HOME AGAIN, HOME AGAIN, JIG-A-D-JIG

We are home, arrived Tues. evening around 9:00 p.m. The flight was bumpy, but I'm still convinced that it is the only way to travel. Les said he was never driving anywhere again !

Son, daughter-in-law and Conneticut were wonderful. Our son was stressed because of some major car problems, but handled it better than he usually does. Daughter-in-law seemed to handle our invasion with very little stress (except for the car) We shopped, read and scrapbooked together, all in all meshed pretty well.

You could never had made me believe that anything could top the scenic views in Oregon, but Conneticut may have done it. All wonderful but very different. More trees and limestone rock than I have ever seen. Ocean and river views like no where else. It was everything that I had invisioned in my mind's eye and more. Homes on the water front with widow's walks on top , fishing shanties (very pricey these days) Just more than I could take in.

We toured the U.S.S. Natilus (submarine) and a couple of whaling ships, tight quarters all the way around. Our submariner must have bumped his head about 50 times, the boy needs a helmet. I just looked at my husband and told him my eyes weren't big enough. That's what Jess used to say when he was little and completely awestruck by something.

The mother-in-law faired much better this time. Her sister surprised her with a three day visit and they made a lot of progress going through her belongings. Brought some of it home and left the rest for a moving sale. I worked last Monday evening and again yesterday morning setting her room back up before she got home. Taking out some things and putting in more servicable pieces. It's looking good, but this just has to be so hard, having to leave so much of your life behind. Even after a year, I think we all were hoping that something would change and she could go back home. NOT HAPPENING!

I also acquired a few extra pieces of furniture, because of our youngest daughter's move the entertainment center did not leave as expected, plus a bench, two book shelves and an antique hutch were sitting inside the front door when we got home. Did I mention that I hate clutter? By 10 p.m. last night I had given away everything with instructions that it be picked up by the weekend or it would be burned. Now all I have to do is get rid of some large stero speakers and ship paint ball guns to Conneticut. The oldest grandchild is going around like a door to door salesman with some of the grandmother's things. She seems to think she can recoup some of her money that way.

Spring cleaning a little at the time in more than one house is making me hive!

I'm just going to have to leave home again!

HOME TO THE HOLE AND BACK OUT AGAIN

We had a lovely, but windy trip to St. Simons Island, GA last week, and are in the middle of getting ready for yet another journey out of the rabbit hole, this week. My husband and I will be leaving to go to Conneticut to see our Navy son and daughter-in-law for the next few days. We will get to be with him on his birthday and his gift to me for my birthday and mother's day (same day)are the airline tickets for the trip to see him. (I raised wonderful children)

The Queen didn't far so well while I was gone on my girls trip to St. Simons, but we have given her to the other son for this trip. Hopefully, it will go a little smoother.

I told my aunt that her sudden outburst on the journey home had made the Blog cut, you remember, the things that make you go "Huh?"

We went to the Ashville Farmer's Market and I picked up a surprise for my husband. Ramps, smelly little things that are a cross between wild onions and garlic. He used to go hunting for them with his grandfather. We resumed our travels with the ramps on the floor between my feet, and I began to cough and cough and cough.Now, being a family with all types of allergies, everyone begins to try to figure out what is making me do this, when I see this hand, coming from the left of me, pointing frantically, but no voice is attached. I look to my left, at the driver of the vehicle (my aunt) and tears are streaming down her face, and she is still pointing. Is she choking, is she breathing, what have I said something that has upset her? In a matter of mere seconds, I realized that she is laughing hysterically, and finally says "maybe it's the YAPS!" Then I began to laugh just as hard, realizing that she means Ramps!. That makes me laugh, but what started the whole thing was that she realized before saying YAPS, that it was the wrong word, but couldn't find the right word and it came out of her mouth anyway.

I understand that you have to be 50 or over for this to be funny to you, but it was extremly funny , every time we looked at each other for hours, we got the giggles again. Mom just sat and looked at us with a very bewildered look on her face "huh?"

Here's to our next venture "from the Rabbit Hole".

JOURNEY OUT OF THE RABBIT HOLE

I'm in launch mode. Days being numbered and marked off until I leave for vacation.

3 separate vacations. One day trip with a very special friend, one week long girls trip

with my mom and aunt, one extended weekend trip to Conneticut to see our son for the first time in a year.

After being gone from home for just meer hours each night this week during revival the wheels are not off of the wagon where my mother in law is concerned, they are certainly wobbling. She has forgotten to put her oxygen back on after being gone for a while with a friend , I had dirty dishes on my sofa and living room carpet and has put her knitting in her trash can because it is easy for her to find ?

Who knew that I would get so into this routine that I would be afraid to trust it to anyone else?

What's up with that? I'm just giving it to God and my sister-in-law and hopefully things will stay in the middle of the road until I get home.

REFLECTION

One year ago, today, my precious Sherry, went home to be with the Lord. My feelings today are so jumbled. There is still such intense grief, that somedays I think I just won't get up. Other days when my pain is so great, I'm a little envious that Sherry no longer hurts. No matter what the other emotions, there is always the joy and priviledge of having known her, and her allowing us to be members of her family.

I miss you my sister, my daughter , my friend.

Today I will celebrate your life. Relay 2006

CLEANING THE RABBIT HOLE

You can ask any of my children what my biggest frustration is and they will tell you, CLUTTER !

Hate it, makes me nuts, I love order, don't mind a little dust or a finger print or two, but put things up, back where they belong.

My son has been gone for two years but because he is in the military, with no real address , therefore there was really no were to send things. Now he has a home, an address, a place of his own, to rat hole his stuff.

I have been putting off the task of moving him completely out and mother-in-law completely in. There is always hope that living arrangments might change, .... right !!!

Lite into her room this weekend, throwing out the remainder of my son's belongings, putting keepsakes in a foot locker, etc. Had her stuff everywhere, all over the living room, my work room, everywhere.................. I swear I could track both she and my husband to China by following little wadded up pieces of tissue. Yarn in every nook and cranny, all tangled. Honestly all she has to do is pick up a skein of yarn and it just implodes, no beginning, no end, just a mass of mess that all had to be untangled, then went shopping for somewhere to put it all. Out with all of the little tote bags, that each contained at least two pieces of mail (over due) one knitting needle ( got lucky and found the mate to about 4 sets) ink pens, tissue, m & m wrappers, etc. No more tote bags. No more mail period unless it comes through me.

She asked me 9,000 times what can I do to help? Here, go through this pile, she does, and puts it where? In a tote bag. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I put a shoe bag on the back of her door, Sunday morning, can't find her slippers, why won't her door close? When did you put this bag back here, well, there are my slippers, I guess you told me that, huh?

Get the house put back together, two tons of stuff hauled to Good Will and to the trash, everything back in the closet, my back is killing me, I exhausted but my life is in order, all is well.

Went in to give her, her night time medicine and the clothes she took off before going to bed are where? IN THE NICE EMPTY CLOSET FLOOR.

No one who came in that evening, if there been anyone, would have never known that I had killed myself all day on a closet, and that it lasted all of 20 minutes, after I finished.

Good thing she has dementia or I would be thinking of going rabbit hunting !

PIXIE'S IN THE RABBIT HOLE

Every now and then things can be quite normal in the rabbit hole.

Such as playing with your grandchildren on a warm spring evening.

Katie Rae is entering the 4-H photo contest and is lacking a photo to enter into the trick photography category. We posed and posed and

before you know it I was holding pixie's in my hand.

The Mad Hatter

I experienced an odd occurance on the way to work this morning. Odd as in, out of the norm.
Normally, there in an older man in our neighborhood that everyone watches out for. He runs others off of the road, fights with the county guys working on the road, runs the stop sign, you name it, it's bugging him.

When I politely called him to task regarding the stop sign, he said " That, there sign is for them , there foreigners, I live here" Never mind, it's me he has very nearly killed a time or two, I live here too.

Did I mention that he now has a cell phone and judging from his driving pattern he doesn't know how to use it.

This morning I saw him, I was ready to defend my life and my territory. We locked eyes, vehicle to vehicle and he .........WAVED AND SMILED! Huh?