Tag: being grandma

Adventures at Julia’s House: Basement Saga part 2

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The last time I wrote about the basement project at Julia’s house, the studs were being erected to compartmentalize the large open room. (Read about it here.) Since then, people who know about electricity and plumbing have been showing up. Our task was to be ready for the dry wall. We did our best.

It was the day of Gwennie’s doctor appointment last week. Julia, Gwennie and I had been in a rainy drive through the storm called Finn, and then a somewhat disappointing visit with the cardiologist. We were ready to go home and think about the day when we got a call from Daddy Kevin, back at the house. The call was accompanied by video.

“There is water coming in the basement. I happened to be down here and the leak started as I was looking. Did you see the video I sent? Oh, and the electricity is out so I can’t run the sump pump. They say we won’t have power until around 11 pm. Can you find a generator and bring it home?”

It is true that they had talked about getting a generator, because there have been storms before that took out power lines. But all the research necessary for getting the RIGHT generator hadn’t been done yet, and there was the matter of fitting it into the budget. And even now, the timing was not great on that account.

“Thank you God that we don’t have the drywall up yet.” This was Julia, being optimistic. “Can we just come home? We’ve had quite a day, with the storm and all. And I have the baby…”

“If you’re anywhere where there’s electricity, you’re better off than being here. It’s dark and uncomfortable.” That was Kevin, being not quite so optimistic.

So instead of turning off the highway on the road toward home, Julia kept driving north, while calling a good friend to get advice on buying a generator. I figured we were on our way to Reidsville, where the closest Lowe’s store was located.

I am deathly afraid of riding with Julia when she is researching things on her phone, so she graciously told me to look for generators for sale, and people who knew how to install and service them. I was reading reviews and giving her numbers to call. It turned out that it was not going to be easy to make this decision on the spur of the moment, and yet the vision of the water level creeping up the walls of the basement demanded some kind of solution.

I was hopeful when Julia went into Lowe’s. I stayed in the car with Gwennie, praying. However, she came out of the store later without a generator.

Back on the road, and still continuing north, I asked her where we were headed.

“I ordered a generator online from Sam’s Club. I had to choose delivery tomorrow because the order can’t be processed this late in the day. I did it online because there was only one left in stock. I didn’t want it to be sold out from under me! But we need it tonight, so we’re going to go get it.”

“But where are we going?” I asked this as we crossed the state line into Virginia.

“Danville, that’s the closest store that had one.”

When we finally arrived in Danville, the baby and I only stayed in the car a few minutes before she started crying (and before I had to go to the bathroom). By that time Julia was somewhere in the far reaches of Sam’s Club country and I couldn’t find her. After the restroom, we paced back and forth by the checkout registers, Gwennie, in her car seat, in a shopping cart, waiting and wondering.

Would the only generator in the store still be on the shelf? We were in a bad storm area and probably weren’t the only people suddenly needing a power source.

Well, some things about this story did turn out good. Julia appeared with a huge box on her cart. It only took about 20 minutes to find out how to change the sale from online to “immediate and off the shelf”. It only took two huge men to lift the thing into the car. It only took another hour to get home, and by then the power was back on anyway.

Remember, it’s all about the basement – that place that’s being remodeled so that someday Grandma can sell her trailer and have a room in the house when she visits. There will undoubtedly be another storm, and another power outage, and perhaps a need for a sump pump. But now, we have a generator, just sayin’.

Adventures at Julia’s House: Finn the Storm

Shirleyjdietz3 Comments

We found out, shortly after her birth, that GwennieRu has a ventricular septal defect, a VSR for short. The murmur that the doctor heard led to a cardiac ultrasound and it was seen that there was a hole between two chambers of her heart. Because of the kind of tissue the hole was in, it was fairly certain that it would not correct itself as she grew. But we hoped and prayed for that anyway, because it was still possible.

Gwennie had a cardiologist appointment last Tuesday afternoon. We were eager to see if anything had changed. Julia had made sure she was free to take her at 2:30 pm, and I wanted to come along. As the morning progressed, I wondered if the predicted storm would make any alterations in our plans.

Around 1:00 pm Kevin showed me the weather radar on his phone. “There’s a band of severe wind and rain coming across your path at just about the time you have to be traveling,” he reported. I wondered if he was thinking that we shouldn’t go, but no more was said.

I made sure Gwennie was ready and the diaper bag was packed as I anticipated Julie’s arrival. Then I got a text from her.

I think lots of things that I never say to people. In this case I was thinking…

Isn’t this kind of crazy?

We have a serious storm out there.

I have only driven your new fangled hybrid car once, and it made me feel stupid.

You feel okay trusting this old woman grandma to do this alone with this precious child?”

Pushing doubt, fear, and good sense aside, I decided I had better get going so I could go slowly and have time for all the uncertainties. Julia and Kevin thought I could do this, so maybe I could.

I packed up the child and carried her quickly through the rain to the car. Car frustration started at once. I discovered the car wouldn’t start until I buckled my seat belt. Halfway down the drive, I saw a warning from the computer. “Service required” it said with a picture of a tire and an exclamation mark. Knowing that service was not going to happen, I kept driving. It didn’t feel like a flat tire, so maybe one of them was a little low on air.

Weather alerts were coming through on my phone. Authorities were telling people not to go anywhere unless they had been ordered to evacuate. There was a lot of flooding on the roadways. About that time, I saw emergency lights ahead where a large truck was blocking my lane. A tree had just fallen across half the road and cars were taking turns going around it on the remaining lane.

The rain was coming down hard as I pulled into the equine hospital parking lot. Julia’s vet truck came in a minute later. I was glad she was going to be driving the rest of the way to the appointment. She scrambled in and we were on our way again.

This storm impressed us both. There was a lot of water on the roads. Sometimes there would be a low spot with enough water that Julia would suddenly grab the wheel tight to keep us going straight. Once, a car in an oncoming lane sent so much water flying through the air that it hit our windshield like a rock, shocking us. Almost every car had flashers on, and we saw several stalled cars when we got into the city.

Fortunately, by that time the band of severe weather was nearly past. The wind was calmer and the rain wasn’t as scary. We made it to the clinic. Julia let Gwennie and I out at the front door and went to park.

GwennieRu, none the worse for her harrowing ride, plays with her toes while waiting for her exam.

In retrospect, maybe we should have cancelled the appointment, but, as I said, it was an important one. We had so hoped to hear that open heart surgery would not be needed for tiny GwennieRu. That was not the case. Surgery was still the recommendation and the doctor made a strong case for it. It is scheduled for February 8th.

They say that children her age recover quickly, much better than older children. The normal progression is 4 days in the hospital and then home, with only Tylenol for pain. Complications are not common, and the expectation for complete recovery and full activity are the norm.

Thank God (and I do) that we didn’t die on the way to the appointment.

There is that element of risk, in varying degrees, to every adventure that I can think of. It’s the adrenaline rush, the seriousness of what one is doing, and what could happen that makes an adventure burn its way into our memories. I don’t think I’ll forget about this one.

Adventures at Julia’s House: Girl’s Day Shopping

Shirleyjdietz2 Comments

I could have titled this “Not the Usual Day Shopping”, or “How Much Stuff Fits in a Buick”. I settled for “Girl’s Day Shopping” because it was shorter, we were all girls this trip (Julia, GwennieRu and I) and we certainly did shop.

Sometimes I dream of taking a daughter to a nice clothing store, out to lunch, and maybe a stop at a nail salon or spa. These are only dreams though, and not really my style. Not really Julia’s style.

But I had offered to help Julia shop for her postpartum wardrobe, knowing that it is a difficult time when you’re no longer wanting to wear maternity clothes, but are still waiting for your body to return to normal. Every day can be a struggle in less than comfortable clothing. So shopping was in order.

We bundled ourselves up – it was cold – and went to town in my Buick Enclave. I had my empty propane tank in the back. Earlier in the week the store had been out of propane. I was hoping they had been resupplied. On the way to Tractor Supply for the propane, Julia remembered the order for animal feed that was now ready for pick up. Normally this would be a job for her truck, but, oh well. It wouldn’t hurt to try to get the 20 bags in the Buick as long as we were there.

Twenty minutes later, the back of the car was nearly full to the ceiling with 50 pound bags of feed and the now full propane tank sat in the second row seat next to the baby.

We were near Big Lots, a fun place to find odd things. I didn’t find much, but Julia found bleach on sale and got six gallons, and a few other things. We found room for them on the floor where they wouldn’t tip over. This shopping trip was already well worth doing.

Returning unwanted Christmas presents was on the list, so we went to what I would call a “ritzy” department store that actually had large departments for every age person, mostly clothing, and no carts for carrying anything like a car seat. I should have opted for putting Gwennie in the front pack, but she had looked so comfortable in the car seat, that I kept her in it and carried it in. I try never to disturb a comfortable baby.

We did the returns, and whizzed past what they called their “sales” where there was nothing we were interested in. I will say that they could do more for their customers by having a cart or two by the door. Why not?

We were hungry by this time and coasted around the outdoor mall for a while in indecision, looking for a satisfactory restaurant and a bathroom. Tropical Smoothie seemed right to Julia since she often drinks lunch. I ordered a salad and a side of sweet potato and thought to sat down and eat it, when Julia asked if I wanted to get going. I didn’t really mind, so the lunch went in a bag and sat on the dash, while we looked for the next store.

TJ Max was our destination. This time I put the baby in the front pack, which was not only easier, but more fun. All the people we met loved looking at Gwennie, and it was easy to go in front of a mirror and let her look at herself and laugh. Julia found a bunch of jeans to try on and disappeared into the dressing room. When Gwennie got bored, we went back out to the car where she took a bottle, and I ate my slightly soggy salad.

No trip to town is complete without a trip to the grocery store. Julie loves to buy groceries. I think it is her way of relaxing, since usually no one wants to go in the store with her. She can coast as many aisles as she wants to and consider all kinds of food purchases uninterrupted. This is rare and precious time.

When she came out with a full cart, to our already full car, we had a fun time figuring out where everything would go. My car cooler took most of the things that were perishable. Cauliflower, lettuce and assorted vegetables went in holes between the bleach and bags of clothing. I can’t remember everything we had but when we were done we high fived each other and felt pretty proud of ourselves. This kind of shopping trip is not for the faint of heart.

I was glad Julia was driving. She said yes, the front of the car did seem a little elevated because of the load of feed in the back, but not enough to impede our progress. We headed home. Shopped out. Well, not really shopped out but there was not room for anything else.

At home, Kevin came out to help us unload. He opened the back door and said “Wow!” We took that as a compliment and proof that we had done something significant. He started hunting for the baby which he knew was in there somewhere.

We found her. She was still smiling too.

And so ended our girl’s day shopping. We got a lot done. For now, that’s the kind of girls we are, and that’s how we shop. Just sayin’…

Adventure at Julia’s House: A Day in the Life

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Mommy = Julia, my daughter. Daddy = Kevin, her husband. GwennieRu = my 5 month old granddaughter. Written by me = Grandma

Last night I walked to my camper at 9 pm. There is a circular drive that I travel, going back and forth. It is graveled and my feet make crunching noises as I walk. Sometimes I walk to the side in the grass so the dogs won’t hear me and start their barking.

Most nights it is very black, with little ambient light, and the stars are amazingly visible and bright. Orion’s belt is directly over my submarine shaped trailer. I stopped and looked last night, and most nights, even though it was cold outside.

When I wake in the morning, it looks like this. Again I am trying to burn this scene into memory because it is so beautiful. I make the walk to the house. Crunch, crunch, crunch.

GwennieRu was lying in her crib this morning, playing quietly with some toys. As usual, it didn’t take much to make her smile. Mommy had gone to work. Daddy was going to a doctor’s appointment. Felix, the exchange student from Germany, had gone to catch the bus to school. For a while it was just Gwennie and me, having the house all to ourselves.

Her routine is very simple. We played on the living room floor, she spent time in the swing while I fixed her next bottle, we walked around looking out of all the windows, we touched the kitty and the doggie. When the fussing started, I gave her “breakfast” and she fell asleep in my arms.

Mama came home between appointments. We had coffee and talked a while and she finished some outside chores, before heading to the gas station to fill the cans with diesel for the farm tractor. Daddy was home by this time and it wasn’t long before he came to tell us something. Mommy had somehow locked both her truck keys and both her cell phones in the truck, with the engine running, at the gas station. She was waiting for a man to come and open the truck for her. Poor Mommy.

GwennieRu and I went outside for a buggy ride. I was pushing her along the wide right of way when Mommy drove past us. She stopped her truck and ran out to give Gwennie a kiss. Gwennie in her stroller is pretty irresistible.

There was another long nap in the afternoon, during which I did some cleaning for Mommy and some for myself. Almost every time I come to “red clay country” I have a new pair of shoes that gets ruined. This time I scrubbed them clean and set them out to dry.

I was determined to have dinner ready before 6 pm today. When Felix got home from school, and he and Daddy were talking sports and dogs (the usual topics these days) I let them know that dinner was in the oven and would be ready in 45 minutes.

That morning when Mommy got in her truck, she had smelled something good and remembered that last Friday (this is Monday) she had gotten a frozen Penne Toscana from one of their favorite restaurants. She hadn’t meant to forget about it and was a little worried that it might not be good anymore. I told her I was willing to eat it. I cooked it and it was wonderful. Mommy has this sign on her refrigerator in the kitchen. It is our hopeful motto.

Mommy had a management meeting after work so she didn’t get home until 7:30, and wasn’t able to eat with us. Gwennie was taking her evening nap. She and Mommy get most of their together time at night, after I leave.

And now, the dishes are in the dishwasher, the leftovers are put away, Mommy and Daddy are having a glass of wine together and talking about their day. It was a pretty good day.

And now I am ready to walk out on the gravel path under the black, star studded sky.

Gwennie Ru and the Magic Sleep Suit

Shirleyjdietz2 Comments

One morning last week I came to do granny’s day care with Gwennie and daddy Kevin met me at the bedroom door.

“We had a great night! We put her in this sleep suit and it worked like magic. She only woke up once!”

Well, I could hardly wait to see what on earth a sleep suit could be.

Sure enough, Gwennie was asleep, and it most certainly was a suit that she was wearing. She looked like an astronaut, minus the helmet. She was lying on her back in this puffy yellow fleece coverall with zippers coming up both sides. Her arms were stretched out wide on either side and the thickness of the suit kept her from bending them very much. The lower part of the suit was bulging around the abdomen with two tubes out the bottom for her legs – lots of room for moving around. She looked very warm and cozy. I am very much in favor of keeping babies warm.

That’s kind of ingenious, I thought. A cross between an incubator and a straitjacket. Normally, when Gwennie Ru rouses from sleep, or is startled by noise, she starts jerking her arms around, hitting herself in the face and rubbing at her eyes and ears. That wakes her up for sure. This suit gently holds her arms out but still gives her some room to move inside the sleeve. And the same with the legs. I watched as she fussed a little, gave up, and went back to sleep.

Ingenious. I kind of want one.

In my size.

Most of the time her legs aren’t even in the leg compartments.