2019 Joy Journal

April 17, 2019 Had a really nice chat yesterday with a lady that works for Amazon. I was appreciative and it made her happy.  Went and had my hair done. Stopped in at the Flour Girl bakery and thanked them for the cupcakes they donated to the tennis tournament.  Had a nice email visit with Adele Brown. Brittany started her first day at HDR today! When they were here for Second Sunday Supper I said, and "Jon Marc's going to take a picture of you." When she sent me the picture, she siad, "Jon Marc said, 'My job is done. I did the one thing Grannie told me to do."  Beverly and JA made it safely to San Diego and have their new address. She's not sure they'll stay in that RV park, but it is less than ten miles from the jobs that most excite her, so they're going to give it a try.  Got to hug Kennedy. She's getting ready for her pop up show tomorrow night.  Little text visit with Tori. She's still fighting her cough, so we laugh...

December 3, 2019 I just got to have the nicest visit with Angela last night. Just a few minutes, out here in the writing shack. When I told her that I wanted to ask about the ornament for Logan, she seemed really happy about the idea. Got Kennedy's paper graduation announcements yesterday. I asked Angela if she had seen her envelope on the doggy bookshelf. She said, "Yes! My mama's handwriting."  Heard from Brittany and Faith. I think Faith is going to call me today. I'm going to get her to help with Willo's passaround present. Heard from Tyler. He said he was good, and that he was at school. 

November 25, 2019 The wifi is giving me a hard time this morning, and I hope that isn't going to be an all-morning thing. So frustrating. Barry and I drove down to Firefly yesterday afternoon. I think he wanted to show me what was going on with his oyster baskets. We took our lists and planners and spent a few minutes at the kitchen table working with them. It wasn't quite enough for me, and i had to get back up in the middle of the night to finish it, but it was a pleasant time. We had Second Sunday Supper on Saturday so that it would be easier for Tori to be here. It turned out that, at least on this particular Saturday night, it also meant that the older grandbabies could stay and finish their game of Nines. And so, with the house mostly empty except that table full, they gathered up in the dining room and played and talked and laughed. It was like an impromptu Goodtimes, and I loved it. Barry was talking about it the next day.  We got to meet Logan, Angela's f...

November 20, 2019 Had a fun text conversation with Brittany this morning. Tori and Josh changed their relationship status yesterday to "In a relationship." Naturally, that prompted a text. She laughed, and said they had just been out to dinner and realized they hadn't ever changed it back.  Had a little text visit with Morgan last night and this morning. Heard from Shawn. He is planning on being at SSS. Barry and I had lunch at Firehouse yesterday and got to visit with Faith a little bit.  Had a good walk with Bertice yesterday. 

November 5, 2019 Beverly called me yesterday afternoon.  Beth sent a text to see if we could have a Thanksgiving lunch or dinner.  Heard from Brittany. She is happy and busy, busy. She referred to JonMarc in a post this morning as bf and he noted "fiance" which made her laugh.  Heard from Faith. She's working a double today, and might come by to see us this Sunday. 

October 10, 2019 Barry and I drove down to Firefly last night and as we were walking in from the pier, he saw Fred and Donna and shouted a "hello." We stood and talked over the fence until the moon and stars were out.  Bertice touched base. Got to phone visit with Beverly for a few minutes.  Got to pick Beth up from the airport and visit with her for a little bit.  Yesterday was Davis' first birthday and Morgan posted a sweet video and pictures of his birthday. Got to talk to Faith yesterday. She sent me a text afterwards and said that it was good to talk to me, that it felt like it had been forever. Yesterday was Jaden's first day at head start and the teacher sent pictures of him having a really good time. 

September 3, 2019 I get to have breakfast with Andrew tomorrow! Angela, when she called to tell me that she had gotten a job in Mobile and is moving back ---- I was so happy, she was so happy, she couldn't wait to tell me and she didn't want to do it by text.  Beth and Rodney have been in Chicago with Morgan, Amber, Zak, Brandon, Amber's boyfriend, and Davis. Lots of fun, lots of pictures on Facebook. Shawn is engaged.  Faith and Michael and Brooke came over yesterday to swim, and we sat at the kitchen counter for a long time and visited.  Heard from Brittany. She and Jon Marc spent Labor Day weekend with his family and had a good time. Pictures on Facebook. 

June 5, 2019 Ashley Ezell said I'm the most productive volunteer she's ever worked with. :-) (And that she always appreciates my sense of humor.) Heard back from Elaine, so we'll have our lunch soon, I think. Heard from Annette this morning. She sent me the most loving message / gifs.  Faith sent me a text --- she got to open the store this morning. Chelsea came over with Jaden and James. Barry thought Jaden might like being able to walk in the shallow end of the pool while it was filling up, but Jaden wasn't interested in that. He was having fun running in the yard and going down the slide. He climbed up on the hearth for the "1, 2, 3, jump game." James was full of smiles. Kennedy came over and spent some time yesterday afternoon, so we got hugs and a fun visit. 

May 29, 2019 I took myself to Firefly yesterday morning to walk and write. I forgot my RV key, but the porta potty is still there, and my coffee tasted good black, which I hadn't expected.  Heard from Brittany and spent a few minutes text visiting with her. She sent a picture of her and Jon Marc at Disney, which is where they were that morning. Heard from Annette. She said she had a great time in California with Andrew. I had sent JA a picture of the big, ripe blueberries growing on our bushes, and I heard from him.  I told Angela that I had smiled several times that day thinking about her supervisory position and people getting to see how smart and organized and accomplished and hard-working she is. She thanked me and sent me an afternoon hug.  I saw a post about a bug museum and I put that on Kennedy's page, and she liked that. Heard from Morgan. She was in the office yesterday since they all had Monday off, so we didn't talk for too long, but she seemed...

April 30, 2019 Text visit with Brittany. She said she'd had a good day, busy meeting everyone in the office and making some headway on a new project. She said, "I love my Monday's because I know my Grannie is going to text me."  Had a little text visit with Faith.

April 29, 2019 Yesterday, at Goodtimes, we took a break in our card game for Faith and Michael to make the brownies. Noah and I were standing at the end of the kitchen table, talking, when he just put his arm around me for a hug.  Kennedy came and I got some hugs.  Faith said Daniel had wanted to skip Goodtimes to go out in the boat with his girlfriend to celebrate their 6 month anniversary, and she had stressed to him the importance of going to see his grandparents.  Got to see Kim and John when they brought Noah. As they were leaving John said, "So you told all those kids that you had a car full of stuff and no one is helping you?" And then he called Noah and they got the groceries in while Kim kept Holly from escaping. Skyler had planned to come but she got a bad sunburn on Saturday. She was here on Saturday with four of her friends so they could swim, so we did get to see her.  I got a text from Angela this morning. Amber put an article about mana...

March 19, 2019 This morning went smoothly. The house was straight --- bedroom, kitchen, family room --- and laundry started by 7:12--- plus, I'd had my breakfast. Things feel peaceful and organized. And the full moon was hanging low in the western sky when I got up at a little after five o'clock. We talked to Kennedy last night. She was happy. Her project ideas had been well received and she'd been to her new apartment to dust and rearrange and put some of her dishes away.  Heard from Brittany. She said that she and Annette had recovered from their race day and were back in the gym yesterday.  Took Tyler to his class. He said that he thinks it is cool that when he posts a Snapchat story, Skyler is always around the third to like it. Heard from Faith. She's working another seven days straight. 

March 11, 2019 Second Sunday Supper was a lot of fun, and this morning is going well.  Heard from Andrew --- text --- really busy at work. Brittany called me in to the bedroom for a minute and Jon Marc jumped  up from the dining room table and said, "Wait a minute!" Brittany handed me a gift bag, saying "We went into a gift shop, and I saw this first thing, and said, 'I have to have this for Grannie." A turtle-shaped coffee cup that says "I turtilly love you!" So sweet.  She called me the other day --- said she'd started to send a text but then thought, "I haven't talked to Grannie for a while. I just want to hear her voice."  Skyler drove herself to school for the first time today, in her new car. Annette talked about taking Skyler with her to get the oil changed, and letting her be the one to have the conversation with the people there. They've opened a checking account for her, too. Angela and Tori and Kennedy hel...

Got off to a good start this morning.  Talked to Kennedy last night. A part she needed for her project was delivered to the wrong mail box --- she put notes out around her apartment complex like she was looking for a lost puppy --- and "someone was kind enough on a Sunday night to go and check their mailbox, and they had it," so she was up until 3:30 or 4:00 finishing it. Went to bed for a couple of hours. Overslept, but still made it to her class on time, where the project was well received. She got last minute notice about another project, but pulled it off, too, and everyone supported the changes she'd made. A triumphant, but exhausting, day. Beth called. Her scans show scarring in both lungs, so they'll recheck in three months to see if there have been any changes. Relieved that no urgent, bad news today. She said, "Something worse happened, though." She had gone in to a convenience store to buy lottery tickets, and the cash register's screen sav...