I Do NOT have a brain tumor!

 I have been thinking lately of the things I want to do.  Nothing daring or exciting in normal people's live, but something that I am good at and gives me great pleasure!

 I would love to spend at least a week at each of my kids' homes and really helping.  I am good at cleaning and organizing and find a great deal of satisfaction in doing it.

 I try to do little things when I visit.  Do the dishes, fold laundry etc.  

With Darcy and Jody maybe I could do more to take care of the baby and even let  them go out- alone- for dinner or a movie.

It's funny how sedentary I am at this time and space in my life .  I sit at my computer like I am doing now.  I watch TV.  I read.  I knit.  And I am almost always tried.  I know that it'd my sedentary life style.   

I am 71.  I guess I am old.  Or on the cusp of bring old.   Then I come across this picture of my mother around age 42 with Jimmy, her first grandson who was about 18 months old.

She was so young!   Jimmy was so young too.  If I had become a grandmother at 42 my grandchild would be in his late 50s.   Instead, I became a grandmother at 70, and when my grandson is in his 50s I will be way past 100 years old and dead!

The age old questions about where did the time go and how.

When the kids were little and living a home, I was also home- being a full time mom.  There were times when I got tired and needed a break.  But I did all of the domestic stuff- cooked, cleaned house, did laundry and washed diapers.   For the most part our house was pretty neat and clean.  And I mostly loved it.

I sewed costumes and there were pretty creative.

Do I really want to go back to all of that?  No, I am pretty sure I don't.  Would like like some of that energy back?  In a heartbeat!

I have had two brain surgeries to remove brain tumors.   The headaches I have had for the past month or so have had me convinced that I have another brain tumor.   I had an MRI and found out that I don't have any tumors in my brain.   It's such a relief!

 

Odds and ends of living abroad

 

 

 

I was looking through some Rubbermaid bins in the basement and came across these "souvenirs"  from my childhood.  The camels are from Afghanistan.  My parents had these sitting out somewhere- I don't remember where.  I just remember seeing them all of the time as a kid.    When we lived in Afghanistan, we often had to wait to a caravan of camels to walk past our gate so we could get across the street to the school bus. (if you could call it that)

 

 

When we were living in Afghanistan, my sister needed her tonsils out.  She and our mom rode on the Khyber Pass to get to Peshawar, Pakistan so they could get a plane to New Deli India.  They must have had an embassy car?    Anyway, they went to India and my sister had her tonsils out.  When they returned, they had this doll for me.  I named her "Lobster".  No idea why.  Her dress was a bright green- after 60+ years it has faded.

 

My sister and I were recently talking about Lobster and wondering whatever happened to her.  I was sure she was long gone!  Surprise!   I found her! 

My doll named Lobster

 

 

 

 

We lived in Athens Greece before we lived in Afghanistan.  I was a baby when we went there and three years old when we left.  So I don't really remember much at all.

 This doll is a Greek lady. 

The doll beneath is a Greek policeman. 

This little doll is a Swiss Guard- like they have at the Vatican protecting the pope,  Again, I don't really remember, but this doll has been in my life for as long as I can remember.

My family traveled in Europe- most likely on the way from Greece back to the US. 

Another Afghan camel

 

This fellow in the pleated skirt of an Evzone.  The Evzones are the official guards at the royal palace in Athens.   All of the Evzones are  6' tall or taller which is pretty unusual for Greek man.  This is how they look during the changing of the guard.

 

Family lore has it that I spoke Greek before I spoke English.  I don't remember, but I would love to study Greek sometime and see if it is at all familiar.

 

So by the time I was 7 years old I had lived a pretty interesting life! 

 

 

 

 

 

From Facebook July 6th. Feeling better today!

 

 

July 8, 2025

 

Feeling Better today!

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 July 6, 2025

 

I'm tired of being an adult! The dog has diarrhea. I am sweating even though I am in air conditioning. I am tired. My kitchen floor has sticky spots that I probably wouldn't notice if I was not barefoot. And I am unable to get up from the floor without help.

The air conditioning at my church is broken (but I am glad I went anyway).

I tried some new eye makeup today that made my eyes tear up all day and really burned!

And we have a maniac in the White House who is an embarrassment. All over the world people are wondering who broke America.

Any questions?

 

 

My two grandmothers

 I found this picture of my two grandmothers, taken around 1947.   It might be the only time they ever met.

 My Grandma Rivers- my mother's mother is on the left wearing a flowered dress.  My Grandma Thompsen- my father's mother is on the right wearing what looks like  a solid color dress with contrasting trim.

 

 

Galileo turned one on June 17, 2025!

 Nick and Buddy (the dog), and I, drove to North Carolina to see and celebrate Galileo's first birthday.  Oh yeah, we were happy to see Darcy and Jody too!

Nick and Buddy drove back the next day and I stayed a couple of extra days.  The weather was really hot- close to 100 degrees!  Thank goodness for air conditioning!  

It should come as no surprise that I am in love!   What a wonderful  baby/ grandson/ human being Galileo is!

Here are a few pictures

 

Jody is so talented and creative!  She crocheted this jacket! 

 

 

Pulling Grandpa's hair!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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No Kings Day June 14, 2025

Looking back I see that I already posted about this.  But, here it is again! 

 

 There were demonstrations all over America demonstrating against Donald Trump trying to act like he is a king. Called "No Kings Day".

  America was founded on the idea that we would not have a king, but a duly elected president.

Nick and I went to the demonstration in Leesburg, VA on the courthouse grounds.  One of the things we though was great was how many of the signs were clearly home made.  People really care!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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My visit to Maine April 30- May 6, 2025

 

I am always so confused when I try to add photos to my blog that this time I thought I would make a collage and see how it worked.  I'd say I am pretty happy with how it worked out!

The pictures are not exactly in the correct order, but I am okay with that.   The picture in the middle left. of me with a moose, was taken when I first arrived at the Airport in Portland, Maine.   The picture of Austin and me smiling was taken when we were on the plane on the way to Virginia,

 The other pictures are of the beautiful lupine flowers, the fiddle head ferns that grow behind Austin's house.   The back side of the barn.  Austin watering the rose he planted in my honor.  The blanket I knitted for Austin many years ago.  And lastly, the beautiful forsythia that grows in Austin's yard and can be seen from the sun porch.

I don't know when I will be able to get back there, but I love Maine and especially Austin's house!

 

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So much to do so little time

  Happy 4th of July

 

Sounds good doesn't it?  But I really don't have all that much to do.  I just don't do it, whatever it is.

I read and watch TV and play online- mostly solitaire.

 We were in North Caroline a couple of weeks ago to visit Darcy and Jody and Galileo and to celebrate Galileo's first birthday.   He's very special and very loved.

Darcy & Galileo with Birthday Cake.

 

 

 

 

 

Jody's cat, Smalz died shortly before we got there, so Jody was in mourning.   It is so hard when an animal we love so much just dies- suddenly like he did.

Nick and Buddy and I drive down together.  Nick and Buddy drove back home to Virginia the next day and I stayed a couple of extra days and flew home.

Tomorrow is the 4th of July!

I have so much to write about.  Tons and tons of Galileo and also of Sarah and Jessica (my grandnieces) who both graduated.   Sarah graduated from college and Jessica from high school.

More later when I am not so tired. 

 

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