This is a post that I hope my grandchildren will find!
The day I became a grandmother, in the wee hours of August 6th, 2002, the focus of my life changed. My daughter--my only child--was no longer the total object of my affection. I was plunged into taking care of that newborn baby, first out of caring for my daughter's well-being as a new mother, and shortly thereafter coming to realize that the baby was the unchallenged love of my life. Anything that child or family needed, I supplied. A couple of hundred cloth diapers? No problem, Furniture? Piece o' cake. Babysitting? You got it! One Christmas, I spent over $200 on a Christmas gift to supply the parents with Colts tickets, parking fees, dinner before the event, and Colts apparel to make the evening special, plus babysitting services. I never regretted a penny of it! Most of what I spent on that family was my idea. No one asked for stuff. I gave them what I wanted them to have, whether they wanted it or not!
Fifteen months later, the OTHER love of my life was born. Thereafter, the family moved and moved...and moved again...and stuff happened. I wasn't as available to my grandson as I was for my granddaughter, but it wasn't his fault or mine. My heart was with him as much as it was with his sister. Love knows no boundaries!
My grandchildren are quite grown up now. Frighteningly so. As they grow up, I grow down. 'Tis a fact of life. As each week goes by, I wonder when I will come to the end of the road. I know how morbid it sounds, but we don't get to choose. I know there will be a day that I'm past the point of no return. Thus, I am thankful for every stinkin' day, no matter how it turns out!
Sunday, August 27, 2017
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Living Vicariously
Since age 32, when my daughter was born, there was nothing I wouldn't do for that child. Her father didn't turn out to be much of a support system, so even when I was married, I was a single parent. I did everything I could do to be both parents for my kid. A lot of years have gone over the dam and under the bridge since then, but I still feel connected. When my grandchildren were born, my entire world changed. You think being a parent is emotionally consuming? Nope. Not even close to grandparenting! I would die for my grandchildren, and I would die without them. That's just the way it is.
The family history has many twists and turns. My daughter and grandchildren now live in the Pacific Northwest, far far away from Grandma...and it kills me. The questions I want to ask and the stories I want to hear I only get second-hand, and then only when it is convenient for my busy daughter to check in. I get it. I cared for an aging parent once. But there is still something in me that longs to hear, "Mom, I miss you. When can you come to visit?" I long ago gave up the idea that she will ever again come here until I pass on.
My daughter and husband are now in a different place. My child, who used to camp as a child but decided later in life that there were too many bugs for outside activities, has now returned to embracing nature in her beautiful environs. I feel bad because there just aren't any "beautiful environs" where I live, but it's home. It's my home, and it was once HER home. I now just feel sort of left out--which is funny because she isn't doing anything I didn't do or wouldn't have done to make life good for her.
There are SO many parents in the world whose children have moved away from home at great distances. Why can't I adjust? I keep trying. I just get so lonely for my kid and the family, it's stupid. It's not that I don't have enough to do...
I hope all is well for my kiddos and my other family. I'm not giving up yet.
The family history has many twists and turns. My daughter and grandchildren now live in the Pacific Northwest, far far away from Grandma...and it kills me. The questions I want to ask and the stories I want to hear I only get second-hand, and then only when it is convenient for my busy daughter to check in. I get it. I cared for an aging parent once. But there is still something in me that longs to hear, "Mom, I miss you. When can you come to visit?" I long ago gave up the idea that she will ever again come here until I pass on.
My daughter and husband are now in a different place. My child, who used to camp as a child but decided later in life that there were too many bugs for outside activities, has now returned to embracing nature in her beautiful environs. I feel bad because there just aren't any "beautiful environs" where I live, but it's home. It's my home, and it was once HER home. I now just feel sort of left out--which is funny because she isn't doing anything I didn't do or wouldn't have done to make life good for her.
There are SO many parents in the world whose children have moved away from home at great distances. Why can't I adjust? I keep trying. I just get so lonely for my kid and the family, it's stupid. It's not that I don't have enough to do...
I hope all is well for my kiddos and my other family. I'm not giving up yet.
Monday, August 21, 2017
Solar Eclipse and More.
It's been awhile since I have waxed loquacious on this venue. This post will be disjointed and uninspired just to be in catch-up mode.
Eclipse.
Today, the US experienced a solar eclipse. In some parts of the country, it was total. In others, like where I live, it was close but no cigar. But oh my goodness, the hype! At one point, Walmart was selling eclipse glasses for $1 a pair. They ran out. The Plainfield Public Library ran out. The observatories ran out. And when the charlatans among us came into a few, they were selling the paper-framed glasses for $15 a pair...for a single use, since we won't be seeing another eclipse for a number of years. (I hate people sometimes!)
People kept their children out of school just so they could "safely" watch the eclipse at home. There were all kinds of warnings on the Internet about not looking directly at the sun, and how to make safe viewing devices, etc. You would think it was going to be armageddon! Crowds of people were traveling to locations where the eclipse would be total, clogging highways and filling motels and other accommodations. Crazy!
The most ridiculous eclipse advice that I saw, however, came from a website that warned people to keep their pets indoors during the solar event because animals' eyes are just as sensitive as humans'. Let that sink in for a minute. An animal, ignorant of the ways of the solar system, would not know what an eclipse is. The day that is destined to be just a little darker for a few minutes to them would just seem to be a normal cloudy day. Only humans are smart enough to know that something is happening with the sun and stupid enough to stare at it. I don't know of a single dog or cat that has said to itself, "There is an eclipse today. I think I will burn my retinas by looking directly at that big star up there." If that were the case, there would be millions of half-blind animals running into things due to sun blindness. How silly we humans are when it comes to our pets!
Here in Plainfield, when the eclipse was over, it was darker than during the event because rain clouds had moved in. Whoop-de-doo!
Grandchildren.
My grandchildren are at the end of a 12-day YMCA camp called "Backpacking and Kayaking". They went off into the wilderness of the Cascade Mountains to hike in the backcountry and learn sea kayaking skills. It is what their mother calls a ridiculously expensive camp, made worse by all of the gear that had to be purchased just to get them on their way. The experience sounded quite challenging to me. The real kicker? The kids had NO electronics for the excursion! I can hardly wait to hear their stories. Dear God, I hope it was good for them!!
Danville, IL.
I just got home two days ago from spending three days with my sister in Danville, IL. It's a long story. She wanted to be there to visit with her sister-and-bro-in-law from North Carolina who were in town for business, plus she has old friends there that she hadn't seen in awhile. Since Danville is almost the halfway mark between her house and mine, she strongly suggested that I should join her. She was paying the freight for the motel room and I couldn't think of any excuse not to go, so we had a very nice visit! The first night, we ate at a popular joint with very reasonable prices. The next day, she went to a semi-official class reunion. (She didn't actually graduate from Danville because of our nomadic Navy life, but she was adopted by that particular class.) The day after that, we went to visit some old friends of hers...and OMG! What a lovely house! What a beautiful setting! What wonderful people! I could have stayed there forever!
The last day, we went to lunch with my sister's sister-in-law. Nice place that reminded me of a venue in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, where my daughter and husband took the family moms for a champagne brunch on Mother's Day two years ago. Thereafter, Shari and I went exploring to look for the places of our past in the 3 1/2 years that we lived in that town during the Navy years. After that, we met the in-laws again at a really nice place called Possom Trot Supper Club, complete with a piano bar and good food.
I was home in good time last Saturday, having had a really nice time visiting with good people, and especially my sister. People jokingly call us Thelma and Louise, as if we are hell-on-wheels, but the only wheels are on wheelchairs! We are really just a couple of old sisters desperately trying to stay vital and above all of the drama that life presents. We are doing the best we can!
Today.
This month, I volunteered to make a dessert for my church's Free Lunch Saturday this week, which is open to the public. I've done this often, but after my knee blew out back in February, I haven't done it. I'm back in the saddle now. Decided I would make my pineapple cake with cream cheese frosting because it is easy. Got all of the ingredients, sure that I had a can of crushed pineapple in the pantry, somewhere. When I went to look for it, the pantry was in such disarray, I couldn't find it. Thus, I took the bull by the horns this AM and took all of the canned goods out of the pantry. Found it! All the way in the very back. Also found that I had many duplicate cans of things because, when I wasn't sure what I had, I just bought more! Longer story shorter, I have consolidated partial packages of things in the pantry, found ways to cook ahead, and feel better because the pantry now looks organized, even if it isn't!
Diet.
This is a sore subject. For the first time in 13 weeks, my weight was UP on weigh-in day. It was only up by .4 of a pound, but it is so very easy to get off track. I've been off track for days, and still off track even now that I'm home. It is a daily battle to stay away from things that aren't legal for my diet plan. I need to have a come-to-Jesus talk with myself so I don't sink all of the work I have done to lose the 20 lbs. I have lost so far!
There is another dimension to this. My Nosy Neighbor Fred (his label, not mine) brought me my mail today. I mentioned something about losing 20 pounds but not feeling any different. He said he could see it, but since I always wear baggy clothes, it was hard for him to tell. Ouch! As much as it hurt me to hear him say it, I acknowledged that he was 100% correct. I need to attend to wardrobe. I tend to go to loose clothing because it is comfortable, but it also makes me look like a bag lady. I've been that way most of my life. Maybe--just maybe--if I can continue to get my weight under control, I will find more stylish ways to present myself in public. Unfortunately, N. N. Fred only sees me at home!
Attitude of gratitude.
While I'm at it, I might as well express, in retrospect, how very blessed I am.
Neighbor Fred brings my mail up to the house from the street every day. If I am gone for a couple of days or a week or a month, he collects the mail for me. Every week, he voluntarily takes my trash can to the curb for collection and returns it to the house. And when my knee blew out, he came over to help me, went to the drug store to buy me some crutches, and keeps on eye on the house every day to see if it shows signs of life. Not sure what I would do without my Nosy Neighbor!
My daughter and family anticipate my needs, and voila! Things that I need arrive. In this past year, I got a new keyboard (because my old one was failing), a new indoor/outdoor weather system (because my old one was failing), things I needed to take care of my injured knee--heating pad, freezer ice packs, etc. The most recent blessing was a hand-me-down iPhone, complete with unlimited services on their nickel, which brought me into the latest century.
My sister anticipates my needs, as well. This past year, she has updated my coffee maker, bought me a slow cooker/crock pot, bought clothes for me, and provided fun times for us--Beef and Boards for my birthday (a really special experience) and the accommodations for our most recent trip to Danville. The list goes on. I don't ask. She just does! Makes me feel guilty sometimes because I really can't reciprocate, but she's not buying my love. She already has it!
My co-grandparent friends, Judy and Phil, are high on the list of blessings. Their son and my daughter were once married, giving us our wonderful grandchildren. And though our kids divorced, the grandparents did not. Since I have no family anywhere close to where I live, Judy and Phil are my "first contacts" on the hospital rolls. Judy came to take me to the ER the day my knee went south, bringing a wheelchair because I didn't see how we could get me there. She went with me to subsequent Dr. appointments. Phil accompanied me on surgery day, even signing a paper saying he would be responsible for me for the next 24 hours. (Okay, so we lied. I told him to. I knew they were only a phone call away.) We have shared holiday meals, Fourth of July events, grandchildren visits complete with Grandma Judy field trips. These people are the salt of the earth! Having them in my life is all I could ask of anyone. They are family!
And so it goes. The summer is almost over, although the field crops are still green. I cherish every day because we just don't know when the end will come. Guess what? The eclipse happened and we are all still here. Not the end of the world. I'm still kicking, too. Tomorrow is another day!
Eclipse.
Today, the US experienced a solar eclipse. In some parts of the country, it was total. In others, like where I live, it was close but no cigar. But oh my goodness, the hype! At one point, Walmart was selling eclipse glasses for $1 a pair. They ran out. The Plainfield Public Library ran out. The observatories ran out. And when the charlatans among us came into a few, they were selling the paper-framed glasses for $15 a pair...for a single use, since we won't be seeing another eclipse for a number of years. (I hate people sometimes!)
People kept their children out of school just so they could "safely" watch the eclipse at home. There were all kinds of warnings on the Internet about not looking directly at the sun, and how to make safe viewing devices, etc. You would think it was going to be armageddon! Crowds of people were traveling to locations where the eclipse would be total, clogging highways and filling motels and other accommodations. Crazy!
The most ridiculous eclipse advice that I saw, however, came from a website that warned people to keep their pets indoors during the solar event because animals' eyes are just as sensitive as humans'. Let that sink in for a minute. An animal, ignorant of the ways of the solar system, would not know what an eclipse is. The day that is destined to be just a little darker for a few minutes to them would just seem to be a normal cloudy day. Only humans are smart enough to know that something is happening with the sun and stupid enough to stare at it. I don't know of a single dog or cat that has said to itself, "There is an eclipse today. I think I will burn my retinas by looking directly at that big star up there." If that were the case, there would be millions of half-blind animals running into things due to sun blindness. How silly we humans are when it comes to our pets!
Here in Plainfield, when the eclipse was over, it was darker than during the event because rain clouds had moved in. Whoop-de-doo!
Grandchildren.
My grandchildren are at the end of a 12-day YMCA camp called "Backpacking and Kayaking". They went off into the wilderness of the Cascade Mountains to hike in the backcountry and learn sea kayaking skills. It is what their mother calls a ridiculously expensive camp, made worse by all of the gear that had to be purchased just to get them on their way. The experience sounded quite challenging to me. The real kicker? The kids had NO electronics for the excursion! I can hardly wait to hear their stories. Dear God, I hope it was good for them!!
Danville, IL.
I just got home two days ago from spending three days with my sister in Danville, IL. It's a long story. She wanted to be there to visit with her sister-and-bro-in-law from North Carolina who were in town for business, plus she has old friends there that she hadn't seen in awhile. Since Danville is almost the halfway mark between her house and mine, she strongly suggested that I should join her. She was paying the freight for the motel room and I couldn't think of any excuse not to go, so we had a very nice visit! The first night, we ate at a popular joint with very reasonable prices. The next day, she went to a semi-official class reunion. (She didn't actually graduate from Danville because of our nomadic Navy life, but she was adopted by that particular class.) The day after that, we went to visit some old friends of hers...and OMG! What a lovely house! What a beautiful setting! What wonderful people! I could have stayed there forever!
The last day, we went to lunch with my sister's sister-in-law. Nice place that reminded me of a venue in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, where my daughter and husband took the family moms for a champagne brunch on Mother's Day two years ago. Thereafter, Shari and I went exploring to look for the places of our past in the 3 1/2 years that we lived in that town during the Navy years. After that, we met the in-laws again at a really nice place called Possom Trot Supper Club, complete with a piano bar and good food.
I was home in good time last Saturday, having had a really nice time visiting with good people, and especially my sister. People jokingly call us Thelma and Louise, as if we are hell-on-wheels, but the only wheels are on wheelchairs! We are really just a couple of old sisters desperately trying to stay vital and above all of the drama that life presents. We are doing the best we can!
Today.
This month, I volunteered to make a dessert for my church's Free Lunch Saturday this week, which is open to the public. I've done this often, but after my knee blew out back in February, I haven't done it. I'm back in the saddle now. Decided I would make my pineapple cake with cream cheese frosting because it is easy. Got all of the ingredients, sure that I had a can of crushed pineapple in the pantry, somewhere. When I went to look for it, the pantry was in such disarray, I couldn't find it. Thus, I took the bull by the horns this AM and took all of the canned goods out of the pantry. Found it! All the way in the very back. Also found that I had many duplicate cans of things because, when I wasn't sure what I had, I just bought more! Longer story shorter, I have consolidated partial packages of things in the pantry, found ways to cook ahead, and feel better because the pantry now looks organized, even if it isn't!
Diet.
This is a sore subject. For the first time in 13 weeks, my weight was UP on weigh-in day. It was only up by .4 of a pound, but it is so very easy to get off track. I've been off track for days, and still off track even now that I'm home. It is a daily battle to stay away from things that aren't legal for my diet plan. I need to have a come-to-Jesus talk with myself so I don't sink all of the work I have done to lose the 20 lbs. I have lost so far!
There is another dimension to this. My Nosy Neighbor Fred (his label, not mine) brought me my mail today. I mentioned something about losing 20 pounds but not feeling any different. He said he could see it, but since I always wear baggy clothes, it was hard for him to tell. Ouch! As much as it hurt me to hear him say it, I acknowledged that he was 100% correct. I need to attend to wardrobe. I tend to go to loose clothing because it is comfortable, but it also makes me look like a bag lady. I've been that way most of my life. Maybe--just maybe--if I can continue to get my weight under control, I will find more stylish ways to present myself in public. Unfortunately, N. N. Fred only sees me at home!
Attitude of gratitude.
While I'm at it, I might as well express, in retrospect, how very blessed I am.
Neighbor Fred brings my mail up to the house from the street every day. If I am gone for a couple of days or a week or a month, he collects the mail for me. Every week, he voluntarily takes my trash can to the curb for collection and returns it to the house. And when my knee blew out, he came over to help me, went to the drug store to buy me some crutches, and keeps on eye on the house every day to see if it shows signs of life. Not sure what I would do without my Nosy Neighbor!
My daughter and family anticipate my needs, and voila! Things that I need arrive. In this past year, I got a new keyboard (because my old one was failing), a new indoor/outdoor weather system (because my old one was failing), things I needed to take care of my injured knee--heating pad, freezer ice packs, etc. The most recent blessing was a hand-me-down iPhone, complete with unlimited services on their nickel, which brought me into the latest century.
My sister anticipates my needs, as well. This past year, she has updated my coffee maker, bought me a slow cooker/crock pot, bought clothes for me, and provided fun times for us--Beef and Boards for my birthday (a really special experience) and the accommodations for our most recent trip to Danville. The list goes on. I don't ask. She just does! Makes me feel guilty sometimes because I really can't reciprocate, but she's not buying my love. She already has it!
My co-grandparent friends, Judy and Phil, are high on the list of blessings. Their son and my daughter were once married, giving us our wonderful grandchildren. And though our kids divorced, the grandparents did not. Since I have no family anywhere close to where I live, Judy and Phil are my "first contacts" on the hospital rolls. Judy came to take me to the ER the day my knee went south, bringing a wheelchair because I didn't see how we could get me there. She went with me to subsequent Dr. appointments. Phil accompanied me on surgery day, even signing a paper saying he would be responsible for me for the next 24 hours. (Okay, so we lied. I told him to. I knew they were only a phone call away.) We have shared holiday meals, Fourth of July events, grandchildren visits complete with Grandma Judy field trips. These people are the salt of the earth! Having them in my life is all I could ask of anyone. They are family!
And so it goes. The summer is almost over, although the field crops are still green. I cherish every day because we just don't know when the end will come. Guess what? The eclipse happened and we are all still here. Not the end of the world. I'm still kicking, too. Tomorrow is another day!
Monday, August 7, 2017
July Posts
I've been a slacker! So many things were going on here that I failed to post anything. So sue me!
Months ago, knowing that my grandchildren were going to be in Illinois to visit their father, and that he was willing to give them up for a week to visit their Indiana grandparents, I volunteered to drive up to Merrillville, IN, to meet him and do a Kid Trade. I know the route like the back of my hand, having driven that trip many, many times.
Grandma Judy went with me. We were to meet Daddy Nathan at Portillo's in Merrillville. Merrillville is only a couple of miles south of the I-80/94 interstate that runs across the top of Indiana just south of Lake Michigan. If you get up that far and drive to the west, you get onto the tollway I-294, which goes all through the Chicago suburbs around the lake. The trip to Merrillville from Indy takes 2 1/2 hours, barring accidents or construction slow-downs. The trip for the kids from the northern suburb of Zion, IL, is about 2 hours, barring the same issues. I am more than willing to be over the halfway mark just to avoid the Chicago traffic!
We were to meet at Portillo's--a Chicago establishment just beginning to move into Indiana. The kids actually got there about 20 minutes before we did. (We would have been there sooner but got lost in the parking lot. Go figure!) After good food and a short visit, we traded kids and hit the road. We were back in Plainfield before anyone could get hungry.
That was Saturday, July 22nd. On Sunday, my granddaughter went to Sunday school at the church I share with the other grandparents. The rest of that day was a wash. We had dinner with the other grandparents.
On Monday, the children got a reprieve. They were earlier scheduled to go to church to help Grandpa with his homeless feeding mission, but Grandpa had plenty of help, so they just loafed. Robin went to the local swimming pool while Grandma Judy did her water aerobics thing. That evening, two good things happened. Robin and I were able to watch The King and I, a movie I had been wanting to share with her for a couple of years...and Ryan's second drowned phone resurrected itself! I should note that it took a bunch of help from the parents in Seattle to help us figure out how to work the DVD player...and that the resurrected phone changed a lot of issues for my grandson! We ate popcorn and enjoyed the evening.
On Tuesday, the other grandparents, the grandchildren, and I drove to Terre Haute in two vehicles to go to the CANDLES Holocaust Museum. The lady that owns and runs the establishment is a survivor of Nazi doctor Josef Mengele's horrific experiments on twins during World War II. I have no idea if it meant anything to the children! When we left there, we found a park to eat our picnic lunch. I brought Uncrustables, chips, and cookies. The other grandparents brought cold drinks. It was nice!
On our way home on US 40, the other grandparents veered off into a cemetery, looking for Grandpa's father's grave. The kids and I drove on, but we found out that the grave being sought was right under our noses! I felt good about that...
That evening, the other grandparents wanted to eat at the Oasis Diner in Plainfield. It wasn't a particularly good experience. We were crowded into a table not big enough for everyone...was loud...and our orders weren't all as expressed. Enough of that!
The next day, Wednesday, was originally scheduled to be a day of rest, but Grandma Judy determined that the weather wasn't supposed to be good on Thursday, so we headed out--just four of this, this time--for Fountain City, IN, just north of Richmond near the Ohio border, to tour the Levi Coffin House. (Judy sat in the back seat with our grandson, asking for help with her cell phone, which she got!) Levi Coffin and wife were Quakers who provided refuge for black "freedom seekers" on what became known as the Underground Railroad. It was an interesting experience.
On our way there on I-70 eastbound, we noticed some construction slowdowns on the westbound side. I didn't think too much of it. After we left the Coffin house, we stopped at a local diner for lunch, even though it was way late for that. I stopped for gas. Glad I did! I was driving...and while tooling happily along on the interstate, we were soon the second car behind a state police vehicle, driving on the middle divided line with lights flashing, doing 40-45 mph. This went on for miles. When the trooper drove off on an exit, we were at the road construction, and the rest is history. When we finally got close to Indy traffic, during rush hour, every stinkin' road was backed up. Our proposed 1 1/2-trip took an hour longer than it should have. We were happy to be home!
I actually don't remember what we did on Thursday except I took the kids to Culver's. They had been lusting after that because there are no Culver's in Washington where they live.
Friday was the first day of my church's annual fish fry. The kids were scheduled to work the drive-thru, which they did. I picked them up when they called me to do so...then they rested until it was time to meet the other grandparents at the FF to actually eat. We ate and visited, etc...then came home until later when we were to meet their father and stepmother at the other grandparents' house for an ice cream cake dessert in celebration of Robin's birthday, a few days later. Soon thereafter, everyone retired to my house to sleep, pack, and get ready for their next-day trip to Pennsylvania for a week-long SCA camping trip. They left only a few minutes later than anticipated on Saturday, and I have missed them ever since!
God bless my grandbabies. Every time they leave, I think of things we should have done or things I should have said. They got back to their Illinois home late yesterday and will be flying home tomorrow evening. I pray for them in their travel adventures. If anything happened to them, you could visit me in the psych ward at the nearest hospital!
Months ago, knowing that my grandchildren were going to be in Illinois to visit their father, and that he was willing to give them up for a week to visit their Indiana grandparents, I volunteered to drive up to Merrillville, IN, to meet him and do a Kid Trade. I know the route like the back of my hand, having driven that trip many, many times.
Grandma Judy went with me. We were to meet Daddy Nathan at Portillo's in Merrillville. Merrillville is only a couple of miles south of the I-80/94 interstate that runs across the top of Indiana just south of Lake Michigan. If you get up that far and drive to the west, you get onto the tollway I-294, which goes all through the Chicago suburbs around the lake. The trip to Merrillville from Indy takes 2 1/2 hours, barring accidents or construction slow-downs. The trip for the kids from the northern suburb of Zion, IL, is about 2 hours, barring the same issues. I am more than willing to be over the halfway mark just to avoid the Chicago traffic!
We were to meet at Portillo's--a Chicago establishment just beginning to move into Indiana. The kids actually got there about 20 minutes before we did. (We would have been there sooner but got lost in the parking lot. Go figure!) After good food and a short visit, we traded kids and hit the road. We were back in Plainfield before anyone could get hungry.
That was Saturday, July 22nd. On Sunday, my granddaughter went to Sunday school at the church I share with the other grandparents. The rest of that day was a wash. We had dinner with the other grandparents.
On Monday, the children got a reprieve. They were earlier scheduled to go to church to help Grandpa with his homeless feeding mission, but Grandpa had plenty of help, so they just loafed. Robin went to the local swimming pool while Grandma Judy did her water aerobics thing. That evening, two good things happened. Robin and I were able to watch The King and I, a movie I had been wanting to share with her for a couple of years...and Ryan's second drowned phone resurrected itself! I should note that it took a bunch of help from the parents in Seattle to help us figure out how to work the DVD player...and that the resurrected phone changed a lot of issues for my grandson! We ate popcorn and enjoyed the evening.
On Tuesday, the other grandparents, the grandchildren, and I drove to Terre Haute in two vehicles to go to the CANDLES Holocaust Museum. The lady that owns and runs the establishment is a survivor of Nazi doctor Josef Mengele's horrific experiments on twins during World War II. I have no idea if it meant anything to the children! When we left there, we found a park to eat our picnic lunch. I brought Uncrustables, chips, and cookies. The other grandparents brought cold drinks. It was nice!
On our way home on US 40, the other grandparents veered off into a cemetery, looking for Grandpa's father's grave. The kids and I drove on, but we found out that the grave being sought was right under our noses! I felt good about that...
That evening, the other grandparents wanted to eat at the Oasis Diner in Plainfield. It wasn't a particularly good experience. We were crowded into a table not big enough for everyone...was loud...and our orders weren't all as expressed. Enough of that!
The next day, Wednesday, was originally scheduled to be a day of rest, but Grandma Judy determined that the weather wasn't supposed to be good on Thursday, so we headed out--just four of this, this time--for Fountain City, IN, just north of Richmond near the Ohio border, to tour the Levi Coffin House. (Judy sat in the back seat with our grandson, asking for help with her cell phone, which she got!) Levi Coffin and wife were Quakers who provided refuge for black "freedom seekers" on what became known as the Underground Railroad. It was an interesting experience.
On our way there on I-70 eastbound, we noticed some construction slowdowns on the westbound side. I didn't think too much of it. After we left the Coffin house, we stopped at a local diner for lunch, even though it was way late for that. I stopped for gas. Glad I did! I was driving...and while tooling happily along on the interstate, we were soon the second car behind a state police vehicle, driving on the middle divided line with lights flashing, doing 40-45 mph. This went on for miles. When the trooper drove off on an exit, we were at the road construction, and the rest is history. When we finally got close to Indy traffic, during rush hour, every stinkin' road was backed up. Our proposed 1 1/2-trip took an hour longer than it should have. We were happy to be home!
I actually don't remember what we did on Thursday except I took the kids to Culver's. They had been lusting after that because there are no Culver's in Washington where they live.
Friday was the first day of my church's annual fish fry. The kids were scheduled to work the drive-thru, which they did. I picked them up when they called me to do so...then they rested until it was time to meet the other grandparents at the FF to actually eat. We ate and visited, etc...then came home until later when we were to meet their father and stepmother at the other grandparents' house for an ice cream cake dessert in celebration of Robin's birthday, a few days later. Soon thereafter, everyone retired to my house to sleep, pack, and get ready for their next-day trip to Pennsylvania for a week-long SCA camping trip. They left only a few minutes later than anticipated on Saturday, and I have missed them ever since!
God bless my grandbabies. Every time they leave, I think of things we should have done or things I should have said. They got back to their Illinois home late yesterday and will be flying home tomorrow evening. I pray for them in their travel adventures. If anything happened to them, you could visit me in the psych ward at the nearest hospital!
Only a Matter of Time
When I started writing this web log (blog) back so very many years ago, I treated it much like a diary, a journal of day-to-day experiences of no importance to anyone but me. I had no sense that anyone but me and certain family members would read it. In short, even if it were available for public consumption, I didn't think that it would be of interest to anyone. Of course, I was wrong--naive, if you will--in the ways of modern technology.
I never wrote anything that wasn't true or part of my personal experience. I never wrote anything to hurt or embarrass anyone. I never used profanity or name-calling or anything else that could be misconstrued as hate, even if I may have felt like doing so. There were times when I was so hurt and felt so betrayed by certain people that I wanted to lash out, but even I understood that the written word, without benefit of facial expressions or tone of voice, could have ramifications down the road, so I held back a little. (Trust me: I could have written much worse!) Most of the time, I focused on the humor of life and some of the sadness. Over time, the central theme of my posts became more theme-oriented and less stream-of-consciousness. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!
My grandchildren, who, along with their mother, once lived with me and were part of my happiness and responsibility in their very young years, were often part of the content of my blog entries. Well...now they have grown older and wise in the ways of technology (far more than I) and have learned to Google their names...and up pops Grandma's blog. I am somewhat agog about that since I generally don't use their last names! Last night, I received an online message from my grandson, "Grandma. We need to talk." Then he sent me a screenshot of a blog entry written way back in 2006. He had Googled his name, and it showed up, much to his dismay. It discussed an event that happened when he was 3-years-old, and he was embarrassed by it. It was only a matter of time before I would be called to task over some of that stuff. I deleted the entry, but refused to remove another one that he claimed was "pure blackmail" fodder.
His mother and I talked on the phone this morning about what to do about this new challenge to my (and his) privacy. Later today, we will work to remove the ways to find that stuff on Google without actually having to remove anything that is historical to the family. I guess my granddaughter was also concerned when a couple of her friends declared, "We found your grandma's blog!"
My grandchildren are the lights of my life. Since 2002, they have been the center of my life, even by long distance. As a little guy, the grandson was the cutest little charmer! The granddaughter is my lifeline to the world of music and drama in my old age. I sure hope they understand that. In the meantime, I also hope they understand that what they put out on the web has at least as much impact on their lives as my stupid little blog.
I'm not dead yet. This "old dog" can still learn. My parents and grandparents didn't have to deal with this sort of stuff, so I am treading on territory that is new to me. I can't help it that my grandchildren grew up! (I keep telling them not to, but they don't listen!) Some day, long after I am gone, perhaps they will look back on what I have written about them and accept that I meant well!
I never wrote anything that wasn't true or part of my personal experience. I never wrote anything to hurt or embarrass anyone. I never used profanity or name-calling or anything else that could be misconstrued as hate, even if I may have felt like doing so. There were times when I was so hurt and felt so betrayed by certain people that I wanted to lash out, but even I understood that the written word, without benefit of facial expressions or tone of voice, could have ramifications down the road, so I held back a little. (Trust me: I could have written much worse!) Most of the time, I focused on the humor of life and some of the sadness. Over time, the central theme of my posts became more theme-oriented and less stream-of-consciousness. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!
My grandchildren, who, along with their mother, once lived with me and were part of my happiness and responsibility in their very young years, were often part of the content of my blog entries. Well...now they have grown older and wise in the ways of technology (far more than I) and have learned to Google their names...and up pops Grandma's blog. I am somewhat agog about that since I generally don't use their last names! Last night, I received an online message from my grandson, "Grandma. We need to talk." Then he sent me a screenshot of a blog entry written way back in 2006. He had Googled his name, and it showed up, much to his dismay. It discussed an event that happened when he was 3-years-old, and he was embarrassed by it. It was only a matter of time before I would be called to task over some of that stuff. I deleted the entry, but refused to remove another one that he claimed was "pure blackmail" fodder.
His mother and I talked on the phone this morning about what to do about this new challenge to my (and his) privacy. Later today, we will work to remove the ways to find that stuff on Google without actually having to remove anything that is historical to the family. I guess my granddaughter was also concerned when a couple of her friends declared, "We found your grandma's blog!"
My grandchildren are the lights of my life. Since 2002, they have been the center of my life, even by long distance. As a little guy, the grandson was the cutest little charmer! The granddaughter is my lifeline to the world of music and drama in my old age. I sure hope they understand that. In the meantime, I also hope they understand that what they put out on the web has at least as much impact on their lives as my stupid little blog.
I'm not dead yet. This "old dog" can still learn. My parents and grandparents didn't have to deal with this sort of stuff, so I am treading on territory that is new to me. I can't help it that my grandchildren grew up! (I keep telling them not to, but they don't listen!) Some day, long after I am gone, perhaps they will look back on what I have written about them and accept that I meant well!
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