45

After all the complaining about Vernonia as a Memorial Day site and after most of the family announced they weren’t going to attend this year because they hated Vernonia and even after they raised the price of the camp we still have 45 people promising to attend.

Dorena and Gayle are putting together the menu and they have all the important details. Cydney decided that it would be nice to spend one night there with the twins so she could visit with people while the boys run around. I mean they’ll love the basketball area, the pool and the grass field. I feel pretty bad about my mom missing her first reunion ever after 39 years and if it were closer I might think about taking her for the day. I know she would be very anxious and unsettled there for several days.

Argentina is on my mine this week as I need to start thinking of what to pack. We leave on May 9th and return on the 23rd. I’m noting that this is not the month to leave home as there is much planting and pool cleaning waiting but then I have to go with when I’m invited. Is it warming up in Chicago?

Lucas has been taught that there are certain words that aren’t nice or proper and therefore shouldn’t be used. His first forbidden word was the “S” word- stupid. I’ve been caught using that word when I wasn’t paying attention but he will remind me that is isn’t a nice word to use. The other day he mentioned that no one should use the “S” word or the “T” word. I am interested in the “T” word so after I ask I find it is the dreaded word “tooter”. I guess he was chanting it and rhyming it so his parents put it on the bad word list. I mean I hope I never let him hear me speaking some really bad words. Maybe they’d just sail right past him and then he’d add them to his spoken language. Teaching him bad words after letting him watch the horror video would put me in the “never see your grandson again” category I’m sure. Anyway it's good they probably won't be at Memorial Day where he can learn a whole list of truly bad words.

A replica of Sue is now at our museum. We will go check her out this week. Do you have the wine situation handled? Also you need to consider Diana’s ocean side homes for next year unless you can come up with something better.

Grandsons

Here is the best I could do to get all four boys in one photo. It was cold this weekend but in order to keep our sanity we took them outside and didn't let a few raindrops bother us. They love being outside and they love throwing sand.

Cyd and Brett got to spend some meaningful time together trying to remember what their lives were like before boys.
My mom spent one afternoon here with the boys and she loved giving them directions and telling them what to do. She thought this was Cyd's house but she did know Peyton and Walker were twins. You can tell she looks happy and she never forgets to put on her earrings, which is a nice touch.

Besides running around trying to get children to pose for photographs I was taping shut cupboard doors, moving cleansers from under the sink, gathering toliet paper that was being strung down the hallway, and moving coffee cups that one year olds can now climb up to reach (and spill). It was my kind of weekend.

Real or Fake?

Lucas has been having nightmares that cause him to wake up often in the middle of the night. Since our viewing of Meet the Robinson’s he’s been obsessed with these type of questions: Is Willy Wonka real? Is Jimmy Neutron real? Is Meet the Robinson’s real?

This all centers around a poor selection of movies, videos and video games and since I am the major selector I am willing to accept the blame for his nightmares. I have decided to stop taking him to movies and we no longer will watch videos from the library. Now I’ve taken to reading him my own Tall Book of Nursery Tales, copyright 1944. It has traditional stories of Little Red Ridinghood’s grandmother being eaten by a wolf, Goldilock’s wandering uninvited in a stranger’s home and being frightened when the family appears, and even a Gingerbread Boy who hops from the oven and then is eventually eaten by a menacing wolf. Maybe these will help him understand the concept of what is real and what is fake.

My mom is on another side of the reality issue. We have Abbott and Costello type conversations that go like this.
Me: So you went on a scenic bus ride today?
Mother: I did?
Me: Yes, did you have a good time?
Mother: Am I going on a bus ride now?
Me: No, it is time for bed now.
Mother: I haven’t had dinner yet.
Me: Yes, it’s 7:30 so I’m sure you’ve had dinner.

I like to think all is well with her new residence but my opinion as well as my guilt varies from day to day just as her demeanor varies daily. Most of the time my mom is happy and enthusiastic which is great considering she has never been one to accept assistance from others. Apparently the plumber has added my mom’s bathroom to his regular schedule and I’m not sure if that has any relationship to her missing hearing aids.


I’ve heard that Charlie and family as well as the Harle’s will be at Vernonia though there are rumors that both families will be leaving Sunday. By combining the leave-early and the get-there-late people we can cut down on the number of beds we’ll need. It’s still a much better strategy that not attending at all which is apparently what the Lewis family has in mind.

I received an Earth Day article that mentions Chicago Parks so I know you will be out leading the Oz Park Earth Day clean-up on Saturday. Don't forget to wear your whistle.

Syria?

You can tell David is trying to help me even out the mention of political parties on this blog. It might actually make the blog more readable as it needs something. I think David has been listening to lots of Sean Hannity at work and maybe he needs a little Rush in there also.

Jane has written a long email and she does know something about The Secret. It doesn’t have anything to do with what when on between certain couples in high school though I guess those are the things Brent R. likes to remember from 1959. A tell all from high school couldn’t hold my interest now though I am tired of hearing about Danilynn and Imus.

So you are fast approaching the first of May when you can truly retire. Are you having a retirement party after 45 years in the garment industry? Maybe you will have time to sew your own wardrobe again. You could start by making costumes for Memorial Day as I think your sister has a talent show in mind. What is your activity contribution for that weekend?

Barbara and Phyllis were here today for cookie baking at Ronald McDonald’s House. Barb reported that Dennis Kisler was visiting the past few days. I think that’s the extent of our Warden news.

My mom is enjoying her living group. She’s been going for scenic rides, participating in an oldies song fest, doing some yard cleanup, drawing and coloring, and all with a cheery countenance. There are three Montana women where she lives counting Libby, Kalispell and Great Falls. Now that the weather is warm she is up for long walks.

I hope you’ll send photos of the new Dorothy and Toto sculptures in OZ Park since you’ve masterminded their presence.

Peyton and Walker

Yard Work

It is time to get the yard in shape for the summer but as I look outside now it is snowing. Yesterday it also snowed for about 30 minutes leaving a white covering everywhere. Today the flakes are disappearing when they land but still I’m not eager to go outside. It’s the too-old thing I guess, can’t stay out late and can’t go outside during cold weather.

Nancy inspired me during her visit. I want to start dressing better, start decorating my house, and start shaping up my environment in general. Your sister is just outstanding in the way she presents herself daily. Her home also looks like it came out of House Beautiful. She brought photos on her camera and her world is lovely and the people in it are lovely too. It is quite the contrast from my chipped woodwork, worn paint and stained carpet. I think I need to take a trip to forget all this.

We are ready for Easter. Lucas carefully dyed eggs and we hid them a few times just for practice. We also visited live lambs, chicks and bunnies. Later in the day Lucas was posturing with his gun and announced that he would never kill a chicken or anything only monsters. He really liked the chicks. Remember when we all had a few chickens in our yard in Warden? I guess we needed the eggs.

We will have a little brunch with Ray and Claire. They are now spending three days at the University of Washington Medical Center to evaluate him for a liver transplant. We’re keeping our fingers crossed. Claire is definitely in charge of all this nursing stuff and she is so organized.

Oh I like the Chinese proverb on your bulletin board: “He who says it cannot be done should get out of the way of the one who is doing it." It sounds like your Johanson activist mantra which keeps you involved in beautifying your park. When are the new statues of Dorothy and Toto arriving?