Katie Turns 34

 

Katie turned 34 at the end of October. This passing of time just boggles my mind! I'm so proud of my daughter, and who she's become. Full of insight, a lover of chickens, and a wonderful mom of two boys. To celebrate Katie, I made a chocolate cherry bundt cake. And, of course, the boys had to be in the middle of all the excitement. 💕

Halloween 2024

 

Mom Passed Away

Mom passed away on October 20th, just four days short of her 91st birthday.

Since she fell last Spring, broke her hip, and had to go through everything else that went along with that, she never really got back to where she was before the fall. Dementia also got in the way of her ability to gain back strength and mobility, no matter how hard everybody else was working to help get her there. 

But being almost 91 is a good, long life. And, Mom was famous for saying how much she loved life.  

Less than a week before she passed, I could see that she was changing. And then, it just sort of went fast. Two days before she passed, Mom went on Hospice. A chaplain and music therapist showed up to pray and sing Holy, Holy, Holy and Amazing Grace with us, just in time because Mom was still able to open her eyes a little, and try to sing along. She never seemed to be uncomfortable, and we were able to be with her most of the time. We did go home at night to rest. 

All of the kids made it there to see her. The day before she passed away, a lot of us spent the day in the room with her, talking and reminiscing as we took turns holding her hand. We listened to some of her favorite music, including the Tennessee Waltz by Patsy Cline. I think she probably liked that day, it was almost like a party. She always loved hanging out with her family, and she loved a good party. 💕

The staff there were so good to us. They brought in carts of snacks, coffee, and lemonade. They were kind to us, and gave us big hugs. They told us that Mom always said thank you, and told them that they were beautiful. I could see her doing that. 

The morning that Mom passed away, we all gathered again in the room with her. Katie brought in a chocolate French Silk Pie in Grandma Joyce's  honor. It was a time to grieve, and gain closure. I'm glad we did that.

We're working towards a Celebration of Life service this weekend, which will be for both Mom and Dad. Burial for the two of them will be at the end of November. 

I have waves of sadness at times, and I miss my Mom so much. But, I also feel relief for her now, life in memory care with dementia can be rough. And, I take comfort in believing that Mom is now back again with family and friends who've passed on before her, and that she's now finally at peace.

September Book Club Beauties

We had Book Club Beauties at Mona's in September. We've discovered that we all really enjoy reading novels written by Jodi Picoult, and it was discussed that we might try to read all of her novels, including those that have been banned over the years! 

Interesting foods that we ate this time (well, all of the food we eat at Book Club is interesting 😂) included Mona's Finnish Crepes with berries and whipped cream, and Cathy's new recipe of Sausage and Apple Cornbread Bake. The pumpkin cheesecake Kat brought was also very delicious.

We cover a lot in our conversations together, but the big topic of the day was about Cathy's son moving to the UK to get married this Fall! And because of this big happening, we'll need to skip a month of book club. Our next meeting will be at my home in November, with our book selection being The Pact, by Jodi Picoult. 

Oktoberfest Lunch

Did we have an Oktoberfest lunch last year? I don't remember! But, it was getting to be an annual thing for Debbie and I until Covid arrived, and then everything changed. We decided to venture to Ridgedale Mall again to see if there was an Oktoberfest menu at Macy's. Over the years, the restaurant name has changed from Boundary Waters to Lakeshore Grill to The Social. 

Debbie also said the lunch would be for my birthday...

yummy popovers with honey butter

Jagerschnitzel with Spazel and Red Cabbage

Sure enough, they had jagerschnitzel with sour cream gravy, spazel, and red cabbage. Plus an addition of popovers, of course. We did notice that there weren't as many people there as there have been in the past, which was a little sad. Maybe the food had changed a little, too. But. All lunches are good when you're with a friend. 

We walked a little, sat to chat a little, and ended up buying beautiful crystal owl and cardinal ornaments, now hanging on the fairy light tree in my bedroom, I love them.

💕

Sparkle Conference 2024

It's fun to have a night away sometimes. You might remember that we went to the Sparkle Conference in 2023. Debbie did the planning for us to go again in 2024, and this year, Debbie's sister Kathi was able to join us. She really was a great addition to our group, and now I'm thinking that perhaps she might be another sister to me! 

yep, shower curtain

Kathi's nightlight

Good Morning!

Corrine treated us to a Culver's supper

We stayed Thursday night at the AmericInn in Apple Valley. I'm not sure that we got a whole lot of sleep that night, but there was definitely a feeling of slumber party to it, and it was fun to chat in the dark before drifting off to sleep. Debbie mentioned how good it felt to not have to drive home late at night after the first session, and then back again early the next morning. I bet.

Thursday night's guest speaker really moved me. This gal had a massive stroke soon after delivering her first baby, and was locked inside a body that couldn't move. Seventeen years later, she's gained back things that we all take for granted. She's also written a few books, and I bought her latest one.  

Next year we'll remember the s'mores!

Thursday Night Food

Treasures In The Dark, By Katherine Wolf

Panara Lunch provided, Fugi Apple Chicken Salad

Corrine's Pepper Relish

The main topic of this year's conference was Holy. And being that the worship music is very loud, Kathi brought us all high quality ear plugs to wear. Corrine bought us supper at Culver's before the first session, and she also gifted each of us with a jar of homemade pepper relish! 

Of course it's always good to try to expand your mind, but for me, I think the best part is being able to spend time with other women, and cherishing their friendship. 💕