Why Am I Confused?

Last year on my 79^th birthday, my grandkids surprised me with a 29^th birthday party. With the Thanksgiving break on the dates it is this year, our families were not able to be here last Saturday, but I had an abundance of cards, calls, and Facebook good wishes from them and others.  I could tell from the size of  Jeannie’s card that she had likely purchased the card especially for me, so I opened it expectantly. What to my wondering eyes should appear but a big happy wish for my 90^th birthday.  Inside she explained that she chose that one because the verse on the 80^th card was too boring.  What with the deteriorating strength and weakened mind that comes naturally with the aging process, no wonder I live confused.  But my age is somewhere between 29 and 90 if I have it figured correctly.  Mary Ellen invited us over for a birthday supper, but we had already made plans, so we took a rain check on that. 

Gerald and I took early leave of the farm so I could go by Katherine’s and process her meds for the coming week and he did some errands  before he picked me up for our evening together to celebrate. We ran by to see what was on at the theater since there are no longer ads in the area newspaper, but we did not see anything that looked interesting to us, so we marked that off our list and relaxed knowing we had plenty of time to shop for a toy apiece to wrap for the three great grandsons for Christmas.

After our shopping expedition, we went to Red Lobster for a very nice dinner and relaxed in those quiet surroundings.  I judge restaurants partly on the noise level, and this one is pleasant enough to carry on conversation.  I also judge a restaurant on how sparkly their water glasses are and how pretty they looked with ice.  And our water was served just right.

 Gerald  had asked me what I wanted as a gift, and the truth is I need very little these days. I could not think of a thing bought at a store. (I have some books that I would like from used book places, but that is too complicated to explain to someone else.) Already too many gifts take up storage space at our house, and my closet needs decluttered, not added to. (This is because if I like a garment, the fact that it is 20 years old does not make me dislike it.  Maybe some items have gone out of fashion, but since I do not follow fashion, I don’t know nor worry about it.)

 However, when I was at the shop for a haircut, Stefeny was expressing satisfaction with a new hair straightener, and I realized my ancient curling tool had died this week.  So I had her order me a new one, and told Gerald he had given me my birthday gift.  So I was not expecting another gift, but when we arrived back home,  he surprised me with a gorgeous flower arrangement in fall colors that looks so good on the brown cloth on the dining room table. 

Gerry and Vickie and Geri Ann came in  from Georgia around midnight that night after we were already in bed.  Gerry had instructed us to leave the door unlocked and the light on and we did.  The next day when I came home from church,   I started to make a big pot of chili    for whoever might be showing up.  But Vickie said she’d make the chili later and that we were invited to go to lunch with them as they were taking Vickie’s mother Shirley to lunch. No lunch clean-up sounded good to me. Then after leaving Texas at 4 am, Erin met up with us in town.  Gerald rode back to the farm with someone,  and I  went on to Katherine’s house. Bryan and Tara with their three little guys—Aidan, Maddux, and Payton—arrived  from Georgia that evening, and I hope they enjoyed that yummy chili as much as I did went I got home after midnight.

Not knowing about the huge pot of chili, Mary Ellen had brought over one of her delicious meat loafs when she dropped in to visit the Gerogia bunch, so Gerald and I enjoyed that today at lunch. Everyone else had gone to town to meet friends and Gma Shirley, so along with the meat loaf, I tried to use up small bowls of veggies to get the kitchen fridge ready for the next influx of company before Thursday’s feast.   I am not sure who will be sleeping where.  Erin is at Gma Shirley’s or else her cousin Sarah’s, but if the couches run out here, we may have to use an air mattress or two.  We have done that before.

My pumpkin and pecan pies are in the freezer since I made them last week, and the frozen turkey is thawing in the little fridge in the garage.  I still have some last minute grocery shopping to do, however. And I must ask someone to expand the kitchen table  and get the little folding tables from the front closet set  up. Thanks to Gerald,  I do not have to think about a Thanksgiving arrangement.