Adams Wife’s Weblog

I saw this on Facebook.  I thought it looked like fun.  I’m not tagging anyone, but feel free to run with it if you want to.

50 Things

1. What color is your toothbrush? Blue

2. Name one person who made you smile today? Kathy

3. What were you doing at 8 am this morning? Laundry

4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago? Yelling at Sears - they did not haul off the old ‘fridge and we had paid the extra fee for that service.  Grrrrrr!

5. What is your favorite candy bar? Symphony

6. What did you do last night? Red Robin with Laura

7. What is the last thing you said aloud? “I’m gonna have a nap when you noise people are gone.”

8. What is your favorite ice cream? Tin Roof Sundae

9. What was the last thing you had to drink? Water

10. Do you like your wallet? It’s OK.  (Would be better if it had more cash. lol)

11. What was the last thing you ate? Granola bar

12. Have you bought any new clothing items this week? Yes, dress and socks for my granddaughter

13. The last sporting event you watched? Figure Skating

14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn?  Butter

15. Who is the last person you sent a text message to? I don’t text

16. Ever go camping? Many, many times

17. Do you take vitamins daily?  Yes

18. Do you go to church every Sunday? Yes

19. Do you have a tan? No

20. Do you prefer Chinese food over pizza?  Sometimes

21. Do you drink your soda with a straw? Yes

22. What did your last text message say?  I don’t text

23. What are you doing tomorrow?  Doctor appointment

24. Have you ever eaten a bug? Not on purpose

25. Look to your left, what do you see?  Wall

26. What color is your watch?   I don’t have one

27. What do you think of when you hear Australia?   Great Barrier Reef

28. What are you wearing right now?   Shorts, shirt, sandles

29. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru?   Drive thru

30. What is your favorite number?   I don’t have one

31. Who’s the last person you talked to on the phone?   Sears applieance dept

32. Any plans today?   Have a nap

33. How many states have you lived in?   3

34. Biggest annoyance right now?   Harold!

35. Last song listened to?   Righteous Brothers “Unchained Melody”

36. Can you say the alphabet backwards? Yes

37. Do you have a maid service clean your house?   Unfortunately, no

38. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?   Barefoot

39. Are you jealous of anyone?   No

40. Is anyone jealous of you?   No one I’m aware of

41. Do you love anyone?   Lots of people

42. Do any of your friends have children? Yes

43. What do you usually do during the day?   Computer, TV

44. Do you hate anyone that you know right now? Nope

45. Do you use the word “hello”?   Whenever I answer the phone

46. What color is your car? Teal green

47. Do you like cats?    Not really

48. Are you thinking about someone right now?    Ed

49. Have you ever been to Six Flags?    Never

50. How did you get your worst scar?   Gall Bladder surgery

I’ve cried more for Ed in the last two weeks than in the entire year since he died.  Damn it - I miss him!  It doesn’t take much to set me off these days.  Tonight it was hearing the alarm on his wrist watch.  It sits on my desk and beeps at me every night just after 7:00 pm.  If the grandkids are here and ask “What’s that?” I tell them it’s grandpa telling us hello.  For some reason I take comfort in hearing that alarm each day.  But tonight it started the water-works.

My daughter, the grandkids, and I are all having counseling to help us cope with the changes in our lives over the last year (beginning with Ed’s death).  The first thing the counselor told me is that I have not mourned for Ed.  Who had time to mourn?  I’m so angry with my former s-i-l for walking out on all of us and stealing my time to mourn my husband and adjust to life without him.  Not only did he take that from me, he left my daughter and her babies in tears.  How could I not be angry?  I suppose it’s a good thing that I am dealing with all these feelings, but I don’t like to cry.  I haven’t wanted to break down in front of the children, so now I sit and cry when I’m the only one home.  Tears are healing.  I’ll get through this and maybe even learn to forgive.  I’ve survived so much else in my life - what’s this one more thing?

Happier Days

Laura got the kids a ‘pool’ and a Slip ‘n’ Slide the other day.  It’s been raining so much I don’t really think they need water toys - but …  At 7:30 the next morning, with a temperature of 50 degrees, they were filling the pool with warm water and having the time of their lives.

After the excitement of Memorial Day Weekend, we still had the last days of school to get through.  And on the last day of classes Jessie was taken to school in style - riding the fire truck and honking its horn.

And - They're Off!

You may or may not remember Jessie earned this ride by reading more minutes than anyone else in the school district.  The local news did a story on her, too.  See it here.  Be sure to click on the ‘video’ link and watch the whole story.

Am I a proud grandma?  You betcha!

And then on Monday, of course, we visited the cemetery.

Before hitting the Sizzler on Sunday evening we visited the waterfalls in the Snake River Canyon East of the city of Twin Falls.  First is the Twin Falls for which the city was named.

Twin Falls

Twin Falls

What was once a twin fall is now a single waterfall.  When the hydroelectric plant went in the second fall was dammed off.

No more water over this fall

This scarred face is where the second fall used to be.  You can see the fill and the dam that shut it off.  I think it’s very sad - but I do like the advantages of having electricity.  In the canyon near the river and the waterfall, and taking advantage of the damming of the river are boat docks for water sports and a lovely park built and maintained by Idaho Power Co.

Twin Falls Park

We also visited Shoshone Falls which is further down the Snake River from the Twin Falls.  There are also a park and boat docks located in this area.  Shoshone Falls is higher than Niagara though not nearly so wide.  Unfortunately we were there after the spring runoff ended and they started taking water out of the river for irrigation.  The waterfall is not as spectacular now as it is during runoff.

Shoshone Falls on the Snake River

During the annual runoff those white rocks are all under water.

Shoshone Falls

There were a lot of visitors to the Falls that day.

Shoshone Falls Overlook

And looking down river from the Falls.

Snake River below Shoshone Falls

I promised pictures and a report on my Memorial Day weekend.  I admit - I’ve been lazy about getting the pictures ready to post, but today is your lucky day.  First off - the motel where we stayed.  I usually stay at a small, old-fashioned motel in Buhl, close to my sis.  However, I waited too long to call for a reservation.  I ended up booking reservations through Price Line.com.  We stayed at the Comfort Inn in Twin Falls for $35.00 a night.  That included a free breakfast (we mostly went for the Belgian waffles and biscuits and gravy).  So - here’s the motel.

Comfort Inn

Comfort Inn

I neglected to take a picture of our rental car.  But here is a stock photo of a Nissan Sentra.  We got that through Price Line, too.  Only $30.00 per day with unlimited mileage.  (Next time I’m gonna start even lower and see how cheap I can go.)  lol

Nissan Sentra

We had steak and lobster at the Sizzler Sunday evening.

Sizzler

We went to church in Buhl.  There was a beautiful tree in bloom just outside the church.  I think it’s a flowering crab apple - not sure.

Tree in bloom

Close up of tree in bloom

It was a good trip.  We enjoyed ourselves very much, just visiting with family and friends and taking it easy at the motel.  Sometimes the simplest entertainments are the best.  We had one disappointment - the hot tub was having problems with its thermostat.  We tried it one night, but it was too hot to get into (we’d have looked like our entree at the Sizzler and been just as well-done.)  We asked about it later, but were informed that it was still running either too cold or too hot.  Dang!

More Tomorrow!

Thank you to all who have continued to stop by and check on me from time to time.  I have been so consumed with my family and my grief that I haven’t felt like extending myself enough to be here.  The counselor our whole family is seeing has assured me that I am suffering from depression and that I have not allowed myself to mourn the death of my husband a year ago.  He assures me that I am very good at denial and that I minimize any negative feelings I might be experiencing.  I’ve come to the conclusion that he is right.

I think one of the ways I can best deal with all this is to talk about it to my friends.  That means YOU!  I will be blogging about my life and my emotions a whole lot more often.  I hope you don’t get too bored.

We have made some progress as a family.  My daughter started working part-time today.  As tomorrow is the last day of school for the year, I was afraid that grandma was going to become the designated parental unit to keep the kids entertained all summer.  I wasn’t looking forward to that at all!  I love my grandkids, I really do.  But full-time parenting of a 5-, an 8-, a 10-, and an 11-year-old promises to put a real strain on me both physically and mentally.  It looks like we may be able to get enough financial assistance to send all four to day camp at the YMCA for the summer.  If this falls through the kids and I will be sitting together crying.  They are looking forward to it and so am I.

The at-home job I was supposed to start in May has been postponed because of the economy.  They are looking to activate me as an employee sometime in July.  I really hope it’s not put off again.  I could use that extra bit of money each month! 

We’re heading out of town for the holiday weekend.  Going to visit family in the Twin Falls area.  Besides being Memorial Day Monday is also my birthday.  I think it’s wonderful that the entire United States will be celebrating my birthday, don’t you?  I will be hitting the BIG 6-0!  I guess being that old is ok.  I don’t feel any different than when I was 30.  lol  I found my camera (right where I left it) so I’ll be taking some pictures while we’re gone.  Watch this site for an exciting update.

I hope you all enjoy the holiday weekend.  Remember your sunscreen and don’t eat too many hot dogs!