Garage Sale at 810 and Visit from Peyton and Garrison - 4/2015

It's been a busy week.  I worked every day at 810 getting things priced and ready for the garage sale and holding pre-sales with friends which went very well.

On Thursday night, Amanda and Mark both came to Clinton to be ready for the garage sale on Friday morning.  We all started very early Friday morning setting up tables and putting out all the items for sale - before 6 a.m.!  Helpers included Amanda, Mark, Debbie Sieger, Kelly Briggs, Sherri Albin, Donna Briggs, Ron and myself.  The customers started coming around 6:45 a.m. and didn't stop until 1 p.m. - even during the brief rain showers around 10 a.m.  The sale could not have gone better or smoother - I think Mom and Daddy would have been pleased.  We sold everything except about 5 small boxes of items.  It was a long day, however, we had some fun along the way and accomplished our goal.  Thanks to everyone!

I rode to Overland Park with Amanda so we could visit - then Ron came to Overland Park when he got off work at 3 pm. to pick up the kids and me for the weekend.  Amanda and Chad had a fun "date weekend" planned with free Marriott Points to explore downtown Kansas City - win-win.  Mark headed back to St. Louis around 2 p.m.

Ron, the kids and I started back to Clinton around 4 p.m.  We stopped at Belton to eat at McDonald's - their choice - where we ate and they played on the play area a bit.  Peyton started her weekend of "Grandma memories" by talking about how Grandma always sat by her when we all ate at McDonald's - almost every time we had the kids for a visit.  She was right!  When we got home, they went outside for a few minutes to play and Garrison dug in the window wells for rocks for his rock collection - he is all boy!

The kids slept with me in our bed, and Ron slept downstairs.  We had a good night.

Saturday morning, we got around slowly, eating breakfast at home and watching a few cartoons before going over to 810 to do a few things, took the recycling, etc.  Apollo went along and had a good time running in the back yard.  The kids had a good time at Grandma's house - again recalling many fond memories.  Garrison wanted to play with the basket of balls, which I had sold at the garage sale - and he wondered where he was going to sit down!  All the chairs are gone.  He had a good time with the dandelions in the back yard.

We came home to eat ham, broccoli, peaches, etc. for lunch before we went to the movies to see HOME - it was a cute movie.  The kids had fun picking out their refreshments and watching the movie.

We went to Pizza Glen for dinner.  The kids giggled and giggled how their Daddy was going to be so jealous because he loved to have Pizza Glen Pizza!  When we got home, it was bath time, then snack time, then bedtime - no problem getting Garrison to go to sleep last night - no nap and he was exhausted!  No talking from Mr. Chatty!  More memories from Peyton on how Grammaw would sit and talk with them while they took naps and how she always played with them so much.  She was right!

Sunday morning we had breakfast and went to church where the kids helped me play the piano for the gathering music.  They enjoyed donut time after church and playing in the gym.  When we got home, we had some arts and crafts time, making the peeps bird houses we didn't get around to at Easter - they were less than successful!  we couldn't get them to hold together, but we had a great time trying - and they enjoyed eating the peeps.

We had meatballs and rice for lunch before heading back to Overland Park.  Peyton, Garrison and Grammy all had a nap on our way back to OP.  Amanda and Chad hadn't arrived home yet when we got there, so Grandpa and the kids went outside to play while I put their clothes away out of their suitcase, etc.  We visited when the parents got home and started home around 3 p.m.

We stopped at Kohl's on the way home - I had a 30% off and needed to return some things.  After arriving back in Clinton, we met the people who bought the glider at 810 for them to pick it up, and met Debbie Sieger there for her to pick up the rest of the items she had purchased.  We also put out a few things at the curb for the city-wide clean up tomorrow.

CHARTER is coming on Tuesday to pick up their equipment and disconnect the TV, phone and internet.  Hopefully the appraisals will be done soon.  The lady who bought the sofa, kitchen table, etc. will come this week to pick up her things, and the flea market guy who bought the bedroom sets will come within a week or so to pick up his items.

The house looks so big with all the things out of it.  Having all this done is bittersweet - nice to have it done, however, it feels so final now.  I've been too busy to grieve.

I plan to clean and tie up some loose ends at 810 this week.  I'm beyond exhausted, but it has been nice to get things done.

I miss Mom so much and will always treasure our time together - especially the last 4 months of her life.  I'm so grateful I had the opportunity to retire and spend so much time with her.  She taught me about unconditional love and how to be a good mother and grandmother.  She loved all of us so very much and gave 110% to make our lives easier and better.  I love you Mom - hope you are enjoying Heaven.

We are blessed.

Grammy and Peyton Day April 2015

On Monday, April 13, 2015, Peyton had a day off school, so I went to Overland Park to meet up with her at their house before Mommy and Daddy went to work - let the fun times begin!

It was Peyton's day to choose everything we did, so we started our day at McDonald's for breakfast.  We missed having Grammaw with us, but we had some good conversations about how much fun we had had with Grammaw.  Peyton was concerned about who was going to eat the crust of her toast now when she is at Grammy's and Grandpa's - after we discussed how she enjoyed having Grammaw help her eat her crust, I assured her I would eat her crust now, and she was fine with that.

Next we went to Hyvee to pick up some sale items - believe it or not - strawberries and milk was all we bought!

Peyton's main goal was to get to the American Girl store, however, it didn't open until 10 a.m., so she agreed to go to Kohl's with me for some returns while we waited for 10 a.m.!  We didn't buy a thing at Kohl's - another unbelievable!

Finally - it was time to go to Oak Park Mall and the American Girl store!  Peyton wanted a new outfit for the bitty babies, and we shopped and shopped.  She chose the outfit she wanted, and that was all she wanted to buy there.  (She had wanted to take Piocano to get her hair cut, but I assured her Mommy would have to weigh in on that one).  Luckily, the outfit she chose was on sale!

We had walked by the Build-A-Bear place on the way to American Girl, and that was front and center  on her little mind.  Mommy had said we couldn't buy another American Girl Doll, but she didn't say anything about another Build-A-Bear - so...........Peyton didn't hesitate to choose an Elsa bear, and we bought her a sig with a braid and an Elsa beautiful dress.  We did skip the underwear and shoes which were suggested by the saleslady.  Geez.  She was very proud of her.

Peyton wanted to go to play in the play area next then to the arcade.  She "won" 300 tickets, so she was able to choose quite a few prizes and had a great time choosing.  Then she rode the carousel - all by herself - on the top area.

Grammy was in favor of Olive Garden or another sit-down restaurant, however, I was over ruled by Peyton on Peyton Day in favor of Auntie Annie's Pretzel place that doesn't even have tables - only a ledge to sort of sit on.  That is all she could think of.  We had a pretzel to share and pretzel cinnamon bites with delicious strawberry lemonade - she loved the lemonade.

We had some personal shopping duties to take care of for Miss Debbie, so we went to Nordstroms to buy a bracelet before we went to the mall.  Peyton thought that was pretty funny.

We stopped at McDonald's for the second time of the day for sweet tea and a snack - Peyton had a parfait, and I had chocolate chip cookies.

After we arrived back at Peyton's house, we played outside on the play set and played a couple of board games and watched a little TV.  Amanda came home from work a little early, and Grammy started home after a perfect day with my perfect little favorite granddaughter.

On Tuesday, I worked at 810 for a few hours in the morning before going to lunch at Mallards with my "old" sorority friends.  Then back to 810 to price things.

Wednesday, I met with the administrator of the hospital to share some of my compliments and concerns regarding Mom's hospital stay.  It went well, and I was happy to get that task off my list.  In the afternoon, I worked on 810 some more.

Thursday it was more of the same as well as Friday.  Friday afternoon, a couple of friends from work came by to "shop" and bought some things at 810.  Ron mowed the yard, and then we took the recliner that Debbie bought over to her house.  They had just finished supper, so she sent supper home with us - a lifesaver!

Saturday morning, Debbie and I went to a garage sale early and I baked a cake for a funeral dinner at our church that day.  Kelly helped us over at 810 bring some more things up from the basement etc.  Ron went to a wedding at the lake with Dennis.

Sunday, we went to church, put away some 810 treasures at our house, and then had chili dogs for lunch.  We met a flea market owner at 810 at 1:30 p.m.  He bought some glassware and both old-time bedroom suits.  I spent some time upstairs cleaning out under the beds since they had both been sold, so we have another load for the Samaritan Center tomorrow and found some things to sell.

It's been a busy week.  Not too much more to do before the sale on Friday.  Will get the permit this week - signs are ready - change is ready - Mark, Mary and Amanda will be here Thursday night.  Debbie, Kelly and Sherri are going to help.  Ron is going to work late to help set things out.  It will be good to get it over with.  Hopefully selling the house will go as well as selling the contents.  It has been a lot of work, but has gone smoothly.
We are blessed.

Week after Easter

It was a busy week!  Ron still had Monday and Tuesday off, and he was great help at 810 continuing the task of readying the contents of Mom's house for the garage sale to be held April 24.  We took more loads to the Samaritan Center and Recycling and took a pick-up load of trash to the transfer station.  We also met with the Thrivent representative again on Tuesday afternoon - Mark and Mary met with their representative in St. Louis - and finished up with the transfer of Mom and Daddy's investments and life insurance to Mark and me - they were so generous and loved us so much.

Wednesday was my first day on my own.  I did pretty good, but I miss Mom so much.  Coffee time in the morning is lonely, and I miss her so much.  Like Mary says, I had coffee with Mom and Daddy and then just Mom for decades - there is a void.  Mary was sweet to call me Wednesday afternoon and happened to hit one of my sad moments, so it was nice to have her to talk to.

I spent 7 hours straight at 810 on Thursday - boy was I tired!  But, I accomplished a lot.  I carried up quite a lot of stuff from the basement - it is shaping up.  I hauled another load to the Samaritan Center.

Friday, I ran errands to pay the funeral home and went to the bank to close the safe deposit box of Mom's - moving the abstracts of the properties to our box.  Errands are time suckers!  Friday night, Ron and I took Deb and David Mills to the Rotary Shrimp Fest - all the boiled shrimp you could eat (and we ate a lot), cajun potatoes and cole slaw - yummo!

Saturday, Ron and I worked at 810 for about 5 1/2 hours each and accomplished a lot.  Took two more loads to the Samaritan Center and priced things.  Ron carried all the pictures off the walls upstairs to the bedrooms and put them on the beds.  We grilled burgers for dinner - a beautiful day.

Sunday, we motored to Overland Park in the rain to spend the day with Amanda and the kiddos.  It quit raining in time for Chad to play in his golf tournament.  We had fun playing Zingo and another board game before going to Freddy's (Peyton's choice) for a bite of lunch.  While Garrison and Grandpa napped, the girls went to Party City to buy baby shower supplies for Amanda for work.  It was a quick trip, and we headed home around 3 p.m. because Apollo was in Clinton, and he was crossing his legs!

I had a very sad moment at Dollar Tree when I walked by the greeting cards and saw the Mother's Day Cards - I won't be needing one for Mom this year, even though she is still and always will be the best mother who ever lived.  She loved ALL of us unconditionally and sacrificed many times so we could have better lives.  Heaven is the winner with her up there.  Peyton said this morning when it was thundering that Grandma and Grandpa Mintun must be up in Heaven bowling!  Mom was always saying that!

I get to spend Monday with Peyton as she is out of school - she has things planned for us including breakfast at McDonald's and a trip to the American Girl Doll Store - she wants to have lunch at the Auntie Anne's Pretzel place (they don't even have tables), but I'm hoping to talk her into Olive Garden - I love their peach tea.  Looking forward to a fun day with my sweet little granddaughter.  God is good.

We are blessed.  Miss you Mom every day!  I haven't been able to play the piano yet - hoping to make myself do it this week.  Ron and I finally ate dinner at the table last night - we had been eating in front of the TV - too sad to eat at the table without Mom.  Baby steps.

More Disney Pictures

Mom's Funeral Service/Easter 2015

What a week!  Amanda came back to Clinton on Sunday after Mom passed away at 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 29, 2015 after suffering another heart attack two weeks earlier.  It was so comforting to have Amanda here with us.  We made Mom's funeral arrangements on Sunday morning, then Mark and Mary went to Osage Beach for a conference Mark had previously scheduled.

Amanda spent Sunday and Monday with us.  We had many friends come by on Sunday which was comforting but hard - seems like I cried over and over all day.  They brought lots of food which came in handy throughout the week.  Amanda, Ron and I ate the roast beef dinner that Susan Mosley brought over - it was so delicious.  It was like old times - just the 3 of us.

Amanda was so much help on Monday - helping me run errands related to Mom's passing and getting things ready for the week.  We spent some time at Mom's house and had lunch at Dairy Queen.  After working her tail off, she went back to Overland Park around 3:30 p.m. so she could have dinner with Chad and the kids before getting the kids off to bed.  A big shout out to Chad for keeping things going at home while Amanda spent time in Clinton several times during the week, and especially Monday and Tuesday.  He was Mr. Mom for sure and did a great job - thank you Chad!

Tuesday was the first day I had by myself since Mom had been gone - it was lonely.  I have spent many hours with Mom each and every day for the past four years and pretty much 24/7 for the past four months since she lived with  us.  I miss her.  Even before Daddy passed away, I spent several hours a day at their house pretty much every day.  There is a large void in my life right now.

Joe came to Clinton late Tuesday evening and was so helpful to Ron and me on Wednesday.  He worked his tail off helping us move things up and down the stairs at Grandma's house, getting things for the already planned garage sale.  He made numerous trips to donate things to the Samaritan Center and to take things to recycling.  We had a good day visiting with him as we worked.  We had lunch at McDonald's, and he joined us at our house for dinner - Pizza Glen.  Amanda, Chad and the kids arrived in time for Pizza Glen too - we had a good meal and visit.

Mark, Mary and Tom came back to Clinton very late on Wednesday evening, as Mark had to go to Chicago for work.  The entire family met at Vansant-Mills Funeral Home at 9 a.m. on Thursday, April 2, 2015 - the day of Mom's funeral - to say our final, family, private good-byes to Mom.  She looked at peace, and it was nice to gather as a family to tell her how much we loved her.

We gathered at our house around 11 a.m. to have a quick bite to eat before going to the graveside funeral for Mom at Engelwood Cemetery at 1 p.m.  David Mills, a family friend a minister, did a fantastic job capturing "Mom" at the service, and How Great Thou Art - Mom's favorite - was played (David and I had pre-recorded singing it).  Many family and friends gathered to honor Mom - she would have been pleased.  It had rained in the morning, but right around 1 p.m., the sun came out, and there was a nice breeze.  It was a beautiful day to honor a beautiful lady.

After the funeral, our friends, Debbie and Dennis Sieger, David and Deb Mills, Lisa and Dan Wallace, Mary and Howard Cupp and Bonnie and Charlie Townsend, along with Joe Moritz, prepared and served a delicious family meal for us at the United Methodist Church.

On Friday, we gathered at 810 to start the daunting task of getting things ready for the garage sale and getting the house ready to sell sometime soon.  We worked until around noon, then we all gathered at our house for lunch.  Amanda and the boys went back to 810 to get the boys' trucks loaded and ready to return to St. Louis.  Mark and Mary and Ron and me met with the Thrivent representative to settle Mom's estate at 1 p.m. then went to the bank to cash in her CD's around 3 p.m.  Mom was so happy she had some money to leave to her kids and that she did not have to use it to go to the nursing home - that was very important to her.  She and Daddy saved and did without so they would have something to leave to us - so sweet.

On Saturday, all those left (everyone but Joe and Tom), met again at 810 around 8:30 a.m. for more of the same until about 12:30 p.m. at which time we gathered again at our house to have another family meal before Mark and Mary left Clinton.  We had a sad week, but it was nice to have lots of family time.

When the kids took a nap, Amanda and I went back to 810 to tie up some loose ends, then we all went to El Camino Real for a Mexican supper which was tasty.  The kids came home with us - then we hid and hunted Easter eggs - and Amanda and Chad went back to 810 to work for an hour or so cleaning up more and carrying things up the steps.  Earlier in the day, the kids, Amanda and I had dyed Easter eggs, and I had hid and they hunted plastic eggs in the house. Ron and I gave them their Easter baskets from us which included membership to the Royals Blue Crew - hat, t-shirt, sunglasses, lanyard and two tickets to a Royals game in 2015!  They had fun with their baskets.

Sunday morning, the kids awoke to a delivery from the Easter Bunny!  They were excited.  We all went to church, then when we came home they hunted Easter eggs outside the Easter bunny had hidden.  They loaded up and went to Lexington to celebrate Easter with Chad's family - we miss them terribly.  I am having Amanda withdrawals, as between vacation, Grandma being sick, and then her passing, we have been together numerous days in the past three weeks.  I miss her terribly already.

Ron and I spent the day getting our house back in order after 3 weeks of less than normal happenings around our house.  We also hung some pictures we brought home to enjoy from Mom's house and putting things away.  Mom would be so happy that Mark and family and me and my family will be enjoying many of the things she and Daddy had collected or acquired during their 60 plus years of marriage.  The "things" mean so much more to me now than they did two weeks ago even.  We went over to 810 for a couple of hours in the afternoon to move more things downstairs from upstairs and just straighten up a bit.  Apollo - who is staying with us for awhile - went and enjoyed running in the back yard.  Nothing had been stolen off the back porch - I was happy about that.  I dug up some hens and chickens to bring home to add to the peonies we had dug up yesterday and planted in the back yard.  Mom would really be happy about that.  She had already talked to me about transplanting peonies from her yard this year.  Who knew she wouldn't be around to help me.

I feel like I'm having empty nest syndrome all over again with Mom now gone.  We had spent so much time together - it will be an adjustment.  But, I know she is where she needs to be due to her heart attack and poor health - I didn't want her to suffer and to be in pain, and she was ready to go to be with the Lord and with Daddy.  Mom - I couldn't have possibly loved you more, and you couldn't have possibly been a better mother to me and to Mark.  We love you and miss you.

Ron is off on Monday and Tuesday, so we will get more done both here and at 810 those two days.  It seems like a never-ending job, but we will get it done.

Happy Easter - The Lord is Risen - we are blessed.