One hundred reasons why you can't leave

My daughter informed me yesterday that she's considering moving to the Idaho border, which is about 4 hours from here. The move will take place sometime in the next two years after her friend finishes her schooling and is ready to look for work. Well, Amanda is the mother of my only granddaughter - as you all know, and Fay is so near and dear to my heart that I started swallowing air by the gallon and was figuring out just how far behind them I'd have to travel so they don't realize I'm following them, how to get out of my mortgage, sell my business, what to tell Chris...

I've been praying and crying and so upset about it...Though I know that eventually Amanda will put her family ahead and she won't leave. Besides 2 years is a REALLY long time from now, and so much will happen between now and then. Amanda's problem is she doesn't have any FRIENDS except this girl that is leaving for Idaho. The friend is leaving behind her mother and her ex-husband and taking the grandchildren. I can't understand how someone could do that - for some unknown future in an unknown place with unknown people. Rather to stay where you know and are known. Rather to have family support nearby than to have no support anywhere you look. Rather to know if the shit hits the fan that you know you have somewhere to land. You know you can go there, cry your eyes out, do your laundry, rest your soul and figure out your next move.

So - I'm starting the list of 100 reasons why Amanda can't leave town, and once I have all of them down, I'll post them here - at least the high lights of the list. I did get some consolation today when she was telling me about the Easter Egg hunt at daddy's house yesterday, and the stuffed bunny that grandpa Dave brought to Fay there. I was jealous to be excluded from the egg hunt and the fun family bbq, though it's doubtful that many ex-girlfriends mothers get invited to daddy's house for a bbq and an easter egg hunt...I'm not one of the cool kids that gets invited. I'll have to have a bbq out at my house and invite daddy and his parents and see if they'll show up.

What to do on Sunday afternoon

http://www.justsayhi.com/bb/cadaver

Here's a fun thing to do on a boring Sunday afternoon... find out how much your dead body is worth. Thanks to Gattina for letting me find this on her blog.

I did this for myself, and my dead body is worth $5,375.00 - please don't tell my daughter this as she'll see to it I'm there very soon!!!

Otherwise, we're hanging in there. Had Fay out for a few hours yesterday and she's just always the biggest wonder and fun in the world. We took carrots to the horses and had a nice long walk. She let her Pappa push the stroller, which normally Nana is the only stroller-pusher allowed. Her vocal skills are incredible, and she's working really hard on ideas and thoughts. The new one yesterday is to not say Shit, because that's a bad word, and when you say Shit you get a time-out. Not bad for 2 1/2 huh?? Shit, I'm impressed!!! Her mother buys her these yucky (in my opinion) push-up type yogurt containers - I think they're called Go-gurt, but they're only sugar and food coloring in my opinion, so I got Fay some real yogurt, poor kid about gagged on them. Ok, soy yogurt is a little different, and she's not a fan of peaches at all, next time I'll get honey or plain and she'll eat it fine. She got to help make some apple juice with the Jack LaLaine juicer, which she really loves to make and drink. The tomato seeds are sprouting, and the bell peppers are trying to. I'm considering planting pea pods and maybe green beans because I like both so much. We have a 3rd acre out here to work with, but not a lot of time or ambition, so last year (and likely this year) the garden will be in containers on the south side of the house. We got a GOB of tomatoes last year, and I'm already looking forward to fresh tomatos eaten fresh off the vine.. YUMMAY!!!!!!!! That stretch of link fence is just crying for blueberries or razberries, I can't decide which. Guess it must be lunch time, I'm hungry!

We're getting things on the front burner for our vacation next month. I'm anxious to take a week off and get away!!! First we're heading to Reno for a couple days in the old hometown and to take my dad's ashes to his favorite fishing hole. Then off to Utah for a few days of traveling through the rest of the Canyon Lands we didn't get to last year. Then the long drive home again. Amanda has offered to come out and see to the cats - and use the laundry and computer facilities as well as shake her head and cluck at our weird food stocks - all organic or fresh, nothing canned around here but cat food... Today I'm composing an "I'm going on vacation" letter to mail to my clients that are going to miss me while I'm gone!!!

Benjamin is very upset with me today, I put lavender oil on him because the fleas are upon him and he's tearing out his hair again. I'll be putting Vit-E and Olive oil in his ears tonight because the ear-mites are back too. He stays most the time under the trailer that our neighbors live in - he was born under there and well it's still home I guess. Under there it's dark and damp and the fleas love it. He hates the lavender oil because the other cats sniff and laugh at him, but I don't care, rather that oil and a few snickers from the other cats than having to use toxic dangerous chemicals on him. If only he'd keep the nylon with the soaked cotton balls around his neck, he'd be fully protected from the bugs, they absolutely hate lavender oil!!!

So very hard to say Grammie lost her dad a few days ago. I feel for her and her family. Loss is so hard. I wish her and her family all the strength they need to get through the hard times. Gattina's old cat is giving her fits. Jana's grandchild is giving her smiles!! Life is not bad!!