Back from Oregon
Got back yesterday afternoon in time to pick Chris up from the airport on his return from Massachusetts. Slept horribly on my visit because I was sharing a small bed with Kate at my mom's house so I'm completely exhausted but otherwise feel the trip went well and was worth it.
Grandma looked great, as robust and healthy as I've seen her. She shows no visible signs of her brush with death this spring. She's lost weight and is able to get around well. She seems as happy as ever, which was a great relief. I credit my grandma for my interest in games, it was from her I learned all my earliest favorites like Kings in the Corner or Farkle (which my family called Greedy). We played dice and did Mad Libs with Kate for hours this trip, laughing until tears came to our eyes (hysterical laughter being a trait my grandma, my mom and I all share).
I took a lot of pictures, not all of which came out. Most disappointing were some of the photos I asked other people to take of us, but I was able to get a few "four generation" pictures and that made me very happy. There was much hemming and hawing about people not wanting to be in the picture, or people trying to hide behind other people so as to not look fat and in several of the pictures I'm towering like a giant over the rest of my family who are huddled together carefully trying to appear as small as possible. In the end, everyone finally relaxed in front of the camera and came out looking something like themselves instead of family-like mannequins with strange, unnatural expressions.
Before I left town my mom decided to go through all of her possessions (or so it seemed) to let me know exactly which pieces she was saving for me or for Kate, offering up items of clothing and jewelry that she thought we might like to take now. I came away with some pieces of jewelry that more or less fit. I particularly like this dark topaz ring (one of the few that actually fits my fingers). Kate hauled home a couple more dusty, smelly, and largely disgusting stuffed animals, and I assured my mom that she no longer needed to save my childhood collection of old cologne bottles and ceramic cats won at the fair.
Wish I'd had time to visit friends or been able to see my brother (who, ironically, is currently visiting my dad in Minnesota and who called today just to say hello and chat) but this just reinforces that I should make time for a social visit to the Portland area another time.
Grandma looked great, as robust and healthy as I've seen her. She shows no visible signs of her brush with death this spring. She's lost weight and is able to get around well. She seems as happy as ever, which was a great relief. I credit my grandma for my interest in games, it was from her I learned all my earliest favorites like Kings in the Corner or Farkle (which my family called Greedy). We played dice and did Mad Libs with Kate for hours this trip, laughing until tears came to our eyes (hysterical laughter being a trait my grandma, my mom and I all share).
I took a lot of pictures, not all of which came out. Most disappointing were some of the photos I asked other people to take of us, but I was able to get a few "four generation" pictures and that made me very happy. There was much hemming and hawing about people not wanting to be in the picture, or people trying to hide behind other people so as to not look fat and in several of the pictures I'm towering like a giant over the rest of my family who are huddled together carefully trying to appear as small as possible. In the end, everyone finally relaxed in front of the camera and came out looking something like themselves instead of family-like mannequins with strange, unnatural expressions.
Before I left town my mom decided to go through all of her possessions (or so it seemed) to let me know exactly which pieces she was saving for me or for Kate, offering up items of clothing and jewelry that she thought we might like to take now. I came away with some pieces of jewelry that more or less fit. I particularly like this dark topaz ring (one of the few that actually fits my fingers). Kate hauled home a couple more dusty, smelly, and largely disgusting stuffed animals, and I assured my mom that she no longer needed to save my childhood collection of old cologne bottles and ceramic cats won at the fair.
Wish I'd had time to visit friends or been able to see my brother (who, ironically, is currently visiting my dad in Minnesota and who called today just to say hello and chat) but this just reinforces that I should make time for a social visit to the Portland area another time.