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2009/10/26 Happy birthday, Christina Christina is 32 today. Wow! How can she be so old already??? Today she is in New York City; tomorrow she will be in London; next week back to Paris, I think..possibly back to NY. Her company is very, very busy shooting all the designers' collections. Long days, many hours, relentless work. By December they will be done with it all and get a break. Gosh, I'm glad I no longer work!!!
Anyway, I am so proud of what Christina is accomplishing and the exciting life she lives. So, to you, daughter-mine: the very happiest of birthdays!! 2009/9/7 Enjoying our visit Dan and Deb arrived safely; we had a leisurely dinner; Noel stopped by to say hello; and that took care of Friday. On Saturday, we headed into town to see the new fountain, (it's wonderful),to tour the carousel and museum that will open in January, and to walk out on the pier. To our surprise, the boats from Chicago were just arriving. It had been an 18 hour sail, and they looked pretty tired. What a beautiful sight those boats are, though. We grabbed lunch at the train station pizza joint, then came home to rest for a while.
Saturday evening we ate dinner at home, then watched the movie, "Good night and good luck," which I had rented from the library. We all enjoyed that very much, and it gave us a good excuse to just sit still for a bit. We went back into town after dark to see the fountain with its lights. Altogether a most satisfying day.
Sunday found us picnicing at the beach and just relaxing again. We swam at Noel's in the afternoon, then had dinner there. Now it is Monday a.m., and Dan and I...ever the early-birds--are on our separate computers down here in the office. I thought I'd better catch up this blog before I totally forgot what we've been doing. NO, I am not losing it....or at least not too badly....but when one is scooting here and there, it's hard to remember it all. Anyway, I'm sticking with that.
Just remembered that the last thing we did yesterday was head into St. Joseph to watch the fireworks over the lake. It's our traditional way to ring out the end of summer, so a bittersweet occasion. They are lovely, though, whenever they are shown.
Today Noel is taking us for a private tour of the Morton House 2009/7/20 More about our weekend I am home now, and Delta came through, making that happen. You can imagine what a relief that was. Everyone else left yesterday too, if they had not, in fact, left on Saturday. Bertie is probably collapsed...and that lucky Timmy should have leftovers to last for a week. It was interesting to learn that leftovers are his entire diet!!! hahaha
Anyway, the cast of characters: Sister Bertie and husband Chris; daughter Colonel Joanne and Kevin, also a retired AF Colonel; Susan, who brought Guiness, a really cute dog; Tanner in spirit, although sadly not in person as she is in the middle of a six-week stay in Colorado. We all missed her terribly; Christy and Kath with their two boys, Christopher and Calvin; Tim; Mikey...and that's just Bertie's immediate family. Brother Danny and Debbie drove up from NC with son CJ and Jess, with their two, Kinsey and Walker; Papa Chris's sister Kay; Joyce who is closer than a sister, and of course, moi...rounding out family members. There were also friends present, and oh wait, Patrick, a Farrell cousin, too. Who did I miss?
That Kinsey is a precocious four-year-old. What a vocabulary, and of course, that relentless logic typical of that age. One story CJ told about her: one day when she was upset with him for telling her 'no,' she told him point blank, "I quit you!" Don't you love it? How many people have you wanted to say that to but didn't have quite the right phrase? Well, now you have it.
Her little brother Walker is a mover and a doer...very people oriented. He and his cousin Calvin are born politicians, so brace yourself for seeing them in that field some day. Christopher, now eight, is a quieter but equally charming boy. There is a quiet joy in him, and he is a reader, so you know he will do well in life!!
Bertie outdid herself with the food. She makes it look effortless; the food just appears; the dishes are simply done; but we all know there's nothing easy about it. Good job, sister!! She has a table with many leaves, so that on Saturday night, we were able to seat all thirteen people still there. That is so much more fun than having people spread all over the house. The sense of family is so strong. when we are together like that.
That is all for now, as I have houseguests arriving this afternoon and I need to unpack, do laundry, grocery shop, etc. Do I even need to say that I slept like a log last night? Eight straight hours; didn't wake up even once. 2009/7/18 Going out in glory Colonel Joanne Kile had glory upon glory heaped upon her at the retirement ceremony yesterday. If there is a prouder family anywhere, I'd like to see them. We were swelled up with it to bursting. Way to go, Jo. !!! She has really done herself, her family, and our country proud. What pure joy it was to hear of her outstanding contributions in the service of her country. One of the more poignant moments of the morning, and yet another example of how Jo gives of herself, was the presentaton to her father of a flag in honor of his many years of service. She then passed the charge of service on to the next generation when she gave military hats to her nephews Christopher and Calvin. Service is a family tradition, and it was wonderful to hear Joanne say so to all those gathered. It was quite enough for us to just bask in her light, but she let some of our own shine through, too. Thank you, Joanne.
The party afterwards was wonderful, too, although certainly in a very different, much more NOISY sort of way. This is a large clan with much to say; the multiple generations present ensured the energy level would not flag; the food was excellent; the cameraderie even more so. And what a chance to learn odd things about this family member or that. From my long distance away from Bertie's family, it's easy to think of them as a mob of very similar people. The reality is that there are very distinctive personalities. For example, I had not previously known that my nephew Tim had such a sense of sartorial elegance. He really cared about how his tie was knotted; what color his socks were. Of sure, we razzed him about it, but we all liked that about him, too; liked it very much. And hearing him talk about this caused me to look at him more closely, to see that he really is an elegant young man, not just a rough-housing, wise-cracking one of the gang. (Not that he isn't that too!!! LOL)
Anyway, I'm just down here at the computer to print my boarding passes for tomorrow, so I won't write anymore today. When I get home tomorrow night, I'll give you some more details of our reunion. 2009/7/9 Happy birthday, Emily Some birthdays have more weight than others, and # 13, the one that changes a girl into a teenager, is surely one of them. Today we celebrate our Emily as she reaches that milestone. 1996 seems a long, long time ago to her, no doubt; to the rest of us, it's been a blink of an eye.
Em's had some serious things to deal with, starting with the hip displasia that resulted in two painful surgeries and years in a body cast and/or brace. After all that was over with, she was already five years old. Physical therapy helped her learn to walk normally, and I will never forget the day she came to me and said, "Look, Grandma, I can stand on one foot!!" It was a huge milestone for her, and I still feel the joy of it in my heart.
A couple of years after that, we learned Em has Tourette syndrome. It was tough to diagnose, and it's not easy to live with either, but she does, and with remarkable grace.
So where is the joy in Emily's life you wonder? In many places, is the answer: she goes to camp, is on the teen library board, horseback rides, swims like a fish, has some very dear friends, is active in Girl Scouts, and read, reads, reads. Life holds much that is very good for her. Like all of us, she is learning to concentrate on that which is good, live with that which isn''t, and just get on with life.
This is a girl worth celebrating and I do, I do, I do. If you are reading this Emily, let yourself feel how loved you are!! 2009/5/15 Oh, that stubborn GrammyI received this in an instant message from Diana today:
Aurelia saved part of her dinner for you. She said, "when grammy decides she doesn't need to be at her house anymore, she can come here and eat this"
So she thinks I am just willfully staying away? Sigh. The worst part is, I can see her point. I am insisting on living all the parts of my life, not just the LA part, and if that's not just being stubborn, I don't know what is.
In the meantime, I'm quite busy right here in Michigan. Joyce and I went to one of our favorite garden stores yesterday. I bought a shrub rose...been meaning to try one, so I was excited to see a nice variety. This one is bright pink. I dug up a clump of lilies and planted the rose. It's right next to the patio, so I will be able to smell it when I sit out there reading. I also planted two patio pots yesterday.
I worked outside for a while this a.m....some weeding and a start on preparation of the veggie bed. I don't want to plant veggies/annuals until I return from visiting Christina. It rained this afternoon...is still, in fact...so I moved indoors and have been reading and fooling around on the computer. I did manage to vacuum a couple of rooms. Why is housework so boring??? Maybe because I've been doing it for going on 50 years?? LOL 2009/5/4 The BIG day Yesterday was Emily's Confirmation at Peace Lutheran Church. The pastor, who so clearly loved and admired the children, conducted a truly beautiful ceremony. We all were wiping tears from our eyes. Emily performed her part with dignity and poise, so you can imagine our collective pride in her.
Later, at Noel's, we celebrated with food, food, a little more food, and the fellowship of family and friends. Photos are posted to the left. Doesn't Emily loook almost grown? Where do those years go? I know, I know, it's the lament of all old people, but I understand it all too well now.
Today I am washing sheets and towels; preparing to leave...and I hate to leave behind a house that needs cleaning. But, even more than that, I have friends who will be using the house while I am gone, so part of my work today is preparation for house guests. Sort of. Do people quallify as houseguests if one isn't actually home to welcome them?
So, yes, tomorrow I leave for LA. Can't wait to see what Aurelia thinks of those pajamas! I'm bringing a carry-on with me, although it will be close to empty on the journey out. I need to pick up two of my favorite tops while I am there, and I think a sweater. They will accompany me to Paris.
P.s. for Ann...and i'm putting this in here in case anyone else was wondering about the organic Preen. According to the label, this new version of the herbicide (the old one was wonderful for weed prevention, but had that unfortunate trait of being lethal) is "safe for children and pets (who) can play in the area immediately after application."
We'll see if it also prevents weeds! 2009/4/25 Did you NEED proof Grammy is nuts??? To the left you can view the pajamas I picked up at the American Girl store in Chicago yesterday. "Picked up" doesn't quite describe either our day or the price of these things, but there they are anyway.
Jane and I hopped on the 8:40 Southshore electric train into Chicago. We had an uneventful trip, and arrived at 10:30. To our shock it was very, very warm in the city...in the 80s and none of the usual wind. So right off, we were uncomfortable. We walked the ten or so blocks to the Grand Luxe Cafe, that wonderful art-Deco-ish restaurant on Michigan Avenue. So far, so good. After lunch we walked a couple more blocks to the AG store, now located in Water Tower Place. We were very warm, but still, so far, so good. Well! Who knew it was some kind of school holiday in Chicago. I've never seen so many kids in my life in one store. We could hardly manuever around enough to find what I wanted. There were three choices of pjs; I chose the most summery, and they are cute.
Next, we walked the ten blocks or so back to Randolph and visited the Chicago Cultural Center. This is the former Chicago Public Library, and it is a magnificent building, now home to a senior center, several art galleries, a theater, and some rooms for lease for special functions. Two of those rooms have glass domes...one by Tiffany, which is to die for. The other has more colors and is also glorious. The whole building just drips with all the marble, tiling, and stained glass money could buy in 1897, and let me tell you, that was a lot. We had a lovely hour exploring, then went downstairs to the train station, intending to catch the 2:30 back home. HA!
We had been sitting there for about 15 minutes, when some official person came by to say there would be no train then, or probably not for many, many hours, as electric lines had gone down along the state line, and he had no clue how long it would take to fix them. He told us to find other ways out of the city. Hmmmm. What to do? We could take the Metra a few stations south, but we'd still be in the city with no clue at all how to make it back home; we could beg Jane's husband to pick us up in the city (a terrible option) or we could find our way to Union Station and take Amtrak home. Somehow, we needed to also figure out how to pick up my car, which was parked in MI City, Indiana. After several phone calls, we had a plan: Amtrak it was; the 5:20 train would take us to New Buffalo; Jon would pick us up, drive me back to MI City for my car, and then we'd all have dinner on way home.
That is what we ended up doing...after a sixteen block walk in the heat to Union Station. We looked liked we had run a marathon...felt it, too. LOL The train station needs some serious updating. The bathrooms were disgusting, and crowd control could've been better. Once we were on the train, however, we were very pleased. There is a lot of leg room; the cars were clean and seemed quite new. It took an hour to reach New Buffalo, and with the time difference, that made it now 7:30 p.m. By the time we picked up my car and made it to the restaurant, it 8:30. Our meal was wonderful, and I arrived home at 10:00 p.m. I was asleep by 10:15!!
Now wasn't that something to go through just for a pair of pajamas for a three-year-old??? Sure hope she likes them.
2009/4/1 Report on the birthday dinnerAustin loved my gift...the whoopi cushion. What is it with boys and bodily sounds?? I brought the gift loosely wrapped in a gift bag; put it on a chair; said, "Austin, before you open this, I want you to sit on it." He did; he roared with laughter!!! Grandma scores.
Noel cooked a lovely dinner (she is an excellent cook), including making a cake, which Em frosted and decorated. We had a nice relaxed meal; got some catching up done. With Noel's schedule somewhere between busy and crazy, we don't have as much time together as you might expect, given we live just three blocks apart.
Bob helped me choose and order a webcam/microphone, so I'll be chatting with Christina in Paris in no time. He can do these things in the tiniest fraction of time it would take me.
Yesterday was a little crazy for me, too. I ate all three meals out! Geez; no wonder I weigh ten pounds too much. I helped Joyce with the computer in the morning, then we lunched and shopped. Tuesday is the day Cheryl and I eat at a local b'fast place before we walk, and then there was the b'day dinner. I don't even know why I have a kitchen! 2009/3/31 Happy Birthday, AustinAustin is ten today! There's something about adding that second digit to an age, isn't there? Suddenly, he's half grown, half out on his own. When my girls turned ten, we gave them their first 10-speed bikes; seemed like the perfect time. I'll be over having dinner with Austin tonight, and I'm curious what special thing his parents have in store for him. Tomorrow I'll report, and I'll post some photos.
Happy birthday, dear Austin; happy birthday to YOU!!!
 2009/3/17 Happy Birthday timeHappy birthday, Diana!!
Today is Diana's birthday...number 34! I guess I should stop thinking of her as my little girl. I remember her so well as a three-year-old, and now she has one of her own. It pleases me that she is a full-time mom right now. Those years fly by so fast, and it's worth a dent in the career to be home with the preschool crowd. Well, not exactly a crowd, with just Aurelia, but that is a very busy little girl; and she and Diana maintain full schedules of activities. Hopefully, we will soon be adding a baby sister to the mix. International adoptions take a long time, but eventually...!
In the meantime, I hope Diana is celebrating today, maybe lunch with a friend or with David. For sure a celebration at their family dinner tonight. I'm not overly sentimental about birthdays, but I do think they should be noted in some way. And I, for sure, will be thinking about Diana every minute of today.
2009/3/13 Three yearsShe was no longer wrestling with the grief, but could sit down with it as a lasting companion and make it a sharer in her thoughts. ~George Eliot
I like this quotation so much; it's the most accurate description of the grieving process I've seen. Right after Oscar died, I did indeed wrestle with grief. Then, slowly, grief became a steady, quiet companion. Not a friend, no I wouldn't go that far, but an accepted part of my life. Three years and one day ago, Oscar was alive. Then he wasn't. It was over so quickly. For months I dealt with the aftermath of that loss, that shock, just sort of plodding through my days never quite sure who I was. People tell me I seemed "normal." That's what it was, too: seeming. Inside, I was something else. Now I'm back, I'm my old self...except, not quite, for there is the addition of this everyday companion, my grief. It's hard not to wonder what Oscar and I would be doing right now, if only. But 'if only' is not part of life; it's the reality we live with. I accept that; I reject that. But no matter what, it is there every day, part of who I am now. I don't mean to imply that my life is void of happiness, of joy. Quite the contrary, I have a wonderful life with close family and friends, interesting things to do, places to go. I consider myself to be a very fortunate woman. But I have to say, as companions go, Oscar was a whole lot more fun! 2009/1/10 The Tennessee Waltz "I remember the night of the Tennessee waltz, " croons Patti Page....right this minute from Sirius radio, my constant companion. I love the way Sirius reaches back on the weekends for the older tunes. But Patti has crooned that song for me before. It was played at the wedding receptions of my cousins Chickie and Chubby (John and Carmen) when they married, respectively, Theresa and Skippy. I danced on my father's feet to that song, and with that dancing welded it into my heart; hard-wired it into my memory. I can never hear it without stopping whatever I am doing and remembering, remembering dear daddy, the beauty of the weddings, the brides in their glamorous gowns.
How very long ago that was. Now a Christmas card from Theresa tells me they have moved to a condo and Chickie is having health issues. I saw all four of those brides and grooms at mother's funeral event two years ago. The women were still dynamic. Men are more fragile it seems. Why is that? Why do we go through practically our whole lives believing they are the strong ones? Oh, sure, a part of us does know; still, it is not until our older age that we can really see it.
With all the snow we are having today, I was already re-living life in the 1950s. A snow day was the ultimate treat. Still is, only darn it, it's Saturday. No fair!
The piles of snow coupled with that song have me on a realy nostalgic journey today. So instead of coffee, I'll switch to hot chocolate and just wallow in the memories. 2008/12/3 Relayed conversationConversation between Diana (D) and Aurelia (A)
A: The cats (in the Aristocrats movie) get married.
D: I'm married.
A: You're not married.
D: I'm married to Papa.
A: I'm married, too.
D: Really. Who are you married to?
A: I'm married to Grammy.
 2008/12/2 Two happy birthdaysA big Happy Birthday to sister Bertie and son-in-law Dave. !!!
 I'm in the final countdown of my visit. Aurelia is in school; Di's at the gym; I'm here goofing off. Later, Di and I will go to a museum and have lunch. Then tomorrow I'm taking the # 1 bus to Santa Monica to walk/shop/lunch with my friend Barbara.
It's still snowing in Michigan, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I have a good trip home Thursday. After the mess coming out here...and the weather was perfect that day....I don't know what to expect from Northwest. To my utter shock, I received a letter of apology from them for my awful trip out here. They also credited 1,000 frequent flyer miles to my account. That's short of the 2,400 I would've gotten if I had actually been able to fly on a NW airplane, but still, it's something, and a nice gesture on their part. If they really want to build a loyal customer base, they need to find a way for us to leave/arrive ON TIME. Are you listening, Northwest??
2008/11/17 Happy REAL birthday, AureliaToday is the actual birthday, so we will give her our family gifts after dinner tonight. The party yesterday was something else....I don't believe I've ever been to such a big birthday party. This was a combined one with A's friend Cara, so between the two families, there was a large guest list. The party was held at a park; indoor party room, two nice playgrounds. I think this was a clever location, as no one had to entertain the children at all, they just played with each other and raced around.
AFterwards we came home to nap. hahaha The adults were ready for one, but the prime character was not, so we began the several hours long process of opening gifts. The pile of gifts was overwhelming; sort of Christmas, Hannukah, birthday, and anything else you can think of rolled into one. And she doesn't even have our gifts yet.
I had a pleasant surprise the evening I arrived regarding those American Girl dresses. I had assumed Aurelia would say NO when I wanted to put it on her, but instead, she loved the idea of having a matching dress with her doll and has worn it two days now. I have a ton of photos to post when I get home, and I'm sure I don't have to mentionhow thrilled I was/am about her response.
I had planned to take a nice walk over to UCLA this morning, but, in fact, the air quailty is so poor because of the fires, that I'm unwilling to do anything aerobic outdoors. Instead, Di and I will go to the Santa Monica "Y" and hit the treadmills, etc. 2008/10/26 Happy Birthday, ChristinaToday is Christina's 31st birthday. We chatted for a while on the phone; my gift arrived; she liked it. Always a relief! I had included hedge apples for her office, so they all sent their thanks. I get a chuckle thinking about those sophisticated New Yorkers each having a hedge apple perched on his/her desk. Maybe hedge apples
Christina had already been out for a run in what appears to be a beautiful day in the city. Tomorrow she is assembling a group to go bowling. BOWLING? In New York City?? Who knew??
It is also a beautiful day here. The colors haven't quite peaked, but they look glorious. Joyce and I went to brunch and then a little shopping. Now the newspaper awaits, so I'm outta here. 2008/10/5 Grammy passes the test Yesterday was the day of the brithday party on the Santa Monica Pier, and I successfully drove there! I even mapquested myself a better route than the one the kids had given me, drove right up onto the pier...and discovered the parking lot was closed for a private event. YIKES. The attendant gave me directions to a lower level lot. Turns out all those words were easier said than followed. After three attempts, I did manage to find the lot I needed.
The party itself was wonderful. It was held in the carousel building, and the children had un limited access to this lovely old ride. The theme of the party was 'princesses,' and you've never seen so many in your life. Adorable.
Leaving the Pier was a bit of a challenge, as the parking lot dumped us all out onto the Pacific Coast Highway, a road I am not familiar with. But I managed to find my way up top again...and then, straight home.
So, I feel I've passed my driving test. LOL
Aurelia has asked about her parents once or twice, even checked their bedroom yesteray morning to make sure they really were away. Mostly, though, we have just been having a good time togehter. So it's been a good weekend for us, and I hope for the finally-getting-away parents, too! 2008/8/18 Another goodbyeDan and Debbie left around noon today. What a nice visit. We finally made it to the Architectural River Tour in Chicago. If you haven't done this, I highly recommend it. It's a 90 minute tour down the Chicago River, which runs right through the heart of the city. A docent gave information about each building, history, architect, significance, etc. We loved it, every single minute of it!
On Friday night, D & D, Noel and Bob, and I went to Tabor Hill for dinner. It's a terrific restaurant nestled in a vineyard. Danny had salmon in grape leave; we girls, the raspberry chicken, and Bob, a zucchini lasagne. Here are some photos.
2008/8/10 Farewell is upon usIt seems like they just got here, and Di, Dave, and Aurelia are leaving already. Tomorrow afternoon I will take them back to Midway; and then off they'll go to LA.
We closed our visit in the best possible way--with family, this time at Noel and Bob's for brats on the grill. It had been our intention to swim, but the weather is too chilly. I like seeing all three of my grandchildren together; it's good to know the gene pool will survive for a bit longer; and I just plain like these kids! That they like each other and get along well is an added plus.
Anyway, we had a nice dinner together, along with some play time, but now it's time to pack it up. Remember that Peter, Paul, and Mary song, "Leaving on a Jet Plane"? "Don't know when I'll be back again; oh, babe, I hate to go." Well, I'm feeling that on the opposite side...oh, babes, I hate to see you go. But it's been a wonderful visit; I have some lovely memories to savor; and it's not THAT far to LA; I'll probably run out in a month or so. There's a whole lot of joy! |
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