Penny's Excellent Adventure

Forget Bill & Ted's excellent adventure....this is about MY excellent adventure!

I did something I've never done before-I went on a long road trip, all by myself. People seemed surprised when I told them I was going to AZ alone to see my niece and her family. I guess it surprised me that others were surprised. I mean, it's not like I'm 92 and doing this...LOL...but anyway, I needed to do this to prove something to myself: that I CAN do things like this. Call me crazy, but I just felt like I needed to do something for myself, and this was it. So sit back and read on:

Saturday morning, 7:15am, I am on my way...whoo-hoo! Pop in a worship CD, and I'm good for the long haul! Hit some sprinkles in Alpine and points east, then wind. LOTS of wind. HARD wind. The kind that makes you white-knuckle your steering wheel so that you don't go flying where you shouldn't go. What a trip! LOL....Up & over the mountains, and down into the Imperial Valley, and the winds picked up, and remained for my entire trip.

I was headed I-8 East....and was to pick up I-10 east, and go to 587 North to get to Willow & Kevin's. Got the first two right anyway. Didn't know that the 587 exits on the LEFT of the freeway, so there I am, cruising along, looking for Hwy 587 North....never did find it, but an hour & a half later, after cruising the freeways of Tucson, I decided to give Kevin a call, because by that point I was 99.9% sure I'd gone to far. But before I could call him, he called me. By now it's 2pm, about an hour or so since I SHOULD have arrived at their house...

K: Hi Aunt Penny, it's Kev...where are you?
P: Hey Kev, I was just about to call you! Ummm....I'm on 10 East still...at Exit 294...I think I went too far Kev, I just drove through Tuscon.
K: Ohhh Aunt Penny, yep, I think you went ALOT too far! Can you turn around somewhere?
P: Yep, I'll get off at this next exit and head west again...what Exit do I want for your place?
K: You want 587 North, and it's just down the road from where you picked up the 10 from the 8...I'll check in with you in a few.
P:Ok got it...

20 minutes later:

K:Hey Aunt Penny, it's Kev again....you want Exit 175 or 177-it'll also say 587 North...
P: Wow! I went a LONG way past where I should've been! Ok hon I'll see you soon!

Long story short, I went roughly 3 hours round trip out of my way to get there, and a total of 10 hours driving time on what should have been a 6.5-7 hr drive, but I made it!

Had a wonderful time with Willow and the family. Everyone was so attentive and gracious, and I loved the time I spent with them.

I left at 6:30 this morning to head for home, and THIS time I got on the RIGHT freeway the FIRST time...LOL...a fairly uneventful drive, but oh the winds! Once I got back into CA they picked up and I again found myself white-knuckling the steering wheel-it was incredible! Hit a sandstorm, and was SO glad I had the van closed up tight!

Got in about 2:00 this afternoon, and am now unpacked, settled, and back to 'normal', whatever that is...

I'd write more, but I think you get the picture. Will definitely do this again-it was fun! BUT....

It's good to be home.

Bit By Bit

Most people have a favorite room or spot in their house. Mine is OUTside. This is my swing. It was a gift from Jim's dad after we moved here 11 years ago. While sitting on my swing, I have laughed, cried, prayed, thought, talked on the phone and rocked all of my grand babies.

It looks alot different than it used to. We recently extended the brick out to the side to give us more room for family bbq's. There used to be honeysuckle all over the frame. Honeysuckle is nice, IF it stays green and lush year-round. Mine doesn't, so it went bye-bye. Eventually we want to put a patio table and chairs out here so that we can enjoy warm summer evenings in the fresh air.

This picture was taken not long after the sun came up. I love it. We still have many plans for this little area, and we're getting there....bit by bit.

Happy Birthday Alissa!

April 6, 1998. 3:09am. Bleary-eyed relatives waiting in a tiny hospital waiting room. Actually, the waiting had begun 3 days earlier, when mom started having contractions. But this was the REAL thing. Auntie Lori burst into the waiting room. 'It's a girl!' Alissa Renae! 7lbs 12oz. Around 19.5 in. long. She was beautiful. Our first grandchild/first granddaughter. Born on our 24th wedding anniversary.

Alissa came into my life at a time when I needed something positive to pour my heart & soul into. I had been taken out of the workforce by a job-related injury, and my mother's ovarian cancer had metastasized. My kids were grown. Well, Shannon was a senior in high school, but pretty much grown up. I felt like no one really 'needed' me. Alissa was that shining star during the darkest of times.

I started babysitting Lissy when she was 6 months old. Daddy would drop her off about 6am, and mommy would pick her up about 4pm, so we had the whole day together. What a joy she was! A beautiful little blond-hair-blue-eyed princess. SO pretty, in fact, that I literally got stopped in stores and parking lots by people telling me what a beautiful baby I had! Of course, I corrected them right away, telling them she is my granddaughter, but oh, those buttons on my shirt nearly burst with pride. And talk about a good and easy baby!

Our days typically began quietly, then got busier as the hours went by. First was breakfast, then a short nap. Time for Teletubbies (her favorite!), Clifford The Big Red Dog, Blues Clues, and of course, Zoobomafoo (sp?)...morning snack, then off to go check on great-grandma, or take her down the hill for radiation. Lunch, then a nap, and then time for Grandpa to come home from work, which meant MAJOR playtime! She even, at a year old, helped Grandpa put in 'her' yard-right out there 'working' side-by-side with Papa, and getting just as dirty!

Lesa quit working about a week before Justen was born, so I had Liss over a year and a half, She was literally a God-send, and helped keep me sane during my mother's final months, and beyond.

I know she doesn't remember any of this, but we share a very special bond. I thank God for her. She was my 'saving grace'. Now she's 11. It's so hard to believe, but it's been such a joy and a blessing watching her grow and evolve into the beautiful young person she is today. I know she has a bright and happy future, and I am eager to share it with her!

Happy Birthday Alissa. Grandma loves you more than you'll ever know.

Happy Birthday Jimmy!

I have made it my goal to blog about each one of my family members on their birthdays. I hope you enjoy reading my trips down Memory Lane as much as I enjoy writing them.

My firstborn, James Robert King. Born at UCSD Medical Center in San Diego, CA. on March 24, 1975, at 5:38pm. 6lbs. 15oz. 18.5in. Named for Daddy, and Uncle John. My baby. 18.5 LONG hours of labor...LOL...every mom has a 'labor' story. I'll spare you the details.

Jimmy was a happy baby, for the most part. By the time he was 2, I figured I'd pretty much marred him for life. He was my 'trial and error' baby. The first one always is. He's the one whose piece of fingertip I cut off while trimming his nails with the baby 'safety' clippers. From then on I BIT my babies' nails....no more clippers for THIS mama!

I wanted to be a good mommy, so I decided to use cloth diapers. That's what we did WAY back then. It's a NASTY way to go, let me tell ya! But, nevertheless, I rinsed, soaked, scrubbed and bleached those little nappies so my baby would have sparkling white diapers. No one told me that poop STAINS! Ah well...I gave it a go anyway. Until I pinned him to his diaper. He was screaming, and I'm thinking, 'what is wrong with you child??! I just fed you, burped you, bathed you, and gave you a clean diaper, and you're screaming???' So, I decided to check his diaper, one more time, and discovered, to my utter horror, that I had pinned the poor little guy to his diaper! I don't know who cried harder, him or ME! We switched to Pampers. That's all we had back then, but it sure beat risking the chance of 'pinning' him again!

Jimmy was a typical little boy, always running, jumping, climbing, and falling. In most of his professional portraits, he looks like a classic child abuse case...a black & blue bump, right in the middle of his forehead. Broken bones, sprains, lots of 'owies'...typical boy, all the way around.

I could go on about the teenage years, and even his 20's, but I prefer to talk about now. I am so incredibly proud of the man he has become. I love that I have such a special bond with him (as I do with my other 2 kids, but their turn is coming in later blogs), and I can call him with a need, and he's right there. He's always been there for his dad and me. He made the wisest choice ever in his choice for a bride. He's a dad who loves his kids passionately, and will stop at nothing to ensure their well being. He's a brother who's best friends are his brother and sister. He's a friend who is there in good times and bad. He's a man who takes his job seriously, never afraid to go that 'extra mile' if need be. He's had some hard knocks in life, and has learned from each of them, and he is a better man because of those 'knocks'. He appreciates what he's been given, and teaches his kids to appreciate too. He strives to be a good role model for his kids, holding himself accountable, and telling his kids to hold him accountable too. He's a wonderful daddy.

Husband, daddy, brother, cousin, friend, uncle....and son. Awesome man, and one that I am proud to call MY son.

Happy Birthday Jimmy. I love you.
Mom

Spring Is In The Air

Ahhh Spring.... How I love the new life 'springing' up all around me!

I know that technically, Spring doesn't arrive until March 20th. But convince the flowers, trees, bushes, and lawns that are already springing forth with new life that Spring hasn't quite 'arrived' yet. My mulberry trees have got buds on them, that will soon to turn into huge, beautiful leaves, and producing sweet, tasty berries with which to feed the little birdies that have gone elsewhere in search of food for the winter.
My Texas Umbrella trees are blooming too. During the winter, I affectionately refer to them as 'my 20ft. twigs'. Soon they will provide shade to my living room, blocking out the hot summer sun. Adorned with delicate white flowers, they really are a beautiful tree.
My lawn, which has lain dormant for months, is now growing. It's fescue, and is green year-round, but I know that Spring is definitely in the air when the lawn needs a 'haircut', fertilizing, and bug spray, so that it'll be lush, cushy, and bug-free for grandchildren to play on during the warm summer months.
I just got my propane tank filled for our gas BBQ grill-another sign that Spring is, indeed, in the air. Soon, the grill will come alive with chicken, carne asada, spareribs and other yummy summer BBQ-type meats, as the family once again gathers at mom & dad's for a meal together. Sweet times they are! Daylight Saving Time-another indication that Spring is here. I love DST....ok so it's still dark in the early morning hours, but hey, it's still LIGHT at 8pm! I love it when we decide to take a stroll after a hot day, and it's still light out enough to feel safe. Yep, a nice walk, then a quick stop at Mickey D's for a soft-serve cone to enjoy on the stroll home....gotta love it!

Driving around town, I see so much new life, and it gives me hope. Welcome Spring, I've missed you!

Happy Birthday Katie!

Today is a VERY special lady's birthday! 'Our' Katie!

Ok, so, I should have posted this blog a couple of weeks ago, but time got away from me, and....well, you know how it goes.

Rewind almost 4 years. Brian is leaving for Ione, off to the Fire Academy for Engineers. He's at an all-time low, and is definitely 'down on women' in his words. Of course my thoughts and prayers are with him. When your kid is hurting, you're hurting too.

Fast forward 6 weeks or so. Brian is home for memorial Day weekend. He & I are chatting in the kitchen, and I ask him if the rumors I'm hearing through the family grapevine are true. That he's met someone. My first thought is to take that guy and shake him till his teeth rattle! What IS he....CRAZY??? THIS soon? After what he's been through??? He 'confesses'. Now, my kids can attest to this next statement. My boys especially. I'm point blank with them. 'Brian, is this woman someone you can see yourself spending the rest of your life with? Someone to have a family with, and grow old with?' Without one iota of hesitation, he says, 'Yes Mom, she is. She's the one'. Good enough for me, but I still want to meet the young woman who has unequivocally captured my son's heart.

Katie came down a short while later to visit Brian, and Brian had cautioned us that Katie was on the shy side, and not to be too upset if she wasn't real social. Are we talking about the same girl here Brian? He brought her in, and she was like a missing puzzle piece to our family! She came in, sat down, and talked to us like she'd known us all her life. And that was just the beginning.

Katie has been a source of joy in our lives. She's the definition of what I, as a mom, wanted in a wife for my son. She is the definition of what I wanted in a mommy for my grandchildren. We look forward to many happy years with her....happy birthday honey. We love you so....

Rainy Day Blues

It's a perfect time to whine. It's likely to be a 'downer', so you may want to stop reading right here. If not, don't say I didn't warn you...LOL...

It's ugly outside. Gray, rainy, dreary. Matches my mood today, and I'm in the mood to whine.

Seems like bad news comes in droves. In my last blog, I wrote about my grandson Justen, and what he's facing with the revelation of the DiGeorge syndrome.

Last Friday my entire family was blown away by the news of our niece Tracey's husband Tim's sudden and TOTALLY unexpected death. Not yet 40. Went into the hospital for minor surgery. Complications set in, but they were able to get over that 'hump'. Friday Tracey shows up at the hospital to pick Tim up, only to be ushered into a private room and told that her husband has died. We are stunned. Tracey is coping as best she can, and especially hard is the fact that their 3 tiny boys are left without a daddy. And the heart breaker is that Zachary, their 6 week old newborn, will never know his daddy. Funeral is tomorrow, and of course our thoughts are with them, back there in Kentucky. Tracey would like to come out here and spend awhile with her parents, once everything settles down. I think it'd do her a world of good to be surrounded by her family. 29 is WAAAY to young to be a widow! RIP Tim, you will be missed.

Adding insult to injury, is Jessica's plight. She was playing with one of the dogs last night. She slipped and fell on her knee. POP! NOT good. Jimmy took her to the ER, then to the Orthopedist today. The diagnosis: A torn ACL-we're 99% sure she'll have to have surgery. Poor thing, I feel SO bad for her.

This is where the 'mom' in me tends to kick into high gear. I have to keep reminding myself that my kids are grown, and fully capable of handling their own situations, but that certainly doesn't stop me from wanting to step in and 'fix' everything. I know I can't, but when one of my kids (in-laws/grandkids included) are hurt or need something, I just want to run to them and make everything all better. I want to gather them all under my wings, like a mother hen with her chicks, and protect them from the evils of the world. I guess one never quits being a mom-thank God for that! I can't imagine what would happen if I were forced to give up that role!

Work....ahhhh....well, it halfway didn't happen today. I went and took care of my first gal this morning, came home & had lunch, then left to take care of my afternoon gal. Turns out they didn't need me because her daughter was home, and they forgot to call me. So here I am. It is what it is. Maybe tomorrow will be better. One can hope.

Stay home today if you can, it's just nasty out there~