Preparations

Hey, Y'all,
Preparations are so very important, aren't they? We prepare for so many things in life: the birth of a baby, a paper for a class, a new job, a dress for a party or special occasion, a dinner for guests who may be coming...so many things, and many times we leave off preparation for the end of a life. If you are not a believer in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of your life, don't put it off any longer. That time may come sooner than you think.

This morning, I was asleep in my bed, but in a waking stage, and my daughter comes into my room with the news that Dubby (Gramps) was gone. It was a surprise to me, even though I had been praying for his release from this life into a new life in Heaven. I just didn't expect it to happen quite so soon.

My friend, Ina Ray, and I had arrived yesterday afternoon and I thought, "Well, I will wait until tomorrow and go see Dub and spend some time with him and then she and I will go have lunch at the tea room and maybe get to go see the new house I will be moving into."

I had just talked to him a couple of days ago, and had told him how much I missed him. He told me that he missed me too, and missed me every minute. That was the last thing he said to me in this life, but I know he is waiting for me in the next one.

We had many things to do today in preparation for going back to Tennessee for the funeral. We had clothing to buy for Dub's burial because all of his clothes are in the POD which won't be delivered until next week and is in transit somewhere. We had obituaries to compose, flights to arrange back to Tennessee, people to notify, funeral to plan, and many small details to attend to. All of these are important, but none is as important as that decision which each person has to make about where their soul will spend eternity. Have YOU made that decision? If not, please don't delay. If you have decided in Christ's favor, praise His name!

Tomorrow we finish getting ready to go to Tennessee, and there is much to do. Thank you all so very much for your support and prayers for us. We appreciate all of you so very much. This is Blabbin' Grammy signing off for tonight. People will be coming on Friday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. for the "visitation and receiving of friends" and will see what remains of my Sweetie Pie, but what they see will only be the shell. His spirit has flown during last night to be with Jesus. Praise God! His body will be interred on Saturday morning. He prepared for it a long time ago. Bye for now.

Thank You, Lord

Hey, Y'all,
This morning early, my Sweetie Pie, Dub (Gramps) went to be with the Lord. I thank God that he is no longer in pain, and is with his Lord and Savior. I thank each of you for all the prayers that you have offered up in his behalf. More later. Love to each of you, my friends. This is Blabbin' Grammy signing off for now. Bye for now.

In Arkansas

Hey, Y'all,
Well, it is Monday morning, and after a rather restless night in a wonderfully comfortable motel, we have had breakfast and are about ready to be "on the road again" and traveling westward. We spent the night in a suite at Comfort Suites, and the beds were wonderful, but my mind just wouldn't shut up. My pillow was stuffed into a pillow case that made the pillow too fat, so I didn't really get to sleep until I removed the pillow from the case. I would guess that maybe I got three or fours hours total. Ina was yelling "help" in her sleep and I hollered over at her to wake up. We had a large suite with two queen size beds. We were in the lap of luxury, but I couldn't appreciate it with my lack of sleep. Oh well.

Yesterday, Ina drove for quite a while and then I took over and drove until we reached our destination for the night. We drove through the little burg of Forrest City and decided to do it up right and get the room here at this motel up on top of the hill. We had supper at the Pizza Hut, although we considered the Bonanza Steakhouse. However, when we went into the Bonanza, it was about as hot as it was outdoors and we decided we wanted a cool place to eat, so it was the Pizza Hut.

This morning they had a yummy breakfast with lots of choices here at the Comfort Suites, so we ate very well. I talked with Gramps last night. Carol called and said she was there at the Bishop Davies with him, and Amy (Matt's wife) was with her. He told me he had been talking with Carol and her daughter, Amy. He told me he missed me and asked me where I was. I told him that I am on my way to him. He said "I miss you every minute." Bless his heart, I miss him, too.

Well, we gotta be on our way in a few minutes. Thank you all for your prayers for our safe journey and your well wishes, too. Love to all of you, My friends and family. I'm keeping in touch via facebook, too. This is Blabbin' Grammy signing off for now. Bye for now.

Happy Birthday, Noah!

Hey, Y'all,
Two of my greats have birthdays this month - Ellie, who turned 4 on the 12th, and Noah, who turns 5 today. They are both children of my grandson, Daniel and wife, Whitney. Now that I will be living in Texas, I will get to see a lot more of them since they come to Texas quite often. In fact I will get to see a lot more of them all in that family! Yea! Hurray!

Today I have been out and about very early, running errands that must be done: taking items to the local thrift store; sending a tiller to my grandson, Daniel; stopping at the bank; then at the church to see Judy. She very sweetly invited me to supper, and of course, I accepted. Now that I am at home, there are objects to be dismantled so they can be packed onto the POD, and a variety of other things to be done such as cleaning the fridge, and the stove and the microwave. I just got a set of boxes via FedEx, from Direct TV, to send back their receivers and remotes. I will do that in the morning. I may want to watch tv this evening.

Well, gotta get up from this comfortable chair and get busy. Much love to each of you, my friends. This is Blabbin' Grammy signing off for now. Bye for now. More later.

Lunches

Hey, Y'all,
I have been doing some "goodbye" meals lately, and it is sad but encouraging, knowing that I have such great friends and family who are going to miss me and Gramps, but still will keep in touch with us. Last Wednesday, I went to lunch with Mae, Imazo, Niece Norma, and had a great time, then watched a movie at Imazo's. We had the waitress take a picture of us.

Yesterday, our neighbors, Scott and Laurie, came down with their children, Mitchell, Olivia, and Gabriel for our regular Monday evening supper. We had salad, lasagna and garlic toast, followed by carrying out items to be packed in the POD. Then we had ice cream, whipped topping, and fresh peaches. Yum!

Today, I met with some of the retired teachers that I had worked with and we had lunch at the Mustard Seed Cafe and Bakery at Dandridge. We had a great time, and good food. I was presented with a "Thinking of You" card and a beautiful "Esther" bracelet. I received a gift card along with a beautiful greeting card. I also received a lovely necklace. So very thoughtful, and I appreciated them so very much. Thank you, dear friends! I'll never forget the wonderful times we have shared.

Tomorrow I will be going into Knoxville for our last "movie day" and looking forward to spending some time with them, but not to the tears which I know will flow. I believe Shakespeare had it right when he said, "Parting is such sweet sorrow", don't you? (Although he was speaking of Romeo and Juliet).

I received a call today from a nurse at the nursing home in Texas and she told me that Gramps had gotten out of his wheelchair and fallen, but he was near the nurses
station, so fortunately he was gotten up quickly. She said he seems to be okay.

Well, I had better stop for now. My eyes are trying to close up on me (and have been doing so quite a bit today). This is Blabbin' Grammy signing off for now. Much love to each of you, my friends. Bye for now.

Hey, I just got online this morning (after doing this posting last night) and remembered that I hadn't mentioned the visit I had in the afternoon with Judy's mama, Marian, and also that I was invited to her home for supper last night. Anyhow, I did, and it was delicious as always. We had homemade beef stew and rolls, along with cucumber salad, and later had dessert of ice cream with toppings of choice. It was wonderful having supper with them again. Judy is a really great cook, and also her mama is. Judy had prepared the supper last night and brought it from her home which is just three doors down from her mama's home.

I also put pictures on my post this morning. I couldn't do so last night because it is so difficult in the evening to post pictures, because of the busy internet highways.
So, once again, it is time for me to sign off. I am driving into Knoxville today for our last "movie day". Pictures at top: 1: Me.Mae. Norma (my niece and Mae's daughter). Imazo. 2: Carolyn P., Phyllis E., Carolyn M., 3: Carolyn M., and Lisa M. (Sorry about the close-ups, ladies, but I was probably too close. being too lazy to get up).
You will see me reflected in the mirror of the bottom picture, so I did get into them. ha.

Much love to each of you, my friends. More later. Bye for now.

Just One Week til' I'm on the Road

Hey, Y'all,
Well, I got up this morning with the intention of heading to church, but realized I just didn't feel up to it, so I crawled back into bed and got some more sleep. (I know, I should have stayed up, but I am going tonight.) It will be my last time there before going to Texas. After I did finally get up, I made some breakfast from a sausage patty, an egg, and 2 frozen eggo waffles (toasted them in the toaster oven). I also heated a cup of Arizona green tea from the fridge. Yesterday, I had cut a cantaloupe so I had a couple of pieces of that as dessert.

Then I began working on packing up stuff to go into the pod. Every time I looked around I saw some other things that need to be boxed up. Then I opened up the closet door in the living room and saw the ironing board, little handheld vacuums, and winter coats. Bathroom medicine cabinet then draws my attention, and I begin unloading it, having to decide what to pack and what to throw away. You realize that liquids that contain flammables (like nail polish remover and Goo-gone) can't be packed in a POD, because of combustion. It is never-ending!

I came into my computer/sewing/tv viewing room and saw the many items that needed to be packed in here. There is also the problem of finding the right sized box for the different items to be packed. Anyway, I am slowly making headway through this abyss of moving.

My daughter, Carol, put on facebook this morning that Gramps should be returned to the nursing home today, and that he is doing much better. Hopefully, they will keep him hydrated at the nursing home once he gets there (doing a better job than they did before he went to the hospital). Praise God that he is improving!

Well, that is about it for right now. This is Blabbin' Grammy signing off for now. Much love to each of you, my friends and family. Bye for now. More later.

Packing the POD

Hey, Y'all,
Well, this morning about 10 a.m. the neighbors came down to begin the packing up of the POD, and soon it was well under way. Not long after we began, Mitchell, the oldest son, got his finger caught in the front door storm door and his mom had to take his place as helping carrier of large pieces of furniture. Mitchell, got the bandaid on his finger and the remote to the tevee in the other hand (up at their house), but we did okay anyway.

About half of the packing was carried out and stowed before they had to quit for the day, because they have other plans for the rest of the day. The house is beginning to look really empty. My beds are still up but I was expecting them to be down by today. I will be using my inflatable mattresses when the beds are packed up.

The mowers are here right now, mowing the yard, and my little tevee is the only one not packed up.

I talked to Carol a few minutes ago, and she is staying with Gramps during the day, to keep him from pulling out his IV, while he is there in the hospital. Bless her heart, I wish I were there to sit with him instead, but things just can't progress any more quickly here. Hopefully, he won't be in the hospital much longer, maybe can leave by sometime Monday.

There are still several items here that have to be put into boxes. I will be doing some of that this evening and tomorrow evening. There are a lot of things left yet to do before I can leave.

It is really lonesome here, sometimes, when the house is quiet, and I look forward to being in Texas where I can have grandkids and great's dropping in sometimes. Well, I finally got the pictures of the POD being unloaded. I hope you enjoy them. I need to go have some supper now. I also need to go to Walmart and get some additional strapping tape for boxing up items.

This is Blabbin' Grammy signing off for today. More later. Much love to each of you. Bye for now.

Movie Day Today

Hey, Y'all,
Today began early with bloodwork for tomorrow's doc's visit. I had the bloodwork done at 8 a.m., then on to get car filled with gas, then on to Wal-mart to get boxes, finally to have breakfast at Hardee's. Then home by 9:30 to begin more packing up of stuff here at home. Laurie came down and we packed up most of my clothing, along with my many dress hats and purses. Only a few dresses and jackets are left of my clothing to be packed up.

Then at 11:30, I left to drive to Knoxville where Mae, Imazo, Mae's daughter, Norma, and I went to the Cracker Barrel for dinner (lunch to some of you all). Then we went back to Imazo's and watched "No Time for Sergeants" and enjoyed it tremendously. Imazo brought out some watermelon then, and we sat around the table, eating melon and having a good time talking. By that time it was 5 P.M. and I had to get shaking and took Mae and Norma back to Mae's house. So, after hugs, we left and after dropping off Mae and Norma, I headed homeward.

While I was at Imazo's, I talked to Carol and she told me she had stopped by to check on Gramps, and discovered that what we had thought was a UTI that he had, was actually a MRSA infection, and is supposedly confined to the urinary tract. Not good news there. They are "watching it" and are taking precautions. I have a call in to Bishop Davies to talk to his nurse this evening. I just now talked to his nurse, Brooks, and he assured me that they are taking good care of Gramps and will call me if there is anything I need to be apprised of.

I am going to be packing a few more boxes tonight. I have two appointments tomorrow. One is with my eye doctor (regular appt.) and the other is with my family doctor (regular 3 month appt.). I will be doing more packing tomorrow afternoon. At night, I dream of packing - say, maybe if I dream of it, it will get done in my sleep. ha ha.

This evening I chatted with my good friend, Ina Ray, who is driving with me out to Texas. I am hoping we can get to see the house even though the lady who is occupying it right now won't be out until the 31st. She will be in the middle of packing, too. I am really looking forward to the trip. We are going to have such fun laughing and talking!

Well, it is after 9 p.m. and dark out side, so I am dragging my behind out of this chair and get it in gear right now! This is Blabbin' Grammy signing off for now. Much love to each of you, my friends and family. Bye for now. More later.

Back in TN for the Present

Hey, Y'all,
It is nearly 11 p.m. and I have been on TN soil for just about 10 hours, and have not accomplished a whole lot, but some. I've been taking care of important stuff that has to be done soon. I have also relaxed with some television and done a little more packing, beginning with the room in which I am sitting. My computer/sewing/television viewing/workroom is where I am at the moment.

My flight from DFW was smooth and when I went through the security section of the airport, I got to go through the machine that x-rays the body without using magnetic imagery. Way cool! Carol got me to the airport in plenty of time, and I had time to read some while waiting to board the plane. If I ever say that I am planning on taking someone to the airport, remind me that I don't want to do that thing. Carol said not to worry because there will always be someone to take me or a friend, because they would not want to turn me loose on others driving into that place. I told her that she could be sure I would not want to be driving ever to the DFW. It would drive me crazy as well as those around me. Ha.

My good friend Ina is driving with me to take my car to Texas when I return in a couple of weeks. Carol will be taking her to the airport, so don't worry, Ina, we will see that you get there safely and on time.

I don't have long to write tonight because I still have to take my bedtime meds, and crawl under the kivvers and get up in time to go to the doctor and have bloodwork done for my regular checkup. Then after breakfast, Laurie and Olivia will come down for a couple of hours and help me pack up dishes and canned foods. Around lunch time I will be headed into Knoxville for "Movie Day" with Mae and Imazo. I look forward to spending some time with them.

Laurie and Olivia picked me up today from the airport and it was wonderful to see them again. I am going to miss all my friends and family here when I leave in a couple of weeks, but we will keep in touch. I had trouble getting online this afternoon and had to call the HughesNet technical support, and they helped me. I found out that I actually own the modem and satellite dish. They told me I could sell it on Ebay or what ever I wanted to do with it. I guess I will take it with me and maybe my techie grandson, Matt, can do something with it. Who knows?

Well, it is 11:15 and tomorrow is another day. I still have to bring in my suitcase from the car and get my meds out of it. This is Blabbin' Grammy signing off for now. More later. Much love to each of you. BTW, Gramps is being checked on by family in Texas while I am here. How wonderful it is going to be to be so close to them out there. Now I won't have to be green with envy when they get together because I will be there getting together with them. Love to each of you, my friends and family. Bye for now.

One Sunday In Texas

Hey, Y'all,
Here we are in Texas, which reminds me - this morning while I had Gramps outside at Bishop Davies, he asked 'Wonder how the weather is in Texas' I said, "Just look around you." He said, "Are we in Texas now?" and I said, "Yup" (In Tennessee that would have been "Yep" I reckon.) Ha.

He wanted to go back to bed around 11 a.m., and I said, "no, you really need to be up until after you have lunch." Every day when they bring his tray, he wants to know where my lunch is, and I tell him that I will have mine later. On Thursday and Friday, however, I got a tray as well. Family members can eat lunch for only $3.00, which is a good deal, because the food it quite good. Yesterday and today, though, the business office where lunch is paid for by visitors, is closed, so I had to wait until I got home to eat.

After he got his lunch tray today, and I saw that he was going to do okay with it, I left and came back to Carol's. We are leaving right now (around 4 p.m.) to check on him and I will finish this when we get back.

Well, we are back and he was in bed when we got there, so we had them get him up so that he could go outside for a few minutes and then be ready to eat his supper before going back to bed. He really wanted to stay in bed. He had told me earlier that he couldn't sleep much last night. When I asked him why, he said it was because I wasn't there with him. I told him that they won't let me stay at night and there was no place for me to sleep even if I were there.

They have him in one of the older beds (like ancient) and I am going to find out if they can't find one of the newer ones that will raise and lower like they are supposed to. Yesterday all of the grandkids and greats that live here in Texas, got together with Carol, Daryl, and me at the nursing home in a large room and brought Gramps in to have a little get together. It was great fun and I am posting some pics from that fun time.

We also took him a recliner to sit in sometimes and also that visitors could sit in while spending time with him. I will be leaving on Tuesday to go back home and finish packing things up and get them loaded onto a pod. It will be picked up on the 26th of July and delivered to me on August the 3rd here in texas. Well, I am kind of tired now, and need to finish this up and get to bed after while.

Pictures from yesterday: Top pic is of me, Carol, Emily, and Amy (Matt's wife) It was here at the house after Julia and Andrew left with their two adorable little girls, Alyssa and Baby Brooke.
Second pic is of Gramps and I holding a book about what being a Texan means that had belonged to Julia's grandma before she passed away.
Third pic down was of Gramps in his wheelchair, waiting for the ice cream.
Fourth one down is of Gramps and baby Brooke giving each other the once over looks.
Last one down is of Alyssa "playing" chess with the chess set in the corner of the room.
This is Blabbin' Grammy signing off for now. Much love to each of you. Thank you for your continued support. it means more than you can ever know. I am in uncharted waters right now, and hoping not to sink. (I am not a swimmer, you know. ha ha) Bye for now. More later.

Settling In

Hey, Y'all,
Well, Gramps seems to be settling in pretty well at Bishop Davies, and I am as well. We are getting acquainted with the routines and also the lovely people who work there. They are very caring, and ever so helpful. Gramps' roommate is named Wendale, and is a very interesting person. He comes from Oklahoma and owns a cattle ranch there. I asked him what he enjoyed doing there and he said that he enjoyed watching the cattle get fat. I also found out that he prefers to be at the nursing home than at home with his wife because she is too bossy. That made me laugh!

He told me about how the people out in Oklahoma back in the old days would pick up mail for their neighbors when they were in town and deliver it to them along the way when they returned home. Wendale also said that he had relatives named Campbell (like my maiden name) in his ancestry, and also Young (my present last name). I told him that maybe we were kin, and he agreed we could be.

Gramps apparently has been getting tired of people asking him what he did before retirement, so the other day he told the therapists when they asked that question that he used to sell umbrellas to midgets. Ha! (No reflection on "little people" you understand).

He seems to be doing very well, and loves having his grandchildren come to visit him. Carol and I have been kept busy filling out all kinds of paperwork for our move taking place out here. (Mine and Gramps move, that is). It is easy for fatigue to set in when there is so much going on but we are doing our best to keep ahead of it all.

I am learning the route to the nursing home, and driving Emily's little Corolla that I gave to her seven years ago. it is still running well, and it is fun to drive. She graciously is letting me drive it and is driving her mom's big Avalon.Thank you, sweet Emily and darling daughter, Carol. I am taking Carol to pick up her county car each morning and then pick her up where she parks it in the afternoon after work. I drive to the nursing home to spend time with Gramps and also eat lunch with him. I get a tray of good food for only $3.00. You can't beat a deal like that. It is much better than going out to eat fast food.

I was a little nervous at first, having to learn a route, but I am much more confident now. Carol graciously drew me a map of the area where I am driving, so I am learning it. I am also getting to know the layout of the nursing home pretty well.

Yesterday, Carol and I met the real estate agent that we are dealing with in the purchase of the house, and I got to see the inside of it. it is a sweet little house, and I am really excited about moving into it. I am flying home on Tuesday and will be packing everything for the final move. My good friend, Ina Ray, is going to drive back with me and we will have a great time traveling. We are really looking forward to it.

Well, it is ten o'clock and I need to get to bed. I am sitting up in their kitchen working at Carol's laptop, and I think I hear the sounds of Morpheus calling to me. Ha. I need to get to bed so that "sleep can knit up the raveled sleeves of care" and I can awake rested in the morning. Because "after all, tomorrow is another day". This is Blabbin' Grammy signing off for today. Much love to each of you, my friends. More later. Thank you again for your support. Bye for now.

In Texas

Hey, Y'all,
Yeah, here we are in Texas, and you guys were right! It is pretty hot here, and muggy. Feels like East Tennessee weather came right with us. Ha ha.

Yesterday (was it only yesterday?) Gramps' niece, Donna, came and picked us up and took us to the airport. (That makes it sound easy, but it wasn't easy for her) Thank you so very much, dear Donna! She had already loaded the wheelchair into her van on Tuesday evening, and his suitcase as well. She had picked me up already on Wednesday morning and took me to the nursing home where we picked him up. We gave goodbye hugs to several of the staff there.

One of the ladies who is a resident there had written me a thank you card for bringing materials to her to make a baby quilt. Denise, the occupational therapist who worked with her and me, helped her to write the note. It was so sweet it brought tears to my eyes. I was really enjoying helping them. Isn't it wonderful to make good friends along the way? Hello, Georgie! it was wonderful knowing both of you all.

When we got to the airline terminal, a worker came out and helped us get Gramps out and into the wheelchair that I had purchased for him. Then he helped us get him and the luggage into the terminal, while Donna parked the car. The man then took Gramps over to the ticket counter and I got us checked in, following which we went over and had a seat to wait for Donna to come in to say goodbye to us.

Then security came and escorted us up to the security gate, and we went through security. Neither of us could go through that magnetic gate because Gramps has a metal joint, and I have a pacemaker. I got to stand up and get patted down by the female security guard (no excitement there! ha ha). Then I sat down and held my bare feet out (had socks on) so she could run her hands over the soles.

We got through security and the guard pushed Gramps and carried his walker to the right gate for us to depart from. Rick, the CNA at JCNH had told me to check the small cath bag that was strapped to Gramps inner thigh before we boarded the plane so that I could see if it needed to be emptied. Well, we got into the family restroom (after much struggle on my part trying to push the wheelchair in and hold the walker, plus carry the LARGE tapestry bag that held some essentials). I pushed the wheelchair over to the commode and had him stand up so I could check to see it the bag needed emptying. Well...I couldn't figure out how to undo the end of the bag, so I said, "Ah, let's just forget it and hope for the best". It turned out okay when we got here.

The plane ride was uneventful, but I did overhear a snippet of conversation that I thought was funny. As you may know, when the plane is getting ready for takeoff, the flight attendant says, "Please turn off any electronic equipment now that you may be using." A couple of minutes later, she speaks to the guy right behind me, and tells him to turn his off, and he said, "Oh, I didn't hear you." He then was telling his seat mate that his second wife had just divorced him. I felt like turning around and telling him that maybe she felt he had never listened to her, either.

When we arrived at DFW, the attendants had a little trouble getting Gramps off the plane, since he had trouble standing up after sitting for so long (and he doesn't stand up too well anyway), so after three or four of them couldn't succeed, they finally thought of using the aisle wheelchair which is built especially for going down the narrow aisle of an airplane.

Carol was waiting for us after having obtained a gate pass, and so we left the DFW, and headed for the nursing home. We found the staff quite accommodating and welcoming to us. He and I had not had any lunch, so Carol made a trip to Mickey Dee's and brought us back a burger and fries. We ate in the admissions office while a very nice lady named Ella worked on our admissions papers. Then we got Gramps settled in his room at Bishop Davies Nursing Center in Hurst. He is in room 105 B. The address is 2712 Hurstview Drive, Hurst, Texas 76054-2499. I am sure he would love to get cards. Thanks (if you so desire, that is).

This is growing into quite an epistle, so I will close for now. More later. This is Blabbin' Grammy signing off for today. Love to all of you out there in Blogland.

Fun Girl

Hey, Y'all,
Yeah, Fun Girl, that's me. Ha ha. Actually, Friday was a really fun day for me, and I have had several since. On Friday morning, I went to spend some time with Gramps and at 10 a.m. Imazo and her grandson, Tom, came to visit with me and Gramps at the nursing home. Cathy, the occupational therapist, had walked him outside to the tables in the breezeway and I have a picture here to prove it. Soon after they left, I brought Gramps a lunch tray outside so he could eat lunch out there. Then we walked him back inside and he went to bed for his afternoon nap.

I left then to go home and meet with fellow blogger and friend, Clara of "Clara's Corner". She has been one of my longest readers, and we finally got to meet "face to face". It was a wonderful time that we had, and she brought her two grandsons to meet me as well. I made root beer floats, and we enjoyed those, too. Clara had been visiting and caring for her two grandsons in Blaine, while her daughter, Lisa, was gone on a trip. I was so very glad to be able to visit with her and meet her at last.

Later on, after they had left, I did some packing, and got ready to go with Gene and Judy over to Mark and Allie's home in Sevierville. It was Mark's 65th birthday, and Allie had grilled hamburgers, hot dogs, and made chili. Judy brought a delicious cucumber salad, and a homemade salsa. Yum! Also celebrating were Mark and Allie's daughters, Jessie and Rachael, with Jessie's baby, Kyah, and Rachael's friend, John, who turned out to be one of my former students at Alpha. You just never know where you are going to meet up with former students (or teachers, ha). We all had a great time.

On Saturday, while I was at the nursing home, I walked Gramps out to the outdoors, and we sat out there while he ate lunch. Then I walked him back inside and we put him to bed. I left after lunch and went home and had lunch. Later on, I went back to the nursing home and sat with him while he had his supper. I came back home and had my supper. Later in the evening, Scott and Laurie, along with their children took me to a friend's home and we had a great time chatting. There were 18 people there, and the host has a beautiful home on top of a hill. From their huge back deck one can see the mountains ringed about, and after dark we could see fireworks from several different places. It was absolutely breathtaking! They also served a variety of ice creams as we sat there. Earlier in the evening, the eight males there played touch football. I think there were some aching places when they were through. They also have a beautiful boxer dog, named Hershel. He loved playing with the kids as they played with a Frisbee.

Yesterday, at the nursing home, Cathy was getting him dressed and then we walked him outside to the breezeway where the tables are where he often eats lunch. Soon after I brought his lunch tray outside, Tom and Teresa came and we all sat there and had a great time. While we sat there, Cathy came back out to walk Gramps back to his room. So the four of us (Gramps, Cathy, Teresa and I) went back to the room and Tom waited for us. When we got back to the room, Cathy took Gramps to the bathroom and then brought him back out to the room. She had Gramps walk to the sink and wash his hands and teeth. Then she had him turn around to hug Teresa, and he was trying to stand to hug her. Of course, he was grabbing wherever he could to keep standing, and he grabbed at Teresa's behind. Cathy said, "no, put your arms around her and hug her." We got so tickled we bent over double laughing.

After we put him to bed for the afternoon, Tom, Teresa, and I went home and had some lunch. Then they started helping me pack. Man! What a whirlwind! Within a couple of hours they had packed up all Gramps' clothes and cleaned out the drawers in our bedroom. After that, we went through the house taking the pictures off the walls and packed those up. Teresa showed me how to do "Farmville" and said I really need to get to playing it when I get to Texas. I am not sure I want to do that. ha. I still have a few quilts to make, you know, and a lot of blogs to catch up on reading.

After they left, I went on back over to the nursing home to see about Gramps, and saw that he had not gotten up to eat supper, but was eating it in bed. I guess the help was taking Sunday evening easy.

Today, I walked him out to the front for lunch, and his niece, Pam, came to visit us and we talked and visited for quite a while. After he had finished his lunch, our neigbhors came to visit and we kept him awake until about 1:30, which was really great. Mitchell, the oldest child of Scott and Laurie, brought his guitar and played for us. He is very talented, and has taught (and is teaching) himself to play it. We really enjoyed it. Laurie and Gabe helped me take Gramps back inside and we put him to bed. We all left about 2 p.m. and I came home and had lunch. Later I went back and sat with Gramps while he ate his supper. He did not eat a lot of it, and I left him waiting to go back to bed.

Tonight, my neighbors and I had supper (salad, and Domino's pizza) and ice cream for dessert. Then we played "apples to Apples". We had a great time, and after the game they gathered up my bags of trash to carry off for me (they do this quite often for me). I had the guys each choose one of Gramps' cars that he has collected as a memento and the girls each choose one of my collectibles to keep as a memento.

Well, that is a recap of the past few days. Sorry I have not kept up to date on my postings, but I have been kind of busy. Now it is nearly 11 p.m. and my eyes are heavy with sleep. Just a little more than 24 hours and he and I will be on our way to Texas. I still have a lot to do, including packing before we leave.

Well, I have just posted pictures from Friday. Top: Imazo, Tom, and Gramps; second: Clara and me, in my front yard; Third: Mark and his granddaughter, Kyah; last, most of the group who met for his birthday on Friday evening - left to right: Allie, Gene, Mark, Me, Judy, Rachael, and John.

This is Blabbin' Grammy signing off for now. More later. Much love to each of you, my friends and loved ones. Bye for now.

Half Gone and Happy Birthday, Mark!

Hey, Y'all,
Yep! The year is half gone or half over or half of it is still left - however you want ta' say it...and who knows what the second half will hold for us. This posting is going to be rather quick tonight (I think), but a lot has happened today. Yesterday was pretty full, too. I began packing last night, after stopping at the church to eat supper with the workers from several churches who were working with Carson Newman's outreach called Appalachian Outreach in repairing homes of those who live in our communities and can't afford to repair them. People come in to work at this, and the teams come in a given week, and are fed by community churches. Our church has been involved in this for ten or eleven years at least. I have been involved many of those years in helping to feed the workers. It is great fun, and a very rewarding venture. This is New Market Baptist's turn to feed workers, and I stopped by the church yesterday to share in the supper (by invitation, of course). I got to hear some really inspirational stories from the workers, as they shared after supper. I also got to see a performance of the puppets in our puppet ministry. What fun!

This morning I went down early to help serve breakfast to the workers and got to see the enthusiasm which they have for their work and see how some of them are so sleepy in the mornings, because they get up early to come in and eat and then go out to work at the repairs. They eat breakfast around 7 a.m. and the church workers who prepare breakfast are usually there by 5:30. This morning I arrived at 6 a.m. and saw that breakfast was almost finished cooking. It was sausage/egg casseroles along with fresh fruit, tomatoes, kiwi fruit, little muffins, fruit juices, yogurt, coffee, cereal, and milk. The greatest portion of the food is donated due to a dedicated church work.

After I went back home this morning, I got a call from Carol, (daughter in Texas) that we should get Gramps out to Texas this week coming up. So I called the airport and set up tickets for Wednesday (all this is simplified explanation, believe me), and talked to the staff at the nursing home here, to let them know our plans, and the name of the nursing home in Texas (which I didn't know until today). I was hoping to get a van to take Gramps to the airport, but found out that they don't transport outside our county. I asked our niece, Donna, if she would do it and she said, "Of course, I'll be happy to". Then the airlines called and said that I needed a letter from his doctor to say he is able to fly (Duh!), so since the doc's office is closed tomorrow, and also on the fifth because of July 4th, I will have to wait until Tuesday to be sure I have it. What a lot of red tape for such a simple thing to do.

I went into Knoxville today for our movie day, and explained to Mae and Imazo that Gramps (Dub) will be leaving on Wednesday, and it seemed to bring home the fact that we really are leaving soon. I will fly out with Dub on Wednesday and then return on the next Tuesday (the 13th) and finish the packing over the next couple of weeks. Fortunately, my neighbors will keep watch over the house while I am out there. Then I will drive my car back to Texas.

Well, here it is after eleven p.m. and I am still up. My eyes are telling me it is time to shut my mouth and my eyes and go to sleep. So, this is Blabbin' Grammy signing off. Imazo's grandson, Tom, is bringing her up to visit with us tomorrow morning, and then my friend, Clara, is coming with her two grandsons to visit me at one p.m. and I am so excited about that, too. Tomorrow evening, Gene and Judy, along with me, are going to Mark and Allie's house to celebrate Mark's 65th birthday! A busy day tomorrow, but that is how I like them, don't you know? Happy Birthday to dear Friend, Mark! I love you, Mark.

So long for now, gotta hit the hay, and feed the nightmares. Ha ha.
Much love to each of you, bye for now.