A Letter To My Daughter

Dear Julie,

I have had get Anna a BD card on my list for over a week and it still isn't done. We will call her on her birthday and find one asap and send it. We have been crazy busy. Have a lull in the action coming up as Dad will be at deer camp a lot until we go. I only have to finish doll bedding, pack for the winter and try to remember everything.

Now I am thinking of Emily's BD too. So basically, I need to think of interesting little gifts for all the kids. Not noisy or little pieces or annoying at all. Hummmm.

I was trying a new diabetes med through October, then the insurance company decided not to pay for it. It worked ok. So I finally deciphered the message from the mail order drug co. that something wasn't going to be sent, gave me a prescription # that wasn't in my records. Lawyers must write their emails, it is all a big secret. How do dumb people figure it out? Don't just say, "your cheap ass insurance company won't pay for the new drug, call your doc and ask for a different one." Just allude that something isn't coming, guess what it might be.

Part two, the doc also had me take more of my old drug, so I ran out of it , He had ordered a new script of a larger dosage. They won't fill it until it is time. They did say Nov. 6, on Nov. 6 they changed it to Nov. 16. No one knew that before then? Again I get a secretive phone call with a script # that is secret. I won't get this before we leave for Texas.

So today I have to go a round with the doctor's office and try to explain some of this to the girl, who clearly doesn't care, and beg for a script for a month's supply and pay for it myself. Then I have to perfectly time changing my address with the drug company so pills will arrive in TX and not be lost in Post Office/ Medco limbo for several months. Dumb people don't have a chance.

I exchanged several sarcastic emails about this with various machines at Medco, they apparently don't have the sarcasm chip in their mother board.

Last week I got a new new diabetes drug to replace the lovely expensive Januvia drug, and I appreciate it's kick ass attitude. Sometimes I get to drink orange juice to raise my blood sugar. A treat as I never drink it. I expect to lose some weight with this! And have energy.

So as you can see, I have been busy swearing at inanimate machines and laying awake thinking of revenge instead of buying daring little girls birthday cards.

Last night we had friends for dinner so I could clean the whole house and hide all my projects so as to give the appearance that I am organized and give a shit. Paul helped a lot, vacuumed an acre of carpet, tidied. He was a cleaning trooper. We had a great time, very good friends, dry turkey that wouldn't reach 180 degrees. And the whole point of this paragraph, a wonderful easy recipe I tried. Nut Brown Butter on steamed broccoli. It is a French recipe that translates to Nut Brown Butter. For a pound of broccoli you put 3 Tablespoons of butter in a pan and cook it till it is brown and tasty, pour it over the broccoli. It was incredible, so tasty and easy. I am thinking of other vegetables to try it on.

This email is nearly a blog. I think I need to post it.

Love, Mom

November Sunrises

A gray and pink morning
Saturday at 8 am, 26 degrees, ran out in my bathrobe and crocks. Too pretty to resist.
Cannot resist taking sunrise photos, they are always a little different, and beautiful

A Few More Pics from the Weekend

Emily, Ellie and Julie

Anna and baby Ellie. Don't anyone smile!

Notre Dame Weekend - Part One

Nana Sharon and Grandpa Paul take Emily to Lake Michigan

Anna, Kyra, Megan, then Megan Kyra and Anna. The beach was beautiful, full of treasures to discover that weekend.

Some how I took a few panoramic photos, kind of interesting. Anna, Megan and Kyra to the left and Grandpa Paul, Patrick and Pops Timer to the right.




Nana Sharon, our joint grand daughter Emily, Grandma Marjie, freezing out side the Notre Dame Bookstore. No one complained.



Julie holding Emily, Megan in front, at the pep rally at Irish Green.

Julie rented a big house at Beach Walk by Lake Michigan, and we gathered for the ND game. It had rained so we stood in water at the pep rally, I was very chilly. Sharon said my blood is thin from going to Texas every winter. Sounds about right.

Megan, Kyra, leprechaun and Anna after the rally

The Eagle Has Food

This is a picture of a cloud that has a white streak that looked like a water fall going down it Lots better to see it in person.


We got to Boyne Mountain on Friday with a couple of stops in handy nearby Eagle's Clubs. It was raining hard on the trip north, we had to stop at the Eagle's in Gaylord. Roger and Beverly were waiting there for us. Being Friday, they served an amazing fish dinner. Roger got the buffet and fed us all shrimp cocktail and mac and cheese. Paul got fried shrimp and Bev and I got cod. Roger ate Walleye, but could have any of the fish. Sadly, you can only eat so much fish.

Next, we went to the Boyne City Eagle's Club, it was very crowded. Finally, we went to the condos. On Saturday, Paul made a great breakfast, and we went to the Eagles in Boyne to watch the Michigan State/Michigan game. Bev and Roger brought snacks and the club had chicken wings and cake, and others brought food too. Wings were excellent. Around 1 pm, Steff and Tyson got there, and then their friends.

After that game, we drove up to Petosky to the Eagle's Club there, right on the bay. They were having a very loud party after the game, the DJ was deafening, but good music. And guess what? More great food. I was full of junk already, so I just had some veggies and dip, and a few bites of Paul's brat. It was good. The bay was very wild, six foot waves and the water flying way up in the air, beautiful with the shades of blue and white caps. Went back to the condo to watch the Tigers lose.

Oh,we threw away some money at the casino, and with pull cards, and raffle tickets. Not a very lucky weekend. I think some loser lotto tickets also. Pathetic.

Sunday, we had breakfast out, went to Petosky and shopped a little, went on to the Eagles Club in Indian River to watch the Lion's lose. Then to the Boyne River Inn for some wonderful white fish. The only luck this weekend went to a fisherman who caught a 10 pound steel head trout while we were eating dinner, overlooking the river. Then to the Eagle's Club in Boyne City again. By this time I was over my limit of time I can spend good naturedly in bars. I talked Bev out of that third shot of Jagermeister, we all said good by to our new best friend, Larry, and got home, safely.

Home again, home again, like a fat pig

Oh So Good To Be Home

With a side dish of the good and bad of camping in state parks.

We had a beautiful trip, the weather was perfect, spectacular views, warm sunny beaches. All the while my head is having a major sinus event. I did not whine or even mention it but by the weekend Sandie said "You look like you have sinus." Maybe I mentioned I was tired or something, might of whined a little. Paul had it too. But he takes beer for it as well as Sudifed. That is certainly cheating.

The straw that broke this particular camel's back was a not so innocent little campfire right next to our bedroom window. You know how irritating smoke can be to a scratchy throat, the heady combination of damp swamp wood and dry leaves put me over the edge. I wanna go home! Plus Paul was kept up by their trailer fan both nights we were there. My poor hearing is sometimes an advantage.

So I have segued right into the annoying parts of camping in state parks. The good part is the beautiful beaches, low prices, nice rangers, etc. Here's the thing, no f***ing cable, in Pentwater we couldn't even get a radio station to listen to the Tiger's games. Oddly, I had amazing internet service through my Alltel phone. But I would have to pay to hear or see the game. If I did that they would surely lose and I would feel guilty. We keep telling ourselves we certainty don't need to drag the direct tv dish along with us. We can survive camping without it. Can't we? It appears only for a limited time and not during playoffs or when the Lions are on a winning streak.

Another annoying thing about state parks is all the campfires, all day long, no matter how hot it is. There are always trees and hills to trap the smoke in. Why do folks escape the city to choke in a campground without tv? Stay home and save enough money to order pizza and watch tv, the air is cleaner.

And at times the other campers are unfriendly, you wave and say hi to the neighbors and they just look through you. We do love the millions of kids in the parks, fun to watch. The campsites are small and only have electric connections. Most campers have a trailer, a tent or two, two cars, six bikes and two dogs. Cheek to jowl all the way.

Pentwater

this glorious maple tree was at the state park entrance, this is at sunset






Snow fence is up already, with a drift of sand in front of it








Rick and Sandie

Pentwater is a charming little town on Lake Michigan. There is a lake and a channel to the big lake. Rustic cottages to huge family homes, the whole town is a picture post card. The park is close to town and it is a short walk to expensive little shops. We ate at the Antlers Bar on Sunday, very good food.