My Birthday Surprises

 I had the Best Birthday ever from Rick this year.  It wasn't the money spent, but the quality of time spent with me and the places he took me to.  It started with Saturday night at the river listening to a live band play for about 4 hours.  They were good and the name of the band was Vanguard, and they were from Lexington, Ky.

Before going out to hear the band play we went to Wendy's for Chili and a hamburger and fries.  That was so we wouldn't get hungry while listening to the band.  The band was appearing at Proud Mary's, a local restaurant at Clays Ferry, which also sold alcohol, so many people were drinking, eating and dancing while their kids played in a huge sandbox.

After we left Proud Mary's Rick was hungry so we stopped at a McDonald's, bought burgers and took them home to eat.  The next day, which was really my actual birth date, Rick took me for a motorcycle ride and we ended up at Madison County Regional Airport.  There was a big jet there, so we unlocked the gate and went inside the tarmac to get a closer view of the jet.  We don't see too many small jets land here, but they do land here at times.  We waited there and soon it boarded and took off, so we came on home.

We were waiting at home killing time for about an hour and then Rick was going to take me out for a birthday dinner at Derby City Truck Stop in Mt.Vernon, Ky. because I like to eat there and then we were going to go to Lake Linville and watch the sunset, but we didn't get to do any of this because a friend called Rick and asked him what we were doing, so Rick told them that it was my birthday and that I wanted to go out to dinner.  They quickly told us to be ready in ten to fifteen minutes and they would pick us up and treat us to a birthday dinner.  In about seven minutes they pulled up in a brand new Mercedes Benz and we were off for a great adventure in the country.  We drove on roads we have never been on before and saw some of the most beautiful countryside that I had never been to or seen before.  After about an hours drive we ended up somewhere near Nicholasville at a Malone's Restaurant.  There I was treated like the Princes that I am, (haha) and we ate some of the most delicious food that I have tasted in a while.  Nothing was spared, they even insisted that I have a goblet of wine with my meal.  They all made me feel so special.  They even sang Happy Birthday to me as loud as they could.  We all had so much fun.  On the long way home they turned on music that we could all relate to and we sang out loud all the way home.  

It was a birthday that I won't forget.  It's not often that I spend time with friends like that, and they said that they would like to do this more if it was alright with us.  I'm looking forward to more fun times spent with friends, but next time I won't be drinking anymore wine.  That was something that was just out of the ordinary for me and for Rick.

Rick wants to go back to Proud Mary's again next weekend, and I'm looking forward to it.  Rick doesn't dance, and I do just fine wiggling around in my chair to the beat of the music.  I'm quite content with that.

My two wonderful and loving daughters gave me an Adidas jacket that I love for my birthday, and I will be wearing it tonight when I go to watch Carson play ball.  All in all, I had a wonderful birthday.  My children have always made sure that my birthdays were great, but this year for the first time in nine years, Rick remembered my birthday and showed me that I was someone special to him and he made my birthday last for the whole entire weekend.

Thank you all for making me feel so special.  I love all of you.

Oh, and I can't forget to mention the birthday videos that I received from Sharon & Bo, and from Megan & Myles.  They were so cute.  

Early Mother's Day Celebration

 I had a wonderful time today with my two daughters, two grandchildren and one great-grandchild.  They all came together and took me to Olive Garden for an early Mother's Day lunch.  I enjoyed every single minute of it, because I just don't get to see my family as much as I would like to because of circumstances beyond my control.

I can't wait to get to spend more time with them in the near future, and with the rest of my grandchildren and great-grandchildren who were not present just because they didn't know about it.  It was kind of a spontaneous gathering, and most times those are the best kind.  

Here we are in front of Olive Garden in Richmond, Kentucky, where we ate.  They asked me to choose where I wanted to eat and this is where I chose.  They were all surprised because I usually choose Red Lobster, but in this economy I thought this was the best choice.  

And pictured from left to right: (front row) Zac, Me, Carson, (back row) Megan, Sharon, Suzanne

I love all of you more than you could ever know, and I miss you...all of you, even those in my family who were not there.  

I'd also like to wish a Happy Mother's Day to Megan, Sharon, Suzanne, Tori, Jennifer, Victoria and Krystal who is expecting her first baby sometime later in 2022.  And also to Laurel, Allison, Callie and Kathy.  

Carson's First Plane Ride

 Last Saturday, April 30, 2022, we went to our local regional airport to witness my great-grandson Carson's first flight in an airplane.  The Madison County Regional Airport was offering free plane rides to children 8-17 years old in one section, and in another section if you were older and an adult you could pay $30 per person and get to fly too.  The children who flew for free, flew unaccompanied by any adults other than the pilot, so there were some nervous parents watching from below.

Carson said he flew all around the city and county, and even flew over his own house.  He used his cell phone to call his mom, Tori, while he was over his house, but he couldn't really hear what she had to say because the roaring of the plane was so loud.  He also took pictures while he was in flight of another of his favorite forms of travel, a railroad train of course.  Carson loves trains.

I can't post all the pictures and videos that I took, but here are just a sampling.  

Although Ray & Suzanne arrived early to register Carson for his first plane ride, here is a picture of Carson & his dad Matt arriving at the airport.  

 

Carson is seated next to the pilot in the front passenger seat by the open window.

The plane has started and about ready to leave for the runway.  I wanted to get the plane's numbers.

Carson climbing into the plane

The pictures are backwards.  This is Carson walking to the plane.

And here are also some pictures of Rick standing next to a bi-plane that has been beautifully restored, which was actually flown in WWII.

We had a good time, but this year there was no free buffet.  There were a couple of Chuck Wagon trucks and some picnic tables set up near the beginning of the parking lot for planes where you could buy food, but Rick and I decided to go to Golden Corral afterwards.  We hadn't been there since a year or two before Covid, and the food there tasted really good.  It's not a place we frequent because it costs too much, so it was a real treat for us to eat there, and it probably cost the same amount to eat food from Golden Corral than those Chuck Wagon trucks anyway.

Sunshiny Days

 It's another beautiful Spring day here in Kentucky full of sunshine, and the kids are getting out enjoying this beautiful weather.  Carson, Suzanne and Matthew went kayaking last weekend and Suzanne sent me these pictures of Carson that I'd like to share.  

I'm not really sure where they went, but I think this kind of looks like Owsley Fork Lake.  I guess I should have asked her, but I didn't.  It looks pretty and peaceful wherever they went kayaking tho.

Megan sent a couple of pictures of Myles, Lyv and herself eating and it appears that they are enjoying their meal out on the deck.  

Megan made a Mexican Pizza and it looks like Myles may have helped her put on some of the toppings.  

It looks good and right after I saw those pictures I had to go fix myself something to eat.  My food wasn't as good as theirs, but it did fill me up.

It sure would be nice if we all lived in the same town so that we could see each other in person more.  I miss all of my family more than they know.  I also wish that Brandon & Krystal lived closer too, but kids grow-up and they move away.  It sure would be nice to have those old time family gatherings like we used to have, but things are so expensive now.  Once Jimmy died all those family gatherings went by the wayside.  Grief played a big part in that because we all missed him so much and family gatherings just didn't feel right without him, but some of us still miss us getting all together with the whole family all at the same time.  Maybe some day we'll get back to all of us getting together at least once a year.......maybe we can call it a Family Reunion and meet at some park or something.  

Brian's Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

 I don't know if I ever mentioned this little Christmas tree of Brian's before, but if I didn't here it is.  

 

It's a little hard to see, but if you look real hard you can see it in the center of the picture.  I had bought it for Brian for his first Christmas alone in his apartment on Joshua Circle in Berea in 2019.  It was a very small live little table tree with just 2 Christmas ornaments on it.  Brian loved it! and took very good care of it.  

During the Spring of 2020 it sprouted new growth, so when it got warm enough outside, Brian set it out on his front porch.  Brian thought that the little tree's new growth shriveled up and died because it got cold outside, so he trimmed off the dead and cared for it tenderly.  It never got back to normal even tho it grew a little more, but Brian did his best to spoil the little tree with plenty of tender loving care and Miracle Grow.  Brian even transplanted it into a bigger pot.  

The little tree survived, but when Brian passed away, Suzanne wanted his little tree, and Carson quickly named it, Charlie, for its pathetic appearance.  Suzanne cared for Charlie and tried to nurse it back to health for Brian, from November 2020 until the Spring of 2021 when she had decided to put the little transplanted tree outdoors.  She soon found out that it wasn't the cold that had killed the new growth when Brian put his little tree outside.  Charlie doesn't like direct sunlight.

Suzanne was going to place Charlie near Brian's grave, but there is too much sunlight there for Charlie, so she found a shady spot near Delores and Orville's old barn and planted Charlie there where she can care for it.  Charlie seems to be thriving I suspect now that he is planted firmly in the earth and not in a pot.  And he's in a shady spot too.

I'm just assuming that these little trees are shade loving trees or they wouldn't do so well indoors for such a long time.  Charlie thrived as long as he was indoors when Brian had him, and tried to get back to health for Suzanne just as long as he was indoors of course.  The tag on his little pot said that he could be planted outside in full sun.....Not so for Charlie.

I haven't heard that Charlie died, so I'm assuming that he is thriving or doing well in his new shady home in the fertile ground by the old barn.  We have lots of things that remind us of Brian, and now when Suzanne peers from her deck down to the old horse barn, she is reminded of Brian when she sees Charlie.

General Babbling

 It's Tuesday morning, it's partly sunny and the projected high will be 77 degrees.  Not a bad day at all.   My siatic nerve is still giving me some grief, but other than that, I'm fine.  I seem to be better in the afternoons and can sometimes walk without a cane later in the day.  It takes me a few hours to warm up I guess, haha.

I don't know what I will do today.  Maybe I'll go buy me a nice juicy red tomato from the fruit & veggie vendor, and some good hamburger from Save A Lot grocery store.

I had to buy a new battery for my riding mower yesterday, and this time I bought a Die Hard because those cheap batteries that I have been buying don't last.

Rick is giving himself another haircut.  He cuts his own hair and he does a really good job of it.  I trim it up a little in the back because he can't see that part and I shave the back of his neck, but he does all the rest.  Rick loves to save money and he is very good at it.

Poor Rick, these days he has to do almost everything around here since it's too painful for me to walk.  He does all the mowing, and most of the housecleaning now.  He does all the cooking too.  I manage to make the bed and dust only the places that I don't have to bend to dust.  Last week little Carson dusted the bottom of my coffee table for me and would have done more, but I told him that this was enough and I thanked him for helping me.  He's such a nice boy.  I also wash the dirty dishes and I do the laundry.

Rick has to go get one of his riding mowers back into running condition.  It's a fairly new looking mower, but he's never used it since I've known him.  He got it started but now he has to fix one of the tires that has gone flat and come off the rim.  He also needs to change the oil in it.  If he gets this mower into good running condition he won't have to haul my riding mower over to his house anymore to do the parts that the zero turn isn't able to do.  Zero Turn mowers are only good for flat ground and you'd better not get them too close to any drop-offs.   They're easy to turn over and get stuck in ditches too and they weigh so much that you can't push or pull them out without a 4W drive.  I've seen our neighbor go get his truck to pull his out of muddy ground so many times that I can't count it on two hands anymore.  

Glad it's over.......

Well today was the big day, and it was better than I had expected.  I was surprised at all of the people who wished me a Happy Birthday and by the funny videos that my daughter Sharon sent to me.  If I knew how to post them here, I would, but I don't.  I did post them on Facebook tho.

The celebration started, as I have already mentioned in a previous post, on Friday with my son Brian and his family.  We went to a Mexican Restaurant, and today Suzanne & Carson took me to a different Mexican Restaurant.  I think Carson wanted to see me get smeared with whipped cream again, but I ducked away from the waiter and told him no.  The waiter then went after Carson and he got smeared with the whipped cream.  Carson thought it was funny and so did Suzanne & I.  We also had a very good time.

My early bird daughter, Sharon, as I mentioned above, sent me 3 birthday videos by 7:30 a.m.  Two of the videos were very funny and they made me laugh.  She has a knack for making funny videos and making me smile.

I took some pictures of my day today which I will post below.  Just a reminder to some of my family, who may want to post the pictures on Facebook.  I am asking you to please not post any pictures that have Suzanne in them because she hates to be put on Facebook.  If you must post some of them, just be sure to crop Suzanne out of any picture.

All in all my day was wonderful.  Since Friday I have felt more normal than I have felt in several years now.  I think my life is finally making a turn for the best.  I am finally getting over my grief and ready to live again.

I also visited the cabin later this afternoon before I came home.  It has all grown into a jungle out there.  I don't visit there very often, maybe once a year or so.  I was curious to see if the pond had dried up because of the drought, but it hasn't.  It's Spring fed and the pond level never drops, but of course we haven't ever been without rain for this length of time.  I was surprised to see that it wasn't covered in moss either.  The neighbor must be treating the pond because I saw his small boat parked on the pond bank on his side of the pond.  

Here are some of the pictures that I took today.

Gone Fishing......

Rick and I have been doing a lot of fishing lately, but this little guy has us beat by a mile.  I think I posted Rick's fish in an earlier post and my fish was just a tad larger than Rick's, but here is Carson's fish.  He has us both whooped by a mile.

Great-grandson's search for knowledge

My great-grandson Carson amazes me sometimes with the knowledge he possesses at such a young age, but I guess he's not as young as I think he is.  He's going to be in First Grade in a year or two.



He text me the other day asking me if I knew what our state bird was.  I did and gave him the answer.  He already knew it was the Cardinal, he just wanted to share that information with me.  He also called me and we talked for a little while and he told me how I could find out anything I wanted to know by either Googling or asking Siri.  Carson prefers to ask Siri questions and she told him that the state rock was agate and that the state animal was the gray squirrel, the state tree is the tulip popular, and I could go on and on.  We exchanged several text messages and several phone calls while we both busily asked Siri questions.  I did find out that we have no state cat or dog, or even a breed of cow.  Carson wanted to know what the state cow was and Siri told us that we don't have a state cow.

I love it when I hear from my grandchildren, whether it be great-grandchildren or just grandchildren just to talk or to share information as Carson was doing.   Nothing gives me more pleasure than these kinds of exchanges.  They may be little, but they mean a lot to me.

I also want to thank my niece Allison for opening my eyes and  inviting me to Eliana's gymnastics competition and also to Natasha's event at E.K.U.  I realized then how much I have been missing my family, and I hope to get invited more to such events.  I can't promise that I can always be there but I will do my best to attend.

My children and my husband Jimmy were always my world, and when I lost Jimmy I got lost myself and it has been a difficult road finding my way back to where I am supposed to be.  But with the help of Suzanne and Allison, I'm on the right track.  Thank you all!

Meet Carson

On November 16, 2011 Carson Ryan Powell came into this world weighing 7 lbs 8 oz and measuring 20.5 inches long.  He's our newest Great-Grandson and we just love him!
Here are his proud parents, Tori and Matt Powell....and to see all the pictures at once click Snapshot above.

Tori and Matt,
before Carson was born,
but he's there :)

Carson in the nursery getting checked out

Matt holding his son

Grandma Suzanne

Great-Grandpa Jimmy holding Carson.
Carson really is as tiny as he looks.

Great-Grandma gets her turn to cuddle the little cutie.

Carson is a little cuddle bunny and loves to roll up
in a little ball and cuddle up against your chest.

Carson sleeps a lot but we did get to see his beautiful
eyes.  As you can see from the pictures, it's hard prying
him away from his new grandma :)

......and his proud Daddy !!!!!