All systems GO!

Wind surfing on Maui - Early 1990's
Wind surfing on Maui – Early 1990’s

Carlton’s hernia operation went off smoothly. And, he was able to leave the hospital without a catheter. We got back home at 1:15 and he settled down to watch tennis on TV. He didn’t put his PJs on. He didn’t take a nap. He ordered Mac-n-Cheese for dinner. So Far So Good.

Iceland 1983

Today's Ephemera Offering
Today’s Ephemera Offering

Early in the summer of 1983, Mr C and I headed out for Holland via Iceland. It was Carlton’s introduction to travel Peg-Style, i.e., no checked bags and no reservations.

Feeling pretty sanguine about Carlton’s hernia surgery tomorrow. Hopefully, I’ll still be feeling sanguine 24 hours for now. Time to go fix his “Last Supper”. How about yellowfin tuna and flying saucer squash with tomatoes? Sounds good to me.

Today’s Ephemera Photo

Yosemite Half Dome - 1996
Yosemite Half Dome – 1996

Somehow, I only found 46 photos of our summer in Yosemite. And there are maybe only 10 “good” ones. Maybe more will show up.

My current Ephemera Project Plan is to run the scanner for about 30minutes everyday. Stuff the photos in Lightroom. Keyword them. And, when I am in Hawai’i then I can crop, color correct, dust and scratches the photos. And sort them into “albums” for printing.

I was worried about the way Mr C’s last skin cancer procedure was healing or rather not healing. The doctor already admitted that they didn’t get all the cancer out and they had to take another go of it. I was worried about that. And I was worried that it might have gotten infected. Infected would cancel his hernia operation. Raging cancer wouldn’t be good either. So, to make me happy, Carlton went to see his dermatologist this afternoon. Not to worry they said. Just slow healing. Not infected. And not rapidly advancing cancer. SO, all systems are go for the hernia removal. Reporting to Outpatient Surgery at O-Dark Hundred hours Friday.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday, Dad - born 1919. The Sarge and I never agreed about anything - except that steaks should be rare.
Happy Birthday, Dad. 1919 – 2000. 

Nice day today. Still toasty warm. The pool could be opened – but it isn’t. But, we still have a balcony and a terrace. And a lounge chair on each one. So, I can keep up my tan for a little while longer. (Hawai’i doesn’t happen until Nov 10.)

Crows on Cranes

Crows on Crane
Crows on Cranes

Every evening, the crows have taken to lounging on “our” construction cranes. Just as long as they don’t come across the street and lounge on my lounge chairs.

It is the last weekend of summer… Also the last weekend before Mr C has his next and hopefully last operation. This one is going to be a “simple” hernia repair. (Sept 6 is the big day.) I must confess, I am not looking forward to getting back into caregiver mode.

I see that The Prez passed the ball on bombing Syria to Congress. Well, if Congress acts on Syria with regular Congressional speed – the folks in Syria can rest easy.

Thursday

Captain Hot Air ca 1960
Captain Hot Air (Carlton ca 1960)

After spending two days locked in a freezing cold defunct operating room being “trained” – it was good to be back to a normal routine today.

Sad news in the email today – a woman who worked for me in Guam died yesterday. She didn’t make to 60. No one is promised tomorrow. Take care and enjoy every second.

Syria. So, let me get this straight. Syria is having a civil war. Folk who hate our guts are fighting folk who consider us the personification of evil. 100,000 or so folk have been killed. A few more get killed with poison gas. Therefore, we are going to kill off more Syrians – it doesn’t seem to much matter which side they are – to punish the Syrians for killing folk with gas as opposed to bullets. Did I get that right? Gas bad/bullets and bombs good.

 

50 Years Out…

The Oldest Grand - Small Kid Time
The Oldest Grand – Small Kid Time

Fifty Years Out – Out from “I have a dream…”. I feel sorry for anyone born after the mid-50’s. Those of you born during the current soft times. To you “duck and cover” is only a really silly ad campaign involving a turtle. (Watch it.) You might not even know who or what the Freedom Riders were. In this era of “Stand Your Ground” – who can imagine bus loads of college students riding Trailways busses in coat and tie or hose and hats. Taking bus rides that almost always ended in a serious beating and/or jail time. All this done while never hitting back. Do you remember what it was like when middle and upper class “girls” went to college for their Mrs. Degree? When lower class girls like me could go to beauty college or secretarial college. If we were very bright – we maybe might could go to teachers college. College college wasn’t an option. When, if you were a guy, unless you were in college or were very lucky in the draft lottery – there was a very good chance you were going to die far from home in a very unpopular war. No one was going to say “Thank you for your service” either.

Those of us who came up through the Civil Rights/Women’s Rights/AntiWar era were hugely blessed. We had great sweeping causes. Causes worth dying for. And, at the end the struggles – most of us got jobs with health insurance. And a house in the ‘burbs with two cats in the yard. Oh yes, and we had The Dead.

Are we really going to go quietly to the grave without just one more righteous cause? Sure hope not.

It is sunrise season again…

sunrise w/crane
sunrise w/crane

Good thing I took my series of sunrise shots last fall. The cranes are interesting. But, I am not sure they add much to the photos.

Ah, Syria. What a mess. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. But, as far as Syria (and Egypt) the enemy of my enemy is still my enemy.

Lovely Fall Like Day

Carlton in Grad School at Virginia Tech
Carlton in Grad School at Virginia Tech – late 1950’s

This one is from the Ephemera Project. I think Mr C hired a photographer to take pictures of his thesis project – and this photograph was lagniappe.

Had a lovely early fall day today. One of those crispy blue days that reminds everyone who was here that day of 9-11.

Still preparing “mushy” meals. How many ways can I scramble eggs? Meatloaf, anyone? How about applesauce? Not to mention ice cream.