Worn out, both of us

"December 12, 2001:  Nancy came at noon.  Had a doctor's appointment at 11:00.  Everything okay -- come back in three months.  Shopped at grocery store and Walgreens.  Ate noon meal at Kentucky Fried Chicken.  Too tired to play Rummikub tonight.  Went to Book Club.
December 13, 2001:  Spent the whole day resting up from the last several days.  Talked to Myrtle.
December 14, 2001:  Mailed four Christmas cards.  Nancy here in evening.  She vacuumed while I showered."

I see that Grandma was too tired for Rummikub, but couldn't stay away from the Book Club.  Sounds about right.  Maybe it's the dreary weather outside my window, but I am totally lacking of anything to add here. 

And nothing to add about the photo, other than that droopy diaper cracks me up.  Thanks for holding me up there, Nancy.  :-)

Always a teacher

"December 9, 2001:  Greta called in the morning.  I watched 'Anne of Green Gables' a sequel, all afternoon.
December 10, 2001:  Tom stopped in evening to get his keys.
December 11, 2001:  Bill came for me about 11:00.  Went to Wahoo -- had dinner.  Jenny washed my hair.  Went to Alicia's school at 3:00 and told the pupils about one-room schools.  In the evening went to school program that Alicia was in.  Bill and Jayson brought me back to Lincoln.  Had a wonderful time."

Of course Grandma had a wonderful time -- family, kids and getting a chance to teach.  I don't remember Grandma ever going on and on about how much she did or didn't like to teach, but I always thought she was good at it and she sure was fond of her students.  Alicia would have been in kindergarten or first grade and that's a fun age where kids are engaged and wanting to listen, so I am thinking the talk about one-room schoolhouses was great fun.

Since we have Bill and Jenny and Jayson in this particular post, I thought it only fair to get Jayme in there, too, so here he is in a photo.  Sure wish he would have cheered up a bit for the occasion.

Tis the season

"December 6, 2001:  Nancy came for supper and brought groceries.  We played Rummikub.  A man brought the keys for Tom for Life Line.
December 7, 2001:  Mailed 10 Christmas cards -- the 4th bunch of Christmas cards.
December 8, 2001:  Mailed 20 Christmas cards.  Mitch and Anna here for supper.  Nancy came and they put up Christmas decorations while I showered.  Then Nancy took us for a drive around the city to see the Christmas lights."

I bet I am safe in saying the Grandma and the kids enjoyed seeing the Christmas lights. What's not to like about such an outing?

I bet I am also safe in saying that Grandma sent out more Christmas cards than I normally do. 

Here's Mitch being an unhappy reindeer.

This is helping me remember

"December 3, 2001:  Tom and Merilyn here for supper and Rummikub afterwards. 
December 4, 2001:  Mary took me to the hair dresser.  She had a meeting to attend so she had Dale take me home. Tom here in evening and put towel bars in bathroom and other items.
December 5, 2001:  Mailed 10 Christmas cards.  Tom brought chicken supper from Popeyes.  We played Rummikub.  I watched Jeanette McDonald and Nelson Eddy in "Naughty Marietta" and "Rose Marie".  Went to bed at 2:30 a.m."

I have no recollection of when Dale started working in Omaha, but unless there was some fluke and he was in Lincoln the day of Grandma's appointment, I am thinking he was still in Lincoln in late 2001.  Not that it matters in my day-to-day life, but still.

I am afraid that is all the commentary I have for today.  I do have the tower up and running, and the journal is with me, so I will be able to post this weekend and Monday as well -- a day off for me.

Here is a photo of the group.  I wonder if Tom is smiling because he is wearing his favorite shirt.  I thought I heard that said at one time or another.  Note that he is the most smiley of the bunch in this particular picture.  And what is that white thing to the right side?  The front of a car?  That doesn't seem a good spot for a birdbath.

Entertainment

"November 30, 2001:  Cloudy all day.  I called Jean -- they will go to Florida in January.
December 1, 2001:  Nancy came in p.m. -- cleaned the shower stall.  I showered.  Mary brought Mitch and Anna about 6:00.  Nancy didn't stay for evening.  Rummikub, Yahtzee and TV were the evening events.
December 2, 2001:  Slept late -- called Greta at 9:30.  John T. has the locker going.  Mary, Mitch, Anna, Nancy and I went to the Lied Center and saw 'A Tribute to Pearl Harbor.'  Very impressive.  Afterwards we ate at Runza."

Hate to say it, but I am pretty sure at ages 10 and 6, the kids were probably more impressed with going to Runza than the Lied performance.  Just sayin'.

Those cabbages weren't used to make Runzas, but they sure would have made up quite a batch!

Small world

"November 27, 2001:  At noon Mary took me to hair salon.
November 28, 2001:  Nancy came for supper.  While I went to Book Club she did the laundry.  After the meeting I showered -- the we played two games of Rummikub.
November 29, 2001:  Cloudy and cold.  Myrtle called for our regular Thursday visit.  Wayne L. installed the four-foot grab bar in the shower stall.  He said his dad knew Howard, that when his dad delivered feed in Winside he would come and visit Howard.  That must have been the guy we called Randolph Charlie.  Today was Grandma Iversen's birthday."

I picked Wayne to do the work in Grandma's unit -- he did a lot before she even moved in -- because I knew of him from my job.  I had no idea he knew Grandpa.  I knew he was from Randolph, but that was all.  He said his dad went to some kind of club house or man cave when he visited.  I informed him proudly that that was the Honda House.  And to further prove that Lincoln is really just a small town, Wayne and Dale's kids went to school together.

They may be better photos of the Honda House around, but I like this one.  Especially since I am anxious for spring to get here and am enjoying those peonies.

Dale - 1, Nail - 0

"November 24, 2001:  Baked three pies.  Mitch and Anna here in evening.  We watched TV, played cards and then Rummikub.
November 25, 2001:  Nancy came for me.  We met Dale's family and Mary's family at a restaurant called "Grandmother's".  Had a buffet style dinner -- really good.  Then to Nancy's house for the p.m.  Bill came -- Jenny wasn't feeling well.  We played cards and visited.
November 26, 2001:  Tired after the busy day yesterday."

The meal at Grandmother's is when I first heard the story of Dale shooting himself with the nail gun while working on the house.  Quite the story from quite the storyteller.  Needless to say, we were all thankful on that Thanksgiving Day to know that he was okay.  It could definitely have been much worse.  It isn't because of any bad karma feeling, but I do not believe I have been back to Grandmother's since that day.

Here's a photo of Dale before he handled very many power tools.