When it rains, it pours.
My grandmother died today… my father’s mother. I don’t have much to say at the moment. I have so many fond memories of time spent with Memaw and Pampaw Ted when I was a small boy. I was stationed far away in the Navy when he died and I didn’t come home for his funeral. At the time, I thought it was ok, but I felt horrible for not finding a way to come home. When Papa Doc, my mother’s father, died in 1994, I was in southern Adriatic Sea on the border of the Ionian… nearly 7000 miles from home. I did what it took to get to his funeral… sleepless and tattered, I was there in 2 days. Memaw hasn’t recognized even her own sons in several years. I wanted to take Erin to meet her, but was unsure of facing her without lucidity or recollection of her life before Alzheimers. That never happened before Erin died and I haven’t had the will to make the journey since. When the news came today, it came from my father as disconnected as if he were telling me a storm were coming over the night while we slept. A fact to be taken in and filed away. I know being there for her in these last couple of years would have been difficult for me knowing that I was no different now than the nurse changing her sheets and opening the blinds in her room. Life is hard most of the time… even when you think it’s easy, it’s not. Sometimes I wonder how I seem to get by.
This weekend was nice. I spend most of it out of town. Saturday I went to a small lake house near Livingston on a private lake off the Trinity river. It was peaceful and relaxing. There was a vacant property next door that was rumored to be forclosed and up for auction. It needed a lot of work and was in disrepair from recent hurricanes and tornados, but I am interested in buying it… given the price is right. Maybe a fixer-upper out of town is just what I need to get the fuck away from Houston on a more regular basis. Sunday I was supposed to meet my childhood compadre, Rob, at Reliant Stadium for some ginormous motorcycle manufacturer’s show. He and his wife drove up from Corpus to check it out. When I was near, I called them but couldn’t get through, so the afternoon was spent at the bike rally in Galveston. Good times.
My father caught the camera bug from me the last time I was out to visit him. He picked up a DSLR and a few lenses and started shooting up a storm. He’s still getting the hang of it, but I’m proud of some of his finds on the property. He sent me this little critter last week that posed for him from the tree above his walk. Do you know what it is?
©2007 Jim Bownds
I’m so sorry to hear about your grandmother, Clayton.
As for the little critter, I have no idea, but he’s adorable. I want one.
That is horrible news. Our thoughts are with you at this time!
Man, you’ve got it coming in all directions.
My thoughts are with you… for what its worth
Wow, I don’t really know what to say. I honestly don’t understand how the rest of the world keeps going on, productively, once this stuff starts to happen as people get older. Is everyone medicated? Is that how it’s done? Well, I might just be joining their ranks after this week. We shall see.
Memaw loved you in that special way reserved for grandmothers! She was always such a vibrant woman and it is painful to know that she spent the end of her life in that state of oblivion with Alzheimers.
Could the critter be a porcupine?
I am really sorry to hear it, Clayton. As usual, I can only offer my sincerest condolences.
Damn! My condolences. I remember when your grandfather died and what a toll it was on you. Not only the pain and agravation of traveling to the states. But then you still had to come back to the ship for 3 more months.
On a lighter note, the critter is cute.
I’m so sorry to hear about your grandma, Clayton.
This year has sucked all around, can’t wait til it’s over. Maybe the next one will be better. =/
I’d guess what the critter is but you labeled the picture. Took all the fun right out of it, I tell you. j/k
P.S. Buy the house. /end unsolicited advice.
I am so sorry to hear about your grandmother! This year has been hard on lots of people… hopefully, next year will be just the oposite!
And, yeah… I think that is a porcupine.
Huh. What a coincidence. The reason I have been incommunicado is that MY grandmother died last week… and she had Alzheimer’s and was in very much the same state. Went up to Seattle for the funeral this week. Lots of great memories.. both of childhood and of our trip up there last Spring.
Okay, so I am a bit behind on the blog so I am just finding out about your grandmother. I wanted to let you know that I am sorry to hear of her passing. I remember that time we took the road trip to New Braunsfels (omg, how much fun was that singing all those lines from 80’s songs!?!) and we stopped by your Memaw’s to say hi. Didn’t they also have the bbq place in Ingleside too? I may be way off in my memory but for some reason that’s ringing a bell. Anyway, just wanted to pass on my condolences and to let you know you’re in my thoughts.
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