Family

It was so good visit Andalusia and some of my family members.  There are precious few of us left, and we're scattered everywhere, but it was good to catch up some.

Staying with Kathy and Alan is always such a comfort.  I don't have to worry about anything.  I just have my little space and a key (and the garage door password) and come and go as I please.

New to the family since last visit is this beauty.  Allie.

She kind of accidentally came to live with them during the winter but has really added a lot of fun.

The first time I met her, she was scared of me and didn't really warm up that night but would take a treat from me and run.  I'm not sure how scary you would have to be to make her turn down a treat.

After that, day by day she came to accept me, although I don't think she let me pet her.  It was more like tolerating me for the treats and Nerf ball throwing.

Her little routine made me laugh.

She would run around and around with the ball and then go throw herself on the pinestraw - but not before stopping for a couple of seconds to stare at the vent on the side of the house.  Every time.  SO cute.






Elise picked out these toys to take her, and she showed how much she liked them by squeaking them and getting busy on those ears.  Supervised toy only!

Kathy caught me taking pictures inside and outside the house and I think is worried about what I may have captured while she wasn't looking.  No worries.  If I had taken inside-the-closet pictures, they would have been perfect.  I didn't though.

Most mornings Alan picks Kathy up a Sonic tea and brings it home, and he was sweet enough to bring me one - or several.  I could get used to that.  The coffee was extra good that week too.  I usually had Folger's (Classic, I think) and liked it enough to order several boxes when I got back.

This cross-stitch picture is an oldie, and I accused Kathy of putting it up when I came, but she insisted she kept it up all the time.

Looking from the kitchen into the den.  So pretty and inviting.

 

A beautiful new staghorn fern just Alan just brought home.  I think I'd like to have one of those.

Nice screened porch and deck outside, but it was surprisingly cool for that time of year, so we didn't spend much time out there - except for playing with Allie.

Pretty breakfast room.

I was proud that I had planted a tomato this year on my balcony, when  I saw this.  Now THIS is a tomato plant!  I saw on the porch table a label that said Bush Goliath, so I guess that's what it is.

Carol and I saw each other most days and ate lunch and went shopping and hung out at the nursing home, but the last day I went over to her house - or her former house/Allison's house.  She and David are living in Aunt Nell's house now and liking that just fine, but this is a beautiful place - perfect for three little boys to ride and swim and jump on the trampoline.

I really didn't get too many good pictures because no one would be still!  Except for Gus.  He looks a little subdued, and I heard he may have gotten on the counter and demolished a whole rotisserie chicken earlier after lunch.

Another dog cousin.  This is Tallulah, and she belongs to Meredith and Tim.

Sweet folks.  Meredith and David.  You can tell they're related!

Carol and their oldest grandson, John David.  He was trying to get to his ballgame, and these people kept trying to take pictures of him.

I'm not sure what was happening here, but it was funny.  Allison, Wilson, and Spencer.

Spencer did stop and give me a good pose - kind of willingly.  

What a good time with good folks, all of them.  Almost makes me want to move back.  Almost.  It hasn't gotten hot there yet.

I went by Dean's Cake House to get some cake for Mama's little party and asked if I could take some pictures in there.  Not only did Mrs Jacobs agree, but she went running to the back to bring out more cakes.  

I got a lemon cheese and a caramel.  Mama didn't eat any, so we took home a piece for us and left the rest for the nursing home staff.  I chose caramel, of course!

I guess that's about all I can think of from my Andalusia visit, but it's a little bit.  

For Mother's Day, I got something called StoryWorth.  I may have been elected the family historian.  I just hope I can remember enough things.  I think it will be fun.

Here’s how it works.

• Every Monday, we’ll email you a question that Emily has chosen for you, for example “How did you get your first job? or “What were your friends like in high school?”
• All you have to do is respond with a story, either by replying to the email or by calling the number we send you.
• Emily gets emailed each story you record. You can add more recipients if you’d like other loved ones to receive your stories.
• All of your stories are saved privately, and will be printed in a beautiful keepsake book.

My people are off camping in Eastern Washington (I think).  I got one picture, and it looks beautiful.  I thought it was going to be more of a forest, but it looks like a river and open spaces with mountains in the background.  Another family with two little boys joined them, and Graysen has been planning a wedding between her and Camden.  They're been friends since birth - but that's not very long.  And maybe Katherine and Branson, the little brother.  She's seriously been planning it, all the activities, drawing pictures of flowers and her dress.  

Just a couple of sweet videos of the girls.  Those little moving cars/truck/airplanes/animals on the sidewalks outside stores have never held any interest for the girls because they're a little scared of them.  But last week, we've learned that you can just sit in them without the money going in to make the music and shaking, and it's a fun play place.  Cheaper than a bouncy house.

It's time for the girls to start preparing their own meals.  It's a start.

Busy Week

I still have Andalusia things to write about, but we've had a lot going on this week.

Monday - Took the girls to school, handled insurance stuff, and bought groceries.

Tuesday - Girls had dentist, and I kept them the rest of the day - nice walk, snake talk, and thunder.

Today they're at school.  I've finished a conference call with the nursing home about Mama's new plan of care, took the girls to school, went by the post office and library, have a Webinar at 12, pick up the girls at 3:00 to 3:30 and then get my hair cut at 4:00.

Tomorrow is gymnastics and our weekly lunch.

Then the Win-Bins go camping, and I get a long weekend.  I'm for that.  I'll spend a lot of time worrying but will try not to.

So pictures.

Graysen and Katherine were already dressed in their new dresses when I got there Monday with hair done and breakfast eaten.  We had time for reading two new books.

The author is Kathy's cousin Donnie Griggs, and the books are called Cloud Riders, Volume I and Volume II.  They were pretty interesting, a new concept where people lives in the clouds and take care of cleaning and moving the clouds around.  They looked like little ghosts, and that's what they call them, ghosties.

They were fascinated, and we appreciate Aunt Kathy and Uncle Alan thinking about them.

I love the apartment complex where I live.  It's a 1-minute drive to work and a short quiet walk.  I feel safe and comfortable and enjoy my neighbors.  But this landlady is something else.  After a 3-month feud about monthly payments (which are on autopay, by the way), I got an email that my renter's insurance had expired.  Ugh.  I don't know about insurance and all that stuff, but State Farm is across the street from Rooster Valley, so I paid a visit and found that not only was it NOT expired but that SF had sent him a renewal notice in December.  It gave me a lot of satisfaction to take the proof by the office and tell her they did send her a renewal notice.  She blamed it on someone else, of course.  What next?  I didn't RSVP to the Cinco de Mayo party.  I wonder if I'll get in trouble for that.  

Emily stayed home with the girls on Tuesday until their dentist appointment, and when they were finished, I heard them calling me from the street  - serenading with me with, "No cavities and no crying." and showing me their bag of little treasures, stickers and balls and new toothbrushes and toothpaste.  So proud of them.  Graysen had some anxiety at first, but Katherine just loved watching 

the Care Bears video so didn't pay much attention to the dentist.  

We ate lunch, and they played so nicely here until time to go home.  I decided we would walk since it was so beautiful and warm.

Graysen wanted to check out the apartment pool to make sure it didn't go anywhere during the winter.  It was still there, as well as the "hot pool."

We picked out this hill for sledding next winter.

Katherine getting a little scared of the tunnel up ahead.

Sweet girls.  So much chatting and laughing and fun.  It was somewhere around here that Graysen let slip that they had seen a snake last weekend.  She didn't actually say anything, but I recognize that look when someone has been told not to tell me something.  Guess I'll have to stop being so carefree in the summer.  I don't think there are any poisonous ones here, but it's not the biting that bothers me - it's the heart attack I'll have if I ever see one.  Unfortunately, it was either in their yard or in the next door neighbor's yard.  I'm going to get me a guard cat.  I asked Ryan about it this morning, and he kind or pretended he didn't know anything about it.  I know Emily told him, "Do not tell Mama about it, or she'll never come here again, and we'll have to hire a snake-loving nanny."

We passed by the new garden plot.  It's the one in the background.  The blank slate.  I can't wait to start digging in it.

Is this kale?  No problem growing things I don't like, anytime you want.

This is in the front bed of the new house.  I think it's lilac.  It's has a wonderful scent.

The bunnies are in the yard every morning but don't like these plants, I guess.

There are four little girls next door, and here they're telling me what each one did over the weekend.

These are my favorite and grow right at the bottom of my stairs.

To the park with Mama before the dentist.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/CBCUu2I33nJ76snI3

If we had had video cameras in the 1970s, this might have been her mother. No one was more of an "I do it myself" child than Emily.  It sure helps my back to have her scramble into that car seat.

Oh, the thunder.  The weatherwas beautiful when we walked over, but we did feel a few raindrops halfway there.  By the time for me to walk home, there was a pretty good storm with thunder and lightning, so Elise had to come pick me up.  I did enjoy it though.  

Another Birthday for Mama

Ninety-five years!  I can't imagine living that long - and neither can she.  We had a conversation about it one day when I was showing her some pictures from last year's party. 

"How old was I then?"
94
"How old am I now?"
95
VERY shocked face.  "95?!!"

She thought about it a minute and said, "How old is my oldest grandchild?"
47
"47?  Is that you?"
No, I'm 71.
Another shocked face (mine too!)

"Well, how old am I then?"
95.
Just shaking her head and smiling.

She does know that we're familiar to her, but she has lost her grasp of who we are and what generation we are in.  She will look at an old picture and pick out people and say their names - sometimes.  It's worrisome because she's stopped eating more than a couple of bites a meal.  She does drink her protein drink they bring her several times a day and loves the apple juice. 

If I ever say, "How about a cup of coffee?" her face lights up, and she says, "Hot coffee?  Do you have some?  That sounds real good."  I'll get it, and it's too hot, and then she'll fall asleep before she finishes it, but she does get the enjoyment of having it and taking a few sips.  That was always one of her favorite things when she lived with us.  She would come to the kitchen, get her coffee, put it into the microwave for 2 minutes (boil it!) and then set it on her walker and head for her room.  By the time she got back and got herself situated, it was just about cool enough to drink.

I'm sorry she doesn't get to enjoy a lot of the things she used to, but she did get to for a long time, and that's what's important.  She got to live long enough for her and Daddy to retire and travel a lot and enjoy their home and garden and grandchildren.  After he died and she came to live with me, she loved her coffee and green tea.  The three newspapers a day she read from cover to cover.  Days of our Lives.  Lakeview Church and all her friends there.  Every one of those things has gradually been taken away from her, and she is just kind of left with her thoughts.  She worries a lot about going to jail, for some reason, and even threatened one of the staff members and me with jail if we smiled at each other again.  There was just that one day that I saw her so agitated, but I understand she gets that way a lot of nights.

I did take some pictures, but they're not ones she would ever want on a public blog since she didn't get to go comb her hair and put on some powder and lipstick, but here is a little sampling of her life in her 95th year.

Andalusia Manor, which has been a good home for her now for a few years. 

The people there do an amazing job.  Theirs is a hard job, and they take it seriously and with a sense of humor too.  Lots of laughing going on in the halls and friendliness, and kindness and compassion, as I got to observe throughout 6 days.

I'm sorry I didn't get to get pictures of everyone.  I always plan to, but I'll forget.  I don't even remember all the names.  Mama's nurses are Christina, Lori, Trish, and Jessica.  I might have missed a night nurse or two since I wasn't there at night. 

This is Jessica doing a blood pressure check.

Lori is brand-new and just learning the ropes, but we had a chance to talk for a bit, and she is very sweet and caring.

I keep forgetting to check on her door to see the correct spelling of her name, but Shameca (Mika, as the other nurses call her) is the hall director and a constant source of information and comfort to me.  She listens to my concerns and reassures me, and I know she and the West Hall staff are responsible and conscientious.  I caught her on another hall Sunday and got this picture.  They love me and my camera, I'm sure.

There are numerous other girls who do the real daily caring for the patients - wheeling them up and down the halls, rescuing them and helping them find their rooms when they get lost, taking them for showers, dressing and grooming the ones who can't and just cheering them up by poking their heads in the door and greeting them with a joke or a smile.

I found out Monday morning that Mama had been dressed and taken to the beauty shop, and that was the best news.  It absolutely changed her personality for the next couple of days.  She balks at anything that's out of bed, but someone convinced her that day.  I walked down to the beauty shop and got these pictures.  Not the best but so much better than the previous days.

All up and down the halls on the way back to her room, people would stop her and tell her how beautiful she was, and that seemed to please her.

Carol, Kathy, and I planned a VERY small birthday party for her on Sunday, but it was not one of her best days.  She was able to blow out her candle and take a bite of cake and seemed thrilled with her gifts.  Kathy remembered she liked these:

Her eyes lit up, and she said, "Oh, I LOVE those."  She likes to be the hostess still and was offering them to everyone who came into the room - but then asked me to hide them later!

Mike and Robin visited her on her actual birthday and got these pictures.

It was a good visit.  I left sad but reassured she was in the right place for getting good care.  I'm not sure she even knew who I was or that I was leaving, but she did have a big smile and wave and even blew a kiss and said, "I love you."  And that's about the best I can expect. 

Travel Anxiety

When I go somewhere, I don't enjoy the getting there and getting home if it involves flying.  I just want to be transported there and back.

I start getting this anxiety weeks before I leave, and it's not the usual thinking the plane is going to crash anxiety - although I'm sure that has to cross everyone's mind at some point, especially with the recent horrible events.

My problem - and I've bored everyone within listening distance - is that I'm afraid of doing the wrong things and making the wrong decisions.  Mike always loved flying, so I pretty much followed and let him do all the planning, and it was easy.  Now there are so many worries.  Dates, airlines, prices, seats, rental cars, times, forgetting things, taking things that will get me in trouble.  Etc.  I don't fly enough to get familiar with things, although I have to admit it is getting a little easier.

All four of my flights were on time, uncomplicated, smooth takeoffs and landings, and polite people around me.  I chose aisle seats this time near the back, and going to the bathroom was simple as could be.  I did have to get jostled a little bit by others walking by me and bumped by the drink cart a time or two.

This time, I printed my boarding pass the night before and had the cute little bar code on my phone that I see everyone else using.  I've learned to check my heavier carry-on bag at the gate and not have to worry about stuffing it overhead.  I've learned how to get around in the Atlanta airport better.  Seattle and Montgomery are pretty easy.  I've learned the ins and outs of renting a car and that if it has a push-button starter, you NEED to have the brake on before pushing it. This car had all kinds of pictures and warnings about it, so I didn't make any jarring mistakes.   I've learned that not all rental car lights are on automatic when I get them, and driving a few miles without lights last time was a good lesson to me to check them.

I made a mental note of which side of the car the gas tank was on, so when I pulled up to the gas pump to leave town, I didn't anticipate a problem.  Then I realized I didn't know how to get the little gas door open.  I looked in the usual places in the car.

It should be right here, I thought.  I looked and looked, and then I mentioned it to the girl at the next pump - young enough to know things about newer cars.  She came over and looked and looked and then got out her phone and did a Google search on Nisson Sentra release buttons.  She said it was pretty complicated, so I was about to get out the manual, when I did one last search, kind of standing on my head - and there it was.  WAY under the above buttons.

I was just glad I didn't have to embarrass myself by going into the store and asking someone else.  

I have to say, though, that that was about the only glitch in the whole trip.  We had to go almost to Canada on the way back to avoid thunderstorms but had very little turbulence.  

And I failed to bring enough reading material.  I finished my only book while I was there and didn't think to take another one.  I considered buying one in Atlanta, but my cheap side took over, and I just suffered.  

Once there, the trip turned out to be great.  The weather was perfect, although I didn't get that storm I was hoping for.  The azaleas had stopped blooming, but everything was lush and green, and the temperatures were perfect - cool in the morning and evening and warming up to not very hot during the day. 

I took a few pictures outside.  Not enough.  I would always plan to do more in the mornings, but by evening, I was just ready to get home and get in bed.

I sat near this window in Montgomery for about an hour and charged my phone and enjoyed this peaceful view and answered emails and texts and made lists.  Once I got to my gate, there were a lot of military guys and girls getting ready to go to San Antonio.  They were headed for Air Force Basic Training, and it was amazing how many of them had never flown - just listening to the conversation around me.  One little guy from Snead, FL, drilled me about how it felt (flying), did I like it, was I scared, etc.  Why did I live in Washington?  Why was I here?  I found out about his life too, and it made the waiting seem shorter.  Once on the planes though, I like silent seat companions!  And got them.  

I took these on Antioch Road on the way from Alan and Kathy's house.  It's a pretty road and one that most of my great aunts and uncles used to live on.  I can see the land where there houses were, but they are long gone.  

Mama and Daddy's house in Green Acres looks well kept.  At first I thought that was an Alabama sign out front and laughed to think what Daddy would have said about that!  Then Kathy looked closer and told me it was an Andalusia Bulldogs sign.  I'm glad someone is taking care of it.

Hooper's Pond down the hill was looking good too.  Just so peaceful.

This crazy-eyed guy was sitting in the back of a pick-up truck when we finished eating at Larry's Barbecue on Monday night and let me take his or her picture.

I got acquainted with another dog or two this trip, but that will have to wait until later.  My first day back is just about to come to an end, but I have to mention all our eating places.

Kathy and Alan and I went out three times during the week.  First was a Mexican Restaurant, Old Mexico, I think, where Alan is able to communicate well in Spanish with the owners - things like telling him not to let me pay.  I had had a late lunch, so I only got a small dish of cheese enchiladas, but they were good as well as the chips and queso blanco - I think that's right.  Always fun there.  

Carol and I planned a few lunches, but life kept getting in the way, or we would sit and talk until too late to make plans.  But one day we did try this new place, and it was a great experience.   It's called Java Time, a drive though coffee and tea place with a nice menu of drinks and salads and wraps and other things we didn't have a chance to check out.  The FaceBook page has a lot of good pictures and a partial menu.  I wish I had known they had cranberry scones.  I would have gotten one for breakfast before I left.

We missed the menu somehow when we drove around it and ended up at the window with the girl handing us a menu.  We got a ham and Swiss wrap, but the wrap was a crepe and very light and fresh-tasting.  I don't remember what we had to drink, I think Carol a coffee and me something cold but nothing exciting.  There are little tables set up outside, and we ate there and talked for about an hour with the wind blowing in the good spring smells and just enjoying life.  The people there were so nice.  I hope it's successful.

One day, a friend of mine for many years, Jan, brought us a cup of coffee to the nursing home, and we sat in the visitor room and talked and drank coffee and just had a wonderful time. We talked though lunch and never even thought about eating!   It was perfect and so fun to catch up with each other's lives.  We need to do this more than once every year or so, but we do have email and texting!  

I should have taken pictures of all this food, but another place Kathy and Alan took me was Chen's Garden.  It's a huge place with a huge buffet, which is what we had.  Chinese is not my favorite food, but what I got was great, all the usual chicken, beef, and shrimp dishes, and a crab and cheese casserole that was so good I had seconds.  Any place that has fried okra is okay with me.  Two servings of that also.  

And finally my last night there, Kathy decided she wanted a Larry's Barbecue baked potato.  I had never heard of such, but they both both got one and said it was very good. This is not a picture of theirs - just off their Facebook page.

I ended up with a barbecue wrap - also something I had never tried - and I liked it a lot - not a huge amount of barbecue but just enough with some lettuce and cheese in a wrap - and, of course, more fried okra.  I may not have gotten the thunderstorm in South Alabama, but I got my fried okra!  

It seems like I ate a lot, but I was there for 6-1/2 days!  The main thing was the fun and fellowship of family and friends.  Nothing like it!  We laughed so much and sometimes cried a little and did have some serious conversations - but it always came back to just people making me feel at home. 

Tomorrow I'll write about homes and people.  The nursing home and Mama.  Kathy and Alan and Allie.  Carol, David and their sweet family.  And we can't forget Dean's Cake House.

Carol and I sat in Mama's nursing home room and lamented the fact that we didn't ask that generation more questions and find out as much as we could, because now it's too late.  I hope Graysen and Katherine will get some pleasure out of knowing some things we did and seeing some pictures.  I do need to go back and write down a lot of things I remember about my own childhood as well as Mike's.  It just seem so MUCH, but I know they would like to know about their family one day.

I'm Back Home, and It's May and Beautiful

T.his is the kind of day you dream about (weather-wise, anyway, because it does involve a sheep trampling).  I know when you go through six months of hardly ever having warm and sunny days, you do appreciate this more.  You don't get spoiled, so every day like this is one to celebrate.  Unfortunately, I'm unpacking and washing clothes and cleaning house, but I can appreciate it by opening my blinds and having coffee on my balcony.

I got in last night about 7:30, which was really around 9:30 according to the time I've been keeping.  Ryan picked me up and dropped me off, and I pretty much went straight to bed and slept well.  I was excited to see the girls (Emily too) this morning.  I got some good hugs and kisses and lots of catching up.

I gave them some of their Alabama surprises while they ate breakfast, and they loved them so much.  Aunt Carol sent them butterfly-shaped soap, which they can hardly believe.  I think bathtime will be fun tonight.

We went shopping at Darby's Pharmacy in Andalusia Monday, and Carol also found the cutest little pineapple lip glosses for them.

They love the little containers and I'm not sure even realize there's pineapple-flavored lip gloss inside.  Good choices, Carol.

The first picture of the Darby's Face Book page gives a hint as to what Aunt Kathy is sending.  Lucky little girls.

They have such a good selection of sweet clothing and accessories.  I saw many things I wanted to buy but didn't.  So tempting.  Lots of Auburn things and swimming and summer clothes.  It's a beautiful store - and a pharmacy too, although that was kind of overlooked by us.

I brought a surprise for them for this afternoon, but the barrettes I brought them from Wal-Mart were also liked and discussed.  Kate liked the sparkly ones and Graysen the ones with little flowers.

Nothing like being bombarded with gifts while you try to eat breakfast.

The sheep stampede was not funny at the time but I think will be later.  I'll have to take a picture of the bad boy this afternoon.  The two sheep at Rooster Valley have obviously just been shorn and look ridiculous, as do all bare sheep.  When we saw him, Graysen said he looked silly.   As we went into the barn Ms Tricia was handing out handfuls of food to feed the one in the pen inside.  Graysen usually turns that down and was signing her name on the board when the outside sheep just barreled into the barn and pushed her over and ran into me and whoever else was standing around.  He was just trying to get to where food was being handed out.  She was checked over and clucked over, and her feelings were a little hurt, but she bounced back, and I left her singing their very appropriate morning song, "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning."

I loved seeing the mothers gathering outside to talk and let their little ones play in the puddles and all the people walking dogs and strolling babies and running.  The dogwoods are beginning to bloom, and everything smells so fresh.  It's usually green year round here, but in the spring, there's this new leafy green, and the sunshine just makes it sparkle.

I have bunches more pictures I took in Andalusia.  It was such a fun visit, as usual.