Tuesday, December 29, 2009

2010 COMING UP QUICK

Good Morning Girls, 
       I know everyone is having a good break and enjoying her family, right? Our time off has been fun, family and food; no surprise there! I've enjoyed lots of down time too, resting and reading. Trying not to interfere with Stephen King's routine, he's such an old lady about his schedule, Girls! 
      Mackenzie and I saw "Avatar" last night; I have to recommend it to you, very good. It is like nothing I've seen before; fantasy, technology, love story, fun, tragic, all the things that make a great movie. I'm not a movie buff at all, but this one was worth seeing. Now today I'm taking the Littles to see "Chipmunks, The Squeekual", maybe not quite the same quality, but just as entertaining. Maddie and Caleb are a hoot at the movies. Madd gets totally immersed into the screen. I love watching them watch.
       Right now I'm waiting for a phone call from Jill, she is at the hotel with her dad and we are meeting for coffee. Can't wait to see her. She improves my spirits every time. I cannot imagine driving down here as often as they do, but then again, I live here and don't gamble! I told Jill to just write me a check and not bother with throwing her money away at the casino, but no such luck. Maybe she will be lucky this visit, hope so. I haven't been back in the casino since you all were here in July. Not much of a supporter, sorry.
      Orange County is undertaking a new health program with life style changes, weight loss programs, fitness workshops and smoking cessation classes offered in each town several times a week. My niece, Stori, is an organizer and I think I'll get involved somehow. The exercise much begin soon or else!!! My muscles continue to deteriorate and joints hurt almost constantly. I think a walking and swimming program are my choices. The eating component is pretty much controlled already. Now I need to move.  Our school pool adjoins my office, so I have no excuse not to swim a few laps after school. My doc says as long as it is a gradual introduction, I'll be fine. So... Orange County W.O.W. here we go.
        My Mom is having a pretty good winter, short-term memory is bad, but she is functioning so much better with the new meds. We make sure she has a good lunch or dinner, she forgets to eat otherwise. My sister, Debbie, is a wonder with Mom. Patient and there everyday. We are so blessed she can and does do this for us and Mom. Christmas was a challenge, Mom kept wanting to give everyone money whenever she was with them. She wasn't up to shopping so we got gift cards for her to passout. But she kept forgetting she had done it after the first time. You have to keep laughing or else you cry. Bless her heart, Mom still wants to do for us all. 
     Christmas without Courtney was different, a big hole in our party. She and Ken spent the day with his son and his family then traveled to his mother's for the weekend. The pictures show blue skies, green grass, flowers and a pet kangaroo! Not your typical Hoosier Christmas. We are learning to be independent parents (ha) and know she is enjoying the life she wants and we are happy for her. 
      Jill just called, cashed in $200 and wants to celebrate. Going to meet her for a Coke! I'll be back. Ok, that was fun, Jill looks terrific and I laughed my head off at her tall tales! Your dad is a sweetie, Jill. So nice getting together for a quick catch-up. I wish the rest of you were addicted to gambling and came to see me sometime. Just kidding, Tucker stopped when she saw me coming. :-)
   Stephen King and I had a nice afternoon together; drove down to Jasper, had the oil changed in his truck, went to Rural King for hinges for the lambing pen, ate cheap Chinese. I tell you, Ladies, life cannot get much more romantic than this. Bet you all can't wait to grow old like us. Nothing says love like sitting in the Penzoil waiting room together.
     Is it cold up North? It has been a beautiful day here after several gray gloomies, but the 2 week forecast is for highs in the 20s!!! My office will be frigid. I was gifted 2 new shawls for Christmas, I'll need both of the everyday. One for my head, the cold air blows down right on it as I sit at my computer. Wish I'd gotten gloves, too. Oh, I got 4 new candles, I suppose I can light them all at once for a bonfire.
     2010, I can hardly imagine such a date. I thought the 1900s would last forever and the 2000s were science fiction. Little did I know how quickly time passes as one grows older. I've said before my live is a series of 6AMs, happening one after the other. Days whiz by, the hours flying, months race at superspeed, how can I be over 60 years old? Where has the time gone? Those grown people cannot be my children already, aren't they only babies? What did I do with all those years? Enjoy the days, my Girls, everyone of them. Hold onto those  precious times with your kiddos, write their sweet words on your hearts. How I would love a few hours with my young boys again to fish or play h-o-r-s-e or build another tree house. And just a few hours with my daughter, sitting in the porch swing talking as we break beans or have a girlie day shopping at antique stores, sipping coffee and desserts. But that has passed, as your times will; passed much too fast. Almost without notice. 
    But we have lots of time left for new memories with kids and grandkids. More road trips and get-to-gethers, more 6 AMs and Sundays. I'll just have to learn to treasure each moment more from now on.
May you all be blessed with peace and love in 2010, my friends. Love you all. Hedy

Monday, December 21, 2009

CHRISTMAS WEEK 2009

Hello Ladies, 
  Does your Holy Week feel Holy? Or rushed, hassled, stressful? Why do we let ourselves do this every year? I have been following a wonderful blog called down-to-earth for over a year and do believe it may be the answer everyone seeks. This lady, Rhonda, and her husband are a retired couple who are nearly self-sufficient. They live such a peaceful, purposeful life with chickens and dogs and honeybees. I realize this life is much easier for a retired couple than for you with young families, but hope you look for her at www.down-to-earth.blogspot.com when you have a minute. She is starting a "living simply" month in January which should be informative and fun to read. They live outside of Brisbane Australia on a little patch of land behind the gates. Courtney lives in Brisbane and although they will never meet, I feel closer to Courtney when I read this blog. Stephen King and I move closer to this peaceful living as I contemplate retirement. He loves his garden, I'd love to quilt daily. 
Our gifts are bought and stacked in the back room waiting to be wrapped in shiny, red foil and placed under the tree. Which will probably be completed 10 minutes before the grandkids tear them open. I'd rather fool around on here than stand, bent over the dining table, wrapping gifts. Sorry. Once again, Grandma has overdone the spending, buying much too much for kiddos who do not need anything. This is the last time, I promise, again. But I love doing it, finding those cute sweatshirts for my boys, the rough n tough little hoodies and jeans. The toys they just have to have, Transformers the size of end tables. And for my big girls, the clothes and boots and bags and coats, where do I stop? And my Madeleine? The quilted coat in Blossom with the heather gray leggings and zebra tunic. And the brother and sister life size dolls, Katie and Kyle. With real hair and kissing sounds? How could I not? I know...my name is Grandma and its been 3 days since I've shopped.  I won't even talk about the daughters-in-law. Every year, it is the same.
I spent today at Mom's with my sister making candy and cookies or trying to. Mostly we laughed and talked and hugged because we never get to spend a whole day together and Mom was having a good day. Aging is so bittersweet; wisdom and peace come with age, but so do pain and confusion. It breaks my heart to watch the light go out of Mom's eyes as she slips from us. Not all the time, not even daily now, but it is there, waiting. That place where we cannot follow her, where she is alone and scared. The new meds are working for now and that is all we can ask. NOW. Tomorrow will come and we will deal with it then. For today, it was good. She was Mom.
My niece, Stori and her husband Jamey are hosting our Christmas Eve gathering again this year. Yes, they are the couple who have the new babies. They are amazing and loving and want the family at their house. So we will cook and carry and gather round their beautiful new kitchen and celebrate the birthday of our Lord. And celebrate these new members of our family, Chad and Ian. And celebrate another year of being family. 
I hope each of you have that family gathering each year to celebrate being together. Keep that connection as long as you can, it is so important that the young ones know where they come from, who they are, what they are a part of.   I am the oldest of my grandparents' grandchildren on both sides and we have lost that connection for the most part. The cousins still keep in touch but our children and grandchildren don't know their distant cousins or great aunts and uncles. It makes me feel sad and guilty for not working harder at planning reunions and birthdays and Christmas together. I suppose that is the way it is in all families...the drifting a part when the number of people becomes too big to manage. I have a difficult time working our Christmas dinner in with only two sets of in-laws to juggle. No wonder I can't coordinate over 200.
I love all the picture cards this year, Ladies. Next year, we will have a Baby Mac to add to it. I wish you all Blessings for the New Year and Happy, Peaceful Hearts for Christmas. Talk to me. Love, Hedy


Sunday, December 13, 2009

Hello

Hi Gals, for some reason, I cannot figure out, my blog has changed. I will work on designing a new one over break. Too much pink, maybe? This is our last week, we get out on Friday the 18th, Praise God for His mercy. Neighboring school go til the 23rd, I don't know or care why, I'm just thrilled we don't.
All my shopping is done, nothing wrapped or decorated, that waits for next week along with the baking and candy making.
I am much better, still a little lingering asthma, but I'm perking right along this weekend. We went to Gavin's pre-school program tonight, So sweet. He left his shirt on this year, didn't play air guitar or cry. All high points of last year's performance. He had a speaking part this year, a surprise for us, and did an excellent job. What a difference a year makes when you are five.
Shay turned 21 today, we celebrated last night with an Italian dinner. She is such a sweet young woman, just awhile ago she was a laughing little girl, how fast time goes. Girls, hold those days close to your hearts, don't hurry your kids to grow up, it happens in a flash of light. Treasure your time together.
Tomorrow night is our big Board meeting. He doesn't have the support of enough of the Board to defeat them, but he will not resign, they will have to fire him. My heart breaks at that, but we will be with him, standing strong for our friend. Education should not be political, it is not the place for favors and back-scratching, everyone looses when it becomes political. The chief penis is still not talking to me, but that's OK. I'll make him speak eventually, if only to fire me!!! Alison, I think this must be what you felt when you resigned from counseling. Such a heavy heart, filled with frustration, weighing me down. We all need this 2 week separation, maybe we can return with better spirits.
I'm in the classroom tomorrow with 8th graders, discussing their IDEAS results. Maybe I can encourage them all to be education warriors, fighting acceptance of injustice. Fighting for excellence and high expectations of everyone; students, teachers and administrators. Wouldn't that be nice?
Or maybe pioneers, finding a new future for education and humanity... Or how to say, "want fries with that?"
You all have a good week and I'll talk to you later. Love you all. Hedy