Category Archives: Mom

Jan14

Run around

Posted on by
Standard

Sean and I decided to go down to my Mom’s and to also drop off my brother Ken’s birthday gift (his b/d was on the 8th). So we got there and Mom was just beat. She is getting herself in a terrible stew over her impending cataract surgery coming up on the 25th. She isn’t eating well and since her shopping excursion with us on Wednesday, she’s been mainly laying around. So we went over to Ken’s and he liked his amber guitar lamp I got him even though mom said little Kenny already had one. What’s the difference, I was giving it to big Ken! Ken got the family a new Mac computer with a 22″ monitor-wow-it’s big! I like what we have, though I saw on the screen capture of my old blog that my header was too short which I didn’t even know. Ken put on James Taylor music on the stereo for me which I thought was cute.
Mom didn’t want to go to a nearby shopping center, so we bid her adieu and I went to JoAnn’s and Sean went to Circuit City. Here JoAnn’s was having a big sale (looked like you needed a coupon), but I got adorable Northern Woods ornaments (natural looking) for 75% off. Their pink ticket items were further reduced 50% off. I got an embellishment style cross stitch kit of a koi fish pond for only $5. I think I spent $50 on 30 things-so you know I got some decent buys. I believe the sale is on until tomorrow. I hope to photograph some of the goodies I bought.
We had to drop food and medical stuff off at my Uncle’s before dinner, so we drove in a 50 mile circle going through many towns we haven’t been in for a while. There are a lot of new shopping centers and developments going up. We passed the  restaurant where we had our engagement dinner, a seafood place called Bobby’s 24 yrs ago. Now it’s a Japanese restaurant!
My Uncle is doing okay. Sean thought he didn’t look as good as he looked at the end of December. I had saved and froze for him some portions of chili and spaghetti and Colleen sent him a goodie basket of snacks and cookies plus homemade soup.
Tomorrow is my big dental appointment. I hope to get on here later in the afternoon to update ya’ll.

Nov27

So what is it?

Posted on by
Standard

I was wondering all day where my mom was. She had a 12:30 eye doctor appointment and we chatted at about 11 this morning. So 2 pm went by, then it was going on 3. I called mom’s house. Nothing. By 5:45 I called my brother thinking she was over there admiring his newly ‘faced’ (with stone) fireplace. Not there. I called Ken again an hour later to ask him to go over to mom’s and the phone beeped and it was her! I was upset with her for not taking a second out of her 5 hour shopping excursion to call me. She apologized. I had gotten a 5:30 phone call from the doctor’s office and the nurse said my culture didn’t look like a UTI! I could have told her that. I know it’s the fibroids or a groin pull or both. Geez. Wants me to give them another sample. What fun! I am calling the gyn office about the ultrasound I had last month and never heard about. We have to fork out almost $400 for that.
I wanted to shop online today, but I need a few days to collect myself from yesterday. We aren’t going gung ho with gifts…we decided that months ago. I’d like a new camera (that would be gung ho), but Bri never can chose one. He did get a few bucks from an old bank account through the PA treasury or something. Maybe we could use that. Come on Bri!!!

Nov25

Family Issues

Posted on by
Standard

I don’t know when I’ll be blogging again-my brother and mom both have issues with me right now. I didn’t do anything except get sick on the day I was suppose to have my brother out for a visit before he went home to Florida. I’m pretty sure they are both bi-polar, either way up or way down and it’s ‘my way or the highway’. Mom was here since Wednesday and left around noon today in a huff because she said ‘she wore out her welcome’. I think she is upset about my brother showing me the gate. So when I have interesting things to share, I’ll be back. I think I’ll do something crafty to get my head on straight again. Hugs to you all!
Update-I talked to mom tonight and she wasn’t mad at me, but Brian! I don’t know why, he just got up in the morning like everyone else did. I am still peeved at the way she ran out the door. Brian left a voice message with my brother about apologizing to me for the email. I said he needs to stick up for me once in a while. We’ve heard nothing.

Oct26

All that driving…

Posted on by
Standard

I guess it’s not that bad-chipmunk cheeks and all (like 4 yrs ago) : ) Mom took the 30 mile drive with me ( that I talked about on Monday) and it seemed faster as she talked the entire time! In fact I had 2.5 days of non-stop chatter. Poor lil thing is by herself too much, I guess. We went to a Dollar General store and mom went crazy in there. She was buying canned goods left and right. I bought a few things and almost put them back when I saw a dead cockroach on the floor. We then went to the Acme supermarket nearer to home and she bought more (I bought some, but we were sharing a cart and she used more of the space then me). She went home at 4:45 and got herself in work traffic for an hour. I told her she should come back for a little while, but she had to get the food home.
It was nice to have her here for a change of pace for both of us. Did I tell you she bought an inflatable bed for her to sleep on now? We have a guest room, but Bri usually ends up in there with all his snoring. He needs to work on that again… I saw that they have throat spray now for snorers. He says I snore too, but he’s been really bad for over 10 yrs.

Oct24

Celebration photos

Posted on by
Standard

 

We ate at the Olive Garden and both Sean and my mom had Mediterranean Shrimp pasta.

Mom and me toasting the birthday boy with peach ice tea.

The cake I made Sean-devil’s food-with chocolate sprinkles and candy corn (which he really loves) on a leaf plate.

Sean and his ‘Mom-mom’. He’s about to blow out the candles of course. The candle in the middle plays ‘Happy Birthday’. I told Mom she has two interwined orbs over her head here and there’s a big one in the window. ; )

Oct17

I’m so excited!

Posted on by
Standard

Even though this will be the fourth time (third for Brian, God bless him) I’ve seen James Taylor, I can’t wait until 8 pm! I’ve seen him with my brother Don back in 1979; Bri in ’82 before we were married; and then with Bri and Sean in ’97. Those concerts were at the Mann Music Center in Philly-partially indoors with lawn seating too. Tonight should be like a private concert (well almost) as it’s just JT and his keyboard player. I’ll update this post later.
Update-We had a nice evening with James even though the traffic on 69th St near the Tower Theater was stalled for about 15 minutes and I thought for sure we’d be late. He didn’t come on stage until 8:20 anyway. I had a clear view of him for about 45 minutes until the couple in front of us showed up. Then it was hard to see as the guy had his arm around his girlfriend and invaded my personal space-so I moved over. I guess we were about 75-80 feet from the stage.
It was a nice chat, show some photos on a big screen and sing about what he just talked about kind of show. He opened with ‘Something in the Way She Moves’. He brought this contraption out that was a computer programmed drum set basically (I read in a review that he had built it himself!). He sang a song ‘Slap Leather’ through a bullhorn-too funny! I liked when he showed a short video of his nephew James as a tyke before he sang the song he wrote for him called ‘Sweet Baby James’. People think that’s JT’s nickname.
James had a video of the chorus that his wife Kim is in and he sang along to ‘Shower the People’ and ‘Traveling Star’ with them. When he was on ‘Saturday Night Live’ many years ago, he sang along to a reel to reel tape recorder (of famous singers at the time) to ‘Shower the People’.
We scooted out before he sang his second encore which I think was ‘You Close Your Eyes’. The area where the theater is located is a little run down now, so we got ahead of the mass of people and got home by 11:45 even after stopping for milk and bread.

My mom is having cataract surgery at the beginning of December. Yesterday was the day she had all the drops put in her eyes, not the day I went with her. She had to sit a while afterwards, but she found her way to the mall where she purchased Sean some birthday gifts. That guy is so hard to buy for! I have a few things for him-some coming in the mail. I hope the shirt will be the correct size. Not sure if the size pull-down menu even recorded the correct size. Guess I’ll find out in a few days.

I had Jehovah’s Witness people ring my doorbell twice before 10 this morning. I’m not dressed as I have to shower, but that’s a great way to get them moving on their way. They haven’t been on my front step in years.

It’s a rainy day here too-drats! I hope it clears a bit by the time we have to leave.

Oct27

It’s been a rather long week

Posted on by
Standard

I just drove my mom home today. She was to stay overnight on Monday, but turned her visit into a 3-day one. I don’t really have any problem with this. I do like to observe her and try to get food into her. I am definitely mothering my Mother now. She decided she wanted to sleep on the sofa for 3 nights. It would have been better for her to be in the back room, but she didn’t want to sleep there. I have noticed a change in Mom, not that good of a change. Like when she takes her pain pills she like almost passes out if she is semi-sitting on the sofa. She says some funny things. She told me that I should run all my glassware that I display on the window through the dishwasher. Her appetite is terrible. She did eat all her dinner last night plus a piece of Sean’s ice cream cake. Today she only ate oatmeal and about 2 McNuggets and fries. I felt bad leaving her after I left her house because her voice just had to crack when she said ‘good-bye’ and I got wet eyes for a good 15 minutes or so driving in the work traffic home.

Sep26

On the run again

Posted on by
Standard

There was another flea market this week near mom’s. I love going to them this time of year before the foul weather envelopes us. I had just made that trip on Friday, but something had come in the mail for mom (jewelry), so I decided to go down. Mom wanted to actually walk around a flea market! This is the first time in a long time the two of us have been out together. The flea market wasn’t as big as the one we went to a few weeks ago. The first thing I bought was a small Penn State banner for Sean for a big ol’ $1. I was happy to get it for him. We each bought some things that caught our eye, my most expensive things were two Cherished Teddies figurines. The lady had so many cute ones it was hard to chose.
I want to make some Halloween items, so we headed to A.C. Moore. As I went in the door, a woman and I met eyes and I knew who she was right away. She looked away and went inside. So Cathy Simms from Penncrest HS, I remembered you!
We were in there a little while and then I asked if we could try JoAnns for the little fake pumpkins I needed since ACM didn’t have them. The JoAnns moved into this huge, beautiful store just this past Friday and they had everything I needed, plus some! I am getting that crafting bug again.
Mom and I went to McDonalds (I am going to blow up) and I watched a mentally challenged lady my age lick her fingers after every bite of food. I swear, I will be making ‘Sunday pot roast’ soon, after the sales. We saw another woman in there, dressed in a Henry Fonda outfit like from ‘In Golden Pond’ with the puffy vest and fisherman’s hat (it was in the high 70s today). Mom recognized her from the hospital thrift shop where she had cornered mom to talk politics-mumbo jumbo. I would have said, ‘get lost you crazy you know what’. You see all kinds.
Well my son made a face over the PSU banner asking where he would put it. I could have said ‘someplace’, but I refrained to use that language. Later, I gave him the only birthday gift I had bought him so far, a PSU license plate. I told him since he made such a stink over the little banner, no way was I saving the license plate for October. He commented, I shouldn’t spend the money and that he may not be going to the school in a few years. He isn’t taking to college life that well yet. He’s in the newspaper club (a good start), but he doesn’t stick around to meet people. Good luck son.

Sep24

Happy 75th Mom

Posted on by
Standard


September 23, 2005
Dear Mom,
Today is a special day and I am delighted I am here to share the occasion of your 75th birthday. I am happy that most of us are here for you. Remember the others are here in spirit.
I wanted to write a cheery-remember when letter to you. Good stuff with lots of warm fuzzies to make you smile or even laugh a little. Where can I start?
How about the little performances that Don and I use to do for you and Mom-mom? He definitely outshone his big sister more than once. I like to say I made up for it by later being in the church choir and singing in front of the Cardinal of Philadelphia.
One time you and I were sitting on the sofa and I was drawing a lady who was in the TV Guide, I think she was on Little House on the Prairie. Anyway, we started to pass the drawing between the two of us and it turned out pretty good, maybe a little exaggerated, but good. I still have that drawing. And I am glad that you still draw.
The countless daytrips we made to places like The King of Prussia mall where we always got something to remember the day. Then there was the Downingtown Market-who can forget the sights and smells of that place-dust and cinnamon buns? How many paperbacks did you buy there and from Booth Corners?
Speaking of daytrips, why on earth would we take daytrips to places like Gettysburg and the Poconos? I remember the trip to Gettysburg seemed endless and it was really hot. We mainly walked around a shopping village that day. The trip to the Poconos had us tramping in the woods with Mom-mom.
Going to the shore was always an interesting experience. The time we stayed at Brownies cottage and spent the entire time driving the Rambler around looking for Monkees trading cards is a stand-out. And the 3rd floor apartment we rented in Wildwood was fun and interesting. Don dropping clothes to the open back trunk was a time saver. And then you and Mom-mom playing Bingo in your fancy dresses- well that memory will never fade.
And you made sure we all had gifts a plenty for birthdays and Christmas. We know you loved a good bargain. I know you passed that gene on to Sean and me.
Your creativity shows in so many ways, from your singing voice to the way you embellish gifts. Thanks for passing on those genes to the four of us in varying degrees. You always made due with what you had, making birthday parties and Halloween extra special.
I hope you enjoy today. Feel stronger and better.
Love always,
Dianne