Several things have occurred to me lately. One is the idea that 1HW keeps saying, "You can pick your nose, you can pick your friends, but you can't pick your relatives."
My sister and I were not close as we were growing up, since she was six years younger than I and resented everything I did. I always was blamed for our shared room constantly being in a mess, which came to true light after I had left, when our parents discovered the real culprit. Later, when I was pregnant with # 1 daughter, she came to visit us in D.C., and after that we were friends. We have shared so much over the years, and she is a treasured friend now. So it hurts me when our siblings, two brothers, say things which hurt her. They seem to have arrived from another family and planet sometimes, and I keep trying to remember how we are related. Of course, as I recall, over the years they have also said things which have hurt me, but I keep remembering how they have always been and given awful comments to me, as well, whenever possible over the years. I wish I could have my sister understand the idea of "giving away" those thoughts, as well. It certainly helps. In the meantime, 1HW and I try to help her with whatever words we can over the long distance. We do love her!
And as I write, my thoughts are in Wilmington, NC, where granddaughter Ashley and her husband Tom are in the midst of delivering our first great grandchild. Finally after a week of induced labor, there seem to be results. This seems to be an awfully long time to have been in labor, induced or otherwise, and we can only continue to send thoughts, love, and prayers to both Ashley and Tom.
Now, as for work-kamping, it was a most hectic day, but it was also a day in which I was truly challenged about learning this new job at this "tender" age. Amazingly, I survived in great fashion, even if I do say so, and even better, the books balanced exactly at the end of a $6500 day, even with four of us working off and on. The park is almost at total capacity, with the finishing number of arrivals expected tomorrow, completing the Texas Woodcarvers' Society site. The two of us have truly enjoyed the mental and physical challenges, feeling that it is great for both of us! And, I must say, the friends and companionship are an added plus, even if we do not care for some of the live band music at the River Rock Saloon! How blessed we are to have this opportunity to have this growth experience at this stage of our lives!
We are so thankful for the friendships here and for our families scattered around the country. We are so very blessed! We wish all of you the same blessings and love!
Friday, April 24, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
A New Family Addition
Sometimes it takes a new experience to cause me to blog, and now is one of those times. Our granddaughter Ashley is expecting her first child imminently, and, as usual, I want to know what is happening. I really do not think that very many others in the family really understand why I am concerned, because very often they do not know WHY I am thinking the way I am. So this is my way of letting them know my feelings so perhaps they can better understand me, and my way of expressing my thoughts and concerns for me to release anxieties.
When I was pregnant with our first child, I was scared to death. I remember flying from Washington, D.C., to Albuquerque, only to see a doctor there who told me that I needed to leave for Oklahoma immediately, as that child was DUE! It did not make my then-husband at all happy to cancel his vacation time, but it had to be done. After arriving in Oklahoma City, the immediate need was to find a house (Day One), rent it, and begin to move in and sleep on the floor (by Day Three). On Day Four, I visited a doctor on the Air Force base, who informed me the delivery was imminent. By Day Five, the movers arrived and began unloading. One mover said, "You don't expect us to unpack this, do you?" I replied, "Do you know how to deliver a baby?" They unpacked very quickly. On Saturday, Day Five, some contractions began, and I began to be very nervous. There I was, in a completely new place in a new house, extremely tired, knowing no one, and about to have a first baby, not having a clue what to expect. With contractions still slowly occurring the next morning, I felt a great need to go to church, even though my then-husband thought I was nuts. My OB-GYN had by then called and asked me to report to the hospital by 1:00 pm that day. After church and after arriving home at 12:15, my then-husband needed to stay in the car for another half-hour to listen to a Bill Cosby routine on the radio while I went inside, said many more prayers, and made him his requested lunch. I was alone, scared to death, trying to be brave by myself. Later, daughter Kristy arrived, and I was delighted to find a beautiful baby girl, who must have sensed my nervousness and immediately experienced what seemed to be unending bouts of colic and projectile vomiting. It wasn't until the many visits of family members finally ceased, and the two of us could settle down to a normal routine, when the colic ceased, although the projections continued for months! I still think that much of that is caused by a mother's nervousness and stress! You can tell that I remember this quite vividly, even though it is nearly forty-one years later. So I think about Ashley now.
When it was getting near for second daughter Kimberly to arrive, I had much more confidence, in fact, too much confidence. I expected everything to go smoothly. I was not prepared to go into labor six weeks early while I was Christmas shopping at Penney's. The first item was to arrange for friends to take Kristy, and then I needed to report to the same hospital with the same doctor. But this time it was different: Kimberly was not fully developed, and our pediatrician had told me it was too early for her to be born. I was, once again, totally scared, and I prayed as I had never prayed before. She arrived and was whisked off to complete neonatal care under oxygen and constant intensive care, suffering from underdeveloped systems and hyaline membrane disease, which had all-too recently then caused the death of the Kennedy baby. They covered her eyes with make-shift sunglasses of band aids, with carefully-drawn sunglasses drawn on top, so that they could put her under fluorescent lights, a brand new technique to improve the liver functioning. She was the first to use that technique there. For a week it was nip and tuck, so that on the morning of December 24th, they thought she would need a total transfusion, which would be risky on her, as her weight had dropped. My husband insisted on having her baptized so "she would not go to hell." My Presbyterian beliefs resisted, saying that there was no way a baby could go to hell, but she was then baptized according to his wishes. (I still feel that way today, too, by the way!) What amazed me, thinking back, was from where my support came. It didn't come from the husband, who was convinced she would die, or from his parents who thought the same. It came from the Jewish OB who delivered her; from the pediatrician who nursed her day and night; from a Jewish ENT doctor, who came in once a day to talk and support me with Old Testament wisdom; and from my readings of the Bible and prayer. That is when I experienced a total change in my life and my beliefs, a change that was only enhanced by feelings when my mother died. I came to realize that my faith can support and sustain me when others fail me. That same faith and prayer was realized when on Christmas Eve, as wonderful Air Force hospital orderlies were ready to donate blood for her transfusion, Kimberly took a sudden turn and began to improve! A week later, on New Year's Eve, she was released to go home, at a little over five and a half pounds! She has always been my best Christmas present ever!
So, if any of you have wondered why I have called, checked on you, and worried over you when you were having your own sweet little dears, these stories might help explain why. I no longer just automatically expect every delivery and arrival to be easy and without complications. With each of the other twelve grand children's births (since Ashley's was before we knew her), I have never taken those events for granted. Each one has been an individual, special, blessed event to be praised and cherished. I am truly thankful for each one of you and for each one of yours. And I will be most thankful when Ashley has finally delivered her own little sweetie, too, but I will hover until that time, just because I am Grammy. Grammy does that, you know. And, Grammy will continue to do that with each new GREAT grand child as long as she lives, because each new one is precious! I just love all of you! Fortunately, I now also have Grandad (Gramps/1HW) who is right beside me, supporting me and loving all of you, too! So I am so very blessed!
When I was pregnant with our first child, I was scared to death. I remember flying from Washington, D.C., to Albuquerque, only to see a doctor there who told me that I needed to leave for Oklahoma immediately, as that child was DUE! It did not make my then-husband at all happy to cancel his vacation time, but it had to be done. After arriving in Oklahoma City, the immediate need was to find a house (Day One), rent it, and begin to move in and sleep on the floor (by Day Three). On Day Four, I visited a doctor on the Air Force base, who informed me the delivery was imminent. By Day Five, the movers arrived and began unloading. One mover said, "You don't expect us to unpack this, do you?" I replied, "Do you know how to deliver a baby?" They unpacked very quickly. On Saturday, Day Five, some contractions began, and I began to be very nervous. There I was, in a completely new place in a new house, extremely tired, knowing no one, and about to have a first baby, not having a clue what to expect. With contractions still slowly occurring the next morning, I felt a great need to go to church, even though my then-husband thought I was nuts. My OB-GYN had by then called and asked me to report to the hospital by 1:00 pm that day. After church and after arriving home at 12:15, my then-husband needed to stay in the car for another half-hour to listen to a Bill Cosby routine on the radio while I went inside, said many more prayers, and made him his requested lunch. I was alone, scared to death, trying to be brave by myself. Later, daughter Kristy arrived, and I was delighted to find a beautiful baby girl, who must have sensed my nervousness and immediately experienced what seemed to be unending bouts of colic and projectile vomiting. It wasn't until the many visits of family members finally ceased, and the two of us could settle down to a normal routine, when the colic ceased, although the projections continued for months! I still think that much of that is caused by a mother's nervousness and stress! You can tell that I remember this quite vividly, even though it is nearly forty-one years later. So I think about Ashley now.
When it was getting near for second daughter Kimberly to arrive, I had much more confidence, in fact, too much confidence. I expected everything to go smoothly. I was not prepared to go into labor six weeks early while I was Christmas shopping at Penney's. The first item was to arrange for friends to take Kristy, and then I needed to report to the same hospital with the same doctor. But this time it was different: Kimberly was not fully developed, and our pediatrician had told me it was too early for her to be born. I was, once again, totally scared, and I prayed as I had never prayed before. She arrived and was whisked off to complete neonatal care under oxygen and constant intensive care, suffering from underdeveloped systems and hyaline membrane disease, which had all-too recently then caused the death of the Kennedy baby. They covered her eyes with make-shift sunglasses of band aids, with carefully-drawn sunglasses drawn on top, so that they could put her under fluorescent lights, a brand new technique to improve the liver functioning. She was the first to use that technique there. For a week it was nip and tuck, so that on the morning of December 24th, they thought she would need a total transfusion, which would be risky on her, as her weight had dropped. My husband insisted on having her baptized so "she would not go to hell." My Presbyterian beliefs resisted, saying that there was no way a baby could go to hell, but she was then baptized according to his wishes. (I still feel that way today, too, by the way!) What amazed me, thinking back, was from where my support came. It didn't come from the husband, who was convinced she would die, or from his parents who thought the same. It came from the Jewish OB who delivered her; from the pediatrician who nursed her day and night; from a Jewish ENT doctor, who came in once a day to talk and support me with Old Testament wisdom; and from my readings of the Bible and prayer. That is when I experienced a total change in my life and my beliefs, a change that was only enhanced by feelings when my mother died. I came to realize that my faith can support and sustain me when others fail me. That same faith and prayer was realized when on Christmas Eve, as wonderful Air Force hospital orderlies were ready to donate blood for her transfusion, Kimberly took a sudden turn and began to improve! A week later, on New Year's Eve, she was released to go home, at a little over five and a half pounds! She has always been my best Christmas present ever!
So, if any of you have wondered why I have called, checked on you, and worried over you when you were having your own sweet little dears, these stories might help explain why. I no longer just automatically expect every delivery and arrival to be easy and without complications. With each of the other twelve grand children's births (since Ashley's was before we knew her), I have never taken those events for granted. Each one has been an individual, special, blessed event to be praised and cherished. I am truly thankful for each one of you and for each one of yours. And I will be most thankful when Ashley has finally delivered her own little sweetie, too, but I will hover until that time, just because I am Grammy. Grammy does that, you know. And, Grammy will continue to do that with each new GREAT grand child as long as she lives, because each new one is precious! I just love all of you! Fortunately, I now also have Grandad (Gramps/1HW) who is right beside me, supporting me and loving all of you, too! So I am so very blessed!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
I must say that I delight in so many things, especially my dear sweetie and our family. Sometimes, however, I get the distinct feeling that we operate in our own little world. Although several of the kids have generously offered for us to stay in their areas, the truth of the matter is that they are fully occupied with their own domains. Granted, they would be kind and solicitous and help us in our needs, such as they are, but in reality, they have their own lives, their own occupations, and their own interests, all of which are different and separate from ours. It caused me to think last week about our lives and our futures. At our ages, one must actually proceed to deal with that issue realistically. So, we talked about what we "would do," a topic which does not appeal to either of us. Actually, I cannot even bear to think of a life without 1HW. He is my helpmate, my joy, my life. But, in grim reality, we both need to consider that. The answer is, we do not know. Maybe the answer would be just to stay here. It is really hard to ascertain at the moment. We do have friends here, and we love Kerrville. But we always miss being with family, even though their lives are really filled to the max. So, the answer remains unsolved for now. We continue to hope that it is a question we do not need to deal with in the immediate future. But after watching and dealing with Mom in her mid-nineties, with no one knowing how to deal with her, we certainly do not want that same situation to occur with us! It is a challenge and a dilemma!
Growing old, as Mom says, is indeed not for sissies!
Growing old, as Mom says, is indeed not for sissies!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Traveling South
For those of you who have never traveled through the central part of Texas, it is probably not like you have imagined it, if you have mental pictures from the many Western movies similar to my memories. On the drive today from Fort Worth south to Austin, west to Fredericksburg, and then south to Kerrville, we are driving through gently rolling hills filled with green pastures and grass, small towns and cities, and blooming trees and flowers. It is far from the dusty images which Amarillo and El Paso bring to mind. One of our favorite Texas sights has also begun to appear: the Texas Bluebonnets! We sighted our first of this spring season this morning near Hillsboro, south of Fort Worth. Everyone in the Hill Country is especially fond of these beautiful flowers, which not only appear in various shades of blue, but also in reds and whites. To see the masses of them in bloom is simply breathtaking! This year everyone in our area has been concerned that we haven't had enough rain for the bluebonnets to appear, so we'll see as we travel close to Fredericksburg if any are appearing.
One of our special places to visit in Fredericksburg (20 miles north of Kerrville, and not too far from the LBJ ranch) is the Wildflower Farm. Next week one of the groups we have joined at church is making a trip to the farms to see the Butterfly Garden, which we haven't seen before. Both of us are looking forward to that! Hopefully, we will be able to get pictures both of the butterflies and the flowers to put in next week's blogs.
As we approach Austin, both of us are quite thankful that we are almost finished with this trek! Both of us are now sitting on the king-sized pillows and have aching posteriors. How happy we will be to reach Kerrville and our wee housie! Happy and safe travels to all!
One of our special places to visit in Fredericksburg (20 miles north of Kerrville, and not too far from the LBJ ranch) is the Wildflower Farm. Next week one of the groups we have joined at church is making a trip to the farms to see the Butterfly Garden, which we haven't seen before. Both of us are looking forward to that! Hopefully, we will be able to get pictures both of the butterflies and the flowers to put in next week's blogs.
As we approach Austin, both of us are quite thankful that we are almost finished with this trek! Both of us are now sitting on the king-sized pillows and have aching posteriors. How happy we will be to reach Kerrville and our wee housie! Happy and safe travels to all!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Adventures in Moving
Whoever coined the slogan "Adventures in Moving" must have had a sadistic streak about a mile wide, because driving that mile in a Budget rental moving truck is all it takes to convince one that driving in one of these things is awful. If it is an adventure, surely it is one of the worst ones available at the present time, and we will be happy to settle for a less "adventuresome" life after this trip! This truck bounces, squeaks, is truly uncomfortable, and is unbelievably noisy, so we can't even talk, let alone play music. Thankfully, in emptying our storage unit, we found some king-sized bed pillows, so I am sitting on one with my heated, massaging back pillow on top of that, which may allow me to walk at the end of today's drive, IF I continue some kind of drug of choice (that is, IBP, Advil, or Tylenol). You can perhaps understand why, after spending three hours of lifting, carrying, and loading yesterday, and then driving from Omaha to Salina, Kansas, we were so thankful to stop for drinks, dinner, and bed! The guys who were hired to help us for "two hours" counted their driving time in the two hours, so when 10:30 arrived, they were out of there, and the two of us continued the loading of the truck. Actually, we were amazed at our endurance and surprised to be out of the Omaha at 12:30 and to be reaching Salina by 5:00. 1HW is an excellent driver, in spite of this vehicle, but he has decided that bumping along at 65 mph is about the fastest this baby will go. Since it has a diesel engine, it is gulping gas like crazy, and we are getting about 10 mpg. So going faster than 65 would make the gas mileage even worse. So on we plod.
Traveling from Nebraska into Kansas proved to be a remarkable change in scenery. Nebraska seems to still be recovering from winter, while Kansas already shows signs of spring. all along the way, the Kansas farmers had green fields, which we guessed might be winter wheat. As we reached the Salina area, there were newly plowed fields, as well, and as we reached Wichita, the fields were showing the bits of newly sprung plants in the field. Suddenly, it really looked like spring, as forsythia was in bloom and trees were covered with white blossoms. In the pastures, little baby calves are trying to keep up with their mamas and very fun to see. It did strike us that the outskirts of Wichita's "skyline" made it appear as a metropolis, but when we were closer in, those buildings were primarily granaries and mills. Now that we are in Oklahoma, the green continues for miles. Although it was a chilly 26 in Salina this morning, it has warmed up considerably, and by the time we (hopefully) reach Denton or Fort Worth tonight, we expect to be in short sleeve weather.
We plan to reach Kerrville tomorrow, hopefully in time to retrieve Max from puppy camp. Hope he remembers us after two weeks! Happy Travels to all of you!
Traveling from Nebraska into Kansas proved to be a remarkable change in scenery. Nebraska seems to still be recovering from winter, while Kansas already shows signs of spring. all along the way, the Kansas farmers had green fields, which we guessed might be winter wheat. As we reached the Salina area, there were newly plowed fields, as well, and as we reached Wichita, the fields were showing the bits of newly sprung plants in the field. Suddenly, it really looked like spring, as forsythia was in bloom and trees were covered with white blossoms. In the pastures, little baby calves are trying to keep up with their mamas and very fun to see. It did strike us that the outskirts of Wichita's "skyline" made it appear as a metropolis, but when we were closer in, those buildings were primarily granaries and mills. Now that we are in Oklahoma, the green continues for miles. Although it was a chilly 26 in Salina this morning, it has warmed up considerably, and by the time we (hopefully) reach Denton or Fort Worth tonight, we expect to be in short sleeve weather.
We plan to reach Kerrville tomorrow, hopefully in time to retrieve Max from puppy camp. Hope he remembers us after two weeks! Happy Travels to all of you!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Our Visit to Omaha
Here we are, two-thirds of the way through our visit to Omaha. Look
ing outside, one would think it would be in the fifties, as it is bright and sunny with no wind. However, in March here, looks are definitely deceiving, as it is a chilly 13 degrees out there. Inside the house, there are numerous activities going on, and everyone is snug and warm.
While
Kristy and Tim have been gone, the grands have continued to complete their school assignments with little protest or f
ussing. Keilah was diligently working on the Progressive Era, and I couldn't help but smile when I saw the picture of William Jennings Bryan, whom I will always think of as the "Cowardly Lion." Meanwhile, Liddy finished practicing her piano lessons, getting ready for Sunday's recital, while James was reading his assigned Christy, by Catherine Marshall, one of the favorites on my book list. Next they watched at their science video lesson. At present Sarah is working on her Bible lesson; James is on math; Susannah is reading; Keilah is practicing her piano; and Liddy is studying Spanish on the computer with a Rosetta Stone program. So even though their mom/teacher is away, the work continues, each rotating through their individual 
assignments.
Soon, 1HW will take Susannah to her basketball practice, while the rest continue. The house is a constant busy buzz, which is quite delightful for us to hear most of the time. We especially enjoy the sounds of music from the piano practicing as Keilah, James, and Liddy get ready for the Sunday recital, as well as the laughter which dominates most of our activities together. The card and domino games have been riotous and fun for all, regardless of who wins (not usually me!). Along with the chatter is the comfortable silence, which happens occasionally as all seven of us sit reading. Winter days are so good for that! We hope you are warm and comfy wherever you are!
ing outside, one would think it would be in the fifties, as it is bright and sunny with no wind. However, in March here, looks are definitely deceiving, as it is a chilly 13 degrees out there. Inside the house, there are numerous activities going on, and everyone is snug and warm. While
Kristy and Tim have been gone, the grands have continued to complete their school assignments with little protest or f
ussing. Keilah was diligently working on the Progressive Era, and I couldn't help but smile when I saw the picture of William Jennings Bryan, whom I will always think of as the "Cowardly Lion." Meanwhile, Liddy finished practicing her piano lessons, getting ready for Sunday's recital, while James was reading his assigned Christy, by Catherine Marshall, one of the favorites on my book list. Next they watched at their science video lesson. At present Sarah is working on her Bible lesson; James is on math; Susannah is reading; Keilah is practicing her piano; and Liddy is studying Spanish on the computer with a Rosetta Stone program. So even though their mom/teacher is away, the work continues, each rotating through their individual 
assignments. Soon, 1HW will take Susannah to her basketball practice, while the rest continue. The house is a constant busy buzz, which is quite delightful for us to hear most of the time. We especially enjoy the sounds of music from the piano practicing as Keilah, James, and Liddy get ready for the Sunday recital, as well as the laughter which dominates most of our activities together. The card and domino games have been riotous and fun for all, regardless of who wins (not usually me!). Along with the chatter is the comfortable silence, which happens occasionally as all seven of us sit reading. Winter days are so good for that! We hope you are warm and comfy wherever you are!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Danger: Pot Lucks Ahead!
Some time ago AOL featured an article concerning weight gain and how it has proliferated around the country. Believe it or not, one main factor cited was church participation. The reason? Social events, particularly pot luck lunches and dinners. Those of you who belong to the Presbyterian groups know this to be true, even though we have frequently heard it said that the Baptists outdo us in that category! On the way home from church as we pass by the restaurants teeming with people at 12:15, 1HW usually remarks, "The Baptists have beat us again!" Indeed, we have come to believe that pot lucks are the culprit for our constant weight loss battle, since we have been averaging three a month recently. While we can ignore those demon white, fried, and sweet foods at home, when we spot chicken tettrazini, enchilada casseroles, tamales, dumplings, fried chicken, biscuits and gravy, and yummy desserts in the buffet line, all of our carefully orchestrated constraint goes out the window. Sure enough, within a day or two of the scrumptious pot luck dinner, two pounds magically appear at the morning weigh in. This week has been doubly challenging! We had two pot lucks within three days!
Now, you may ask, what sensible items did we take for healthy consumption? I hate to admit it, but we are pleading guilty by reason of temporary insanity. At Wednesday's dinner here at the resort we took a yummy chicken tettrazini, made the old-fashioned way with bechamel sauce which included butter as a chief ingredient. For last night's pot luck at the SEEKer kick-off meeting at church, we took spinach, fat free cream cheese, olive, and sun-dried tomato wraps; ham, fat-free cream cheese, green chili, and onion wraps; AND the best chocolate pizza we have EVER tasted. That yummy creation came from a friend who made it for the Wednesday pot luck, and I have never had so many requests for a recipe. In fact, a whole group said they would love it if we brought that for every meal.
Fortunately, I only put on one pound with these feasts (still down ten pounds from the start), so the pot lucks did only minimal damage. 1HW chose not to weigh this morning, as he was down 18 pounds yesterday and didn't want to spoil that good news! Now, do you think we will quit attending those weighty dinners? Not a chance! The company is excellent, and the recipes have been terrific! How about the rest of you? Have you discovered the same problem with pot lucks? The inquiring mind wants to know!
Now, you may ask, what sensible items did we take for healthy consumption? I hate to admit it, but we are pleading guilty by reason of temporary insanity. At Wednesday's dinner here at the resort we took a yummy chicken tettrazini, made the old-fashioned way with bechamel sauce which included butter as a chief ingredient. For last night's pot luck at the SEEKer kick-off meeting at church, we took spinach, fat free cream cheese, olive, and sun-dried tomato wraps; ham, fat-free cream cheese, green chili, and onion wraps; AND the best chocolate pizza we have EVER tasted. That yummy creation came from a friend who made it for the Wednesday pot luck, and I have never had so many requests for a recipe. In fact, a whole group said they would love it if we brought that for every meal.
Fortunately, I only put on one pound with these feasts (still down ten pounds from the start), so the pot lucks did only minimal damage. 1HW chose not to weigh this morning, as he was down 18 pounds yesterday and didn't want to spoil that good news! Now, do you think we will quit attending those weighty dinners? Not a chance! The company is excellent, and the recipes have been terrific! How about the rest of you? Have you discovered the same problem with pot lucks? The inquiring mind wants to know!
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