It's been a busy week. We had a very nice Thanksgiving at Mark and Karen's. Scott and Brayden and I got back from Louisville late Wednesday. Scott spent the rest of the evening with some friends and we got Brayden. Jalen didn't come and we missed him very much. The soon-to-be parents, Katie and Austin, nor Drew were home for Thanksgiving, and we also missed them very much. Karen cooked a delicious turkey and trimmings. Brayden is thankful on this occasion for cows and pigs. Cows for milk and pigs for footballs! He and I aren't sure what baseballs are made of but he's thankful for whatever they are made from.

Friday afternoon we got a surprise phone call from Donald and Vita. They were in town and had time to stop and visit and catch up on recent happenings. They were in town with their girls and their families. Brayden had a shy spell and would hardly say hello but when Goldman came over, he acted quite differently. Donald and Vita had family commitments and couldn't stay long.

I had my first Apple computer lesson yesterday and will have the second one on Thursday. Believe me, I have a lot to learn. I was reluctant about taking lessons because of my hands, but I got a very patient young man (cute, too) for a teacher. I hope I get him again on Thursday.

My friends Liz and Dave took me out to dinner Friday evening. Liz and I worked together at GMAC for years. She now has been working in their Chicago office since there is no St. Louis office and they are no longer GMAC but are now called Allied. She and Dave have two sons of whom they are modestly proud. They should brag a lot. The older one is getting his chiropractor license in December and the other one is studying to be a radiologist. We're going out for an evening when Liz comes in for Christmas and I'm hoping we can get together with Sam and Leslie from Springfield for that evening. Leslie, if Chase can come he can be my date.

Brayden got to go play with the Hollensbe kids while he was here. That was the first thing he asked me when he found out he was going to be staying with us for a few days. Goldman and I dropped him off at their house and Rose and I picked him up. Rose had to rest while he was visiting and after he went home. She played a lot of baseball in "Old Ladies Stadium" which is what he dubbed the front hall. We had snow on Thanksgiving Day and it's turned cold so there wasn't much playing outside.

Brayden clowning around

Brayden and Granny

Brayden and Mark Goldman

Dave and Liz Prange

Donald and Vita

Sue and Rose

Granny and Brayden at the Galleria

Brayden tying Granny's shoe

Brayden and Granny

Brayden and Scott

Chris

Mark and Karen's Thanksgiving

Brayden and Scott

Scott

Brayden

Scott

Brayden and Shirley

I have some news from Kansas. Jana says she sent me pictures of the girls on her phone but I didn't get them. She will now try to post them directly to the blog. Karen and her husband were coming today and they were all going to the Chiefs game. They will tailgate in the morning - a group of about 30. Tricia and Walter will be there too but probably not for the tailgating. Tricia is very busy with nursing school. Scott says Beth may be going to that game but she likes the tailgating part best.

The weather is supposed to be nice today but turn bad when we're ready to travel on Wednesday. These boys are sure helpful to me but last night something slipped out. I said good night several times and other things. He whispered something to his dad. I asked "What did he say?' Scott replied "She sure talks a lot."" Then Scott scolded him for saying it. Brayden responded "You say it all the time!" I'm going to try to keep my mouth shut more today. I'll probably forget.

I'm going to be a great grandmother of a girl on or about March 3. I'm just wondering how I got so old so quickly. March 3 is pretty soon but probably doesn't seem so to Kate. Have you and Austin picked out a name?

I have some news from Brother Joe and corrections from Idaho. Nancy and family and Merri and her husband and stepsons and James from Boise will be there for their Thanksgiving dinner. Kelly is swamped with work and the boys are going to Illinois so he just doesn't think he'll make it. Kelly and the boys are fascinated with Boise State and their long winning streak. My grandsons are fascinated with the blue turf. Janet sent me an email that they were playing tonight and I first thought she sent it today. When Scott got up he said Boise won 51 to 0. I hadn't looked at the date on the email! I was prepared to watch for ducks on the blue turf. Janet says their flying onto the turf might not be true. Scott is the one who told me and the boys that. Kelly, do they? Jalen is learning sign language because they are studying Helen Keller at school. Scott knows one word. Guess which one??

Joe and Mary are having Thanksgiving dinner at Beth, Lydia and David's house. Lisa has been in Boston this week. Lydia will be back Tuesday or Wednesday for Thanksgiving vacation. Son David has been in Detroit this week.

I'm learning about this computer. Brayden has to help me since I'm in Louisville and Rose is in Chicago. Last night we did Facetime with Aunt Rose. i'm going to take some lessons after the holiday is over. Scott is meeting Beth at the lake and we get to keep Brayden. Beth can't come for our Thanksgiving and we'll miss her.

I'm in Louisville this morning . I flew over yesterday and will stay and ride back with Scott and Brayden next Wednesday for Thanksgiving. I'm up early but didn't even hear Scott leave for work. As slowly as I type the sun will probably be up before I finish this post. Pete, I think the boys told me that Boise and Idaho game wasn't on TV here but while we were having supper at a family sports bar they showed some of the blue field. I told them their cousins attended the game and both Brayden and Jalen knew who won.

Rose and Shirley drove to Chicago this weekend. They had some things to attend to up there and hadn't been for a while. They're coming back Monday. I talked to Margaret yesterday and she said the cortisone shots relieved a lot of Norm's pain. He had been dreading the shots but they seemed to have worked. They are all going to Sabrina and Dave's for Thanksgiving. Joe sent me news about their plans but I don't have a printer hooked up here at Scott's so forwarded it to Rose because there was other news from Springfield. If she doesn't have time, I'll have Scott print it so I can remember and post that news too.
We haven't had a recent update from the FeLLins. When I talked to Jana in Kansas last week (after Missouri beat Kansas)), she promised to send pictures and an update from Kansas but she hasn't yet.

Brayden and Jalen got their report cards this week and they are both star students. Jalen is in the band playing drums. Brayden had to help me get my new computer going. He's promised to teach me more about Facebook while I'm here. He is seven years old and smarter than his Granny about the computer. Needless to say, so is Jalen at 12.

The sun is coming up but I think it's going to be chilly today. I know we have to grocery shop this evening but I don't know what else we're going to do. We will have both boys all weekend.

I got my time spacing mixed up on my last post and I think I have it straight now. Chris and I went down to the lake Friday afternoon late and went to one of my favorite places for dinner. Brayden, it wasn't Ruthie D's either. It was Baxter's. Pete called Saturday with his weekly call. Kelly's boys had gone to the Idaho/Boise game Friday night. I don't remember who won or who we were rooting for but I assume it was Boise. Missouri played Kansas State and won big time. Chris and I called John and Jana to see if they were depressed after Missouri won big time over their alma mater.

Norman had cortisone shots in his back yesterday to see if that would relieve some of the pain he's been suffering. They were going to administer them last week but when he got there, his blood was too thin. Stephanie met them to help them get home because he can't drive for 24 hours.

I'm going to fly over to Louisville in the morning. Rose and Shirley are driving to Chicago and coming back Monday. I'm riding back with Scott with Brayden next Wednesday. We're having Thanksgiving Dinner with Mark and Karen who will return from New Zealand tomorrow. Pete and Janet are having their holiday with all the kids there. I haven't heard from the rest of the family about the feast occurrence. Perhaps the reason I haven't heard is because my computer was ruined with a coffee spill. While Chris and I were at the lake I accidentally spilled coffee on and in my computer. Rose had been urging me to get a new one but I thought the old one was sufficient. It did everything I wanted to do. But it quit completely. We went shopping last night and bought a MacBookAir!!!

Scott brought me home from the lake yesterday and then left immediately for Louisville. The weather was perfect both days and there was mostly fishing boats on the water. I believe there was a tournament going on. Beth got down there about the same time we did on Friday and Mad Dog was already there. He did have to leave early Saturday morning. Beth made Chicken Cordon Bleu for supper Saturday night and I brought the leftovers home for supper last night.

I tried to get Brother Joe to join us for supper and the Chicken Cordon Bleu on Saturday but I think he had done something with the Railroad Club all day. He did tell me he and Donald are cooking up a plan to go to Idaho in November in lieu of their deepsea trip. The oil spill influenced their cancellation of their deepsea fishing plans. It gets cold in Idaho early, brothers! Pete and Janet were in Boise for a grandson's birthday. Some of the guys were also going trout fishing. Hope they did better than when Pete took me and Den a few years back.

Leslie and Sam (from Springfield) just got back from a long weekend in Olympia visiting Jeff and family. Sam is still working at the Bass Pro Shop which was Den's ambition of THE place to work. I would love for them to come spend some time with me at the lake but there's the dogs. These pictures are of Leslie and her family. The other son, Chase, is now a photographer and has been all over the country taking pictures.

I wanted to post in a couple more recent events. Yesterday I walked 8.25 miles! That's the most I've done since I've been keeping track of the distance. It's probably the most ever. That's not awithout stopping. That's most all day. It may be off a bit but not very much I don't believe. I didn't do the treadmill or exercycle either yesterday. Rose worries about me when I go off by myself so she puts a name tag on me. I usually stay in the subdivision.

Margaret and Norman are going to come get me this afternoon to spend the night. They had gone to the Valley to winterize earlier this week. It's still Indian summer here today and supposed to stay nice tomorrow. Ding and I were going to go to dinner tonight but I took a raincheck so I could go to the Abbotts and also Ding's on call and might have to leave while we're eating.

Groves and I may go to the lake tomorrow afternoon. Mad Dog may come down too. I haven't been for a couple weeks so am eager to be there. I don't think we have the boat winterized yet.

I want to try to capture another one of Brayden's funny lines. The other day when the boys were here we were all sitting in the kitchen and Rose and Shirley and I were talking. Rose mentioned someone's 'obituary'. Brayden was shocked, thinking Aunt Rose said a bad word. He said "You said 'oWHATuary!!!'" He really believed Aunt Rose did say a bad word but HE didn't.

The pictures that Rose posted are great. I'll try to have her take some of the Abbotts when they pick me up and then post them.

Brother Joe's picture didn't come through, but Rose has lots more of him and Brayden and Jalen and will post them when she has time. Joe got back from Idaho Saturday afternoon and left right away for home. He and Donald were only in Idaho 60 hours, but Joe said they had a wonderful good time. Nancy celebrated her birthday while they were there. I talked to Kelly Saturday morning. He and the boys were there from Boise. I don't know what all the brothers did while together (besides B.S. each other) but they did go see Old Faithful in Yellowstone Park.

Scott and the boys got here Friday evening. The boys didn't mind when he left to go over to Goldman's not long after their arrival. Beth came over from Kansas City Saturday morning. Scott was going to take her on a 'real date' Saturday night. This is how he described it to me. First he asked me if I'd seen the movie "Jackass 1". I haven't. Then have I seen "Jackass 2". I haven't seen it either, but he had seen them both. Now there's a "Jackass 3" that he hadn't seen and was taking her to see. For supper he was taking her to White Castle, but said they was going inside and NOT through the drive-thru. I admire her for her good nature about the whole episode.

Brayden and Jalen were very good all weekend. We took them to Skyzone Saturday afternoon. We got them to leave without any problem because we headed for the Hollensbes for two hours of play time. From there, we went to California Pizza Kitchen. By the time we got home, they were worn out, as were we.

I'm still walking and doing the exercycle and the treadmill. Rose walks, too. We have a continuing contest about our weight. I won't put the amount that I'm talking about, but she wants me to get up to her weight and she's trying to get down to mine. I asked Brayden the other day "Do you think Aunt Rose is heavy?" He looked at me dumbfounded and answered "I don't know. I never tried to lift her."

It's definitely Indian summer here the last few days. Mark and Karen are in New Zealand. I'm hoping to go to the lake this weekend. Scott and Beth are going down there after Thanksgiving Dinner, and we get to keep Brayden.

Brother Joe

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Brother Joe got here Tuesday in time to have dinner with us and a delightful evening of visiting. We watched a lot of the election returns while we were visiting and catching up on current events. I had therapy Wednesday morning and we thought my session was at 10. We got there at 10. My session was scheduled for 11 and we were an hour early. We had a Starbucks coffee and reminisced some more while we killed an hour and still had time to get Joe to the airport in plenty of time to meet up with Donald and catch their flight. We then called Pete and Janet and told them the brothers were on their way. I believe they're due back sometime Saturday.

Ding and Goldman and I went out to dinner this evening. Scott and the boys are coming over tomorrow evening. Beth is coming from Kansas City too. Rose is teaching a class and has a session tonight. I have therapy again tomorrow and Shelly is going to take me down there. My not driving is sure difficult. I really hope that someday I'll be well enough to drive myself. Not that I'm complaining, people are sure good to me and I get everywhere I need and/or want to be.

Just wanted to remind everyone who hasn't already voted today to go do so. Rose and Shirley and I didn't have a very long wait at the polls even though the polling place was busy. Now we're waiting for the returns and also waiting for Brother Joe. The current plan (I think) is he's going to come up here for supper and spend the night with us, and then he and Donald are going on to Idaho. I am really envying them that visit!

I had physical therapy yesterday and will go again tomorrow and Friday. Since the doctor did the cortisone shot on my left arm and I've been doing the regular therapy on it, it really feels much better. I still ride the exercycle and walk the treadmill everyday. I'm a very slow typist but I manage.

Groves and I came back from the lake in time for me to see some of the Trick-or-Treaters. Shirley was all prepared for them and we have some candy left over. Rose is trying to stay from it but it's not easy. We gave away the stuff we liked least first!