March 4, 2009
Mom, Doris Sweatman, Grandma Sweatman, or however you know her, is turning 90 years old on May 1st. We want to have a "party" for her. Not really a party so much as just an open house so people can drop in and see her and wish her "Happy Birthday". Doris Marie has reserved a room at the high rise where Mom lives in Jamestown for Saturday, May 2nd and we can have our Open House there. We are planning on having the Open House from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. We don't think that Mom will be able to last much longer than that and if she makes it through 4 hours of people coming and going, that will be plenty for her to go through.
The plan is just to have people drop in during that time, stay as long as you like and talk with Mom and whomever else is there. We will have snacks but nothing that requires utensils, etc. Rather than ordering a big store-bought cake, we thought it would be nice if the grandchildren or great-grandchildren would make and decorate cakes for her. I think she would get a kick out of that and the kids should, too. And we would have a variety of cakes to serve to visitors.
I am planning on taking my good camera and tripod and setting it up so I can get family group pictures with Mom. You know, like Laura and her kids and grandkids all surrounding Mom. Or whatever family groups are there at the same time. At any rate, we would like to get lots of pictures of family with Mom so that we can make an album for her with the pictures. I think she will get a kick out of sharing that with the other high-rise residents.
Speaking of albums, I am putting together a family album to take back with me. I am collecting digital pictures of family gatherings and groups to put on a CD so we can have it playing at the Open House. If anyone has pictures they would like to contribute, please email them to me. I particularly would like to get pictures of Mom with other family members, or pictures of family groups and gatherings, current or past. hope to print off most of them to have in binders so people can flip through them at the Open House, also.
After the Open House, we are planning a family get-together and dinner at Doris Marie and Jack's in Russell. As each person or group leaves the Open House, they are welcome to go down to Dor-me and Jack's house to gather and chat and EAT! When we finish up at the high-rise, we will come join you all.
Dor-me and Jack
have a big garage out back that they are willing to turn into a
camping dormitory for anyone who needs a place to stay. There is a
new Hampton Inn in North Warren (not open yet but should be by
then). They are at
3291 Market St,
North Warren, PA
16365,
I will put all of this information on my website gjvision.com also and add to it as we go along. If anyone else has room and is willing to have guests (family) for a night or two, please let me know and I will get the information out. I need email addresses for many people. I am sure some of what I have are outdated. If you are in contact with family members that I may have missed, please send me their addresses.
I think this is enough for now. It is probably about 8 paragraphs more than anyone will read, anyway. Send me thoughts, pictures, email addresses, suggestions and whatever else I have forgotten.
See you soon.
Love, Georgia