Shuffling off to Buffalo

After a too short time in Olean we hopped back in the van, assumed our positions and resumed our road trip.  We shuffled off to Buffalo.

And no- he did not drink that entire slush puppie.

And what would a trip to Buffalo be without a stop for wings?

 

After a yummy lunch we hopped back in the car to find the Niagara Power Vista.

Well, that was the plan. 

But we got lost.

Even with the GPS.

Some of the sights we saw along the way.

I thought Erik’s head was going to explode while we were driving around.  He hates to be ‘lost’. I don’t consider it lost because we know where we are. We just don’t know how to get where we need to be. This difference in view makes for interesting ‘conversations’ in the car. :)

Finally and after many wrong turns (construction) and a call to the Power Vista- we made it.

Phew.

This was an important stop for us because Alec is/was obsessed with how water creates power and this stop should finally answer all the questions. I’ll save you the suspense and tell you…… it did not.

And after a few hours… we were off to our next destination.

The Party & other good times

We came to Olean this year to celebrate my grandmother’s 100th year birthday. Her actual birthday isn’t until December but summer seemed like a good time to celebrate- hence the 100th year and not the 100th birthday.  I don’t have many pictures from the party – I spent a lot of talking and relied on Debbie for the picture taking and I don’t have those from her yet.

This is what I have.

It was a good party and I think she enjoyed it more than words can say. I think we all did. I’ve already told you she’s an amazing lady cause well, she is.

Here are some other pictures of our good times in Olean.

Traditional trip to ‘The Beef’.

The squirrels

Playing:

And wearing ourselves out. At one point – it was quiet….too quiet- I realized that no one knew where Alec was. Some thought he was inside- some thought he was outside. After a few minutes we found him here…doggie, blanket and seconds away from sleep…in the middle of the sidewalk.

  Ahhh yes…a good time indeed.

My grandma’s house

Every time I come to my grandmother’s house I am forced to face the fact that that this may be the very last time I have the privilege to stay there. It saddens me deeply. I know I am not alone with this thought as it must cross everyone’s mind. The time I spend there is with a heavy heart. The irony is that I have been thinking this way for at least 5 years. I mean someone reaches 95 and you think surely they may not live much longer. And then comes 96, 97, 98, 99 and yet here she is still proving to us that life is indeed a good one at 99.5. Obviously, she doesn’t physically move with the speed she once did but her mind? Oh, her mind. That is still in amazing shape. Sharp. She’s quite a lady.

There are so many things to share with you about this house and these feelings. The poignant one to me is simply that this home is the only place in my entire life that is still the same.  I have been coming here for 40 plus years. I can’t say that about anything else. When the time comes- there will be no place on Earth that I can say I have been coming to ALL my life.

I sat at that table when I was Alec’s age and ate scrambled eggs with bologna and ketchup (loved it then) with my grandfather – waiting for him to get his ‘grandpa power’ so he could take me to the playground. That exact table. (I just noticed this year that the chairs were different). It has been 20 year since my grandfather passed away. He never got to meet any of my mom’s grandchildren. So sad. He would have liked them all. They are all good kids.

When we are here- the insides of our hearts might be heavy but there is also much fun and laughter and love.We get to watch our kids do some of the same things we did when we were kids.

Like play out on the balcony and pretend we will sleep out there.

And run around the sidewalk. (since the house is a corner lot it makes for good sidewalk running)

 

We use to fool around in the yard and play in the trees (although some of these trees have been replaced).

Playing with the doorbell.

And the biggest thing is to sit on her front porch and visit with the relatives.

When family is in town there is always overflow.

And of course there is always time to just sit and visit.

This house is place that really feels like home to me.

Traditions prevail

We took our annual trip to Olean a few weeks ago. The weather made this trip not quite as pretty as it usually is. But we all did the things we usually do. Alec watched movies, colored, looked at books and occasionally looked out the window until he would glaze over at the monotony of the scenery. This was the first year he asked how much longer at an hourly intervals. Fortunately for us- Erik and I having been waiting for this to happen –like it is a milestone in Alec’s life- so we embraced it with a lot of laughter. Next year? We might throttle him.  :)

Erik did his usual thing- drive and complain about the music.

And I did my usual thing…manage food and drink requests, ignore Erik’s complaints about music, irritate Erik because I am… (insert any of these words…sleeping, watching tv on my phone, reading, texting etc.) anticipate potty needs and when all else failed playing with ‘little red’ (camera).

 

And then when it feels like it will never end…it finally does.

Ahhhh….

On the road again…

 

We are still traveling but we’ll be back soon!