The MS Condo and Neighbor

November 20, 2010. Jackson, Ms. Parks.

The weather was perfect, 65 degrees and sunny. After nap time, Molly, Mary Frances, Ken, Christina and I went to a park, a very fancy park on the grounds of the Museum, right beside the Pearl River. The three dollar entrance fee was worth every penny because the park, which is large, has the most imaginative equipment I have ever seen. Along with the multitude of traditional equipment, this park has everything to delight a three year old and a ten year old. Mary Frances, after climbing everything in sight, played in the large sand area along with two other little boys while Molly made a circuit going from one favorite to the next, finally stopping to swing for a few minutes. Then she wants to start the whole thing over again. And again.

Ken and I watched Molly play for a bit, then we went for a walk around the grounds. You really can not beat this weather for November. The park closes at five so at four forty five we enticed Molly to sit at a bench and eat a sucker, then followed a red tailed hawk down the road. That was an added bonus, watching the hawk scream at us and stay in the tree looking at us before flying off. While still discussing the hawk, we climbed into the car heading for home. Only then did Molly asked to return to the park. Clever adults.

November 19, 2010. Jackson, Ms. Dinner Party.

Eight adults and nine adults makes for a good party, especially when the children play outdoors the whole time, including dinner on the patio. Then after dessert the children watched a movie in the TV room and were quiet as a mouse. At dinner, the adults ate in the dining room, just like real people. It was a very pleasant dinner indeed.

Jim and Eleanor and their four children attended along with the builder of their new home and his wife and two children who are staying in a trailer out by the construction site while the building is underway. It was a lively interesting group.

Andrew smoked the turkey in the huge smoker that John and he built in John's yard. The interior dimensions of the smoker is 48 by 48 by 60 so it holds a whole bunch of meat. The turkey was tender and tasty which along with sweet potatoes made for an excellent meal. Christina's chocolate cake for dessert.

I am the beneficiary of my children's friends both here and in San Antonio. I enjoy their friends and they are kind to introduce us to them. They are a great blessing to my life and I appreciate their kindnesses and their thoughtfulness. I feel that I am a lucky lady.

November 18, 2010. Jackson, Ms. Ballet.

Today was ballet class. First Mary Frances at four, then Kate at five-fifteen. Molly stayed home with me for the first trip and she showed me all her dance steps, all taught by Kate. The living room is without furniture so Molly calls the empty room her dance studio. Fortunately there is a mirror in the room. That is her favorite, dancing in front of the mirror, especially when your grandmother is watching. I drove the secon trip and Molly atayed back with Ken and Andrew. She was not so pleased with that but I wanted to see Mary Frances in action. There is a window I could spy out and watch the action. Mary Frances is a full head taller than any other tall girl but she does not seem to mind. A good thing too.

The ballet school is impressive. Many classes being taught at the same time and many more girls waiting in the halls ready for the next group, all looking like proper ballerinas. Mothers sitting waiting. This town is a dancing town. Certainly the girls are enthusiastic and keen on dancing. Molly can't wait until she is old enough to begin her class. I must say, the girls look beautiful with their hair in buns and all so straight and thin. Would that I had studied ballet as a child!!

That's Molly

November 17, 2010. Jackson, Ms. Home.

Not in my wildest dreams had it occurred to me to live in Mississippi, but here we are, with a small condo overlooking the lake, busily contacting doctors to establish our medical checkups. And we do seem to need a lot of doctors. In the spring we will sell the apartment in Chevy Chase, so we decided to find a whole bunch of new doctors somewhere else in a more convenient spot. We chose Jackson. Ms. There is a medical school here which has excellent facilities. And the city is small so easy to get to the doctors. The ranch and the lake house, also the farm are all a forty minute drive from a doctors office so we decided to make our life easy and have our regular check-ups in Mississippi.

So far we are doing well, although they want us to book an appointment in the new year right now. Unfortunately we know when we will not be in Mississippi but we do not know when we will be here. And I forgot two types of doctors, a gynecologist and an oncologist, but perhaps I won't need either. It does seem silly that both the breast surgeon and the oncologist have wanted to see me every year. Two years ago I talked them into seeing me every other year, except I have been so busy I have not seen the breast surgeon this year. Naughty me.

Now I have two doctors to go, then we will send our records on to them and have our medical life be here in Jackson, Ms. What an astonishing thing, but very convenient!!

November 16, 2010. Jackson, Ms. Molly.

A year ago Molly had a vocabulary of about twenty words. Now that she is going to be three years old in a week, she talks up a storm. She never stops talking. It is a wonder to behold, that a child can learn so many words in such a short time, and talk all the time, while a year ago they she was almost mute. She is charming and enthusiastic and energetic and she never stops. Both Kate and Mary Frances take ballet classes and she is anxious to attend her own class too. But she is too young. In lieu of class, she wears all the paraphernalia of the dance and wears her ballet slippers and her tutu all the time. It is only for church that she will leave the house not dressed as a ballerina. The rest of the time she wants to look the part.

On the days when Kate and Mary Frances have their class, Molly asks Christina to put her hair up in a bun and wear her leotard and slippers. When she arrives at the studio she tells the other children that her class is not being held today, which would be true. For now she is in love with ballet. Now she is a very sturdy child so she does not fit the profile of a ballerina but no one tells her of course. For now she is in love with her life and her sisters and her family. You can't beat having a three year old around!!