Taking Care of Business

Today is a day for running hither and yon getting all manner of things done.

First, I've made up some packages for the post.  The Workbasket Quaker Halloween [aka owl and bat] will be winging its way over the Atlantic to a new home.  A winner of the Christmas in July giveaway of Heartstrings charts has been chosen: Karen.  I've bundled those charts ready for mailing.  And I've put together an ice cream cone making kit [two different kinds of cones, several different kinds of sprinkles, chopped nuts, toasted coconut, several varieties of hard shell toppings, etc] meant to delight the grandchildren and compel my son and his long suffering wife to run out immediately for the ice cream needed to complete the kit.  I've included a rambling letter about going to the corner candy store with my grandfather to buy ice cream cones for the whole family, about the ice cream trucks that were commonplace in Brooklyn in the 50s ... in short, about my childhood memories of loving grandparents who lived in the upstairs apartment of our two family home.  It's hard to carry on the tradition of grandparental treats from the opposite coast but I'll give it my best shot.  You've got to be really creative if you want to spoil grandchildren who live 3,000 miles away.

And on that note, I am sending my granddaughter another needlepoint kit since she likes to sew like Grandma Regina.  [We sent her one for her birthday last month.]  I've got to nurture whatever genetic tendencies I've passed on to her through my son.   I foud this beginner's needlepoint kit for kids on the 123stitch website.

I purchased two more relatively simple kits that I'll send on later as she builds more skill.  These two kits will cater to her love of all things pink and her fondness for princesses.

Second, a trip to the jewelers to have some links removed from the band of the watch given me at retirement.  

Third,  a quick trip to the library to return unread a book borrowed on inter-library loan.  When I opened the book, I was disgusted to find it was riddled with unidentifiable stains.  It should have been removed from the shelves.   I am most definitely not a proponent of book burning but it might be justified in this case on purely sanitary grounds.

Fourth, a pre-op visit to my internist to be cleared for cataract surgery.  NYS requires patients to be cleared for non-emergency surgery 30 days prior to the operation, checking on heart and lung health.   I  have a visit to the podiatrist scheduled two hours later.  I hope the visits won't take the whole afternoon, because

Fifth, I hope to head into Nyack to do some antiquing.  I usually like to start my Christmas shopping about now and I often find the perfect gifts for my daughter, my Mom and my sister-in-law while browsing the stalls at large antique and collectible malls,.