It Feels Like Intaxication

Intaxication is the feeling of euphoria that comes when you open your tax refund before you realize that it was already your money.

Yes! Today I received notification that my first defined-benefit pension check from my employment at Kmart was deposited.
Yes! They paid me the accrued monthly payments since I started this process of applying for my benefits.
Yes! My retirement from Kmart is official.

My Parents Visit Their Great-Grandson

Host and I drove my parents and my niece to visit our grandson.

Two Deaths

We are sad to report that Host's Maternal First Cousin, Ted Jr., died. He was in the hospital trying to recover from a massive heart attack and it appears that he had another. There may be an autopsy before he is cremated. I have not heard when the memorial service will be.

My first cousin Christy reported that Uncle Jim's special friend, Polly, passed away on Sunday. Her funeral was on Thursday, July 27.

We welcome our first grandchild

A Son (Grandson) was born to Son and Daughter-in-law at 11:34 PM on Friday, July 21. He weighs 7 pounds 6 ounces. He has ten fingers and ten toes. His hair is dark and plenty of it. He is the cutest baby in the world. Like his Dad was, he is alert and curious.

Daughter-in-law was in labor for more than 21 hours and delivery (push, push, push) took 35 minutes.

Host, Daughter and I were able to be at the hospital for more than thirteen hours. We spent most of the time in the same room with Son and Daughter-in-Law. We moved to the waiting room as delivery began. Fireworks were in the sky, visible from the window of the waiting room,at the same time as the birth.

No grandbaby yet

No baby yet. We have a week to wait. If the baby does not arrive in its own sweet time, labor will be induced on July 27th. The doctor wants to deliver it before he goes on vacation.

The nursery is beautiful. Son painted the walls yellow and then painted stripes on the wall where the closet is. The stripes match the stripes on the bedding. He used the same colors to paint a dresser in a block pattern. Daughter-in-law upholstered a second-hand glider and its stool. We saw how nice it looked when we had a meal together (with Daughter) to celebrate Host's birthday.

News for Host's Maternal Cousins

Host learned Wednesday that his cousin Ted Jr. survived a massive heart attack. Host expressed some concern that maybe he should have a checkup since it was the second cousin on this side of the family to have a heart attack within four months. (Jo, the first cousin to have a heart attack, did not survive his).

Host's 55th Birthday

We celebrated at the home of Son and Daughter-in-Law.