"April qwenty-ninph, that is my birfday" he said. I can still hear that confident two year old voice. He had the sweetest fat cheeks that I loved to kiss and nibble. Every year on his birthday, his Grampa and I look at each other and say "April qwenty-ninph" together. He doesn't know this and probably would prefer not knowing until he has a child of his own. He is among that group of population known as teens. Sixteen years old today. Old enough to get a driver's licence. That is scary, to think of my sweet boy behind the wheel.
I had the chance to watch him play baseball while I was in Minnesota. He looked so handsome and grown-up. He was the catcher. I was huddled in a chair with a blanket on me, watching him play ............ as the gale force winds threatened to blow me away as my teeth chattered. Then he got hurt. His hand, not bad, just a painful contusion. I walked over to the dugout, hoping that movement might even generate some heat. He surprised me by giving me a hug! I haven't had a hug in public since kindergarten! Then the sleet started coming down and we hurried to the car. But, I got a hug in public! And that was before I gave him his birthday present!
Happy Birthday to my grandson, Gage!
Friday, April 29, 2011
High Yield
I stumbled out of bed wondering if I had slept all day. I had gotten up earlier with the dogs and put on coffee, then thinking it would be nice to lay down again for just a few minutes while the coffee finished. The coffee ............ have you seen the price of coffee lately? This is what led me to buy Hills Brothers coffee last time I was in Menard's. Cheaper. I have heard of Hills Brothers; it's not like I purchased some questionable item that might not even be made from coffee beans, how bad can it be? I was reading the can ( a real can and not one of the faked out cardboard things of late; although, I do like the plastic tub with the handle on it that Maxwell House uses). It says "high yield" ....twice on the can. What does that mean? Are they referring to the number of cups of coffee? Sounds like a crop term to me. Do they yield more beans from their plants? Very confusing, especially before I have any of this high yield coffee.
I grab a cup and go to the TV. Expecting to see Matt and Meredith covering the royal wedding that I slept through (like I would have gotten up and tuned in at that hour ....), instead I get Star Trek Next Generation and wonder if that is the wedding and my vision has been affected by the last two days of a headache. No, wrong channel. They managed to marry without me and the two kisses have been broadcast over and over. The Royal experts are rehashing the event endlessly and I am sipping my first coffee of the day............
High yield? Not cups, I tell you. It is not bad. Forgettable, tasteless. Maybe I didn't use enough. I used the same amount I normally do, then when I read that "high yield" nonsense I was almost afraid it would be too strong. Taste like hot water with a little hint of coffee. And I bought the industrial size can. High yield, indeed.
I grab a cup and go to the TV. Expecting to see Matt and Meredith covering the royal wedding that I slept through (like I would have gotten up and tuned in at that hour ....), instead I get Star Trek Next Generation and wonder if that is the wedding and my vision has been affected by the last two days of a headache. No, wrong channel. They managed to marry without me and the two kisses have been broadcast over and over. The Royal experts are rehashing the event endlessly and I am sipping my first coffee of the day............
High yield? Not cups, I tell you. It is not bad. Forgettable, tasteless. Maybe I didn't use enough. I used the same amount I normally do, then when I read that "high yield" nonsense I was almost afraid it would be too strong. Taste like hot water with a little hint of coffee. And I bought the industrial size can. High yield, indeed.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
My Dog Ate My Vicodin!
I was plagued by an intense headache yesterday .......... you know the kind that gives you a warning before it arrives. I was about my business of taking reservations and checking the e-mails associated with such when I could suddenly no longer see out of my right eye. Well, half of the vision in my eye was obscured with dancing silver fish thingies squiggling about. Past experience has taught me to not ignore this foretelling of pain. I immediately dosed myself with Tylenol, caffeine, and chocolate. A bartender taught me this trick and it has been known to work quite well. Even if it does not squelch the pain entirely, it dulls it down to bearable. I closed down the computer and pulled the shades ...... just in case the sun might appear.
After sitting quietly for half an hour and regaining full vision, I sadly noted to myself that I had not caught it quite in time. Going to bed to sleep it off was not an option, since he who could take my place was at his other job. I did console myself with the knowledge that even if he had been here and I had managed to drift into sleep, he would have awakened me to see if I felt any better. So, I made a little cocoon for myself on the couch with the dogs and put the phone on a pillow to muffle the sound and moving very carefully and slowly spent the afternoon answering phone calls in a hushed voice and checking in three campers. I dosed myself every two hours with aspirin, then Tylenol, then Ibuprofen. I do, after all, believe in equal opportunity and giving each drug a chance to work a miracle.
When he who was concerned arrived home (having had a call from me to express my distress), he was happy to report that he had a lone Vicodin left from his last dental emergency! I accepted his offering eagerly and after popping it in half, took one half and felt the pain retreat in about 20 minutes. I slept like a baby and awoke feeling so much better. The sun was even shining! I drank my coffee and began my day. Looking forward to planting some Black Eyed Susan's along the fence. I preformed all my morning ablutions, brushing my teeth, washing my face, batting at my bed head and carefully flushing away any allergens that might be lurking in my nasal cavities with my neti pot.
I mounted my trusty golf cart and drove to site 2 where my kamper buddy Yvonne had the plants that she carefully saved for me when her sister-in-law thinned her beds. I loaded them on the cart and hoe in hand set about planting. The soil here is so wet that I could have dug the holes with my hands. I was happily tucking my little plants in and envisioning them swaying in the breeze with their happy faces against the red fence ............. not again, the squiggling silver fish are at the outer edges of my vision. Maybe it just the sun reflected on the leaves of the plants? No, definitely having tunnel vision now. As I am coming round the bend, he who mows, waves at me from his mower and I stop. He mouths are you alright? I shake me head in the negative and immediately regret doing so. He cuts the engine and instructs me to go lay down and take the other half of the Vicodin. Good idea.
I manage to navigate the cart to the front door and walk carefully inside. I was on the sofa when I popped the pill in half .......... where did I put the half I didn't take? On the table beside me, thinking at the time, that I should really put it in something so I wouldn't lose it and the dogs wouldn't get it. Did I? I cannot remember doing so and I can't really see now. I am trying to be very careful as I feel all along the table top. I can't find it and total panic seizes me along with a rush of adrenalin. Not good with the impending headache, just in case you ever need to know. Next thing I do is gather each of my animals into my arms. Why? I don't know. Maybe I am thinking I will be able to tell by touch if they have Vicodin in their system. I am about to call he who would rescue me when I remember where I put the Vicodin.
I still have a headache and am hoping it will go away when this next storm system rolls through this afternoon. But ........... the dogs are all okay!
After sitting quietly for half an hour and regaining full vision, I sadly noted to myself that I had not caught it quite in time. Going to bed to sleep it off was not an option, since he who could take my place was at his other job. I did console myself with the knowledge that even if he had been here and I had managed to drift into sleep, he would have awakened me to see if I felt any better. So, I made a little cocoon for myself on the couch with the dogs and put the phone on a pillow to muffle the sound and moving very carefully and slowly spent the afternoon answering phone calls in a hushed voice and checking in three campers. I dosed myself every two hours with aspirin, then Tylenol, then Ibuprofen. I do, after all, believe in equal opportunity and giving each drug a chance to work a miracle.
When he who was concerned arrived home (having had a call from me to express my distress), he was happy to report that he had a lone Vicodin left from his last dental emergency! I accepted his offering eagerly and after popping it in half, took one half and felt the pain retreat in about 20 minutes. I slept like a baby and awoke feeling so much better. The sun was even shining! I drank my coffee and began my day. Looking forward to planting some Black Eyed Susan's along the fence. I preformed all my morning ablutions, brushing my teeth, washing my face, batting at my bed head and carefully flushing away any allergens that might be lurking in my nasal cavities with my neti pot.
I mounted my trusty golf cart and drove to site 2 where my kamper buddy Yvonne had the plants that she carefully saved for me when her sister-in-law thinned her beds. I loaded them on the cart and hoe in hand set about planting. The soil here is so wet that I could have dug the holes with my hands. I was happily tucking my little plants in and envisioning them swaying in the breeze with their happy faces against the red fence ............. not again, the squiggling silver fish are at the outer edges of my vision. Maybe it just the sun reflected on the leaves of the plants? No, definitely having tunnel vision now. As I am coming round the bend, he who mows, waves at me from his mower and I stop. He mouths are you alright? I shake me head in the negative and immediately regret doing so. He cuts the engine and instructs me to go lay down and take the other half of the Vicodin. Good idea.
I manage to navigate the cart to the front door and walk carefully inside. I was on the sofa when I popped the pill in half .......... where did I put the half I didn't take? On the table beside me, thinking at the time, that I should really put it in something so I wouldn't lose it and the dogs wouldn't get it. Did I? I cannot remember doing so and I can't really see now. I am trying to be very careful as I feel all along the table top. I can't find it and total panic seizes me along with a rush of adrenalin. Not good with the impending headache, just in case you ever need to know. Next thing I do is gather each of my animals into my arms. Why? I don't know. Maybe I am thinking I will be able to tell by touch if they have Vicodin in their system. I am about to call he who would rescue me when I remember where I put the Vicodin.
I still have a headache and am hoping it will go away when this next storm system rolls through this afternoon. But ........... the dogs are all okay!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Three Digits
I am not one to brag and draw attention to myself ................ but I now have 100 followers!! When I started this blog, it was mainly because my daughter wanted me to. It was to be a way to keep in touch with my family. I am not big on phone chats, since I have to be on the phone a lot anyway. And when my kids do call, I am usually busy with the campers.
It has also been an exercise in writing for me. I have always wanted to write a book ......... but what would be the purpose if no one wanted to read it? My view of the world is a little skewed and I find irony in many things. The first attempt at writing was what I call The Book Of Adrienne . Adrienne is my youngest and most adventurous. She left Minnesota and moved to Florida. Her siblings stayed close by and when we visited her (on demand, to bring the rest of her belongings) I had a hard time leaving her behind. I sensed that she needed me. While he who drives, was at wheel of the motor home I was on task with paper and pen. I was a little teary as I watched her waving goodbye. Anyone who knows her would never think of her as needy. She is almost 6 feet tall and my head rests on her shoulder when I stand next to her; but that will never negate the fact that she is my baby. I have been known to say that had she been my first, she still would have been my last. She is, and always has been a force to be reckoned with.
With all my thoughts of her tumbling through my mind I started writing down all my memories of her childhood. There were many. The girl leaves her stamp where ever she goes. When I got home I started pulling pictures of her out and matching stories with them. I was going to type the stories and print them, but my dear daughter-in-law convinced me to write them by hand. It was huge undertaking and I had the project spread all over the house when she called from Florida and in a small voice told me that she wanted to come home. She was home by Christmas and my gift to her was the book that was still in progress. She cried when she opened it. When I was at her new house last week there were still boxes to be unpacked, but The Book Of Adrienne was right there on the coffee table.
I cooked for my kids and their families on the last evening there. We celebrated birthdays that were coming next month and laughed and talked. The Book Of Adrienne was passed round and even though she was absent, we all had fun reliving some of her antics and laughing at some of the more unflattering pictures I had included in her book. Then the most amazing thing happened. Adrienne's older sister, Jill, said "Hey, Mom, when are you going to do a book for me?".
I know what my next project is ......... but in the meantime, I have 100 followers!
It has also been an exercise in writing for me. I have always wanted to write a book ......... but what would be the purpose if no one wanted to read it? My view of the world is a little skewed and I find irony in many things. The first attempt at writing was what I call The Book Of Adrienne . Adrienne is my youngest and most adventurous. She left Minnesota and moved to Florida. Her siblings stayed close by and when we visited her (on demand, to bring the rest of her belongings) I had a hard time leaving her behind. I sensed that she needed me. While he who drives, was at wheel of the motor home I was on task with paper and pen. I was a little teary as I watched her waving goodbye. Anyone who knows her would never think of her as needy. She is almost 6 feet tall and my head rests on her shoulder when I stand next to her; but that will never negate the fact that she is my baby. I have been known to say that had she been my first, she still would have been my last. She is, and always has been a force to be reckoned with.
With all my thoughts of her tumbling through my mind I started writing down all my memories of her childhood. There were many. The girl leaves her stamp where ever she goes. When I got home I started pulling pictures of her out and matching stories with them. I was going to type the stories and print them, but my dear daughter-in-law convinced me to write them by hand. It was huge undertaking and I had the project spread all over the house when she called from Florida and in a small voice told me that she wanted to come home. She was home by Christmas and my gift to her was the book that was still in progress. She cried when she opened it. When I was at her new house last week there were still boxes to be unpacked, but The Book Of Adrienne was right there on the coffee table.
I cooked for my kids and their families on the last evening there. We celebrated birthdays that were coming next month and laughed and talked. The Book Of Adrienne was passed round and even though she was absent, we all had fun reliving some of her antics and laughing at some of the more unflattering pictures I had included in her book. Then the most amazing thing happened. Adrienne's older sister, Jill, said "Hey, Mom, when are you going to do a book for me?".
I know what my next project is ......... but in the meantime, I have 100 followers!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
I Am Coming Home
I have not had Internet this past week. I am in withdrawal.
Really, haven't had time for the Internet until my little guy shut his eyes at night ........... and I went to sleep with him! I am looking forward to going home today. It has been wonderful to be with my kids and their kids, but I miss my little home with he who will be at the airport when I land and my four legged friends.
Yesterday was a domestic day for me. I cooked all day long for my family. It brought back memories of cooking for my kids when they were all at home. Country style steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, collard greens, spinach souffle and honey glazed carrots and cake. I dropped Gavin off at school and went to the grocery store. It was so peaceful as I shopped in the huge store. I strolled leisurely down each and every aisle.
As I loaded my bounty in the car, I spied a JoAnn's!! I didn't have milk and it was nice and chilly outside........ and I felt it would just be wrong not to go in. So.... I did. I took in the magic aroma of fabric just waiting to be cut. Then I saw the 50% off signs!!! I was in heaven. I drove my cart straight to the fabric that was calling my name. I won't say just how much I bought since he who is in charge of the kampground in my absence does read this. I will say that the suitcase I emptied of presents is now full again. Oh, if you are buying fabric to make clothing with in Minnesota it is tax free!!! I feel justified!! It is lovely, my fabric, and I am already planning in my mind.
Can't post pictures. I cannot find my camera charger or the cord to download. I have searched this entire house. I just hope it turns up here at some point. I unpacked some of the boxes from the move and I hope I didn't accidentally throw them away. I am off to the airport now and will be home this afternoon with my dogs at my side while I visit my favorite blogs!
Really, haven't had time for the Internet until my little guy shut his eyes at night ........... and I went to sleep with him! I am looking forward to going home today. It has been wonderful to be with my kids and their kids, but I miss my little home with he who will be at the airport when I land and my four legged friends.
Yesterday was a domestic day for me. I cooked all day long for my family. It brought back memories of cooking for my kids when they were all at home. Country style steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, collard greens, spinach souffle and honey glazed carrots and cake. I dropped Gavin off at school and went to the grocery store. It was so peaceful as I shopped in the huge store. I strolled leisurely down each and every aisle.
As I loaded my bounty in the car, I spied a JoAnn's!! I didn't have milk and it was nice and chilly outside........ and I felt it would just be wrong not to go in. So.... I did. I took in the magic aroma of fabric just waiting to be cut. Then I saw the 50% off signs!!! I was in heaven. I drove my cart straight to the fabric that was calling my name. I won't say just how much I bought since he who is in charge of the kampground in my absence does read this. I will say that the suitcase I emptied of presents is now full again. Oh, if you are buying fabric to make clothing with in Minnesota it is tax free!!! I feel justified!! It is lovely, my fabric, and I am already planning in my mind.
Can't post pictures. I cannot find my camera charger or the cord to download. I have searched this entire house. I just hope it turns up here at some point. I unpacked some of the boxes from the move and I hope I didn't accidentally throw them away. I am off to the airport now and will be home this afternoon with my dogs at my side while I visit my favorite blogs!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Day One
It can only get better .....I hope. The bridal party left at 3:30 this morning. My daughter slept in Gavin's bed and he slept with me. I thought I was at home minus the dogs. The child snores. He looks like Papa and he snores like Papa.
I woke in plenty of time to get the child ready for school and take the new arrival out for a potty break. Laila, the boxer arrived when the bridal party left. She is a good dog and she was able to get Gavin up and moving this morning. I have a packet of instructions and I was told that Gavin was hard to get going. I managed to get him dressed and his teeth brushed and his toaster strudel ready to eat in the car.
I gulped my coffee,grabbed the map and we were off ............ Gramma, you forgot my breakfast. Oh crap, you are right, I did (are you really hungry?) I turn around and go back in, thinking to grab it and be on our way. The dog ate the child's breakfast. I have short dogs and what I put on the counter stays on the counter. I put another strudel in the toaster and put some food in the dog's dish.
I am back on the road and following the map quest directions. Take a slight right on Radio Drive. Slight? What is slight. You either turn or you don't. It is an intersection with no confusing little side roads. I turn and am going along looking for the next road on the directions when Gavin tells me to turn "here". It is not the road on the directions and I have to turn because I am in the turn lane. I call my son and tell him I am lost ...... all the while Gavin is telling me to "go straight, Gramma, don't listen to him, just go,I know where my school is". I creep along and find the road and then finally get him to school 15 minutes late. All the while Gavin is telling me, "I told you I knew where it was.
As he got out of the car he asked me if I could get back home okay. "Just go backwards from the way we came." I am going to take a shower and have another cup of coffee now.
I woke in plenty of time to get the child ready for school and take the new arrival out for a potty break. Laila, the boxer arrived when the bridal party left. She is a good dog and she was able to get Gavin up and moving this morning. I have a packet of instructions and I was told that Gavin was hard to get going. I managed to get him dressed and his teeth brushed and his toaster strudel ready to eat in the car.
I gulped my coffee,grabbed the map and we were off ............ Gramma, you forgot my breakfast. Oh crap, you are right, I did (are you really hungry?) I turn around and go back in, thinking to grab it and be on our way. The dog ate the child's breakfast. I have short dogs and what I put on the counter stays on the counter. I put another strudel in the toaster and put some food in the dog's dish.
I am back on the road and following the map quest directions. Take a slight right on Radio Drive. Slight? What is slight. You either turn or you don't. It is an intersection with no confusing little side roads. I turn and am going along looking for the next road on the directions when Gavin tells me to turn "here". It is not the road on the directions and I have to turn because I am in the turn lane. I call my son and tell him I am lost ...... all the while Gavin is telling me to "go straight, Gramma, don't listen to him, just go,I know where my school is". I creep along and find the road and then finally get him to school 15 minutes late. All the while Gavin is telling me, "I told you I knew where it was.
As he got out of the car he asked me if I could get back home okay. "Just go backwards from the way we came." I am going to take a shower and have another cup of coffee now.
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