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Today is the 4th anniversary of Dad’s death.  I had scheduled a Mass at 5 p.m. for him, but our two priests had to go out of town.  Instead there was a communion service following Adoration.  So, I rescheduled and the Mass will be tomorrow (3/22) at 8 a.m.  That worked out well, actually, because Grant will go with me.  I decided to attend Adoration and the communion service, though.

Adoration was very nice.  There were many students there, some sitting around the Blessed Sacrament on the floor and praying and reading Bibles.  These were all guys.  There were also some girls there, but mostly guys.  I’m so touched by the devotion of these UGA students and how prayerful they are.

I am a support person in the RCIA classes on Tuesday evenings.  These kids are so smart and inspire me with their faith.  We have 4 students who will be Baptised, 3 who will be Confirmed (+3 adults), and 4 students who will be confirmed.  They have become so close and really just like family to one another.  I’ am blessed to be involved with this group.

Sister Marie, who leads the RCIA classes, conducted the Communion Service this afternoon.  She knew that it was Dad’s anniversary.  She asked me to read the first reading at the service, and she also prayed for me and for Dad during the Prayer of the Faithful.  I was moved and appreciative of her support.

I’m very blessed to have been married to such a good man for 47 years, who loved me in spite of all of my faults.  It’s good to sit back and remember all of the good times.  Now, I am going to reread all of the Sympathy cards and think about that amazing week-end when he died and our family came together to plan the funeral.  What a great job you all did!

TO DAN!

12/1 – Downtown Athens Parade of Lights. Yazna’s son, Nico, rode on the Flagpole float.

12/6 – Attended “The Star of Bethlehem” at Hodgson Hall with Bette McNeely.

12/7 – Lunch at Heirlooms with Carlene and Sue, then mah-jongg at my house with them and Arlene.

12/7 – Ushered at “My Fair Lady” at the Classic Center. Excellent!

12/8 – Met with mentee, Yocelin at lunch.

12/8 – Christmas party OLLI Super Club at Cathy Hefners. Donna Conway and Terri Arthur rode with me since Cathy’s house is in Monroe. Beautiful house and fun party.

12/9 – Talked with Jason Garrett, my financial advisor about my investments.

12/10 – Fiona’s piano recital. She played one piece by herself and a duet with Camille Flurry. She is such a natural pianist and so confident. Loves to perform and works hard. She has absolutely no trouble memorizing her pieces.

12/11 – Ushered at Classic Center for the Athens Symphony Christmas concert. Jami, Grant and the children went and I sat with them. A wonderful concert.

12/11 – Carol arrived in ATL from Savannah and Jeb picked her up on the curb with her suitcases (where her ride had dropped her off). Kathy fixed a very good dinner and the house looked beautiful all decorated. Ted, David, Danny and Mary, Nicole, Kelly, Claire, Carol, Jeb, Kathy and I had dinner and played a game afterwards. David won. Carol and I headed back to Athens about 9 or so.

12/12 – Grant came over then Carol & I exercised at Y. Carlene took us to lunch. We drove to Atlanta, picked up Hope and went to the FOTA Christmas party downtown. Spent the night with Alan and Maria Turk at Stonehedge in Buford.

12/13 – Breakfasted at Sugar Hill Bakery with Maria and Alan. New, adorable place, but awful food. Then, to Marilyn Hill’s for mah-jongg Christmas lunch with Mary Sydney and Phyllis. Back to Athens.

12/13 – Fiona’s dance recital. We picked up Grant and Michael. Jami took Fiona early.

12/14 – Packed all day. Grant and Jami took Carol and me to dinner at Aqua Linda. David came in on the Greyhound bus at 8:45.

12/15 – We left for Lakeland at 8:45. Arrived at my condo at 5:15. Surprise! Carol had decorated my condo for Christmas. Wreath on window, Christmas trees in LR and guest BR, Christmas decorations all over, plus a beautiful nativity scene. Even a painting hanging on the wall that she had done. Yea!

12/16 – Bob invited me and Carol to the Rotary Christmas lunch at the Yacht Club. Lovely lunch and very nice people. The Lakeland Christian School choral group sang Christmas carols. About 40 boys and girls, all dressed in black and white. It was a beautiful concert. I had never heard most of the songs and they were beautiful. Then Carol and I went to the mall and I finished by Christmas shopping. We had our picture made with Santa. He wanted to know what we wanted for Christmas and Carol told him “world peace” and I said I wanted a gay boyfriend. I walked when I got home.

12/17 – Getting ready to start addressing Christmas cards.

It seems a shame that we don’t write on the family blog any longer. I just started a Facebook entry on our family facebook and hit the wrong key and it all went away, never to be seen again. So, I’ll try to do it here.

I’m finally plugging into Athens. This is what I am gong to or have joined:

1. OLLI (Osha Lifelong Learning Institute) for those who are 50 or over. No credits, classes cost about $5 plus a parking ticket. I’m going to take a 6 week drawing class, a class on Caravaggio, a class on America’s Economic Future, and have joined special interests groups biking, hiking and supper club.

2. Slow Foods.

3. Usher at Performing Arts Center.

4. Usher at Classic Center.

5. Participate in RCIA program at church as a supporter. (Tuesday evenings).

6. Continue to play mah-jongg on Wednesdays.

7. Continue to exercise at Y.

8. Continue to pick up Fiona on Tuesdays and Thursdays for piano practice and/or lesson.

9. Started a neighborhood book club (Boulevard Book Club) and first meeting at my house on 9/19. There are 10 ladies who have said they are coming. We’ll see.

10. Continue as Eucharistic Minister and Lector at Church.

11. Continue Bible Study class on Thursdays.

12. Would like to advertise myself as a calligrapher since there are none in Athens.

13. Have become a mentor at Chase. Met with my mentee on Thursday. Her name is Yocelin and she is in the 5th grade. We had lunch together and she is very sweet.

So, I guess I’ll not be bored for a while.

My nephew, George, has gone to Afghanistan as a civilian who helps the troops. I wrote him an email to ask where he is exactly, and what is does and this is what he answered:

I’m currently on Kandahar Airbase. It’s a U.N. facility and there are many nationalities of soldier here. Look in south central Afghanistan for Kandahar. On Monday I’m flying to one of the Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) for some training. The name of that FOB is leatherneck but it won’t be listed on any map. We work 12 hour days, 7 days a week. So by the time I get back to my room I’m ready to just sleep. Work and sleep, broken up by meals in the mess hall.

During the day I’m in training to serve as a QA (quality assurance) inspector. The QA team inspects many of the facilities on each base to make sure they meet minimum U.S. standards. That includes everything from the mess halls to the sign shop, the plumbers’ work, etc. I find the whole process very interesting.

I’m glad that he finds this interesting. I’m proud of George for getting involved.

Tomorrow, Jan. 8th, is the first anniversary of the death of Art Clokey, the creator of Gumby. “Art was born Arthur Farrington in October 1921 in Detroit. He recalled making mud figures on his grandparents’ Michigan farm when he was a youngster. When Art was eight, his parents divorced, and his father was killed in a car accident soon afterwards.

After moving to California, Art was abandoned by his mother and her new husband. He lived in a halfway house near Hollywood until age 11, when he was adopted. His new father was Joseph W. Clokey, a renowned music teacher and composer at Pomona College. Clokey taught his son to draw, paint and shoot film.

After serving in World War II, Art was studying to be an Episcopal minister when he married Ruth Parkander, the daughter of a minster. Clokey and his wife created Gumby in the early 1950s shortly after Art had finished film school at the University of Southern California. After a successful debut on “The Howdy Doody Show”, Gumby soon starred in its own hit television show, “The Adventures of Gumby,” which introduced clay animation on TV.

In the 1960s, Clokey created and produced the Christian TV series “Davey and Goliath” for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.”

Doesn’t this bring back some memories? I read this in my Little Blue Advent Book this morning and thought I would share with you all. He was very blessed to be adopted and make the most of his life.

HORACE RENSHAW GRANT Jr.

GRANT, COL. HORACE RENSHAW, JR., USAR (RET.) of Pell City, passed away October 10, 2010 after a brief illness. Horace enjoyed his eighty-six years of life, the last sixty-two of which were shared with his wife Frances McAllister Grant. Horace is survived by Frances, as well as two daughters, Carol Grant and Margaret Snyder (Todd), one grandson, Grant Snyder, and his siblings Joe Grant (Sandra), Betty Grant, Julie Cashin, and Patsy Ham. Horace grew up in Birmingham, served in the United States Army in WWII as part of the 244th Port Company, 495th Port Battalion of the Army Transportation Corps, and continued his military service in the 87th Maneuver Area Command of the U.S. Army Reserve. Horace was a proud member of the University of Alabama class of 1950. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St. Simon Peter Episcopal Church in Pell City, AL (205) 884-0877, or to The Army Historical Foundation, National Museum of the US Army, 2425 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 22201.

Published in The Birmingham News on October 12, 2010

What a week! Joe and Sandy arrived about 6:30 Saturday, Sept. 25th. We just stayed home and had dinner and they settled in. Sunday, Sandy and I went to church. We had Jeb’s family, Ted, Grant’s family for lunch on Sunday. It was rainy but we had a nice visit mostly inside. Danny and Nicole came, too. Later that evening, Nicole called to tell me that she had gotten the job at the Flagpole in Athens. She starts to work on Wednesday and will move in with me for a while.

Monday, Joe, Sandy and I went to the YMCA to work out in the morning. Then we too a Historic Tour of Athens from the Welcome Station. The lady driving the bus/van must have been 80, but she could certainly wheel that vehicle around all of Athen’s narrow streets and gave us a nice, informative tour.

Tuesday, we went back to the Y, again in the morning. Then Jami arranged a private tour of Terrapin Brewery at 1:00 p.m. We had a great tour and tasting. Joe and Sandy asked all of the right questions because they have so much knowledge about beer. They have been on tours of breweries as far away as Germany. We went right to Five Star Liquor Store and bought some Terrapin beer! Kathy delivered Nicole to my house while we were gone.

Continue reading September 25-Oct. 3, 2010

On Wednesday while we were at Big Canoe, Carol, Fiona, Michael and I went to Helen, GA to go tubing down the Chattahoochee. We signed up for the “short” ride which was about an hour and a half. Fiona and Michael had to wear life jackets because they were under the age of 10, though you could easily stand up in the water and it came about to our knees.

When we were about half way through our time, a butterfly landed on Michael’s life jacket. Fiona saw it first and told Michael. Now, Michael is not ever still, you know, but that butterfly just moved around from back to front, always staying on Michael’s life jacket through the rest of the ride. When we got to the point where we had to get off the tube, I thought the butterfly would fly away, but it did not. It stayed with Michael all through his getting out of the tube and walking on up the bank. When we got up to the top of the bank, Fiona said “Michael, you have to take off your life jacket – let me take the butterfly.” So, she put her finger out, and the butterfly climbed right onto it.

Michael took the jacket off, hung it on a hook, and the butterfly flew right back to Michael and landed on his shirt. It stayed with Michael all the way as we walked up to get on the bus. When we went up the stairs of the bus, the butterfly flew onto the handle by the driver of the bus. It stayed there until we got rode back up the hill and the driver opened the door. Then it flew out the door.

That was grandaddy, you know. He was always playing tricks on us and he just had to be there with us and let us know he was! It’s a fun memory.

Carol, Bob, David and Andrew joined me at Big Canoe on July 30th for a week. We stayed at Petit Crest Villas, a time share exchange. Ted came up and spent the day with us on Saturday. Jami came up on Sunday and brought Fiona and Michael. The children stayed and Jami returned to Athens later that day. Kathy and Jeb rented a very nice cottage at the top of the mountain for 4 nights and Claire and Kelly came with them. They arrived on Friday. Jeb and Kelly had to go home on Sunday night because they both had to go to work on Monday.

On Monday, all of us at Petit Crest and Kathy and Claire went to Amicalola Falls and climbed to the top of the falls, then came back down the steps along side the falls. They are the highest point in Georgia and the falls are beautiful. We walked up on a wooded path and we all made it to the top – even Michael! Yea!

The highlight for Fiona was the rock slide. She slid down 19 times over the week, in spite of all of the times when the slide was closed because of thunder or because there were not enough life guards. The beach area is so nice and includes a salt water olympic pool, paddle boats, canoes, volley ball court, grills, restaurant, and the famous rock slide. We also got to use another pool by the north gate and it had a huge baby pool with water buckets and umbrella sprinklers.

On Wednesday, the Petit Crest gang split up. Bob, David and Andrew met UT at the DOT office near 6 Flags and they all went to 6 Flags. It was so hot, but the roller coasters were awesome (as reported by Bob). Carol, Fiona, Michael and I went to Helen, GA and went tubing. The water was cool and refreshing and the ride was about an hour and a half. We then picnicked by the river and watched the tubers.

Thursday was my b’day. Grant came up early enough for us to all take a hike to the Upper Falls and Lower Falls. There was a water moccasin at the Lower Falls and Grant got up really close to take pictures, and only had flip flops on. While we were hiking, Eric surprised me with a call from New Mexico to wish me a happy birthday and we talked a long time.

After we got back, Jeb was there. Nicole called me from Armenia to wish me a happy birthday and it was another wonderful surprise! Then, we went over to the North Gate pool and Bob grilled some awesome hamburgers. They hung a birthday sign and we all wore party hats. A coconut cake topped it off. And, of course, the very loud Cashin/Ettensohn Happy Birthday Song! Then we all swam until we were run off by thunder. We had had enough, anyhow. For dinner, we went to a Mexican restaurant. Grant, Fiona and Michael left for Athens after dinner, and Jeb went back to Snellville.

It was a good week. I hope everybody had as much fun as I did. I am so blessed with such good children and grandchildren.

Well, it happened this weekend. Grant, Jami and the kids moved into their new old house. Jami finished her 2 weeks of school Friday afternoon. Grant and friends moved all of the stuff out of the storage place on Thursday afternoon and were done by Friday at noon.

I stopped by this morning after church to see how last night went, sleeping in their own beds. Jami has done amazing things to that house already. Fiona was busy fixing up her room. Each room has it’s own fireplace and mantle, and Fiona has her nutcracker men, the little wooden toy house set from my house and numerous other things on her mantle. She has the guest bed and her bed in her bedroom. The bedrooms are enormous. Michael is thrilled with his bedroom and it’s almost put together, too. He has his bed and a sofa in his bedroom. The living room with the humongous TV is all set up in time for Grant to watch the final day of the British Open. The house really is nice, though about 130 years old. Colors of the bedrooms are great. It’s just been painted in the last year. So, they’ve successfully moved again. Wonder how long they will be in this house?

I will miss those smiling faces in the mornings when I get up. Saturday morning Fiona and Michael got up about 7:00 and Jami and Grant slept in until after 8. By the time I came out of my room (after showering, etc.) at 7:40, they were both right outside my room grinning. Fiona has fixed their breakfast, they had eaten, and they had opened all of the blinds. Pretty good for ages 8 and 6!