Trying to stay busy

 I've been in a bit of a funk the last day or so. Half suspect I'm dealing with a stomach bug. Or not. I can't decide but I do know something is off with me. But oh well, this too shall pass.  It's 2 pm and the sun is shining. If I had any sense, I'd go for a little walk around the block to see if it helped elevate my mood. Maybe I'll do that right now. Probably have to take my walker but I can deal with that too. Be right back.....

Later....Well, I didn't walk that far but far enough. Sat to rest halfway through and that helped a lot. I realized I can still get out and walk IF I take the walker along so I can sit down and rest and get my second wind.  I'm not overly thrilled with being dependent on the walker but when the bottom half of your body  hurts all the time, it's nice to know the walker lives here!  And who knows, maybe I'll end up getting back surgery some day and walking won't be the struggle that it is now.  Or not.  I haven't completely made up my mind if I want to get a back surgery.  I'll think on it.  Meanwhile, I've got two months of physical therapy to attend. I go once a week out in Hadlock because the PT establishment is booked too far out. Which is okay. I don't mind a ride out in the country and it's only through October.

Saturday morning my neighbor and I hit the Farmers Market uptown. But only because we had free coupons. I could never afford their prices otherwise. The Methodist Church had a rummage sale going on next door so we browsed that too. I bought a 50 cent pkg of paper plates. Makes it easier to share goodies with the neighbors.  Interesting to be downstairs where my wedding reception was held. I'll have to go hunt for a picture of that now just so I'll have something to post on here.  Now that was a big waste of time.  I have got to learn once and for all how to transfer photos from one folder to another easily.  I can do it but I am taking way too many steps and I know there has to be a simply method. Another project to put on my list. My picture are continually needing to be sorted so I can find them.  Maybe I'll start tomorrow. Or today.  (see the kind of mood I'm in)

At any rate, here's cutting the cake in the basement of the Methodist Church in January of 1964.

My girl scout leader made that cake. Anita Yantz. Such a nice lady.

I was going to work on genealogy paperwork yesterday but I just couldn't get going on it. I suspect because I wasn't feeling 100%.  I did clean up a couple of 3-ring binders and when I pick it up again, I'll work on Jane Downs my great grandmother from Delaware and Charlie Blankenship, my phantom great uncle that I'm suspecting was adopted since I can't find a thing on him.  Hope the mystery is solved before I die or that's going to tick me off!  haha

Sunday I took my brother, Dana and his wife, Lill, for a car ride around town. We went out to the cliffs by North Beach area. Fascinating view but kind of scary to stand and look over.

I subscribed to Showtime a few nights ago (on the Amazon Prime channel). Only $4 a month for 3 months and then it's $10. So far I'm pretty happy with it. Have seen a ton of movies on there that I know I'm going to tune in.

I've got another jigsaw puzzle set up in the living room. Only 500 pcs but as usual, it's a slow process for me. I can't imagine getting into a 1000-pc. I know I'd lose interest. While on my walk just now, I came back through the library downstairs and stopped to browse. Found two puzzles that I thought were kinda cool. One is 500 and the other is 300.

This morning I sent for an accessory pkg to go with my air fryer. I knew I wasn't using it for everything it can do but the new cookbook I recently ordered (with 1000 recipes!) is full of easy peasy stuff I can make. My air fryer is only 5 qts so I had to order things that would fit inside. I'm excited for it to arrive. I didn't realize you can put any type of material in an air fryer that you can put in a regular oven. I'm going to take a stab at eggs, pizza, cake, kabobs, and more.

Last week Mary G and I went to Port Angeles. Had several stops to make. One was to an old school chum from our primary grades. She moved to Port Angeles and graduated from there. Her name was Faye Radley when we were in school.

My daughter Mary who always has a full calendar is already helping out at the schools in Vancouver. For the next two weeks she'll be with the kindergarten classes.  Here they are on a family hike near their home.

And here's a shot of Aldrich's that I took when we went to the Farmer's Market up on Tyler Street.

I think another reason I may be in bit of a funk is that I came to realization that I'm never going to see an old school friend again.  Doris LaChance Reynolds and I graduated together and were buddies from about the 8th grade on.  We stayed in touch through the years, even after she was widowed.

Here we are in 8th grade and at our 30th class reunion at Mary Gaboury's house in 1991.

pictured here is Linda Scott, Dave Marriott, Lew Morello, Mary G, Virginia Anglin and Doris. Dave, Lew and Virginia have all passed on.

 Last Saturday my Xmas card to Doris (she was living in an assisted living place in Seattle) came back to me. Nine months later!  Good lord!  So I called the assisted living outfit but they had no idea where she was now.  After more phone calls here and there, I finally got a guy at elderplace in SEattle who gave me a number. I called Molly and she said: Yes, Doris is here. I'll have her call you right back.

Well, I knew that Doris had dementia. Her niece told me that and her sister had died of Alzheimers a few years ago. So Doris calls me and I tell her how happy I am to hear from her. I ask her:

Where are you at now?  She replies:  I'm here.

I ask where is here? Seattle?  She says yes but she doesn't know the name of the place. Well, it's obvious she probably doesn't even know who she's talking to.  I say goodbye and then I call that Molly back. She says "I'll text you the address and phone number. Why she couldn't just tell me I don't know. So I get this text and I google the place. It's called Grace Memory Home in Kirkland. Looks to be a private home.  When I googled images for assisted living homes in Kirkland it was amazing how many there were.  And it was sad./

Here's a cute cartoon I saw on Facebook.

And here's a goodie.....