July 28- Aug.5, 2005 #351

When Andy, Laura and I got home last Sunday from Gilbert Lake, I found a note on my door. It was from Ken and Wendy! They decided to take a ride on Ken's Harley 1976 Sportster and ended up in my dooryard. They spun up to Andy's and he was not home either. All was not lost as they had a wonderful ride. There will be other times, I HOPE.

Natalie's calendar is full! The only weekend she and I had to visit our mutual friends, Joe and Marianne Miles in East Dennis, Cape Cod, was a long weekend the end of August. Our friends, Louis and Rosetta Bunch from Staten Island will join us for the ride there and then will join Natalie on continuing on to visit yet another friend. She and the Bunches will return in a few days. We will all leave for home with lots to talk about. It has cleared with Marianne and Joe and now all we have to do is wait till the end of August!

Irwin and I visited his son, Jeffery and his wife, Joy, in East Patchogue, Long Island, I have a desire to have a kayak! Joy took me out and taught me how to enjoy it and I loved it. I would sooo like to have one. By chance, Doug and Barbara Bush stopped when they saw me weed whacking. It had been some time since we chatted. When I mentioned a kayak, they said they thought they had seen a sign along Route 10 in Laurens that read- Kayak for sale. I later found out it was a CANOE! Who knows what would become of me.

Hazel McShane, 92, shared her excitement of a trip to Norton Lake with her good friend, Kathy Andrews from New Berlin. She came and picked her up and took her for the day. It was grand and she enjoyed it, but it was tiring. In the weeks ahead she hopes to see and hear from a number of folks. In the meantime, she tries to keep her self-busy and moving. You may have caught her picture in Neighbors last week. She was honored as the oldest member of the Oneonta Chapter of the AARP and also been a member for many years.

"I am doing OK for a woman in my condition" says my good friend Barbara Thomas. With the help of her Hospice nurses and friend, "Betty" she is managing to keep a positive attitude. She recently, of a Friday night, had dinner at The Moo Shack, with the company of her son, Alex, and wife, Polly, and neighbors, Dr. Bruce Daly and his wife. Hindered by the work being done in the back yard, Barb and her wheel chair were was unable to get outside. It had been the first in a long time and she thoroughly enjoyed. She is already looking forward to another time.

One of my favorite people is Oparah Winfrey and I do try to see her program when I can. Yesterday she had the stories of 17 women, all 30 years old from 17 different countries. Now, if that wasn't interesting! In some countries, 30 year-old women may have had four husbands or been divorced three times at a cost of $3.50! Some would not have lived till 30! Some were magnificently rich and held fine jobs, but the last one from Rwanda, had seen 15 members of her family murdered before her eyes and then was raped rapidly until the murders were to exhausted to stop her from escaping. She is now raising a child, who is a result of the rapes, and two other orphaned children. Oparah, through her Angel Network, is making it possible for this courageous woman to graduate from college! The audience stood up and cheered this woman and Oparah for her help in getting her life back together. Bravo! Bravo!

An email from my niece, Susie Ryan, brought news that her brother, Danny Holtje, will come back from the Artic to Anchorage to Anchorage, Alaska. He will see his wife and family off for Lima, NY, and then return to Artic to continue his work surveying Alaska for the government. Julie and her family will all be in her brother, Pat's wedding. She will then return with her "troops". It will be grand to see their families again.

Natalie's her son, Brian, had just left and Val, one of her granddaughter's, left Saturday. Then another son, Kevin, Donna and their daughter, Brigitte came. Now daughter, Claire Marie, Kevin and son, Liam, will be arriving. I hope to see them all tomorrow. The Bunchs return to go to the Otsego County Fair next week. She will be pooped, but so happy.

After my appointment at Bassett, I stopped by the Joyce's to see if I might see their grandchildren, who will be here till school starts. Three of them were there, Helen, George and just a glimpse of the youngest and the biggest. My how they have grown. I'll have to stop back to see Delancy and Katie.

Oh, I am sorry, I hadn't mentioned my decision to have a bunion removed in October, before Arthritis sets in. It has taken me a long time to decide what to do but after talking to Mary Bush about her surgery, I decided to see Dr. Michael Bahlatzis, her Podiatric Surgeon. He spelled it all out for me. To compensate for the pain I have been walking improperly and that leads to all kinds of problems and I want to WALK. My right foot has seen a number of problems. As a teen, I continuously hit the inside bone of the ankle when bowling with my left hand, have dropped heavy things on it, including a brick two years ago and was hobbling around for a time. I hope to have it taken care of in early October.

An email relates the wonderful plans for the Sage Center on Railroad Avenue, Cooperstown. There are a number of workshops: Guided Meditation, Dreams Understanding, Chakra, Reflexology and an Open House on August 13 at which, the Brewery will have a beer tasting! You had better call and get the info for yourself. 547-7485 and ask for Katy Bouton.

I was thankful for the break in the weather. It didn't last long, but it felt good. The grass crutches under my feet and but for my watering, my flowers would die and so would I. The birds enjoy the new birdbath, which was broken in the tornado. Spike and his buddy come often, but the Bluebirds are gone. I have one woodchuck left and he has a big hole on the corner of the cornfield.

Thought for the Week: The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.