Mom's Blog

Morgan's week with Gramma & PopPop - 2011-04-17 18:07:45

Hi again,

The calendar says it's "May Day"! So, I'll try to put up another blog page to catch up with what I began a month ago. It will be mostly pictures and a few words about taking care of our grandson for a week while his parents were enjoying a "second honeymoon" at the ocean, in the wine country, and in San Francisco. I'll also try to include some of what we've been doing lately, and some plans for the future. For those of you who access Facebook, I'll try to post something there.

You can access the blog using : this link

Or go to Jon's page and click on "Mom" ; Kelly's page and click on "Bill&Joyce;" there.

As before, you'll have to comment by sending me an email because the comment part of the blog page doesn't work anymore.

This may take me a while to transfer pictures, etc.; so I'll include a little news here...

The snow finally melted a couple of weeks ago, and Bill was able to rototill the garden in preparation for planting last week. Last weekend we planted peas about 10 days later than usual. Since then we've had more snow, rain, sleet, hail, and WINTER; or as we call it "Spring in Montana"! Almost every day we've commented about the amount of snow in the higher elevations (168% of normal), and the wisdom of R&C; cancelling their planned trip to see us. On the day they would have left to drive home we had a snow/hail storm, and a winter storm warning for the passes.

We're relatively healthy (Bill is at 95% he says after suffering for months with painful swollen joints from calcium crystals and arthritis). We're both trying to exercise more, lose weight, and get in shape for summer, gardening, a visit from our nephew and his son, and a weeks vacation in Seattle in October : staying here

Bill is already researching places to go, things to see, and restaurants to visit. We're both excited because it sounds like so much fun!

Last night we ushered at the Glacier Symphony, and renewed our joy in sharing concert performances together over more than 50 years... It was the last formal concert of the season, but there is still more to come with the Summer Pops concert and Festival Amadeus.

I can see blue sky today peeking through the clouds! Here's wishing you all blue skies and sunshine in your lives... Joyce

THE FIRST DAY: April 17 & 18, 2011

I picked up Morgan from home where his Mommy and Daddy had a hard time saying "good-by" to him for a week while they were going to be vacationing in California. As we came up the stairs into our house from the garage Morgan was wearing his backpack full of toys and there was a package from Aunt Diane to open...

0 Comments

New life... April, 2011 - 2011-04-03 17:28:04

OK, here I go... This will take me several days, weeks, or even months to complete and bring you all up to date on happenings in Montana, so keep checking back; you never know what might show up here...

I'm putting up a new web page for family and friends who have been in the dark about our life since we moved "back home" to Montana. This first one will be a long one because it will cover almost two years of thoughts and activities in words and pictures.

As she reads this I'm sure Sharon is moaning, "Oh no; there she goes again rambling on...Her stories always take so long to tell that one dozes off and forgets shes still talking..."... But why else have a blog?... Unless it's like the one I hope Jon will use to advertise a documentary I hope he and Batgrl will make (and be able to sell) about things to eat and places to go while visiting San Diego. We have discovered that he's an expert (more about that later)... See, I warned you!

I'm going to start when Morgan was about a year old and Sharon said to dad one day, "Wouldn't it be great if you and Mom could move up to Kalispell and buy a house close enough to us so that Morgan could ride his tricycle to PopPop's house"... So we did.

UPDATED APRIL 5, 2011

He rode his trike over to our house with Sharon yesterday to borrow 2 eggs. What fun! By now this trike in the picture (taken over a year ago) is too small; so it looks like a new one will be needed before we can take him on more trike rides. He wants to ride to the nearby pond (2 blocks away) to see and feed baby ducks;

we'll also go to a park 3 blocks away to play on the slide, swings, and "go around thing"...

UPDATED APRIL 7, 2011

Yesterday, after I picked Morgan up from "school" and before we had Sharon over for a steak dinner, Morgan and I walked to the nearby park so he could play on the slides. That was what he wanted to do instead of watching movies before dinner. There were several other kids and parents there because it was the first day this year that there hasn't been snow on the ground or big rain puddles there. When it was time to walk back home he was laughing and said, "That was fun!" And it was!!!

We've started a few tomato, tomatillo, and chili seedlings and have them in the windowsill. This is what they looked like with the latest snowfall in the background.

This afternoon we'll pick Morgan up from "school" and bring him home to stay overnight after Bill has a biopsy on what's left of his thyroid. So, that's all for now, folks.....

the LAST UPDATE FOR THE FIRST WEEK IN APRIL

After Bill saw the Dr. yesterday it was decided to take out what's left of his thyroid since the other part had cancer cells in it. He'll probably schedule that for next November since there doesn't seem to be any hurry. Today he took his bicycle to the bike repair man for a spring overhaul, and he'll begin riding outside as the weather permits.

After I took Morgan to "school" this aftertnoon we worked in the garden a little bit. The first garden work of spring is always an exciting time. It officially ends a long winter and begins the new season of being outdoors in beautiful Montana!

Last fall after everything else had been rototilled under, as part of putting the garden to bed for the winter, we covered what was left of the carrots and leeks with dirt and leaves, and then a cloth cover weighted down with logs. This afternoon we uncovered it all to find them perfect and ready to harvest and eat or cook. Whenever we had done that in our past gardens sometimes they were OK and sometimes they had frozen and were mushy; but these were all just fine!

First I put them out on the lawn and washed the dirt and leaves off of them with the hose. Then I washed them more carefully as I sat outside in the sun, and brought them in the house to enjoy!!!

Monday we're going to drive down to Missoula to do a little shopping, eat, and stay overnight before driving back on Tuesday. When I come back to this page next time I'll tell you about things we've been doing, and places we've gone, and new places we've discovered since we moved here almost two years ago.

Until then enjoy the pictures, and email me if you have comments or questions because the comment section of this blog doesn't work anymore...

0 Comments

WISH YOU WERE HERE, JACK TO TAKE A FALL WALK WITH ME... - 2010-09-18 12:30:42

0 Comments

THIS IS FOR YOU, JACK! - 2010-09-16 17:33:44

Fall has come to Montana; Jack and Diane can't be here to enjoy it with me, so I decided to take them along with me as I visited Glacier National Park and went for a walk around my neighborhood.

Here are some pictures of our first stop along the "Going to the Sun" road to get you in the mood.

I call this one, "A River Runs through It."

And the beginnings of Fall come into the picture...

We had a beautiful and peaceful day in "our Park" as Bill likes to call it...

So, we continued up the mountain to Logan Pass, stopping occassionally as they worked on the road after big washouts and landslides 2 years ago. At one point it was amazing to see where one whole lane of the road had washed out down the canyon. They are doing an excellent job of rebuilding the road, putting in new turnouts and exhibits, building retaining and rock walls along the edge, and making for a much more "uptown" driving experience for the tourists. It's supposed to be finished by 2012, but even during the short construction season it's busy with tourists. The road is only one lane, and they stop traffic for no more than 15 minutes while the traffic coming the other direction goes by; then it's the other direction's turn to go. We were stopped in two or three places going up and only one or two going down.

It was gave me a much better opportunity to take these pictures while we were stopped because usually you can't stop along the way. I noticed many of the tourists walking around and enjoying, not only the view, but reading the exhibits and taking pictures. So here is the rest of our day in "our Park."

Notice the cars coming up on the right...

We stopped near the bottom of the pass across from Lake McDonald for Bill to get out and hike a little while. Although it doesn't look like it from these pictures, the trail was steep and uphill all the way. He suggested that while he was hiking I could "go and play by the water..."

So, I went across the road to see if I could climb down to the lakeside. It was quite steep just off of the roadway for about 6 or 8 feet, and then it was a more gentle slope down to the lake over many downed trees and moss. I told myself, "If you go down there you'll never be able to get back up."... But you know me... I sat down on my butt and scooted down the first 5 feet or so until I could stand up. Then I found a nice log to sit on and relax and take some pictures. When it was time to climb up and go back to the trailhead to wait for Bill I realized I was right the first time! Getting back up that last 5 feet was quite an adventure!!!

I finally got back up to the road by sitting down backwards again and scooting myself up to the road. When I stood up from a kneeling position on the road I saw 2 or 3 cars stopped waiting to see if I had just crawled up from a car crash over the side! I sheepishly waved them by and indicated I was really all right. Of course, just how "all right" I am is debatable!

So I took these last pictures while sitting at the trailhead waiting for Bill to come back down...

And we headed home from our last trip to Glacier for the year... I hope you enjoyed "getting out" and going to Glacier with us... It's snowing there today...

2 Comments

From One Home and Yard to Another... - 2009-05-16 18:10:08

We will be leaving our Boise home and yard in 3 weeks!

I wouldn't have considered picking these wisteria blossoms or tulips if we were staying here, but I thought it would make me happy during this week as I continue to pack up our belongings and take down pictures in the house. I've enjoyed making bouquets from the flowers and shrubbery in this yard, and have found interesting things to work with year round...

The same will be true in our new Montana home! I recently received a note from the folks living there now (the recent owners). She says, "We have really enjoyed living here and we hope you will as well. There are quite a few plants in the yard."

1.) Macintosh type of apple tree
2.) Thorn-less raspberry plants along the fence in the back yard with rhubarb behind the raspberries.
3.) Honeysuckle bush on the thatch fence by the apple tree.
4.) Lilac bush/tree in the side yard.
5.) Possibly some other immature fruit trees...apple? plum? pear? apricot?
6.) Perennial flowers along the split rail fencing with drip hose water: Oriental poppies, galardia, black-eyed Susans, lily, daisies, larkspur, delphinium, columbine, lavender , veronica/salvia, wild rose, tulips, hollyhocks, lupine, flax, money plant, peony, butter & egg plant, and various grasses.
7.) Perennial flowers bordering the house: lily, veronica/salvia, daisy, flax, Peace rose, lily of the valley, vinca, clematis, money plant, strawberries.

All of the plants survived minimal watering, with only periodic weeding. Also, we have never sprayed any chemicals on the property...
Enjoy! Yes! I know I'm going to enjoy this yard!!! Sharon says she has often walked by it and wished it were hers...

Today we went to Lowe's and ordered wall to wall carpet throughout the whole house, and laminate oak design kitchen flooring to be installed as soon as we move out. That will make our Realtor (and Sharon) very happy, and give the new owners a bargain for their money! So, we're leaving our Boise home with a huge storage shed, new roof, brand new carpet and kitchen flooring, new automatic awning, landscaped garden, double paned vinyl windows and sliding glass door, newer water heater, and furnace and air conditioner serviced twice a year...

However... We're gaining a wonderful yard, tri-level home 2 blocks away from our family, easy access to outdoor activities, rivers, ponds, parks, and wildlife nearby, less traffic, and "the Montana way of life"!!!

And we'll be able to celebrate holidays together AND cook for each other!

3 Comments

Archive of older pages | Previous Entry ?>