April Showers

April showers bring May flowers and I think we may need the Mayflower pretty soon.  This is ending up to be one of, if not the rainiest Aprils on record.  Our falls are running so hard they sound like Niagara Falls.(.they keep us "Up" at night so I'm thinking of renaming hem Viagara Falls).. it's awesome really. Sleeping with the windows open and hearing that is an amazing way to fall asleep.  Even the punctuated sounds of thunder and flashes of lightening are pretty cool... Of course, we're inside and high and dry.  The horrible news from the mid west and south sure puts a damper on any spring beauty we may be having though.  We have had confirmed tornadoes here in upstate New York too... one near Rome on Tuesday and one in Tompkins County yesterday.  The creeks are over their banks and the cornfields across the road have been transformed into acres of new duck and goose ponds.  The trees have popped, flowers have blossomed, lawns are ready for mowing and even the ice cream stands are open for business.  Spring has sprung!!

Terrible Tuesdays

Lee always says that Tuesday is his worst day of the week.  Yep, he's right!  Yesterday morning was an unplanned trip to Mom's Doctor.  She has been very lethargic to the point of falling asleep in her breakfast and a bit loopier than normal to the point of wanting to eat her napkin.  Her legs have been a bit more swollen too so just to be on the safe side, we traveled to see THE DOCTOR... ("which Dr., Do I know them, have I been there before, why am I going, Is it a man or a woman, I've never been here before. What's the matter, don't you feel good?")  Good thing we did.. She had gained 12 # in 2 weeks.  Back on the lasix twice a day... maybe a little infection which tends to make the loopy, loopier.  When we left she wanted to know where the guys had been that we just picked up at the airport?  Darn..I didn't see any guys but the idea was a good one!!! We got back to Walden Place ("where she'd never been before") and she said she hoped Lee and I had a good trip. (another good idea, Mom).
In the afternoon, we traveled to Auburn for calling hours for one of our good friends, Buz Clark.  He passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday from the same heart ailment Lee has.  Not a real "pick me up" kind of afternoon.

Around  5:00, as I was thinking about how nice my rocker on the porch felt as I watched the northern skies for the approaching thunderstorms, the phone rang with a crying Bailee on the end and the news that stitches might be in order for her heel. Dancing in bare feet with a plie' under the fridge grate produced some a nice, little bloody and meaty cut.  Once Mommy got the bleeding stopped, it was decided that a trip to Convenient Care was in order. Three and a half hours later  we were on our way home in the pouring rain, thunder and lightening. Grandma's eyes aren't what they used to be so I just trudged along hoping that living through stitches didn't end in driving off the road I could barely find.  We made it... Bailee was fine, I was exhausted!
Next week we're just skipping Tuesday and going straight to hump day!

Easter 2011

Easter 2011 is in the can.  Bailee was feeling better so the Easter Bunny hid all the eggs outside. She did a wonderful job and located each and every one.  Always good to be outside and history reminds us that an unfound egg will lead old bunnies on a wild goose chase to find that horrid smell a few weeks later. The giant eggs with the smiley faces each held a clue to a sentence that led Miss B to her Easter Basket in the dryer.  I'm not sure how the Easter Bunny always knows just the right things to put in that basket but she does.  Bailee's favorite this year was her new Dr's outfit complete w/ embroidered name Dr. Bailee E. Brown..she even has her own clipboard with charts ready for her new patients.  Papa got to be the first appointment of the day. After getting down his name and age, she questioned his "symPtoms" followed by queries of other body parts. "How are your eyes?" OK, "how are your ears?" - So so. "How about your heart?"- So so. "Your lungs?" Better, "Your arms?" - Skinny.... "Oh, I'm sorry, we don't do skinny here!"
That's my kind of Doctor!
Later we all met at Aunt Kim and Uncle Vic's for Easter dinner. She had set a beautiful table dressed in yellow daffodils and fine silver and china.  Her table always looks so nice!  We had a wonderful meal followed bu delectable desserts and stimulating conversation.... Yes I said stimulating.. even the Hatfields can be stimulating.  We were happy that Delores and Gramp could join us but we missed our N.C and CA. contingents and those that were in Rochester sharing Miss Adrianna's very first Easter. Each holiday seems more and more special!
It really is beginning to look and feel like spring. We all forget that it takes awhile to really find its way to upstate New York.  Next week is May Day, Turkey season, Kindergarten registration, birthdays and maybe even time to mow the lawn.   That's really my favorite spring activity.  For 2 hours it's peace and quiet and for $4.27 a gallon for diesel, I'll take my time.....

Birthday and Bonnet fun

Well Grandma made it through day one of being 89.  When I arrived, they had just finished making Easter bonnets.  They were having a ball.  All of the gals were eager to pose for pictures with their new chapeaus. They'll be wearing them Sunday morning in their Easter parade.
We meandered down the hall to Grandma's room to open her presents and cards. She loved Bailee's handmade card that sported a beautiful rainbow that Bailee knew "Great Grandma would love!"  She was a bit confused at first thinking it was my birthday, the my anniversary and finally realizing it was her big day!. We hurriedly  opened her gifts as she appeared to be in a yank to get someplace. Finally she said she was so glad I had come, loved her presents and cards but she "needed to get back down there for the wedding."  She explained that she was a bridesmaid and it was so thoughtful of them to ask her that she didn't want to keep them waiting.  So we hurried down the hall to meet the guests.  Sometimes we just need to take what we're given in stride and play along!

Happy Birthday Mom

Happy 89th Birthday to my Mom.  Wow, that sure is a milestone.  She is still physically healthy and  nicely settled in Assisted Living at Walden Place in Cortland.  It's a wonderful place that provides everything she needs and peace of mind for me.  There are many things planned for each and every day and today is especially busy. I see by the daily calendar that she will be exercising with noddles (the swimming kind not fettuccine) as I type and then she'll be decorating Easter bonnets.  After lunch she'll be playing Bingo with jelly beans (hopefully she won't eat just the one that would have given her 5 in a row) and filling Easter eggs. Tonight is Movie Night too so her birthday will have her all tuckered out by bedtime.  Now we know that even heading into her 90's, she can have full days that are fun and enjoyable.  In Mom's case, she can do all of those things tomorrow too and have just as much fun... There is a brighter side and with that we rejoice!

Project Sputnik

Project Sputnik is underway.  I'm not sure why all our projects need to be named but they are so ,"deal about it!"  Our house was dubbed, EIEIO, our media room, the H.U.T..  and today begins Project Sputnik. As some of you will remember, pretty much only the +50 crowd, Sputnik was a satellite launched in 1957 to orbit the world.  A pretty big thing way back then when we still weren't sure the earth was round and still couldn't figure out how anything could actually stay up there without falling back to earth.   Ok, so why Sputnik? Sputnik is a satellite and our garage (or a small portion of it) will be our satellite kitchen (as interior decorators like to call it).  A little history....our "house kitchen" is part of the great room and is not ventilated well..ok at all. I didn''t want a vent sticking out the front of the house and "code" didn't want it going anyplace else.  I never liked "code" very much!  Now that our eating habits are turning over a new leaf, literally, we'll be cooking more at home (she said begrudgingly) and we'll need to broil more healthy foods....like fish... (fish belong in the ocean or an aquarium, not in my stomach. Unless, of course, they have a shell and then they should be swimming in butter and salt just prior to meeting my digestive tract.) Anyway... broiled foods are being shoved to the top of our menu. We're trying to eat the items that are accompanied by the little red heart on the menus. I thought it meant we'd love them.......it doesn't!  So, the bottom line is, Project Sputnik is underway. A brand new 6 burner, 2 oven, raised broiler with griddle (for my pancakes) is on it's way.  Josh will be retrofitting the entry to nowhere to accommodate Sputnik and I'll be finding a nice new counter top to hide "garage stuff". After all, this will still house my vehicle... that's what a garage is made for. I just may have to name my vehicle Endeavor to accompany our out of this world new project.

Monday morning revelations

I always welcome a new week, even if it means that another 7 days are gone.  It gives us perspective on what we might do differently to make the next 7 better.... maybe.
My Monday revelations:

• Motorcycles and alcohol NEVER go together.....ever
• $4.00 for a gallon of gas is beyond my scope of acceptance.
• There will never be enough money or enough time
• Kissing is worth the risk..even with 4 year olds w/ mono:-(
• No one can celebrate too many birthdays
• You can't say "I Love You" too often
• Spring and Fall trump Winter and Summer
• Technology rocks
• You MUST know and enjoy reading and writing
• Friends aren't optional.. you'll always need them