Miscellaneous May Madness...

Time to make a tossed salad of little miscellaneous events from the first half of May 2018...

First, Claude read a magazine that had an article about Field of Dreams and tourists going to that ball park. After he read it, he just wrote in the sky part of the picture "I wanna go. C" and left it on my dresser. I picked it up and read the article. Later I told him I thought that would be a great trip. Then I said, "But I think we should take Jake (our son)." Then Claude said, "I was thinking the same thing." You see, as a little boy, Jake loved baseball. He would spend hours making an exact replica of a major league ball park out of boxes and card board and tape. He played imaginary games and kept detailed statistical records. His favorite team was the Atlanta Braves and Dale Murphy was his favorite player. We took him twice to see an Atlanta Braves game with Dale Murphy in it. Claude also took just Jake on a road trip to see the Baseball Hall of Fame. This is a memory Jake treasures to this day. So it is only logical that this kind of trip be made with Jake. I sent Jake a text with this picture and told him the conversation between his dad and me. He agrees he would love to make that trip with us. So into the bucket list it goes and we'll make that happen in our future.

Friday, May 4th, Claude and I went to the Louisville Temple. In the almost 14 years we have lived here I have only entered the front door. Never walked around to either side. I noted a young woman walking to one side of the Temple and asked Claude if we had to time do that. He agreed and we followed the young lady to the side of the temple. There was a little garden with a nice bench. It was so very peaceful and beautiful. The young lady agreed to take a picture of us. Love this picture with the Angel Moroni in the background. I posted it on Facebook. A friend from our Denver days commented: "Look at the angel in the sky!" If you look you can see where the cloud is parting and, sure enough, there is an angel pattern in the light. Amazing.

We watched the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 5th. Justice was the horse that won. It was a very, very, very muddy track. Such beauty though in those horses running full out to win. 

Our son went to New York City for his vacation May 7th through May 10th. I received a few notes from him and this great picture. On Monday the 7th he wrote that he had a falafel burger. He knows my love of a good falafel. Yum. On Tuesday the 8th he reported having a great piece of New York style pizza on a paper plate in 'cubby hole of a place' next to his hotel. His father and he discussed the importance of him consuming some pizza while in New York. Jake said that tiny cramped counter was just what he envisioned and it was great. Jake went to the Met, a museum to see Van Gogh's Starry Night, toured the NBC studios, saw the Intrepid and many other things. He called for Mother's Day and, honestly, I told him right off I just wanted to hear all about his trip to New York City. Just makes me happy when my kids see the wonders of the world in which we live.

Jake did post this picture on our family Facebook page. He said it was just appropriate. Why would a rabbit statue be appropriate. Years ago my parents were on a vacation out west with us girls. Driving through the desert they passed a huge field full of jack rabbits. As these kinds of things go, Papa started calling Mimi "Ma Wabbit" and Mimi started calling Papa "Da Wabbit". Pretty soon us girls were the "Little Wabbits". It stuck. All my life I have called us the Wabbits. My mother cross-stitched a wall hanging with "Wabbits" in carrots letters. My files for Papa on my laptop are under the heading Wabbit. Here Jake is paying homage to this interesting facet of our family history. Thanks Jake!

On Tuesday, May 8th, I had my teeth cleaned. Isn't that exciting? Then I went to the nursing home and scooped up Papa for a car ride. He was not in great shape and every little bump in the road caused him to moan a bit. We kept the ride short.

Wednesday, May 9th, my good hubby found another way to serve others. He had purchased a really large pork butt to smoke and the take to Kentucky League of Cities for a nice lunch. One of the guys he really wanted to have some of this meal was going to be out-of-town. It was decided to wait till June to prepare this meal. What to do with that huge piece of meat? Claude opted to go ahead a smoke it. He would make a meal for us and then a nice meal for the missionaries. These young men were so happy to get a smoked meat dinner with rolls and cole slaw and cookies for dessert. They were in heaven. Claude is just great at smoking food.

Thursday, May 10th, I drove my friend Velvett to her doctor's appointment in Frankfort. 

Friday, May 11th, I covered appointments I had in Georgetown and then visited Papa. Claude picked me up and we were off to LaGrange. Andie and Michael had tickets to see Sixteen Candles. We had Mini's duty. We picked up Bailey from Bear Care and got to the Marx home just as Hayden was getting home from school. Andie got home and we covered bases with her and Hayden packed his stuff for a Boy Scout camp out that evening. We left Andie to enjoy her evening with Michael and took the Mini's to Steve'Os for dinner. Then we found the Pewee Valley Fire Station and dropped Hayden off for his Scouting adventure. Bailey wanted ice cream and Dairy Queen was on the way home so that was an easy wish to fill. Then it was back to the Marx home. Bailey played with friends outside for a bit. Then she came in worn out. No problem getting her to bed either. Andie and Michael had a great evening out and came home to a quiet house and a daughter that would sleep in for them the next morning. Claude and I drove home and made it back to Sadieville about 1:30am. Whew!

Claude signed up for the Central KY AHA Heart Walk at Keeneland. He was up and out the door at 7:30am. I was not. I had lots to do and slept till 8am before getting up and at it. I did laundry and other really exciting chores. We are preparing for our big vacation and I needed to get some things off that list. But Claude posted these pictures of his walk at Keeneland. The start and finish line went through the gates used for the horse races at Keeneland. How cool is that? And, then there was Claude's fashion statement for the day...Bazinga socks with his shorts. Such a guy...such a guy!

I had a wedding reception to attend that evening. Claude was wanting to go to the ball park. So he headed to the Lexington Legends and I went to a wedding and reception at the Church for Fiona Terpening and Ryan Sayers. It was to start at 6:30pm. I was sure I could be done and home quickly to finish the laundry and get some other things done. Well...best laid plans, right? The wedding started at 7:25pm. At 8pm the wedding party was still not finished taking family pictures. The father did come out and I talked with him a bit before leaving to get home. I really didn't want to finish laundry on Mother's Day. Goodness. They were a very happy bride and groom though. Family came from England so they were all enjoying their time together. And, that is a good thing.

Sunday was Mother's Day. Not my favorite day of the year. I talked to Papa on Saturday and explained that the next day was Sunday, Mother's Day, the Primary children would sing at Church, Claude was to be one of the speakers, did he want to go? Yes, he really did. We walked to the nurses station as he went down to dinner before I left. I told the nurses he wanted to go and he needed to be ready by 8:30am. This is when he is usually having breakfast. One of the aides went to the kitchen to ask them to have his breakfast ready early. The nurses wrote down the need to have him ready by 8:30am. Fast forward to Sunday morning. Claude gets me to the nursing home. I go in and find Papa in bed and not dressed for Church. It is now 8:45 and there is not time to get him dressed. I assure him I will come back and visit with him after Sacrament Meeting. Then I go to the nurses station to get someone to unlock the door for me. The nurse looks at me and says, "Isn't your father going with you?" I tell her he is not dressed and there is now not time for him to get dressed. She tells me he walked passed the nurses station after breakfast and told them he was getting dressed for Church. So, between the nurses station and his room, which is only half-way down the hall, he forgot and put himself back to bed. Geez!! I assured the nurse it was okay. Papa refuses to let anyone help him get dressed so they left him to do what he told them he was going to do. I had clothes all together for him. But he just forgot. I assured the nurses he just can't remember anything for any length of time and it was okay. Bless their hearts. They try to work with him and respect what he wants. I did go and visit with Papa after Sacrament Meeting and he was happy and didn't remember he forgot to go with me or that it was Mother's Day. 

I went back to Church to pick up Claude and we drove through Panera and ordered salads to take home. That was what I wanted to do. Surprised Claude. He thought I would want to go inside and sit. But I really wanted to be home. We enjoyed our salads and Claude gave me an envelope he had colored with three coupons for filling three future wishes I might have. Very cute. Then we each ate a Hostess cupcake. Claude headed to take a nap. I tried to take a nap but, alas, that just doesn't work for me. So downstairs I went to get my Blogging caught up. That was what I wanted to do with my Mother's Day.

Jake called and we talked about his trip and all the fun things he did and all the humorous stuff that happened to him. 

I paused and went upstairs after Claude woke up. He made me a pina colada smoothie for a treat. Yum!! 

Later Hayden called and I talked to him, Bailey and Andie. 

It was a good day. 

That is all the miscellaneous stuff I want to share for the first half of May 2018.

OCMS Spring Gala...

Hayden's final band concert for his 7th grade year at Oldham County Middle School was Thursday, May 10th. Here are picture through the performance by the 7th grade band. He is waving to me in the first one so his right hand is fuzzy.

Hayden receiving an award for participation in the Morehead State University Honors Band. 

The last picture is a very big smile at the end of the 7th grade band performance. Happy young man and for a good reason, they are very good. The 7th and 8th grade bands were the only ones in all the counties that participated in their KMEA (Kentucky Music Educators Association) competition that received all excellent from every judge. Mr. Wise is a super band teacher and these kids love to perform. 

April Birthdays...

We celebrate two birthdays for our family in April. 

Saturday, April 7th, was Todd's birthday. Todd is our son-in-law and married to our oldest child, Nissa. They live in Michigan. I posted this picture on Facebook on his birthday. It was taken the first time we met Todd. Can you tell he makes our Nissa happy. For this I am very grateful. Her life has not been a piece of cake and to finally see her happy is such a blessing. 

Wednesday, April 18th, was Jacob's birthday. Jacob is our son and the youngest of our kids. He turned 43 this year. Where did those years go???? I posted these pictures of Jake from 1980. He was 5 and 6 years old in them. 

This is Jake's first day in Kindergarten. 

This was also taken in Kindergarten. It is his very first school picture. I found a box turtle and brought it home for the kids. The kids named the turtle Toby. They made a two room home for it out of boxes. One room had a sand floor with a small pie tin in one corner filled with water for Toby to drink or swim in. The other room had a grass floor and a flag in the wall so Toby could say the Pledge of Allegiance to each morning. Every morning Jake would take the turtle to the bathroom sink and run water over him for his morning bath. Then give Jake would give Toby a kiss before he left for school. The morning of Jake's kindergarten school pictures, Toby grabbed Jake's upper lip and wouldn't let go. I heard Jake yell "MA"!! I ran into the bathroom and found my son standing there with a turtle hanging off his lip. I couldn't do anything but pull the turtle off of Jake. Hence the turtle mouth print on his upper lip. That evening we took Toby back up the hill and let him loose to find a home for the winter. 

This is Jake and Jennifer. She was his first girl friend. They were playing dress up in old clothes. They are just too cute. Such good friends.  

This was taken at the Church Halloween party. Jake wanted to be Dracula. We made that happen. I got disclosing tablets from the dentist for his mouth to stay red. We put Vaseline on his hair to make it stay back. It took 4 shampooings (according to spell check I just invented a word there) to even get part of the Vaseline out of his hair. But Jake was a cute Dracula.

Love my family and remembering these fun moments in our lives. 

Bird Houses

Claude finally finished clear coating the birdhouses. This was a project I thought I posted about but, after an inordinate amount of time searching, I find that I did not post pictures of this event. So, here goes...

In February Claude dropped me off at the nursing home to visit Papa while he attended a meeting and took care of errands. When he comes to pick me up, he always pops me a text and I finish up my visit with Papa and go out to the Jeep. While Claude was waiting for me to come out this time, he happened to notice all the front windows of the nursing home had a chain hanging in front of them with nothing on the end of the chain. In his musings as he waited he had an impression. When I got in the car, he did one of those, "What would you think if...?" statements. His plan, he would purchase the little decorative birdhouses and give them to the Young Women at Church to paint. Then he would clear coat them to protect them and then hang them in front of each window. That would be nine birdhouses. I thought this was a capital idea.

I then went to Glen Redmon who is over all the things that enhance the residents of the nursing homes lives. He approved them and then said he would check to see if any of the windows on the back side of the nursing home had chains. When he did that count he found that there were only chains on the front nine windows.

Claude and I purchased the birdhouses while out and about on our anniversary in February. I supplied all the paint and paint brushes. Then we found a date when the Young Women wanted a service project to do. Wednesday evening, February 28th, I to the birdhouses and the paints and brushes to the Church. The Young Women leaders provided the plastic clothes to cover the work tables and the paper plates to put the paints on and paper towels and water in cups for clean up. The girls had a blast painting. Here are some pictures of the girls and their leaders having a good time doing a great service.

 

Then Claude took several weeks to put on several clear coats to preserve them a little bit longer. Here are some pictures of their work after Claude's clear coating.

The week of Papa's birthday, Claude again dropped me off to visit Papa. When he came back to pick me up, Papa and I were sitting on the bench in front of the nursing home enjoying a comfortable afternoon. Claude brought the birdhouses and Papa got to watch us hang them at the nursing home. They are so very cute. Makes the place look a little more like a home. 

When the kids came to sing Happy Birthday to Papa on May 2nd, the birdhouses were there. Here a are few pictures of very happy Young Women with the birdhouses they painted.

This was a fun service project for the girls. I am grateful that Claude had this impression and was excited about providing this opportunity for the girls and to help the nursing home. This project was great on many levels. I hope the Young Women feel more comfortable being in a nursing home and around people with lots of difficulties at the end of their lives. Good things. Just good things. 

90 Years and Counting...

It finally happened. Ever since May 3, 2017 when Papa turned 89 he has anxiously waited to hit the hallmark age of 90. From the day after he turned 89 he would say, "You know in a few months I will be 90 years old!" At times I felt like the mothers of little babies who say, "My child is 4 months and 3 days old." 

Then the end of March, Papa took a nasty tumble and it knocked him down a peg or two. It was a couple of weeks before real progress was showing in his recovery and ability to move without calling out in pain or sitting up without holding on to his head so it didn't hurt as bad. It could have been the moment that caused his real quick decline. But the nursing home started physical therapy and they ordered more X-rays just to be sure his right arm wasn't broken. A week before his birthday I took him on a long car ride and he didn't wince with every slight bump of the car. I felt like we might be able to do something fun for his birthday. 

The Young Men and Young Women at Church wanted to have a birthday celebration. On Wednesday evening, May 2nd, they all trooped over to the nursing home about 7pm and provided him with birthday cake and singing. He really enjoyed this. I didn't get to be there as I teach Institute at that same time. But they gave me these wonderful pictures. 

One Papa's birthday I picked him up at the nursing home at 3pm to come to our home. I put in a DVD he made of old 8mm home movies taken when I was just a little girl. We journeyed back through these memories as Claude finished up dinner. 

Claude made meat loaf which was something Papa loved when we had his teeth and he would come out to eat at the house. It really doesn't matter because Papa has no teeth and we blend up all his meal in a blender and he drinks it when he visits. He loved the nice meat loaf, roll, mashed potatoes, and green bean milk shake though! Ugh!

I had sent a message to each of Papa's children and grandchildren reminding them of Papa's impending 90th birthday and giving them two weeks to send a card and/or pictures for him to open. He really needs nothing but these are things that he would enjoy that day and for many days to come. So, after dinner we paused and let Papa open his cards, letters and pictures. He loved it. These are a few pictures of him opening cards from my kids and grandmonsters. 

We then sat in the living room and watched a bit more of the DVD while we ate banana pudding which I prepared. This was my mother's recipe and I have the bowl she used to put it in which I also used. Didn't have to blend the banana pudding and Papa relished every bite. I would even take a second helping to him at the nursing home the next day. 

We had a few visitors come to say happy birthday to Papa. The Carter family from Frankfort came and brought him a gift card for Dairy Queen. These are always very welcome for our car rides. We will pause midway and take a break and get Papa a chocolate shake. Thanks Carter's for this thoughtful gift. Jenny and James Jenkins also popped in to say happy birthday. James is our Stake President for Church. Good people and they brought a lot of sunshine in with them.

By 6:30pm Papa was ready to go back to the nursing home and stretch out his back on his bed. He just wears out more quickly. As we drove back to the nursing home, we talked about his birthday. He was very happy with it and enjoyed all the attention. Claude even told me he thought I did the perfect birthday for Papa.

Thanks to family who sent greetings to him and friends from Church who made this birthday special. Now, I am off to Walmart to purchase a bulletin board. I want to see if I can get one or two hung in his room at the nursing home and then tack the pictures on them for him to enjoy all the time.

Papa did say he just might make it to 100 years old!! Heaven help me!!

Lessons From Life...

It was time to weed my flower beds. on Monday, May 30th, I started with my front yard. I planned to only do that and then begin the back yard the next day. However, I managed to finish the front a little quicker than I thought I would, so I went to the back yard to just get the hosta bed weeded.

When I walked around to the bed, I saw this beauty standing among the weeds. It occurred to me there are a ton of life lessons in that little purple tulip standing tall amongst the weeds. The old phrase "Bloom Where You Are Planted" passed through my mind. So I paused and just looked at this little wonder and soaked in all I was to learn from my one purple tulip. Stand strong amidst adversity. Hold tight to your values no matter what. Etc., Etc., Etc. Next I pulled out my cell phone and took this picture so I would always remember this moment.

Then I weeded and got the hostas ready to get bigger and fill in their bed without the weeds.  

I just love when life gives me pause and teaches me valuable lessons. 

Cirque Just Fascinates...

Saturday, April 28th, Claude and I went to Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. We had tickets to watch Cirque du Soliel's show "Corteo". 

Corteo is a Italian word meaning meaning 'cortege' or 'procession'. This is a contemporary circus show about a clown who watches his own funeral taking place in a carnival-like atmosphere. This allows for the outlandish costuming that Cirque du Soliel is known for and for all the over-the-top circus-like performances by the cast. They continually challenge your perspective.  

We entered Rupp Arena and found our seats. The first thing I noticed was a chandelier hanging from the ceiling. This is not typical of Rupp Arena at all.

Next we noticed the stage. I appeared we were at one end of the arena and there would only be minimal seating. This didn't seem quite right for all the expense of putting on a full Cirque du Soliel show. Then we looked at the stage very carefully.

There was an elaborate curtain with artwork on it. It was sheer though. On either side of the stage were places for the musicians to create the music. As we looked at the sheer curtain while the cast was beginning to make their appearance on and around the stage and wander through the audience, I told Claude I thought there were people on the other side of the stage. It appeared (and we finally realized) the stage was across the center of Rupp Arena with entrances on either end for the performers to enter and exit. So, in reality, on the other side of the stage was an audience as large as ours and we would each watch the show from one side of the stage with the performers in the middle. How cool is that?

This picture shows how Corteo began with the man in the bed dead and things happening to prepare for his burial. We watched that first part through the sheer curtain as they set the story line up for us.

One things that struck my fancy was the beds that were really trampolines. Lots of fun performing done on these two beds. Again, how cool is that?

Another bit that really enthralled me was the little lady with the huge balloon over her. She was sitting in a harness and the man who had died was talking to her on stage at first. Then he gently pushed her and she floated out to the audience. He encouraged the audience to push on her feet and send her further into the audience. All the time she is laughing and having a great time floating through the air. She came way up into our side of the stage first, then was passed back to the actual stage when the man guided her to the other side of the stage so she could float around over there with the other half of the audience. He joked that one performance he sent her out and it took an hour to get the people to send her back. This part was just delightful.  

It always amazes me how they distract you by focusing your attention on something while they are changing the staging for the next big act. They did this to set up for the high flying trapeze artists. Netting was set up all across the stage and the platforms for the performers to work from were set up. When they opened the sheer curtains, voila! there they were. Grateful to see the netting. Earlier this year a seasoned Cirque performer fell to his death trying a new routine. Really didn't want to see that happen. Then they did another performance so you didn't notice them take down all this set up. 

There were all the usual types of performances, some tweeked a bit to pique your curiosity and keep your interest. This one really was amazing. This man started with a shorter ladder. He climbed to the top while it was free-standing and balanced it beneath him while he stood on his hands at the top. Then he progressed to a ladder that was taller. The ladder in this picture is the final one he used. It was at minimum 2-stories tall and maybe 3-stories tall. He is at the top and completely balancing that ladder and himself. The angel is suspended in the air from the ceiling and moved toward him with a trapeze. When he finished his routine, she swung the trapeze to him, he grabbed and let go of the ladder, then men at the bottom of the ladder caught it and removed the ladder from the stage. Amazing!  

I include this picture to show the complete use of all levels of the staging area. There were lots of trapeze, ropes, beds, bicycles, angels, etc. that performed hanging from what must have been wires under the top of the facade on the stage area. These items were able to move from one side of the stage to the other and there had to be multiple ones of them because the bed had four corners to be held up. Performers used the middle area between the ceiling and the floor for all kinds of performances and of course the floor of the stage was also used. In this picture you can see all three areas being used at once. There is no way to see everything happening at once.  

This was an excellent performance. Claude and I have seen several Cirque shows from Las Vegas to Kentucky as well as on the television at home. They are always a delight and we would highly recommend them to anyone of any age.