Celebrating Jen

My friend Jen is celebrating a milestone birthday today. I wrote this in honor of her . . .




Forty Reasons to Celebrate Jennifer Strauser on February 2, 2010

1.Spunky - lots of energy packed into those few feet.
2.Hard-working - how much does she juggle?
3.Fun - always has a new joke.
4.Smart - she can quote MacBeth from college . . .
5.Generous - to a fault.
6.Compassionate - to both human and four-legged creatures . . .
7.Adventurous - don't give her any more power tools . . .
8.Little - first we ever heard of the Little People of America . . .
9.Gorgeous Jet Black Hair - people pay to have that color . . .
10.Canadian - almost, at least she likes Canadian chocolate and knows the Canadian anthem . . .
11.Loyal - a friend for life . . .
12.Tuna Noodle Casserole Queen - who knew it could taste so good?
13.House Calls & Saturday Appointments - her patients have it good.
14.Jokester - an entire office draped in black?
15.Playful Heart - always a new game on her wish list.
16.Spontaneous - can we come over, like now?
17.Amazing House-keeper - you call this messy?
18.Stain Queen - nothing escapes alive . . .
19.Forthright - you know where you stand.
20.Vulnerable - real, when life is hard.
21.Friendly - she knows no stranger.
22.Affectionate - very few escape without a hug.
23.Forgiving - even when months go by without a visit . . .
24.Gadget Girl - how would we ever know what we were missing?
25.Fashionably Late - always a few more minutes to pick up our house.
26.Plant Lady - her garden grows well.
27.Well Read - never misses an obituary . . . or a flyer.
28.Traditions - loves them, keeps them.
29.Chai Tea - she's got great taste. But none of that cheap stuff.
30.Movies - knows them all.
31.Birthdays - never forgets. At least, that's what we remember.
32.Great Taste - all least in friends.
33.Beautiful - but does she know it?
34.Wife of Good Husband - you got a good one . . . doesn't even look like a Computer Geek.
35.Mother Bear - protector of cubs. Keeps them in line and loves them fiercely.
36.Italian Roots - that should explain most of this.
37.Resident of Norfolk - I know, it's not New York, but we would never have met otherwise.
38.Doctor - another reason we got to be friends. And you're good at it, too.
39.Predestined - "You knew my days before any of them came to be . . . " and we're so glad.
40.Courageous - she doesn't give up.


We love you bunches, Jen. Have a great day!!

True Love

So. I was just going to sit on the porch swing with a blanket for a while. Not. The snow was beckoning. Very glad that my Mom was no longer visiting, I cautiously crutched down the snow-covered steps into the deep. Snow. With my crutches sunk into about 2 feet of it, they weren't going anywhere. And maybe neither was I.

I wasn't giving up just yet. I made slow progress, but managed to get around to the back of the house where Ed was working on the snow blower. He wasn't mad. He offered to take me for my long-requested toboggan ride. He fetched the blanket from the porch swing. He fetched the camera. The new camera.

First stop, Elizabeth. She was having a great time sledding down the hill to the barn. Grampa Wicker was the sled attendant at the top of the hill. Elizabeth actually brought the sled up by herself. About 18 times, Grampa reported. Apparently Elizabeth has reconsidered her plans to have Mom get rid of Grampa.

Look, Mom, no hands! And only one working foot.

I opted not to go down the hill with Elizabeth. But I did get to have a toboggan ride. I got to see the 10-12 foot high drifts in the woods, that go the length of our (mule) trail. I got to see the mostly buried entrance to the snow cave. I got to crawl on top of the drifts. I got my picture taken.

When a man loves a woman . . . he does crazy things.

When a man gets his wife a new camera for Christmas . . . he takes lots of pictures of her.

Thanks, honey, for letting me get out in the snow, and for making me feel beautiful. I love you. KL

Hmmm. Maybe we should get a new camera more often.

Little Words

So Elizabeth doesn't want to obey Grampa this morning, and only when faced with threat of certain discipline does she comply. Gramma hears her muttering from the other room, "He's so mean . . . Mom's gonna get rid of him . . ." Not too much risk of that. Grampa's too invaluable as a reader of books to Littlest, builder of snowman, retriever of naughty dogs, and chauffeur of Mom.