Whats Left in Books 2014

got a note on the entry about losing my grandmas death reminding me to appreciate
the people and things I still Have left so I thought I would make a list to remind
myself how fortunate I still am.

My mom. At 83 she is physically fit as a fiddle. My happiness is very important to her.
There is almost nothing she won’t do to make me happy. When she was 80, she was climbing 50 feet in the barn looking for kittens for me. I am so fortunate to still have her around.
I can’t wait to retire and spend more time with her We already have tentative trips planned to Tampa in the Spring and then Michigan, Minnesota, and the Dakotas in the summer. I’m hopeful that she will come stay at my house more and even stay at my house and take care of my cats when I go on my trip to England.

My brother. Really my only family relationship not changed by Grandma’s death. He can look at things impartially since he has lived in Utah so long, he didn’t have an attachment to Grandma and her things. We can talk about almost everything and we both love the Chiefs! He is doing much better now that the tumor below his kidney is gone. I don’t think any of us made the connection between his being more unsteady on his feet and the tumor on his kidney. It did turn out to be cancerous, but they think they got it all and he just has to have CT scans every six months to make sure. He is such a mix of my mom and dad. Physically he looks like Dad, but he ended up with my mom’s stubbornness and my mom’s ability to hold a grudge. I can’t wait to retire so I can spend more time with him. I’ll probably try to go out there to watch at least one Chiefs game.

Aunt HOG and Uncle Bob and their kids and grandkids and great grand kids. Our relationship has been strained ever since Grandma died. We all said things we regret. I have forgiven them, and I think they have forgiven me. The deal breaker is my mom. She is currently not speaking to them, so I have to watch my words with all sides. The important thing is I still have relationships with both of them. My Uncle and I can go months without talking yet when we go and see Gina and the girls, we talk pretty much the entire 4-hour drive.

Grandma’s house and the farm. It’s still in the family and I can visit anytime I want, and mom’still owns 10 acres in the timber which has been the location of many Easter bonfires with hot dogs and smores going back to the 30’s.

The recliner, and China cabinet of Grandma’s and some of her depression glass and treasures. On winter nights I curl up in the recliner with one of her quilts and a cat or two on my lap and read and feel the presence of Grandma and even my mom because we spent many nights doing the same thing at Grandma’s except for the cat on the lap.