Connie and DIA

The day after Thanksgiving these days is a big
shopping day. When Robert and I were growing
up during the depression our families did not
go shopping the day after Thanksgiving we
went for "a ride in the country." So...that's
what Robert and I did yesterday. We wanted to
deliver Ariel's jacket to her so decided to
make a "ride" out of it. We went to many of
the places Robert remembered from 1953 when he
moved to the area. We visited the farm where
he had a research site set up and we drove
through the Air Park subdivision he helped
set up. It was designed for pilots. Each
site had a house and a hanger and access
directly to the runway. At some point Robert
decided he enjoyed living in Salina too much
to want to move just so he could walk to his
plane so he sold his interests in the area.
It has filled out well and looks very nice.
There are also several sub-divisions near by
so the whole area is now "suburbia" instead of
"country."

Connie called this morning at 7:30 AM to say
she was at DIA putting Mera's friends on their
flight to Sacramento and her flight back to
Wichita didn't leave until 1:30 PM. I had a
bite of breakfast and then headed for DIA.

We had a good time talking. We'd been together
pretty recently, but since then Meara had her
16th birthday party and her three friends
from Folsom had come to spend the week with
her. Meara had school Monday and Tuesday so
the girls went to school with her. They
did the actually birthday celebration on
Friday..and it had gone off very well. And
now the girls were headed home; Sunday Alan
returns to school and then Meara will be
lonely again. She is really homesick for
her brother and her friends.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

We are headed for the Cowleys' for Thanksgiving














Turkeys by Ariel and Ann

dinner today. We'll pick up Vernon on our way.
Yesterday I made three pies and today I'll fix
the 1950s candied sweet potato dish, complete
with marshmallows as well as fresh organic
green beans to add to the dinner. Carl is
fixing rack of lamb!

Yesterday, instead of coming for a birthday
dinner Viki suggested they come and help
Robert get wood off our mountain. I had
planned to make the pies and Ariel was
still with us so I stayed behind and Ariel
went with them. She was excited because
Keegan was there and after the summer of
2007 when she and Keegan were both up
here a few days a week, she had really
missed seeing him. I was a little concerned
because I knew that she would have NO brain
as long as Keegan was around, but figured
she'd be OK. Liza and Viki were there as
well as Robert, but I knew Robert would be
too preoccupied with cutting down trees to
pay any attention to Ariel.

I had the mince pie in the oven and was
half way through making the pumpkin filling
when Viki showed up with Ariel in tow. Ariel
had gotten in the way of a falling tree. She
was not seriously hurt, but very frightened
and very traumatized. I did the necessary
doctoring of a very badly scratched should
and wrapped her up in a down comforter and
just held her until she finally stopped
shaking and then called her parents. Neither
were available so I left messages at work, home
and cell for each of them and then Ariel and
I headed to Erie. By the time we got to
Boulder the Tylenol had kicked in and she
was talking and smiling and quite herself
again, but I was still happy to be taking
her home.

Carl called just as we got into the canyon and
said they were at Costco and would be along
home shortly. They arrived within minutes of
our arrival. By then it seemed much to do
about nothing, but I was beat. I stayed for
a few minutes, had a half a sandwich and a
root beer and then came home.

Robert met me at the barn. He clearly was
very upset and worried and obviously felt
terrible. I told him that I should have
gone with them because I knew that Ariel
wouldn't have a brain as long as Keegan
was around. He laughed at that.

I finished the two pumpkin pies after I
got home.

Hantavirus...NOT

I initially tried to post this on the 21st...but it
wouldn't post. The week referenced is Nov 16 - 22nd.

This past week was a busy one, lots of social interaction.

I had coffee with Jo on Monday and lunch with Suzanne on
Tuesday. The Ochs came for dinner on Wednesday. Robert
went to his Cosmology group Thursday evening. Vernon
came up on Monday to bring me 20# of soy beans and
later he came me a huge sack of lemons that his frined,
Danny, brought from Arizona.

I made Andean stew with two cups of the soy beans.

On Friday I felt terrible. I thought my arthritis had
suddenly hit me really hard. During the night I was
awakened by a vicious headache and fever and knew it
wasn't arthritis. What I was afraid of was that I
had Hantavirus from cleaning out the garden shed
two weeks earlier. Either that or I had the flu.

I called my doctor's office and the on-call doctor
told me to go to urgent care, so we did. I saw
Dr. Watts who was very nice and verified with a
nose smear that I did not have flu. He clearly
knew very little about Hantavirus; I had read all
the information the CDC put out so knew more than
he, none of it good. He allowed as how he didn't
know what I had, but there was nothing he could do.
I should take Naproxen and Tylenol for the pain and
hope for the best. He wished me luck as he left
the room. I NEVER had a doctor wish me luck before.
Needless to say I was not reassured. However, on
Sunday I was light headed and very lethargic, but
the fever was gone. Today I feel fine. So, TG,
I don't have Hantavirus; just some weird thing that
was virulent, but short-lived.

I canceled taking Ariel today, but hope to have her
tomorrow. We have turkeys to build out of pine cones.
And Robert found a site with new games on-line.