Weekend Windup

Last week was a busy work week.  That's good, I'm not complaining. But I was happy to see Friday arrive.  I worked out at the Endoscopy unit all week.  No lunch or breaks during those days but we get by. So you can understand my happiness at leaving on Friday afternoon.  I ran out to the car as soon as I was done and gave a sigh of relief at home.  About an hour later I realized in my haste to escape, I left my phone in the unit.  Of course it's closed by that time and nobody will be there until Monday morning.  So I made a call to the hospital and they hooked me up with security and the nice gentleman met me over there and unlocked the building and I was able to retrieve the phone.  Crisis averted. How did we ever survive all our lives without a cell phone? Anyway, that was my beginning of the weekend.  Also this past week I was again bitten by some kind of bug..probably a spider...that left my leg a mess:

A bit swollen and a bit of a mess but I've been on an antibiotic and it's getting better.  I don't even remember getting bit but obviously it happened.  I'm blaming that on my bad memory with the phone...that's my story anyway!  Thankfully the rest of the weekend has been good.  We hit the opening Saturday for the Farmer's Market and scored some sourdough bread and some "Had to have" items:

This is going to  my sister's house.  It will look super cute on her front door.  It would be easier to pass up if the person running that booth wasn't a co-worker! Ok, maybe not but I know Midge will love it.

This little piece of fence will find a permanent home here at the Pines and I can decorate it for lots of holidays.  I didn't take a pic of the bread we bought but trust me, it was good!  I completed a little project in the kitchen. I have a couple of shelves that housed a ton of cookbooks.  I went through them and only kept a few and the rest are going to my Granddaughters who want some, then to work and any left over will go to Goodwill.  Feels good to get rid of stuff!

Bye-Bye books!  One other thing that happened over the weekend was replacing the top of the back deck gazebo. I had ordered one earlier in the year.  I was so excited to find one in red that I didn't realize it wasn't the right size! (I think I need to slow down a bit)  I reordered another one and it finally came yesterday.  We were getting ready to put it up when we saw it was missing the separate top part.  NO WAY!  Another call later and now I'm getting another one next week. (Hopefully) Here's a pic of the box"

It was pretty smashed up so I should have known something would be wrong...can't anything be easy these days? I know this is small compared to other stuff going on in the world but it's still a thorn in my side in my world! Ok, no more whining!  On to a happy thing.  As we plan for our celebration of life for Mom in a few weeks I found a book I gave her years ago and asked her to fill out.  I'm so glad she did.

It's filled with lots of information about her childhood, memories of her past and her life as a young mother and wife and then as an older adult and her challenges and her strong faith.  I'm going to copy some of the entries and frame them to put on the tables for everyone to read.  My Granddaughter gave a similar book to Jack and I to fill out and seeing how much I treasure Mom's I'm going to get hers done and hopefully she'll enjoy that.  The weekend has gone by fast and I will leave with just a few pics of some of my flowers:

Things are growing quickly in our wet and warm weather.  Oh, one last thing since I haven't blogged in a week.  The Goodyear Blimp made pass overs to several hospitals in this area.   It was a nice thing to do to thank the front line workers:

Hi and Bye! Have a good rest of the weekend!

Pomp And Circumstance

A miracle occurred yesterday.  I had an outdoor event here at the Pines and the weather was perfect.  Sunny, 70 degrees, a slight breeze...no rain, tornado, power outages (which are actually things that have happened in the past!) and a good time was had by all.  At least by me anyway!  What was this miraculous happening?  Our Grandson, Anthony, graduated high school and we hosted a party for him.  He had a party at his house the day before with his friends but they wanted to have one here for family and older folks so we could do the semi-social distancing thing. 

A corner of honor was set up.  Looking at the photos is like watching your life pass in front of your eyes.  Time flying would be a good title! How he went from this:

To this:

A young man as tall as his PawPaw!  I don't know why I would be surprised because we watched all our own kiddos go through the same thing. There are days I still can't believe how fast they have grown!  Here are a few pics of the day:

Outdoor was set up with tables and chairs.

The food was setup in the dining room. Cameron helped get it ready.

The cake was not only pretty but pretty tastie too!

There was a lot of corn hole going on! Good form Anthony!

Family pics....sister Summer, Grandpa Jerry and his Nana Kaye and his Mom Stephanie.  On top of this celebrating we had a few other things to celebrate.

Our Granddaughter, Driana, got engaged to her boyfriend...now fiance'...Jon!  Congrats you two! Not only that, Driana also finished nursing school and will start working as an RN at a Cleveland Clinic hospital.  Oh, and she found a super cute house to rent.  Now that's what I call a full week!

A proud PawPaw!  So now we have 2 Granddaughters that will get married next year.  Let's see who gets to the alter first...Driana or her sister, Summer! The race is on!  So graduation happened in a very private ceremony for just parents and the graduate and I don't know if  "Pomp and Circumstance" was played.  Hearing that song as the kids march in always makes me teary eyed anyway so I'm glad we had our own pomp going on here at the Pines and we could gather and celebrate with these kids who will never forget the way they had to graduate in 2020...the year where nothing is as it used to be.  Congrats kiddos! We love you! P.S...Thanks Mother Nature for a perfect day!

Saying Goodbye And Moving Forward

I wrote a blog post a few years ago about "Hellos" and "Goodbyes".   The hellos are always easier and usually come at happy times.  Those darn goodbyes though are what make the valleys of life hard to travel.  On June 1st we said our goodbye to Mom.  I could say that 2020 will be the year remembered as a time like no other.  But I would be wrong.  There have been many times in this century like no other.  Wars, disasters, weather catastrophes, terror attacks , and other news worthy events are the valleys we all have traveled. My Mother would be the first to say: "Been there, done that, got the T-shirt".  Through it all she showed strength, grace, and a "DO IT" attitude.  So when we were preparing her last wishes we were also in the middle of a pandemic, protests, and the violence of riots, looting, and property destruction all around her neighborhood.  Her funeral could only be attended by 10 people.  We had to limit who could attend and in our family that's not easy.  Mom was known and loved by many more than just family.  She was very involved in her Church and when the Priest gave the eulogy there was no doubt that he knew her personally. Even though the Mass was attended by only 10 people, it was still filled with a sweet spirit of love. However, I felt Mom deserved better than that small gathering and seeing how events of that week led to another funeral yesterday that allowed hundreds to attend I just had to shake my head.  As a light rain fell we stood and said those final goodbyes at the cemetery and came back to her  home for a luncheon attended by family.  Mom said in one of the video chats that when she came home we would have a party.  So that will happen in July when we have a celebration of her life that we will share with how ever many want to come. Hopefully that day will be filled with many happy hellos that would make her smile.  So now we move forward as life goes on and the world keeps spinning.  The pandemic has changed many things but slowly we're getting back to Summer activities and also celebrations like Graduations, weddings, and Independence Day.  We have 2 Grandkiddos who have graduated high school, and one who earned the titled of RN.  Lots to be thankful for here at the Pines.  We are half way through this historic year so I'm hoping that the next 6 months will be played out on a high hill instead of a low valley. 

Sweet Dreams.

A Very Sad Day

This morning my beautiful Mom (94yrs young) passed away.  She was at home with my sister and my niece Amy and granddaughter, Driana at her side.  She was doing really well at home and yesterday Driana called and told me they were having a great time making some Greek food.  She even sent me a photo of her and my Mom and sister making Dolmadas.  (stuffed grape leaves) I talked to Mom and she asked how I was doing.  So typical of a loving mother!  I said I was fine and I asked how she was and she said she was doing fine too and was happy we were all well.  I told her I loved her and after hanging up I was filled with a peace that I can't explain. I was really happy hearing her voice and seeing how she was enjoying herself.  But God has his plan and today he took her home.  She was a strong lady and the smartest women I ever knew.  She loved our Dad and they had a wonderful relationship.  Dad died when Mom was only 50.  She never remarried but went on to live a full and adventurous life.  She traveled the world, worked for 32 years at Memorial Hospital and then after retirement she worked at various other jobs as well as catering many events at her church.  She was a fabulous cook! I learned so much from her over the years.  She and Dad raised 6 kids, and she lived to see 15 Grandkids and 33 Great-Grandkids.  I hope I have all those numbers correct! I might have missed a few!  I have many wonderful memories of my childhood and her lessons on life to keep in my heart.  One of my fondest memories was the year she met Jack and I in New York city.  Jack had a conference for work so Mom and I headed downtown and took a tour of the city. We took the ferry to Ellis Island and she was able to see where her parents came to America from Greece.  I had my Grandparents name put on the wall at Ellis and she was able to see that and it brought tears to her eyes as she sat on a bench and wondered if her own Mother could have sat there waiting for family to come and get her.  It was a touching moment for me to be a part of.  These last years have been a bit more difficult as she navigated the gates of aging.  She never thought she'd live past 80 since none of her family had.  She had always been so active and lead a healthy life style that brought her well over that age.  But our bodies give out and falls and hospitalizations took a toll this year.  When my sister fell ill and then Covid came and Mom found herself in the hospital with a fractured leg the whole picture changed.  Without family in the rehab center she was having cognitive issues. She lost a lot of weight and her strength lessened. We were all happy when she could come home. We had high hopes of getting together this summer as she was eating better, gaining some weight back, and seeming to have better memory issues. But it wasn't to be.  So today I'm sure there's a happy reunion with Dad, her parents, her siblings, and her Grandson Jono, and many other family and friends who went before her.  RIP Mommo..you will be so missed.

The three witches of Chicago!

Me, Midge, and Mom..the 3 musketeers!

One of many selfies!

I will miss sitting at your kitchen table Mom.  Love you  

The Usual

Usually I post a Memorial Day blog but never got to it this year. I don't know about you but I'm feeling a bit off kilter.  With all that's happened in the last few months and Covid thrown in I feel like the days are flying by with not much happening!  Ashland usually has a parade with a lovely memorial service for our fallen heroes to follow.  The parade never happened but there was a small service in the cemetery.  Such a small remembering for such big sacrifices from our military to keep our freedoms.  Thank you all who are serving or who have served. My Dad and brothers served and I'm very proud of them.  Jack and I usually put in our garden on Memorial Day weekend and that did happen.  We worked hard on Saturday to get it done.  Jack had added 2 more raised beds and we filled them with veggies that hopefully will be enjoyed by harvest time.  Our blueberry bushes look promising but the raspberries don't.  Oh well, we'll probably look for some new bushes to add and then next year could be better.  Our weather has turned from this snowy pic a few weeks ago:

To this:

Unusually warm yesterday: almost 90de and today in the 80's.  Much cooler by the weekend but thankfully no snow!  I have more outdoor work ahead with painting our porches and getting the yard spruced up for our Grandson's, Anthony, graduation party.

He graduated with "social distancing" and only parents allowed.

Here  he is with his Dad,our oldest son, Jack...Congrats Anthony! He'll be off to Bowling Green University in the Fall.   He's a great kid!  We also had another graduation.  Anthony's sister, Driana, finished her nursing school for her RN!  She worked 2 jobs (at a nursing home and hospice) while going to school full-time.

She'll be a fabulous nurse with her sweet, caring attitude and tons of spunk too! Love you girl!  She actually flew into to Chicago to  help with my Mom (Her Great-Grandma) who made it  home from the rehab center last Thursday.  We really appreciate her willingness to do this after having to cancel a vacation due to Covid.  She's a gem!  One other graduate in our family is our sweet Granddaughter, Katie!

She's out in Portland, Oregon . I haven't gotten any pics of her in her graduation garb yet and not sure how it's all going down out there.  We were suppose to fly out next week for her graduation but it was cancelled. If it's moved to later in the summer we may be able to fly out then.  But who knows what will happen...not the usual I'm sure! We love you Katie and are so proud of you!  We have much to be thankful for even if it isn't business as usual right now.  Finally, the usual flowering is happening here....

The azaleas look beautiful

The rhododendron is loaded with blooms.

Snowball bush is a blizzard of white.

Miss Kim lilac is blooming with fragrance!  I wish I had smell-a-blog! So I may have said not much is happening but after writing this I realize that life is happening...fast paced and filled with the usual growing season with family members and plants!  I hope everyone had a good Memorial Day filled with remembering and honoring fallen heroes or anything else that you usually do on this first weekend of the start of the Summer season.  Let's all hope for good things ahead.

One Flew Over The Robin Nest

Good morning from Chicago.  I made a quick trip to help Midge get ready for my Mom coming home next week.  There are tons of phone calls from agencies that will help with home care and other preparations.  I was going to help take Mom to a doctor appointment but we felt that picking her up for the appointment and then dropping her back at the rehab facility would be very upsetting to her.  She wants to come home and can't understand why she's still there.  She pulled out the tube that was draining her infected gallbladder so they cancelled the appointment anyway. She has had more dementia issues since being there but we're hoping that being back in her own home will be more helpful. My sister has to stay away for a 2 week period to make sure Mom doesn't have Covid 19, She's one of the few in the facility that hasn't gotten it.  She tested negative (if you can even believe the tests) and will be tested again before coming home.  My brother will be here along with home care and then my Granddaughter, Driana, will come the next week.  I'll probably be back for the 3rd week if necessary. We just don't have a clue as to how this will go since we haven't seen Mom since early March. It's a bit of a stresser for sure.  But while I've been here we've gotten my sister's office taken apart and moved upstairs and the room prepared for a hospital bed.  Lots of things need to be in place and then we hope Mom stays healthy until then. On a lighter note,  my sister has a robin that built a nest on her lamppost on her deck.  It's been fun watching the parents take care of the newbies.

Not sure if this is Dad or Mom..

Getting the eagle...or I should say, Robin's eye!

A quick flip of position and the nesting continues.

Fuzzy wuzzy babies! Good luck kiddos.  It's a crazy world out here! Just ask Arnie

I took Arnie with me but he really needs a groomer bad! Thankfully the Barker Shop is open in Ohio and I will continue to call for an appointment.  He's so over it! Have a good weekend. I hope to catch up with my blog buddies today. I'll be heading back home tomorrow.  Jack has held the fort down.  Thanks Babe! See you soon!

 

Happy Mother's Day (and other stuff!)

Happy Mother's Day! I'm sure it's being celebrated very differently in many places than it has been in the past.  Yes, we are still in our....pardon the overused phrase..."New Normal".  I hope it's a beautiful day in your neighborhood on this Sunday.  First I will give a shout out to my Momma.  She is still in the rehab facility but doing good.  Her leg has healed and they are getting her up and walking.  However, it's been a touch and go situation because she is having bits of forgetfulness..aka dementia.  This whole situation has made it confusing and difficult for her. She was already having some forgetfulness issues and the stress of my Sister getting sick and then her accident really has done a number on her.  She has good and bad days and we've kept in touch with zoom and phone calls. We all send her letters, packages, photos and flowers to make sure she knows we haven't forgotten her and we are hopeful she will be able to come home with home care in a few weeks.  Our biggest concern is the amount of Covid 19 in the facility.  There are 65 residents and there are 60 cases of Covid there.  Part of those cases...1/3..are staff members.  Mom was tested yesterday because she's having a doctor visit next week and thankfully she tested negative.  We hope to get her out of there with that same diagnosis. 

Love you Mom! Hope to be with you soon!  Another thing that happens in our new normal is time marching on. May is a big month for birthdays in our family.  May 7th our Lexi.turned 14 on the 7th.

She's a sweetheart, a straight A student and a joy! Love you Lex! Yesterday was her Dad's birthday. Phil turned 40! How in the heck did that happen? He went from this cutie:

To the Dad to two of his own cuties:

Love you Phil! You're the best! We have other birthdays to celebrate this month and a holiday at the end so life is marching on and we'll just have to do the same. Happy Mother's Day! Take care and stay safe everyone!