50 Things + 10, Part 1

Ra over at Rarasaur posted a 50 Happy Things post that I truly loved. I thought it was a good idea and so I decided to do one, but you know…the holidays…!

So this is part one of my 50 Things post, which I will try to do an extra 10 as I turned 60 on December 25, so I am upping the number! I’m doing it in parts because it’s long and I want people to read it so…little chunks!

Family

This year, my family has made me happy. They usually do but this year brought more happiness. (1) Anderson has made me the happiest grandma in the world every day. This year he started school. He still loves to come over here and when he’s here, he always wants a “sleep over” which isn’t always doable because of school (I am not getting up at 6 to get him up and get him dressed then drive him to school…no, been there; done that…my turn is over). (2) Spencer is a crack up. He is so much like his mommy was at that age. He is speech delayed. We only understand about 15% percent of what he tries to tell us. His mom was the same. Hopefully that will be addressed in 2016 as he will be getting evaluated by the speech therapist in the local school district. In the meantime, he knows we won’t understand him so he comes to us, takes us by the hand and takes us to what he wants. (3) Tina is such a good mommy. Sometimes she astounds me by the mommy-smarts she displays and it shows in the boys! (4) Susie is my baby. She’s 25 and lives far away, in California. Although I miss her, I take pride and joy in the fact that she is showing her strengths and abilities to live alone and be productive. She’s doing it and doing it right! (5) Tony. He’s my oldest and has always been my rock. He grew up pretty fast when his dad left home, leaving him to be the “man of the house” even though he was only 10. This year he was faced with a really tough decision at work. He felt overworked and underpaid and not happy. So after ten years of working for that Internet Shopping Giant (the one with things from a to z) he decided to quit. So he is newly unemployed but not too rushed to find a job as he has a cushion and has already had several offers without applying any place! He does his job well even when he doesn’t like it. I think his job prospects are good…better than good. And this coming year, will bring a (6) new baby boy to him and his beautiful wife, (7) Sarah. Sarah has been wonderful about backing Tony up in his decisions about work.

Then there is (9) my mom. She has beaten cancer at age 83. She is a fighter. I always knew she was strong but didn’t realize how strong. (10) My dad died in May. I’m not happy that he did but I am happy that he is no longer suffering; no longer in pain. And I am happy that in the final days he was alert and aware of the comings and goings of family. He and my mom, separated since 1974, have had a very bitter relationship but in the final days, they were able to mend that with apologies and mutual understanding. (11) My older sister, Sylvia lives with my mom and takes care of her. It’s not the best situation but she is there to take my mom to appointments and make sure she takes her medicines and that she is awake in the morning. She allows the rest of us that bit of peace of mind that my mom is not alone. It wears on Sylvia and she is not in the best of health herself, including mental health, but she does what she can.

Numbers 12 and 13 would go to Chris and Perry which are the significant others of my daughters. They make my girls happy. They, mostly, take care of them. And they help me too, when they can.

Okay, I think I’ll stop Part One here. Part Two will come shortly and will be more interesting. Maybe even some humor?!