The BGs...BFF

1st row: Lynn, Nancy Kramer

2nd row:Millie Snyder, Susan Gibbs, Valerie Crockett

3rd row: Mary-lynn Mitchell, Grace Mitchell, Gayle Aughtry,Vicki Jaus

Missing: Ann Baldwin

The BGs stand for "The Bridge Girls". We get together once a month for dinner and bridge. Sometimes we don't get to the bridge part, but we have fun trying. It works like this: a member hosts the evening and it is her responsibility to fix dinner. The rest of us show up about 6:00, eat, drink, and are merry for about 3 hours. Then all of us old people go home and go to bed!

There are 8 permanent members and 2 permanent subs, who are just like family to us and we've taken to inviting all 10 whether we need a sub or not. Most of us have been in education, though a couple have been in non-profits. Some of us are retired, some are only contemplating it, but we're all best friends forever. We laugh and cry together, having shared in many joyous and dark moments in each other's lives. We came to our friendships late. The common denominator was Millie Snyder. She knew us all and would NOT rest until she had managed to get two tables for bridge. We started with 4...Millie, Gayle, me, and Susan. That didn't last long and soon there were eight! Valerie and Ann are nominal subs...but we hardly ever have a time when all 8 of us can get there. So, we just started inviting everybody and there are always enough!

Following are some candid shots of the group. Let me declare right now that I love every single one of them and always will. Hopefully, they will not kill me for publishing these shots.

I will miss them when I move, but I am going to try to get back as much as possible. Thanks, BGs. You've touched my life in so many ways. I only wonder one thing: why have none of them volunteered to help me with my move???

I apologize for the placement of the pics. I just can't figure out how to get them where I want them!

They're Gooone...I thought

Ok. I thought the painters were finally gone...two weeks and a ton of heartburn! Of course, they forgot to paint the laundry room, so they had to come back. And...they forgot to paint the bathroom cabinets, so they had to come back. And...they forgot to paint the insides of a couple of the kitchen cabinets, so they had to come back. I'm tired of this come back stuff!!!!!

Well, they came back today. They got the laundry room, the kitchen cabinets, but not the bathroom cabinets. They're coming back tomorrow. If they weren't so nice, I'd just fire them!

A MiMi Weekend

It isn't often that I get to see all of my grandchildren in a single weekend, and it is even less frequent that I get to interact with all five of them in a weekend. But this weekend was special. Friday was Grandparent's Day at St. Gabriel's School where Katie and Lauren attend. After Mass, we visited the rooms where special activities were on display, where snacks were provided, and where we were able to meet their respective teachers. The school does this every spring on the Friday of the weekend when the second graders receive their first communions. Many grandparents come from near and far to witness this special time in the religious life of their grandchildren.

Friday was also Lauren's sixth birthday, so we went to Jon's and Patti's for a family celebration. Patti's parents were there, as were her sister and her family, and her aunt and her family. It was lots of fun since all of them are fun people. Lauren got some good presents and she was a happy camper!

The picture at the left is her pretty face and I love her passionately! The other pic is of her and her big sister, Katie. Katie is our oldest grandchild and is such a pleasure!

Katie and Lauren also have a brother, Jonathan, Jr. He is ALL boy! On Saturday I went to his little T-Ball Clinic game. It's not real T-Ball since the kids are all about 4 years of age, but the Y is training them in the rudimentary skills needed to compete. I say that with tongue in cheek because there is no such thing as "skill" in this group. The coach told them when he placed them in positons that they needed to stay as close to their positions as possible and not go running all around the field. Guess what happened? As soon as a ball was hit, all the fielders converged on the ball like sharks on chum! I laughed out loud! All the dads were in the outfield and were shouting advice to their offspring (girls and boys). Mothers were caring for younger siblings and were generally uninvolved in the goings-on! Jonathan can hit and throw, but he doesn't know to run when he hits, and he doesn't know who to throw to. So funny!!!

Not be be outdone, Adam's oldest daughter had her third birthday party on Sunday. Though she will not be three until May 9, the party was held Sunday because they are going to be out of town on her real birthday. I really think that Adam and Shanna used it as an excuse to party, but, let me tell you, Gracie was in her element! I got there about 3:00 and her other grandparents were there already. I was glad because the old folks could hang out together. Both the girls ate with us and we had a wonderful time. I was so glad to see many of Adam's and Shanna's new friends as well as some that I have known for many years. I got good "quality" time with Gracie and Avery (she is walking a little now at 11 months), and got lots of laughs with some of the children that were there. I think there might have been 9 or 10 children, the oldest being three! Gracie just ripped off wrapping and had NO idea of what was in her packages. She DID, however, like the digital camera that MiMi and PapaJim gave her!

I can't forget little Avery. She will be one year old on June 4. She has begun to walk a little and is such a pleasant baby. She liked the presents, too, and did her share of working on them!

I love this grandmother thing! I am so happy that I have been able to be a part of the lives of all five of them. How lucky can a woman get? It was a great weekend, and a welcome respite from the moving chores!

But Is It Sanitary?

I'm not sure what I thought having my ENTIRE house painted was going to be like, but it sure wasn't this! This is the biggest mess I've every seen! Not only is there all the dust that I haven't gotten up, but the hardwood floors are covered in sheet rock patch dust. In addition to that, all those nasty little oak pollen thingies are being tracked in the house. I call them worms. Not a single room in the house is normal, furniture is piled everywhere, everything is out of the kitchen cabinets, and we have to eat out...on most occasions I'd be all for that, but it's getting old. I am just grateful that I had the forsight to clean things our before the painters came. At least I don't have to put back everything I own.

And, I told you about the dumpster...a lovely thing that sits out in the driveway, all blue and rusty. It's already got right much stuff in it, and we haven't hit the garage or the sheds yet. Those things aren't cheap, either. You pay to rent it for several weeks and then you pay for each load they haul off. Still, I guess it beats hauling all that crap you didn't know you had to the dump yourself, or scheduling a curbside pickup with the city.

I wish all of you could have one of your very own.

To say that we are exhausted would be an understatement. I can't believe that there is SO MUCH work to do! This weekend the boys came on Saturday and helped us clean out the bonus room...above the garage and totally crammed with stuff. They were wonderful and really helped a lot. Anyway, on Sunday JR and I packed up our vehicles and drove to the mountains. Now, mind you, this is a 3 1/2 hour trip one way. After we got there we unpacked the vehicles and put their contents in the shed, marked a place for the electrician to put in some floor plugs, played around with furniture placement (using floor covering material to simulate furniture), visited our friends for about an hour and headed back down the mountain. When we fell into bed Sunday night, we had been gone from home for 14 hours and had each driven 400 miles. You know, that's too much for old people! :):) We had to be up early because the DSL guy was coming at 8:00, as was the Direct TV guy (such an opportune time for all of our information technology to go on the fritz). And then there were the painters...they are good, but the process is NOT sanitary!!!

By Popular Demand

I actually had three pictures on this page, but one of them disappeared into the netherworld. Anyway, I'm not kidding about the BW Hillbillys...notice the side planks on the truck. We load up the truck ( and my car, which is less obtrusive), haul this stuff to the mountains and unpack it into a (are you ready for this) shipping container. Jim finds the most interesting bargains. I'll try again with a pic of the shipping container, but several of you wrote to say that you really, really wanted to see some more of these pics. I'll oblige you with these and the other one if I can get it on. Love to all!

I got the pic of the shipping container...it is much fuller now! Also, I looked at the preview and it doesn't look like the pics do on this page as I write. Oh, well!

The Beverly Woods Hillbillys Move

I was going to put more pictures of our obnoxious move on this page, but my technological genius has temporarily deserted me, so you'll just have to guess what the rest of our place looks like.

We have spent many hours cleaning out everything we own, making the decisions about discarding them or not; giving up half of what we have to Goodwill or to other worthy causes/people; reacting in disbelief about how much "junk" we have; alternately crying and laughing as we remember events long forgotten; and just generally getting damn sick and tired of all this work. The more we do the more we realize what else we have left. I wonder what some people see in moving every few years or so?

The painters are here this week at the Charlotte house. We must somehow get this sucker ready to put on the market. I've moved stuff around, cleaned the dust up some so it won't stick to the paint, taken down blinds, curtains, and anything else that will move. I've hauled trash to the side of the road, and piled it in the dumpster. (Yes, we had to get a dumpster to remove the detritus of 30 years!) I would put a picture of it on this blog, but ...well, I've already told you that.

And to top all this off, I don't even know for sure when we will be able to move to the mountains. Most people are more organized than we are, but everything just takes so long! We still don't have the toilets or sinks in; the electrician isn't finished; the tile man isn't finished; the hardwood floors aren't down, much less the carpet; and the railings are not on the porches. Oh, and I don't have a kitchen. Most of these things have to be done before we can get a CO (certificate of occupancy). Geez!!! The builder assures me that these things will go quickly, but since we've been doing this for the last five years...forgive my skepticism.

Nevertheless, we will put the Charlotte house on the market, hoping that we will be different from everybody else who is trying to sell in this market. I don't really hold out much hope, but at least I'll have a place to stay when I come back to see my babies, check on things, etc. (Might as well see the glass as half full.) We're going to leave a bedroom, limited kitchen supplies, and some things needed for minimal comfort.

Today, I have a headache from the paint, paint on my shirt where my boobs have brushed the wet walls (very attractive), and I'm tired of these guys being in my house. They are very nice, and they will be here for another week, so I should get used to it.

Next time, I'm going to tell you about my student teachers. I've been supervising them this semester and have very hight hopes for the three of them. I'm going to try to remember to take a picture of them so I can post it on this blog. They are all math/science (wonder why I got them) majors, and while I really don't know much about their content, I can help them learn to teach. One of them is older (almost 50) and the other two are 21 and 24 years old. Would it surprise you to know that the star is the oldest one? :):)

Stop Crying, Move On

OK, I cried for two days while I tried to pack up some of our belongings for the move to the new house. Mostly, this was because if we don't get some of the stuff out of here, we won't be able to paint and get the house reasonably presentable for the market. Not that I care that much...we've lived here for nearly 30 years and I'm not sure we can make the place pristine. Whatever! I sold the crib (a sad thing) and the washer, and the dining room suite. I don't care about anything but the crib, but since Avery is our only "crib baby", and since I don't think there will be any more, I decided that a "Pack 'n Play" would do just fine. I sold the crib to a colleague who is having her first grandchild in September. She is SO excited! I remember when Katie was expected...such excitement!

So...I've spent my days packing up and getting rid of stuff that I never thought I could part with. Suddenly, it becomes "stuff" rather than cherished belongings. I even parted with some of my grandmother's things. I think Mama was distressed, but I did give it to one of my siblings. I would have kept them rather than give them to strangers, and sister Mary was happy with the offerings.

I'm tying up loose ends, like the "Y" membership, being sure that the alarm works, renewing the termite protection system so that it can be transferred, etc. I've told the people at Loaves and Fishes that May will be my last volunteer days. I have loved working there, and have felt like I have made a difference in the lives of the less fortunate. I hope to continue that kind of work in Cashiers.

I head off to Cashiers with a car load of belongings tomorrow after I finish up with one of my student teachers. JR and I will return on Thursday and will take up another load. Soon, the house will be ready to move into...I am trying to get excited, but it has been so long in coming that I hate to get anxious.