Hibernation Comes To A n End

Today's high temperature was:  4 degrees

Snowy

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I woke up at 4:00 a.m. this morning and was up for an hour.  I don't know what woke me up, but there I sat.  In the dark living room, trying to convince myself that it was all right to go back to sleep.

I heard my door bell ring, glanced at the clock and it was 9:00 a.m.  Stumbled out to the door and there stood Merle--wanting to haul my garbage can out to the street.  I glanced at the thermometer and it read 1 degree.  That means the wind chill was about -30 degrees.  MINUS--that means 30 degrees below zero.  ZERO, not freezing...30 BELOW ZERO!

I fed the cats and got my warm cocoa and toddled into my computer room to play some games and check e-mails and Face Book.  I decided I should get dressed, so I jumped into the shower and then got my sweatshirt and jeans on.  11:30.

I heard the mail lady come by and the garbage pick-up at around 1:30 and not a bit concerned about going out to get either.  Pretty soon, Merle is ringing the bell again with my mail and my empty can.

"What in the heck are you doing out in this terrible cold?"

"Well--just taking care of my ladies.  Here's your mail and your garbage can."

"Thanks, Merle.  Now, will you just go home, stay inside, watch TV and stay warm!?"

"Yup."

One of the reasons I have liked that I didn't have to go out, was the fact that there is so much influenza and the Norovirus going around this area.  I do not want to be in with a lot of germy people!

At 2:30 the door bell rang again and in busted Dar.  

"I just had to come over.  I'm about going nuts in that house!"

"I thought you worked yesterday."

"I did, but I have today off.  I went to see Miss Amy this morning, got back around 10:00, had some lunch and read a bit and now....I'm here!"

"You've been home four hours and you are going nuts being alone in your house?"

"Yeah.  You know me, I can't stand it!  Plus I've had the worse last four days ever.  I have to tell you about it."

And then she started in.  She has four children--three of them are alcoholics and/or drug abusers.  None of the four communicate with her anymore.  The one oldest daughter that did, hasn't spoken to her in ten months.  

Let's see if I can remember--her youngest son has Hepatitis C and his liver is really bad.  His wife has breast cancer, now in remission and they won't speak to Dar because last summer at a family gathering, Dar made the statement that SHE wouldn't take care of their two kids (her grandchildren) if their parents died.  "Why would you make a statement like that?"  I asked.

"I just wanted them to know."

"At a family gathering?  In front of everyone?"

"Yes.  I wanted everyone there to know where I stand."

"And...why would do you think they'd even consider you taking care of them?"

"Oh...because I have to take care of everybody.  It's what I do."

<okay>

Next youngest (son) had called this morning to tell her that her oldest daughter is dying of liver failure.  Oh, and by the way, he just got out of hospital because HE had an alcoholic induced seizure and a drug overdose and HE also has Hepatitis C.

"He called last month and had been sober four days.  I had such high hopes for him.  Now he put me in a panic about his sister."

So she called her oldest daughter's partner, Staci, and left a message to call her back because she was worried about Lisa.

Her oldest daughter, Lisa called Dar back and was angry.  "Why are you worried about me?"

"Because your brother said you were dying."

"No.  I'm not dying.  I just got out of hospital with a flare up of Hep C., but I'm fine."

"Then why would your brother tell me you were dying?"

"Because Mom--he's out of his mind drunk or high most of the time!!"

Of course, her second daughter, the one that used to live with Dar and the grand kids, hasn't communicated with Dar in three years.  "My oldest brother managed to get into her Face Book account and downloaded a bunch of the kids pictures.  He put them in a picture file for me, so if she deletes them, I still have them.  Guess I showed her!"

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All the while she is going on and on, I think to myself, "here is a woman who works in a large super store as a cashier.  She handles hundreds of products that germy people have handled or sneezed on or coughed on.  She is being exposed to who knows what and SHE IS CONTAMINATING MY HOUSE!!!"

<I know, not nice of me to think like that>

"I just wish the good Lord had made me barren!" she exclaims.  "Then I wouldn't have all these worries, abuse and disrespect from all my kids!"

<I wish the good Lord had made your mother barren, is my thought.>

Then she commences to tell me that she and I are "so much alike, it is like we are sisters."

"In what way?"

"Those tests on Face Book.  You and I usually get the same answer.  Except that one this morning when you were a teacher and I was a mother and one the other day, where our answers were entirely the opposite."

"Yes, and the fact that you can't stand to be alone and I enjoy it.  Or the fact that you like going to the movies and I don't.  And then there's that thing of you being way more emotional than I am, but....other than that, I guess we're alike.  We each have four children."

Just then her phone rang.

"Oh..I gotta get this.  It's Judy L."

I went into the bathroom while she chatted.

"That woman drives me nuts," Dar said.  "You know those kinds of people that want to have a conversation, but they do all the talking and you can't get a word in edgewise?  If you go to say something, they just keep talking or go off in another direction?"

"Yes.  I know those kinds of people."

"Well, she's like that.  Blab, blab, blab, while I sit there and just nod my head...kind of like you're doing now."

"I guess they think the world revolves.................."

"Oh my Gawd.  It's four o'clock.  I gotta get home!"

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A few days ago, one of my blog buddies asked me what was written on the baby crib quilt I am making.  Here are the pictures of it.

In case you didn't know, these are baby crib coverlets or quilts I am cross stitching for my as yet, unconceived great grandchildren.  I have 4 completely done and need 9.  One for each grand child's first born.  I'll be long gone probably, but there will be 9 quilts in a nice storage box that they can choose from.

Judy here--going back into hibernation!