Busy busy busy

This past week was very hectic and hard. We have been getting my dad's house ready to be renovated so hubby and I can move in. But before all that, Dad's old stuff needed to be moved out. He basically has everything he wanted in his small apartment at the retirement village, so it was a matter of having an estate sale and then trying to get rid of the rest through Craigslist. Let me tell you, people on Craigslist can be I-di-ots! I did manage to get two big pieces sold, but not without my share of headaches. Finally this past Tuesday, the Salvation Army came and took the rest away. I stood there and cried my eyes out watching my childhood furniture being hauled off piece by piece. I was there all alone - my sisters weren't there, my dad didn't need to be there for his own emotional well-being, and my husband was at work. I texted him at one point saying 'this is harder than I expected' and when he called back immediately, I just cried! He felt so bad, and it wasn't his fault, but it's hard watching your childhood get loaded up into a van. It wasn't anything I wanted to keep, but it was a part of me that I had to let go, and it was more difficult than I had imagined.

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The next day I met hubby for lunch by his work. After dropping him back off, I started driving and ended up at Mom's graveside in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. Again, I cried, telling her I was sorry it had been so long since I had last visited, and even more sorry I gave all her stuff away. (She forgave me.) It was nice to visit with her alone, because usually it's a group visit of my sisters and my dad. This time I had a chance to sit and chat alone with mom, which I hadn't ever been able to do before. I felt much better after my visit with her and decided I was at peace with all that I had been at odds over the past several days.

The long road out of the cemetery.

After leaving the cemetery I ended up driving towards the city and ended up at the new Citygarden. Very cool. Unfortunately, I didn't have my good camera, just my point and shoot, so I didn't take near the amount of pictures that I wanted to. I have fiddled around with Eros Bendato and made it into a design I like and will share here. I'm always leery about doing this because I'm afraid people might steal this and make it their own - so please, don't steal my work!!!

Thursday was dinner out for a friend's daughter's 13th birthday! I remember her when she was just turning 2! Nothing ages you quicker than a teenager being around, that's for sure.

Friday night was girl's night out for my sister's birthday. We had so much fun laughing and giggling. We went to Grappa Grill for dinner and had a little room all to ourselves, which was a good thing since we were a bit obnoxious with our giggling. We couldn't help it we were having so much fun!

Kathy, Laura, my sister Debbie, and the birthday girl (and my other sister), Diana.

Diana, my friend Jen, and me.

Saturday night I went with my sister in law and two of her friends for our annual visit to the Stages Theater in Kirkwood. This year we have season tickets, which has been fun. This past weekend we saw The Drowsy Chaperone. Check that off my list of never having to see again. Not a fave. Oh well. Afterwords, we always go out someplace fun for dinner, and this time we hit Stoney River out in Chesterfield. OMG! To die for. Expensive!!! but delish! I had salmon and we split a bottle of zinfandel that I have to find a wine store somewhere because it was the best bottle of wine I ever had. I enjoyed my dinner, was stuffed to the gills, and was glad I experienced it, but feel I don't ever need to pay that amount again on a dinner just for me. If you would like to see my meal, go to this site, let the pictures cycle through, and when you see the salmon meal, that was mine, and yes, it looked exactly like that - YUM...

Stoney River