Ali's New Old House · Grandmothering

4.9: It’s been a week of Mondays

Lordy, it’s been a week. I’m thankful that it’s one of my long weekends coming up!

Saturday was a great day, though, so let’s go back…

Ali usually has Saturdays off & has the kids, so Kate & I decided to give her a “work day” — free of kids so she could just have at it all day at the house. Kate took the younger three to the Milwaukee Public Museum, which they’d never been to before — actually, Ginny was there when she was about 3 but doesn’t remember. I took Junah to get a haircut, then we finished his birthday shopping (yeah, his birthday was in January).

I learned of “Survivor Saturday,” a cooperative effort of our public library & local nature center (with a lot of help from local scouts), and thought that would be fun to do with Junah.

There were tasks to complete & then we turned in our sheet to enter a drawing. The tasks were Orienteering (wayfinding with a compass), Knot Tying, making Fire Starter Kits (two different types), Fire Building (we used a firestarter… and a Dorito, though learned that Fritos are even better), and Shelter Building. He complained a little along the way, but actually had a lot of fun!

After that, we grabbed some lunch, stopped at the new house, chilled at home for an hour (nap time for Nona), then went to the MINECRAFT movie! I can’t say I’d have gone to see that movie otherwise, but it was fun. Have you see the crochet?? Jason Momoa has been known to sport the occasional crocheted garment, but for Minecraft, he had a cardigan made for himself & for Jack Black (just google their names + crochet). The cardigan pattern (Etsy) was designed by TreatYoSelfCrochet (IG).

Anyway, we stopped at the store to pick up dinner things & arrived home just as Kate & the rest of the kids!

And Alison painted the entire kitchen!

I helped Ali clear the downstairs hardwood floors on Sunday in preparation for the floor refinisher’s appointment on Monday.

Kate had picked up where the girls left off with painting their room, so we continued doing that after Ali left for work. The house you can see through the window in the middle pic is the house that Annie almost bought — before it all fell apart & she ended up buying her current house. It’s only a block away! Anyway, I love that little curve in the wall (reminds me of my Grandma Blum’s house, which featured a couple of curvy areas).

There’s a “before” and a “during,” which Rusty just sent me this morning — first coat of varnish is being applied in “the green room.” You can see a little of Rusty’s handiwork with the rebuilt stairs… there will be a door relocated to that gray “door-shaped” area beyond (someday hopefully fairly soon).

We’ve really entered the “finishing” phase! There’s a long way to go, but it feels so good!

Grandmothering · Weekending

Random Long Weekending

Whew!

I had a doctor appointment a couple of weeks ago and she ordered a few things, so Friday I went in for labs, a mammogram, and my first Dexascan. Labs were better than expected — triglycerides are a little high, but the prescription is still “diet & exercise.” The Dexascan measures bone density and there was absolutely nothing to see there… bones are good! They called me back on the mammo for a closer look at one area, which I did on Monday, and they want me back again to do what I think of as a “needle biopsy.” I’m not sure when that will be yet, and I’m not particularly worried as I’ve had this same calcification cluster in the same spot for years and even had this procedure done once before, but I’ll get it done — things change.

My doc also gave me an ortho referral, as my hip has been bugging me more & more. I was envisioning myself going down (going up isn’t much of an issue) several flights of stairs in a giant stadium in Amsterdam populated by people more spry than I — not to mention walking/cycling around Amsterdam for a few days — and that would not be pretty. The recent x-rays, compared to the one I had three years ago, showed that there’s no space/cushion anymore & more than a couple of bone spurs. He said that I’m looking at a hip replacement in the future… but we’re not there yet! Instead, I had a cortisone injection yesterday and so far, so good. It can take a few days, even a week or so, to really take effect, so I’m not doing a jig just yet. It felt so good to just normally walk down a flight of stairs yesterday, though!

I also finally had a dentist appointment on Monday after a couple of cancellations, and that went better than expected, so yippee! Not so great is my “new” dental insurance… gonna have to run some numbers but it might be worth getting back on the plan at work, if I can.

And I had the kids for a few hours on both Friday & Saturday when Ali picked up a couple of shifts. We made muffins, took some walks & did a lot of bike riding (between rain drops… OMG, it.is.so.wet), certain kids played Minecraft, others watched a movie. Davy crawled up on my bed and said, “Lay down with me Nona,” then covered me up with a blanket and we took about a 3-second nap! haha.

SO BUSY!!!

There hasn’t been a lot going on in the Swiftie Bracelet Factory, but I did take an hour or so to trim the knots on all of them & secure each with a dot of glue. They look much nicer! I think Annie will be up this weekend — we leave for Amsterdam a week from today!! — and I know she wants to make a few herself. I’m sure I’ll make a few more, too. I’ve been wearing my MARJORIE bracelet… my mom died 10 years ago on Sunday. So hard to believe.

I’ve been picking up Maddy’s panel for the Family Temperature Blanket a little more — progress is slow but sure. I think I’m in February now, so only March & 25 days of April to go after that. She’ll be here in less than three weeks!! We had a nice chat the other day, too.

Other than that, y’know, laundry, dishes, starting to think about packing… the travel reminders are arriving. Oh, I returned the convertible yesterday (sob!) and I’m going to miss it. Who knew I’d love that so much?

Grandmothering

“No,” said Jün.

“You know, that’s short for ‘Nona’?

I don’t know why, but that’s one of the first things that popped into my head when I was waking up this morning. He slipped that in a couple of weeks ago and it still makes me laugh.

He’s holding the bird feeder that he built using a “kit” that Rusty fashioned. It’s going to be sunny & warm all weekend, with winds from the south, and I’m told we’re to watch as the migratory birds will begin to return.

 

Grandmothering

Making memories

My earliest memory — it's not even a complete memory, just little blips — is from when I was about 3, on a train with my mom, going to see a ballet. Swan Lake, I think. Or possibly The Nutcracker. But I really think it was Swan Lake.

Tonight, along with their mother, I'm taking my 3yo granddaughter and 5yo grandson to the ballet… SWAN LAKE! I hope they will hold on to some memory of it… little blips would be just fine.

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We were talking to them about it the other night, and Junah (a little worried?) declared:

WELL, I'M NOT DANCING!!