Mama, Grandpa, appreciation

Mama and Victoria flew to Columbus, Ohio yesterday afternoon arriving at about 5:15 local time. Although the airport is about two hours away from Brittany and the girls, it is the airport of choice. They ended up waiting for about an hour for Brittany to pick them up due to unforeseen traffic issues, but it all worked out. As soon as Mama and Victoria saw the girls, everything but that reunion was forgotten. I pray this will be a good visit. It is the first in person visit under Brittany’s new life circumstances. One of the primary reasons for the timing was that Brittany was requested to help a friend of hers who is getting married either this weekend or early next week. So, Mama and Victoria will be providing backup for Brittany in her absence. I believe Brittany has a pretty busy schedule set for Mama, but Mama will not mind as long as she is spending time her granddaughters.

While Mama is in West Virginia she may look at a few properties for sale. We have been studying the real estate market in West Virginia lately and have tentatively investigated a couple properties – as potential rentals – that have sparked our interest. I assured Mama that that is not a high priority, but I did want her to get a feel for the area since we have been away from there so long. It has been over twenty years since we left the farm there and relocated to Texas. The real estate markets in all the other states where we have lived (New Jersey and Texas primarily) are far too expensive to be considered. We are not considering leaving the farm right now, but at some point, it is going to require more work that we are able to physically support. If, or when, that time comes, we would like to have a foothold in an area where we could retire in some comfort. A place where the income we will have at that time will support us without too much strain. Since I will be 67 years old this year and am considering retiring, it is something we need to consider.

Though the circumstances that motivated us to leave West Virginia twenty years ago were relevant at that time, it is the one move I chose to make that causes me a modicum of regret. We cannot go back and relive any of the moments in our lives. We cannot undo the consequences of the decision we make along the way, but I often wonder what our lives might have been like had we stayed. West Virginia is the place I have missed the most over the years. I am grateful for the Lord’s continuous blessings on me and Mama, the places we have lived, the friends we have made, the church families we have across the states and across years and the companies He has allowed me to work for, but when I reminisce about all the places Mama and I have made a home, all the places we have raised our children, I have very fond memories of what the Lord did in our lives while we lived in West Virginia. That is where He brought the rest of our children into our lives. That is where my children got saved and baptized. That is where we fostered Disuke, and Alfredo for their year in the United States. Plenty of very good memories in every locale we called home over the years, but some monumental moments on our farm in the hollow.

Meanwhile, back at the Chico farm, Grandpa has been at war with the squirrel population for the past several weeks. He has two BB guns to take pot shots at the intruders, but those have proven largely ineffective. So, yesterday I got out the .22 and a box of birdshot shells manufactured for that caliber. Even though the shells are so lightly loaded that they cannot index the bolt, essentially making the rifle a single shot rifle, Grandpa has had a good deal more success. Mortally wounding one yesterday and frightening off three others. At issue is the squirrel’s persistence in raiding our bird feeder – something Grandpa is seriously protestive over. Between the blackbirds and the squirrels invading our farm, the birds we like to see feeding at the two feeders have been scared off. That is an untenable situation that requires serious intervention. Grandpa has been delighted with his recent successes. His poor eyesight, slow and strained movements and shaking hands make the birdshot a perfect remedy to allow him to offer what limited potential he has to succeed in eliminating the intruders.

In my substituting for Mama in caring for Grandma and Grandpa, there has been a realization that perhaps too much has been asked of Mama in providing that care. Both Grandma and Grandpa are more guarded in seeking my help to provide that care than they – especially Grandma – have been in their expectation for Mama to do so. Last night I warmed some soup for Grandma and fried a hamburger for Grandpa. They were very grateful. However, this morning, I did not set up their coffee pot as Mama typically does thus requiring them to do so for themselves. On my part, I did not want to mess up their morning coffee by making it improperly. When I apologized for not having preset the coffee pot, Grandma said that she should be doing more for her and Grandpa and taking some of the burden off Mama.

Don’t get me wrong, Mama loves caring for them, but it nice to be appreciated.