Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes...

*Nina is married. Her last name is McConnell, which is very syllabically pleasing to the ear. Her inlaws are wonderful.

*She and her cute husband, Levi, used Target gift cards to buy groceries. Yes! She's learned to be practical.

*Anna has moved into Nina's "suite" of rooms. Posters of Jersey Shore and Men in Black have replaced Michael Jackson and Heath Ledger's frightening Joker face.

*Gunder wants to know when he can move into Anna's old room. And he's getting tall and I could swear I smelled B.O. on him the other day. *sob*

*My mom has dementia and I have eaten my weight in chocolate in the past six months.

*Which now makes me weigh a lot more.

*I look like Marie Osmond before Nutri System.

*I adore books but also love my Kindle. That makes me fickle.

*I read Soule Mama's blog and get teary. I want to restore a little old farm in Maine. With sheep I can shear and use the wool to knit my family sweaters. And possibly pants.

*I regret not keeping a better journal when my girls were little. I blinked and they grew up.

*Kitty is likely on her way to the executioner soon. She's old, and the smell of cat urine on Mark's clothes was the last straw. I told him he's not allowed to pay Levi to cap her in the head, quick and painless though it might be. I also told him he's not allowed to take her up to Huntsville and just let her loose. I called the Humane Society... Drat. She's my first real pet.

*Moving into life's next season...grown kids (well, minus the 7 year old), picking the writing career back up and fully dusting it off, taking on editing clients and loving my career. The day after the wedding, Mark wrote on my white board, "Round 2."

*Round 2 indeed. Pulling up my bootstraps. (Whatever the hell those are.)

9 comments:

Kathryn S said...

Been there with the dementia, my friend. And am also dealing with an old kitty. We should chat. :-) So glad you're getting back into writing. I found all my copies of your books last weekend.

blizz said...

Dementia is tough, and sorry bout your kitty, had to deal with both of those last year

Nancy Campbell Allen said...

Thanks, ladies, for the support. Life is weird. Weird and strangely wonderful, too. And Kate, don't even crack open the old ones! I'm told my writing has improved. :-)

Courtney said...

Sorry to hear about your mom. That makes me sad. Keep us updated, will you? I have to admit that I am having to learn to love my kindle :)

Stephanie Black said...

I know what you mean about blink and your daughters grow up. Two in college now . . .

And I can't imagine life without chocolate.

Penny said...

OK.
# 1...Good thing you look like Marie Osmond BEFORE her plastic work. I cannot get past those lips that she must think make her look like her pouty dolls. Which, Marie, here's a clue: they don't.
#2...You're too young to know what bootstraps are! Rejoice in your youth!

The other "my kids are growing up too fast" stuff? Well, what're ya gonna do? Tell 'em to stop? Have your girls lean their faces over a mirror placed flat on the table and tell them to behold their futures. That might slow them down a bit.

I'm feeling with you on a lot of this stuff, for sure. Really palpable feelings about your mommy, especially. It's tough and probably will get tougher, but there will be, and probably already are, some very wonderfully tender and funny memories being created from this time, as well.

It's not hard to love someone going through this, but it's hard being a loved one of someone going through this. I'm not trying to say anything you don't already know or give advice or anything stupid like that, but just to let you know "I feel ya." The dementia times we spent with my father were hard and oh-so-exhausting, and heart-wrenching, to be sure, but I still smile a lot remembering those days, because we had some very close connections, I had some great spiritual manifestations, insight and instruction, and Katy and I both had an unparalled opportunity to get a glimpse into the whole "the greater the sacrifice/the deeper the love" conundrum. Which, as it turns out makes you feel like you can't even really call it sacrifice.
I read somewhere that Joseph Smith said, "God will feel after you, and He will take hold of you and wrench your very heartstrings, and if you cannot stand it you will not be fit for an inheritance in the Celestial Kingdom of God."

Hope I'm not being too personal or inappropriate here, but I'm not writing even half of what this post made me think and feel!

Nancy Campbell Allen said...

Thanks to all for your wonderful thoughts, and Penny, thanks so much for saying things I need to hear. I appreciate it like you can't believe. I love you all!

Sarah said...

So many changes in such a short period of time. I think I would feel like I was on an emotional roller coaster. I'm so sorry about your mom. She's been through a lot. I have always loved her. You and your prayer are in my prayers.

RaShelle Workman said...

Wow! You've been busy. Let round 2 begin. =D