All My Children # 19

Hi all !

Hope everyone is doing well. Our week went fairly well. We spent the bulk of this past week getting ready for our impending yard sale. Each day sorting thru more things and having to carry some things down two flights of stairs. ( from the attic, uhhhgggg ! ) You know ... we have had several yard sales over the years, it is funny, how you sort of forget how much trouble they are !! But I guess in the end, you just figure you want to dE-clutter your house and perhaps make a little cash too. We did alright. Aunt Margaret made about $350, and Dad & I made about $600. So ... hey, we made some cash, and dE-cluttered the house from a lot of stuff ! Goal reached. The rest of the stuff is collected into boxes and bags to be taken to the church and the salvation army. Waiting outside , under tarps, not to ever come back into the house, (that would have defeated the purpose) and will be taken away soon.

Thankfully, Dad is certainly feeling better this weekend. Geez !! He was battling this sickness for about two weeks ! The bad news ?? Well ... I think I may finally have succumbed to it my self ! Uhhgggg !! I have the same symptoms, cough, sore throat, yucky feeling. Oh well ... maybe I can kick it quickly ! I keep taking some airborne and coldeeze in hopes of a lesser duration if anything ! My main concern will be that Aunt Patty avoids it ! Hey CJ, can you tell Vivianna ( for me )... to please wait until grandma is all better to come into this world ! OK !! That is my main concern. Oh !! Please let me get better first !!

It feels good to have the temperature's remaining warmer now. I love to sit out on the porch and just relax with a hot cup of tea. It is nice for a lot of reasons, one of them being, that so many different people will stop while walking down the sidewalk, and chat with me. Love that. Such a friendly little village. Right now the rain is falling softly and it is a grey cloudy day, but you know what ? I am loving this day anyway. While I am not particularly feeling great, it seems sort of comforting in some way. After all the hard work of the last week and weekend, I am just loafing today, sitting on the porch and laying on the couch, and it seems sort of nice to have the sound of the soft rain showers and the cooler weather. I had my tea on the porch, and was quite relaxed and enjoyed it. We really needed some rain. It hadn't rained in over a week, so the plants,trees and grass are celebrating. The smell of the fresh rain is just wonderful !

What does this week hold for each of you ? I know Angela is counting down to the end of this week!! It marks the end of this school year ! Yeah !! A little time to relax for the summer ! Ang, Dad & I are hoping we can get you to Hammondsport for some R& R !! Hows your schedule for the summer ? Be thinking about it !

Ed, well, he is taking care of business. Getting all things done for the facilitation of buying his home. He has a a ruff time with his pup Oscar too. Just some health issues. Hey Ed, believe it or not, you are getting a little taste of how it is to be a parent ! Haa haaa ! The love and care of a pet has some similar responsibilities. I sure hope things will settle back down for him and he gets to feeling good again soon ! I can't wait to help you move in and get setteled Ed ! How exciting !

Tom went to California last week to the Connan O'Brian show ( sp ? ). He said he had a good time. Say's he loves it out there, but, I for one ... am hoping he never chooses to live there. It is just to far away ! Please !! If you have to move anywhere, stick with Chicago ! ( as if my vote counts anyway huh ? ) I would guess this is the start of Jennifer and Tommy becoming very busy with some weddings huh ? Do you think you will fot NY in this summer or not until fall ?

I know Bill & CJ are looking forward to Wednesday to see what the doctors will have to say. Call us Wednesday night to let us know how the visit goes ! Gosh, each week is so important now ! Your lives will soon be changed forever. You will very soon become "parents" . That is a gift of a life time. A wonderful blessing. I will let you in on a little secret (that you will ultimately learn one day yourselves), here you are, all grown up, living your own lives, and although you may not need us ( your parents ) as much in your daily lives now, as parents, we STILL need you in our lives, as much as possible. You are the most important part of our lives. You are the most valued and treasured blessings that have been given to us. " Parenthood ", it is the most wonderful experience to have in your lives. It helps you to grow leaps and bounds personally. It helps to set firm beliefs within yourself, into action. It brings out the qualities you hold value in and helps you to instill them not only within your children but to grow them stronger within yourself. It will transform your lives. It will bring you the most deepest joy you will ever know, and some of the most difficult heart ache too. It is worth every minute you are blessed with. The good, the bad, the funny, the mad, the glory, the frustration, the happiest of times and the saddest too. Parenthood, IS, as far as I am concerned, the most blessed gift in your life. You will learn this as soon as you hold your beautiful daughter in your arms. You will come to know the incredible depth of love. Vivianna will be one of the most important parts of your life.

Well, I guess I will close for this week. Remember Grandpa John tomorrow. He is having a heart catherization, and most likely they will be putting some more stints in to open some veins again. He has been having lots of angina in recent weeks. I know he feels frustrated and well, fearful. So, say a prayer for him. Aunt Patty ( Harvey/Neely) is in the hospital again too. She has had heart trouble lot. Her heart is dying. Nothing they can do about it. It is a hereditary condition. She seems OK with that, living the best she can with it. But the reason she is in the hospital now is she has a blood clot in her pancreas. So keep her in your prayer's too.

Give us a call us when you can. Look at your schedules and see if Hammondsport fits in sometime this summer maybe ? The lake is gorgeous and " the price is right " is calling your names ! Hahaahaa !

A HARMONIOUS BALANCE
"I have been through a lot and I have suffered a great deal. But I have had lots of happy moments, as well. Every moment one lives is different from the other. The good, the bad, hardship, the joy, the tragedy, love and happiness are all interwoven into one single, indescribable whole that is called LIFE. You cannot separate the good from the bad. And perhaps there is no need to do so, either."
-Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

My love is with you, Momma G