Presidents' Day 2024

 We had an extended amount of time with Robert and Janet for President's Day weekend. Since the quilt retreat was going on, Robert came down early with Janet on Tuesday night. It happened to be the night that I was hosting the February birthday dinner for Relief Society sisters at my house. Once that was over, then I had time to play. 

And play we did! I can't even count how many games we played. Lots of them. Day and night. It was a lot of fun. Janet quilted. I did take care of some other Relief Society responsibilities and visits. And Mike got stuff done, too. But games were the focus. And eating out on occasion. Robert Janet mom and I went out on Friday morning for breakfast. Mike was doing a shift at the temple for somebody on that morning. But Robert and Janet took Mom out other times, too. Unfortunately, Janet got sick on Saturday night and came down with a cold. Mike and I left on Sunday while they were at church. Well, Janet was still here resting. But it was so fun to spend so much time just hanging out together. 

Robert was showing Mom the "Slime" she got in her Valentine's Day Goodie Bag. Her expression was funny ( but not caught on camera.)

On Valentine's day, we also went to Our House Assisted Living to attend the Valentine's Day party there. Complete with real champagne! It was hilarious. Mike actually drank a little plastic flute of champagne, thinking it was the most disgusting sparkling apple cider that he'd ever had. He just gulped it down cuz he didn't want to waste it. I took a few sips of it, too, trying to determine what flavor the pink color was supposed to be. It was just nasty. Then Robert went to go get some for mom because she thought it looked pretty and good. As he poured the little flute of drink for Mom, it foamed up and he slurped the foam up before it ran over and spilled. And then he came back and told Mike, " that is real champagne." ( Well, California " champagne " anyway. Robert looked at the label.) We all got a good laugh out of it. Mike said he was slightly light-headed, and felt it burning down his esophagus. He came home and had a nap after.  Robert told us, That is the first time alcohol has ever crossed my lips." Aww, we spoiled his perfect record. Mom said it didn't count since it was just foam. 😉 

We did enjoy the nacho bar, the strawberries and chocolate fountain, though. And some fun questions to get to know each other better. Unfortunately, the photo booth decorations were falling down so we didn't take a picture.

That evening we  ( Mike and I ) went to see Eric in the play, " Wait Until Dark." He played Sam, the main character's mostly- absent photographer husband. He was only on stage for about 5 minutes total. It was a very nice production done by stage door productions at the St George electric theater.

Seth drove in late Friday night, fixed Caroline's car on Saturday, and then drove right back home and was home by Saturday night. It was a quick trip, but Mike and Seth did get to have lunch out together.

Fun and extended Valentine's Day and Presidents' Day weekend!

And now I have a Tablecloth for February :-)

It's BEES! AND hearts!

Quick Vernal Trip

 It wasn't for a GOOD reason, but we had some good visits with families. We stayed with Joe Maestas. 

We left Sunday after a  9:00 a.m. church meeting. We returned to Cedar by 6:30 pm Monday, Presidents' Day Feb 17.

And I forgot to bring home ABE for the weekend?!?!!??!? 

Sally was really broken up, understandably so. We hope she gets the help and support she needs during the coming days, weeks and months. She only has "2 brothers and one sister left," she commented to her oldest daughter. 

We did get to visit with family-- and friends ! We visited with Lynn and Gary Kendall) at the Sunday evening viewing.  I am beginning to lean toward calling this a 'visitation' because that is what people come to do-- visit with family. Only Mike attended the Monday morning viewing with Family Prayer, and I went with Joe to the funeral. None of us stayed beyond that. No cemetery burial or visit, no luncheon, just a quick change of clothes and on the road again. We had really good weather for February. Just one snow shower each way, no hazardous roads. It was nice. And we listened to audio books each way.

Mike's Marginalization

 

Mike.                                Linda

Sometimes we go waking together. This morning we actually got out in nice mild weather ( especially for February!) AND before the wind kicked up. 

We both have Android phones and use the Google Fit app to track our steps, distance, etc. ( I know!  I know! Aren't we just so technically adept?!)

We walk right next to each other, same pace. I understand that there will be SOME differences because of our ages, height and weight differences. Possibly goals. It all has to be input into the "Fit" system. 

But Mike feels absolutely marginalized because I get my points, but he only gets HALF as many points as I do (sometimes even less) and he feels it's discrimination because he's an old, fat, male Republican. 

True? 

He feels he should sue. 

Old age and forgetting

 

Proof positive that Mom and I are both getting really old. 

I went to pick her up for Sunday dinner yesterday evening. Normally, I just stop at the front door and she parks her walker inside the front room area of Our House, and walks out with minimal assistance. She hops in my car, we go to my house, and she uses dad's walker that is here. 

This particular day, though, there was a lot of traffic with cars and people coming and going, so I didn't get to pull up to the front door. I parked in the lot.  I walked to the lobby area and she hadn't come down yet, so I went upstairs and we came down in the elevator together. Then we just walked out the door with her walker, to my car where I loaded her walker into the backseat and we had a lovely evening together at my house having meatloaf and potatoes and vegetables. And we even played an abbreviated version of Push the Dummy after dinner. ( Our first hand took THIRTY MINUTES!!) 

When I drove Mom home after the dinner, I pulled up to the front door of Our House Assisted Living, and stepped inside to grab her walker so she could take it in. But her walker was not there! Neither one of us remembered that it was in the car. It was just out of the norm. It's not what we expected! We were confused. I sat her down on a chair in the lobby so I could go in search of it, but I'd go bring in her food, first. I decided that I'd better check the backseat of the car. Yep. That's where it was. So I wheeled it in with her leftovers. Then she walked over to where the mail cart was to check for her mail. I went back out to the car. But then I remembered that she has a package coming with some new pants that she had ordered, so I ran back in to remind her to watch for that package. And she looked at me so confused and said, "What is my room number!?" She couldn't remember! Luckily, I did remember that. She just shook her head and said, I was looking in the 100s. Her room number is 211. 

What are we going to be like years from now? Scary thought, huh? 

Aunt Mary Jane Autrey

 This is the obituary for my Aunt Mary. She was Uncle Dodd's wife. Uncle Dodd and Dad died just weeks apart. Aunt Mary almost made it to 100, also, just like Uncle Dodd. Now there is only my Uncle Mike and Aunt Karen in Virginia left of my Dad's immediate family. And my Mommy, of course. 

Mary Jane Autrey, 99, passed away peacefully at her residence in Texarkana, Texas on Sunday, January 26, 2025. Mary was born to Ernest Lee and Mary Roena Kelley on August 28, 1925, in Texarkana, Texas.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, January 30, 2025, at 11:00 am in the chapel at Texarkana Funeral Home 3515 Texas Boulevard with the Reverend Patrick Cannon officiating. Burial will be in Hillcrest Memorial Park. A visitation will be held from 10:00 am until service time

Mid January Dates and red birds

 As in a date with hubby, not just that it's a date in mid January....say January 14th. 

I invited Mike to come with me to see Moana 2 at the Theater on Tuesday evening. I don't have Yoga on Tuesday nights any more, so we did this. (That, and we are kind of cheap and ONLY go to the movies on Tuesdays when it costs much less money.) I'd been wanting to see it. It was fun, but I liked the first one better. I think the songs were more memorable in the first. Still, I'm glad we went. 

Second date. Not really a date, but sort of. We spend some time in the Temple together on Wednesday. It was our assigned office shift, but it IS fun to be together on Wednesday mornings. We enjoy that time in the temple. 

So much so that we returned on Saturday. So, third date! Again, mostly it was our assigned shift from trading last Saturday. We stayed an extra bit and did some work for family members who have gone on before us. I think that the Baptism and Confirmation ordinances were done by my granddaughter while they were in Italy! One of the names I was proxy for in the Initiatory ordinance had been done in the Rome, Italy temple-- during the time they were in Italy! Cool. We are keeping it all in the family here...and that's really what it's all about. Mike and I both performed proxy Initiatory ordinances for people on my Dad's side of the family. I sure do appreciate the folks who find names and link them together in families. I wouldn't even know where to start.

Fourth date: early dinner at Applebee's after the temple and checking in with Mom to make sure she was doing okay. She's been feeling a bit icky that morning when I dropped off some supplies to her house. At Our House.😉 No desserts, no sugary drinks, nice food prepared well. Mike had shrimp, I had soup and some chicken won ton tacos.

And it has been so cold! But still no snow.

Last year I found these little red birds on a pick with greenery at JoAnn craft store. They were marked down after Christmas, and I used them this year on my tree. I only bought five at the time. The greenery on the pic added some extra filling to my tree, but you couldn't really see the red birds. They were tucked back at the base of the greenery and sat back in the tree, out of sight. THIS year I was in Jo-Ann's store and bought some more, bringing my total up to 12. It's hard to resist an 80 cent Christmas decoration. Even though I swore I was done collecting stuff and need to get rid of some it! I also saw that cute little Bee-themed hand soap dispenser and had to buy it too. What am I thinking?! I also said I was done buying honey bee decor. But it was so cute!

Anyway, I took the time this week to snip off the bird from its wire and rewire it at the tip top of the greenery. It's nice and sturdy plastic, so I think it will hold. But now, next time when I use these decorations on my Christmas tree, hopefully we will be able to see and admire the birds a little bit more. (There were also some other red bird picks that I bought on sale, too. Only three packets of five little red cardinals...Oops! I just couldn't resist.)

Mom's 90th Birthday, January 11, 2025

 

Donna and Linda doing Kitchen prep.

Angie and Donna Ashwood

L-R Seth Owens, Butch Ashwood, Mike Liebhardt, Eric Liebhardt, David Autrey

Sandi Lance, Suz Sumida, Donna Ashwood

Suz, Sandi, Katie,Tiffany

Don (on scooter) trying to get through the gauntley of Goldy's relatives who were constantly clogging the aisle way between the stairs, elevator and residents' rooms. Robert is right in front of Don, on HIS knee scooter. Robert was about 3 1/2 weeks out of heel surgery; Katie about the same from knee surgery and on crutches.

Alex , Liz Ashwood, Angie Ashwood, Casey Rossman (Kay-cee)

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The Owens family: Seth, Jonathan, Gail, Caroline.

David, Mom, Aunt Tuny

Robert and Janet Autrey's entire family (except for Pontus, Sarah's husband)

And I believe Koa is also missing from the photo. But he was there! somewhere.

Onyx Rackham with his great grandma. Onyx is Amanda's.

Ashwood family with Alex.

Linda & Mike Liebhardt family (less Damian's party of 5)

the Sorensen contingent. Steve Sorensen, Suz, Aunt  Tuny, Sandi.

Mom's smile was wearing out, so she used some different muscles. 

All the first cousins and siblings.

Mom singing "Happy Birthday to Me."

Amanda Autrey Rackham with Aunt Tuny

Steve and Mike chatting. Right in the middle of the hallway! Clear a path, people!! haha

I always have to stand on a chair around my siblings because I'm so short. I also needed to get everyone's attention because we were trying to play a trivia game with facts about Mom's life. It was fun. I think Robert won.

Clear a path, people!

Siblings, cousins, second generation. Caroline, Jonathan Owens; Hayden, Corbin Rossman

David Autrey, Seth Owens

Alex and Liz. I don't know Alex's last name, but he's Liz's boyfriend.

Gail was in charge of name tags. Caroline did games and coloring with littles.

Janet provided a beautiful and big cake from Walmart.

Katie and Casey's family

Two of Mom's friends from Missouri. They drove down from SLC, but came at 2 pm. Mike found them knocking on our front door and had them follow him to Our House. Since the family was cleaning up and leaving, they got to visit privately in her room, quietly. It was SO NOISY at the party!

Lois Price and Paula Richins.

Jessica Autrey, Josh and Scarlette