Thursday, August 18, 2011-Update On The Kids

Ginny called me yesterday around 4 pm. From Vanessa's father's house up near Pulaski. They had gotten back around 4 am that morning from VA.
She wanted to come down to visit. It takes two hours to get here from there. By that time it would have been six o'clock. Probably seven by the time they got here because she was doing laundry and it wasn't done yet. I thought that was much too late for me to be having company, especially when I go to bed early and am tired by that time of the night. I told her I didn't think it was a good idea. So I had her put Vanessa on the phone. We decided they would not drive down and instead I'd see them on Saturday at my brother, Rick's party. Vanessa said she was driving to Alexandria Bay this morning and would be camping out overnight there.
I did manage to get a bit more information from Vanessa on what's happening. She plans on buying a home down there in VA and having her mom and the boys live there. She is also already contacted someone about getting birth certificates for the boys. She wants to get them some kind of education. I guess they plan on getting child support from the boy's father and Sarah is going to send Vanessa money each month to help pay bills. So it looks like it will be Vanessa doing most of the work. She says she don't mind at all having them all live with her. God Bless her is all I can say. She's taking on a heavy burden.
Sarah also wants to buy a house when she gets back from Afghanistan.. But she will be living out in Nebraska. She wants to take the boys also and make sure they have an education. Not her mom though. Just the boys. So maybe in the end Vanessa will have her mom and maybe one of the boys with her and Sarah will have the others. They are such good girls. They've had a rough life too and knows how it can be. So I wish them all the luck in the world with all this mess. Eventually it will be straightened out hopefully. It's not a problem taking the boys but I think it might be a problem taking the mother. She can be very hard headed and very tough to live with. She hasn't treated those kids very well in the past. Sarah did not like her at all when she lived out in MN with her for a while. Ginny was very mean to her. I was so glad when Sarah left and went down south to live with her Aunt and Uncle. She's come a long way.
Vanessa just rolls with the flow and she said that she really never minded those couple years living with her mom out there. At that time she was going to a religious school. But I was glad when she got out of there also. She was starting to write like Ginny and talk all that crap like Ginny does about religion. They got it shoved down their throats. So much that some of the kids call themselves atheists..LOL
I'm just hoping all goes well on Saturday and no one gets Ginny mad about what she's doing with her kids. Hope to get through the day without any trouble. I know my sister would love to call the authorities on her but she won't. Right now those kids could be taken away from her fast I think. But as long as Vanessa is working on getting them what they need, then I think it should be left alone.
Well, sometime today I have to do laundry, whether I want to or not.
I went out yesterday morning to get groceries and still forgot a couple items. So now I will have to go back to Walmart sometime before Sat. I plan on leaving here by noon on Sat., to get up to my brothers by one. I'm not sure if Pam is riding up with me or not. Haven't heard from her yet. My brother Jim and his wife will not be there. They have a wedding to go to. Don't know who's. That bummed Rick out. Me too. I wanted to see everyone. I haven't seen Jim since Dec.
I'm doubling up on my Baked Spinach Squares this time. And I've got to bring some stuff for Vanessa if she won't be coming here. Good thing I have my cart to wheel out to the car or I'd never be able to handle bringing stuff. When I get there then someone carries my stuff for me because I have to walk with my crutches. Can't carry a damn thing with crutches.
So that is all for now. Not sure when I'll get back here. Take care everyone.
PS Vanessa has to leave by Sunday morning to get back to VA. She is starting her new job working with Customs and Border Patrol for Homeland Security. Her park job was done when she went to TN. They had spent a week in TN getting all their mother's stuff packed up in a U-Haul. Vanessa said she took her last week of work off with no pay just to do that. Sarah was on leave and Heather wasn't doing anything so they didn't lose anything. It's been very costly for Vanessa. Sarah gave Ginny money before she left and that pretty much went for the U-haul. Heather doesn't have any. That's all I know about that. Ginny and the boys will be living with Vanessa in her one bedroom apartment for now.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011-Vanessa Back To VA

Ginny called me yesterday from her ex husband's house up near Pulaski. That's where they stayed I guess. Vanessa and all of them are heading back down to VA so that her boyfriend can keep a doctor's appointment. Then they are all going to drive back up to NY. Boy! That's a lot of driving! They will probably all stop to visit me on Thursday. By then I can get to the store and get some groceries so I'll have something to feed them all. I'm not used to having so many around but will make the best of it. They can't stay overnight but at least they can visit for a while. We were going to go to the Ilion Marina but I don't know what the weather will be like. So for now I'll just pick up some stuff for here. If we go to the Marina we can eat at the little cafe there. The kids can play on the swings and watch the boats going by too.
On Saturday we will all be at Rick and Ann's for the picnic. I just found out that Jim and Patty won't be there. They already had plans to go to a wedding that day. That's too bad. I thought I'd at least get a good group picture. Oh well. That's the way it goes sometimes. Everyone is busy with their own lives.
I'm just starting to feel better. I've been so tired for the past week and my legs hurt. I think I slept better last night. That always helps.
It was damp this morning but now the sun is out. I sure am glad.
So that's about it for now. Take care everyone.

Sunday, August 14, 2011-The Reunion Went Great!

In back are Elijah and Elishama. On left standing is Othiniel and over on the right is Vanessa. In front are Zephaniah, Little Ginny and Big Ginny.

The rain held off all day and the sun was shining off and on also. I got up there around 2:10 pm. I took an extra Ibuprofen before I left. I was there before Jeanne and Debby. Pam had just gotten there before me. I was so happy to have a nice comfortable chair all day. Karen and Harold had four nice upholstered chairs there for us elderly people..Ha! Nice strong arms to push up with too! My Aunt Sarah was there with quite a few from her family. Her husband, John, passed away last Saturday, the 6th. He'd been in a nursing home and then in the hospital. He had Alshiemers. One uncle is left. That's Uncle Bill and right now he's at the Folt's Home getting rehab. he can't walk very well or hardly at all. He might never come out now but they are hoping he gets stronger and can come home. It will be much easier on the kids if he is in there but not sure if Betty can handle him being gone and now the daughter has gotten a job at the college and won't be there for a few hours a day. Diana has been taking care of them for a few years now and she needed to get out of the house for a while. The older ones on that side of the family are slowly disappearing. But five Aunts are still here. The women are tough. They will always outlast the men.
I got quite a surprise yesterday. My Granddaughter, Vanessa, had asked me for directions to the reunion a few days before but then I never heard back from her. So there she came yesterday with her mom (my daughter) and her four brothers. The three younger boys I have never met. And I haven't seen my daughter since 1997 or around there. I guess Ginny's daughters, Heather, Vanessa and Sarah had driven to TN to see them. They didn't like the living situation so they got a U-Haul and packed up all their stuff and moved them out. Their stuff is in VA right now and that's where Vanessa will be going back to. She lives there. But where Ginny and the three boys will live is still up in the air. This is going to be tough for all of them. There's a lot of things to take care of as far as getting the boys some education. My daughter is so thin and doesn't feel that well. Her back is real bad and her legs bother her all the time. She's the type that will never go to a doctor. She has no insurance and will not have anything to do with any Gov't. hand outs or anything. If you've been following my blog you might remember that these kids were born at home and have no birth certificates. Have never been to a school and have never had any shots. It's going to take a long time to get things straightened out. So now the Gov't will have to be involved whether she likes it or not. I guess it will be all in Heather and Vanessa's hands now. Time will tell. But it was a nice surprise to see them. The boys all had big smiles on their faces. But the youngest one, Othiniel, has a cold and wasn't feeling that well. That makes me nervous. They are around lots of people now. They are not used to that. I sure hope to God that they don't come down with any horrendous viruses because they don't have their shots. I suppose when they do get the shots they will be sick from them. It will be a jolt to their systems after all this time. I'm sure hoping not and hope and pray that they will be okay.
I will be seeing them again this week. They drove up to Vanessa's father's last night I think. He lives near Pulaski. There were seven all together. Vanessa, her boyfriend, Raul, her brother Elijah that is 17 and lives with her dad. Then Ginny and the three boys who have lived in MN all their life before being moved to TN by their father. He's out in MN right now and wasn't going back to TN till Sept. He doesn't know all about this yet. But I have the feeling he will be happy they are gone. He and Ginny never got along.
Then on Saturday my brother is having a picnic at his house. I now have to ask him if it's okay for Ginny to come with all her kids. He wasn't expecting a crowd like that. We'll manage somehow. Ginny wants to see everyone. Most she hasn't seen since she was 16. She is now 45.
When they come back down here to see me this week I think we will all go to the Ilion Marina where the kids can play and have room to run. I can't fit them all in my apartment. maybe just for a short time. It's going to be a day by day thing here this week.
Today I am very sore and tired. I stayed at the reunion till 7 pm. two hours longer than I had planned. My birds were sure mad at me when I came in the door last night. Ricky was afraid I wasn't coming home I think. he flew to my shoulder and wouldn't shut up and then he shit on me..Ha! Ha! Guess he got even with me huh?
So that's it for now. I'm too tired to write any more. I'm leaving a picture of me and the kids and one of the three little ones.

Saturday, August 13, 2011-Miller Reunion

My legs and hips have been hurting more lately but I'm hoping to get to the reunion today. I'm moving slow this morning and it's not going to be easy standing in the kitchen to make the baked spinach squares but it will not be as bad as making spinach balls. They take too long and I just can't do it any more. I guess my baking days are over. I hope I perk up a bit. I went out to Walmart last night because I didn't have enough cheese and when I got back I was in a lot of pain in my hips and legs. I went to bed a little earlier but still didn't get much sleep.
It's overcast today and looks like rain. I hope it holds off till at least 5 o'clock. I'll be home by then. I won't be staying long up there. I want to get there by 1:30 and leave at 4:30. Maybe sooner if I don't feel good.
So I'll be back later with a picture or two maybe. Hope you all have a nice day.
PS: I still have not seen Granny fox or the other two that come at the same time. One pup and the mom were out here this morning though. I'm glad when I see some of them. Oh. Some guys came and took my entertainment center yesterday. Finally! Got that out of here.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011-Went Out This Morning

Haven't done much the past few days. Been so humid here. This morning I got out at 7 am and went to Walmart and Agway. My hips and legs sure were aching though. I couldn't wait to sit. But had to make two trips with the groceries first and then I had to walk down the long hall here to take my garbage to the trash room. Then I had to make breakfast for me and the birds. By the time I actually could sit and relax it was about 10:00. That's too long to be standing on my feet. I had to take some Ibuprofen with breakfast to ease up my back pain. I went to bed with that last night. Too much bending I guess. I'm always picking up something that the birds drop on the floor.
My cousin, Jack, had to fly back to CA today. His mother-in-law has taken a turn for the worse and Jeannie, his wife, had to call in hospice. So I guess I won't be seeing him this year. And my Aunt Sarah's husband died. He's been in the nursing home.
And my friend that lives upstairs, Wanda. Her sister died. I can't go to funeral homes or funerals. I just send cards now.
My brother, Rick, got some good news today though! He got his promotion up at Griffiss with the
EADS (Eastern Air Defense Sector).
He is now now going to be a Master Sergeant. Highest rank he can achieve at EADS probably. He's happy!! And he can retire in five years!
Our immediate family are all getting together on the 20th at his place. I'm looking forward to that. I couldn't go last year because of my rectal tumor. Sure hope it will be a nice, sunny day. Nina and the kids are coming too.
I still haven't gotten rid of my entertainment center. Now I haven't heard anything from that kid from Bridgewater that was going to come and get it. I think he's having a problem finding someone to help him. And a girl from Herkimer was going to come and get the mirror but never showed. But the guy that wanted the Ronald Reagan 24 K Gold Inaugural Medals came today and bought them. He got a good deal on those. So at least I'm getting rid of a few items. I still have more stuff that I have to take pictures of yet then advertise them on Craigslist.
I still have not seen my Granny fox. But I am happy that the pups are still here with their mom. I haven't seen the dad but I'm sure he's out there.
It looked like rain all day and it was quite a bit cooler today, which is fine with me! But it's so damp and my apartment stinks like mildew all the time. Nothing much I can do but keep spraying mold and mildew killer around the floors. I'd like to steam clean my carpets but I am not going to do that till it is very dry or when I have the heat on. Maybe in Sept. or Oct. Otherwise it would just make the mold and mildew worse.
I guess that is all I can think of to say for now. Going back in the living room and watch the news now.
Take care everyone.
PS: The bunny is still alive!