20.V.07 - MoM

For some reason I was more aware of this being an anniversary than usual. Next year, however, will be a milestone -- 70 years. Suddenly, when I think of it, I realize that you three are no longer "kids" although I guess I will always think of you that way.

I decided that it was a good day to go back to at least one tradition -- Champagne for breakfast (without the crab). Last year, I bought Champagne -- 4 single glass bottles. I had one last Christmas morning. I was going to have one on Mother's Day but we were going to Marty's so I decided to go wild and have it today. Each little bottle is just right to one glass. As it put down the bottle after I poured it I accidentally plinked the glass and upset it on the little table in the middle of the kitchen and all over the floor! I hadn't realized how sticky it is. Thank goodness, the glass didn't break, and even better, I still had another bottle in the fridge.

In the afternoon, I turned on the lamp by my chair in the living room and it blew. I was too dumb to realize that I had blown that stupid fuse again. Instead, I thought it was a bad bulb, then that the cheap lamp had given up. First, I tried several bulbs and all bad, then "Duh! after I moved a heavy lamp out of a corner that didn't work either, that it was the breaker. I found a buried step stool so I could reach that breaker and "threw" it. Still nothing. I remembered the last time my neighbor said something about another button to push, but I could not find one. I finally gave up and put in a call to Nate. Of course, he was able to take care of it, and I think I know the one step that I was missing. It isn't a "button" but another switch.

I talked to Kay this afternoon, and she has made a little positive progress.

I made dinner from the rest of the duck and veggies, with an Omaha "Potato au Gratin" ball. At least, I ate something. I am really going to make a super effort to fix things from my overstuffed freezers.

* * * * *

This is continuing a letter from 22.XI.85 to Sandy and Bob, from Saalfelden, Austria.

I was still a little tired from our October travels. As an alternative, I decided to forget Frankfurt, and meet DoD Tues afternoon in Munchen after he had taken Suzy and Chris to the airport, then go to Garmisch-Partenkirchen (about an hour away) for a couple of nights. I was sorry that Bob Bailey did not call me during the time I had suggested but instead early Monday morning (the day I was to meet him) so I could tell him that I had had to change my plans. I do hope he will forgive me and plan to come to see us the next time he is in Europe. We have been looking forward to meeting him for several years now. You will be pleased to know that I conceived the idea, figured out train schedules and connections on my own from Cooks, and made hotel reservations for a trip to Garmisch, and traveled on my own to Munchen. (When DoD didn't arrive an the train I expected him to, I got on the one for Garmisch and was going on alone as per plan, then expected him to come later. It turned out that he had taken an earlier train and had been walking around and waiting to catch our Garmisch train. I was really happy to see him get on that train.) I know that kind of planning and travel is old hat to you, but it is progress for me. Really did miss having DoD to rely on, however.
I have not said a lot about my broken toe. It did not seem easy to explain to Bob Bailey on the phone how I really did it so I told him I did it on a chair leg. The truth is that I broke it on the bidet! I was taking off a sock while standing on one leg holding on to the wash basin and I guess I got my foot above the bidet and somehow hit the 4th toe. Not easy to do. Since I have had a number of broken toes, I bandaged it to the other 2 and got along okay but was uncomfortable for a while when I had to put on shoes or boots. Gave me the most trouble at night in bed so finally had to use elastic tape on toes and foot. Healed pretty fast.

[This is a little short, but seems a good place to stop for tonight, as what follows is quoted from a good letter DoD wrote to Jim Benson that I think you (Suzy and Chris) especially will enjoy. Not often you get his "take" on things.]