A visit with my Grandmother (pt 2)

Who knew 11 days after my visit with my Grandmother that yesterday God would call her home.

I'm so glad that I went to visit her one more time. I'm so glad I got to see her smile one more time. I'm so glad I got to hear her laugh one more time. I'm so glad we got to reminisce one more time. I'm so glad she was in my life.

Thanks Grandma for always loving me like only a Grandma could. Thank you for caring when it seems no one else did. Thank you for good advise I didn't always want. Thank you for listening when no one else could hear me.

Thank you for wonderful memories that no one can take away. I'll miss you !

Real Men Wear Pink

Yes, I wore pink socks to the gym this morning.

I did laundry yesterday and washed several pair of my own gym socks but do you think I could find them this morning...NO! I can't imagine where they went. I folded and put everything away of mine that I washed but the sock were no wher to be found.

Fortunately I washed Lori's socks so grabbed a pair of hers and out the door I went.

Good thing it wasn't my underwear that I lost!

Our dog is driving me crazy!

I think our dog is border-line ready for the looney bin today. He has no peace today and is driving me insane right alongside him. I've been home all afternoon with him. Yeah, just me and the dog!

I've been doing various things. I mowed. I trimmed some shrubs. I did some laundry and some various other inside household chores. I should have stuck to outside work. The dog has done nothing but pace since I came in the house. Pace or walk in circles. What makes it eve worse is he is basically blind, so he ineveitably continuously walks into something as he continues to traverse around from room to room.

I went upstairs to do some ironing. I had been ironing for maybe 5 minutes when he just started randomly barking. He was barking because he thought he was in the house alone. The minute I came down and said something to him he stopped. I couldn't stand to hear him continue to bark so I took him upstairs with me.

Maybe 30 minutes later we came down and I fed him. It was may be 15 minutes earlier than he's used to eating but I figured it wouldn't hurt. While he was eating I took some other clean laundry upstairs. While I was upstairs he finished eating and started barking again until I came back down to the main level.

I decided to have some dinner so I made a sandwich and sat down to eat it. Remember I said I fed him a little earlier than usual. While I was eating he sat and stared at the laundry room where his food dish is at. When I finshed eating I noticed he'd disappeared. I went into the laundry room and he was standing in front of his dish looking straight down. Although he'd already been fed I dumped a small scoop into his dish as I didn't know what the dork was expecting. Soon after that he started his meandering around the house again, banging in to this and bouncing of that.

It was really nice outside so I decided to take my laptop out on the patio and do some journaling. I took the freaky dog out thinking maybe it would be good for him to get outside for a while. The pacing didn't stop. He know just had a bigger space to pace. Back and forth, back and forth across the patio through the grass. It started thundering in the distance so I decided to come in. "Pacer Dog" had decided to walk past my lawn chair and when I got up he was all tangled in my power cord. Arrgggghhh!

We came back in the house and thin incessant pacing and wandering continued. How long can this go on? I think he's going to make me as 'looney toons' as he is before the night is over!

A visit with my Grandmother

I went to visit my Grandmother Sunday. She's in a nursing home. I think she's going to be 95 in December. I walked into her room which is much like a double occupancy hospital room. She's so frail these days. I'm not sure if or when she is even able to get out of her bed. She recognized me a first, by my voice. I got her glasses for her but I'm not sure even then if she could see me. It wasn't long before our conversation started getting a little fuzzy. I realized after a couple more comments that she thought I was my aunt's son and had to remind her who I was. It was but a brief moment of reality until she got me confused again with my cousin.

My aunts and uncles had recently put her house up for rent. She was lucid enough to know about that (as she brought it up). I think it made her sad. We reminisced about some of the fun times we had there. She smiled as we spoke about times on her patio in the summer and family gatherings.

I was thinking about my visit with her today. I have to be honest in saying that I don't go visit her very often. I should be a better grandson than I am. I'm hopeful that the visit was helpful to her. My thoughts of our visit reminded me of a song by Richard Marx called "Silent Scream".

Twenty four and he believes for sure he's got it made
Fame is here for good and looks will never fade
He doesn't knowThe game is never over 'till the cards have all been played

Eighty three and still he feels his best is yet to come
He believes that youth is wasted on the young
He's alone
The only dream he ever has is being with someone

Love you when you're standing tall,
But nobody knows when you when you're falling
All you have to do is call,
But nobody ever hears the silent scream

Christmas came and went again but still nobody came
Staring at her wedding photo in a frame
She's alone
We should hope the loss of memory helps to ease the pain

Love you when you're standing tall,
But nobody knows when you when you're falling
All you have to do is call
But nobody ever hears the silent scream

Memories, moments you recall
We should be remembered for the greatest of them all
You can't begin to live someone else's life
Or you're own will pass you by

Oh, who's to know
Maybe we can learn a thing or two from everyone

Love you when you're standing tall,
But nobody knows when you when you're falling
All you have to do is call,
But nobody ever hears the silent scream

Richard Marx

Lonliness can paralyze anyone. My Grandmother has no phone. She didnt even have a television. Her visitors are few. Nobody ever hears the silent scream.

Josh is a college graduate!!!!

We just got back from an amazing trip to Orlando Florida to see Josh graduate from college. Not just any college, but his dream college, Full Sail University. Full Sail University has built a reputation as one of the premier media arts schools in the world. Throughout the entertainment industry, Full Sail graduates have made their names working on award-winning films and albums, acclaimed video games and design projects, live productions, working inside major media companies, and more. Full Sail's Show Production & Touring Degree Program covers everything from the rigors of life on the road to sound, video, and lighting design for live production. Josh has earned a degree in SHOW PRODUCTION and TOURING.

This is Josh receiving his diploma

and the line up of all of his instructors....

There were five different groups/degrees graduating Saturday. Each group and their instructors voted for one graduate in their group to receive an Advanced Achievement Award. This award represents the person whom they feel best represents their area of expertise, who is likely to succeed and be the first to find employment in their field. Josh was the recipient of the Advanced Achievement Award for the Show Production degree. In addition to the degree, he was asked to give a brief speech during the ceremonies.

Josh's girlfriend also graduated with a Show Production degree.....here are some candids of Josh and Alyssa at graduation....

and of course the graduate with his VERY PROUD PARENTS !

CONGRATULATIONS JOSH