I'm back! I wish I could tell you how busy my life has been and why I haven't posted for almost 3 weeks, but all I can tell you is, I just haven't felt like it.
After Jim made it safely home from our Uncle's memorial service, I thought life would go back to normal. There would be Christmas Eve and Christmas with the family, then some after Christmas sales where I hoped to pick up some badly needed towels in a new color scheme.
As it turned out, the weather mentioned in my previous blog, didn't allow for that. There was enough of a break that I was able to get to the pharmacy for a refill and pick up a few necessities. Then the weather turned so cold and windy, I just had to stay inside again.
It was clear enough and warm enough for me to house sit with my neice's little dog, "Goofy" for a short weekend while they went to Dallas with friends. On the way over, I stopped at Chik-fil-a and picked up a couple of salads. One grilled chicken with the low-cal vinagarette and then my old time favorite, the chicken strip salad with the original thousand island. I ate one chicken strip while it was hot and then refrigerated the rest for later. "So good"... I hadn't tasted anything fried in a long time and Chik-fil-a is the best!
I left my laundry in the trunk, but made sure to bring in the blanket that Goofy and I use to cuddle up together in front of the TV. He is normally not allowed on the furniture or in the bedrooms, but Lori said as long as he was on the blanket, I could hold him on the furniture. I tried to catch her off-guard and get permission for him to sleep on the bed with me as long as the blanket was there... nope, Lori heard exactly what I said and didn't fall for that! No problem, I usually end up falling asleep in the living room with Goofy on top of me anyway.
The tree was still up and beautifully decorated, but I couldn't figure out how to turn the lights on. so I cuddled up in my warm fuzzy gown and slippers, under the blanket with Goofy and started watching a Christmas movie. The laundry could wait until the following day.
As usual I dozed off during the movie and woke up to Goofy sleeping on his own pillow bed. I had only missed about 45 minutes of the movie, so I was able to rewind on the DVR and still watch the rest. I wandered to the kitchen to eat the rest of my salad and then started feeling sick. I thought it was the combination of the fried chicken, the salad roughage and the high fat dresssing that I had not been eating for awhile. Since Goofy seemed content to sleep on his bed, after his "healthy" snack of baby carrots, I went to the bedroom as soon as the movie was over and watched something on regular cable until I fell asleep. I slept until the sun woke me up..... it was 11 am!
A beautiful day to get the laundry done and enjoy the comfy furniture, big screen TV and play with Goofy...
but oh, I was sick. I never did bring in the laundry and I never did anything, but sleep and watch TV the whole weekend. Goofy seemed to sense I wasn't well. He would bring one of his toys over beside the chair and play by himself. I called Jim's cell phone Sunday evening to see how far out they were. He said they would be home in about an hour. I didn't make it. About 30 minutes later, I had to get home.
I slept away about 2 more days at the apartment and everything was fine, so I guess I may have picked up a stomach bug. The apartment had been neglected far too long and was a mess with boxes, bags, paper, ribbons and gifts yet to be given. But, I had an "excuse".... we still hadn't been together as a family to have a chance to open gifts. I realized I had not seen Jim or Jenna since the Thursday before the accident of Jim's friend and hadn't seen Lori since before then. (Before Thanksgiving)
Anyway, we finally were able to gather together at Mom's house this Monday evening. Jim brought in chinese food which was really good. We were all talking at once about everything, anything and nothing at all. It had been so long, it was kind of crazy. But we opened gifts, had an indoor paperball fight and then Jenna had the dubious task of cleaning up the mess that her daddy and I had made, along with her. She and Jim took it a step further, with a game of trashbag basketball.
Lori, (thank you) cleared the rest of the dishes off the table and cleaned the kitchen. I said something about picking out a color scheme for my bathroom when Lori mentioned she had some things she had used in her office at SNU that I might like. She brought them in, and they were perfect. Part of the pieces I can use in my living room and the rest match with the color scheme I was thinking of for the bathroom. She and Jenna loaded them into my trunk and off we went.
I'm sure Mom was a little down that she was left with a quiet house after all the laughter and chaos that had been there just moments before. On the other hand, maybe she was glad she was able to retreat back into some peaceful quiet. I need to call her in a minute, we didn't talk all day yesterday, which is unusual for us.
Well, there you go. No reason I haven't updated in awhile. Just life!
Last evening and this morning were spent preparing for the quarterly extermination. I'm in a lot of pain and dread the days ahead that I need to spend cleaning so that I can enjoy the new decor for my bathroom.
Oh for the days when I lived here 30 years ago and could run back and forth to the laundry room at the community center and then run up and down the stairs taking out trash and bringing in groceries, then running back to the community center to move the laundry to the dryers, visiting with neighbors in between... not to mention working full time, going to the hospital to see Dad and selling something (AVON, Home Interiors, House of Lloyd... whatever was hot at the time!)
Now, I'm one of the tenants who the younger ones look out for. Occasionally, one will take a bag of trash out of my hands, have it down to the dumpster and make it back before I even make it out of the driveway! I now live on the first floor as a "disabled" person while hearing my young neighbors and thier children running up and down the stairs.. sometimes laughing, sometimes fussing, sometimes crying, yet always helpful and kind when they see me. I'll tell you another time about how I met the little girl upstairs the first time. She always has a story to tell me and sometimes I find cookies taped to my door, made by she and her mother.
It's like a family here, this little community. I'm happy to back here... in the good days and in the painful ones. God will make a way, however long it takes.
Song: God will make a way
Sung by Janet Paschal with Vestal Goodman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsJY48WI3T8
Music Video by Janet Paschal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAz7K72a8ks
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