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,
(814) 723-2722. They are only a few miles
from Dor-me's.
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.
|