Tuesday, May 9. The last 2 days have been a quest to find the perfect mattress and I found one, it actually fit in the back of my car when I put the back seats down. I love that car and that is just one more reason for it. Ben came over after the kids were in bed, delivering the bed frame was used for the granny-nanny dining room conversion in their San Francisco apartment when the twins were born. Back then, Lois and I took turns helping them out, alternating every 6 weeks. Ben and I reminisced about those days and all of the effort it took to get through them. Their dedication and diligence to their family has manifested in 3 wonderful little girls.
My walks through the neighborhood are so enjoyable, watching spring transition away from winter and toward summer. Right now, the tulips are fading and the Bleeding Hearts, Lilacs are in bloom and many of perennials are peeking out of the ground. The lilac perfume is filling the air. I met the lady across the street and she delivered a large bunch of lilacs so I have a vase of them on the counter. My landlady is an avid gardener but is trying to hold back from doing too much as it is still a bit early for this zone and there is still a chance for frost. Because my apartment is in the basement, I don't have the best of views, but right now, I'm looking at the curly heads of fern opening up on the north facing window.
Thursday, May 11. Whew! I have had a busy couple of days. Yesterday was all about getting my bed together. The granny-nanny bed was minus a set of slats since they were used on one of the twin's beds. That meant another trip to Ikea. On my way there, I stopped at Menards to get a keyed lock for the entrance door to my apartment. The entry door to the house has a deadbolt but Ben was kind of pushing the issue and the landlady agreed to reimburse the cost.
I got my bed together and then got into hanging pictures and art. It really is feeling like home now that I have some familiar objects on the walls. Leslie called and we had a nice, long chat.
Today's project was to go to the storage lot, hook up the camper and take it to a dump station so I could get the black and gray tanks flushed good. I wasn't able to do it the day that I arrived here, as it was only 38 degrees and way to cold to be handling the hoses. I did some other cleanup while I was there and it is tucked away and ready for the next camping trip. Charlotte has asked me every time I've seen her, if we are going camping this summer.
When I got back home, I had several projects going at once; laundry, finishing putting up pictures, walking Frisco, run the vacuum, and getting a chicken roasting in the oven. It is smelling so good in here right now and I'm relaxing with a glass of wine while I wait for dinner to be ready. The only thing missing is someone to share it with.
Saturday, May 13. Happy 63rd Birthday to my brother, Rick. I just got off the phone with him and life is good there for him in Springfield, MO.
I was called on to pick up the grandkids from school on Friday, so I packed a snack and surprised them at school and then, with a stop at a playground before we went home. The plan was to have them choose a number between 1 and 10. Charlotte chose 5, Camille 4, and Norah 9 - and then, at the last minute Charlotte decided to change her number to 2. When I told them that my number was 6, she got all upset and wanted to go back to her original choice. And then they came up with a solution together - w would go to a new playground of my choice hat they had never been to before. Weber playground is right near my house and they had a great time - most of all, they liked the snack.
This morning, I watched Norah and Camille while Ben and Charlotte did the grocery shopping. We did art projects and walked to the school playground for a while. Now, this is exactly how I pictured my life in Minneapolis would be like - involved with the family, but having my own place and my own space.
This afternoon, I was on the quest for a new pair of walking shoes. I went to my favorite shoe store, DSW but was unable to find just what I had in mind. As I was heading back home, I passed a shoe store in a strip mall and stopped there and found a pair. Yay! Now, I just have to get them broken in before the 5K Brain Tumor Walk that I am doing next weekend.
I had another quiet evening at home, mixed a Vodka Tonic, turned on the tube and vegged out.
Sunday, May 14. Happy Mother's Day to all of the Moms out there. Here is mine, taken when I was a baby. I feel like I am a lot like her and, in spite of only having her around for my first 16 years, she was monumental in making me the person that I am today.
What a nice day, starting with a great conversation with Pat. I'm so looking forward to seeing him and Tracey in a couple of weeks.
Mother's Day was full, the first one that I have spent with family in many years. Ben and the family picked me up around 10:00 and we headed to Chaska to spend the day with Jill's parents. We met them at the Mustard Seed garden center where we helped Jill choose some landscape plants for the front of her house. Lois and I both have a lot of experience and then we talked with Andrea and came up with a plan.
Ben and Dennis hung out at the playground and petting zoo with the kids and they had as much fun as we did looking at plants. It was a warm day, way above 80 degrees.
When we got back to their home use, we just hung out on the screen porch and had a beer while the kids took naps. The girls played in the sprinkler when they woke up and had great fun doing that. The giggles were plentiful!
Ben was the chef for the day, and Dennis helped out with the grilling. He made Chicken Satay (Asian marinated and grilled), Coconut Rice, fruit salad, and Strawberry Shortcake for dessert. Yummy stuff!
