Another Move

Yesterday, Alyssa signed the six-month lease and paid the deposit and first month's rent on this house, and moved several boxes of things in. She wants to get everything moved out of the storage building tomorrow, so she doesn't have to pay any more rent on it. She's gone today to pay the deposit at the electric company, among other things. She has a couple of friends lined up to help move the big stuff. One of them has a truck, which is a big help. One of my friends offered the use of her truck, as well, but one is sufficient. The storage building is about a quarter mile from the house, and the shed in my back yard, where there are a few things of Alyssa's, is only three quarters of a mile from it.

After Lexi got off the bus yesterday, Alyssa took her to the house. Lexi's first reaction was that it's small. But when she got inside, she decided that it's pretty big. I think it will work very nicely for them. Lexi will continue to get on and off the school bus at my house. She'll often be sleeping here because of Alyssa's work schedule.

Although it is also in Milburn, the address is Arlington; mine is Bardwell. Strange, isn't it?

They're Home

Alyssa and Lexi got home about 2 o'clock Saturday morning. They had a good trip. They went to Philadelphia on Monday, Wildwood NJ on Tuesday, and NYC on Wednesday. The trip to Wildwood included a visit to Alyssa's dad, who is considering moving out here.

On Friday I drove to Bardwell, the county seat, to get extra keys made for the new lock on my back door. This picture shows the traffic light in the middle of the town. I believe it is the only red, yellow, green light in Carlisle County; there are several flashing lights, though.

If Bob (Alyssa's dad) moves out here, it will be a big change for him, even though he grew up in one of the more rural parts of southern NJ.

"I can weave!"


One day last week, I put in about an inch of plain weave at the end of the piece my friend Shirley had woven when she demonstrated in September, and was going to cut it off the loom. Then I decided to leave it and let Alexis play around with it. Yesterday, I gave her a brief weaving lesson. She was very excited and proud. She wove a little over an inch, and when a friend came over for supper, she had to show him how she did it.

Rain, rain . . .

I lay in bed for a while this morning listening to thunder, before I finally got up to get my coffee and cereal. It's gray and wet - a perfect day for reading, knitting, crocheting. I'm glad I don't need to go any place, and that I have plenty of books, yarn, needles and hooks.

Gift Bags

I'm alone now for a week. Alyssa, Alexis and one of Alyssa's co-workers left after an early supper to drive to New Jersey to visit Grandmom Carmen, Aunt Sara, cousin Rose, and Uncle Bobby. I think Uncle Dominic will also be there for Thanksgiving dinner.

Austin (the friend) has never been 'out east' and is looking forward to spending a day in NYC, which they plan to do on Monday. Alexis is excited about that, as well. Austin's mother offered the use of her car for the trip; it's better than either Austin's or Alyssa's.

On Wednesday, I went to the Hallmark store and bought the series ornaments I've been giving to various family members for years. I really wasn't thinking about Alyssa's trip when I did it, but later decided that she may as well take them along and save me the trouble of mailing them. Instead of digging out wrapping paper, tape, etc., I grabbed yarn and knitting needles, and knit these little gift bags. I'm pleased with the way they turned out, and that's four more ounces of yarn gone from my stash. Carmen and Sara can probably find things to do with the bags after they take out the ornaments.

Election Day

Means no school! So Lexi was with me all day. We left the house some time after 9 am, and went first to the Milburn Fire Department so I could vote. We were not in the area where the trucks are kept, so she couldn't see them, but she did watch as I voted and learned a little (maybe) about the process. One of the poll watchers gave her a sticker that said "I voted." We talked a little about it on our way to Mayfield. She said her PawPaw votes and has given her his sticker before.

Small towns definitely have their advantages. As we were getting out of the car, a man who had just voted told me that there was no waiting. I had figured that; I've never had to wait here. Even in a town the size of Mayfield, there were usually several people ahead of me, but nothing like the lines in Collingswood NJ. Of course in Collingswood I was always voting after work along with all the other 9-to-5ers. Anyway, the man who had just voted asked if I lived nearby, and I told him by the water tower. He asked if I had lived there when the Wilsons did also. I told him I live in the house they had lived in. They are his son and daughter-in-law.

When we got to Mayfield, the first place we went was WalMart to get the new lens put in my glasses. Now I can see with both eyes!

Then we went to the library. After finding two books, Lexi made friends with a boy (probably 7 or 8) and they played chess. They both claimed to know how to play. I think they had checkers in mind, because I heard "king me" quite often. They really seemed to be enjoying the game.

After checking out six books (3 children's and 3 adult) we went to Taco John's for some crispy tacos and a bottle of orange juice for Lexi, which we took to the Ice House to eat. It was close to 12:30 when we got there. We wound up spending about three hours there.

Lexi took the camera and took some pictures. She took one of Dana, the Art Guild director, busy answering the phone, and one of Jo knitting between registering people who brought in artwork for the next exhibit.










And no group of Art Guild pictures would be complete without a picture of Claude (Claudia de Monet), the resident mascot. She was a just-grown-up cat when I move to Mayfield twelve years ago. For the past several years, the Ice House has closed from Christmas until the end of January, partly to save on the heating bill, but also because when it was open then, there was almost no traffic in. Claude has spent that time in various members' homes. Last year he was really spoiled. The people even made a little booklet of his stay with them, including pictures.

Lexi was also delighted to find this picture on the wall in the office. She did it in water colors, painting with her fingers, last Monday and asked me to take it with me on Tuesday when I went to the Ice House to knit. I was glad to see it there, as well, because I realized after I had taken it in that she expected to see it hung.


There is no exhibit this week. I think tomorrow is the deadline for entries for the annual juried exhibit. Then the jurying will be on Thursday, and the show will be hung on Friday and Saturday. It will open with a reception and presentation of prizes on Sunday.






Lexi also likes to take pictures of herself. You can really see where the front teeth are missing in this one.








Harvest

That's a pile of black walnuts Lexi is standing on. Alyssa and I picked them up on Saturday. While we were picking them up, we heard more falling, but there are probably fewer than 200 left on the tree. Anyone who wants some is welcome to them - you just have to come and get them.





This is Alyssa and Lexi's cat Ginger. Do you think she's comfortable? She was lying at the end of the sofa while I was knitting one afternoon. Behind her, on the hearth, you can see part of my collection of sheep.






Medical

My monthly oncologist visit was Monday. My blood is a little too thin, so my Coumadin dosage has been adjusted, and I will have my blood tested again in two weeks to see if it needs further adjusting.

The doctor didn't say anything more about the possibility of a bone marrow transplant, and I forgot to tell her that I think Little Rock is my preference. She did say that if my kappa or lambda (I forget which) light chain (I think that's the right term) is up again, she will probably change my medication. It was normal in September, but up in October. For now though, I'm still on Thalidomide and Dexamethasone. Today was the first of the four days I'm taking the Dexamethasone this month, so in a couple of days, my vision will be messed up even with the new lens. The eye doctor said that is probably because the Dexamethasone, a steroid, increases my blood sugar. It might be nice to have a different medication without some of those side effects.

Blessed All Hallows

I know - we usually say All Saints Day nowadays, but to get the connection to Halloween, it's necessary to say All Hallows. I'm reading a book to Lexi now that has an apostrophe between the two e's to indicate that the v is left out of the word. The book is by Rumer Godden and is called Mr. McFadden's Hallowe'en. I have other books that I want to read to Lexi after I finish this one. When I tried to read one of them to her last year, she wasn't interested in anything that I couldn't read at one sitting. I've been reading poetry to her quite a bit, and one day last week she was talking in rhyme.

The picture is of Lexi in her Halloween costume. Alyssa went to the school yesterday afternoon and helped her dress, and then watched their parade of costumes and was in the classroom for the party. I took the picture in the brief time between their coming home from the school and Nana picking Lexi up so she could go trick or treating with her cousins. I think they go mainly to family. Andy brought her home just before her 8 o'clock bedtime. She had fallen asleep in the car, so her carried her into the house and back to the bedroom. She woke up enough to take off her shoes and jeans, but slept in her shirt.

The neighbor next door brought over a bag of candy for Lexi. I showed it to her this morning, and told her that she'll have to thank him for it. She said she will, and commented that he talks funny. I told her that is because he had a motercycle accident and his head hit something hard.