Hello on Sunday Morning

Dear Friends,
Saturday went as I guessed it would. While I was visiting Dear Old Mom at the nursing home, a friend called Linda, and they went off for a little recreational shopping. Since my visit with Mom was exhausting, I took a nap while they went shopping.

Speaking of the visit, my mother's two sisters, and a cousin who drove them for the visit with my Mom, arrived about the same time which I was leaving. My cousin (6 years younger than me) , whose immune system has been compromised because of the Chemo treatments due to breast cancer, donned a mask since the nursing home is still going through an unofficial quarantine. To watch my two Aunts and cousin trying to talk through masks was quite interesting especially since my mother can only hear through one ear using a hearing aide.
Mom still talks about wanting to go home. I keep telling her that she has to be able to get out of bed by herself. Just as my relatives were entering the room two health care workers came to help get mom from the bed to a chair. Mom could not get her self from the laying position to the sitting position. The workers had to assist her.

Of course, after my nap, and after the women were all shopped out, we needed food. We went off for a delicious meal at a small Italian Restaurant called Papa Joe's. The original Papa Joe was from the same town in Sicily that my mother's parents were from. Actually all the parents of the Italian neighbors, whom I grew up with in Lee, came from Canicatti, Sicily.

No, the night didn't end after supper. We invited our friends back for some coffee, dessert, and a round of cards. We played cribbage with the men versus the women. The men won the first game, and the women one the second game. We were neck and neck in the third and final game until the female friend scores 24 points on a hand from the kitty. The most points that you can get in one hand is 29 points. These 24 points were the highest that most of us has ever seen. It was like putting the "final nail in the coffin" as the saying goes.

Politics -- Russ Limbaugh was the keynote speaker at a Republican Conference yesterday. He might as well run for President.

It was sad to hear that "The Rest of the Story" guy, Paul Harvey passed away at age 90.

How about the Maine coffee shop that created a way to increase business in these tough economic times. They hired 10 waitresses, and 5 waiters who serve customers "Topless". There are more female customers at the current time. Yes, business has increased with this new concept. Not everyone in this small Maine town likes the "Topless" idea.

We do have another free day today. For how long, I don't know.

There is an Ice -Fishing derby which started an hour ago which I should make an appearance at since it is a memorial tournament for an Irish American Club member who passed away a couple of years ago. He was in his 50's. Guilt!

I should also visit Mom in the nursing home. I am really afraid to catch what bug is going around the nursing home. When the workers are walking down the halls, and dealing with patients in masks, you know that the nursing home is in crisis mode.

The forecast for our area has changed. The coastal storm might reach into the Berkshires, and we might get at least 5 inches of snow. Yesterday, the forecast was a dusting, near miss, etc. What a difference a day makes! From the middle of the State to Boston they will be getting a foot of snow.
We are in a Winter Storm Warning right now. Welcome to the first day of March. The most snow will fall overnight into Monday. I am thinking that Monday could be another snow day for the students in the Pittsfield Public Schools.
I really feel bad the the people who live in the Southeast who are going to get snow. They don't have the snow plows, and tons of road salt which we have in the Northeast.

I woke up from a frightening dream in which I almost drowned in water which had flooded a portion of land which was next to a river. The flooded land was in my old neighborhood in Lee. A branch of the Housatonic River is right across the street from the family homestead in Lee. The family home is a hundred and fifty feet up on a steep hill which would take a lot of flooding before the house was affected by the water. I don't know what brought on the dream, or what is the significance of the dream.

I did see a grocery list on the kitchen counter. There is no way that I am going to the grocery store today. Whenever snow is predicted, the supermarket fills up with customers who think that they don't have enough food in the house. The food that we need are basic crock pot vegetables like carrots, potatoes, celery, onions.

Well, the Sunday Berkshire Eagle has arrived, I like to read it before Linda gets up. It is a quiet activity too.
Have a great day. The Curley Lad