Yesterday was a good day

My sister lived her whole life in the Kansas City area until a few years ago.  She has moved twice, when her only child moved.  Anyone who knows her and her family would know that her son and daughter-in-law are the ones who want what's best for her and have her interest in mind, so when they moved, so did she:  from Kansas City to Mcpherson, Kansas, and then on to Oklahoma City.  She is surrounded by grandchildren and great-grandchildren now.

There was a time when Cliff and I would travel to see her most years after she moved, but it's a long drive for a man 79 years old, one who occasionally gets vertigo at the worst times.  Each year her son brings the whole family, including my sister, to Kansas City to watch the Royals play baseball.  They rent a big vrbo or airbnb house with many rooms and restrooms, and Debra, my sister's daughter-in-law, cooks meals for everybody.  A year ago, my sister called and invited me to visit them on Saturday of their 3-day Kansas City visit.  I was so happy to know I'd get to see her again.

The only trouble was that when there are so many people in a house talking, we neither one knew what people were saying... so I really didn't get to talk to my sister too much.  At one point this year, Maxine called me and suggested that this year, when the others all went to pick apples at an orchard, she would stay with us at the house, so we could all talk and hear one another. 

Let me tell you, that turned out to be the best present that family ever gave me.  My sister helped raise me for the first two or three years of my life.  And after she got married, I still spent plenty of time with her as a child.  Her husband was a nice, gentle man, and I just always loved Larry, her son, and still do.  

I think maybe some of the children would rather have had their grandma-great with them at the orchard; but Debra, if you're reading this, tell those kids they can't imagine what it was worth to me, just to be able to talk about old times and be able to hear what was said.  They gave me an early Christmas present. 

Maxine is 96 years old, and seems to have no health issues at all, although she told me she does things a lot slower now, and rests a lot.  We are total opposites in so many ways:  She did everything right all her life: a great housekeeper and planner, a good Christian, a hard worker helping to put their son through college.  I'm a slob who doesn't plan much of anything, I just take whatever comes, hoping things will be alright.

But I sure do love my sister.

Cliff and me in the middle, Maxine on the right at 96 years old, and her two grandchildren.  Such good and gentle people.

Oh, and this next picture will show you how many people came to Kansas City for the ball game.  My sister, of course, was back at the house with us.  

I hope the rain doesn't come back until after their baseball game is over.