I'm up on my soap box!

I had mentioned in my previous blog that I was going to donate blood on Tuesday.
I know there are a lot of people in this world - heck,even in my own family - who are unable to donate because they are on medications that make them no longer eligible to do so.

But I firmly believe that if a person is able to donate, they ought to give it a try at least once.
Yes, it's yucky sitting there with a big needle in your arm as you squeeze out that pint, but
since my Hubby has been on the receiving end of the blood donation scenario, we know just how
blessed a thing this is that there are people in the world who do so.

Hubby has a rare blood type. When he needed 6 pints, the blood center had to scour their network to find people in their files who had the same type and call them to donate so that he could receive it. And even then, they had to type and cross-match to be sure his body wouldn't reject it.

In watching this process take place, I also realized that when you donate, they fill the bag with a pint of blood, and have a little extra left in the tube that goes from your arm to the bag so that they can do the type and cross-match from what is in the tube so that the receiving patient will get a complete pint. I found that fascinating and appreciate all of the thought that goes into the whole process.

Those 6 people may never meet my hubby, but they saved his life. And all it took was the will to give up 30 minutes of their day to donate and then go on with their normal lives.

I try to donate every time there is a blood drive at work. And I'm glad to see they have increased the number of visits they make to my work. The rule is you can donate every 6 weeks, and they tend to show up every six weeks lately. I like that.

I know there will come a day when I can no longer give. The older I get, odds are that my blood pressure will start raising because this simply runs in my family. But until that happens, I want to take that opportunity to subtly make a difference in people's lives. It's worth it.

One very major perk is that they offer gourmet cookies to all donors! I am so in love with their Cherry Chip cookies! Yum! Who could resist that?

Okay, I'll step off my soap box now. But I do hope that my little tome will encourage somebody to think about joining the ranks of regular blood donors!

Blisters? I ain't got no stinkin blisters!

This morning was our big 5K!
I can't speak for everyone, but for me, it was a walk filled with emotion.
We all met as a group in the hospital lobby where I handed out everybody's shirts, entry numbers and a badge that said "TEAM BROOKS - walking in memory of Lionel and Marlene Brooks". Everybody suited up and we then joined the rest of the walkers to partake in this venture.

For a few extra bucks, we had the option of having a small flag along the path noting the loved ones we were walking in honour of. Tears started to well up in my eyes as I saw the names of my parents on a flag close to the beginning of our route. Somehow that made it even more profound for me.

We didn't keep the best time, In fact, we were near- to- last in the walk, but it was so worth it!
Two of my coworkers had decided to join our team and walk with us, which I think is pretty special. As we passed MMC, we were all sort of reflecting on why we were doing this. I pointed out to Robin and Jewel which window of MMC was the room where my Dad had spent the last few weeks of his life.

Robin's comment was "Wow! So this really IS about your family, isn't it?" It sure is. And I'm very honoured that my sibs and nieces and nephew were able to join us on this day, the two year anniversary of my father's funeral.

We finished the walk in one hour, four minutes and too many seconds. One of my sisters said we need to remember that so we can beat it next year. Next year! Can you believe it? They want to make it a tradition! Awesome!

As we walked back through the hospital, I pointed out a sign on a wall and said "And Tuesday, I'll be giving blood! Anybody wanna join me for that?" You could have heard a pin drop. LOL! Can't blame a gal for trying. It's just something I firmly believe in doing as long as they're willing to take it. But that's another post, another time.

After the walk, most of us stopped down at Nigl's for a pitcher of beer and some free brats. Wow did that beer taste GOOD!!!!! And the brats were tasty too! I hadn't been to Nigl's in ages, and they had just re-opened after spending two seasons repairing the damage from an electrical fire. The beautiful thing is that Nigl's has been around for 3 generations so I'm sure they had good insurance to resurrect this old building and make it even better than it was.

When I was 18, my folks used to hold what they called "Union Meetings" each Friday night. There was no business transpiring, it was just a way for family and friends to get together at the beginning of a Friday night and share stories of their week and enjoy tipping a few beverages together. As a young gal, this was the launching pad to my weekend. Mom and Dad would stay until the music got loud and would then head home, while I would have my friends meet me at Nigl's and we would be off from there to whatever adventure we were up to. So stopping there today was a fitting part of our trek.

I probably would have been in better form this morning, but this is the weekend that our good friend Doug and his Son head off to Alaska for a fishing expedition. They'll be gone for 6 weeks and we had to give them a send-off. With Hubby on prednesone, alcohol is off his diet right now. So Doug and I basically polished off a big bottle of wine by ourselves. Yum. We got home late, so I didn't really get a good night's sleep. But that's why God invented naps!

I'm quite surprised that I don't feel nearly as stiff as I expected. I'm making sure to stay hydrated, though, so my muscles will stay lubed. I know that's important. Ah! The crap you need to know as your body ages! It sucks! Ha ha!

And while I'm in here reflecting on things past, Hubby is in the back garden planting herbs and various vegetation, planning for the future! Good thinking!

I cannot imagine a world without Youtube

I love surfing Youtube. I've got so many bookmarks lately that I'm running out of tab space.
The other night, I was looking at Adele videos and came across this very beautiful Bob Dylan cover that just totally captivated me.

Well, that lead to watching other videos by her, and lead me to searching to find out who the guitarist is that plays with her at her radio station gigs.

I didn't have much luck with that, but it did help me to stumble across Jamie T.
This song, silly as it is, get stuck in my head and puts a smile on my face.
I love the extra thick Cockney English accent and the cheesy bass playing. And the lyrics are
quite catchy. The official video for the song is equally amusing.

I hope you enjoy it!

Tribute

I've been getting weekly E-mails at work mentioning an upcoming 5k walk/run, but they would never mention the location.
My Coworker friend Robin said she thought it was going to be at Bay Care because they
always hold such events.
However, today, as I was doing my usual lunch lap around the interior of the building (because of the rain), I noticed flyers posted in the Cancer Center advertising the 5K. And it's right here in our home town, starting right at the doors of my workplace!

Robin is always trying to get the rest of our group to do one of these, and I've always promised her that if it was a worth-while one, and not just self-serving, that I would definitely sign up.

Well, this walk/run is a benefit for the patients of the cancer center. I've personally seen some of the bills inflicted on these wonderful people, and this is really an opportunity to make a difference.

What's more, this 5K falls on the weekend right after the second anniversary of my Dad's passing.
I was pondering the idea of calling my siblings tonight and asking if they would like to do this 5K as a group in honour of our parents when my phone rang. It was an ordinary patient calling for an ordinary appointment, but when I asked the patient for their date of birth so that I could find them in our system, their birth date was the same as Dad's. Well, that settled it!

I went home from work and called my siblings and explained that it is June 13, and there would be a fee, but I think it would be a really beautiful tribute to our parents if we could do this.
And guess what? THEY ALL SAID YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so stoked for this! If it weren't raining tonight, I would have gotten outside and started training right away!

The Child also wants to join in on the fun! I hope he'll train with me as well in the evenings so that we can do this!

I know a 5K is only 4 miles. When I was at the top of my game, I could do that in an hour and 15 minutes. I haven't been at the top of my game for a few years, but I still have the heart to try!

I'll keep you all posted on this as we progress. This is so exciting!

Yippee! A Holiday!

It's been another long week here in Kuhrsville.
My #1 Son turned 25 on Monday. 25!!!!!
I just don't understand how that can be whilst I am but a mere....32????

And today, my sis is also celebrating a birthday. She's um... 33?

I've been making headway on the Cocktail Table in my garage this week and that
makes me very happy.
The deterrent was sawing down the legs.
You see, it began life as a small dining table. But if it is to live in my living room,
I needed to trim 4 inches off of the legs, and who knows where hubby's Japanese saw has wandered off to. I grew tired of searching, and simply grabbed the miter saw and started
cutting free-hand. And I did a pretty darned good job at it. I'll be putting pads under all of the feet anyway, so if it isn't perfectly square, the pads will even it out.

Then, I put 3 coats of poly on the body of the table. The top remains ugly for the moment.
Tonight, I put an edging around the top. A lesson learned from the very first mosaic table I ever made, which lives in my dining room. That one didn't have an edge around the top. The
lesson being, when I moved it from the kitchen to the dining room, I had to lay it on its side to get through the doorway. In doing so, I heard a "Foomph" sound and cringed. And my fears were founded. The whole mosaic top slid right off of the table! Eek!

Actually, I learned two lessons from that. One was that I need an edge of wood to secure it. Two was to use tile adhesive instead of mortar when adhering the mosaic tile to the table. Mortar lets loose. Adhesive holds tight - and weighs much less!

The cool thing about that first table was that I was able to pick up the entire mosaic top and just lay it on top of the table to be as it was before. But it's taking a beating. Edges are chipping, and it is beginning to look a bit unloved. I may have to just chuck the original mosaic and re-do the whole thing correctly one day soon. In the mean time, I'm just enjoying creating the latest project. It's going to take me most of the weekend and maybe longer to finish it. But it's going to be fun.

Monday, Memorial Day, I hope to catch the parade, and then we'll be off to Menominee Park for the 4th Annual Herrrmanfest. (You must roll your R's when saying Herrrmanfest.).
And just WHAT is Herrrmanfest, you may ask? Well, it begins with a guy named Herrrman.
He gets up way early and goes to the park and reserves the most prime spot in the park - in the shade, near the restrooms, with lots of good picnic tables. And then he waits. At around noon, his friends begin to arrive, with lawn chairs, meat and a dish to pass, and we all hang out and talk silly and listen to fun music, and maybe play a round of Frizbee Golf while the kids run around and have a great time riding the train, visiting the zoo, swimming at the beach and eating too much food. It's lovely! It's relaxing! It's Herrrmanfest!

I hope you all have a spectacular Holiday Weekend as well!

It's a matter of tase, I guess....

It's no secret that I love taking virtual tours of real estate listings.
Sometimes it's a great pick-me-up to see that money can't buy style.
Take this listing for example.
The house is in Centerville Virginia and is listed at $1,399,900(that's no typo!)

So far so good, right? A beautiful estate with a grand foyer. Lovely!
But, wait! There's more!





































The kitchen is quite ordinary. Nothing notable about it, really.
The Bathroom is lovely, but the rest of the house looks like the had a check list
of items from a 1980 issue of House Beautiful:

Deer Head - Check
Ugly Floral Furniture - Check
Baby Grand - Check (I'll bet no one plays!)






















































































Ugly Wallpaper boarder - Check
Poofy Curtains from 1990 - Check
Pool Table - Check
A room furnished all in white - check
Mounted Bear - Check! (Is this Sara Palin's Winter home?)





























































Sun Room - Cleche Wicker Furniture


















































And Yo-Ho-Ho! Look at the guest room! I remember seeing layouts featuring nautical themes in the 80's. And the Master Bedroom has so much potential. I could die in a room that size!

I suppose I ought to keep in mind that when a prospective buyer is looking for a home, they want to remodel to suit. And there's plenty of potential to do that with this place.

And I suppose I ought to give kudos to this home owner for not hiring an interior decorator and trying to do it themselves. If I could give advice to the next home owners, it would be, if you are going to try to decorate a house of this scale on your own, look for timeless colour schemes and furnishings. Tuscany is never out of date. Soft colours, heavy hard wood furniture, textural fabrics, thick draperies. It makes me cry when I see a house with this much potential in the hands of someone who fears decor.

It's My Day and I'll Surf if I want To

Happy Mother's Day!

I found yet another fascinating Blog this past week and there are oh so many drool-worthy items
on it.

The blog is Mid-Century Modernist and I am in love with so many things she has found, such as these furnishings by who else but an Aussie!
The Blogger states: "Melbourne designer Ross Didier took a classic form of modernism — the simple cube on broad steel legs — and tilted it to create something truly original. The armchair and sofa are available in the UK for £889 and £1,189 respectively. Gorgeous design and beautiful product photography. My only concern: how does it feel to put your arms on a slant?"

Oh so cool!

And I would so love to have one of these in my livingroom as well:
My Umbrella Plant would be oh so happy growing in one of these planters.
But at $150 a pop, I think I'll just have to keep an eye out at thrift stores for the original variety.

Yeah, I'm a tight-wad when it comes to stuff like this. But right now, I really have to be.
Hubby got news this week that in order to stop this Warm Auto Antibody from taking over his system every few years, they will need to remove his spleen! Eek! Our insurance sucks! So we'll need to get on the stick and see what we can do to gain coverage for this one. Prayers and happy thoughts are more than welcome!

Hugs,

Aunt Bren