BLOG POST AND WEEKEND FUN

I just wrote a post that I have decided to save as a draft, for now.  Thinking and typing, something I needed to do.  Have you ever done that, written a blog post and not published it?  I never have before.

It's been a busy couple weeks, we made a trip to Southern California to visit with my dad after my mom passed away.. He's not doing very well to say the least but I think he's doing the best he can at this point.  We will be having a memorial/open house on May 12th, so Carl and I will be driving to Palm Springs area on the 10th.  We will be driving back on the 13th.  I am looking forward to honoring my mom, not looking forward to family drama, that hopefully, will not rear it's head on that occasion.  No drama from me, the day is about Mom.

Our son and daughter in law came up Saturday morning with the grandkids..It was a cool, chilly day.  They can start out in the Sacramento area, where they live, and drive up here and it's a totally different weather day, two hour drive can change everything.  We all went to a fundraising activity called Kids and Big Rigs.  Lots of fire engines, tractors, cranes, etc..for the kids to get up close and personal to.  It was so busy, lines for everything, so if we do it again next year, we will wait and go in the afternoon, which was suggested by a fellow visitor.  But I think they enjoyed themselves..

 

I hope they had fun..we came home after that.and Poppy took our son on a ride on the quad we recently purchased..then our son put their helmets on, buckled them up, and took them one by one for a ride.  Oh they loved it.  We told them they could go for a ride whenever they came to visit us, we bought it for the entire family to use.

 

 

After a little bit of resting time, we went to dinner at Steak N Shake, kids always like going there and the price is pretty good for taking the family out..

 

Sunday, Lainie and I went shopping at Home Goods and we each found a few things we had to bring home. .stopped and had iced drinks at Starbucks, and then found the cutest consignment store to browse through...the kids left for home mid afternoon and Carl and I had to take a nap.. We love having company but we definitely needed a short nap!

 

Today was a 'don't even get dressed' kind of day.  Tomorrow I have things to do, places to go, so will get up and dressed early.  Stiff neck today, probably because I fell asleep on the sofa, again.  Have to stop doing that!

 

Well, that's about it for today,

Wishing blessings on all.

 

 



Just Sadness..

I don't even know where to start this post..

My wonderful mom, Rosemary, passed into our Father's arms in the early morning of April 12th.  She had been ill and bedridden for over 2 years, and I know she was ready to pass into the next world, Heaven.  She told me that many times. I know she is in our Father's loving arms, with her parents and siblings, and all the dogs and cats we have had in our lives that have passed on.  I know there were so many people and animals that were there to welcome her.

The hard part is being left behind.  I don't know how to grieve my mom.  This is new to me.. I've lost my grandparents, but this is different.  It's a wound that doesn't feel like it will heal.  I know it's only been two weeks, I just have to learn how to grieve.  One day at a time..

There will be a memorial/open house at my folks home in Desert Hot Springs on Thursday, May 12 from 3-7.  I look forward to honoring my mom on that day and always.  But on the other hand, its a day I dread.  I will get through this with the help of Carl and my kids and grandkids, many friends and relatives. 

My dad is just lost, lost, lost.  It breaks my heart when I talk to him on the phone.  I can't seem to find the right words to comfort him.  that makes me sad, too. 

This picture is of mom and I in happier times, drinking blueberry beer in St. George,  Utah about 10 years ago..  Gosh I miss her sense of humor and smile.

Love you mom!!

IT'S A NEW YEAR...

I felt the need as I was just sitting and watching TV with my husband tonight to do some blog writing.  I'm not really sure what's going to pop out of my typing fingers, as my mind is in a million jumbled pieces..

We are still in our rental home, no complaints at all, its a lovely home and has been an absolute blessing to us to be able to stay here for the last 4 months.  That said, it hasn't been easy..I go to look for something, and have to figure out which box I put it in.  Or maybe it's already boxed and in our Reno storage unit.  I tried to bring things here that I would probably need, but I missed the mark on somethings, and somethings I brought I haven't needed.  Guess that's how life goes.  Some stuff you need, other things you can live without. I guess my reality is that most of the stuff I brought over here has not been needed, and that means major purging when we get into our new house.  We donated and tossed a LOT of things, but obviously not enough.  I'm kind of tired of STUFF, is anyone else?

I did bring my sewing machine, threads, patterns here and do you think I have sewn one little thing.  NO.  I am not happy about that.  We have a little time left here, I have fabric here, I have my sewing machine.  I am going to sew something worthwhile before we leave.  And I will post it.  That's a promise to me.

Speaking of me..I've been reading a really good book called Borderlines.  my primary care doctor recommended it to me as I have issues with creating borders.  I have done a lot of thinking the last couple months about growing up, remembering what I can, most of it was good, a fairly happy childhood, but some of it was not good.  I am almost 7 years older than my sister, and 10 years older than my brother.  That right there, not through any fault of my parents, put me in the position of the sibling in charge.  How can that not affect one's thinking.  I had to grow up pretty fast as a teenager, as my mom was a working mom, in charge of babysitting my siblings after school and getting dinners on the table.  No wonder I don't like cooking very much!  Like I said, I blame no one, but the fact is I missed a lot..doing things teens do..going out with friends, stuff like that..I had to be an adult before I should have been.

I left home at age 19, really, one day I packed up what I had and left.  My mom called my great aunt and I went to stay with her 100 miles away.  My parents had moved to Palm Springs when I was 18 and wow was I a lost soul.  No friends, not much going on except a retail job at Robinson's in Palm Springs.  Thank goodness my mom made me get off my duff one day and go to the unemployment office.  That little job gave me something to do and earn a little bit of money. When I left to live with my great aunt, I got to reconnect with my school friends and also find a job with Pacific Telephone.  I had no car and worked in downtown L.A. but it was great.  I took the bus until I could save enough for a small downpayment on my first car, a blue brand new 1973 VW Superbeetle.  I loved that little car...FREEDOM. 

Lots of crazy things happened during those first 3 or 4 years, I liked my job and the people I worked with, hung out with friends, had a couple non serious boyfriends which didn't work out, but they weren't supposed to.  Ups and downs that a early 20's young adult goes through..Always broke but still having fun.  One day at work, it occurred to me that, wow, what are you ing to do with your life.  Needed to make some goals, and unfortunately, the entry level job I had wasn't going to help me achieve my goals.  I wanted to maybe one day,  buy a small condo, have a more stable life.  So I applied for a transfer to get a higher paying job.  Then one day, they called and my transfer had come through.  I was working in the Engineering department, and this new job was in the Accounting Dept.  I had to kind of laugh because my motto was always, if I have checks, I have money.  Me, in accounting? HA.  But I took it.  I was the secretary to one of the two Department managers in the building.  It was scary to start something new, but it was working out alright.  I always figured if I had a couple lunch buddies at work I was doing ok.  My boss seemed to like me.  It was working out pretty good. 

One of the hard things that during this time, friendships outside of work changed.. Friends were getting into relationships, new jobs, moving away...so most evenings were spent watching TV with my great aunt.  Yes, I had moved out of her house, but had moved back in a couple times, too.  Face it, all I owned would fit in the back seat of my VW, so it wasn't hard to move around, ha ha.  Anyway, she told me one night that I needed to get off my duff and get a social life.  So, a few days later I heard about a bowling team at work, and I thought, heck I can probably bowl.  Who knows.  Well that one decision turned my whole life around and upside down, because of joining the bowling league, I became closer acquainted with a guy at work that I thought, gee, he's cute but must have a girlfriend or wife.  But he always said good morning to me as we were walking into work most mornings, so who knew. 

That cute guy became my husband about a year later, and this upcoming April we will celebrate 39 years of marriage.  Who knew that joining a bowling league would find me the love of my life!  Crazy.

I'm not sure what the point of my story is to be honest.  I think I just had to type it out.  I know the point.  The point is I am blessed with a wonderful husband who always, always has my back, as I do his.  We've been going through some pretty crazy stuff the last few months, relationships have changed and one has disappeared.  But this man is always there for me.  I wish I had some fun pictures of that early life to post but most every picture I own is in storage.  One day soon after we get into our new home in Reno, I will post some pictures. 

One thing I need to add, the 39 years has not been with bumps, twists and turns.  But through it all there has been love.  And that is all you need.  Wasn't that a Beatles song?  Love is all you need.  Yes, its true.  It's not easy.  Keep working at it.  When all is said and done, we created a family of two great sons, two awesome daughters in law, and two cutie pie grandchildren. 

Well, I said I would be rambling..and I did... sometimes we just need to get things written down.  I could write a book, and maybe I will someday go into more detail on our family life and family relationships.  Yes, I could write a book.

To one and all..a Happy and Blessed 2016!