Choose to be offended

It was the ward party tonight & Don went by himself. He said when he got to the roast beef the server gave him a few scraps & asked if he wanted more. I said it obviously wasn't Nate serving. Then when he was getting plates for Nick, Mother & I, some guy said sarcastically, "Well, I won't pretend I'm eating for two." Don responded something about getting food for 3. He didn't know either one of the men. I hate to go to ward functions anymore since the ward boundaries have been changed. It's like we're still two different wards.

As I think about it, I can choose to be offended, which I was. But some people are just natural bumblers.

On the bright side, Jim & Donna, Keith & Onda met here & visited. They took Mother & Luana with them to Big J's for lunch. I slept through most of their visit because I felt so crappy. Don-Mike was so busy, he didn't see them.

Gratitude 2011

It was fun to look back at 2010 to see what I was thankful for last year. I started a separate page this year, Attitude of Gratitude, 2011, so I can just keep a running list. My first entry last year was Don. Interestingly enough my first entry this year was also Don. I am indeed thankful for my husband.

Wednesday, Nov. 2, I put Kindra (Palmer), the home health aide. Mother doesn't qualify for home health paid for by Medicare. It's private pay & Mother thinks she can only afford a shower once a week, so Kindra comes in once a week to give Mother a shower. I tried giving her a shower & it just doesn't work. I do not know the drill. So, I am truly grateful for Kindra.

Thursday, Nov. 3: It is hard to decide what specifically to be thankful for. I am thankful for everything.

Today, Friday, Nov. 4, I put hair. It might sound funny, but I am thankful for my hair. I am thankful I HAVE hair. My hair came out when I had chemo in 2007 & it is just starting to come back in good. I had my hair cut & a shampoo/set yesterday. It looks cute. I paid for it though with a bad headache. There is no bone where the craniectomy was done to remove the tumor in 2001. And even though Marcella was very careful in washing my hair, I got a headache. Mother's sister Onda, her husband Keith, & Mother's brother Larry came to visit Mother today from Blackfoot & Pocatello (Idaho). Mother's hair is still dark & thick. She has her hair done every week on Thursday & it stays in almost all week. Of course, people can't believe Mother doesn't dye her hair, so her hair is always a topic of conversation. Mother is the oldest sister & the other four have thin, white hair. My hair is thin & fine, but not white yet.

The visitors

I love Facebook. Because of it I can connect with friends all over the U.S. When I was just a toddler, the Walborns moved to Preston from Ohio. So, their friendship spans almost 60 years. When their kids, Sylvia & Charles were in high school, they moved to Logan.

Their daughter Sylvia died a few years ago, 4 or 5 at least, & my sister Wanda died almost 40 years ago. But I connected with their son Charles on Facebook. Charlie lives in Georgia. I found out, through Facebook, that he was spending the summer with his folks, who are both in their mid-late 80s. I wanted to take Mother down to see them, but Charlie brought his folks up to see Mother today.

We went to Big J's for lunch. Is there anywhere else in Preston to go?

Charles and his folks, Bob & Loretta, with my mom. Mother ordered a fruit pizza from Pizza Villa. The rest of us had almost finished eating before Mother even got her pizza.

Look how all three of them are wearing red. Loretta has to have oxygen all the time. She is on 5 liters. Mother is only on 2.5 liters, but I think this is the first time Mother has worn her oxygen in public in Preston. But, hey, she was in good company.

I invited the boys to come up & have lunch with us. Don-Mike had the day off. They are in the booth behind me. I didn't get pictures of them. I should have.

After Walborns left, I took the opportunity to make a couple of calls I needed to & while I was on hold, Mother's sister Onda & her husband Keith walked in. They had been up to see Dorin. Luana walked across the driveway & so the 3 sisters got a chance to visit.

After Keith & Onda left, I was going to work on my DUP, but I was so tired, I laid down "just for a minute." I never felt like I ever fell asleep, but I didn't "wake" up til almost 8. I was one tired old lady.

Sibling Party

The sibling party was very nice. Jim & Donna put a lot of work into it. Everyone was thanking me! I didn't do anything except plan it. Jim & Donna did everything else.

My phone was on low battery & so I only got 2 pictures. I should've had a tape recorder to tape the reminiscing. It would have been priceless.

Here's a picture of the sisters, backwards, but they didn't want to move Odetta. My picture was blurry, can't remember why, but I didn't want this picture. They broke up before I could retake it. I took a picture with Onda's camera, then Luana's camera & then used my phone camera. We were trying to get their legs all crossed the same way. So, from left to right is Maxine, 66, Donna, 68, Onda, 76, Luana, 78, & Odetta, 83. Hopefully Luana's & Onda's pictures turned out better than mine did.

Then the men. I made this picture larger because it's not as blurry as the girls' picture. Left to right here is Bernard, Larry, Keith, Dorin & Jim. Jim wasn't going to get in the picture because he's not a brother, they decided to do all the men. I want you to notice Larry. He has the TV remote in his hand & he is watching the TV, LOL. I think the Kentucky Derby was finally being run. They waited for it all afternoon & then people were starting to leave & they hadn't taken any pictures.

I think they took a picture with everyone. The ladies posed with Vaudis & Lucy in it, but I didn't get that picture, then they added me to the mix. I don't know if they did couples or not. I was too busy with Alashandra's baby Zeke by that time.

Moving in May, 5/2

As many times as I ran back & forth between Jim & Donna's house & the party room, I feel like I moved for 15 minutes. It just wasn't consecutive.

Today was the Porter siblings party. It was such a rainy day. Then this afternoon, it cleared off & was a beautiful, sunshiny day. I took Mother & Luana down in Don's car. It sounds like I'm going to have to buckle down & clean out my car because Donna wants to take Mother down to see their cousin Elva Larsen in Brigham City. Luana wants to go too.

Everyone was to the party except Larry's wife Madge. She was sick. Larry rode down with Keith & Onda, Maxine & Bernard. Vaudis rode down with Dorin & Lucy. Lucy drove. Donna & Jim's granddaugther Alashandra came to drop something off & we talked her into bringing Matt & Baby Zeke in to meet us all. They are blessing Zeke tomorrow.

We attended Burkley Balzar's baptism & confirmation this morning in Franklin. I THOUGHT Amber had said that Burkley would be baptized first, but no such thing. Whitney 2nd Ward was the host ward & the host ward's children are always baptized LAST!!

So, once I got over the disappointment & irritation, I decided that I'd just run home & get my rice pudding & laptop. Which reminds me, the laptop is still out in the trunk of Don's car. The rice pudding is a recipe I got from A Year of Crockpotting. Mine turned out very runny. I used skim milk instead of half & half or whipping cream. That may have been why. When I make it again, I'll use more rice.