The Night I Sat In The Closet

Keep the phone.

Snatch a banana.

Grab shoes, and some socks.

Throw pillows in the closet.

Pull the door shut!

Huddle and text.  

That's what I did. 

They said there was a tornado near me.

Strange. 

Strange that I never thought of I.D.

After awhile, with my friend's texting, and another one checking on me, it was weirdly amazing how comfy I felt!

There I slayed - Ian's word, my youngest son.  He says it means reclining with legs straight out in front of you; not sitting, not laying, but slaying.  There I was slaying against two comfy orange bed pillows, closeted in a 

3 x 4 space, in the dark, and listening.

Mostly to the wind.

There was the jingle-jangle of the applicances going off and on.

Near the refrigerator some thing did a happy sing-song.  

Then all power went out.

As if it was in my front yard, I could hear the blaring of the warning alarm from the county seat 6 miles away.  LOUD.  INTRUSIVE.  DISTURBING.

And that wind!  Oh, it thrust by the house with slamming rain and the sounds of a roaring train!  I'd heard that sound before in the early 60's when I was 8 years old.  There were no railroad tracks near us.  There were tracks at grandma's house in Kentucky, but not near us.  I knew that sound.  But that 60's train was coming towards us across a corn field!  That didn't make sense.

Dad said it was a tornado! 

And, that we 3 kids had to sit in the V of the T shaped red brick house until it passed!  The neighbors' lost their house, but we were spared. 

 

Until my friend called I had no clue a tornado was near!  Turns out there were two!!!   Oblivion has it's own silver lining - there's no anxiety, wariness, or fear beforehand.

Her text coincided with the city's outdoor warning siren.  The county practices it every Friday at 11:00 to ensure all is working well, so I knew what it was.  

And there I slayed, warm and cozy, in the dark of night, oblivious to danger, and feeling loved from friends, texting!

"Don't open that door!"

  

 

"Let's Go See Augie!"

Sunday was fun, with a rare treat.

 

Though the kids got reprimanded, it was funny.  They asked if they could go next door to my sister's to see her dog Augie, a labradoodle.

So, Jayden and Noelle were here, nice.  And Clint's kids Lilly and Jacob were here.  Boy!  Do they play hard!  They tore up jack in the back bedroom, made notes as Red Riding Hood in the other bedroom.  Went upstairs to make letters and address envelopes of "I love you" at hubbys desk.  

Later, they were sent outside and they get out the croquet set and the golf clubs and the riding toys, then insisted on the diggers and shovels and started digging where the pile of dirt USED to be!!!!  

Came in for jello and cereal and breakfast sticks while cutting paper and making glitter glue art and declaring one was an Easter egg and the other one made of toilet paper roll was Bumble Butt!  ROFL

 

Bumble Butt!  What the heck is a bumble butt???

 

So, referring to their wishes of seeing Augie the doggie, we asked them "Is the dog outside, have you seen it?"  "No," was the answer.

"Well, let me call sis, make sure she's home."

Next thing I know, there's a rainbow of kids in the valley climbing the hill to sister's!  Jayden in sky blue jacket, Noelle in pink polka dotted coat, Lilly in puffy fuschia coat, and Jacob in orange jacket...undulating rainbow. 

 

So, Clint calls sis, "Send them home!  They didn't wait for permission!"

Sadly, rightly, they had to stand in a corner for 5 minutes then they could go back.  It  was entertainging to see who chose which corner.  And ... how Noelle didn't stand in hers too long -- she had to use the restroom, of course!

5 minutes over, and they went to sisters to see Augie doggie.  Like the witch in Hansel and Gretal the house ate 'em, never to be seen again, well, for at least a couple hours, anyway!  ROFL

 

I'm sure they went home tired.  

Lilly and Jacob

"I'm a hunter," says Jacob.

He had playfully nabbed my dustbuster after we vacuumed crumbs from the brownies we'd made earlier in the afternoon.  These two kids had been sitting and feasting on the stairs.

He points and teases Lilly, "Careful, we sucked a stink bug in here!"

Lilly lets out a girly squeal.  Jacob chases. 

"That is it with you!" she runs, "Lilly!  Attack!"  Hunted became the hunted and she became the huntress.  And off they go, full of thrills and giggles. 

March 2025

Lilly & Jacob, she's 8 and Jacob's 5, have spent the night.   I've had them throwing dirty clothess down the laundry chute.  The chute is fascinating to them especially since their father Clint, my 4th son, told them he once went down the chute as a toddler.  

Lilly loves to draw, loves to write letters, and loves grandpa John's stash of envelopes.  

"One more letter for me-e-ee?" squeaks Jacob, as he opens the laundry chute.

Lilly's using it for a mail drop box.  She's excited upstairs, he's beyond thrilled downstairs.  I'm teaching him how to safely open the chute.  

She's claimed to have sent him a beautiful colored picture of a kitty in a box.  He opens the envelope.  He's so happy, "Is this a masterpiece?"

Jacob unfolds the paper, "I have to say thank you to the mail person."

Play transfer to the kitchen where she's busy coloring a kitten with a birthdy cake and pretend cursive scribbling 6 personal letters.  I don't know why 6, but it's 6.

Jacob comes in still happy to be part of this play, but she's got other plans.

With 6 letters, she has 6 envelopes, and she's very studiously folding papers and filling them.

"Jacob!  I have a very busy morning today.  So please get out.  This IS the post office."

Well, okay, I guess it's time to go.

Jacob and Lilly - Hiding, Buggy, and Ears (2022)

Jacob - 2 1/2 years old 

(December  2022) 

Jacob, who's noticed his mom has pierced ears,  climbed up in the seat next to me, fingered my ears and said, "Yours not broken."

Lilly and Jacob

 (May 2022)

After Ainsley's first birthday party, Clint's family came over.  They "planted" my yard ornaments, stick flowers, all in one spot, added some resin animals and said "Come see my flower garden, GrammyPam!"  

When time to go home from here, "Pajamas everyone!"  They ran to hide.  One of the photos above is Lilly in 2019.  The other is Jacob.  Who's who?  They all think if they get behind my couch cushions, they are hid.  So, hilarious!

Now, at the party, here's little Jacob.  He caught me trying to take his picture and he took off running.  Around the staircase and closet we went, him just a'laughing until I turned back to face him and caught this photo.  "Oh!  GrammyPam!"

 Lilly 5 1/2

(January 2022)

The kids played hard!  Lilly found post-it notes, lavender colored, and stuck happy faces and hearts all over the house!  The table and chairs got hearts, the lamp and piano got smiley faces, the front door and stairs got stick people.  Even the Cozy Coup got tagged!  

Then they played stink bug.  Do you get them?  Last year we were inundated.  This year not so much.  Lilly has an aversion to all things buggy, not so with Jacob.

Jacob blows on it, Lilly says, "Get the bug, Jacob!" Jacob starts to touch it, and it moves, Lilly says, "Jacob!  Buggy!  Get it!"  

Mother's Day and The Phone! (with grandkids)

MOTHER'S  DAY  - 2022

GRANDKIDS CAME!  YAY!

In the ABOVE photo: 
First left, Noelle - she buried her toy figurines deep into the potting soil, then planted her flower!

Second left, Lilly - arrived first and played with all the figurines in a fairy circle, as seen in the LAST PHOTO

First right, Alayna - I held the dirt back and she pushed in the flower "Deeper, more, GrammyPam!"

Second right, Jayden - he knew exactly which marigold he wanted, surprisingly it wasn't especially tall or lush

Third right, Jacob - he's only there to play digger, and more diggers MIDDLE PHOTO

That's my boiler pot of herbs Jacob's digging in to fill his blue bucket!

  

Lilly & Jacob, Feb. 2022

Called Clint, he put me on speaker phone 'cause he was having technical troubles.

The kids, Lilly and Jacob, heard. It became happy sounds of excitement there, and pandemonium in my ears here ...

"GrammyPam!"
"Hi-i-i-i-i"
"Hello GrammyPam".
"I made a lego skid steer."
"GrammyPam! GrammyPam! Hi-i-i-i..."
"It has a black bucket!"
Giggles
"Bi-i-i-i!"
"I love youuuu..."
"....luv ew"

Jacob, Dec 2020, 1.5 y.o.

Clint helped us take down the tree, so I can decorate it today.  Never have I ever put up a tree this late.  Matter of fact, it's so late I'm seriously considering not putting it up at all.  I mean, Christmas is FRIDAY!!!!!  And, Jacob scares me.  Will he take down my tree????  I think I told you he tore down 2 stockings and their holders, then later in the afternoon, took down another.  

He finds things and weilds them like swords but without control and 4 times the height of himself!  He pulled a toy tote WITH LILLY IN IT out of his way 2 feet!  This guy is barely a year old!  A year and 3 months!!!

Ainsely and Driving and Biting

This photo is at Christmas time, 2024.

This story is in February of 2025.

I should tell you this story that Jayden and Alayna told on Ainsley last weekend when 

they were all here.

Ainsley isn't quite 3 y.o.  She loves Home Depot.  

Jayden said Ainsley told him, "Drive the car.  To Home Depot." 

Alayna was nodding her head in a "yes" agreement with his story telling.

Jayden told Ainsley, "I can't drive a car."  

Ainsley countered, "Then drive the van."  

Back in May of 2023

Rusty had come over with 2 little girls. 

Noelle found my stash of quarters and used them as pennies in the gumball machine!!!!  Oh, my, the little imp!

But Ainsley wanted some of my sandwich so I fed her bits of chicken every time she'd drift by -- she'd go play, chew, swallow, come back, repeat -- like a little opened mouth bird begging for tidbits!

Jayden Alayna Noelle

Jayden - 2017 - 2 1/2 y.o. 

Guess what?  This is amazing to me.  

Actually, I didn't know if he was too young to grasp it or not.  Chuckle, I was impressed.

I taught the 2 1/2 year old to ride a tricycle.  Once in awhile I'd catch him trying to walk it, such as over a bump or around a tough corner and I'd say, "Put your feet on the pedals, we don't walk tricycles."  And he'd go back at it.  He got so good, going so fast, it was eye-bugging.  

And such a streak of independence, "My cycle!"  

          Jayden, Alayna, Noelle - 2021 - 6, 4, 2 y.o.

We gave each of Rusty's kids a new toothbrush.  Mom used to put one in our stockings every year, it's just a way to make sure the old gets changed for the new, so I do it, too.  Well, who knew.  Who knew what would happen!  

They all, everyone of them, ripped open those packages, pushed the bathroom stools (I have two in the bathroom, one is a black bear upside down, the other is orange, up to the sink, turned the water on full blast, it always has to be full blast, you know, and yelled "Grandpa John!", who being a softy at heart, went in and gave them each a squirt of paste!  

ROFL, then they'd come out with white lips, "We need more...."

Alayna - 2022 - 4 y.o.

Rusty came over and we had a long visit.  

He tells us of Alayna coming into their room all sleepy, and after going to the bathroom, she climbs up into the bed between them, turns around and slides her feet under the covers, puts her head on the pillow, pulls covers up to her chin and grins. 

 She looks at her dad, rises a bit, and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

"I love you, Daddy," and scooches back under the covers.  

He grins during the whole story, and hearing it is just as much fun. 

Alayna - 4 y.o.

I called Amanda to see if she'd like copies of some photos. 

"Yep, but would you like to watch Alayna? I've got a [scheduled visitor] coming".

I did, and as always we played many things like give the baby dolls a bath. 

Throughout she wanted a popsicle which I kept putting off 'cause I wanted her to be hungry for lunch. Finally, she'd had enough. 

She said, "My belly is full, but my brain wants a popsicle."

Post Office "Ar-riba! Ar-riba!"

I hope to entertain you.  I sure entertained them!

Headed to the local post office, I did, to tell them the carrier hasn't picked up my mail in 2 days!!! 

 

"Put up your flag"

"Lean the letters up against the insides of the mailbox"

Grrrr, I did do both!

 

So, in the post office there's a huge line.  4 tellers.  3 tellers are doing passports!  One a family of fussing boys.

Line has at least 12 people and didn't move for over 20 minutes.  And more were coming in.  I'm not kidding.

One gentleman was sent twice to a supply display to get an envelope....well, me and guy next to me could see there weren't any appropriate envelopes resting there, what a rude teller.  Gentleman goes back.  He's running out of time, he's a bus driver and nervous.  Finally, he let's out an expletive.  The teller, one window over, says, "Hey, watch your language!'

 

I chuckled, I'd be cussing, too.  Matter of fact, I'd like to cuss right now!

 

I'm next.  Heading to the window my phone rings.  You should hear it.  It's an Hispanic woman "Ar-riba, ar-riba, it's your telephone!" 

 

Go here, and please, listen until the end for the final gasp: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvM7M5UVX2I

 

I scramble through my purse. I fumble.  I drop the phone; I'm nervous and embarrassesd.  I swipe the phone, it doesn't take, I swipe it again.  I'm next in line - what a mess!!!!  Everyone around me is laughing.  Except the teller.

"Ma'am.  What can I do for you?  Ma'am!"

 

It's Jeani calling.  I hit the "screen call" option.

 

Would you believe before the teller can tell me "You probably forgot to put up the flag"  and I could utter the scream in my head "I DID NOT!"  that that phone rang again with the Crazy Mexican ringtone!

 

This time it was the United States Post Office!  What?!  

"Hello, is this Pamela Bays?  This is the post master from the Noblesville branch and I'm calling in response to your complaint."

 

OH.  MY.  WORD.  I'm listening to the postmaster who's probably just behind that wall over there, while handing the teller 73 cents, he wanted 78!  

"I thought it was 73 cents, let me dig down in my purse", my head's cocked pressing the phone against my shoulder and knowing with further reddened cheeks that the laughter filtering down the line is because of that voice yelling "Pic it up, pic it up...ah ah haaaaa, gasp"!

 

"Yes, Mr. Postmaster, your carrier is skipping my mailbox."

I had lodged an online complaint, and I guess he'd just now gotten it, and was giving me a call back.

"And do you know what's going on in your own lobby, we're in line and your teller is reprimanding us, it's rude, especially when we pay as much as we do in postage and, BTW, tell your own manager, or powers that be, that we want a drive thru for stamps only.  Everybody has drive throughs, fast food places, dry cleaners, pharmacies...  The post office could have one, too!"

 

"You're right," he was very concillatory and polite and said he'd look into my mail box problem.

 

Then.

And, then...

And, then the phone rings for the third time.  "Ar-riba, ar-riba, it's your tel-ee-pho-o-o-ne!"  

 

Holy guacamole, HOLY NACHOS!!!!!  I gotta get out of here!

Lilly's Cries, Jacob's Dream?

     🎶 Summer "day, in the park, I think it was the ..." 🎶   middle of June!

So, we (adults) were all relaxing after a pitch-in at the park.  Spencer and Calvin showed up, Clint and family, too, but sadly no Rusty & family.  At the picnic table, "What's this?" Lilly asked as she crawled upon her dad's lap while he unfolded a Tybee Island tiny souvenir map.  Jacob had found the bag of 3 tractors with track making tires that we'd bought on vacation!

Soon, I followed the grandkids around the playground while their Mom took a break.  Jacob explored every piece of equipment that was new to him.

Having raised only sons, I found it a bit difficult to get used to Lilly with her girlie out-cries.  "GrammyPam, help!"  

First it was a rope ladder that scared her because of its unsteadiness, "GrammyPam, help!"

Then, it was a spinning log roll with handholds, "GrammyPam, help!"  

And, finally, the rider raft.  It looked like a inner tube propped up on a pedestal.  She  was able to get up and in it, but couldn't figure out how to get out, "Grammy Pam!  Help!"  

LOL, GrammyPam helped.  

               🎶 "Then Along Came ... Slow-walkin' Slow-talkin' " 🎶 Jacob!

Jacob told us this big long story about how he destroyed a monster that lives under his bed.  His face was so animated, and his eyes so big, and his hands were both up in the air and expressive.  He was vigorously waving them about.

He said he had a large knife, and a sword and he used his hands to figuratively destroy this monster by chopping off its hands and legs, and he used his hands to make the head pop off and explode.  Then, the airplane dropped the monster on their house which wasn't hurt because it was made of brick.

We quizzed him...is this on t.v.?  Did someone read you a book?  Where did this all come from?

He said.  

Yep, he said.

He said it was a dream!  Lilly's!!!!

Beautiful Morning, Princesses!

 "Beautiful Morning, Princesses!"

 I'm sharing pics of granddaughters regaled in some princess dresses I found at Portland.

y 

This is Alayna. After she'd walked through the grass, and her skirt trailed, I encouraged her to stop and twist at the waist.

This is Noelle.  Her mother pinned up her skirt.  She nicely cooperated.

This is Ainsley, who also cooperated, despite chocolate lips.  LOL, there's nothing we could do, she kept eating.

Ainsley and Alayna in their "carriage" ?

Noelle, Alayna, and Ainsley buckled themselves and each other into the truck 

ensuring they got their "carriage" ride to the Grandma's house!

Jacob and Lilly - Nabbing, & Good Eats!

When 4 y.o. Jacob gets hungry, 

he parks himself at the table. 

He's been doing this 

for a long time, it's so cute.

July 2024

Lilly 7 y.o. Jacob 4 y.o. 

Clint came for skid steer, brought kids, Lilly came running up all excited, then Jacob comes running up all a'dither, too, and he inserts himself between me and Lilly.  Of course he gets nabbed and hugged first, the little corker!  Lilly's all inquisitive, "GrammyPam, we're here!  Where's the kitties? 

Where's Grandpa John?"

It was chase kitty time, "Can you help me catch Ruger?"
"No, I'm sorry Ruger is wily."
"What's wiley?"

While she's asking, Jacob says, "Watch this.  I can jump."  And he runs the full length of the deck, you'd think he's gonna do the high jump, but no, he pauses at the edge, and then studiously, over the single step, he jumps!  Then he runs and looks back to see if I'm impressed, LOL.  

"What's wiley mean?"
"He's very good and sneaky at keeping away from you."
And then she tells her father, "I'm Ruger", she giggles and teases, "You can't get me!"  But...she got too close, he reached out and grabbed her!!!

Lilly Chewing Grass, 2020

Don't know when or where Miss Lilly got her weed, but there it is!  She loved to chew that foxtail!  I've chewed grasses myself, haven't you?  It's kinda fun to taste whatever comes out of the stem, then to flatten it with your teeth and feel the fibers as they separate and become individualized, and the final mashing into mush you can either spit out or swallow, LOL, and not fun when you find some that are bitter.

We Went, 3 Women

We went to the graves.

She agreed to it.  

I agreed to deliver her daughter.  

NO!  No, no, no, she wasn't pregnant.  And, NO!  Not to the cemetery!  We delivered her daughter to her part-time job, then we went to the graves.  

My passenger was kind enough to go along with me to check the condition of the floral arrangement on dear hubby's grave.  Me recently widowed, her recently divorced - -  a tenuous thread for our acquaintance.

Then she got animated.

She recognized the intersecting road ahead, "Oh, oh, can we turn here?  I have a  special friend in the next city, you'll like her, she's a good friend and I check on her on Mondays.  You really will like her, she's something special.  You want to eat at Michaelangelo's, it's 10 dollar night?"  

Wow, okay, quick subject change and such exuberance.

Then she gets on her cellphone, calls the friend, who now only has 5 minutes to get ready before we arrive, and she says, "We're on the road, we're near you, and can be there, in 5 minutes," her eyes dart to me for confirmation, "I have a friend with me, well actually she's driving, and we'll all go to Michaelangelo's.  It's 10 dollar Monday.  That'll be alright, won't it?  You'll go with us, all right?"  

A few more excited sentences and she hangs up the phone.

"I thought we were just going to check on your friend ..."  and I let the sentence hang.

"You were hesitating about going out to eat.  But with her going along I thought you might, too."

"Sneaky!"

Her new friend was short, skinny, spry as a 50 year old, and for the cold weather donned top after top, one was floral mauve, then a sweater, a vest, a black thick furry sleeveless jacket, and finally a round, brimmed, black felt hat.  I wondered why she didn't just put on a coat.  White and pink floral canvas shoes completed her ensemble.

She had a front room stuffed full of yard sale items, organized, and tagged.  She scuttled around looking for me some donating mission brochures, scuttled some more explaining what I was seeing all the while  telling of her efforts to donate to this and that organization, and how she helped some homeless man along the river downtown.

At Michaelanglo's Italian pasta restarurant the discussion touched on my passenger's recent divorce.  The new friend thought it expedient; sanctioning the finalized date.

She sympathized with my own new widowhood.

I asked her about her marital status. This woman, white haired with old woman thin-skinned fingers, having taken a scoop of her soup, put up 4 fingers, as she bent forward and low over her bowl, and swallowed.  "I've been married 4 times.  One we didn't consummate so we just got it annulled!" 

Stunned.  I was stunned!  I'd never heard of such a thing except in books!

Just as she had scuttling movements, she changes subjects quickly, partly because her hearing is bad.  Conversing is a bit disjointed cuz she doesn't get pauses in conversations.   

"My son called me 2 times this week, he ran out of booze.  He's a nice guy." 

She chewed a bite of bread stick, "When he's not drinking."

Mentally I'm doing the math - - this "son" has to be in his 70's!

What's the rest of the story?

In 10 days she's having a birthday.  She'll be 93!