Grackles

That is the word that took six weeks to come into my feeble brain. GRACKLES.

When I was in Oklahoma in February for some obscure reason I had a thought about the pest bird that used to flock around Lake Overholser and they would shoot canons off in the neighborhoods to drive them away. No, I don't know what kind of canons, noisy ones without live ammo I assume. Anyway, I could not, could not for the life of me remember the name of that pest bird. I asked around my siblings but we only came up with egrets. I was pretty sure it wasn't egrets but didn't have a clue with what to fill in the blank with. Well, it came to me the other day during a lovely drive around the Puget Sound. GRACKLES.

Like I said, it took six weeks for that freaking word to come to me. It isn't that anything about that bird or memory was important, because it wasn't, it was just a passing thought that stuck and stuck and stuck because I couldn't remember the name. I was told once that when you go through menopause you lose nouns. I'm here to tell you that that is true, true, true. That is my life now. Can't remember, don't know, run into bushes, wobble up the road, forget, misuse mispronounce or mix-up words, drive slow, creak when the weather changes, and can't move furniture by myself any more.

Roger and Connor met Christian and I in Ballard to help me move some furniture from Claire's house to mine. We met at our new favorite El Camion joint. Roger bought me my tacos, beans and rice and we were all enjoying a delicious meal, even Connor, who eats very little, who had just come from an indoor soccer game, was chowing down like a lumberjack. Everyone but me was through eating, I still had a few bites of rice I wasn't leaving behind when Connor asked his daddy in the most disgusted voice imaginable, "Whennn is Grannny goinnng to be donnne?"

Did I mention that as I grow older my progeny gets just a little impatient with me? And Connor has a switch hidden somewhere in his mind. When he is done he is done and it is time to go.

Roger gave me a gift certificate to one of those ceramic paint places and I took Connor for a little Connor/Granny bonding experience. For two hours he very carefully, diligently, patiently painted his Spiderman plate. He had about six minutes of painting left to do when he stood up and said, "Okay, let's go." He would have left it all to walk out the door right then. He would have left the plate, the paint, the painting, and the granny. He is like Christian in that respect and just a little like me. I finished the last six lines of the Spiderman web for him, good granny that I am, and now it is truly a plate we both shared painting. He put thumbprints on my turtle plate, I drew web lines on his. I like that, one of those accidents of the universe, unplanned, but perfect.

Lots of those unplanned but perfect moments in the Taylor clan experiences. Jean's and my power drive through Colorado. Two Disneyland trips. Wine drinking on the bluffs of San Juan Island. A Chicago trip long long ago. Art's fiftieth surprise birthday party Janice pulled off without a hitch. I keep reading Top Ten Lists for everything like what to do in New Zealand, books to read before you die, 2014 movies, reasons to visit Tulsa or OKC or Arkansas or cheap eats in Seattle, and yes, El Camion is one of them, Top ten whatever...

What about top ten family moments? All the family time spent at Jean's as dad lay dying. Janice's sixtieth birthday party, best reunion moments, family traditions, Christmas breakfasts, weddings, funerals, funny Jeff stories, Memorial Day backyard barbecues, funny Jeff stories or rather funny stories Jeff told, or just plain old Jeff stories. I challenge you to come up with a top ten Jeff stories list.

As a family we are so blessed with Jeff, Jean, Jerry, Julia, James, Josephine, Jan, Janice, Mom, Dad. There is a top ten list for you. But wait, what about in-laws, nieces, nephews? Can we come up with ten Mark Harris stories yet, or Chris Miller? The world is filling up with Michael stories. Connor stories. Connor likes indoor soccer better than outdoor soccer because his shoes don't get dirty. Christian remembered how I bought him off soccer with cleats and twenty bucks. Bribery the most underrated parenting tool there is.

I'm glad I don't have to "parent" Connor. I don't have to tell him to brush his teeth, do his homework, get dressed or undressed as the case maybe, The best part of getting "senior" is all I have to do is admire Connor, watch Connor, get a kiss when the mood strikes him, play, talk, listen, and follow him out the door when he is done. Who cares how long it takes to remember the noun grackles?

When God closes one door he opens a window, right?
When one sense diminishes another is strengthened.
When we have done all our parenting bit, we get to relax and enjoy the show.

Top Ten List for reasons becoming a senior citizen rocks.

1. Grand-kids has to top the list
2. Not dead yet
3. Nobody cares how I look, dress, eat, think, or asks why I want to move a trunk and rocking chair to my little condo where I don't have room for another thing. It is my rule, if something comes in the front door something has to go out. So I threw away a paper bird, an empty box, and a rocking chair. It is gone Jean, I loved that rocking chair but it wasn't comfortable for my senior family and friends to sit in, a really low down chair and lots of bad knees is not a good combination. There is a new rocking chair in its place compliments of Claire. And the huge steamer trunk, well I have no reason at all for bringing it home --  just because.
4. Doing things just because
5. Thinking obscure random thoughts which can includes grackles -- just because
6. Reminiscing about family
7. Planning fun stuff; bacon fests, trips to Flathead Lake, so-you-want-to-marry-a-Taylor tests, menus for family dinners, painting plates
8. Following a little one out the door without explanations
9. Lots of play time
10. Grand-kids must end the list also

11. Handing off the living to the next generation
12. Watching the next generation grow
13. Mountain tops, sunsets, water in all its forms, ocean to rivers to Puget Sound, Juan de Fuca strait, waterfalls, full moons, new moons, obscured moons but you know they are there anyway
14. Life, sometimes obscured but you know it is there anyway
15. etc, etc, etc

Who cares about creaky knees and nouns. I've got things to do, places to go, food to eat, and breakfast with Claire in two hours.

The top ten list of reasons becoming a senior citizen sucks will have to wait for another day. Oh by the way, it took me two tries to get Jerry the right name of an author. Nouns are so much trouble!