Bedtime -

Harry and I are really big TV watchers. Our TV can not get turned on for weeks at a time. But lately we've been watching nightly episodes of Doc Martin, and that reminded me of all those past years when we'd be addicted to some show and watch it nightly.

We started watching St. Elsewhere when we moved to California. The TV was in our bedroom, and Harry often worked late hours. Or he was in bishopric meetings late. So I'd be in bed reading or watching a favorite show until he came home. And he'd get interested in it too. Lots better than the 11 o'clock news!! St. Elsewhere was on nightly, and somehow I got hooked on the storyline. It was fun the first time we went to Boston to see the actual St. Elizabeth's that the story is based on. I often wonder if I'd enjoy the episodes if I watched them now!

I suspect everyone has a time in their lives when they get or got hooked on M*A*S*H! What's not to love about M*A*S*H?? Seems like whenever we check into a hotel or motel, you can get an episode on the hotel TV!

The years in Centerville were marked by a love and devotion to Upstairs, Downstairs. Interestingly enough, I have watched episodes of this show since then, and they just don't have the draw for me anymore!! I guess they met a need at the time!

The Pallisers were Centerville-based also - I bought the whole set of the novels they were based on - and absolutely could not get into them. But I absolutely loved the show!! And wanted to name a daughter Glencora -after the heroine. Dad would have none of that!!

Perry Mason has always been a fave. And it's another one you can always get at a hotel!! Seems like it comes and goes in popularity.

And now we are hooked on Doc Martin!! Love the characters - and the brilliant lines they say to one another. We actually just get in bed and watch them on Harry's iPad! Maybe they are on TV - I will have to find out I suppose. But it's cozy the way we do it now. Give it a look-see - it's pretty entertaining!

Not sure what the next bedtime fad will be. When I had my knee surgery, we spent nights watching the DVD's of Hornblower - that was fun. Maybe it's just that we enjoy seeing a character more often than once a week - because I remember having favorite shows when I was a kid - and you had to be content with once a week - and a summer of re-runs!

The bonus of technology!!

Better late than never!!

Wish I could show you a shot of our new dishwasher.

But it's not in yet. Some technical - and other delays. The kind that make you hope they will send you a survey asking how you liked their service - so you can blast away at them.

I also finally updated my sidebar - just in time for February!!

Friday night at the movies

Harry was gone Friday night, so I "flicked out" - since he hadn't been interested in seeing this one. I have to agree with the reviews I read - the music was great - the acting sometimes less than great.

Let's just say I love Dolly Parton - what's not to love?? (Queen Latifah is no slouch either!)

Like sister, like sister!!

This post started out being about how Leslie was often called "Barbara Jr." Then I noticed that I had photos of Joan, Leslie, and Donna - but not Mary. Not wanting to leave Mary out, I'm posting this one. So now Bobby, Richard, and Charlie are included too. I'm going to stop there!!

This shot of me was supposed to show the resemblance.

It's an old photo of Joan with Alice and me - I'm maybe 8 years old?? We had just gotten new bathing suits at Ruby's Department Store on Chatsworth - and were headed for Pop's Willow Lake for the Radioplane employee party!!

Not sure of the date here either, but I think Donna was 3 or 4 - so Leslie was 5 or 6 - and you can see some resemblance between Leslie and me. It was when Donna broke her leg - and not sure why Leslie has the big bandage on her chin!!

A "Sister Shot" from 2000 - at Dad's funeral. As we all get older, the resemblances become more apparent.

And a "Sister Shot" from 2010 - at Mom's 90th birthday party.

Sisters are wonderful - I'm glad I have such a great bunch of them!!

A puzzler

I have never been much of a puzzle person. I'm not very good at them. I don't remember doing them much as a child. In fact, I can't remember doing them at all. I suspect that in a house full of children like ours, keeping track of puzzle pieces was a lost cause - because I don't remember others doing puzzles either. (I suspect my dad might have been good at them though.)

Once we had children, I read about how important it was for kids to do puzzles, so I dutifully went and bought puzzles. I can even remember the puzzles because there were not too many of them - I mostly remember the Richard Scarry one and the Star Wars ones. There were wooden puzzles too - one of the three little pigs I remember well - I got it free with Kleenex labels or something.

The trouble was - I didn't enjoy puzzles - and neither did Bonny or Harry. I would have to compel them to spend some time doing puzzles. They would never choose to do them on their own. I would sit and do them with them even. I think after a while I gave up, because I have no memory of doing puzzles with any of the other kids.

Years later, Sue Cornwall shared a family tradition of starting a Christmas puzzle on December first and finishing it on Christmas Eve. "I must do that!" I thought. So I went and got a Christmas puzzle - maybe 300 pieces - maybe 500. I got out the card table and spread out the pieces. The interest was zero!! I would do a few pieces each day, but pretty much no one else did. I tried bribing and compelling, but not much progress was made. Sue had said that she was sure her dad hid strategic pieces throughout the month just to keep them on their toes, but I didn't dare try that - we were getting nowhere!

Christmas Eve came and went and then Christmas night came - and the puzzle was not nearly done. At this time Bonny and Bruce were married, and Bruce was a lover of puzzles, so he was there and took over and started getting it together. Since Bruce was working on it, suddenly everyone else wanted to work on it too! At about a quarter to midnight, we - I say that loosely - finished it! To great shouts of hurrah too!

I give all this background because the irony is not lost on me that Harry our son sets up a big table in his living room each Christmas season with a large, complicated puzzle to work on. Bill and Marjorie always worked on them - maybe that's what started it - but Harry is certainly enthusiastically into it now. And he has lots of company too. The one this year is 2000 pieces - and rather complex.

It's not done yet either - and not for lack of Bruce working on it.

I'm just saying!!