Wednesday, January 20, 2010

It's Wednesday and I Got... Nothin'

I've been trying to come up with some thing clever or interesting to post but just can't seem to pull it together enough to write anything...

I went to Grandpa's funeral last week, we left Tuesday morning after I took a test and came home Thursday afternoon so I would be back for my clinical assignment on Friday.  The funeral was Wednesday, 1/13 - it seems weird that he's gone and has been gone a week.  I was able to have a local florist there make a flower arrangement in the shape of Grandpa's brand - the "cross lazy h' - that brand has been in the family since 1925 or 27.  It turned out really well I thought, very simple - like Grandpa.



As hard as it was to see him so miserable this past year it was just as hard to say good-bye.  I can still remember (barely) him helping me make a playhouse out of card tables and sheets/blankets. He'd crawl right in and play house with me, I'm sure it wasn't comfortable for him but he seemed to have as much fun as I did.   He always had a carton of malt-balls for me when I got there and money when I left...  I guess I sort of got a cost of living increase because every couple of years I'd get a 'raise'.  :-)

Grandma & Grandpa live(d) on a ranch in Eastern NM - pretty much in the middle of nowhere but for a kid it was heaven!  You could go anywhere and do just about anything with no worries (other than rattlesnakes) - Mom's never had to worry about us getting 'kidnapped' or hit by a car...  I could ride my bike or walk to my hearts content.  The only way it could have been better was if they had a horse... who ever heard of cattle ranchers without horses????   I learned how to drive a stick-shift out there - no worries, nothing to hit but an occasional cactus... and maybe a cow or two (which I never hit, thank you very much).

It was good times.  My cousin and I would spend a week or two out there every summer - feeding cows with Grandpa; and Grandma always had a couple of craft projects for us to do.  And once a week we'd head into town for groceries and a burger and shake at the Tastee-Freeze.  I'm gonna miss Grandpa.

Let's see... what else?  Bryan is still job hunting.  He got laid off on December 17 so he is back to the streets looking for work - in a 4 state area. And no wonder NM's unemployment is seemingly lower than the rest of the US - you can't get thru to the unemployment office.  Bryan has been calling several times a day since Dec 28 and hasn't gotten through yet.  I've heard similar complaints from people at school too...  FRUSTRATING!

He is headed to North Carolina to help one of my sisters & her husband move to San Angelo, TX.  He is driving their truck back to Mom & Dad's house while they drive their other vehicle and moving truck to SA.  hopefully the weather will hold out and he won't run into any storms.

I am doing well - a bit discombobulated after missing 3 days of class last week but slowly getting back on track.  Clinicals are going well - I LOVE this!  So much so, that I am no contemplating continuing on to get my Physician Assistant's (PA) degree once I've completed my RT work...  we'll see.  It's a two year Master's degree program and I'll have some pre-req's so probably 3 years for me...  so we'll see.  I just need to worry about the upcoming year and getting my RRT credential first!!!

2 comments:

Potters said...

Beautiful Header picture. Gorgeous.

So sorry to hear about the loss of your Grandfather. He sounds like wonderful man and you were very lucky to have him. I never knew my grandparents and think its wonderful how much time you got with him. I just noticed the year he was born and always wonder what life was really like when he was young. Don't you wish you could have a window into their world - and how different the world must be.

Towanda said...

I love the brand. Very unusual and meaningful.

Raymona, I will never forget that my grandfather died on my 21st birthday - right in the midst of nursing school. It was a very difficult time, so I can understand that your thoughts are going in several directions and school might seem hard to focus on for a while. Praying for you....