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?