Nice cool sunny Fall day.
"Pour out the pack of matter to mine ear,
The good and bad together."
Shakespeare Antony and Cleopatra
This has been both a happy and a sad weekend, let me tell you why:
1. Bridget's Shower
My granddaughter, Bridget, received a surprise wedding shower on Saturday. She thought that she was going to get a family picture before her old Prepop (me) passes on to some kind of reward.
Relatives and friends met at my old home, now the home of my daughter, Diane, her husband, John and sons, Dylan and Jackson.
I was able to go into the back yard and commune with the vibes of my late wife, Elaine. Diane keeps a statue and urn with her ashes there where Elaine would have been pleased to have them. That night, I had a dream in which I saw Elaine smiling and waiting for me at a restaurant. It was very very clear and memorable.. I'm sorry that I woke up at that point. If I were a religious person, I would say that she somehow saw me standing at her memorial and wanted to give me a sign that she was doing ok wherever she is. She would have loved to have seen her granddaughter, Bridget, all grown up and ready to be married. I think she would have also have liked Bridget's choice of beaus, Erik, a very nice young man.
Bridget was surprised with the shower. Kathleen, Beth and Diane worked very hard to make it a success. They had goodies to eat and pieces of a marvelous castle cake from Herman's famous bakery in Highlandtown. Even though she is diabetic like me, my partner Elaine, ate two pieces. Her blood sugar level was only 116 this morning, which was a also a surprise.
Bridget got lots of gifts. Her future mother in law and sisters in law provided enough orange-colored kitchen utensils to last for the whole 80 years of her marriage to Erik. She also received two crock-pots.
I didn't watch it all, but I know that Bridget also got lots of fuzzy towels and bath mats from Elaine and me.. as well as a castle piggy bank with a couple of gold pieces.. so they would never be without money. Baltimore custom.
Erik's relatives are very nice and friendly.. eharmony match? They came all the way from Bucks County, Pennsylvania.. somewhere near Allentown and Bethlehem, where cousin Charlie Kraihanzel and his family reside.
Diane's enormous flower gardens are still blooming. In the back yard, I saw the trees that I planted, and which are now gigantic. Diane and John have made the yard into a nice retreat, with a hammock, pot-bellied stove, tropical fish pond with lots of koi. Very nice!
Elaine's grandson, Luka, made himself a hit with the ladies. He is a charmer.
Elaine's granddaughter, Lily, was a big help in the kitchen, getting a snack food prepared.
I tried to stay out of sight.
Great Grandson Cameron is getting taller every time I see him. Elizabeth and Danielle say he doesn't eat much.. but whatever he does eat.. it seems to be doing him a world of good.
Son in law, John Cole, had to rush off to a gig in Damascus (no, in Maryland, not the one in the Middle East). Later that night, he would also be playing in Westminster.
Grandson, Dylan, was working at his job and showed up as we were about to leave. He just received an Employee of the Month award. He'll be running the place someday. Right now, he needs to finish college. A degree will be a big help to him.
Grandson, Jackson, was working at his Panera Bread job all day. He is doing good at Catonsville Community College and has been selected for their famous LaCross team.
Enough..... I know.. I have forgotten to mention some folks and some activity.. but I need to get to another subject.
2. Doris Smith
I was completely surprised when I saw an obituary in this morning's Carroll County Times for Doris Smith. At first I thought that this was a different Doris Smith than the one I knew. She was 91 years old and in Carroll Hospice. How did that happen? I saw her at the October NARFE meeting and she looked great.. in fact I remarked on how good she looked. She seemed to be enjoying herself.
For a couple of years, I had my Carroll County Social Security Alumni Association Chapter meetings at Bullock's Restaurant.. in fact, they still carry us in their schedules even though we haven't met there for a number of months.
The group had great attendance for a few months, and then, like a lot of groups, attendance began to wane... why? one reason.. no trips any more. another: no problems to be solved; ... another: folks began to die off; another .. no way to do entertainment at Bullocks, etc etc. So, we didn't completely disband.. members just stopped coming and I did not pursue it, because there are lots of other more important things for people to think about. We probably will have a luncheon in the spring, and maybe that will be enough, because we definitely do not want to lose contact with each other.
However, there was one member who came every month without fail.. Doris Smith. Each month, I would get my 2 chicken legs and coffee and wait for members to show up. First a bunch, then, less and less.. until one day.. only Doris and I were there for a meeting. That was ok, because we could spend a lot of time talking about our Social Security experiences, and that was very pleasant. I told Doris that we were not going to meet again and she expressed a little sadness, because I think she enjoyed the contacts with her friends.
There was one thing bad that happened on that last meeting day. Doris drove herself and entered Bullock's parking lot via the wrong (but I think the safest) entrance. Unfortunately, a State Policeman had just finished lunch and he gave Doris a ticket.
I was looking forward to talking with Doris about my throwing an obnoxious person out of one of my TRIAD meetings...who just happened to be 90 years old too. (shame on me... but you had to be there.) I'll be going to Doris' funeral next Wednesday.
Farewell, Doris, good friend, I'm going to miss you.
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