Christmas Greetings

Left and around: Mary, Tee, Naomi, Linda

Lorraine, Laurie, Irene, Sharon and Pat

The Wt's enjoyed their annual Christmas breakfast of Belgium waffles, various forms of eggs, bacon, hash browns and toast. The owner of our gathering place graciously supplied us with a large selection of Christmas goodies. Some of our group have left for time to spend with their families. Lorraine is making progress, healing, and was able to attend. Linda brought her 18 month old great grandaughter, who sat quietly, studying our diverse group. It's always a treat to share Christmas with little ones. They enjoy everything going on.

This year, we each wore a piece of jewelry that was meaningful to us. There was a pin from Norway, a locket from a grandmother, a mother's bracelet, pins that were received while dating the now husband, a necklace from Austria, a delicate Black Hills gold leaf necklace and a necklace from Bethlehem. Sharing memories with friends and relatives adds fun and warmth to the holidays and the feeling that we probably don't need anything else for Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Cheers

Laurie, Janet, Naomi, Elsie, Sharon, Tee, Linda, Irene, Lorraine (hiding behind Nancy), Nancy

The WT's pictured are having a wine and cheese party to cheer Lorraine in the hospital. She had surgery for a broken femur. This was the result of reaching on a top shelf in a store with her foot on the bottom shelf and falling backwards when the edge of the top shelf broke. After three weeks in the hospital and rehab, she is at home waiting to heal so she can resume full care of her husband once again. Life is always a surprise.

The WT's keep busy. Dorothy and her husband are still near their daughter in Ohio. Mary and Doug celebrated their first anniversary in September. Pat is serving on a committee that shares local ideas and input about our clinic and hospital care. A new clinic is being built.

Fall passed by quickly. We have a covering of white. The squirrels are still hunting and gathering, mouths full of pine cones. Earlier in the fall, a squirrel in a tree threw a green pine cone at Lorraine and her dog. He froze on the branch when the dog looked up. The deer hunters finished the season last weekend. They will have stories to tell. The high school boys' cross country team made it to the state finals, coming in ninth there. They did very well.

Thanksgiving is upon us. One of the few holidays that doesn't involve gifts or treats. We can enjoy good food and each other. Many Thanksgiving blessings to you, your friends and families.

Spring to Summer

Our Spring Breakfast

Irene, Sharon, Dorothy, Dorothy's daughter Mary and son-in-law, Nick

Mary, Emily, Tee, Lorraine, Naomi, Mary, Irene, Sharon and Dorothy

We enjoyed having breakfast with Mary and Nick, visiting from Colorado. We continue to have breakfast the first Monday of each month but don't always get a picture.

Our neighbors have come to mind lately, as most of the WT's live in the same neighborhood. A neighbor down the street has put their clothes lines to an interesting, perhaps good use. They are heavy with thick grape vines, abundant with fruit for home made wine. A young couple close by took their clotheslines down when they moved in. They weren't being used. Now, their clothes pole holds a swing for their little boy. Some of the WT's still enjoy hanging clothes outside, summer or winter. One WT has a granddaughter who said, "Eeew, people can see your underwear hanging on the line." The grandmother thought that with what the teens wear now-a-days, it hardly matters what is on the line.

The WT's are slowing down some. Some of the busyness of summer has gone by--the 4th. of July, Water Carnival and families visiting. But gardens are coming to their peak so it will get busy again.

We enjoyed having Jodie and Jo come to visit at afternoon coffee. It's always nice to see WT's who have moved away.

The school fall sports practices are starting in two weeks. Fund raisers are beginning. The class of 2013 is hosting a fish fry. The local florist is advertising fall and winter wedding planning.

Our WT's are hanging in there. Dorothy had heart surgery and is at her daughter's in Ohio, recovering well. Naomi is in the hospital with pneumonia this week. We look forward to seeing them home and well. Our coffee groups are small now and then but we never tire of interesting discussions and laughter, laughing at ourselves. "Blessed are they who laugh at themselves for they will never cease to be amused."

HELEN REMBERED!

We have lost our eldest, our very good friend and the "mother" of our group: Helen passed away this week. She was a retired teacher and lived for all of her families--her daughters and granddaughter and great-granddaughter, her Lutheran family, her retired teacher family and her Walkie Talkie family. We will remember her words of wisdom that she shared with us each time she joined us for coffee or an "adventure" and her political comments at election time (when she was never shy about expressing her beliefs!).

On May 1, 2010, she celebrated her 90th birthday will all of her "families." She was the "Queen Mum" with her tiara.

We will all miss her!

We're Still Here

"Some say you can always tell how exciting your life is by the hour you get into your nightclothes. Sometimes we have to change our pajamas because we dribbled our dinner onto them." Erma Bombeck

Despite a long break since the last posting, the WT's are still active and enjoying life in our small town. We probably don't put on our nightclothes until after dinner.

The dirty spring snow, snirt, is on the way out. The gardeners are reporting green perennial leaves peeking through the soil. The crows came back the middle of March and are having noisy, cawing conventions on garbage collection day, discussing their best finds, pecking through the plastic bags on the curbs.

Pat was able to travel to visit her daughter and family in Amsterdam, going with her son and daughter-in-law. We are waiting to hear how she enjoyed the trip. Dorothy and her husband spent an enjoyable month in a senior apartment building in Ohio, near their daughter. Naomi celebrated her birthday at a brunch with her family. Several of the WT's met Emily, who left her north woods, for dinner and a meeting about "A Crime Wave". Three mystery writers were in town to discuss their work.

Helen J. is staying at her daughter's home. We miss her. Irene has been busy working at projects at church. Mary is working on a new pattern. Sharon and her husband have attended some college hockey games. Lorraine is immersed in caregiving duties since her husband has been home after five months in hospitals. He is paraplegic, the result of his accident last Labor Day weekend.

The ads in our Shopper reflect the hopes for spring. There are meetings for softball teams, summer seasonal employment, tuneups for lawnmowers and rummage sales. Since we all enjoy good food, we have choices--the Ducks Unlimited Banquet, the Fire Dept. pancake feed, ham bingo and a local mystery dinner theater, "Who Turned Out the Lights?" The A&W opened in the middle of March to encourage us along the long winter.

The church Lenten soup suppers and services have been packed. Several new churches have joined the round robin of services. The Lutheran, Catholic, Methodist, Covenant, and Church of God churches are all sharing their faith together. Lorraine and her husband were honored last week with recognition and applause for being in church. Pastor mentioned that they had not been there for many months. Her husband thought that could be a dubious honor, but they were very happy to be there.

The morning WT coffee group has been rather small these days but the conversation is great!