"That Looks Like a Lot of Work!"

Meg had a hair appointment right after work this evening, so I took the children to Chick-fil-A for supper (there is a play place).  We stayed for 1 1/2 hours!  The kids were good...didn't even resist me when I said it was time to go.  On the ride home, Ryan told Robin to "keep an eye out for Christmas decorations".  Sooo...we drove around a little bit.  Down to Hummel Park where they have some "coo" lights...and through a couple of neighborhoods that have luminary displays, etc.  Every time we went by a house with lots of lights, Ryan would say, "That looks like a lot of work!"  He must have said it a dozen times.  I thought it looked like a lot of work, too, but I didn't say it!  'Tis the reason that we have a chintzy little strand of garland and lights on the fence in front of the house.  Grandma doesn't do ladders!

The children's cousin Joey (Robin's age) in Tennessee has a staph infection in his ankle and is in the hospital.  They had to drill a hole in his ankle bone to try to get to the area.  He has had a dangerously high fever and may be messing with this for months and months because of a growth plate deal.  If you are the praying type, please remember Joey Fletcher in your prayers.  Grandma Judy has gone down to help, but it can't be fun for any of them.  Poor Joey!

The news from Meg's father is that he probably has to have his knee replacements replaced...maybe in December.  I won't comment further except to say that I once determined that if anything could go wrong with a health concern, it would happen to him.  He had an appendectomy back when I was preggers with Megan.  He got an infection that put him back in the hospital for longer than the original surgery.  Then there was the allergic reaction to penicillin after he had a tooth pulled...and the tiny drop of blood that seeped out of an incision that caused him to pass out when he had a bursa sack removed from one knee.  The list goes on and on...  His current wife is his caregiver now.  God bless the woman.  She has her hands full!

Three more weeks until Christmas Break.  I am working to try to make what we have left to do come out even with the time left in which to do it.  Tall order, sometimes! 

Robin got a "red light" at school this week.  She was caught doing something (ridiculously) wrong, and was traumatized by the fact that she had spoiled her perfect disciplinary record in Kindergarten.  We hope it was sufficiently traumatic to prevent it from happening again.  God bless my little bean.  She reminds me so much of her mother as a young'un!  I learn more about both children every day...

I am still in the middle of an insurance nightmare.  The ruptured aneurysm may cause me to have to keep working past the time I'd like to retire.  We'll see.  It "ain't" over yet, but I'm not crazy about the situation, so far...

Blessings.  Time for bed.

 

 

 

 

Arrrrggghhh!

It is 10:51 PM and I am doing battle with a 5-year-old over going to bed!  She is being particularly obstreperous and is at risk of my waking her mother to handle the problem.  I'm giving her until 11:00 to stop coming out of the bedroom.  God bless her toady little heart!

Decorating for Christmas should be a simple thing.  Just remove the things that the decorations will displace, then put them back later, right?  Ha!  On Friday, Meg and I moved furniture around to make room for the Christmas tree.  Meg went through the toy box to remove things that aren't used any more.  We took a chair, lamp, and two tables to the garage, which is so cluttered, I can't even find the Baby Jesus for the manger scene yet!  I vacuumed endlessly.  Meg took the straw bale (fall decoration) to the minibarn and hung the Santa flag outside the front door.  We did lots and lots...and the children enjoyed decorating the tree last evening...but there was still more to do.  We got the stockings "hung by the chimney with care" today, but it rained all day, so the children trashed the living room.  (In truth, there they were both pretty good for half of the day.  The rest....well...)  We took them to the library.  When it was time to go, Ryan threw a fit because Robin wasn't putting her grocery cart where it should be.  We were all supposed to go to the "dollar store" after that, but Ry had to go home because of bad behavior.  Robin and I did the rest of the shopping.  This evening, Meg spent a lot of time with both kids for baths and stories.  It didn't help.  They were settled during attention time, but whacko when it came to going to bed.  Heh heh...the other day, I made a comment about how I had been with children all day and needed some Grandma Time...and Robin asked, "Do you wish you had your own bedroom?"  Uh...yes.  I wish we all did!  Which is why I am hoping we can do something with the garage to relieve the stress in the rest of the house...  And we STILL need to trash a lot of stuff!

And so it goes.  Santa has a big task this year.  He has to struggle down to an electric fireplace that doesn't have a chimney.  (The children don't know that!)  I think I was about Robin's age when someone spilled the beans to me about Santa.  Once she finds out, she won't be able to keep the news from her brother.

Hmmm...it's quiet in the bedroom right now.  Perhaps I can go to bed now?  God rest ye, merry gentlemen....or gentlewomen, as the case may be!

 

 

One of Nature's Miracles

I went out to the car this afternoon.  Could hear leaf blowers working in the neighborhood...but there was something else.  Even as bad as my hearing is, I could hear geese on the move, way up in the sky, heading south.  Later, in the back yard, I could hear more--dozens and dozens of them, some in V-formation, and some reforming their V--so high they were actually in the clouds.  Southbound.  I don't know why that thrills me, but it always does. 

Had a fellow come today to look at the garage with an eye to remodel into a room.  It won't be an easy process, I'm sure...

Back to work here. 

Truly, Truly Thankful

Most people probably look back on the past year on New Year's Eve.  This year, I am looking backward on this Thanksgiving Eve, so I may have the proper perspective tomorrow, when I intend to give thanks to Almighty God for the year's blessings.

Megan and Nathan divorced, and she and the children came to live with me.  It drove away my loneliness demons and presented chaos into my little home, but I've been happy to have some purpose in life again.  The consequent months have been tough for everyone, in every way...but I am happy that everyone involved seems to be focusing on the children's well-being.  I'm glad to have my baby and grandchildren near me.  I am thankful for that!

I had a ruptured brain aneurysm on July 21st while visiting my sister in Illinois.  Have thought a lot about that...  Had it happened at home, I would not have awakened anyone.  Would not have been able to get through the night well, since I share a bed with my granddaughter.  As it was, my sister saw me come up the stairs and heard me throwing up in the bathroom.  (Too much information!)  A brain bleed is a whole-body thing.  It causes unrelieved vomiting and a horrific pain in the neck--and heat.  Lots and lots of heat.  My sister found me in the bathroom and asked if I was okay--which, of course, I wasn't--and brought TWO ice packs: one for my head and one for my neck, and a receptacle "just in case".  The next day, we went to an "urgent care" facility...and the rest is history.  It was a horrible experience for everyone--in particular, my daughter, who didn't know what to do, once she found out about the diagnosis.  In any event, if I HAD to have a catastrophic event, I'm glad I was where I was.  I got "sprung" after only a week and Meg could feel in control again.  I am thankful for that!

I recovered without a single disability.  I am thankful for that!

Robin was accepted into Kindergarten, even though she was five days past the birthday limitation.  She was ready.  I am thankful for that!

I have enjoyed the support and love of my teacher/ham friends.  I can't begin to be thankful enough for them all!  What would I have done without them??  Thank you, dear Lord, for that!

May God bless you on this weekend of thanksgiving..  Share your troubles with someone, andtrust that the Good Lord will bless you.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Yay, Megan!

A position opened up at the Bursar's Office at IUPUI where Meg works.  Meg applied, along with a number of other people, most with more seniority than she has.  She got the job!  It is a supervisory position in another room where she is now, and brings a slight pay upgrade (and more responsibilities).  You go, girl!  I am proud of you and knew you could do it!

I am officially free until Monday.  So much to do; so little time!  I had a parent show up just after dismissal today, inquiring about some things regarding her daughter.  She didn't stay long, and I felt good about the brief conference.  Ya just never know!

So much to be thankful for this year.  Many "bad" things happened, but they all happened for a reason, and the Good Lord has blessed us with so much.  It makes me humble.  It's all about love... 

Sunday in Paradise

I was up early again this morning, but not as early as yesterday.  Did get some things done, but was back in bed for a snooze by 10:00 and up at noonish.  By that time, Meg had gone down for a snooze because she had a headache and just didn't feel well.

It was not as pretty a day today, so I wasn't inclined to be outside much.  Meg had told me that Plainfield High School was presenting its last musical on the stage in the present building.  (Next year, they will be in the new, improved PHS.)  The show, which had a matinee today, was You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, a musical that I helped to direct when I was in an elementary teaching position in Illinois many years ago.  The PHS production was directed by none other than Robin's Kindergarten teacher, with the music directed by her old choir and vocal teacher.  Sooo...with Meg still in bed, I bundled the children up and took them, hoping that I wasn't making a major mistake by trying something like this with both of them.  As it was, they behaved quite well!  We've been taking Robin to stuff like that since before she could even talk.  Ryan is generally pretty good in theaters and the like....so I lucked out!  (And so did Meg.  She had a good 3 1/2 hour break from children!)

For only the second day in my teaching career, we have the Wednesday before Thanksgiving off.  Yes!  It will give me a chance to catch up on some things here in the house as well as do a little cooking for Turkey Day.  We will be celebrating the holiday with Nathan's folks again, who have been kind enough to invite us.  We are trying to keep things as normal as possible for the children until there is a tad more adjustment to the divorce situation.  Divorce is never a good thing, but we have all worked to maintain some semblance of normalcy for the children.  I am proud of Meg and Nathan that they have been able to pull that off.  More and more, the children seem to be able to "get it" that they have two homes, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.

It has been a busy weekend if not necessarily fun.  Colts won.  That can't be all bad!

 

Raking, Raking...(Over the Bounding Main?)

Sorry...I couldn't resist the title...

I was supposed to go to the Fort Wayne Hamfest today, but it's a 6-hour round trip, and there is so much to do here, that I decided to stay home.  (Sorry Mike and Adam!)  It's a decent enough day that I decided to commence to start to begin raking the leaves in the front.  That encouraged Robin to come out with the children's rake...then came Ryan with the second rake...then came Megan with the camera.  I told Meg I should be taking pix of her raking!  In any case, we knocked down most of the front yard in no time.  I have three mature trees in my yard.  I lucked out.  The ash tree usually dumps its leaves all at once...which it did, on a windy day. Voila!  Don't have to rake those because they are gone!  The unhealthiest of the two maples has dropped 99% of its leaves.  That is what we raked today.  The other maple is still holding on, so this won't be the last of the raking.  Besides, I ran out of room at the curb!  The branches and twigs on the ground will be our wood supply for our patio fire and marshmallow toasting tonight.  The children love that!

I was up really early again today.  That happens when I go to bed early.  I wake up and efforts to go back to sleep don't work...so I get up and putter.  Today, I had the fixings for stroganoff in the crock pot, did two loads of laundry, and did the grocery shopping...all before 7:30.  Have I made a dent?  No!

Robin is all hot-to-trot to decorate for Christmas already.  (We usually don't do that until AT LEAST the Friday after Thanksgiving...and I don't know how to tell the young'un that we can't bring a single other thing into the house until something goes OUT.)  I'm taking suggestions...

I am a great-aunt again.  Actually, I think that makes me a great-great-aunt.  My sister's third great-grandchild was born last week--another boy.  Mother and baby are doing fine. 

Meg and the children have gone to run errands.  We'll see how the kids behave.  It isn't always good.  Back to work here...

 

Which Came First, the Chicken or the Egg?

A friend of mine asked me the other day if I wanted a "social life".  It gave me pause.  I don't have a clue what a social life is...and I don't have a clue if I actually want one!  I am so far removed from the real world that I'm not sure of anything anymore.

When I divorced my daughter's father (because he left the marriage for his secretary, who was looking for someone to stray with), I figured I could just run out and find someone to share my life.  But I was quite busy trying to make a home for my daughter and me...and maintaining a job...new territory.  There were a couple of occasions when someone entered my life and I was smitten...only to discover that they didn't want a relationship.  They wanted a sex partner.  (One actually told me that!)  It didn't take me long to figure out that I wasn't going there... 

I became a Show Choir Mom...and then a ham radio operator...and then a grandmother.  The advent of my grandchildren replaced the loss of my daughter in my life.  Now, they are all back, living with me.  If I had a life, perhaps it would bother me that they are here.  As it is, I don't mind.  Having them here, with all of the foibles, is better than living alone.  With that, I understand that I am in a "love me, love my dog" situation.  Yes, my house is chaos.  Yes, my life isn't my own.  Meg relies on me to do certain things that I have agreed to, day by day.  She pays her way.  It isn't the best situation here, but at least I am part of my grandchildren's lives. 

So...everyone knows that I have given up my life for my family.  Did I have a life before that?  I was freer, if that counts....but after my brain deal, I have new priorities.  I may be making major mistakes now, but I don't care.  Still, it's time to make a bigger house out of where we are...  We can't live forever sharing beds and space. 

Life goes on.  I just keep up as I can!

Oil, Anyone?

After a couple of schedule changes, I finally was able to arrange to get my oil changed in Brownsburg today.  I got more than I bargained for!  KB9RDO is a dear friend who has taken care of my car, with the exception of one deal, since I got the vehicle.  Today, he changed the oil, put in a new oil filter, rotated the tires, and put in a new "cab filter" because the one I had (that I didn't even know I had!) was plugged up with weeds and leaves and junk.  Mike is my Car Conscience.  He keeps gigging me about things that need to be done.  I need that.  Thanks, Mike!  Meanwhile, as he was servicing the car (on his day off, I might add), I put child booster seats together and got them in the vehicle.  Robin and Ryan had both well outgrown the seats that I had.  Hope this works until they are big enough/old enough to ride in the car without them. 

I just finished baking a little guy's birthday cake.  We are celebrating his birthday tomorrow, although his actual birthday isn't until Tuesday.  Ryan will be 4 years old.  We will go to his Heffelman grandparents' for the party.  God bless Grandma Judy--she had a family funeral to attend to...then her sister, who was there for the funeral, fainted and had to be hospitalized for observation.  And now the family party tomorrow...  She is such a special person!  (Meg asked, "What is it about people visiting sisters and getting sick?"  Since it happened to me, I think she's spooked!)

You know, life is complicated.  Relationships and circumstances change, but people don't.  We have tried to keep things normal for the children.  I think it helps them.  They know that we are all here for them.  The ONLY thing that has changed is that Mommy and Daddy don't live together anymore.  That's tough enough!

I am annoyed that the stores are filled with Christmas stuff and Christmas music.  I'm sorry, but I'm not ready to hear/see that yet.  We are living day-to-day here.  We just got over Halloween, for Pete's sake! 

Time to go decorate a birthday cake.  Ciao!

 

Insurance Game

I got a call from St. Francis Hospital in Peoria this evening, indicating that there is a "problem" with my insurance at the time of my brain surgery.  Apparently they were prepared to send a check for over $90,000, but used a company to try to negotiate a lower balance.  The company never bothered to call St. Francis because they know of the hospital's policy that they do NOT negotiate fees.  The insurance company now says they are sending a check for $67,000.  Uh...huh?  Who is going to pay the rest?  The gal that I talked to asked me to get involved and/or my employer's HR department.  Well...my employer doesn't have an HR department...and it doesn't help that our insurance company changed on September 1st.  Anything I do, at this point, is a lame duck effort...but St. Francis is within a month of sending it to an attorney.  I would then have to hire an attorney to go after the insurance company for the fees.  IF the company pays the original offer of $90,000+, I would have a balance of $3,500 just for St. Francis.  If they don't, and if I can't find an appeal process, I am financially screwed for the rest of my life. 

Isn't life fun??

Colts Lost! Hiss, Boo!

Yesterday, Meg rode with some folks to attend a Halloween party near Cincinnati that her best friend Tiffany had.  She didn't get home all that early today, since she was riding with others...but in the meantime, the decision was made that the children would come home prior to the big Colts vs. Patriots game, rather than after (since it was a late game).  Unfortunately, the Colts lost by four points in the last minutes of the game, after having led the entire rest of the time.  Meg was so put out, she just shut down the TV before the end. 

I worked my butt off again this weekend, but I can say (for once) that every single bit of laundry in the entire house was done and put away.  I even managed to do a little vacuuming!  Interestingly enough, the children didn't want that much to eat all evening.  I thought they'd want to launch into Halloween candy, but it wasn't even mentioned.  They were relatively good all afternoon/evening, with a few glitches here and there. 

Ryan's 4-year-old birthday will be celebrated next weekend at Grandma Judy's house.  I would have had it here, but the house (with four of us) would take a major undertaking to be clean enough for company.  God bless the little guy...he is such a sweetie...but somewhere along the line, he jumped from Winnie the Pooh to Spiderman.  I still want him to be my little guy!  <sigh>

I know there are those out there who are wondering how we survive in this little house.  It isn't easy...but there is a move in the works to transform the garage into another room.  I have a couple of folks arranged to provide an estimate...then have to find funding.  A huge chunk of Meg's paycheck goes for child care.  She pays me another huge chunk for rent and food.  For awhile, we can survive...if we can provide another room.  She simply isn't financially able to take on a place of her own until the children are both in school.  We are doing the best we can!

Field trip at school this week.  I need to get a lesson plan together for the kids who aren't going.  Another task!

Blessings..

My Day, and Welcome to It!

I took today off--all of it--because I had an appointment with the neurosurgeon and decided I didn't want to run myself ragged.  I ran myself ragged anyway! 

Because I wasn't going to school, I told Meg I would take the children to day care.  That meant she could go to work without messing with them, and they could sleep in a little after their late and busy trick-or-treating of last night.  I got up at the regular time.  Meg ran late.  I horsed around, giving myself an hour's travel time...only to remember that I didn't know what time the school bus comes to pick up Robin and the other school kids from the day care.  I was also getting them there too late for breakfast, and couldn't find the breakfast oatmeal squares that I had planned to give them.  Ugh!  We didn't miss the school bus, but I spent much of the day worrying about how they would fare with only graham crackers for breakfast!

Dr. Horner was running 30 minutes late in his appointment schedule...and I was there at least 25 minutes early.  I should probably mention that Dr. Horner has the same stellar reputation that Dr. Lanzino (the doc that did my craniotomy) did in Peoria.  (Lanzino is going to Mayo's, so he must be good--and everyone at St. Francis sang his praises.)  In any case, the only reason for my appointment today was to check on the incision, etc.  He asked if I had any drainage from it.  (Huh?  It's healed over.  I mean, it's been three months since the surgery!)  I told him that I didn't, but it does itch...but since my scalp is numb up there, scratching does no good.  And it doesn't make sense.  How can something that is numb itch??  He told me that it is a common complaint, explaining that the nerves are trying to reconnect and the brain can't differentiate, blah, blah.  I did ask him when I could be considered totally healed.  He said any problems that I have after 12-18 months are permanent.  (I don't have any!)  He did also ask me about my thinking...did I notice anything wrong with it?  Uh...no.  I have been so totally blessed!  He did tell me that I am better off than many because my head has been examined and we know that there are no more aneurysms.  Oh...and I did ask about the possibility that the "clip" on the aneurysm could come un-clipped.  I liked his opinion of the odds: mostly zero!

When I left Methodist Hospital, I found my way to Meg's work so we could go to lunch together, then wended my way to a Girl Scout store downtown in order to get Robin some stuff for Daisy Girl Scouts.  Would you believe $50 worth???? 

I headed back to Plainfield and came upon what I would call a rolling roadblock.  As I approached where I-70 branched off, there were two police cars that were side-by-side, moving slowly.  When we got close to another merging ramp, along came another police car and a motorcycle cop...and after that, they took off.  Didn't see where they exited.  I got on the radio, wondering if this had anything to do with the Vice President's visit.  KG9QJ said it could have been because the local radio was talking about Cheney's arrival at the airport.  I noticed that there was NO air traffic when I got near the airport.  (Highly unusual.)  Shortly thereafter, a jet launched overhead.  It wasn't big (not a passenger airliner).  I'm thinking I saw the VP's plane take off today!

When I got home, I took time for a nap, then cooked supper and went to the Kindergarten Center to pick up fund raiser materials...then went to pick up the children.  It is never fun!  They hug me profusely when I show up, but then there is competition between Robin and Ryan for stupid things, so that by the time we get home, I'm usually ticked.  After supper, Meg was about dead to the world and Robin wanted to go to the park...so I caved in and took them, even though there was lots to do to clean up the kitchen.  I think Meg got a small nap, anyway.  Both children got baths and went to bed...although Robin is still awake at 11:37 PM.  What to do????

Big deal Colts game on Sunday!  They are playing the New England Patriots--their nemesis.  Go Colts!  (Or, as Robin says, "Go Coats!)