Tuesday, November 15, 2016

"Baby, the rain must fall" and other stuff

"I'm doing my best to find opportunities to laugh, especially at myself. 

This afternoon we went for our usual walk. It had rained an inch over night, but while we were out taking care of other business this morning, the sky cleared to blue for a while. Back home, after lunch, we set out, me without any rain gear, because, well, the rain was done. Right?

Wrong.
We got caught in a fast moving squall and here I am, one big drip. 
I  told Tom to get the camera, because I was over due for a blog post, and I might as well laugh and go with this. 

Then, since I was already wet, I put on a dry yard jacket and went out into the garden to pick some material for a new kitchen table bouquet. 
Making arrangements out of material from our yard is something I love to do. It consumes all of my attention for a while and takes my mind off of other things. That's good right now. 



This morning I got some grocery shopping done, and then we set off to the light rail station for a trip to Capitol Hill to the Group Health Medical Center. It has been six months since I got my hearing aids and it was time for a check up to see that everything was still working well.

Since we live near the two Link light rail stations, we really like using that form of public transportation to go into the city. The freeways are always slow and the timing unpredictable. Of course the rail is not all that fast. We found parking on the top floor of the parking garage at the new Angle Lake station, waited for the next train, rode about 45 minutes into and through the city, then had a six block walk uphill to the medical center. But it was easy, cheap with our senior discount, and stress free, except for the political articles we were reading on our phones on the way. It took about three hours for a 15 minute appointment, but we were OK with that. 

Six months into having enhanced hearing with my hearing aids, I am used to them and they do help at certain times of my day. If I am out walking and then working in the yard, I don't put them in until late afternoon, but I wear them in the evenings for listening to the news and watching TV. I wear them whenever I go any where. I usually forget I am wearing them.   They do still have a sort of metallic, rattly sound to then in certain environments, and even though they are tied to my iPhone, the sound quality for listening to iTunes is bad. I use my iPod instead for music. If someone asks me if I like them, I say I don't really LIKE them, but I use them. Tom says they make a big difference. 

Now it is 5:15, and as I turn my head to look out the upstairs window, all I see is blackness. It's time to go downstairs, close the blinds, make some dinner and settle in. The dark season is upon us. 

I'll keep looking for reasons to laugh. I'll need to, because the rain must fall. 


24 comments:

  1. Your bouquet is lovely!!! Absolutely LOVELY!!!
    Looks like you had a good day! And you look good even when you are wet!

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  2. Oh my, you did get caught in the rain. We had the same kind of weather today. At least you are out and about and trying to feel better. I'm having a very hard time getting back into the game of life. I want to stay withdrawn from the world, I don't want to be hurt and disillusioned anymore. I keep thinking "who is going to stop this madman?" I know it's too early but I don't have a lot of patience. Wonder if I could get away with having some fresh cut leaves in the house? Your arrangement is beautiful.

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  3. You have such beautiful materials in your yard to work with. The bouquet is wonderful and I'll bet it lasts along time.

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  4. Sorry you got caught in the downpour. I left the house during what I also thought was a break in the rain but luckily I brought my umbrella because it resumed raining and I came home with soaking wet shoes and socks.
    That is a lovely arrangement you made!!

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  5. It's a time of transition for weather, seasons and politics. But life will go on...love your fall bouquet!

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  6. I always admire the way you people adapt your activity to rain. More rain song titles? Don't let the rain come down

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  7. Linda, I love your plant arrangement! Very tasteful and cheerful! I might try to make my own! Thank you!
    As for the rains, I always remind myself that it's because of them we have such beautiful plant world here!

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  8. Beautiful table arrangement. Inspirational display.

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  9. You are very gifted! That's one thing I've never been able to do very well! XO

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  10. Beautiful bouquet of seasonal findings. It is so good to have those activities we can lose ourselves to. Good for you to use those hearing aids. Too often they end up in a drawer. Using them is the only way to benefit. I can't say I like my glasses, but most of the time I do like to see clearly.

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  11. We are going to survive this, Linda. I am thinking of Maya Angelou's words about the need to channel our anger. I really feel good about having contributed to the NRDC and the Children's Defense Fund. :-)

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  12. I met a 99 year old woman at a party recently. She was fine physically and mentally, but she was hard of hearing. Not deaf, but we had to repeat ourselves for her to hear us. She refuses to wear hearing aids, because she says she does not need them. I had to chuckle.

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  13. So glad you're adjusting to your hearing aids. They really do make life better to all those around the wearer. I can't talk to my step-dad at all any more because he refuses to wear his.

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  14. I love how you are always smiling, even standing there soaking wet. The bouquet is just beautiful. Gosh, I just grab a handful of leaves and weeds and stick them in a pitcher...of course, I'm sure that's obvious. :)

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  15. Goodness, you really have a talent for decoration. Beautiful bouquet. Yes, we need to find things to laugh about or we will just lose it. Laughter is a temporary and effective anesthetic that's inexpensive too.

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  16. Very pretty arrangements! They should brighten your day! I wish we could have flowers/plants inside but we cannot because they make us both sick. At least you got rain and not snow! :)

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  17. rain rain rain--yep that's what that stuff is----well we live here and are accustomed to it---aren't we?
    Sorry your candidate didn't win and I hope what you printed turns out to be true. Trump becomes presidential and even President Obama said that we must support him as we are all Americans---It will help.
    Sorry about Josie. she was such a sweet looking kitty and surely will be missed for a long time.
    MB

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  18. Oh I forgot to mention what an expert bouquet arranger you are. superb!!
    MB

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  19. Laughing is a challenge and will be for some time to come...Hubby and I celebrated our 34th wedding anniversary today and all the talk has been the election and not in good terms...Yes, the rain will come of for us...snow tomorrow....love your arrangements..our cats would eat them..

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  20. Thanks for sharing the laugh and the exquisite arrangement. They both cheered up this dark morning!

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  21. That is a lovely flower arrangement. You are really talented.

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  22. You do have a gift for making really creative, beautiful arrangements, Linda. I think Art uses his hearing aids 50% of the time. I sometimes have to remind him.

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  23. We're getting caught in the rain a lot these days.

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