Tiki Hut

It may be getting too cool outside for pool season, but the Tiki Hut is finally finished and I am thinking grilled shish kabobs and me behind the tiki bar making drinks with beach side ambiance.

Next summer, this will be a lot of fun!

An Empty Nest

Their application already submitted, Brooke & Alex were approved to toured the apartment they spent so much time searching for. I'm glad they took their time, because they found a nice place in the community she grew up in, an excellent price, pet friendly, 2 bedrooms, and a top floor. Just what she wanted.

Me, I cannot believe it. I feel like my whole life I've raised my girls and I think of Brooke's challenging years when I held on barely by a thread and dreamed of the day she would just be happy and just move out.

She did find her happiness. Brooke absolutely loves Alex and quite honestly, they are perfect for one another. When she is with him, she is happiest and full of life.

I think of her only turning 19 years old and a part of me thinks she is far too young for this big step in life, then I think of her genuine happiness and I know she will go from missing him when he is not with her, to venting how frustrating it is to live with him; yet, she wouldn't want it any other way.

Just as she has become pleasant to live with and a friend, a part of me told her she doesn't have to move, she can stay until they get married. "Mom, I really want this and I'm ready for this" and me, I catch my breath. Where did the years go?

Their apartment will be ready in two weeks.

I thank God she has reached this place in her life and I certainly don't feel like the commercials I always claimed I would be where the parents were pretending to be sad while secretly excitedly planning home renovations.

I feel as if I did it. I raised my girls and walked through hell with my daughter for years until she made it safely through and God love her, she made it.

My little birdie is ready to fly.

Hello Autumn

I am uncertain if summer or autumn is my favorite season. Is it the warmth of summer after a frozen winter or is it the cool crisp air of autumns splendor after a hot summer?

Splashes of orange and shades of yellow mum's grace my balcony with a classic white pumpkin. Subtle hues of autumn decor throughout my home bring the promise of cooler nights, sweaters, pumpkins and spice.

I confess, I love that it gets dark earlier, an excuse to slow down. It also means its Netflix season, outdoor art shows, maple cookies, Thanksgiving, and blink it's Christmas.

Just when I thought I couldn't love my balcony more on a summer day, I love it as much welcoming on a cool evening with a mug of hot spiced cider.

Hello autumn.

A Heart Attack

It was a normal morning when I missed a phone call that someone was in an ambulance heading to the hospital. I remember in my mind I couldn't stop thinking, who? It didn't matter which parent it was, but which one, my mom or dad?

My mom had a heart attack.

Grateful I was ready to run out the door anyway, I was able to make it to the hospital in 10 minutes. Making a couple phone calls and a quick post on Facebook, the seed was planted and family and friends were notified and praying locally and across the country.

Heart attacks are blindsiding in general. My moms side has always been cancer and she has had a couple close calls through the years, my dad and his side is heart issues. For my mom to have a heart attack it was plain and simply confusing.

She doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, eats healthy and exercises.

It was a day of a roller coaster emotions.

I could hear in the room next to us in ER a nurse calling a patient by her name. As she said it over and over, I could hear her become more panicked before they called a Code Blue. Doctors and nurses rushing through the hall, family members crying and calling loved ones and all I could think about was the stories of people near death as they see angels.

Standing in the door way of my moms room in ER, as if I was a force to be reckoned with so there was no confusion, there would be no angels coming into my moms room today. The sounds of the medical team fill the room next to us, the family frantic, my brother a minister, slips out the door and I follow behind him. He asked if he could pray with the family. We stood in a circle and prayed.

We believe in the power of prayer. The woman pulled through and is alive.

About 8 hours in ER before she was taken to CCU made for a long day. In the midst of so many phone calls, I text the CEO of the hospital that I was there in ER. It has been about a year since I have seen him last and it made my parents feel good he stopped into ER to meet them.

In fact, he text me every day and stopped in every day to check on my mom. The Executive Director in Cardiology came in the room and said, "Who's Dawn?" I said, "That's me." He got a call from the CEO.

With tons of attention, extra special care directed from the top of the tops: God, a Harvard leading physician in Cardiology in a top cardiology hospital in the USA, and a CEO making daily visits, my mom is in the best of the best hands.

So many emotions.

At one point we were in CCU as she was getting an ultrasound of her heart and we were all standing and watching. I could feel my chest tighten (breathe), it has been only weeks since the last time I was watching an ultrasound for my 2nd grandchild and my heart was broken. It certainly wasn't the next ultrasound I was expecting to see weeks later, my moms heart in CCU. So many thoughts raced through my mind all day.

Yesterday was her heart cath and I laughed as she was being wheeled out of cath on her bed eating chocolate. She was hungry and a nurse slipped her a piece of chocolate. Her heart cath came back her heart is completely open, no blockages, no stents needed, and she has the heart of a 40 year old. Hallelujah!

She feels great and they are still keeping her in CCU. Something caused her to have a heart attack and today they continue to run a series of tests, ultrasounds, cat scans, etc. to rule out any other possible reason before they send her home.

Perhaps, they won't find anything. We believe in the power of prayer and if she's healed, she healed.

I smile in wonder if all this extra testing is standard protocol or directives from the top. Somehow it feels as if no stone is being left un-turned and I certainly appreciate it.

Differences

As a momma ... I cleaned my home constantly. Always on the move, always cooking, always cleaning, routine, routine, routine. Fingerprints, gone!

As a grandmomma ... My home is always clean. This morning I woke up to chubby little finger prints and kisses all over my leaning mirror and I smile as I envision my sweet granddaughter kissing the sweet baby in the mirror over and over. Her little hands leaving their print on the mirror and forever in my heart. Those aren't smudges, that is love. I will leave them there a while so I can look at them and smile.

It makes me laugh, the differences between a mom vs. grandmomma.

Then, there is the way to depart from a little one.

As a momma ... drop and dash!!!!

As a grandmomma ... there is a more gentle approach. As my mom said to leave while Sofia isn't looking, I couldn't stand the thought. My granddaughter cannot use her words to ask where I am, so I will not let her be distracted as I slip out the door and her worry about wondering where I am. That is cruel. So, we play the kissing game when I leave so she knows I am leaving and we make it fun.

The kissing game is when I am in my Jeep about to leave, I start the engine, roll down the window and someone has to run up to my car so she can give me goodbye kisses.

I back the Jeep up about a foot and this game continues down the driveway. After several run-ups and kisses, she is laughing and she understands I am leaving. Out of breath is the person who is holding her and running back and forth. A small price to pay for getting more time with her when I don't.

Now my granddaughter understands when I am leaving and it isn't traumatizing to her.

Traumatizing like when I walk from the living room to the kitchen and Sofia thinks I am leaving. She likes to know I am close by and immediately senses and voices panic if I walk out of a room.

My mom said, "It's so sweet how crazy Sofia is about you!"

I know she is. We are kindred spirits.

A Blanket and Coffee Morning

I woke up to rain and 50'some degrees and declared it to be a blanket and coffee morning.

Raining and cold, I am grateful for the excuse to slow down and bundle up.

Navigating through my thermostat, a quest to figure out how to turn the heat on the for the first time here to knock the chill out of the air. Taking blankets out of the dryer, laying it on my sleeping daughter because I'm not sure how many more mornings I will have that I can do that for her. She is ready and anxious to leave the nest.

a blanket + coffee morning 

= perfect

Look Who's Walking

Look who's walking! Those thighs in leggings don't get any sweeter!

Sofia has taken a couple steps, but what are the chances we had a video going when she took her first several steps? We did it, we captured her first several steps on video as she is walking to me. xo

The Three Heavens

It was a gentle breeze that lifted my hair as I sat in the pool reading a book. I looked up to the clouds rolling in (my view above me), at the promise of rain and cooler temperatures. Welcome. 

As I am writing this thunder is rolling in the sky. Magnificent. 

I just finished this book, The Three Heavens, and am grateful for that evening where I was in search of something, that lead me to the bookstore to find a good read. What I found is a treasure. Biblical truths of the three heavens I didn't really know about or understand.

So many truths my mind was trying to comprehend, I am ready days later to re-read this again.

Where is heaven? What are the three heavens? I looked up into the sky at the clouds rolling in admiration and awe, yet we don't even know the tip of the power above us.

Bad News & Good News

When my Jeep broke down in WV Sunday evening the planets aligned and we were towed home to my favorite auto repair.

So many times, I look to heaven and simply say, "Please take care of this."

My eyes were open and I simply look upward and those were the only words said. No, "Amen." It's a prayer, but it's more of a relationship conversation.

The phone call came from the auto repair on Tuesday after they assessed what the problem was. "I've got bad news and I've got good news" he started off. "The bad news is, it's your accelerator and you were really lucky it didn't catch on fire. An accelerator will cost $800-some dollars for parts, then labor. It could have ruined your electrical something-something (auto terminology escapes me), we won't know until its repaired. I researched online to see if there were any recalls for this part and there was. Did you get a recall notification?" [Gulp]

I'm still thinking about $800+ labor + electrical something.

And, this is exactly why they are my favorite auto repair place. "I called [the local Jeep dealership] and inquired about the recall and they will replace the accelerator for you at no cost. Here is the guys name and number. There was another recall, did you get that in the mail? If we do the repair it will cost you, but they can do it at no charge."

He handled it all. Printed the recalls, had the details handled and he told me to ask them for a rental vehicle and I got one. No cost.

Brooke took me to the dealership to get my rental car and as I was being lectured on the safety importance of recalls, she was prattling off how I should treat them responsibly. I happily told her, "Good, because you have a recall on the Honda." Now, let's see her put on her big girl panties and deal with it.

I did ask for a cool vehicle for the next couple days and he hooked me up with a 2018 model.

So many times I look up to heaven, smile, and say, "Thank you!"

Secret Escape

I stopped by HQ (the Clubhouse) to ask when the pool was closing, as Labor Day was approaching and to my surprise, it isn't closing until November.

Hallelujah! 

On the weekends the pool is a social gathering and lively with music. During the week, surprisingly, there may be two people or no one at all. It's perfect.

In this oppressive heat, having the pool to myself is delightful. The sun is hot, the pool is walk in comfortable, and floating in my chair with a beverage and good book is a perfect mid-afternoon escape. 

Everyone should have a couple of places as a secret escape that brings peace and relaxation and the biggest part of identifying these special places, is using them often.

The less white noise I have, the more peace I have. 

Slipping away in the pool mid-afternoon, an evening with my granddaughter and family, then the only show I watch and my guilty pleasure, Bachelor in Paradise, it was a really good day. 

These days balance my 10 hour event days.

I think I will add the pool to my mid-day plan for today as well. This oppressive heat wave isn't going to last and I am certainly looking forward to the cooler temperatures and autumn.

A Spontaneous Road Trip

A spontaneous road trip to West Virginia turned out to be quite an adventure.

We took the scenic path through the countryside of rolling hills and quaint towns listening to tunes from Brooke's most excellent and fabulous playlist of our favorite music. She filled the car with our favorite hits, the sun was shining and the views beautiful. It was exactly what we both never knew we wanted and needed.

Shops, museums, patio bistros, the lush rolling hills, and floral and fauma, it was gorgeous! 

We found a pretty bistro with a view that was picturesque and enjoyed iced tea with fresh mint to go with a piece of Oreo cake. 

It felt good to be in nature and we both commented how peaceful and quiet it was in the mountains. 

There is so much to do and Brooke was taking it all in making plans for her and Alex to return there for an overnight getaway in a couple weeks.

We decided to go to a favorite spot for dinner and driving through the mountains my battery light came on in my SUV. I asked Brooke to get the owners manual out to read what the warning light is.

She said, "Mom, you're supposed to pull over and stop if the light stays on." 

I am not pulling over and stopping on a winding mountain road where there is no sign of life and a high probability of no cellular reception. We were 9 miles from our destination and that is where I would stop. 

Of course! If my faithful Jeep is going to have an issue, it's going to be out of state, on a Sunday evening with the next day a national holiday. 

We found a Walmart specifically for the Auto department where I could get a new battery. When the auto guy walked out to my car, he said "your car is smoking", I could smell it before I saw it.

Now we have a whole new, much bigger problem and Walmart couldn't help us. The guys in the auto department made phone calls to local garages to see who is open on a national holiday, my option was to tow it about 10 miles away and it would get looked at Tuesday (in 2 days). I'm envisioning not staying in West Virginia, not wanting to drive back-n-forth in a rental car, nor my car being in a shady garage where I don't know or trust if they are being honest.

I have AAA!

A quick call to AAA emergency roadside assistance took 7 minutes to get through to a live person. What if I didn't have good cellular service? What if I didn't have enough battery life on my phone? The AAA person was of little personality and informed me my baseline coverage would get me 3 miles of free towing and I would have to pay $4.00 per mile after that.

I'm totaling the additional miles just to haul it to a garage + rental car + the drive back and forth from home + the cost of what is wrong with my Jeep. 

Oh God, I need Your help! Okay, think smart. 

"Can I upgrade to another AAA package?" I think the question pained her. Yes, I could.

For $17.00 I could upgrade to the next AAA package with free towing for 100 miles, a quick mapquest for mileage my favorite auto shop at home is 103 miles away! Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner!

About one hour later, AAA called back, "I'm sorry, it's Sunday and a holiday weekend, we are having a hard time finding a tow truck who wants to take you over state lines and at that distance to haul you home." 

I am pretty positively certain, that detail is not included in their talking points selling AAA packages. What on earth is roadside emergency service for? Anything that is going to happen will be far from home on a Sunday evening with a holiday the next day. Don't forget this started in the winding mountains of WV where nobody would have ever found us.

"I will call you back and let you know if we can find someone to come get you" a AAA attendant shared. 

I could see Brooke who didn't know what to do was watching me fearfully and I had an opportunity to make the most of a bad situation. It really is a choice and I had to find the positives. 

Grateful we made it to civilization, we had made it and found a Walmart Auto for a quick car assessment, grateful for air conditioning, access to something to eat and bathrooms, we claimed the positives and tapped into wit and humor in our newfound situation.  

"Brooke, let's say a prayer they find a single and handsome tow truck driver so we don't die!" "Oh, and not 20 years old either!" 

Two hours later AAA called, they found some in Ohio that could come get us in about 20 minutes.

Brooke and I smiled at each other as we were the only car in the Walmart parking lot on the side of a mountain on the far side by the Auto department when the tow truck pulled in and backed up to us and a cute guy got out! 

Cute as can be, a school teacher, smart, well-spoken and a great personality, he helps his buddy out as a side job. He lives in Ohio and was down towards us on a call to pick up another vehicle when that call was canceled, that's why he was able to get to us quickly. God had us. 

The highway route was 128 miles, our favorite scenic route was 103. He said let's go the scenic route! We stopped for coffee and he offered to stop if we wanted to get something to eat. Fun conversation, constant talking, Brooke text me, "If you don't get his phone number, I am going to get it for you!" 

In a topic of conversation, I found out the year he was born in 1989 and I text back to Brooke, "No way, he is 19 years younger than me, 6 years older than your sister!" 

What a doll though! It was a pleasant ride, he wasn't going to charge me for the 3 extra miles and dropped us off at home after we dropped off the Jeep. 

Our spontaneous road trip turned into quite an entertaining adventure. 

AAA coverage is smart to have. Get the least expensive package for baseline coverage. If you need it, you can always upgrade in that moment, but you cannot get towing privileges for a week if you call AAA and sign up on the phone during a roadside emergency. 

Say a prayer, find the positives and make the most of a bad situation. Oftentimes, our little ones are watching us and learning how to react. It makes a good teachable moment. 

Proverbs 17:6

I climbed into the back seat with my sleeping granddaughter. Lights out in her car seat with her little mouth open breathing, I kissed her sweet full little lips and smelled her breath breathing. I love her scent and I had missed her like crazy.

That beautiful smile that lit up her face when her eyes opened and she saw me smiling at her, she is everything good and perfect.

One of my girlfriends came over tonight with a bag of gifts. She always has a token of something special she picks up when we get together. On the back she wrote Proverbs 17:6 and when she left I looked it up.

Grandchildren are the crown of the aged ... Proverbs 17:6

King Solomon knew when he wrote this. To me Sofia is a beautiful crown and far more beautiful than crowned jewels. 

For those who adorn themselves in diamonds and jewels of extravagant value, what I have is far more precious then those jewels.

I had some someone ask me yesterday how many grandchildren do I have and how old are they? I said two. One is one year old and the other is in heaven. 

Of the one that I love so much, a piece of my heart broke at the loss of another. Each grandchild absolutely matters.

A chocolate ring around her lips from sharing ice cream, her chubby little body standing in front of me for another bite and a smile that lights up her eyes, it's the little things that mean everything and I've always said, everything that is most important in life money cannot buy.