Author: Cranky Crone

Thinking Out Loud

I recently told you what a terrific neighborhood I live in.  I began thinking about other things in my life that make my life better.  There are a lot of them, so I’ll try to keep it to some basics like inventions.

An invention is something that no one thought about before and now it exists.  Like shoe strings.   Or equal to that – aglets.  That’s a tag or metal sheath on the end of a lace, a cord, or ribbon to facilitate its passing through an eyelet.  (Definition: American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 1982 edition)  Thus, on to more inventions.

I had something else planned for today’s blog, but changed my mind.  This early morning, I was sitting on my bed surrounded by three – THREE -CPAP machines.  To understand what happened, you may need some “back story.”  So, here it is.

By now, you know that I have macular degeneration.  I also have AFIB.  I use a CPAP machine.  And, after my fourth (and, I’ve decided, my last) sleep study, my doc ordered an oxygen concentrator for me to use at night; an oxygen concentrator to use with the CPAP machine, as well as a new CPAP machine.

I live in the best neighborhood in the world.  I know you hear that a lot from me, but I honestly think I do.  Have you thought about your neighborhood, lately?  What do people do for each other?  What happens when there is an emergency?  My neighborhood has a couple who are now recovering from a COVID spell.  Fortunately, their confinement has not been too difficult.  Next door neighbors brought groceries, snowplowed the sidewalk after a snow; in general, were long distance caregivers.  Because I’m eighty -three now, my job was to stay away, when I got home from Wisconsin – even though I did offer assistance that I would be able to provide long distance.

Open Letter to Xcel Energy

This is a letter (which I will actually send to the home office of my energy company, Xcel).  Every month, I receive this letter (see the picture) which costs them money, that I have to actually pay for because I know they use money that I pay for my bill to create this thing.  A human person must calculate the information, format the letter, have it printed, get it into the envelope on which postage must be affixed (according to the envelope, “PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID HEDERMAN DIRECT [whatever that means]).”  And, the postman must deliver it.  This is all costs money to accomplish; I wonder what it all costs to send out thousands and thousands of these letters!  So, here is my letter to Frenzel, president and CEO of Xcel energy.

Since my preferred grocery market is in Denver, and the Denver City Council has decided to put a price on having the groceries that we purchase in that favored store bagged in plastic bags (the charge is 10 cents per bag), I have endeavored to shop for groceries at a market in my city.  I also have been wondering since the push to use cloth bags started, who is really at the basis of the push.

 Just a note:  punctuation and other formatting is as found on the magnets.  I changed it only for clarity. 

“If you can speak, you can influence;  If you can influence, you can change lives”  Robert (Bob) Brown is an industry expert, author, and seminar leader, trainer and keynote speaker.

“If we are to have magical bodies, we must have magical minds.”  Wayne Walter Dyer was an American self-help author and a motivational speaker.

“Marrying the right person is the singularly most important decision you make in your life.”  Steven Roberts, journalist and spouse of Cokie Roberts.

Many, many publications, TV programs, etc., publish the past year in pictures.  I thought I would do the same.  So, here are a few of the pictures that I sent to you, this past year – plus just a few from the Wisconsin trip.

As I told you¸ I journeyed to Wisconsin to be with Daughter #3 during the complete knee replacement and the follow-up physical therapy.  Her surgeon said the surgery was very successful, and her physical therapist indicates that she is doing really well and is ahead of the game in the progress of recovery.

As usual, I took too much stuff with me.  I thought I would be able to have more free time and do more of my own stuff while being a caregiver.  Son-in-law Bob set up their basement room in a very comfortable way.  Lady, Chere, and I were very happy sleeping there.  Their stationery bicycle was available for me; however, I was not able to use it because of my lower back problem and the shoulder difficulty that encroached in my life almost as soon as I arrived in Wisconsin.  Years ago, I had right rotator cuff surgery – twice because the first one didn’t take – and the current problem is very reminiscent of those days.  I’ve made an appointment with Reister (orthopedic surgeon) and will see him, next week.

Our winter holidays, this year, may seem a little skewed.  With the event of the pandemic and the rise of the new variants, it seems to put everyone in a different mood.  Some folks are making efforts to climb out of the destructive capability of the pandemic and follow some sort of normalcy to their holiday activities.  Some seem simply resigned to getting along as best they can.

For me, I’ve spent almost a month with Daughter #3 and her family, assisting where and when I can with her knee surgery.  First, I’d planned to be back home with Daughter #1 for Christmas, but both daughters decided that I should stay and celebrate Christmas in Wisconsin.  So, that became the plan.

My Christmas gift to you is a set of poems that I wrote for three holidays, falling at this time:  Christmas, Chanukah, and Kwanza.  These acrostic poems were published in the Denver Gem and Mineral Guild’s monthly newsletter, Tips and Chips, December 2021 issue.

I told you, last week, that I’d do my best to have this article posted at the appropriate date and time.  So, here goes.

I may have told you that I would be traveling to Wisconsin to be caregiver to Daughter #3 while she recovers from knee replacement surgery. – I can’t remember if I’ve told you – I’m old!  An event occurred that appears to me to be what is currently being called a “God Wink.”  At least, that what it is called in Hallmark movies.  And.  you know that I watch a lot of Hallmark programming.

A God Wink is an event that happens when every thing comes together to make something work.  With nothing to explain the happening.  I was preparing to leave home, get into the car, and travel north and east through Nebraska, Iowa, and Wisconsin to arrive at my daughter’s home in time for her scheduled surgery.  Rita, the person who has kindly been helping me with household work had carried most of the boxes of stuff that I planned to take to Wisconsin.  There were, however, a few last boxes to be taken to the car, and Rita was not at my home at the time.  Some of the boxes were heavy – certainly, heavier than I should be picking up, carrying to the door, down the steps, to be heaved into the car.  When I actually got them into my car, I could leave my city and start my travel.