What's happening, Kids?

Snow!  That's what's happening here.

Thursday, I went to lunch with my Old School Gal Pals--windy but a nice day.  Stopped out to The Farm to visit with "Lil" Sister for awhile, then home, parked, put my windshield wipers up so they wouldn't freeze to the windshield, came inside and haven't been out since.

Snow started at 3:00am Friday morning and didn't quit until 7:00 pm last night (Friday).  We only got about 6".

My snow removal kid stopped in Friday around noon and wanted to clean out the drive.
"No!  We've got more coming."

So he went down to Dar's and did hers.  

He came back around 4:00--"No!  We've got more coming."

So he went down to Dar's and did hers again.

He showed up this morning.  "No!  We've got more coming.  Come back Monday morning, okay?"

So he went down to Dar's and did hers.

We are supposed to get another 6" Sunday (tomorrow).  Every time he cleans, it's $20.00.  He has a snow blower so he can clean up a foot of snow, as easily as he can 6".

He knows that Dar is where the money's at.  LOL  Besides she had a physical therapy session yesterday afternoon and thought she was going out.  The roads outside the park were nearly impassable, couldn't see the lane lines besides that, her shoulder is still in a sling.  She planned on driving in a blizzard, with bad roads, with just her left hand?

Dar is one of those people that get antsy and nervous when she is snowed in and can't leave.  I mean, she gets practically hysterical--she feels trapped.  She's paying the neighbor to bring her mail in everyday.  She can't walk 30 feet to her mail box, but she was going to drive, 4 miles in white-out conditions, with just her left hand.  Oh--the PT office called her and canceled her appointment.

I, on the other hand, love being snowed in.  It's so quiet, beautiful to watch the snow falling, lots of birds and squirrels at the feeders.  I could care less how many advertisements and junk mail is building up in the mail box.  I'll get it Monday.  HAH!
=============
I didn't watch the Olympic opening ceremony last night.  I wondered if they were going to have "Lil" Kim light the flame.  LOL  They are really promoting these Olympics as a huge political scenario.  Well, if it tames Lil Kim down, more's the better.

Big News!  Karen's oldest son Marcus is getting married June 2, I told you that, but last weekend?  Her youngest, Madeleine, the ballerina, got engaged!  Totally shocked me.  She's only 21 and today, these kids at that age seem so immature.  They are still into giggling and having fun with friends and constantly on their phones.  I don't know.  I had 3 kids by the time I was 21, but nowadays--they just don't seem as old as we did at the same age.

Oh well.  It is a marriage made in Heaven.  They've known each other since their home school days.  They both are very spiritual and active in their church.  He proposed to her in their church chapel and they are both strong Catholics.  AND he is German!!  Stefan von Bulow.  They aren't getting married until May 2019, after they both graduate from college.......

I have decided, after asking advice from other grandma's, that it is quite all right for grandma to wear an elegant pant suit to Marcus' wedding.  

Karen wanted to take me "dress" shopping.  I'm thinking, "dress--which means heels, panty hose, aching back and legs.  With a pant suit, I can wear a nice pair of flat sandals.  I already have the white lace shell to wear under it.  Now I am just waiting for the spring clothes to come out so I can get a light blue pant suit, sleeves down near the elbow to cover up my ugly upper arms, straight cut pants to cover up my ugly, age spotted legs, and closed toe white sandals, to cover up my ugly feet and toes.

My sister is trying to convince me to color my hair blond again.  She says, since I have gone gray, my face looks colorless, and I won't "stand out" in the wedding photos.

Good Grief.  I don't want to stand out in the photos.  The guys are wearing navy blue, the girls dresses are light blue, I figure if I wear light blue, I will blend into the background.

She said, "You can let it grow back after the wedding."  Then I'd have to color it again for Maddie's wedding?  Oh, Lordy.  Hey--this is Gramma Judy--I am gray and wrinkled and old.  That's just the way it is.  Although, because I am a little vain, I WILL wear make-up that day--if I can find where I stashed it and it isn't all dried up!

Isn't life fun? 

I DID IT!!

A good movie came on TV at noon.  "Martian", with Matt Damon, an astronaut left behind on Mars.  He had to figure out to live until rescue came.

It was a 4hour movie, which worked out well.  When the commercials came on, I got up and dusted and vacuumed, put away the clean dishes, and the clean clothes.  Straightened up areas.  When the movie came back on, I sat in my recliner and rested.  I even got my couch and recliner vacuumed.

4 hours was just the right amount of time!!

Oh yes--bird feeders and squirrel feeder box filled, new suet cake in the little cage.

What is wrong with me?

Such laziness abounds in this house!!  I can't believe how I let things go.  I see gray cat hair on my navy blue couch and shrug.  I see pieces of thread, cat hair, crumbs on my almost new gray/blue carpet and shrug.  I step on bits of dry cat food, or cereal on my kitchen tile, and kick it off to the side.  

There is a lovely layer of dust, very visible on all surfaces in the living room.  Oh well.

For some unknown reason, in the bathroom the other day, I decided to clean it.  That cleaning "frenzy" lasted all of the half hour it took me to clean.

The top of my dryer is layered with clothes that have been folded, but not put away.  My bra, that has been dry for a week, still hangs from the hanger on the pole above the dryer.

My dishwasher is sitting, door open, racks pulled out, with clean dishes that were washed yesterday, still sitting there, not put away in the cupboards above.

This computer/office/den room looks like a hoarder lives here.  My cooler that I used for the Christmas spaghetti sauce Christmas gifts, sits by my dusty book shelves.  My nice long table, where I like to lay out and put genealogy pedigrees together, is so covered with...stuff, that there wouldn't be enough space to lay an 81/2x11" page, without having to move something.

The desk?  Stacks of paper, the only clear space is where my keyboard sits and room to move the mouse around.

The bird feeders are empty!

What is wrong with me?
==================
I don't like nor do I watch professional football.  Except for the Super Bowl.  That comes on tonight at 6:00.  It is now 11:00.  That gives me 7 hours to clean up this place.

Unless, of course, I sit down in my recliner to rest my back and notice there is a good movie on TV and pick up my cross stitch or crochet project and get distracted.

What is wrong with me???

Proves my point

I e-mailed my sister about how different my kids are.  This was her reply--something her son said on the drive home.


Adam said "they're like 2 separate worlds -Mark and Pam yelling about terrible Republicans - then Karen and Jen talking to you about house and family.  Are they related??"   I laughed.

It was the best of days, it was the worst of days

Karen called me two weeks ago to say that Jennifer was coming in for work related meetings and would be at Karen's on Sunday, the 28th.  We were all getting together and she would call me later with details and times.

She didn't call, so Saturday morning, I called my sister and asked if Jen was in and if we were getting together and what time.  

"Oh.  Didn't you get Karen's text?"

"How would I get a text?  I don't have a cell phone---remember?"

I keep telling these people!   When you send out an informational text, please either e-mail me, or phone me to let me know.  They text each other constantly!  I never know what is going on--which has left me feeling a distance between me and my family.

So--Jen was flying in late Saturday night and yes we were getting together on Sunday--at 11:30.  Just bring snacks--no big meal.

I scurried around and made the chip dip all the kids love and also a batch of Chex Mix, because Jennifer loves it.  I always used to make it for Christmas and I knew she hadn't had any in years.  I filled a plastic bag with some just for her--to take with her.

I arrived at 11:30, greeted warmly by Jennifer and Karen.  Then Karen looked at me and said, "Oh my gosh, Mom!  I forgot to call you!"

"Yeah, you inconsiderate brat!"
Did I really say that?  Of course not.

"I found out from Aunt Susan," I said, amidst more hugs and kisses.

Soon the rest started arriving.  My son Mark and Cindy and daughter Pam, all rode down together.  My sister Susan and her Chuck and son Adam.  No grandchildren--just my kids and me.  It was wonderful.

We all admired Karen and Mark's new addition and their beautiful fireplace.

 Had our snackies and settled in to watch the MSU/Maryland basketball game on their new 65" TV.

I kept wondering where Jennifer was and then I saw her.  Outside on the front porch.  A big deal for her law firm was going astray.  She was on the phone with her partners and then the clients.

I managed to snaggle the brats for a photo.  It's been 4 years since we've all been together at the same time.  I tried to get them in chronological order, which they refuse to do and Mark just kept mumbling, "just snap it!  Take the damn picture!"  Like trying to get a herd of cats to comply!

Then Granddaughter Helene arrived with Della and granddaughter Madeleine came in from ballet practice--see them in the back at the table?--and Jen was back outside and on the phone--see her in the background, through the window?

Della and my son-in-law, her grandpa, looking up at my sister.

I didn't realize how loud my two oldest, Mark and Pam talk.  Then there was yelling about the ballgame, so I had to get outside and sit in my car for a few minutes, just to re-adjust my hearing and mind.

==================

Came back in and sat down at the dining room table with Pam and Jen to hear the biggest shock of my life--well maybe not of my life, but the last half dozen years.  It shook me to my core.

Pam is moving to New Jersey and live with Jennifer and her family.  For two years!!!!!!!

My Pammie, who loves to live alone.  Who hates the city.  Who doesn't get along with Jen's husband.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FREAKING MIND?"

Did I say that?  Of course not.

I just sat and listened to her plans.

Jen's husband Eric's father, has finally turned one of his prosthetic offices over to Eric to run as his own.  Jennifer will "retire" in two years to be his accountant/lawyer/run the office.

Pam is going to be watching the kids again, while she lives there.  She is going to establish residency so that she can get disability, which she is having a hard time getting here, but can more easily get it in NJ, with Jennifer's support and legal help.

I managed to squeak out, "What are you going to do with your house?"

"Walk out and lock the doors."

smart mouth!

"It's not good for a house to sit empty that long."

"I don't care!"

My Pammie.  Who loves her house and her farm and never has wanted to leave it for more than a few hours at a time.

"Would you like me to go out and check on it.  Maybe spend a weekend, so it looks like someone lives there?"

"Nope!  I don't want anybody in MY house.  My friend Ed is going to drain all the water pipes, put anti-freeze in the toilets, winterize it.  He is going to mow the lawn every week.  It's all taken care of."

Then my sister, who had heard a bit of the conversation said, "Do you want us to have a key, so we can check on it, once in awhile?"

"Nope!  Nobody has a key to my house, except me.  I don't want anybody in  my house.  If you ever see a blaze coming from the East, call the fire department and then call me."

I had the strongest desire to just slap her!

===============

My Dear friends.  This is not going to work!  Jennifer and Eric aren't going to like Pam living with them.  The two older kids resented her when she used to live at their home two days a week.  She bossed them and they didn't like her rules.  Eric is not fond of her.

I think Jennifer is doing this to help her sister and thinking that Pam can help her.  While they get their business going and build their new house.

This is not going to work!!!

I'm still in shock and the only way I know how to deal with it all, is.....try and not think about it and go with the flow.  It is as it is.  But...............

this is not going to work!

added thought to yesterday

I did a bit more researching the whole Larry Nassar thing.
In 1997--20 years ago, a girl told her gymnastic coach at MSU--Kathie Kleges, about Nassar's "procedure" and her coach told her it was "all right", that it was a medical procedure and would help her.

The Coach actually thought that.

When the girls told their parent's, the parents sided with the coach and the "doctor"

After all--he had a great reputation and was world renowned at what he did.

When the Athletic Director at MSU heard about this, a year ago, he fired the gymnastics coach.

Then when I found out that the "doctor" was into child pron--that sealed it for me.

He got everything he deserved, but first, I still think he should have been horse-whipped, castrated, his offending hand cut off, THEN sent to prison for 200+ years.

How horrible for the girl's and their parents.  The girl that committed suicide because no one believed her.  The father that also committed suicide when he found out, because he hadn't believed his daughter.
How horrible even for the coach who had heard these stories for 20 years, and still believed in the doctor.

How did this happen?

It's been a whole week since I posted!  How did the week go by so fast?  Self-absorbed, for sure.  Just doing my genealogy thing and watching basketball games when they are on.

Which makes me think--this whole Larry Nassar thing.  I think first he should be horse whipped, then castrated, then his offending hand cut off, THEN jailed for 175+ years.  Most of you may not know who or what I am talking about.

A sports doctor who worked at Michigan State and for the Olympic gymnasts, who has sexually abused gymnasts for decades.

Some 160 of those gymnasts came forward with "victim" statements at his trial in Lansing, last week.

Now--it seems the University is taking the heat for his actions.  The President has resigned and yesterday, also the Athletic Director, which makes me sad because they were not aware of the situation.

Now--last night, the football coach and the basketball coach had to have press conferences to address sexual abuse.  They didn't even know the guy!  I can vouch for both coaches--early this summer a couple of the football players were charged with sexually abusing a young woman at a party.  The football coach immediately took away their scholarships and kicked them out of college.

The Olympic Committee had praised this "doctor" for years, turning him into a world renowned gymnastic doctor.  Sending him gymnasts from different States, sending him to the training camps around the States.

What I can't figure out, a lot of times he "treated" these girls while their mother's were sitting a few feet away from the "table".  How did they not know what was going on?  Didn't the girls say anything?

Now "they" want to blame the University?  Just because someone, who no longer is even alive, hired said "doctor" eons ago?  Calling for the coaches to resign?  They were not even aware of any of this until a few weeks ago.

What about the OIC?  They are the ones who built him up?  I guess their membership board is being forced to resign also.

What did he do?  Apparently his "procedure", which he has maintained is a long time proven medical procedure, was to insert his fingers into the girls vagina opening to stretch the pelvic bones, in turn making those bones more flexible.  It must have worked, as many of his "patients" have won Olympic gold medals in gymnastics.

I can think of many things doctor's have done to me and friends of mine, that while were totally acceptable years ago, could now be viewed as sexual abuse.  

Who knows?  He's off to jail for 200+ years and heads will roll.
================
On a lighter more positive note--my son was told a year ago that he was in remission for prostate cancer. He got his tests results back on Wednesday, a week after his 60th birthday.  Still in remission!!  Thank you, God.