Family Gathering

It's an interesting time here since this past Thursday and will continue to be so too until early this coming zTuesday morning when things will revert back to the normal life for Mandy, the kids and for me.

What's making this a special time -at least definitely for the grandkids -is that their Grandpa -or Poppy as they call him arrived here Thursday evening for a brief visit with the grandkids and of course, also with our three adult children too!

He hasn't been here since Kurtis was about 2 years old as he lives in Nevada so visits are far and few between.

We weren't sure how the grandkids would react or respond to him but Mandy said at the airport, when he walked into the waiting area there, Maya actually gave him a big, big hug -which is quite the move coming from her!

Friday morning, Dad took Mandy to work and then picked her up at 2 p.m. when she was finished for the day and away they went! They had to make a stop over in State College to pick up Alex, the older grandson, but once they got him, they were off to driving down by Harrisburg, to Carlisle, PA and to attend the National Car Show there this weekend! My son, Clate, his girlfriend and her three little boys also were going to go down for this event too so it made for a nice getaway for everyone concerned!

So far, both the younger ones have very much been enjoying getting to know their grandfather at least a little bit and for that, I am very thankful.

People -well some people anyway -around us here who remember back when he and I were still married and not exactly on the best of terms most of the time then -are often shocked when they learn that when he does come to visit for a couple of days -to get re-acquainted with our children and now, our grandkids -that I actually welcome him into our home and even cook things that I remember he always enjoyed eating too -like the big crockpot of pork and sauerkraut that is cooking now as I write this!

I don't know if folks think I harbor all kinds of animosity towards him and that maybe I'd be as likely to greet him at the door with a big old dowel pin or a cast iron frying pan or some other blunt instrument and bring it down on his head or something like that because they generally are very surprised when I do mention his infrequent visits and the preparations, the anticipation, of having him around for a few days now and then. Okay -I confess that fora while after we separated, then divorced, things were not usually very pleasant between us but thankfully, that has changed, drastically and especially over the past almost 19 years now as he changed his mode of operation which then in turn, changed very much, the dealings I do have now with him.

And, it's all for the best too!

The kids went through a rough time of being estranged from him -mostly due to his actions towards them for several years but today, all three of our children keep in touch with him by phone frequently and they very much enjoy and appreciate his visits east to spend some time with them now.

And for the grandkids -who will not normally speak to him on the phone -it's been so great to see how they made up to him and are enjoying his presence very much too!

Matter of fact, early this evening after he left to go to the motel where he is staying, Kurtis became upset as his departure, saying he wanted Poppy to stay with him longer. I had to cajole Kurtis and tell him that Poppy left because he was tired from having driven from the car show and all the playing they'd done tonight too so he needed to go get some rest. To which Kurtis still couldn't grasp the need for that and I reminded him that he knows how Grammy sometimes needs to take "catnaps" and sleep and that Poppy needed that too because he's an "old fart." I know, I shouldn't say things like that to the kids but gee whiz, the temptation there is just to strong for me to avoid that. But anyway, when I said that to Kurtis, he looked up at me, with the most sincere look ever on his face and said to me, "Like you, huh Grammy?"

Yes, baby -Poppy is like Grammy -and we're both just a couple of old farts now you see!