Tuesday, 2 February 2010
We got a phone call very early this morning that my uncle had had a heart attack and had been flown to Philadelphia for surgery. This immediately upset my father to the point of insisting that he drive up there straight away. Little JJ was not even out of bed (and he is an early riser) and Daddy and Mother were packing things and getting ready to go. I stood there stuffing a toasted muffin into my mouth whilst they scurried round with suitcases and so on.
Of course Mother would not let him go alone. They would be taking JJ with them, so that he could stay with our other uncle's family in southern New Jersey for a few days whilst Mother and Daddy went on to Philadelphia. We were fortunate to have had Roger here the last few days-- working on the new (old) Buick project with Daddy, and so they would have him and the dark-green car for the ride. But it meant that I would be left to see little Lisa off to school for the next few mornings, and to arrive late each day myself (as her school starts an hour after mine, so I will miss first and half of second period by the time I get there. But, it cannot be helped).
Before they left this morning we did get another phone call and the news that our uncle had probably not had a true heart attack but that he has significant arterial blockage and so will need some bypass surgery. Other than this (significant but manageable) problem he is doing well. Daddy was relieved. But still they would leave at 9.00.
Roger drove Jessy in so she would not be late today and then would return for Daddy and Mother and little JJ who was getting dressed though crankily. I made a breakfast for Lisa and helped her get dressed and drove her in myself, a few minutes late, in the Regal and then got myself over to the high school. Of course we get out earlier so I was able, with Jessy, to drive over there and pick up Lisa when she got done. As of right now we are three girls on our own in the castle for probably the rest of the week.
Our uncle is out of his surgery and doing well-- they expect him to be much improved by week's end when they will release him. I rang my aunt in southern New Jersey and got a few updates and got to talk with JJ too. He is having fun with his cousins and does not fully understand the serious issues of his visit there. This is probably best.
I spoke with Daddy too and though he is relieved he is still concerned. 'It could happen to any of us,' he said. 'You always think it'll be the other guy, but it could be you, you know.'
'But you are very healthy,' I told him, 'and you work out and walk and ride the bike. And you don't smoke.'
Our uncle has always smoked cigarettes. It is a source of concern through the whole family. 'Yeah, but I could be better. And they're saying it's not due to the cigarettes.'
'What else would it be due to?' I asked (yes, incorrect grammar and all).
'I don't know. I told him as soon as he gets better we're all starting a fitness routine.'
Daddy already has a fitness routine. As casual as he has always been about other things (diet, paying bills, wearing ironed clothes) he has always enjoyed just doing physical things like walking, running, riding stationary and two-wheeled bicycles and of course swimming. He and I have a little competition on the rowing machine down stairs, trying to improve our 2k times. I am down to about 9:17-- and, by the way, have lost about 2 lbs of holiday-season fat.
Our other uncle tends to be a bit more rigorous in his fitness than either of his elder brothers and we worry perhaps less about his health than anyone's. Tonight they are both at Gran's house farther up in New Jersey and one aunt stays with her husband in hospital and the other is minding four little kids at the farmhouse. All the signs look good and so I have relaxed my own concern and left it all to God. I think sometimes this is all we can do.
For supper Jessy and Lisa (meaning Jessy, with Lisa sitting on the counter asking questions and talking incessantly) made a frozen entree of roast beef with fried mashed potatoes left over from Gran's birthday dinner and cranberry sauce and (mostly cold) broccoli. I planned for tomorrow to have macaroni-and-cheese casserole with the leftover chicken in it. I think we will not starve soon.
Lisa did ask to sleep in with me tonight but as of now she is in Lisa's bed, probably asleep if I care to go look whilst Jessy bangs away on the computer on FaceBook and Twitter and wherever else she needs to broadcast her news to her friends. We made sure Lisa brushed her teeth early because we kind of figured she would end up like this. I will leave my door open on the gallery side anyway in case she comes looking for me at two AM.
Oh, and I wrote a note for the school saying I will be missing first period all week because of getting my little sister to school and of course the teacher and the guidance people were fine with that-- British literature? --my major? --are you kidding? There is another section of the same class during fifth and they asked if I wanted to just sit in on that and miss lunch, but I said no way. Anyway I have the textbook, like I haven't read all that stuff already. And I can write my paper from home.
So we will be all right for the short term. Thanks be to God.
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Showing posts with label cousins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cousins. Show all posts
02 February 2010
03 August 2009
One thing and then another
or, How my family does a beach house party
Sunday 2 August 2009
We attended Holy Innocents' this morning, but they do not know us so well here (in spite of Daddy having given them so much money over the years-- mostly anonymously), so they did not know to announce Lisa's 6th birthday. We did inform the rector in the receiving line and she was very pleased and proud to be congratulated one this milestone. She has lived 17 percent of her whole life since this time last year, when we were just arrived from England. When we moved in to the house in Virginia Lisa had only fuzzy memories of having lived in the US at all. She still bears that cute accent, though it is not so much from having gone to nursery school and Sunday school with other children in England as it is because her mother is Anglo-Australian, one of the scant minority native to Australia but of English and Protestant ancestry. Mother has only a hint of an Australian accent-- she sounds more like she is from East Anglia, where we stayed for two years, and little Lisa talks a lot like her mummy does.
People began arriving at about 3.00 or 4.00. I had a shower and dressed at about 3.30-- the day was nasty with clouds and thundershowers till about then and I had been inside, on the computer and not exactly dressed (okay, stark-naked), the closest I ever am to actually being bored. Then the house filled up. We eventually were able to move most of the party out to the deck. There was Daddy's uncle and aunt, having come up from their place down the Island. There was Gran, of course, and Daddy's brother and his family. There was Mother's dear best friend, having come up on the Ferry from Delaware, with her fiance, just for the occasion. Three of the girls from the ice-cream shop who were free came by. And Jessy's friends, Claire, Scotia and Edie, made sure to wander in round 5.00. Also Edie's mother showed up-- not so much out of some parental protection, to watch over her daughter at this party full of beer and wine and loud jokes and live music, of course, but because she carries something of a crush on Daddy, of whom she has been a fan these twenty-odd years or more now. Needless to say Daddy was in his element, telling funny stories, mugging with his family for the camera, serving up more food and drink to everyone than they wanted and making sure no one felt left-out. So I think Edie's mother had a really good time.
Mother (our stepmother) may be the most natural party-hoster next to Daddy. I remember my own mother was very good at it, preparing everything to the very highest standard and then presiding over the festivities-- that is to say, being a charming and gracious hostess who never let anyone down-- always with a smile and a hug and kiss for everyone. She was just like that naturally, and from having known her and learnt from her, our stepmother follows that example. Only Mother, being young in age and even younger at heart, is far more casual. For example, she rang the deli for a tray of food, and the bakery did the cake for the party. (She made a lovely homemade cake-- from scratch-- last night for our immediate-family celebration. She wouldn't dare not make one herself.) She wore a very pretty royal-blue bikini with a blue-and-white wrap-skirt draped round her hips, with her hair up and high-heeled shoes (okay, Easy-Walkers). This is remarkable because she is young and looks it, in spite of having borne two children, and of course she is very beautiful, and especially because she is... shall I say... well-endowed. She has the perfect figure for a bikini and always has had-- I do not mean she is anything other than pleasantly proportioned. And she wears the shoes really because of being so short. But I really think no one could overlook her at any party no matter what people are wearing. She just seems to exude sweetness and hospitality.
Of course Lisa takes after her as much as she takes after Jessy and me too. She wanted to wear a swimsuit and heels too, though of course she does not own any shoes with heels and discovered with near-tearful lament that both her swimsuits here were damp in the basket for the washing. Jessy soothed her-- I might have guessed-- and next she appeared, for her own birthday, in front of family and friends, everyone but J.J. being quite older than she is, in-- you guessed it-- the bandanna bikini. She absolutely loves it, you know. Jessy did fit her with another bandanna tied round her ribs as a top, and then did her hair up on her head like she was going to a prom, and everyone raved over how 'native' she looked even whilst she looked like a princess.
The bandanna bikini top didn't last all night, but she is six and no one really cared. I have to admit I thought she was even cuter with it off... bikini tops on little girls just seem so pretentious to me somehow!
I have to confess that by the time I was done playing piano and singing and crooning along with whoever else played, I had had about three full glasses of wine and was in no condition to be very gracious or hospitable to anyone. Fortunately Edie's mother did not notice. Scotia did, teased me about it, and then slyly asked me where the wine was. I made a face at her and pranced (okay, staggered) away from her. Fortunately Jessy is no drinker and would not enable her friends to either. But I was disappointed in Scotia-- she's younger than Jessy, having only turned 15 this June, and very cute... but what makes someone like that ask for a glass of wine at someone else's party? And what do we know of her history with it? I've had wine at the table since I was much younger than she is now, and so what if I have three glasses at one party? I don't have to defend my sense or propriety to someone who just wants to drink so she can say later that she was drinking.
Oh, sorry-- this is not the kind of thing I should write about before a good night's sleep, you know.
Anyway this party served as kind of a sendoff for Jessy and me, since we leave tomorrow for Virginia and will not be back here in New Jersey till nearly Labor Day. I have enjoyed it all, even though I have missed my friends at home, and missed Stephen (more on that later) and missed out on a few somewhat important events that were at the end of a four-hour drive because of having to work here that evening or the morning after, you know. I love this house and love this whole town, and the beach here is like no other in the world. But England calls, and I will heed that call. This time next week I will be five time zones away. And there will be friends there too.
There is a bit of wine left in this glass. I drink to the summer, well-spent.
...
Sunday 2 August 2009
We attended Holy Innocents' this morning, but they do not know us so well here (in spite of Daddy having given them so much money over the years-- mostly anonymously), so they did not know to announce Lisa's 6th birthday. We did inform the rector in the receiving line and she was very pleased and proud to be congratulated one this milestone. She has lived 17 percent of her whole life since this time last year, when we were just arrived from England. When we moved in to the house in Virginia Lisa had only fuzzy memories of having lived in the US at all. She still bears that cute accent, though it is not so much from having gone to nursery school and Sunday school with other children in England as it is because her mother is Anglo-Australian, one of the scant minority native to Australia but of English and Protestant ancestry. Mother has only a hint of an Australian accent-- she sounds more like she is from East Anglia, where we stayed for two years, and little Lisa talks a lot like her mummy does.
People began arriving at about 3.00 or 4.00. I had a shower and dressed at about 3.30-- the day was nasty with clouds and thundershowers till about then and I had been inside, on the computer and not exactly dressed (okay, stark-naked), the closest I ever am to actually being bored. Then the house filled up. We eventually were able to move most of the party out to the deck. There was Daddy's uncle and aunt, having come up from their place down the Island. There was Gran, of course, and Daddy's brother and his family. There was Mother's dear best friend, having come up on the Ferry from Delaware, with her fiance, just for the occasion. Three of the girls from the ice-cream shop who were free came by. And Jessy's friends, Claire, Scotia and Edie, made sure to wander in round 5.00. Also Edie's mother showed up-- not so much out of some parental protection, to watch over her daughter at this party full of beer and wine and loud jokes and live music, of course, but because she carries something of a crush on Daddy, of whom she has been a fan these twenty-odd years or more now. Needless to say Daddy was in his element, telling funny stories, mugging with his family for the camera, serving up more food and drink to everyone than they wanted and making sure no one felt left-out. So I think Edie's mother had a really good time.
Mother (our stepmother) may be the most natural party-hoster next to Daddy. I remember my own mother was very good at it, preparing everything to the very highest standard and then presiding over the festivities-- that is to say, being a charming and gracious hostess who never let anyone down-- always with a smile and a hug and kiss for everyone. She was just like that naturally, and from having known her and learnt from her, our stepmother follows that example. Only Mother, being young in age and even younger at heart, is far more casual. For example, she rang the deli for a tray of food, and the bakery did the cake for the party. (She made a lovely homemade cake-- from scratch-- last night for our immediate-family celebration. She wouldn't dare not make one herself.) She wore a very pretty royal-blue bikini with a blue-and-white wrap-skirt draped round her hips, with her hair up and high-heeled shoes (okay, Easy-Walkers). This is remarkable because she is young and looks it, in spite of having borne two children, and of course she is very beautiful, and especially because she is... shall I say... well-endowed. She has the perfect figure for a bikini and always has had-- I do not mean she is anything other than pleasantly proportioned. And she wears the shoes really because of being so short. But I really think no one could overlook her at any party no matter what people are wearing. She just seems to exude sweetness and hospitality.
Of course Lisa takes after her as much as she takes after Jessy and me too. She wanted to wear a swimsuit and heels too, though of course she does not own any shoes with heels and discovered with near-tearful lament that both her swimsuits here were damp in the basket for the washing. Jessy soothed her-- I might have guessed-- and next she appeared, for her own birthday, in front of family and friends, everyone but J.J. being quite older than she is, in-- you guessed it-- the bandanna bikini. She absolutely loves it, you know. Jessy did fit her with another bandanna tied round her ribs as a top, and then did her hair up on her head like she was going to a prom, and everyone raved over how 'native' she looked even whilst she looked like a princess.
The bandanna bikini top didn't last all night, but she is six and no one really cared. I have to admit I thought she was even cuter with it off... bikini tops on little girls just seem so pretentious to me somehow!
I have to confess that by the time I was done playing piano and singing and crooning along with whoever else played, I had had about three full glasses of wine and was in no condition to be very gracious or hospitable to anyone. Fortunately Edie's mother did not notice. Scotia did, teased me about it, and then slyly asked me where the wine was. I made a face at her and pranced (okay, staggered) away from her. Fortunately Jessy is no drinker and would not enable her friends to either. But I was disappointed in Scotia-- she's younger than Jessy, having only turned 15 this June, and very cute... but what makes someone like that ask for a glass of wine at someone else's party? And what do we know of her history with it? I've had wine at the table since I was much younger than she is now, and so what if I have three glasses at one party? I don't have to defend my sense or propriety to someone who just wants to drink so she can say later that she was drinking.
Oh, sorry-- this is not the kind of thing I should write about before a good night's sleep, you know.
Anyway this party served as kind of a sendoff for Jessy and me, since we leave tomorrow for Virginia and will not be back here in New Jersey till nearly Labor Day. I have enjoyed it all, even though I have missed my friends at home, and missed Stephen (more on that later) and missed out on a few somewhat important events that were at the end of a four-hour drive because of having to work here that evening or the morning after, you know. I love this house and love this whole town, and the beach here is like no other in the world. But England calls, and I will heed that call. This time next week I will be five time zones away. And there will be friends there too.
There is a bit of wine left in this glass. I drink to the summer, well-spent.
...
22 August 2008
Okay, so I have to wear something
Monday 18 August 2008
Our uncle and aunt and cousins, who came down from NJ for Jessy's birthday party, are to leave Chincoteague tomorrow, and so it was arranged that we would all drive up to meet them at the beach there. It meant that Jessy and I-- and Lisa too! --would have to actually put on swimsuits, for the first time in about a week. As a form of protest I decided that I was not going to bring anything else-- no other clothes to get into for later, whatever we'd be doing. Naturally I did not tell Mother or Daddy about this. I put on the good yellow bikini I got in England-- it's a pretty conservative cut, almost two inches high at the hips, in a beautiful shade of pale lemon with a very thin light pink stripe going round the bottoms and across the cups. I put up my hair and pulled it through the back of a ball cap and wore my 'dressy' beach sandals, the ones with heels. I brought a little white canvas purse and a plain white terry towel-- that was it.
Jessy descended in the bikini she got in England, which is a string style with a black border round shiny silver splashed in a wild abstract print of blue, light blue, and maroon. It's a great fit-- it makes her legs look really long, though she is not tall at all. She brought a bag with her which had two pairs of shorts in it, one for me although I didn't know it at the time.
We got to the beautiful big beach park at Chincoteague at about 9.15, which is the perfect time to get there. The beach does not formally open till 10.00 so there are places to park and to settle on the sand with your stuff. Daddy got out with J.J. immediately and carried him on his shoulders down almost to the crest of the dune, where he put him down and then raced him-- ON HIS HANDS AND FEET-- down towards the water. J.J. shrieked in glee. (He's 2-1/2 and is good at shrieking.)
This left Mother, Lisa, Jessy and I to carry two chairs, two big blankets, a couple of bags and the rolled-up sun shelter that Daddy made in case our little ones need to get some shade. It's just a piece of black-and-white-striped canvas, about three feet square, and two poles poking into grommets at one end to hold it up. We set this up so as to block the eastern sun and spread one of the blankets under it. Of course Jessy and I are really well tanned already so there wasn't going to be any lying-out for us here. I just dropped my towel in a ball on the sand, laid my hat on top of it, and stepped out of my sandals. Jessy peeled off the t-shirt and we skipped down to the water.
Lisa came with us, and Jessy and I held her hands and helped her duck under waves or leap over them. Soon Mother came out with us, and when our aunt and uncle showed up our cousin Audrey joined us in the water. (Audrey's 11 and getting tall like her mother.)
After noon we all got takeaway from McDonald's, went back to the motel where our cousins were staying and went into the pool there. Later Jessy and I took Lisa and Audrey down Maddox Boulevard to the shops and then back up to play mini golf. Audrey, ever sensible, got dressed and Jessy put on her shorts, but little Lisa and I stayed in our swimsuits all evening. We had a nice time-- Jessy won at mini golf although we all took the time to help Lisa do well. She is very eager to be like her big sisters (and cousin) and will learn anything you teach her.
We walked back to the motel after dark. The adults were sitting round the motel room with the Olympics on but Daddy found an excuse to get away from that and we piled into the van to go home. No one had checked the post and so I strolled down our lane home to the box, which for now is still out at the road. I was still in the bikini and sandals with heels and felt very alluring and cute.
...
Our uncle and aunt and cousins, who came down from NJ for Jessy's birthday party, are to leave Chincoteague tomorrow, and so it was arranged that we would all drive up to meet them at the beach there. It meant that Jessy and I-- and Lisa too! --would have to actually put on swimsuits, for the first time in about a week. As a form of protest I decided that I was not going to bring anything else-- no other clothes to get into for later, whatever we'd be doing. Naturally I did not tell Mother or Daddy about this. I put on the good yellow bikini I got in England-- it's a pretty conservative cut, almost two inches high at the hips, in a beautiful shade of pale lemon with a very thin light pink stripe going round the bottoms and across the cups. I put up my hair and pulled it through the back of a ball cap and wore my 'dressy' beach sandals, the ones with heels. I brought a little white canvas purse and a plain white terry towel-- that was it.
Jessy descended in the bikini she got in England, which is a string style with a black border round shiny silver splashed in a wild abstract print of blue, light blue, and maroon. It's a great fit-- it makes her legs look really long, though she is not tall at all. She brought a bag with her which had two pairs of shorts in it, one for me although I didn't know it at the time.
We got to the beautiful big beach park at Chincoteague at about 9.15, which is the perfect time to get there. The beach does not formally open till 10.00 so there are places to park and to settle on the sand with your stuff. Daddy got out with J.J. immediately and carried him on his shoulders down almost to the crest of the dune, where he put him down and then raced him-- ON HIS HANDS AND FEET-- down towards the water. J.J. shrieked in glee. (He's 2-1/2 and is good at shrieking.)
This left Mother, Lisa, Jessy and I to carry two chairs, two big blankets, a couple of bags and the rolled-up sun shelter that Daddy made in case our little ones need to get some shade. It's just a piece of black-and-white-striped canvas, about three feet square, and two poles poking into grommets at one end to hold it up. We set this up so as to block the eastern sun and spread one of the blankets under it. Of course Jessy and I are really well tanned already so there wasn't going to be any lying-out for us here. I just dropped my towel in a ball on the sand, laid my hat on top of it, and stepped out of my sandals. Jessy peeled off the t-shirt and we skipped down to the water.
Lisa came with us, and Jessy and I held her hands and helped her duck under waves or leap over them. Soon Mother came out with us, and when our aunt and uncle showed up our cousin Audrey joined us in the water. (Audrey's 11 and getting tall like her mother.)
After noon we all got takeaway from McDonald's, went back to the motel where our cousins were staying and went into the pool there. Later Jessy and I took Lisa and Audrey down Maddox Boulevard to the shops and then back up to play mini golf. Audrey, ever sensible, got dressed and Jessy put on her shorts, but little Lisa and I stayed in our swimsuits all evening. We had a nice time-- Jessy won at mini golf although we all took the time to help Lisa do well. She is very eager to be like her big sisters (and cousin) and will learn anything you teach her.
We walked back to the motel after dark. The adults were sitting round the motel room with the Olympics on but Daddy found an excuse to get away from that and we piled into the van to go home. No one had checked the post and so I strolled down our lane home to the box, which for now is still out at the road. I was still in the bikini and sandals with heels and felt very alluring and cute.
...
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