TBT Reprints from CJ's Whine and Cheeze

  In 2003, Ma had a stroke. Dad was her full time caregiver until he he had a car accident that totaled the car. So in 2006, I became their chauffeur among other jobs.

At the time, to deal with the stress of running two households and working, I kept a blog entitled CJ's Whine and Cheeze. Egged on by some friends who enjoyed the first read through, you'll see your part when it comes by.

Sunday, September 30, 2007

The Silent Meeting

The waiting room was long and narrow with a row of chairs along each wall. It reminded me of a subway car only there were no advertisements above the heads of the passengers to allow you to discreetly observe fellow travelers. A young man sat across from me. He was thoroughly absorbed in one of the dozen of sports magazines in the doctor’s waiting room. Next to him sat an elderly women with her arm supported in a sling. A woman roughly my age was sitting next to the elderly woman. We smiled politely to each other.

Ma started grousing about the wait.

I tried to count the impressions on the dentil molding and not to eavesdrop on the elderly woman and her companion. The elderly woman was complaining about the wait too.

I smiled politely to the companion. She inclined her chin towards Ma and Dad and then pointed her chin my way.

I nodded with a sheepish smile. Yup, they’re my folks.

She tipped her head towards the elderly woman sitting next to her and then rolled her eyes. This is my Ma.

We both hid our smiles. We had made a connection like Masons and the secret handshake.

Ma was called into the examination room. Dad trailed after her dragging the pockabook behind. Several minutes passed and then Ma could be heard complaining about the wait. She had to use the ladies’ room and it would serve the doctor right if she went right then and there.

I shook my head at my sympathetic companion and rolled my eyes. Help me, Lord!

She shrugged. What can you do?

A short time later, Ma’s examination was done and she pushed her walker down the hallway. More complaints about the wait. At least she seemed happy she didn’t have to wear the sling any longer.

I got up and opened the door to the lobby. I was standing next to the woman with the elderly mother. Sotto vocce, I hummed the theme to Mr. Rodger’s Neighborhood. It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a beautiful day in the neighbor…

The woman patted my hand. You are not alone.

Doodling for Stress Reduction

 

On Mondays via Zoom, I participate in a class where we spend a half an hour doodling our stress away. 

The suggestion for the class was to draw a border.  Inside the border to draw some organic shapes. In between the shapes to draw crescents going this way or that way.

Inside her shapes, she drew some flowers. While she was demoing the project she mentioned something about googly eyes and that got stuck in my head.

T Stands for Need Help

 

Grab your favorite beverage and let me know what you would do.

As some of you know I'm working on a baby gift for our niece. On the last panel, I've written out and illustrated a nursery rhyme my Mother-in-Law used to chant to the babies in the family.

I remember her saying the rhyme to Himself's three youngest siblings (If you didn't know, Himself and I grew up next door to each other). She also said this rhyme to the Eldest. My MIL is was too ill to say this rhyme to the Young One and she passed away when the Young One was two years old.

Anyway, I want to add her legacy to the panel, but need some help on the wording.

1. This rhyme was chanted by Mother-in-Law's name or

2. This rhyme was chanted by Great-Nana Last Name

I don't have a lot of space on the panel to put Great-Nana Full Name

Which would you choose?

Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog to find out what the rest of the T Stands For gang is up to. If you want to play, include in your Tuesday post a beverage or container for a beverage. Don't forget to link your blog to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's page.

Monet and Me

 

finished the first panel to fit inside a 3.5 in. x 3.5in. photo cube to be given as a baby gift for our niece. This is the top of the block.

When the niece texted that her daughter had arrived, I asked for the baby's statistics. Name, birthdate, time of birth, weight, and length.

I also asked if there was a theme like teddy bears or bunnies for the baby's nursery. I was told there was no theme just the colors mauve and green.

The niece has two tuxedo cats so I decided to use them as my theme along with the color scheme.

One side down. Four more to go. 

Does Your Garden Grow?

Bi-color Narcissus

Peach blossoms

Violets

Pansies

Hardening the plants

Leaves on the Japanese Maple

How does your garden grow?

Happy, Little, Time Waster

 

CJ and Ink

"NASA has a website where you can type in your name and see it spelled out using real satellite images of Earth.

The tool is called Your Name in Landsat, and each letter comes from an actual landscape captured from space, rivers, mountains, coastlines, ice, deserts, and other features that naturally look like letters.

You can type in your name, your kid’s name, your partner’s name, or the name of someone you’ve lost, and see what parts of the Earth come together to spell it."

Your Name in Landsat

The Friday Five Good Things

 

Five good things that happened this week.

1. The new fleece jacket with zippers in the pockets arrived. I hate carrying a purse.

2. I bought some comfy socks for Summer

3. I made pizza, and the yeast decided to add an ingredient

4. I made the Young One's delicious sausage soup recipe

5. I finished the layout for the baby gift

How was your week?