Beware What You Put Into Cyberspace; It May Come Back to Bite You

A couple of years ago my kids convinced me to open a face book account in order to share pictures. It seems I have had to adapt to the electronic age in order to see pictures of my grandchildren who live far away and to keep up with my children's activities. In fact, if I had not backtracked about 2 weeks worth of face book entries on their walls recently I would have never known that Mike had passed his professional engineering exam. Congratulations again, Mike.

Then about a year ago the same son suggested I start this blog as a way of keeping them informed of our adventures. I have found that by doing so they actually look at our pictures.

What I am getting at is that I have always tried to avoid posting anything embarrassing on either site knowing full well that once it is out here it belongs to the world. Knowing that and actually finding out it is for real are two different things however.

We recently had tickets to the show at The Second City in Chicago. I highly recommend this venue to anyone who likes to laugh out loud. The show was great. Our tickets were a Christmas gift. When I called for the reservation, the people in the ticket office were extremely nice. When we arrived at the show where the seating is first come first serve, the theater was about half full. However, when we presented out ticket which had my name on it, the usher said Jean Chilson is here. Don and I were immediately led to two stage side seats - the only open seats in the front half of the theater. I was feeling quite important. We hypothesized a little about how we had gotten so lucky and even wondered if it might have something to do with the nature of our gift.

It was near the end of the show when we found out the true reason for the front row seats. I guess you could say I was playing the role of an unsuspecting shill. In the middle of a skit about the TSA and how they can tell everything about you by looking at your face, the comedian wheeled his chair over in front of me and rattled off streams of information about me contained first in this blog. The details he chose to disclose to the audience that evening were simply some of the fun things I have pondered over the past year, it was all done in good fun and I probably laughed more than anyone there - except maybe Don.

But a lesson learned for anyone who puts personal information out there in cyberspace. The counter on this site is approaching 1000. And I just had a reality check that I may not know all of you as well as you know me.

A Week-End to Just Be Kids Again

It seems like I am always playing catch up these days.

We had a great Memorial Day week-end hanging out with our Green Bay grandkids while thier parents took some much needed R & R for a couple of days. It's funny though, after and evening or so of alone time they couldn't wait to get back to their children and they made it home on Monday before we were prepared to receive them. I think it is great that the moms in our family do not find their children to be a burden and, in fact, go to the other extreme to keep them as close as they can. I am also grateful then that they are generous in their sharing of the children allowing us to snatch them up for our own alone time with them. Isn't that really the best way to get to know these precious individuals as the wonderful people they are becoming.

We took the children on bike rides on two of the days. Jack is so grown up now. He has a grown up bike which I am proud to say he bought with his own saved money. He attached the burley to his new bike and towed his little sister Elise around without ever a complaint. We were also very proud of Ella who is relatively new to riding her two wheeler on long bike rides. She rode 8 miles in one ride, far exceeding her expection of herself that she could only do 2 miles. She also never complained nor did she have any trouble keeping up.

When we weren't riding bikes, we played at the parks on the equipment and  some hide and seek, we played baseball in the backyard, and we had a campfire. Just great ways to enjoy the energy and enthusiam of these great kids. In the evening, we had a dance party in the basement. These are not the children we read about who spend their time in front of the TV. Grandma and Grandpa went home suitably tired.

Next week we will have Ella sort of by ourselves on her very own adventure with grandparents. We are taking her with us to my sister Carol's family's big celebration in Virginia. They are celebrating 1) their 40th wedding anniversary, 2) the marriage of their son, Andy to Amy, and 3) the arrival of their own grandson, Joey. The occasion also serves as a family reunion for both the Patterson and the Miller families.

Unfortunately, it is just too far for two of our own sons to travel in their current circumstances. They will be sorely missed and I know that they are sorry to have to miss such a great event when all of the extended family gathers.

Where Has May Gone?

I had no idea how long it had been since my last post of May 4 until I opened my blog today. It's not that there isn't anything to write about, it's just that I found out that even in May you can experience the devastating effects of cabin fever on the psyche. Since I wasn't able to do the things I really wanted to do, I couldn't find the motivation to do even the things I could do. The recent devastation caused by tornadoes around the Midwest was a come to Jesus wake up call to me. I became ashamed of the moaning I have done about a few missed outdoor activities when we have been so fortunately spared the tragedy that so many have had to endure.

We have actually had a few very nice week-ends in spite of the crummy weekday weather.

I had one of the greatest Mother's days in a very long time. I found myself surrounded by children and grandchildren for the week-end. The Green Bay Chilsons were all in attendance. We had a nice bike ride stopping off at a park on Saturday and ate our way through Chicago food which started with Papa's Pizza, continued through Portillo's Italian beef and finished off with a Mrs. Fields birthday cookie in honor of Elise's upcoming third birthday.

Lindsay joined us for most of the day. We were able to get over to her new house and took a break there to have a little fun with the Kentucky Derby. We all drew horses to bet on and contributed a dollar to the pool which was seeded with a little extra cash by our local bookie, grandpa. Ella was the big winner in the pool. She won first and second place for $15. I hope she spent it well.

Sunday they all accompanied me to church, and we played a little baseball, built a fire in the bong, and grilled brats before they headed for home. That's about as close to perfection as a Mother's Day can get.

A few days later I received a package in the mail from the Atlanta Chilsons of 6 pints of ice cream. How great is that? Who would believe you could send ice cream in the mail?  I just finished the last drop this week.

Of course, the Minnesota Chilsons were all acounted for with greetings of love and phone conversation.

The next week found us out with the Fox Valley Winnies on a camping week-end in Shipshewana, Indiana. We took this opportunity to visit nearby Elkhart and Don's mothers's cousins. We spent a delightful afternoon listening to stories from long long ago and following up on some of his geneology pursuits. It is so interesting to receive historical information from those who have lived it. Present also was a cousin of his own generation whom we haven't seen in 40 years and yet is somehow felt like the years have never passed. 

Mary Jean lives in a lovely home on the St. Joe river where she introduced us to the family of swans who have taken up residency on the nearby shore.

Well guess what. A few days home again and we headed up to Green Bay where we had a couple of days alone with the kids while their parents enjoyed some much needed alone time for R & R.


Well, here we are home again for a couple of weeks. The rain is coming in again, but it looks like I might finally be able to get a golf game in tomorrow before it comes back again on Thursday. O well, at least the lawns are a beautiful shade of green and all the vegetation looks greater than ever. I might even be able to get some flowers planted between storms this week. And I'll add a prayer of thanksgiving with each plant I pot that our home and family are intact and healthy.

Rain Rain Go Away

What a beautiful day today is. The sun is shining, God's in His Heaven and all is right with the world. I thought I was more than a bit crazy venturing out onto the golf course at 7:30 this morning wearing 4 layers of clothing and winter gloves. The temperature was somewhere around 37. But you know enough just has to be enough. Last week I actually found myself angry at the weather. Me. The one who always mocks my husband for his obsession with knowing what the forecast is and keeping up with the constant changes. My attitude is pretty much wait and see what comes and don't worry about it until it gets here. There is nothing you can do about it anyway. You see, one thing about living around Chicago all your life is that you never really know what the weather is going to be until it gets here, and once it does, it is not likely to maintain the status quo.

But really, three full weeks of rain and cold in April leaking into May with narey a break? Come on  who can blame me for being angry?

Well as I always say "what a blessing to have friends". The day I became so angry, I called a friend I hadn't spent much time with lately and made a lunch date. Even running into the restaurant in the pouring rain lost its power to detract from good company and good conversation. I only wish I had made the effort sooner to reach out and touch someone instead of waiting for the clouds to clear. For a day, anyway, I was able to clear my own clouds away.

By the time we finished the second hole, the sun came out, the gloves came off, and the outermost layer of clothing  was shed. I am so glad that I was not deterrred by the early morning gloom because now I feel like I could lick anything that comes my way.

Double Trouble? Or Twice as Nice?

Well I think I am home for awhile now. A week after returning from Florida I flew off to Minneapolis to help Bob with the twins while Gretchen accompanied her band to New York. I hope the kids appreciate how great it is to have such a teacher. Not only is this a lot of extra work for her which she doesn't have to do, it meant leaving her babies for the first time for an extended length of time. As much as moms need a break, such a long one so early in their lives is difficult. My hat is off to her both as a mom and as a dedicated teacher.

Babysitting these children is not as much work as it seems. They continued to go to daycare so as not to upset their routine as well as to make grandma's life easier. The fact, is they genuinely enjoy their second home and were happy to be deposited there each morning and not necessarily thrilled to leave each evening.

When I had them alone, they are easy to entertain and very good at entertaining themselves. They seem to fuss only when they are hungry or tired which occurs at regular intervals. But those needs are easily satisfied. In fact, by evening bedtime it seems as if they are actually asking to go to bed.

Getting them both up and down the stairs together started out to be my biggest challenge until I discovered that Jacob loves climbing the stairs by himself and Robbie is certainly capable of it when prodded a little. We found it great fun making a race out of it.

Mealtime is a great time to bond with children as I have found with other grandsons. We tried a few new things with them. The best was chocolate pudding. You haven't lived until you watch a one year old trying to eat it with his hands. Jake doesn't get nearly as messy as he allows himself to be spoon fed thereby getting much more pleasure out of the whole experience. The same went for ice cream.

Most of all, these children are just a blessing to behold and there is no greater comfort than when either one of them decides you are good enough to cuddle them.

It was a great time for me as during their all too brief visit to Florida we had just started to become pals. I truly believe that we are now bound as good buddies. I was second to daddy and almost even with their daycare teacher Christy. Of course, by the time Mommy returned home, I am sure no one else could take her place for a long time.

Now I Have Responsibilities?

Well we have been home now for about 5 days and they have been 5 of the busiest so far in 2011.

Actually it has been more like the busiest 8 days. We first stopped in Atlanta for a short visit on our way back to the North Pole. It is hard to believe that one week ago today I was Jamming with Drew on guitars. Two days with that little family are guaranteed to be fun-packed and on the go. Drew has gotten to know his Grammy and Pa and has become so much fun to interact with. Ollie is okay with us especially when his parents are not around to rescue him. It is so easy to get him giggling and his belly laugh is contagious. and of course we had to party a little in "Pa's bus".

The minute we hit Woodridge our feet were on the move. First, when we unhooked our tow car, the power steering was gone. The shop had an opening for repairs if we could get their in 30 min. So with the first load of laundry going we headed out to drop it off, leaving us with one car to run errands. I needed to do certain things to prepare for our starting day golf league meeting, we needed to vote for village officials, and we needed to get back to Bertha to empty out 4 months of our accumulated "stuff.

Our wonderful friends started calling to check on our progress home and it was so heart-warming to hear that they were all thrilled that we had returned.

Our winter roomie and niece Lindsay, had purchased her own home while we were gone and we were honored to accompany her on her final walk through and closing. Closing on a house has become a lot more complicated that the last closing we were involved in 30 years ago. It was a little scary watching her sign that huge check and negotiate that huge mortgage. Our experience in house buying suddenly seemed like we dealt with such small numbers.

So between helping Lindsay prepare her place for move in I did two weeks of laundry and attempted to put away 4 months of living stuff. We also took some time off for Date Night at St. Scholastica which was a great way to renew a few relationships with our homeland friends. O and, of course, I found time to get in 18 holes of golf.

Well I have two days now to get reorganized before I take off on Wednesday for Minneapolis to help Bob manage the twins and the household while Gretchen is away with her band. These guys make babysitting so easy these days as the boys will go to day care for most of the day leaving grandma to shop, cook, and pamper herself a little.

Addendum from Fort DeSoto

After a winter of stellar weather and very little rain the skies opened up in St. Petersburg the last couple days we were there we were hit with all the bad weather pent up for the past 4 months. On our last day, we were hungry for some activity. Don checked the hourly weather forecast on aol (second only to Tom Skilling for accuracy, right?) and decided it would not rain until 1 PM. So about 10:30 am we went out for about a 1 hour bike ride. (Kind of like the 3 hour cruise of Gilligans Island). When we arrived at the farthest most point on the island from our campsite, the sea was raging with the oncoming storm which had already left a lot of wind and tornado damage behind just to the north of us in the early am. It looked like dark skies were definitely headed our way, but Don kept reminding me it was not going to rain until 1:00. Well after we decided it might be coming a little sooner, we took off for home at the same time the wind kicked up and the torrential downpour started with a little hail thrown in for fun. The good news was that the wind was at our backs. As we approached the visitor center where we would have to turn into the wind, we decided to take shelter.

So we were welcomed in by the two rangers on duty and watched their computer radar until it looked like maybe the worst was passed. One of the rangers offered to throw our bikes into her truck and drive us back, but I am married to the nicest man in the world and he would never dream of putting them out like that and especially messing up her truck with our soaking wet clothes. We also remembered about now that we had left our windows open.

Well we needed to get moving so out into the tropical storm we ventured. Thank God there was no lightning threatening us at this time. The problem was that now the wind and rain were pelting us broadside and as we rode over a bridge crossing  a small inlet, I was praying that the sharks had enough sense to get in out of the rain before I was swept away into the ocean.

Unbelievably, we made it back that last mile with a lot of "Hail Marys" under my breath. We spent the next hour wringing ourselves out and mopping up our house. The storm continued with the same ferocity way past 1PM and into the night nonstop.