us this morning and they may need it again before it's all finished. Joe says it's mostly ice down there and hard to shovel. Margaret said Norman used the leafblower on the snow at their house which worked very well.There were lots of school closings in the area including Goldman's.

My little Indian (Brayden) called Sunday and talked for a long time. I told him about one of the nurses at the hospital seeing his picture the last time I was in the hospital and admiring how handsome his haircut is. After he and I talked for a long time then he and Aunt Rose chatted for a long time. We asked Scott if he had bribed him but Scott said that he hadn't. Sometimes he won't talk to us hardly at all.

I had those vascular tests on my right leg last Wednesday and the doctor called with the results this morning. Lately I've also been having some pain and discoloration on some of my toes on that foot. My primary care physician said the tests show some blockage and I should see a vascular surgeon and made me an appointment for next Monday. Meanwhile she said I should take it a bit easy with my exercises. I've been very faithful with exercise since I began yoga but some of them I can still do without using that leg.

Rose and Shirley are usually busy on Thursday evenings so Chris and I and sometimes Goldman go out for dinner. Shelly also joins us when she can. Her Uncle Butch is home now and doing very well.

I think work week at the lakehouse is going to be the last week in March. It feels like Spring is taking forever getting here. Brayden is also eager for Spring and baseball season to get here. I'm sure Jalen feels that way too.

Leslie gets back from Washington tonight. Do I have to send someone from Missouri out there to get an update? Pete said Maudie is in Arizona with Kay-Kay.

Hello to everyone.

Brayden with his handsome Mohawk haircut. Very, very trendy! Sue with her Christmas present from Pete and Janet. [The last two photos may be reruns.]

Still looking forward to Spring and warmer weather. Neighbor at the lake called me Sunday and we had frozen pipes at our joint wellhouse. He and Maddog were taking care of getting things thawed or whatever needed to be done. Everything was okay inside. Thank goodness for good neighbors and for Maddog.

I had an update email from Mike Madden. He said he's been very busy working 60 to 70hours a week rebuilding the house at the farm. He's almost finished. He had seen Aunt Virginia on Saturday and she was doing well. She loves coming to the farm. The administrator at the assisted living facility where she stays told Mike that people usually don't last 6 months with whatever she has but she has been there 18 months already.

Mark and Karen spent last week skiing in Utah. Drew had to be back in school today. Joe went to Tulsa with Beth and Lydia overnight Sunday. Pete called Saturday - mostly to brag about the weather in Arizona,. It's sure been cold here. He and Janet are going to Loughlin, NV, to celebrate his birthday. It's the same day as Super Bowl and he's tired of hearing about Curt Warner. It didn't sound like he was going to watch the game.

I had some vascular tests on my right leg this morning and had the blood pressure checked in my big toe! First time I've been checked there. They were just checking some pain I get in my leg when I walk a lot and it's probably just old age but they wouldn't tell me anything there. Their doctors have to send it to my doctor and then she will let me know. I'm still doing my yoga exercises faithfully everyday and I may try some acupuncture again.

We watched the inauguration most of the day yesterday. It was great to see Obama installed in office. I think he will reinstate stem cell research and while it may not help me it might help someone like me down the road. He has a lot of work ahead of him.

Still waiting for some updates. Rose has some photos to post when she has time.

Brother Joe sent this photo.

I got out of the hospital Tuesday. Chris picked me up and we went to Fitz's Root Beer for lunch. Rose got back from Chicago that afternoon. It's been too cold to go outside since then. I do have a healing touch session this afternoon. I've hovered inside waiting for Spring.

The JCCA (Jewish Community Center Association, I think) is going to put on a play, "Sabina," and Rose has consulted with them about the topic. You can view and hear an interview with Rose at http://www.newjewishtheatre.org/video.html I think the play performances may be nearly sold out. [I probably should have her read this before I post, but I'm not going to wait. I think I've got it right.]

I'll make this short because I mostly wanted to get the address about Rose on the blog. I'm trying yoga and will update about that later. One of my neurologists is a very firm believer in it.

I came back from the lake with the boys yesterday. We had a great time with lots of laugh and good food. The menu wasn't as varied as when I go with the girls but the food was great and there was lots of it.

I spent the remainder oof the afternoon at Doug and Suzanne's and have an apology to make for misspelling Lukas's name in my last post. It is LuKas, not Lucas. Chris picked me up there and after we went out to dinner and then came over to spend the night with me since Rose and Shirley are in Chicago and I had to be here at the hospital at eight this morning for my periodic IVIG. We were both up bright and early and showered and drank our coffee and hurried down here to the hospital to wait.

Chris had a bike rack on his car and a headlight out but used my handicap sticker hoping he could pass the bike rack off as a wheelchair rack and since it was daylight no one would notice the headlight being out and we wouldn't be too late. He came back this evenng but said he didn't park in handicapped.

They finally have the IVIG dripping after a long day. They've been very busy here today. When Chris came back this evening he went to the nurse's station and asked for me some water. After a while he went back and asked for just a cup. They are terribly overworked today. Maybe because it's Monday.

We need some other updates. Catch us up with other happenings!!

It's been a while since I updated so I'll probably forget a few things. It was a great Christmas. Mark and Karen hosted a family get together on the 27th that was a great brunch and gift exchange. Scott and the boys were here from Louisville and we got to keep the boys for a few days. Deena and Jamil and Layla came over for a few days the week between Christmas and New Years. Goldman and Doug took Lucas, Jalen and Brayden to a Blues game one night. We got a wonderful package of goodies from the FeLLins in Portland that the three of us enjoyed until New Years and then Rose and Shirley went on a diet and what little was left I've enjoyed by myself. Thank you very much for that Christmas package.

Leslie, my Springfield neighbor, is the proud grandmother of an 8 lb. 4 oz baby girl born January 3 in Olympia, WA. They've named her Hannah Marie. Leslie was going to make a trip out there but I haven't heard. Jeff and Sheila say she's absolutely perfect.

Speaking of Washington, we need an update on the weather there and in Oregon. I talked to Pete this morning and he had talked to Maudie in Spokane who hadn't been out of the house in two weeks. Caitlin is due to go back the end of next week he said. Pete and Janet are back in Quartzsite.

Shirley is in Chicago and Rose is going there today. I'm down at the lakehouse (Furrlined, per Pete) with Maddog, Goldman and Doug. It was 60 degrees here yesterday but only a high of 30 today. Doug did bundle up and go fishing and said he had five in his basket. Pete said Kelly and the boys were ice fishing but Doug is sure they couldn't have been any colder than he was. Wind chill here is 15.

Let's have some updates.