Muffins and Rejection

I baked five batches of muffins today!! (Okay, so I did use mixes instead of working from scratch but I get credit for production volume, don’t I?)
I was truly motivated. In addition to wanting something sweet myself, I felt like I needed to take care packages to my two elderly aunts. It’s been a while since I visited and I always take something along for their pleasure. We usually have lunch and then spend some time just visiting and chatting. I try to get over there every few weeks but I’ve lapsed and it’s been more like two months. I’m feeling guilty. (I have called and I did send postcards while we were on vacation.)

Well, we’re getting ready to go away again and it will be another two weeks before I can visit if I don’t go this week. So, I baked the muffins, picked a nice selection and wrapped and labeled them individually so they can be tossed in the freezer and taken out one at a time as the ladies want them. (The rest become free game around here!) Then, I called each aunt to set up a date - hopefully Tuesday or Wednesday…

I’m feeling the sting of rejection tonight. My two elderly aunts (ages 85 and 90) are too busy to do lunch this week!

In all honesty, I’m glad they lead such active and busy lives and are well enough to do so. The younger of the two has a full social calendar and needs some lead time to schedule a quick lunch.

They both live in a humongous retirement village nearby where they each have separate and private apartments. One has been there over 12 years and the other for about 8 years. There are scads of clubs, groups and activities available to them there and the complex houses over a dozen different restaurants, several hair salons, several bank branches and there are small convenience stores in each building. When we get together for lunch, we often meet at the pub on the premises. It’s always crowded and there are folks playing pool, cards and other games. It reminds me of Cheers for the mature set. I only hope I have the energy and opportunity to be that active at their age.

An uncle, from the other side of my family, also lives in the same complex but you definitely need to plan ahead to meet up with him. Another octogenarian, he still drives (in the daytime only) and has a car. Just as in high school, one of the keys to popularity is having your own wheels. On top of that, males are in the minority in this age group. A lifetime “charmer”, he usually appears to have a harem! (And to think, we all worried about him getting out and about after his wife passed!)

Once I got over the shock of their schedules being fuller than mine, I revamped my plans and will simply run in and drop their muffins off to them tomorrow. We’ve already scheduled our luncheon date for after we come back to town. At least then, I’ll have pictures for show and tell!

Please take time to enjoy the company of your elders. We can learn a lot from them. (My aunt has been teaching me how to play with a Wii !!)

I missed Wednesday!

Where, oh, where, did my Wednesday go?

Sorry I missed posting last night. Time just got away from me. Or, maybe, I just got away! We finished dinner, spent a few hours doing some competitive sodokus ( The Big Guy and I do this most evenings.), watched LOST, and, apparently, closed my eyes for just a moment… I woke up hours later, slumped down in my chair with a crick in my neck and just barely able to keep my eyes open long enough to stumble off to bed! The Big Guy had said his good nights when LOST went off. I guess I should have followed suit.

I’d had a busy day. I went to lunch with “The Aunts”. There are only three members of my parents’ generation of the family still with us - two of my Dad’s sister-in-laws and my Mom’s cousin - all of whom, incidentally. live in the same retirement village. I try to get together with the two aunts on a fairly regular basis for a lunch and chatter which can fill a day quickly.

We had lunch in the “pub” in one of the buildings there yesterday. After a pleasant meal, we paraded back to the older aunt's apartment for our gossip hour. I say paraded as I walked, one of the gals used her Jazzy power chair and the other traipsed along with her new walker. It’s bright red, complete with a basket and bag to carry stuff in and she refers to it as her “red Cadillac”.

I always take them something. This time, I took muffins. I spent Tuesday afternoon making six different batches of muffins, wrapping and labeling each individually so they could throw them in the freezer and take one or two out at a time. They are very enthusiastic recipients as neither does much baking these days. (The Big Guy was also pleased because there were lots of muffins left over, too.) I also always take something for show and tell and pictures. Neither uses the computer and, therefore, hasn’t been able to view my online shop, so I took some of my newest merchandise with me. All too soon, the afternoon grew short and I needed to head home.

I enjoy the gossip about what everybody in the family is up to, what each of us is doing (they are both still very active in their community there) and, invariably, there are stories from the past. I always leave with pleasant memories of days gone by. After each visit, I start thinking of what to take next time as a “pick me up.” I’m hoping to have some garden flowers ready to pick by next visit and before long, there will be fresh produce available.

I hope you all take time from your busy lives to spend time with the “older” generation. There is so much to learn from them and most thoroughly enjoy the company. They won’t be there forever, so don’t delay. If you can’t stop in to visit, at least give them a call. It does mean so much to these dear family treasures.