Botanical Gardens and Shopping

Another cold, windy, cloudy day - not the weather we  hoped for! This morning we went to the Lauritzen Gardens which is Omaha's botanical gardens. The garden was started in 1982 and today covers over 100 acres with a new, very large conservatory. There were a lot of things inside so we didn't have to walk to much outside in the cold wind. 

There were several tulip beds that were beautiful. The tulips are such a beautiful flower and their life is so short when in bloom. 

More than 30 brilliantly-colored glass sculptures, created and curated for Lauritzen Gardens by nationally-recognized kiln-formed glass artist Craig Mitchell Smith punctuate the landscapes of the Marjorie K. Daugherty Conservatory and the floral display hall. His unique and unparalleled technique of cutting colorful sheets of glass in the shapes of brush strokes and using his kiln as a canvas is similar to the way a painter works with paint. He lays out shards of glass like paint on a canvas and fires these pieces until they melt and fuse into a beautiful form. Smith evaluates every flat flower, petal by petal, and adapts the glass to its finished three-dimensional shape. ABOVE is the back of some sunflowers.

The front of one of the glass sunflowers. 

Another one of the glass flowers. His technique is definitely different from glass I have seen in other exhibits. 

This water lily is real.  

We had lunch at the gardens in a really nice little cafe and then headed for the Century-Link Arena for the Berkshire-Hathaway Exhibit event. It is basically a huge trade show make up of companies that is owned by Berkshire Hathaway. It was just overwhelming with so much to see and so many people! 

Besides getting our picture taken, I ended up with 2 big shopping bags of stuff. There was stuff from Fruit-of-the-Loom, a rubber ducky of Warren Buffet holding a gecko, candy from See's, some stuff from Pampered Chef, gardening gloves from Wells Lamont, a Dilly Bar from Dairy Queen and a fresh water pearl necklace from Borsheim's Jewelry Store, Prices were really reduced on some items. We saw stuff from BNSF railroad, Justin Boots, and the aisles went on and on. We could have bought casual shoes or signed up to lease a jet plane. See's had 16 cash registers to handle the crowds as did Fruit-of-the Loom. The event was wonderfully organized and smooth running. However, our brains were on overload after 2.5 hours and we staggered out with our bags. 

In the morning, we catch a shuttle at 6 a.m. which takes us to the arena where we will stand outside in line until the doors open at 7 a.m. You have to be there by 4 a.m. if you drive to get a parking space. There is a 100% chance of rain in the morning but we have our umbrellas and ponchos ready. We only plan on staying about half a day - not the whole day. We skipped a cocktail reception tonight at the jewelry store and will probably skip the BBQ at Nebraska Furniture Mart tomorrow night. So far it has met or exceeded our expectations. 

Cathedral, Wagon Train and Train Station

We had planned on going to the zoo today but a little weather got in the way. It was 46 degrees this morning with a wind chill of 41 when we left the hotel about 10 a.m. this morning.  Last night we had decided to do the cathedral first and then the zoo so it could warm up a bit. The warming up didn't happen... We decided it wasn't worth freezing to see animals we have already seen so skipped the zoo. Oh well...another day in the future when it is warm. 

Construction on Saint Cecilia Cathedral began in 1905. It was built in the Spanish Renaissance Revival architectural style atop the highest hill in Omaha. It was cloudy all day so no blue skies in the background....

This is inside the church looking towards the alter. It is a beautiful building although not as grand as some I have seen. The ceiling was especially beautiful and different. 

First National Sculpture Parks in downtown Omaha is just amazing! Beginning around 2000, five city blocks were transformed into a green urban sculpture park depicting a moment in the rich history of Omaha, Nebraska and creating a unique setting in the downtown area for one of the largest installations of bronze and stainless steel works of art in the country and in the world.

Beginning at 14th and Capitol Streets, a wagon train leaves Omaha and proceeds along a dry creek bed (above). There are 4 wagons in the train complete with 1 1/4 size scale wagons, oxen, horses, dogs, men, women and children. The statues are all bronze and steel. The train disturbs a nearby group of bison (not pictured), causing them to stampede down 15th Street onto Dodge, where they flush a flock of geese from a nearby pond (below). There are 50 geese in the fountain and on surrounding light poles. 

The geese take flight in and around the intersection of 16th and Dodge Streets, and the sculpture narrative concludes with these majestic Canada Geese flying into and through the First National Tower Winter Garden Atrium. These parks are just incredible and I have never seen anything like them! I have seen the bronze statues in other places but not something that tells a story and continues on for several blocks. 

Construction on Union Station commenced July 29, 1929. The station opened to great fanfare on January 15, 1931 and quickly became one of the busiest stations in the nation. In its heyday, 64 passenger trains and some 10,000 passengers utilized the facility every day. The last passenger train departed Union Station in 1971 and the station closed its doors. Union Station given to the city of Omaha. In 1975, Union Station reopened as the Western Heritage Museum displaying small regional history exhibits and private collections. The $22 million restoration of Union Station began in 1995 and required the Museum to be closed for a period of six months. In 1996 the Western Heritage Museum is opened and re-named the Durham Western Heritage museum. Other than special exhibits, the museum covers the beginning and continued history of Omaha. 

Through the Grand Hall of the Union Station are these life size bronze statues depicting what went on when the station was in full use as a train station. They are wonderful!

Part of the Grand Hall with the original soda fountain that is still operational and serves excellent ice cream... 8-) 

Nancy and I ate at the restaurant here in the hotel tonight and went for a walk through the atrium area after dinner. A local school that teaches Japanese flower arranging was setting up their annual show.  They do it the weekend of the Berkshire Hathaway so guest staying at the hotel can enjoy it. Some of the arrangements were magnificent!  Below is one of my favorites. 

Tomorrow we are off to the botanical gardens in the morning. There is an indoor conservatory so we should be o.k. even if it is cold again. In the afternoon we are going to venture into the B-H exhibit hall and see what all we can find to buy and support my Berkshire Hathaway stock. There was an article about it in the paper this morning and it said that See's Candy will have 16 cash registers there and all open to handle purchases. Peanut Brittle is their biggest seller because that and a coke is what Warren Buffet munches on during the day-long press conference. 

Omaha

Nancy and I first talked about coming to Omaha for the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting 3 years ago. Then last year she got sick and couldn't come. But this year we made it so can check it off our Bucket List. We drove up today from KC today and I was surprised that it was an easy 3 hour drive.  I guess I thought it would be farther away. We were concerned about driving in the rain but it only rained lightly for maybe 15 miles.

Hotels up here sell out during the weekend of the annual meeting. I made our hotel reservation last June with a rate of $90/night.  Today our rooms are going for $300/night and have been at that rate for about 6 months. Crazy!  Last there there was around 40,000 people here for the meeting.

Nancy has more than had her fill of Midwest spring storms and has informed me that no more spring trips to the midwest for her. We had severe thunderstorms in KC last night - high wind, really heavy rain and some hail. At one point it was raining so hard and the wind blowing so hard that we  couldn't see across the street from my apartment. When the 2nd storm moved in about an hour later, my windows in the apartment leaked so we were putting towels on the window sills to keep if off the floor. So not much sleep..... However, today was the ultimate....  After we got to Omaha, we went to Borsheims Jewelry store, a Berkshire Hathaway holding. The store is really large and beautiful. We were about ready to leave when my phone beeped and I saw we were in a tornado warning so needed to take cover. The store employees came through the store and herded us to one end of the building which turned out to actually be underground. They locked the front doors so we couldn't leave and the security guards went on high alert. They turned the TV on and we watched the weather man talking about a tornado that had touched down about 1 1/2 miles from us. It was a small one that kept dropping down and going back up.

Here is the weather man pointing out the funnel that had just gone back up in the cloud. This was certainly not on our list of things to do while up here!  I was about 1/2 hour before the all clear was sounded and we could go back to the main part of the store. Then we had to wait another 15 min or so before the rain let up enough that we could get to the car.

We had dinner tonight at Goats Steakhouse. It has been in business since 1944 - a year before I was born. The steaks were wonderful! Besides the great steaks, it is a  place where Warren Buffett likes to to eat at and entertain. The manager told us that they will sell about 1,000 t-bone steaks this week to Asian visitors who want to eat what Warren eats. There was a young Chinese girl there with her cell phone and selfie stick making a documentary about the restaurant. She was filming everything on her cell phone and doing a commentary as she was filing. She even went into the kitchen to film them cooking the steaks. Interesting!

Tomorrow is the zoo. We are not thrilled about the temperature only getting up to around 60 degrees tomorrow but is is the only day that rain isn't forecast. We'll do museums, etc on the rainy days and Sat is the annual meeting. Going back home on Monday.

Just checking in....

It is hard to do a frequent blog when there is nothing out of the ordinary going on which was the way it was for a couple of weeks. Eat. Sleep, Work on my presentations for the classes I'm teaching. That was my days...... Then I finally did something different so have something to write about.

Trip to Topeka: Last Friday afternoon and all day Saturday was the annual Topeka Genealogy Conference.  I drove over on Friday morning and came back Saturday after it was over. The conference was great and the speaker was wonderful. She will be the speaker at our conference in October. I looked over the things to do in Topeka for something to do in the morning after I got there but before I had to be at the conference at 12:30. I decided to visit the Ted Easley Gardens located at Lake Shawnee which is on the southeast side of Topeka. Unexpectedly, their tulip gardens were in bloom and they were beautiful! The lake makes a great backdrop for the gardens.

This garden was a favorite of mine. I don't know that I have ever seen this particular kind before. 

One of the tulip beds near the lake. 

I always think of my dad when I see a dogwood tree because he loved them - especially the pink dogwoods.

Crime in Deer Creek - where I live: Last week the apartment complex hosted a meeting with a local community policeman who talked about crime in Deer Creek, safety, etc. Very interesting!  First of all there were 2 incidents in 2015. One was a fight between a husband and wife and the other one was a theft in a garage where the doors were left over. Apparently the guy used to share the apartment and knew what was in the garage. Deer Creek is considered "very boring" as far as the police are concerned which made me feel good about living here. I asked about safety on the trail and walking after sundown. The only complaints they have on the trail in the last year or so was when a woman called them and demanded that they come and remove the wild coyote who was scaring her little dog..... The police told her the coyote was here first. Also no problems after dark.

Shingles: They just won't go away.... It has been 6 weeks since they moved in. I am down to one place on my arm that periodically feels like it has been hit with a hot iron. There is still some breakout on my back where it initially started but that is getting better. At least I am able to sleep again at night.

Class: One class done and 4 more to go in the next couple of  months. Last week's class was "Website or Blog - Which one is right for me? " The class was well received and I felt good about it. Now I'm working on the next one which I do on May 9th. The May class is on "Comparing Genealogy Software Programs." I feel like I'm back at work with juggling so many things right now. But....I do like to keep busy.....

Easter Dinner, etc

Me and the shingles are just not getting along!  If this is a mild case then I cannot imagine a severe case of shingles. Once I got past the stabbing, burning, searing pain, it has settled down into itching which is driving me nuts. Most of the breakout areas have faded away but there is still a big area in the middle of my back and a couple of other spots. Of course I can't reach the one on my back and every time I move, my clothes rub against it and that sets off itching. I finally sent an email to the doctor pleading for help.... They said to use a hydrocortisone cream and to take Zyrtec which is a strong allergy medicine. I have been using the cream and it works for a short time. The Zyrtec puts me to sleep and does help the itching some but I hate the "fog in the brain" feeling the next day from it. Apparently the average case lasts 2-6 weeks and I am not starting week 4.  However, I have head of people who had it for months before it all cleared up... Please God, don't let that be me.....

The family Easter Dinner was last Sunday.  There was 60-65 people there and all but 10 were related in one way or another. Usually Easter is at the home of one of Vida's daughters but there are just to many for a house so this year we used the Lion's Club building and that worked out really well. Besides all the food, there is always an egg hut for the kids.

L-R: Sheryl, Vida's oldest, Vida, Bill and Vivian, Bill's oldest. 

A portion of the food table. There was a total of 96 deviled eggs on the table and not a one was left at the end of the dinner. 

Cousins with the Easter Bunny who doesn't look too thrilled to be there. 

"Look mommy at what I found." The egg hunt organizers divide the total number of eggs by how many kids there are and then tell the parents/kids how many eggs they can each have. This year it was 20.  They use the plastic eggs and fill them with candy. Some eggs are in plain site and others are more hidden.  The older kids know to leave the easy one for the little ones. This is a 4th generation family member and she may have been the youngest one on the egg hunt although not the youngest one at the dinner. 

Fun Family Time!

And tomorrow is Spring.....

Yes it is officially spring. Yes we had snow flurries yesterday. Yes it was slightly below freezing last night but that does not discourage me after these sights on the way home from a meeting last Thursday... Of course I do have a little mixed feelings because Spring means an end to sweaters and scarfs...

These white blooming trees are everywhere - I think they are flowering crab apple trees. If you are on a light hill, you can look across and see them in medians and many yards. 

These forsythia were some of the largest I have seen in a while. 

Shingles update: I ended up going to see a nurse practitioner in my doctor's office last Monday afternoon as I had had it with the pain. She was just full of not good news.... Yes, you have a bad case. Yes, the shot may help it from getting as bad as it can get. Yes, you need some pain medication. Yes, it can take a while to get rid of the nerve paid after the "visible effects" are gone. So  I was put on prednison to get it calmed down and narcotics for the pain. At this point the breaking out is probably 60-70% cleared up. However, the nerve paid in some of the worst pain I have ever had in my life. I have had multiple surgeries so know what that pain is like plus I know what arthritis pain is like. This shooting, stabbing, burning pain is different and there is no way to get comfortable where it doesn't hurt. With the other pain, you can usually find a position where it doesn't hurt as much. I'm caught between a rock and hard place since I have to limit how much ibuprofen I can take due to only having one kidney and I don't like to take the narcotics for pain. Plus the ibuprofen only lasts a couple of hours and that is too many in a day. Oh well.....patience!

Amazon: Amazon came to the rescue again for a product I could not find in stores. About 10 years ago I got a cordless curling iron that uses a thermal cell for fuel. I got a refill while living in Tucson but now needed another refill. Five different stores here in KC did not have it and I only found one person who even knew what I was talking about because they don't make them anymore. I checked Amazon, they had a package of 2 for $7.95 and two days later they were delivered. I got 2 packs just in case which will probably last me the rest of my life....

Girl Scout Cookies: I didn't get any last year but got a box each of my favorites this year. I am very disappointed in the Girl Scouts because they are so cheaply make. The one with coconut on the top just has tiny little pieces of coconut not the full shreds that it used to have. Tradition gone.... 

Monday Misc for March 14, 2016

This weekend had some good highs and bad lows....

Sisters +2: Back when the girls got together for my birthday, they talked about wanting to get together more often just to get together and catch up.  I finally agreed to plan the events. Last Saturday we met at a place near me where you chose a ceramic piece, paint it, they fire it and you get the finished product in a couple of weeks.

Between Bill and Vida, they have 6 daughters living in the area so they make up the "sisters" and a daughter-in-law and me are the "+2". One daughter lives out of town. Two of the sisters could not make it last Saturday. Starting on the left: Toni (daughter-in-law), Cathy, Sheryl, me, Vivian and Karen. The fun thing was that we could choose what we wanted to paint so we didn't all have to do the same thing.

After painting, we came across the street to my house for an "early happy hour" with drinks, food and visiting. We planned the menu for the family Easter Dinner, talked about what to do in May when we get together again plus just catching up on what is going on in our lives.

The food was good and ranged from little meatballs to cupcakes. 

The adult beverage for the day was Mimosa Punch that was outstanding. I could easily have kept drinking it all evening.....It was sooooooo good!

Now for the low:  On Thursday I broke out with shingles. I thought that if you have the shot then you won't get it but that is not the case. You can still get it but sometimes the shot keeps it from being as bad as it can get which is what I am hoping for in my case. Every story I have heard from people about how bad it is is true. It is on my upper back, below the shoulder, and comes around over the arm down to the elbow and across the chest. At times the ache is like a severly sprained muscle and constant. It burns, tingles, itches - and is just miserable. Each breakout area seems to have it's own sensation so you can be burning in one spot and a few minutes later another spot feels like there is 100 needles being put in the skin at once. I'm on an antiviral perscription to hopefully keep it from getting too bad since we caught it right when it broke out. Not fun!  And then there is the fact that I had to cancel my cataract surgery today for the 2nd eye - very, very frustrating!  I'll just have to ride it out and hope for the best!

Monday Misc for March 7th

It's official:  I don't care what the calendar and the weathermen say, Spring is here! Yesterday morning I was sitting at the table having breakfast when I looked at the house across the street and saw yellow things in the yard. My whole mood lifted...

This morning I went for a walk and saw several robins. What more indication do you need to know that spring is here? In a little corner of my brain I know that these could have snow on then but at least not for this week.

Sunday at the zoo: I have been wanting to go to the zoo since the weather has warmed up but so has everyone else in Kansas City based on the crowds that have been there on weekends. But yesterday I went anyway. I was there when they opened and the FIRST person at the penguin exhibit. The advantage of going several times a year is that you know where things are.

The King penguins were definitely just waking up - breakfast wasn't to be for about another hour. This guy on the left is sitting in fresh snow. On each size of the exhibit, up high, is snow making machines that blow some fresh snow every few seconds. Sometimes the penguins just go set in the snow coming down.

I'm always intrigued with the jelly fish. They are so delicate and beautiful in their moves. I was watching them yesterday and realized that the little wispy hairs come out when they move - otherwise they are tucked in the edges.

As many times as I have been to the zoo over the last 3 years, I didn't know they had an indoor bird show. It is a large indoor theater and the birds are trained to fly from one spot to another by the trainers. The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson has the raptor flights but they are outside in the open and the birds fly where trained to go. There, they can take off for Mexico or Canada but it almost never happens. Maybe the birds know they have a good thing there with housing and plenty of food.

This is the first time I have ever seen a Spectacled (not it is not misspelled) owl. They are from Central and South America. This guy is retired from the zoo's bird show.

And then there was Aramis, the blue and gold Macaw parrot. He had done his usual flights around the theater from perch to perch lured by his trainers and this was his final spot of his part. However, he was not ready to leave the stage and would not go to his handler. His perch was just above his reach. After several minutes of placing food around, he finally flew over to her as is to say "OK, I'm done now." On a Macaw parrot, his toes point in separate directions so they can hang upside down. His tail feathers are about 2 feet long and they have the intelligence of a 2 year-old child. He really was a beautiful bird when his weeks were fully open.

Spring is getting close - I hope

I know that we could still get a big snow or ice storm this spring.  However, I was at Walmart this week and this is what greeted me in front of the store.

Not only did they have the first potted plants of the year but they were unloading a semi-truck full of bags of soil, etc. and other gardening supplies were stored in the parking lot.

Politics: The political race this year has to be the best reality show on TV right now. I have actually watched a lot of the debates - at least the first hour. Again, it is just unbelievable what the Republicans say.  The Bernie and Hillary debates are dull compared to the Republicans. The Kansas Caucus is tomorrow and within the last 2 days I have got a phone call from Ted, Mark, Bernie and Donald - well it was their voice and I quickly hung up....  Last night I got a call from a survey company. I was going to hang up and then decided to do the survey just so I could give some of them my "no way" rating.

Getting ready for teaching my genealogy classes: The one for March 17th is done. I'm about half done with the one for April 14th which is on comparing a website and blog if you are going to use one for your personal genealogy. However I have not started on the one for May 9th and that will be a big one. In the May 9th class,  I am comparing the 4 most popular software programs used in genealogy to keep your information in. One of them I have used for 20+ years, 2 of them I know a little bit about and don't know anything about the 4th one so have a steep learning curve to do to get ready for it. I am certainly doing a lot more in genealogy now that I expected to do when I moved back here. Part of it is that the Society I belong is so active and involved in so many  things. And then of course there is the Quarterly that gets published every quarter..... Busy, Busy, Busy but then I do have to stay busy so can't complain too much!

Yes, I'm still alive....

I've been busy with the March Quarterly so there just hasn't been much to write about recently.... No trips, no excursions with the camera, etc.

Weather: With the nice weather we are having, the camera will get dusted off this week and get out some to see what I can fine during the nice weather in the middle of winter. It won't be as warm this week but to me, upper 40's with sun is not bad. I have been taking advantage of the warmer weather to get back to walking and I can tell a big difference is my knees not being as stiff and I sleep better at night.

Vehicle: I got it back from the hospital a week ago and it looks like a new one. I have always appreciated how comfortable it was to ride in and drive but I doubly appreciate it now after having the loaner for 3 weeks. Larry did a good job when he picked out the Lexus!

My 2016 Travel Calendar: We know that I am organized to a fault sometimes, but I have done a "trip calendar" for a couple of years. It helps me work trips in and around the Quarterly deadlines. I can remember years ago when I was working and doing payroll - I had to schedule vacation around when payroll was due. Now it is scheduling things around when the Quarterly is due. 8-) I'm not planning any huge, long trips like last year. A friend will be visiting for a couple of weeks at the end of April and we are planning a trip to Omaha and Abilene, Kansas. At the end of August I am going to a national genealogy conference in Springfield, IL and will make stops on my way there and back plus also do some tourist stuff while there. I also am planning on some 2-3 day genealogy trips this year to look for some cemeteries, see where my ancestors lived in Arkansas, etc. May work my way down to Oklahoma City with a couple of nieces sometime this summer - probably early October. So all in all, a lot less travel than last year.  Now, 2017 is another thing.....

Left eye that had the cataract surgery: I saw the eye doctor last Friday for the final time on the left eye. The right eye is scheduled to be done on Mar 15th. They can correct my left eye now to 20/20 for distance - I was 20/40 before. I have to take my current glasses off now to read since I can see to read better without them than I can with them due to the old prescription in them. Needless to say, I am anxious to get the other eye done and then get new glasses. I'm NOT looking forward to going through it again but have to and this time I know what to expect.

Royal's billboard:  Vivian and I went down to the Plaza last Wednesday for lunch and while there checked out the billboard that the Royals put up commemorating the World Series.

You may remember that Salvatore Perez, the Royal's catcher, was notorious for dumping the Gatorade bucket on a player after a game - usually while he was being interviewed on TV. So the billboard is a 3-d billboard of him doing that. Pretty neat....

Wagon train swales (ruts)  in Minor Park: On our way home, we stopped at Minor Park. I don't remember having ever having been there and certainly not to see the swales. Back in the 1800s when wagon trains were going west, all three of the major trails came though here and then split out to either the Santa Fe, Oregon or California Trails. At Minor Park, the wagons crossed the Blue River and started up the hill on the other side after stopping to adjust their load or rest.

The arrows are pointing to the swales (ruts) still in the ground from over 150 years ago. The stone at the top is a marker with info on the swales. Many of the swales have been graded and smother out over the years but some remain. Rather interesting....

I guess I had more to talk about than I thought I did....

Another cold Monday.....

I keep telling myself "Yes, Darlene, it is really cold outside. But, this is part of the 4 seasons so just hang on for about 40 more days and spring will be here with trees leafing out, flowers coming up followed by blooms." And then this summer, I will be fussing because I want to wear my sweaters again.... I will still take this Midwest weather over the desert...

Eyes: My eye that had cataract surgery 2 weeks ago today continues to improve and my sight is getting much better. I can read the newspaper better without my glasses than I can with them now. The prescription in my glasses for the left eye is 20/40 and it is really hindering how good I can see now that the eye is getting better. The glasses make that eye more blurry.  I called today and got an appointment to get the right eye done on March 14th. At least this time I know what to expect... I just want them both done and to have new glasses by the end of April when I do my next road trip.

Vehicle repair: The update text I got today from where it is being worked on said "Hi Darlene. We are nearing completion. The last mile is the toughest! If any delays, we will call you." I CAN'T wait to get it back on Friday.

Not much else going on so catch you later....

Update on my cataract surgery

I saw the eye doctor this morning for my 2nd follow-up after the surgery about 10 days ago. I feel better about it all after talking to her in detail. The decision to "put me out" is not totally made until the day before surgery when the nurse anesthetist reviews the files, in depth, for the next day's patients. The person who calls me on what to do, not do, etc a few days before doesn't know what he will decide hence isn't able to tell me what to expect. That makes sense to me....  Today they did the eye exam to see what the changes at this point will be and they can correct the "good eye" (the one I had the surgery on) to 20/20 now with glasses!  It was 20/40 and the other eye is 20/30. The reason I don't see as much difference is because the prescription in my glasses is at 20/40 so it blurs things. The reading is much better in the one eye (without glasses) than it was and will continue to improve. Remember that I chose the implant lens for close up in an effort to get rid of my computer glasses. Hopefully, my new glasses with have a prescription in the top of the lens and the rest of the lens will be clear. I am amazed at the how different white looks in the good eye versus the bad eye.  There is a brown tint to white paper with the bad eye and it is normal with the good eye. I feel a LOT better about it after today's appt. So now my big decision is whether to do the bad eye next month or wait until winter... I told her I would want it all over, done and have new glasses before my road trip with Nancy at the end of April. She says no problem... It is my decision... Her only comment that did make sense is that if I wait, the brain has to process the two very different eye visions. Decisions, decisions, decisions.....

Only 45 days until Spring!!!!  8-)  This was taken on March 31st last year. 

Updates and Mystery Solved

Car update: I get text from the collision center where my vehicle is being repaired after going nose to nose with a big light pole. Last Friday I got a text that said, "Darlene, your Lexus is happy here! Why? Because we are taking good care of it until it comes hone on 2/12/2015."  The text today said "We are over the halfway mark! Your Lexus is 53% complete and still on target for 2.12.2016." I just want it back so I can get rid of the loaner I have....

Cataract surgery update: My sight is getting better in the left eye which is the one I had the cataract removed from on Jan 25. I can see the TV some better and can see better when driving. However, I'm a long way from being able to read without glasses like I'm supposed to be able to do. I have to continue putting drops in 3X day until the bottle is empty and there is still a lot in these little bottles. I go back on Thursday for another check up. I was thinking all along that I would go ahead and get the right eye done in the next month and have it behind me.  Now, I'm thinking I may put it off for a year or so and see how I am doing with the left eye, new glasses, etc. The left eye was much worse than the right eye is but it still needs to be done. I'll see what the experts have to say on Thursday.

Mystery solved: I could not understand why I was always so cold when setting in my recliner and watching TV. This went back to last year soit  was not something new this winter. The thermostat was on 72 and that seems like it should be enough. I know I have windows on most of one wall but still.... So I bought a good indoor thermometer and that solved the mystery. When it  put it on top of the thermostat, which is in the hall about 12-15 feet from my chair, the temp says 72.  When I move the thermometer over and set it on the coffee table it says 68 degrees after a couple of hours. Mystery solved - it is 4 degrees colder where I am setting.  That may not be a lot but 68 degrees is rather cool in the winter. I set it at 65 at night but I'm sleeping with an electric blanket over me. I have repeated the test several times with the thermostat set on various temps and the results are the same - a 4 degree difference between the thermostat and where I set. At least it wasn't just in my mind.....

I looked out the office window this morning and saw these two little guys sharing the feeder at the same time. First time I have seen that before.. I know that some people hate squirrels but I think they are so cute!

When it rains, it pours....

If I'm not traveling, then I can bump along from day to day with just routine stuff so there is nothing really to write about unless you want to know how many birds and squirrels came by the office window for lunch....  But, then things get busy and thank goodness it doesn't happen very often.  So here goes....

The light pole that wouldn't bend: Last Tuesday (a week ago yesterday) we had a snow storm that only left a couple of inches of snow - barely enough to matter.  However, the storm started with rain which immediately froze so there was ice under the snow. The ice was not forecast. The storm started earlier than forecast so I got caught out in it. After driving about 60 miles, I got about 1 mile from home and slid into a tall, fat, metal light pole. I was making a left turn, just creeping along on the snow and ice on the street when I felt the back end of the car start to slide. I was about half was through the turn. There was nothing I could do except watch the light pole coming at me and wondering where it was going to hit the car. Fortunately it hit on the front right fender. I sat there for a minute or so taking inventory of me and being thankful that my air-bag didn't go off and I was o.k. I backed up, got out and checked the car, drove on home and called the insurance company.

This is what $8,700 dollars in damage looks like. Besides the body work, there was some damage to the radiator support, etc. It even totally cracked the composite fender in two places. It will take about 3 weeks to get it repaired.  But, no one was hurt so it is just a major inconvenience.

Cataract surgery: I had my first eye done on Monday of this week.  Before the surgery, I talked to several people who have had cataract surgery to find out what to expect. Well, my experience was nothing like their experience!!!!! First of all, I was put out for the procedure using propofol which I didn't know would happen and no one I talked to had had it happen to them. At least I didn't have to lay there watching him come at my eye with a knife and needles...  Then, I take the patch off when I get home and I can't see a thing except for a bright light in that eye. None of  "I could see so much better" stuff for me. By the time I went to bed that night I could make out shapes with that eye but that was about it. Thank goodness it was much better the next morning so I could drive back to the doctor's for my check-up. I keep putting drops in and it is getting better but still - not like I expected. I asked the doctor yesterday and found out that they put about 20% of the patients out for the surgery. It is based on a number of things including how sensitive the eye is to light, droops eyelids (which mine are), size of the cataract, dimensions of the eye, etc. He said it was "very larger and very fat."It will have to be the same way when I get the other eye done. More inconvenience since my computer time is limited due to eyestrain for right now.

Larry's Birthday: Today is Larry's birthday and he would have been 71 - like me. I am exactly 2 weeks, to the day, older that he was. I still miss him but time does heal except for that hole that will always be there.  The hole just gets smaller.

Hopefully, life will go back to being routine....

Back to routine days

• Sept trip is over.
• Dec Trip is over. 
• Jan birthday is over. 
• Back to routine days - YEA!

The trips were wonderful and I made so many great memories but they take a lot of time to prepare for. I do weeks of research on where to go, what to see, where to stay, etc. Then when I get back I spend many, many hours doing my Trip Book. No more major trips until late April.

Yesterday was another birthday for me. I can remember the years when I looked forward to birthdays with excitement - probably up through the 21st one. Then came the neutral years when it was "Ho Hum, another birthday." After those came the years of dreading birthdays because it meant I was getting older. Now I look at them as a celebration for making it another year. After 71 birthdays, I realize that I am definitely on the way down the mountain - I just don't know what my elevation is on the mountain. Yes, I do feel a sense of  "Do it while I am able to do it." I don't want to reach the bottom of the mountain with a lot of regrets for things I haven't done that I wanted to do.

So now it is time to get back to routine days and I certainly have some busy ones coming up. Most are with the Genealogy Society where I am teaching 5 classes this year for them. I had big plans to work on my presentations while on my Dec trip but didn't do it so gotta get busy. I haven't had time to do much genealogy research the last 6 months. Plus I have a Quarterly publication to get out by March 1st. But that's my life and I would rather stay busy than have nothing to do....

Comments on my Winter Wandering....

Here are some thoughts and comments on the trip:

• The trip was 31 days long and I drove 4,270 miles. 
• I drove through Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Kansas. 
• I stayed in 10 different hotels/motels while on the trip. The Holiday Inn Marina in Corpus Christi was probably my favorite.  My time in a particular location ranged from 1 night to 2 weeks. 
• I took 3,318 pictures. This time I edited more each day so won't have as many to do before I do the Trip Book. 
• I also worked on the Trip Book while on the trip instead of having to do ALL of it when I get home. The pictures are mostly in the book until I got to San Antonio. 
• I can't imagine doing a road trip anymore without my cell phone, satellite radio and Samantha (GPS). Using one of the apps I have on the phone, I found everything from the nearest McDonald's to the nearest Walgreen's. I checked restaurant menus before I went there and verified that Samantha knew where she was going. 
• For this trip, I synced  the music on my cell phone with the car so could listen to my music through the car speakers. Also listened to my favorite KC talk radio station when I was in a place to get a good signal. I could only take so much CNN and then went to music. I listened to more political stuff than I ever wanted to. 
• My new laptop was a wonderful improvement over the old one. I could quickly download the pictures in the evening and do the blog in a lot less time that I could on the Sept trip. 
• My most memorable experience was the Christmas Eve service in the 350 year old San Fernando Cathedral in Corpus Christi. The sanctuary was beautifully decorated for Christmas and it was awesome to listen to Christmas Carols being played on the huge pipe organ - even if I couldn't understand about 1/2 what they were saying. 
• I haven't decided what my favorite tourist place was yet - I'll decide that when I do the Trip Book. 
• It was a wonderful trip but my warm bed sure felt good last night.... 8-)

Here is a final picture for you from the Best Western in Denton, Texas where I spent my last night of the trip.

When I first walked in the door at the hotel, I saw the large fountain ahead of me on a wall. One of these above is the whole fountain. It is columns of water, each column full of bubbles and flows from the bottom to the top. It slowly changes color every few seconds - moving from green to dark green to dark blue to light blue, etc. It was really pretty and I'm not sure I have ever seen anything quite like it.

Back to putting stuff away and doing laundry...  Plus getting organized on what I need to get done in the next week or so to catch up.

Home Sweet Home

Samantha is letting me know today that we were 500 feet from home (checkered flag to the right of her) at 3:11 this afternoon - 8 hours after we left the Dallas area this morning. Other than being long, it was a good drive in the sunshine. Today is the 2nd day I have seen the sun since Christmas Eve.....  We argued in Oklahoma City since she wanted to come home via Tulsa and I wanted to come through Wichita since we went through Tulsa when we left here 31 days and 4,270 miles ago. I won! 8-)  I'll so a recap on the blog tomorrow but for now I'm just enjoying being in my recliner and thinking about how wonderful my electric blanket will feel in a few hours. It was a wonderful trip but I'm glad to be home....

Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library and Museum

I left Corpus Christi at 7:30 this morning when it was 41 degrees and raining. Three hours later, when I got to Austin it was still raining!  Not a fun drive..... At least it quit while I was at the Library and was dry from there on. But then, there was road construction most of the other 4 hours including through Dallas. Not sure which was worse...

The LBJ Presidential Library is on the grounds of the University of Texas Austin. There are 13 Presidential Libraries/Museums and this is the 4th one for me. I have been to the  Kennedy, Truman, Clinton and now LBJ Presidential Libraries.  I plan to go to the Eisenhower Library this summer.

The Library is housed in this building which is not what I expected in Texas.I didn't expect the architecture to be this modern. Everything else on the campus is brick and "old" looking.  This library was opened in 1971 and I couldn't help but compare it to the Clinton library that opened in 2004. I think the exhibits in the Clinton Library are better done, easier to follow and definitely not as crowded as the ones at the Johnson Library. There just seems to much stuff for the size of the building in this one. 

This is the stairs leading up to the Great Hall and is really beautiful. The hall is 5 stories tall and open. The stairs, railings, floors and walls are all a beige travertine marble that came from Texas. 

The red on the wall in the picture of the Great Hall is these individual books containing over 45 million documents from Johnson's presidency. Each book is bout 6" wide and there are around 4,300 of the books in the cases on the wall. 

Johnson's desk in the 7/8 scale of his oval office. The furniture is the original furniture. He lived for several years after the library was built and got a kick out of coming to the Library and setting at this desk when visitors came by. 

This is the actual paper from the teleprompter that Johnson read from, while sitting at his desk, on March 31, 1968 when he announced that he would not run for a 2nd term. 

Lady Bird's office as it was in the White House. I was surprised by the red desk and red sofa.....

Back to Corpus Christi.... Today was their annual half-marathon run.  I could not believe how many crazy people were out there in the rain, while it was 41 degrees, getting ready to run 13 miles.  O.K., I can understand the young people but there were many, many people who have had enough birthdays to know better... At least one lady had a light poncho on and had it taped so the hood, etc would stay close to her while she was running.

Weather is looking good for the last day of driving tomorrow!  I keep thinking about crawling into my nice warm bed tomorrow night instead of cold sheets....

Happy 2016

I'm not sure I totally understand it but New Year's Day is a favorite holiday for me - maybe it stands for a time of renewal and looking to the future with a new book of blank pages. Due to a lot of circumstances over the years, Christmas is not on my favorites list and it's not something you can just push a button and fix. It was never big in my family when I was a kid, it wasn't a bid thing with my ex nor with Larry. So over the years it just took on a ho hum holiday spirit.  Now New Years is another story. For years and years I have spent New Years day updating my Bucket List  and setting some goals for the new year. Back in the days before I did digital books, I would do a scrapbook of the previous year. Larry and I spent a lot of time on New Years Day working on our Bucket List. So, today my list is updated and after this, I will be going through my 2016 calendar and write in dates that I already know will be happening in 2016 like known trips I know about, birthdays, etc.

The Holiday Lights are a big thing here in Corpus Christi. They even have a weekend festival where all the lights are turned on with ceremonies, etc. Many of the boats in the marina are decorated with lights. The highlight is the Harbor Bridge lights.

 The Harbor Bridge spans the bay from North Shore to South Shore in Corpus Christi. The bridge is 1.1 miles long and 235 feet tall so ships can pass under it. The original plain lights were turned off in 1989 after corrosion and age had darkened over a quarter of them. Last year they did a $2.2 million dollar project to add 950 LED lights as part of a state-of-the-art LED Light System. The lights can change color and are sometimes coordinated to music when the symphony pays at a stadium that is close to the bridge. This picture is from the Internet since I didn't have a tripod to take my own pictures. Well I did take them but they are blurry....

The city's Christmas Tree is along the marina near my hotel. It is probably 30 ft tall and is really pretty at night. 

Port of Corpus Christi is the eighth-largest port in the United States in total tonnage. Port Corpus Christi is located on Corpus Christi Bay in the western Gulf of Mexico, with a straight 45-foot-deep channel.  The top products last year was crude oil and gasoline although they also wheat, containers, etc. A crude oil pipeline comes into here and there are numerous refineries in the area.

Here are two ships in port. While here, I have seen numerous ships coming into the harbor and going out.  Some of the ships are like this and some are more like barges. 

I forgot to post about the local Botanical Gardens that I went to on Wednesday. They are small but had a nice orchid display although I have seen better arrangements. They have about 35 different orchid species but they are just in pots along rows instead of being artistically displayed.

This was one of my favorites.  The orchids ranged in size from this one being one of the largest down to some that were about the size of my thumb. 

Tomorrow I start the journey home!  I leave Corpus Christi, drive to Austin where I will take in the LBJ Presidential Library and then drive onto Denton, TX (north edge of Dallas) for the night. I decided to skip the Bush (senior) Library which would have added another night to the trip. I looked at the Bush exhibits on-line and I remember them when they happened so it wasn't as interesting. If I ever get to the point that Bush Sr and Bush Jr Presidential Libraries are the only ones I haven't visited then I will come down to Texas again and see them. I'm interested in the LBJ because I remember some stuff that happened during his Presidency but not a lot of it. On Sunday I will drive on home - my 31st day of being on the road. 8-)

So my quote for the day is one by Georgia O'Keeffe that I saw the other day while viewing her exhibit at the Art Museum. She said  "Where I was born and where and how I have lived is unimportant; it is what I have done with where I have been that should be of interest."  I like that and keep thinking about it.