Mom’s Blog

Well, here it is July 4th and I cannot believe how fast time has flown by. It is a BEAUTIFUL day here and we are going to just veg out today. Life is wonderful!

I believe it was made by or given to my father when he was young.  I am sorry I don’t know much more about this and when I asked my mother about it, she does not remember it at all.  It definitely needs some tlc.

The desk was given to us by Dorothy and Nelson Fisher.  It was used by me mainly.  The desk is more beautiful now since Eric had it refinished.  Thank you son.

The chest of drawers with the pull out desk is very unique and Eric and A.J. used this throughout their childhood.  It came from the Fisher side.  I believe it was also used by their father during his childhood.  It seemed to be made of solid wood and very sturdy.  A definite keeper.

My friend, Suzie, gave me the table on long-term loan as she was still in college and I had married and had a house in which to place the table, along with the buffet.  Her mother who was the sister of a well known doctor in town, had passed away and she wanted these items along with a set of Wedgewood china which I am also keeping for her.  So, that was many, many years ago and recently, I gave the table to my son and he had it beautifully refinished.  It has been to Baltimore and now resides in San Diego.  I think Suzie would be happy knowing the table has been used lovingly over the years.  I remember many a family holiday meal being served on this table.  Most of all, I remember my grandparents and my in-laws seated around the table.  We always used this table because it had a built-in extension leaf.  The buffet has seen a lot of use also, but has lost a pull and needs refinished, which I plan on my husband doing as one of his projects after retirement.

Anyway, what I know about my friend Suzie is that she became quit an activist at the college she attended and I was so impressed when I visited her on campus.  To me, Suzie was one of my very dearest friends and I regret losing track of her after she married and moved to Texas.  I do know she had an adorable son because she sent me a photo of her, her husband and son.  I have not seen or heard from her in 35 years or so.  I continue to keep track of the items she entrusted to me.  I miss her very much!!

Monday morning, the 21st and I, again, wake to the fragrant aromas from Lynne’s kitchen. This morning we were presented with another fantastic breakfast similar to the previous breakfast but instead of quiche, we had pancakes and instead of ham steak, we had dutch sausage. It was just as delicious!! We lingered awhile after breakfast but had to get going in order to make it back home in time for my dentist appointment, allowing time to stop to see mother.

We arrived at mom’s apartment only to find her sleeping in her chair. She is still complaining of a stomach ache and just not feeling good. This has been going on for several days and she has missed several meals in the dining room so, I made an executive decision. I called her doctor and the nurse said to take her to DMH for some blood work that she would order. We did that and took her to the doctor later in the afternoon, which meant that I needed to reschedule my dentist appointment, but something had to be done.

Her test results showed she was getting too much oxygen so after getting her some dinner, we took her back to the apartment, turned down the amount of oxygen on her concentrator machine and tucked her in bed because she was very tired.  I hope this change will help her feel better.

We did not get home until around 8 pm. Best laid plans….

After a slightly restless night’s sleep, I was awakened by the wonderful aromas coming from Lynne’s kitchen. I was up, threw my robe and slippers on and headed to the kitchen to wish a good morning to all in the kitchen. I went to get newspaper off the porch and sat down in the parlor with the paper and my coffee, listening to soothing music. Now, this is relaxation! Of course, Joe did not get awakened by the delicious aromas drifting through the house because of his C-pap machine being on his face. But it wasn’t long until he sensed it was time to get up so we both set in the parlor with our coffees and were both enjoying the peace and the quiet. When breakfast was ready, we set down to the elegantly set table. We were joined by a couple and their two children - interesting people. The first course was fresh fruit in a stemmed bowl. Next was pastries which included Lynne’s famous angel biscuits and pear muffins, both to die for! Thirdly, you had a choice of dry cereals, which I always pass on. Joe, did try the cereal. Next, was sauteed mushrooms, fresh asparagus and green beans and seasoned baked potato pieces and ham steaks. To top everything off, she served a leek quiche…..YUM-YUM!!! The crust was perfect and the filling very tasty. It was so nice to mix such a lavish and wonderfully delicious breakfast with interesting conversation with the owners and the couple who also stayed at the B and B. They were from Chicago and were getting away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. The wife is originally from Romania and now teaches English as a 2nd language in the Chicago area. The husband works with computers. Their children were well behaved.

Joe and I both had to have another angel biscuit for Jill and Jill and lingered at the table enjoying more coffee and conversation. After we waddled away from the table, we decided we were going to the outlet mall a few miles away. Joe wanted to look for some new tennies. I decided I would wait until right before dinner to take my shower. Before we left though, Lynne told us we were invited to join an Amish couple for dinner. I have known these people for about 13 years because they have the “mother/daughter” week-end attendees out for Friday night dinner every year. I have always wanted Joe to experience their home and lifestyle, plus they have become friends of mine that I wanted him to meet. So, off we go to the outlet mall, both excited about the invitation. Joe did not find his tennies but we picked up a few good bargains while we were there. It was fun and relaxing just browsing through the various stores. We also stopped at a little mall of Amish stores and picked up a couple of things there. Back to the B and B we go. We have a cup of coffee with Bill and Lynne and I decide it is time to take my shower before heading out to the country for an Amish meal. I wait a few minutes for the shower water to get warm, then I step in and shampoo my hair and hurriedly soap up as I am cutting in close time wise for dinner. Well, I thought I was in a Stephen King novel, as the water got hotter and hotter, so hot that I could not stand under the water to rinse off without burning my skin. Joe finally came in the bathroom and asked me if I was okay because it was taking me forever to try to wring out the washcloth and wipe off a little at a time. I told him to ask if there was a secret to the knob in order to get cold water. I had tried every which way and nothing but HOT water poured out. You could say I was in hot water, literally. OUCH!!! What had happened was the cold water pipe to the shower had frozen and there was nothing but hot water coming out of the shower. I finally got out and finished rinsing my hair, etc. in the sink, which worked.

So, off to the country we went with Bill and Lynne. We had a delicious meal of chili, cheese, trail bologna, crackers and some home made salsa and chips. It was wonderful being part of the Amish home for a short time. I admire their lifestyle and feel that if anything were to happen in our world that would take away our lifestyle of dependence on the utility entities, etc. that we would wish to be more like the Amish in that they are self sufficient. After dinner, the men went into the living room and chatted and we, ladies, washed the dishes and enjoyed each others company. After almost 3 hours, we were headed back to the B and B for another long winter’s nap.

On Saturday, Jan. 19, 2008, Joe and I began our week-end of relaxation. We were finally going to use the gift certificate that our children gave us for Christmas 2006. We chose this week-end because it was to be a 3 day week-end with the MLK Holiday. What we did not plan on was the frigid temps that we were to experience. The weather did not scare us off though because we both had UGGs and long johns to keep us warm, plus we were not planning on any outdoor activities. So, off we go after running errands and dropping Bear off at the Vet’s. It was noon and we had not had breakfast so, much to my surprise, Joe suggested we stop at the antique store in East Peoria for Chicken-n-Noodles…YUM! And so it goes…When we arrived at the B and B, we said our hellos to Bill and his son Dan, then we scurried off to the Amish stores I wanted Joe to experience since I knew those stores would not be open on Sunday and we were planning on heading back early on Monday. Our first stop was Miller’s Dry Goods which has something you might be looking for that you can’t find in any other store. We found 3 Illini mugs with the chief logo on it and also picked up a coloring book for Alyssa. Oh, and I got a couple of purple Sharpies. Of course, those were not items you could not find in another store. When we went to check out, you have to pay in cash or check and they write the receipts, like the old days. Okay, you have the vision, so much to our surprise, one of the young women at the check out was talking about her recent trip to the Bahamas. This did not compute. One has to wonder how did she get to the Bahamas since their preferred mode of travel is horse and buggy. I do know they accept rides with people who have cars. Anyway we chuckled and went on to Beachy’s market and really had a good time looking at all the spices and bulk supplies for cooking. We purchased some snacks and headed back to the B and B for tea. After catching up with the new things going on at the B and B over tea and cookies, we headed out to Yoder’s Kitchen a few miles away for an Amish Buffet…..YUM! After we were stuffed, we headed back to the B and B for more conversation and some coffee, then headed to bed in the Rose room which is appointed with Victorian design and memorabilia every where you look. Of course we had to go to the car for a smoke before we tucked ourselves in for a cold winter’s nap.

Every day I find out a little more about the smoking ban.  Today, in the paper, it was stated people can still smoke in their homes UNLESS they own a home business open to the public such as a hair salon or a day care.  How can you have a home business open to the public?  Wouldn’t it be private?  Does that mean they cannot smoke when the business is not open?  I wonder if those who operate, say, a business that is not service oriented out of their home are also affected by the smoking ban, but intentionally not listed.  Oblidi, oblida, and life goes on.

The freedom of smoking inside of a restaurant or a bar is coming to an end in Illinois in a couple of days. All you see in the newspaper is NO SMOKING like we don’t already know. Even though I know I should quit, I am sick and tired of other people telling me what I can and cannot do. One thing I have to laugh about though is, apparently, the legislature did not act on the proposed exemption for the casinos and off track betting facilities. So, guess what, NO SMOKING in the the casinos and OTB’s. Oh, and even the bingo halls are smokeless. The Illinois Gaming Board is a little worried because they have estimated that 70% of gamblers like to smoke too. I think it will be interesting to see what addiction wins out. Will all, most, some, or very little of the smoking gamblers travel a little further to a neighboring state to gamble and smoke? Too bad about the cities in Illinois that did not pass a city smoking ordinance before the state did because the city will not be able to collect the fees incurred by smoking criminals. Our city police department is going to give the state hot-line number to those complaining about smokers. It is still all about the money. Hey, I am going to go have a cigarette in my garage!!!