2Homes*2Lives

Evan is the second of our grandsons (Jake's little brother). He is just finding his footing and is so sweet and innocent. He's not huggy unless his teeth are bothering him or he just woke up. And he is independent and adventuresome. Something tells me he may be the one to have the artist ability passed on in him. A little charmer.

We visited my mother who is 86 and living in a care facility in our homestate this last weekend. Took the grandsons up to see her. Most of the time there she didn't seem to know us as she didn't really bond in her usual manner. When I hugged and kissed her good-bye she did not respond as she has before with some comments. It's hard seeing her fading mentally. She looks good physically, eats well and they take good care of her, but I wonder if it is fair to her that she lives that way. Of course, I want her with us as long as we can have her selfishly because I won't want that day to come when we must part. But it's still hard saying goodbye to her mind and the essence of who she was to all of us. I am glad that we've had a chance to show her how much we love her and to understand what aging is like at the end and how much dignity she gives to even that.

A niece is enduring heartbreak and having gone through it in my youth I know that it literally feels like a hole in your heart. How to trust those you confided in and trusted. Once you have been so open with another human being and they turn their back on you, it's a door slammed in your face. A new road has to be taken and it redirects your life. I've learned that the new roads are the ones you should be on, to lead your life another direction (because I believe God has a plan for each of us), but it does not make the pain any less intense. I admire my niece for facing it headon and making steps to move beyond it. Say a prayer for her, will you? When more than one comes together in prayer, as the saying goes, miracles happen.

Four of my high school girlfriends came to the cottage the last weekend there. Two who could not come sent regrets...Peg and Carol (she sent the most beautiful spray of flowers!). They went to Mackinac Island, but otherwise hung out at the cottage and a couple of towns nearby. There is something about being with females you have grown up with as they know you inside and out. Or so it seems. I realized when we got together how many years we had been apart and for some strange reason shared some scary incidents in my life that just kind of came out of my mouth without intending to... Jake, Beth and Bob were there...I had thought I would be able to spend all the time with the girls on the weekend, maybe next time we are together. We named it the second annual Julie's Weekend because she hosted the first one in our hometown and has since died from cancer. We felt her presence with us, as well as those of other girlfriends though. We were a fairly cohesive group of about a dozen gals ba

Somehow I had the mistaken thought that I would have more time to post onto this blog at the cottage, but the truth is I have less time all around now. We replaced two country couches Bob bought at auction a couple of years ago for a paltry $25 . Now we have a leather couch and love seat with 4 recliners in them...makes it like a movie theatre. The couches blend with our hated mustard and brown carpet from the previous owners. Next summer, after 15 yrs. of living with it, we hope to replace it and all the walls with pine. Then Bob found a neighbor willing to sell almost new snowmobiles, so that shot the furniture buying! We did, however, find a great antique dealer eager to sell and for under $500 bought an entire bedroom set for our daughter. It's shown here in a back bedroom where we also installed two new windows. The old windows were nothing more than single panes of glass framed in...that's the way they did things in the old cottages. Bob also put in a new stove top (we a