Happy Snow Day in Seattle!

9 February 2014; Cozy and warm inside Grumpy's Castle --

Well, Grumpy started out this month in a "grumpy" mood: I didn't feel "too awfully well". I spent all day the 5th in bed trying to overcome what I thought was "just a 24-hour bug". The next morning, I felt better -- for awhile, but then returned to bed to try to warm up enough to stop the shivers and teeth chattering. Finally, about noon I called the consulting nurse and was directed to enter Urgent Care for a check up.

What I had, and what I am now recovering from, is a stubborn case of infection. But that is not what this POST is all about; it only provides some background to what I am doing this morning! I AM SHOVELING SNOW!!

 

First of all, I should tell you about my process of getting up and getting dressed in preparation for going out into the cold. Taking care not to expose myself to the elements again for fear of being besot again with chills and shivering, I thought to put on extra layers of warm clothes. When at last I thought to be ready to venture forth into the cold, I realized

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I needed to go to the bathroom!

Mothers will recall incidents of such nature with their children whom they tried to bundle up suitable for the cold environment. I laughed to myself -- no one else to laugh at me!

Ten-Day Birthday Party

Grumpy's Castle; 10 August 2010 --

When a guy reaches the age that Grumpy has finally attained, I believe he deserves to have as long a birthday party as he wants. So this past ten days has been a "party"! Let me explain -- with pictures.

On the first day of August, the eldest Daughter, Anonymous, had a crowd of descendants, who were mostly-related to Grumpy [-- but few, if any inherited the 'grumpy' genes, however -- thank God!!], over to her home for a very pleasant outdoor barbecue picnic. This photo shows at least part of that crowd. It is left up to the reader to supply names of the people milling around. Grumpy would attempt to do it, but he depends on the Grand Mother to provide the names, birth dates and parental relationships, so he will not attempt to help the reader in any way. The results would be in error anyway.

A few of the participants, however, cooperated by allowing Grumpy to capture some fine moments. Here are Alexander the Great- (Grandson) with his youngest sister Gracie-Mae (in a wistful-shy mood). Gracie-Mae has been one of the more difficult Great Grandchildren for which Grumpy has been able to capture a photo opportunity.

 

One of the highlights of this occasion was Grumpy getting to hold one of his youngest Great Grandsons "Zeke", captured in this "mutual admiration" photo. Grumpy also got to hold the the very youngest (so far!) Great Grandson Oliver, but no photo-documentation was made of that occasion. It may have  been of rather short duration because tiny Children seem to prefer their Mommies rather than their Great Grandpa. Grumpy will investigate and try to solve that mystery. 

On Sunday, August 8th, the Grand Mother [a.k.a., First Wife] feted Grumpy to a surprise birthday dinner at a notable local barbecue restaurant. Our long-time good friend Margaret and younger daughter Nancy Nurse with husband Paul were there to watch Grumpy eat too much -- including a scrumptious Blackberry cobbler ala mode! Afterwards, this photo of the dinner participants was taken by Mr. S. T. Sony*, showing in the background the evidence of where this all took place.

Birthday greetings included two musical cards with a "Western" theme (Grumpy always appreciates good country-western music!) and another card prominently displaying a cow on the front, with suggestive phraseology inside about pies. The sender, whose identity Grumpy will not reveal because it might embarrass him (or, worse! it might actually enhance his standing among some of his own family!! Well, his boys anyway; his wife Peggie is nice -- she never gives me a hard time, but those boys, they always like to get their Grandpa in trouble!), lives in Green Cove Springs FL and has the same legal name as Grumpy. E-mails, long-distance telephone calls and more birthday cards have all given Grumpy plenty of reasons to be thankful for having survived this long with this family.

One of the more unique "material" gifts Grumpy received for his 83rd birthday was an I-Pod -- from his baby sister Hazel.  Having been born and brought up on a farm and having lived quite a long time in a rural area of Iowa devoid of television advertising and even a good Conservative newspaper, perhaps she hasn't quite captured the true meaning of the term "I-Pod". At any rate, Grumpy is thankful for her thoughtful gift, shown at right, delivered postage-paid in an envelope.

• * "S. T. Sony" is the self-timing mode on Grumpy's Alpha-20 Sony camera.
  

The Last Word

Sunday at Church --
This past Sunday before services, an old friend came over to where we were sitting. I introduced him to my Granddaughter, my Daughter and Son-in-law who had come with us after joining us for an early breakfast. I then introduced my friend to my Bride, who does not regularly attend with me and who I assumed he might not know.

I introduced the Grand Mother as "my First Wife".
He greeted her and asked, "And what do you think about being the first wife?"

"I don't know; I haven't met the others yet," she responded sweetly but firmly.

Grumpy and his friend collapsed in laughter and were struck speechless with the brassiness of this unexpected, out-of-the-blue retort! Grumpy is rethinking his mischievously referring to the Grand Mother as his "First Wife" in the future.