2/13/08

We are now experiencing even more snow! Dion is out snowblowing our neighbors driveway. That neighbor always snowblows our sidewalk and he and his wife were in a wreck recently. The husband has one of his arms is in a sling, so Dion is returning the favor (using the neighbor's snowblower, but he DID fill it up with gas for him). Before this we had some beautiful weather for a few days. On Sunday I went outback to eat an orange and read. I had to put on a hat because it was so bright. The kids joined me and played in the tree and the melting snow. We didn't even need coats. I really started feeling some spring fever.

Dion is leaving town tomorrow for a business trip combined with a brothers' weekend in San Francisco, where his parents are living for a few months. So, as an early Valentine's Gift I get the night off. (Well, sort of - he's outside snowblowing and I'm still here with the kids, as usual.) Because of all this snow I didn't really want to go anywhere anyway. He brought home some pizza, so I didn't have to cook, and a giant piece of cake from his office party for the February birthdays. I plan on typing this post, taking a bath and reading, then eating some cake.

We are so enjoying having Jenna off-track. It amazes me how well all the kids play together when she is here. Corey and Randy play together just fine, but she adds a whole new dimension of fun and creativity. I've started the 2 hours of screen time a day policy which is working well so far. We have one hour in the a.m. and another hour in the p.m. where they can either watch TV or play on the computer. I haven't heard much whining about it at all.

We refilled our birdfeeder the other day. I stopped filling it sometime in the summer because the birds seemed to be such gluttons. It would normally take them a few days to eat all the seed, but then they started polishing it off within a day. Well, I couldn't afford THAT much birdseed, so I stopped. I've missed seeing them out there. I guess it was kind of a dirty trick to leave them without food all winter, but I'm ready for our friends to return now.

On the way home from some errands one day we stopped by this small apple orchard and barn/shop. We pass by it ALL the time but we've never ventured down the driveway. It's this nice piece of agriculture right in the middle of two housing developments. Of course, all the trees are bare now, but we visited the store. The twenty-something guy working there was named Randy! Weird, eh? We tasted samples of apple cider and he showed us the equipment they use to make it. We decided to buy a half gallon of cider and a few apples. The other good thing is that Randy (our Randy) really likes the cider. The only fruit he'll eat is dried mango, so any time he likes something fruity it's a nice surprise. He does drink apple juice and cranberry juice, but the cider seems healthier. The guy explained that the cider contains some pulp so it has more nutritional value than just juice.

No word yet about the x-rays of Corey's feet. If I don't hear by Friday I'll call next week.

I cleaned the bathrooms today - always a satisfying accomplishment.

I read C.S. Lewis's "A Grief Observed." In it he writes about the mourning he endured when his wife died. A very poignant book. As all his books do, it makes me see things in new ways, or presents ideas that I believe but can't articulate nearly as well as he does. I also started to read an Agatha Christie book, only to find that I'd already read it - shoot. There are just so many of them I can't always remember which I've read and which I haven't.

I've finished my 12 visits to the chiropractor. (Well, 14 including the initial consultation and the re-evaluation I had on Monday.) Now, he told me I should come in 6 more times for "postural" treatment or something. Our insurance only covered 10 visits, with a $15 co-pay for each. So, that's $150. When insurance runs out each visit is $40. So, already we owe $160. Another 6 visits will be $240! My back feels 95% better - leaving the other 5% for occasional stiffness. I know my posture isn't great, but is it worth $300 more to have it worked on? Will it really affect my back in the future? As of November I'd made it 32 years with less than ideal posture without back problems, after all. I'm grateful that I'm feeling so much better - but do I need to keep returning and returning? I'm such a wimp about saying, "I'm not coming back." Everyone else I've talked to says they go to a chiropractor 3 or 5 times or so and they're done. So, 20 visits in all seems ridiculous. But, I'll see this guy at church every week and we'll both know that I didn't take his advice and it'll just be awkward. I am re-commiting myself to my previous belief that it's better to NOT get professional services from people you know.

I guess that's all for tonight. I just heard Dion come in the garage. Every now and then he and I will read books out loud together. For some reason I'm really in the mood to read Michael Crichton's "Timeline" with him. I read it once before and thought it was really good. (The movie, however, was pretty bad.) I think he'd enjoy it but he's always so busy. He needs me in his life to introduce him to some of the finer things, like reading for enjoyment. OK, I'm really signing off.

No, wait - Dion just came in with the kids. They brought a heart-shaped box of Dove chocolates and a rose and sang "Happy Valentine's Day" to me. How sweet! I have a couple of little somethings planned for Dion, but I can't say what in case he reads this.