March 1st

This is not my normal time to write but at 1:09 AM I am still not able to fall asleep. Who knows why! I, uh, had an ordinary day and in the evening went for a two mile walk. We ate at Gordo's, came home, watched a little tv, I read and read and read and NOTHING! I don't get it. My legs get jumpy, I can't get into a comfortable position, I'm hot, my mind won't turn off, what is the matter with me? I'm plenty sleepy at 8AM. I have trouble getting up then, but I do. Marc can sleep anywhere, anytime. Don't I wish! Whatever.

Maia is three weeks old already, twice as old as when I last saw her. Alexis has posted the cutest pictures on her blog. I talk to her often and she is sounding better and peppier everyday. I think she is getting into a good routine with a two year old and a new baby. Gradually, she'll be able to even fit in hobbies, housecleaning, trips out to run errands...all the normal everyday stuff. It all takes time and practice.

Made an appointment with a cardiologist to discuss my arythmia. It drives me crazy. I'm trying to get to sleep and my heart keeps going ku-thump, ku-thump, ku-thump, kuuuuuuu- THUMP, ku-thump, ku-thump, kuuuuuuu-THUMP and so on. I know it' s not dangerous or life threatening but it really bothers me at times and combined with my slightly rapid heartrate, and higher than normal blood pressure, I thought I should at my advanced age of 56, almost 57, get it checked out.

I'm going to play a few games of solitare and see if I don't get sleepy enough to go back to bed. Ciao for now!

And then there were nine!

Maia Claire has arrived! She was in a great, big hurry coming four days early and giving her mother only 3 1/2 hours to get used to the idea that it was her birthday. Another beautiful grandaughter...Maia makes three in a row now, one every year for the last three years. I am so blessed! Maia is a gorgeous, raven-haired, lusty girl who seems (at least at this early stage) to have a very mellow demeneur. She seems quite happy to let her older sister be the "drama queen".

I got the phone call from Alexis at 5AM on Tuesday, the 8th, and was on the road by 6 headed to LA. I wasn't even halfway there when I learned that Maia had arrived. Though I was disappointed not to be there for the birth, I did get there in time to help with Sofia that afternoon and evening, and the next day until Alexis and Maia came home. And then I got to stay for another nine days! I did so love being with the family watching the new life unfold. There were lots of comings and goings. Geoff arrived; Geoff left; Erin arrived; Marc arrived; the Hillmans came to visit; Marc left; Erin left; Shelden and family arrived; I left. Through it all Alexis and Chris were gracious and grateful hosts happy to have so much family around them to share in this joyous event. I don't know that I would have been so mellow.

So now I'm home and I think about how their lives have changed with this new addition and I wonder who Maia will become, what she will look like in a year, two. It's all a mystery, the whole wonderful process and I am proud to be a little part of it. Happy Birthday, Maia! Love, Grandma

February, 2005

So one month done in 2005, but this month is going to be one of the best this year, I know. Alexis and Chris are due for their second baby in just 5 days though in the bet pool I said it's to come tomorrow, the 8th. I've got my bag packed to take off the minute I hear labor has begun and will try to keep Sofia happily occupied while Alexis and Chris work on pushing that new little bundle out into the world. We don't know whether it's a boy or girl (that hardly matters at all!), but we do know it's fair sized already, well loved already, and a welcome addition to the clan. I hope it's a boy. We need more boys in the family. Logan at age 13 has been the only one for long enough and after three grandaughters I'm ready for some little boy antics. Don't get me wrong. I love girls. I had three daughters and wouldn't change that for anything. I wanted all three of my pregnancies to be girls. I just felt I was better equipped to be a girls' mommy. But now that my daughters have become mommies I am perfectly comfortable being a boy's grandma. They are all so cute and loveable. I'm very proud of my girls and their children.

And then there are the other grandchildren that Marc brought along with him. Again, a boy and three girls. What a copy-cat! They are gorgeous and so special. I loved them immediately; they are open and loving and bright and challenging. It's a kick to talk to them and we miss them as they are not close by and we can tell by our phone conversations they are growing up daily without our being there. But they are good kids and their parents have done a great job, too. My fantasy dream is to have everyone close by, but my dream more likely to come true would be to buy a house or cabin or condominium where we could all meet for family gatherings and relax and play, eat and drink, have serious talks, or not. Someday...Marc and I are working on it.

We were in Lake Tahoe for the weekend and looked at a timeshare and it's a viable possibility to achieving that dream. It's a big step for us so we'll be cautious. Tahoe is beautiful this time of year and it's also beautiful in the summer and with this particular timeshare you have the option of exchanging with any of 1800 affiliate timeshares all over the world. That is very appealing. We both love traveling.

Watched the Super Bowl at my sister's with 8 televisions and thought it was an excellent game. I was rooting for the Eagles because Erin is in Philly and they gave the Pats a run for their money, for sure. When you aren't being asked to root for your favorite team (GO RAIDERS!), it's much easier to watch a game and be objective. I liked the half time show with Paul because he is of my generation and I grew up listening to the Beatles. All in all it was a great weekend. Next time I write, I'll fill you in on the latest grandchild. Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day to all lovers.

January 2005

Happy New Year! It has started here with a LOT of rain. SF area has about 50% more than its normal rainfall to this point but LA, WOW! Their normal for this time of year is about 3-4 inches. They've had over 20 ". Guess that could explain the mudslide in La Conchinta. My heart goes out to Jimmie Wallet. He lost his wife and three of his four daughters. The picture on the news of his family is beautiful and now it's just him and his oldest girl. Such a tragedy.
I've got the organizer bug. Well, it helps that I'm finally over my colds and illnesses, and it's after the holidays, but I didn't think I'd ever want to sort through that huge box of photos and put them in albums. I haven't done it for three years. There are pictures in there starting with my trip to Russia. This will be a challenge because I think there are pictures in there that belong to Shelden, Mama, Elaine, and Teresa, too. I probably won't be able to sort it all out, but now I want to try. It's sort of like cleaning out the brain. I have all these chores that I want to do and the ideas of them are rattling around in my brain. If I physically do them, then I can eliminate it from my mental list, too. Does that make sense? Anyway, if I sit here and type any longer, I'm going to get stuck to the chair so I think it's time to get a move on. Here's to cleaning out the cobwebs everywhere!

Boy, oh boy!

Christmas is almost here and I can't believe it! We are so fortunate here in CA to have this wonderful weather compared to the rest of the country. Marc's relatives in the Midwest are suffering through 5 degree weather and Erin has had warm torrential rains and now freezing weather. We sit here in Berkeley with 60 degree sunshine, no wind, no rain, no snow. In a way it is hard to get into the Christmas spirit because it is so anti-winter but we try. Marc and I got the house decorated with five trees, lots of garland, little collections of Santas and Angels and Xmas trees here and there. I've put candy all over the house (thank God cats don't eat candy like dogs would!) and the Christmas songs are playing on the radio. We are staying in tonight and will have some mulled wine and make homemade macaroni and cheese, maybe open a gift, and just revel in a wonderful life. Marc's sister Jo Ann has been here for three days from the Lake of the Ozarks. Last night we went to San Francisco, had a wonderful dinner at Jardiniere's, and then went to an Irving Berlin musical, "White Christmas." It was the perfect kick-off to the holiday week. Tomorrow, Christmas Day, we'll open another few presents, lolligag around and then head out to Shelden's to watch the Raider-KC Chiefs football game. What heretic schedules a football game on Christmas Day?! And who goes to these games, and who watches them on tv? Well, a lot of people, I guess. Let's hope the Raiders win. They did really good last game. So, Merry, merry Christmas to all and peace and love throughout the world. We can only hope.

Thanks giving

We just returned from our jaunt to LA to be with Chris, Alexis, and Sofia for turkey day. We drove down early Wednesday morning and arrived around noon. Traffic was minimal, exactly how we planned it. Lexi and Chris' new house is so much bigger than they've ever had and the possibilities are exciting. With their creativity and drive that house will be gorgeous in no time! Alexis looks pregnant (!); she should. She's 29 weeks along now. The baby moves endlessly. Sofia is "a leetle gul" as she puts it and is still a bundle of energy but very sweet and loveable and 99% potty trained. It was fun staying with them for a couple days and then moving on up the coast to do some sight-seeing. We stayed in Morro Bay Friday night, did a little Xmas shopping, stopped at San Simeon for a quick tour of Hearst's Castle, and then drove up Hwy. 1 past Big Sur (my favorite area in CA!) to Carmel for Saturday night. Carmel is as charming as ever. Marc and I both got Sofia's cold and are moving rather slowly but hey, what's the big deal? Better a cold between holidays then on holidays. I am grateful to be alive; to have a fabulous family including my new husband; to live in CA; to be American. What a lucky duck! Happy Holidays to All!

The second

Whew! It has been a rough week for the ol' clan. First Shealyn got sick, then Shelden, then Laurel, then Logan, then Susie, then Patrick, then Marc... Basic symptoms of up-chucking, intestinal distress, aching joints, fever, and milasse. Not everyone got every symptom but we each got enough to lay us low for a couple days. There is only one good thing I can think of to say about vomiting, diahrhea, and not eating for days. You lose weight! Three pounds in three days for me. Now you ask, why should I even be thinking of that? Hey, I'll take it wherever I can get it. That's pathetic but true. I don't want to get on this subject really but whenever a drug company comes up with a safe pill to take to get one's weight down to a tolerable level and still allow eating and drinking, I will be there to take it. I admit it. I like to eat; I like to drink; and lately I have had trouble keeping to a regular exercise routine because of the move, the wedding, the honeymoon, and then the plantar faciatis. Hey, that's another good thing that has happened since I got sick on Saturday! I've had to lay around and stay off my foot and it feels alot better. Maybe by next week I can start walking again. I got a new pair of running shoes with Marc's and La Foot's help and am anxious to try them out. Anyway, back to the weight thing...The only time I didn't struggle with weight was when I taught aerobics and did an average of nine classes a week. Now that's alot of calories burned. I'd have to guess that was an average of 3000 calories a week burned exercising. Wish I could do that again.
As you can tell I gave up the idea of no punctuation and no caps. It was too much effort on both sides of the blog, I'm sure. Erin has suggested that I consciously make an effort to write fairly often to get into the habit of it and I think she's right. It takes a little time but I am finding it fun to just have a stream of consciousness going and I feel like I'm actually talking to those of you who take the time to read it.
So, enough for now. I'm feeling ever so much better and ready to add back those three pounds at Thanksgiving Dinner at Chris and Alexis'.
Happy Thanksgiving to All and think peace. Boy, what a concept! A peaceful mind could bring a peaceful home, a peaceful city, a peaceful state, country, world. Oh, if it was only that simple!