Secondly, the weekend before I left Oakland for South Carolina, I set my mind toward getting everything done that needed doing. I simply did not sit down at my PC at all...not that weekend and not the days leading up to my departure on Dec. 11.
I am here in South Carolina and have been since the morning of December 12. I have seldom had any time to myself so busy have we been doing, going, seeing, going, being and doing and so forth and so on.
I have a significant break this afternoon as my mom has gone to a funeral. This is my first chance to sit at her computer and do anything other than helping her figuree out glitches, etc.
I have had a LOT of great food, great desserts included, and I feel like I am "bloat" personified.
I have attended a cantata in the a.m. on Sunday and then traveled 60 miles to Columbia SC's First Baptist Church's 17th Annual Christms Pageant. I remembered having told my mother I didn't mind if we went, so my aunt got tickets (free, but necessary to reserve seats) and she, my mom and my cousin Debra drove to Columbia where we met my cousin Butch, his wife Judi and their son Benjamin at the church.
The pageant was unbelievable and incredible. That church has its own orchestra -- 31 pieces plus conductor!! Some are salaried and others are volunteers from local universities and music schools. The singing was extra good, too.
This week has been a daily flurry of activity -- travelling here, driving there, shopping and shopping and shopping. The thing is, I came home fully ready for Christmas. All the shopping excursions were on my behalf for my mom and aunt to get things for me. I must say it's a tad tiring, but I did find some nice things...jacket, shirts and socks.
Yesterday we took our annual trek to Spartanburg SC for the flower placements on gravesites. My cousin Dot, who was normally our first stop for a visit and trip to Wade's Restaurant for lunch, had died in March. Wednesday night, her daughter Karen asked if we would come to her house and then go to Wade's from there. It was a nice day, we had a good talk and lunch and then we went our separate ways. Flowers were placed on the graves of my grandparents, great grandparents -- both at one cemetery. We went a few miles to an older cemetery (near Converse College) and visited the graves of my mother's brother (who died 24 hours after his birth) and her maternal aunt who died at age 2 in 1918. She had influenza and had had a fever. She got up in the middle of the night and went outside in search of cool air (so my great grandma once told me). She died on their porch. At any rate, we also placed flowers on the joint graves (they are buried side by side).
Finally, we went to a huge mall and did some more "me" shopping.
Today, it's "sort of" restful. My mom is turning and burning doing things she doesn't normally do. She also doesn't want help doing it so I sit by the wayside and wait for her to ask me to do something.
Sigh.
And the travel tales will continue...
