{Do you remember that show?}
My week was quite tiring for this old person. On Monday I had an appointment for my annual check-up. My blood pressure was a bit high. I told Dr. Pat what my week was going to be, and she said to come back when it was over and things have settled down a bit, and have the nurse check it again. I didn't tell her that part of it may have been sitting in the waiting room at least 45 minutes after my appointment time before being called back, and thinking that I may not make it to Metropolis in time to hear the high school jazz band play.
I did make it in time, but just barely. They were playing at the Mexican restaurant. On the way up from Mayfield, I was grateful for red lights as I was driving through Lone Oak - they gave me a chance to text with Susie about the kids. We met at the restaurant, and I took Lily and Calla and sat at the table with Lexi's Gill grandparents. Brady ate with his Ragsdale family. Lexi, of course, was the reason we were there. She plays trumpet in the band. After supper, we went to Alyssa's house, where I spent the week until Friday night. Alyssa works for the American Quilters Society and this was "Quilt Week" in Paducah. AQS has been putting on this event for a long time. People come from all over the world; Alyssa was really surprised a how many there were from Japan. So Alyssa was working looooong hours, and asked me to stay at her house to take care of the kids. Nothing like sleeping on the couch for four nights!
Susie (Stephen's mother) came over each morning and got the kids ready for school and then took them there. She's been doing this since Alyssa started working at AQS, because she needs to leave earlier than the kids do. Susie usually picks them up from school, as well, and takes them to her house until Alyssa get home, but I relieved her of that duty this week.
On Tuesday evening, I took the three kids and met Carmen at Mellow Mushroom in Paducah, again to hear the jazz band play. We got medium pepperoni pizza for the kids and a small holy shitaki one for the two of us. Unfortunately, Alyssa was not able to attend either of those performances, but she should be able to go to the mall when they play there on Tuesday evening.
So that was two nights I didn't need to cook. On Wednesday, I did cook. I fed them the goulash Mother used to make frequently - ground beef, elbow macaroni and Campbell's tomato soup concentrate. I had peas as a side dish.
On Thursday, the school had a family reading night, with spaghetti and meatballs and breadsticks from Fazoli's, so I didn't need to cook that night either. Lexi asked if I wanted her to go with us, and I said it was up to her. I am SOOO glad she did; I don't think I'd have survived without her help. I think the kids enjoyed it. They had tables set up with activities related to books most of the kids are familiar with.
Friday afternoon, Brady went home with his grandmother Susie, and I took Lily and Calla to their other great-grandmother near Mayfield. So other people fed them that night. I don't know why the cooking seems so arduous for me - I guess because I've been feeding only myself for so long. I used to be a good cook, but I think I've forgotten how.
It was good to sleep in my own bed last night.
Today I drove in to Mayfield and went to the used book sale at the library. I went mainly for children's books, but of course I looked at the adult ones, a well. I bought 15 children's books, including one on insects and another on chipmunks and beavers (I think Lily especially will like those), and 8 books for me. All that for only $15.25.
Saturday, April 27, 2019
Sunday, April 21, 2019
New computer
I recently bought a new computer. The one I had was at least 12 years old and had Windows XP operating system, which is no longer being supported. This one has Windows 10 and a much larger memory. It is taking some getting used to. Carmen went with me to buy it, and then set it up for me. There are still some things she needs to do on it, but I've found most of the things I want.
I will be spending most of next week in Metropolis with Alyssa. She works for the American Quilters' Society and next Wednesday through Saturday is the annual Spring quilt show in Paducah. She will be very busy, leaving the house earlier than usual, and getting home much later than usual. So I'll be there to help with the kids. I'll take my laptop and plenty of knitting to work on during the day while they're in school. I'll need to pick them up from school, help with homework, give them supper, and put them to bed. Stephen's mother will continue to come in the morning to get them ready and take them to school. Since she has her routine on that, I see no reason to upset it for the week. Besides, the less I need to go up and down those stairs, the better.
Yesterday, I picked Calla up from Carmen's, where she had spent two days, and took her back to Metropolis. Then I took her, Lily and Brady to the Easter egg hunt at the church they go to. I've been there enough that that some of the faces are familiar to me, although I don't know any of the names. One of the women said to me, "Yes, I know your number is 102." She is a teacher or aide at the elementary school and takes down the numbers of those of us in the pick-up lines in the afternoons. I've picked up Lily and Brady enough times that she recognizes my car, knows who I'm picking up and what their number is. I guess that, by this time of year, she and the others know many of the numbers.
I will be spending most of next week in Metropolis with Alyssa. She works for the American Quilters' Society and next Wednesday through Saturday is the annual Spring quilt show in Paducah. She will be very busy, leaving the house earlier than usual, and getting home much later than usual. So I'll be there to help with the kids. I'll take my laptop and plenty of knitting to work on during the day while they're in school. I'll need to pick them up from school, help with homework, give them supper, and put them to bed. Stephen's mother will continue to come in the morning to get them ready and take them to school. Since she has her routine on that, I see no reason to upset it for the week. Besides, the less I need to go up and down those stairs, the better.
Yesterday, I picked Calla up from Carmen's, where she had spent two days, and took her back to Metropolis. Then I took her, Lily and Brady to the Easter egg hunt at the church they go to. I've been there enough that that some of the faces are familiar to me, although I don't know any of the names. One of the women said to me, "Yes, I know your number is 102." She is a teacher or aide at the elementary school and takes down the numbers of those of us in the pick-up lines in the afternoons. I've picked up Lily and Brady enough times that she recognizes my car, knows who I'm picking up and what their number is. I guess that, by this time of year, she and the others know many of the numbers.
Monday, April 1, 2019
Merit Weekend at UK
Lexi, Alyssa and I drove to Stanford on Thursday evening and spent the night in my sister Pauline's townhouse there. Of course, before we left, I drove 123 miles, going to Metropolis to pick up the three little ones from school and delivering Brady to his grandparents in Metropolis and Lily and Calla to their Grammy Carmen near Pryorsburg KY, then returning to Metropolis. When Lexi was home from school and Alyssa from work, we set out for central KY. I rode for that 240 miles.
Friday we drove from Stanford to Lexington, to the UK campus. It was a busy day, especially for Lexi. She had to take a couple of placement tests, while Alyssa and I attended some information sessions to find out more about UK. Alyssa also talked to someone in the finance (or something) office about the money, and Lexi had a meeting about band. At the end of the afternoon, we visited the dorm Lexi will be living in. (I didn't take the tour.) It is a dorm that will have mainly people in the Fine Arts majors - she may be the only one from Arts & Science (She plans to major in Psychology.) She was impressed by the practice rooms and art studios. She will be in the marching band and the pep band that plays at home ball games, so the practice rooms might be useful for her. It was about 10 pm when we got back to Stanford.
On Saturday, we went back to UK. Lexi had more small-group meetings and met with her adviser to set up her schedule for the fall semester. Alyssa and I were in more information meetings. At the end, we were told that if we hear of more orientations during the summer, ignore them, they are for the 'regular' kids. These three weekends in March were for the 'cream of the crop.' The average high school GPA of this group was 4.1 and their average SAT score was over 1300. Then after our free lunch in the Champions dining room [sort of like a food court in a mall, except you pay one price (usually about $10) and eat as much as you want from the various vendors], there were a bunch of tables set up in the ballroom with information about campus organizations, services, etc. I finally got home about 9:30 pm.
Tiring couple of days, but I'm so glad I went with them. I had thought I'd be able to show Lexi where I lived at her age, but we left too early and got back too late to see anything. I'll have to visit her some weekend this fall and take her to see Stanford and Berea (where I went to college).
Sunday afternoon, Carmen brought Lily and Calla to me to spend their Spring Break here. We're doing nothing today, but tomorrow we will go to Mayfield to visit the Ice House (Art Guild) and the library, and to do some grocery shopping. I'm not sure what we'll do after that.
Friday we drove from Stanford to Lexington, to the UK campus. It was a busy day, especially for Lexi. She had to take a couple of placement tests, while Alyssa and I attended some information sessions to find out more about UK. Alyssa also talked to someone in the finance (or something) office about the money, and Lexi had a meeting about band. At the end of the afternoon, we visited the dorm Lexi will be living in. (I didn't take the tour.) It is a dorm that will have mainly people in the Fine Arts majors - she may be the only one from Arts & Science (She plans to major in Psychology.) She was impressed by the practice rooms and art studios. She will be in the marching band and the pep band that plays at home ball games, so the practice rooms might be useful for her. It was about 10 pm when we got back to Stanford.
On Saturday, we went back to UK. Lexi had more small-group meetings and met with her adviser to set up her schedule for the fall semester. Alyssa and I were in more information meetings. At the end, we were told that if we hear of more orientations during the summer, ignore them, they are for the 'regular' kids. These three weekends in March were for the 'cream of the crop.' The average high school GPA of this group was 4.1 and their average SAT score was over 1300. Then after our free lunch in the Champions dining room [sort of like a food court in a mall, except you pay one price (usually about $10) and eat as much as you want from the various vendors], there were a bunch of tables set up in the ballroom with information about campus organizations, services, etc. I finally got home about 9:30 pm.
Tiring couple of days, but I'm so glad I went with them. I had thought I'd be able to show Lexi where I lived at her age, but we left too early and got back too late to see anything. I'll have to visit her some weekend this fall and take her to see Stanford and Berea (where I went to college).
Sunday afternoon, Carmen brought Lily and Calla to me to spend their Spring Break here. We're doing nothing today, but tomorrow we will go to Mayfield to visit the Ice House (Art Guild) and the library, and to do some grocery shopping. I'm not sure what we'll do after that.
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