Greg does not appear to have any sign of cancer and his kidney is functioning well. Yeah we started the day with that very good news. We went out to breakfast to celebrate!! He is tested twice a year and we appreciate hearing good news - for sure. Especially since we miss his sister so much - she died of pancreatic cancer.

Brr it still is cold and there was some wind today. Another cold night is predicted. When the weather improves 20 degrees or 30 will feel like a heat wave. I try to tell Emma and myself each day is one day closer to spring! Even Emma seemed to be in a hurry to do her business and then come quickly indoors today.

Yesterday I had trouble getting my internet to work. Gosh I guess I use it more than I realize. I read the news on line and get various newsletters on line. We do get the newspaper too and I read some of that. I also like getting email. I have had a few really upbeat emails that cheered me up. Thanks for those - you know who you are. I guess it is the winter blahs that sometimes get me down?!

Emma is at my side as I pick up around here. The cleaning woman comes tomorrow and I have to get ready for that. My counter accumulates clutter and as I clean it I sometimes bump things or drop things. yeah Emma to the rescue. She will also help me with a little laundry I plan to finish. What would I do without her?

The doctor and staffed admired Emma today. She showed off her best behavior. She is being really affectionate with me today at home - good medicine for me.

When we went out today, I forgot to bring along treats. Now she will obey me without treats but it is nice for her when I have a small treat now and then. It is her pay check. She looks at me with those tender eyes and I melt. So she is getting a small treat now and then for helping at home today.

I better get to picking more up before I get too tired. If you lived in my Senate District you just might get a phone call from me tonight. I will keep my remarks short though because I know people do not always like political phone calls. They assure me the people I am calling have been involved in politics and given their phone numbers so I hope most are pleasant to deal with.

I have an Aunt who is elderly and says she won't vote for anyone who calls her home. She does not give out her phone number so I am not sure how they get her on their lists. This campaign I think all the campaigns are busy calling before Super Tuesday on February 5th.
If you choose to caucus the web sites for the DFL in MN and GOP in MN have information on where to go to express your opinions. I value living somewhere where my opinion can be heard.

Too bad Emma can't dial the phone or help me call. She can pick up the phone for me if I drop it or bring me the phone if it rings. She will help me keep my spirits up today.

Take care and stay warm,
Mary and Emma

Today we saw a winter rainbow - or that is what we call it. I guess it is called a light pillar according to the radio. The colors of the rainbow appear due to ice crystals in the air. It was awesome and went up to the sky rather than looking bent in the rainbow shape or an arch. It was so beautiful.

It seemed so darn cold today. I don't know when I have felt so cold. We babysat Rosa. The dogs Emma and Lily took turns wanting to go outside. They kept ringing the bells on the door. They did get some time outside but not too long at a time - it was just so darn chilly.

We ventured over to try to help Becky, my daughter, start her car. We couldn't and neither could AAA service truck. Bummer. Emma and i stayed in the warm van while they tried to start it. Luckily they say it will slowly start warming up. i sure hope so.

Seeing Rosa cheered me up. She is so darn fun to play with. She likes to give kisses, hugs, and is now more interested in toys. We stacked blocks for her to knock over. We played with her various toys. Then she found it completely enthralling to climb into a basket full of blocks. She climbed in, sat down, and tried to throw them all out. Then she got out. She filled the basket up again. She has such fun putting things into containers. She has a tiny suitcase she likes to open and put toys in also. We had a super fun time today.

Tomorrow we go to the doctor with Greg. He has had cancer and this is to see the results of recent tests. Hopefully their will be no sign of cancer. His first bout was almost 10 years ago but luckily they caught it before it spread. That time he lost a kidney. He has had cancer occur again but each time they have been able to remove only small parts of his remaining kidney. His remaining kidney still functions well. We assume the news will be good tomorrow. In the past, bad news usually meant we got a phone call before the dr appointment asking for more tests. let's hope we are correct in being optimistic.

Greg's mom died of kidney cancer, his dad died of brain cancer, and one of his sisters died of pancreatic cancer. You can understand why we take the risk of cancer seriously.
He has check ups every six months even if there are no symptoms.

Emma and I will be home in the afternoon and evening tomorrow. I have some phone calls to make for a campaign I am working on. I also will have information on where to caucus on Feb 3rd. If you are DFL and need to know where to go to caucus you can go to the MN DFL website. There you can type in your address and find exactly where to go to meet. Guess who created that handy tool?? My son!! I am so proud of him. It was available the last election also but he continually updates it. He is a volunteer too. They talked about it on MN Public Radio today though not mentioning his name. i beamed with pride. The GOP probably has their own site with information for that party.

We have to get up earlier than usual so I best head to bed. Wow it is kind of late for me since I had no nap. Emma and I had a good day. Both of us were happy to be in where it is warm tonight. Stay warm

mary and Emma

I listened to public radio today. There were programs about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This caused me to reflect on the many changes I have seen in my life time in regard to civil rights. I grew up in Minneapolis and was taught to respect all races. There was a lot of prejudice however in the world. I am glad that the world is changed...it was interesting to remember the brave work of those like Dr. King. My Granddaughter is named after Rosa Parks. I admire people who stand up for justice even when it is challenging to do so.

My life is so different now compared to when I was raising children, doing daycare, or teaching. I would like to think that when in those roles with children I tried to teach them to be respectful of others and of diversity. Now my world is smaller. I see my MS friends at support group, swimming, or book club. I have a few other friends. My children are grown so I don't see them much. I wish there was a way that I could make a positive impact on the world. My little world suits my health needs. My energy and abilities are limited. A part of me still wishes I could make a positive difference in the world in some way...

Tomorrow I get to see Rosa. I do feel fortunate to be well enough to babysit her a few hours a week. I enjoy times with my family and friends. I have much to be grateful for in my life.

Emma and I had a good day at home. I got the decorations and lights off my Christmas tree and a few things done around the house.

We will enjoy time with Rosa, Mike and Tia on Tuesday. She is almost 15 months old and a very busy girl. I love sharing time with her. While I miss good health and teaching; at least I have time with my granddaughters.

wishing you a good day I think my spirits will be better when it warms up and I get out of the house a bit. Lately it is so cold I just watch Emma from the patio door as she runs around the yard. I look forward to playing fetch with her again outside. It should warm up gradually the rest of this week.

Mary and Emma

I was rooting for Green Bay since my mother grew up in Wisconsin. I did not watch the full game but saw the ending. I cannot imagine playing out in the cold or watching the game outdoors. I was cozy warm in the house watching with Emma snuggled up by my side.

We went to the movie "Mad Money" today with a friend who graciously gave me a ride. Greg stayed home all day sick. The movie held my interest and was funny. A good way to spend a cold afternoon. Maybe tomorrow I will actually do a bit of house work? Like always I took a needed nap. Nap and a movie - an easy day for me.

Last night (Sat) we had fun watching Rosa while Sophia and Mike and Tia went to a movie. Rosa likes to pet Emma. We have to be careful though as a strong wave of Emma's tail can knock poor Rosa right over. Rosa was such a good girl. We are so pleased when we get to see the granddaughters and Mike and Tia. I did not get to see my other children but talked to them via the phone. No ones car broke down in the cold so that was good news. I think we have a few more days of this cold to deal with.

I treasure my family. I hope I am not bugging my adult children too much. I like to converse with them about what they are doing, politics, current events, hobbies or anything. They are interesting to talk to. i like hearing what is new with them. Those busy days when they were little and in grade school too, I couldn't have imagined that I would have such quiet nights as I do now. I loved raising them and all the activities we were involved in.

Monday I think we will be home all day unless we go with Greg to pick up my medications at the pharmacy. Greg plans to work at least part of the day if he feel better. He was at the Dr. Friday and he said it was not strep but Greg has a mighty sore throat along with the cold he has.

Believe it or not, my Christmas tree is still up. Taking off the ornaments and lights will be a good chore for me tomorrow. Obviously it is artificial. It is not that I am lazy, I just really enjoy the tree especially at night when the lights are on. i think though I am ready to take it down. I promised myself to take it down before it gets dusty from being up so long ha ha. Last year I kept it up late, but not this late I don't think. Mary and Joseph and Jesus are still in our front yard too. They will be there till the weather warms up I think.

I was thinking today at the movie, that it is so good for the soul to laugh. Sometimes i take life much to serious and don't take time to laugh enough. One good thing about Emma (there are many) is that she reminds me to "play" with her and that makes me laugh. Her expressions and behavior make me laugh too.

Today she ran out of water. She has a big bowl and I check it and freshen the water often so this is rare. She brought me the dish and dropped it (with a loud bang) at my feet while I was doing dishes. She had the cutest look on her face. I think she was trying to be very emphatic that I had messed up and why was there no water. I quickly gave her water and put the bowl back on her mat. She eagerly helped herself. i wish I had a photo of her face. She had the most determined expression.

We scouted out a special rubber ball of hers that we have not used for awhile. She liked playing with that. Again she made me laugh to see how excited she was = Emma loves her various balls to play with. What a joy she is in my life.

Here is hoping you find time to laugh and smile today. I have a book on tape that is really funny. Maybe I will play that while I take down my Christmas tree on Monday. I also have my office to organize one of these days. I keep putting that off. Do you think Emma could help make that fun for me??

Wishing you laughter and happiness, Mary and Emma

Today we spent the day at home again staying warm. Even Emma wanted only shorter trips outside. Mike and his family are joining us for supper and then going to a movie. We will babysit Rosa. Greg is dealing with a cold and sure got cold on a trip to the pharmacy. I will be glad when I drive again. It would have been better if he could have stayed indoors all day. Oh well.

Winter in MN so we should expect at least a few blasts of cold. Some years are milder than other. The snow is pretty and I wouldn't mind a little more when it warms up. It usually doesn't snow when it is this cold. An interesting fact I think.

I got a note that my cousin donated money to helping paws in Emma's name. Yeah for that. I appreciate that support. Helping Paws is a great organization.

I hope to write more later. I need to go tend to supper. Emma has had a good day. We do a little house work - then rest - then I did some cooking - then rest. She is my right arm picking up things I drop and helping open and shut the refrigerator or cupboards. She is doing really well today. the cold weather isn't slowing her down. I think we will be home most the day tomorrow also. Greg is suppose to work a long day but will have to see how his health is Sunday.

I just heard the weather in Duluth means snows. The moisture off Lake Superior means more snow. The high here was -2 degrees. Of course it is worse up North. I love going up North to see the trees, lakes and open areas in the summer. In the winter I am glad to be in the Twin Cities. Tonight they expect it to be -17 degrees tonight at least. The wind will make it seem even colder. Maybe some snow on Monday.

My weather reports might be dull for those of you in MN but I know some of you are in other parts of the US. I will try to think of another topic for later tonight or tomorrow.
Off to do a little more cooking...

Mary and Emma