The Great Road Trip of 2009 – Saturday, April 4, Part 1
June 15th, 2009 at 5:12 pm by Dee O'Neil Andrews
April 4th – The Girls (& Tom) Go Shopping
Saturday was our second full day at home together and another day full of fun, too, thanks as always to Mom. It was a busy one, but not too. We tried our best to rest and relax in between "fun stuff," but then, it was all fun! Although looking back, I think this was about the time the pain first started in my left shoulder blade.
I was pretty hyper, still, from the trip and did too much, with trying to make sure everyone was having a great time and that all went smoothly. I knew it at the time, but did not realize the toll it was taking or what the consequences would be.
My blood sugars were crashing on a regular basis, sometimes as many as four or five times a day. I must have drunk nearly a case of Cokes during that two week period. I could not keep my blood sugars up. It’s a wonder I didn’t gain about 10 lbs., but I didn’t.
The first thing on the agenda for the day, which didn’t start too early for any of us, was coffee, of course, with a light breakfast, and then grocery shopping. I had not been to the grocery store in over a week and needed fresh produce and some things for cooking while company was here.
So, Laura and I headed off to town to Walmart. That’s always a challenge and especially in Picayune on Saturdays when I think the entire county’s population comes to town to shop there. This day, it was particularly difficult to not only park, but shop, because the entire store was under major renovations with everything in the store out of place and no new signs up to point you in the right direction. None of the employees had a clue, either, to where anything was, so it took us forever to get groceries (and a lot of money, since I was buying a lot more than usual).
By the time we got home, put everything away and had sandwiches, it was nearly 2 p.m. and we had yet to start to Slidell to the mall for some more shopping. The plan was for us to go to Penney’s to get some cute shirts on sale - cheap – and then go by Sam’s to get some steaks for Tom to grill for dinner.
What we had not planned, was for Mom to pay for our shirts (we girls, that is – poor Tom was just our driver everywhere!). But, she insisted on buying us all the shirts we wanted when we got there (and they were cute and on sale for only about $5 bucks apiece!! – Mom even got a couple). She laughingly told us we’d better stock up while she was in such a generous mood spending all of her kids’ inheritances.
While Laura & I protested, she began sharing her philosophy of life at 87 and began telling us . . .
[Note: Y'all - I'm tired today, and especially this afternoon, so think I'll stop right here. Be sure and come back, though, because I think you will take away much wisdom from this lovely, delightful mom of ours. Here's a couple of pictures for today of Mom, Tom & Laura eating key lime pie on the back porch that beautiful April 4th afternoon. Isn't our back porch just the neatest place ever?]
To Be Continued . . .
You are perfecting your ability to leave us hanging. My mom, living on a very limited income, was always very generous toward us and we had to come to grips with the reality of allowing her to give and being grateful receivers.
Love your story and your backporch and am looking forward to your mom’s POL.
Have a nice rest and hope you get refreshed!
Hey, there is nothing that entices me more than a good shopping trip to Penneys, especiall when they have shirts on sale! Ask your mom if she’d like to adopt a daughter!!!
Love the porch.
I look forward to reading your mom’s wisdom. I LOVE your back porch-it looks great!
Get some rest Dee and fill us in on the “rest” as well as more pics of the family and keyline pie!