Friday, August 17, 2012

And So To August

O.k., let's recap ... Chad is now 17.  He had a nice birthday, getting a trip to the Oregon Zoo out of the deal, as well as a battery for his car (courtesy of his father).  His car, a 1966 Volvo Amazon, is sitting quietly in our driveway, awaiting the day when it can roar to life.  It needs some work and Chad needs his driver's license so the Amazon will have to be patient.

Todd turned 1/2 century.  We all spent the day in Portland, where Todd bought clothes for me at Nordstrom.  It's what he likes to do. We had a good time together, Portland was warm so we enjoyed some summer there.  We had dinner at the Nordstrom cafe, which we love, and had Sees' candy for dessert.  Todd got a box of his favorite candy to go.  And he doesn't look a day over 49!

Todd and I have now been married 24 years (and 11 days).  We had a nice anniversary, lunch at a favorite restaurant overlooking the Columbia river and went for a drive afterward.  Surviving this kitchen remodel has definitely been a marriage challenge.  It's a good thing I'm so flexible.  Don't tell him I said that.

The bad news is that my Mom's situation has definitely changed, for the better and for the worse.  For the better in that my sister and my Mom are now over the problem that I mentioned in my last post.  But my Mom spent several days in the hospital last week, and is now in a nursing home, with no real certainty that she'll ever go home again.  Big sigh.  My sister, Connie, has gone above and beyond what any of us could have done to take care of my Mom.  This is the first time in her life that I've seen her be there for my Mom (and Connie is 63!)  In some ways, you could say it's Connie's turn, as my other two sisters and myself have each had our time of caring for Mom at different times in her life.  I'm just so thankful she is able to do all that she's done for Mom and I tell her so every time we talk.  In fact, I've never, ever talked to Connie as much as I have in the last month.  My Mom fell and fractured two ribs as well as L6 in her spine.  She's been in a lot of pain but seems to be doing better this week.  It will take a long time for her to heal.  There are a few other health issues as well.  We pray for her every night.  A long road ahead.

Todd is working on the pantry ... well, actually he removed the pantry and it's just an empty space at the moment.  I still haven't posted any photos.  This summer turned out to be busier than I expected.  It's hard to find time to blog.  But I have found time to bake with Carmen - she's fearless in the kitchen.  I love it!  She gives me courage, actually, as I have little confidence in the kitchen.  We made apple pockets (like turnovers) and she was so proud.  She's bookmarked several recipes in some of our cookbooks that she wants to try in the future.   It's so fun to have a partner to cook with!

2 comments:

jugglingpaynes said...

Busy summers. Join the club! Every year I think I will have a break in the summer and it ends up busier than the rest of the year.

I'm sorry about your mom, but happy to hear things are going smoother between her and your sister. May she heal quickly and see her time at the nursing home as something positive to learn from.

Those remodels can really take it out of you, can't they. But it sounds like your kitchen is really shaping up and Carmen will put it to good use! I had to giggle about you having a partner to cook with. All of my kids cook to some degree, and usually they want everyone else out of the kitchen when they are preparing a meal or dessert. Of course, our kitchen is small, so we tend to get in each others' way. :o)

Peace and Laughter,
Cristina

Paula Vince said...

I'm really sorry to hear about your mother's health problems. When people reach their golden, retirement years, it always makes me so sad when they aren't well.
Happy 50th to Todd and 17th to Chad. And it must be exciting to think that your silver wedding anniversary will be approaching next time.
Enjoy the tail end of your summer, as autumn must be in the air.
We've had a very wet winter, which is great as the drought we had for a long time seems to be well and truly over.
Blessings,
Paula