Grandma's Birthday

For Mom's birthday this year, I decided to invite her over for dinner. I put ribs in the crock pot, made baked potatoes, green beans with almonds, crescent rolls, and bought a chocolate cake. Kristin, Jennie and Tom D., Bob, and my Tom came, too. We had a nice celebration and I think she enjoyed it. 85 is a little amazing, is it not? We'll celebrate with the rest on the 19th.

My Birthday

It's hard to work on your birthday when no one knows it's your birthday. Even harder when they knew on Monday when the email mentioned it in the weekly bulletin, but by the time Thursday rolls around, it is forgotten. I feel like I am walking around with a big arrow above my head following me around. "Here she is! It's the birthday girl! Wish her a happy birthday NOW! Make a big deal. This day only comes around once a year, you know!"

It's not so bad until your colleague (who has a locker next to you) remembers at the end of the day and sheepishly wishes you a happy birthday and apologizes because they forgot to say it earlier. It's even worse when you are in the elevator with a colleague who mentions that the reason he was late this morning was because it was his wife's birthday, (blah, blah, blah---) and we had discussed earlier in the month that we both had the same birthday and he forgot about that. Do I mention it? or play dumb and he finds out later and HE feels dumb?

Aside from work, I got texted and phoned early in the morning with lots of love and well wishing. My girls are celebrating with Mom and I later in the month. Tom took me to my choice for dinner and I chose Round Robin .....French onion soup, yum!!

Familiar Words

These two gangly ugly looking plants are from my front steps. They sat there all summer and into early fall full of blossoms and looking beautiful. When it was time to bring them in, I put them in the back room by the big picture window, and I have tried to remember to open the drapes every morning so they will get some sun every day. I have to water them like crazy....one or two days without a drink and they turn all droopy. Little by little, they have lost their blooms and just have leaves.

Just the other day,l I was sighing as I was picking up MORE dried leaves from the floor, and I had the thought that maybe it is time.....let them give up the ghost and start fresh next year, but I didn't do it yet, cuz trash day is on Tuesday.

So....then, we go over for a visit to see Mom and Bob. There by her back door is a plant about twenty times weaker-looking than these two guys. It was the Mother's Day azalea I gave her and there are two teeny, tiny green leaves on it. Otherwise, I would venture to say, it is a dried up dirt ball with a dried up stem in the middle of it. Well, I didn't say anything, but as we were getting ready to go, she pointed it out, and said something to the effect that she hates to throw it out....after all, it is a living thing! Oh my gosh....those were the same exact words that I struggled with inside my brain when I was thinking of throwing my plants. It's a living thing! It is scairy how much we pick up from our Moms.......Girls, watch out, I think you are doomed.

My HERO

Tom came to the rescue on Saturday. I have been trying to keep the back lot by the garage shoveled out so I can park in back during a snow emergency. I looked at it after doing the sidewalk (for the millionth time, it felt) and just couldn't bring myself to go back there and start it. Even though the snow was pretty light and fluffy, my back was already feeling it because of all the lifting to get it up and over the current high snowbanks. I saw a yellow truck pulling up in front of the house. Attached to it was a trailer loaded with a little tractor with a snowblowing attachment. Tom plowed me out in no time and even moved some of the big piles in front of my garage. What a great feeling that was to get that done!! The best part is that he loves his tractor and enjoys doing it.

Certified

For two nights, from 6 to 9:30 I attended my CPR and first aid classes. It was on the llth and 12th in the bus garage down on Randolph near West Seventh. Boring, boring, and long. We read the book, watch film clips, practice the skills on manniquins...both adult and infant. For someone my age, with all my aches and pains, it isn't easy bending down there on the floor on a mat, but has to be done to earn the card. Actually, I have to go through the CPR training once a year and the first aid every three years. I get paid for the time......seven hours total, but it takes up two whole nights and the room is small and close and cold! Judy Pierson and I went on the same night, so that helped....and she gave me a hard time cuz I know someone everywhere we go....and I walked in and there was Sarah Follmer and Ryan Paitich! Oh well....it happens when we walk, too. I guess when you have been around for sixty years and, especially, when you sub all over, you make a lot of acquaintances.

My biggest compaint was how nervous I feel about knowing I am certified, but feeling like I'm not sure I could save a life. I guess I could do chest compressions and give rescue breaths......30/2 for as long as possible until help arrives. I found myself thinking-Don't doctors have to go to school for about 8 years? How can I learn everything in two nights?

What I mostly learned: Call 9-1-1-!!

A Day at Grammy's House!

Hannah was a great help to me. I took down all the Christmas decorations and she took the ornaments off the tree and put them in little plastic bags to bundle them up for next year. Then, Kristin, Bob, and Jennie and I fought with the tree to put it back in a vinyl bag for storage out in the garage. I always feel like we are carrying a dead body out there.

I love it when Hannah asks me, "Grammy, why you have two houses?" I always tell her I am just lucky, I guess. Jenny told Amy she would watch the girls today and I was happy to volunteer my house so I could see them. Kristin stopped in, too, and even Mom and Bob came over later.

The girls were so cute and so sweet, as alway

Kari just blogged about Agus deciding he was ready to pose for some pictures....after all that time of never wanting to look at anyone holding a camera. And Hailey was posing for us all day Sunday, too. She was such a little ham for the camera. Hannah likes to pull down the couch armrest and they were sitting on it. When I grabbed this pillow, Hailey immediately let out a big sigh and just leaned back on it. It was so cute!

She was so cute! It almost looks like she has on a wig

Those are some amazing blue eyes....and cheeks!!!

FINALLY......!.

Well....I finally got brave enough to take the plunge and got my LONG hair chopped off. It was something I knew I had to do, but I just kept putting it off. Finally, on Saturday when Tom and I were at Har Mar's Antique Show, I got brave and went into Fantastic Sam's and got it cut. Even though it is dramatically shorter and very obvious, I still am hearing, "Miss Chris?!! Did you get a haircut??!!" Maybe I should give a redneck smart aleck comment back, and say, "No I just folded it."