The End and the Beginning

It's the end of another year and the beginning of a new era for me. I still cannot believe I am actually here and enjoying it so much. Time already flew by so fast I couldn't keep up with it and it seems to be going thrice as rapidly here.

I'm really not doing anything special but it feels so wonderful to be accepted for myself that I have trouble describing it. Here, I'm just another person. There, I was an anomaly. It's a great feeling to blend in so easily. Again, it's so friendly here that I have to pinch myself to believe it. You would think it would be the opposite but I feel more welcome here than I ever have anywhere else.

I'm looking forward to what the New Year brings and I wish everyone the happiness and contentment I've found along with prosperity, good health, and peace.

Milestones

Two milestones since I came to Atlanta occurred today. Three if you count that I finally have a real mattress to sleep on. One was that it didn't rain for the first day since I moved here; and second, I actually turned on my stove tonight. I confess that it was just to warm up something I'd microwaved earlier but I did turn it on. Trouble was that I couldn't remember where I had stashed my cookware and had to go through several boxes and all the cabinets to find it but at least I know where it is now. Hopefully, I won't forget by the time I get around to using it again!

Health Problems?

Back home early. Flowers and dinner were nice but I'm afraid the guy isn't very well. He definitely has a bad case of "I" trouble. "Sigh." Should have known better! I miss a special someone who is 4,000 miles away!

Hello from Louisiana

I'm doing a very brief post, since Little Bit will be waking from her nap anytime now. Oh, and as I typed that, Roo came in looking for her Barbie's shoe (talk about finding a needle in a haystack!). We've had a good visit so far, and our hosts, DHs aunt and uncle, are very gracious and helpful. It's exhausting being so far away from home with a two year old, though. Five is fine, but two is something else. Both girls were exceptionally good on the long trip, but Little Bit's schedule is all upside down and her crankiness is pretty severe sometimes. I'm keeping an eye out to see if it might be ear-related, since she's prone to infection and both girls have slight sniffles and cough, but she says her ears and head do not hurt. Anyhow, I'll be very very happy to be home and back to our boring routine in a few days.

P.S.

A post script to my earlier posting: Yes, it's raining again! Definitely should get the key to the city or some type acknowledgement.

I forgot to mention earlier that I have a dinner invitation tonight from a very nice gentleman I met the last time I was here (before moving). He's driving 40+ miles to pick me up and take me to Ted's Montana Grill here in the city. Should be interesting in that I've stopped eating meat but I'm hoping my "charm" will override any little eccentricities I've acquired. If not, c'est la vie. Just wish it were the guy I'm missing so much but I suppose I have to settle for less if I'm to have any social life at all.

This and That

I've been here two weeks and have no idea where the time has gone. The days have slipped by so easily that I find myself checking the computer to verify the day/date.

I told a friend yesterday that I thought I may have broken the drought because it has rained at least a little bit (much more at times) every day since I arrived. Not complaining. It hasn't bothered me in the least.

I never thought it would take so much work to downsize! If I had brought furniture with me, I'd never be finished! I'm still waiting on my mattress. It's been promised for Monday morning so hopefully I can say goodbye to sleeping on the sofa for good. (This one almost makes me wish I'd kept the soft white leather one that I sold.)

Thirtysomething called about 4 p.m. Friday and said they were about 10 minutes from her grandparents-in-law's home. That meant they had been on the road with two little ones for about 12 hours. Give a good old-fashioned root canal anytime!

A Very Good Day

Early riser that I usually am, I managed to oversleep this morning and the girls had already gotten into their gifts before their uncle and I arrived. Even so, they had a great time and everything went well.

Thirtysomething had decorated their home beautifully with family ornaments they (and I) had collected over the years along with extra lights given to them by her in-laws. Everything not only looked great, it gave us all a warm feeling to see them displayed once again. It felt like family Christmas.

By about 11 a.m., the little ones were pretty worn out from all the excitement of Christmas, so we parted company after brunch at the local Waffle House. This might not sound "Christmasy" to others but we had a very good time. The girls behaved beautifully and we enjoyed our meal too.

The best part was that in the spirit of the season, each of us, unknown to the other, gave the waitress some extra money. Despite having to work Christmas Day, she was exceptionally friendly and sweet.

It felt really good to help someone have a better day and maybe a better Christmas too. After all, that's what Christmas should be all about.

First Christmas Here

Christmas is here! And it arrived before I realized it this year. It's my first one in Atlanta and while I'm thrilled to be here, I haven't had time to even think about decorating. My only Christmas decor is an animated Hallmark snowman with a bouncy dog and penguin.

Right now, I'm just grateful that I took care of Christmas shopping early. I ordered the girls' big gift shipped to their home so Dad could assemble it so that's done. No goodies for friends this year though. I did dip some Amaretto Chocolate Cherries for some of the restaurant staff who have been taking such good care of me but that's all.

I always get the "Bah Humbugs" this time of year but they don't seem quite as severe this Christmas. Still, these double holidays seem as though we're having four weekends in a row. By the time New Year's is over, I have to look at a calendar to see what day of the week it is.

Despite my annual aversion to stores on Christmas Eve, I was at Lowe's at 7 a.m. this morning to order a washer and dryer and pick up some needed supplies.

Wishing for a blessed Christmas and a much brighter New Year for everyone...

Family Tradition

Glad to hear you're carrying on the "family tradition." Remember how much fun it was to find forgotten gifts long after Christmas had come and gone?

Funny you should say that

Well, I just tapped into my hidden assembly talent as well. Of course, it was made by Playskool (not a typo, they actually spell it that way for some reason) and only had about five pieces to snap together, but still. I feel pretty darn proud of myself!

In case you haven't guessed, 'tis the season to be assembling kids toys for Christmas morning. I'm taking a break right now since DH is taking the dogs for a walk around the block. After being up until the wee, wee hours of the morning the previous two Christmases, we have vowed "never again" and are actually getting a headstart. I can see I'm already passing on the family tradition my mother began of losing toys here and there and giving them to the children as I find them throughout the year instead of the intended holiday, however. Funny how that works, right?

At least since we agreed to dine at chateau de Waffle House on Christmas Day, however, I'm not sweating anything else. We're to leave the day after to visit his relatives in Louisiana, since we missed the Thanksgiving trip. Actually, not sweating anything else except: laundry, cleaning the house, blah blah, but you know what I mean.

New Career?

Bless my other "son," he has assembled many of the things I ordered shipped here and I deeply appreciate it. I appreciated it even more after putting together a table today. I left the apartment for a while and when I returned, a large box was leaning against my door.

It turned out to be a sofa-type table I had ordered to put the television and radio on and at first glance, looked to be a snap to finish. After all, it only had a dozen screws to fasten the frame together and, voila!, the table would be ready to lay the glass shelves in place.

It wasn't quite that easy though and the fact that the instructions were omitted didn't help either. After leaving it upside down for a while, looking like a giant bug with three legs waving in the air, I finally figured out how to make it look like the picture. If it doesn't fall down when I add weight to it, perhaps a new form of employment is in my future. Not!

Sunday Morning Coming Down

Technically, this isn't my first Sunday here but I can't remember anything about last Sunday so I won't count it. It's a bit chilly out so maybe I won't have to run my air conditioner as I have for the past 3-4 days.

I decided to take a break from everything this weekend and start fresh next week. Or next Or next. I went to dinner with a friend at a new restaurant in Peachtree City last night. It's called Maxwell's on 54 and served absolutely some of the best food I've ever tasted. Wine wasn't bad either. A little pricey for my budget but since I wasn't paying, I enjoyed it even more.

When I dropped my cell phone last night, the battery came loose and I didn't realize until this morning it wasn't powered on. It seems Thirtysomething tried to call me twice so guess I'd better find out if anything earthshaking other than the dog tossing his cookies has occurred.

More later.

From the mouths of babes

Well, for some crazy reason I got this notion to bake cookies for several neighbors. DH gamely took the girls to a friend's birthday party so I'd have a few hours to bake. Although my kitchen turned into a disaster zone, I got most of the baking done (note to self, however, that Hershey's kiss peanut blossoms do not travel well, even the short distance to the neighbor's home...).

Unfortunately, we only made a couple of deliveries since Little Bit was completely exhausted. One we did make was to the very kind lady who gave us a gingerbread house (see previous post). My girls were so cute-looking in their little jingly reindeer ears and Christmas duds, bearing the treats. When the lady exclaimed how precious they were and asked Little Bit how she was doing tonight, she decided to announce, in very clear tones for a two year old, "Rusty threw up!" Rusty is our aging terrier who indeed did throw up today. Twice. Did I mention how elegant and refined this neighbor is, by the way? Neighbor looked a little stunned, so I said, laughingly, "Well, since Rusty didn't help make those cookies, you should be safe, hah hah!" Not very smooth, but I'm glad I was able to make any comment at all, frankly. Oh, well. We'll try tomorrow to deliver the remainder and hopefully, without any comments from the peanut gallery.

This too shall pass

You're right to keep that perspective, for the little frustrations of relocating (of course coupled with some big frustrations) will pass soon. Hopefully.

I've just completed phase one of a gingerbread house a kind (?) neighbor gave to us. Actually, it was very sweet. It was from a lady who has one daughter that is grown, and she said she thought of me and Roo when she saw it and knew it was a project we would enjoy. If I can just make sure the walls and roof stay glued together long enough for us to decorate it, things will be fine. I thought it would be a nice surprise for the girls for me to have the structure done tonight and then tomorrow all they have to do is the fun part, decorating.

No job prospects for DH yet, at least until January. Nobody wants to speak with him until then, I suppose to figure out budgets and such. The bright spot is that I just checked our bank acct. and we did receive his first unemployment check. It's not much, but it'll help keep us afloat for awhile. It feels very strange to be taking it, but with two kids we're not too proud at this point!

At Least Something Works!

I'm glad my Internet is up and running smoothly. Now if my body would only follow suit! It's a wee bit tired and bedraggled right now.

With the apartment glitch, I've had to make several changes and all of them involve extra time, especially getting the address and telephone thing changed. I remember being happy to be able to get most of my contacts updated before I moved and now it's starting all over. Only this time, it's more time consuming since I just made one change and it blows some of these places' minds that I am changing apartment number and telephone number so quickly.

The worst part is that I've gotten the list of "notified" mixed up with "not notified" so some have the info twice while others still don't know! Oh well, this too shall pass.

If you don't count putting most of a lamp (with wooden base and shelves) together before discovering part of it was broken and having to unassemble it and pack it back up, the only bad thing is I haven't had time yet to do much for pleasure. It's been mostly trips to Target, Home Depot, Lowe's, etc. then back to get rid of all that cardboard again. I've had to turn down a couple of nice invitations but maybe they will be kind enough to invite me again.

BTW Thirtysomething, my son-in-law is special anyway but he has been a rock during this moving thing and I appreciate him even more than I already did. And that was a lot!

Here comes Santa Claus

Can you believe that Christmas is almost here? It's as if the month of December has been moving in fast forward mode. I still have a few Christmas cards to get together tonight. Thankfully, the kids are down and will hopefully stay that way.

Roo had her Christmas program for the preschool yesterday evening. Being the smart, thinking ahead mom that I am, I made both kids take a nap. In hindsight, not the best decision I could have made. They are both programmed to not sleep at night if they have any sleep during the day, even the little one, who last took a nap before our Halloween party in October. They were awake until after 1:00 a.m.!!! Needless to say, we are not going to repeat that mistake again. That is, unless someone wants to volunteer to party with them all night.

The girls and I made Christmas cookies today, which was a huge mess and lots of fun. Little Bit decided to put her face to the plate and lick all the frosting and sprinkles off. Then, when her daddy came up from the basement, she offered him one with a sweet smile on her precious little face, saying "Eat it, Daddy! It's nummy!" I took pity on him and did warn him he might want to consider that decision carefully. All in all, a fun afternoon, especially considering the exhausting start we had.

BTW, you're going to give your "handsome" son-in-law a big head if you keep up these flattering postings ;-)

Making a Little Headway

Things are slowly coming together even if the floor still looks like the leftovers of a war zone. Bed and mattress still not here but sofa works for now. Not only did my handsome son-in-law load all the boxes and stuff before we left South Georgia, he assembled the sofa and barstools that had been delivered to his house before going home. My son met us here and the two of them got the trailer unloaded easily.

Murphy's Law really kicked in big time for me though. When I inspected what was to be my new apartment before moving, it was nothing like the one I had been shown and I refused to accept it. My clothes and shoes alone would have filled it up!

Fortunately (for me and them), they had another place in the same building. I'm not totally satisfied with it but it's much better than the first one. The apartment itself is nice but I ordered furniture with a more open floor plan in mind so the look won't be the same thing I had planned on having.

The worst part is that I had to go through the whole changing my address thing again since the apartment number is different. Then I was informed I could not be put in the apartment directory so I could buzz visitors in unless I got a local number so there went my plans to keep the same cell phone number for a while. At least, I still have the same email. For now anyway.

Even with all this, I'm still loving it here. When I finally get everything squared away and have a chance to recuperate, I want to do some more thorough exploring and maybe I will have some more interesting things to post.

Tell You Later

I do have Internet for a few seconds at least. This Wi Fi I'm piggybacking on keeps dropping me every few minutes. My connection is supposed to be installed between 2 and 5 tomorrow. Maybe by then, I'll be able to elaborate on the "snafus" I've encountered. Suffice it to say, Murphy's Law is working overtime for me (as usual) but I'm here and contented. More later.

A few snafus

Well, I'll let Life tell most of the story, but bottom line is she's okay and getting settled into her new place (and life) in Atlanta. There have been a few snafus and aggravations along the way, such as the wrong apartment plan being available, but hopefully things are calming down and they will just be minor setbacks. Her Internet is spotty and not secure, so I don't know when her next posting will be.

I have to admit that it's a really nice thought that I'll be able to call and we can meet for lunch or the girls and I can go and visit and not have to travel, sherpa-like, for the three hour trek and stay. We have minor colds right now, so we're hoping they'll get better in the next day or so and we can go check out her new digs.

Finally!

The worst of packing etc. is over now and my sweet son-in-law and I will be on our way in about two hours. Bless him, he loaded all the boxes while I kept running around like a chicken with its head chopped off trying to get last minute stuff together. To my credit, I did keep the boxes small so they wouldn't weigh a ton and kill our backs when they were moved.

Most of yesterday was a nightmare with people in and out of my house all afternoon, moving furniture, scratching my beautiful hardwood floor, etc. Not that I'm complaining (not too much anyway), but I'm really glad I asked the thrift shop to wait until I came back down in January to pick up the remnants. If there had been more confusion, I may have just closed the door and said forget it! I'm grateful for the money but it was so nice when everyone cleared out and it was calm for a little while.

Next posting will be from Midtown. Not quite sure when that will be. It depends on whether or not I'm still wired up or just collapse and sleep a while after we get the stuff in the apartment.

And BTW, Thirtysomething, the "ants in my pants" are still crawling a little but much better this morning.

Less Than 48 Hours Remain

It's been three weeks since I've been out of town except for a brief doctor's appointment about 10 days ago and I'm about to go stir-crazy. The fact that I've been really busy has helped, but it's really beginning to get to me. If I had to spend one more week here without relief, I would probably have to be carried out of here in a straight jacket!

All the furniture has been sold but storms over the past two days kept a couple of the buyers from picking up their purchases. If they don't have whatever they bought out of here by tomorrow though, they will just have to wait until I come back down to dispose of the leftover remnants sometime after Christmas.Time and I are waiting for no one for this move!

It made me feel good to learn that some of the people I met while I was in Midtown have been asking my son when I will be moving there for good. (That's probably two more than will even realize I'm gone from here.)

For now, I keep taking deep breaths and saying, "Saturday morning, Saturday morning" over and over.

From My Publisher

I was more than a little surprised at an email that came in from my publisher about 12:30 a.m. this morning. He's a night owl too (as well as a workaholic). He actually said something quite nice. especially the part about being missed. I was almost tempted to frame it but decided to share it here instead.

****, I am so very amazed -- and impressed -- at the "new life" you are heading off to live. I may even be a bit envious. Congratulations on starting this exciting new chapter in your life. Thank you for all you have meant to The Telfair Enterprise over the years. Being near grandchildren, and children, will mean you are in for many wonderful opportunities and that is great. You will certainly be missed, but we wish you much happiness as you start this new adventure.Best regards,******

Even signed it with his first name! Definitely impressed!

Thank You

Thank you for clarifying that, Thirtysomething. Your lifelong love of all things Christmas paid off for you. "Silver Bells" is one of the classics.

Left Us in Suspense!

But what was the trivia question!?!

Great Day

I think that last statement could be applicable to both humans and objects alike.

Today was one of those really nice, nice days, and I say that without a hint of sarcasm. DH and I took the girls to the zoo since we have a current membership. I packed peanut butter sandwiches and drinks for a picnic, and I had some passes for a couple of free rides on the train and carousel, so we figured the only money we'd have to spend would be the gas to get there.

There was hardly anyone there, which I initially attributed to the temperature, which was only in the high 40s. Turns out, they were having a party for the newest panda cub and everyone was there. We took our time at the exhibits and the girls had a blast. The animals came much closer to us than usual, and we were able to take our time. We got to the panda exhibit when the party was almost over, and got free Chinese food, panda cookies, and hot cocoa. I went back and told the lady thank you for the Chinese food, and she gave me two more cartons to take home!
We had such a good time, and it was a morale boost we desperately needed.

Then, this afternoon, DH and I took turns giving blood at the local drive. On one hand, it was a little rough because they missed the vein on my arm (again like last time, but not nearly as bad), but they got it together and it was okay. The fun part was I won a cool T-shirt for answering a Christmas trivia question correctly. I am all about the free stuff these days...it makes me inordinately happy!

Anyhow, just a really great day all around. I'm looking at my retro Christmas stuff and family and just so thankful for all that we have, and for having days like today to make memories.

Feeling Older?

Does having your cherished family ornaments referred to as "retro" make you feel a little older, Thirtysomething? It makes me happy that they were a hit and brought back some good memories to those who saw them.

The star on your animal tree sat on top of Christmas trees in our home from about 1970 (maybe a year earlier) on. I still remember buying it at the old McConnell's 5&10 on Oak Street in McRae, Georgia. Wow! Now that dates me!

If your visitors thought those were retro, they need to take a look at those in my attic. Some of them go back at least to the 50s . Many are still pretty but are so dated you never see them anymore. Time changes things but doesn't always improve them.

Getting into the retro holiday spirit

Well, we had our neighborhood Tour of Homes this afternoon. For some crazy reason, I volunteered our house to be in it since we were going to be in town after all. It was actually a lot of fun, and we had a good turnout. What was funny, though, was that I apparently had a retro-decorating theme and didn't realize it!

I lost count at five people who said they hadn't seen icicles in forever (I actually decorate with them every year). That combined with the other old -I mean retro-stuff caused much gushing and reminiscing about the good old days. I'm happy to have brought back so many memories for people, but it was pretty funny that it was unintentional.

Patridge (Family) in a pear tree, anyone?

Getting There

Today has been a good day for getting "stuff" out of the way. The buyer picked up the furniture and paid me in full which was very nice. The lady who was interested in my bedroom suite and said she would call me about it, did call and is going to bring the money for it tomorrow. Very, very nice.

She got a real deal on a solid cherry Drexel Heritage set but in this economic climate, I was just happy to unload, er, sell it. What I don't think she realizes is just how difficult it's going to be to move, especially the amoire. I've warned her but am not sure it is sinking in all the way. It took two very strong professional movers to get it into the house and they had to struggle to do so. Every piece of it is extremely heavy but that will be her problem now.

On the low side, I've been fighting a sinus infection/allergy all week. I can't seem to get warm enough, then all of a sudden, I'm burning up. Lord, please let me make it through next weekend even if you throw me to the wolves then!

Sales Are Slow

Sales have really slowed the past couple of days and those who call want stuff I've already sold. Go figure!

The worst part is I keep finding stuff and adding to it. I decided I had used the Paul Revere flatware so long that the British had actually arrived and it was time to get rid of it too. Lots of pieces collected over the years but just no money here. The local thrift shop should be pretty happy next Friday afternoon.

It's really sad to see so much need here. I almost feel guilty about being so happy to leave. Almost.

Should Have Known Better

I absolutely know better than to send photos to the paper when I'm dead tired and sleepy but I did it anyway.

A brain lapse or something like it led me to decide to submit the library pictures taken at Authors' Night Out to the paper last night so I wouldn't have that facing me today. Turned out to be a really bad decision, albeit a funny one, and one that might cause others questions my character to say the least, and likely my sanity too.

The first five were a snap. Smooth sailing, no problems. It was the last three that got me in hot water. (I might have even blushed if I still bushed.)

I wrote the cutlines, attached them to an email, and hit send just as I did the first ones. That part went just fine. What wasn't fine was I also attached a racy photo that a friend had asked me to share earlier. It was not of me (or anyone else). It isn't pornographic, just a photo of a somewhat graphic instructional poster, but you can imagine how I felt when I discovered this morning that I had sent it to the editor along with the other photographs. Luckily, he was thought it was funny and was still laughing when I walked in the office this morning. Fortunately, he has a better sense of humor than I thought he had. Of course, he had shared it with the others there too!

Thank God I didn't have the library director's new email or it would have gone to him too as I promised I would share photos with him. Knowing me, I would have copied him on it to keep from doing the same job twice. Today, I was doubly glad for small blessings.

A Little Time Off

I broke down and agreed to stay a while at the library tonight during their Christmas Night Out Authors Program (only because my friend asked so sweetly). I have to admit it was nice to take a break but when I sat down and got still, I couldn't stop yawning. Guess I really needed a little time off!

It was very nice though. Too bad so many people don't read anymore. Some of the people I've met recently seem not to have ever read a book. (Not sure they would recognize one if it bit them.)

It's back to work now. I am beginning to see a little daylight at last. Now if something else doesn't pop out of the woodwork to bite me!

Making Progress

It's been a hectic few days but (slightly) profitable ones. Almost all the furniture has been sold, all the silver except for 3-4 pieces of silver plate, and several other things. Tonight, I donated the contents of the linen closet to the library to use for programs etc.

Lest you think that doesn't amount to much, you never saw the linen closet here. I've already given several sets away and tossed those too stained to be of any use and I still managed to give them 118 napkins, six table toppers, ten large tablecloths, and ten small tablecloths!

Before you leap to conclusions about my sanity, I did not accumulate these things. I inherited them, many of which date back to the 40s and 50s. Good riddance!

I find myself a being a little slack about posting but there's so much to do here, plus, I lost most of the day today taking take my car in for past due service and keeping a doctor's appointment so that put yet another hitch in my progress. To top that off (and you may question my sanity about this), I volunteered to make some candy and dip some Amaretto cherries for Christmas night out Thursday. I don't know what came over me but it's a shame I wasn't stricken with laryngitis when I opened my mouth!

No! No!

No, No. The clothes "ON" my back, not off, lol.

Just the clothes off her back

I was just thinking about the comment that LifeAfter60 made when asked what she was taking to Atlanta with her..."the clothes off my back!" Of course, there is a little more than that, but not much. I've been thinking about what is important material-wise to me and what I would take if I were to dramatically downsize as she is doing (if I had my husband, two children, and two dogs, it would be Valium...and lots of it...). Seriously, I'm pretty much coming to a point in my life where I dont' want knick-knacks or clutter around. I want to be surrounded by things I love that have meaning to me, not just extra things to dust. Of course, we have lots of seasonal stuff stored and I guess that could be construed as clutter, but I thoroughly enjoy bringing all of that out annually and having it around during the holiday season.

I truly hope that LifeAfter60's new life and surroundings are everything she hopes for, and more. I know we will enjoy having her closer by, if she's not too busy for us ;-)

Hail, Hail, The Gang Was All Here

It's Friday night and everyone else has given up the fight and retired for the night. The kids are feeling a little nostalgic because this is most likely the last night they will be spending here. My favorite cousin, favorite second cousin, and favorite uncle came over for a while today and even Cuz was feeling a little blue because the family get togethers we've enjoyed here for so many years are coming to an end also. A new era is dawning, but we won't forget family traditions even if they aren't practiced as much anymore.

All in all, it's been a good visit with the family members I love most all here together, missing only son-in-law and cousin-in-law. With a steady rain all day long, today has been a bit hectic, especially for Thirtysomething. Much to Mom's dismay, Little Bit has pretty much given up naps so there's no longer a brief period of time she can relax her guard even for a little while. Considering this, you can imagine how much "fun" her Mom has had trying to keep little hands off all those fragile items spread around my living room.

People are coming in and out buying stuff and I've put as much out as I can fit in there. I'd already done this before they changed their plans and headed south for the holiday. (There's no way I could have picked it all up before they got here as well as no place to put it either.) It has kept us on our toes to say the least.

Adding to that, all the clutter is driving me nuts personally but this is the only way I can handle it right now. I'm feeling especially grateful that all the furniture except one bedroom suite has sold and I have a good prospect for that.

Change of Plans

I've gone from having having no one for Thanksgiving to Thirtysomething, both granddaughters, and my son being here until Saturday so come on over to visit, Cuz.

Unfortunately, Thirtysomething's grandfather-in-law isn't doing too well, is still in the hospital, so she and the children won't be going to Louisiana for the holiday as they originally planned.

I'll be glad to see them of course but it should be an interesting visit with all that glass and other fragile items spread out over the living room. I'll probably have to close it off while they're here. Way too many little hands wanting to touch way too much stuff!

Bad Time?

Way too much packing and lifting lately. My back (as well as some other places) has gotten really sore. A nice Toradol injection this morning helped that immensely though. Thank God for drugs!

This has to be the worst time to sell anything, especially in an area as impoverished as this one, That and an almost 11% unemployment rate leaves so little discretionary cash for people to spend. The antique dealer who has been buying from me is a sweet kid I've known all his life and he has had to really slash prices in his shop. He's trying so hard to hold on here now that I sold it to him wholesale. I just want to get rid of it and get out of here!

More Down, Much More to Go

Antique dealer came again today and helped price some items for me. He also bought a good bit more. Now that's the kind of help I really need!

Memory Problems Too?

Thirtysomething forgot to share her good news. Turns out her grandfather-in-law does not have a malignancy as first suspected but some sort of yet to be identified lung infection instead. He is still not out of the woods though as he hasn't responded to oral antibiotics. He's been hospitalized for IV fluids and medication and all thoughts and prayers are deeply appreciated.

Distance Challenged?

That McDonald's was 45 miles away and even I don't drive that fast!

Good news, we hope

DH has a job interview set up for Tuesday afternoon, so we're keeping our fingers crossed about that! It will set us back in our Louisiana Thanksgiving plans by a day or so, but it will be worth it. Only bad thing is, the job is about an hour away. Beggars can't be choosers at this point though, right? At least gas is less expensive for now, and we have a pretty fuel-efficient vehicle for him to get back and forth.

Welcome to preschool parenthood! We have been invited to three separate children's birthday parties on the same day. It's sad when my children have a more active social life than mine, you know? Don't know how we're going to juggle this, but we'll find a way. Oh, and there's another one for one of Roo's friends the last weekend of this month as well. Did my friends not have as many parties growing up, or do I just not remember it? I do recall my first "big" party at the McDonald's a half hour away, when I could invite a few of my third grade friends. Thought I was pretty hot stuff, but guess that's passe for third graders nowadays. Kind of sad.

Closing in Fast

The week has flown by and my deadline is approaching pretty fast when I look at all I have to do but not so fast in terms of wanting to go ahead and get moved.

This nutty weather has put a crimp in going through outside storage rooms but on a positive note, I've gotten most of the stuff that's any good out of the attic. (Whoever winds up with the house will get a surprise when they venture upstairs and find all that left over "junque"). Thankfully, l've sold most of my major furniture, still have the living room set and personal bedroom suite to go. Hopefully, someone will want these soon. After all, they will be getting a real bargain with the price I'm asking!

If you can't come over and help, at least remember me in your deepest thoughts while I am working so diligently.

Talk about tired...

Talk about tired! I'm still trying to recuperate from yesterday when I barely sat down long enough to eat. I'm still having residual stuff from the dust in the attic so I didn't spend as much time up there today. That, coupled with the fact that muscles I didn't even know I had are sore, kept me from doing as much today. I did get a little accomplished though. Also learned an old pewter snuff box is pretty valuable. I didn't even know what it was until yesterday!

On a brighter note, my friend from England called again today. All I am going to say is that he was a perfect gentleman in every way when he was here, quite a rarity these days. He said he wants to visit again after Christmas so we shall see. I did enjoy his company before. He has a great sense of humor and kept me laughing almost the entire visit. He was also very understanding when I broke my foot and put a crimp in his vacation plans. It's really nice when someone is more concerned about you than themselves and shows it.

Until later.......

"Junque" would look fancier

Sorry it's been awhile since I've written. Between Roo's birthday, planning a Thanksgiving trip out of state, and DH's job layoff, I've been so tired every night that I don't even have the energy to check e-mail. Hopefully, Little Bit will sleep better tonight than she has the last few and I'll be more refreshed tomorrow. I did want to put in a line or two, though, just to let you know I'm still here.

No word yet on any jobs, although he has two headhunters looking out for him. It's definitely a lot tougher market than a year ago, when his position was eliminated at his prior company. We're even discussing me going back to work and him attempting to find a part-time position somewhere. My field does not have the earning power his does, but it's a little more stable and would offer benefits. Our primary concern with it is being able to keep Roo in her preschool and someone home with Little Bit, at least until next school year.

Wishing you lots of luck with your "junque."

Whew!

Found out a good way to cut heating bill is to start pulling out stuff and trying to decide how much to sell it for, when would be best time to hold a sale, etc., etc. Actually had to turn the heat off. The temperature in the house got down to 64 but I was quite comfortable until I finally sat down late this afternoon. Started get a little chilly after I cooled off a bit but on the other hand, it's really cold outside so I probably saved a few dollars by not using the unit for the whole afternoon.

I should be able to sleep tonight unless I'm too tired. That would be a real irony but I suppose it could happen.

The worst part is that I've just gotten started good.

Fortunately, a nice young man who knows something about antiques came over and helped some. We didn't finish but he promised to come back and help price the other stuff. Anybody want to buy some "junk"?

Alive and Well

The weekend is almost over and we all survived. My idea of a "wild party" is not two dozen hyped up pre-schoolers going crazy in a fancy indoor playground but I suppose it does qualify in juvenile lingo anyway.

Turns out it wasn't as bad as I expected. (The other grandparents did everyone a favor when they treated Roo to a party there.) Tables were set up in a small room away from the play area and I volunteered to stay there and "watch the cake." By the time the little angels came in for the cake and gift part, they were pretty tired and not quite so wired up. At least not until they had all that sugar!

Except for Little Bit diving into my lap unexpectedly, I came out relatively unscathed. I say relatively because she was covered with cake and icing and glitter which she generously "shared" with me. She was standing on the seat beside me and when I looked at her, she grinned really big and fell towards me. She knew exactly what she was doing. Just as she did when her Mom tried to tell her a particularly loud toy was broken and she told Mom, "It needs batteries." Way too smart for a two-year-old!

Now it's down to business. I got back from Atlanta late today and my work is cut out for me as I prepare for the big move. Any volunteers?

Ok-a-a-a-y

When I went upstairs this morning, I was greeted by even more RSVPs from even more kids. The number, including baby brothers and sisters who don't have sitters, is up to 30. Twenty-four of those are "jumping age" though. Help!!!

Waiting?

I'm still waiting for Thirtysomething to share her funny fish story. In the meantime, I'll be heading to her house in a little while. Tomorrow is the oldest granddaughter's party to celebrate her fifth 5th birthday. Considering where it's being held (Jump Zone), after a couple of hours with more than 20 screaming kids going wild, a root canal will probably look easy by comparison!

Getting Cold in the City

The gorgeous weather I've been enjoying seems to be coming to an end. It's cloudy and a cold wind is blowing. When I came out of Ikea (without a coat of course), it felt as though it blew straight through my clothes.

Speaking of Ikea, if I ever go back in there, I'm wearing good walking shoes and taking a bag of bread crumbs. It seemed as though I walked miles just following exit signs, trying to find my way out! Even after I finally saw daylight, it wasn't the same place I went in so I had to walk even more to get to my car. It was a chilly little stroll but I wasn't taking a chance on going back inside and trying to find the right exit. (Took way too long to get out the first time!)

My older offspring gets back from Chile tomorrow so I guess I'll be vacating his condo again. Even though I don't want to, I really do need to head back south and start packing and disposing of stuff in earnest.

Cuz Says...

My favorite cousin has adopted yet another stray. If she had all the money she's spent taking care of God's helpless creatures that have been abandoned and/or abused, she could probably retire comfortably to the Riviera. (But she wouldn't be happy there without her menagerie!) Her tender heart and love for animals is unparalleled. I think she already has so many stars in her crown without this latest venture that it will be too heavy for her to wear when the time comes to don it.

Her latest missive to me said, "I've just spent (some might say "wasted") about a half hour looking for a shoulder strap to go with a little bitty pet carrier (red polka-dotted) that I'm buying, at a discount because it has a handle but doesn't have a shoulder strap, for my newest rescue, a 1-pound blue-eyed Himalayan kitten, now named Henry. As I was tearing out old luggage and pocketbooks trying to find a strap that would match, I started laughing at myself and thought to myself, "I really need to get a job!" Being retired is lots of fun!! (By the way, I occasionally do spend time more productively!)"

Henry is a very fortunate little fellow. And I can't think of anything more productive anyone can do than taking care of those unfortunate beings who cannot care for themselves. Keep on keeping on, Cousin. I admire you.

Are they hiring anyone else?

The job freelancing sounds great. It would give you a chance to get to know your adopted city better, pad your resume, and sound exotic. Somehow, saying that you freelance seems to have a certain coolness to it...I don't know, maybe it's just me.

Unfortunately, we had some bad news today. DH has been laid off, almost exactly one year to the day that he was downsized from his previous job. It was very deja vu'ish, receiving the phone call that he was coming home, planning Roo's birthday party, even the colors of the leaves as Little Bit and I sat outside in the sunshine and waited for his arrival. It stinks, but at least we're a little more prepared this time. We've kind of gone on automatic pilot, looking into independent healthcare policies, scheduling all of our doctor/dental stuff as soon as possible while we still have company coverage. It is, unfortunately, a tougher job market than it was a year ago, but we'll deal.

DH did make a comment today, something that he didn't tell me before. His supervisor made a remark a couple of weeks ago that if Obama won the election that they would probably be cutting a sales rep position, because the policies Obama advocates would tax the rich guys who own the company for whom he is (was) employed. Talk about putting the cart before the horse, right? Like Congress isn't going to fight a bunch of his proposals tooth and nail anyway.

A Job?

I’ve been offered a job freelancing for a new magazine just getting off the ground here in Atlanta. I told them I would give them my answer later, along with a price for my work, if I decide to do it. Sounds as though it has possibilities but even if I don't take it, it's certainly a good morale booster.

Gorgeous Weekend

I took a long ride north of the city yesterday. The leaves seem to be in all their glory right now - just masses of golds, reds, burgundies, a few oranges. It's absolutely breathtaking. I wanted so much to take some pictures by my common sense told me it would be a fool's errand to stop by a busy interstate for that!

Lots of pretty colors in the older neighborhoods around here too but seems to be power lines every where the most beautiful colors are. Nothing kills a good photo op more than have those things in the forefront of the scenery.

I've done very little but ramble around since I got here (did buy some shoes today) and I've enjoyed every minute of it. So much to see, so little time! At least for now anyway.

Won't you miss small-town politics?

Of course, the big-town politics can get pretty messy, too.

I actually like tofu, as long as someone else cooks it. I've tried a couple of times and always seem to make a mess out of it.

Our days alternate between dragging out forever and flying by. On one hand, I can't believe the holiday season is upon us. Some of the houses around here already have Christmas decorations up. I would say they're rushing the season, but I understand. I think with all the doom and gloom of the economy and everything, they want something positive to focus on. I'm still waiting until after Thanksgiving, though I may concede and bring out the cute Pooh snowglobe for the girls to play with.

DH finally managed, after two weeks of wrangling, to get an appointment with a specialist to do some testing. Found blood in his urine, hoping that it's not anything but definitely need to get it checked out, according to his PCP. This stress, added onto the stress of his grandfather doing very poorly healthwise, is really beginning to get to him. Wish I could find a way to lift his spirits.

Another First

I went back to the Flying Biscuit tonight and finally decided to try something I've always been curious about but never had enough courage to taste: the dreaded tofu.

Turns out it was pretty good. Of course, being mixed with Feta cheese and all that other stuff on the salad might have helped the flavor.

The days here seem to just fly by. I'm getting a few things done, at a leisurely pace of course, but each day seems to slip by so easily you barely realize it's gone. I'll have to leave again soon but will be back for good as soon as possible.

Even at this distance, I'm hearing rumblings from Podunk about outside agents looking for our sheriff to arrest him. Seems the big guys have been investigating him for a while and finally got enough on him to take action.

Other Changes?

A new day, a new president, Congressional make-up changed. Wow! Maybe America really is ready for a change. I don't envy any of them the job that lies ahead but I truly hope they can bring about the changes we need.

"Home" for Now

I got to Atlanta about mid afternoon. Easy ride, no problems. I took my son to the airport and came back here without going by the store. Big mistake. No food in his frig as usual so walked over to Flying Biscuit to get my Devil Burger "fix" a short time ago (8:45 p.m. EST). Wonderful as usual, and the two glasses of wine I had with it just enhanced the flavor.

Server recognized me and sent six of their wonderful wheat biscuits (no charge) home with me for later. I think I see the beginning of a great relationship. :)

Things Seem to be Coming Together

Sounds like you're pulling everything together! The great thing about your locale is that you'll never run out of things to do, especially in the cultural/social arena. Your first Christmas in a new city...how exciting!

Had to take Little Bit and Roo into the doc today. Ear infection and finishing up apparent bronchitis, respectively. Ear infection makes sense, since Little Bit has been in a particularly foul mood the last few days and had a horrible night last night, up every hour or so. She got mad when her cookie broke in two and crumbled it into dust. Her sister, horrified at the thought of a wasted cookie, gasped and then inquired, "Mama, can I eat it?" I'm trying to see if our Zoo membership includes housing her temporarily...

On a different and serious note, I received an e-mail this evening from my former roommate. Her sister-in-law has been diagnosed with Inflammatory Breast Cancer. She's got four kids, is a stay-at-home mom, and I believe is only 39 years old. I looked it up, and confirmed that it is pretty bad stuff. You can always look around and see someone else who's worse off than you. Keep her in your prayers.

Just a Few More Hours

Just a few more hours and back to my favorite place again, the ATL. I'm going up to to take my son to the airport for a flight to Chile tomorrow evening. In return, I get to stay in his condo while he's living it up in South America.(Give a little, get a little.) This time, I'll be there for almost two weeks. Well, in Midtown for 10 days, then to Thirtysomething's home for oldest granddaughter's birthday party. (Having it early this year because of holiday.) All of them are a little under the weather now but hopefully will be well by then.

I plan to spend this visit getting better acquainted with the area where I'll be living. I've already bought a membership in the Botanical Gardens. It's only 5-6 blocks away so I will be able to make full use of it. Thinking about volunteering there after I get settled. So much to see, so much to do!

I'm working slowly but diligently at getting rid of "stuff" here. Seems to be an unending task but I'm making a little progress. Told the paper today I was leaving. They still want me to write some for them from Atlanta and I'll do that at least for a while. Will be interesting to see how long that lasts. :)

Lots of stuff going on

Yes, we do have a pretty full plate right now. I've been checking in but not feeling like writing too much.

A bright spot was Halloween night, which was tons of fun for both little chickadees. One snafu, although comical now, was when I sprayed Roo's hair with glitter hairspray to complete her fairy outfit...only it was not glitter hairspray. Instead, it was bright orange hairspray and I gave her a good dose right on top of her pretty little head. Thankfully, almost-fives are too young to really care, and after I picked myself up off the floor I was able to convince her that I had added an authentic Halloween touch. I tell myself I'm collecting (creating?) good stories for her baby book. Don't want her to look back and see her childhood as dull, you know!

Lots of trick or treaters this year, too! We had probably a couple of hundred, which is quite a lot for our midsize neighborhood. I love it, though. In this age of political correctness and such, it was nice to see parents let their kids get dressed up and just be kids for a night. I mean, what could embody childhood more than dressing up and scarfing down candy?

No Word Yet

The realtor said the lady liked the house but her husband was out of town and she wanted him to see it too. Hopefully, this wasn't just an excuse and they will come back. Soon!

I got roped into attending a "short" meeting Thursday night that turned into a 2-1/2 hour marathon and spent an inordinate amount of time writing it up for the paper yesterday. I think it took so long because I didn't want to even think about it again, much less put it in writing!

Thirtysomething has been uncharacteristically quiet but she has a lot on her plate right now. Hubby had some labs that have to be repeated and also has been referred to a specialist for a problem found during a routine physical.

That, coupled with Little Bit biting her sister twice this week, has had her preoccupied. I guess when Little Miss Dynamite bit the tire on her sister's toy and that didn't work, she decided to start on the real thing. (Reminded me of when she bit the dog a while back.) Mom thought she had that under control but as we "veterans" know, sometimes things like that have an unsettling way of coming back to bite us too.

Maybe This is the One?

This news is probably not what you're thinking when you read the title of this post, but I'm excited anyway. After a few idle weeks, the realtor is showing my house again this afternoon. Everything seemed to fall in place after she called. The yard guys came a day earlier than usual (without being called) and got all the leaves up. I cleaned some last night and the woman who helps me around the house came by early this morning and vacuumed and dusted for me. Just hoping this new prospect will be the one who will buy it!

Woo Hoo!

Spent the day out of town yesterday seeing orthopedist and too tired to share last night. Great news though. Foot is healing well and he said I could leave off cast if I'm really careful. Of course, he didn't share that bit of wisdom until I asked him specifically. It's not him wearing the darn thing though. And I will be really careful. Hope I never have to do this again!

On the other hand, I'm running out of excuses to tackle the clutter here but I can live with that chore.

Know What You Mean

I definitely understand about not seeming to hit bottom, even with so much de-junking. I have an unspoken rule that for every one thing that comes in the house, another thing has to go out, usually through donation. Even with a large house, we have to continually "weed" to make sure that we're not overwhelmed with stuff. Most of it is actually hand-me-downs and not things we've purchased (furniture, large items, etc.) so I don't feel too bad about passing it along. Case in point, we were offered a hot tub from one of our neighbors. DH, without thinking, said "Sure, we'll take it!" Killjoy that I am, I pointed out to him that we have no room for it. It would completely take up our back deck, and we have no level spot in the backyard. Not to mention it takes eight men to move it, and that's without any water in it. Also not to mention that he's working six days a week and would have no time to construct anything to hold it.

We hosted a Halloween/neighborhood party yesterday and it was lots of fun. Didn't get to bed until midnight, but definitely worth it. That's a definite positive about having kids (especially one who loves to socialize), that it forces you out of your comfort zone and makes you get out there and initiate things. I didn't realize until I had our first one how much I enjoy hosting get-togethers and having company over. I think when LifeAfter60 moves to a more "happening" atmosphere that she's going to discover how much she enjoys things like that, too.

Good Time

I spent the afternoon pulling out and sorting stuff to give away and packing stuff I'm not using but will need later. Amazing what is still here after all I've disposed of already. Can't see bottom yet but I'll keep plugging away until it gets done.

We had a wonderful time at the concert last night. Great traditional country music from Gene Watson and his band. Also had Clinton Gregory playing with him so an added bonus. Opening act was a local doctor who made Doogie Howser look ancient and his father. They were actually quite good for amateurs and worth seeing too.

Didn't sleep much (or well) last night. You'd think two Ruby Relaxers before the concert and a drink afterwards would have made me sleep like a baby but it was the same old same old. Maybe tonight. :)

I Only Thought It Was Bad Here

To think, I hated having to stay in the house during the rainy days! Proves sometimes there are worse things than being alone. At least the weather is nice today so maybe Thirtysomething will have a little bit of a break.

I was dreading the weekend (as usual) until I accidentally learned about a Gene Watson concert just 35 miles from here. My friend #### and I are going over tonight to have dinner and enjoy the music. It wasn't publicized here and it was pure chance I heard about it just a couple of days ago. I'm just happy I heard in time to get tickets held for us at the box office. I've seen him a few times before and know I will enjoy it. Just hope she does too!

Three days of being cooped up

Roo finally seems to be getting over her cold, although she's coughing an awful lot tonight. Hopefully, I'm not speaking too soon and it's just the stuff irritating her throat.

I've been cooped up with the kids for three days and am about to go crazy. The weather today was rainy and freezing, so a definite no-go for them. Roo's whole vacation week has been spent sick, it seems, poor thing! I'm hoping that she'll be up for her little friend's birthday party tomorrow, since she missed another one last Sunday due to being ill.

An upside to all of this is that I discovered the incredible powers of Mr. Clean's Magic Eraser when Little Bit decided to do some artwork on the walls...and the cabinets...and the hardwood floors.

Lord, Give Me Patience (and hurry!)

I always function better with a deadline. Now that I have one, I can't just jump in and get things done quickly as I usually do when faced with a time limit. Tried it a while without the cast yesterday and learned the foot really isn't healed enough for that! Can't imagine why though. It's been TWO weeks. That should be long enough! Too much packing and disposing of stuff to just sit around here idly.

No problems finding those in need here

After reading the last post, I felt a little melancholy myself. However, just think about all the good you can do in Atlanta. There are so many who do not have a voice, or who need someone to depend on letting the larger world know about their outreach efforts. I know it might not be in the same capacity (news reporter), but you know what I mean.

On a different note, I have the possible opportunity for a Media Specialist position at a local elementary school next fall. I have awhile to chew on it, but I think if I'm offered it, I'm going to accept. I hate having Little Bit in daycare for three years, until she begins school, but these positions are difficult to find and it would be ideal in every other respect. This would give me some time to find a good sitter situation for her too, hopefully, instead of a center. Roo would be attending kindergarten and I could have her at the same school, and I would not have a long commute, which I was facing with just about every other position I've looked at. I'm going to keep thinking about it and praying that the right decision will be made. Of course, if the economy doesn't pick up soon, it may not be an optional thing!!

Looking Forward and Back

I am excited about my upcoming move but realize there will be a few things I will miss about where I live now. Not many, but a few. One occurrence today reminded me of some of those I will miss.

There's a church in this county that does a lot of good work in the community. Among those things, but not all by any means, are sponsoring Christmas programs for needy children, food giveaways, and an annual Law Enforcement Appreciation dinner every year. When I returned from the store this morning, there was a message on my machine from the associate pastor inviting me to attend and/or cover this years Law Enforcement dinner for the paper. He had lost my cell number and had already called the paper trying to locate me. However, he wouldn't even tell them what he wanted!

It brought to mind that in the past couple of years, this church began calling me directly to cover events for them. They stopped contacting the paper because of poor or no coverage and starting coming to me. They aren't the only ones here who do that and I appreciate all of them for their confidence in me. I feel a little sad that I won't be able to do this for them much longer but I will do what I can for all of them until December.

Quoting Our "Shy" Cousin

Even though she reads this blog faithfully and has been invited to post, our cousin is still resisting. However, she sent some interesting email so I am posting it for her (with names changed to protect the guilty).

This note was in response to a remark about Little Bit's notoriously short fuse:

"Reading Thirtysomething's stories brings back lots of lovely (HA HA) memories of when my angelic-looking son was that age! (Probably yours too - could they all be related or something?) It's much more enjoyable reading about and looking back on than it is when you're actually living it! And yet despite driving us crazy (-ier) and causing us to want to beat them on a daily basis and move away leaving no forwarding address, they turned out fine! Who knew? "

I said, "It's always more fun to see it than live it. Of course, Thirtysomething was so calm I didn't have those problems with her. She's just getting payback her brother deserves, I guess."

And she replied, "Life is SO unfair. She had to live with him growing up and now she gets his payback too! Poor baby. She needs to leave both girls with (brother) for a few days so that he'll have some of his own payback. She can go away somewhere and get some sleep!"

Now cuz, see how interesting you sound!

The best laid plans

Well, we were going to try and do a visit home since Roo is out of school this week. Unfortunately, she's got a runny nose and I'm not feeling too hot either. It seems like this always happens, even if I'm just contemplating a visit. It's like the town has some kind of effect on us, even thinking about it!

Little Bit ended up eating half a Fiber bar today...not making that mistake again, I guarantee you! Her sister asked if she could share it, and I thought it would be fine since it was not quite half of it, but it tore her tummy up. When she looked at me and said, "Mama, I pooped AGAIN!," I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Just turned two, and already saying oodles of sentences.

Now, who turned on those Bugs Bunny cartoon?

I'm sure my poor mother is still recuperating from her visit with us. It's funny how that payback thing works, right?

Super news on the medical front, though; Little Bit does not have celiac disease. Her bloodwork, which is supposed to be very accurate, shows normal levels and no indicators of celiac. Apparently, we're just dealing with a wheat sensitivity, thank God. Of course, celiac can develop at any point in one's life, since it's an autoimmune disease like Type 1 diabetes, but she does not have it now and I am so happy about it. A sensitivity we can deal with much better than a lifetime condition. We would have done whatever it took to keep her healthy, obviously, but it's such a relief that it is temporary.

On another note, I'm very excited about mom moving up closer to us. I know she's got to be a little apprehensive about it, but I think it's going to be one of the most positive changes she has made. Can't wait until December!

Enjoying (?) the Grandchildren

Decided to spend some time with the grandchildren (and their parents) before heading back south so drove out here yesterday.

Little Bit was thrilled to see me and when she thought I was leaving, got a toy and headed for the door to go home with me. A first for her and made this grandmother feel good too.

On the flip side, I'd forgotten how much "fun" it is to have a motor-mouthed almost-five-year-old climb in bed with you at 3:45 a.m. (especially when you've only been asleep for a couple of hours) but the big sister refreshed my memory this morning. After a couple of hours of constant chatter and a few Bugs Bunny cartoons, I told her she needed to crawl in bed with Mama and Daddy and take a nap if she wanted to go to a neighbor child's birthday party this afternoon. Nothing like payback. :)

Moving On (but missing someone)

The plane for London left on time this afternoon and we made it to the airport in plenty of time despite a flat tire. The whole thing has left me feeling a little sad. The past two weeks were so much fun that they seem to have flown by and it's going to be very difficult to return to an empty house again. He's probably not back in the UK yet and I already miss him. Actually, I think I missed him before he left! (It's so nice to have someone like him in my life.)

A person I trusted and thought I could really depend on became jealous and not-so-graciously has bowed out of my life for no good reason and with little comment. (We were just friends but I think he wanted more.) It's his loss as far as I'm concerned but I guess you can say "another one bites the dust." :)

I'll have lots to do though as soon as the doctor releases me or at least gives me the go ahead on more vigorous activity. No reason he shouldn't though. I'm doing great and ready to rock and roll.

I told the rental agent I would take the apartment when it becomes available in December and there's tons of things to do before then. Guess when a door closes, a window really does open. Or it's nice to think so anyway.

Last Day

Last day of visit had to be rainy. All day too! Shouldn't complain too much though. Weather has been beautiful until today. We went to the Botanical Gardens despite the rain and had an overall nice time even though we got soaked. The orchid house was covered so part of the visit was dry at least. I bought an annual membership since I will be living just a few blocks away and should get my money's worth quickly.

Did I mention the apartment will be available on December 11?

My son took us to a wonderful restaurant for dinner tonight and I overdid as usual. After all that rich Gulf Coast food and this, I have to go back on protein and Diet Coke for a while (no wine either!).

Back south soon but not for long!

Wow, what kind of meds are you on?

You feel like braving a visit to the grandchildren, even with a broken foot? That must be some pretty good stuff the doctor prescribed! Actually, I'm sure they'll be very concerned and keep trying to kiss it and fix you up with their doctor's kit.

I went to spend some of the birthday money I got and had a rude awakening in the dressing room. Body after baby (two) is definitely not the same. I tested my blood sugar this morning as well and while not exceedingly high (113), it was still over what it needs to be. Must get serious about regular exercise routine, even when Little Bit wakes me up at three in the morning and I'm exhausted when 6:00 rolls around.

Countdown Is On

Back to the big "A" today. Another apartment available to view and (sadly) getting ready to take my new "friend" back to the airport on Saturday. I thought maybe a trip to the botanical gardens and maybe the High would help make up for the hours he's spent watching out for me since my mishap. I'm feeling so much better I might even brave a visit to my beautiful granddaughters!

Good (?) News

I spent a portion of yesterday in the orthopedist's office and he said the "good" news is that things could have been much worse. He also assured me that breaks like this were easy to do and that he had broken his own foot the same way just getting out of bed several years ago. (I'm not sure if that was supposed to be comforting or not!) Anyway, I have yet another souvenir: an air cast in a lovely shade of gray. it beats the bulky splint acquired in Gulfport but is still hot as Hades and I'm sure will make the next few weeks loads of fun to endure.

I'm afraid my guest will be hesitant about returning. Spending half your time in the ER and doctor's office certainly is not much of a way to spend a vacation. I must say the company has been a pleasure though. All those people who write about "typical English reserve" didn't know him or others of his ilk. He's genuine, warm, and outrageously funny. His somewhat offbeat sense of humor caught me off guard but he's kept me laughing almost the entire visit and I really needed that after my slight brush with catastrophe. I'm feeling a little sad that I will be alone once again after Saturday. Oh well, I will be in Atlanta for a few days so that should cheer me up a bit.

Is Anybody Out There?

Well, she hasn't posted in a couple of days, which must mean she's feeling bad! Usually, I'm the one who has to play catch-up. I have to be fair, though, a broken foot and out of country houseguest are certainly valid excuses ;-)

I took Little Bit to have bloodwork done for celiac disease today. She has had so many problems with wheat and done so well after we took it out of her diet that I just feel we need to know if we're dealing with a sensitivity or a more permanent thing. If she tests positive with the antibodies, the doctor will want to do an endoscopy to confirm it. From what I've read, the blood test is about 90% accurate. If she doesn't have elevated antibodies, then we should be able to assume it's a sensitivity unless symptoms persist later on down the road. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that that's all it is! Although it could certainly be worse, following a strict gluten-free diet in our gluten-choked world is quite difficult, especially for a two year old who loves to eat everything.

I felt so sorry for an elderly man in the lab today. He was very frail and I heard him tell the phlebotomist that he'd just gotten out of the hospital after a two week stay. When I get to feeling sorry for myself, I ask myself if I'd like to trade places with someone like that and, of course, the answer is always a resounding "no." Even when my two year old looks down my shirt and my bra is apparently showing cleavage and she says "Mommy butt?!" in a very loud and puzzled manner in earshot of everyone. *sigh*

Glad you're home safe

It's one of those things you'll laugh about (maybe?) a few years from now, right? At least you made it home safe, even if it is to Podunkville. Maybe it'll give some of the gossips in town more to talk about. You could even make up an exciting story about getting injured bungee jumping or something.

I just got an e-mail from the editor of the magazine for which I do volunteer reviews, and she's having a hard time understanding why the rating I gave a recent book and the review didn't seem to "match up." I must de-fog my brain and remember why I did that. I'm a little nervous about it, since I've been doing this for several years and this is the first one she's ever had a question about.

My "Vacation"

Wednesday: Arrived Gulfport. Wonderful dinner with at the Yacht Club with our friends. Thursday: Took a walk. Broke my foot. Spent the afternoon in the ER. Got brand spanking new pair of crutches for a souvenir. Friday: Sat around with my foot propped up all day. Limped into the Yacht Club later for a birthday party and dinner. Guest of honor was in the hospital. Felt somewhat perversely glad that someone else was worse off than me. Saturday: Sat around with foot propped up all day. Nice dinner at a local Italian restaurant. Sunday: Drove all day (475 miles) to get back to Podunk. Some bruising and very tender areas "above the waist" from using crutches. More later. Maybe.

Bad News

Received a phone call yesterday; it seems that LifeAfter60 has had a mishap in Gulfport. While walking with her friend, she stepped into a hole and broke her foot. Of course, it couldn't be the one that had already had surgery on it; it had to be the one that had not actually given her any trouble before. I feel so bad for her, but am glad it apparently was not a worse break than it was. More news later.

Changed Priorities

You can tell you're a grown-up when you are ridiculously proud that:

your children, husband, and yourself are all vaccinated for the flu and it's only October

Rainy Days and Getting Older

Well, my 33rd birthday has come and gone. It was nice evening, the girls and DH took me out to eat and we had ice cream under the stars. It was a special thrill for the girls to be out and about after dark, particularly. It's just hard to believe I'm already almost in my mid-30s. There was an article today about Generation Y, for which I don't qualify since I was born in 75 and it is 79 to something-or-another (see, the memory's going, too), and it was weird to see this generation younger than coming up.

LifeAfter60's houseguest seems to be very nice. I'm anxious to hear about how the extended togetherness turns out.

My Apologies

I didn't realize it has been two days since I posted. My apologies for being lax. The editor asked me to cover two different community events, one on Monday and one last night, so with doing that, getting it written up, and trying to get ready to head to Gulfport this morning, I just let the time slip away. Oh, and having a house guest added more to my usually very quiet and dull schedule but I'm not complaining. It's been very nice having someone else here and seeing this little town through different eyes. Still don't want to be here but interesting to see and hear a new perspective.

I guess after this I have to go cold turkey from the computer unless I luck up and find a wireless service to log in with while I'm gone. I will check in as soon as I can though. Thirtysomething says she will try to pick some of the slack during the next few days but she has guests too so we shall see.

Good Day

Great birthday party for Little Bit. She and big sister were both on best behavior despite not having a nap. Suffice it to say, they didn't scare off any British visitors and were in fact, very sweet and polite. Well, polite anyway. Grandparents, great grandparents from Cajun country, and a couple of neighbor families were there and everything went very well. Thirtysomething will have to fill in other details though. Long day and long drive back south today and I'm pretty tired.

Back for the Day

Back in the ATL but sadly, just for overnight. Have to head back south for a while after Little Bit's birthday party tomorrow. Knowing I have to go back so soon reinforces just how glad I will be when I am here permanently. The good part is I won't be alone because I'm picking up a new friend from the airport and he will be here for two weeks.

I will be playing host and chauffeuring (happily) for the next two weeks so my entries here will probably be spotty until after then. I know for sure I won't *gasp* have computer access during the time we're in Gulfport since my friends there do not have a computer and there is no wireless close enough by to piggyback to. I may need life support if it goes on too long! I'm already having withdrawl symptoms!

Not Unusual

Roo's behavior is not unusual for that age. I believe you're handling it exactly right. Good call.

Hmmmm...

That did sound pretty on-target. I might try it myself when I get a few moments later on to contemplate it. I will let you know the results.

Our high school reunion may or may not happen. The organizer told me he would let me know tomorrow, but thus far there has been a real lack of interest. Apparently, only a few have contacted him and RSVPed. Looks like I might have to wait another five years and see if interest has sparked by then. Frankly, there are lots of Halloween kid-friendly events going on around here that day that the girls would love to go to, so I might just say forget it anyway if there's going to be so few people there.

On another subject, the older DD (I'm just going to start calling her Roo, since that's one of her nicknames anyway) apparently pilfered a pretty little cube-thing from the bird seed store the other day when she was with her Daddy. We found it in the van and she 'fessed up and bawled her eyes out. We didn't yell, but emphatically told her that it is called stealing when you take what doesn't belong to you and how absolutely wrong and awful that is to do. As soon as the store opens tomorrow, she's going to have to bring it back and apologize to the store owner. I know that at this age, it's not like she's headed for juvenile hall or something, but it was still quite a shock to realize she had taken something that didn't belong to her. Judging from how upset she was, I don't think it's something she'll repeat.

Coincidence?

I've never been much on fortune telling, palm reading, and the like but found an interesting tidbit tonight (wee hours of Thursday actually). I went to bed about 11:30 and about an hour later was wide awake so did what I frequently indulge in when I can't sleep - browse the Internet. I came across an article on numerology and, because it sounded interesting, took their little test.

It was pretty accurate but also very general and could have applied to many people. I was intrigued though and took it to the next level of looking up my Destiny number. Considering where I am in my life now, I found this to be much more revealing and vaguely wondering about its accuracy. (Note: I did say vaguely.) I'm sharing it and you can draw your own conclusions.

"With a Destiny Number of 5 you must represent freedom to find fulfillment. To live up to your destiny you must work to embrace change and not fear it or cling to the familiar in your life. It doesn't mean rushing blindly into something new, however keeping yourself open to change and taking on new opportunities, challenges and adventures when they present themselves will lead to your ultimate happiness."

Maybe!

A different name might be appropriate. I will think about it but perhaps the thirtysomethings are the reason their Mom is finding her groove. I believe the over 60s enjoy seeing what they know so well from your point of view too. One friend said she reads your postings and laughs and nods her head because she knows so well what you are going through, having traveled the same path when she was younger.

If I could tell everything here that has been going on in my life lately, it would definitely need a new name and possibly even a new rating. Maybe one day...

New Blog Name?

I'm proposing we come up with a new name for the blog. Not certain what it should be, but I wonder if those looking for "groovy" women over 60 are disappointed when they read about my thirtysomething suburban mom-ish lifestyle as well as yours. Any thoughts?

D-Day Closing in Fast

It's only three more days before I head to Atlanta once again. This time, it's to the airport to meet my English visitor and to help celebrate Little Bit's second birthday while there. If she and big sister are wide open as usual, I have to wonder what kind of impression we will make on a European visitor. Might want to change return date and take the next plane back! :)

Every time I go and have to return here, it's a big letdown but I am looking forward to a trip to Gulfport to visit our mutual friends. I know I will enjoy that and, if the fates are kind, my apartment will be available by then. "Just wishing and hoping and praying..."

Good Start

Had my first CASA interview today. Everything went well and I'm halfway to getting my appointment. Yea!! What a great way to start the week!

Thirty-something Milestone

Well, I just RSVPed for my 15 year high school reunion. We didn't have a five or ten year, so I haven't seen some of my former classmates in quite awhile. It's so strange to think of it having been that long since my big hair glory days :)

I wonder how much I'll have in common with some of them now, if we as a whole have become more compassionate and, I guess, better human beings, as we've gotten older and truly experienced life outside our small town (some of us, anyway), or if we'll just be older versions of our same old high school selves and will revert to those roles in the context of being together again.

Not Exactly

That's not exactly the type excitement I had in mind but I guess it beats nothing. Barely, though. :)

Sorry to Hear about your Dull Weekend

My sympathies for your uneventful weekend. Had you stayed here, you could not only have perhaps created (or participated in) another Olympic event, but chosen from the other fun-filled options: test driving new vehicles in exchange for $225 in gas while hauling two excited children in and out of the vehicles with the equally excited (??) salesperson; hauling a non-spotless, heavily protesting toddler out of a spotless (and expensive) convertible in the showroom; hauling said toddler away from row of candy machines at her eye level in the waiting room while waiting for minivan to have an oil change; having toddler parading around with stuffed frog in her shirt, looking like a miniature Dolly Parton and having the crowded waiting room giggling and pointing.

Another Less Than Wild Weekend

Back in the boonies since yesterday afternoon with another dull-looking weekend ahead. In retrospect, I should have stayed in my son's condo over the weekend or headed back to Thirtysomething's to see if the girls have dreamed up another new Olympic event.

Good and bad news though: The bad news is that the apartment I saw was not what I wanted (as well as being $300 more per month). The good news is that I paid a priority deposit so when one like I want becomes available, I will have first choice on it.

Still hard to comprehend that I've made that first major step towards leaving but if feels good. Just anxious to "get 'er done" now.

Step Out for a Minute...

Darn! I leave for a short time and miss the chance to participate in what might be the most watched Olympic venue in history (if it ever comes to fruition). Day late and dollar short as usual.

(Almost) Naked Girls Competition?

Okay, so it's not nearly as risque as it sounds. I was preparing supper yesterday evening and had the door cracked open since the girls were playing in the backyard. My ears perked up when I heard the older one going "Pull, pull!" and decided it would be in my best interest to investigate. She had thrown the garden hose over the deck and was pulling her little sister up, clinging rescue-style. She informed me that they were in the Olympics and that sister was a great "garden hose holder." I then informed her that, despite this enviable skill, it would be much safer to find another Olympic event in which to compete. They went to the trampoline and I quickly finished supper, then went outside to join them. I bounced for a minute, which is not nearly as much fun when you're not a kid anymore, then sat in the middle for them to bounce me. Older DD then announced it was time for the "naked girls competition!" She proceeded to strip down to her Little Pony undies and, of course, Little Bit wanted everything off but her diaper, then they ran around me until they fell down from exhaustion. DH was quite disappointed to hear that I did not participate in this particular event, but since we are planning to live in our quiet suburban neighborhood for at least a few more years, I thought it best not to scandalize our neighbors too much.

P.S. As if there weren't enough excitement yesterday, Little Bit dropped a paving brick on her toe and opened it good this evening. We're shopping for a helmet for her birthday, but I think full body armor might be more appropriate.

Winding Down

I've had a great time with the babies (and their parents too) but it's about over for now. Really enjoyed Grandparents' Day with the oldest one at her pre-school yesterday. The little one with the very short fuse has been exceptionally good, only losing her temper a time or two, a nice bonus. :)

Also had a chance to have a long visit with my favorite son-in-law and really enjoyed our time together. He's my third child and as special as the other two.

Unfortunately, I have to get my things together and head back. On the bright side, I will be detouring through Atlanta to see that apartment before aiming my little red car south and I'm looking forward to seeing it (just hope it's the right one). Also to going by the Flying Biscuit for a Devil Burger since it's very near the apartment so it should be a good day.

I hate to leave the girls (mom and dad too) after such a short visit but will be back next week for Little Bit's second birthday so will get to see them again very soon.

Who Knew?

Who knew that dog-walking could be so romantic? Since Mom listened out for the little ones, we got a few much-needed minutes alone walking the dogs through the neighborhood. It's funny that before we had kids, it was like "oh, man, gotta walk the dogs." Now it's something that I really miss doing with him. It's a great chance to get some exercise and talk, especially when the nights are cool and clear. I will say that having children definitely makes you appreciate your time together more. We are trading babysitting once a month with another couple and will actually have a date this weekend (yay!). Unfortunately, we're broke, but we probably have enough in the change jar to go grab a cup of overpriced coffee and share it, which will be cool.

Back in the ATL

Well, not exactly back but close enough. I got to Thirtysomething's home this afternoon and will be here a couple of days before heading south again.

I've enjoyed the afternoon but reinforced what I already knew: children are definitely intended for younger people. Went to the playground and the little one who is so independent she doesn't even want to hold your hand, wanted to ride on my shoulders on the way back. Is there a chiropractor in the house?

I will actually be in Atlanta on Friday morning to check out an apartment. Just hoping this one is close enough to the one I want so I can go ahead and lock it in. (Crossing my fingers on this.)

Listening out for the girls now so their Mom and Dad can have a little time together. The little one just turned on her music box (and they thought she was asleep!) but she isn't crying. Thank goodness for baby monitors so I don't have to run up and down the stairs.

Maybe I spoke too soon. I think I hear little feet so I'd better check on that. More later.

Not a Hallmark Moment, for sure :)

So I guess it's back to unpaid VOYA reviews for now?

Is this a "Milkbone Moment?"

I suppose it will. I'm not really worked up about the falling incident since she was okay and I know that kind of stuff is going to happen. Call me old-fashioned, but I don't think a child's had a true childhood unless there are at least some scrapes and bruises involved. That shows they're not living an antiseptic, couch potato existence.

It just seems like a lot of days I'm running the on the hamster wheel, getting things done for everyone else. Someone always wants or needs something, and any needs or wants I have get shoved to the back of the line. I'm more assertive than I used to be about taking some time for myself, but it's still like my day never ends. There's always stuff to worry about, especially with the economy the way it is and DH taking such a substantial pay cut when he was laid off last year.

Referring to the title, I know it's ridiculous, but last night I got so upset. I had read about the 100th anniversary for Milkbone contest, in which the first prize was $100,000. I thought the deadline was November, so I've been composing our story in my head of how we rescued Ruby from the shelter and she had heartworms and other complications and how we worked through all of that and what a terrific, happy dog she is now. I even thought of all the different angles we could take her picture, etc. Well, I logged onto the website and it turns out I read it incorrectly and the contest ended on September 18th. I actually boo-hooed for quite awhile on that one, because I just knew that we would win or at least get an honorable mention. I know realistically that we had a next-to-none chance of winning it, but it was still a nice fantasy.