Too Many Books

So, the first part of this TMI will be scary/sad. Don't get weepy. It turns out okay. As you know, I love and adore my almost-86-year-old Grandma, who lives about two hours away from me. She had hip replacement surgery a few weeks ago and was moved to the hospital's rehab unit a few days later. All was going well, until amost two weeks ago on a Sunday night, when my mom got the call that she had been completely unresponsive for over 45 minutes. (All her vitals were okay, but she wouldn't respond to painful stimuli -- like a sterum rub, which supposedly hurts like hell.) (EKG, EEG, all that were normal. A stroke was ruled out. But still.) My whole family RUSHED to Bloomington to be with her that night, fearing the worst. Our fears were 100% justified because she claimed that while she was "out" that she saw the pearly gates! She's all, "Let me tell you how you go; I'm at peace about it; line the box with pink and put me in my pink robe; I'm...

I miss the days when my Mammaw used to come down to Louisville, Kentucky for a week in late December. I miss her sitting in the rocking chair at my mom and dad's house drinking her coffee in her deep purple robe and matching slippers. Despite missing the way things used to be, I am mostly just thankful to still have her in our lives, even if we have to go visit her these days. She refuses to move from Indiana to Kentucky to be closer to us, even though my mom is her only child. I guess I know who passed on the stubborn gene to me. The little one in the middle is my four year old niece, Carley. She is currently obsessed with that GAP kids commercial, you know, "We want comfy sweaters!" and "How cute are these boots?!" Clearly, I'm getting her a sweater and cute suede boots (with tassels!) for Christmas, and I'm going to learn the song in the commercial so we can perform it together on Christmas Day. (Formal Attire/ Officially Retired!... I've got a...

Where's this snow the weatherman talked about? Today there's nothing but a cold December rain here in Louisville, Kentucky. I'm supposed to be cleaning the house and wrapping my grandmother's Christmas gifts, as we are leaving for Bloomington, Indiana in a few hours. So far this morning, I have puttered around facebook, caught up on my google reader, smoked four cigarettes, and had two diet cokes for breakfast. Oh, I started a load of laundry. I'm on task! My husband is working -- he'll finish up around noon thirty -- and when he gets home at 1:00, I plan to be packed (and have him packed) and showered and ready to go, and I'll inevitably stamp around as he sits on the couch and takes forever to claim that he is ready to leave for our road trip. This is how we operate when preparing for travel. If we're going to visit my side of the family, like today, he won't be ready to go on time. If we're going to visit his side of the family -- well...