Forever Weekend Farm: November 2011

The Forever Weekend Farm Blog has become my personal journal of our family's history and memories. Every time I sit down to post notes and add pictures to a blog entry I think of my Pop O, and how he would love that I am still writing. He'd be fascinated at the technology I use now to write. From the time I can remember he always encouraged me to read, write, research, and create. I have wonderful memories as a little girl sitting in his lap and reading the Philadelphia Enquirer and The Evening Bulletin newspapers. He taught me all the sections of the paper and I loved listening to him read the news to me. I would help him do the daily crossword puzzle, (or so he let me believe). We would always read the Funnies, but my favorite was a kids section in the paper where you could send in a question to the editor, and if yours was chosen it would be published in the paper with the editor's answer. Pop and I would sit together and dream up questions we hoped would get published. I would write them down in my best penmanship and we would fold them up business-like, tuck them in a long envelope and mail them to the paper.
My Pop was a proofreader for Ayers Publishing Company and I believed he was the smartest man ever. I guess because he spent his work days reading, his head was full of interesting facts and stories. And he could get his hands on all the learning resources you could imagine. He brought me an atlas, and gave me my first Thesaurus. He sincerely made me believe I was good at every thing. He made me think I was a shining star and I loved impressing him with my poems, drawings, and stories.

My grandparents lived close enough to me that I saw them several evenings a week and all the holidays. I would wait at the bay window of our living room watching for Pop to drive up with my Nana in their white winged Chevy Bel Air. My Pop would step from that shiny, red car with a folded newspaper tucked under his arm. He always walked around to the other side and opened Nana's door and helped her out. Once in the house, I could not wait for him to finish the normal pleasantries he shared with my parents and three little sisters so he could invite me to sit with him and read the newspaper. Imagine our excitement when one night he opened and folded the pages back to our section and there it was- in beautiful bold print- my name and my question. -"Why do we have fingernails?" Sent in by Donna Osler. I was published! We read it aloud over and over and over - me sitting on his lap, his arms folded around me as he held the paper in front of our faces. I remember my Pop's proud words, the glorious smell of printed ink, and reading that tiny print over and over. I was dizzy with fame that night. For twenty-five years My Pop made me feel smart, important and loved.

Oh, the power of a grandparent!

Remembering my grandparents quiet influence, unconditional love, and the positive support I received all those years makes me thankful they were in my life. My Nana & Pop were my greatest cheerleaders. My Nana taught me to sing, knit, sew, and make a pound of ground beef into a week of delicious meals. My Pop listened to me, read to me, and took me on endless circles of pony rides. Even as an adult they were there to lean on. They traveled to Tallahassee several times a year while I attended college at FSU. They'd sleep at my college duplex, tune up my truck, fix my bike, buy me treats, and rake the leaves on my little lawn. They knew all my college friends who crammed into my house for Nana's home cooking. At night I would lay my head in Nana's lap on the couch and she would rub my face while Pop would read the Tallahassee Democrat to us. They were my greatest comfort. I shined under their oohs and aahs.

Oh, the power of a grandparent!

Soon I will have an important and powerful position in another being's life.

Yes, I am soon to be a grandparent!

Conor and Meghan will bring Baby G into our world on approximately April 10, 2012.

I cannot wait to rock and sing, listen and read to, ooh and aah, and just hold that new shining star!

I hope I am as grand in this little one's life as my Nana & Pop were in mine.

Oh, the power of a grandparent!

MY SISTER'S VISIT
Kim, Donna, Ruth and Jerren on seawall at Farmer's Market

Ruth and Kimi came for a visit last weekend. I am happy to report Ruth's arm looked good for what she has been through. She broke her arm in a bike accident in March (compound break in 3 places) and it did not heal correctly. For months she has been in pain and unable to use her arm, so she was operated on in September. She had a metal plate put in with 11 screws. Kim has been taking wonderful care of her since the operation. She stayed two weeks with Ruth at her house in Gainesville and Ruth stayed one week in Orlando at Kim's house. Kim is making sure Ruth follows doctor orders and does not use the arm at all!! This picture was taken at the weekly Ft. Pierce Farmer's Market. Jerren and Pat's condo is across the river in the background. We are drinking fresh squeezed lemonade and limeade.
Yes, Jerren and Pat are now Fort Piercians.

Tadpole fell in love with Ruth and spent a good deal of time in her lap.
Well, actually it was her Egyptian cotton PJs that he loved
and after 2 days she was ready to get him out of her lap!

Joe took this picture for me at the art show a few weeks ago. It was a Calendarartist Show.
It was a wonderful display of all 36 artists's eight 5X7 original work made for the calendars.