I Do Not Like This...

Do you get it? Think about it...

Spring Forward!! Yep, Daylight Savings Time changed on Sunday morning, March 10th, in the wee small hours of the morning. This denies us an hour of sleep. Yes, one can go to bed an hour earlier. But I believe (because it is my reality) that this one hour messes with us more the older we get. I am not a fan of changing the time twice each year. You may be. That is your choice. This aging body does not like trying to make that adjustment for even one hour. 

Rant over! Till next time!!

Filled That Week...

Tuesday, March 5th, I started a new adventure. I will facilitate a Self-Reliance Personal Finance group at Elizabeth's Village. This is a home for women. We had 6 people participate this first week. It was a good experience and I totally enjoyed it. There will be eleven more weeks to complete this course. It is very different not 'teaching' and 'facilitating'. I enjoyed the difference. 

Wednesday, March 6th, Claude and I went to Lexington to meet with Strategic Wealth Design. Don't let that name cause you to believe we are 'wealthy'. Such is not the case. But we are both approaching 70 (Claude is 9 months ahead of me in this regard) and we each started a savings when we were working that we will need to begin to draw from. We attended a dinner and instruction at The Castle Thursday, February 28th, to see what these people do. We have questions about the best way to use these funds and it seemed they might be able to help us. Hence the meeting Wednesday. We visited with them for about a hour. Came away with a plan and an understanding we have made good choices so far. We wanted time to think about their suggestion and to determine if we feel it is best for us. We go back Monday and have a final discussion and determination if we will have them help us. Bless Claude's heart. He has the persistence to read and study our funds and come up with any and all questions we might want to ask before making any commitments. I am grateful for him and his diligence in these matters. 

Thursday we had one of the fun Grandparent moments. Hayden's is in the Oldham County Middle School 8th grade band. The 7th and 8th grade bands from the Middle School and two of the bands from Oldham County High School will compete at the Kentucky Music Educator's Association's (KMEA) Assessment this coming Tuesday at North Oldham County High School. To prepare the kids for this competition, the Middle School and the High School hold a concert and perform the numbers they have prepared for parents and friends. Claude had a meeting that day in Frankfort. He dropped me off to visit Papa in Georgetown while he attended his meeting. Then he came back to Georgetown and picked me up and we drove to LaGrange. We stopped at SteveO's for pizza and took that to the Marx home for dinner for all of us. Then we went to the High School to listen to the concert. This is a fun concert because you hear the progression of the ability through their years of school. By the time the final band performs, you can tell they are ready for the college level. The 7th and 8th grade bands each also did a sight-reading piece. This will be part of their competition on Tuesday. So doing it for us gives them a bit of experience before the big show. It is an excellent evening of music. We very much enjoyed it and were ever so grateful the snow held off until after we got home at 11pm. 

The first number the 8th grade band performed was Beautiful River (Shall We Gather at the River). It was conducted by the High School band teacher, Mr. Rogers. This is one of the things I really like about this program. There is a lot of cross teaching and work between the Middle School and the High School. 

The second number was Lightning Field and it was conducted by Mr. Wise, the Middle School band teacher.  

Hayden is the third from the end and you can't see him when he performs because of the huge tuba on the end of the row.  

Friday the 8th I spent all morning and until 1pm crocheting. I am trying to finish this baby afghan for Katelyn and Drew's baby. It is taking forever. When I came home from visiting Papa, I plopped myself down on the love seat and crocheted all evening. My poor hand will need surgery when I am finished. No kidding. I now have five rows put together and am working on the 6th. There are fifteen rows total and then a border crocheted around them. Endure with joy. Endure with joy.

My cousin, Hershel sent another family picture. This is my father holding Hershel when Hershel was a baby. My comment to Hershel was, "Papa has hair!!"

It has been a good week.

It's For Sale...

That's right folks. Claude and Sandi are selling the lot next to our home lot. We purchased it right after we moved into our home. It has been a great spot on which to fly kites! Claude and I both have a feeling we need to be preparing ourselves for the next step in our lives. We feel like there is a change coming, not sure what or when, but we are both feeling that very strongly. We felt the first step was to sell this extra piece of ground we own. We have loved having it as a vacant lot the entire 14 years we have lived in Sadieville. Our realtor is listed at the bottom. If you or someone you know might be interested, please contact Billie. She is excellent and will help you with any questions.

Starting March with Travel...

A little back story will help with the need for this quick trip to Michigan.

I made crocheted table cloths for each of my girls. Took tons of time and lots of love but they each now have a treasure their mother made just for them. However, Jake does not need a table cloth. What to do for our son?

I had an embroidery kit that was a window designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. I love his designs. I purchased this kit at a home he designed and built called Falling Waters. It was the best I had that would make a manly gift. I worked diligently so I could give it to Jake this last Christmas. When the needlework was complete, I told Claude I wanted a white frame that looked like a window frame. And, I wanted it to have matting to cover the edges of the needlework. Claude was headed to Lexington and took on the challenge of finding the right frame. He did and we both felt very good about the piece of artwork for Jake.

Now, this piece was long and narrow with glass covering it. I did not want it to break in shipping. When Bonnie came to visit, I wrapped this gift and we took it on our Michigan run. As soon as we got to Jake's, he took the wrapped Christmas gift into his home in case he didn't come to Kentucky for Christmas. Gift was safe in Chelsea, Michigan. This was September 2018.

Jake did come to Kentucky for Christmas. He brought his unwrapped gift back to Kentucky to be opened on Christmas morning. Jake stayed in the guest room and leaned the present against the wall by the window. We opened presents on Christmas morning and never noticed that gift was not opened. 

After everyone left for their homes, I went into the guest room to change the linens on the bed. Leaning against the wall where Jake placed it was the Christmas gift. Jake was well on his way to Michigan by now. I sent him a text and explained what I found. He had a lot of laughs about it. We decided we would meet for lunch somewhere in the middle in Ohio and give him this gift. 

Alas, it took until this previous weekend before the weather was okay and we were free and Jake was free to meet up. We decided I would visit Papa Friday morning. Then Claude and I would head to Chelsea Friday at noon in hopes of having dinner with Jake Friday evening. And we were off...

We got stuck in traffic at the Maumee River in Ohio. The land around it was covered in driftwood covered with enormous chucks of ice. There is a very wide flood plain there and it really looked other worldly. It must have flooded with all the rain and then froze. It has stayed cold enough the water receded an was back within the banks of the Maumee River leaving huge chucks of ice and lots of drift wood still along the banks.

Jake's plans for Friday evening had been to attend a talent show put on by the Chelsea Ward (congregation). He had invited his neighbor, Max, to attend with him. Max bowed out but Claude and I were happy to attend this function with Jake. We had time to pop into Jimmy John's and enjoy a nice sandwich for dinner before going to the church.

The talent show was lots of fun. The first act was a mom swinging her toddler upside down and calling him a pendulum. The baby was very happy and when we applauded he really liked it even more. The mother then handed the baby to a friend and she went to the piano, laid down on her back, crossed her hand over her head and played a hymn that way. Have not seen that done since the movie Amadeus. There were piano numbers, guitar/vocal numbers, a unicycle, violins, oboes, quilts on display, artwork on display, balloons bouncing over people's heads. Great fun was had by all and plenty of refreshments to carry on through the evening. They stopped right after 8:30pm and we hurried back into the cold to our hotel. 

At the hotel, Jake share picture and video of his trip to Florida. AND...Jake opened his Christmas present!!

So much fun. We had fun chatting and catching up. Jake had a SpaceX launch he wanted to be up at 2:30am to see. So we stopped about 11pm and decided we would all have a late start Saturday morning.

Saturday we met at Jake's apartment about 10:30am. We visited there until the Mexican restaurant opened and we went there for an splendid lunch. We have never had a bad meal at this place and this time we all ordered well again. 

We took Jake back to his apartment and then we headed home. It was so nice to visit with Jake. 

I believe I could get used to starting each month with a trip. Even if it is just an overnight trip.

Finishing February 2019...

Jake, our son, left for Florida the day we returned from Las Vegas. He has a friend there, Heather, who works at the Lubee Bat Conservancy. These are the pictures Jake sent me as he traveled on this trip.

Jake loves the study of space and NASA. On his bucket list was a trip to the Kennedy Space Center. Heather lives near there and assured Jake he would be able to check that off his bucket list when he visited. On Thursday, February 21st, Jake sent this picture. As a child one of his favorite toys was a stuffed Snoopy dog. How fun to find one dressed as an astronaut! He and Heather were able to watch a SpaceX Rocket Launch that evening. They toured the center and also took the bus tour of the area. He was in heaven...pun intended.

On Friday, February 22nd, they visited Lubee Bat Conservancy. Heather gave him the grand tour and introduced him to some of the bats. As they walked the ground, Jake sent this picture with the caption "Found the Orlando Turtles. They seem fine." I love turtles. So his thinking of me and sending this means a lot. 

As they continued to walk the grounds, Jake found this and took a picture. It was captioned, "This is Ziggy. He is a rare wing-less hardshell bat.'"I do love my son. He inherited his father's quick wit. 

Jake had a wonderful trip. 

I have been communicating with a cousin. His mother, Vera, and my father, Vernon, are sister and brother. Hershel Culpepper is his name. He sent me a message with this little story from Papa's past. 

"Hey Sandi, I'm fix'in to go to bed but just thought of something. We were living in Winnfield when I was in the 5th grade. There was a fund raiser at Winnfield Elementry school for something, can't remember what. When you go into the school auditorium, the first 4-5 rows were level but it sloped from there on down to the stage. Vernon and John Edward and some of their friends were one of the groups playing that night. During a quiet moment between their songs, someone on one of the back rows dropped a glass baby bottle, the ones that had the square sides to it. It rolled all the way down to the front of the stage and every time it hit one of the metal seat legs there was a loud CLANG. Everybody in the whole auditorium stopped talking and it got real quiet except for the rolling glass bottle. It CLANGED all the way down. Everyone was waiting to see if it was going to break. When the bottle rolled all the way down to the front of the stage, I think it was Vernon that picked it up, held it up and said that someone had dropped a baby bottle. Everybody started laughing. But no one ever came to pick it up. lol Don't know if Vernon would be able to remember that or not but you can ask. Would really be neat if he remembered."

Hershel also sent me a family picture which I will share. 

Back Row: Gladys & Buddy (Oliver K.) Conner, Herman Harold Lawrence, Doris & Salty (Wendell) Lawrence, Grampa (Carl Edward) & Gramma (Claudia Clemetine Shaw) Lawrence, Hershel is between them, Vera Culpepper, Virginia & Vernon Lawrence, Barbara Lawrence (daughter of Doris and Salty).
Front Row: Diane Lawrence, Melba Lou Culpepper, Sandi Lawrence Christensen (me), Jimmy Culpepper, Junie Lawrence Gulbrandsen, Roy and Robin Lawrence.
Seated on the Ground: Brenda Gail Lawrence, Neffie Lawrence Hurst.

This is a lot of my father's family. Gramma Duck was married to William (Bill) Conner and had two sons. Odis died as a little boy. Oliver is Uncle Buddy. Bill Conner died and Gramma eventually married Grampa and they had four boys and a daughter. I am guessing Uncle Marvin is taking the picture as he is not in the picture. Hershel, Melba Lou and Jimmy are Aunt Vera's children. Diane, Roy and Robin are Uncle Marvin and Aunt Margie's children. Roy and Robin both had muscular dystrophy, hence the wheel chairs. Sandi, Junie and Neffie are Vernon and Virginia's children. Barbara and Brenda Gail are Uncle Salty and Aunt Doris' children. They have one son named Glen who is not in the picture. This was taken at Gramma & Grampa's home with a Winnfield, Louisiana address. I believe I already had this picture but it was great fun to show it to Papa and see if he could remember any of these people. Nope, he really couldn't. Didn't even recognize Mimi. But as I pointed them out the memory came back to him. 

Papa Update: When at the nursing home the CNA who cares for Papa and the other residents on his hallway called me into the hallway to talk. She explained that Papa seemed to be having a break with reality that day. At breakfast he walked himself down to the dining room and ate all his breakfast. Then he went back to his room for a bit. Then he walked back to the dining room and wanted his breakfast. Rachel explained that he had already eaten and she could get him a roll or something but his breakfast was finished. He was not happy with this at all. She also had him ask her repeatedly when his wife was coming to see him. My mother has been deceased since July 2012. Papa has always spoken of her as deceased, until this day. The CNA was concerned and wanted me to be aware. While I visited with Papa, I noticed several things he said that were just not right. I asked him how his game was going when I sent back into his room after speaking with Rachel. He asked me what game. I pointed to my old Kindle and the game of Solitaire he was playing. He assured me that was not a game. I asked him what it should be called then if it was not a game. He thought for a minute and then said, "Well, I guess it could be called a game." As I drove home I pondered the events of my afternoon visit. Papa's going to breakfast twice is the one that really troubles me. Papa has always eaten to stay alive. He has a big belly but that is from no exercise. If I bring him a home baked goodie when I visit and he has just eaten, he will pass on eating the goodie until later as he is full. This means he didn't recognize he was full when he went a second time for breakfast. To me, that is a serious loss in ability. Him asking for Mimi (my mother) could be explained as Papa really asking when Sandi was going to visit and getting me mixed up with Mimi. My hair is gray and the length mom's was when she died. There is a lot of my mother in me and I can see that confusion as his brain fails. But the eating is another story completely.

Wednesday, February 27th, Claude and I took Papa or a long car ride in the morning. We left at 9:30am and returned him to the nursing home at 12 noon. He talked the entire time. One thing after another just running things together and talking lots of incorrect things or just things that seem logical to him but really are not. It was nonstop the entire time. Claude and I really said nothing except me giving Claude directions for the drive and me offering Papa a hard candy. When we got back to the nursing home and went in to check him back in, he was so thankful for the outing and apologized for talking the entire time. Bless his heart.

Yesterday, the Bishop and his son and one other young man came to the nursing home to bring Papa the sacrament. Right after they gave him the bread he wanted talk and explain what they were doing. Papa knows to be reverent as the prayers are said and while partaking of the sacrament. I kept having to put my hand gently on his shoulder and tell him we would talk after the sacrament was over. He was just bursting to speak. He did the same thing right after taking the water. 

We'll just watch and see how he does. He is well but having a hard time moving even a step without the walker being close at hand. He keeps saying he will soon be in a wheel chair. And mentally he has definitely gone down another peg. 

Claude and I earned our date on that Wednesday evening. Papa has never liked silence and that is truly magnified with his chatter now. Claude, on the other hand, is very comfortable with silence. That incessant talking for all those hours was really hard on Claude. Fortunately, we had tickets to see James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt at Rupp Arena that night. Talk about a great concert. It was amazing. We have seen James Taylor before and he was outstanding. Never saw Bonnie Raitt until that night and I truly enjoyed her performance. She sang the first half of the show. James Taylor sang the last half of the show. They ended the evening with a few numbers together. If you ever have the chance, this show is well worth the price of admission.

The only other thing I feel to mention is cancer. My brother-in-law was diagnosed with prostate cancer, had surgery on the 5th of February, and is now trying to heal. Tomorrow, March 5th, a dear friend we rode motorcycles with will have surgery for his cancer. He went in for an appendectomy and they found colon cancer. Cancer in its many forms is insidious. Many prayers for these good people and the struggle they are called to endure.