Minions (who do my bidding) and Followers (who do not)

About Me

My photo
Mama, wife, knitter, blogger, spinner, wannabe something or other. That's enough, right?

Friday, November 9, 2018

Birth and Death

I have done this in the past but I don't do it every year. This year, I am compelled to say something about today.

Today is November 9, 2018. In my life, that means two things: it's the day I became a mother and it's also the day I view as the day I truly became an orphan.

Yes, today is Little Man's birthday. He is eight years old today. He's been wound up tighter than a corkscrew all week, much to his teacher's chagrin...and mine...and his swimming teacher's.... His birthday party is tomorrow. We've never really done a proper birthday party for him. I mean, he's had birthday parties but they involved Husband's coworkers and their families. This is the first year that he's having a birthday party where he's had a say in who he wants here. And right now, that means an additional 35-40 people in my house tomorrow afternoon for a couple hours (no, I haven't started cleaning yet). It'll be fine. I have no idea what we're going to do but I think the kids can figure it out. I am thinking about making a Pin the Tail on the Donkey kind of thing and we have a piƱata that I plan to fill with some of the leftover Halloween candy. Other than that, just some munchies, some playtime, and an excuse for Little Man to have a bunch of his friends over at once. If anything, we can turn on a movie.

But today marks another day. Today is also the date that my maternal grandmother passed away...eight years ago. So, while I was being wheeled in for my c-section with Little Man, my grandmother took her last breath at the nursing home. She was 84 years old and had Alzheimer's. She had no recollection of who I was, didn't ask about my mother, and only rarely asked where my grandfather was (he had passed away two years prior to that, and my mother passed away in 2001). It was the day that I truly became an orphan. My father is still alive but he has not been a part of my life at all during the last...almost 10 years now....and was scarce before then, save for a couple of years when I was in high school/college. He solidified my orphan status when we called him that November 9th in 2010. He didn't answer the phone (his girlfriend did) and has not made a phone call since to even acknowledge any of what Husband relayed to his girlfriend.

But this post isn't about what a schmuck my father is.

This post is about Little Man and my grandmother.


Little Man, from our Candlelight Tour at the Winchester Mystery House a couple weeks ago.



My grandmother, Agnes, and I (Syttende Mai, 1984, I think) in front of the house I grew up in. The crazy thing about this photo is that we are both wearing a version of traditional Norwegian attire.....and neither of us are Norwegian (such is the life in the small town where I grew up).




I hope you're having a lovely Friday! I'll be back on Sunday with my Year of Projects update (I hope).

No comments:

Post a Comment