Today I had the chance to play games with both Ellie and Zeke. In both cases these were games of their own creation. Ellie was using game pieces from an actual game but had made up her own "game" with very different rules. We played several times and then Zeke actually joined us for a couple of games. It was so fun to watch Ellie be creative and come up with a very different way to play a game than it was designed. Later Zeke and I were sitting on the floor, rolling a ball back and forth in the Loft. Zeke had all kinds of "rules" for this game. If the ball hit our legs, it was out. It we missed the spot we were aiming for, we lost. He even had several hand signs (the "t" for what he called PAUSE rather than time out - which made me smile!) It was a simple, silly game that was so much fun for this grandma. Earlier, Anna was sitting on my lap and wanted to watch videos on my phone. She loves to sing and always chooses videos of her favorites. Today was Itsy, Bitsy Spider, Old Macdonald, and Wheels on the bus! Anna might be to little to remember these times, but it was a special cuddle time for this grandma.
Remember I blogged about thinking on good things? Well these memory making times with my grandchildren are some of those good things. And, when I look at the picture above, rather than just see my Grandparents that I never got to really know, I can reflect on my Aunt Masey and Uncle George, who were such a big part of my growing up years. I have sooooo many great memories of their farm, of their cabin (right next door to ours at Lake Maud) and just spending time with them. Uncle George was a farmer and I loved going to see the animals. There were always pigs and chickens and sheep. As a matter of fact, the sheep were often very close to the house. I remember Uncle George letting me sit on his lap and drive the tractor when I was really little. Their house was wonderful. There was a sun porch that had stacks and stacks of very old magazines that I loved to look through. I spent hours looking at them. And Aunt Masey was an amazing cook. I remember the big farm kitchen filled with wonderful smells and good things to eat. In their retirement they moved to a trailer on a nearby lake. They loved to play cards and I learned many card games at their table. One of my favorite memories of them is that they came to Chicago to visit my mom and dad in 1975. And while they didn't make it here for my wedding, they were able to visit my home the next year. I have great memories of them sitting with Ken and I over dinner, laughing and sharing stories about when I was young. In so many ways, they represented "grandparents" to me. Uncle George passed away before Gwen and Doug were born, but both of my kids remember visiting with Aunt Mable in her retirement home. Doug will never forget her "talking" watch that told her the time after she lost most of her eye sight. So even though I missed out on my grandparents, it was very special to have this relationship that filled that missing piece for me.
I think I especially appreciated my time with the kids today because it was a less than wonderful start to my day when our refrigerator went out! It is one of those things that there is NEVER a good time to have happen. You don't really think about the age of your appliances, until something like this starts your day. Our fridge was 14 years old. After trying to find a repair person with no luck, I decided to start the search for a new fridge. You would think this would be pretty easy, wouldn't you? Well that is not the case if.... A. You want a refrigerator that is IN STOCK that can be delivered rather quickly (think tomorrow) and B. You have a small space for your refrigerator that does NOT fit a side by side, or a french door unit or any of the newest "bells and whistles" kinds that are out there. I ended up having really NO CHOICE! There was one in stock, that fit. And it is almost exactly like the one it is replacing. So, new fridge purchased and being delivered tomorrow.
It made think again about living in the United States. Really all you have to do is shop for something like this and you realize what a spoiled and entitled people we are. The sales person told me that the current appliance life span is so much shorter now because people just replace everything when something better comes along rather than when it wears out. So the manufacturers don't make them last like they used to. In the 1960's you could expect a refrigerator to last for 25 years or more! And most repairs were minor. But the one I just bought will most likely only be good for 10 years. We seem to be a disposable society. So tonight I am feeling blessed by my very small house that will only fit a basic model fridge that will replace the one that is totally worn out. And I am thankful for the wake up call reminding me about what is really important. Spending time making memories with my grandchildren is much more important than THINGS!
Jesus, thank you for helping me keep my focus on a crazy, busy day. Thank you for laughs and hugs and giggles that make my heart happy. Holy Spirit, help us all to appreciate what we have. Keep our eyes on what is really important. Thank you for memories and for providing an aunt and uncle for me when my grandparents were gone! Amen
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