Grandmas, Postcards, on real paper and otherwise

 First, some literal postcards

Clockwise 1-4 from upper Left 1. Columbia Gorge at dusk
2. Columbia Gorge with Rainbow
3. Columbia Gorge vegetation, flowers and walking trail.
4. Random Red and White Japanese Fan

This post brought to you by #Pandemic The Grandma thing.

Grandma #1

Grandma #1 older than RantMom. She is from RantWoman's faith community. She lived downtown for a long time until enough people got concerned about her balance and independent living challenges to persuade her to move to a retirement community. Now, after more falls Grandma #1  lives in a different retirement community near enough to RantWoman that if RantWoman were feeling even a tiny bit more vigorous--and she were allowed inside--RantWoman could walk to visit. RantWoman has phone numbers and can call to but Grandma#1 has hearing issues. She is fun just to BE with in person and RantWoman wishes she herself were better able just to BE over the phone. Instead RantWoman sends postcards. Probably RantWoman should call the facility and see what they do to mail to decontaminate it and then adjust accordingly. Probably RantWoman should call. RantWoman also prays fond wishes every day.

Grandma #2 dedicated to everyone starting school who just might Not Fit In

Grandma #2 is a high school classmate of RantWoman's. RantWoman and classmate are both now older than either of RantWoman's grandmothers were when they died, and plenty of other classmates also have grandchildren even older.  So RantWoman really should not be surprised...  

RantWoman knows Grandma #2 from 11th grade English and from Orchestra. The current new Grandma was new to the school and always says RantWoman was kind of the only person who would talk to her. RantWoman finds this both touching and terrifying: RantWoman is not exactly a social butterfly herself but somehow the friendship has lasted a long time.

Grandma#2 has once again proven RantWoman's "magnetic grandchildren theory: grandchildren can magnetically make their grandparents make all sorts of grand interstate move decision. Grandma #2 now lives in San Jose instead of Spokane and she has a new granddaughter to adore her and a musical daughter-in-law. It makes RantWoman so happy to hear all this.

Grandma #2 came to mind recently while RantWoman was a Grocery Outlet not buying impractically gigantic bags of peanut butter pretzels. RantWoman also did not time it right to go both to the Farmers Market and other shopping. RantWoman finished her regular shopping but had no patience for the orderly socially distanced line the formed before the market opened. RantWoman promises to try to time it better next week. In the meantime, RantWoman hopes to get the hashtag #RealRiotsSeattle trending with images of sun-soaked farmers markets with a violinist in one corner and some other music in another.

Back to the peanut butter pretzels RantWoman did not buy this time. GrandMa#2 and another high school friend, Dr. Infectious Diseases who lives in LA both used to come to Seattle at the same time. On a previous trip, GrandMa #2 became smitten with peanut butter pretzels and needed to stop in to Grocery Outlet for resupply on the way to taking RantWoman home. 

In High School Dr. Infectious Diseases used to be perfectly fine discussing frog dissection over lunch which in her case consisted of a mayonnaise sandwitch on white bread and a whole apple including core and stem. RantWoman does not exactly remember what infectious disease related visuals came up while we waited for the restocking peanut butter pretzel  purchase, but Dr. Infectious Diseases has definitely not lost her touch.

Grandma #3, aka RantMom

Today RantMom starred in a phone call at 6 am from her retirement community: RantMom had some kind of fall at about 3 am but did not appear to be hurt and was resting in bed after summoning help with her pull cord.

RantWoman had just awakened and had not had any morning caffeine. It sounded like there was no urgency about phone contact, though when RantWoman connected Little Sister, Little Sister definitely thought otherwise. Okay, now the RantSisters WILL work out some sister notifications routines. The RantWoman shortly all connected by phone: RantMom does not really know what happened except she woke up on the floor having missed the toilet about peeing in the middle of the night. Aging bodies just do not ask permission about things most people would definitely prefer not to occur!

Moments like this RantWoman is EXTREMELY grateful RantMom lives in a place with pull cords, responsive staff and a clever easy to assemble chair they used to help RantMom get up, change some layers of sleepwear and get safely into bed. RantMom sounded lucid. She did not seem like she was in danger of losing a lot of brain cells to some kind of brain event. She admitted to being a little bruised on one side but she did not seem to need anything and it was soon going to be time for live-streamed church. So RantWoman rang off and the RantSisters shortly conferred and came to agreement about the check in later and monitor strategy.

RantWoman checked in twice. RantMom was doing about her average Sunday routine: two church services, a load of laundry, some walking around the community. The second time RantWoman talked to her she was icing things on her left side, but she laughed when RantWoman made a wisecrack about Popsicle Mom. Popsicle Mom had also talked to the nurse and planned to check in with her PCP on Monday. Then conversation shifted to RantWoman's Great Weekend Plumbing Adventure. Stay tuned for details.