THE LOWE FAMILY NEWSLETTER: VOLUME 69 AUGUST 2011
Dear Readers,
One Friday evening Coryn invited me to see the movie 'The Help' with her. We had both read and enjoyed the book and hoped that the movie would be as good. Josh came to stay with Norm . I was quite sure that a lot of people would be keen to see this movie so I suggested to Coryn that we might want to get there well ahead of time to be sure of getting tickets. Coryn just rolled her eyes, languished on the coach, and twirled her hair assuring me that we would not have a problem. As usual I couldn't keep my mouth shut and repeated my concerns about such a popular book being sure to draw a crowd for it's movie debut. Coryn finally acquiesced to my suggestions and rolled off the couch to drive us to the movie theater. As we pulled into the parking lot it became evident that once again Mother was right: we had trouble finding a spot and once out of the car we saw lines of people in front of the theater. Coryn decided to use the self service machine , only to see that the movie was completely sold out .I was disappointed but buoyed my spirits by muttering a few times about how right I was - yet again. Fortunately Coryn had committed to memory the times that the movie was showing at other locations and she decided that we might make it in time to the one in the mall by her house.”Come on Mother, run” she cried as she sped back to her car. I managed a fast trot and was panting and sweating profusely by the time I plopped myself in the car. I barely had time to buckle my seat belt before Coryn was burning rubber out of the parking lot using nasty language at every red light we hit en-route. I clung to the door handle the whole way , as Coryn frantically changed lanes and went flying past the speed limit. I was almost crying “Help” myself.
Once parked in another very busy lot I huffed and puffed behind Coryn who urged me to move it as seconds were left before show time. Unfortunately there was only one cashier and a line but we did get in and once I saved our seats Coryn even had time to pick up my box of hot tamales and her popcorn.
I was grateful that I had come through the experience thus far without suffering a heart attack. I vowed that once again I must try to get in better shape so that I can hang with my children for years to come. The movie was very enjoyable, using comedy to underscore the dreadful bigotry that existed in the South. As we all know I have no tolerance for racism, although I will admit to being a tad prejudice in favor of the British.
Coryn and Jeremy have selected their wedding venue with a little help from your dad and me. One Sunday afternoon I went to assess a possible place in Independence with them whilst the boy's stayed with Norm. Her brother's were not enthusiastic, telling me that Independence is the crack cocaine empire of the Midwest. Of course I immediately defended their sister's and Jeremy's choice and assured them that the whole city couldn't be undesirable.
It seemed a rather long drive over there and I was less than rhapsodic about the building named “The Rhapsody”. It was a concrete block building nestled behind a mall and between other retail structures.
Once inside the building it was nicely laid out and well decorated but didn't seem large enough for the two hundred or so guests they are planning on. It did have a beautiful garden area complete with a waterfall, pond and numerous arbors. They even offered a cottage for the bridal party to use as a staging point for the day. Coryn detected that I wasn't wowed and suggested that we look at another venue they liked later in the week if she could make an appointment.
Coryn was able to make an early evening appointment a couple of days later and Norm was very excited to be included in the outing as no one was available to stay with him. He asked me for two days every hour or so what time his appointment was. Coryn arrived after work to take us out to the Loch Lloyd Country Club. A uniformed guard appeared from the gate lodge to check us in and we drove up the beautifully landscaped winding road through the golf course and gorgeous homes to a very grandiose club house with a slew of young men parked out front on golf carts who rode up to see if we needed any help as soon as Coryn exited the car. Whilst they were engaged in conversation with her, I struggled unnoticed to get the wheelchair out of the trunk and Norm into it. Once I had Coryn's attention I remarked that our Ford Focus was probably the first to grace the club's parking lot.
We enjoyed a tour of the gorgeous club house and terraces with Coryn pointing out the spot in which she and Jeremy will be married - which I apparently will be draping with cascading fabric, presumably to compliment the waterfall( which may drown out her string trio). I surmised that standing on the edge of a precipice with only a tree and step ladder to work with might be challenging for someone of my age but Coryn assured me that I will not allow a small problem like that to deter me from fulfilling her dreams. The key phrase seems to be Mother I need you to......... Her brothers may have to build another garden arbor for me to work with – too bad we cemented the one they built me for Mother's Day into my backyard. Of course I am sure that Coryn will require something on a much grander scale. She has already decided that the clubs chairs are not suitable and is planning on either using chair covers or renting chairs that meet her expectations. Personally I thought the upholstered chairs were perfectly adequate but looks are everything to your sister. I remarked that she certainly was picky for someone who formerly dismissed weddings as unnecessary , expensive extravaganzas. She declared that since having a big wedding was very important to Jeremy she was going to embrace his wishes wholeheartedly- which means that Jeremy is definitely going to have to sell his Corvette to finance the wedding that Coryn now envisions.
We left this beautiful spot to meet Jeremy at another Country Club which neither of them had seen. It was not nearly as impressive. In order to make the facility handicap accessible this country club had installed a very primitive elevator, which could only be intended for in home use in my opinion. It was a metal cage only about three feet tall, that opened on two sides for entering and exiting. They had a worker stand by as I pushed Norm aboard in his wheelchair – it was a very close fit so I decided to leave him to ride the elevator alone. The worker urged me to get back on assuring me I could fit too. I wedged myself in behind the wheelchair's handlebars and held on for dear life as we slowly rose up the shaft - the elevator's working mechanism was so loud that you would have thought we were being rocket propelled to the moon instead of one floor up. I was grateful to see Coryn (who had greatly enjoyed the whole procedure) and Jeremy waiting for us and begged them to get us off the contraption as quickly as possible. I was amazed that this experience( after all the activity of getting in and out of the wheelchair and into the car a few times) didn't cause your dad to have a seizure. I dreaded the return trip and hoped this wouldn't be the chosen place for the wedding.
It was a fairly nice place but it did not compare to Lock Lloyd and that evening Coryn and Jeremy decided to commit to having their wedding there.
Sean was out in LA on a work assignment with Cerner last week so he stayed with Marc for a few days and this week Bryn is out there. I'm still waiting for Marc to send me my plane ticket.
Ming- Jon called to let me know that he had survived the shake rattle and roll of the earthquake that rumbled Washington DC recently. Fortunately I had not heard the news so I didn't get myself all shook up about it. I was very surprised to learn that earthquakes could occur in the East. Then he was threatened with the hurricane which fortunately didn't affect him despite the dire forecasts.
Leslee has just celebrated her 29th birthday -the age I was when I became pregnant with her – my sixth child. She and Craig will have the pleasure of mine and Coryn's visit next month to shop for the bridal gown. I was expecting to be shopping for patio furniture and plants for Leslee and Craig until Coryn's engagement nudged those plans aside.
Ming-Lee is arriving on Sunday night to spend Labor Day with us. I'm sure we will be able to enjoy a barbecue on the deck as the weather is forecast to be in the seventies instead of the hundreds like it is today.
Becky, Sherry and Evelyn are planning to visit in the middle of the month so that will motivate me to scurry around the house cleaning and bed washing ! Hopefully it will help whittle away a few pounds too – Coryn has made it very clear that a slimmer Mother-of-the -Bride would be her preference. I may just tell her to hire a skinny double who can do double duty on all the wedding chores too.
Norm has been spending too much time at KUMed again. He has been having so many seizures and falls and worse he came down with another urinary tract infection. Fortunately he told me about it this time before it reached the level of the previous one. I took him to the doctor's immediately to get him on an antibiotic so that we hopefully wouldn't end up in the ER with a catheter again. For awhile he lost his appetite and Coryn suggested I try Ensure, an excellent suggestion. I am pleased to say that although he is sleeping most of the time and barely able to walk from one room to another without a seizure or fall he is eating more. Last night he fell in our closet and managed to catch his Tee shirt sleeve on the door knob with enough force to rip a hole in it. It took me a while to free his arm once I figured out how it was hanging there! I am hoping that his new seizure medicine will be more effective once it builds up in his system.
Time for me to enjoy a couple of scoops of frozen yogurt and think about the gourmet supper I shall tempt your dad's appetite with tonight. Too bad it's too hot to use the oven or stove. I guess we'll have to have salad again. Your dad will have a plate of potato chips with a lettuce leaf on the side. He has really taken his cardiologist's advice to eat a high salt diet to heart! Apparently it's one of the few things that helps with his autonomic nervous system dysfunction. I thought it would be bad for his chronic renal failure but his kidney function has actually improved!
Love to you all, your thinking thin but not eating thin yet Mother. Too bad I have to buy those potato chips and chocolate candies for your dad's health.
