December '09

December started out in a funk. We had just had Jeff's funeral and buried him. My life is somehow smaller than it was because of it. I need to put something else in the place where he was, and I don't know how. Of course, in December Avery Danielle was born! That actually trumped everything else, good and bad that could have possibly happened. Karie did well, and that's something to be thankful for. So, Amy has her girls and both in good shape. There could be nothing in the world better than that for us. The day after Thanksgiving, Calysta and I brought my little 3' Christmas tree down from the upstairs closet where it lives (decorated and lighted). We put it in the front window. She chose a few other Christmas things she wanted to bring down and we did that too. That was a fun day for her and me too. Christmas Eve we were expecting Jennie and her family to be here for the holiday. We were visited by a historic cold and snowstorm. So, the W's stayed in a little town 35 miles south of us, safe and warm as they should have been. They made it up Christmas morning--when we had our aebelskivers together. Later on Calysta came over and we had present opening--and aebelskivers-- again. It was a very good time. So, as it turns out, many things transpired during 2009, some good, some great, some bad, some terrible--altogether probably an average year--except for Buttercup coming. We'll be going this month to visit Karie and her little Buttercup! --a new generation--I'm still trying to wrap my head around that.

November '09

I have to say, it's really difficult to write a post every single day. I was going to try to get through last year by doing a rough summary of a month every day. Sheesh. November was dreadful. It started out great. We went to Arizona to see Eric graduate from the University of Phoenix. After that, we went to the Grand Canyon to fulfill an item on our "Bucket List". However, while we were there, we got word that my young brother, Jeff, had died suddenly in Texas. What terrible news! When I look at our pictures from the Grand Canyon, I just remember how lonely and lost I felt that Jeff had died. It's strange that I should have felt lonely, as I was surrounded by people, but a real niche in my life--the one my brother had filled--was empty. I still miss him, and I'm sure I always will. I remember his asthma-filled nights when he was little and we lived in San Diego. I was so afraid he would die--he was very sick with it. After he stopped having attacks, I just always assumed he would outlive me--he was 10 years younger, after all. I didn't even see him that often, but I knew he was there, and he might call me, or I might call him and we would renew that connection easily. It's a big loss, and not only for me, but for the whole family, too. Thanksgiving was OK. I made dinner; Mark and Calysta came over, as did Bobby's son Ricky and also Destiny. Her family had gone to the other grandparents' home, but she stayed home and came to our house. Mark helped prepare our dinner, and I enjoyed that. Altogether it was a good day... ...but a pretty dreadful month.

October '09

Well, the thing about October is that Bobby was getting better and better. He finally was able to walk around without his cane--it's hanging on a hook in the bedroom where it has been since. I worked a day training to do patient charging at the clinic where I signed up to do occasional part-time work. After that, we couldn't get together and I didn't work again until December--sweet. Toward the end of the month, Bobby's short-term disability ran out and he decided not to have it extended, but to return to work. So, on the 27th, Monday, he went to work. He went to his HR office and did the paperwork to get back to work. Then he went out to the shop and talked to his boss. The boss said he didn't have much for him to do--they had had a lay-off while he was out and lots of folks were gone. He went around a while longer and finally said, "Never mind, I'm going home." The boss said he thought that was smart; Bobby went back to the HR office and told them to cancel the paperwork--he was retiring. He was home before lunch -- RETIRED! It was a great day!

September '09

September was all about Bobby recuperating from surgery. He couldn't walk very well, so we got him a cane--that helped a lot. He was in quite a bit of pain down his leg--he was wondering where the advantage was in having the surgery in the first place--there were days he could barely get to the kitchen from the bedroom to eat breakfast. As time passed, he began to feel better. He told his doctor he was questioning the wisdom of having the surgery and was told that it would take longer than 3-4 weeks. He was also told that he was progressing well, even though he still had a lot of pain. That was some comfort to him. Not too much happened to me directly. I was just really enjoying not having to get up and go to work every day. I was sewing and cooking a lot. mmm

August '09

August was a wonderful month. I retired; I had visits from Amy and Christy who live far away--including their boys; Calysta and I spent a week in Houston with Amy; we took the train back to Norman from Ft Worth--an adventure! It was also a troubling month. Bobby had surgery on the bulging disc in his lower back; he convalesced at home for several weeks afterward; he had to use a cane to get around for a while--we weren't sure he would ever be able to walk very far without his cane...

July '09

July was a fairly eventful month, mostly for unpleasantness. For Bobby, it was a lower lumbar disc bulging, as we found out--it was encroaching on the spinal column and the resulting pinch in the nerve was sending immense pain down his left leg. He could barely walk. By the end of July, he was unable to complete a day's work, and went to work one day, turned around and came home. He arrived about time for me to leave for my work--the hospital--so I took him to the ER there. By the end of the day, we knew he wouldn't be back at work any time soon. His MRI showed the bulge in the L5 disc, and our family doc referred him to a neurosurgeon. Yikes! Surgery was scheduled for mid-August. I was eager to get retired, and had started really looking forward to two daughters coming (Amy and Christy). They wanted to give me a retirement party and actually having them come was the best part of my month--just thinking about it.

June '09

In June I'm sure I was thinking about my grandfather Ralph Beaman, Flag Day, and the cemetery where he's buried in San Diego overlooking the swan pond. "Gramps" was buried on Flag Day, his favorite holiday. It was in 1963. Scott was born in June 1970, so he would have been 39 last year. Last June I was on the countdown to retirement.

May '09

In May last year, my weight got a little low and it just happened that I was at my doctor's office where I was told that I really should keep my weight above 125. Well, I decided not to follow that exactly, but instead to keep it between 120 and 125--and I have done that. The main thing I remember about May was that I went to Arizona to see Jared and Ragan's graduations. They both looked great in caps/gowns and, in Jared's case the cowl. Mark and Calysta came with me in a rental car. I think I really like that mode of travel. It was a great trip and I enjoyed seeing the Arizona contingent of the family. I was getting "short-timer's" disease at work--it was really hard to concentrate on anything. One thing: in March my boss was fired--they eliminated her position--and from then on, there was little to no stress at work. Not too bad for the last few months! In May, I gave my resignation so they could post my position for replacement. That felt wonderful. I guess all in all, May was pretty good.

April '09

Last year in April our friend died. I was at work when I got the email telling our group of friends that he was gone. It seems that every memory I have somehow has a component of me being at work. April was also the month my younger brother, Jeff was born. I also had a baby (Wendy) in April. So, I guess for me it was a month of comings and goings. I guess it was a pretty eventful month--good and bad--and WARM. I can't wait for warm this year!

March '09

Last year I was thinking about Grammy being gone for a year. It made me remember the loss I felt when she died, not only of my mother, but also of her mother. Losing loved ones is a difficult life event, and one would think that after much experience with it we would get better at it. Not so... In March I hadn't yet learned that the generations would shift by the end of the year...and of course, I had only 5 more months until I would retire! I thought that would be the big news of the year--I didn't yet know I would have a darling Buttercup. In March I was planning to go to Arizona for Jared and Ragan's graduations.

February '09

Last February was all about Nana's diamond. Daddy brought it up to Norman and I had it mounted in a beautiful setting reminiscent of Nana's ring that I first saw as a little girl on her finger. I was six months away from retirement and wondering if the time would ever arrive.

January '09

Well, what I remember most about last January is that I could finally say, "I'm going to retire this year!" It was music to my ears every time I said it--which was fairly often, as I recall. The winter was mild and I felt as though we had dodged the big cold bullet. Although we had some storms and icy roads, they were generally short-lived. As the month ended and the last of the winter storms had passed, I realized that I would never have to drive to work again in ice and snow. It was a wonderful thing. Bobby turned 67 toward the end of the month, but still didn't really want to retire. He noted that his usual winter maladies--sinus infections, sore and scratchy throat, congested breathing--had not materialized. He felt that it was due to the mild winter. He had started having trouble with sciatic pain running down his left leg. It's a long time ago, and by now not important, but that's what I recall about January 2009.

Wrap-up

So, I read in Jenna's blog that everyone is doing a summary or wrap-up of the year just past. I hadn't thought of that. I'll make an attempt, but really, I barely remember what happened last week... Now, what was I saying? I'll take this up tomorrow for sure.