The setting: my house, in my favorite La-Z-Girl recliner with my cell phone
The characters: Me, my Auntie M, my daughter Babs, my mom Kate, and my seester who started it all- TC.
Scene 1:
The phone rings. It's 10:00 p.m. and I get a panicked look while my brain races, "Who's calling me so late, oh gosh, it's probably something wrong, I hope it's not Mom or Dad or one of the kids, oh no..."
Enter: my mom
Mom: Hello, Nancy?
Me: Oh, hi Mom. What are you doing calling me so late?
Mom: Well, I just got off the phone with Auntie M. and she said something about your dad being in the hospital!"
Me (VERY confused): Uh, Mom, you live with Dad. Wouldn't you know if he were in the hospital?
Mom: Well, Auntie M. said she talked to you and you told her Dad was in the hospital.
Me (VERY, VERY confused): Why would I do that when he's clearly NOT in the hospital?
Mom: I told her I was the one who had been in the hospital.
Me (panicked): WHAT?? When were YOU in the hospital?
Mom: Oh, last week when I had those chest pains.
Me (relieved): Oh, yeah, well that was just for tests.
Mom: Well, why did you tell her DAD was in the hospital?
Me (back to confused): I DIDN'T!
Mom: I don't know. I thought she said you told her.
Me (anxious to get my sanity back): I'm calling Auntie M. right now and figure this thing out.
Scene 2: Me still in La-Z-Girl with cell phone, now down to 2 bars.
Enter: Auntie M.
Me: Hello, Auntie M.
Auntie M: Oh, hi! What are you doing calling me so late? And how's your father?
Me: Well, I just got off the phone with Mom. It was a very confusing conversation, but basically she said that I told you that Dad was in the hospital!
Auntie M: No! You see, I went to church with Babs today, and she told me that your dad was in the hospital.
Me (here comes the confusion once again. By now we're old pals): Why would Babs tell you that? He's not in the hospital!
Enter: TC (so to speak. Actually, TC's NAME and BLAME enters here)
Auntie M: Babs said she was reading TC's blog and it said your dad was in the hospital.
Me (glad that I had read TC's blog just that day or else my head would have exploded at this point): Oh, THAT! No, no, no. She was writing about something that happened months ago.
Auntie M (NOT relieved): Why did Babs tell me that she had just read about it that day?
Me (clearly putting the blame on TC): TC actually WROTE about the incident just recently, but the REAL incident happened a long time ago. But she didn't put the date or anything on her blog, so it seems like it just happened.
Auntie M (STILL not relieved): Why didn't anyone tell me back then??
Me: Well, it turned out to be nothing. If it had been a real emergency, you would have been notified.... oh gosh, I'm sounding like the Federal Broadcasting Emergency System. Listen, I have to call Babs. Later!
Scene 3: STILL on La-Z-Girl with cell phone, now down to 1 bar.
Me: Babs? It's me, Mum.
Babs: Hi Mumzy! How are you?
Me: Auntie M. and I were just talking and she said that you told her that Gramps was in the hospital.
Babs: Yeah, I read it in Aunt TC's blog today.
Me: Weren't you worried?
Babs: No, I told Auntie M. that no one had called me so it must not have a been a big deal.
Me: Well, no one called you because he's NOT in the hospital.
Babs (now it's HER turn to join Confusion's circle of friends): Why would Aunt TC write that then?
Me: Because Gramps was in the hospital back in June.
Babs: But she just wrote about it this week!
Me: I KNOW! But she didn't state WHEN the actual event happened, and I'm telling you it happened months ago! He's NOT in the hospital. And Auntie M. panicked and called Grammie who was all confused who called me who was all confused who called Auntie M. to straighten it out and now I'm calling YOU to straighten it out. Oops! There goes my battery warning. It's almost dead.
Whew.
It's midnight.
I'm going to bed.
And from now on I 'm turning off my cell phone at 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
My annual letter!
GUESS WHAT, GUESS WHAT, GUESS WHAT, GUESS WHAT???????????????????
It’s time for the 2008 Family newsletter!!! Whoot, whoot! So…. sit yerself down on that there futon, crack open a Diet Pepsi (or your beverage of choice), and enjoy the ride!!
Where to begin, where to begin? Okay, the most important stuff first. The dogs.
Since I’m old, I mean, busy and can’t have a baby, we adopted a puppy in
May, about a month after our party-gal Jen Jen (aka, Donkey- she looked and acted like Donkey in the Shrek movies) died from a brain tumor. Sorry to dump the heavy stuff on you right off the bat, but I promise that’s all there is the whole letter. Now put your happy face back on and keep reading. Our pup is a Swedish Elkhound mix whom we named Allie because it was the only name that no one in our family hated. She is the NEW party gal… party at midnight, party at 3 a.m., party a 6 a.m. *sigh* I remembered after the adoption that there was a reason I wanted to have all my kids while I was young. Maggie, our 14 year old Maltese mix, pretty much takes Allie in stride, except for when the pup gets near her food bowl. Kind of reminds me of my dad: easy going until you mess with his food. Heidi, (below) our 7 year old German shepherd/corgi mix, helped us pick Allie out, and I’m sure s
he spends many of her hours asking, “What was I thinking??” To add to the insanity that is now my life, I take Allie to doggie daycare. But truly, it’s wonderful. She’s exhausted when she comes home: the older dogs get a reprieve, and I get a full night’s sleep. This summer she attended puppy class, which is more like, “School for Idiot Owners Whose Dogs Control Them.” She graduated, with a diploma, a cap, and a ball as a graduation gift.
I like to joke with Brittany that even the dog graduated before she did. For some reason she
doesn’t laugh when I say that. Anyway, Britt’s a senior in high school, finishing up her Cosmetology program at the vo-tech school. It’s been an interesting year, seeing all the colors her hair has become and smelling all the “cool” chemical odors that waft out of the bathroom. But please don’t light up a cigarette within 50 yards of our house. There could be a very loud “kaboom”, and then you’d owe us a house.
Bethany is 22, will graduate from East Stroudsburg U. in May, and will be
looking for a teaching job so she can make more money in one year than I did in the first 40 years of my life. She likes working with children with autism, but she likes a traditional classroom as well, so we’ll see where God plops her. All we know is that Bethany and electronics/machines… not a good match. Just in this past year: Car = slides on ice, hits wall, dies. Computer = crashes, dies…twice. Phone = falls in glass of iced tea, dies. Let’s just say Beth has done her part to keep our economy going. (she's on the right)
James is now 23. I know what you’re thinking... how can I, who looks so INCREDIBLY YOUNG, have a son that old? I know, I know. I can hardly believe it myself. James fini
shed college last December, spent 3 months in Madagascar with his Uncle Bill and family, walked at his graduation in May (even my parents were there!) and now still lives like a college student. He’s renting an apartment near the college over a BAR that serves HOT WINGS, so needless to say, James has all the essentials within walking distance. Oh yeah, and his girlfriend lives across the street from him. Another essential. Right now he’s working for a pizza place, paying his bills, and just enjoying life until some things work themselves out so he can plan for the future. He likes to visit his dad in VA where they can hit the beach,go out on a boat, or play golf.
Rachael is soon going to be 22, and a BRIDE. I know what you’re thinking…. How can I, who looks like a young bride herself, have a daughter that’s old enough to get marrie
d?? I know, I know. I can hardly believe it myself. On June 13, 2009, my little girl will become Mrs. Bryce Baldwin and will desert her incredibly young-looking mom to live in Rome, NY. Bryce is working for, or more like, in ministry with Fellowship of Christian Athletes. You can check out more about their ministry on-line if you’d like to know what they do and how to support them in prayer and financially. He also substitute teaches to pay off Rachael’s rock. Rach will graduate in May and will look for some sort of human services job. She had an internship this fall that was very enlightening to her as to the human condition outside of Christ. I try not to focus on the idea that she’ll gone from my house forever, not just for a semester any more. Instead I think of how her little bedroom will become my laundry room sometime in the near future, isn’t that right, dear?!!
Denny continues to amaze me with his super-human ability to be able to rise before the sun and hit the gym. I hope the insanity isn’t contagious. I think my fat is safe. He still works for the Dept. of Welfare doing accounting work. Better him than me! His mom still lives about 1 ½ miles away in the house in which Denny grew up, so he spends much of his “free” time helping out her and my parents, while taking care of our fleet of cars. I SURE hope he has time for that laundry room installation.
I’m in my 3rd yea
r as a Reading Specialist for grades K-5, and I still love it. I hope I can keep it up until I’m 65, but I found I have early onset of arthritis in my knees and back issues which will result in a spinal fusion within the next few years, so we’ll see how that goes. For now, I’m thankful for good medical care that has kept me pretty pain free since July. Denny and I have a new, permanent church home at Carlisle Reformed Presbyterian Church in America. We’re SO blessed to have solid, Biblical, reformed preaching and teaching, plus new friendships and a small group in which we study God’s Word, pray for each other, and do a lot of laughing! It’s pretty amazing, and humbling, how God has blessed us!
I hope 2008 has been as fun and exciting for you all as it’s been for us. Thankfully there’s been a few dull moments thrown in here and there. Please be in touch. I truly love to hear from you all. I’m on Facebook, and my e-mail is Nancee22@comcast.net. My blog (which I don’t write on as often as I’d like) is http://mostly-sunny.blogspot.com/. If you want to come visit in person, we have EMPTY BEDROOMS J and we’re just 3 miles off I-81. Come see us!! There, you have no excuse. Have a blessed 2009, and we hope to see you soon! Nancy
It’s time for the 2008 Family newsletter!!! Whoot, whoot! So…. sit yerself down on that there futon, crack open a Diet Pepsi (or your beverage of choice), and enjoy the ride!!
Where to begin, where to begin? Okay, the most important stuff first. The dogs.
Since I’m old, I mean, busy and can’t have a baby, we adopted a puppy in
May, about a month after our party-gal Jen Jen (aka, Donkey- she looked and acted like Donkey in the Shrek movies) died from a brain tumor. Sorry to dump the heavy stuff on you right off the bat, but I promise that’s all there is the whole letter. Now put your happy face back on and keep reading. Our pup is a Swedish Elkhound mix whom we named Allie because it was the only name that no one in our family hated. She is the NEW party gal… party at midnight, party at 3 a.m., party a 6 a.m. *sigh* I remembered after the adoption that there was a reason I wanted to have all my kids while I was young. Maggie, our 14 year old Maltese mix, pretty much takes Allie in stride, except for when the pup gets near her food bowl. Kind of reminds me of my dad: easy going until you mess with his food. Heidi, (below) our 7 year old German shepherd/corgi mix, helped us pick Allie out, and I’m sure s
he spends many of her hours asking, “What was I thinking??” To add to the insanity that is now my life, I take Allie to doggie daycare. But truly, it’s wonderful. She’s exhausted when she comes home: the older dogs get a reprieve, and I get a full night’s sleep. This summer she attended puppy class, which is more like, “School for Idiot Owners Whose Dogs Control Them.” She graduated, with a diploma, a cap, and a ball as a graduation gift.I like to joke with Brittany that even the dog graduated before she did. For some reason she
doesn’t laugh when I say that. Anyway, Britt’s a senior in high school, finishing up her Cosmetology program at the vo-tech school. It’s been an interesting year, seeing all the colors her hair has become and smelling all the “cool” chemical odors that waft out of the bathroom. But please don’t light up a cigarette within 50 yards of our house. There could be a very loud “kaboom”, and then you’d owe us a house.Bethany is 22, will graduate from East Stroudsburg U. in May, and will be
looking for a teaching job so she can make more money in one year than I did in the first 40 years of my life. She likes working with children with autism, but she likes a traditional classroom as well, so we’ll see where God plops her. All we know is that Bethany and electronics/machines… not a good match. Just in this past year: Car = slides on ice, hits wall, dies. Computer = crashes, dies…twice. Phone = falls in glass of iced tea, dies. Let’s just say Beth has done her part to keep our economy going. (she's on the right)James is now 23. I know what you’re thinking... how can I, who looks so INCREDIBLY YOUNG, have a son that old? I know, I know. I can hardly believe it myself. James fini
shed college last December, spent 3 months in Madagascar with his Uncle Bill and family, walked at his graduation in May (even my parents were there!) and now still lives like a college student. He’s renting an apartment near the college over a BAR that serves HOT WINGS, so needless to say, James has all the essentials within walking distance. Oh yeah, and his girlfriend lives across the street from him. Another essential. Right now he’s working for a pizza place, paying his bills, and just enjoying life until some things work themselves out so he can plan for the future. He likes to visit his dad in VA where they can hit the beach,go out on a boat, or play golf.Rachael is soon going to be 22, and a BRIDE. I know what you’re thinking…. How can I, who looks like a young bride herself, have a daughter that’s old enough to get marrie
d?? I know, I know. I can hardly believe it myself. On June 13, 2009, my little girl will become Mrs. Bryce Baldwin and will desert her incredibly young-looking mom to live in Rome, NY. Bryce is working for, or more like, in ministry with Fellowship of Christian Athletes. You can check out more about their ministry on-line if you’d like to know what they do and how to support them in prayer and financially. He also substitute teaches to pay off Rachael’s rock. Rach will graduate in May and will look for some sort of human services job. She had an internship this fall that was very enlightening to her as to the human condition outside of Christ. I try not to focus on the idea that she’ll gone from my house forever, not just for a semester any more. Instead I think of how her little bedroom will become my laundry room sometime in the near future, isn’t that right, dear?!!Denny continues to amaze me with his super-human ability to be able to rise before the sun and hit the gym. I hope the insanity isn’t contagious. I think my fat is safe. He still works for the Dept. of Welfare doing accounting work. Better him than me! His mom still lives about 1 ½ miles away in the house in which Denny grew up, so he spends much of his “free” time helping out her and my parents, while taking care of our fleet of cars. I SURE hope he has time for that laundry room installation.
I’m in my 3rd yea
r as a Reading Specialist for grades K-5, and I still love it. I hope I can keep it up until I’m 65, but I found I have early onset of arthritis in my knees and back issues which will result in a spinal fusion within the next few years, so we’ll see how that goes. For now, I’m thankful for good medical care that has kept me pretty pain free since July. Denny and I have a new, permanent church home at Carlisle Reformed Presbyterian Church in America. We’re SO blessed to have solid, Biblical, reformed preaching and teaching, plus new friendships and a small group in which we study God’s Word, pray for each other, and do a lot of laughing! It’s pretty amazing, and humbling, how God has blessed us!I hope 2008 has been as fun and exciting for you all as it’s been for us. Thankfully there’s been a few dull moments thrown in here and there. Please be in touch. I truly love to hear from you all. I’m on Facebook, and my e-mail is Nancee22@comcast.net. My blog (which I don’t write on as often as I’d like) is http://mostly-sunny.blogspot.com/. If you want to come visit in person, we have EMPTY BEDROOMS J and we’re just 3 miles off I-81. Come see us!! There, you have no excuse. Have a blessed 2009, and we hope to see you soon! Nancy
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