Well, it’s been a weird day, because
I have waited all day for news on my aunt. I finally heard from my cousin at 5
this afternoon that she had died last night. The funeral will be on Tuesday. I
am trying to get someone to stay with the kids after school so Mother and I can
drive up to Rome for the funeral and come back late that afternoon. It’s about
1 ½ hours up there.
Michael is better. He was in a foul
humor this morning. Mother got ticked with him in the Kroger, and told him he
needed to apologize for his behavior last night. She had told him to apologize
to me for being so stubborn about the shower, and he didn’t answer, just walked
in his room and shut the door. That was rude.
I have felt rather sheepish about my
behavior last night, but then I tell myself hey, he’s going to have to deal
with hysterical females all his life, he needs to learn on the three of us – Mom, Alesia,
and Granny. We are all very different.
On the way home from the store, he
got a lecture, again, about the importance of doing what he’s told. There are
times he just has to obey. He didn’t apologize then, so I took his Nintendo.
He had his first T2 tennis match
this afternoon. T2 is different than ALTA, in that people just schedule matches
with each other through the computer, based on age and skill level. Mike played
against a child from Lilburn, which is the next town north from us. Michael was
a better player and won both sets, 6-3, 6-3. The kid was not a pushover, though. Mike had to work for his points.. He will play again this weekend.
Mike had never played two sets of singles match and after it was done he was
tired. It was hot out there, too, about 85. He came home and rested and took a
bath.
When he got home he apologized to
Granny and to me. I gave him back his Nintendo but said he can only play it in
his room. He hates hanging out in his room, for unknown reasons. I also told
him if he disobeys me or Granny again he will lose that Nintendo for a month.
Sometimes natural consequences don’t work.
I planted a 6 cup seed flat of
cucumbers and all 6 have sprouts! I also have 4 cantaloupe sprouts in another
flat. I am so excited. I credit daily watering and the hot Georgia sun.
I am at peace about my aunt. She had
been steadily getting more sick and feeble, and she was going to have to go to
a nursing home, which she didn’t want to do. Her sister and her husband have
both died within the last few years. She had such terrible COPD she could
hardly breathe, and a broken hip. Nobody wants to live like that. She’s with
God now, I am sure.
She was the granddaughter of settlers who were in one of the famous “land grabs” in Oklahoma in the late 19th century. Her father was a prominent architect in Rome. Which is a very southern little town in North Georgia. Her family still owns the old homeplace which is more than 100 years old, and she will be buried in the family graveyard on the property. Evalyn was feisty and funny, a gourmet cook, a very good artist in her own right [despite her husband’s art career eclipsing hers simply because she chose to stay home and be a mom] and I will miss her. She was always sweet to me, and treated me like her other daughter, even though I was only related to her by marriage. Rest in peace, Evalyn.
Below is a photo from my cousin Tony's wedding in 2004. Evalyn is on the far right, and her daughter Lilla is next to her. I can't remember the names of the other two folks.
