While Claude and I crashed on Memorial (Monday, May 25th), someone was busy using my credit card. Well, not the card, I had that in my purse and Claude had his in his wallet. However, the number was out there and someone was using it. How this happens I do not know. It has happened once before several years ago.
I received a text message on my cell phone on Tuesday, May 26th stating it was from our credit card company with concerns over a charge. They wanted to confirm we made the charge. Claude was in a training meeting all day. I forwarded the text to him. He thought it might be him but was not sure about the amount. I did not respond as I was not entirely sure it was not a hoax.
Later in the day I received another text stating there were now two charges in question. Hmmmm...
I got home that evening and checked my credit card activity on line. I found five other charges we did not make. Claude checked the copies of our charge receipts and none matched these.
I called the credit card company and reported the events and included the additional charges. When I asked if they could tell me where the charges were made, they said in Wyoming and Florida!!! Man, I would love to have traveled to those places but really had not fit that into our schedule at all.
My credit card was canceled. A new one will be issued. The charges will be reversed and all should be set straight for us in a week or so.
I am grateful that the credit card company does a profile of us and our spending. Both times this has happened they have contacted us with the first 2 or 3 charges so nothing major has happened. It is a huge inconvenience to switch cards but not nearly as bad as it could be in this situation. Others have suffered so much with identity theft.
I truly do not get the desire to wreck peoples lives. With all the energy expended doing that they could have held a job and earned their own money. Really, it takes someone to do the stealing, someone to set up whatever phoney business they have to use the card information, and then someone on the other end willing to pay and use the card information. Such effort expended to do something illegal.
There. Rant over. Grateful and will be happy when the new card arrives so I can proceed with the changes I need to make on my end.
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Theater Anyone???
We hurried back from West Virginia for two reasons. The place we kenneled Tiny closed at noon and, if you weren't there before that, your pet could not be picked up until Monday. Also, Miss Bailey has been taking an acting class and her performance was Saturday, May 23rd at 1:30pm. If we got Papa and Tiny home in time, we might just have enough time to get to LaGrange to watch our youngest grandmonster perform.
I'm happy to report the stars all fell into alignment and the biorhythms were on track and all our karma must have been just right because we got all done and to LaGrange before the appointed hour.
Hayden sat between Claude and me and I let him use my camera to take pictures of his little sister performing. I particularly like this one.
The play was 'The Magic Schoolhouse'. Bailey did great. However, there were no microphones on the children so we really couldn't hear most of what was said. At one point Hayden leaned over to me and said, "I can't understand what is happening." I just told him I couldn't either but we were here to support Bailey and that was the most important part. He understood and was fine.
He took video. I took pictures and video. The play was a rousing success even though we have no clue about the plot.
Hayden brought flowers for Bailey. She was so very happy to get them. Andie, Bailey's mom, had blond hair. But I see lots of Andie as a little girl in Miss Bailey in this picture.
After the performance, we all went to Dairy Queen for an ice cream treat to celebrate the successful completion of the class and Bailey's performance. While there I gave Andie this back cleaning thing for the shower. Bonnie sent it home with Claude when he visited her in Utah. We thought the Mini's might like it at their home. Clearly Hayden, thinks it is a great item even when not in the shower!!
We returned home after the Dairy Queen adventure. It is so nice to live close enough to get to these things and watch the Mini's growing up.
I'm happy to report the stars all fell into alignment and the biorhythms were on track and all our karma must have been just right because we got all done and to LaGrange before the appointed hour.
Hayden sat between Claude and me and I let him use my camera to take pictures of his little sister performing. I particularly like this one.
He took video. I took pictures and video. The play was a rousing success even though we have no clue about the plot.
Hayden brought flowers for Bailey. She was so very happy to get them. Andie, Bailey's mom, had blond hair. But I see lots of Andie as a little girl in Miss Bailey in this picture.
Caring for Papa...
Papa has been complaining of a very painful hip for a bit. It truly seemed to be getting worse. Wednesday, May 13th, I called his doctor and asked to get an appointment to see him or whoever he might refer Papa to regarding this hip pain. They fit him in Thursday, the 14th at 9:30am.
The diagnosis was bursitis. A prescription for an anti-inflammatory drug was prescribed and I picked it up, took it to Papa's apartment and filled his prescription containers so he would take it appropriately. The wrinkle with this was it was taken over 6 days with a declining dosage each day. And, it was taken 4 times during the day. Papa's regular medicines are taken at 6am and 6pm. We worked out adding the two additional times for meds and I called him each day at those two times to be sure he took what he was supposed to. The proof of his pain was he remembered and would sometimes call me to be sure when he was to take some of this new medication.
Sunday, May 17th, Claude and I were to speak in the Owingsville Ward (congregation). Papa loves to visit there so we invited him to tag along. There are three meetings. The first is priesthood meeting for Papa. Then there is a Sunday School Class. And lastly there is Sacrament Meeting in which Claude and I would speak. My plan was to have Papa enjoy priesthood meeting then take him to my car and let him sit there through Sunday School in the big cushy seat to give his hip a rest. Alas, Papa was just sure he was fine and could stay on that wooden bench through all the meetings.
He did just that. I did offer and suggest multiple times before Sunday School started that we go to the car and give his hip a rest. He assured me he was fine and intended to stay. Okay.
The result was that after Sacrament meeting and sitting on that bench for 3 hours (all three meetings were in the chapel for him) he could barely walk to the car. We got him in the car and home but he was very, very happy to get to his recliner and stay there.
We finished the medication regime and it really did no good.
Thursday, May 21st, we loaded Papa and Tiny up in my car and Claude and I took him on a road trip. We first dropped Tiny off at a Veterinary in Lexington for boarding. Then Claude drove us to New River Gorge in West Virginia. This was on Papa's bucket list and we were trying to provide him a great trip to see this beautiful spot of country.
We stopped along the way for Papa to use the facilities. While he was in the bathroom, I strolled along the Kanawha River taking a few pictures. Those honeysuckles had a heavenly scent. Could have stood there for hours and enjoyed the breeze over the water and the scent of honeysuckles. Brought me back to childhood in Shreveport, Louisiana. There was a hedge along the entire property line between our home and Buddy Seaton next door. Growing in that hedge at the front of our properties were lots and lots of honeysuckles. As children, we would pop the blossoms off and pinch the bottom off the blossom and suck the honey right out of the bottom. Maybe that is why they are called honeysuckles!
Our first stop was the Canyon View Visitor's Center. Papa went inside and toured the exhibits. There I noticed a marked change in Papa. All my life, when visiting any museum or visitor's center, he would pause to read every sign and plaque and digest the entire exhibit. This time he breezed through fairly quickly. This first picture is of the New River and Papa looking at it through the big windowed area.
Then we walked down to an overlook. The park ranger assured me there was a nice boardwalk type walkway to the overlook and Papa should be able to make it just fine. He wouldn't want to take the steps to the lower overlook but he could view the New River Gorge Bridge from the top overlook. Papa was ready to go so he and I headed out.
There was a slight slant to get down the pavement to the boardwalk. I realized I really needed to be by Papa whenever he was going downhill even the slightest bit. He was able to maneuver his walker just fine, he applied the brakes to try to slow himself down, but his feet were not cooperating and he would get going a little faster and a little faster.
We made it to where the boardwalk begins and found a lovely white rhododendron. Papa paused for me to take a picture. Part of picking this time to go (other than it was a weekend when all three of us could travel together) was that mid-May is peek time for rhododendrons. Mimi and Papa loved them so much when they would drive the Blue Ridge Parkway. We really wanted Papa to have the experience of viewing them again. Unfortunately, most had already lost their blossoms, but we did see some that were in full bloom and totally enjoyed them. I even saw a deep red one which is a color I have never seen before.
Papa is from the overlook at the New River Gorge Bridge. It is an amazing structure and well worth the visit to view. Papa loved it.
Claude joined us there and then took the steps to the bottom overlook. Papa was headed back down the boardwalk to the car so I followed him. We got him in the car and got him a Slim Fast while Claude finished his walk and came back to the car.
Our other place to visit this first day was to drive the Fayette Station Road Tour. It is mostly a one way road that switches back and forth down the side of the canyon to the bottom. There you find a one lane bridge over the New River. At one point there were homes and people living along this road and at the bottom of the river. The train wends its way through the bottom of the canyon. Now it is just a road to drive and the bridge to cross the river with sandy bottoms under the trees along the river to put your kayak or raft in the water. I took this picture of the New River Bridge from the little bridge on Fayette Station Road. Claude parked the car and sat with Papa while I went back to get pictures. I waited on the little bridge for a kayak and a raft to float under the little bridge and then go down the rapids seen in this picture. I got video of the kayak and then another video of the raft going over the rapids. Papa enjoyed them when I showed them to him.
It was an overcast day this first day. We were able to see all we wanted to the first day but after the Fayette Station Road drive the clouds really lowered and the rain started to come. We went to our hotel for the evening. Papa was absolutely beat. Got him settled in his room which was on the first floor right next to ours. This was a good thing as his television is set at 100 for volume and Claude and I were prepared to take his noise level. Claude and I did find a Burger King for a bite to eat but Papa only wanted his Slim Fast.
Friday, May 22nd, was our full day in the New River Gorge Park. There is a bit loop road that goes around the gorge. It is a beautiful drive, mostly on back roads. This was our goal for Friday. We left our hotel and drove back over the New River Bridge. Then we found the back roads and followed them. Papa loves this kind of drive so he was happy to enjoy the ride.
Our first stop was Babcock State Park. The material I read said there was a grist mill there that was the object of lots of photographers. We drove into the park and found this scenic wonder near the visitors center. We also found a beautiful rhododendron bush for a Papa photo op.
Papa went in the visitor's center. I wandered down by the stream and found so many spots for gorgeous pictures. I took several so Papa could see them later. He couldn't get to them. This is one of my favorites with the grist mill at the top of the hill and the water running over the rocks. Very nice view.
Papa went to the car after the visitor's center and found a nice young photographer loading his gear into his car. He stopped and chatted with Papa. I roamed over to the grist mill for more pictures. Claude joined me. There was this interesting rock thing with a handle for a wheel on one side and a thing for water to flow out the bottom. We guessed it got the water from the other side of the road as it ran down the hill. I titled this picture "Where's Claudo?" Can you find him? I think I'll start doing this every times we travel.
We next drove to the Sandstone Falls area. To get there you drive along the New River on highway 20 to Hinton. There you cross the New River and take Highway 26 back up the other side going north till you get to Sandstone Falls. There were two lookout points along highway 20 and the next two pictures are taken from each of those overlooks.
Claude found a parking place right at the start of the boardwalk to get to the falls. This is a long boardwalk. Papa made the entire thing. Not a lot of up and down to it so he stayed pretty steady.
The first picture was what may have been a little beaver dam. There was signage describing the beavers and the dams they build. It was sure a pretty little place.
Here is Papa with some of the falls in the background.
When we got to the end of the walkway, there were a group of young people from India there. I asked if one of them would take this picture of the three of us with the falls in the background. I think I shall treasure this picture for a long time to come.
This is the deeper end of the falls. Papa was amazed that the water would be 20 feet deep anywhere on the New River. It was supposed to be 20 feet deep at the pool formed at the base of these larger falls. You could see rocks all along the New River though. It did seem to be a very shallow river in all the places we viewed it.
The berry blossoms were thick on the bushes throughout the area. This is a close-up view of one. Love this picture. Not sure what kind of berry but someone can sure make a lot of jelly and jam this year if they just pause to pick all the berries it looks like will come from all the blossoms we saw.
We are headed back to the car. Claude and Papa paused to take a break on this bridge and watch the water. There is something soothing in watching water flow. Not sure what makes it so, but it is very soothing.
Claude paused where we started at the shallow end of the falls. There is a man and woman fishing from the rocks in the center of the falls.
We had one more stop to make on our loop. It was at Grandview. This is the highest overlook in the gorge area. There is a walk out to this lookout. It was by far the worst we encountered. Not so much for us. But for Papa it was brutal. Claude and I each caught Papa at least once to keep him from falling. The path was made of big irregular pieces of slate with dirt between. In one place the dirt was so eroded that there were big ruts. We made it but it wasn't always pretty. Papa enjoyed the view.
The thing we regret is not taking a picture of the parking lot at Grandview. There were actually two parking lots. One of them was full of buses and school children having field trips. The other was empty and had rhododendron bushes growing thickly between the rows for parking. They were in full bloom and a nice deep pink color. We marveled but did not stop as we were looking for where the overlook path was located. The visitor's center was closed here. We found the path and walked it and were worn out when we finished and ever so grateful Papa had not fallen. Never even remembered to go back and get the picture of those rhododendrons. Alas, they shall live in memory only.
This completed the big loop and had us almost at the exit for the hotel we stayed at the night prior. We had reservations in a hotel the other side of Charleston so Claude pointed the Buick in that direction and he headed for the hotel. Papa was wiped out. Again, our rooms were on the first floor and next to each other. I had requested handicapped accessible rooms for Papa and I'm sure that is why they were on the first floor. It was good not to have to fight stairs or elevators with him. He headed to bed.
When it came time to get something for Claude to eat with his evening medicine, I asked Papa if he wanted to join us. There was a Cracker Barrel across the parking lot. Papa really didn't want to go. I told him I would bring him some dinner. That was fine with him. I brought him meat loaf and veggies.
Claude and I wanted to get a good night's rest before the drive back the next day. I was asleep by 9:30pm. Claude turned out the light about 10pm and tried to go to sleep. I awoke later and Papa's television, which was against the wall to our room where our television hung, was blaring. I thought, okay, he'll turn it off after this show is over. After a long while, it wasn't going off. I thought Claude was asleep and didn't want to wake him by moving around a lot. Then I realized he was tossing around trying to sleep with the loud noise. I rose up and looked at the clock. It was 12:45am. Yike!! I picked up the phone and tried to call Papa's room to tell him to turn off his television. The phone had a message saying service to this room was not available. What??? I got up and went to his room door and knocked and called his name. No answer. Fortunately, I had a key to his room. I opened the door and called around the corner for him. No answer. I peeked into his room. He had pillows piled on his bed and was stretched out sound asleep totally oblivious to the noise. I tiptoed to his night stand, picked up the remote and turned that television off. Back to our room and snuggled under the covers for a few hours sleep.
Saturday morning we wanted to be on the road by 7am. When we joined Papa in his room to collect his luggage, he said, "I had the strangest experience last night. There were people in my room moving things around." Claude and I just looked at each other and rolled out eyes. What can you do. I explained I came into his room around 1am to turn off the television which was way too loud for that hour. All I did was turn off the television. Nothing else was touched in his room. I'm not sure he understood.
We took bananas and muffins from the breakfast buffet and headed toward Huntington, West Virginia and then Kentucky and home.
When we got to Lexington and pulled up in front of Broadway Veterinary Clinic, Papa looked at Claude and said, "What are going to do here?" This from the man that had talked about his dog for two days and missed her terribly. He really didn't remember leaving her there two days previous. I went in an retrieved his puppy. They were so happy to be together again. But Claude and I really thought Tiny would have a coronary before we got them home. She hates riding in a car. And, being reunited with Papa was about all her little heart could handle.
Papa was very happy to have made this trip. He truly enjoyed it. But he was equally happy to be back in his apartment where his chair awaited him reclining in it.
Papa's hip is not better. I will probably be calling Dr. Weckman Monday to see if anything further can be done. This just might be what it is from now on.
The diagnosis was bursitis. A prescription for an anti-inflammatory drug was prescribed and I picked it up, took it to Papa's apartment and filled his prescription containers so he would take it appropriately. The wrinkle with this was it was taken over 6 days with a declining dosage each day. And, it was taken 4 times during the day. Papa's regular medicines are taken at 6am and 6pm. We worked out adding the two additional times for meds and I called him each day at those two times to be sure he took what he was supposed to. The proof of his pain was he remembered and would sometimes call me to be sure when he was to take some of this new medication.
Sunday, May 17th, Claude and I were to speak in the Owingsville Ward (congregation). Papa loves to visit there so we invited him to tag along. There are three meetings. The first is priesthood meeting for Papa. Then there is a Sunday School Class. And lastly there is Sacrament Meeting in which Claude and I would speak. My plan was to have Papa enjoy priesthood meeting then take him to my car and let him sit there through Sunday School in the big cushy seat to give his hip a rest. Alas, Papa was just sure he was fine and could stay on that wooden bench through all the meetings.
He did just that. I did offer and suggest multiple times before Sunday School started that we go to the car and give his hip a rest. He assured me he was fine and intended to stay. Okay.
The result was that after Sacrament meeting and sitting on that bench for 3 hours (all three meetings were in the chapel for him) he could barely walk to the car. We got him in the car and home but he was very, very happy to get to his recliner and stay there.
We finished the medication regime and it really did no good.
Thursday, May 21st, we loaded Papa and Tiny up in my car and Claude and I took him on a road trip. We first dropped Tiny off at a Veterinary in Lexington for boarding. Then Claude drove us to New River Gorge in West Virginia. This was on Papa's bucket list and we were trying to provide him a great trip to see this beautiful spot of country.
We stopped along the way for Papa to use the facilities. While he was in the bathroom, I strolled along the Kanawha River taking a few pictures. Those honeysuckles had a heavenly scent. Could have stood there for hours and enjoyed the breeze over the water and the scent of honeysuckles. Brought me back to childhood in Shreveport, Louisiana. There was a hedge along the entire property line between our home and Buddy Seaton next door. Growing in that hedge at the front of our properties were lots and lots of honeysuckles. As children, we would pop the blossoms off and pinch the bottom off the blossom and suck the honey right out of the bottom. Maybe that is why they are called honeysuckles!
Our first stop was the Canyon View Visitor's Center. Papa went inside and toured the exhibits. There I noticed a marked change in Papa. All my life, when visiting any museum or visitor's center, he would pause to read every sign and plaque and digest the entire exhibit. This time he breezed through fairly quickly. This first picture is of the New River and Papa looking at it through the big windowed area.
There was a slight slant to get down the pavement to the boardwalk. I realized I really needed to be by Papa whenever he was going downhill even the slightest bit. He was able to maneuver his walker just fine, he applied the brakes to try to slow himself down, but his feet were not cooperating and he would get going a little faster and a little faster.
We made it to where the boardwalk begins and found a lovely white rhododendron. Papa paused for me to take a picture. Part of picking this time to go (other than it was a weekend when all three of us could travel together) was that mid-May is peek time for rhododendrons. Mimi and Papa loved them so much when they would drive the Blue Ridge Parkway. We really wanted Papa to have the experience of viewing them again. Unfortunately, most had already lost their blossoms, but we did see some that were in full bloom and totally enjoyed them. I even saw a deep red one which is a color I have never seen before.
Our other place to visit this first day was to drive the Fayette Station Road Tour. It is mostly a one way road that switches back and forth down the side of the canyon to the bottom. There you find a one lane bridge over the New River. At one point there were homes and people living along this road and at the bottom of the river. The train wends its way through the bottom of the canyon. Now it is just a road to drive and the bridge to cross the river with sandy bottoms under the trees along the river to put your kayak or raft in the water. I took this picture of the New River Bridge from the little bridge on Fayette Station Road. Claude parked the car and sat with Papa while I went back to get pictures. I waited on the little bridge for a kayak and a raft to float under the little bridge and then go down the rapids seen in this picture. I got video of the kayak and then another video of the raft going over the rapids. Papa enjoyed them when I showed them to him.
Friday, May 22nd, was our full day in the New River Gorge Park. There is a bit loop road that goes around the gorge. It is a beautiful drive, mostly on back roads. This was our goal for Friday. We left our hotel and drove back over the New River Bridge. Then we found the back roads and followed them. Papa loves this kind of drive so he was happy to enjoy the ride.
Our first stop was Babcock State Park. The material I read said there was a grist mill there that was the object of lots of photographers. We drove into the park and found this scenic wonder near the visitors center. We also found a beautiful rhododendron bush for a Papa photo op.
The first picture was what may have been a little beaver dam. There was signage describing the beavers and the dams they build. It was sure a pretty little place.
This completed the big loop and had us almost at the exit for the hotel we stayed at the night prior. We had reservations in a hotel the other side of Charleston so Claude pointed the Buick in that direction and he headed for the hotel. Papa was wiped out. Again, our rooms were on the first floor and next to each other. I had requested handicapped accessible rooms for Papa and I'm sure that is why they were on the first floor. It was good not to have to fight stairs or elevators with him. He headed to bed.
When it came time to get something for Claude to eat with his evening medicine, I asked Papa if he wanted to join us. There was a Cracker Barrel across the parking lot. Papa really didn't want to go. I told him I would bring him some dinner. That was fine with him. I brought him meat loaf and veggies.
Claude and I wanted to get a good night's rest before the drive back the next day. I was asleep by 9:30pm. Claude turned out the light about 10pm and tried to go to sleep. I awoke later and Papa's television, which was against the wall to our room where our television hung, was blaring. I thought, okay, he'll turn it off after this show is over. After a long while, it wasn't going off. I thought Claude was asleep and didn't want to wake him by moving around a lot. Then I realized he was tossing around trying to sleep with the loud noise. I rose up and looked at the clock. It was 12:45am. Yike!! I picked up the phone and tried to call Papa's room to tell him to turn off his television. The phone had a message saying service to this room was not available. What??? I got up and went to his room door and knocked and called his name. No answer. Fortunately, I had a key to his room. I opened the door and called around the corner for him. No answer. I peeked into his room. He had pillows piled on his bed and was stretched out sound asleep totally oblivious to the noise. I tiptoed to his night stand, picked up the remote and turned that television off. Back to our room and snuggled under the covers for a few hours sleep.
Saturday morning we wanted to be on the road by 7am. When we joined Papa in his room to collect his luggage, he said, "I had the strangest experience last night. There were people in my room moving things around." Claude and I just looked at each other and rolled out eyes. What can you do. I explained I came into his room around 1am to turn off the television which was way too loud for that hour. All I did was turn off the television. Nothing else was touched in his room. I'm not sure he understood.
We took bananas and muffins from the breakfast buffet and headed toward Huntington, West Virginia and then Kentucky and home.
When we got to Lexington and pulled up in front of Broadway Veterinary Clinic, Papa looked at Claude and said, "What are going to do here?" This from the man that had talked about his dog for two days and missed her terribly. He really didn't remember leaving her there two days previous. I went in an retrieved his puppy. They were so happy to be together again. But Claude and I really thought Tiny would have a coronary before we got them home. She hates riding in a car. And, being reunited with Papa was about all her little heart could handle.
Papa was very happy to have made this trip. He truly enjoyed it. But he was equally happy to be back in his apartment where his chair awaited him reclining in it.
Papa's hip is not better. I will probably be calling Dr. Weckman Monday to see if anything further can be done. This just might be what it is from now on.
Armed Forces Day Picnic 2015
Saturday, May 16th, was Armed Forces Day. The Friends of Sadieville held their picnic.
Cub Scouts from Pack 234 provided the flag ceremony to begin the picnic.
We ate hot dogs and visited. I gave the boys their dog tags and compass treats that Cindy, our city clerk, purchased. The cub scouts were very happy for the trinkets. Eventually everyone started to clear out. The scouts had a camping trip that evening. There was a break in the rain and we loaded all the stuff in the cars and trucks and hauled things back to the storage shed. Then we were off.
I have to admit that this picnic left me very frustrated. It takes lots of time, lots of dollars and heart to pull this little picnic together. The only residents attending were the Friends of Sadieville and their spouses to help. Then the cub scouts and their parents. This is the third year for this picnic. The first year we had several local residents come and enjoy the event. It just felt like this was something we could grow into a fun event for the community. It's purpose was community spirit and to help raise a little money to refurbish the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church. I left feeling I would rather donate a certain sum each Armed Forces Day than spend all that time and effort to entertain the cub scouts. They were already having an event that day. I know we had a rain issue this year. But I don't think that stopped the community support. Love my little town. Just wish the residents would get on board with some things. It is like that in a lot of the things we do in life. Can't remember the exact formula, but something like 20% of the people do the work. That seems to be true here.
Grateful for Greg Mullins for his support. Grateful to the cub scouts and their parents for coming. Grateful for the Friends of Sadieville and their spouses for their support. There is a lot for which to be thankful.
Friday, May 29, 2015
Grammahood is the Best...
Andie and Michael had tickets to a performance in Louisville on a Thursday evening. Andie asked before purchasing their tickets some time ago if I would be available to watch the Mini's. Being a Thursday and a school night, that would be their best option. Of course I would be happy to do that.
Thursday, May 14th, found me first taking Papa to a doctors appointment, filling his prescription and getting him settled at home. After working with Papa, I was off to LaGrange to play Gramma.
If you have read my Blog, you know Claude and my last parting with the Mini's was heart wrenching to say the least. So, I approached this little moment with the Mini's will a little concern but lots of eagerness to just be Gramma.
I arrived before everyone was home from school or work. Put my things in the guest room as I would spend the night and leave Friday morning. Set myself up in the big chair in the family room so I could plug in my cell phone charger and read my Kindle. So far...so good.
Andie had a dentist appointment and came home first. We had a nice time to chat and catch up on many things. Bailey had her Big Sister time at Bear Care so we didn't want to pick up the Mini's until that was finished at 5pm.
Picking up the Mini's is always a great treat. They know you are coming. They are anxious for you to arrive. They just run to you and give you big hugs when they see you there. Love that moment. It is one of the things I miss most about not being able to pick them up. A little one running and jumping into your arms and giving you the biggest hug they can manage is just an extremely good feeling. The Mini's can't jump into my arms but they can still grab you and hug for all they are worth. I just love that!
On the way home from Bear Care, I told the Mini's my game plan. They would buckle down when we got home and finish their homework quickly. Then I would take them to Steve-O's for pizza. This would be like us having our own date while Mommy and Daddy had their date. Then, we would come back home and watch a show or a movie, depending on how much time we had. While we did that, I had purchased a 2-serving size bag of M&M's and they could have that for a snack. Then we would get to bed at the appropriate time so they could be rested for school. The Mini's were on-board for that plan.
Bailey had homework. Hayden did not. Hayden got tablet time while Bailey did her math facts. I had taken my laptop to get a few things done after I put the Mini's to bed. This was most fortuitous as Andie's was not working right. Bailey has several Math Facts websites she practices her math on. We found them on my laptop and she got her homework done in great time. We could leave for Steve-O's right when Andie left to meet Michael for dinner.
Hayden, Bailey and I had the best time at Steve-O's. Even our server was impressed with the Mini's behavior. We know what to order. Hayden brought a book and I read to them while we waited for our food to be served. I did agree to let Hayden have a soda with his meal instead of his milk. It was just a most pleasant dinner.
We got back to the house in time to watch just a bit of television. The basement was our location and the Mini's told me how to use the treadmill so I could do that after they went to bed. Hayden set us up to watch Funniest Videos with the understanding when the time to get ready for bed came, they would stop the television and get to bed. All agreed and we started to watch television. Then Hayden said, "What about the M&M's?" Yike!! I forgot the candy bribe. Hayden ran upstairs to get two little bowls and the bag of M&M's from my purse. Then we started the show and enjoyed a few quiet minutes together before bed.
They went through their bedtime routines without a hitch. I did my treadmill walk and worked on my computer. It couldn't have been a better evening. So very happy to get to play the Gramma role with these two little nuggets.
Thursday, May 14th, found me first taking Papa to a doctors appointment, filling his prescription and getting him settled at home. After working with Papa, I was off to LaGrange to play Gramma.
If you have read my Blog, you know Claude and my last parting with the Mini's was heart wrenching to say the least. So, I approached this little moment with the Mini's will a little concern but lots of eagerness to just be Gramma.
I arrived before everyone was home from school or work. Put my things in the guest room as I would spend the night and leave Friday morning. Set myself up in the big chair in the family room so I could plug in my cell phone charger and read my Kindle. So far...so good.
Andie had a dentist appointment and came home first. We had a nice time to chat and catch up on many things. Bailey had her Big Sister time at Bear Care so we didn't want to pick up the Mini's until that was finished at 5pm.
Picking up the Mini's is always a great treat. They know you are coming. They are anxious for you to arrive. They just run to you and give you big hugs when they see you there. Love that moment. It is one of the things I miss most about not being able to pick them up. A little one running and jumping into your arms and giving you the biggest hug they can manage is just an extremely good feeling. The Mini's can't jump into my arms but they can still grab you and hug for all they are worth. I just love that!
On the way home from Bear Care, I told the Mini's my game plan. They would buckle down when we got home and finish their homework quickly. Then I would take them to Steve-O's for pizza. This would be like us having our own date while Mommy and Daddy had their date. Then, we would come back home and watch a show or a movie, depending on how much time we had. While we did that, I had purchased a 2-serving size bag of M&M's and they could have that for a snack. Then we would get to bed at the appropriate time so they could be rested for school. The Mini's were on-board for that plan.
Bailey had homework. Hayden did not. Hayden got tablet time while Bailey did her math facts. I had taken my laptop to get a few things done after I put the Mini's to bed. This was most fortuitous as Andie's was not working right. Bailey has several Math Facts websites she practices her math on. We found them on my laptop and she got her homework done in great time. We could leave for Steve-O's right when Andie left to meet Michael for dinner.
Hayden, Bailey and I had the best time at Steve-O's. Even our server was impressed with the Mini's behavior. We know what to order. Hayden brought a book and I read to them while we waited for our food to be served. I did agree to let Hayden have a soda with his meal instead of his milk. It was just a most pleasant dinner.
We got back to the house in time to watch just a bit of television. The basement was our location and the Mini's told me how to use the treadmill so I could do that after they went to bed. Hayden set us up to watch Funniest Videos with the understanding when the time to get ready for bed came, they would stop the television and get to bed. All agreed and we started to watch television. Then Hayden said, "What about the M&M's?" Yike!! I forgot the candy bribe. Hayden ran upstairs to get two little bowls and the bag of M&M's from my purse. Then we started the show and enjoyed a few quiet minutes together before bed.
They went through their bedtime routines without a hitch. I did my treadmill walk and worked on my computer. It couldn't have been a better evening. So very happy to get to play the Gramma role with these two little nuggets.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Utah Bound...
Mother's Day...how to spend it. One of my very favorites was the year Claude went to Utah to spend it with his mother and I went to Louisiana to spend it with my mother. So nice to actually be with our Mom's on Mother's Day.
This year Claude's niece was graduating from Utah State University the same weekend as Mother's Day. We plotted for Claude to make a trip to visit his mom and family over Mother's Day weekend. He left Wednesday May 6th and returned Monday, May 11th.
Lynette, Claude's sister, got passes for them all to see the Payson Temple during it's Open House. This is always a neat experience. Thursday found them at the Open House. Claude sent me this picture he took of the family. Back Row: Lynette, Daniel, Thomas and Shannon. Front Row: Brian and Bonnie.
Claude attended Shannon's Graduation and Convocation. Had dinner with the family. Stayed in Cordell (his brother) and Julie's condo in Salt Lake City. Just had a good time doing these things.
They returned to Thatcher, where Bonnie lives, Friday evening. Saturday he was able to attend a funeral with his mother for a distant relative. This gave him the opportunity to see family he hasn't seen in years. It was nice for his mother to have her son with her.
It was also nice they had Saturday morning to go and pick up the corsage Claude got for Bonnie for Mother's Day. It was beautiful and she was very happy to receive this flower from her boy. My only request was for Claude to be sure and get a nice picture of the two of them. He obliged with the following. Isn't that just neat!
Sunday afternoon the family met at the camp where Julie and Cordell will serve a mission for the Church over the summer. They have set up their trailer where they will live for the summer. A big bonfire was made to keep every one warm. And they had a nice visit with Lynette's family, Julie and Cordell's family, Bonnie, Claude and JoAnn, his sister.
Monday Claude flew home and got to Sadieville at midnight. I did laundry Monday morning and Claude cut the grass. Then he packed up again and left Monday afternoon and will return tonight. Amazingly, I will pack up Thursday and head to LaGrange to watch the Mini's overnight and return on Friday. Life just keeps on chugging along.
Claude had a great visit with his family. Life is good.
This year Claude's niece was graduating from Utah State University the same weekend as Mother's Day. We plotted for Claude to make a trip to visit his mom and family over Mother's Day weekend. He left Wednesday May 6th and returned Monday, May 11th.
Lynette, Claude's sister, got passes for them all to see the Payson Temple during it's Open House. This is always a neat experience. Thursday found them at the Open House. Claude sent me this picture he took of the family. Back Row: Lynette, Daniel, Thomas and Shannon. Front Row: Brian and Bonnie.
They returned to Thatcher, where Bonnie lives, Friday evening. Saturday he was able to attend a funeral with his mother for a distant relative. This gave him the opportunity to see family he hasn't seen in years. It was nice for his mother to have her son with her.
It was also nice they had Saturday morning to go and pick up the corsage Claude got for Bonnie for Mother's Day. It was beautiful and she was very happy to receive this flower from her boy. My only request was for Claude to be sure and get a nice picture of the two of them. He obliged with the following. Isn't that just neat!
Monday Claude flew home and got to Sadieville at midnight. I did laundry Monday morning and Claude cut the grass. Then he packed up again and left Monday afternoon and will return tonight. Amazingly, I will pack up Thursday and head to LaGrange to watch the Mini's overnight and return on Friday. Life just keeps on chugging along.
Claude had a great visit with his family. Life is good.
A Little Bird Told Me...
We have been watching since the beginning of April, the raising of a baby robins on our front door. I've posted pictures on this Blog as they have grown. It has been fascinating to observe.
At first, I truly believed they would just be pretty blue eggs in a nest on our front door until the eggs started to go bad, then they would have to come down. We never saw a mother bird. Then Claude head pecking along the front of the house one evening when we were watching television in the living room. It turns out it was the mother and the babies. Then the trick for us was not to use that front door any more than absolutely necessary. Let the mother sit with her babies, eventually feed the babies, and help them to grow. It was fun to watch them move from featherless to fuzzy to feathers. Then, realization that they might make it and fly away some day while I was gone. It felt like, after giving up so they could have place and life, we should at least be able to witness their first flight. But that just might not happen.
So, last week Claude was in Utah visiting his family and I was holding down the fort myself. I had a haircut appoint on Thursday morning. I left our home just long enough to drive over to Sadieville for Tyra to cut my hair. She was able to do it as soon as I came in so I really wasn't go for very long. As I drove home, a little voice inside my head said, "Check the baby birds." Okay, I can do that.
I got my car in the garage and then pulled out my cell phone to take a picture of the babies development. Alas, there was only one bird in the nest. Their feathers were all complete and the other three must have already left. I raised my camera to take a picture of our lone baby bird and it hopped up on the edge of the nest. I really like the picture I got.
He (she) just looked at me for a bit. Someone who has been following our journey on Facebook as I have posted pictures there, asked that I take some video. I shifted my cellphone to video and got video as the little fella flew down to the front porch, hopped across and onto the flower bed, and then flew into the yard. Mother joined him and he was gone.
So happy we decided to leave the eggs even though we thought the mother had abandoned them. Learned that the mother doesn't stay on the eggs all the time or with the babies all the time. Grateful I got to see the last one leave the nest. Now Claude and I are truly 'empty nesters' again!!
At first, I truly believed they would just be pretty blue eggs in a nest on our front door until the eggs started to go bad, then they would have to come down. We never saw a mother bird. Then Claude head pecking along the front of the house one evening when we were watching television in the living room. It turns out it was the mother and the babies. Then the trick for us was not to use that front door any more than absolutely necessary. Let the mother sit with her babies, eventually feed the babies, and help them to grow. It was fun to watch them move from featherless to fuzzy to feathers. Then, realization that they might make it and fly away some day while I was gone. It felt like, after giving up so they could have place and life, we should at least be able to witness their first flight. But that just might not happen.
So, last week Claude was in Utah visiting his family and I was holding down the fort myself. I had a haircut appoint on Thursday morning. I left our home just long enough to drive over to Sadieville for Tyra to cut my hair. She was able to do it as soon as I came in so I really wasn't go for very long. As I drove home, a little voice inside my head said, "Check the baby birds." Okay, I can do that.
I got my car in the garage and then pulled out my cell phone to take a picture of the babies development. Alas, there was only one bird in the nest. Their feathers were all complete and the other three must have already left. I raised my camera to take a picture of our lone baby bird and it hopped up on the edge of the nest. I really like the picture I got.
The Kindness of Strangers...
My father loves to take a car ride and look at this amazing world. Since he no longer drives, the ability to do that rests on me taking time and getting him out for a drive. Last Friday, May 8th, I set aside as a day with Papa.
We began our adventure at Dr. Weckman's office for another INR. This is the blood test to check the density of his blood as Papa takes Warfarin, a generic for Coumadin, a blood thinning drug. On April 28th his result was 5.7. Since he should be between 2 and 3, 5.7 is a HUGE concern. That is exceedingly thin and any bruise or cut could result in bleeding that must be stopped immediately. We have gone in quite regularly to get this blood count back in an acceptable range. Fortunately this time the test result was 2.0 and Papa does not have to go back for a month. Yippee!!
As soon as the test was completed, we hopped (figuratively speaking) in my car and headed out for a drive. I had Papa spend Tuesday plotting a route. He chose to take one he thought we had not taken in a few years. This is just an indication of his memory loss. We have actually done this same drive twice in the last 6 months. That really doesn't matter. The point is to have him see scenery that he will enjoy and have a good outing. Off to drive around Cave Run Lake we headed.
We took back roads to Mt. Sterling and then we hop on I-64 for a bit to the exit for Cave Run Lake. Just as we neared that exit we both started hearing something that was not right with my car. I took the exit and the sound was louder to us as we drove. A few yards off the exit I pulled over to the side of the road to check tires and things. Like I really know what I'm doing... An old duffer on a motorcycle went past me, then turned around a little way down the road and came up facing my car. By this time I had checked all the tires and they were okay. Then I saw the problem. Something was hanging from under the car on the driver's side.
The biker came up and I pointed to my issue. I told him there was a gas station right at the exit and I thought I would just go there and see if someone could help me reattach the piece that was hanging. You see, this had happened twice on the passenger side under the front of the car. Both times Claude has crawled under the car and reattached the piece with a plastic tie-back thing. I love my car. The one fault with its design is that it is low to the ground and long in the front. Often when parking in front of one of those concrete barriers, the front of the car will go over it and then scrap as you back out. When I even come out of Papa's driveway, it will scrape at the curb. We always scrape when parking in Andie and Michael's driveway. Over time that wears away the bolts and then this cover for the bumper system will hang down. It's not a mechanical problem with the way the car functions, just a problem with the design. So, I was sure of the easy fix. I just needed a little help getting it done.
The biker looked at me and said, "They don't have any mechanic of any kind at that gas station. The closest one will be to keep going on this road another couple of miles." Then he said, "Wait a minute. Wait a minute." You could tell he was thinking up a plan.
He looked at me and said, "If you wouldn't mind turning around and following me for a couple of miles, I know just the man to fix this for you. He has his own shop and he will fix you just fine." I assured him I would be happy to follow him. He got on his bike. I started my car. He gave me a signal to just make a U-turn in the highway and not drive into the gravel lot by where I had parked. I followed his instructions and waited for him to get in front of me and we were off in the opposite direction.
I found all this quite amusing. I told Papa, "He doesn't know he has an old biker chick following him. I know how to do this and be safe with him in front of me." Felt good.
He pulled into his friends parking area and pointed for me to pull up to one of the three bay doors. I didn't pull in but stopped my car and got out and entered the building with the biker. He called to his friend who came out from the car he was working on. He looked at his friend (the biker) and then looked at me. I said, "I'm a old broken lady and need some help." He grinned. The biker gave him a little background and the mechanic came to look at my problem. I explained Claude's fix on the other side. The mechanic asked me to pull just the front of the car inside so it would be on a bit of a slant. I did that and he immediately set to work to fix my little problem.
This gave me time to talk to the biker. I told him we used to have a Honda Gold Wing and that Claude used to be a National Director for the Gold Wing Road Riders Association. I told him how much we had enjoyed our biking years. He told me this was his only mode of transportation. I asked him what he did in winter. He assured me he road his bike even in winter. We shared a few biking memories. I asked about good roads to ride in his area (which is where he stays all the time). I told him good biking roads translated into good rides on which I could take Papa. Good conversation.
The mechanic finished and I asked what I could pay him for this wonderful help. The mechanic looked me right in the eye and said, "Nothing. You are doing a good thing to take your father for a ride. Just go and enjoy a good ride with your father." I was so touched.
The biker got on his bike and drove away. The mechanic when back to his work. Papa and I continued on our journey. I said to Papa, "We have been richly blessed by a very loving Heavenly Father. These two guys were placed in our path at just the right time for us." I believe that with all my heart. Before we ever leave on one of these little outings, I say a little prayer that we will be blessed with safety and protection as we travel. We are always on back roads, some very narrow, with lots of possibility for wrecks. The events of that day just confirmed for me again the love of each of us in our individual lives from a very gracious Heavenly Father.
The kindness of strangers is still around us. Often I see so much corruption and violence and evil around me. Often it appears like there is so much more of it than even 10 or 20 years ago. Then, I have an experience like this and the goodness of mankind is manifest. It just makes one want to do good for others as the only way to pay this type of kindness back. Pay it forward.
We began our adventure at Dr. Weckman's office for another INR. This is the blood test to check the density of his blood as Papa takes Warfarin, a generic for Coumadin, a blood thinning drug. On April 28th his result was 5.7. Since he should be between 2 and 3, 5.7 is a HUGE concern. That is exceedingly thin and any bruise or cut could result in bleeding that must be stopped immediately. We have gone in quite regularly to get this blood count back in an acceptable range. Fortunately this time the test result was 2.0 and Papa does not have to go back for a month. Yippee!!
As soon as the test was completed, we hopped (figuratively speaking) in my car and headed out for a drive. I had Papa spend Tuesday plotting a route. He chose to take one he thought we had not taken in a few years. This is just an indication of his memory loss. We have actually done this same drive twice in the last 6 months. That really doesn't matter. The point is to have him see scenery that he will enjoy and have a good outing. Off to drive around Cave Run Lake we headed.
We took back roads to Mt. Sterling and then we hop on I-64 for a bit to the exit for Cave Run Lake. Just as we neared that exit we both started hearing something that was not right with my car. I took the exit and the sound was louder to us as we drove. A few yards off the exit I pulled over to the side of the road to check tires and things. Like I really know what I'm doing... An old duffer on a motorcycle went past me, then turned around a little way down the road and came up facing my car. By this time I had checked all the tires and they were okay. Then I saw the problem. Something was hanging from under the car on the driver's side.
The biker came up and I pointed to my issue. I told him there was a gas station right at the exit and I thought I would just go there and see if someone could help me reattach the piece that was hanging. You see, this had happened twice on the passenger side under the front of the car. Both times Claude has crawled under the car and reattached the piece with a plastic tie-back thing. I love my car. The one fault with its design is that it is low to the ground and long in the front. Often when parking in front of one of those concrete barriers, the front of the car will go over it and then scrap as you back out. When I even come out of Papa's driveway, it will scrape at the curb. We always scrape when parking in Andie and Michael's driveway. Over time that wears away the bolts and then this cover for the bumper system will hang down. It's not a mechanical problem with the way the car functions, just a problem with the design. So, I was sure of the easy fix. I just needed a little help getting it done.
The biker looked at me and said, "They don't have any mechanic of any kind at that gas station. The closest one will be to keep going on this road another couple of miles." Then he said, "Wait a minute. Wait a minute." You could tell he was thinking up a plan.
He looked at me and said, "If you wouldn't mind turning around and following me for a couple of miles, I know just the man to fix this for you. He has his own shop and he will fix you just fine." I assured him I would be happy to follow him. He got on his bike. I started my car. He gave me a signal to just make a U-turn in the highway and not drive into the gravel lot by where I had parked. I followed his instructions and waited for him to get in front of me and we were off in the opposite direction.
I found all this quite amusing. I told Papa, "He doesn't know he has an old biker chick following him. I know how to do this and be safe with him in front of me." Felt good.
He pulled into his friends parking area and pointed for me to pull up to one of the three bay doors. I didn't pull in but stopped my car and got out and entered the building with the biker. He called to his friend who came out from the car he was working on. He looked at his friend (the biker) and then looked at me. I said, "I'm a old broken lady and need some help." He grinned. The biker gave him a little background and the mechanic came to look at my problem. I explained Claude's fix on the other side. The mechanic asked me to pull just the front of the car inside so it would be on a bit of a slant. I did that and he immediately set to work to fix my little problem.
This gave me time to talk to the biker. I told him we used to have a Honda Gold Wing and that Claude used to be a National Director for the Gold Wing Road Riders Association. I told him how much we had enjoyed our biking years. He told me this was his only mode of transportation. I asked him what he did in winter. He assured me he road his bike even in winter. We shared a few biking memories. I asked about good roads to ride in his area (which is where he stays all the time). I told him good biking roads translated into good rides on which I could take Papa. Good conversation.
The mechanic finished and I asked what I could pay him for this wonderful help. The mechanic looked me right in the eye and said, "Nothing. You are doing a good thing to take your father for a ride. Just go and enjoy a good ride with your father." I was so touched.
The biker got on his bike and drove away. The mechanic when back to his work. Papa and I continued on our journey. I said to Papa, "We have been richly blessed by a very loving Heavenly Father. These two guys were placed in our path at just the right time for us." I believe that with all my heart. Before we ever leave on one of these little outings, I say a little prayer that we will be blessed with safety and protection as we travel. We are always on back roads, some very narrow, with lots of possibility for wrecks. The events of that day just confirmed for me again the love of each of us in our individual lives from a very gracious Heavenly Father.
The kindness of strangers is still around us. Often I see so much corruption and violence and evil around me. Often it appears like there is so much more of it than even 10 or 20 years ago. Then, I have an experience like this and the goodness of mankind is manifest. It just makes one want to do good for others as the only way to pay this type of kindness back. Pay it forward.
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Our 'Hill' in Sadieville...
During the week I was able to weed the front yard. My goal today was to do all the beds in the back yard. Ridiculous. Silly Moi!! There is a hosta bed by the patio, two planters by the patio, a bed of mint along the wall under my sewing room window, as you look down the hill there are 3 water breaks along the left back yard with a big bed at the bottom of the yard, a two tiered bed and a one level bed on the on the right side of the yard, an area under the trees where a concrete bench is, and down the hill by the altar there is a big flower bed on each side of the steps. Yep, ridiculous to think I could do all that in one day. Silly, silly Moi!!
I did get the bulk of the stuff up top done. Decided I needed some liquid and a brief break after 3 hours. By the time I hiked to our back porch, where I had something to drink at the ready, and sat on the glider I knew I was not going back down soon. A break was in order. I sat in the glider and as I drank colors seemed to be reversing themselves. Not a good sign. I went into the basement and laid on the sofa in the family room for about 30 minutes. I did go upstairs and get another bottle of water and a package of peanut butter crackers to replenish while I rested.
Two interesting items of note while I was weeding. The first was while weeding those mint plants. This year the wild onions decided they also needed to live in that flower bed. The saying, 'there must needs be opposition in all things" was what came to my mind. I always have to pull poison ivy out of that bed. But this year, the aroma of mint and onion made for an interesting bit of weeding I tell you!
Second, was while weeding the big bed below the water breaks. I was weeding along and then I noticed a snake. I only let out a modest scream. It was maybe 18 inches long and not a bright color. I seem to remember that the really poisonous snakes have a bright coloring or pattern of some kind. It froze at my scream and only moved when I wasn't looking. Grateful I wear a long sleeved shirt, gloves and long pants, socks and heavy shoes when I work in the yard. No bites from the snake but a little adrenaline from me.
After my break, I thought I would go back and weed a little bit more. As I walked down the hill I took some water with me for Claude.
You see, he came outside about a hour after me and was planting trees on the hill to go on either side of this path he has been working on for years. He planted two trees during the week and had four more to plant. He and the Jeep were at the bottom of the hill working on those four trees. I made it down the hill to him and asked if he wanted water. He commented that I was a life saver and he would love me forever. I knew that. I have signs to prove it from the past week!!
We sat in the grass on the hill and surveyed his work. He drank water and tried to replenish. He puts black rubber tubing around the tree trunk to keep the animals from eating it. We do have beaver in the creek who will chew a tree down and take it with them. Then there are the ever present deer. He said he forgot to bring his scissors down to cut the end of the ties he wraps around the plastic to keep them in place. I had scissors in my weeding bag. I got them and went to walk up the hill to cut the ends off the ties. That is when I realized I probably still was not ready to weed anymore.
Claude suggested I wait until he finished watering his trees and then he would drive me back up the hill in the Jeep which he brought the trees down the hill in. I agreed.
I walked to the bottom of the hill and got this great picture of our 'hill'. I am not even by the creek to take this picture. I am at the place where the hill stops and the flat part (flood plain) goes to the creek.
Claude did drive me up the hill. Not the gentle way. He drove down the flat to the property that is for sale. We own the empty lot next two us. But there is a path on what would be the next lot that goes up the steep hill through all the trees and onto the open ground. I had visions of that Jeep rolling over. But it didn't and Claude kept it going up the hill. As we got to the top, I asked him why he chose that route back to the house. He said if the tires were spinning on grass he didn't want it to be where we are working at keeping grass growing. So, a little adventure in driving a Jeep up a very steep and bumpy hill to end our yard work day.
The grass is tall on the flat and the hill. Claude's tractor has been in the shop. The transmission was leaking and had to be repaired. It has been in two week last Thursday and won't be fixed until next week. We hired a man to cut the top once and may have to have him do that part again. Claude goes out of town Wednesday for a week and the tractor won't be back until Wednesday or Thursday. I don't drive it at all so the grass will just grow until Claude comes home. He is really not looking forward to the struggle that will be cutting all that long grass.
We both came in and crashed. I just laid down and finished reading the Sonnets of Shakespeare. Now that is a contrast to weeding and planting trees!
A few things...
Our son, Jacob, applied for and was accepted to attend the 25th Anniversary of the Hubble Telescope in Washington, DC. Jake is a NASA and Space enthusiast. He has been to one of these NASA events a few years back and was truly happy to be accepted again. They usually spread the joy of this around as there is a limited number of participants. Jake had a weeks vacation and it timed out exactly with this trip. After it was over, Jake did his blog entries. As he was going through things he came across this official NASA image from from the event. Jake eMailed it to Claude and me and asked, "Can you see me in this photo?" It took me about two seconds to find my boy! Jacob is sitting on the second row from the front on the left end holding his iPad. Now is that just cool or what?!?! Proud mom moment.
Friday I went into the basement to show Claude something while he was walking the treadmill, which is also in the workshop. Claude said, "Look at the table." I looked at the work table. I couldn't see what he wanted me to see. That old phrase 'can't see the forest for the trees' applies here. Claude is diligently trying to walk and looking back over his right shoulder and nodding toward the table saying, "Look at the table." I'm still not seeing it. Then...the light went on, the eyes focused and I saw it!!
One more thing...our bird update. Thursday, April 30th, I took a day at home to try and accomplish all the things piling up there. Claude had meetings in the morning. While the garage door was open for him to go to his meeting, I decided to check on our baby birds.
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