Mom, Grandma, Georganna

When Grandma was sick and looking really bad, I kept reverting to a favorite, lasting memory and mental image: lying on her bed, surrounded by sister and brothers listening to her read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Magical. There's a similar picture in her 25th wedding anniversary collage, on Christmas, surrounded by her children, in pajamas, happy, fresh and eagerly anticipating the day ahead, too young to think of the years ahead.

There was the 50th anniversary quilt, above her bed; and her wedding picture on her dresser, along with a photo of Miles all of which we studied and analyzed and sent us off on mental tours as we sat with Grandma in her final hours, remembering happier times.

Once when she was asked what she did during her life, she said she raised five children. She did much more - vestry, volunteer, entrepreneur, activist, alumna - but that was all she said. This summer, at our get-together, she said more than once, "I can't believe they are all mine, that I am the matriarch of such a grand clan."

Right now, as I write, I am looking at a photo of that clan, at Mountain Springs. It's funny how it's all the mothers, including Grandma, that have the biggest smiles. What do they know that the guys, and the kids don't?

We wanted to wait for a memorial service so that as many of the grandchildren as possible could be there, to have enough advance planning. It will mean so much to her that we can all be together again.

We all have our special memories, and mental images. I hope you will write and share yours.

Love

Happy 2012

Sitting in Grandma's room, listening to a tv blathering on about Iowa and looking at cards from many folks and spirits rise when the photo of Miles comes into focus.

We rang in the New year with the Newfoundlanders, meaning at 11pm. We were with friends Cliff and Sheila and had spent the day cutting down trees and attending a fiddle concert.

We heard Janet welcomed the New Year with a bout of food poisoning. David and Paula were here in Meadow Lakes.

We certainly enjoyed our first Christmas in a clean and comfortable and warm house in Pittsfield. We saw John and Marilyn a couple of times and they had a houseful for the holiday. Dan and Kathleen came up one day and we went to Mass Moca (museum of modern art).

Mary is back at work today. And now Annie is back in China after a packed 9 days home; Margaret had to get back to DC the day after Christmas and we celebrated Joe's birthday a couple of days early because he also had some meetings down in DC.

We hear reports of everyone else but I'm a little reluctant to spread wild gossip and rumors. That was my resolution.

Here's a suggested resolution for anyone who needs one. Update Pops Weekly Letter with your news; just send an email to popsweeklyletter.dicksons@blogger.com.

Love from Grandma's room!

'twas the week before

Christmas!

We can imagine everyone's planning and preparing and baking and shopping and wrapping and ramping it up all around. I'm ready for a nap!

This photo was taken at the grounds of the Mormon temple outside Washington where they do an amazing light festival. One man said they start putting the lights up in August. Now that's planning ahead.

We went there last Saturday with Gerry and Dennis and then came home for dinner. Margaret and her friend Andrew dropped by Sunday after going to Pennsylvania for Andrew's family get-together.

Margaret told us Kathleen graduated, finishing her physician's asst program at Yale. Congratulations! Thats a lotta work! Mary talked to Dan who had a nice long visit in Colorado with Patrick.

Speaking of studies, Joe and Sean are finishing up their first semester exams! They'll be ready for a break.

I'm up at Grandma's and will be heading over to Newark this evening to pick up Annie and Joe! We'll come back to Hightstown for the night before heading north.

Grandma has opted to undergo a procedure next week for a feeding tube. That should help with her weight loss.

She sure appreciates the cards she's gotten. It's a highlight of the week for her.

Only a few more sleeps before Noel. Wishing every one a blessed Christmas. Love from down here!

It's Beginning to Feel

A lot like Christmas.  At least the weather.  Maybe the music, the decorations, the Advent wreaths.  We saw on Facebook that Paula was already baking her world-famous cookies.  And David was driving through a snowstorm when he called the other day.

Has anyone heard this year's worst Christmas song?  Margaret found this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txpdpWyY2x.  We're taking other nominations.

 

We're making plans.  Today, I'm heading north with a sleigh full of bags and equipment for Christmas week. 

 

On the way, I'll stop in and see Grandma.  She's having a medical meeting tomorrow, and Peter will be there as well.  Grandma has pretty much gotten over her bout with pneumonia - she's not coughing as much.  She had gone back into the hospital after feeling short of breath, but was released after a series of tests found nothing new, phew.  But she still has to build up her energy and breathing before she can go back to her apartment.  That's her goal!

 

Newsflash:  CLAIRE GETS HER LICENSE TODAY!  I can almost hear from here, the squeals of Claire's delight, then the squeals of the tires out the driveway, then a very different kind of squeals from the parents (with Daniel in the background figuring out how much longer he has to wait until he gets his.)

 

More routine news without any squeals:  Mary has been busy at work, with evaluations and reports and even a Christmas party here and there.  Her back is much, much better, which means she's back to her exercise routine.  Joe is heading into exam period; Margaret is well into her new job at the GW business school; and Annie is also busy with work.  She bought herself a new mask for the pollution which she says she is weasring everywhere.  Good!  I see from the Durban climate change talks that China is now the largest emitter.  Just a few short years ago when the meeting was in Montreal, it was us.  I see one thing hasn't changed, though:  we are still bearing the brunt of the criticism!

 

I am winding up my year of classes on the Old Testament.  I look back and know now first how little I knew about the Bible, and how much more there is to know.  Starting in January, we'll take up the New Testament!

 

Other than that, we've been watching football, we went to the Descendents (recommend) and playing "Ashokan Farewell" on the guitar to win a bet!

 

Love from down here and enjoy the season and the wait! 

Thanksgiving reports

We heard from many of you, flung far and wide, about your Thanksgivings.  A memorable one took place in Hightstown, with the Dundee Dicksons trekking all the way to spend the day with Grandma.  They arrived Wednesday and left Saturday morning and had several opportunities to visit Peter, Janet and Johanna.  Their plan to eat in the Meadow Lakes dining room with Grandma didn't transpire, but they did help Grandma with her turkey before heading back to her apartment for a new traditional meal: spaghetti.  We spoke with them several times during their journey and heard stories of Claire driving, of Daniel getting tall and Lur feeling a whole lot better.

We also heard that Peter and Janet had dinner with her cousin DeeDee and family.  Peter invited a couple of Princeton students and hosted Canadian friends from Vancouver.  Sean and Amanda were able to catch a train out for the event.

 

We understand David and Paula had a quiet day, as Paula was worried about attending a family gathering with her lingering cold.  Jeff and Melodie were going to head over to friends for the day.  We even got a call from Annie who had to work on Thursday, but was planning for a Thanksgiving dinner with friends over the weekend.

 

I headed up to Pittsfield with a car full of provisions on Tuesday, picked up Joe who had gotten the train out during the day.  He turned around and headed back to Boston to meet Tamara who came east from Ann Arbor to spend the holiday with us! Margaret and Mary drove up Tuesday night, through pouring rain and around the northeast corridor, and they managed to arrive by 1am, getting in just minutes before Joe and Tamara.  Everyone had Wednesday to recover and we had a grand feast on Thursday!

 

We saw John and Marilyn Friday, and they hosted Colleen and Cara and their families over for the big day.  Dan was out in Colorado, enjoying the holiday with Patrick.  And, we heard that Maura and Steve had a big family get-together at their home.

 

I'm sure there are other reports out there.  Why don't we all get together and do this in one place?  I know why.

 

In any event, I decided this was the Thanksgiving to debunk some myths. 

 

First, I realized it's a made-up holiday, not by the Pilgrims or Hallmark, but a conspiracy led by Shell Oil and the States of Delaware and New Jersey.  The revenue from gas and tolls by the stupid volume of cars on the road convinced me, this is not a normal way to spend a day off. 

 

Second, pumpkin pie is not good.  It's not sweet and the only reason we eat it at all is we think it's traditional.  It's not like the Pilgrims ate it!  And if it was so good, why don't we eat it on ANY OTHER DAY OF THE YEAR!  Also, what is the deal with canned cranberries? 

 

Third, this is a holiday akin to squirrels and bears putting on layers of fat before going into winter hibernation.  We therefore ought to call it like it is - Gettingfat Day.  You have to wonder how global warming is going to affect the food intake on this day if we don't need to pile it on for the cold.  

 

I suspect you all may have learned more truths about this holiday, as wonderful and unique a one as there is anywhere in the world!  It is our exceptionalism.

 

And I know what I am thankful for.  A wonderful family.  Love from down here.  

Turkey Day

Not enough food. There's still space to put more dishes!

Hope you all had enough to eat.

A banner day, a banner week!

I know Peter covered a lot of this below, but here's another take, another reinforcement.

Sitting with Grandma last Saturday, I realized she had had a banner day.  David and Paula were there, Johanna came by in the evening.  I had stopped by on my way back from Pittsfield.  A Meadow Lakes friend dropped by.  Aunt Georgia had called.  Net effect?  She was in good spirits, even though Princeton lost in football.  That meant she ate all the fruit on her plate and positively marched through physical therapy!

 

Then we all just found out that the Dundee Dicksons will be making the trek to be with her for Thanksgiving.  All this, after Paula had been with her for over a week, Jeffrey and Melodie had driven up and Peter had come by multiple times.  She is getting better.  It's slow and will take more time.  But it seems the best medicine of all is family.   Her cell phone is 609-651-3132.  Don't get discouraged if she doesn't pick up; it means she's either doing her needed physical therapy or she just can't locate the phone.  Try again later.  The calls are like medicine!

 

Poor Paula herself got sick while she was there helping out (heroically).  David came down on Saturday to get her home to where she could get her own rest and recovery.  

 

Big news from Dundee on the sports front.  Daniel's volleyball team won the state championship!  And he was named to the all-tournament team.  We hear he has a killer serve, as well as being a dominant force at the net.  It's a tense, stressful sport.  And, one which Claire is going to join a traveling team.  She won the "Most Improved Player" on her school's volleyball team.  I suspect this all came about because of the extra practice time in Pittsfield this summer.  That one game that lasted ten minutes must have pushed them over the top!  Seriously, that's great news. 

 

Other news from Dundee include babysitting Miles one night when Bill and Jen went to a concert.  He's growing!  And the back health out there seems to be improving. 

 

And Mary's back is getting better too.  It seems like she turned a corner recently, even if she still has a little more to go.  The proof is she sat through a whole movie (Moneyball) in the theater without getting on the floor halfway through to stretch.  It's a good movie, by the way.

 

I spent a couple of days last week in Pittsfield, winterizing the place.  That meant trying to find place to put outdoor furniture, lawnmowers and canoe.  And that means we're looking forward to getting a garage at some point in the next decade.  One the way back, after seeing Grandma, I hustled over to catch Princeton soccer and football games with Peter.  Lots of memories with children on those fall Saturdays.  Fun.

 

Margaret has landed a new job, so she will have a seamless transition since her company lost the funding for the project she had been working on.  She is going to be starting at GW Business School working on their Latin America programs.  Joe called to say he did not have an exam this week!  But he does have two next week, before Thanksgiving.  He'll be thankful that they're over.  And we had a nice long chat with Annie who is very busy at work with a big corporate pr event, today.  You can read about her getting robbed last Saturday night on her blog: http://3rdculturekidbetweenworlds.wordpress.com/  The picture of the city on her blog is her view (on a clear day) from her apartment.

 

Next week is Thanksgiving.  Time is flying.  Love from down here!