The Black Bra as seen after 44 years of marriage!

The other day I had lunch with 2 of my unmarried friends.One is engaged, one is a mistress, and of course I have been married for 44+ years. We were chatting about our relationships and decided to amaze our men by wearing a black leather bra & bodice, stiletto heels and a mask over just our eyes. We agreed to meet in a few days to exchange notes.

Here's how it all went:

My engaged friend: The other night my boyfriend came over and found me wearing a black leather bodice, tall stilettos and a mask. He saw me and said, 'You are the woman of my dreams. I love you.' Then we made love all night long.

The mistress:

Me too! The other night I met my lover at his office and I was wearing the leather bodice, heels and mask over my eyes and a raincoat. When I opened the raincoat he didn't say a word, but we had wild sex all night.

Then I had to share my story:

When my husband came home I was wearing the leather bodice, black stockings, stilettos and a mask over my eyes. As soon as he came in the door and saw me he said…

"What's for dinner, Batman?"

Sigh!

Did you ever have one of those days?

What I learned in the CT Scan Department.........

...................will fill a gnat's behind!

Yesterday I was privileged to be the "testee" at the Medina Hospital's radiology department for my head. The joke here is "duh, what are they going to find, when it was empty to begin with...yuk, yuk, yuk!) Alright already!

After hitting my head on the asphalt on Thursday afternoon at the Horse Show I experienced dizziness, nausea, sweating and other assorted unpleasantries. Well, I was'nt going to the emergency room etc, I was going to be just fine. Then my son Nathan said two words to me ...

Natashia Richardson!

The lovely actress who fell on the ski slope, hitting her head, and dying a few hours later.

So, off I trudged to the Dr.'s office. Janet examined me, said my blood pressure was a little high, and rechecked it later, still a little high. She thought a CT Scan was in order, not because of some great trauma, but because she wanted to know if any "little" blood vessels were compromised or bleeding out.

The receptionist called Medina Hospital (Not Medina "General" Hospital anymore with the advent of the Cleveland Clinic merger) to make the appointment. The ensuing conversation was like a sitcom featuring Lucy and Desi. She would listen to the voice on the phone asking questions, and then relay the questions my way, and then back with the answers.

Seems Medicare won't pay for a CT Scan unless there is a headache involved. Duh! My head ached, but a "Palm of your hand sized goosegg" didn't count, even though it made my "head ache"! Well, how much does a CT Scan cost? sez I. If I thought I was dizzy before the answer, it ain't nothin' compared to what I was after the answer, "You don't even want to know" said the receptionist.

Okay then, what do we do? How about "I think I'm developing a severe headache while I am standing here!" Not good enough. Then the right question was asked. "Are you having any dizziness?" "BINGO"!!!!! In like Flynn! and don't forget to stay hydrated! Drinking glasses of water, after glasses of water made my trip to the hospital a little longer journey. I had to stop and two McDonald's to pee on the way!

So, with no waiting, no time to run, no time to change my mind, I was ushered into a room of sterile white, told to lay down my purse and jacket, no hospital gown, no dye in the vein, not even taking off of shoes, Voila! I am partially in the tube, lying very still, trying to remember every flash of medical show I have watched on TV and believe me. It was nothing like the movie!

"You are all done now, the radioligist will review the film and forward the information to your doctor"

And I got myself all worked up for that?

Gheez!

Now I wait for the results. Always a fun way to pass the time!

So why do the leaves change color in fall?....

........because the chlorophyll breaks down .

In the fall, because of changes in the length of daylight and changes in temperature, the leaves stop their food-making process. The chlorophyll breaks down, the green color disappears, and the yellow to orange colors become visible and give the leaves part of their fall splendor.
At the same time, other chemical changes may occur, which form additional colors through the development of red anthocyanin pigments. Some mixtures give rise to the reddish and purplish fall colors of trees such as dogwoods and sumacs, while others give the sugar maple its brilliant orange.

The autumn foliage of some trees shows only yellow colors. Others, like many oaks, display mostly browns. All these colors are due to the mixing of varying amounts of the chlorophyll residue and other pigments in the leaf during the fall season.

Temperature, light, and water supply have an influence on the degree and the duration of fall color. Low temperatures above freezing will favor anthocyanin formation, producing bright reds in maples. However, early frost will weaken the brilliant red color. Rainy and/or overcast days tend to increase the intensity of fall colors. The best time to enjoy the autumn color would be on a clear, dry and cool (not freezing) day.
Enjoy the color; it only occurs for a brief period each fall.

Rats....I thought it was magic!

Happy Birthday Nathan!

Photo below is Nathan and the late "Grandma Neta" (the woman married to my cousin William Koons, who I lived with from the time I was 17 until I was 21).

(Photo to the right is baby: Nathan Winfield Von Duyke, age: One day!)

Today is the 39th anniversary of the birth of our son Nathan. 39 years ago, I as a first time mother to be, spending 24 hourse in the hospital, I gave birth to an 8 pound 20 inch long baby boy. at 3:30 a.m. on October 13, 1970, at Southwest Hospital in Berea, Ohio.

I was not allowed to see him, hold him or touch him. After the birth (remember, we all got general anesthetic to give birth, so I never saw him, I was just whisked off to my room to "wake up" (and hurt!)

"Where's my baby"? "He's in an incubator" "Don't worry, he is okay, but the cord was wrapped around his throat, so we have him in a warm and quiet place, no oxygen, just keeping him warm and calm after the trauma of his birth" "He will probably always be quiet, due to this experience" said Dr. Myron Welty.

I got hysterical. Tim wasn't there , as he had fallen asleep on the wall of the waiting room (No Dad's in delivery in those days) I was frantic. Not allowed out of bed, not allowed to see my baby, and no one around that I knew.

Eventually I drifted off into a fitfull sleep. In the wee hours of the morning, as I recall it was around 5:00 a.m. or so, anyway all was dark, someone nudged me on the shoulder. I opened my eyes and a nurse was leaning over me saying "be quiet, I brought you your baby to see".

I bolted upright in bed. I woke up fully and looked at the baby. She laid him on my lap, unfolded the blankets and said "look, see he has all his fingers and all of his toes, and he is perfect in every way". "Don't say a word, I have to take him back to the incubator, I could lose my job if I get caught". "The shift is getting ready to change and I wanted you to see your little guy". "I have to get him back right away"!

I shall always remember that moment. He spent four days in that incubator before we were allowed to bring him home to the farm house in Valley City.

My little boy!

He was perfect then, and in my eyes he is perfect today!

Farewell to "Miss Kitty"

She did not belong to us. She actually belonged to the neighbors who lived 2 houses east of us, but she chose to

take up residence in the barn owned by the Vaughns'

She was sweet, petite, and very very "purry". She had the loudest purr I have even had. She would spend her winters in the barn and Linda bought Fancy Feast cat food (both dry and canned) for her to eat. She always had a cat feeder on the counter in the barn, always full of dry food, but she got a can of Fancy Feast (or an envelope of Whiska's") twice a day. She would greet me when I went to feed.

In the warmer weather she would come up to the house and lounge around the patio. She was not young, we were figuring about 17 or 18 when she passed this weekend.

I was at a Horse Show, but I asked Tim to bury her. But, Bruce already had. She was the sweetest cat I had ever known, even sweeter than Morton. She acted like she was grateful for any attention, and any special tidbits I would feed her. She had bites of birthday dinners, Sunday dinners, Holiday meals, Turkey and Ham, plus the occasional cottage cheese and milk.

She was "Marshal Dillon's" counterpart.

Safe journey "Miss Kitty" and God's Speed!

Thanks for the memories!

This weekend, I am at a Horse Show in Ashland wth Sarah. We were here Thursday afternoon, and yesterday with only Daniel and the horse. Last night, Samantha Sampson arrived. Sam will be riding my mare Zana Bey today in four Youth Classes, riders ages 11-18.

What is so special about this? I get to go to a Horse Show with my daughter!

While the world is toiling away at their nine to five jobs, we get to do what we love.....be with horses!

Now, I am a hard worker, and work long hours in Real Estate, and my other sundry (sp?) ventures, but the horses are my passion.

I rememer a line from the movie "The Rookie" starring Dennis Quaid. He was a High School teacher and baseball coach, that made it through the arduros auditioning for a major league team in his 30's, something unheard of for his age, and he was recruited by the Tampa Devil Rays.

As in any day to day life experience, we get a little down in the mouth and feel like we have chosen a job of drudgery sometimes. Well Dennis Quaid came into the locker room of the baseball team, with players who were all a little negative and said "Do you know what we get to do today? We get to play baseball"!

My friend Linda White has a favorite line. She says "This isn't a dress rehersal...this is the main play"!

It is cold, and it has rained for 48 hours straight.....but do you know what Sarah and I get to do today?
We get to go to a Horse Show!