Kaseys Korner

moving forward

Before I begin, I just want to say thank you to everyone for your sympathy and words of encouragement at the passing of my friend and neighbor.  It's been a really hard couple of days.  I knew it was coming but the knowing didn't lessen the impact of overwhelming loss and grief I experienced.  After a couple days of just going thru the motions, I have decided I have to "behave my way" to a new normal.  I know Karen would want that for me and I know I need to do that for my family.  So moving forward, one step (and day) at a time....

Because yesterday was grandparent's day, I thought I would post (belatedly) a little about my grandparents:

 

The photo above is of my paternal grandparents.  I have fond memories (separately and together) of them both.  I used to go to church with my "pop pop" and none of my brothers did (so that made me feel special) and my "mom mom" caught me stuffing my bra in preadolescence which was very embarrassing but she was pretty good at keeping secrets!  Both of them have been gone for a long time now and aside from the usual things, I wonder funny things about them.  Like what would they be like if they were growing up today??  or how would our relationship be different now that I'm an adult??  or would we be friends if we were the same age and not family?  Anyone else think off the wall thoughts like that or is my brain still kinda askew?  

 

My maternal grandparents (pictured above) are a whole other story.  I know them so much better  because they've been around a lot longer (I'm still lucky enough to have them here today).  We had a standing Tuesday night supper date during my years in college.  On those evenings we discussed everything from the Titanic to Marilyn Monroe to growing fruit & vegetables.  It was a wonderful experience that I always feel privileged to have enjoyed.  Now I live two thousand miles away and don't get to see them but I carry all those memories in my heart.  I think we can learn so much from older generations and I don't know why our culture doesn't value them more?  Maybe "Grandparent's Day" is a "Hallmark holiday" but it's probably one that should be emphasized more.  Most years I am guilty of skipping right over it (like lots of people) but this year I actually remembered it.  How about you?

margaritaville

Yesterday was somebody's birthday around here.  ahem.  That said, a celebration was in order, this time around by way of a margarita party.  Pomegranate & strawberry to be exact.  I was told they were girlie drinks but that's okay, we were a bunch of girls sitting around giggling and enjoying the evening.  Of course chocolate had to be involved too, that's where these came in:

It was a lovely night.  Thanks everybody! 

love me a big brother

I've been working furiously in my garage today, trying to clean out and get ready for a tag sale all at the same time.  (How does so much "stuff" accumulate in such a short period of time)??  As I was sorting and creating new piles I thought of a lesson I learned in childhood, compliments of my older brother.  My parents had assigned all four of us (children) the task of cleaning up the yard after a windstorm or tree trimming event??  Not sure what happened anymore ~ I just remember tons & tons of branches strewn all over the place.  We were supposed to cut them down into wood piles, kindling piles, etc.  I also remember standing in the middle of the mess thinking we were never, EVER, in our whole entire lives, going to finish this chore and get to play again.  We might have been 10, 8, 6 & 4 yrs of age at the time??  Anyway (here's where the lesson occurred), in a flash of brillance, our older brother directed us to haul all the branches into a few big piles.  Once we had done that, it created the effect that we had made tremendous progress and we were showered with praise for working so hard at the dinner table that evening (as much as praise was showered in our family).  I have never forgotten that first exposure to reorganization.  Since that day, I've employed that technique many times with the same success (probably why I thought of it today) wondering if it might help?!!!  I don't think so (I think it's going to take more than moving stuff around this time) but a belated thank you Joe (he's the one on the left).  I betcha never knew you taught me that!!