Life Grants Us Gifts! I am a Grandmother!!! Woohoo:)

Wow! I am now the grandmother of beautiful Addilyn and beautiful Madeline! What a blessing to have these two. I am not even going to talk about their wonderful parents at this point - just the gift of grandchildren. So, the upshot [thank you NY Times] is that I am rekindling my love of sewing - which I haven't visited since my kids were in grade school and needed costumes for various events and Halloween. I LOVE sewing. 

Now, I have to update our Christmas stockings: Add 1 for Addilyn [decided NOT to buy pre-made ones but to match all those I made for our children and spouses] and 1 for Madeline as well as a few more because I feel there are more grandchildren on the way...time will tell. 

Here is Sarah's made in 1985

Passing of a Generation

Time to grow up. What a year. In Jan. of 2015 my father, Forest Harvey Montgomery passed away. Truly hospice is wonderful for the patient and the family. We felt like being hugged to the bosom of a wonderful aunt...soothed, educated, and blessed. Then in April of 2016 my mother, Alice Irene Bonnell Montgomery, suddenly [1 day into hospice] passed away. Again the bosom hug of hospice ...short but so necessary. Then in December of 2016 my last two Montgomery uncles: Junior Harold Montgomery and Donald Max Montgomery passed away. As Philip [only sibling] and I drove to Uncle Donnie's funeral in Peru, Indiana, we learned that Uncle Junie's funeral was held the day before. Uninformed - we missed the closure a funeral brings to family and friends. Lots of loss in these past few years.  Wonderful uncles! The four brothers served in separate branches of the service during WWII - all lovers of horses - all owners of horses in various capacities.

Not a secondary matter; however, I have also lost aunts uncles on our mother's side: Uncle Argel [Spud] Bonnell, Margaret Ann Bonnell Bechdol, Millie Bonnell Roth...

Now Phil and I are in our separate paths but connected through my family. He has gladly been a reader at each of the kids weddings: Anna and Adam, Zach and Elissa, Sarah and Sam, and Liz and Justin. There have been road trips from Indianapolis to Houston. Lately, Liz and I traveled to Houston to meet Philip's new friend, Melissa and her daughter, Chloe. Life goes on; yet, I remember Alice and Forest tenderly...Dad comes back through an engineer's train whistle; mom speaks to me through baking bread, cooking, and being a grandmother - my new fav experience. Life goes on - yes it does!

Still Reading Voraciously - Time Travel Fiction - OK Romance and Time Travel ;)

Latest Speed Read

So, yes, I finished the first two Game of Thrones books and taking a hiatus for awhile.  So my wonderful brother gifted me Finding Frasier via my Kindle. Lovely way to give books. I can just read on my phone or even transport 100 books on one device for travel reading. So the best experience to prepare for Finding Fraser is to read Books I and II of the Outlander series [yes, I devoured those too.]

How did we arrive at Finding Frasier? Well, I discovered Nicole Van's series House of Oak and shared those three books - again via Kindle - with my brother. Since there are four main characters, we have devoured the first three books in the series: Intertwine, Divine, and Clandestine and eagerly await the last with Jasmine etc. Has to be great.....Come on Nicole, please complete the last installment....summer of 2016, I believe. I savor the romance, the mystery, and, of course, the laugh at loud while on the elliptical machine moments:)

In addition, I launched into Anne Lamott's A Journal of My Son's First Son because I will be a grandmother for the first time in NOVEMBER 2015. I made my first practice crib/floor blanket and burp clothes for a niece's baby shower this month. Sorry -no picture but that will not happen again - the crib blanket is wrapped and delivered for a shower that happens when David [hubby] and I are in AZ visiting Zach and Elissa.

Kurt Vonnegut

               I love Kurt Vonnegut [Indiana grown] and this quote. Think on it. Have a great day!

Hair length quandary and Instagram

Okay, successfully deleted my "extra" Instagram account. It was [:( my first] not the most successful - my trial and error one. My second has lots of photos, a few videos, and seems to be more "me." 

Heading to the gym for the daily elliptical workout. I just need to tell my brain to switch out my eating habits for "less" not more. Brain training begins today!  I posted a pic of Anne Lamott's "Thoughts" photo taken from Real Simple magazine the August 2015 issue. The quote "Almost everything will work again fi you unplug it for a few minutes, including you." Good to know and practice.

Finishing up teaching my online Etymology class with the final exam July 23rd at Roncalli. Good kids and I am enjoying interacting with them.

Big decision today: let my uber short hair style go and work on a medium hair style. I like my stylist [we should all have one people]....and turning my vision over to her. 

The short summer "do" 

Game of Thrones - Obsession

My current obsession - I will always be reading - is Game of Thrones. I read the first book and immersed currently in Clash of Kings. Listening to an interview with a recent winner of a prestigious book award, I appreciated her statement that the best preparation to be a writer is to read. In an altogether different experience, I also love the House of Oak series. Just downloaded the third in this series and look forward to immersing my self in the romantic time travel experience yet again.

Off to have Fr Press coffee and steel cut oatmeal. Mmmm. Hoping to only do 2-3 things today....

Foray into the New Age of Retirement

Foray - let's suppose a new direction not necessarily the idea of a raid for purposes of plunder - So much to think about. David and I have multiple trips planned only the more recent will I disclose at this time. Having returned from Boston and the NOHO area of New Hampshire, we will leave next for Mesa, AZ, and attend our daughter-in-law's OT Masters degree graduation. Of course we plan to visit old friends [in both senses of the word "old" - yet none seem old to me] with dinners out, birthday celebrations, and Elissa's graduation. 

Then like "right now" Elissa and Zach head off to their adventure in Kent, WA. More on that later.