THE LOWE FAMILY NEWSLETTER: VOLUME 58 JULY 2010
Dear Children and Friends,
A microburst stormed through our neighborhood last Friday evening causing several very large and heavy tree limbs to rain down on my garden. Once the storm passed I and my neighbors viewed the damage. The tree responsible for squashing some of my plants and birdfeeders belonged to a rental home that borders our backyard. Fortunately the landlord came over to see the damage right away and promised to have the limbs removed the next day – after I stressed that the sooner they were removed the greater my chances would be of salvaging my flattened plants. He probably thought I was going to cost him an arm and a leg if I expected him to pay not only for the tree removal, but the damaged plants and the three poles and birdfeeders too! As promised, the following morning a man named Terry with a chain saw, a truck and a trailer, and a six year old boy in tow showed up and worked in the broiling heat, cutting up limbs, and dragging them up the side garden to his trailer. I was never able to ascertain the exact nature of their relationship but the child was obviously used to being on the job. The heat and humidity were unbearable so I was glad that the guy took some long breaks throughout the day so that they could cool down. Coryn came over in the afternoon and felt compelled to help; the little boy was thrilled with all the attention she gave him. He was most disappointed when he came back after an ice-cream break to find that she had left and didn’t actually live at my house. Terry was very impressed with Coryn’s work ethic – I think she was just trying to melt her love handles before her vacation with Jeremy! I think he was equally impressed when I sent him off to take the boy swimming and to a movie assuring him that I could clean up the rest of the mess.
Sean came out and helped me for awhile – Josh inspected the scene and said cleaning up the leaves was pointless as I would just be putting them all down again in the fall as winter mulch. He went back into the air conditioning –something I am sure he savors at my house as he and Sean prefer to sweat it out rather than pay the sweat of their labors to the electric co. When your dad and I visit I insist they switch it on because the last thing your father needs is a red hot mama on his hands.
Bonnie and Gary Neihaus spent a night with us last month to break up their trek from Colorado back to Fort Madison. They enjoyed their visit with daughter Kari and their second granddaughter. Like so many of my friends all their children are married and parents. I try not to fret about my five set in their ways bachelor sons and my old maid of a daughter, the majority of who seem perfectly happy with their single status.
Unfortunately Ming-Jon has had to resign from his job at The Washington Center and is hoping to find another very soon. I know we are all rooting for him and I have even suggested that now might be the time to uproot himself and plant his future closer to family. The Midwest is much less expensive and hectic.
Our Fourth of July celebration fizzled this year – Josh was the only one around as Coryn drove to Oklahoma City to celebrate with Jeremy and friends; Bryn and Sean flew to LA to be with Marc. It rained most of the day here: thus the fireworks were postponed. However Marc did get some bang for his buck over the holiday. His home owner brothers helped him find a one bedroom Condo which he will be closing on at the end of the month. I am not bursting in the air, ready to rocket out there - Marc dropped a bomb on my hopes for a Condo with a bed and bath for me. Eventually though, because of all the benefits of living in LA (as described so enthusiastically by him) I am sure that I will be persuaded to move out there in my impending old age. We’ll have a blast finding our mother/son pad on the beach. Just imagine Mother on the beach with her boogie board, hanging with Marc’s friends.
Marc flew out for a visit the day after Bryn and Sean returned – just like at Xmas time when he returned the day after Josh flew in from LA.Once again an extra round trip to the airport had to be made. This time Marc’s excuse for his ineptitude in co-coordinating travel plans was a court appearance that he couldn’t reschedule. He arrived around midnight, wearing a business suit and promptly started complaining about the heat and humidity. The next morning I had to find him a pair of flip flops as he had forgotten to pack any shoes! Dress shoes just don’t look right with shorts! Marc didn’t want to wear his suit back on the plane and it wouldn’t fit in his luggage so it is now hanging in one of my closets with his brother’s extra clothes. I’m tempted to put the lot on E-bay.
One day we drove down to Coryn’s house to have lunch -which meant that we picked her up and actually ate lunch at her favorite local Mexican restaurant and Marc actually got the tab! My heart withstood the shock. Another evening was spent at Barley’s – your dad’s favorite hang out at the moment because he is addicted to their English style Fish n’ Chips! He has ordered it five times in a row! Marc, Josh, Bryn, Sean, Norm and I joined Coryn and Jeremy for dinner along with his aunt Cheryl, his cousin Megan and her boyfriend. Some of the guys played shuffleboard while they waited for dinner; the rest of us enjoyed being together. Jeremy very graciously picked up the tab for the entire party. The Lowe family alone is like an instant crowd when we go out!
Elizabeth and Brent have bought a great family home in Fort Madison for their move next May. It’s Tom and Ardith Rumps place on Denmark Hill. Mia and Drew will have lots more space to enjoy and of course Grammy and Papa time – but I shall miss them terribly. Mia’s third birthday will be celebrated on August 29th and Elizabeth is already planning the Alice in Wonderland themed party. Mary has made her dress, and in a couple of days we will be photographing Mia in it, posing in my garden, for the photo that will be used for the invitations. Maybe we should dress Drew up as the white rabbit? I did offer to try and catch one of the wild ones around and spray paint it white! I am also hoping to grab my neighbor’s orange tabby cat for the Cheshire cat role – he practically lives in my garden.
Next month Ming, Lori, Blake and Claudia will be here for a visit and I know they’ll have a great time at Sean’s Condo pool! Unfortunately I threw my old swim suits away from the Country Club days years ago so I had to buy a new one. Josh asked me with a smirk on his face if I thought I’d be able to get my present body into one of my old suits. Cheeky! Frankly trying on swimsuits was very tiring – I had to pull and tug and rearrange my ‘padding’ in order to fit myself into my new suit with built in bulge control. I only had enough energy to try two on in the store so went with the one that eliminated most of my naturally built in flotation ring. I’m ready to bring a touch of Esther Williams to Sean’s pool when I swan dive into it.
Leslee and Craig came last weekend. Bryn picked them up at the airport on Friday morning as he had the day off and we all had lunch at Barley’s and of course your dad had his usual – and since it was a Friday they have a Catholic fish special – all you can eat. Your dad ate his first serving with gusto – and promptly ordered a second of which he also ate every scrap. I think he has convinced himself that eating fish, even deep fried, is healthy. I think he’s eating his way into a quadruple by-pass. Unfortunately I don’t think we have an appointment with his cardiologist for awhile but we will be seeing his urologist and his Alzheimer specialist in a few days. I’ll E-mail you updates if anything significant transpires.
Later in the day the kids drove to the West Bottoms – a dubious run down warehouse district to try out Craig’s new camera – I think they were trying to get some “artsy” shots –they’re lucky they didn’t get shot in the process. I got lost down there once trying to find Ming-Lee’s hotel – he bought me a GPS after that! I saw the photos later and they were very interesting. Hopefully Craig will find Kansas City so inspirational that he will decide to move his business here! I’m always ready for my close-up.
Craig and the Lowe boys had a good time playing cards, basketball and using the pool at Sean’s condo. Craig said walking into Sean’s Condo was like being in a sauna – he quickly discovered why the boy’s electric bill was only $26.00 last month. Leslee and I left him there to sweat it out while we shopped at Oak Park mall and enjoyed our girls only lunch at the Nordstrom Café. I bet Craig was glad to escape outside into the 90degree heat and humidity to play basketball! Later in the day we all met up back at my house and I had to give all the boys Advil for their headaches except for Sean. They all claimed to have been smacked in the head by the ball but I think the heat was really the cause. Later we decided to see a movie so Leslee, Josh, Norm and I went to see the new version of one of your dad’s favorite films ‘The Karate Kid.’ Craig, Bryn and Sean went to see ‘Predator’.
Unfortunately going to the movies has proved challenging for your dad and he decided that he wasn’t going to try it again – until he saw Will Smith and family promoting their movie on Oprah then he was Gung Ho to go. We decided to sit in the wheelchair section as the stairs are hazardous for him, but while watching the previews he felt too close to the screen, so we left the wheelchair and got him up a few steps to a better viewing position – for all of us! Initially the loud sound track bothered him – I was frantically looking in my purse for some tissues to shove in his ears but for once couldn’t find one. He says he’ll wear ear plugs next time! Fortunately the sound didn’t bother him once the movie started and he seemed willing to try the experience again.
Coryn was out of town with Jeremy vacationing in Charleston, South Carolina while Craig and Leslee were here so they missed each other. Coryn has posted some great pictures of their trip on Face book and had a great time until they flew home and were stranded by Delta Airlines when their connecting flight was canceled. Delta flew them to Wichita which necessitated them renting a car to get back to Kansas City. They had similar problems with Delta the last time they flew with them so I’m sure this will be the last time. Flying is so stressful.
My plants are wilting in the heat so after supper I will drag the hoses around the yard and try to perk them up. I’m contemplating transplanting some seedlings into the area that has been left bare by the damage from the fallen tree branches but wonder if they’ll survive in this heat. I also have to weed whack the hill on Quivera where I am guaranteed to sweat off at least five pounds. Maybe I’ll look pretty good in my new swim suit when I take the plunge at Sean’s pool!
Love from your Mother, who will look cool and be cool in the pool this summer.
