Wallpapering at Grandma's

     Sunday was a very good day for me. I was pleased to be singing with the rest of the congregation as I wasn't playing piano that day. I discovered again that it really is an entirely different experience to sing amongst the body of Christ rather than leading it. I felt very cozy.

       At home, Jubal was supposed to take a nap but I could tell he just wasn't going to be able to settle. I told him he could have quiet time in his room instead. Savannah and I watched two of the newest episodes of Doctor Who available on Netflix. I really love that show. I practiced piano some, Savannah drew some, and we cleaned the kitchen some. Later in the afternoon I decided I needed to clean my room. So, what I am saying is, it was just the usual Sunday afternoon. I really relish my guilt free, comforting day of rest every week. And that my friend, is why I dreaded leaving it.

       Dad and I were headed over to Grandma's as soon as Jubal was in bed. I already had packed my overnight bag as I cleaned my room. When the time came I said goodbye to Jubal. At the time Savannah was getting him dressed for bed. I leaned over my naked little brother and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Goodnight Jubal, bye-bye!" Jubal, couldn't reply because he was so hyper about who knows what and he only laughed. I said bye to Savannah and Mom and then Dad and I made the drive to Gulf Shores.

       

         I was glad to see Grandma of course and I greeted her with a kiss and she greeted me with an observation of how my clothes looked odd. It made me laugh; I thought my outfit was really cute! We went over the plans for the next day.

         Grandma has wanted to redecorate her bathroom for a while. She was finally ready for me to come and help. The main bulk of the renovation is the wallpapering. Grandma has been saving a pink and white pinstripe pattern in her closet for years. The walls in the bathroom have to be washed with bleach and water solution and let dry, then up goes the paper.

        Grandma and I got a late start in the morning but we still managed to get a lot done. Wall papering turned out not to be as hard as I imagined. The paper came pre-pasted and all you had to do was dip it in water and put it on the walls. In my head I have always imagine wall papering to be like this: 

You walk into an old house and the tantalizing smells of pancakes tickles your nose. You follow the smells into a small kitchen with wooden cabinets. There is one small window above the sink in need of a washing. The stove to the left is smoking and over it you see Pippi Longstockings standing, her long arms flying as she flips the cake into the air and catches it in the pan. “Oh you’re just in time!” She grabs you by the arm, leaving the pancakes to burn on the stove and drags you into the parlor and says, “I’m wallpapering!” She then proceeds to show you how it is done. The girl finds a paint brush and dips it in the paint and slathers it on the walls. Next she slaps a section of paper against the wall and tries to roll it but the paste is too thin and it comes oozing from around the edges. The top of the paper peels back from the wall and rolls down over her head and down to the floor so that Pippi is nothing but a tangle of arms and rollers and drippy paste with paper twenty feet long making a cover over it all.

        Wallpapering Grandmas bathroom was nothing like that. It was slow and it made my arms ache but it wasn’t messy. I spent all of Monday wallpapering, and when I was not, doing math. Monday night I browsed Facebook and Instagram on my phone. Back home Mom and Savannah were watching the original Doctor Who episodes. I also saw Mom’s posts about the World Cup soccer game. I could imagine her shouting and Oh-ing as she watched the game. For the first time in a long time as I lay in the dark on the soda I felt home sick. I don’t know why exactly.  

       The next day was just the same. I got an earlier start that time and I finished as much as Grandma wanted to get done for that round. Next time I come over we will start on the next section.

I couldn't get all of it in the picture. The papering extends from the door, across the bathroom counter, and all the way around to the shower. Next I will make sure to get the wall opposite the mirror.

         I got on Instagram again and saw a picture of Jubal proudly displaying his artwork. In the picture you could see how proud he was. His chin was tucked and his tongue stuck out slightly. He had drawn train tracks and the number 91. Another wave of homesickness came over me. Why the emotions Lydia? I asked myself. I was coming home that night, it hadn’t been that long.

You can just barely tell that circle shape at the top has a tale.

        With all the work done Grandma took Dad and I out to pizza for supper. At Marcos Pizza I saw a group of me wearing uniforms walk in, I wondered aloud who they were. Grandma said she thought they were beach security. A little later we found out they were firefighters. 

         Grandma picked out a place for us to sit, but when she noticed the firemen sitting on the other side of the building she said, “Oh, I didn’t know they were going to sit over there. I thought they were going to sit here, that’s why I picked this spot.”

“Why does it matter where they sit?” I asked

“Well because I thought you might like to look at the cute young one.”

         That made me laugh, my Grandma is really funny. I hadn’t noticed if there were any cute young ones amongst the group before that.

      After supper we picked up a few groceries then went back to Grandmas. We gathered up our things, put them in the car, said goodbye to Grandma and went back home.

I am really glad to be home again. I gave Jubal a big hug; he was excited to show me his long long train carrying all his little Lego animals.

        I also had a package waiting for me but I already knew what it was - a saxophone!  I have wanted to play saxophone since I was twelve years old. When I got it out Jubal informed me that, “When I get a wittle bit bigger then I can pay saxphone.” I played around with the instrument for a little bit and then put it away so that I could practice piano instead.

       

It's not a very glamorous picture but oh well.

         When I was practicing Jubal came up and climbed on my lap holding the iPod, I could see he was playing the Monkey Blast game.  “I want sit with you an’ you pay song an I pay Monkey Bast.”

I was practicing for church and would consult my list of songs every once in a while

“What dat?” Jubal asked.

“That’s my list so I will know what songs to play for church.”

After a while he said, “Oh I know how pay pano! Move, I want show you.”

I scooted the bench in for him so he could reach. “Oh!” he ran out of the room. “I need get my list. I need my list so so I know what song to pay for church.”

I watched him pick up a red block then clamber onto the bench. “Dis my list. Now I know what to pay.” He pointed to the block “I will pay Psalm 2.” 

       He put his list on the bench next to him just where I keep my list and then began to play. I was impressed with how he moved his fingers. His motions mimicked how I play; when he went up high his fingers made a little flourish just like mine. He continued to play Psalm 36, Psalm 22, and a couple of songs from the hymnal. He was eager to take turns so that I could practice too.

       

Look at his list! One of the songs he played was the hole song because it was written in the hole of his block/list.

      Savannah showed me another one of her drawings and Mom asked me how I like the blueberry coffee cake they had made. I am glad to be back home.

(I know I have missed a few Musical Mondays. I will try to get one up next week.)