A lady leaves

She had tiny feet.  When she laughed, every inch of her laughed.  She could almost fit in my pocket and she cooked food like a short order cook.  I close my eyes and when I think of my Aunt Sallie, I can only smile and thank her for all the beautiful things she said and did for me.  I got word today that my aunt Sallie has passed on.  She had survived heart surgery, but took a turn on Monday and passed today. 

I loved her so much, words cannot even begin to explain it.  I don’t understand  the bond we shared.  Perhaps, it was because she had lost a daughter the same year I was born.  Maybe it was just because we loved each other…nothing else.  I loved her enough to name my first daughter after her.  I couldn’t think of a better way to let her know how much I loved her.  My Sallie, in turn, came to love her as much as I did.  They, too, shared a bond that is unexplained.  I could talk to aunt Sallie and she would always say the right thing to make you know she understood you pain.  She was a comfort. 

My aunt was married to my Uncle Percy, a brother to my father.  Uncle Percy, was the kindest man.  He was a pillar of the church and I don’t believe either one ever said an unkind word in my presence.  They had a huge love for their church, their sons and their granddaughters. 

My fondest memory of Uncle Percy was one evening when we went to a celebration in the small town of Smithfield Virginia.  We were watching fireworks and he put his arm around my shoulders and gave me a hug and told him how much it meant to him for me to come back and visit.  When he died, it was like losing my father. 

I had the pleasure of taking several friends back to Virginia.  When the door opened, there was this tiny little lady standing in the doorway.  If you peeked around the corner, you would find the table set and she was ready to start throwing on the food.  Her chicken was to die for.  Her pickles were the best!  Piles of Angel Biscuits graced the table and ice tea was ready to pour.  Everything that lady put out on the table was home made and good.  Butter beans were in the bowls and ham sliced so thin you could read the paper through it.  You haven’t eaten ham until you have had ham from Smithfield. 

When I would call her, I would say, “What are you having for dinner?”  She would start laughing and would say, ‘butter beans, ham and angel biscuits!  Are you coming over?’

I have Aunt Sallie’s picture in the family room and in my bedroom.  It always made me smile.  Today, I don’t feel like smiling, but I know the feeling I have now will be replaced by the good memories I have had over my lifetime with her.  She is the love of my life.  How lucky I am to have had a love affair with her for all my life.  I will miss going to the back door and opening it up and saying…”yoooouuuu wwwhhoooooo”.  There was always a you whoo returned and we would laugh like it was the first time.

My Aunt Sallie was a beautiful person.  She was kind, loving, giving.  Her energy was amazing.  I will miss her. 

 

Home and Happy

Ok, so far, I have figure out that retirement is just more time to do more work.  We cleaned closets and dunged out clothes we haven’t worn or can’t wear any longer.  In my case, I have gotten too fat, but in Mike’s case, he has gotten too small.  Isn’t that how it always is?  The one that works the hardest to lose weight never succeeds.  Mike gives up two raisins and a sip of water and loses 34 pounds.  Just isn’t fair.

We went down and visited with the kids.  Peyton has some really cute tricks with me.  I have learned to clip my hair back as he constantly pulls it.  He is strong and won’t give up.  Then he is determined to stick it in his mouth and chew it.  Yes, it is repulsive, no doubt.  So, I twist it up and knot it on the back of my head and clip it.  He peeks one side and then the other until he gets a good location of it.  With one hand he pushes my face to one side and then grabs the clip.  He is quick as a wink.  As soon as I yelp from the hairs being ripped out of my scalp, he changes his attack to my glasses.   He grabs them off my face and just chucks them down.   Our new game is…”what does a lion say?” (he roars), followed by “what does Meme say?  NO NO NO!”  I am sure that is going to be his first word he learns from from me. 

I still like rocking him to sleep, but Erin is “tossing” him in bed for his night sleep.  He fusses for less than 2 minutes and then settles down.  I know it is for the best, but the numbers of days we can cuddle our babies and hug them are so small.  I want to savor each day that he will allow me to rock him.  I sing, rock and hum.  I am sure Peyton is allowing me to get my Meme fix is for the day. 

Kaylie…she is such a hoot.  Her sense of humor is more adult than child and it gets her in all kinds of trouble.  She is quick witted like her mom and Victor.  She reads like the wind and I am always amazed about the words she can read and understand.  I think because reading for me is so difficult, I am especially proud of her accomplishments. 

We drove to Oregon and stayed two nights at Spirit Mountain Casino.  I love that place.  I am sure from the amount of money I gave them, they love me, too.  We had moments of brilliance.  It was fun and our splurge month…maybe two!  We drove through Longview where we lived for a year and a half when we were first married.  Sallie was born there and we left 9 days later.  Ugh…that was an adventure.  A few days after we arrived in Longview, I was sick as a dog with breast infection.  103 fever and a 11 day old baby.  Mike couldn’t take a day off…he had only worked 8 hours.  I looked around and there was no calvary riding into the fort to help me out.  I would get up, feed Sallie, lay on the sofa and cover both of us up with a blanket.  We existed until Mike could get home at lunch.  He would dress her and return her to my chest.  We would doze and survive until he got home from work.  I can’t remember being so sick and puny.  Motherhood started out on a bum foot!

Anyhow…the days are suppose to get warmer.  We have plans to throw a little grass seed into the ground and take the boat out for a romp in the bay.

Thursday, we return to Aberdeen to babysit for the weekend.  Erin and Victor are going to the dunes in Oregon to ride the quads.  No place for children, so we raised our hand and said we would come take care of them at their house. 

 

Yes, this is the Surfer Dude!  This is the face that brings me back to Aberdeen.  He is such a ham.  He and sister should take their show on the road, as they are pure entertainment.

 

We’re retired…now what?

All our lives, we work towards something.  We go to school to prepare to graduate and go on and create a career.  If we get married, we celebrate a union, knowing we are working for a future with another person.  You eat cake!  You have children and know you are buying into many years of hard work.  We celebrate their births and each year thereafter.  These are all goals we set for ourselves.  Retirement is a different event.  We celebrate NOT having a goal.  It is trying to figure out how to fill a day without leaving for work.  For me, it is not having  to think of cooking something in the middle of the day for Mike to eat before he goes to work.  I don’t have to put off vacuuming because he is asleep.  Of course, running around naked in the house may have to be stopped, but hey, I can adjust.

The party was wonderful.  The food was plenty and beautifully prepared and well received by the many guests that came and went.  My sweet friend Jackie was such a blessing.  She insisted on linens and I basically said, “fine.  You have to get them as I don’t know where they are in this town.”  She ran with that.  She came up with blue and silver/gray as our color theme and let me tell you, it was the exactly what we needed.  The room is an old, old grange and the walls are wooden.  They have darkened with age.  Picture a big barn of a building.  With the linens, it dressed up the tables and gave the feeling you were really going to be able to sit and enjoy the event.  She got contrasting napkins for under the center pieces.

I did the centerpieces…wasn’t brain surgery.  I just took little vases and put blue and clear glass beads in the bottom, a votive candle, some ribbon and put it on a glass disk.  Then that all sat on a mirror.  To make the silver come out, we threw some Hershey candies on for added munchies and color.  After the candles were lit, it gave the room a nice feel.

Mike had a great time.  Many of the retirees came back to visit and say hello. 

I must thank the wonderful friends that helped.  Herb and Nancy Woods the best!  Their daughter, Kaysie did the catering and pulled it off without a hitch.  I didn’t do anything but praise them.  They took care of everything.  Jackie Jones was my moral support and helped so much getting it all decorated with me.  Sallie and Erin lent a hand in taking it down and carrying things to the car.  I don’t know what I would have done without all these people.  I thank them from the bottom of my heart.  To my internet friends…I must apologize for all the whining and worry.  You guys kept me bolstered and focused.  Sherri, Pallas and Glenda, you three always reassured me. 

Here are some pictures.  I will add more of the food and such later. 

 

 

This Mike and Herb Woods.  They worked very well together for these last 15 years, but will be friends for life.

 

Daughter Sallie and our granddaughter Kaylie. 

 

 

Peyton had a balloon tied to his bib overalls and he just walked around greeting everyone.  I see a future with Walmart!  He just was in awe of all the people he saw.  He ate everything from cake to mustard.  Nothing much bothers him.

 

This is my family…Mike, Me, brother Terry, mom in the middle, Carrie (Terry’s wife) Cheryl (Randy’s wife) and brother Randy.

All is all, it was a wonderful time and I would be happy to do it all again….We were all gathered and we weren’t burying anybody.  My idea of a good time.

Party On!

Mike retires on Friday.  I want to get him out of there by noon by taking him out to lunch.  We will see if that all pans out.  We are happy, but leave with such heavy hearts a the same time.  Mill families are close.  When you celebrate Christmases together, eat turkey on Thanksgiving day and watch the July 4th  fireworks from the mill windows, you are with your “other family.”  Over the years, Mike has celebrated more holidays with these people than our family or me.  Together, they have weathered deaths of parents, children and spouses.  They have shared tears of worry when our children had their growing pains.  We have held hands and prayed when coworkers were struck down with illnesses.   Mill families cry together and laugh until we can’t stand up and thankfully, there is a whole lot more laughing!  As Mike and I say, “it is time.”  There is never a good time, but there are plenty of bad times.   

We have plans to go to Disneyland with Erin and her family, Lake Tahoe with Sallie (both  the Happiest Place on Earth).  Mike and I are thinking about New Zealand and meeting up with our Aussie friends.  I have a garden area that is screaming to be weeded.  I want time to weave.  I want Mike to cook dinner. 

And of course…the little guys in Aberdeen.  We certainly enjoy being with them.  We spoil them and love them so much.  It is going to be nice to be able to spend a lot of time with them, instead of sandwiching visits between shifts.  I want a weekend off to be able to see my daughters and my brothers.  I want to toss the alarm clock.  I want Mike to get some rest…good rest.  Shift work is miserable for them and it isn’t a whole lot better for the wife, either! 

I don’t know if we will move back down to Aberdeen.  I have such mixed emotion with another move.  As much as I would love being closer to Kaylie and Peyton, I love the peninsula.  I love the mountains and the smell of the sea.  My walks are wonderful up here.  I watch all the birds and sea life.  I was meant to live near the sea.  The friends we have here are the special and I find myself  torn between wanting to be with family and not seeing my friends.  I guess until it seems right, we will stay where we are and travel up and down the canal.  Time has a way of showing us what we need to do next.  I will keep my bags packed and ready, like an old fire horse.

So, we are down to one and a half work days left for Mike.  I can’t wait…I am ready for retirement and everything that comes with it! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He must be a Genius!

I went down to visit the grandbabies.  Yeah, I know…this isn’t any great news flash.  I don’t need a reason, I just love to go.  Each time I see Peyton, his hair is a bit longer, a few more teeth and another trick.  Even a week is a huge difference in his development. 

I, personally, think he is nothing short of a genius.  He is walking full time and just turned 9 months.  Looks a bit like Frankenstein coming down the hallway, but it is walking.  He thinks he such a clever little boy.  He smiles as if to say, “Look at me…here I come..ready or not!”  It helps to stick his tongue out, for better balance and his pudgy little hands are like a birds wing.  He is getting faster, too.   ”NO” means, walk faster and farther. 

He can clap, yawn when you yawn, say mama, dada and is working on the S sound for Sissy.  He can make a raspberry sound using his fist to rub back and forth across his lips while make noise.  He can roar like a lion, too.  He can spit bubbles and when he eats, he can pick up the tiniest morsel with his thumb and index finger.  He figured out there is water in the toilet and it is fun to splash.  Ugh.  I about puked.  He did that on my watch and I grabbed him up and began washing his hands before he tried sticking his fingers in his mouth.  Peyton thought my reaction was worth the event. 

He watches Barney on TV and will sit a whole 30 minutes, glued to the TV.  The minute it is over, he is out of there.  He loves a carpet commercial and stops cold in his tracks when it comes on. 

Peyton has been battling eye problems.  They seem to get goopy and water a lot.  Pediatrician says..he will out grow it.  If not, when he gets to be one year, they operate by probing a wire into the tear ducts.  Well, this week, it either got infected or just got worse, but Erin took him to an eye Dr. and he gave her drops for infection.  Already, his eyes are better looking.  He resembled a prize fighter that wasn’t all that successful.  Very puffy eye and red. 

Kaylie is off for spring break and spent time with her father.  She is such a girl.  Her sense of humor is getting very adult like.  Not sure if one day, she is going to step over the boundaries and find herself in her room for a bit.  With Erin and Victor’s sense of humor and Mike and me as grandparents, I can’t imagine how she could escape a warped sense of humor to carry her through.  At the end of the day, I think humor is the only we end up with in life.

Mike has 7 working days left and then we retire.  I can’t wait.  I know he is tired of working, but I am tired of cooking to make sure he gets to work on a full stomach.  I may retire my fry pan and let him cook the next 37 years.  Regardless, it is going to be an adjustment for both of us. 

Disneyland is in June and then Lake Tahoe with Sallie in September.  I hope to throw some seeds in the ground this summer and grow me some beans.  Last year was dedicated to Peyton and getting him a good start.  This summer, he can help plant the seeds.

I continue to knit and knit some more.  I am looking forward to having time to weave more, too.  But, I know I will find more time to see the children…they keep us young.  They fill my heart.  They nourish my soul. 

OK, off to watch baseball.  Go Mariner’s