So how was YOUR New Year?

2009 got off to a crazy start. Dad landed in the hospital December 31st. The doctor thought he had pneumonia at first, then congestive heart failure, as he had fluid on the lungs and was acting out of it and almost as if he had dementia. They even thought he had lung cancer! To make a long story short, he has blood clots in the stump of his amputated leg and possibly his lungs. This is, of course, very serious, but we're treating it with two shots of a blood thinner (not heparin or coumadin) per day, plus he's wearing a BiPap mask to help push the excess fluid out of his lungs. He's responded fantastically well to everything and is back to his normal self, I'm happy to report. :) It was pretty nerve-wracking for a while, though!

Because, of course, as John Lennon said, "Life is what happens while you're making other plans", I had several other things going on while dad was in the hospital and had to balance hospital trips, worrying, and updates with the rest of life. I had the wonderful of meeting Jazz sajazz in Chicago on January 2nd. We went to see "Dirty Dancing", which was wonderful, especially since we got to meet John Bolger, one of the stars, who knows Jazz! He's a marvelous person, simply one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. He recognized Jazz instantly and talked with us, took pictures, and signed very nice personal messages in our programs. Saturday, we shopped along Michigan Avenue, ate at the Rainforest Cafe, and talked horses, horses, horses! It's wonderful to talk horses with someone who loves them as much as I do. Jazz was also great to have around because of everything that was going on with my dad. She helped keep me calm about my dad and I can't thank her enough!!!!

I told her about my potential new horse, an Appendix Quarter horse named Twister Blues, show name "Save the Last Dance", barn name Dancer. But he deserves his own entry, so expect to see one about Dancer soon!

Writer's Block: Shops Gone By

[Error: unknown template qotd]Woolworth's, definitely. I have many fond memories of shopping at Woolworth's as a child (usually where I did the bulk of my Christmas shopping), having a hamburger or a grilled cheese sandwich at the lunch counter, browsing the toy department, looking at the hamsters in the pet department and so on. They always had a great bulk candy counter, too. I vividly remember the sound of the candy counter--the rattle of something--jelly beans? peanuts?--pouring into the metal scale for a customer. I bought my first makeup at Woolworth's when I was about twelve. They had this brand that was two for a dollar. I remember a nail polish that was LAVENDER; I thought it was gorgeous. My mom sort of shuddered when I showed it to her, but I, of course, thought I was beauty personified when I wore it.

Just walking around that store was fun. I still miss it!

I also miss Marshall Field's. Macy's just can't compare. Marshall Field's was elegant, upscale, quality, gracious. I loved shopping there. The sales staff were always lovely, or so it seemed. And whenever I went to Chicago, a trip to the flagship store on State Street was a must, especially at Christmastime. Now, I feel I've wandered into Walmart sometimes when I go into the Mayfair store. I'm not joking, sadly.