Events

“Cyborg Update”

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It’s been 6 weeks since my hubs made a rather dramatic trip off the back deck and ended up with two fractures in his right leg, which I covered in my post Update on Robert.

Yesterday was the big X-ray reveal and he is healing well.

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Good bye hard cast.  Hello walking boot.

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Strangely, although it is a boot, the whole idea of “walking” does not really apply.  He does look like a storm trooper from the knee down. Although it is very uncomfortable, he can remove it at night which is “cool.”

Four weeks in the boot, then back for the next reveal.  (Healing is hard!)

 

Update on Robert

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Robert (Hubs) fell December 17th on a very wet rug at the bottom of the steps off the deck.  He fell in a twisty sort of way which allowed him to land on his own leg.  This was not as fun as it may seem.

So many have sent well wishes, I thought I’d take a moment for an update.

January 4th, 19 days after the accident (which included three trips to the chiropractor, one trip to his MD, and two sets of X-rays) it was confirmed by a specialist that Robert had two fractures.

One above his heel.

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and the other below his knee

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Robert was promptly (after 19 days) put in a cast.

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Although it is a hard cast, Robert cannot put any weight on it for the next four weeks.  At that time they will remove the cast and X-ray him again to see if his bones have healed as planned.  If they have improved, he MAY be able to advance to a walking boot. The ankle is completely encased and the fracture in the knee is stabilized by the cast.

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He’s pretty good on crutches, but is very frustrated that he cannot work his usual shifts. He’s such a good patient.  The only time he really freaked out was when we crossed a parking lot (make that a skating rink) where I did a not-so-graceful flop on the asphalt.  He had to go for help instead of helping me himself.  He hated that.

We’re both on the mend, but walking around the house feeling very, very old.  (I don’t know if I really added enough “very’s” to that sentence.)

Thank you all for your prayers, chants, texts, emails, tweets, and posts.  They have lifted our spirits.

The Christmas Bowl

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A blended family is a balance of joys and challenges, often amplified by various holidays, birthdays, or family gatherings.

New relationships often call for either creating or compromising traditions that are part of our personal histories.  We chatted with the boys (then 10 and 12) about tradition, symbolism, and creating new bonds.

I broached the question, “As a new family, what traditions would you like to create?  What says, ‘Christmas’ to you?  What is something we can do each year at this time?”

I had a back-up list from my own experiences: caroling, singing around a piano, putting up lights and then having hot chocolate,  cutting down a tree, making home-made cards, making cookies together, etc.

The boys were pretty quick with their answer.  “Bowling”

“Bowling? ” I repeated when I thought maybe they didn’t understand the whole ‘Christmas tradition’ part of our discussion.

“Bowling” they said.  “It would be our Christmas tradition.”

“Well,” we thought, “Bowling it is!”

Twenty-five years later, I can say with 100% certainty that their idea was spot on.

Each Christmas Eve morning we gather for a light breakfast and gift exchange.  Once done, we zip off to the local bowling alley (dressed in Santa hats and reindeer antlers, silver bells and bright sweaters) to bowl badly and laugh heartily.

We have grown from 4 to 12 or more depending on circumstance.  We even have two winner ornaments, like the one pictured above, to be proudly displayed until the next year when it is up for grabs.

Three generations enjoying “The Christmas Bowl.”

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The Gathering

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What a treat to travel from the valley to the Ocean.  Better still, to have the whole family, three generations under one roof for a weekend.

Board games in the TV Room

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Cousin giggles.

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Pre-bedtime electronics and snuggling.

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Piling on Robert. (Papa)  Love these munchkins (and Robert as well).

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Our boys with their daughters. Love these dads!

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My daughter in laws – So lucky to  have them. Love their beauty (inside and out)

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Talent Show Saturday night… magic tricks, jokes, stunts, and all ’round silliness.

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Some worked as a team.

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What a great weekend.

We’ll do it again!  Oh yes!

 

 

Hobbit Dream

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My husband (a Hobbit enthusiast) shares his birthday with or around Thanksgiving each year.  This year I had a surprise in mind.

November is also our anniversary, so we decided to take the family for a weekend at the coast.  (Will post that next week.)  Since the coastal fun takes place two full weeks before his birthday, I schemed with the family to hold a surprise birthday there.

He was shocked when gifts, candles, songs, merriment appeared from out of nowhere. There were gifts and cards galore, with all of us beaming that we had kept the secret.

The last gift was a box inspired by his own words.

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The box held a scroll with the message,

Dearest Hobbit,

From the earliest birthdays we’ve shared, few have gone by without you wishing you could celebrate a proper Hobbit birthday where the birthday hosts gives gifts to others to celebrate a spirit of gratitude. These small tokens are given with much love. So, dear one, I have made it so. In this box you will find gifts to hand out, as a proper Hobbit would. I do this with deep love.

Your Elven Queen

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He removed the gifts and handed them out to a much surprised family.

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* FYI, if you wish to make paper look old, it is quite acceptable to tear the edges and color them in ink.  Getting the aged look through burning might cause some…er….ah….situations that are harder to explain (ruined an iced soda and had to air out the house before he got home — yikes).

A Winner with Miles to go…

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With full brag, I wish to say that I have run a TYPE of marathon and have won.

The NaNoWriMo Experience (National Novel Writing Month) challenges you to type  1,667 words a day, every day, until you have written a 50,000 word novel.

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The pdf one receives may be cheesy, but I typed & printed, and  will hang it in our den with pride.  It was not easy; I feel as if I have really accomplished something.

The two main characters, the Carn sisters, have been floating around in my head for a couple of decades…with nothing to do except be an intriguing idea.  Finally, something was done with them and I’m proud of the results.

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My plan is to tuck it in a drawer for one week, then take it out and begin the next step….the editing.

A shout out to my Book Buddy, Lara, who was with me daily and also won herself.  We did the happy dance/twirl, no matter that we were miles away from each other.

Someday as you are going through amazon or even (gasp) Target or Barnes & Nobel, you might run across a book that started in November 2015.

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*Cover is mock up using tool I had on hand and the generosity of a stunning niece.

 

Awards Can Build Community

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I’m new to writing blogs (four months), so when I received two awards in one week, I was a bit overwhelmed.  I was flattered, but at the same time felt as if I was just handed a chain letter. (“If not passed along terrible things will happen to the receiver of this letter” – These chain letters were popular years ago.  Now on facebook one receives the FB message to “share” if you love puppies)

November 1st, I’m starting my first NaNoWriMo adventure and felt I didn’t have time for anything else.  But then I thought about it and realized….hey, this is supposed to be fun!  Also, I have been enjoying reading new blogs and all the interesting things posted. My blog was not just a diary, it was part of a bigger community of sharing.

I thought I’d make up my own rules and respond by combining the two awards.  (My computer will not blow up or anything, will it?  Will it?)

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Thank you Beaton, of https://becomingthemuse.wordpress.com/ for the Liebster Award.

Thank you, Afrika Bohemian, of http://www.tribe53.com/ for the Infinity Dreams Award.

Liebster — The Rules:

  • Once you are nominated, make a post thanking and linking the person who nominated you.
  • Include the Liebster Award sticker in the post, too.
  • Nominate 5-10 other bloggers who you feel are worthy of this award. Let them know they have been nominated by commenting on one of their posts.  You can also nominate the person who nominated you
  • Ensure all of these bloggers have less than 200 followers
  • Lastyly, COPY these rules in the post.

Infinity Dreams – Rules:

  • Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back.
  • Post the award badge and rules.
  • Tell 11 facts about yourself.
  • Answer the questions that were set for you to answer.
  • Nominate 11 other bloggers and set questions for them.

The following could be thought of as facts about myself or answering questions:

  1. What is the story behind your blog name?

My name is Bobbi Bowman.  I thought about changing “man” to “woman.”  “bobbibowwoman” I feel kind of bad about the two “ww” in the middle.  They kind of creep me out.  But it’s too late to change it now.

  1. Why did you start blogging?

I work with a little goldfish that tweets every Friday in #Friday Phrases.  She has become popular enough that some have suggested I need to illustrate her.  So I am brining her to life in word and image.  It’s a lot of work, but I find it enjoyable.  The more I work with the wonderful Friday Phrases community, the more I write.  Is this an interesting phase or a new life?  Hummmmmm

  1. What was your favorite class in High School?

I loved speech and drama.  Speech: I had a way of breaking things down and holding interest.  Drama: I was a behind the scenes kind of gal until they threw me on stage a couple of times my Senior year.  I mostly worked with backdrops, props, and costumes.

  1. Favorite Books?

Right now I’m reading so many blogs I have not found time to read a book.  I do have an extensive Nancy Drew collection from when I was younger.  I also used to read “The Chronicals of Narnia” once a year.  I like YA literature. Recently fell hip deep into a wonderful Sci-fi series of books written by an Oregon author.

  1. Favorite Movie?

You are killing me here.  I can only give you my favorite two movies of last year because I love way too many movies: “About Time” and “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.”

  1. Weirdest thing you eat?

I love the most hated candy in the states…candy corn.  I eat it once a year and love it.  Then I’m done.

  1. What one word covers me completely?

Blanket

  1. What is your party trick?

Not showing up.

  1. What three things would you take to a desert island with you?

My husband (although not technically a thing), my phone, and a luxurious yacht

  1. If aliens invaded the planet, why would you be the first they should take?

I’m very diplomatic and curious.  I also have a good sense of how to explain the different events happening on earth.  I’m also a killer mime if there are communication breakdowns.

  1. Share one thing you didn’t understand about the world when you were a kid.

Why bad things happen to good people.  (Still working on that.)

My Rules:

I have enjoyed reading blogs, so here are a couple of awards you may wish to play around with.  They’re fun and the questions are interesting.  You can even make up some of your own.  However, the award is not to be meant as homework, so if you are not feeling it, please don’t do guilt over it.

The idea is to share and build community, so no pressure.

Wandering Wives

Petrichor and Clouds

The world according to Godistricksy

teleportingweena

graygirlsrock

Friday Phrases!

Hall of Tweets

Remembering a Special Halloween

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A Halloween I will always remember happened when I was new to my present home.  I did not know at the time that I had a neighbor down the street who graciously hosted a dozen or more of her students to her own neighborhood to experience ‘trick or treating.’

They were from the Oregon School for the Deaf, and I would guess 5-7 years old.  Many had never “trick or treated’ outside the protection of the dorms or classrooms.  This was high adventure.

Dressed as ghosts, goblins, princesses, and monsters, they approached the house laughing with hands flying.  They thought I’d be like every other house.  Hand over the candy and nod.  Though I had not expected them, I knew something they did not.

I stepped out on the porch and greeted them in American Sign Language.  “Happy Halloween.  Good to see you all.”

They froze as one and just stared.  It was like they were seeing some kind of strange animal in the wild. They didn’t race for the candy.  They lined up and each took a turn.  The first question is usually, “Are you deaf?”

“No I’m not deaf,” I explain.  “I’m hearing.  But I know sign language.”

Once the ice was broken they smiled and each presented themselves so I could make the appropriate responses to their costumes.  They were more eager for conversation than sweets.

“Oh my….you scare me!  Are you a pirate?”  “What a dress. I love the yellow and orange colors.  Are you a princess?”  “I can see your wings!  Do you do magic?”

I signed with each one until every costume was appropriately appreciated.  Then, they were off –laughing and signing —  to the next house.

I closed the door feeling that I had been on the right street, just at the right time.

Bring it on, Sunshine!

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Oregon is known for rain, even when most of the state is relatively dry.  The most populated area – the valley where we reside – gets loads of misty, hazy days.  For this reason, I never thought putting up solar panels would be cost effective.

I was wrong.  There is a science to the whole thing and current US incentives have made more folks think about letting the sunshine cut their electric bill.  (Wow, that sounded like some kind of advertisement.)

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