THE LOWE FAMILY NEWSLETTER : VOLUME 93 JULY 4TH 2014

Dear Children, Extended Family and Friends,

On June 10^th I planned to drive to Indianapolis but had to delay my plans for a day: torrential downpours - for several days previously - had caused water leakage into my basement. I was holding back the flood with my carpet shampooer and masses of towels until one in the morning: when I was too tired to do anymore. After a too short night's sleep I started baling my basement out again in the morning.

Since Kay and Jeff were planning on house, garden, and cat sitting for me whilst I was gone, I called to let them know I was going to stay until the following day in hopes of leaving them with a dry basement but asked them to come over as planned so I could show them what to do in case it happened while I was gone - which unfortunately it did.

On Wednesday June 11^th my fully loaded Ford Focus – not just all the upgrades but the trunk and back seat as well- finally headed East on I70 to Ming and Lori's home. It was a long seven and a half hour drive, I only made two stops, one to pee and another for gas. I had a bottle of water and granola bars to fuel me as I drove. I was looking forward to using cruise control on the trip but it was almost impossible as the two lane interstate, for the most part, was bumper to bumper with huge trucks and semi trailers. For some inexplicable reason one big rig always tries to pass another on a steep incline slowing all the traffic in both lanes to a frustrating crawl behind them. I think all interstates should have a mandatory three lanes and that the right hand lane should be the only lane available to truckers. To add to my angst as soon as I exited the bypass around Saint Louis I ran into miles of construction work, with slow speeds and no speed in several sections where only one lane was open. Thank goodness I never let my gas tank get below a quarter full before I pull into a gas station. I would have been a nervous wreck sitting in traffic for who knows how long without a full tank.

Finally I was on the bypass that would take me to the exit I needed to begin the series of twists and turns that leads to Ming and Lori's house. Unfortunately my Garmin told me to stay left when I should have stayed right: therefore I made numerous turns as it kept recalculating and I eventually realized that I was not in a neighborhood that looked at all familiar, in fact I doubted that it would be safe to even glance at the people on the street leave alone ask for directions. I decided to keep faith with my Garmin even though it seemed to be leading me astray. After quite a detour I was safely delivered to my destination and met with a warm welcome.

Once the car was unloaded we enjoyed a delicious supper together. I felt badly for Lori as a lot of old and frankly musty smelling boxes of Norm's “ treasures” were strewn about their usually very tidy living room. We live in hopes of finding something of value. Blake, Ming and Lori did a phenomenal job of organizing everything in a couple of days, something I had failed to do for months.

While they were going through the boxes, I was sewing a top and skirt for Claudia – she had what she wanted drawn out so I tried to make it as close as possible to her rendering. Ming-Lee took us to the fabric store where she chose the prints – an Asian themed one which became the skirt and a black and white sheet music for the top. Far more sophisticated that I had expected but she is a preteen now! Standing in line at the check out I noticed the bags of candy and grabbed a couple – Claudia looked at me in amazement. I explained that I was having a sugar deprivation attack as the previous night there was a lot of conversation about not overloading on carbs, portion control and getting enough protein. For breakfast I was offered an assortment of low fat, no-fat, high fiber and low calorie breakfast cereals. Thank goodness they had some real milk instead of just the soy milk I was initially offered to drown my cereal in. I was worried that my digestive track was going to be running on empty after a few fruitful runs to the loo – too much raw fruit runs right through me – so I decided I needed a healthy dose of candy in my system to cushion all the “healthy” food that was filling my gut and of course to prevent hypoglycemia.

Claudia wearing outfit we made, me and Blake who is now taller than me!

Once home I emptied my sour gummy worms and gummy bears into bowls and offered them to the family, fully expecting them to eschew the sugar but to my amazement they had no problem in helping themselves to my candy – even Ming Lee was chewing them up. When he and Lori made a run to Trader's Joe's they came back with dark chocolate treats! I think I had a positive impact on balancing out their dietary intake. I suggested that the kids should come and spend a week at Grandma's sometime so that they could eat like real Americans - as of course I live so conveniently close to every kind of fast food restaurant imaginable. In all fairness to this health conscious family, I must admit that they served me some wonderful fish dishes and platters of gourmet cheeses. I would have been delighted to join them for a family run if it had not been for my foot - which was still recovering from the fall detailed in last month's letter.

Blake was battling a high fever and cough during my visit but was feeling fine – he had to sit an exam to decide which high school he would be attending whilst this was happening but he came out in the top group and won a great academic scholarship. I really think the extra sugar helped fuel his brain!

All too soon it was time for me to entrust my life once again to my Garmin as I headed home. Since it was a Sunday there was far less traffic and very few road crews working so it was a much pleasanter drive. Unfortunately Kay called my cell with more bad news about my home. Not only had they had to deal with more water in the basement but also a strong thunderstorm with straight line winds had blown through my neighborhood causing tree limbs to fall – one across my deck, the other through the center of my largest flower bed onto to my five foot high rose bush. Kay said that she and Jeff were clearing up all the debris they could lift but I was going to need a tree removal crew to clean up the big stuff.I put my foot down a little harder on the gas pedal, anxious to see how much damage there was.

As soon as I pulled into my neighborhood I could see tree limbs strewn on everyone's lawns. I tried calling numerous tree services, only one returned my call regretfully explaining that he would not be able to fit me on his schedule until July. My neighbor, Steve, wandered over to see my damage and heard my frustrating experiences in trying to find someone to clean it all up. He pulled out his cell phone, called a couple of guys – one of whom committed to doing the job two days later. It's great to have neighbors who are always so willing to help out! Several offered to try and help me lift the huge limb off my flower bed but I was worried that they might get hurt doing so as we are all in our retirement years. I ended up having four trees removed, my ash tree – the trunk had split in two, three trees on Quivera, one of which was completely uprooted and my oak and maple trees were pruned of all damaged limbs. I am happy to say that my flower bed has bounced back accept for a few crushed bee balms and some broken branches on my rose bush. Now of course my garden has gone overnight from being mostly shady to sunny as neighbors on either side of me had to have trees removed too. I dug up a lot of plants and crammed them into my all too few shady areas but it does give me the opportunity to get a lot more sun loving colorful flowers into my garden!

This year just Kay, Jeff and I braved the crowds to watch the fireworks exploding over Corporate Woods. I did suggest that we could just sit in my driveway to watch as with so few trees left to obscure the view it should be awesome but Kay was bound and determined to relive the 4^th of July of a few summers ago when she, Leslee-Ann, Coryn and Ethan were here plus the boys of course. I provided some unintended amusement when I almost got in the wrong car on the way home – one dark car looks just like another to me in the dark - I was about to load my chair into the wrong open trunk when I heard Kay calling “Grandma, that's not our car” and I looked up to see an older couple hovering by the trunk! I apologized profusely for my mistake and put my chair in the right trunk while Kay and Jeff found the incident hysterically funny. However a few minutes later the chance came to redeem myself . Just as Jeff was about to try to pull into the moving lane of traffic a pickup truck pulled right in front of us partial angled into a driveway. There was a lot of shouting and cursing. Cars began to honk. We were jammed in with only oncoming traffic barely squeezing by. Jeff decided he was going to ask the guys in the truck what they were doing. I volunteered for the job stating emphatically that it would be much better for a red hot mama to approach them. Once I got closer to the young men I could see that there was a vehicle in front of them that had caused them to swerve in front of us. A couple of the young men were actually trying to stop the oncoming traffic so that the car in front of them could move out of the way. Eventually we slowly made our way home, having to take a detour of several miles due to road closures enforced by the local police to try to deal with the huge volume of traffic.

Despite having been on the losing side of the fight for independence, as always I threw myself into the festivities by making patriotic skirts for the three little girls in my life plus a red frilly romper for Miss Ava Claire who spent the long holiday weekend with Jeremy's family at their lake house.

Ava  Claire, Lola Rose and Elena ready for the 4th!

I found the fabric for the red romper in a Lee's Summit fabric store that Coryn found on the web. She said they seemed to have a great selection , including knits which are hard to find in prints suitable for a toddler. So one rainy day we set out to find the place with Coryn's iphone giving directions. We ended up in a very nice residential cul-de-sac. I rolled my eyes and immediately pointed out that there was obviously no store front wondering if the person was advertising fabric parties like tupperware perhaps. Coryn said she had seen pictures of the store posted on line,- good staging I thought - sure this was going to be another of Coryn's lemons. She noticed some ladies getting into a car with a bag and then her eyes lit on a partially open garage door and a vanity license plate with the store name. Since it was pouring with rain she elected for me to stay in the car with the baby while she went to the front door. She then dashed around the side of the garage and re-emerged to say that the store was actually located in the walk out basement. Much to my amazement there was a legitimate store there with a lot of fabrics, notions and patterns. The fabrics were expensive but I splurged on several pieces for Ava Claire's 'couture' wardrobe!I commented to the owner, an elderly but very spray great grandma that it was a rather unorthodox setting but she said they had been operating out of their beautiful home for over 20 years. I could not help but wonder if it was legal – in my neighborhood they get upset about people parking on the street for prolonged periods of time!

Ava Claire took her first steps at Grandma's house on July 1^st, Coryn was able to catch the action on video. I thought she would be walking constantly to perfect this new skill but she is very cautious and still prefers to hold onto something when she walks. She is also cutting more teeth, she now has two upper and lowers.

Bryn is moving to LA this weekend. Marc is driving up in his SUV to help get Bryn's stuff to his place. Bryn confided to me that he would definitely be staying with his brother until he finds a job to replace his current one as he is tired of dealing with his company. It could take some time and Sean will be there next month too! Maybe a couple of hammocks on the patio?

Josh is still in Orlando where he has been helping Leslee-Ann and Craig with new flooring through out the house. They hired a professional to redo their kitchen with new cabinets, granite counter-tops, tile and stainless steel appliances. I will be inviting myself for a visit to see all the changes soon. Maybe in September. I was thinking of going to LA then but I don't think there will be any room at the inn!Apparently Josh is planning to wend his way up the East coast soon with orders from Leslee to make sure he has access to the internet as they are going to be very busy at work. Wonder how Josh is going to like working for his baby sister? At least he is working! And more good news on the job front, Ming Jon has been hired for a temporary position. I know we all hope it will turn into something more permanent for him.

At the beginning of the month Kay and Jeff moved into a new apartment and I have greatly enjoyed helping them to make it look like a grown up home instead of a student's place. We have been shopping every weekend but it is really coming together. It has a a lot of exposed brick walls, a fireplace, wainscoting, hardwood floors and a balcony overlooking the pool. Our last chance to do so for awhile tomorrow as Kay is leaving for a visit to see her other Grandma in Singapore. I just hope Jeff doesn't decide to put his stamp on the place while she is gone! Hardly any of his possessions made it into the apartment, vetoed by Kay, and I must admit I did agree with her!

Next month Sean should be returning and I will be so happy when he and Josh finally arrive on my doorstep again – for a few hours anyway until the endless “Mother, what are you fixing me to eat?”

is uttered a few times.

Time for me to head out into the hundred degree heat and humidity to water my plants before Ava Claire arrives. I am going to enjoy her company while her parents have a dinner date. I hope I fare better with her than I did when she was here overnight earlier in the week: she pooped during the night giving her diaper rash and banged her face on the railing upstairs that overlooks the family room which left a small red mark. Coryn assured me that she was completely recovered the next day.

Unfortunately I think it is too hot for Ava Claire to even play in her pool outside tonight,so we may just have to run through the sprinkler together! I leave you with that pretty picture, love always, Mother

THE LOWE FAMILY NEWSLETTER : VOLUME 92 JUNE 2014

Dear Family and Friends,

I am most disappointed that none of my children called after my last blog posted to ask what was sporty, red, low to the ground and parked in the garage! Lainee was the only one who asked if I had a new car! At least I piqued some one's interest with my cliff hanger ending!

The purchase of my beautiful new machine attracted the attention of five salesman! I was determined to have instant ignition, power steering and easy maneuvering! The first salesman couldn't answer my questions about the model I was considering so he asked for an associate to help me out, who enlisted the help of a third person to check on their inventory. The floor model was the only one left so I decided to take it. The three of them managed to get it ready to go but became concerned about whether or not the engine had oil. Two more salesmen joined the throng checking the dip stick with some thinking yes and some no. They used their cell phones to further shed light on the matter and eventually determined that the correct amount of oil was indeed in my engine. I was ready to go! It has been years since I garnered such attention from so many males!

Getting my new machine home became another problem as they doubted I could fit it in my car but of course my new Toro, electric start, self propelled lawn mower easily fit into my Ford Focus. They wondered how I was going to lift it out when I got home, great neighbors I said! As soon as I pulled into my drive way one of my them popped over, asked what I had in my trunk and helped me get it out! I read the manual, filled it with gas, charged the electric start battery and was ready to mow.

Unfortunately when I turned the key in the ignition nothing happened! I tried pulling the manual cord to no avail. Once again a kind neighbor came to the rescue explaining that I needed to hold onto two bars to start the engine and mow and that it helped to have a full gas tank to start. I had only filled the tank about halfway as I didn't want to risk overfilling it - so I added more gas and voila the engine was roaring! My boys could mow my yard in ten minutes on the riding mower but it always seemed to have problems starting up so I gave it to Becky and Fred and now spend an hour mowing but will have far less maintenance issues – I hope.

Josh had another harrowing time leaving Bolivia – as you may recall he had a horrendous departure from Columbia awhile ago which suggests to me that he might want to stay in the USA but he claims it's an indication that he is not meant to leave South America. This time he was detained by Interpol along with about another one hundred and fifty travelers suspected of being in the country illegally. The round up made Bolivian TV and I am sure many of you have seen the clip on Facebook where you can see my boy being held without food or water for five hours! Thankfully he was released as all his paperwork was in order. He is now safely back in Orlando where he is staying with Leslee and Craig. Josh recently became a certified technical writer so that he can freelance for Leslee - in essence his baby sister is now his boss! I rather think that Coryn has been displaced as the favored sister! Remember how on any family outing the only sibling allowed to sit next to Josh was Coryn?

Josh is planning on staying in Orlando for awhile as he is installing bamboo flooring through out the Remsburg's home for them – I was hoping that Josh would be available to help me install new floors in my kitchen and master bathroom but this may not be a possibility as he is also mulling over helping his friends in Texas to build another greenhouse! I guess I'll have to get some estimates! Jeremy is my only handy son left here and he spent most of Sunday afternoon fixing my roof for me and changing out the oil in my new mower!

Marc called me a couple of days ago to inform me that Bryn had been staying with him for a week as he had been sent by Black and Veatch, from his usual office in the bay area, to one in LA and during this period he was asked to consider transferring there permanently. Since Bryn has been in Walnut Creek for less than a year he has made it clear that for him to accept another transfer the company will have to make it very attractive to do so. Apparently they have agreed to buy out his apartment lease so it may be that Marc will have a room mate! Marc is concerned about Bryn being in his one and only bathroom when he has urgent and frequent needs to pee. I told him to get a bucket. Of course I took the opportunity to mention that all his neighbors would probably be showing up at his door with congratulatory gifts thinking that Bryn is his life partner! You can imagine how homophobic Marc reacted! I also mentioned that he could become a menage a trois when Sean returns! I think the climate and having his brothers there might be very appealing to Sean. I advised Marc to start looking for a larger home, plus of course I'll be in moving in all too soon probably!

On Sunday May 25^th we celebrated Ava Claire's first birthday at her home with Kay and Jeff, Jeremy's mom and her fiancee and some of their neighbors. A few days before Coryn called and asked me to make the cake as she just couldn't muster any enthusiasm for the project. I suggested that she might want to order one from the bakery but she thought it would be more special if I put something together. Since Ava Claire loves cats I decided a kitty cake would be purrfect. I baked three strawberry flavored cakes, two round ones for the head and body with slivers removed to make a neck and the third cake I used for the tail and ears. I think it was one of my more successful baking attempts, even my boys would have to agree that from the picture it does look like a cat!

I am not sure that Coryn thought it was the cat's meow but she said I would be making next year's cake too as I always come up with something “ interesting”. She told her guests about the lady bird cake I made her one time that she referred to as the “ butt cake” because of the pink and brown color scheme. No appreciation for her mother's creativity!

A few weeks ago, on my way to the mailbox, I fell straight forwards sending my letters and glasses flying. Fortunately I saved my head by using my hands to break the impact. My first thought was not do I need an ambulance but did any one witness this embarrassing fall! My neighbor was hosting his bible study group that evening so the cul de sac was full of cars but fortunately they were all safely settled in his basement. I was up in a painful flash and continued onto the mailbox as if nothing had happened. Once safely back in the house I checked my injuries : I had cut one hand and knee , badly bruised both knees and probably sprained my left ankle. I decided an ice pack and a couple of band aids would suffice. I was not going to the ER virtually across the street for an examination and Xray as it was the finale of American Idol and I was not going to miss Caleb rocking out. I knew the ER doctor would recommend ice packs, aspirin and an ace bandage and expect me to return for at least one follow up visit and I just don't have time to sit in a waiting room for hours just to be told what anyone with any common sense would already know. Of course several of my children didn't seem to have the same faith in my medical acumen as I do but as always I convinced myself that Mother knows best. A month later it is still a tad swollen but .....

Despite my swollen and throbbing foot I was summoned by Coryn to baby sit Ava Claire while she was up on scaffolding painting, tissue papering, and adding a metallic finish and glaze to create a feature wall in her soaring two story entry way. It seemed to me that I actually spent more time on the scaffolding handing a sponge or paint loaded brush to Coryn than I did with Ava Claire who was not happy to see us towering over her - she loudly protested being ignored. I tried to balance on my one good foot as I helped Coryn maneuver the ladder around on the scaffolding so that she could reach up to the ceiling. I knew if I lost my balance and plummeted to the floor I would probably be crippled for life but as we all know I will do anything for my children! Now that the wall is finished and the enormous light fixture that Coryn and Jeremy purchased in New York is hung the entry way looks fantastic.

The same week Kay enlisted me to help with her class field trip to the Deanna Rose Farmstead as only two parents had volunteered. She too had expressed concern about the state of my foot but said I seemed to be getting around just fine so if I could just be there for a few hours – of course I said I would be there! Fortunately I was able to squeeze my foot into my tennies on the day of the trip ! I met them at the place as it is much closer to my home than their school and I decided just keeping all those rambunctious little bodies seated would be exhausting enough- I imagined half of them would be trying to hang out of the bus windows along interstate 435.

I had visited the farmstead before with Coryn and Ava Claire. Noticing how excited she was about the rat in Central park we imagined she would be very enthused to pet baby animals but she sat in her stroller with an impassive face as if to say a cooked chicken on my plate is exciting but this bird making noise and walking around is boring. Of course she became very animated when we stopped for a treat and she had a bowl of chocolate ice cream to inhale.

The first graders were totally enthralled by all the animals, enjoying the opportunities to feed them, bottle feed baby goats and to fish. Thankfully one of the volunteer parents, Mr. Henderson, was happy to put the live worms on the fishing lines for the kids, - Kay and I were both dreading the task. I hate to hurt a worm, I appreciate them in my garden so much. I thought the kids would be bored after five minutes of holding a pole over the water but to my amazement even the trouble makers were patience personified, some of them caught several fish! One first grader did decide to just plop his line on the bank after casting it thinking he would take a break and explore for something more exciting but Grandma Lowe- as the kids call me- made it quite clear that she was not wading into the water to get his pole if it drifted away, nor was she was paying for the loss so he threw himself down and held onto it for dear life.

Lunch time worked out well as some kids were absent so there were extra lunches to share:most of them had breakfast at school before they boarded the bus but several of the boys ate two lunches!After lunch we devoted a lot of our time to wearing them out. Despite the large number of school districts also present that day we managed to find an empty play area for them to burn up some energy and they had a great time racing miniature pedal tractors around a track. Both times Kay and I took advantage of the chance to sit on a bench and supervise but they were really very good for the most part.

By the end of the day my foot was a throbbing, swollen and nasty looking mess but once home I applied an ice pack and the next day it was much improved! I think all that walking and standing actually helped!

I have spent the last few weeks sewing five summer outfits for Ava Claire and working in the garden. Last weekend Ava Claire's first year was marked by a photographer using my garden as the back ground. I had as much fun as I use to when creating my store windows as I set up little scenes with an old Wagon that Ming Jon made me when he was just a kid, my tree stumps and collection of frogs. A couple of trips to the nursery were also very necessary despite Coryn insisting that the star of the pictures was Ava Claire not my garden which would just be background – fading background at best.

Bonnie and Gary Niehaus spent a night here last week as they flew out of Kansas City airport to Denver to visit daughter Kari and family. Bonnie has been dieting,very successfully, and seems determined to keep on the plan to better health. I am so happy for her.

Next week I will be taking a road trip to Indianapolis to spend some time with Ming-Lee, Lori, Blake and Claudia. I am taking too much stuff to fly with as I refuse to pay to check a bag, so I decided to load up the Ford Focus and enjoy my own company for about eight hours on I70! I just hope I don't get lost as we all know I have no sense of direction! Hopefully my Garmin will deliver me safely to their front door: if not I guess Josh can always enlist help from his friends at Interpol to track me down.

Kay and Jeff have been volunteered to cat sit and water my garden for a few days again. Kay is teaching summer school part time and Jeff starts his new job next week after graduating from KU with a master's degree in social psychology.

Now that my garden is cleaned up it's time to turn to house projects. I have an old side table of Coryn's that I am going to redo for my upstairs family room plus an old door of Bryn's that still needs to become a headboard. So I am going to spend an afternoon painting furniture in the garage – I just hope it isn't going to be as much work as filling all the cracks in my face and painting over then every morning! I should learn to love the crackle finish on my face as much as I do on furniture!

Love Mother

Volume 91

THE LOWE FAMILY NEWSLETTER: VOLUME 91 APRIL 2014

Dear Family and Friends,

Apologies to all my readers who have been awaiting my long overdue newsletter – I know that doesn't include any of my children. Even Ming-Jon - my most faithful follower- confessed that he might have fallen behind on my blog!

March was a cold, blustery month but my heart was warmed by an unexpected visit from three of my oldest and dearest friends, Becky, Evelyn and Sherry. It was a lovely surprise when Becky called to say that she had run ( well maybe strolled ) into Evelyn and Sherry while they were walking the indoor track at Fort Madison Community Hospital and the girls had pitched the idea of escaping the misery of an Iowan winter by driving south to visit me. I was delighted that Becky was willing to make the trip as I knew she was dealing with several major life events; retiring from her job this summer; suffering with constant back pain;trying to sell her house; and debating moving to Savannah, Georgia to be closer to Gretchen and her growing family: baby number two is on the way. In fact among the four of us grandma's I am the only one who is not expecting a new grandchild this year. I guess there is a possibility that Sean might be sowing his seed through out Asia if his blog is to be believed but …...

Things became even more complicated for Becky when her car needed costly repairs that would have been senseless given it's mileage. I suggested she buy the best car on the market for the money which is of course – yes, you guessed it children – a brand new Ford Focus! After asking her brothers they agreed that it would probably be the best buy for her so she picked up her new gorgeous bright blue Focus just in time to drive down in style.

The girls arrived a little later in the afternoon on Friday, March 21st than I had anticipated - they later confessed to shopping at a quilt store somewhere along the way in Missouri! Once again I reminded them the trip only takes a little over four hours if they would limit their too frequent potty and refueling stops ( themselves as well as the car) to just one.

The girls pulled into my driveway which was piled with unwanted treasures as the following day was a free clear out your junk pick up day. Evelyn and Sherry even helped me haul out a very heavy sink that was sitting under the deck and a small dorm size fridge to add to the ever dwindling pile as throngs of people drove through the neighborhood taking almost everything so that by the time the garbage crews arrived there was little if anything left. The girls greatly enjoyed seeing people tying more and more stuff on pick up trucks towering with junk that threatened to topple as soon as they drove at any speed.

Coryn and Ava Claire were at the house when they arrived so they got to enjoy Ava's lip smacking tea guzzling as I always welcome my guests with a cup of tea, preferably English style! I'm sure they were somewhat dubious about the health benefits of tea drinking for babies but I assured them it was very European for children to do so.

Knowing that my friends observed Lent I suggested Barleys for dinner because they serve delicious fish n'chips which actually do bear some resemblance to the English version. We also felt that we were honoring Norm with each bite as he would nearly always order it even after intently studying the menu for half an hour or so as if contemplating ordering something else.

We spent the rest of the night drinking tea and catching up on family news. It was decided that the following day we would shop at the Carter's outlet store, so conveniently close and then check out the very impressive and enormous newly built HyVee store.

Saturday morning found me waking a lot earlier than usual to find the girls already had coffee made, breakfast underway and some were even showered and dressed. I pointed out that the Carters store didn't open for a few more hours as I eased my way into the day. I decided to spend it in heels as I was preparing to strut the streets of New York in style the following weekend. The girls seemed dubious about the wisdom of someone my age trying to pull this feat off! I must admit my feet were killing me by the end of the day but as my mother always said one must suffer a little to look their best!

Once again I veered to the girls section while my friends were in the boys and neutral gender section. Evelyn is now shopping for five grandsons! She has half the number of children I have and yet she has more grandchildren! My five eligible bachelor sons are going to be wizened old men before they marry if they don't start dating soon.

Purchases completed we drove to HyVee to admire the huge produce section, coffee shop, cheese store, the Italian store, complete with take and bake pizzas, a Chinese take out, a deli store, and my favorite the bakery. We bought fresh bread, cheese, pineapple ham, with a carrot cake for lunch and picked up some vegetables and dip. The butcher's section is enormous, as is the whole foods area where you can buy in bulk.. The frozen food aisles might cover as much square footage as the entire Fort Madison HyVee. The thing the girls loved the most was the two story restaurant complete with full service bar, big screen TV's and a Maitre d'! I mentioned that I was sure Steve Stigall would love to hear about it!

 We hurried home to fix lunch before our next adventure, afternoon tea at Coryn's with more shopping to follow! Soon we were whizzing on underpasses and overpasses to Lees Summit, slowing to a crawl as we arrived on the two lane road that leads to Raintree Lake. The girls were thrilled to finally see Coryn and Jeremy's new house which they had missed along with Ava Claire on their last visit as the Logues were away that weekend. Coryn made us tea and I was most impressed to see a sugar bowl and milk jug along with a plate of cookies. I didn't know she owned such things! Once again Ava Claire drank tea and ate a cookie with a lot of lip smacking and appreciative sounds!

The four Grandmas with Ava Claire, Sherry, Becky, me and Evelyn

After tea, we headed home on a different route that would take us to Tuesday Morning, a discount store with everything from furniture to clothes. I think we all found something we needed in there! Shopped out we headed home and decided that something light would be good for dinner as we all seemed to be trying to lose a few pounds! I chose Spin as they have a great selection of salads,. We pulled into the parking lot but there was not a spot to be had so we had to park like Marc out in Siberia and hoof it in. I was concerned that we might have to wait for a table but fortunately we were able to nab one.

Whilst enjoying our salads the girls decided we needed an after dinner walk. I suggested an evening by the fire with wineglasses in hand but the girls were determined to exercise so we headed to the mall as it was too cold to walk outside. I kept Becky company as she slowly walked hoping it would help her back. I was still in my heels so slow tottering was fine! Evelyn and Sherry took off but I think they spent as much time shopping as they did exercising!

By the time we arrived home it was too late to build a fire so we settled in with our tea cups again until the girls gave into sleep well before my bedtime.

Sunday morning we were hoping to shop at Steinmarts before lunch but unfortunately the store didn't open until noon so we went to the adjacent Gordmans and spent an hour or so finding more stuff to stuff Becky's trunk – I had already waxed at great length on the amazing capacity of my Ford Focus – admittedly the trunk is at it's roomiest when the back seat is folded down but that wasn't going to be possible with the three of them.

After lunch my friends headed back to Fort Madison and as always I was so grateful to them for taking time out out of their busy lives to spend time with me. I feel so lucky to have people I have known for over thirty years stay so close to me. Next month Gary and Bonnie Niehaus will be here, they are spending a night with me before flying out to Colorado to visit Kari and family. I am also hoping that my Josh might show up at the end of May as I haven't heard from him in the wilds of South America for weeks..

On Friday, March 28^th I drove over to the Logues to spend the night as our flight to New York was leaving at 8:30 am so we would need to be on the road by 6:30 am. Mother literally rose to the occasion when my kind and thoughtful daughter opened my bedroom door and let the dogs in ! Thankfully I had time for a cup of coffee and a granola bar before we headed to the airport. En route I realized that it probably would have made more sense for us all to have slept at my house as I live much closer to it than the Logues but ….

Ava Claire was an excellent passenger, she spent a lot of time with Grandma reading some new books

and playing with toys. Of course she enjoyed the package of cookies that were handed out . Jeremy and Coryn were seated a couple of rows ahead of me and since Ava was being good they didn't need to worry about her. She even napped for awhile.

Once we arrived in New York we seemingly landed in the next borough as the Captain explained that no gate was available so we would be transferring to a bus and having to climb stairs into the airport. I immediately wondered how on earth any handicapped person would be able to do this. Your dad would have been stuck on the plane until they could get it to a gate. Not that he would have been capable of traveling in any mode of transport for the last several years despite his hope that one day he would be able to take me to New York City and afternoon tea at the Waldorf Astoria! It must have been a great comfort to him in the last few weeks of his life to know that our children were making his dream trip a reality for me.

Leslee-Ann had given me strict instructions that we were to only use 'real' taxi cabs not to cave into the patter of town car driver's who would charge far more for the ride from La Guardia to the Midtown Hilton. We were accosted by one such chap almost immediately and despite my misgivings Jeremy decided we should trust our souls to him and I have to say he was the best driver we experienced in New York. He was big on personality and was soon talking food with Jeremy and telling him to make a note of this and that restaurant and even told him what to order! Coryn and I just rolled our eyes in the back seat with Ava Claire.

We arrived at our hotel, the midtown Hilton around lunchtime, the reception area was very busy and since we were early bird check ins we doubted that our rooms would be ready but much to our delight one of them was and they were even offering an upgrade to a corner room with expansive views. Unfortunately Jeremy was under the misconception that this room would be for him and Coryn but when we opened the door and saw two beds we knew it was the mother- in- laws!

Ava Claire was ready for lunch so we decided to eat at the hotel where they offered a take- out or eat -in restaurant. This was to become one of my favorite places for picking up a snack or a cup of coffee!

Fortunately they had a lot of things to which Ava Claire is partial, everything from Tiramisu, macaroni and cheese to bananas.

Ava  Claire rocking out with Craig

We really took a bite out of the Big Apple as we seemed to be constantly eating. On Saturday afternoon we got together with Marc, Bryn, Leslee-Ann and Craig who met us at out hotel and then invited us to theirs so we could plan out what we would do together. Craig and Leslee had turned their room into party central with flashing lights, music and afternoon cocktails. Ava Claire was the belle of the ball until she finally conked out on the floor.

Despite the chilly temperature and rain we grabbed our umbrellas and ventured out to explore the city. As it turned out Craig was very familiar with it as he usual makes a few work related trips there every year, even Marc had visited before with friends – a surprise to me as I didn't know he had any!

Leslee-Ann was determined for us to see the New York City Library because of its architecture and it was a magnificent building. We also had to visit a couple of shops where Coryn found the perfect vest for Leslee-Ann – I couldn't quite grasp why someone living in Florida would need such a thing but I guess she does travel to colder climes. Coryn and I checked out the children's department and on looking at the price tags I knew I could do a knock off for next to nothing.

Me, Leslee-Ann, Coryn, Bryn, and Marc with Craig and Jeremy and Ava Claire at Rockerfeller Center

That evening we met up with Alisha Sanchez – one of my favorites from Bryn's Aquinas class- who actually lives in New York now. We all had dinner at Johns which is a pizzeria in a church building complete with stained glass windows, domes and arches. As every one seemed to be ordering drinks I decided to have a martini – something I haven't done in the last few decades. The next morning I seemed to have completely lost my memory of the latter half of the previous night. I knew I had insisted on paying the tab as Norm would have done if he was there but I couldn't remember calculating a tip. Fortunately Craig who was seated next to me said he had helped me figure it out since my brain was a little slow so I had definitely done so. I guess Mother can't even drink a martini anymore!

Lunch at the Cock and Bull

Sunday was very chilly, rainy and gray but we headed for breakfast at Rue 57- the portions were so generous that I could have existed on breakfast all day! We met up with the others and after doing a little sight seeing we opted to have lunch at the aptly named British pub, The Cock and Bull. Unfortunately the food lived up to the expectations of most Americans about my native lands cuisine but it was great that they had the table space to accommodate our large group. Bryn and Marc headed to the airport after lunch. Craig and Leslee ended up spending the afternoon with us instead of leaving for the airport with the boys as planned once their flight was canceled. They managed to book a much later flight. Since the weather was so inclement we decided to take a bus tour of New York. Leslee immediately took on the task of haggling over prices with the tour operator- for our size party she wanted a group discount and as always she succeeded.

Once on board the bus and hooked up to my headset it soon became apparent that even if you could figure out which side of the bus you were supposed to be looking out of, you couldn't see anything for the most part except passing cars, throngs of pedestrians and only the first floor of the buildings. Ava Claire soon ended up on Grandma's lap and promptly took over my headset, not that I was paying any attention anyway. Jeremy braved the rain to check out the view from the upper, open deck of the bus but it was too cold to endure for long.

Eventually Leslee and Craig departed for the airport and we returned to the hotel. I had no appetite for another meal so I suggested that Coryn and Jeremy have a night out and leave Ava Claire with me. I found soup, fruit and dessert for her in the hotel's herb kitchen. After dinner I decided to give her a bath and set her on a towel to help keep her from being in direct contact with the tub, but it didn't work too well as she crawled up and down, and splished and splashed. Once I took her out, dried her,rubbed some lotion on her and diapered her she was asleep! Exhausted as Grandma!

Monday we explored some of the iconic hotel lobbies, including the Waldorf Astoria where we had originally planned to have afternoon tea but unfortunately they no longer offered this service so we went to the Pembrooke Room in the Lowell Hotel. We picked a perfect day as only two other sets of ladies were enjoying the experience thus Ava Claire's eating and drinking habits would not cause a roomful of pinky fingers to be bent out of shape! The waiter was most accommodating, finding her a high chair and presenting her with nutella and banana; ham and cheese finger sandwiches which she

thoroughly enjoyed along with petite fours and meringues. The pace of tea time was definitely more Victorian than new millennium. Fortunately Ava Claire was free to admire herself in the mirrored walls that desperately needed re-silvering, to touch the dangling crystals on the wall sconces and to walk around the room holding onto me or Coryn. Ava Claire was perfectly dressed for the occasion in my opinion because to my surprise and delight Coryn managed to squeeze her into the very Victorian, shabby chic ruffled floral print dress with matching beaded headband with my handmade fabric roses.. It was very touching and meant a great deal to me because this was the dress that I was working on in the last weeks of Norm's life and his hands had touched the fabric many times as he inspected every detail. I really felt that his spirit was with us.

Monday night we ate at the Carnegie Deli which is famous for it's pastrami sandwiches. Not being much of a meat eater I ordered something else but Jeremy and the baby sure enjoyed the pastrami. Then we all shared their strawberry cheesecake for dessert.

Claudia and Ava Claire

Ming, Lori, Blake and Claudia arrived that night so we met up with them the next morning for breakfast at the Dominique Ansel Bakery the only place in the world that you can find an authentic cronut, a sort of crossbreed of a croissant-doughnut . Unfortunately we arrived a few hours too late to sample one as they are sold out every morning by seven!

From there we explored Soho, Little Italy, and China town. Somewhere en route Coryn spotted a light fixture in a store window and dragged Jeremy in to check it out. The rest of us waited outside with Ming making a run back down the street to China town to pick up something to snack on – Lori and I promptly turned our noses up when he returned!

Checking out our surroundings we noticed that every store on both sides of the street offered light fixtures. A light bulb went off in Mother's head – surely Coryn and Jeremy wouldn't want to check them all out to make sure they were getting the best buy? I decided not to enlighten them on this realization fearing it would dim our progress on seeing more of New York. I think it was Ming who eventually wondered in after them to see what was happening – apparently the over-the-top enormous chandelier- despite it's attractive price- was being passed over for something less flamboyant but equally huge. Being nosy I decided to take a look myself and was flummoxed to see so many beautiful fixtures. The one they picked to have shipped to their home was more my style than the crystal chandelier.

Ming- Lee, Lori, Blake, me, Claudia and Coryn

Lights out on that project we enjoyed a pasta lunch in Little Italy before we headed to Central Park, a must see on my list. I enjoyed the many beautiful vista's and the chance to have some one on one time with Blake and Claudia. We had purchased a football earlier in the day so that the guys and Claudia could toss a ball around while we other girls sunned ourselves on a park bench – our first and only nice day of the trip weather-wise.

Jeremy, Coryn, Ming-Lee, Lori and Claudia at Central Park

I am not sure if Ava Claire was more excited to see Big Bird or a rummaging rat at the park. I can see why the city is so attractive to vermin because every street is filled with garbage bags every evening into the next day. It's too bad they can't come up with a way to hide all this garbage from view in planters or something as it really looks awful.

After our trek in the park with me holding up very well with my children (I thought) we headed back to our hotels to get ready for dinner at Thalia's, a beautiful restaurant but unfortunately Ava Claire was worn out from the day's activity and not into eating as usual so after dinner we bade Ming Lee and family goodbye and went back to our hotel thinking that Ava Claire would fall asleep immediately. We were all sleeping in my room for the final night since we had to leave early again for the flight home on Wednesday. Coryn and Jeremy took one bed while I slept with the baby in the other – but she suddenly came alive and insisted on play time for another hour! Eventually we all slept.

This trip was such a meaningful and thoughtful gift children for which I shall always be grateful. I am so blessed to have such a beautiful family and I love you all so very much. Your dad must be so proud of you all!

Special thanks go to Kay and Jeff for cat sitting for me, I know Delilah was very demanding and a pain to medicate! It was lovely to come home to a nice clean house too!

Now I am going to steal Sean's literary style and leave you with a cliff hanger: mother has something low to the ground, red and sporty parked in the garage but to learn more you'll have to read my next blog!

THE LOWE FAMILY NEWSLETTER : VOLUME 90 FEBRUARY 2014

Dear Children and Friends,

On Monday February 3^rd I spent a delightful day with Miss Ava Claire blissfully unaware that it would be two weeks before I would be able to do so again. I noticed that my throat was a little sore around bed time and a few hours later it was on on fire. I doused it with a glass of water and was able to get back to sleep. I awoke on Tuesday morning with not even a smoldering ember in my throat but I did seem to be coughing a lot. That day over ten inches of snow and freezing temperatures kept Josh and I trapped in the house. Josh noticed that I seemed to have come down with something and was extremely concerned that whatever virus I was hosting might want to visit him at any moment. I was not allowed within twenty feet of him. He said he would definitely be leaving for Texas the next day and began packing. The roads were treacherous and drivers were being asked to stay off them so the snow plows could do their job. There were so many accidents that the police said not to call them unless there were injuries. I mentioned to Joshua that it might be more prudent to wait a day or two before leaving for Texas. Josh replied that being in the same house with me was a greater danger to his life than the snow covered and icy interstates.

Wednesday morning Josh was out in the driveway clearing all the snow and ice off his car. One of our three kind neighbors,who love to use their snow-blowers, had already cleaned our sidewalks and driveway but the city crew had not sent any snow plows through our snow packed cul-de-sac. This did not deter Josh. The next time I took a peak outside to see how far along he was in cleaning off his car I was amazed to see him standing in the street, snow shovel in hand frantically scooping snow. When he came inside to warm up I suggested that it might be easier to wait for the snow plow to come – maybe it would be by this afternoon. Josh informed me that he had a plan. He was going to dig his way over to my neighbors who had a four wheel drive pick up truck and hopefully drive in their tire tracts to the main road. I dared to point out that he didn't have a four wheel drive vehicle himself and would probably get stuck in a rut any way but Josh was not to be deterred. He was a tunneled visioned man on a mission: to escape from his germ ridden mother braving frostbite and dangerous road conditions to do so.

I would like to think that my other children would have felt more concern for their mother than themselves and would have insisted on staying until they were sure I was not going to die alone in my bed. I don't think Josh even considered my plight in light of his flight. His focus was on saving himself from his mother's ills which have lasted for over two weeks! I thought I was coming down with a cold the first few days but Saturday, February 8^th found me hugging my toilet bowl all day as between chills and fevers and an aching body I realized I had the flu. I spent the day in bed. Sunday I asked Kay to pick up some cat food and to leave it on the porch as I didn't want her to catch it from me.

During this time did my Josh call to see how I was feeling? No, I called him to ask how he was and learned he was helping a friend build a greenhouse, while his fragile mother was withering on the vine and in dire need of a little hot house care herself.

Week two found me with the worst cold I have ever had and the more tenderhearted family members called to suggest that I might want to visit my doctor. Mother was quick to inform them that there was nothing to be done for either disease, they just had to run their course. I am now in week three of my misery but have been able to do much more this past week thanks to my arsenal of cold medications: night and daytime capsules, a nasal spray, vapor rub, cough drops and my best combat of all, nasal strips which have allowed me to keep breathing at night.

On February 17^th Coryn emailed her family a short video of her dad blowing out his birthday candles last year . That caused a few tears for me as it would have been his 86^th birthday and our 39^th wedding anniversary. But I pulled myself together and got ready to drive over to Coryn's for the day. We were going to meet Kay for lunch on the Plaza as there was no school since it was Presidents Day. Ava Claire wore her new white fur coat and matching hat that I recently made her as she definitely needed something a little dressier for our upcoming New York trip. Coryn had picked the restaurant and it was just like her movie picks. That girl has a positive talent for picking lemons. The restaurant was very empty – not a good sign I thought to myself as we were seated. I made the mistake of admitting to the waiter that it was my first time dinning there so I was treated to an overly long diatribe about the Chef 's philosophy: locally grown organically raised food in small quantities served up at great cost to the patron. Coryn ordered a chicken dish, Kay a turkey burger and I tried the Mahi Mahi. Fortunately the waiter bought out a fruit cup for Ava Claire which she demolished before our entrees were served. I had a bag of teddy grahams in my purse in case of a long wait so slipped a couple of them to Ava Claire until our food arrived. I think my cold has definitely affected my taste buds but my healthy meal was very bland and could certainly have benefited from a zesty sauce – fortunately Ava Claire was happy with my fish, Kay's burger and her mother's chicken. Frankly my light and healthy lunch seemed to have made no impact on my growling stomach and I suggested dessert. Coryn made lemonade out of her lemon by deciding that we should go to the Cheesecake Factory after a stroll to the fabric store. I was delirious with joy just thinking about all the creamy cheese, rich crust, whipped cream and chocolate that would soon be sating my empty tummy. No one was happier than me when we got to the fabric store's going out of business sale and realized that there was nothing there to turn into an outfit for Ava Claire. We were soon perched on stools at the cheesecake factory reading the mouthwatering dessert menu. Coryn announced that we would be splitting two desserts between the four of us. I suggested that we might want to pick three since I knew that Ava Claire could probably eat one all by herself and since I was starving I was sure I could eat a whole one too but Coryn and Kay were appalled at the thought of anyone eating a whole dessert so we picked two and fortunately there was plenty even though Ava Claire was the first to start and the last to finish eating.

Our friends Becky and Fred have been fighting off various ills this winter too and unfortunately earlier this week Becky had to be hospitalized with kidney stones – in her eight month of pregnancy. Fred felt so sick himself that he couldn't care for Elena so she came to my house for her first over night stay and did very well. She only woke up once in the night and quickly went back to sleep cuddled up to me and unfortunately my germs but hopefully I am no longer contagious!

Sean facetimed me from Cambodia in the last few days and described eating fried tarantula to me in nauseating detail – maybe he should try out for Survivor. I miss my boy and his dimples so much but know it will be months before he comes home.

Love your mucus ridden mother who can't wait for some warmth and sunshine to dry it all up.      

THE LOWE FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOLUME 89 JANUARY 2014

Dear Readers,

In 2013 we experienced the highs and lows of the life cycle, with the birth of Ava Claire and the death of Norm. Christmas was a challenge this year, I truly missed Norm's predictable, frequently asked questions through-out the season: the usual - “Who is going to be here?” “Are you sure you have enough food?” “Did you get a present for everybody?” And the dire warnings that I was going to wear myself out if I didn't take it easy! That meant it was time for me to sit down with him, enjoy a cup of tea and either look through an old photo album or read a newsletter from years ago. As soon as I finished one he would say “ next”and I'd still be reading an hour later. Knowing that he had so hoped to see Ava Claire's first Christmas made the holidays difficult this year. Next year will be much easier I hope.

I did do some decorating but didn't bother with the tree. Christmas was very quiet this year with just Josh, Coryn, Jeremy, Ava Claire and myself. Ming, Lori, Blake and Claudia spent the week with Leslee-Ann and Craig in Orlando, Kay went back to Washington DC to be with her parents, Marc and Bryn got together in San Francisco and Sean celebrated somewhere on the other side of the world. I did get Facetime with all the kids so that was great.

I received a very special present from my children this year. On Christmas morning Coryn handed me a gift box box from all my children. Inside was a packet of tea, a Broadway CD, and two packages of peanuts. I was bewildered but gushed enthusiastically about the contents. Coryn told me to think about each item and what it could mean. I put it together and realized the peanuts stood for an airplane ride, the CD for a Broadway show and the tea for afternoon tea at the Waldorf Astoria. My children were taking me to New York to live out their father's dream. For many years he had hoped to be able to take me to New York , specifically to enjoy afternoon tea at the Waldorf Astoria and a Broadway show or two - which he had greatly enjoyed doing in his younger years when he lived there. He always hoped that he would be up to traveling again and kept a folder with all his plans for our trip but of course his health never allowed it. The loveliest part of all is that Coryn told him, shortly before he died, but when he was still able to understand, that his children would fulfill his dream for him: a special secret she shared with her beloved father. We were both in tears. So far Ming Lee, Lori, Blake and Claudia ; Leslee and Craig; Coryn, Jeremy and Ava Claire will be there for sure with Marc and Bryn possibly too. Josh and Sean will be out of the country.

Marc Andrew sent me the most entertaining gift I think I have ever received: a solar powered rainbow maker which showers my upstairs family room in gaudy dancing rainbows for a couple of hours on sunny days. It adheres to my window with a suction cup: it's solar panel, brightly colored plastic gears and dangling prism do nothing for my rustic country décor. I just hope that it will serve some purpose as a deterrent for would be burglars who will hopefully think it a new fangled alarm system. The cats and Ava Claire lost interest in trying to catch the dancing rainbows fairly soon. I mentioned to Coryn that it was a good thing that Marc hadn't sent it when your dad was here as I was sure he would be seizing constantly but she said he'd probably just remark on the beautiful colors and exclaim that Marc had sent such a thoughtful gift! I can only wish that there is a pot of gold for me at the end of the rainbow, maybe in the hills of LA with Marc? I'm sure the suction cup will lose it's grip on my window soon.

I dropped Josh and his friend off at the airport on New Years Eve for their planned trip to Thailand where they would meet up with Sean and volunteer at an Elephant park. Three weeks later I picked him up. He moved himself and a lot of stuff in shortly before Christmas announcing that it was pointless to continue to pay rent as he was going to be traveling again for a few months. Thus he arrived in the middle of December with a lot of stuff that it is now stored all over my house along with some of Bryn and Sean's things too. I still have the girls wedding dresses hanging in one of my closets!

I have had a great deal of trouble getting on my laptop computer to put this letter together as Josh commandeers it for hours – why I have no idea as he has his own but he obviously prefers mine for some reason and I know better than to ask Josh anything when he is still sleep deprived from his trip. I don't have writing programs on my Ipad or Notebook so there is no alternative but to patiently wait for Josh to either leave the house for the gym or to use my kitchen - leaving it in such a state that you'd think the Cat in the Hat had been in it. My “roomie” as I like to call him – a term he doesn't find endearing - is very messy! Norm use to watch Fox News all day while Josh sits in front of ESPN and I try in vain as always to drown out the television with my classical music.

Josh has put his handyman skills to work for me though, he installed a new faucet in the downstairs bathroom for me as I couldn't get the old one to stop leaking. It took him less than an hour and cost thirty dollars. Marc recently informed me that he had payed a plumber to replace his for seven hundred dollars! Of course he only got one bid and didn't think to watch a free DIY video on how he might tackle it himself. Too bad he didn't have the guy completely gut his bathroom first because his old blue sink does not merit a pricey faucet!Marc has been ripped of again, that's why he needs his mother to live with him: protection from his gullibility!

Ava Claire loves the nursery song about the little short and stout teapot, not because she resembles one I'm sure but because she loves a cup of English style tea with milk and sugar. She drained my tea cup the other day and Coryn said the tea seemed to have given her a real lift as she was in a great mood all afternoon. Of course the lasagna, yogurt and cookies probably helped too! I have never seen a baby so young eat so much, and she will eat almost anything with gusto! When we eat out we order her an adult sized portion of mashed potatoes, cheesy grits or soup as she likes to start eating as soon as possible and she will eat every last bite and then expect us to share whatever we ordered. She will eat any kind of meat,( including venison) and enjoys fish too. She always has room for dessert ! She ate an entire piece of red velvet cake with strawberries and cream and would probably have eaten more if allowed. She is certainly a full figured gal! Grandma took some new measurements after discovering that her Christmas jacket was too tight and short last month.

I have been working my way through the mountain of paperwork that your dad's death has caused and the endless phone calls which all seem to use an automated system. The funniest was the guy who listened to my explanation as to why an asset needed to be switched to my name only and then told me that my husband would have to sign off on the change. He was mortified when I replied that since he was permanently signed off he couldn't sign anything anymore! He apologized profusely for not having paid closer attention to my request. I have to confess that when I find myself on hold for prolonged amounts of time I mutter that if Norm wasn't already dead I'd probably kill him as he seems to have never filled out the appropriate paperwork! But so far I have managed to work things out without paying a lawyer – despite Marc's advice!

I'm hoping to paint a lot of the damaged woodwork inside the house this spring as Norm's wheelchair definitely took a toll on the paint and stain. This house was not designed for wheelchair accessibility. I was happy to have Ming-Lee put my bathroom door back on after years of an open door policy when pooping and peeing.

I am still adjusting to my new found freedom, catching my self dashing around a store anxious to be home for Norm, then realizing that I can spend all day out of the house if I wish. I enjoyed being able to help Kay with her first grade class and their Christmas party, they all called me Grandma Lowe. One bright little boy asked me when I was born so I told him 1952 and a few minutes later he came back with a big grin and told me he knew how old I was- sixty-one! I was amazed that he had the math skills to count so high, I was hoping he'd take a guess and subtract a few years but at least he didn't shout it out to all his classmates!I am going back to help with Valentines Day as I love coming up with craft ideas. Takes me back to my teaching years.

Lori and her mother sent me a very generous gift card which I used along with another gift card from Leslee, Bryn and Sean to purchase some new bedding for my room. I was able to find something I really liked in a much lighter color, that matched my headboard and wall paint. So many thanks to you all for your thoughtfulness and kindness.

Now that I am free to travel, well as long as I can find someone to take care of the cats, who knows when I may decide to pay one of my lucky children an extended visit? I do like to give you all something to look forward to, love from your only for the moment aging in place Mother.

THE LOWE FAMILY NEWSLETTER : VOLUME 88 DECEMBER 2013

IN LOVING MEMORY OF NORM WHO LIVES IN OUR HEARTS AND LAUGHTER FOREVER

Hi Bubby,

I loved you for thirty eight years despite the differences in our ages, races, and culture. None of these things are of any importance – of course it helped that you were completely oblivious of the social norms! Remember sitting at the kitchen table in the Black Hawk Heights house and taking four hours to propose to me? I figured out pretty early on in the conversation where you were going with your analogy of a plane circling the airport and finding it's destination but I let you do it your way, just hoping that I wouldn't fall asleep before you proposed! Then the next day you ran through it all again to make sure I hadn't changed my mind! You laughed when I said I'd been to the library to check out divorce laws in what to me at the time was a foreign country.

Since 2005 you struggled with prostate cancer and Multiple System Atrophy – a rare neurological disease. Despite numerous hospitalizations, surgeries, being home bound, wheelchair dependent, with total dependance on others to help you with dressing, personal hygiene, and medications you never once had a pity party for yourself. The grace with which you accepted life in a body that barely functioned was awe inspiring to everyone who knew you. You only ever expressed gratitude that your dreadful illness had not befallen you in your younger years when you were working so hard to support our beautiful family. Putting eight children through college was a big motivator - plus you lived to work whereas most people work to live!

Thursday, November 7^th was not a good day. Shortly before midnight I called hospice because despite the morphine, your pain seemed to be intensifying. They told me to give you another half dose and call back if there was no improvement in the next fifteen minutes. There wasn't so about 2:00 am a nurse arrived to try and move you into a more comfortable position and finally we slept for a few hours.

On Friday you woke early in the morning still complaining of pain. I called our wonderful hospice nurse, Toni, who spent most of the day with us. She berated me for not calling her out the night before! She called the hospice doctor and the pharmacist to ask about pain killers that could be given in liquid form in addition to morphine. She asked about one in particular that she remembered giving to another patient but the pharmacist insisted it wasn't available. Later that night she called for help to clean you up and move you as I had put my back out earlier in the day just emptying your catheter – something I had done hundreds of times with no problem. The other nurse, Jennifer arrived to help us and Toni expressed her frustration over the pain medicine situation. Jennifer said she was certain it was available and called the pharmacy and told them to check a certain kit and sure enough there was a bottle of it there. At almost midnight this nurse who had no history with you drove over to Olathe and back to get it for you. Our experience with hospice care was stellar.

The next day, Saturday, Coryn, Jeremy and Ava Claire arrived unaware of your rapidly deteriorating status. I hadn't told Coryn the day before because she was working and I didn't want her to be upset while driving especially with the baby. You know she is the ultimate “daddy's girl” who had you twisted around her finger from the moment she was born. Pals for life you would both say as you stuck out your matching chicken legs.

Once Coryn realized what was happening she texted all her siblings. Josh came over right away and volunteered to spend the night and stayed with us from then on. Sunday Coryn and Ava Claire moved in until you left. Unfortunately Delilah smelled the dogs on Coryn's suitcase and peed all over the contents marking her territory. Just what we needed, a load of washing. We sent the smelly suitcase home with Jeremy.

The three of us took it in turns to give you your medications , all in liquid form as you were no longer able to swallow pills. We had to give you two different medications every hour night and day in hopes of keeping you pain free. Josh applied his analytical brain to figure out how to move you every few hours, without too much discomfort, to avoid pressure sores after we found one on your heel. We stuffed pillows around you, and under you to support you as best we could.

Coryn shared the harrowing experience on Facebook finding it almost impossible to sleep. I was worried that her lack of sleep and the stress of the situation was going to make it difficult for her to produce enough milk for Ava Claire but thankfully that wasn't an issue. At night when I was snuggled up in bed next to you I would hear her tiptoe into our room and whisper in your ear ( you two loved your little secrets) even though it wasn't her turn to give you medications. She swabbed your mouth out when it filled with fluid and when she put lip balm on your lips she'd tell you it was hot pink lipstick! She was amazing, she really held it together. You must have been so proud of her!

Ming Lee reading Coryn's texts decided with Lori, that we needed more help so he flew in on Tuesday November 12^th ( after working all night himself) so that he could take on part of the night shift in hopes that we could all get a few hours of sleep as by then we had been on this regime for three nights.

Jeremy pitched in by picking up lunch and dinner for us all that day - a huge help as none of us had the energy to do anything – we forced Toni to eat too as she spent so much time with us only leaving if she had to see another patient.

Shortly before 5:30 am on Wednesday morning Coryn felt compelled to check on you yet again: almost immediately we noticed your breathing change. She ran to get her brothers so we were all with you when you finally found that perfect peace and quiet you craved all your life.

Craig and Leslee had decided to come the day before and were literally flying in as you were flying out and they were as relieved as the rest of us that you had been freed from your pain and the limitations of your body. They said their goodbyes when they arrived. Ming-Lee was a rock, staying with you while I worked with Toni and Leslee on the arrangements to have you cremated. Now here comes the funny part Bubs. For months I had been showing you the two Chinese Ginger Vases that your mom gave us years ago and explaining that your remains would be in one and mine in the other. I thought you would like to have your ashes scattered on your uncle's farm where you used to love to spend your boyhood summers but you didn't like the idea at all and decided the simplest thing to do would be to combine our ashes and let the kids throw them around their gardens or something – literally pushing up the daisies maybe! Well to get back to the vases Ming took one look at them and asked if they were going to be big enough. For some reason I was thinking that there would only be a couple of cups worth of ashes. Craig and Leslee were clueless too so someone looked it up on the net: the vases were not going to hold the estimated ten to eleven cups as determined by your weight and height. I immediately thought of the large vase that I use as a centerpiece on the dinning room table - also given to us by your mom. Leslee grabbed it and began filling it with cups of water. It was big enough to accommodate us both ! While Leslee cleaned it's dusty insides Ming and Craig dashed to the hardware store to find something to use as a lid and found a cork circle that was the exact size needed. I was planning on having you as the centerpiece of the dinning room too but some of the kids found the idea unappetizing so I put you up on the mantle in the upstairs family room.

Since you so enjoy bathroom humor I will mention that while Ming was keeping you company in the bedroom and Coryn was either napping or showering I was holding a fussy Ave Claire. Just be glad you couldn't smell it because I developed rampant diarrhea and dashed madly pass Ming throwing the baby at him as I made it to the toilet – too late. This happened not once but thrice! Ming was stoic – he even managed to get Ava Claire to sleep. You know my bowels always get in an uproar when I'm stressed bubby. Toni advised me to double up on Lomotil.

Becky (Coryn's friend) insisted on bringing lunch over for us and said her goodbyes to you before you left the house. What a great friend she is to all of us!

Shortly afterwards the hearse arrived to transport you to Heartland Crematory. We all bid you another tearful goodbye in the family room hugging each other in our grief.

Kay was a great support, spending time with you, grocery shopping, helping out with meals and airport runs. Lori, Claudia and Blake called to say goodbye while Ming held the phone to your ear, Sean Facetimed you from Australia a few times. Marc and Bryn called from California. Sean posted a blog shortly after your death. He really captured the essence of you. It made me cry and laugh. Marc also posted a great tribute to you.

I thank Ming-Lee and Leslee who each flew in three times in a short period of time to be with us. Without doubt their visits helped boost your spirits and probably gave you at least another week or so with us. On Leslee's second visit she again took over the kitchen and had you eating for the first time in days. Scrambled eggs and pancakes in bed! Your spirits were so lifted by her presence that you announced that you might be up for a walk later in the day – something you had not been able to do in years! When I left the house to run an errand you coerced Leslee or should I say your Pippy or Little Pip Squeak- into getting you in the wheelchair and taking you out to the front porch. She told me she thought it was too cool but you insisted so she piled blankets on you and gave you a cup of hot tea . You loved it but she was glad when you agreed to come back in after awhile.

During this time you were suffering from hallucinations and confusion (greater than normal) which Toni assured us was not due to your medicines. One day you were dozing in bed sandwiched between your two daughters when you opened your eyes, looked at your girls, and asked if you were in heaven! Your girls are not that angelic! But it was a beautiful memory for them.

Only the week before this Coryn and I thought you were on your deathbed saying our tearful goodbyes as you asked us if we saw the red light. I called hospice and the team quickly appeared in our bedroom. One of the chaplains quipped that you might not want to go on the red light: might be better to wait for the amber or green light! You rallied and were able to enjoy another couple of weeks with us.

I learned a lot about our children during this time. I knew Ming-Lee could shop for groceries and make a meal but I had no idea that Josh could too. Even Marc( who flew in after Leslee's visit) amazed me by going to the grocery store and making one of your favorite meals, beef stew. Marc had me stewing over the electric bill as he had the crock pot running for ten hours! However you were so enthused about the stew that you ate too much, too fast, and had a terrible esophageal spasm which lasted about an hour despite my dropping medications under your tongue. The next day I offered to puree Marc's stew for lunch for you. You looked terrified.'' Not the beef stew” you cried.

Ming-Jon came out for a short visit the week before Thanksgiving and enjoyed meeting Ava Claire and spending time with Kay. Bryn came for a week but spent most of his time flat on his back as usual! Nothing like Ming-Lee and Craig who hauled at least two carloads of books to the half price book store so that I could start re-organizing things with space to work in.Craig and Leslee also cleaned the house from top to bottom for me!

I decided not to put the Christmas tree up this year: it just wouldn't be the same without you constantly warning me not to go a step higher on the ladder to reach the top of our nine foot tree; then getting agitated when I leaned too far over threatening to topple myself, the tree and ladder in your opinion. Of course the more you fretted the more I climbed and leaned! When the tree was about half decorated you would tell me what a beautiful job I had done and be most disappointed when I said I still had boxes of decorations to add. Then when I decorated the mantle and staircase you would warn me that so many Christmas lights were going to throw a circuit breaker. I'd just smile and say I still had the outside to do!

For years our outside Christmas lighting at the old YMCA consisted of one green and one red light bulb. Stringing lights was not your thing. When we moved to Arlamen Drive the boys and I strung icicle lights the length of the house and wrapped the four porch pillars in greenery, bows and lights. Guess who was running up and down the street taking pictures in the dark of the house fully decorated ? I think you grew to enjoy all the holiday decorating.

You have always been a central character in my newsletters because frankly you provided me with endless stories to recount – unintentionally of course. Someone else in the family is going to have to fill the void – I wonder who the lucky one will be?

I write this last letter to you through my tears but take great comfort in knowing that you are watching down on us all from the best seat in the heavens. We'll put a great show on for you for the rest of our lives. I love you more today than I did yesterday and I hear you saying those words right back to me. Thank you so much for our beautiful family who lift me up every day.

The Lowe Family Newsletter Volume 87

THE LOWE FAMILY NEWSLETTER VOLUME 87 SEPTEMBER 2013

Dear Readers,

August started off with gloriously cool summer days and ended with horrible heat and humidity. As usual my weeds have thrived, while I and my plants have wilted.

My children are spreading their wings and flying off in different directions leaving behind this broody old hen. Sean is currently in New Zealand and reading his blog is very enlightening – I had no idea that his ego was so big, his effect on women so amazing or that he had some interesting body parts that I failed to notice during diaper changes. The photo's are amazing and I am so glad that I get to read about his exploits – white water rafting, flying a stunt plane, bungee jumping etc- after he has survived the experience. I read your dad a somewhat edited version. But I highly recommend the blog to those of my readers who have a broad mind, a sense of humor and an appreciation of good writing.

I received an amazing email a couple of weeks ago from Kay – she asked if she could cook Sunday lunch for the family ! Furthermore she undertook to shop for all the necessary ingredients to make this meal! This was an unbelievable offer so I was thrilled to accept it : what a glorious sight to see her coming through our front door with bags of groceries for a three course meal! She even made her own salad dressing from scratch. After our delicious salad and pasta lunch with cookies for dessert she insisted on helping clean everything up! Quite a contrast to some other family members who only ever ask what I'm planning on making them and when it might be ready for them to eat- then they dash off to the gym leaving me to clean up the kitchen and dishes. Only today Coryn put in an order for three home baked desserts for a back yard get together that she and Jeremy are throwing for some other young couples this weekend. I pointed out that it was a bit much to expect me to bake in this heat for a party I wasn't even invited to but she promptly said I was welcome to come if I wanted to play beer pong and besides by Friday ( her pick-up of my baked goods day) it would be cooler so I should be fine in the kitchen with my double ovens going all day! I declined her invitation to play beer pong but agreed to make her desserts. At least I'll get to see Ava Claire that day!

Bryn announced a couple of weeks ago that Black and Veatch had offered him a promotion and transfer to San Ramos in the bay area close to Oakland and San Francisco. Last week he flew out to check it out and found an apartment in Walnut Creek, close to shopping, night life, jogging trails and the Bart system. He has sold most of his household items but unfortunately not his house. He is going to hand it over to a property management company in hopes that they can rent it out for him. He plans to drive his car, loaded with his clothes, some electronics and an air mattress to his new home which will probably take two to three days. He plans on leaving the day after Leslee-Ann arrives for her visit on the nineteenth of this month.

When Sean left on his extended trip, Josh moved from the “Seando” to Bryn's but his brother's unexpected job move left him homeless so I thought he might move in with us or Coryn and Jeremy but he chose to move into the basement of a friend. He will finish his current job in December and then plans to meet Sean in Thailand, possibly to be joined by Leslee-Ann, Craig and Bryn if their work schedules permit.

Ming-Lee has been in flight school all summer learning to fly a new plane for Fed-Ex. Hopefully he will soon be finished and able to spend more time with his family. Lori and the kids have had a great summer despite Ming's absence, although he did manage to make it home for a couple of days here and there. He will now be flying internationally so will have a chance to explore more of the world on his down time. This should be an exciting experience for Ming who loves to try new things and now that Blake and Claudia are older it will be easier to cope with his frequent absences.

Ava Claire is a happy, healthy baby but unfortunately something her milk supplier is eating is causing her to have gassy and explosive poop – during one diaper change I was showered in poop and had to completely change my clothes, scrub myself and my carpet. She is even passing a little blood in her poop so the pediatrician suggested that Coryn eliminate all diary from her diet and put Ava Claire on a milk free formula for a week or so before returning to nursing. I thought this a ridiculous suggestion but tried to be supportive. I was very pleased that my grand daughter refused to take a sip of the chemical junk (my terminology for baby formula) so instead of pumping her milk Coryn is still nursing but eating a very restricted diet. It does not seem to have helped much yet so she is now thinking that melons may be the cause as a couple of family members have allergies to one or another of these fruits. Sometimes I wonder if any one in the medical profession has any hands on experience. Nursing babies often will not drink from a bottle and if one does succeed in getting them to do so after a few days they will not be interested in breastfeeding anymore. I say keep the boobies flowing and Ava Claire growing. I am sure she will grow out of the problem as her system matures. She has already doubled her birth weight and is definitely a full figured girl!

Last Saturday I was able to enjoy a carefree shopping outing thanks to a hospice volunteer, Mike, who has signed on to stay with Norm for an hour or two every other Saturday. This is such a blessing as we are going to be losing all three boys help very soon. I usually only run errands when I am fairly certain that your dad will sleep the whole time or be engrossed in an NCIS episode.

Norm continues to have his esophageal spasms while eating so we have a couple of other medicines

added to our arsenal to combat this problem – they are in liquid form and can be placed anywhere in the mouth to help with the secretions and panic sensations. He continues to have daily bleeding due to his prostate cancer but fortunately it has not worsened over the last few months. But despite all his health issues he remains in good spirits especially when Coryn, Kay and Ava Claire visit.

Kay was a little concerned during her first few weeks of teaching that her very small class size might result in her class being split between the two other first grade teachers and her being transferred to another school. Since she liked the staff and was comfortable with first graders she was not looking forward to having to start afresh in another school but fortunately everything worked out. A fifth grade teacher volunteered to transfer and one of the other first grade teachers was assigned to the fifth grade class leaving Kay with her original class plus a few more kids. Kay seems to be adjusting well to life in Kansas City although she elected to skip out on watching the Chiefs defeat the Jaguars on Sunday after lunch. I of course am thrilled that we are back to Football Sundays and will be coaching the team to the playoffs this year!

Ming-Jon has moved to North Bethesda to cut his expenses while he continues to look for another job. Hopefully something will happen for him soon. Don't forget to send out your new address Ming-Jon! You never know when Marc might want to mail you something!

Your dad and I have enjoyed watching the US Open Tennis matches this past week and every time they showed the spectators I looked for Lainee who was there a couple of days during her recent trip to New York. Time for me to rally and serve your dad's noodle lunch, love your always on the ball Mother.