Yes, I am actually posting.
Sorry for being MIA, I have been in a lot of pain, stressed, etc. So I don't even know where to start.
My doctors put me on Zoloft, which is helping me be not-so-depressed, but obviously it cannot fix everything. But at least it takes some of the edge off.
And I have been dealing with some really painful pulled muscles that just won't heal (stupid fibro) in my neck/shoulders/upper back. I haven't had a really good night's sleep in forever. I wake up constantly to move into another position.
My cat, Thumper, who lived with my mom and who I have had for a good 12 years passed away a few weeks ago due to kidney failure. Same night as I started taking Zoloft, actually.
And my Dad, is going back into UMass on the 31st for surgery. He has Congestive Heart failure, he has fluid around his heart and lungs, and his right leg and foot are horribly swollen. His heart's ability to pump since the last heart attack has gotten worse instead of better, and so they are going to implant a defibulator.
But yesterday was an interesting day: I met my uncle for the very first time in my whole life! This is a short synopsis:
My mom and her sister were born to an Irish American soldier and a Czech/Romanian woman whom he brought home from the war(she was living in a cold old castle that belonged to her family.) Unfortunately life had turned her into a mean and bitter unforgiving woman. When my mom and her sis were around 6 and 7 years old, their Dad had a massive heart attack and died on my Aunt's birthday. Their mother really got kinda cruel from that point on, basically abusing my mom and aunt. She eventually remarried, and had a son, who is my mom and aunt's half-brother, obviously. My mom ended up being the one to try to please her mother, being good and docile and staying home to help her, and taking care of her little brother. Her Stepfather worked for USC, and so she was able to attend college for free(they had at some point moved from MA to CA, lived in L.A.) Mom wanted to be a teacher, and indeed got her teaching degree. Then at some point afterwards they moved back to MA. My mom met my dad while teaching. For some reason my "grandmother" hated him. When my mom told her that they were goingt o get married, my "grandmother" attacked my mom, chasing her around with a butcher's knife. My mom hightailed it out of there, leaving behind her little brother. After that she had no contact with the family, her mother hated and disowned her. My parents went so far as to keep my birth announcement out of the newspapers as they were actually afraid she would find out and try something, as the woman was pretty crazy.
So I grew up grand-parent-free on my mom's side, and all I had was my aunt. No uncle. My aunt would keep us informed about his life though, as she was in contact with both sides of the family. She never married and was therefore sort of still in her mother's good graces. As good as it was gonna get, anyway.
A few years ago the stepfather passed away...he had tried to talk his wife into stopping this silly feud but she would never ever give in. She claimed she had no second daughter. Then in February this year she passed away. She made it difficult on everyone before she went, of course, but then once she was gone, my uncle's wife had been communicating with my mom thru my aunt, in hopes of being able to reconcile the family now that "she" was gone. In fact, she even attended my sister's baby shower in May, and it was the first time I met my "Aunt Jill." She said that my uncle was still nervous about meeting everyone, but that he would come around.
Finally, yesterday, we all met at his home in NH, and I met my Uncle Stephan. It was heartwarming to see my mom with her little brother for the first time in 35 years. he really is a wonderful, jovial, well-rounded successful man, and I lament not having him in my life sooner, but late is always better than never, right? He has done tons of traveling and has even lived in Japan and Turkey!
So we had a grand time at his huge beautiful home, having food and swimming in the pool and talking in the jacuzzi! So now, I will share pix, and I also wantt o tell you that I was able to see my nephew Michael laugh for the first time! He is 7 weeks old now, and he was sitting on my mom's lap next to the pool, and I was sitting in front of him smiling and plaing with him, and he actually smiled and giggled for the first time! At me!!!!:)
Aunt Jill with Baby Michael:
My Uncle is all the way on the right:
I spent HOURS in the pool!!!!
My Dad with his Grandson:)
The food!
My Uncle's home office:
This is the first thing you see when you walk in the front door:
The gorgeous Gothic half-bath!
Fountain at the top of the stairs:
Gothic niches in the upstairs hallway. They light up at night.
The Master bath:
Bureau in the Master Bedroom:
Guest bedroom for grandkids:
Second guest bedroom:
Old Family pix in hallway:
My Grandmother was an artist/painter, and these are two of her paintings that are hung in the house. She also now has a painting in a Czech museum now that she is gone.:
The stove in the kitchen:
My doctors put me on Zoloft, which is helping me be not-so-depressed, but obviously it cannot fix everything. But at least it takes some of the edge off.
And I have been dealing with some really painful pulled muscles that just won't heal (stupid fibro) in my neck/shoulders/upper back. I haven't had a really good night's sleep in forever. I wake up constantly to move into another position.
My cat, Thumper, who lived with my mom and who I have had for a good 12 years passed away a few weeks ago due to kidney failure. Same night as I started taking Zoloft, actually.
And my Dad, is going back into UMass on the 31st for surgery. He has Congestive Heart failure, he has fluid around his heart and lungs, and his right leg and foot are horribly swollen. His heart's ability to pump since the last heart attack has gotten worse instead of better, and so they are going to implant a defibulator.
But yesterday was an interesting day: I met my uncle for the very first time in my whole life! This is a short synopsis:
My mom and her sister were born to an Irish American soldier and a Czech/Romanian woman whom he brought home from the war(she was living in a cold old castle that belonged to her family.) Unfortunately life had turned her into a mean and bitter unforgiving woman. When my mom and her sis were around 6 and 7 years old, their Dad had a massive heart attack and died on my Aunt's birthday. Their mother really got kinda cruel from that point on, basically abusing my mom and aunt. She eventually remarried, and had a son, who is my mom and aunt's half-brother, obviously. My mom ended up being the one to try to please her mother, being good and docile and staying home to help her, and taking care of her little brother. Her Stepfather worked for USC, and so she was able to attend college for free(they had at some point moved from MA to CA, lived in L.A.) Mom wanted to be a teacher, and indeed got her teaching degree. Then at some point afterwards they moved back to MA. My mom met my dad while teaching. For some reason my "grandmother" hated him. When my mom told her that they were goingt o get married, my "grandmother" attacked my mom, chasing her around with a butcher's knife. My mom hightailed it out of there, leaving behind her little brother. After that she had no contact with the family, her mother hated and disowned her. My parents went so far as to keep my birth announcement out of the newspapers as they were actually afraid she would find out and try something, as the woman was pretty crazy.
So I grew up grand-parent-free on my mom's side, and all I had was my aunt. No uncle. My aunt would keep us informed about his life though, as she was in contact with both sides of the family. She never married and was therefore sort of still in her mother's good graces. As good as it was gonna get, anyway.
A few years ago the stepfather passed away...he had tried to talk his wife into stopping this silly feud but she would never ever give in. She claimed she had no second daughter. Then in February this year she passed away. She made it difficult on everyone before she went, of course, but then once she was gone, my uncle's wife had been communicating with my mom thru my aunt, in hopes of being able to reconcile the family now that "she" was gone. In fact, she even attended my sister's baby shower in May, and it was the first time I met my "Aunt Jill." She said that my uncle was still nervous about meeting everyone, but that he would come around.
Finally, yesterday, we all met at his home in NH, and I met my Uncle Stephan. It was heartwarming to see my mom with her little brother for the first time in 35 years. he really is a wonderful, jovial, well-rounded successful man, and I lament not having him in my life sooner, but late is always better than never, right? He has done tons of traveling and has even lived in Japan and Turkey!
So we had a grand time at his huge beautiful home, having food and swimming in the pool and talking in the jacuzzi! So now, I will share pix, and I also wantt o tell you that I was able to see my nephew Michael laugh for the first time! He is 7 weeks old now, and he was sitting on my mom's lap next to the pool, and I was sitting in front of him smiling and plaing with him, and he actually smiled and giggled for the first time! At me!!!!:)
Aunt Jill with Baby Michael:
My Uncle is all the way on the right:
I spent HOURS in the pool!!!!
My Dad with his Grandson:)
The food!
My Uncle's home office:
This is the first thing you see when you walk in the front door:
The gorgeous Gothic half-bath!
Fountain at the top of the stairs:
Gothic niches in the upstairs hallway. They light up at night.
The Master bath:
Bureau in the Master Bedroom:
Guest bedroom for grandkids:
Second guest bedroom:
Old Family pix in hallway:
My Grandmother was an artist/painter, and these are two of her paintings that are hung in the house. She also now has a painting in a Czech museum now that she is gone.:
The stove in the kitchen: