McAllister

Sometimes it is hard to be the mom of these kids of mine.  Callie was defending her thesis on a day that was a scheduled work day.  I had decided not to go but when they changed the work day to a 1/2 PD day, I decided that I wasn't going to be working anyway, and took the trip to Boise.   

She was professional and polished.  Her thesis was very Statistical, I  may or may not of understood it all.

What through me for a loop was when I  noticed that all her work people called her McAllister.   She works for the Idaho Policy Institute. Her co-workers are young, professional and extremely smart.  

I said to her boss  ' Did you call her McAllister?'

And she answered, 'It's her name. What do you  call her?'

When she was born after the three boys, I wanted her to have a name that would not slow her down in the business world.   It is what I envisioned all those years ago.  

She has now finished her MA. Ed. Curriculum and instruction.  She has a great job, a lovely husband and a sweet Standard Poodle.   Do I want her to have it all?  You bet!  The best is yet to come.

Books and Trips

Callie gave me this book for Christmas.   I loved it.  An Idaho author writes a historical fiction novel taking place in the early 1900's, in the Wood River Valley.   Very nicely written. 

It did inspire a day trip to the Sun Valley area.  It is not the first time a book has inspired a trip.   

It was a beautiful day and I was happy that I could spend time with my family. 

New Table

Around 30 years ago, my mother asked me if I wanted the table that had been in my grandfathers basement.   Wes and I had no money and definitely wanted the table.

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             -This is not my table.  It is just like my table, only it looks a lot better than mine.-

The table itself was problematic.  It was older and the we had a hard time finding chairs that were the right height, but we figured it all out and have been using it for years.

When we moved here, it did not get up wrapped up correctly and it developed a problem or two during the move.  In the last few years, I knew it needed to be refinished.  Neither of us had any desire to refinish it, so we decided to buy a new one.

You need to understand, I am a purger.  I have no problem throwing things out, but I have struggled letting go of this table.  It was my grandmothers table.  She died in 1940.  I've not only never met her, but I've never even heard any stories about her.  What I know is that the one thing she wanted was a family and it never happened for her.  She had my dad and never was able to have another baby.  This table was hers, but when my grandfather remarried six years after her death, this table was not used, it was put in the basement. 

As I struggled letting this piece of history slip out of my life I came to the conclusion that I had given this table a home where it was used by a family.

We ate many a family dinner, did homework on it, cut out fabric on it, put the sewing machine on it and quilted on it.  We have played games and cut out cookies on it.  I have been doing my weekly lesson plans on it and have had the grands gathered around it for crafts and snacks.

I'm pretty sure that she was okay with the life it had lived.  I'm pretty sure that even if I let the table leave my house, I will still have a connection to my grandmother. 

With all of this behind me, we gave the table to a young family. I hope they refinish it and use it up some more.  And of course, let me visit it.