2011

As 2011 dwindles down to mere hours, I thought I would take a minute and look back over the year that was. I'm going try to just hit the high spots.

Grandad had yet another cardiac ablation last January. It has taken all year, but the good news is that finally, after so many procedures I've just about lost count, his heart has healed. He's feeling tons better. Now we just have to work on his stamina and endurance. Our kids got us new bicycles for Christmas, so we'll start with those and move on to walking.

Grandad assembling the new wagon while OLP strikes a pose. He would not have been able to do this a year ago.

In April we welcomed the newest member of our growing family, June Frances. Named after two of her great grandmothers, she came into the world on Monday, April 11, while I ate lunch. Seriously, I left the labor unit and went downstairs to get a sandwich for me and for Travis. While I was gone, Katy delivered her without the benefit of an epidural. It seems the doctor "missed" when he injected the medication.

Katy with June Frances ... Her Highness ... Kid Destructo ... can't really settle on the nickname

In June our daughter-in-law, Marie, received the sacrament of confirmation. We spent the weekend in Houston to witness to this beautiful ceremony. It was held in a beautiful new church in the Diocese of Houston where the ministers dressed in traditional Philippine vestments. We were delighted to see Marie finish this step in her faith formation.

Nick & Marie at her confirmation

At the end of June, we traveled to North Carolina for the wedding of my niece, Andrea in Charlotte. We went a couple of days early and visited the Biltmore Estate in Asheville. I had long wanted to visit the Biltmore Estate and it did not disappoint. I was amazed at its size and grandeur. The gardens were spectacular! Well worth the trip.

Andrea & Louis

Grandad and I have made a concerted effort to enjoy living in Corpus Christi. We saw the 4th of July fireworks over Corpus Christi Bay, we attended the annual free performance of Handel's Messiah, Katy, Travis and I walked across the Harbor Bridge, we've attended several local theater performances, and we took Our Little Princess to the Texas State Aquarium. Corpus Christi really is a great place to live so we've decided to embrace living here.

Our Little Princess at the Texas State Aquarium

Late summer was a time for reunions. In August we gathered with members of the Morgan Avenue Baptist Church Youth Group from the 1970s. It was great to reconnect with old friends ... so much better than a high school reunion. In September we gathered with the Skelton Family for our second annual reunion. Getting to know these cousins has really been a blessing. It's kind of funny how alike we are even though we haven't seen each other for years.

Around the first of October I launched my Etsy shop. It's been more successful than I expected. I've sold all but one of the dresses I started with and I have an order for quite a few more. Stock is very low right now, but I expect to have more dresses for sale soon.

I've been working hard to de-clutter and reorganize my house. It's a much bigger job than I expected, but we had a fairly successful garage sale earlier this month and hope to have another one in the next couple of months. We also packed up quite of few boxes of "stuff" that our kids left here when they moved out and delivered them to their houses. I reclaimed both of their closets and am in the process of organizing my sewing and crafts utilizing the newly reclaimed space.

We have been blessed with good health for our children and grandchildren. It's been a tough year for some of our dear friends. We have two friends who have children who have serious illness. My good friend Sandy's 6-year-old grandson Liam is now in hospice care. And my friend and neighbor Deanna's 16-year-old grandson Jack has had relapse of Hodgkin's Lymphoma. He's already beat it once and is now fighting it for the second time. Both of these families are on our hearts and minds daily.

Christmas was wonderful and we're ending the year with Grams and Pop-Pop's Rockin' Toddler New Year's Eve. It's the first year and will hopefully become a family tradition. We're keeping the kids this weekend while their parents enjoy a weekend without kids, culminating in New Year's Eve celebrations. We've had a lot of fun so far. The weather has been perfect. We've toured the neighborhood in the new wagon we got the girls for Christmas. Today we went to the park for playtime. And we finished up tonight with a trip over the Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge. Our Little Princess has named it "the rainbow bridge." We'll take them to church and breakfast tomorrow morning. Sometime tomorrow afternoon, we'll meet Katy and Travis in Three Rivers and make the exchange.

New Year's Eve with Our Little Princess and Her Highness

I mentioned "the rainbow bridge" above. It is Our Little Princess' favorite Christmas thing in Corpus Christi. It was lit with a partnership between the Texas Department of Transportation, the City of Corpus Christi, the Port of Corpus Christi Authority and American Bank. It is spectacular. Every night Our Little Princess asks Grandad if we can drive across the rainbow bridge. I took a few photos with my cell phone. They don't do it justice, but you'll get the idea.The entire show takes about 15 minutes to watch.

Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge - Our Little Princess' Rainbow Bridge

It's about 11:10 p.m. and both girls are finally sleeping, almost time to pop the cork on the bubbly and toast the new year. There are fireworks going off very nearby even though there is a burn ban in almost every county in Texas. Burn ban or not, if they wake up our babies I'm going out to kick some serious butt.

Here's wishing you a Happy New Year, a safe and fun celebration tonight, and a prosperous, healthy, and happy 2012.

Because I Can!

Yesterday Grams walked across the Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge. That's one more item checked off my unofficial bucket list. Once again, my daughter Katy and my son-in-law Travis joined me on my adventure. We were also joined by my neighbors and very good friends, Mary Lou, Brenda, Kandyce and Kelley along with about a dozen other people.

It was a group walk organized by Alan Albin who put together a Facebook group called "We Walked the Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge and Survived." They gather once a month for a walk across the bridge and anyone is invited to join in the walk.

The walk is not for the squeamish. It's not far, 2.5 miles round trip, and the grade is not as steep as I thought it would be. The walk is on a single-file sidewalk that is separated from three lanes of traffic by a concrete barrier that's about 30 inches tall. Traffic speeds by at better than the posted speed of 55 miles per hour. You can feel the rush of wind when 18 wheelers flash past. And, many of the drivers who pass feel the need to honk their horns. I was startled when the first few honked, after that I just ignored it. On the outside, walkers are separated from a 138 feet drop into the ship channel by the bridge's railing, a pipe-like construction which looks like a large handrail and a few smaller pipes each set about 12 inches apart. The wind comes through the railings and when it hits the concrete wall a huge updraft is created. As you approach the top of the bridge, the wind picks up significantly.

If you know anything about Corpus Christi, you know that it's windy. When I looked it up I was surprised to learn that we are not among the top 10 windiest cities in the United States. Yesterday's sustained wind speed was 22 miles per hour, the highest gusts were recorded at 29 mph. To say it was windy is an understatement. Walking in that wind was quite a beating. I'm paying for it today with allergic reactions in my eyes.

The question that people keep asking is "Why did you want to walk across the bridge?" I'm sure every one of the 15 or so people who walked with us yesterday have their own reasons. For me there are several answers to that question. I've been fascinated (obsessed) with the Harbor Bridge since I was a kid and my parents would drive over the bridge and back just to see the view. The sight of the lights of the city spread before us was captivating. I've always thought it would be great to be able to stop and look around. There's not enough time to see everything when you speed by at 55+ miles an hour. As I made the walk yesterday I thought about my Dad and how much he loved that view.

Another reason is that Grandad and Grams have committed to getting out of the house and into our community. Since our kids left home we've become too reclusive. We don't get out and do the things we used to do. And even though Grandad couldn't join this walk, it was a chance to get out and experience something uniquely "Corpus Christian."

But the real reason I made the walk across the Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge is because I can! I walked it to challenge myself to keep on living this new active life that is a gift. I walked it to make up for all the years I sat and watched other people do active things. Just like climbing Enchanted Rock was a milestone for me, walking the Harbor Bridge was a celebration of my new healthy life. So, yes, Grams walked the Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge and survived. But Grams isn't just surviving, Grams is thriving!

What's next? I've already told my son that he has to join in the next adventure. We're on the lookout for othe next challenge. Watch this space for future developments.