Christmas 2002 didn’t come until 2003. DD was home for the holidays and it just didn’t work out to go anywhere on The Day. Rather than really strap us, we decided to wait and go on DS2’s birthday, New Years Day. We were told we couldn’t go to DS1’s house. My DIL’s relatives were visiting and they were passing around a virus. We met at the post office to trade gifts. There was a little picture taking and a very short reunion.
We went on to DS2’s house where we were met with a bit of an attitude.
It was short-lived, and soon replaced with giggles at Elmo.
DD watched the goings on and I was at the ready with my camera.
My granddaughter had toys galore.
DD went back to New York and, on the morning of my birthday, I woke up to this.
I elected not to go anywhere. Later that afternoon, someone cleared the road and I went out and took more pictures.
The gas logs made the house cozy and I was happy to stay home.
A couple of days later, the snow had melted and I went to visit my children and grandgirls for a late birthday celebration.
My older granddaughter had gotten a crayon maker and was busy with it. I’d bought her a Bob the Tomato T-shirt and she was wearing it in my honor.
We’d have Veggie Tales marathons and watch one video after another. I enjoyed them as much as she did.
Mother had had me pick out my own present that year. She gave me a dollar amount and I found this at the Mother Ship’s flower shop.
March rolled around and I got a phone call. Mother was in the hospital. She had decided she didn’t like having to run to the bathroom so much (though she was a little past running, anyway) so she’d quit taking her diuretic. My sister had discovered her sitting in her chair suffering from congestive heart failure. There was no way she could get into the car so the ambulance had to be called. When I got to the hospital, she was sitting up eating the hospital food.
When I asked her how tasty it was, she wrinkled her nose and said, “Needs salt.” I come by it honest.
My sister and her oldest daughter had come in from the West. No one knew whether this would be IT for Mother or not.
Mother spent several days in acute care and then was moved to a swingbed for the balance of her stay. It wasn’t her time yet. It had been good to see the family but I had to get back to work. I’d already called for an extension of my stay but I was told I would have to have the operating budget done not long after I got back. Stress! That was all I needed.
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