BEE BALM AND ZOO EXPERIENCES

          Bee Balm apparently comes in many colors, at least according to the flower catalogs I get in the mail. I’d like to have some in each color, but I’m going to have to be satisfied with the pink. This is probably the first year in forever I haven’t ordered a single thing from any of the catalogs I receive. I figured why add anything when I’ll be moving, but now I’m wondering if or when that will ever happen.

I do leave the bee balm seed heads over the winter because the birds like them. I also used to have several clumps that were in sort of a row at the edge of the flowerbed, but they’ve migrated into just one clump. It’s funny how some plants get bigger and take over more territory while others consolidate into a smaller space.

Today I’ve decided to write about various animal experiences at Woodland Park Zoo. I was always so careful about asking for favors because I knew how hard everyone worked and now I’m saddened I didn’t take better advantage of my job and position. I could have probably increased my exposure by 100% based on stories I’ve heard from other folks.

This photo is of a male lion which I took quite some time ago. I was invited to and allowed into the Feline House. I wandered around behind the scenes, taking pictures of the various cats. I was hunkered down taking photos of this cat when he suddenly reared up, charged the bars and roared. Did I really need to tell you I fell over on my ass and my heart rate rocketed???

The baby kitties are the absolute best. This is a “secret” photo of one of the tiger cubs. No one was supposed to be around the mom and babies. Mom was off doing something away from her babies and I and another zoo staff person were snuck into the building to take some photos. I so badly wanted to go into the space and pick those kitties up…not allowed as it might make the mom really unhappy. At a later time, I got to go to Animal Health when they were doing an exam on a baby tiger. It was so quiet until about two minutes after it was put back into it’s carry cage to be returned to its mom. It was unbelievably noisy, growling and screaming. I’m surprised the mom couldn’t hear it half way up the zoo. Still, I got to take pictures and how many people actually get to even do that?

When it came to the snow leopards, I got to see/hold the babies twice during my career there. The first time, it seemed to be more of a pity experience because both myself and the other staff person on the experience were being treated for cancer…I survived, she didn’t. That time, it was so hot outside and we had to wear rubber gloves so we couldn’t really feel the kitties. Still, I held one up to my face and felt it’s fur…it wasn’t soft and cuddly, it was coarse and stiff. The second time I went with a couple of other staff people and again, we weren’t allowed to hold the kitties, but we could pet them without wearing gloves. Still great experiences. I also got the chance to be with/touch one in Animal Health. Look at the size of that tail. It was huge and very heavy.

I love the lemurs. The keeper there took a ton of photos of me feeding them, but did I look up even once??? Nope, I was so engrossed in feeding and interacting with them. Amazing.

The zoo doesn’t have elephants any longer and I’d forgotten that John had an opportunity to not only visit the Elephant Barn, but an opportunity to interact with Chai and Baby Hansa. I found this photo which I didn’t remember having. He got the chance because one of the elephant keepers who led our Kenya trip invited him to drop by…so we did.

Jaguars, cannot forget the jaguars. Initially, we had Junior and his mom, but somehow in their playing, he killed his mom. The zoo got new jaguars after that and they had babies. I don’t remember now if these were the first ones or the triplets that came later. In any case, the keeper invited both myself and another staff person to the Tropical Rain  Forest to meet and feed the three babies. We got to give them rolled up turkey meatballs.

Can you find all three

And, the only time I ever got to see a jaguar swim was when the zoo had invited a very important person to come visit. The keeper hung raw chicken from the vines in front of the jaguar exhibit. In order to get the chicken, the jaguar had to get in the water and swim to the glass. So exciting. Also exciting was when the jaguar exhibit opened. Toddlers would walk about right in front of the glass and the jaguar would stalk them…we referred to those toddlers as kidsicles.

Orangutans look so intelligent and yet are so kid-like. They hide beneath their gunnysacks and think we cannot see them, kind of like little kids who think you can’t see them playing peek-a-boo. Just before the orangutan exhibit was to open, I went there to check it out. Towan, the big male, was, I thought, sitting on his sister. There was another zoo staff person there. I told Towan to stop and the staff member informed me they were actually copulating…soooooooo embarrassed. I got the opportunity to hold Towan’s hand in Animal Health during an exam…doesn’t my hand look tiny in his???

There were other opportunities not within zoo grounds. One year, the Board Retreat was held at a donor's home. A woman who works on behalf of cheetahs came and brought her cats. I didn't get to pet them or get very close, but just being THAT close to a cheetah on a leash and taking photos was so special. And, I cannot forget the year the dinosaurs visited for the summer. 

The zoo has been working on behalf of the Western Pond Turtle for ages. I think it was my last year I finally went on a turtle release trip. The eggs are collected, the turtles headstarted at the zoo and once too big to be eaten by a bullfrog (not native to the northwest) they are released in a couple of different spots in Washington and Oregon. Amazing and very important work that's kept these turtles from going extinct.

During my last few months at the zoo, I was given permission to bring my sons and grandchildren to the zoo for special experiences behind the scenes. I’d make arrangements and then we’d, those of us that could, show up. I was and they were so fortunate to be able to encounter so many of the animals on a one-to-one basis, i.e., penguins, giraffe, hippos, grizzlies, orangs, raptors. I’m sure there were others, but I’d need to find the USB drive that holds all the experiences and who knows which one it is in the pile.

A zoo is a wondrous place to work. I feel incredibly lucky to have had Woodland Park Zoo in my neighborhood during my child and young adulthood. I was blessed to have my first job there as well as to end my Executive Assistant career at the zoo. Besides the photos, I have so many memories…all of them good of all the two-legged, four-legged and no-legged animals, human and non that added so much to the tapestry of my life.

WHITE LILIES AND IT'S HOT

          I’d forgotten I have white lilies in my garden. They are finally blooming and smell absolutely delightful. There should be a couple more stalks to enjoy before they are done. The other stargazers are also blooming, but they only have one or two blossoms each. My deck smells especially wonderful in the evening.

          Speaking of my deck, I love spending time out there. The last week, I’ve watered what needed to be watered first thing in the morning. Then I made my breakfast and ate it at the table on my deck. The birds flit about, sing songs, dragonflies visit and the sound of the water in my little water feature is so enjoyable. The doggies hang about hoping I’ll save them a nibble or at least drop something they can scramble to eat.

          When it isn’t terribly hot, I like to sit in my hammock swing with my I-pad and read or play the Hidden City game. Again, all my senses are engaged for the most part, i.e., hearing, seeing, feeling, but it’s mostly the hearing sense that brings the most pleasure. Of course, I do like the swinging part too, and at times can almost nod off into a little nap.

          How did you sleep Monday night? It was so hard to fall asleep because I was so hot. It didn’t matter that I’d all the windows open and left my bedroom door open, there wasn’t a breeze. I kept moving from one side of the bed to the other. When one side got hot, the other side would be cool. But it’s really hard to go to sleep when I’m rocking and rolling on the bed. I finally took my nighty off and eventually went to sleep in just my undies. It was about 5:30 am when I woke up to use the bathroom, put my nightie back on and pulled just the sheet up over me.

          In years past, by this time I’ve hooked up the air conditioner in the living room. John believed 69 degrees and cloudy was the perfect temperature and couldn’t stand anything much above 75. So, the air conditioner ran almost 24/7 when we had hot periods. I don’t know if it actually did anything to cool off the bedrooms, but perhaps just the sound of it was enough to make him feel cooler.

          I also have an attic fan which wasn’t operational last year or this year. In order to check on it, one must go up into the attic and clamber over all the joists to get to the fan. When it’s hot, whoever goes up there would most likely have heat stroke before reaching the back of the attic and returning to the opening. Not a good idea at times like this. Having the attic fan run and eliminate the heat from above goes a long way toward keeping the house cooler.

          There’s also the furnace fan which I turn on when the weather turns hot. It brings cool air from below and sends it throughout the house. To augment that, I leave the sliding glass door open until the sun reaches the deck and then I close it. At about 12:30 pm today, it was already 100 degrees on the deck by the slider. I also leave the door to the garage door open for a while. But, since there’s no insulation in the garage attic, it becomes hot out there as soon as the sun hits the roof. I keep it closed most of the time.

          This morning (Tuesday), I made a quick trip to the grocery store, mainly because I needed milk. I did get a couple of other things I can use and several that I didn’t need but bought anyway. I was very naughty in purchasing a pint of ice cream, a package of three ice cream bars and a box of cranberry-orange scones. It’s a good thing I rarely buy stuff like that or I’d end up weighing way more with a diabetic score that would be off the chart. Ah well, I’m old and deserve it regardless of how it affects my health.

          There seems to be a nice breeze outside at the moment. I think I’ll finish this, grab my I-pad and head for the hammock swing. I’m sure that without even trying very hard, I’ll swing myself to sleep before I can finish a single chapter. I deserve that too, being kept up so late because I was so hot. Here’s hoping your house was cooler than mine and that you slept well.

CROCOSMIA AND HERMITING

          There are two varieties of crocosmia in my garden. The photo shows the big red one, but the smaller orange one has yet to bloom. The orange one was given to me by a woman with whom I worked at the Primate Center back in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. I had no idea it would replicate itself so much. I planted it in one area and have since moved it to where it seems to be quite happy.

          When I purchased the big red crocosmia, I also bought some small yellow bulbs, but to date they have not bloomed. Perhaps they won’t, but I’ll be on the lookout this year. What I was attempting to do when I planted the bulbs where they are now located, was to make an area around the pole the on which the magenta clematis grows. I also threw in some small allium that I dug up from other areas in the garden. I had this visual image of what I expected, but thanks to that &*#$%&*#^& alstromeria it didn’t happen this year. My image was the large crocosmia in the center and behind the pole, surrounded by the smaller crocosmia and alliums. With the exception of the large crocosmia, the alstromeria laid down on top of everything else.

          Since last Wednesday, I’ve talked to three people and that’s actually been fine. I didn’t walk Wednesday/Thursday/Friday or today (Monday). I did do my physical therapy on Thursday and again today. To be perfectly honest, I haven’t actually missed the human connection and am seriously considering just sheltering in place with only a trip to the grocery store once a week.

          It’s not that I don’t love my family and friends, it’s more that this continuing pandemic is scaring the absolute shit out of me. I cannot imagine how I would feel if I were to actually watch an entire newscast or read the newspaper each and every day. The 20 minutes of Good Morning America and the Good Morning email from CNN I receive every day provides enough information about all the craziness that’s going on around the world, and especially here in the US. And, of course, there’s the posts on Facebook…even when I page down, I get way more information than I want.

          Just when I think people cannot be so stupid, there’s just enough knowledge provided to make me realize that the human race is most likely bound for extinction within a short period of time. The latest items are (and I gained this only from small sound bites):

1.     Kanye West…he’s going to run for President. Doesn’t he realize that he’ll take votes away from the “Asshole’s” opponent? So, even if Biden wouldn’t be my first choice, to quote a great friend, “I’d vote for a potato if it meant defeating tRump.”

2.    tRump announced that coronavirus is going away and it will prove that he’s right…may not be his exact words, but that was the meaning. Really??? Has he no understanding of what death actually is? Does he think scientists are lying about this pandemic?

3.    People continue to protest. Protesting is fine with me, as I’ve stated before, but why does it have to become violent with people killed and/or injured and property destroyed. What good does that do absolutely anyone?

Please don’t get my message wrong here. I’m not feeling depressed as in I’d like to take the gaspipe, but I certainly don’t feel very hopeful for the future of this planet or the human race. So, aside from continuing to announce a new personal blog post each and every morning, I think I’m going to stop watching ANY news, reading any newspapers, and even paging down in Facebook. I’ll announce my blog post and close FB out. I also think I’ll defer any further walks or lunches or even phone conversations because…well, just because I can I guess. If I could take a selfie of me doing the Spock hand sign, I'd do so and ask you all to, “Live long and prosper.”

LAVENDER, SENIOR PROM, AND GORDY

          There are different kinds of lavender and the one growing in my yard has been there for a very long time. I always wanted to grow it in the mounds you see on lavender farms, but I never was able to achieve that with mine. It’s sort of a shrub that has an interesting shape and I encourage that by how I prune.

          Last year I didn’t sit down on the deck and cut off all the dead blossom stalks, nor did I take the time to prune out the dead wood. I was amazed over winter to see the little birds going to the lavender stalks and eating the seeds. I believe I’ll save any pruning until the spring from now on. I like to watch the birds.

          In the process of going through those photos through 1963, I also found the photo from my senior prom. I went with my boyfriend of two years who had graduated from the same high school in 1961. I think that’s how we met, although I can’t remember exactly now. I do know that I went steady with him my junior and senior years. He broke up with me right after I graduated…imagine that!!!

          His name was Gordy and when his parents bought a new Studebaker, he was given the old one. It was gray and there are times I see a Prius that I’m reminded of that old car. Gordy attended what was then known as Everett Junior College while I was in high school. If he finished in time, he would wait in his car outside the south entry to the high school and give me a ride home. I felt very special and grown up to have a boyfriend that wasn’t in high school.

          My parents really liked Gordy and trusted him with me, and he never did anything to betray their trust, not even when he got me drunk. I was a junior then and some of the basketball and football players took to having lunch at my table. Looking back, I think it was probably because I was so innocent and naive…”What, you drink?” That comment by me was met with hysterical laughter on their part. I also wonder if some of the stories they told were fiction just to see how wide my eyes would get.

          Anyway, I decided I wanted to get drunk. Gordy wasn’t for that idea at all, but when I insisted I’d find someone to get drunk with, he caved. So, he picked me up and stopped by a little store on the way to his house…his parents were at their lake house that weekend. I was amazed he could buy beer at that little store. I often went there to buy candy and soda. When he came out with a six-pack, I scoffed to myself. I mean, really, only six beers.

          Well, I didn’t like the taste of beer, so drank two rather quickly. Imagine my surprise to find myself on the way to being drunk. I don’t remember if I had a third one or not. I do remember all the inhibitions I’d had in the past went by the wayside. I was determined to get into Gordy’s pants and he was just as determined that I wouldn’t. Yes, there was lots of heavy petting, but no matter what I said or what I did, there was no way I was going to end up out of my panties.

Eventually, I think he’d had enough of my attempts and told me to sit right there on the couch while he got me something to eat. It wasn’t even 10:00 pm and I was drunk and the evening was pretty much over. He drove to Dick’s Drive-in on 45^th and came back with cheeseburgers and French fries which he insisted I eat. There was no way he was going to take me home drunk.

          My curfew was 1:00 am. I woke up on Gordy’s couch at about 12:30 am. There was a blanket over me, the TV was on, but I couldn’t see Gordy anywhere. When I sat up, I found him. He was laying on the floor next to the couch sound asleep. I woke him up and he took me home. We never drank together again during our relationship. I still don’t much like beer.

          As I mentioned above, Gordy’s parents had a summer home on Lake Goodwin. We had some wonderful times up there during the two summers we were together. One year, Gordy took me on a hike through the woods to a house he and his childhood lake friends had found a number of years before. It was amazing and kinda scary. It had been trashed a bit, but not much. You could still see the table was set for a meal, the pots and pans on the stove had dried stuff in them, and absolutely nothing had been removed from the house, at least as far as you could tell. It was like the four occupants (four table settings) had simply walked out the door and never returned. Gordy said when he and his friends had found it, it really looked like the people who lived there would return any minute, but they never did.

          The World’s Fair was in Seattle in 1962, and Gordy and I went to every single exhibition. I had (and may still have in the attic in my trunk), the little book that had maps and explanations and lists of all the various exhibits. I remember marking each and every one off as we went through the Fair. I think we went either two or three times in order to get it all in. I also remember thinking that we’d live in one of those futuristic houses together once we married. And, just look at our clothes…Gordy in a tie and moi in nylons and a skirt. Amazing how public expectations have changed since then.

          After we went to my senior prom, we drove down to the ocean. I was allowed to stay out all night and didn’t return home until late the next day. I think I got horribly sunburned even though it wasn’t very sunny. The prom was okay, but Gordy was being kinda weird, especially through the night and next day. I guess it was his way of saying goodbye because he never called me after that. And girls didn't call boys way back then.

          I didn’t see him or hear from him again until after John and I separated and AJ was almost two years old. I don’t remember how he got hold of me, but I agreed to meet him for coffee after work one day. We met at some place in the University District, and he hadn’t changed one single bit. He still wore khakis, rolled his shirtsleeves up and had the same hairstyle. I was on my way to becoming a hippie and was attired in the latest fashion…platform shoes, wide-legged pants. We had a nice chat, and he told me the reason he broke up with me was because he thought I’d want to get married right away.  He also said he’d seen my brother and asked my brother to tell me he was sorry, that I should call him so we could get back together. This supposedly happened a couple of months after prom weekend, but my brother never said a word.

          From that point on, Gordy would call me every few years to see how I was doing. John didn’t like his calling and I always made the conversations short. The last time Gordy called I could tell he was drunk as he was sometimes when he called. He was being morose about how the biggest mistake of his life was breaking up with me, how he still loved me, etc. Many times, these were the topics of his conversations. I told him I’d have to call him back and asked for his number. He couldn’t believe I didn’t remember what it was because he was living in his parent’s house.

          I called Gordy back the next day. I explained I wanted to talk to him when he was sober. I told him I had a husband, sons and a grandchild and that I had no intention of changing my life. I told him I was sorry his life didn’t turn out as he wanted/expected, but that he should not ever call me again. I told him my husband didn’t appreciate the phone calls. I haven’t heard from him since and looking at these photos, I wonder if he’s still alive, still living in his parents’ house down by the zoo.

YARROW, DOG HAIR AND NEIGHBORS

          Yarrow is a wonderful plant. I believe I had some yellow yarrow once upon a time, but what inhabits my yard now is this wonderful almost neon pink. It does have a tendency to lay over, but I have a grid with legs that I put in place and that seems to keep it upright. I actually needed to add another grid but never got around to it, so I’ll probably have some layovers unless the cosmos grows enough to hold it up.

          Right now, on Saturday morning, I’m taking a break from trying to get the dog hair out of the couch cushions. I use a cover that’s supposed to keep the hair off the cushions, but apparently, it’s not working very well. It’s that or I need to take the cover off and wash it more often than I have been. I’m using my vacuum hose with a brush attachment, but neither one seems to work very well.

          That’s why I’m at the computer. I decided I’d go online and see if anyone out there had a solution for my problem. The dog hairs look perfectly straight, but I swear they have a little hook at one end that refuses to give up its grip on the woven fabric. I also wish I’d thought of that when I ordered new cushions a couple of years ago. Do not get a couch or cushions with woven fabric if you have a dog…the dog hairs will get into the weave and do not want to come out.

          I’ve used one suggestion which is those lint rollers, but again, there are dog hairs that have a far stronger attraction for the weave than the sticky stuff…can you imagine that??? Another suggestion was to use a rubber glove and move your hand over the cushion. So, I’m off to give that a try. I do have rubber gloves since I wear them for almost everything…just never thought I’d use them dry on my couch.  

          Well, it works, sorta. If I keep the vacuum in one hand and use the other gloved hand, the hairs do come out better than any other method I’ve found. I still believe, however, that some of Karma’s hairs have little barbs on the end because judging by the color, they are hers. Unfortunately, it’s hard work and I had to stop with one cushion to go because my hands were sweaty inside the gloves and the rest of me was sweaty too. I think this method worked really well for the woman who posted the idea because she has Labs and their hair is longer…and I thought that black lab hair was so bad all the years we had them.

Jack Edgar, 1963

Reva Edgar, 1963

          While I was waiting for the couch cover to finish drying, I opened the little box of photos for the period 1945-1963 and found a photo of the man who was like a grandfather to me. Jack and his wife Reva lived next door to my family in Fremont. Reva’s sister Ruby lived with them as well. They all took an interest in the neighborhood kids and owned a little café that was around the corner and down the block. It was always fun to hang out on their front porch because their interest was genuine…a kid can always tell.

          One of the specialties of their café were these cinnamon rolls Ruby made. She used potato water from all the potatoes they cooked and when the rolls were done, they were about three inches tall and were very caramelly. Later on when I moved into my apartment, I would go by there every morning as I walked to my job which was just across the street from their cafe and get a cinnamon roll. Ruby gave me the recipe, but I never had a pan large enough and the only time I tried to make them, I ended up with about 100 smaller ones that weren’t the same at all.

When I turned 16, I wanted to learn to drive so badly, and Jack became my first instructor. He owned a Pontiac Bonneville which was a huge boat of a car. I felt very small, but also very brave driving it around with Jack in the shotgun seat. He never lost his temper or appeared nervous with me behind the wheel and I believe that helped a lot when it came to learning.

          When I graduated from high school, their gift to me was a Samsonite suitcase because I was going to become an airline stewardess when I turned 21. Even though that didn’t happen because I married John when I was 20, they remained in touch over the years.

          At one point, they sold the house next door as well as their little café and purchased a duplex in Ballard just off Eighth Avenue. Jack had had a stroke and about the only thing that was affected was his speech. He could still talk, but this wonderful man who spoke perfect English was reduced to spitting out swear words the majority of the time. Until then, I’d never heard him swear at all. It was so frustrating for him and for those of us who loved him.

          After he died, I remained in touch with Reva and Ruby and assisted them however I was able. I remember them coming to dinner at the little house I rented when John and I were separated. Reva was wearing a wonderful fur coat, so soft and elegant. The following Christmas she gifted it to me. I wore it for many years when it became very cold; and did you know the colder it becomes, the less heavy a fur coat is? It still hangs in my closet a bit worse for wear, but I always think if Reva and Jack when I see it there. 

R-L, Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring

          Ruby was an artist and made paintings using dyed egg shells. I purchased the Four Seasons from her at some point in time and it’s hung over my fireplace for the last 45-50 years. It was amazing what this woman could do with a piece of plywood, crushed egg shells and food coloring. She would draw the design on the plywood and then painstakingly glue the colored eggshells in place with tweezers and toothpicks. I also have two still lifes I inherited when Reva passed on and wish I’d bought the one she did of banyan trees with sun shining through the leaves. 

          One morning when AJ was about five, I got a phone call from Ruby.  Reva had died in her sleep and could I come. John and I got a babysitter for AJ (my parents I think) and went to Ballard. The mortuary hadn’t come for Reva yet and she was laying on her side in bed as though peacefully asleep. I was sad to have her leave us and decided I would help Ruby however I could.

          One thing John and I did not know was that Ruby had a serious drinking problem. Perhaps Jack and Reva kept her sober most of the time, plus when we did find out, it was clear she was very good at hiding the problem. Reva was taken away and almost immediately, Ruby began telling John and I to pack up every single thing in that side of the duplex and take it to Goodwill. We did our best to convince her to wait a while, but she was very insistent about needing to rent that side of the duplex as soon as possible. There didn’t seem to be anyone else in her life we could consult or talk to, so we returned for several days in a row to pack up Reva’s life.

          Reva had some wonderful things that still adorn my house. Each time I found something I thought was worth money or worth Ruby keeping, I’d seek her out and ask her about that item. Nope, was always her response…I want it all gone. This even included Reva’s wedding ring which I still have. Besides the furniture, the only stuff Reva kept were cleaning supplies, toilet paper and paper towels. All the rest was boxed up and lugged to our home.

          John’s mother took the majority of Reva’s clothing to disperse to other older women who were in need. She also took a lot of the kitchen pots and pans and other items for the same purpose. Reva had a lot of costume jewelry which I gave to John’s niece. I now wish I hadn’t been so quick to give it up because I’m now sure there was much of value there, but what did I know at the age of 30. The remainder of Reva’s household went into one of the two or three garage sales I held in the time I’ve lived here.

          It was probably the last day we were there or shortly after when we went to check on Ruby that these two women showed up. I now believe they were a couple, but in 1975, being gay wasn’t something you advertised. It was from them we learned about Ruby’s drinking problem. We were shocked and astonished and offered to return everything we’d boxed up and still had. They told us to not worry about that and proceeded to do what they could to stop Ruby’s drinking.

I tried to stay in touch with Ruby and those two women, but the three of them effectively shut me out. I would call and get no answer (no answering machines then). I’d go by and no one would come to the door. I’d leave notes and receive no response. Finally, I stopped and hoped Ruby would get in touch at some point. She never did. I don’t know what happened to her or those other two women.

I am thankful for the memories of have of Jack, Reva and Ruby. They added a lot to both my child and young adulthood. I treasure the three eggshell mosaics Ruby made as well as Reva’s fur coat, wedding ring and a couple of other decorations that still remind me of all three. I did get to tell Jack I loved him, but Reva went so unexpectedly, that didn’t happen. And, as for Ruby, I’m sorry I never got to say goodbye.

ASTILBE AND MY COMPUTER

          Have you ever heard of Giant Astilbe? I hadn’t either until I bought some years and years ago. I planted it in two different places and it seems to be another of those plants that likes to travel. I managed to remove most of it from the one flowerbed, although when I was working there this week, I found a couple of small growths…they were surgical removed.

The Astilbe has gone from one small plant to probably one-fifth of the back flowerbed. Just this spring, I pulled several of the invaders out so the dahlias and hydrangea would have room to grow and bloom. By the looks of what’s there now, I’m going to have to do some further removal in the fall. If anyone would like a start…you’d only need one, believe me, I’d be happy to provide.

Moving on, I am so annoyed, but I’d best just get over it. Microsoft has been bugging me for days or weeks about downloading the program adjustments for Windows 10. Finally, my computer decided to be difficult and needed to be restarted. Rather than just restarting, I chose the “Restart and Update” button, and boy was that a mistake. An hour or more later, my computer had restarted and it updated, including the updates for Windows 10.

          To tell the honest to God truth, I don’t want to learn a new program or a new way of doing things. I just want my computer to stay the same so I can do what I always do without having to learn a new system or a new way to traverse from one application to another. Well, guess what??? Apparently, I do not have a choice with regard to learning how to navigate and use the programs on my computer. And, here I thought it would be absolutely wonderful to invest in a new Microsoft Surface...they look so very cool...but I just might not be up to the challenge.

          Anyway, the big “e” is no longer a choice. Instead I have a green/blue swirl which leads me to the internet and Microsoft Edge. Once there, when I choose the star in the upper right corner, I get a few choices followed by “Other Favorites” which is where the majority of the links I use reside. Then, instead of those favorites showing up at the right of my screen, they show up in the middle. There’s a down arrow that will allow you to move down your list, but the list flies by, so you have to be careful in order to find what you’re looking for. Sheesh!!!!

          If that isn’t enough, this morning I wanted to look at an article in The Seattle Times. MS Edge took me there and then quit responding when I was almost done reading. I could ask to have it fixed or just close. First I tried fix, but nothing seemed to be happening, so I just closed and left. The next time I went to MS Edge, it told me it hadn’t been closed properly and did I…so I used the “x” in that box to make it go away.

          And, OKAY, it’s good for us older and wiser individuals to try to use our brains, especially when it comes to learning new data. Supposedly that prevents atrophy and a loss of wisdom. I’ve come to the conclusion in the few days I’ve been “updated” that the prevention happens because my brain was suddenly and completely engaged. I’ve remembered all the swear words I’ve ever heard/learned. My imagination has run wild with ideas and ways about what I’d do to whoever came up with the “updates.” I’ve made serious plans on how I could initiate and complete those plans. And, finally, I’m paying attention so my brain can relearn all the data it had already acquired when Windows 10 first went on my computer.

          The one thing I haven’t mentioned is the fact the updates also managed to eliminate some of my passwords. Not to anything important, but to little things like the Next Door site or the Buy Nothing site. When I first wanted to return to one those sites, I had to try to remember my log-in information. Now, if that isn’t just the most fun time ever, I don’t know what is. It wouldn’t be so difficult if I allowed my computer to “save” my passwords, but I don’t like doing that. At least I seem to have utilized a method to passwords that works well, but doesn’t use the same password every single time. Still, there’s always that one password that doesn’t allow me to use the criteria, so I’m stuck trying to remember exactly what was different about that password.

          Okay, enough whining about my computer difficulties. The other night as I was going to sleep, I thought of something I could blog about that would be funny and interesting. Unfortunately, I didn’t sit up and write it down, nor did I make a mental note, because I haven’t been able to remember exactly what that blog idea was. I’m sure it’s only because of all the new computer stuff I’ve had to concentrate on the last couple of days. Just as soon as my brain gives a huge gasp and kinda melts back into my skull, the idea will pop up. I don’t know about you, but I simply cannot wait…it’s driving me nuts; even more nuts than the “updates.”

HOSTAS AND A SAD EMAIL

If only the Hosta plant had much nicer blossoms. They are a pretty lavender, at least the ones I have are, but they are really not much to look at. The stalk is tall and I discovered if you don’t make sure to water well, the stalks will lean way down. I thought they were seeking the sunshine, but I gave them a really good drink and while they didn’t stand all the way up, they did straighten up quite a bit.

There’s always a point during the summer when I’m ready to put the garden to bed for the winter. I’m not quite there yet, but I did clean out that one flowerbed and today I began to yank out the alstroemeria. Short of pouring Roundup on top of the growing spots, which I won’t do, I think the only way to keep this plant controlled is to yank up every single stalk as soon as it appears above ground. Now, the question is, will I be faithful and do that so as to eliminate this plant. I wouldn’t mind if it stayed in the one space, but it wants to travel far and wide.

In today’s email there was a message from the man who was John’s best man at our wedding. He and his wife at the time were our best friends for about five or six years. Then, John and I separated and Mike left his wife with three small children, two adopted, for another woman who was apparently carrying his child. We, of course, weren’t supposed to know that, but we did.

John and I got back together and saw a marriage counselor and managed to stay married for the remainder of John’s life. Once Mike was divorced, he married the other woman and moved to the other side of the sound. We only saw him now and then, mainly when he came to town to see his folks. I think I may have met his second wife just a time or three. They did stay married and all the kids, his and hers and theirs have all grown up and made them grandparents, and maybe even great grandparents.

Mike did come to John’s retirement/birthday party and had lots of funny stories to share which we all enjoyed tremendously. He also came to John’s celebration and I believe he had prepared something for when we asked people to share. But we didn’t have a true memorial where people talked and everyone listened. Instead, we told stories in a more personal one-to-one manner.

The purpose of Mike’s email today was supposedly to find out how I was doing; however, however, the real purpose was to tell me his first wife, Patty Lou, had passed away and had dementia toward the end. This made me very sad…not that Mike reached out seven months after sending me a Christmas card, but that Patty Lou had died. I absolutely loved that woman and was so sad when she and Mike split and they both pretty much went their own ways.

Patty Lou was the kind of woman who always, always made you laugh. She was so much fun to be around and I always looked forward to going to their house to play cards or games or just visit. Patty Lou raised her three children, and as far as I know did a great job. We lost touch and I’m not really sure exactly why. She never remarried and if she had any kind of a relationship with another man, I never heard about it.

We sure had some good times way back then though. John and I hadn’t been dating too terribly long when they invited us to dinner. Patty Lou couldn’t make gravy, so I did. It was HORRIBLE, but John ate it on his potatoes as thought it was some gourmet food…true love at last.

I remember going to the Ellensberg Rodeo. We hadn’t made reservations anywhere and ended up staying in some kind of hotel that had actually been an office building. They’d just installed a sink in the room and beds...we're probably luck bedbugs weren't inhabiting the place The bathroom was down the hall. We went to bed and to sleep and suddenly, there was all this yelling and fighting and carrying on in other rooms and in the hallway. We didn’t go out to see what was going on. We just stayed in our room and made a lot of noise when we left in the morning.

At the rodeo, we were walking all over the place and Patty Lou and I found this horse that had this huge thing hanging down. We thought perhaps it was a penis, but being city-girls we weren’t sure, plus there were other horses that didn’t have any. We backtracked and found Mike and John and urged them to come see what we’d discovered. Yes, it was a penis and the guys howled when we asked why the other horses didn’t have one. Turns out they were mares…sill city girls.

They had their son before John and I married. I remember babysitting him when he wasn’t very old so they could have a date night. The baby got up and I went about changing him. Since he couldn’t move around, I left him on the changing table while I went and got a warm washcloth. When I returned, there was water all over the place, including his face. I couldn’t figure out where it came from because there wasn’t a leak in the ceiling or anything. Patty Lou laughed so hard when I told her about it and explained that the baby had peed while I was gone.

After we married, they had a little girl who didn’t survive for very long. I never knew if the doctor said no more babies, but they decided to adopt and got a little girl and then a little boy. I think the little boy was adopted the year before we had AJ. I remember them coming to the hospital to see AJ for the first time. AJ was under the bililights with his eyes covered and nothing else. Patty Lou whispered to me that my little boy certainly had a big “Johnson.”

In the time we were best friends, we had lots of dinners, played cards and games, parties, roofed their house, went fishing, played terrible tricks on Mike and thoroughly enjoyed their company. I could probably sit here and type for an hour or more and barely touch on all the good times we had, whether it was at their house, our Ballard rental, this house, a trip to Portland, or whatever.

The last time I talked to Patty Lou was probably a couple of years ago. Another friend who was in touch with her asked Patty Lou if I could have her phone number. She said yes and we had a wonderful time talking and laughing about years gone past and how we were doing right at that time. I always intended to call her again, but never did, and I’m sorry for that now. I don’t know if she knew John had died or if the dementia had developed to the point she wouldn’t have remembered who he was.

So, once again, another person who helped weave the tapestry of my life has moved on. I’m grateful for the memories and pictures and everything she brought to my life, for everything we shared in what now seems like such a brief time that we had together. I do so wish we’d both made more of an effort to extend the time and add to our memory banks. Meanwhile, I know John loved Patty Lou as well and I like to think of them laughing up a storm wherever they may be.