The Wonder of "O"

"The essence of living is discovering. Indeed, it is the joy of discovery that makes life worth the effort." -Vijay Krishna

The countdown begins for me as I prepare to head to Minneapolis for Owen's FIRST birthday!

I can't believe that in 17 days I will be watching him celebrate a whole year of life.

Wasn't it just the other day that Jenny and Adam called with the good news that they were expecting???

The Weekend

After checking in to the Stone Mountain Resort, we were told that our room was on the fourth floor. Grabbing our small bags, we headed to the elevator and punched #4.

We waited.

...and waited...

...all to no avail.

So, I hit the #4 again and Dave held down the "close door" arrow button.

Again, we waited.

At this point we were starting to lose patience with this elevator that wouldn't let us get to the fourth floor and our room.

One more try....but, the doors wouldn't close and the elevator refused to go anywhere.

Suddenly, we noticed the sign outside of the elevator stating that we were, indeed, already on the fourth floor.

The lobby and check-in desk were actually on the fourth floor but we entered on the high level area of the resort and were unaware of this.

So, feeling a bit foolish, we made our way right down the hallway to our room.

The wedding was absolutely lovely and the groom couldn't keep his eyes off of his stunning bride as they giggled and kissed. They seemed so young to me...and then I realized that they are young compared to me. (That's always a downer relevation that occurs more and more these days!)

Outside, the temperatures were oppressive...but we were inside (thanks to the last minute decision by the parents of the couple) relaxed and comfortable in the cool air-conditioned ballroom.

The reception was fun as we ate, drank and danced the night away...awakening this morning to a lovely brunch that we helped host along with other friends.

Full of good food...but with sore tootsies from all that dancing in heels (me, not Dave!)...we headed back to Bham.

Coming home with the expectation of seeing Gizmo there to greet us hit me hard. I know that I will get used to it.....

...eventually. : (

Hotlanta

For those of you who read my previous post "One hundred and what??????" (August 9th post) about the outdoor wedding that Dave and I are going to in Atlanta today....you will be happy to know that the ceremony has been moved indoors!

The heat index was just way too high to subject people to be outside in black tie attire for any length of time.

Actually it is too hot to be outside for any length of time in ANY attire!

So, we are off to "Hotlanta" this morning and will be returning right after the brunch Sunday morning.

P.S. All remaining events are indoors. : )

Have a nice weekend everyone...

Giz as a kitten....

Trying to find some humor through my grief....as well as remembering the poignant moments...

"But she was just a pet...." many well-meaning people express to me as I continue to grieve the loss of my cat, Gizmo.

Yes, my cat was my "pet" for 18 years...

But, she was so much more.... as all of you pet owners/lovers can understand.

She was a warm body to come home to.

She was someone I could communicate with when no one else was around. I used to think, "If Gizmo ever figured out how to talk....oh, the stories she could tell!".

She was a part of my family and I will continue to miss her.

I still go downstairs occasionally to check her food and water dishes...and I still look for her to be lying on her favorite purple blanket up in my bedroom....I check out the areas of the house where she would find a little bit of sunshine coming through and nestle down to enjoy it.....and I wait for her to hop up on the bed at night when I go to sleep....momentarily forgetting that she is gone.

With all of this being said, there have been some humorous moments interspersed with the extremely touching moments of the past few days.

When Dave arrived to pick us up before heading to the clinic, he wanted to take Gizmo outside to the backyard one more time. She loved being outside and her romps through the backyard had to be curtailed as she became deaf and ill. So, we took her out there in the 100+ temperatures (!) and let her take one last look. He even pulled out some green grass for her to chew on. It was very touching to us.....but Gizmo probably thought that we were crazy going out in such oppressive heat.

Once we got in his car I held her on the purple blanket. With the air-conditioning blasting, she really perked up as she lifted her head and began breathing in the cool air. Just as we were relishing these last moments with her, we suddenly began to smell something. After the usual, "Was that you?", "No, was that you?'...we realized that one of the last memories that Giz was going to leave us with was for her to pass gas in the car. Through our emotions, we were able to have a laugh as we rolled the windows down to air out the car!

Another poignant moment for me was at the clinic when we laid the purple blanket down for her to be on. Dave grabbed a pair of scissors that were nearby and cut off a section of the blanket for me to have. The humor part came about when the doctor walked in and Dave asked if this large, purple blanket could be "cremated" with her. Probably one of the stranger requests, but sincerely meant, nonetheless.

As we began walking out of the clinic, there were some black and white kittens that were in a large cage waiting to be adopted. We both walked over to see these precious babies. Suddenly, from behind one of the black and white kittens came one that had Gizmo's brown coloring. We gasped as we saw this "minnie me" version of my cat that had just been put to sleep. It actually gave us a comforting feeling and reminded us that "life does go on".

Yesterday I received the phone call that her ashes were ready to be picked up. Earlier, after being shown the urns and wooden boxes that the ashes could come in, I chose not to use any of these...but, instead to make something special out of my clay for this purpose. This was written on the cremation form. So, when I went to pick her ashes up, they were just in a ziplock bag! It felt very strange walking out (and crying) with a little bag of ashes. I realize now why they put the ashes in urns!

A dear friend told me that when she brought her dog's ashes into her house there was an incredibly soothing energy that enveloped the house. As I temporarily placed the bag on a shelf, I awaited that energy to show itself. Twenty-four hours later....still not feeling it. In fact, I get an eery feeling whenever I walk past the ashes.

With this in mind, I discussed an idea that I had with Dave and he readily agreed with me.

Since Giz loved the sunshine and being outside in the backyard so much, we are going to ceremoniously spread her ashes all around the periphery of the yard and then plant some flowers in those areas.

A loving tribute to my dear "just a pet" Gizmo... : )

She loved to relax on top of my flower bed!

One hundred and what?????????

I am sure that the people in my neighborhood were stunned.

If I had any less clothing on this morning for my walk, I would have been "nekked" (as we say here in the South).

Even though I got up early and walked, it was already in the 80's by 7:30 and is forecast to hit 104 by this afternoon.

Dave and I are invited to a black tie, outdoor wedding this weekend in Atlanta.... I will be sure and pack a portable resuscitator.

agh!

I hope that it is a bit cooler where you are... : [

GIZMO

1989-2007

Remembering my beloved Giz

She was definitely my best friend.

She was with me through all of the important moments of the last 18 years.

She greeted me every time that I came home and seemed genuinely happy to see me.

She was a warm and loving companion during those dark days following my divorce.

She made me laugh when she chased her tail around in a circle.

She had "Greta Garbo" eyes that gave her a unique look.

The doctors told me that I was lucky that she lived as long as she did.

But that doesn't help the emptiness and the hole in my heart that I am feeling tonight...

She was an orphan kitten whose mother had abandoned her.

My ex and two sons surprised me with her to me on my birthday 18 years ago.

It was love at first sight.

I had to be her surrogate mother for those first few months as I fed her with an eye dropper.

She was a feisty kitten, but I enjoyed her high energy.

I loved it at night when she would jump up on the bed and nestle next to me to sleep. I can still feel the soft purring sound that she made once she was in place.

After getting the tip of her tail accidentally caught in the back door, she lived most of her life with a stub of a tail...but still showed many of her emotions through that little tail.

In the last four years her health began to be compromised.

Today I found out that she had acute kidney failure, she was anemic, she had a bladder infection, and she was totally dehydrated....and, of course she has been deaf for the last few years. She was an old lady with a body that was betraying her.

I knew that her health was failing from her behavior the last few days....especially last night.

She seemed to have trouble walking and continued to pee outside of her litter box.

She wasn't eating or drinking and was gradually losing weight.

But last night was eery. It was as if she was trying to tell me that she couldn't handle all of this any more. She looked at me with different eyes and I could sense it.

The veterinarian (who is a dear friend) told me that her condition would only worsen as the days went by and her health would continue to deteriorate. So, today after many tears and much thought, I had Gizmo put to sleep.

It was the hardest decision that I have ever had to make...but I did it out of love and compassion.

I loved her enough to stop her suffering and to let her go.

Dave and I cried together as she drifted off to a peaceful sleep on her favorite purple blanket that we had carried her in to the clinic.

I only hope that she understood my decision and knew how much she was loved.

I will miss her terribly.

Rest in peace, dear Gizzie.

Moments with Owen..... Part 2

Eating, sleeping, pooping, peeing, playing, eating, sleeping, pooping, peeing.....etc.

That is pretty much the routine when you are in charge of an eleven month old.

And, I treasured every moment of it.....

(...well, maybe not the diaper changing parts (!)....but even that gave me special time with this precious grandson of mine.)

Jenny had given me a pretty detailed list of instructions as far as feeding and I tried to stick with it as best as I could....by the end of the day, Owen was to have had 5 bottles and 3 baby food feedings.

whew!

That was a lot to fit into twelve hours! We all laughed and said that it seemed as if we were always feeding him....(which we were.) : )

The video below shows Owen eating and smiling after a long day of window shopping when we took him out into the little Skaneateles city. He was pretty tired out that night....so as he sits in the high chair, the laughter, understandably so, turns into a huge yawn at the end...which we all (those of us still up there when A and J went on their mini vacation) did in unison. I couldn't resist posting it!

(He had been experimenting with some cut up banana finger food and had gotten so much in his hair that when we finally took the video of him...we had given him a little "spiked" banana hairdo.)

And, yes, he did get a bath right after dinner...! : ) Oh, yeah.

Bananas, bananas everywhere!

In this picture he is enjoying the sqwooshy (?) texture of cut up bananas. Please note the banana piece stuck to his forehead. By the time all was said and done, 75% of his body was covered in banana.

The other 25% was on the high chair and/or the floor...

Moments with Owen...Part One

"Grammie, will you babysit Owen while we go away for a few days?"

Ah, music to my ears!

After the anniversary celebration was over, my son and his wife decided to take a little time off together...so, as they headed to Niagara Falls, wineries, a bed and breakfast, and a castle in the upstate New York area....and they left me in charge of my grandson.

Four days of heavenly bliss.

This little bundle of energy entertained and delighted us the whole time. I think that the most touching moments for me were when mom and dad interacted with him, their first great-grandson...I watched the years melt away as they reconnected with a time long ago...

....absolutely priceless and memorable.

A quiet moment with Great-grandpa

...nothing like a good thumb after my bottle....

Great-grandma and "O"...

Bubbles, bubbles everywhere.....

Lake Skaneateles

Walking down from the backyard of the house is a beautifully, clear and gentle lake. My sister and her hubby have a speed boat down there as well as skis, an inner tube for those brave enough to be pulled behind the boat, and kayaks.

...some went kayaking.....

Dave is getting the hang of it.....and ended up loving it as he kayaked all over the lake....

I went out too and found out that it is a great upper body workout rowing that thing...especially when Dave said "Want to race?"....

and, of course, I did.....and exhaustedly lost to him....*groan*

I should have gotten a head start, don't ya think?

...some went boating.....

....a "cruise" at sundown. Ahhhhhhhh....

and some stayed cool on land.....

....like Owen who enjoyed playing in the blow up pool!

This is fun!

Sooooo....this is what grass tastes like!?!??!!

Fred and Wilma???

Continuation of the "Flintstones" skit....

So, Saturday night is to be the big celebration in Skaneateles.

Chairs are assembled around the great room as everyone prepares to do their individual presentations.

But, first let's go back in time a bit...

Since we all had to pick a couple to write a skit about....I thought that doing the Flintstones as my mom and dad would be cute....easy song to do....fun costumes to put together, etc.

Dave, on the other hand, wasn't so thrilled with my idea. Dressing up like Fred Flintstone must not have appealed to him. Hmmm. I wonder why? : 0 Anyway, he tried to convince me to consider doing Archie and Edith among other famous couples.. But, those characters just didn't really seem to work for me as my mom and dad....

So, I eventually won out and Wilma and Fred it was to be. I made some clay "bones" and strung them together to create a necklace for my character. I also formed a ring to wear on my finger....it was quite a "rock"! I took two brown oversized t-shirts and adorned them with different animal print patches as well as a bow-tie on Dave's. I made all of the edges of the shirts jagged and rough. The outfits were ready....all I had to do now was convince Dave of how much fun this was going to be!

The song was put together and "props" were made to go along with it. I never really talked about it much to Dave before the big event....I didn't want him freaking out or anything....

Now, it is Saturday afternoon in Skaneateles and I decided that Dave and I needed to go through it at least once before the big "show". Suddenly, he is changing phrases and redoing parts of it.

At least he was beginning to get "into it" a little, I thought....so I made the changes and let it be hoping that his enthusiasm would come alive that night...

As the evening approached, the caterer arrived to begin to prepare the dinner. He was a delightful Italian man who not only was going to cook our meal, but also brought along a huge jug of some of his homemade wine. So, there he was, cooking and drinking....drinking and cooking....and then drinking some more.

Next thing I know, Dave is drinking along with the cook.

Now this brew had to be at least 80 proof vino (ok, exaggeration here...but, it was a lot stronger than store-bought wine) ....but, that didn't stop Dave.

The other family members begin to arrive and the festivities begin.

Dave continues to enjoy the cook's moonshine.

Suddenly, Dave approaches me and says that we really need to rehearse our song and skit.

So, we do.

Now I see that he is really getting into it...and begins to do some directing as we are rehearsing. He decides how we should make our exit and how we must slow down our singing during the "touching" part of the song...etc etc.

It was hysterical to see him in action...especially coming from a man who was pretty much disinterested in doing this at all.

So, back to where I started...the family gathers and the skits begin. Each one is cuter and more creative than the next. My youngest sister was a pregnant hippie as she and her hubby dressed up in tie dye to sing "I Got You Babe"....her son and his girlfriend act out the scene from Fiddler on the Roof...."Do You Love Me?"....my oldest sister dresses up like Jackie Kennedy complete with pillbox hat and white gloves...there were trivia games involving facts about my parents...and on and on....

When it was our turn to do the Flintstones, my little "wino" and I really put on a show and everyone seemed to enjoy it.

Thank heavens for the cook's moonshine...it turned a relatively quiet Dave into an animated Fred Flintstone.

Yabba dabba dooooooo! *hic* : )

"I Got You Babe"?

Jackie-O ?

"Do, you love me?"

Anniversary Party

65 years of marriage.

Hard to fathom....especially when it is your own parents!

What a great reason to get everyone together and share the love and joy...

We don't do things 'simply' in my family and this celebration wasn't going to be any different.

First of all there was the theme: "Classic Couples". Pale blue t-shirts were made for everyone in attendance, including babies and the dog. The shirt had a picture of mom and dad on their wedding day 65 years ago...as can be seen in this photo of my mom, dad, and their four girls. My sister's and I have a tradition of always posing from oldest to youngest and that was no exception at the Saturday night celebration. I'll let you figure out which side starts with the oldest.... : 0

Going along with the couples theme....we asked everyone to come up with a skit, song, poem, toast....whatever, to imagine mom and dad as a famous couple, either fictional or non-fictional, dead or alive.

Dave and I did Fred and Wilma Flintstone.

I am sure that you can imagine his delight at being told that I was making him a costume that included an animal print bowtie....

Interested in hearing how this came out? Lunch with the "Girlies", unpacking, laundry, reading through mail are calling me for now....so,

I will have to continue with more of this.....

.....tomorrow.

: )

One tired Grammie.....

I am filled with joy.

I am also exhausted...so, for tonight, I will just post a couple of pictures from my trip to upstate New York and a wonderful family weekend.

After a good night's sleep...I will get back into my posting routine....

'nite...

The signs pointed the way....

...the long and winding road...

Breathtaking.

This is the tree-lined road that lead 28 family members to my sister and brother-in-law's home in Skaneateles, New York...

Soon, their warm and inviting home came into view...with the serene lake in the background just a short walk away....

...I'll be home tomorrow.....

I am having blog withdrawal.

...but, I have had an incredible time with the family and little Owen!!!!

I will be heading back to Birmingham tomorrow afternoon with a full suitcase, a lot of extra calories, lots of memories...and a bit of a heavy heart having to leave...

I will be downloading all of my 200,000 photos when I return- so get ready!

I hope that all is well with my blogging reader buddies...I have a lot of catching up to do upon my return...

xoxo

Grammie

P.S. Happy 11 month birthday Owen!!!!!