A Visit From An Old Friend

Oh my, I haven't written for over a month! No wonder, it's been a total zoo. Now that the work shifts are all 8 hours, I'm working 4-5 days/week. We've had the grandbabies for 2 or 3 days in a row a few times. (They wear me out, man!) I have weekly therapy appointments. (It seems I'm depressed.) AND, I had a visit from an old friend!

Kitzie (her sister couldn't pronounce Christine) and I met in kindergarten. We've been friends for 52 years. We lived in each other's homes in Omaha until I was 11,when my dad was transferred to Minneapolis. We don't talk often anymore, which is really SO sad in the age of technology. But in truth, I suppose we no longer have that much in common except for an idyllic early childhood. She and her husband are retired and VERY busy, as are we. It's pitiful that we seem to only see each other for funerals.

Kitzie wanted to see my mom again before she died. Mom has Alzheimer's, and doesn't know me from a lamp, but it meant a lot to Kitzie to see her. They drove up from Nebraska and checked into a nearby motel. I'd just gotten off work, and they came right over. All the intervening years melted away, it was 1960 again and I was happier than I've been in months!

Besides visiting Mom (who really did seem to know there was SOMEONE there to smile at!) we ate out (a lot!), barbequed, went to the Big Mall, the swap meet, sat and looked at the Mississippi River, and played with my grandbabies (and she's indefatigueable with children! She doesn't just push them on the swings, she tickles, pinches, etc. on every sweep!) She sat on a hard rock for 2 hours helping them throw rocks in the river.

Here's some photos: Click on them to enlarge.

My Kitzie

Throwing rocks

River scene, my son with the hair, husband in lawn chair, and Kitzie still throwing rocks. Yes, that's the Mississippi River. It starts just a few hundred miles north, so is still nearly walk-across-able.

Chef Jon

It seemed a big letdown when they left. I miss laughing, and I miss having someone I can tell anything to.

In other news, I'd been thinking for a long time I needed a tiny coffee table for in front of the couch for my drink, ashtray, smokes, book, and a place to put my glasses when I fall asleep. They don't make tiny coffee tables, though. Space in an RV is quite limited. I finally found a really old, primitive table at an antique store for 5 bucks. Whaddya think?

It does crowd us a bit more, but is SO useful. PLUS, my neighbor here at the park decided she needed MORE room and took out one of her chairs. I was eyeing it for the space where MY recliner used to be ("it's in Mexico", familiar refrain...) and one day after work, I found it in my RV! (My agoraphobic hubby does get along well with my single-woman-neighbors on each side of us...I suspect they have cocktails and eat bonbons in their lawn chairs all day long while I'm at work.) It looks great, huh? I just had a folding chair there before.

Yes, the trash can is obtrusive, but necessary. And this is where I sit most of the time:

I'm there right now, can't you see me?

Here are assorted family pics: Nora 2, Gramma's girl. Yes, my hairdresser scalped me, plus told me I'm now 80% white, 20% blond. Great...

 Nora with Grampa Ron

Dylan, 4