First grandbaby shower

Yesterday Rachel, Cal and Caitlin had a baby shower for Caroline at the D'addabo's house. I counted 19 people there (including Caroline, not including Noah!) It was a beautiful day and everyone had such a good time. Everyone was so generous with their gifts. Noah is a blessed little baby!

Last College Visits

We are on our way home from a four day tour of colleges. We left Sunday afternoon for Chattanooga. Steve, Garrett and I did a self-tour of campus Mon. morning then went to a Brock's Scholars meeting. The campus was nice-not too big, a mix of old buildings and new construction. I was more impressed than I thought I'd be.

We left there Mon. afternoon and went to Boone, NC by way of E-town on the winding mountain roads in the dark. Tuesday started early at Appalachian State. The honors program and admission people had a nicely planned out morning followed by lunch. Students were separated from parents after the dorm tour which was probably nice for them. It was a gorgeous fall day with early fall color changes in the mountains. Heavenly. Garrett really liked everything he saw.

Today we toured UT Knoxville. That is a big campus. I had forgotten how much was there when I toured with Ryan. It's even bigger with lots of new construction. Once again, a good school with lots to offer.

After these tours plus the open house at CBU last Saturday, Garrett is ready to get down to the nitty gritty of applying. Top picks are CBU and App State followed by UTC then UTK. He's decided not to tour Arkansas which is ok with me!

Exorcise/Exercise

What is wrong with me? I have time and opportunity but zero desire to get off my butt and go to the Y. I am here now and am procrastinating going in and spending a measly 30 min. on the treadmill. I blame the hormones. I blame working full time. I blame the devil. But blaming isn't going to get me back into shape. Grrrr. I need to exorcise this demon off my back!

I haven't given up on the C25k program though I have kept myself in week 6 for the last 2 months. 8 week program-ha! I'm eking out 1 "run" a week, most often on the treadmill to maintain some exercise credibility. I have done some isometric exercises nearly everyday, so I haven't completely given up trying. I need the weather to cool off because this running thing is way better when it's not 90+degrees.

Happy trails!

Gulf Shores

Finally! A get-away trip with Steve, Tim & Steph. 3 days of no plans! Let the relaxing begin!

A Beautiful Day

My baby is having a baby! What an exciting week! We helped Caroline and Greg move into there first home on Saturday then found out on Sunday that they are due Jan. 16, 2014. Blessings all around!
 I'll wait to publish this until after they've shared their good news!

Oh, Baby!

Best news ever! Two weeks ago Caroline and Greg told us that they were expecting a baby in January! The momma/neonurse in me worries for my baby girl--want her to have a wonderful, uneventful pregnancy. I pray for her and the 3 of them everyday--Father, please keep them safe and healthy.

What will I be called? Grandma? Sounds kind of old. After all MY grandma was "Grandma" How about Grams, Grammy, Nana? Caroline is pushing for Nelle/Nellie and she has her brothers behind her. What about Lolly? That was what Grandpa Stanley Romer was called by his friends. It would go well with Steve's "Pops."I
 In the end it doesn't really matter. What does is a perfectly normal, uncomplicated pregnancy, labor and delivery.

C25K

Today I finished week four of a couch-to-5K program called 5K101. I'll be doing a supplemental week next week because I don't think I'm ready to run for 8 minutes at a time. But, I'm actually enjoying this training. I think it's because I'm going nice and slow so I haven't stressed or pulled anything.

Moving Day

Caroline and Greg move into their first home today! We will be leaving in a little bit to help them move. Such a cute house! It is about 70 years old; two bedroom plus a third/office; nice big backyard. Zebbie will now get to be the outside dog he's always wanted to be!

My heart broke twice

From 4/13/13; Edited 7/22/14

Yesterday Pat Romer died around 6:00 a.m. after an extended illness. She was my Aunt--dad's younger brother's wife--with such spirit. No grass grew under her feet! She traveled quite a bit, big trips with family and friends as well as smaller get aways. Pat was quite the crafter with a whole room in her basement bulging with supplies. She also was an RN which gave us a special bond. Like me, she was the only one in her family in healthcare, so we could talk in that way that nurses do--you can understand each other because of the universality of the field. I know my Uncle Joe is heartbroken. No matter how long you prepare or how blessed the relief of death on suffering can be, you never want to say that last goodbye.

With great sadness at 6:45 p.m. on the same day, Aunt Barb died too. Julie Fisher called to let me know that night. I cried and cried. Thankfully, Ann and Mark Stollenwerk, their son Chris and Doug Kohnen were with her. They said there was no pain and she died peacefully. I am just so very thankful that she didn't die alone.

I'll be flying to Ohio Sunday night to attend Aunt Pat's funeral and just as important see my family. I'll ride back with Chris and Mom. This summer we will celebrate Barb's life.

Barb and Pat

The news is not good from Ohio. Chris talked to Leah and Joe on Easter Sunday and they felt Aunt Pat would probably not make it past this week. She had stopped eating last week and barely drinks water with her meds. She is restless and does not sleep much at night. I am so sad for all the Romers especially Uncle Joe because he loves her so much.

I talked to Julie today for an update on Aunt Barb. It sounds like the sepsis has gotten much worse and that last night she went into shock. They loaded her with fluids and she came around. Julie said she seemed to be aware that she, Jane, Ann and Mark were there. Today they are going to do a peritoneal tap to drain her abdomen. They think she may have a small bowel tear contributing to the infection but that she is too weak for surgery.

And all I can do is pray.

Prodigal Summer

I am not going to finish this book today, the end of the month. I had been doing pretty well on my New Year resolution, but got off track in March.

Since this vacation week is predicted to be cooler/colder than normal and wet, I'm assuming no gardening this week. Maybe I'll be more diligent with my reading and painting.

Willie Shepherd

I think his last name is Shepherd or Shephard from the quick look I got of his MATA bus pass. I met Wille today in the rain as he was walking down Park Ave. 

I had made a trip to Superlo for a few groceries to finish out my portion of Easter dinner for tomorrow. I had decided that once I left, I was going to Holy Rosary for confession. No delays. No excuses. No chickening out I told myself. I don't know why I get so freaked out about going to confession when I know I'm going to feel good when I leave. I was determined this time I was going to go.
 
After turning from Colonial to Park, I saw a blind man walking east in front of the school. He swept his white cane in front of him as he steadily and carefully made his way down the sidewalk. I turned into the driveway and parked close to church. I fiddled around, scrolled through and deleted some emails on my phone and double checked to make sure it was on silent. I got out of the van at the same time the blind man was crossing the driveway. As I closed the door he paused and called out. I'm not sure what he said, but after a second or two he started walking again. Watching him in the rain I knew I had a decision to make. It would not change the course of history, but I knew that here was a chance to show God the person I want to be. I said a quick prayer along the line of, "surely, You wouldn't put me here if you didn't have something in mind for me to do. Just keep me safe, Lord." I caught up to him (he was moving surprisingly fast) and I told him I heard him call out and asked if I could help him. He took off his dark glasses I could see the milky coudiness of his eyes. He told me that he had gone to a house on Kings Park to rake leaves for a lady that he did work for, but she didn't show up and he just needed some bus fare and to get to the bus stop in front of Firestone. He wanted to show me his i.d. as if he felt he need to prove the legitimacy of what he was saying. I asked him if I could take him to the bus stop or somewhere to get something to eat. He agreed and I led him to the van and buckled him into the front seat. I took time to really look at him. He appeared to be an older man, maybe in his 60's; his gray fleece jacket, ball cap and khaki pants were not new, but were clean. This was a man who took care of his appearance, a man just wanted to work and earn a few dollars to take care of himself. We drove to the Firestone a block away, me telling him where we were as if he didn't already know. He was not easy to understand, but he spoke about the different houses, churches and apartments where he'd done work in this neighborhood. It made me sad when he said he lived in Raleigh but would have to take the bus all the way downtown before transferring to a bus that would take him home. Basically, he would spend most of his day riding buses or waiting for buses to get to a job that wasn't even there for him today. He was appreciative and thanked me for the help and the 20 dollars I gave him. And I thanked him. I thanked him for letting me help him and I wished him a happy Easter.

 I returned to church and made my confession. When I drove Park Ave. toward home, I saw Willie standing at the bus shelter waiting for that bus. I hope he didn't have to wait too long.

Prayer

I realized today what it means to pray without ceasing. Or, more exactly, that you can never stopping praying for the people, the plans, the institutions that you hold dear. Prayer is not an insurance policy. You can't "pray about it" then check it off, like milk on a grocery list. Prayer provides the strength of a bond. It is our connector to all that is holy.

Living in the Moment

Could be doing so many practical things right now. They're going to wait. It's a beautiful cool sunny day. I'm sitting tailgate style in the van watching Connor shoot baskets and Bailey wander around with her newly discovered tennis ball. Feels good to be in the moment

Follow up on Resolutions

So far, so good. I finished The Girl in the Italian Bakery in January and Charlotte Figg Takes Over Paradise in February. Right now I've got an easy, short one called To Heaven and Back by Mary Neal M.D. However, I thought I was buying Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife by Eban Alexander, MD. The fact that they were both written by doctors kind of threw me off. So, the second one will be on my reading list eventually.

I could probably get a lot more reading done if I wasn't so obsessed with Downton Abbey and the goings-on of the Crawley family. Over the past month I have binged on all three seasons and have started watching season three again before PBS takes it off their website tomorrow night. How hard it will be to wait until next year to see how Lady Mary fares with the death of Matthew!

Love, love, love

Steve brought me peachy-pink roses and chocolate covered berries today. Last night we went to Andrew Michael for a Valentine's dinner. I feel special!

Resolutions that I'd like to see

I've got mine. Now the rest of the country needs a resolution for 2013.

How about a fashion resolution: men will stop wearing their britches slung down around their thighs and women will stop wearing pajama pants out in public.

Happy New (me) Year

Of course I'm going to eat right, exercise, lose lbs. but, this year I've decided on one resolution that I can actually be successful at. I resolve to read one book every month. I used to be able to read a book a day. Over time, reading has been pushed back behind work, kids, home. I lost the interest, the love, the distraction that reading provided once the "interweb" entered my life. I got lazy too. And old-lady eyes have set in literally making it hard to focus. But, I can see; I do have time. I will make this work.

The book I started months ago will be finished in January. The Girl in the Italian Bakery--no award winner, however I'm 30% through it according to the Kindle app, so I will push through to the end. I have not researched it, but it appears to be the autobiographical account of the author's life growing up in the projects near Boston. No girl and no bakery yet.